IN this Psalme the kingly Prophet Da­uid declareth, how he will behaue himselfe in his kingdome: first touching his owne person: and afterward touching his subiects, both in the Court, and in the countrie.

In this first verse of the Psalme, he vndertaketh or promiseth to sing; the dittie of the song is mercie and iudge­ment. [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] The person to whom he singeth is expressed in these words: To thee O Lord will I sing.

In that he assumeth to sing the mat­ter which he hath in hand, it implieth that he will doe it with ioy, with a loud voice, and with his full power. It argueth ioy:Iam. 5.13. Psal. 137.1.2.3.4. For is any man among you afflicted? let him pray: is any merrie? let him sing. And how should the chil­dren of the captiuitie sing one of the songs of Zion in a straunge land, when they sit mourning and weeping by the riuers of Babell, where they haue hung vp their harps vpon the willows that grow thereby? And as a pleasant song requireth a merrie heart, so doth it also a stretched out voice with great strength put thereunto. So then by this example of Dauid we are taught in the meditations of our heart, the words of our tongue, and the actions of our life tending to godlinesse and iustice to doe all with cheerefulnes, [Page] feruencie, and to the vtmost of our power. For example, in the case of our inward affection toward God, our dutie is, To loue the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soule, Deut. 6.5. and with all our strength. In the matter of Gods worship, ioyned with the aduancing of his glory, and the furtherance of our saluation:2. Sam. 6.14. Behold Dauid daunceth before the Arke with all his might: Of the kingdome of Christ it is prophe­cied. thus by the Psalmist:Psal. 110.3 Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assem­bling, thine armie in holy beautie. Psal. 69.9. The zeale of Gods house did eate vp the prince­ly prophet. And from the time of Iohn the Baptist hitherto,Mat. 11.12 The kingdome of heauen suffereth violence, Act. 17.16. and the violent take it by force. If Paule come to Athens and see the Citie subiect to Idolatrie, his spirit will be stirred within him. And if he and Barnabas being at Listra perceiue the people readie to sacrifice vnto them by the names of Iupiter and Mercurie,Act. 14.14. then [Page] they will euen rent their clothes in signe of detesting and abhorring it. Exod. 32.15. vnto the 21. If Moses when he commeth downe from the Mount vnderstand that the people in his absence haue made a golden Calfe, and giuen wor­ship vnto it, then his wrath waxeth hotte, and he casteth the tables (which were the worke and writing of God) out of his hands, and breaketh them in peeces, and taking the Calfe, he burneth it in the fire, and grindeth it to powder, and strow­eth it vpon the water, and maketh the children of Israel to drinke of it, to despite them of their Idolatrie. If we speake of charitable almes, thē by S. Pauls rule, The Lord louech a cheerefull giuer. 2. Cor. 9.7. If ex­ecution must be done vpon the ene­mies of God and his holy Church,Ier. 48.10. then Ieremie pronounceth him cursed that doth the worke of the Lord negli­gently. Rom. 12.11. We should by Pauls aduise to the Romanes,Tit. 2.14. be feruent in spirit. And by his admonition giuen in the epistle to Titus, we ought to be zealous of good [Page] workes. And surely, if any doe frame themselues after the patterne of the Laodiceans who were luke-warme,Apoc. 3.16. neither hore nor cold, it will come to passe that God shall spew them out of his mouth.

To preuent which inconuenience, Dauid here affirmeth that he wil sing this heauenly dittie of mercie, and iudgement: the which words may be construed two waies, the Analogie of faith preserued. First, in respect of the time past by way of praise for Gods mercie toward himselfe, and Gods iudgements against his enemies. Se­condly, in regard of the time to come touching the gouernment of the king­dome by way of practise of mercie to­ward the good, and of iudgement a­gainst the bad.

