MAny meanes did the Lord vse to reclaim IERVSA­LEM from her rebellion against him, by sundry [Page] commemorations of his benefites he wooed her by the sweet pro­mises of the Gospell, he incited her by the captiuity of her sister Sa­maria, he forwarned her, but yet she continued like her forefathers,Psal: 78. a faithles and stubborne generation, a generation that set not her heart a­right, she runnes still on a wrong Bias, in stead of beeing a faithfull Spouse, she becomes a filthy harlot, andIere. 3.6. playeth the Whore vpon euery hie mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, her Isa. 1.22. wine is mixed with water, her siluer is become drosse, her Princes rebels and companions of theeues, and as shee groweth in yeares, so shee increaseth in all impieties, shee which at the first did onely pull little sinnes with the smallJsa. 5.18. cordes of vanity, doth now draw greater transgressions with the huge cart-ropes of iniquity, so that now [Page] Isa. 1.6. from the sole of her foot to the crown of her head, there is nothing found in her but woundes and swellings, and sores full of corruption. In this case GodPsal. 5.4. which cannot abide wicked­nesse, neither can any euill dwell with him, (as the Psalmist speaketh) beginnes to loath her, and to giue her vp into the hands of her most sauage and cruell enemies, (the Chaldeans) who shall Psal. 79.1. defile the holy Temple, and make Ierusalem a heape of stones. Oh, but shall the husband be so vnkind to his SpouseIer. 2.2 whome hee hath married vnto himselfe? shall a Father be so seuere to his child? shall the God of mercy bee so vn­merciful vnto his chosen?Gen. 18.25 Shall not the iudge of the world doe right? farre be it from God, that hee should slay the righteous with the wicked. God an­swereth, that there is no reason, why shee should repine against [Page] him, or accuse him of cruelty: her Apostasie is so generall, her disease (like a Gangraena) is spread through euery member of the bo­dy, her malice is so incurable, that hee cannot without impeachment of his iustice, spare her any longer. Runne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem, &c. v. 8. O yee men of Iuda and inhabitants of Ierusalem, doe not say that your teeth are set on edge, becauseEzech. 18 your fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, doe not obiect, that my wayes are not equall, it is your wayes that are vnequall: it is your sinnes that bringes this heauy doome vpon your heads: whe­ther this be so or not, you your selues bee Iudges: for I beseech you seeke vppe and downe, not in the Country townes onely, and villages of Iudah, but in the Me­tropolis of the whole Kingdome, [Page] in theMath. 4. Isa. 52.1. holie Citie, runne through euery corner of it, search and en­quire in the houses and allyes and backe-lanes, and high streetes ther­of, marke their conditions, obserue their practises, consider their be­hauiour, take a full view of their whole carriage, if after such enqui­rie, there bee found but one man amongst the whole multitude that feareth me, or maketh any consci­ence of his wayes, and I will spare the whole City for that one mans sake: but if after you haue sought man by man, there bee not one godly man found amongst them all, thinke it not cruelty, if now at length I inflict (in iustice) my iudgments vpon her: the summe is contained in this short propositi­on: I will spare Ierusalem, if there can one righteous man bee found in her.

Wherein we may obserue these [Page] two principall pointes: Gods mercy, in that hee would haue spared Ierusalem for one mans sake; Ierusalems misery, in that not one righteous man can bee found in her; the former I deliuer in this proposition; Gods mercie in sparing doth exceede his iustice in punishing, and with this wee will beginne.

Doctrine. But alas, who am I dust and a­shes that I should intreate of this Subiect? it is a bottomlesse depth, who can diue into it? it is an vnaccessible light, who can beholde it?Tull de. natu. deorum. if the Heathen Simonides after three dayes study how to describe God, was further from any reso­lution in the latter end, then when hee first beganne: nay, ifExod. 33. Moses (a man more familiar with God then any that euer liued vpon the face of the earth) when he was put in a clift of a rocke, and couered [Page] with Gods hands, could not be­hold the glory of his face; then may it not seeme strange, if the tongues of men and Angels faile in describing the very backe parts of this one attribute, being more proper and essentiall vnto God then any whatsoeuer.Iustin lib. 18. That Tyri­an proued the wisest in the end, who hauing concluded in the Eue­ning with his fellowes, that hee which could first in the next mor­ning behold the Sun (which they worshipped as a God) should bee King; looked not toward the East where hee riseth, but towards the westerne mountaines where his rayes did first appeare. We will follow his Example and seeing we cannot seeke into the fountaine at which the Cherubs did couer their faces: let vs behold it in the moun­taines, that is, the Prophetes and [Page] Apostles,Hierom. lib. 110. Commēt in Ezech. as Ierome expounds the word, or the mountaines, that is the creatures and works of God, in all which it doth most clearely shine: there is no worke of God in al which there doth not appeare such manifest Characters of his mercy, that he which runneth may reade them. Those benefites in tended towards his children, as namely Election before all time, creation in the beginning of time, Vocation, Redemption, Iustificati­on in the fulnes of time, Glorifi­cation after all time, &c. To proue them to bee so many riuers of the bottomles Ocean of Gods neuer dying mercy; it were but to busie my selfe about a principle, which I hope none of you will call into question: Gods almighty power is manifested vnto vs, in that hee hath created the world of nothing, [Page] Psal. 33.6. and made all the hoast of hea­uen by the breath of his mouth, and it is a property in describing of which Gods Secretaries do striue to be eloquent, Iob to shew it saith thatIob. 9. he spreadeth out the heauens like a Canopie, and walketh vpon the the height of the Sea, that he maketh the starres Arcturus and Orion, and Pleiades, and the climates of the South. Elihu sets it forth vnder Benoth, whose taile is like a Cedar, Iob. 40. and his bones like staues of brasse, yet the Lord leadeth him whither soeuer hee will; and vnder Leuiathan, which makes the depth to boile like a pot, and the sea like a pot of oint­ment, and yet the Lord can put a hooke in his nose, and pearce his iawes with an Angle. Dauid to shew it, sayth that hee maketh the mountaines to skippe like Rammes, and the little hils like young sheepe: Psalm. 114. I say, to expresse it [Page] sayth, that Isa. 40. all nations before him are as a droppe of a bucket, and are counted as the dust of the ballance, that he taketh away the Isles as a little dust, that hee hath measured the waters in his fist, & counted heauen with a span, & comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the moun­taines in a weight, and the hilles in a ballance, and yet his mercy goeth beyond his power, in that his om­nipotency hath made nothing but what his mercy moued him to cre­ate, and it comes after too, in pre­seruing, and guiding, and prote­cting, by his heauenly prouidence (a branch of his mercy) whatsoe­uer his powerfull hand hath made, if hee should but once stoppe the influence of his mercy, al the works of his hands should presently bee annihilated.Psal. 33.5. The earth is full of the mercies of the Lord (sayth the [Page] Psalmist) hee sayth not the heauens sayth Austen, Quia non indigent misericordia vbi est nulla miseria: they needed no mercy where there is no miserie;Augustin in illum locum. and yet in another place hee addeth the heauens to thy truth (an other of his attributes) goeth vnto the clouds, there it stay­eth, but thy mercy goeth further:Psal. 14.5.9 it reacheth vnto the heauens, in few­er wordes: It is ouer all his works.

But my text leades me to entreat of his mercy, as it hath reference vnto his iustice; where you shall find that of two infinites one doth infinitely surpasse an other, to bee called a mercifull God, and the fa­ther of mercy is a title wherein God especially delighteth, but he is almost neuer called the God of iudgement: heare how hee pro­claimeth himselfe: The Lord, the Lord strong, there is one Epithite [Page] of his power; mercifull, gratious, slow to anger, aboundant in goodnesse, and truth, reseruing mercy for thou­sands, forgiuing iniquity and trans­gression and sinne: there are sixe of his mercy. Then comes his iustice in punishing of offences: not ma­king the wicked innocent, visiting the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the chil­dren, vnto the third and fourth gene­ration: there he confines his iu­stice, hee sayth vnto vs as he doth vnto the seas in Iob: Iob. 38.11. Hither shalt thou goe, and thou shalt goe no further, here shalt thou stay thy raging waues, it shall not passe the fourth gene­ration, and that is more then Ordi­narie, if it come so farre, it is but at a high spring,Exo. 20.5.6. vpon such as hate him: but his mercy followes like a boundlesse Ocean, vpon thousandes of those that loue him. Nay the Pro­phet tels vs that to punish, is with [Page] God a rare & extraordinary work.Esa. 28.21. The Lord (sayth he) shall stand as in as in mount Perazim, he shall be an­gry as in the valley of Gibeon, that hee may doe his worke, his strange worke, and bring to passe his act, his strange act. This is an act of iudgement, where you see that to punish, with him is an vncouth and strange worke, an acte indeed, vnto which without compulsion of iustice, hee could not be drawne; hee is more loath to put out his hand for to in­flict a iudgement, then euer was Octauius to subscribe his name to the execution of any publike offen­der, whose vsuall speech was this,Sueton. Vtinam nescirem literas, I would to God I could not write. How oft doth miserable man offend against his maker? surely if the iust man fall seuen times, then the wicked fal­leth seuenty times seauen times, & [Page] yet hee maketh his Sunne to shine vpon them both, he makes his rain to fall vpon them both, still almost hee containeth the sword of his iustice within the sheath of his mercy: if in case hee bee enforced to draw it, hee is as it were touched with a feeling of that which the wicked suffer; heare himselfe speak, Therefore thus sayeth the Lord of hoastes, Isa. 1.24. the holy one of Israel, ah, I will ease me of mine aduersaries, and auenge mee of mine enemies: it is a kind of ease to be auenged of thine enemie, and therefore God when the Iewes continue still to prouoke him to his face, will ease himselfe by inflicting his iudgements vpon them, I will ease me of mine enemies, but it comes with an (ah) or (alas) it is paine and griefe to him, hee is wounded to the very heart, his bowels are rowled and turned [Page] within him; a few teares might haue made him sheath his sworde, and deferre his punishments; the history of Ahab will proue as much, who was one that had solde himselfe to worke wickednes, that prouoked the Lord God more then all the Kings of Israel that were before him, 1. King. 16 30. then Baasha, then Omri, then Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne, therefore the Lord sends vnto him the Prophet Eliah telling him, that in the field where the dogges licked vp the bloud of Naboth, 1. King. 21.19.21. they should licke his blood also, and that he would wipe away his posterity as one wipeth a dish, when it is wiped and turned vpside-downe. Ahab hath no sooner rented his clothes at the Prophets words, then God repenteth him of what hee had threatened: Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? verse. 29. a simple [Page] humiliation God wot, onely in outward shew, and yet it shall suf­fice to reuoke part of Gods iudge­ments against him, because hee submitteth himselfe before me, I will not bring that euill in his dayes vpon his house. Niniuie had multiplyed her transgressions as the sand vpon the sea shore; she had by her sinnes blowne vp the coales of Gods an­ger against her; but yet he will not come vpon her as a thiefe in the night to destroy her, she shall haue fortie dayes warning, and if in the meane time she will turne her plai­ing into praying, and her feasting into fasting, and by couering her selfe with sackcloath, hide from his eyes her broade sayles of pride, he will make it knowne vnto her, that hee was not so ready before, to lend a left eare of iustice to her cry­ing sinnes, as he is now to affoord [Page] a right eare of mercy to the cry of her sinners:Ionah. 3.10. hee will repent of the e­uil that he had denounced against her, and will not doe it. The old world had so defiled the earth with her cruelties, and the smoake of her sinnes did so fume vp to heauen in­to the nostrils of God,Gen. 6.6. that he was sorry in his heart that euer hee had made man: yet hee will not pre­sently destroy this wicked gene­ration, there shall bee an hundreth and twenty yeares for repentance, Ʋers. 3 be­fore hee will purge this Augaeum stabulum, with a deluge of waters.

Nay, such is the neuer drying streame of his mercies,Ruffin hist. Eccles. lib. 2. Cap. 18. that for the righteous sake, the wicked though they doe not repent, shall fare the better. God is not like to the Emperour Theodosius, who for the offence of a few, put all the Thessalonians to the sword: but ra­ther [Page] (if without offence the Potter may be compared to the clay) like to that Persian Generall,Herod. lib. Plut. in Caesare. who spa­red Delos because that Apollo was borne there; or Caesar who made the Cindians free men for Theopom­pus his sake: it was an opinion of the Heathen, that for one euill mans sake, many good men were put to the worse,

Pallas ouerthrew the whole nauie of the Argiues.

