of our bones Why but shall I let them goe then and die in their error that were a cruell kind of compassion let their error die in them rather Moriatur error vivat homo saith St Austen Å¿ Aug. de Verb. Apost Ser. 31. slay the error saue the man And will you theÌ„ behold their error O say they vnlesse there be Sermons what beautie is there in our Churches why should we take so much paines to goe fo often vnto them The Scriptures that there are read we can read our selues at home we can pray those Prayers at home too haue we but the Psalter Bible in our houses what beauty haue we not that there is to be had So say they indeed that little knowe or what is Beautie or what is Service or what are Sermons or the Minister of God or intruth these Churches For if so be they did would they thus speake would they huddle vp together so many Solecismes would they first compare their Houses to the proper peculiar House of God themselues vnto his Ministers their private prayer to the Publicke and debase Publicke Prayer so much as to make it so much inferiour vnto Sermons why what other Gospell preach our Sermons then that which our Service delivers to them If in their own house where t Mat. 18.20 but two or three be gathered together the Lord it may be is in the midst how much more when we are such troups multitudes in Church Assemblies when we there set by u Marc. 6.40 rowes by hundreds and by fifties If he or she may compare themselus I their very Children to the Priest or Minister because they can read aswell as he so many a Butcher among the Iewes was as able as the Priest himselfe to haue killed a Calfe or an Ox and was it as lawfull therefore and fit for him to haue sacrificed the same Lastly if so be the Lords House be of no more value with thee then thine owne take heed the Lord another day leaue thee not altogether to thine owne when there shall be no Prince in this our Israel but every maÌ„ doing that which is best in his owne eyes when there shall be no Priest but every man of a Religion that he hath forged in his owne braine and which is the consequence of both these when we shall be no People neither but c Virg. Aen. l. 1. Relliquiae Danaûm the Relicks and Remnant of a People when a man shall be more precious then fine Gold and aboue the wedge of the gold of Ophir I meane in respect of the rarity of them as speakes the Prophet x Esay 13.12 Esay in another case But I am perswaded better things of you Beloved though I now thus speake the rather for that a many of you I may say it of my owne experience visit so well the Lords house at the vsuall times of Divine Service so that I may now say as saide the Apostle in his y 2 Thess â— 4 Epistle to the Thessalonians We are perswaded of you through the Lord that you both doe and will doe the things which we warne you of z Rev. 22.11 He that is righteous let him be righteous still he that is holy let him be holy still a Gal. 6.9 Let vs not be weary of welldoing for in due season we shal reape if we faint not And that shal be and it shal be then when we shall not hereafter on our death-beds depart as one b Vt nâ—n ex vita sed ex domo in domum vidâ—retur migrare Corn. Nepos in vita Attic speaketh out of this life but out of one house into another that is when vpon the parting of Body and Soule we shal be sped froÌ„ this House of Praier here on earth to that higher house aboue the House of Praises in Heaven where c Ambros Te Deum with Cherubins Seraphins continually crying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Saboth we shall all of vs be satisfied with the d Ps 36.8 plenteousnesse of that house I wil â—â—d with that of Austen who ending a Tract of his with the words of this my Text doth thus descant thervpoÌ„ Let thy Soule e Aug. in Evang Ioan. Tract 3. saith S. Austen say One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require even that I may dwell in the â—â—use of the Lord al the daies of my life to behold the fairâ— beauty of the Lord. Feare not saith S. Austen that thy continuance â—hâ—re will brâ—â—d a fulsomnes in thee Such a pleasure of beauâ—y shall it be that it shal beâ— alwaies in thy â—ie and yet shalt thou never be satisfied with it Or rather to speake the Truth saith he thou shalt ever be satisfied and never to For if I should only say thou shalt never be satisfied then mights thou feare some hunger to ensue if I should say only thou shalt be satisfied then mightst thou on the contrary feare there should be some fulsomnes where nor fulsomnes shal be nor hunger I faith he for my part am ignoraunt what to call it But howsoever I am ignorant yet hath the Lord sufficient to giue and to bestow on vs which we are ignorant how to call and yet beleeue that we shall receiue it The same Lord so blesse vs and the seed that hath beene sowen that with you of the poorer sort the k Mat. 13. â—2 Cares of this world with you of the wealthier the deceitfulnes of your riches with either of you of ether sort the lusts of other things growe not vp like thornes and choake it Erratum Pag. 28. lin 10. amend it thus Secondly his Constancie in it that in these which I will require Thirdly his Manifestation of it to the world and that in these I desired of the Lord