The first interpretation yeeldeth vnto vs this doctrine in generall, that we should shew our selues thankfull vnto Almightie God for all his bene­fits [Page] bestowed vpon vs according to the comaundement of God, ioy­ned with a comfortable promise,Psal. 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble, and so will I deliuer thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee. And after the example of the Psalmist saying: Open thou my lips O Lord: (that is,Psal. 51.15. giue me occasion to praise thee) and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. And if God vouchsafe to deliuer Da­uids desolate soule from the sword and the power of the dog,Psal. 22.20.21.22. from the lions mouth, and the hornes of the Vni­cornes; then will Dauid declare his name vnto his brethren and praise him in the midst of the congregation. But alas if a viewe be taken of vs vpon whom the ends of the world be come, it is to be feared that we shal be found no better in this case, then they were in the daies of our Sauiour Christ, when as of ten leapers that were cleansed onely one returned to giue thanks. Luke. 17.15.16. And verely so haue worldly minded men [Page] beene vsually accustomed to mistake the originall and spring-head of the temporall benefits which they re­ceiue, that the Nimrods of the earth which liued in the daies of Habacuk, Hab. 1.15.16. whēas they took vp al with the angle, and catched it in their net, and gathe­red it in their yearne, whereof they reioyced and were glad, then they sa­crificed to their net, & burnt incence to their yearne, because (in their false imagination) by them their portion became fat, and their meat plenteous; that is, they flattered themselues, and gloried in their owne wit, force, and power, as though thereby they had gotten all their victories with increase of wealth and honour, and so they robbed God of his glorie.

In reuenge of such kind of vnthank­fulnes, when as superstitious people in the time of Hosea, Hos. 2.5. to the 11. ascribed vnto their louers (that is, to their Idols) the gift of their bread and wine, corne [Page] and oyle, wooll and flax, siluer and gold, then Almightie God returned in high displeasure, and tooke away his corne in the time thereof, and his wine in the season therof, and he reco­uered his wooll, and his flax which he had lent vnto them for a time to couet their shame withall.

But Dauid to auoid the like both sin and punishment also thereof, prote­steth here, that he will sing the mercie of God. I say the mercie of God toward him, and not his owne merits. And hereupon it was that being hardly be­set, & greatly distressed and perplexed in the daies of Saul, while his hope of the kingdome was suspended, he ma­keth his prayer in these tearmes. Shew thy meruailous mercies, Psal. 17.7. thou that art the sauiour of them that trust in thee from such as resist thy right hand. And he ho­peth one day to come into the house of God,Psal. 5.7. in the multitude of his mercie. Looke backe to former ages and you [Page] shall finde Iacob at his returne from Mesopotamia homeward in the way to Canaan being greatly inriched af­ter the seruice of almost three appren­tiships vnder Laban, framing his praier of thanks giuing in this wise. O Lord I am not worthie of the least of all thy mer­cies and all the truth, Gen. 32.10 which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant: for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordan, and now haue I gotten two bands. And I con­ceiue assured hope, that by this ex­ample my gracious soueraigne doth often meditate vpon the mercie of God toward himselfe, in respect of the great increase of temporall blessings which he hath found and felt, since the time that he first peaceably entred the towne of Berwicke, and so passed ouer the riuer of Tweede. And as for vs beloued, all of vs which be ranged in the number of subiectes, considering on the one side the ma­nifold & haynous sinnes, which haue [Page] formerly raigned amongst vs, both vn­punished and vnrepented of: and on the other side the fearfull dangers that we haue escaped, I can say nothing but that which Ieremie spake in his lamen­tations long agoe:Lam. 3.22. It is the mercies of the Lord the we are not consumed, be­cause his compassions faile not. Pray we therefore on the behalfe of our King, that it would please Almightie God to pronounce of him as he spake in el­der time by Nathan of Salomon: 2. Sam. 7.14.15. I will be his father, and he shall be my sonne, and if he sinnes, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men, but my mercie shall not depart away from him. Pray we likewise for this Church of England, Scot­land, and Ireland, that God would vouchase to hallow it with that bles­sed promise which in Isai was vttered ouer the whole Church of Christ militant by the spirit of prophesie thus. The mountaines shall remooue, and [Page] the hils shall fall downe: but my mercie shall not depart from thee, neyther shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.