Vnius ob noxam & furias Aiacis Oilei, for the sinne of one man by name, Aiax the sonne of Oileus, Hesiod. op. & dies. and Πολλα [...] καὶ ξυμπασά πόλις κακοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπαυρεῖ, God punisheth a whole City for one mans sinne, and sends vpon it Διμὸν ὸμοῦ καὶ λόιμον, famine and plague, for the sinne of some particular, it is not so: God neuer punisheth one [Page] man for anothers offences: if thou obiect vnto me, that the Israelites were plagued for Dauids trespasse, I answere, Dauids sinne did occasi­on that punishment which the Is­raelites did iustly deserue for their owne iniquities: for howsoeuer Dauid in respect of himselfe (who deserued more) called them sheep, yet indeede they were Wolues in sheepe skins: and verily in this par­ticular, wee haue an euident de­monstration of his mercies: for first, of three seueral punishments, he giues him leaue to chuse which of them hee would: When Da­uid had chosen the Pestilence for three dayes, indeede he sent his de­stroying Angell; but before his sword was halfe drawne, hee puts it vp againe, and repenteth him of the euill, and abridgeth the time: Now we know that euery substra­ction [Page] from his iudgements is a multiplication of his mercies, and how farre hee is from punishing the righteous with the wicked, let Sodome witnesse, a sinke of the fil­thiest sinnes, a cage of the vnclea­nest birdes, a denne of the wic­kedest theeues that euer the earth bredde: yet hee will not rashlie come vpon her, but first he will goe downe and see▪ Gen. 18.21. whether they haue done altogether according vnto that crie which was come vnto him, & if there can but fiftie righteous men bee found in fiue Cities, which was but for euery Citie ten, nay, if but for­ty, nay, if but thirty, nay, if but twenty, nay, if but tenne can bee found amongst them all, which was but for euery City two, he wil not destroy the City for those mens sake: when none can bee found saue iust Lot, hee will not [Page] subuert Sodome before hee bee brought out of the City, nay, hee will spare the whole City of Zo­ar for Lots sake: if good Paul bee in the ship, all that are with him,Act. 27. euen the barbarous Souldiers shall for his sake come safe to land. But of all others (that I may end this point where I beganne it) Ierusa­lem in my Text is most famous: whome the Lord doth so tender­ly compassionate, that if within her spatious walles, amongst so many millions of soules, one righteous man could haue beene found, ey­ther amongst the Nobles or Ma­gistrates, or Priests, or People, hee would haue spared Ierusalem for that mans sake.

And is this true? bee not then Vse. 1 dismayed thou fainting and drou­ping soule, whome the burden of thy sinnes hath pressed downe to [Page] the brinke of hell: is there such a thunder-threatning cloud of Gods iustice set before thine eyes, that thou thinkest it impossible that the Sunne of his fauour should pearce through it into thine heart? de­ceiue not thy selfe, where sinne a­boundeth, Rom. 5.20. there grace superaboun­deth; thou art a fitte Subiect for God to worke vpon: where should the Physitian shew his skill, but where the greatest maladies doe raigne: and where can God better shew his mercy, then where is the greatest aboundance of mans mi­serie? the desperatest diseases that can befall the soule of man, dead Apoplexies, vncleane leprosies, dangerous Lethargies, remedilesse Consumptions, whatsoeuer they be, God can as easily cure them, as the smallest infection: and as he is able, so is he most willing to doe [Page] it, because his mercy (as I haue al­ready proued) is his chiefest attri­bute, and euery attribute of God, is the Essence of God, so that hee can no more cease from his works of mercy, then the eye beeing well disposed from seeing, or the fire from heating, or the heauen from mouing, or the Sunne from shi­ning: hee that denyeth this is a Traytor to the king of Heauen, be­cause hee gaine-sayeth that still wherin God especially delighteth. There is no sinne of it selfe so hai­nous, but God can wipe it away: he will forgiue wicked Manasses aswel as righteous Abraham 10000 talents as one penny.

Suppose that all the sinnes that euer were committed, from the murther of Caine to the treason of Iudas, laid vpon thy shoulders, there is no more proportion betweene [Page] them and Gods mercy then be­tweene Stillam muriae & mare Ae­gaeum betwixt a drop of brine and the Acgean, Cicero de si­nibus. nay the great Ocean, the snuffe of the Candle and the light of the day, or a mote in the Sunne, and the Globe of the high heauen. Flie vnto the throne of grace, and though thy sinnes were bloodie like Scarlet, he will make them as Wooll; and though thou be as Purple which is twice dyed, to wit in the Wooll and in the Cloath: Though thou bee dyed in the Wooll (the first lineaments of nature) with originall depraua­tion, and in the Cloath (after thy natural perfection) with actuall transgression, yet he wil make thee as white as the snow in Salmon: Isa. 1. he will bind all thy sinnes in a bundell, and cast them into the bottome of the Sea, hee will naile them vnto his [Page] Sonnes Crosse, he will remoue them as far from thee as the East is from the West, or the North distant from the South. No man euer begged an almes at Gods hand in faith, and returned empty. Heauen gates are neuer shut when penitent sin­ners knocke, there is a Master of re­quests in that Court, which is more ready to preferre thy petition vnto God, then thou canst be to request his helpe, and will he which for ten mens sake would haue spared So­dome, and for one mans sake haue passed by the crimson sinnes of Ie­rusalem, who was moued with compassion at the hypocriticall re­pentance of wicked Ahab, and re­uoked his sentence at the counter­fait humiliation of proud Niniueh, stoppe his eares at the petition of a­ny penitent sinner? doubt not but he will heare thy petition and giue [Page] his royall assent to that thou desi­rest, though thou canst but with Dauid roare and not speake, or with the poore Publican vtter a short and abrupt speech O Lord be merci­full vnto me a sinner, &c. or with Hezekiah Chatter like a Crane, Isa. 38.14. and mourne like a Doue. Oh then flee vnto him as a Doue vnto the windowes, Cant. 2. hide thy selfe in the holes of the true rocke, put thy fin­ger in Christs side there thou shalt finde both Oyle to soften and Wine to cure thy festered soule, cry mightily to God with Niniuch, say with Dauid, 2. Sam. 12.13. I haue sinned, morne with Hezekiah, weepe bitterly with Peter, Matt. 26. fall downe at Iesus his feete with Mary Magdalen, Iohn. 11. say with blind Bartelmaeus in the Gospell, O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon me. Matth. 9.27. And doubt not but God will bee mercifull vnto thy sinnes, and make [Page] his fauourable countenance shine vpon thee.

Againe is Gods mercy such that hee will spare the wicked for the Vse. 2 righteous sake? Here then yee sonnes of Beliall, may learne this lesson to spare the righteous for the wickeds sake. I meane to cherish and to make much of all those that feare the Lord, if for no other reason yet euen for this, be­cause such men are often times a meanes to keepe away Gods iudg­ments from the euill doers, the chaffe shall not be burned as long as it is mingled with the wheat. Plutarch saith that in the sacking of Cities such houses as were erected neare vnto a Temple, of any of the heathen Gods, were vntouched, when the rest were ouerthrowne by the enemy: as long as a sinner standeth neare vnto a Temple of [Page] the liuing God, hee needeth not feare an ouerthrow. God could doe no hurt vnto the Sodomites as long as iust Lot was in their com­pany,Gen. 19. as he blessed the house of O­bed Edom, 2. Sam. 6.12. and all that he had because of the Arke that was with him, so the blessings that fall vpon the wicked mans head, are because of the god­ly with whom he dwelleth; it was the encouragement that Caesar gaue vnto the Boateman,Phil in Caesa­re. when his Boate was almost ouer whelmed by the violence of the waues, in the Riuer Anius, that he should not feare because Caesar was in his com­pany. And the best encourage­ment that can be giuen to the wic­ked, in the time of danger, is that some good man is in their compa­ny, then they may say as Michah said when he had hyred a Leuite to be his Priest, now I know that the [Page] Lord will bee good vnto mee seeing a Leuite (a mā that feareth the Lord) is with me, Iud. 17.13. and therefore at the least in this one point, let them resem­ble the iust man, which maketh much of them that feare the Lord, Psal. 15. because they are as it were Buck­lers to keepe away the force of the blow,Psa. 106.23. and with faithfull Moses they stand in the gappe to turne away his wrathfull indignation, least it should destroy them. But if they seeke (as the custome of so many is) by al meanes possible to destroy them, to trample them in the dust and (as much as in them lyeth) to roote them out of the land of the liuing, that they may haue none to con­trole them for their vnlawful deeds then they doe their best to cut a sunder the thread that keepeth vp the sword of vengeance, or Sampson like to pull downe the pil­lers [Page] vpon which their house stand­eth and so to bring all downe vpon their heads.

Againe is God so slow to anger, Vse. 3 so vnwilling to reuenge? had hee rather saue one righteous man thē punish a whole Citie, of such as sinne against him? Where bee the gallants of our dayes, who will not brooke the least offence offered a­gainst them? Nothing shall wash it away but the precious Blood, it is a disgrace vnto me, an ignominie vnto my whole kindred, is that a disgrace in thee which is an honor in god? For thy kindred I little ac­count of it. If thou canst drawe it from the loynes of Adam, thou get­test nothing there but shame, vn­lesse thou canst step a foote higher (as Luke doth in the Genealogie of Ioseph) and say that Adam was the Sonne of God, Luk. 3.38. if thou wouldest bee [Page] counted the Sonne of God, tread in his steps, walke as thou hast him for an example. Be thou mercifull, as thy Father which is in Heauen is mercifull. For so doing thou shew­est thy selfe to be a sparkle deriued from that infinite flame, a droppe taken from that bottomlesse Oce­an, it is remarkeable (which one ob­serueth) that God hath giuen vnto Beasts both weapons of defence and offence, the Lyon hath his Pawes, the Oxe Hornes, the Boare Tuskes, the Serpent his Sting, the Birds Clawes, the Fishes Skales, the very Hedg-hog is not without his Pricks: But man the excellencie of his dignitie, and the excellency of his Power (as Iacob speakes of Ruben) he brings into the world smooth and naked,Gen. 49.3. in token that hee should bee like vnto him, soft to anger slow to reuenge. Esau, that was borne red,Gen. 25:25. [Page] and rough God disinherited as a Monster, and no true Child of his, but smooth Iacob hee acknowled­ged to be his Sonne. The child of wrath is no Sonne vnto the God of mercy. How often doest thou sinne against thy God? By thy blasphemous oathes thou tearest him, by thy hypocriticall holinesse thou mockest him by thy vnclean­nesse thou polutest him, by thy ar­rogant pride thou disdainest him, and spittest in his face. The least trespasse that thou committest a­gainst him, is no lesse then treason against his royall person, and doth God for euery offence vn-sheath his sword against thee? Si quoties peccant homines sua fulmina mittat Iupiter, &c. If God should in iudge­ment punish euery sinne vpon the of­fendor, where should wretchedman be? now when God writeth thy [Page] sinnes in dust, wilt thou write thy Brothers in Marble? When he for­giueth thee ten thousand tallents, wilt not thou forgiue thy Brother an hundreth pence? If thou wilt be indeede his Sonne, bee like vnto him, be pittifull, tender-harted full of mercy and compassion, if thou bee angry beware that thou sinne not, Eph. 4.26. by speedy reuenge, if thy wrath bee conceiued in the morning, and perchance increase his heate with the Sunne till mid-day, yet let it settle with the Sunne at after­noone, and set with it at night,1. Kings. 3. Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath, if its conception bee in the night, vse it as the harlot vsed her child, smother it in thy bed & make it like the vntimely fruite of a woman which perisheth before it see the Sun, Psal. to this purpose remember that the Citizens of this Ierusalem are at v­nity [Page] amongst themselus, the stones of this temple are fast coupled and linked together, the members of this Body as they are vnited in one head with the nerues of a iustifying faith: So are they knit in one heart with the Arteries of loue: The branches of this Vine as they are vnited with the boale (frō whence they receiue nutriment) so haue they certaine tendrels whereby they are fastned, and linked one to another. Now if without compas­sion thou seekest thy brothers hurt, thou dost as it were deuide Christ, thou pullest a stone out of this Temple, thou breakest a branch from this Vine,AEneid. 3. nay (more then so) thou cuttest the Vine it selfe. Vir­gill tells vs that when Aeneas was pulling a bough from a mirtle tree to shadow his sacrifice, their issued drops of blood from the boale tric­kling downe vnto the ground: at length he heard a voice crying vn­to [Page] him thus Quid miserum AEnea laceras iam parce sepulto parce pias scelerare manus, the Poet tels vs that it was the blood of Polydorus Priamus his sonne which cryed for vengeance against Polymnestor the Thracian King which had slaine him, in like maner whēsoeuer thou seekest the ouerthrow of thy Chri­stian Brother, and hast a desire to reuenge thy selfe of him (as hee had to pull a bough from the Tree) thinke that it is not the branches but the Vine thou seekest to cutte downe. Thinke that Christ will count this indignitie done to his members as it were done to him­selfe. Thinke that thou hearest him cry vnto thee after this maner, iam parce sepulto parce tuas scelerare manus, imbrue not thy hands in my blood, haud cruor hic de stipite ma­nat, it is not the branches thou fightest against,Iude. 9.5. Nam Polydorus e­go, [Page] I am Iesus whom thou persecutest. Titus. 9.5. I am now come neare to a point, which I haue pressed heretofore in the other publique place of this ci­tie,At the Spit­tle. therfore I proceede no further, but turne aside to my second gene­rall point obserued in this verse, which was Ierusalems misery.

The Tree is very fruitfull, and I am but a passenger, and therefore must be contented to pull two or three clusters which I conceiued to be the ripest, and the readiest to part with the boughes, which when I haue commended to your seuerall castes, I will commit you to God.