not I desired of thee O Lord. DAVIDS DESIRE to goe to Church 2. Serm. One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require even that I may dwel in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to beholde the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Psalm 27. ver 4. IT is not long since Right w oâ— and dearely beloved in our Savior Christ that my course comming in order to execute the Priests a Luk. 1.8 office before the Lord in this kind I made my choise of these few words to be intreated of at that time When by the assistance of the same Lord hauing multiplied the self-same words into as many more wordes as tooke vp the space of a whole houre there was yet behind some overplus such as at that time could not bee disposed of and therfore reserved by me till some fitter opportunity Which opportunitie now come by reason of the Solemnity of this Day which requireth at our hands a more then ordinarie respect I am now come with that overplus as it were the b Ne
that God requireth for his service but he requires withal the ToÌ„gue to if we thinke this tongue of ours is not to be imployed in publique Assemblies as well as at hoame let vs remember what was saide to Meroz by the Angel of the Lord Curse ye Meroz c Iud. 5.23 said the Angel curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not to help the Lord to help the Lord against the mighty Our Prophet you see in this place was farre from this sin he proclaimed to all the world of what religion he was He stucke not to tel it vnto others to acquaint all men living with the desire of his heart especially al such as should haue or the hearing or seeing or singing or saying this Psalme He doth d Pers sat 2. Aperto vivere voto he regards not who heares him he beleeved e 2. Cor. 4.13 therefore spake he spake and in speaking proclaimed it to the world And thus much of the manifestation of this his petition to the worlde and consequently of the Petition it selfe namely of the Matter of it as also the Manner of making it We are now to come to the second point to wit the Reason of this Petition which I told you was in these words To behold the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Wherein I thought to haue observed to you these points First his Contemplation and that in these words To behold the faire beautie of the Lord Secondly his Action that in these To visit his Temple Thirdly the ioining of both together that in the particle And To behold the faire beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple His Contemplation in respect of the Soule his Action in respect of the Body the Ioyning of both together in respect of both combind together Body and Soule But this were to enter a new Ocean a word of exhortation therefore and so God willing an ende One thing haue I desired of the Lord c. OF all the daies in the weeke there is speciall notice taken of one day as very dismall to the Irish and in a maner fatall to theÌ„ This day f â—â—aniâ—â—urst â—o Reb. Hiâ—â—rn l. 3. they say is Tuesday for vpoÌ„ a Tuesday they lost Limmirick vpon a Tuesday they lost Wexford vpon a Tuesday they lost Waterford and vpoÌ„ a Tuesday againe they lost Divelin I and at a fift time too vpon a Tuesday it was that they had a great overthrowe the Earle of Tumond that theÌ„ was being chiefe of all their troupâ— But whatsoever may be said of that day concerning the Irish sure I am that of this day a Tuesday too when g In the yeare of our Lord 1605. time was and of an other day in this Moneth it may be said of vs English that we haue receaued two as great Blessings from the immediate hand of God as ever did natioÌ„ in this world or ever is like to doe to the worlds ende I mean the Beginning of Queen Elizabeths Raigne of happie memory the Seauententh of h In the yeare of our Lord 1558. this Moneth that wich this fifth day we haue celebrated the CoÌ„tinuing of King Iames his Which two daies the Seauententh and Fift might they parley with one another as Plutarch i Plut. Quest Rom. qu. 25. reports the Holy day and the Worky daie once did and the Seauententh should say as did the Holy day vnlesse I had been so happy thou hadst never been how might this Fift replie agaiâ—â— but if so be I had not beene thou hadst never beene so happy For indeed had not this day beene what should it haue profited vs to haue liued in prosperitie some fortie yeares there abouts and at the last to haue beene a by-word to all the natioÌ„s of the world Would it not haue beene said of our Land as was sometimes of Ierusalem but of Ierusalem overthrowne k Ier. Lam. 2.15 Is this the Country that men call the perfection of beauty the ioy of the whole earth Might not our Mother this little Iland haue said l Ier. Lam. 1.15 The Lord hath troden vnder foot al my valiant men in the midst of me he hath called an Assembly against me to destroie my young men the Lord hath troden the wine-presse vpon the Virgin the daughter of England Might not the Survivers of vs haue said but alas who should haue survived but yet if any should might they not haue said with the m Ier. Lam. 4.20 same Prophet The breath of our nostrils the anointed of the Lord was taken in the nets of whome we said vnder his