The Description and the Practice of the four most admirable Beasts.

I Have begun to treat of these words in this place long ago; and let no man marvel, that I intend by Gods help to prosecute the ex­plication thereof at this time; because this Text seems to me, like the Ocean sea, so large, that it cannot be measured, and so deep, that it cannot be fathomed by any humane wit; the same being omnia in omnibus, all in all: For.

First, Here is God the Creator of all things, and all that is knowable or may be known concerning God; as that in­effable [Page 2] mystery of the Trinity, or three persons in the one onely Essence of the Deity; and therefore appointed to be read for the Epistle on Trinity Sunday; and all the chiefest Attributes of God, as

1. His Purity and sanctity in the words [...] three times repeated, to shew the three persons of the Deity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

2. His Power, authority and dominion, in the word [...] that is set down in the singular number, to shew the Ʋ ­nity of the God-head.

3. His Wisedome, knowledge and providence, in the word [...], which is derived [...], because he seeth all things, and all things are patent to his eyes, & at­tingit a fine usque ad finem, & disponit omnia suaviter.

4. His Omnipotency, in the word [...], Almigh­ty, quia voluntas ejus potestas ejus, because he can do what­soever he would do, he needs but say the word and it is done.

5. His Eternity, in the words, [...], which crowneth all the rest of Gods Attributes, that otherwise would be of no such value, if it were not for this Eternity, that makes him to be whatsoever he is for ever.

Secondly, Here are the creatures of God, and the chief of all Gods creatures; as

1. The Lion, which is the King of all the Beasts of the field.

2. The Calf or the Oxe, which is the most painful and most useful creature for the service of man, and the most ac­ceptable in the sacrifices of God.

3. The Eagle which is the Lord and Master of all the Fowles of the Air; and,

4. Man which is the Prince and Ruler of all those, and of all the Beasts of the field, the Fowles of the air, the Fishes of the sea, and whatsoever walketh through the pathes of the seas.

Thirdly, Here is Religion, and the best of all Religions, the Christian Religion, most amply, though enigmatically and mystically, set forth unto us; for,

[Page 3]1. Here is both the natures and the offices of Christ, and the chiefest things that he did, and that we are to under­stand and believe for our salvation; they are all here ex­prest unto us; as,

1. His divine nature, under the notion of the Eagle and her lofty flight.

2. His humane nature is noted unto us, by him that had the face and appearance of a man.

And as his natures and the quality of his person are here thus mystically exprest; so his offices, that he was to discharge, are here likewise in the same manner, of the Egyptian Hiero­glyphicks, set forth unto us; as,

1. His Regal and Kingly office, whereby he was to rule and govern his Church, is here to be understood by the Lion, which is the King of all the Beasts.

2. His Priestly office, whereby he was to teach and to in­struct his people, and to offer sacrifice unto God, to appease his wrath and so to take away the sin of the world, is here most aptly exprest by the Oxe or Calfe, that was deemed the most acceptable sacrifice, that could be offered unto God:Num. 23.1. as you may see by the sacrifice of Balaam.

And, as his natures and his offices are here thus to be under­stood; so the chiefest things that he was to do, and the chief­est points that we are to believe, are likewise here fairly ex­prest under what is signified by these four Beasts; as,

• 1. His Incarnation, by him that had the face of a man.
• 2. His Passion, by the Oxe, or Calf.
• 3. His Resurrection, by the Lion.
• 4. His Ascension, by the flying Eagles.

Fourthly and lastly, not onely the foresaid particulars concerning Christ and these main points of Christian Re­ligion are hereby to be observed, but also all the whole duty of man, and the chiefest points that every Christian ought to discharge, if he looks for eternal happiness, are here exprest unto us, under the qualities, conditions, description, and pra­ctice of these Beasts, as hereafter I shall more fully declare unto you.

And so you see, here is sententia brevis, a short speech, but materia uberrima, an Ocean of matter to sail over. And do you think that I can passe through such a world of most weighty points within the compasse of one inch of time, lesse then one little houre? that cannot be, by a far better head then mine.

Therefore I must crave leave onely to go as far as I can, untill I shall have your Grace and this honourable audience leave to proceed at some other time unto the rest of these points.

And for our more orderly proceeding at this time, I shall humbly desire you to observe these three points:

• 1. The number of these Beasts.
• 2. The description of these Beasts.
• 3. The practice of these Beasts.

1. The num­ber of the Beasts four, Gen. 31.7.1. For their number, it is said they were four Beasts. And you must remember, that sometimes a certain number is put for an uncertain, as when Jacob said unto Laban, Thou hast changed my wages ten times; that is, several times. But here I take this number to be as it is set down, to signifie four Beasts, and neither more nor less.

2. The descri­ption of the Beasts.2. The description of these Beasts is two-fold;

• 1. Particular and proper to each one.
• 2. General and common to them all.

1. The proper and particular description of the Beasts.1. Touching their particular description: we are to con­sider.

1. Who and what they are that are thus exprest by these Beasts.

2. Why each one of them is so exprest, as they are here de­scribed unto us.

Aug. de civit. Dei l. 8. c. 3.For the first, I may truly say with St. Aug. Alii atque alii aliud atque aliud opinati sunt, several men have had their seve­ral [Page 5] interpretations of them; and I finde four expositions of them to be most of all respected,

• 1. Of the Papists.
• 2. Of the Puritans.
• 3. Of some latter Writers of the Protestants.
• 4. Of the Ancient Fathers.

1. The Papists, interpreting this vision of the Militant Church, do understand the same by Heaven; and by the seat that was set therein, they understand the authority of the Church of Rome: by the Lamb or him that sate on the seat, their universal Bishop the Pope: and by these four Beasts, they would have us to understand the 4. Patriarchships,

• 1. Of Antioch.
• 2. Of Ephesus.
• 3. Of Jerusalem.
• 4. Of Alexandria.

Which have always had the greatest power and cheifest autho­rity next after the Church of Rome. And by the 24. Elders, that sate upon the 24. seats, they understand the six Arch-Bishops that were in every Patriarchship, as 1. in Antioch. The Arch-Bishop, 1. of Mesopotamia, 2. of Ninivee, 3. of Babylon, 4. of Assyria, 5. of Parthia, 6. of Media.

2. In Ephesus. The Arch-Bishop, 1. of Smyrna, 2. of Pergamus, 3. of Thyatira, 4. of Philadelphia, 5. of Sardis, 6. of Laodicea.

And so the rest of Jerusalem and of Alexandria. But this exposition seemeth furthest from the truth.

I. Because they interpret it of the Priest-hood, Church and Government thereof, altogether externally. Whereas in­deed the Kingdom and Priest-hood of Christ is altogether spiritual, Chrysost. hom. 82. in c. 18. Johan. Non quod hoc etiam temporaliter non possideat sed quod in coelis habeat imperium, as St. Chrysost. saith.

[Page 6]II. For that the Church of Rome was not as then Empresse and cheif Lady of all other Churches, nor afterwards, till the time of the Emperour Phocas, In Regist. ejus­dem Gregorii. as it appeareth by the Epistles of Gregory Bishop of Rome unto the Emperour Mauri­tius.

III. Because that if this exposition were true, the Arch-Bishopricks of Italy, Spain, France, Britany, Germany, and the like, should be excluded, which were too great a wrong from this vision; or they could not tell under which Patri­archship they should be comprehended.