First the Paucity of true profes­sors (if ye can find a man, or if there be any.) Secondly, the place where. (In Ierusalem.) Thirdly, that God will bring his iudgments vpon her because of her wickednesse; not ex­pressed but necessarily vnderstood.

From these three I collect three propositions; from the first, Gods flocke militant may consist of a small number: from the second, There is no particular place so priuiledged, but that it may reuolt and fall from God: from the third, No place is so strong, nor City so fenced, but the sinnes of the people will bring it to ruine. Of these three in order, Gods holy spirit di­recting me, and first of the first.

God made all the world,Propositiō. and therefore it is great reason, that he should haue it all to himselfe: yea, and hee challengeth it as his owne right:Hag. 2.8. The Golde is his, and the sil­uer is his, and all the beasts of the fielde are his, and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hils: and the heauens are his, for they are his Throne, and the earth is his, for it is his footestoole, and the reprobate are his,Psal. Act. 749 Ierem. 25 for Ne­buchadnezzer is his seruant, and as [Page] Iuda is his so is Moab likewise: but in an other kind of seruice, in a word, The earth is the Lordes and all that therein is, Psal. 24. the compasse of the worlde, and all that dwell therein, but not in that property, which is now ment for that belongs onely vnto men, and yet not vnto all, but to a few, which are appointed to be h [...]yres of saluation. Heb. 1.14.

God made all men, so that they are all his sonnes by creation, but hee ordained not all to life, so that there is but a remnant which are his sonnes by adoption: our first Father did eate such a sowre grape as did set all his childrens teeth on edge: by transgressing Gods commandement he lost his birth­right, and was shut out of Paradise, by committing treason against his Lord and King,Gen. 3. his bloud was stai­ned, and all his children were made [Page] vncapable of their fathers inheri­tance, but God (who is rightly tearmed the Father of all mercy, 2. Cor. 1.3. & God of all consolation) as he purposed to shew his iustice in punishing the greater part of such, as so gree­uously incurred his displeasure: so on the contrary side, it was his good pleasure to shew his mercy, in sauing of some, though they de­serued as great a degree of punish­ment as the other, and therefore it is a Parliament holden before all times, it was enacted, that the na­turall sonne of God, the second person in the Trinity, should in the fulnes of time take vpon him mans flesh, and suffer for our transgressi­ons, and gather a certaine number out of that Masse of corruption, Austin. wherein all mankind lay: these be they which shal follow the Lambe whethersoeuer he goeth; these bee [Page] his people and the sheepe of his pasture, these be they which haue this pre­rogatiue to be called the sonnes of God, Psal. 100. Gal. 4.1. Rom. 8.17. and the heires of God annexed with Christ: and these are they which I affirme to be often contained in a very narrow roome in respect of the wicked.

There is much chaffe and little wheate, it is the wheate that God keepes for his garner: there are many stones, but few pearles: it is the Pearle which Christ hath bought with his bloud.2. Cor. 4. Many fowles but onely the Eagles bee good birds. Sathan hath a king­dome, and Christ but a little flocke, it is like to Bethleem in the land of Iudah, Luk. 12.32. Mich. 5.2. Gen. 8.3. but a little one amongst the Princes of Iudah, it is like to Noahs floud, going and returning, like the sea flowing and ebbing, or like to the Moone filling and waining, & [Page] sometimes so Eclipsed and darke­ned with the earth, that thou canst not perceiue, that Christ the sonne of righteousnesse doth shine vpon it.

The story of Times will make this plaine, innumerous were the men of the old world, yet Gods flocke was onely contained in the family of Sheth, they onely were called the Sonnes of God, Gen. 6.2. afterward this flocke was compassed in a very narrow fold, in Noahs familie, it was enclosed in one Arke, and yet there was one Wolfe amongst these few sheepe. Nat lupus in­ter oues. Ouid metam. lib: 1. Thus it continu­ed in a very narrow compasse till Abrahams time, and so downeward till it beganne to multiply in the land of Egypt, and afterward in the promised Canaan, as yet it was still tied to one place, there was but one pasture for Gods sheepe, [Page] the rest of the world playde the harlot with other louers, and went a whoring after their owne inuenti­ons, and in this one pasture there were more Goates then sheepe, for though the number of the chil­dren of Israel were as the sand vpon the sea shore, Rom. 4.27. yet onely a remnant was to be saued. When the fulnesse of time was come that God had sent his sonne made of a woman, this Moone did suffer such an Eclipse, as that the quickest eye could hard­ly perceiue her: then she beganne to recouer her light, for God broke downe the partition wall, and rent the vaile of the Temple, and made no difference betwixt the Iew and the Gentile, Tuos Nirius (que) mihi nullo discrimene agetur.

Then Gods sheepe brought forth thousands and ten thousands in the streets, then the Vine stretcheth forth [Page] her boughes, vnto the riuer, and her branches vnto the lands end, then God gaue vnto his Sonne the hea­then for his inheritance, and the vt­most part of the earth for his possession. Yet then and euer since, the glea­nings of Satan haue bin more then the vintage of Christ. Yet take a suruey of the world, as it is at this day; deuide it into three parts with Ptolome or into fowre with some later writers, nay into sixe or seuen with our last Geographers, Maginus. and you shall not find much aboue one of these seauen which professe Christ. Amongst these seperate the ortho­doxe from the heterodox, and you shall find that Christ is now almost banished out of the world, so that if the sonne of man should now come,Luk. 18.8. he should scarce find faith in the earth, the true profession of the Gospell, is confined in a little cor­ner [Page] of the Northwest, and in this corner remoue the Athiests, and Hereticks, and Worldlings, and Neuters, and Hypocrits, how little will the remainder be after so ma­ny substractions? And no maruell, for many are caled, but few are chosen, and broad is the way that leadeth to distruction. Gods sheepe haue a little narrow path, but the Goates haue a beaten Cartway.

Ʋse. 1 This being so, it is strange what Bellarmine ment to make ampli­tude, and multitude, to be a note of the true Church; especially when he proposeth to speake of such notes, by which it may be most easily knowne, and distinguished from the false religion of the Iewes, and Here­tickes, and Pagans, and Infidels what­soeuer: and therefore such as are bothNotae de­bent esse pro­priae non cō ­munes lib 4. cap. 2 et postea in eo­dem cap. no­tae variae inse­parabiles a­uera Ecclesia proper and inseperable, in respect of the Church; and againe [Page] such as thogh Non quidem efficiunt euidenter ve­rū ipsam esse veram Dei Ecclesiam, sed tamē efficiūt euidenter credibile De ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 3. they make it not euident­ly true, yet they make it euidently cre­dible, not only probable (forLutherano­rum notae non sunt vllo mo­do, sufficien­tes, nam non declarāt quae sit vera Ec­clesia, se cūdū haeretic. nisi probabiliter lib eod. cap. 2 that is the imperfection of our notes, if you will beleeue him) nay, amongst those which admit of the Scriptures, and Ecclesiasticall Histories and wri­tings of the ancient fathers, faciunt e­tiam euidentiam veritatis. Lord how plausible a Doctrine would this haue beene vnto Ahab; how would it haue fitted his turne to plead for Baal? what meanest thou Eliah thus to trouble Israel? As though wee were all Idolaters and thou onely a true worshipper of God? Consider the matter aright, and thou shalt find what a weake ground thou standest vpon, those are the true worshippers of God, who are the most in number, now thou art but one and the Prophets of Baal, are fower hundreth and fif­ty, [Page] how pleasantly would it haue sounded in the eares of the Iewes, when Ieremiah thus prophesied? Behold (might they say) all the in­habitants, of Iudah, and Ierusalem are against thee, and is the spirit of God departed from vs all to pos­sesse thee? Thus Constantius dispu­ted with Libanus Bishop of Rome, against Athanasius Hoc orbis terrarum comprobat: quota tu pars es orbis ter­rarum qui solus facis cum homine scelerato pacem orbis d [...]ssoluis. Theod. lib. 2. cap. 16. The whole world is of this Opinion, and what art thou that thou shouldest take part with a naughty fellow, and disolue the peace of the world. If this obiection had bin vrged against Luther, when he first began to baite the Popes Bull, hee might easily haue answered in Athanasius his words:Athan. E­pist. ad solita­rian. vitam agentes. What Church is there now that doth openly adore Christ; if it bee godly it is Subiect to danger, for if there bee any that feare God (as indeede there are many euery where) they haue hid themselues with [Page] Elias in Dens and Caues of the earth. But the example of the Iewes will not much mooue our aduersarie quia non est eadem ratio populi Iudeo­rum et populi cristianorum, Bellar. li. 3. d [...] Eccle. milit. cap. 16. and might the Church of Christians bee still knowne, by the multitude of pro­fessors, so that a man not yet resol­ued in the truth, might bee guided by this marke to find her out, as the wise men by the Starre were dire­cted vnto Christ! Surely no,Jdem. lib. 4 cap. 5. for sci­mus initio fuisse multo p [...]uciores Chri­stianos, quam essent Iudaii, what bet­ter was shee in the time of those ten bloody persecutions which in­dured for the space of three hun­dred yeares? when a man could no sooner make profession of his faith but hee was either killed with the sword or burnt with fire, Alij flammis exusti, alij ferro perempti, alij flagris verberati alij cru [...]iati patibulo, &c. or drowned in the Sea, or stoned to death, or slaine quicke, or famished with hunger, or [Page] thrust through with bodkins, or throwne to wild Beasts, or pulled in peeces with Trees or wilde horses, or boiled in lead, or made away with more exquisite, and more Tragicall torments. (If that be possible) then the Perilli of our time haue inuen­ted to gratifie the Romish Phalleris. Come a little lower and compare the Church not with the number of the Gentiles, (which no Papist in the world can for shame deny to haue euer exceeded the number of Christians) but with Heretikes, I meane not al sorts ioyned togeher (for they will subscribe toHaeraetici sunt per to­tam faciem terrae, alij hic alij ibi alia secta in Africa, alia, haresis in o­riente Au­gust de past. Cap. 8. Austin the Church is euery where, and Heresie euery where, but the Church is the same euery where, heresie is not the same but most dif­ferent) but only the Arians, which sometimes haue so ouerspread the whole Christian world, as that if any had said, Loe here is Christ or [Page] there is Christ, thou wouldest haue beleeued him. The Church was like a Sparow that sitteth alone vp­on the house toppe, or like a Peli­can in the Wildernesse, and an Owle in the desart: they counted themselues the onely Catholikes, but the true Christians they tear­med Scismatikes,Augustine calling them Io­annites, and Ambrosians, and Atha­natians, and Homousians: Euen as the Papists at this day challenge the name of Catholikes, to them­selues, and call vs Lutherans, and Zuinglians, and Caluinists.

They did not onely possesse the Church of Ierusalem, and Alexan­dria, & Antiochia, & Constantinople, and the rest in the Eastern Empire, but passing thence into the North, & from thence with the Gothes, and Vandals into Germanie and France, and Spaine, and Italy, (yea into A­fricke [Page] to) had infected all the Chur­ches in the West. Which makes Ieremy say that the whole world gro­ned and marueiled, Hierom. in dialog contr. Luciferia­nos. to see her selfe be­come am Arrian, an Arrian sate in Peters chaire, the head of the Church Durand. lib. 2. that great Melchisedecke whose Priesthood is not to be compared to any other, their Dominus deus noster Papa. Ex trau. Ioh. 22. vt citat Iuell. God and their Lord, the Durand. lib. 2. Pope himselfe, rather then hee would die in the defence of the Gospell, subscribed to Arianisme; surely the whole Body must needs goe wrong,Liberius teste. Athan. Epist. ad. Solitariam. vitam agen­tes idem patet. ex preambulo. Concil. Nicen. when the head did thus miscary.

This plague indured not for some small moment (like the Ma­cedonian Empire which was but a Flash and gone) but for the space of three hundred yeares and vpward. Where was now the true Church amongst the Arrians, Bodin. which op­pugned the Doctrine of the Nicene [Page] Synod in sundry councels, and ex­pelled the Orthodox Bishops and enioyed their roomes, and instead of the true Christ worshiped an I­dole of their owne inuentions? or rather in a few miserable and forlorne wretches, which remai­ned in prisons and wildernesses, and Mountaines, and dennes, and Caues of the Earth, as was the case of the Church at that time, so was it in the time of Wicliffe and Husse, for then the Diuell had for a long time bin loosed, and Antechrist was in the height of his pride, & the light of the Gospell was taked vp in the Ashes of Popery,Ποῦ [...]οτε εἴσιν ὃι τὴν πενίαν ἡμέν ὁνεισζ­οντει καὶ τῶν πλοῦτῶν. κομπάζοντες ὁι πλήθει τῆνεν ἐκ­κλησίαν ὅριξοντες, καὶ τό βρο­χυ, διάπ­τύ οντες ποίμνιον. Nazianz. in oratione con­tra Arria­nos. in so much that that which Nazianzen spoke in the oration against the Arrians, might fitly haue bin applied against the Papists. Where be those that obiect po­uerty vnto vs, & boast of their prospe­rous Estate, this is another marke of the Popish Church.