shadow we shall be preserved But thankes be to our God there are eveÌ„ in that Prophet other words which better fit vs and may be said and spoken of vs which this our Iland may also speake and we the Inhabitants may speak also n Ier. Lam 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his coÌ„passions faile not I will speake it Beloved againe o Virg. Aeneid l. 3. Et repetens iterumque iterumque monebo and p Matt. 11.15 he that hath eares to heare let him heare It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Such the mercies of the Lord towards vs his compassions so great what greater recompence to be made him then to performe that very thing which the Prophet in this place doth desire Even to dwel in the house of the Lord all the daies of our life What will ye say in these Churches or in such as are inferiour vnto these I even in these Churches or in such as are inferior vnto these even where soever the Lord shall place vs the lot of this world shall hereafter fall vpon vs the meanest of which and respect their beautie with the right eye of vnderstanding in deed and not Salomons Temple in all its glory much lesse this Tabernacle here arayed like one of them For what was all they had but shadowes of what we doe that House in truth and in the eye of faith was but a Cottage vnto ours Wherefore as q Hieron ep ad Laetam et ep ad Saluinom ex Turtull ad Martyr St Ierom in another case Si tanti vitrum quaÌ„ti margarituÌ„ If so be glisse saith he be so much to be esteemed of what estimation is a Pearle to be so say I in this case if this our Prophet were so inamored with so very a Glasse as that was I speake it by way of comparison how should we be with our Pearles and that so orient as ours are Nor let me now seem contrary to my selfe for that I cal that Tabernacle a Temple of glasse in respect of our Churches seeing it is in that respect that I only call it so as a candle in respect of a lampe r Hieron Apol aduers Iouin saith St Ierom is nothing to be accouÌ„ted of a lampe
honour in the dust a very finger of his might haue done it Our adversaries abroad that saw the case wherein wee stood how did they newse it to one another that wee might bee now accounted dead A l Discourse of this late intended treason Fol. F. 3. Terrible Blow was now at hand we had all and every of vs but one necke and that neck of ours was now on the block The horror wherof if we would conceiue let vs but imagine another Fauks in some one of the vaults here abouts as many barrels as much powder and that which then matched both barrels and powder Doubtlesse we are never better affected vnto God theÌ„ wheÌ„ we pray we are now in the house of praier prayer you know was the last the verie last thing we did yet should we all of vs now miscarry and in this very in stant of time be snatcht out of the world and haue the sudden death of those of whoÌ„ Elihu in Iob m Iob. 34 â—0 Tremel speaketh momento moriuntur they are gone in a trice or as speaketh the n 1. Cor. 15 5â— Apostle S. Paule In momento in ictu oculi in a moment in the twinkling of an eie how vnpreparedly might we all goe to appeare before that throne where this day we should receiue everie of vs our last doome And yet wee are but a handful to the o See the B. of Linc. Answer to a nameles Cathol p 360. 361. house ful of theÌ„ that should haue miscarried and yet they though well affected no doubt as men in civill affaires might bee yet somewhat perhaps behind our selues in respect of the soules businesse wee are about But it is not nowe of this point I point now to speake my intent and purpose is to speake of the Thankefulnesse and Gratitude wee are to performe to God for this not so much in words which are but winde as in very truth and real deeds such as may be testimonies thereof both to these times now present and to after ages that are to come What hath the Lord preserved our honor We will also preserue his Hath he made our housholds like p Ps 107.4 flocks of sheep We will endevour in like manner to furnish also his house be it early bee it late it shall not for our partes be so naked as it hath beene hetherto To the producing of which effect in every of vs here present be wee of the one Corporation or of the other of the one or other sex I haue at this time brought vnto you a certain passage of Davids Psalmes that as David is the man who puts vs in minde of this gratitude so he might instruct vs in the manner to how this gratitude should be performed not in finding out new places for the Temple of the Lord new habitations for the God of Iacob there is no such necessity now a daies but in maintaining the old places the old habitations of the God of Iacob and that by tendring there our continual presence at the vsual times of Divine Service The wordes I haue chosen to this purpose are in the fourth verse of the seaven and twenty Psalme and parcel of the wordes this very night to be read at Evening Prayer which will cause me also in reading them to follow the traÌ„slatioÌ„ we theÌ„ vse not that which is vsuall in our Bibles though the differeÌ„ce in this verse be but smal The words are these One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require even that I maie dwell in the