2. Expositi­on.The second Exposition is of Brightman and his followers, that say, these four Beasts do signifie the four-fold state, quality, and condition of the Ministers of the Church of Christ, from the time of our Saviours Ascension to his coming to judgment. As,

1. Age.1. In the infancy of the Church they were bold and stout like Lions to preach the Gospel of Christ, so that although, as Eusebius saith, Alii flammis exusti, alii ferro perempti, alii patibulo cruciati, Euseb. l. 8. c. 11 & 12. & alii flagris verberati, Some were burn'd to ashes, some slain with the sword, Some hanged, and others whipped to death; yet they ceased not to publish the truth of Jesus Christ, because they knew, that as S. Bern. saith, Vere tuta pro Christo & cum Christo pugna, in qua nec vulneratus, nec occisus fraudaberis à victoria; To fight for Christ and with Christ is very safe, when neither wounded nor killed, we should not be deprived of the victory.

2. Age.2. In the next age of the Church, after Constant. the Great, that closed up the dayes of Persecution, the Ministers of Christ were as painfull and laborious in their vocation of Preaching the Gospel of God, as the Oxen are in tilling our ground or treading out the Corn for us. And so their volu­minous works and pious devotions left behind them, do suffi­ciently testifie what pains they took: so much, that it made the Emperour Maximinus to wonder, to see how sedulous they were in doing good, and propagating the Gospel of God.

[Page 7]3. In the third age of the Church,3. Age. and this last Century of years, they are said to have faces like men, because that now since the time of Wiclef, Luther, Melancton, and the rest of our protestant Writers, the people, and divers of the Priests that formerly (by reason of the Latine Liturgy) understood no more what they prayed, or what was said unto them, then Ba­laams Asse understood her own voice, were now made to become like men, so rational, that they understand both the Sermons and the Service of the Church.

4. In the last age of the Church,4. Age. the Ministers of the fifth Monarchy so much dreamed of by the Phanatick Sectaries of our time, are expounded by them to be here understood by this flying Eagle; because that by reason of their swift, ex­temporary and undigested sudden Meditations and Sermons; they will most speedily pour out their words into all Lands, as Lucilius did his Verses, Horat. Serm. l. 1. p. 212. And send forth their voices to the ends of the World for the conver­ting of the dispersed Jewes, and all other Pagans and world­lings to the faith of Christ, and to bring them back again out of Scythia into Palestina; which is easier said then done, and is far enough from the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this place, as I have fully and amply shewed the vanity of this fiction in the sixth Book of my true Church. Therefore to proceed,3. Exposi­tion. I find the third exposition to be of some of the best Protestant writers, whereof notwithstanding each several one hath his several exposition: as some interpret them to signi­fie the four Elements, others, the four special faculties of the soul; others, as Bullinger interprets them, to signifie the four great Monarchies of the world; and others,Bullinger in Loc. as Bacon­thorp and Albertus apud Balaum, by these foure Beasts, do understand the foure great Prophets, Esay, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

But Aretius and Maier do with Rupertus interpret them to signifie the four greatest Mysteries of our Christian Reli­gion. As,

I. The Incarnation. II. The Passion. III.1. Incarna­tion. The Resur­rection. And IV. The Ascension of our Saviour Christ: and [Page 8] it cannot be contradicted but that these things are thereby sig­nified. As,

I, His Incarnation which is the assuming of the nature of man unto the person of God, and that, as Nazianzen speak­eth, Fermanendo quod erat, & assumendo quod non erat, by still remaining what he was, and taking upon him what he was not, is here understood by him that had his face like a man.

2. The Passion.II, His Passion is signified by the Calf; because all the Sacrifices, that were offered unto God, were either

• 1. Zebach, which they properly termed Sa­crifices, or,
• 2. Mincha, which they called Oblations.

And the first sort was of living Creatures, and the second sort was of dead things, as the first fruits of Corn, Wine, Oyl, and the like.

And the first sort also, was either

• 1. Of the Heards, or,
• 2. Of the Flocks.

And of the Herds were offered,

• 1. Oxen.
• 2. Cows.
• 3. Calves.

and of these, The Calves were most usually offered, both among the Jews and Gentiles; Heb. 9.19. Virgil. Ec­log. 3. for Moses took the bloud of calves and sprinkled both the book and the people: and Virgil saith, ‘Cum faciam vitula pro frugibus ipse venito.’ And therefore Christ, being to offer up himself a sweet-smel­ling Sacrifice for our sins, his Death and Passion could not be better signified by any thing, then by the Calf.

3. The Resur­rection.III, His Resurrection is understood by the Lion; be­cause [Page 9] that he, Qui agnus extiterat in passione, Bern. De resur­rectione. factus est leo in resurrectione. For though by Esay's Prophesie, he should be led as a sheep to the slaughter; yet by Jacob's Prophesie, he should come from the spoil like a Lions whelp, and so de­clare himself mightily to be the son of God by his resurrection from the dead. Rom. 1.4.

IV, His Ascension is understood by the flying Eagle, IV, The As­cension. which mounteth up on high; according as the Prophet saith of Christ, Thou art gon up on high, thou hast led Captivity captive, and received gifts for men.

The fourth Exposition is of the ancient Fathers, as Irenaeus, 4. Exposi­tion. Venerable Bede, St. Hierome, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, Ly­ra, and almost all of them did agree,Iren. l. 3. c. 1. that by these four Beasts are understood the four Evangelists, St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John. Beda in hunc loc.

But to reconcile all or most of these Interpreters, I say, that,

1.The reconci­ling of the In­terpreters. Primarily we may and ought to understand the four E­vangelists by these four Beasts.

2. All the Magistrates of the Common-wealth, and all the Ministers of the Church and Preachers of God's word.

3. And lastly, All Christians whatsoever they be, ought to be like unto these four Beasts, both in their description and in their practice.

First then, I say, that by these four Beasts we are to under­stand the four Evangelists.

1. Saint Matthew by the Lion, though Saint Gregory would have Saint Mark understood by it.

2. Saint Luke by the Calf.

3. Saint Mark by him that had the face of a man.

4. Saint John by the flying Eagle. For,

I finde two special things that may well confirm and make good this Exposition; as first, the manner of their description; and secondly, the general practice of the four. For if you mark it, they are described two manner of wayes.

• [Page 10]1. Generally.
• 2. Particularly.

And first in their general and common description, they are all alike; for they had all six wings about them, and they were all full of eyes. And secondly in their Practice, they all sung the same song, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al­mighty, which was, which is, and which is to come.

But in their particular or proper description, each one of them differeth from the other, as you see. The first was like a lion, the second like a calf, &c.

So the four Evangelists in general aimed at the same thing, to set forth the life and death of the Messiah, and to bring us all to believe, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savi­our of the world; and that in believing on him, we shall have eternal life.

But if we look into their more special end and aim, we shall finde, that each one of them differeth very much from the others. For,

1. St. Matthew proves Christ to be a King.1. St. Matthew seemeth principally to aim at the declara­tion of the Regal or Kingrick office of Christ, and to prove him to be that Lion of Judah which the Jews long expected for to come to be their King, to sit upon the Throne of Da­vid, and to govern the people of God: and this he proveth by many Arguments. As,

1 Argument from his Pede­gree. Ambrosius in Luc. 3.1. A Frosapia, from his Progenitors; for he deriveth him lineally from King David, and he reckoneth fourteen Kings in his Pedegree: and after that, he brings him from Zorobabel in the bloud royal unto Joseph. Whereupon Saint Ambrose saith, that St. Matthew deriving his generation by and from Solomon, and St. Luke by Nathan, they seem to shew, Alteram regalem, alteram sacerdotalem Christi fami­liam, the one family to be from the Kings, and the other from the Priests; Quia fuit verè & secundum carnem re­galis & sacerdotalis familiae, because he was both of the Royal [Page 11] and of the Priestly family: Et sic Rex ex Regibus, & Sacer­dos ex Sacerdotibus, and so both a King and a Priest.