This done, then may both King and subiects euen euerie of vs vtter with ioyfull cheare that which we read in the Psalme:Psal. 89.1. I will sing the mercies of the Lord for euer.

Thus Dauid hauing already song the mercy of GOD toward him­selfe, he will sing also the iudgement of God toward his enemies. And to beginne with his grand and ca­pitall enemie King Saul: after that he had beene wounded by the ar­chers of the Philistines,1. Sam. 31.3.4. fearing least the vncircumcissed should haue come and thrust him thorow, & haue moc­ked him, he tooke a sword and fell vp­on it himselfe: and so a cruell life had a desperate ende. And as for Dauids chiefe enemies in the Court among Sauls fauorties, namely Chush & Doeg, [Page] we read the ruine of them both. For Chush trauailed with mischiefe, and brought forth a lye: he made a pit, and digged it,Psal. 7.1.15.16. and fell into it himselfe, his mischiefe returned vpon his own head & his crueltie fel vpon his owne pate. And after that Doeg had for a space boasted himself in his wickednes, that being a man of power, he could doe mischiefe,Psal. 52.1.5. at the length God pluckt him out of his tabernacle, and roo­ted him out of the land of the li­uing. Beside these particulars, God gaue vnto Dauid the necks of his ene­mies in generall,Psal. 18.40.42. and he did beat them as small as the dust before the wind, and he did tread them flat as the clay in the streets. Thus let thine enemies perish O Lord, and the Kings enemies likewise, but let him be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might.Iud. 5.31. And blessed be God who hath put into his head to celebrate euerie Tuesdaye with publike prayer, and [Page] preaching in remembraunce of Gods mercie towardes himselfe,The earle of Gow­ries conpi­racie. and Gods iudgement towards his enemies, by that which was acted at Saint Ion­stone vpon the fifth of August, in the yeare 1600.

Now the good that may ensue by the consideration of the fall of Gods and the Churches enemies, is of two sorts. First, God is thereby magni­fied, as may appeare is the person of Pharaoh, whom God appointed for this cause, to shew his power in him,Exo. 9.16. and to declare his name throughout all the world. And in the destruction of the Babilonians, the earth was filled with the knowledge of the glo­rie of the Lord,Hab. 2.14. as the waters couer the Sea. Secondly, men, (if they haue grace) may be thereby edified, according to the confession of the faithfull in Isai saying:Isay. 26.9. VVee O Lord haue wayted for thee, in the way of thy iudgementes: for seeing thy iudge­ments [Page] are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnes.

Hitherto Dauid hath sung mercie and iudgement, in respect of the time past by way of praise and thanksgiuing. Now he proceedeth to sing the same song in regard of the time to come, touching the administration of his kingdome by way of practise, know­ing that the dutie of princes and publike Magistrates, Rom. 13.3. 1. Pet. 2.14. is, to be the ministers of God for the wealth of them that doe well by the exercise of godlinesse and honestie, and to take vengeance on them that doe euill committing impietie and iniquitie. And these two, mercie and iudgement, must goe hand in hand, being in associa­tion combined together, least if they were altogether, and vtterly seue­red, then mercy without iudgement might turne into foolish pittie, and iudgement without any temper of mercie might become extreame cru­eltie.