house of the Lord al the daies of my life to beholde the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple IN which words without curiosity of giving every hen her own egge as Plinie q Plin. hist nat l. 10. c. 15. tels vs of one that was able to doe it with his hens may it please you to obserue with mee two speciall points as here they lie First a Petition of the Prophet Davids Secondly the Reason of that petition The Prophets PetitioÌ„ in these words One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life the Reason of it in these To behold the faire beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple The Petition wee shall best consider of if so be we consider therein the Matter of it and the Manner of making it The Manner of making it in these words One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require the Matter of it in these Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life But it is with this Matter Manner here as it was with Thamars r Gen. 38.28 twinnes the Maner shewes it selfe first but the Matter must first be handled First and foremost therefore of the Matter Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life Wherein for our better proceeding I shal obserue vnto you three points first what kind of house this was secondly what it was to dwell in it thirdly the conveniency of dwelling there And of every of these in their order every of these in these words Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life First therefore of the house Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord. As the Lord God out of the whol masse of mankind hath reserued to himselfe some whome he calleth his Elect of times and seasons some his Saboths and solemne Feasts of servaÌ„ts and attendants some his Ministers Priests of goods and wealth that men enioy some his Tithes Oblations so out of the habitations of the sonnes of men some he hath reserved which he cals his House Temple Now what kind of house this was what better instructioÌ„ may be had then from the owner of it himselfe The owner of it was the Lord who though hee Å¿ Esay 66â— said when time was Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstoole where is that house that you will build vnto mee and where is the place of my rest that is as St Steven t Act. 7.49 interprets it what house will yee build for me or what place is it that I should rest in Yet a house hee had a place there was not so much to rest himselfe in as where his people might rest there hopes to heare dayly and duly from him The very first meÌ„tioÌ„ of this house is made in the booke of Exodus where he calleth it a Sanctuary wheÌ„ speaking vnto Moses They shal make me saith he a SaÌ„ctuary that I may dwell among theÌ„ u Exod. 25.8 True it is that long before some speech there was of Gods house as in the booke of Genesis how fearefull c Gâ— 28.17 saith Iacob is this place This is no other but the house of God and
x V. 22. againe a little after This stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shal be Gods house but where meÌ„tion was first made that it should immediatly be gone in hand withall a speciall name giuen vnto it wherby perpetually it should be called that as I said was first in Exodus where the Lord himselfe cals it by the name of a Sanctuary It is called in the same place an y Exod. 25.10 Arke besides and a z V. 19. Tabernacle which three names howsoeuer seuerally distinguished among them selues are but the diuers appellations names of this house as first for the Sanctuarie Psalme the seaventy third at the fifteenth verse Then thought I saith the Prophet to vnderstand this but it was to hard for me vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God secondly for the Arke Psalme the hundred thirty second at the eight verse Arise O Lord into thy resting place thou and the Arke of thy strength thirdlie for the Tabernacle in the a Ps 27.5 next words to this my text He shall hide me in his Tabernacle yea in the secret of his dwelling shall he hide me Now as in a materiall and worldly building wee then know it best when we know the several roomes of it and to what vse each roome serues so let vs see in the sacred Scriptures and other writers besides what is saide of these three roomes in regard wherof this house of God was called by these names First then concerning the Tabernacle wee shall finde it recorded b Act. 7.44 Exod. 25.40 Heb. 8 5. that it was the Lords owne invention and how he shewed a patterne of it in the mount c Ioseph Antiq. l. 3. c â— that after it was once reared it saved Moses his long iournies vp to mount Sinay the Lord as it were taking the paines to come downe to him lastly that the cloud of the Lord was d Exod. 40.38 vpon it by day and fire was in it by night in the sight of al the house of Israel throughout al their iournies wherevpon an ancient Father e Clem. Alex. Orat. Adhor ad Gentes this cloud saith hee waited on the Hebrewes like a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handmaid and as for the fire it was saith the same Father a g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 token of grace and feare too if so be they would obey then was it light to lead them if not