2.2 Argument from the do­ings of the Magi. Numb. 24. Saint Matthew proves him to be a King ab adoratione Magorum, from the doings of the Wise-men; for the Star of the Messias being prophesied of by Balaam, and left as a Tradition among the Gentiles by Zorcastres King of the Ba­ctrians, (that was excellent in all learning) that it should ap­pear to shew the birth of this King of Kings; though Virgil flatteringly and falsly applyed it to Augustus, saying, ‘Ecce Dionaei pracessit Caesaris astrum.’ Yet these Magi being, as St. Chrysostom writeth, upon the Mountain Victorialis, worshipping their God, a Star did ap­pear unto them in the likeness of a little childe, Fulgent. fol. 657. in serm. de Epiphan. and they re­joycing thereat, conceived that, as Fulgentius saith, Puer natus, novam stellam fabricavit, the long-expected childe be­ing now born, did create this fore-prophesied star, to testifie his birth unto the world; and therefore they did forthwith begin their journey to Jerusalem.

And how they came so great a journey in thirteen dayes after his nativity, Rhemigius answereth, Puer, How the Magi came so speedi­ly to Jerusa­lem. ad quem pro­peraverunt, potuit eos in tam brevi spatio temporis ad se ad­ducere, The child, to whom they hastned, was able to help them in so short a space to come unto him: and St. Augustine saith, that Tres Magi iter unius anni in tredecim diebus perege­runt, They performed in thirteen days the journey that might well require a whole year to finish it; especially if you con­sider, that these Magi were Kings themselves,Cypr. in serm. de Baptismo. Chrysost. hom. 6. in Matth. 2. Ps 72.10. as St. Cyprian delivereth from the tradition of the Church, and St. Chrysost, dissenteth not much from his opinion: when as the Prophet David saith to intimate the same thing, The Kings of Ara­bia and Saba shall bring gifts

And now, when these Magi, these three Kings, had found out this King, they fell down and worshipped him; for though, as St. Chrysost. saith, Viderunt puerum hominem, They saw this [Page 12] childe to be a man; yet Agnoverunt redemptorem, they ac­knowledged him to be their Redeemer. What the Magi did. And though he was, In gremio pauperis matris positus, & pannis vilibus involutus, & nullum regiae dignitatis humanae signum habens, lying in the lap of his poor mother, and wrapped in vile clouts, and with­out any sign of royal Majesty; yet, as both Chrysostom and Fulgentius say, Ex stella didicerunt eum esse regem, They were taught by the Star, to understand that he was a King: and therefore they did homage to him as to the king of kings, and they offered to him gold, myrrhe, and frankincense, the gold, to shew his regal dignity, the frankincense, his deity, quia thus ad honorem divinum concrematur, and myrrhe, to shew his mortality, because they use to put myrrhe to the bodies of the dead.

And so by this their action, they shewed,

1. Their humility, quia preciderunt, because they fell down.

2. Their Faith, quia adoraverunt, because they worship­ped him. And

3. Their Charity, quia munera obtulerunt, because they offered these their gifts unto him.

Why the Magi do neg­lect Herod and adore Christ.But how cometh this to pass, quod volunt adorare regem nuper natum, & infantem lactantem, & non adorant regem an­te annos aliquot ordinatum & populos imperantem? That they will worship the King newly born, and an infant sucking on his mothers breasts, and worship not the King that was ordained long before, and was ruling and commanding all the people? What is this, quod ille natus in palatio contemnitur, & iste natus in diversorio quaritur? that he which is born in the palace, and laid in a bed of silver is neglected, and he that is born in the stable, and laid in the manger is enquired after and adored?

It is answered, because that this child which is but parvus in praesepio est immensus in caelo, smal in the cratch is great and immeasurable in heaven; and he whom these Magi call King of the Jews, is the Lord and Creator of the Angels. And so you see how Saint Matthew by the testimony of these Magi, and the worship that they doe unto him, doth prove him to be a King.

The third Argument that he useth to prove him to be a King is drawn ab Herodis timore, from the fear of Herod; 3 Argument From the fear of Herod. for when the Magi came near unto Hierusalem, abscondita est stella, saith Saint Chrysostom, & quod ante apparuit, rarsus disparuit, and that which appeared before was vanished again, saith Saint Basil. And that for three speciall reasons.

1. That the Star being hid, they should be forced to en­quire concerning Christ: that as they were first moved to seek him by a celestial sign, so secondly, they should be con­firmed by the prophetical saying, and the answer of the He­brew Doctors, saith Saint Chrysostom. Chrysost. supra M [...]. Basil. Se m. de humana Christi generatione fol. 138.

2. That the testimonies of Christs enemies might be, longe praestantiora fideque digniora, saith Saint Basil, received with­out question.

3. That they, (that is, the Magi enquiring after him, that they might first honour him) the Jews should be justly con­demned, qui illum cruci affixerunt, quem alieni adoraverunt. Strange that his own Countrymen should crucifie him, when these strangers came to adore him. Therefore the Star was obscured, and they enquired, where is he that is born King of the Jews?

Whereupon Herod, though it should have moved him to cast his Crown at his feet, yet was he vexed with grief at the heart, and troubled with horrible fear which the Magi brought to this King of the Jews, by their enquiring after another late-born King of the Jews. And therefore being full of fear, least this spiritual King should take away his temporal Kingdom, as he had formerly slain Hyrcanus, Joseph. l. 15. c. 9. & 11. Aristobulus and his three Sons in his furious rage: so now, being more incensed with ire, through this Frantique fear, he put to death his own wise Mariamne, his mother Alexandra, and fourty of his chiefest noble men of the tribe of Juda, and he slew all the great Sanhed [...]im, that is, the 72 Senators of the Jews, and fourteen thousand infants in and about Bethlehem (as some do think) and among the rest he slew his own infant born of a Jewish woman, as Philo writeth, which made Augustus say,Philo Judaeus in l. de tempore That he had rather be his pig then his son; And all this he did [Page 14] in hope to root out and destroy all the royal bloud of Juda, least this King and Lion of Juda should deprive him of his Kingdom. And what insanable, incurable madness is this? and how vain is the thought? For this King, which is now born,Iunaniter ergo invidendo ti­muisti successo­rem, quem cre­dendo debuisti quarere S [...]lva­torem. Fulgeni. Serm. de Epiph. fol. 652. doth not come, saith Fulgentius, reges pugnando superare, sed moriendo mirabiliter subjugare, not to overcome them by fighting, but wonderfully to subdue them by dying; and there­fore he is not born, ut tibi succedat, sed ut in eum mundus fi­deliter credat, That he should succeed thee, but that thou and all the World should believe in him, and so be saved by him.

And therefore it was but a vain thing for Herod to fear where no fear was, and to foster fear where he should have faith: but this fire of anger and this fear of heart, doth suffi­ciently shew that Herod knew the Messias should be a King, though he understood not what manner of King he should be, and so Saint Matthew setteth down this his fear and cruelty for the third argument, to prove the kingrick office of Christ, and Christ to be a King.

4 Argument. From Chists riding to Hie­rusalem upon the asse.The fourth argument that Saint Matthew useth to prove Christ to be a King is, from his riding to Hierusalem upon an asse; and he tells us plainly, that Christ did this, to shew that he was the King of the Jews; for he saith, that all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Pro­phet, saying, Tell yee the daughter of Sion, behold thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an asse, Matth. 21.4, 5. Chrysost. hom. 67. in Matt. and ask the Jews, saith Saint Chrysostom, quis na [...] regum asina vectus Hieroso­lymam intravit, which of all their Kings entred Hierusalem upon an asse, and they shall never be able to name any other besides Christ. For the other Kings rode in Chariots, to shew their pompe, and this King onely rode upon an asse, to shew his humility, Beda lib. 5. in Luc. and yet, neque amittit divinitatem, nec regi­am dignitatem, cum nos docet humilitatem, by teaching us hu­mility, he neither looseth his divinity, nor abateth any thing of his royal dignity: when as clemency and humility in Majesty do shine like a precious diamond well set in the purest gold. And Saint Ambrose saith, that when Christ rode to Hierusalem [Page 15] upon an ass, the people that followed him,What the peo­ple did. did three speciall things.