[Page]And first to speake of Mercie, hap­pie is that Prince who hath the wise­dome and the will to be mercifull to whom, and when, and where it is ex­pedient.Pro. 20.28. Psal. 85.10. For such mercie and truth pre­serueth the King; and his throne shall be established with mercie. Moreouer hap­pie is that countrie where mercie and truth meet together, and so righte­ousnes and peace kisse one another. And worldly happy are those subiects to whom the prince vouchsafeth to shew mercie and louing kindnes. For the Kings wrath is like the roaring of a Lyon, and as messengers of death: Pro. 16.14.15. and 19.12. but in the light of his countenance is life, and his fauour is as a cloud of the latter raine, and like the dew vpon the grasse. And Dauid well knowing how laudable and ho­nourable it was to be mercifull with discretion, being established in his kingdome,2. Sam. 9.1.3. he made enquirie if there remained yet aliue, any of the house of Saul, on whom he might shew the [Page] mercie of God (that is, such mercie as is acceptable to God) for his old deare friend Ionathans sake. And we find it to be a laudable custome of princes at their first entrance into their king­domes to shew mercie at their plea­sure in this wise, that I may speake in the scripture phrase in the Psalmes, by hearing the mourning of the prisoner,Psal. 102.20 and deliuering the children of death. And in Isai, Isa. 58.7. by loosing the bands of of wickednes by taking of the heauie burdens, by letting the oppressed goe free, and by breaking euerie yoke, for­mer extortions, exactions, and other grieuous oppressions: O how faire a thing is this mercie in the time of an­guish & trouble?Eccles. 35.19. it is like a cloud of raine that commeth in the time of drought. Thus can Dauid shew Mercie when he thinketh it meet, and Iudge­ment also when the matter so requireth it. For he is not ignorant, that the esta­blishment of the Kings throne, Prou. 16.12 Isa. 32.17. is Iustice, & [Page] iudgement: and the [...] thereof is peace. Yea manifold is the good effect which followeth the executing of Iustice vp­on malefactors.

First of all it is profitable to the of­fenders themselues,Pro. 22.15. for affliction gi­ueth vnderstanding. Foolishnes is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correc­tion shall driue it away from him. Pro. 29.15 The rod and correction giue wisdome: Pro. 20.30 the blewnes of the wound serueth to purge the euil, and the stripes within the bowels of the bellie: that is, sharp punishment which pear­ceth euen the inward parts, is profita­ble for the wicked to bring them to a­mendment. But on the cōtrarie,Pro. 13.24. he that spareth the rod spilleth the child: witnes the exāple of Hely toward his sons Ho­phni & Phinehas. And of Dauid toward his son Adonijah whō he would not di­splease frō his childhod, to say,1. Sam. 2.12.22.23.24. 1. Reg. 1.6. why hast thou done so? & so in the end he proued a presumptuous traitor, & rank rebel.

Secondly, this exemplarie iustice is [Page] commodious vnto others that are by-standers and beholders, who may learne to beware by their neighbours harmes,Deu. 13.11. & 17.13. & 21.22. according as Moses willeth punishment to be afflicted vpon trans­gressours of the law that Israel may heare and feare.

Whereupon Salomon groundeth this exposition of policie or iudiciall proceedings:Prou. 19.25. Smite a scorner and the foolish will beware: that is to say, the simple and ignorant men learne their dutie when they see the wicked pu­nished. And for this cause did God by Moses commaund, that the censers of Korah and his complices being 250 in number, who had beene destroyed and consumed by a fire that came out from the Lord, should be taken and beaten forth into broad plates, for the couering of the Altar,Numb. 16.37.38. &c. that they might be a signe to the children of Israel of Gods iudgements against all muti­nous, seditious, & rebellious persons. [Page] Whereas on the other side, If the in­cestuous person at Chorinth be not censured by excommunication, be­hold,1. Cor. 5.6. Eccles. 8.11 a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe. And by the iudgement of the preacher, because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men, is fully set in them to doe euill: that is, by way of abridgement, where Iustice is delayed, there sinne raig­neth. Therefore the princely Psalmist promiseth in the last verse of this Psalme,Psal. 101.8. betimes to destroy all the wicked of the land, that he might cut off all the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord.