but they would be waiward then was it fire to consume them Secondly concerning the Arke we shal fiind it recorded in holy scripture that it was stiled and called by Gods owne peculiar h Ios 4.13 2. Sam. 6.2 name that when it was borne on the Priests shoulders the feet of them that bare the Arke were no sooner dipped in Iordans water but Iordan was driven i Ios 3.15 backe the mountaines skipped like k Ps 114.3 rams the little hils like young sheep that it was the cause of the falling downe of l Iosh 6.4 Iericoes wals that when it was brought into Dagons house m 1. SaÌ„ 5.3 Dagon was overthrowne that n V. 9 when it came into Gath it made havocke of Gods enemies o Ps 78 67. it smote them on the hinder parts and put them to a perpetual shame that when it came to Ekron it did as much vnto the p 1. SaÌ„ 5.11 Ekronites that wheÌ„ the milch kine brought it home it q 1. SaÌ„ 6.12 guided the kine in that their iourney it was as the rudder in a ship which though it be behind yet directeth all afore lastly we shal there find that when the men of r V. 19. Bethshemeth pried into it over boldly it slew aboue fiftie thousand at one time so exasperated was the Lord against them All that afterwards hapned by it as the Å¿ 2. SaÌ„ 6.7 slaying of Vzzah but for touching it the blessing of t V. 11. Obed Edom for entertaining it and some other things besides I now omit at this time as being done by all likelyhood after the composing of this Psalme and therefore not likely that the Prophet here had any relation to these events Thirdly concerning the Sanctuary we shall find it recorded there what pretious Iewels that had in it being the cabinet as it were and casket of them as first this aforesaid u Heb. 9.4 Arke and all the sacred things therein contained the golden pot wherein was Manna and Arons rod that had budded and the Tables of the Testament secondly the golden c Heb. Ib. Censer thirdly the mercy seat of x Exod. 25 17. gold fourthly the y V. 18. Cherubins of gold too fifthly the z V. 38. dishes cups coverings and a V. 31. candlestickes of gold We shall find it recorded there that the Lord from thence gaue forth his b Exod. 25.22 Numb 7.89 Oracles and told all things vnto Moses concerning the children of Israel We shall find it recorded there that the high Priest went into it c Heb. 9.7 Levit. 16.33 once every yeare to make an attonement both for himselfe for the Priests and for the People Lastly we shall find it recorded there that it was d Heb. 9.3 called Sanctum Sanctorum that is The holiest of all for so is the Hebrew phrase in stead of the superlatiue like as our Saviour is e 1. Tim. 6.15 called in holy Scripture Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords according to that dialect And these are the excellent things recorded of that house wherevnto as this our Prophet no doubt had special reference here in these words so they may serue vs as a draught in some sort to knowe what manner of house this was There are that f Ioseph Antiq l. 3. c. 8. compare this house to this great world wherein we liue for it being devided say they into three parts the Outward Court the Inward and the Sanctuarie two of them signifie the Earth the Sea wherein al kind of creatures are and such were the Outward and Inward Court the third part which was the Sanctuarie signifies Heaven say they which was reserved for God alone in like sort as the Heaven is not to be come vnto by men In my conceit it may more fitly bee compared to the little world of man as man in holy g Thess 5.23 Scripture is said to haue a Body a Soule and a Spirit the Soule being taken as h Dicitur anima dum â—â—getat spirituâ— dum coÌ„templatur Aug de Sp. Anim. l. 1 c. 13. sometime it is for the will affections the Spirit for the vnderstanding First then concerning the Tabernacle that J resemble to the Body my reason is for that so ofteÌ„times in holy i 2. Cor. 5.4 2. Pet. 1.13 2. Pet. 1.14 writ we find this Body of ours resembled to a Tabernacle In this Body is
holynesse honourable Concerning the glory of the other Priests which were inferiour vnto him we may make an estimat by that which there followeth When he tooke the portions out of the Priests hands he himselfe stood by the hearth of the Altar compassed with his Bretheren round about as the branches doe the Cedar tree in Lâ—banus and they compassed him as the branches of the Palme tree So were at the sonnes of Aron in their glory the oblations of the Lord in their hands before all the Congregation of Israel In a word the Iewes they were f Levit. 