• 1. They repeated the Prophecie, to shew that they were not deceived.
• 2. They acknowledged his Deity, in saying, Hosanna, Salvum fac: save Lord.
• 3. They called him their King, because he was the Son of David.

And all was to shew, that this meek and humble King was the promised Messias, the glory of Israel, and the expectation of the Gentiles.

The fifth Argument that Saint Matthew useth to prove Christ to be a King is from the marriage of the kings son;5 Argument. Matth. 22.1, 2. From the mar­riage of the kings son. for venerable Bede demandeth who is the Kings son, but he, of whom the Prophet speaketh, homo est & quis cognoscit eum? And the marriage of this son is the union, and joyning toge­ther of the God-head with our humane nature in uno supposito, in one person. The servants that he sent to invite the guests, were the Prophets and Preachers of the Gospel:Beda super Luc. l 4. those that were first invited were the Jews: the three sorts of refusers are.

I. Rich Worldlings that say villam emi, Who we [...]e the refusers to come to the Wedding [...] and do love the things of this World better then the things of God.

II. Sensual men, that have 5 yoke of Oxen, and doe follow the lusts of their 5 Senses: the lusts of the eyes and pride of life.

III. Lascivious wanton men, that cry uxorem duxi, and are led away with carnal pleasures

Or as Saint Ambrose saith, we may understand.

I. The Gentiles, by him that said villam emi, I bought a farme.

II. The Jews, by him that said, I bought 5 yoke of Oxen, because they were under the heavy yoke of the Law, and the 5 books of Moses, that were such a yoke as that neither they nor their fathers could bear it; and therefore they cryed [Page 16] out,Psal. 2. dirumpamus vincula, let us break these bonds asunder, and cast away these cords from us. And

III. The Heretiques, Schismaticks, and the like Fanatique Sectaries, that are wedded to their own obstinate and foolish opinions, which like Eva tempteth them, and as another Da­lilah destroyeth them, may be understood by him that had married a wife, and therefore neither could nor would obey the truth, and so come unto the marriage of this King, which is h re shewed unto us by the Evangelist, but tell us flatly, they neither can nor will do it: their wife (which is their ob­stinate opinion) will not suffer them.

The sixth Argument that Saint Matthew produceth to prove Christ to be a King,6 Argument. is, from the inscription of Pilate, Jesus of Nazareth, Beda in L [...]c King of the Jews. Whereupon Beda saith, that because he was both King and Priest together, when he offered up that invaluable sacrifice of his flesh upon the Altar of his cross unto God his Father, he fitly challenged (and it was rightly given unto him) the title of his royalty, which did belong and was so due unto him, and that title was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latine, which were and are the three most special languages of the World, that all the World might read it, and believe it, that Christ by his cross non per­diderat sed potius confirmavit & corroboravit imperium, hath not lost, but rather strengthened his right unto his kingdome: So that although God suffered them to take away his life, yet they could not take away his kingdom from him, but when he was dead upon the cross, yet still the title remained, that he was Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews. And it was written in Hebrew in respect of the Jews, that gloryed in their Law, and in Greek, in respect of the Gentiles, that boasted of their wis­dom, and in Latine in respect of the Romans, which then ruled and domineered over most and almost all the Nations of the World; that the Jews, will they, nill they, may see, that omne mundi regnum, omnis mundana sapientia, & omnia divi­nae legis sacramenta testantur, quia Jesus est Rex, every king­dom of the earth, all the wisdom of the World, and all the sacraments of the divine law, do bear witness, that Christ is [Page 17] King, and this Lion here spoken of in this Text. And the difference betwixt this Lion and all other Lions, is, that, as Franciscus Vallesius de sacra Philosophia, c. 55. saith, Mos Leo­nis est sibi tantum pradam capere, & non Leaenae; but Christ took the prey for his Church, and not for himself.

And we finde that his kingdome by three special prerogatives excelleth all other kingdomes of the world; that is,1. Prehemi­nence of Christs king­dome three­fold.

• 1. Eternity;
• 2. Purity;
• 3. Largity;

1. The Prophet saith, thy Throne, O God, Psal. 110. is for ever and ever, and thy Dominion shall endure throughout all Ages: but transibit gloria mundi, all other Kings within so many years shall not govern, and after so many dayes they shall not be; for death spareth none, but sceptra ligonibus aequat. And as Nazianzen saith, Constantinus Imperator & famulus meus, ossa Agamemnonis & Thyrsitis, death makes no difference be­twixt the bones of King Agamemnon and base Thyrsites, the Emperour Constantine and my servant; but when their race is run and their glass is out, we may say of each of them, as Ho­race saith of his Friend Torquatus.

But this King hath a prerogative above them all, for he was, Rex à seculo, a King from everlasting, and he shall be a King in secula seculorum world without end;Luke 1.33. for so the Angel Ga­briel testifieth, that of his kingdome there shall be no end.

And this should batter down the pride of Tyrants, that say with Nebuchadnezzar, Is not this great Babel that I have built? For mene, mene, tekel, peres, their glory is but as the grass of the field; or otherwise, if they were immortal, they were intolerable. And this should teach us to labour, to be­come the Subjects of this King, in whose kingdome there [Page 18] shall be,Aug. l. 1 c. 10. de Trinita­te. as Saint Augustine saith, requies sempiterna, & gau­dium quod nunquam anferetur à nobis, An everlasting rest, and joy that shall never be taken from us.

2. Prehemi­nence.The second preheminence of his kingdome is purity; for of this King the Prophet speaketh, thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, and the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousness. For this King is not like Ahab, that would take away Naboths Vineyard, nor like Rehoboam, that would oppress his Subjects with over-grievous Taxes, but he is a righteous King, and a most just Judge, far unlike some Judges of former dayes, that for a word have made a man a trans­gressour, and for a syllable or one letter, have quite over­thrown a mans cause and right, and so have made the Laws a nose of wax, to bend and turn as they pleased, and to be rete Vulcanium, like Vulcans iron net, to catch the poor and friend­less: but tela aranea, like the spiders web, so easie for the rich and powerful to passe through it. But blessed be God for it, we have few such now, and we hope we shall not provoke God so far, as to send such amongst us for if you suffer oppression and wrongs, when as the Poet saith, ‘Mensuraque juris vis erit.’ Then surely, peaceable men shall not be able to live in the Common-wealth. But the equity and justice of this King should perswade all other Kings to follow his Example, and as the wise man saith,Sep. 1.1. to love righteousness, all they that are Judges of the earth.

3. Prehemi­nence.The third preheminence of his kingdome is, that God a­nointed this King with the oyle of gladness in all things above his fellows; for their time hath an end, their dominion a limita­tion, but his time is not limited, and his rule hath no marches: but exivit in omnem terram, it hath gone forth into all Lands, because he is the King of all the earth: and when as all other Kings are but Reges Gentium, Kings of some few Nations, he is Rex Regum, & Dominus Dominantium, the King of all o­ther Kings, and the Lord of all Lords.