Thirdly, the executing of hainous and notorious offenders withholdeth the wrath of God from the publike state of the Realme by taking euill out of Israel. But the vnpunishing of Achan, Deu. 17.12. & 22.22. Iosh. 7.1.5. (though his crime was vn­knowen) was so hurtfull to the host of [Page] Israel,2. Sam. 21.1.6.14. that the hearts of the people melted away like water. Neither could the great dearth in Dauids time be remoued, nor God fully pacified for Sauls crueltie, long before com­mitted against the Gibeonites, till seauen of Sauls ofspring were hung vp to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul. In briefe, due execuitiō done vpon great and grieuous malefactors, is a sacri­fice acceptable vnto God, and a pre­seruatiue of the state of the Church and Commonwealth. Therfore, a wise King scattereth the wicked, Pro. 20.26. and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them.

But here must be inserted a caueat against all crueltie in execution of iu­stice.Deut. 22.6 For by the law of Moses euen in seeking of birds nests, it was not law­full to take the damme with the yong. Neyther might the bodie of the exe­cuted malefactor remaine all night vppon the tree.Deut. 21.22 23. Beside this, God would not turne to them of Damas­cus, [Page] because they had treshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron: neither would he turne to the chil­dren of Ammon, Amos. 1.3.13. because they had ript vp the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their owne border: there is like to be iudgement mercilesse to Pilate, who would shew no mercie:Iam. 2.13. but mingled the blood of some that had offēded him,Luke. 13.1. Pro. 12.10. with their owne sacrifices. Yet no maruaile it is that he did so, for though the richte­ous man regardeth the life of his beast, yet euen the mercies of the wicked and cruell.

Howbeit, though crueltie is al­waies to be abhorred, yet remissnes in dealing with the aduersaries of the truth, the practisers and maintay­ners of a false worship, is likewise to bee excluded, because it is most perilous to the Church of God, as appeareth by the history of the Cana­anites, who by the conniuency of the [Page] Israelites being permitted to conuerse with them,Nom. 33.55. and to liue quietly among them, became pricks in their eies, and thornes in their sides. When Ioash the King of Israell came downe to visit Elisha lying sicke vpon his death bed, he was willed by the prophet to take into his hand the arrow of the Lords deliuerance against Aram, & to smite the ground:2. Reg. 13.14. to the 20. wherupon he smote thrise and ceased: But the man of God was angrie with him & said, thou shouldest haue smitten fiue or six times, so thou shouldest haue smitten Aram till thou haddest consumed it, where now thou shalt smite Aram but thrise. The mea­ning is, that Ioash deserued iust re­proofe and great blame, because he seemed content to haue victorie a­gainst the enemies of God, for twise or thrise, and had not a zeale to ouer­come them continually, and destroy them vtterly. And surely Saul cannot spare Agag sauing to his owne hurt.1. Sam. 15.22.23. [Page] Neither can Ahab haue the life of Ben-Hadad, but with his owne losse.1. Reg. 20.42. 2. Chro. 15.16. Wherefore King Asa did not faile to depose his grandmother Maachah from her regencie, because she had made an Idoll in a groue, which Idoll he brake downe, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brooke Kidron.

Consider heere a little with me (be­loued) the mishap, (that I say not miserie) of diuers princes (keeping me within the limits or bounds of the holy scripture) in this case of shew­ing mercie, and practising of iudge­ment.