20.24 separated as Gods peculiar people from all other people besides and the Priests as more peculiar vnto God were g 〈◊〉 8.14 separated from the Iewes Concerning the presence of the People if so be in civil Societies wheras they are orderly pyld together and they are not a tabble or a rout it is no small beautie which in such Societies is to be seene how much more was the beautie in those Assemblies in so peculiar a People as that was One Timotheus a Captaine of Athens being demanded by Themistocles what was the greatest ioy that ever he had in all his life It was h Aeâ—ian l â—3 c. 43. saith he when in the Olympian games beginning to play my Prize the whole Theater there present behâ—ld me with their eies And famous is that of the Senators of Rome who when the Gaules had taken their Citty and now were entred into the Senate They i Liv. Dec. 1 l 5. seemed vnto them at the first like the Images of the Gods of such a goodly presence they were The order observed in these Assemblies as it was farre beyond those so was the Beautie no doubt far faierer a worthier obiect to the eie It is well seene o God k Ps 68.24 saith David how thou goest how thou my God and King goest in the Sanctuarie The Singers goe before the Minstrels follow after in the midst were the Damsels playing with the Timbrels Nor was it preiudiciall to this beauty that there was perhaps in those Assemblies much cockle among the wheat the bad among the good all as speakes the l Rom. 9.6 Apostle St Paule not being Israel that were of Israel nor all of them Children because they were the seed of Abraham seeing it was in respect of the better part that this beautie here was thus accounted of Like as we say in our Creed The holy Catholike Church notwithstanding there are too many neither Catholike therein nor Holy But thus much of the Persons the Parties here present The Things performed in these Assembles wherein this Beautie did consist was as I said the Publique Solemnitie of the honour and service of God both in his Word Sacraments and Sacrifices and Prayer and Praises and indeed admirable was the beauty in every of these particulars being beheld with spirituall eyes As first formost in the Word to consider how the eternall God at m Heb. 1.1 sundry times in divers manners spake vnto them by the Prophets Secondly in the Sacraments to consider how the same God did bind himselfe vnto them even as the Debt or bindeth himselfe by bond vnto his Creditor or man to man by way of Indenture Thirdly in the Sacrifices to consider what was due vnto the sinnes themselues committed I say themselues committed and yet n Ovid. Met l. 15. Placidum pecus inque tuendos Natum homines the milde and gentle Sheep Animal sine fraude dolisque the innocent harmelesse Oxe they forsooth must die the death Fourthly in their Praiers how they needed not now make such Apologies as AbrahaÌ„ did vnto the Lord o GeÌ„ 18.27 Behold now I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord and I am but dust and ashes and againe p V. 30. Let not my Lord now be angry that I speake and yet againe q V. 32. Let not my Lord now be angry and I will speake but this once no they might nowe talke their fill with him every Morning every Evening both at their Morning and Evening Sacrifice Lastly in their Praises to coÌ„sider how they r Ps 150.1 praysed God in his holines praised him in the firmament of his power praised him in his noble acts praised him according to his excellent greatnes praised him in the sound of the truÌ„pet praised him vpon the Lute harp praised him in the Cymbals Daunces praised him vpon the strings and Pipe praised him vpoÌ„ the well tuned Cymbals praised him vpon the lowd Cymbals Indeede it was a good thing as Å¿ Ps 147.1 saide the Psalmist to sing praise vnto their God yea a ioyfull and pleasant thing it was to be thankfull And thus much of the Faire Beauty in respect of the Things performed in those Assemblies nowe as touching the Power and Force this Faire Beauty had which was as you may remember the seconde point to be observed Concerning the Power Force of this Faire Beauty here specified wee shall take a scantling thereof if so be we do consider howe it ravished this our Prophet Body and Soule First his Soule and that by way of Contemplation To behold the Faire Beauty of the Lord Secondly his Body that by way of Action To visit his Temple Thirdly in that it caused him to ioine them both togither that in the particle And To beholde the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple And of every of these in their order first that his Soule was ravished by way of Contemplation To behold the faire beauty of the Lord. Great is the Power of Beauty though it be but worldly beauty such as is the beauty of womeÌ„ Is not the king t 1. Esd 4.28 saith Zorobabel great in his power Doe not all regions feare to touch him Yet I saw him and Apame the kings concubine the daughter of the famous Bartacus sitting on the right hand of the king And shee tooke the crowne of the kings head and put it vpon her own and stroke the king with her left hand Yet in the meane season the king gaped and gazed on her and if shee laughed at him he laughed and if she were angry with him he did flatten her that he might be reconciled with her The sonnes of God u Gen. 6.7 saith the Scripture saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wiues of al that they liked Behold c GeÌ„ 12.11 saith Abraham to Sara I know that thou art a faire woman to looke vpon therefore it will come to passe that when the Egiptians see thee they will say she is his wife so they will kiâ—â— me but they will keepe thee a liue Now if so bee in worldly beauty which is but a superficial colour only covering the bloud skin bones things most hideous to be beheld that which Diseases some times alwaies Age doth deforme d Flâ—vit vt in