Where be those that define the Church to bee a multitude, and set at nought a little Flocke: and yet if multitude should beare the bell away, the Papists should not haue any such cause of triumph, as they will beare the world in hand that they haue. There are at this day fowre Religi­ons in the world (if the name of Re­ligion may bee giuen to them all) Iudaisme, Paganisme, Mahameta­nisme, and Christianisme: of all these Iudaisme is the least, but Pa­ganisme exceedeth all the rest, Mahametanisme (which is a mix­ture craftily composed of the o­ther three) both in largenesse of Countries, and multitude of peo­ple, goeth beyond all Christen­dome: for it hath not onely sea­ted it selfe in the whole Turkish Empire, and the large kingdomes of the great Sophi, but spreadeth [Page] abroad in many places of the vast dominions of Tartarie, Cathaia, & China almost vnto the Easterne Ocean, and what it hath of later yeares gained in the west, wee feele partly in the miserable distresse of Hungarie and Transiluania, and haue iust occasion of greater feare, if the Lord out of compassion to his poore Church, shall not o­uerthrow the plots of that proud Senacherib, 2. Kin. 19.28 and put a hooke in his nose, and a bridle in his lips, and carry him backe againe the same way that he came. Now for Christianisme, amongst those that professe the name of Christ, there are not a­boue a third part that are Papists: for the Russians together with the Reliques of the Greeke Church, the Armenians and the Christians that are vnder the Emperour of the Abassens, doe exceede the [Page] number of all those, which holde the Principles of the Romish Church. The Protestants come not much behind them: for how­soeuer within these hundred years, the Moone did suffer such an vni­uersall Eclipse, that a man would haue iudged she had lost her light, and the Lords flocke was but like a few grapes after the Vintage is ended, here a grape and there a grape on the outmost boughes.

Breui occu­pauit doctri­na Lutheri, non Soli mul­ta regna in partibus sep­temtrionali­bus sed etiā vs (que) ad Indos excur [...]re au­fa est. Bel. lib. 3. de pont. Ro. cap. 23.Yet since it pleased God to stirre vp the heart of Martin Luther to stand at open defiance with the Italian Goliath which reuiled the Is­rael of God: shee hath euery day recouered her light, the Gospell that was then hid vnder a bushell, is become like to Dauids Sunne, which commeth foorth as a Bride­groome out of his chamber, and reioy­ceth as a Giant to runne his course: [Page] the professors of the Gospell haue wonderfully increased so that now their sound is gone through the earth, and their words vnto the ends of the world. Psal. 90.4, There is no place in the Globe of the earth, where Christ is professed, which hath not some Protestants. Italy the very Center and sinke of Popery, and the seat of the great Whore, when Iezabel hath done what shee can, in mur­thering the Lords Prophets, will affoord seuen thousand men which haue neuer bowed the knees of their hearts vnto Baal. Ʋid. Bell. de Paul. Rom. lib 3. cap. 21. Nostris tem­poribus Ro­mana sedes magnā Ger­maniae par­tem amisit, Suetiam Go­thiam, Norue­giam, Da­mam, &c. In France wee haue a farre greater number, in Germanie the maior part, almost all Polonie, all Denmarke, Swethen, Norway, Britaine, and all the Islands in the Northerne seas, which haue taken the militarie Oath to fight vnder Christs standard. If these be not equall to them, yet consider [Page] on eyther side such as know the Principles of Christian Religion, and can giue an account of their faith, and we haue a farre greater number, for the common people amongst them are stupide & blind, and doe no more vnderstand the mysteries of their saluation then Pagans and Infidels, or those in the Acts, who being demaunded of Paul, whether they had receiued the holy Ghost, made answere that they neuer heard whether there was an holy Ghost or no. Act. 19.2. And little mar­uell for many of their Priestes doe no more vnderstand their Masses, which they mumble dayly in their Churches; then Balaams Asse vn­derstood his owne voice. It is enough for them to belieue as the Church belieueth, though they know no more what that is, then did Bellarmines Collier, who be­ing [Page] demaunded what he belieued, (quoth hee) that which the Church beleeueth, being againe demaunded what that was, answered, the same which I belieue: Herein we will not thinke much that the Papists ex­ceede vs: Bellarmine may giue good measure if he draw the dregs and all:August: in Psal. 39. but Austen will teach him another lesson, Noli numerare tur­bas hominum incedentes latas vias, implentes crastinum circum, ciuitatis natalem clamando celebrantes, ciuita­tem ipsam male viuendo turbantes, no­li illas attendere, multi sunt, & quis numerat, sed pauci per viam angustam incedunt. Christ: hom: 40. ad popu­lum Antio­chium. Chrysostome will teach him that not in numeri magnitudi­ne, sed in virtutis probitate consistit multitudo. It was a prety strata­geme of the Romaine Captaine, when his Souldiers were few in number, to make euery man draw [Page] a bough in the drie dust, that so the [...]amnites (with which hee was to encounter) beholding them a farre off might beleeue that his Armie was greater then indeed it was: we are no such dastards as to be afraid of euery withered branch that can rayse vp dust into the ayre:Liuius decad 1. lib. 9. if the Papists purpose to match vs with multitude, let them bring such as haue some skill to handle their spi­rituall weapons.

I end, seeing the Church is like vnto the Moone, sometimes in a glorious splendour, sometimes clouded with Schisme, and some­time so darkened with the shadow of heresie and superstition, and per­secution, that the eyes of Linceus can scarse behold her.

Seeing that the Papists at this day, cannot compare neyther with the number of Christians (taking [Page] the name generally for all such as professe the name of Iesus) nor with the Protestant Churches, if we take an account onely of such as vnderstand the Principles of their Religion:Hic non te­netur nota marginalis quae nunquā occurrit in li. Sent. P. Lamberti. I see no reason why Bellarmine should make mul­titude a Note of the true Church; or if it were, why the Papists should challenge it themselues: and ther­fore hee may bee well censured with a hic magister non tenetur, Ʋiues de causis Co:|rupt: Art. or nota quod haec nota nihil notat, it was onely to make vp the number of notes, that hee may number one Art, nam cum non prosunt sin­gula, multa iuuant; though they be of little force being seuerally con­sidered, yet if they bee all ioyntly taken, they will proue likePlut Apoth. Seleucus his roddes, or like a threefold corde which is not easily broken. Indeede hee had need to bee stronger then [Page] Hercules, that could cut off all the heads of Hydra at one blow: but a simple warriour taking one by one may make an end of them be­fore hee bee wearied; for they are like to the tayle of Sertorius his horse,Plutar. in vita sertorij. which a valiant Souldier taking it all together, could not pull off, but a poore Skull pulling one hayre after an other had quick­ly made it bare.

Ʋse. 2 Secondly, dooth Gods flocke sometimes consist of a very small number? then it behoueth thee (be­loued Christian) with greater di­ligence to trie and examine thy selfe, whether thou bee compre­hended in this number: for as in that vniuersall deluge of waters, all were drowned that were not in Noahs Arke: so in the great floud of fire, which shall bee at the end of the world, all shall be swept [Page] away with a riuer of brimstone, which are not of this flocke: it is a common saying, he shall neuer haue God for his father which hath not the Church for his mother, and hee shall neuer bee a member of the Church triumphant, which is not first of the Church Militant: first, then thou art to enquire whe­ther thou bee of the true visible Church; and this thou shalt know, by two markes; by the true prea­ching of the word, by the right vse of the Sacraments, for where these two are performed according to the prescript of Gods word, there must needs be a true church; this is somewhat, but it is not all: for what did it auaile Iudas to bee numbred amongst the twelue? hee was in hell before any of the rest came at heauen: all that are in the church bee not of the church: [Page] there are both good and bad fish in this net; there is wheat and tares in this field, Sheepe and Goates in this fold, thou must therefore goe further and examine, whether thou bee one of that Company, which God from eternity elected vnto life, and in time effectually cal­leth by his holy Spirit, and makes true members of his Sonne Iesus Christ, which is the head of this body, whether thou bee of that flock which Christ calleth his gardē, Cant his sister, his spouse, his loue, his doue, his vndefiled, which is the pillar and ground of truth, 1. Tim. 3.13. the body of Christ, Eph. 1.23. the tem­ple of the Lord, Eph. 2.21. which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile a­gainst, Matth. 16 18. Here thou must exercise thy wits, this must be thy care to finde thy selfe in this little number, but how may this [Page] bee knowne? by the cause? that is the will and good pleasure of God, which dwelleth in light that none can approach vnto. This is a bottomlesse depth, who can sound it? Neuer man looked into this Arke and liued: busie thy braines about it, and when thou hast done all thou canst, thou art but like a flie about a Candle, which playeth so long with the flame,Lipsius lib. 2. de Con. that at length shee burnes her wings and fals downe: and good reason it should bee so: for it is enough for wretched man to bee of Gods Court,Plut. in Thes. and it is too much to be of his Priuie Councell: thou must therefore doe as Theseus did with the Labyrinth, thou must catch hold of the threeds end that hangs without the doore, and so by win­ding steps come at length to the first cause. Seeing thou canst not [Page] know it a Priori by the cause; thou must know it a posteriori, by the ef­fect, an effect of Gods immutable decree, and an vndoubted marke (to let all others passe) of Gods child his Sanctification: for as on the one side it is certainely true, that without holinesse of life, no man shall see God: Heb. 12.14. So it is as true on the other side, that hee which walketh not after the Flesh, Rom. 8.1. but after the Spirit is ingrafted in­to Christ and shall neuer be condemned. So thē holines of life is the true touchstone, to trie whether thou be of this number: but here deceiue not thy self, for there is a verbal ho­lines, and a Pharisiacall holines, and a Herods holines, and a popish holi­nes, and an Anabaptistical holines. The verball holinesse is of such as draw neere vnto God with their lips, Iohn. 29.13. but with their hearts are farre from [Page] him as the Prophet speakes: the Pharisaicall holinesse, is of those which deuoure widdowes houses vn­der colour of long prayers; and such as will not leaue a mote on the outside of their cappe, but neuer care how filthy it be within. The Herods holinesse is of them which will quench the fire on the harth, and leaue it burning in the toppe of the chimney, will mende their least faults, and let their worst bee marring. The Popish holinesse is in obseruing humane traditions, and treading vnder foot the law of God. The Anabaptisticall holines is of such, as are well perswaded of themselues (though without all reason) but can neuer haue a cha­ritable opinion of any others: they are troubled with a Noli me tan­gere, touch mee not, Isa. 65.5. come not neare me for I am holier then thou: but I [Page] say vnto thee, except thy righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of all these men, Matth. 5.20. thou shalt not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen: it is an other kinde of holines which thou must haue, if thou wilt assure thy soule that thou art one of Christs flocke: it is indeede in the tongue, but it proceedeth from an other foun­taine (the heart) and makes a man say with Dauid, thy wordes haue I hid within my heart, Psal. 119. that I might not sinne against thee. It makes a man haue a carc to approue by outward actions vnto men, but much more to approue the cogitations of his heart vnto God: it striues not to breake of some branches of sinne (such as may bee best forgone) re­seruing the rest, but it is most se­uere against those sinnes which are the sweetest to man, because such sinnes as are most pleasant vnto [Page] many, are most vnpleasant in the sight of God. It will not sticke cha­ritably to censure others: but it makes a man most sharp in censu­ring & containing his own sinnes, it resteth not contented with any one degree of perfection, but for­getteth that which is behind, & ende­uoreth to obtaine that which is before, Phil. 3.13. and followeth hard toward the marke for the price of the hie calling of God in Christ Iesus.

Beloued in our best beloued Ie­sus Christ, doe ye all desire to bee fully assured that you are of that little number, whose names are written in the booke of life: I know you desire it, for (alas) what comfort can a man haue in this life, though he should be Monarch of the whole world, and to haue kings to lay their crownes before his footstoole, if hee doubt what [Page] shall become of his owne soule? that of the heathen Emperour, animula vagula blandula que nunc abibis in loca, &c. Though it be al­lowed by popish Diuinitie,Verba mori­entis Traia­ni. will be but a cold comfort to a Christian on his death bed: hee shall neuer come in heauen that is not per­fect of the way before hee goe hence. This is the best marke whereby you may assure your selues, that ye are already in the high way, euen your sanctificati­on. Oh then bee not (as to many are) like painted tombes, guilded without, rotten within; tippe not your tongues with godlinesse, when your soules are full of gall and bitternesse. Beare not Bibles in your hands, and Mammon in your hearts. Let the remembrance of this, that holinesse of life is the cognisance of euery true member [Page] of Christs Church, be as it were a knife to cut a sunder the cords of vanitie, wherewith Satan striues to strangle you, or to draw you headlong into hell and destructi­on. Let it be as a spurre to pricke you forward in the course of idle­nesse, assuredly howsoeuer my words may now passe away as a wind, and not sinke into the hearts of many that shall heare them: yet Cum votat ille dies, &c. Ouid Meta. lib. 15. When those muddie walles are readie to fall (and fall they must for all your daubing) there cannot a greater terror befall your consciences (to make you feare that you are but rotten members at the best of Christs Church) then the remem­brance of an euill life: nor on the other side can there a greater com­fort betide you,Eccl. 12.8. when your pitchers are ready to be broken at the cesterne, [Page] then to assure your selues by your liues past (abounding with good workes which are the fruits of a iu­stifying faith) that you are amongst those which God hath accoūted to be his children. For then you may go with greater desires vnto your graues then a weary pilgrime vn­to to his bed, assuring your selues that your soules shall bee transported into Abrahams bosome, there to raigne with the holy Angels in eternall happinesse, for euermore.