And therefore Eusebius saith, that the distinction or diffe­rence betwixt this true Christ and the other imaginary Christs, that were anointed Kings before him, may truely and very easily be discerned;Euseb. l. 1. c. 1. Eccl. Histor. quia illi priores Christi nulli penè nisi gen­ti propriae cogniti sunt, those former Kings were scarce known to any, but to their own proper people: but not onely the name, but also the rule, power and kingdome of this true King is extended over all Nations, & per universum orbem terrae, and through the compasse of the round world.

And though, when the Jewes would have crowned him King, Rex fieri noluit, he refused the same; yet to shew that this Dominus Angelorum, was also Rex Judaeorum, Beda l. 5. in c. 19. Luc. as Beda speaketh, when he rid to Jerusalem upon the Asse, he wil­lingly permitted the people to cry Hosanna, and to intitle him King of the Jewes, and he confessed as much himself unto Pi­lat, that he was a King.

And what meaneth this, saith the Venerable Bede, that he now willingly embraceth, quod prius fugicudo declinavit? that which before he declined, and fled from it; and the kingdome, that while as yet he lived in the world, he would not accept, he now denieth not to take it, when he is by and by ready to go out of the world.

He answereth, that he formerly refused it,Beda l. 3. in c. 11. S. Mar. because of the gross imagination of the Jewes, that conceited him to be a temporal King like unto others; but he doth now accept it, to shew, quod non temporalis & terreni, sed aeterni in coelis Rex esset imperii; that his kingdome was not of this world, as him­self said unto Pilate, but as the King of Heaven he ruled all the world.

Well then,What we may learn from this Doctrine, that Christ is our King. seeing Saint Matthew doth by so many inan­swerable arguments prove Christ to be a King, and that he is a perpetual, universal and principal King, and here ex­prest by the Lion in this Text, we may collect and draw matter both of comfort and fear, both of joy and of grief. For

1. Seeing Christ is King, then, as the Psalmist saith,Psal. 97.1. ex­ultet terra, let the earth rejoyce; for if we will obey him, and [Page 20] be ruled by him, he will appoint over us such Viceroyes and under-rulers, that will lead us, sicut oves, gently and loving­ly, like sheep, as he did the Israelites by the hands of Moses and Aaron. And

Psal. 99.1.2. Seeing Christ is King, then as the same Prophet saith, contremiscat populus, let the people tremble; for if they fall to be unruly, as we were of late, let them be never so impa­tient, this King can as easily gather unto himselfe the spirit of his under-Princes, as we can slip a cluster of Grapes from a Vine, and he can send them a Rehoboam without Wisedome, or a Jeroboam without Religion, or Ashur a Stranger, an Ʋsurper, as we have had, to be our King, or nullum Regem, no King at all, but a disordered Anarchy, which is the worst of all;Psal. 10.4. and all this, quia non timuerunt Jehovam, because they cared not for God, neither was God in all their thoughts.

But to end this Point, seeing Christ our King is this Lion here mentioned, we need not fear our spiritual enemies; for though he be a Lion, and a roaring Lion, that is against us; yet you see we have a Lion with us; and as Saint John saith, he that is in us is greater then he that is in the world, 1 John 4. and is stronger then the strong man armed, and able, as the Apostle saith,Rom. 16.20. Vide the a­bridgment of the Gospel, fol. 26. & 27. to tread and bruise Satan under our feet; and therefore we ought to stand fast in the Lord without fear, because as Saint Chrysostome well saith, non debet timere hostem fortem, qui habet Regem fortiorem, he need not fear the strongest ene­my that hath a stronger King: as our King is, blessed be God for it.

2. Saint Luke is understod by the Calf.2. as Saint Matthew is here understood by the Lion, (quia solet res quae significat ejus rei nomine quam significat nuncu­pari, as the bread, that signifieth the body of Christ, is termed the body of Christ) because he proveth Christ to be the King of the Jews, and that Lion of Juda, which was so long ex­pected to come into the world: so, for the like reason, Saint Luke is here to be understood by the Calf, because he princi­pally aimed to prove Christ, that is signified by the Calf, to be that Priest, of whom the Lord sware, thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck.

For I told you before, that of all the sacrifices of the four footed Beasts of the Herds, which the Hebrews called bakar, that is, majores hostias, the greater sacrifices, the Calf was most acceptable unto God, as the Prophet sheweth,Psal. 51.19. Heb. 9.19. Exod. 24 8. Esay. 11.6, 7. when they offered yong bullocks, id est, goodly Calfs upon his altar. And the reason is, because the Calf is meeker and more gentle then either of the rest; in regard of which meekness, the quiet and peaceable man is metaphorically called a Calf.

And therefore by the Calf is here signified the Priestly office of Christ, whereby he offered up himself as a meek and immaculate Calf unto God, that by the blood of this Calf, we might be sprinkled and purged from all our sins; because that without shedding of bloud there is no remission, Heb. 9.22. as the A­postle speaketh.

And of all the rest of the Evangelists, Saint Luke onely doth most specially aime to prove Christ to be a Priest, and to shew his Priestly office; for both the Alpha and Omega of his Go­spel is concerning the Temple and the sacrifices thereof, when as he beginneth the same with the Priesthood of Zacharias and his sacrifice of incense, and endeth the same with the sacrifice of the Christians that were continually in the Temple pray­sing and blessing God.Luc. 24.53,

For though that before the birth of this Priest, the other Priests were to burn incense in the Temple of the Lord, as Zacharias did; yet this Priest being now born, and ascended up to heaven, the sacrifice that the Christians are to offer un­to God, is to be continually praysing and landing God in the Temple, as Saint Luke saith the Apostles did. For the true propitiatory sacrifice being exhibited, the Types and Figures thereof must now cease and be abolished, and in the place thereof, the gratulatory sacrifice must be established. And therefore Saint Luke beginneth his Gospel with the propitia­tory sacrifice of Za [...]harias, because Christ was not as yet in­carnate:John 1. but he endeth the same with the gratulatory sacrifice of the Apostles, because that now the word was made flesh, and Christ had ascended into Heaven.

S. Luke prov­eth Christ to be a Priest by 3 special Argu­ments.And lest this should not be sufficient to demonstrate Christ to be a Priest, he proceedeth to prove him to be that Priest which was after the order of Melchisedech, by three other special Arguments.

• 1. A Prosapia, from his Pedegree.
• 2. From the true qualities and properties of a Priest.
• 3. From the performance of the duties and office of a Priest.

1 Argument from his Pede­gree.1. In that St. Luke deriveth his Genealogy by Nathan, S. Ambrose saith, it was to shew his Priestly office; and Vene­rable Bede saith, that because Saint Matthew intended to shew the Regal office of Christ, and St. Luke his Priestly office, therefore St. Matthew derives his person from King Solomon, Beda l. 1. in c. 3. Luc. and St. Luke from Nathan: and so, saith he, in the Chariot of the Cherubims, the Lion which is the strongest of all Beasts, designs his Kingly office; and the Calf, which was the sacrifice of the Priest, denotates his Priestly function: and saith he, Ean­dem uterque sui operis intentionem in genealogia quoque sal­vatoris texenda observavit, And both the Evangelists in like manner observed the same intention of their work in setting down the genealogy of our Saviour. And then immediatly he addeth two excellent Observations to confirm the same point. As,

1 Observation.1. That in the manner of setting down his genealogie S. Matthew descended from Abraham to Joseph, Beda ibid. to note his Kingly office, and to shew that he partaked with us of our mortality: but S. Luke by ascending from Joseph unto Adam, and so to God, doth rather design his Priestly office in expia­ting our sins, and so bringing us to immortality. And there­fore, in the descending generations of S. Matthew, the taking upon Christ our sins is signified; but in the ascending genea­logies of S. Luke, the abolition of our sins is noted unto us. For so the Apostle saith, God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh, there is the acception and the taking of our sins [Page 23] upon him; and for sin, or by the sacrifice for sin,Rom. 8.3. condemned sin in the flesh; there is the expiation of our sins. And,

2. To the same purpose he observeth,2 Observation. that S. Matthew in his genealogie descended from David by Solomon, with whose mother David sinned: but S. Luke ascended by Nathan un­to David, by a Prophet of which name God absolved him from his sin.