the wombe of the Virgin he issued forth from thence both c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret de Grac. Affect Ser. 6. a visible man and a God to be adored Borne of the substance of the Father before all worlds but assuming that of the Virgin Mary which did appeare to the world Borne saith the same Father as it were this day and yet from all eternity Borne of his Father d Aug de Temp. Ser. 12 saith St Austen without a mother he created every day borne of his mother without a Father he hath coÌ„secrated this day so that whereas saith he in the worlds beginning man was made to the likenesse of God the case is altered now at this time for this day God is made to the likenesse of man Nor let it seeme incredible saith the same e August de Temp. Ser. 181. Father that he should be borne of a Virgin who out of the Virgin earth made the first man that ever was These the Beauties of our Church and of every our severall Congregations what remaineth but our desires in respect of them be such as was the Prophets concerning the Temple namely to beholde there these faire beauties and to visit these places that if so be that Beauty were so powerfull with the Prophet which was so farre inferiour vnto ours ours with vs shoulde be more powerfull as being farre more beautifull and so farre superiour vnto theirs Let it ravish then our Soules by way of Contemplation and like a load stone draw our Bodies to by way of Action to these places and let vs ioine here Body and Soule by Contemplation and Action both Let vs not take as Gods name so not his beauty in vaine if so be the Lord wil not hold him guiltles that takes his f Exod. â—0 7 name in vaine how will he iudge those another day that so much contemne this his Beauty And to the better effecting hereof let vs come often to this House and as the word vsed here is a frequentatiue so let our deedes be frequent to To come not at all with the Popish Recusant or but monthly with the false harted Protestant or in the forenoone or afternoone only with the halfe Christian or when Service is halfe done with the carelesse Gospeller or when there is a Sermon only with the Precisian are vices all of a quality though not al of the selfe same quantity all able to drowne vs though not all after one sort The Precisian hee is drowned as it were in rose water Moses and the Prophets are nothing with him here vnlesse forsooth they be interpreted The carelesse Gospeller in a bole of water a little serues his turne The halfe Christian in mud water The false harted Protestant in a river of water but the Recusant hee that wil never be here and that vtterly shunneth these Assemblies he is drowned in a sea of water drowned in deed as are the rest but the manner of his drowning more dreadfull so much the farther from all hope as he will needs be far thest from all helpe If now you demand of me how often you should come hither I answere even as often as this Beauty here is to be seene in the Publike Service of our God Whether on the Saboth day or on g Nostri dies festi in 4º praecepto nomine Sabbathi comprehensi Zanch. de Redemp l. 1 c. 9. Holy daies or even on the weeke daies to specially Masters Mistresses of families vnlesse as h Zanch. Ib. qu. 2. ZaÌ„chius wel states the question our sicknes is such as that we cannot come or our affaires of such importance that we may not defer them till an other time He that at every time else comes when ever opportunitie is offered it is a signe he is enamored with this Beauty of the Lord and he that with this Beauty is so enamoured in this world shall an other day behold his fairer Beauty and visit his other TeÌ„ple in the world to come Of which Beauty which Temple to speake in S. Austens i August de Tripl Habitac c 4. phrase whatsoever a man shall say it is as it were but a drop in comparison of the Sea a sparke in respect of a fire For how saith the same k Aug. in Ps 85. Father should it possibly come into the tongue of man that could never come as yet into the hart of man It being an invincible truth which the Apostle l â— Cor. 2.9 S. Paule delivereth The things which eie hath not seene neither eare hath hard neither came into mans hart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him The same God so blesse vs and the seede that hath beene sowne c. FINIS
a Soule and in that Tabernacle an k Exod. 40 3. Arke which Arke containing principally the Two Tables of stone the ten CommandemeÌ„ts what may we better resemble them vnto then to the will and affections over which they beare the sway The Sanctuarie I may wel resemble vnto the Vnderstanding though as the chiefest roome in this house it passed indeed all vnderstanding Nor may it seeme strange that the Temple here should thus be compared vnto man seeing man so often times in holy Scripture is called the Temple of God Knowe ye not l 1. Cor. 3.16 saith the Apostle that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which ye are And againe in another m 2. Cor. 6.16 place ye are the Temple of the living God wherevpon Tertullian very elegantly Being all of vs n Tertul. de cultu Fam. Eius templi Aedituâ— Antistes Pâ—dicitia est saith he the Temple of God the Pâ—rson Prelate of that Church is Chastitie which will not suffer any vncleane or