The second proposition fol­loweth,2. Propo­sition. No particular place is so priuiledged, but that it may reuolt and fall from God. If euer citie that was seated vnder the cope of heauen, had a Pattent from the God of heauen, for her perseuerance in re­ligion, it was Ierusalem: for as of all the countries in the world, hee choose Iudea, so of all the cities of [Page] Iudea, hee preferred Ierusalem. Sometimes his tabernacle was placed in Silo, but this hee disliked,Iosh. 18.1. and remooued vnto Ierusalem, as the onely place which hee had pic­ked, and culled out of all others to set his name there; according to that of the Prophet. He refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph, & chose not the tribe of Ephraim: but he chose the tribe of Iudah, euen the hill of Sion, which he loued, and there hee builded his sanctuarie as an high palace, like the earth which he stablished for euer. Psal. 78.67.68.69. Thus he made a seat for himselfe, an holy place, for the tabernacle of the most highest. Here was a Temple for the Lord, an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob, those that shall but sleightly peruse the graunts and priuiledges which God hath promised this one citie, will thinke that it had beene as impossible for her to fall [Page] away, as for the found to be darke­ned in the midst of heauen. The hill of Sion is a faire place, euen the ioy of the whole earth vpon the North­side lieth in the citie of the great king, God is well knowen in her palaces, as a sure refuge. Ierusalem haue I chosen out of the tribes of Israel, to put my name in it for euer. 2. King. 21.7.

The Lord hath chosen Sion to bee an habitation for himselfe, hee hath longed for her, saying, this shall be my rest for euer, Psal. 132.14.15. heere will I dwell, for I haue a delight therein. Heere was the seate of iudgement, euen the seate of the house of Dauid. To whom the Lord had sworne by his holinesse, that his seed should endure for euer, Psal. 132.5. & his seat should be as the Sun before him: that he should stand fast for euermore, as the Moone, & the faithfull witnesse in heauen. Psal. 89. When the Is­raelites were yet in the wildernes, [Page] God told them by his seruant Mo­ses, that hee had appointed them a place in the land of Canaan, where they should all meete out of their seuerall tribes, and townes to offer their first fruits, & to sacrifice vnto the Lord: You shall seeke the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there, and thither you shall come, and shall bring your burnt offrings, & your sacrifices, & your tithes, & the offrings of your hands, and your vowes, &c. And there yee shall offer before the Lord. Deut. 12. This was Ierusalem, for thither the tribes came vp euen the tribes of the Lord, to testifie vnto Israel, and to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord. Psal. 122. More­ouer here was there συνεδριον their chiefe Councell,Sigon. de rep. haeb. lib. 6. Cap. 7. or high Com­mission, (consisting of the king and princes of the people, to wit, the [Page] chiefe of euery tribe, and of seuen­tie Elders,Gijon de resp: haeb. lib. 6. cap. 7. and of the high Priest, with the Doctors of Law) in which all matters of greater moment were concluded, and vnto which (as vnto the Oracles of God) in dif­ficult pointes, which could not be decided by the Iudges of particular Townes and Cities, they were to haue recourse for the full determi­nation therof, according to that of the Prophet: If there rise a mat­ter too hard for thee to iudge be­tweene bloud and bloud, betweene plea and plea, betweene plague and plague, in the matters of contro­uersie within thy gates, then shalt thou arise, and goe vp vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse, and thou shalt come vnto the Priestes of the Le­uites, and vnto the Iudge that shall bee in those dayes and aske, and they shall shew thee the sentence of iudgement [Page] and thou shalt doe according to that thing which they of that place (which the Lord hath chosen) shall shew thee, and thou shalt obserue to doe according to all that they enforme thee, Deut 17. Beside this, the law was there more diligently then in other pla­ces expounded; the Prophets did reueale Gods secrets vnto the peo­ple, and by thundering out the Ca­nons of the law did striue to weane them from their euill wayes, and by the promises of the Gospell to wooe them vnto God: the Iebu­sites which before time God had permitted to dwell amongst them; that they might be thornes in their eyes, and prickles in their sides, were now extirpated,Sigonius de rep: Haeb. li. 1. so that they could not choke the word of God, which was sowne amongst them, and make it vnfruitfull. Was there euer City vpon the face of [Page] the earth, which had such a Char­ter as this? it was the Citie where God had promised to be resident, where was the Arke of the Coue­nant, and the glorious Temple which Solomon had built at Gods appointment, where the Kings of Iudah had their abode, where the Law and the Prophets were dili­gently read and expounded vnto the people, where all points of dif­ficultie were handled, where was the Priestes Pallace, whether the whole land had recourse out of their seuerall Tribes, as vnto the place where men ought to worshippe: Iohn. 4. it was a heauen vpon earth, and a type of that glorious City which is aboue: and is Ierusalem so fallen from God, can there not one righteous man bee found within her walles? is the holy City be­come so wicked? is the faithfull [Page] Spouse become a Harlot? are her Princes become Rebels, her Iudges Murtherers, her Golde drosse, her charity oppression, her ripenesse rottennesse, her almes­deedes al-misdeedes? Hath the le­prosie of sinne so infected euery part of her body,Isai. 1. that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head, there is nothing whole therein, but woundes and swellings, and sores full of corruption? What neede we goe further for prouing our conclusi­on, for as hee speakes in Tully, Cicero. lib. 1. de orat. Ey­ther this is enough, or I know not what will suffice: if you would haue To­picall Arguments after such a de­monstration as this: I could leade you through many places of in­uention, which would manifestlie confirme my assertion. I could shew you the Churches of Galla­tia and Philippi, and Corinthus, [Page] which Paul had planted, Apollo and other Disciples had watered, and God had wonderfully encrea­sed, I could instance in Smyrna, and Pergamus and Laodicea, &c. In which the Euangelist Iohn had so painefully laboured in Constanti­nople and Ephesus, and Nice, and Chalcedon, famous for the generall Councels, in Carthage, and Hippo, and other Churches of Affricke in Antiochia, the first Godmother of Christians, and in a word, in all the Easterne and Affrican Churches, in which so many Worthies haue florished. What is the cause of these particulars at this day? behold they are fallen, as though they had not been planted, as though the seede of the word had not beene sowne amongst them, Isa. 40. as though that stocke had taken no roote in the earth, the Lord hath blowne vp­on them, and they are withered, and [Page] the whirlewind hath taken them a­way like stubble: the abhomination of desolation (let him that heareth it, consider it) sitteth in their holy pla­ces, which are now nothing else but as it were an habitation for Dragons and Courts for Ostriches,Phillip. Loni­cerus de rebus Tur­cicis. instead of the sacred Bible, they haue en­tertained the blasphemous Alcho­ran, their Mophti Meizin, and Antippi, and such Idolatrous Ma­hometains haue gotten the roomes of the ancient Fathers.

Ʋse. What? and are these also fallen? then let her that thinketh she standeth take heede least she fall. I meane that strumpet which aduanceth her selfe aboue the starres of God: which saith, I am, and none els, and sings with Niobe in the port, Sum Felix, I am in a happie estate, and there shall no harme happen vnto mee; which with Laodicea thinketh that [Page] she is rich and encreased with goods, and needeth nothing, Reue. 3. whereas indeed, (as anon you shall heare) shee is wretched and miserable, and poore, and blind, and naked. Niniue had such a conceit of her selfe, and did so far presume vpon her strength, that she thought it had beene im­possible for all the powers of the world to bring her vnder the hat­ches. And therefore the Lord bids her looke vpon the state of Alex­andria, a stronger Citie then Ni­niue, and yet she was destroyed. Art thou better (saith hee) then No, Nahum. 3.8 which was full of people? that lay in the riuers, and had the waters round about it; whose ditch was the sea, and her wall was from the sea E­thiopia and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end: Put & Lubin were her helpers, yet was she carried a­way, and went into captiuitie. The [Page] same may be said of Rome, (sup­pose that none of these Cities which I haue last mentioned may paralele with her) is shee better then Ierusalem: which was seated vpon such strong bulwarkes, as alreadie hath bene mentioned: yet she fell from God and moued the holy one of Israel to anger against her: graunt vnto her all that shee can claime (and she will be sure to lacke nothing for want of challen­ging,Thrasilaus apud Athen. Dipnos. li. 12. for shee is not vnlike to him who could not espie a ship floa­ting vpon the seas, but presently said it was his) and more then all the Papists in the world can proue to bee her due, yet shee hath no more to bragge of, then had Ieru­salem; is she the mother citie of all other and the Metropolis of all Christendome? So was Ierusa­lem, in respect of the inhabitants [Page] of Iurie. Which at that time were the onely people which God had chosen. Are al others to appeal vn­to her as vnto their supreme iudge in matters of difficultie; so were Iewes vnto the high court of Ieru­salem; did Peter the prince of the A­postles, the porter of heauen gates, re­moue his chaire from Antiochia and placed it at Rome? so did the Lord his tabernacle from Shiloh to Ierusalem, hath Rome the head or chiefe Bishop of all Christendom? Ierusalem had the like, is shee the keeper and dispenser of the Lords treasurie? So was Ierusalem: doth she challenge a freedome for per­seuering in the truth? Ierusalem had better grounds to do the like: and verily, as Rome doth at this day flat­ter her selfe with a false applicati­on of vniuersall promises,Ioh. 8.33.39 Psalm. So did Ierusalem. Abraham is our father, we [Page] are the children of Abraham, Gen. 49.10. Ier. 7.4. this is my rest for euer: the scepter shall not depart from Iudea, nor a lawgiuer from vnder his feet: the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, this is the temple of the Lord. All her ti­tles that she can any way lay claim vnto, will not make her better then Ierusalem, which became such an Apostatate, that not one godly man could bee found in her. So that she cannot challenge any pri­uiledge to her selfe from falling to the like wickednesse, that which happens to the one, may be fall the other, Vnlesse shee can deale with the truth, as the old Romanes handled the goddesse victoria: who after they had wonne the field, vsed to clippe her wings that she might not flie away.

But what neede we stand of the possibilitie, when the act proueth [Page] it. A certaine man, walking on his way, while hee looked not so well to his feet, as he should haue done, fell into a pit: when diuers of his acquaintance came by, and saw his mischance, they began to en­quire one after another, how hee fell thither: What a question is that said he, you see that I am fal­len, thinke rather of some meanes how to helpe me vp againe. We neuer need make question, whither and how Rome could reuolt and fall from Christ; certaine it is, she is fallen; and well it were for her, if she could bee holpe vp. When Philip told Nathaniel, that hee had found the Messiah, of whom it was written in the Law, and in the Pro­phets, and told him who it was, viz. Iesus of Nazareth: Nathaniel won­dered at it, and said; Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Iohn 1.47. If [Page] any shall wonder that there should be any defect in Rome, which so many ages hath bene counted the mother & nurce of true religion: I answere him as Philip answered Nathaniel, Come and see. When thou art an eye-witnesse of all her abhominatiōs, thou wilt subscribe to his testimonie, who at his com­ming away, bad her thus adew: Roma vale vidi, satis est vidisse reuer­tar, cum leno meretrice scurra cinoe­dus ero.