For first of all it falleth out not sel­dome, that those notorious malefac­tors deseruing death, whom princes doe pardon in mercie, (if not vpon foolish pittie) doe afterward most vn­thankfully and treacherously seeke to take the Scepter out of the hand, and to pull the Crowne from the head, and to withdraw life from the bodie [Page] of their benefactors, who had graci­ously forgiuen them their crimes, and so consquently giuen to them their liues, lands, goods, libertie and all. This may be fitly exemplified in Ab­salon, who after that he was pardoned for the murdering of his brother Am­non, 2. Sam. 15 and restored to fauour in court, rose vp early, and stood hard by the entring in of the gate, and reached forth his hand to euerie suiter of ac­count, and by slaunder, flatterie, and faire promises, he stale away the harts of the people, and at the length he brast forth into actuall rebellion a­gainst his naturall father.2. Sam. 3.27: Ioab like­wise when he had escaped without punishment for stabbing of Abner, he was thereby emboldened to proceede forward to the murdering of Amasa, Ibid. 20.9.10. and this done without controlment, he presumed to ayde aspyring Ado­nijah to the preiudice of Salomon, 1. Reg. 1.7. who was to succeede in the kingdome by [Page] the appointment of his father Dauid yet liuing.

Secondly, Princes haue been some­times ouerawed by the peeres of the Realme, or otherwise for feare of tu­mult in the state, they durst not eyther shew kindnes, and giue entertainment to good men whom they loued, or to execute mightie malefactours, as in dutie they should haue done. Of the first sort we haue an example in A­chish the king of Gath,1. Sam. 29.6.9.10. who confessed that Dauid pleased him as an Angel of God, but therwithall he told him that he must be packing out of his compa­nie, because the princes of the Phi­listines did not fauour him. Of the se­cond sort we haue an example in Da­uid, who though he spake and did much in detestation of Ioabs murde­ring of Abner, yet he durst not put him to death for it, as it may be col­lected by these words of his: I am this day weake and newly annointed King: 2. Sam. 3.39. [Page] and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too hard for me: 2. Sam. 3.36. the Lord reward the doer of euill according to his wickednes.

1. Reg. 2.5.6.8.9.31.44.45.46.But this falleth out well and rightly, that whom Dauid spared in pollicie, those Salomon executed in iudgement, as rayling Shimei, and bloodie Ioab.

Heere let me stand a little vpon Da­uids promise to sing Mercie and iudge­ment, and consider whether he per­formed the same alwaies or not. I will put the case in the example of lame Mephibosheth the sonne of his olde and deare friend Ionathan, 2. Sam. 9.1.3.7: to whom I con­fesse he did kindly shew mercie for his fathers sake, by restoring vnto him all the fields of his Grandfather Saul, and licensing him to eate bread at his own table continually: but when he came to the point of iudgement, I finde him defectiue. For when Dauid fled before the face of Absalon, Ziba the seruant of Mephiboseth meeteth him with a large present of his masters goods,2. Sam. 16.1.2.3.4. and pre­senting [Page] the same vnto him, he frameth sycophantly a most false accusation of treason against his master, as thogh he had said, this day shall the house of Is­raell restore me the kingdome of my father. Whereupon rashly without leauing the one eare for the defen­dant, he gaue sentence, condemning the innocent in fauour of the plan­tiffe, being a calumniator; saying to Ziba, behold thine are all that pertai­ned vnto Mephibosheth. And when as Mephibosheth afterward met Dauid re­turning victoriously after the ouer­throw of Absalom, and fully cleared himselfe of the haynous crime of treason wherewith he had beene false­ly charged, then Dauid giueth sen­tence in this wise,2. Sam. 19.29. thou and Ziba de­uide the lands. Herein Dauid did euill in taking his land from him, before he knew the cause, but much worse that knowing the truth, he did not restore [Page] them. And here we may obserue, that in the case of iustice our [...] is more vpright then our [...]: our con­templation is sounder then our prac­tise. Or to speake to the capacitie of the meanest hearer, a man may more easily, penne the cause of Iustice in his priuate studie, then rightly prac­tise it in publike vpon the bench. For in solitarie meditation, a man may without difficultie abandon all rash­nes, and partiall affection, but in Iu­diciall place abroad, respect of per­sons, and other corruptions do easily enter into our mindes and hearts, by the ministerie of our eyes and eares.