prophane thing to be brought into it least that God that doth inhabit it should vtterly leaue the place by reason of such pollution But thus much of his house Now let vs see what it is to dwell in it Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord. Hannah the mother of Samuel wheÌ„ shee had beene long barren it was often cast her in the teeth she vowed a vow o 1. SaÌ„ 1.11 said O Lord of hosts if thou wilt look on the trouble of thy handmaid and remember mee and not forget thy handmaid but giue vnto thy handmaid a man child theÌ„ will I giue him vnto the Lord all the daies of his life there shall no raiser come vpon his head Her meaning was that he should be brought vp in the house of the Lord in Shiloh there to do the Lord that service that Eli the Governor should enioin him Al things hapning to her desires that is the Lord looking on her trouble remembring and not forgetting her giving vnto her a man childe indeed shee gaue him indeed vnto the Lord he became a Nazarite and a Levite and dwelt in the house of the Lord al the daies of his life But this is not the dwelling here meant in this place This kinde of dwelling was for Prophets indeed and for the Children of the Prophets howbeit Dauid though he were a Prophet yet had he besides an other calling and by reason of that calling coulde not thus dwell in this house The dwelling then that David meant was in all publike assemblies both at Morning and Evening Sacrifice to tender his presence to the Lord to sort himself with those who p Ps 121.1 gladded him so much when as they said vnto him we will goe into the house of the Lord to be alwaies praising of the Lord in those Assemblies according vnto that in an other of his Psalmes q Ps 84 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will bee alwaie praising thee And this because he coulde not now perfourme by reason of his banishment how dry was his soul within him what bitter moane doth he make r Psa 42.2 My soule saith he is a thirst for God yea even for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God I for his banishmeÌ„t had berest him of the exceeding solace he there took he prefers before himself those very fowles of the heaven before which our Å¿ Mat. 10.31 Saviour in another case woulde haue preferred him so much The Sparrow t Psa 84.3 saith he hath found her a house and the swallow a nest where shee may lay her yong even thy altars O Lord of hostes my king and my God I know there are of the u Calvin Tremell in hunc loc Interpreters that take these words otherwise but since our Church thus readeth them I for my part am coÌ„tented in this case not to vary from the Church But to returne vnto my purpose To approach continually then vnto the Temple and thither continually to repaire was the dwelling no doubt here meant to dwell to reside continually there not to come for a spurt or a fit as you heard this word Dwelling descanted vpon by c Mr Doct. King Vice-chancelor of Oxford and Deâ—ne of Christ-ch in a latin Sermon at the beginning of the Tearme vpon Ps 91.1 one of the worthiest amongst vs in another dialect not long ago And thus dwelt Anna here the daughter of Phanuel who is said in the secoÌ„d of x Luk. 2.37 Luke for the space of fourescore and foure yeares not to haue gone out of the Temple not that she was there alwaies but often saith y Lyra Beda in huÌ„c loc Lyra and venerable Bede to the same purpose not that shee was never absent no not an howre but for that she was often in the Temple And the same S. Luke speaking of our Saviours disciples after they had seen him ascended into heaven They returned z Luk 24.52 saith he to Ierusalem with great ioy were continually in the Temple praising and landing God Thus S. Austens mother in her time to might be said to dwell in Gods house wherevnto shâ— came so duely and truely twise a daie that shee in thy Scriptures a Aâ—g Confess l. 5. c. 9. saith S. Austen might heare O God what thou saidst to her and thou in her praiers what shee said to thee In a word such were the Christians the same S. Austen speaks of in another place whom he calleth the Emmets of God Behold the Emmet of God b Aug. in Psal 66. saith he it riseth early every daie it runneth to Gods Church it there prayeth it heareth the Lesson read it singeth a Psalme it ruminateth what it heareth it meditateth therevpon and hourdeth vp within it selfe the precious corne gathered from that barne flowre And thus much for the dwelling here now concerning the conveniency of dwelling in this place in as much as he desired it for tearme of life All the daies of my life Many and manifolde are the cares that are taken by mortall men concerning their habitations if so be they haue purse-opportunity either to purchase or to rent them Some like the City best some the c Horat. Epist l 1. Ad Fuscum Virg. Georg. l. 2. Country some one d Hor Carus l. 1. Od. 7 Coast some an other and yet when all comes to all nor City nor Coast nor CouÌ„trey whatsoever that continually can content them Variety of houses in every age hath been a great salue for this soare that as he e Terent. Eunuch Act. 5. sc 6. said in the Comedie when they are wearie of one house they may presentlie walke vnto another Even Princes