I must confesse, that when first I made choice of this portion of Scripture, I did not intend to haue played vpon this string with my least finger. But now that I haue met Rome in my high way, I can­not chuse, but (by your patience) speake a word vnto her before we part, especially, when I consider how ready shee is to disgrace all [Page] such as will not drinke of her Cyr­cean cups. How she sendeth her panders amongst vs to get her moe customers, & his pedlers to sel her deceitfull wares. How busie she is in hanging vp her spider-webs to catch our English butterflies which haue neither wit to auoide them, nor strength to break them; and what paines she taketh in dec­king her selfe, and in painting her vglie wrinkled face, that shee may allure. Men destitute of vnder­standing, to forsake their first loue, and commit follie with her. There was a time when Rome was a glo­rious Church,Prou. 7.7. Paul giueth her this testimonie, thatRom. 1.8. her faith was pub­lished throughout the whole world. Shee was (as some say) the chiefe, seat for one of the foure Patriarks.Praefac. in Concil. Nice­num 1 sedes, Romanoe. 2 Alexandriae. & Cant 6. Antiqua Consuetudo. &c. or rather of equall dignitie with the others, Her approbation [Page] was desired in sundry Councels, as one more incorrupt then the rest,Quia vrbis Romae paril. estres. by reason that she was not so shaken with Scismes and Heresies, as were the Easterne Churches, she was an Asylum for many which were persecuted for the testimonie of Iesus Christ: this she was, and this is all that shee can boast her selfe off at this day. Which when she hath done, she is no better thē those degenerous spirits of Nobi­litie and Gentrie, who when they haue nothing in themselues wor­thy the least commendation, will digge vp the old roote whence they sprang. But

Hee leaneth vpon a rotten staffe, which hath nothing to speake for him saue his dead Progenitors ver­tues. If any man thinke I doe her [Page] wrong, may it please him to com­pare her with the state of Ierusalem in the time when Ieremie prophesi­ed: the sinnes of Ierusalem were eyther in doctrine and matters of Religion, or in conuersation and manner of liuing: for the former, it is as much (if not more) corrup­ted at this day in the Romish Church, then it was then amongst the Iewes. The Prophets thereIer 5.31. Prophesied lies: Cap. 23.24 God sent them not, and yet they ranne, he spoke not vnto them, and yet they prophesied Cap. 14.14. euen a false vision, and the dreames and deuises of their owne hearts: whe­ther the Romanists doe this or no: those impious assertions which they maintaine against the refor­med Churches (for oppugning whereof,Vid. Lind: li. 4. Cap. 100. et petrum a Soto contra Brentium. many holy Martyrs haue with their best bloud dyed the skirts of the purple hoare) may suf­ficiently [Page] witnesse. What shall I tell you of their prayers for the Deade, their Sacrifice of the Masse, their communica­ting vnder one kinde, their vowes, their forbidding of Maria­ges, their Indulgences, their Pur­gatorie, their workes of Superero­gation, and a number moe, by which likeAct. 14.25. the Siluer Smithes of Diana, they haue gotten their goods? all which make a goodly show of holinesse, to such as are blinded with the mistes of igno­rance, by reason that the candle of the word is couered vnder a Bu­shell, and locked vp in the closet of an vnknowne tongue, but bringPsal. 105. Dauids Lanthorn to trie them and you shall finde that when they are viewed in the light, they wil proue like Gloe-wormes, and Toade-stooles, more like to any thing then [Page] that which they were taken for: or likeSolimus. the Apples of Sodome, which make a goodly show a farre off, but if they be once touched, they will presently fall into dust; or like thoseD. D. in his preface vpon Euclid. Mathematicall Showers, which in the twilight seeme to bee golde or precious stones, yet where the light comes, proue nothing but lime & sand: then their prayers vnto Saints wil proue but much babling: their Images teachers of lies, their forbidding of mariages, doctrines of Deuils: their Purgatorie fire borrowed from the superstitious Ethnicks, to keepe their Kitchins hoat, their Masses, massacres of Soules, their Holy-water, Cruci­fixes, Reliques and Ragges of Saints, &c. beggarly rudiments, base Marchandise not worth the cheapning: this they themselues know full well, and therefore if yee [Page] aske these Luci [...]ugae scripturarum, Tertul. de re­surrectione Carnis. Persius. Eckius Pig­hius contro. 3. de scriptura. Ludov. Cano­nicus quat. in orat. hab. in Concil. Trid. vide Chem. in exam. Concil. Trid, et Iuel­lum in defen. apol. Cap. 19. et. 20. Si quis habēt interpretatio­nem Romanae Eccl. deal q [...]o l [...]co scripturae etiamsi nec sciat nec in­telligat an aut quomodo eum scriptu­ris Conueniat. habet tamen ipsissimum dei verbum, Ho­sius: de expresso dei verbo. what warrant they haue from the Oracles of God, ‘Romulidae Satyri quid diâ Poemata narrant?’ They will tell you they haue it by tradition, or the Church hath or­dayned it: or it is not needefull to bring Scripture for a ground of their Positions: which it plea­seth some of them to call a Lesbi­an rule, and a nose of waxe, and a blacke Gospell, and inkie Diuinitie, and a dumbe Teacher, and a dead and killing Letter. Indeede, if they can wrest any place of Scripture though it be contrary to the mea­ning of the holy Ghost, yet it must bee taken for sound Diuinity, be­cause as a great Cardinall speakes: If any man haue the interpretation of the Romish Church, of any place of Scripture, although hee know not whether it agree with [Page] the word of God or no: yet it is not to be doubted, but hee hath the very word of God. Thus must these expositions goe for sound Diuinitie, marke them and com­pare them with Iewish glosses: Drinke yee all of this, that is not all, but some, to wit, the Cleargie, Ma­riage is honourable amongst all men, not all, but some, the Laietie: Cast not pear es before swine: that is, suffer not the people to reade the Scrip­tures in a known tongue:Psal. 8. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete, that is, vnder the Popes feet: The fishes of the Sea, that is the Soules in Purgatorie, The beasts of the land, that is the men of this world,Antoni: in Sum. part. 3. tit: 2 2. c. 5. The fowles of the heauen, that is the soules of the blessed which the Pope hath canonized, Here are two swords, that is, the Pope hath the managing of both swordes, [Page] Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall, an expo­sition not altogether so harsh, as that whichIn his ad­uertisement to Pope Paul the Fift tou­ching the Ve­netians. Baronius brought of late, to proue that the Pope had au­thority not onely to feede Christs Sheepe, but also to punish with death such as resist his Papal digni­tie: because hee which said,Ioh. 21. Peter feede my sheepe, said also,Act. 10.13 Arise Pe­ter and kill: if he had pressed the text a little further, hee might by the same Argument haue proued his holy Father to bee an Anthropo­phagus or Caniball, because it is not simply sayde, Arise Peter and kill, but Arise Peter kill and eate, vnlesse hee had Bellarmines wit,Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 1. cap. 12. who pro­ueth the Popes Supremacy, not from the first word kill, but from the second word Eate.

But the maine fault in Religion, which hastened Gods iudgements vpon Ierusalem, was her idolatrie: [Page] Shee changed her God:Ier. 2.13. She for­sooke the fountaine of liuing waters, and digged vnto her selfe euen broken pits which would hold no water: shee played the harlot vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euerie greene tree: Verse. 17. Shee sayde vnto a tree, thou art my Father, and to a stone, thou hast be­gotten me. Whether Rome goe not beyond her in this particular, he that hath but halfe an eye may plainely see,Ʋirgill. Aene. 1.

Wee doe not reade of many Idols that were famous amongst the Iewes, there was Ashtereth the God of the Sidonians; & Milcome the abhomination of the Moabites, and Chemosh the abhomination of the children of Ammon, and Baal, and a few more: but the Idols which Papists haue inuented are so [Page] many, that Rome can scarse finde roome for placing them: Shee is more like to the old Gentiles, who did acknowledge one chiefe Iu­piter, — αναξ ανδρωντε θεωντε,Hominum rex atque de­orum.

But hee had three hundred vnder him which they worshipped as gods:Ʋarro. though the Papists acknow­ledge one supreame power, yet are there three hundred to whom they performe that worshippe which is due onely vnto God, and as they had twelue which they counted greater gods, which Ennius con­taineth in these old verses,

Whome they hold to be of Gods Priuie Councell: but many lesser gods and goddesses for particu­lar [Page] purposes, as for their Waters, Lympha, Ʋarro. lib. 1. de re Rusti­ca. for her Gardens, Pomona for their grounds, Terminus, &c. So the Papists haue the twelue Apo­stles, which (with the Platonists) they vse as Mediators betweene them & the high God, vnto which they haue added the Virgine Ma­rie, thinking especially by her inter­cession to haue their desires; as the Troians in the Poet vsed the medi­ation of Venus to obtaine fauour of Iupiter. Now for particular mat­ters, there is scarse any thing but they haue a God or Goddesse for it: When they are in feare of the plague they pray to Seba­stian, Lutherus in Decalog. against the falling sicknesse to Valentine, against sodaine death to Christopher, against the Ring-worm to Anthonie. Now then as Py­thagoras from the print of Hercules his foot in the games of Olimpus, [Page] did collect the bignesse of his whole Body. So from these few things which haue beene spoken, you may gather how farre Rome hath declined from her former pu­rity, and how well shee may para­lell with Ierusalem in my Text. I might take occasion to speake of that preheminence, which the Pope chalengeth ouer all Christi­an Kings (Gods immediate De­puties on earth) by reason of a supposed Authority giuen vn­to Peter, whose successour hee pretenteth himselfe to be, the very same argument in substance, by which the Turke claimeth the Westerne Empire, because hee succeedeth Constantine: or he that married Tullies wife, laid claime to his learning, because he had mar­ried his executor: all Princes must hold their scepters from him, all [Page] nations must crouch downe be­fore him, and all kingdomes must doe him seruice: Heere Ierusalem dare not stand out in comparison with Rome: her hie Priests were neuer come to that height of im­pudencie, as to set vp their heades aboue the Lordes annointed. When Tiberius obserued the base seruitude which the Romanes vsed towards him: hee could not chuse but cry out,Tacitus An­nal. lib. 3. O homines natos ad ser­uitutem, hee that considereth how vilely & seruilely, she which some­time was the Empresse of the world, dooth obey him which is stiled a seruant of seruants, he may well vse Tiberius his words: or those of the Poet,

but this is only by the way. From her religion, let vs come to her [Page] conuersation and manner of li­uing. Ierusalem was as corrupt in life, as she was in religion:Ier. 7.9. She did steale, murder, and commit adulterie, and sweare falsly. Her inhabitants,Cap. 6.13 from the least vnto the greatest, were giuen to couetousnesse, and from the Prophet vnto the Priest, they all dealt falsly. Cap. 2.34. In the wings was found the blood of the soules of poore innocents: How farre Rome goeth beyond Ie­rusalem, euen in this also we may haue a little taste in our holy Eng­lish Catholikes, the remainder of the Romish Church, and the only true professours (if ye will beleeue them) of the ancient faith in this kingdome: but trie them by the works of regeneration (the princi­pall bodie of true Christianitie) and you shall find, that in propha­nation of Gods Sabbath, in swea­ring and blaspheming, in lying and [Page] cozening, in drunkennesse and whoredome, in oppression, and all vnconscionable dealings, they are for the most part, the very scumme and excrements of this land. And why should they make conscience of these sinnes,Venalia Ro­mae temlpa, sacerdotes altaria sa­cra, coronae, ignes thura preces Coelum est venale de­usque. seeing their holy mother is as it were a faire or roy­all Exchange, where any sinne may bee bought at a reasonable rate. Nothing more common then what doe you lacke, or what will you buy, &c. A pardon for your sinnes past, or for any sinne you shall hereafter commit? a tol­leration for common Stewes, for, (but I dare not name it) a dispensa­tion for incestuous marriages, or any thing els, you shall haue it if you can agree for the price: shall I say all in a word, Shee is a hell of impieties,Reu. 18.2. a habitation of diuels, and the hole of all foule spirits, and a cage [Page] of euery vncleane and hatefull bird. And therfore I lesse maruaile why Friar Mantuan should bee so bitter against her corruptions in his time.

And he saith further, Nulla hic arcana reuelo, It was no shriuing secrets the Fryar did disclose, but such things as all the world could witnesse to be true. Bernard Bernardus. lib. 4. de Considerato­ne ad Euge­nium. is more sharpe against the abuses of his time (though the rotten hu­mours were but thē in gathering) when he complaineth that the co­uetous, Luxurious, Ambitious, Incestuous, Sacreligious, and all such hellish Monsters did flocke to Rome, to get a warrant from the Apostolicke Sea, for their procee­dings. And that they made no more conscience of Sinning, then [Page] theeues after they haue robbed a man by the highway, are afraid to deuide the spoile. Curia tua recipere bonos magis, quam facere consueuit, (he speakes vnto the Pope) mali enim illic non proficiunt sed boni deficiunt. I intend not now to lay open her monsterous cruelties and bloody massacres, of such as truely professe the Gospell of Christ, in which point she doth very well resemble (Shall I say) Ierusalem, which killed the Peophets & stoned them that were sent to her? nay, rather old Rome vn­der Nero as often as the Emperor gaue commandement that any should be slaine or banished, Tacitus. lib. 14. Annal. quoties fugas & caedes ius­sit princeps, toties, predijs actae: quaeque rerum secun­darum olim nunc publicae cladis insignia fuere. so often (saith Tacitus) did they giue thankes vnto God: and those things which in for­mer time had beene notes of some pros­perous successe, were now the ensignes of publike slaughter. Is not this her custome at this day? are there any [Page] bloody butcherings of Christs flocke, any cruell murthering of Christian Princes, by Romish Ie­busites, but it shall bee receiued at Rome with Bonefires and Hymnes in most triumphant manner? all which things when I consider, I am fully resolued that a learned Diuine of later yeares, doth not speake of any malitious humor, when hee saith that there bee three points of diuinity,Caluinus lib. 4. Iustit. ca. 7. (he calleth them Capita arcana Theologiae) which go current in Rome. The first, that there is no God: the Second, that whatsoeuer is writen of Christ is lyes and deceits. The third, that the Doctrine of the resurrection and of the last iudgement is merely fabulous, now then this be­ing the case of that great and glo­rious Citie, wee may well collect, that her horrid desolation and fearefull downefall is at hand. For [Page] there is no state so strong, no Citie so fenced, but the sinnes of the people will bring it vnto distruction, which is my third and last Proposition out of the second generall branch of my text, whereof I am now by your patience to intreat.