Now the way to preuent this mis­chiefe, is to doe that sincerely, which Dauid promiseth heere to doe; namely, to sing vnto the Lord, that is to shew mercie, and practise Iudgement to the glory of God, wher­unto all things ought to be referred, [Page] according to Saint Pauls direction, whether ye eate, drinke, 1. Cor. 10.31. or whatsoeuer ye doe, do all to the glorie of God. Insomuch as almes must be giuen in charitie without the sound of a trumpet:Mat. 6.1. to the 7. and prayer must be made of deuotion without publike ostentation. And to descend from the generall doctrine to the particular instruction which I haue in hand, miserable was the case of that wretched Iudge who did right to the poore widow,Luke. 18.4.5. not for feare of God, or reuerence to man, but onely to auoid her clamor and importunity. And no better was the case of the-Philistins in the booke of the Iudges, who when as the Timnite gaue his daughter being Samsons wife,Iudg. 15.1. to the 7. to an other man, they regarded not to pu­nish this vniust and adulterous act: But when as Samson in reuenge of this wrong, had with three hundred Foxes turned taile to tayle, hauing [Page] firebands fastened thereto, set on fire, and burned vp the rickes and the stan­ding corne with the vineyards and O­liues of the Philistins: then they came vp in troupes and burnt the Timnite and his daughter with fire. Thus the wicked punish not vice for loue of Iu­stice, but to be reuenged in respect of former losse, and for feare of future daunger which else might come vnto them.

Againe, to thee O Lord will I sing; that is, howsoeuer by the chaunting of this dittie of mercie and iudgement, I shall seeme to howle in the eares of the vngodly, yet my song to thee O lord, shal be thought very melodious. Whereby we are taught this generall doctrine, that in doing of our dutie in our seuerall vocations, this ought to be our comfort, that our words and works are pleasing vnto God, howso­euer they be displeasing to the world [Page] of wicked men. So though Noe was scorned by the men of his time, for preparing the Arke, and vrging repen­tance to preuent the perill of the De­luge to come: yet is he by the proui­dence of God, ad perpetuam rei memo­riam, chronicled for a preacher of righ­teousnes. And though Dauid for dan­cing before the Arke, being girded with a linnen Ephod,2. Pet. 2.5. 2. Sam. 6.14.16.20.21.22. was by his wife Michal despised in her heart: yet was he had in most high reputation by the maids of honour attending vpon Michal. Yea Dauid will yet be more vile then thus, and he will be low in his owne sight, knowing that all shall be acceptable in heauen, which is heere on earth done before the Lord, that is for no worldly affec­tion, but onely for the zeale which we leaue to Gods glory.Isa. 8.18. Wisd. 5.15.

Isai and the children which God gaue vnto him, were as signes and [Page] wonders in Israel: yet their reward was with the Lord. If Iohn come neither eating, nor drinking, they say he hath a diuell.Mat. 11.18.19. And if the sonne of man come eating and drinking, they say, behold a glutton, and a drinker of wine,Act. 26.24.25. a friend of publicanes and sinners; but yet wisedome is iustified of her children. If Festus be iudge of Pauls speaches,1. Cor. 4.9.13. then Paul is beside him selfe, much learning doth make him madde. Howbeit, Paul is not madde, O noble Festus, Ibid. ver: 3. but he speaketh the words of truth and sobernes. The A­postles were made a gazing-stock vn­vnto the world, and to the Angels, and to men, they were counted as the filth of the world,2. Cor. 4.15.16. and the ofscowring of all things: howbeit they passed ve­rie little to be iudged of mans iudge­ment: knowing that they were vnto God the sweet sauour of Christ, in them that are saued, & in them which [Page] perish: to the one, the sauour of death vnto death, and to the other the sa­uour of life vnto life.

Thus the sweet singer of Israel pro­miseth to sing the diuine dittie of mer­cie and iudgement, 2. Sam. [...]. [...] to the Lord of Lords, euen God the father, the sonne and the holy Ghost; to whom three persons and one euerliuing God, be all honour and glorie both now, and for e­uermore. Amen.