The second Argument, 2 Argument from the qua­lity of a Priest which should be 1. know­ledge. 2. up­rightness. Ps. 72.1. whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest, is from the quality of a Priest, what manner of man he should be; and that is, to be endued with knowledge and uprightness, or judgement and righteousness: for which cause the Prophet prayeth, Give the King thy judgement, O God, and thy righteousness unto the Kings son: For who is this King, and this Kings son, but this Priest, the Messias of the world? And so Moses prayeth in like manner, Let thy Ʋrim and thy Thummim be with thy holy One, Deut. 33.8. or as some read it, up­on the man of thy mercie: for who is this holy One, or this man of his mercy, but this our true high Priest, called the man of his mercy,

1. Because he is the man that is full of mercy.

2. Because that God out of his meer mercy did give this man unto us.

3. Because by this man onely and none else, we obtain mercy.

And according to these two mens prayer for those two things to be given unto the high Priest, God gave them most amp [...]y, without measure, unto the Messias, that is,Esay. 42.1. Jer. 23.5. our high Priest: For, I have put my Spirit upon him, saith the Lord, there is knowledge; and he shall bring forth judgement unto the Gentiles, there is uprightness.

And S. Luke sheweth, that Christ had Ʋrim and Thummim, 1. Christ his knowledge. Luke 11.49. knowledge and uprightness without measure. For,

In regard of the first, he plainly calleth him, the wisdome of God. And his wisdome appeared,

1. In his wise, unreprovable and unrepliable answers to [Page 24] Satan, that subtil Serpent; to the Herodians, that feigned themselves to be just men, and were sent to intrap him in his speech; and to the chiefest Doctours of the Jews, to whom he did so wisely answer,Luke 20.7. that they durst not ask him any thing at all: and if he asked them any question, they answered, They could not tell how to answer him.

2. In his heavenly teaching of his followers, so truly ex­pounding the Prophecyes of the Prophets, so profoundly speak­ing to them in parables, so plainly delivering the Law unto them, and so sweetly comforting all that came unto him, that the eyes of all were fastened upon him, Luke 4.20, 22. and they wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. And,

2 His upright­ness. Mark 7.37. 1 Pet. 2.22.In regard of the second, that is, his uprightness, S. Mark saith, that the people testified he did all things well. And S. Pe­ter saith, There was no guile found in his mouth. And S. Luke confirmeth the same throughout his whole Gospel.

3 Argument from the office of a Priest, threefold.The third Argument whereby S. Luke proveth Christ to be a Priest, is from the duty and office of a Priest, which is special­ly threefold:

• 1. To expound the Law.
• 2. To pray for the people.
• 3. To offer sacrifice for their sins.

1. The Prophet Malachy saith, The Priests lips should keep knowledge, Mal. 2.7. and the people should seek the law at his mouth. And S. Hierom saith, It is the duty of the Priest, to answer all that ask him concerning the Law; and therefore if he be the Priest of the Lord,Hieron. super Hagg. let him know the law of the Lord: or if he be ignorant of the law, he is no Priest of the Lord.

And therefore S. Luke sheweth, That Christ taught the people most diligently, expounded the Law most truly, and an­swered all questions that were asked of him, most readily. And,

Luke 22.32.2. He sheweth, That he prayed for S. Peter, that his faith should not fail: And S. John sheweth, how he prayed for all [Page 25] those whom his father gave him; and for all them also, which should believe on him through the word. And,John 17.11. & 20.

3. How, as a Priest, he offered sacrifice for the sins of the people (which he did both in the Garden and upon the Cross.) S. Luke sheweth it more amply then any of all the Evange­lists; for though S. Matthew and S. Mark do tell us that he was in heaviness, or exceeding sorrowful,Matth. 26.38. Mar: 14.35. Aristotle sect: 11. probl. 30. et Basil. in c. 17. Isaia. when he came to the garden: yet S. Luke expresseth the matter more fully and more lively then both of them: for he faith, that he fell into a sweating agony, that is, a perplexed fear of one that is entring into a greivous conflict, as both Aristotle and Saint Basil te­stifie. And such a perplexed fear is a most acceptable Sacri­fice in the sight of God, as the Prophet saith,Ps. 51.17. The Sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit, a broken and a contrite heart O God shalt thou not despise; and such a broken heart was the heart of this Priest at this time, for here is both [...] and [...], a combate and a Sacrifice, a troubled Spirit and a fresh bleed­ing Sacrifice,

1.1. He offered up his soul in prayer. Leo Serm. 7. de pass. The quality of Christ his prayer. Brevis oratio penetrat coelum. He offered up his soul while he was in the Garden in a fervent Prayer to God, and that Prayer, saith Pope Leo, was in omnibus perfecta, in all things perfect, and for all men. And it consisted like a faithfull Prayer plus gemitibus quam sermoni­bus, rather in sighs then in words; for it was saith Saint Au­gustine, very short, but very pithy, few words but full of fer­vency, and therein his intention was earnest, for he went a stones cast from his Disciples; his love was great, for he often ingeminated, Father, Father; his faith was stedfast, for he said my father; his affection was vehement, for he cryed, O my fa­ther; his humility was unfaigned, for he kneeled down, and with great reverence he fell groveling upon his face, as Saint Matth. witnesseth; his constancie was apparent, for he pray­ed three times; his obedience was unreprovable, for he said, Not my will but thy will be fulfilled; and his fervency was admi­rable, for every word drew drops of blood: and therefore this prayer was directed as an incense in the sight of his father, and the lifting up of his hands as an evening sacrifice. Ps. 14.2. And as the Apostle saith, he was heard in that which he feared; and he [Page 26] had all that he desired; for whereas S. Bernard demandeth, Quid oras domine, quid sudas, and quid sitis? for what dost thou pray O Lord, and why dost thou sweat? Saint Hilary answereth,Hilarius l. 10. de l [...]in [...]t. Pro nobis oratio, pro nobis sudor est, his prayer and his sweat, and his thirst and all, was for us, and he obtained all for us. And then,

2. As he thus offered up his soul in a fervent prayer for us; so,Esay 53.10. when it pleased the Lord to bruise him, as the Prophet saith, he offered up his bloud in a sweating fervour, and his body to be broken for our sins;2. He offered up his body to be broken, and his bloud to be shed for our sins. Levit. 17.11. Heb, 9.22. and as the Angel whose name was secret, kindled the fire upon the Altar, and at length the flame increasing, himself also ascended in the same: so here in this agony of Christ, our Saviour kindled the fire of his love, and then as a faithfull high Priest he offered up himself, as a sweet smelling sacrifice unto God. And seeing bloud must make an attonement for the soul, and as the Apostle saith, without shedding of bloud there is no remission; therefore this our Priest shed his own bloud, to procure the forgiveness of our sins: the bloud of his head when he was crowned with thornes, the bloud of his heart when he was pierced with a speare, the bloud of all parts when he was whipped, and the bloud of his whole body when he sweat the drops of bloud, not a watry dew, but nimbus sanguinis, a bloudy showre, when as totus sudore defluit, it passed through and through his gar­ment and trickled down to the ground, Ps. 130.7. as Saint Luke testifieth; that there might be, as the Psalm. saith, plenteous redemption. And as Eleazar the high Priest was to take the bloud of the heyfer with his finger, and sprinkle of her bloud directly be­fore the Tabernacle of the Congregation seven times; Num. 19.4. Levit. 8.11. so Christ our Priest shed his bloud seven times to purge away our sins.