Proposit. 3That Kingdomes and common wealthes haue their periods and downefalls, is a conclusion which the premises of all former ages doe demonstrate; learned Athens, stately, Sparta rich Babylon, victori­ous Carthage, ancient Troy, proude Niniue, and a thousand more haue numbred their yeares: and at this day haue no stronger fence then Paper walls, to keepe their names from obliuion, the great enemy of antiquitie. Now for the true cause of their subuersions, it is a truth, which the greatest wisards of this world, after much studie, and ma­ny [Page] serious cōsultations which na­ture could neuer find out. The E­picures attribute it to fortune the Stoicts to destinie, the Pythagorians to numbers. Which last opinion Plato made such reckoning of, that he will haue numbers to bee the sole cause of the transmutations of common wealths. Whose words bee so Aenigmaticall,Plato. lib. 8. de rep. Cice­ro. lib. 7. Epist ad Atticum. that Tullie makes them a Prouerbe, and Mar­silius Ticinus inuocateth not Oedi­pus but Apollo to vnfold them.Arist. 5. lib. pollit. cap. 12. Aristotle (who of all others com­meth nearest vnto the trueth) makes the cause to be a disharmo­nie in the body politicke, as too much wealth of some few, the great miserie of many, iniurie, feare, &c. I little maruell that hea­then Philosophers should shoote so wide, when Christians haue so grossely mistaken their marke. Bo­din [Page] how wittie is hee in pleading for numbers?Bodin Math. hist. cap. 6. what vertue doth he attribute to 7. or 9. or 12. and the squares and cubiques. How doth he shift himselfe to proue his opi­nion sound, by instances of the most comon-wealthes that haue bene hitherto in account, adding, or detracting yeres at his pleasure, from the calculation of the best Chronologers, to make the num­ber square or cubique, or spherical, or at the least, some way consisting of 7. or 9. or of three rootes or squares. Cardanus Cardanus. hangeth all vp­on the taile of the greater beare. The common sort of Astrologi­ans, referre it to the planets and starres, making such a scheme at the first foundation of any Citie, which made Varro (as Plutarch wit­nesseth) so earnest with Taruncius Firmanus, to enquire the oppositi­on, [Page] and aspect of the planets, when Rome was first situated, thinking hereby to coniecture how long that Empire should endure. Co­pernicus Copernicus. will haue the conuersion & motion of the centure of his im­aginarie excentricle circle (which circle according to him, is not cau­sed by the heauens motion (for the heauens in his opinion are vn­moueable) but by the earth, which he will haue to be cōtinually whee­led about, to be the cause of these alterations of Common-wealths. Thus while they groped in the darke, they missed their marke,Gen. 19. as the Sodomites did Lots doore, and while they professed themselues wise, Rom. 1.22. they became fooles. And little mar­uaile, for the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God: None of all these haue happened on the true cause,1. Cor. 1. it is the sinnes of the people [Page] which bringeth euery common-wealth to ruine. And how can it be other­wise? for if thou lay more weight on the roofe, then the pillars can support, the house must needes fall. Now sinne is of such an in­tollerable weight, that no house nor Citie, nor Common-wealth can stand vnder it, but it will presse it downe, it is a burden to the whole earth, and makes it reele to and fro, Isa. 24.20. and stagger like a drunken man: it is a burden to all the crea­tures,Rom. 8.22. and maketh them grone and trauell in paine: it is a burden to God himselfe, which makes him crie out in the Prophet against the Iewes, Amos 2.13. That they had pressed him with their iniquities, euen as a cart is pressed with sheaues: it lay so heauie vpon Christs shoulders, that it made him sweat drops of blood, Luke 22.44. This burden of it selfe so heauie, like a [Page] malefactor that is pressed to death, cries for more weight, to presse the sinner to the pit of hell: it cals to heauen for the burden of the Lord, Iere. 23. that is, for vengeance to be inflicted vpon the impenitēt sinner, God in regard of his patience, and long suffring, is said to haue leadē heeles, hee commeth slowly euen against his will to punish, but in respect of his iustice, he is said to haue yron hands. He striketh with a witnesse, when once hee begins to smite in his proceedings against the sinnes of men, he hath a double method sometimes, (and this method is most vsuall when he proceedeth a­gainst the sinnes of his children) he comes to them as he came to Eli­as. 1. King. 19. First he sendeth a mighty strong wind, to blow downe the tall Ce­dars, and cast them to the ground, as Paul was, before he was conuer­ted. [Page] Then an Earth-quake, Acts 24.26. to shake the flintie rockes, I meane the sto­nie hearts of men, & to make them tremble, as Felix did, when Paul disputed of the iudgment to come, then a fire to burne vp the stubble, and consume the bryars, and then (when these forerunners, like Iohn Baptist haue prepared a way for the Lord) he comes himselfe, in a soft voice, the gratious and sweet pro­mises of the Gospell, to seale a pardon to such, as by the former Iudgments are deiected and hum­bled. And this may bee tearmed Gods Ordo compositiuus: Some­times (and this is more vsuall, especially when hee proceedes a­gainst the wicked) hee taketh a contrarie course: First, he comes in a soft and still voyce, to wooe them to himselfe: But when they harden their hearts, and [Page] will not bee reclaimed from their euill wayes; then at length he will send a fire to deuoure them, and an Earthquake and mighty strong wind, to scatter them away like chaffe from the face of the earth, Psal. 1. & to blow them downe euen in the bottome of hell; and this I may fitly call Gods ordo resolutiuus; it is sayd of Alexander, Q. Curtius. that when hee besieged a certaine City, hee helde out a Lampe, proclaiming a pardon to as many as would yeeld themselus before the Lampe was burned: so the Lord first holdeth out the Lampe of his word, whereby hee calleth them to submit themselues, and giues them a time to delibe­rate; if in the meane time they doe not yeeld, nothing remaines but death and destruction: it is storied of Tamberlaine the Scythian, Stephani. Epi. in Herod. that whensoeuer hee besieged a City, [Page] first hee displayed a white flagge in token of mercy, if they would yeeld themselues, the second day a redde flagge threatening blood because they did not in time submit themselues, if they continued vntill the third day, then came out his blacke flacke menacing vtter ruine and desolations; this is Gods Methode. First he sets out his white flagge of peace; if this bee not re­garded, then comes his red flagge of correction, though not of de­struction: if this will take no place with them, then he sets out his blacke flagge,Virgil lib. 6. Aeneid. bella horrida bel­la, nothing but death and desola­tion. Downe with it, downe with it▪ euen to the ground, tribulation and anguish, fire and brimstone, storme and tempest, this shall bee their porti­on to drinke. Its long before he be moued to anger, but if the coales [Page] of his wrath bee kindled; O Lord God how terrible will this flame be! it will licke vp the sea like dust, and melt the mountains like waxe, and burne to the very bottome of Hell, so that nothing in the world will quench it, but the bloud of the Lambe, and the streaming teares of vnfained repentance: cast your eies to the time of old, for wee are: Iob. 8.9. but men of yesterday, and our dayes on earth are like a shadow, as Bildad spea­keth in Iob, and you shall finde my conclusion proued by the occur­rents of all ages. Sodome that fruit­full and plentifull Citie, which was for beauty and pleasure like the gar­den of God, or as the valley of Egypt, Gene. 19. as thou goest vnto Zoar, Gene. 13.10 if the stinke of her sinnes ascend into heauen, shall bee conuerted into a stinking Fen, for an euerlasting remem­brance of her iniquity.Deut. 3.3. Iericho a [Page] goodly place, a City of Palme trees, a fenced City, whose walles reached vp to heauen: Iohn 6.21. if shee be withall a sinnefull and an idolatrous City, shee and all that is in her, both man and woman, young and olde, Oxe and Asse, shall bee vtterly de­stroyed. Babylon, which Aristotle Arist. Polit. for the greatenesse cals rather a Region then a City, the Empresse of the earth, the Princesse of Cities, the glory of Kingdomes, the beauty and pride of the Chaldeans, which said, I sit as Queene, I am no widdow, and shall see no mourning: If shee conti­nued in her sinnes, shall bee as the destruction of God in Sodome and Go­morrah, Isa. 13. it shall not bee inhabited for euer, neyther shall it bee dwelled in from generation to generation, but Zim shall dwell there, and their hou­ses shall bee full of Ochim, Ostriches shall dwell there, and the Satyrs shall [Page] dance there, and Iim shall cry in their Pallaces, & Dragons in their pleasant places: so that a man shall bee more precious then gold, euen a man aboue the wedge of the gold of Ophyr: It is not her powerfull state, nor rich Citizens, nor strong walles, nor high Towers, nor magnificall buildings, that shall free her from Gods punishing hand: nay, Ieru­salem in my Text, the Vine that Gods right hand had planted, the Citie of the Great King, the holy place of the Tabernacle of the most high, the beauty of Israel, the glory of Nations, Lament. 1. and Prin­cesses of prouinces, if she will not bee awaked from her sinnes, shall not be much better then the destructi­on of Sodome and the miserable desolation of doleful Gomorrah, her walls shall bee turned into heapes of dust, her houses consumed, her [Page] Temple burned, her treasury emp­ty, her in habitants killed: Quis Cladem illius vrbis quis funera flaetu explicet. What heart is so flinty which will molt into teares, when it shall thinke of the miserie which did twise befall this one Citie.

Now all 1. Cor. 10.11. these punishments came vpō Vse. 1 thē for an ensample and are written to admonish you vpon whence the ends of the world are come, that you should bee armed and warned, that you should see, and fore-see, before the time be past,Cicero. Phil. 1. vt quorum facta imi­tamini eorum exitum per horrescatis, that if you tread in their footsteps you should remēber their downfals, God is the same God still, he is as strong as euer he was, he is as iust to reuenge as euer hee was, his arme is not shortned, his strength is not aba­ted, his wrath is not turned away from sinne, but his hand is stretched [Page] out stil. Sinne may bud in the spring but it withereth before Haruest: it may flowrish for a time, but god­linesse endureth vnto the end. When the wicked thinketh him­selfe the surest, when he saith vnto his soule, Peace, Peace, and Soule, take thy rest. Euen then there is but one steppe betweene him and de­struction: beleeue the kingly Pro­phet, he speaketh it of his owne ex­perience, I my selfe haue seene the vn­godly in great prosperity, Psa. 37.36.37 and flow­rishing like a greene bay tree; what followeth, I went by, and loe, he was gone; I sought him, and his place could no more be found. Behold his countenāce, he is but as the grasse vpon the house top, which withe­reth before it bee pluckt vp,Psal 73.18. or as the sound vpon the water, or as a garment freted with mothes: O how suddenly doth he fade, perish, and [Page] come to a fearefull end: euen as a dreame vanisheth when as one awa­keth. Plut. in vitae Pyrrhi. idem in vita Ani­nib. It is noted of Pyrrhus and Hanniball, that they could quickly conquer a Citie, but they could neuer keepe that which they had once subdued. I little maruaile, that the wicked haue great facility in heaping vp of riches, but I should thinke it strange, if they could keepe them till the third ge­neration. Their wealth is like a snowball, gathered in the fall, not without labour and cold fingers: and anon after it is melted with the Sunne, or washed away with the raigne. But alas, alas beloued, I may heare take vp the Prophets complaint.Isa. 53.1. Who will beleeue our re­port? my words seeme vnto many, as Lots Sermon did to his sonnes in-law, when hee foretold the de­struction of Sodome, who seemed as though he had mocked, Gen. 19.14. [Page] Giue mee leaue a little to speake plainely: I came not to sing vnto you a gloria patri without a sicut erat, to flatter you with a smooth tale, as to lay pillowes vn­der your elbowes, whereby you may securely sleepe in your sinnes, Multi sunt Placentini, & Landen­ses pauci Veronenses, many come hither from Placentia, and Landa, but few from Veron. I doubt not but yee will all with your tongues confesse my Proposition to be true, but the practise of the most denyeth it: it is the sins of the people that bringeth euery common wealth to ruine. Euery one wil say as much, but yet in our practise wee hold an other strange Axiom that goeth for currant a­mongst vs: it is the sinnes of the people that vpholdeth euery Common wealth: conscionable and true, and faithful dealing, which my Prophet [Page] as I suppose, nameth, by executing of iudgement and seeking of the Truth, is like an Almanacke out of date, e­uery man hath found out a new way, both to maintaine and better his estate, this old way is to farre a­bout. The blood-sucking Vsurer, instead of lending and expecting nothing againe, a lesson which our Sauiour would haue him to take out, if hee looke for the true trea­sure, doth eat and consume his nee­dy Brother, euen as Pharaos leane and il-fauored Kine deuoured the other. This is the way hee taketh to support his house, God loues not such an Arethmatician as spendeth his whole study about Multiplication, Regula falsi­tatis. and the Rule of fal­shood, and can neuer learne, the pra­ctise of Diuision. The Lawyer who should employ his best know­ledge in vniting the knots of the [Page] law, and should bee an Atropos to cut off the thread of controuersies betweene man and man: feedeth his Client with golden hopes, and sugred wordes, and in the meane time like Lachesis draweth in length the thread of contention, vsing vn­necessary delayes, and posting of the matters from Court to Court, Tearme to Tearme, yeare to yeare, not vnlike the cogging Surgeon, who in hope of greater gaine doth poyson the wound, that it may be longer in curing, or (if I may vse a homely comparison) like the waggish Boy in the streetes, who when hee seeth two dogs snarling and grinning one at another for a bone, is neuer at rest till (for his owne pleasure, but little for their profite) hee hath brought them a rictu ad morsum, to trie their right by their teeth, til at length the wea­ker [Page] bee enforced to resigne vp his right to the stronger: this is a prin­cipall plot to maintaine his estate.