1. In his Circumcision, 2. In the Garden, 3. When he was crowned with thornes, 4. When he was whipped, 5.That Christ shed his bloud seven times to cleanse us of our sins. When his hands were nailed, 6 When his feet were fast­ned to the Cross, 7. When his side was pierced with a speare. And then as the sin of man was maledictio terrae, the curse of the earth; so this bloud of Christ is medicina terra, the me­dicine [Page 27] of the world. And therefore the Apostle faith,Heb. 12.24. that the bloud of Christ speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel; for by the shedding of Abels bloud, Gods wrath was kindled, but by the shedding of Christs bloud, Gods wrath was appea­sed; the bloud of Abel gave life onely to himself, but the bloud of Christ gives life to all beleivers; the bloud of Abel cryed for vengeance against his brother, but the bloud of Christ cryeth for mercy unto his enemies, and the bloud of Abel cryed a while, and then ceased, and then it was no more availeable, but the bloud of Christ still cryeth and never ceaseth, and is available for us for ever.

And so you see how Saint Luke proveth Christ to be the Priest, which is to be the Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedeck, and therefore he is here understood by the calf, that was the chiefest sacrifice of the Priests.

3. By him that had the face of a man, 3. St. Mark is understood by him that had the face of a man. Mark. 6.3. John 10.33. the fathers do under­stand Saint Mark, because his principal aime was to shew that Christ was a true and perfect man, the son of a poor Carpenter, and in all things like unto us, sin onely excepted. And this truth was so manifest that his very enemies confest it, and would have stoned him because that he being a man made him­self a God: for their eyes saw that he had flesh and bloud like other men, and that he did hunger and thirst and was weary, and touched with all the blamelesse passions and affections of o­ther men, and therefore Saint Mark is very short in his Gospel, not above sixteen Chapters in all; because he need­ed not to use many Arguments, when as all that saw him did readily confess it.

4.4. Saint John understood by the flying Eagle. By the flying Eagle all the old Interpreters do under­stand Saint John, because that when Ebion and Cerinthus, two Jewish Proselites, denied the Deity of Christ, he purposely wrote his Gospel for that main end, to confute that damnable errour, as Eusebius and others testifie; and therefore in the very Frontispiece of his work, he mounteth up like an Eagle, and saith, in the beginning was the word, John 1.1. and the word was with God, and the word was God: and so throughout his whole Gospel you may easily perceive his chiefest aime is to prove [Page 28] that the son of Mary is the son of the eternal God, coeternal and coequal with his father, and especially because he proveth him,

1. To be the Creator of all things, c. 1.

2. To be [...], the knower and searcher of the secrets of our hearts, c. 2.25.

3. To be the worker of such miracles, as the raising up of L [...]zarus, and the like, which none could do but God

And it was requisite that the mediator betwixt God and man, should be God and man; Man, because man had sinned, and therefore meet that man should make satisfaction, and not Ziba make the fault, and Mephibosheth bear the punish­ment, which should be very unjust; and God, because our nature should, but could not bear the burthen which was the weight of Gods wrath for our sins. But God, as God, could, but ought not; and therefore, seeing the one ought but could not, and the other could but ought not, God and man must be joyned together in one person, that man might do what he ought to do, and suffer what he ought to suffer; and so goe thorough the work of our redemption.

And therefore, as Saint Mark had proved Christ to be a man: so Saint John proveth him to be the true and eternal God. And so you see that by these four Beasts we are pri­marily to understand the four Evangelists.

Secondly, all the good Ma­gistrates and Ministers are understood to be like these four beasts. 1. Like the Lion. Jos. 1.7.Secondly, As the four Evangelists are in the first place to be understood by these four Beasts, for the reasons before shewed; so likewise all Magistrates and all Ministers ought to be like these four Beast. As,

1. Like the Lion for courage, without fear, Confidens ut leo absque terrore; for so the Lord commanded Joshua to be strong and of a good courage, saying, Onely be thou strong and of a most valiant courage: and so Jethro tells Moses, That his Judges should be men of courage and undaunted, Quia timiditas Judicis est calamitas innocentis. So when the Jews told Pilat, if thou lettest this man go, Thou art none of Caesar's friend, he was afraid; and through that fear he condemned the Son of God. And so doth fear cause many o­thers [Page 29] to wrong the Innocents. And therefore to you that are the Judges, to settle the disturbed Estates of this King­dom, I say, that it cannot be, but that many, and many great men will frett and chafe, and be discontented at your doings, though you do never so justly: but it is your duty to do that which is just; and in doubtful cases, when evidences on both sides are in aequilibrio, to encline to that which tendeth to the service of God's Church, and the honour of the King's Ma­jesty:Sap. 1.1. and you ought always to remember what the Wiseman saith, Love righteousness yee that be Judges of the Earth; for righteousness exalteth a Nation. Proverb. And this righteousness you cannot preserve, unless you be like Lions, without fear, either of threatnings or of dangers.

And as the Magistrates, so the Ministers and Preachers of God's word should be like Lions, to do their duties with­out fear; for so the Lord saith unto Ezechiel, I send thee to a rebellious Nation, but thou son of man,Ezech. 2.6. be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, nor dismayed at their looks, Quia timiditas Predicantis est calamitas Audientis, Because the fear of the Preacher is the calamity of the Hear­er, when the fear of reproving mens sins hardeneth them in their sins, and encourageth them to sin more and more. And therefore I say, that we should remember what the Lord commandeth us, Cry aloud, and spare not, Esay 57.1. lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. And if the great men of the world threaten us to rob us of our lands, or deprive us of our li­berties, let us look what the Lord saith, I, Esay 51.12, 13. even I am he that comforteth you; and who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy?

And it is well that he saith, I, even I am he that comforteth you, seeing it is with us as it was with Ezechiel, Ezech. 2.3, 4. that Bryars and thorns are with us, and we dwell among scorpions, a rebelli­ous [Page 30] Nation, that are impudent and stiff-hearted; for I must humbly crave leave to tell you a story of truth and no fiction. When I came first to lie in the Bishops house in Kilkeny, I dreamed, that the Bishops Court was full of people, Citizens, Souldiers, and Gentlemen, with Drumms, Swords and Mus­kets, and being affrighted with the sight of them, before they had entred the house, or done any hurt, I presently awaked, and looking out at the window for them, I saw none: then for many dayes I often mused, what this meant, at last I sound that the Citizens of Kilkeny on the one side, the Soul­diers on the other side, and the Knights and Gentlemen round about, came about me like Bees, to rob God of his honour, and the Church of her right, by dividing her Revenues a­mongst themselves, as the Souldiers did the Garments of Christ. And I neither fear nor care what any man thinks of what I say, my duty telling me what I should say.

But though they threaten to be my ruine, and to cause me to spend what I intended to the repair of the flat-fallen Church, to preserve the Revenues of the Bishoprick, yet seeing the Lord saith, I, even I am he that comforteth thee, and that have delivered thee from so many dangers, and so many times from the hands of most mercyless Rebels, and bids me not to fear, I must not be dismayed; but as Elias told Ahab, and J. Baptist told Herod of their faults without fear: so I, and all others, that are God's Ministers, ought to be bold as Lions, to reprove the sins of the people, and especially those sins, that are most frequently committed, and are most prejudicial to the service of God, and most pernicious to their souls; least as Lucian saith, [...], by escaping the smoak of mans anger we shall fall into the fire of God's fury, when we fear men more then God. And there­fore, my dear brethren, I had rather you should blame me for my boldness, then that God should punish me for my fear­fulness; and I know, that as the Drunkard cannot endure to be told of his drunkeness, or the proud man of his pride, or the Rebel of his rebellion: so no more can these sacrilegious persons abide to hear of their sacriledge. And must we there­fore [Page 31] hold our peace, for fear of their sayings, jeeres, or threats? By no means.