The Citizen that liueth on his trade, is like to the idolatrous Iewes in the Psalmist, which worship the Images of Canaan; Canaan signi­fieth a Marchant, and what is the Marchants Image (saith Luther) but Denarius the Crosse. This hee maketh such reckning of, as that he careth not for making shipwracke, not of a crased, wodden vessell, but of a good conscience, so that hee may obtaine it: hee selleth dayes and months, and yeares at a high­er rate then his best stuffes; if his wares bee too light, false ballances must make vp the weight, if too bad, too deare, a false oath must make a mends for both. The coun­try Landlord (for though I speake in Ierusalem, yet I do not doubt but [Page] some of euery quarter of Iudah doth heare mee, whome the Lord hath endowed with ample posses­sions that hee should bee as it were Pater Patriae, an vpholder of his Country, a maintainer of iu­stice, a scourge of vice, a protector of Religion, a shelter for the distres­sed to defend them from the rage of oppressors, as theXenocrates apud Aelia­num. var. hist. lib. 13. cap. 31. Philosopher did the Sparrow that fled into his bosome from the talentes of the Hawke. What doth he? he rayseth his rentes, wringeth his Tenants like spunges, shaketh by some new deuise the ancient custome; if this will not serue his turne, he farmeth out his liuings (especially in such a yeare as this, whē he should breake his bread to the poore at his owne dores) and taketh a roome in this City, or some other, where he may liue with much ease, little charges, and small credite, this he counteth [Page] an especiall meanes to hold vp his estate.

If I haue beene in the bosomes of many of you, blame your selues, for mine owne part I may truly say to euery particular that thinketh himselfe touched, as our Sauiour saide to the woman that was taken in Adulterie;Ioh. 8.11. Hath no man condem­ned thee? neither doe I. Marry, with­all I adde that of Iohn, 1. Ioh. 3.20. If thine owne conscience condem not hee, God is grea­ter then thy conscience, and knoweth all things; and therefore I dismisse thee with that speech of our Saui­our spoken to the Criple, that was newly restored to his feet; Goe thy way and sinne no more, Ioh. 5.14. lest a worse thing come vnto thee. What shall I say more? Runne through each particular Estate and calling, and you shal find by the practise, thogh not of all, God forbid that I should thinke so, I know there are in euery [Page] profession which make a cōscience of their wayes, and in all their acti­ons set God before their eyes, yet of the most part, that fraudulent and deceitfull dealing, or some o­ther vnlawfull meanes, is thought the most expedite and beaten way for supporting them. Few will let this conceit sinke into their heads, that sinne is the meanes that bringeth euery Estate to ruine, the Preacher may tell them as much, but they will belieue him at their leasure; in the meane time, they wil still runne on their olde Bias; the husbandman may labour in weeding those grounds, but still they bring forth briars to entangle and nettles to sting others: the Gardner may busie himself in pru­ning those vines, but still they bring forth sowre grapes, such as will set the teeth of Gods children on edge. Gods shepheards may [Page] watch continually about their flockes;Ier. 2. yet like swift Dromidaries they runne by their wayes, and like the wilde Asse vsed to the wildernesse, which snuffeth the wind by occasion at her pleasure, as the Prophet speakes; they canot bee kept from going a­stray. Euery one can bee angry if his worldly purpose be crossed ne­uer so little, but few or none will say with Dauid; it greeueth me when [...] see the transgressors, because they keepe not thy law: Many can weepe and commend plenty of teares, when any worldly calamity doth befall them, but few or none can shed one teare, Misere terendo ocu­los (as he speaks in the Comedy) for their sinnes, much lesse weepe bitterly as Peter did,Math. 26. or haue their eyes gush out with water, because other men keepe not Gods lawes,Psal. 119. with Dauid many will sing to the Viole, and inuent to themselues instru­ments [Page] of musicke like Dauid as the Is­raelites did. Amos. 6.5. But few will say with him,Psal. 119.143. All my delight is in thy com­maundements; Many will say, with those good fellowes, Come & bring wine, and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke, and to morrow shall be as this day, Isa. 56.12 and much more abundant But fewe or none will say with those good professors, Come & let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Iacob, and he will teach vs his lawes, Isa. 2.3. and we will walke in his paths.

I thinke I cannot truely say with Hosea, that the Lord hath a cōtrouer­sie with the inhabitants of this land, because there is no knowledge of God in the land. For our heads are not so sicke, as our hearts are heauie: Isa. 1.5. I meane our heads are not so void of knowledge, as our hearts are of obedience, but I dare boldly say, that which followeth: By swearing [Page] and lying, and killing, and stealing, and whoring, Hos. 4.2. they breake forth, and blood toucheth blood. Wil you heare the iudgements annexed in the subsequent words: Therefore shall the land mourne, and euery one that dwelleth therein, shall be cut off. This is a terrible curse, & he that dwel­leth in heauen, still auert it from vs, but yet it is a conclusion which the Lord vseth to inferre vpon such premises.

Giue me leaue ro repeat a para­ble vnto you,Isa. 5.1.2.3. &c. My beloued had a vine­yard in a very fruitfull hill, and he hedged it, and gathered the stones out of it, and hee planted it with the best plants; and hee built a Tower in the midst, and made a winepresse therein. The Prophet in that place appli­eth it to the land of Iudah, Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, is the land of Israel, and the men of Iudah, are his pleasant plants: me thinkes I [Page] may not vnfitly apply it vnto this Island. Surely the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the land of Bri­taine, and the men of this land are his pleasant plants, Now therefore, O ye inhabitants of this and, iudge I pray you, betweene him and his vine­yard, what could he haue done vnto it, that hee hath not done? Hee hath planted it with his own right hand, hee hath so hedged it about with his heauenly prouidence, that the wild boare out of the woods can­not roote it vp, nor they that goe by, pull off his grapes. Hee hath watered it most abundantly with the dew of heauen: he hath gathe­red the stones of Popery and su­perstition out of it; he hath set the winepresse of his word therein: he hath giuen it a Tower, euen a king as a strong tower against his ene­mies, whose raigne the Lord con­tinue ouer vs, if it bee his pleasure, [Page] as long as the moone knoweth her course, & the sun his going down and let all that loue the peace of Britaine, say Amen. Now hee hath long expected that it shuld bring forth grapes, but behold it bringeth foorth wild grapes. He looked for iudgement, but behold oppression, for righteous­nesse, but loe a crying.

These were the sinnes of Ierusa­lem, and you know her iudgments, he that was Ierusalems God, is Bri­taines God too, and therfore if shee paralell Ierusalem in her iniquities, let her take heed she tast not of her plagues; God though he hath not yet begun to punish her in his fury yet hath he sundry times shaked his rod of correction ouer her, if this will not worke amendment, her iudgement must be the greater.

Fearefull was the case of Sama­ria, whō Gods punishments could not moue to repentance. I haue [Page] giuen you cleannesse of teeth in al your Cities, Amos. 4. and scarcenesse of Bread in all your places, yet haue yee not returned vnto me saith the Lord God. I haue with holden the raine from you when there was yet three moneths to the har­uest, and I caused it to ruine vpon one Citie, and brought a drought vpon an­other, yet haue yee not returned vnto me saith the Lord. Pestilence haue I sent amongst you after the manner of Egipt, and yet ye haue not returned vnto me saith the Lord. I haue smit­ten you with, blasting and mildew, &c. yet ye haue not returned vnto me saith the Lord God. The Lord hath not hitherto dealt with vs after our sinnes, nor plagued vs according to the multitude of our iniquities, yet he hath made it manifest that he is displeased with vs: His mercy hath pulled backe his hand from draw­ing his sword of vengeance against vs, yet hee hath left vs sundry to­kens [Page] that hee is angred with our sinnes. It is not long since that the heauens were made as brasse, Deut. 28.23. and the Earth as yron, nay, the very waters became as yron or as brasse so that neither the heauens from aboue, nor the earth, or water from be­low did aford comforts for the ser­uice of man.

This extraordinary cold distēpe­rature of the ayre might by an An­tiperistasis haue kindled some heate of zeale & deuotion in our brests; when it had not the expected ef­fect,Psal. 105.16 then he Called for a dearth vpon the land, and destroied our prouision of bread: euen such a famine, that if we were not releeued from forraine countries, Ten women might bake their bread in one Ouen, as the Lord speaketh, Leuit. 26.26.

But all this hath not brought vs vpon our knees, nor humbled our soules before our God, therefore [Page] once againe, he hath put life in his messenger of death, and set him on foote, which heretofore of late yeres hath raged in this city, like a man of warre, and like a gyant re­freshed with wine, and bestirred himselfe (though not with the like violence) almost in euery part of this kingdome:Psal. 91.6. I meane the pesti­lence that walketh in the darkenesse, and the sicknesse that hath killed many thousands at noone day: all these are infallible tokens that he is offended with our sinnes: Howbeit he is so mercifull that he will not suffer his whole displeasure as yet to arise,

If each of these by themselues can­not preuaile with vs, yet if they be all put together, they may serue (as a threefold cord) to draw vs vnto repentance. If these be not of force but still wee continue to blow vp [Page] the coales of his anger, then let vs know for a certainty, that they are the forewarners of a greater euill, as the cracking of the house is a forewarning of his fall: these bee but the flashing lightnings, the thunderbolt will come after.

The cloud that is long in ga­thering, will make the greater storme: he is all this while in fet­ting his stroke, that hee may giue the sorer blow, Eurum ad se Zephi­rum (que) vocat; hee is in bringing the windes out of his treasures, that he may rain vpon our heads a showre of vengeance which shall bee the portion of al the vngodly to drink.

I beganne like a Barrabas, I will not end like Boanarges: my song had an Exordium of mercy, I am loath to bring for an Epilogue a thunderclap of iudgment. Where­fore (my beloued Brethren) now that you see the true causes of the [Page] ruines of euery common-wealth and the iudgement that hangeth ouer your heads (like Damocles his sword) for our iniquities; flatter your selues no longer in your own sinnes, but turne vnto him by speedy and vnfained repentance, that hee may repent him of the euill, & turne away his plagues from you: let the wanton leaue his dallying, and the drunkard his carrowsing, and the Vsurer his biting, and the swearer his blaspheming, and the oppressor his grinding, and euery one amend one in time, before the Lords wrath bee further kindled: then will the Lord bee mercifull vnto this land: hee will quicklie turne the sowre lookes of an angry and sinne reuenging Iudge, into the smiling countenance of a mild and gentle Father. Hee will take the rodde which he hath prepared for you, and burne it in the fire. [Page] These plagues which doe hang o­uer you for your iniquities, he will blow away with the breath of his nostrils, as hee did the Egyptian Grashoppers into the red sea: he will command his destroying An­gell to put vp his sword into the sheath, he will open the windowes of heauen, and power downe a blessing vpon you without mea­sure.

Then shall you be blessed in the Citie and blessed in the field, bles­sed at your going out, and blessed at your comming in, and whatsoe­uer you put your hands vnto shall be blessed; your sonnes shallPsa. 129.4. grow vp as Oliue branches, and your daugh­ters shall be as the Psal. 144. polished corners of the Temple. Your grounds shall so abound with grane that the tillers shall laugh and sing; your garners shall be full and plenteous with all manner of storeIoel. 2.24. your presses shall [Page] abound with Oyle and wine, your sheepe shall bring forth thousands, and tenne thousands in your fields; Euery thing shall prosper, nothing shall stoppe the current of Gods blessings, there shall be no decay, nor leading into cap­tiuity, and no complayning in your streetes; and which is better then all [...]hese, hee will giue you faithfull & painefull Pastors to feede you, his spirite to comfort you, his word to instruct you, his wisedome to di­rect you, his Angels to watch ouer you, his grace to assist you, and in a word, He will be your God, and you shall be his people: Esther. 6.9 thus shall it be done vnto all those whome the King of hea­uen shall honour: so that all the world shal wonder at your felicity, & say, Blessed be the Lord which taketh plea­sure in the prosperity of his seruants, & happy are the people that bee in such a case, yea blessed are al they which haue the Lord for their God; thus wil he be [Page] with you, and direct you in the de­sert of this world, till he bring you into a faire and Goodly place, the promised land, a land that floweth with better things then aboūdance of Milke and Honey, the celestiall Paradise, the heauenly Canaan, the kingdome of glory prepared for you from the beginning of the world, euen that kingdome where the King is verity, the Lawes chari­ty, the Angels your company, the Peace felicitie, the life eternity. To this kingdom, the God of al mer­cy bring vs for his sake that bought vs with his owne blood, to whom with the Father and the holy Spi­rit, three persons in trinitie, and one God in vnitie, be ascribed all ho­nor & glory, power and Maiestie, both now and for euermore A­men.