2. As we should be bold as Lions without fear; so we should be diligent and painful in our places, like the Oxen, without laziness, to pray continually, and to preach constant­ly, and as the Apostle saith, in season and out of season; that is, not so frequently, as our late Fanatiques would have us, to preach Sermons full of words without substance: but as St. Augustine expounds it, Volentibus & nolentibus, For to the willing hearers it comes in season, and to the unwilling it comes out of season, whensoever it cometh.

And when we do this, then,2. That the Ma­gistrates and Minist. should be like the Ox, painful and di­ligent to doe their duties. as the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn should not be muzzled, so ought not we to be molested, nor detained and held with vexatious suits, to hinder us, to discharge our necessary duties: lest the punish­ment of our neglect should fall upon the heads of them that cause it. For we are sure, that our God is so just, that he will not punish any one for not doing that, which he is not suf­fered to doe; as, for not going into his Church, when the wayes are so stopt, that he cannot possibly pass it,

3. We should be, not like the horse and mule, 3. The Magi­strates should be like men, sober and rati­onal, and not voluptuous, like Beasts. that have no understanding, and whose mouths must be holden with bitt and bridle, lest they fall upon thee; but we should be endued with reason, like unto rational men, that, as Cicero saith, A­gere quicquam nunquam debent, cujus non possunt rationem pro­babilem reddere, ought never to do any thing, whereof they could not yield a very probable reason. And God knows, how many things we do, for which we can yield no reason at all. For what reason had we to wax weary of our peace and of our happiness, and to rebel against a most gracious King to destroy our selves? And what reason have we to expect God's blessing, and yet to continue sacrilegious to rob God of his dues? Or is there any reason, that any Common-wealth should keep Souldiers to protect them, and not regard them, nor countenance them, nor pay them their wages? Surely they are very necessary to preserve our peace, and they ought not to be slighted; and John Baptist saith, They should be [Page 32] content with their wages: but they should therefore have their wages: and how should they have their wages if the Superi­our officers defraud the inferiour Souldiers, or the close-handed people detain their taxes? I know not where the fault is, if there be any; but I know his Majesty and his Immediate Go­vernours, would have all things done with uprightness, and according to the Dictate of right reason.

But to leave these and the like unreasonable men, that do these and the like things without reason.

4. They should be endued with the properties of the Eagle.4. We should all be like the flying Eagle, and the chiefest properties of the Eagle are,

• 1. A sharp sight.
• 2. A lofty flight.

And both these are expressed in the Book of the Righteous, Job. 39.32. where the Lord demandeth of Job, Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth en the Rock, 1 The sharp sight of the Eagle. upon the crag of the Rock and the strong place, there is her lofty flight; then he proceedeth, and saith, From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off, there is her sharp sight: and of this sharpness of sight, Saint Augustine saith,How sharp our sight should be in spiritual things. that, being aloft in the clouds, she can dis­cern, Sub frutice leporem, & sub fluctibus piscem, Under the shrubs an hare, and under the waves a fish.

Even so should we that profess Religion, especially we that are the Ministers of God, should have Eagles eyes, to see the Majesty of God in a bramble-bush, Exod. 3.2. like Moses; to discern the presence of Christ with us in the fiery furnace, Dan. 3.25. like Abednego; to behold an Army of Angels ready to defend us in our straightest siege, 2 Reg. 6.17. like Elizaus; and to consider the assistance of God to help us when we are molested and compassed with the greatest heaps of afflictions, Rom. 8.18. like the holy Apostle St. Paul.

The worldly mans quick sight.But this the children of this Generation cannot doe; for though the understanding of the worldly man, which Nazi­anzen calleth, [...], the eyes and lamp of rea­son, be pi [...]rcing, sharp, and cunning enough to make a large [Page 33] shekel and a small Epha; Amos 8.5. Luke 12.56. and very well able to discern the alterations of the skyes, as our Saviour witnesseth; yea, and to enter, like Aristotle, into the secrets of nature, and the deepness of Satan, to finde out the plots and practices of his craftyest instruments: yet being but a meer natural man, he cannot perceive the things that be of God,1 Cor. 2.14. as the Apostle sheweth, neither can his understanding reach any further then [...], such things, as may be manifested by demonstra­tion, as St. Clement saith. For,

If you talk of Christ's conception in the wombe of a pure Virgin, without the help of a man, then the Heathen, His dimness and blindeness in spiritual things. like Sa­rah, laugheth at it; and the wise Philosopher, as being in darkness, stumbleth at it, and cannot conceive how this thing can be. If you talk of Christ's death, and say, that our God should dye, and by his death procure to us eternal life, then the Jews will storm at our folly, and the Grecians count it a meer madness, and a great reproach to our Religion. And if you talk of his glory and power, that being dead and buryed, he should raise himself again, and now reign as a King of Kings in Heaven, then the children of infidelity deem it [...], a feigned thing. The reason of the worldly mans blinde­ness. And the reason thereof is rendred by St. Au­gustine, that as the eye of man, if it be either blinde or pur­blinde, cannot thereby discern the clearest object; even so saith he, animus pollutus, aut mens turbata, a soul defiled with sin, or a minde disturbed with worldly cares, can nei­ther see God, that is present with him, nor understand the things of God, that belong unto him.

Yet the spiritual man, that hath the Eagles eyes, The spiritual mans quick sight. which Philo calleth fidem oculatam, faith enlightened by Gods spi­rit, can discern all the deep things of God, even the most ex­cellent mystery of godliness, which is, as the Apostle saith, God manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, 1 Tim. 3.16. preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. For in the unspeakable birth of Christ the Eagles eye doth behold a divine miracle, in his accursed death it seeth a glorious victory, and in his return from death it conceiveth an assured hope of everlasting life.

[Page 34] 2. The lofty flight of the Eagle.2. The next Property of the Eagle is her lofty flight, for the Poets feign, that the Eagle fled up to Heaven, and laid there her eggs in Jupiter's lap; and the Prophet Esay alludeth to her lofty flight, when he saith, that those which wait upon God shall renew their strength, Esay. 40. ult. and shall lift up their wings as the Eagles; Jerem. 49.16. but Jeremiah goeth on further and saith, that the Eagles do build their nests on high: and yet Ezechiel goeth be­yond them both, for he saith, that the great Eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had diverse colours, came unto Lebanon, Ezech. 17.3. and took the highest branch of the Cedar, where you see, she takes first the highest tree, and then the highest branch of that tree. I know it was a Vision that shewed the state of Jerusalem; but yet you may see thereby the lofty flight of the Eagle. So St. John flew as high as Heaven to be­gin his Gospel; and so we, considere debemus in coelis, ought to have our mindes set, not on the fooleries and vanities of this world,Ephes. 2.6. but on heavenly things and heavenly places, that,Esay 58.14. being mounted up, super altitudines terrae, above all the high places of the earth, as the Prophet speaketh, we may be­hold all the things of this world to be tanquam muscas, but as gnats and flyes; or like the spiders web, that though it be never so curiously woven, yet will it make no garment for us; and so all the titles of honour to be, but folia venti, the windy blasts of a fleshly pair of bellows, too weak an air to carry up a noble Eagle; How to deem of all worldly things. all the pleasures of this world to be, but lilia a­gri, like the lilies of the field, that are more delectable in shew then durable for continuance, and all the allectives under heaven to be but vanity of vanities, and altogether vanities. For thus by a contemplation and continual consideration of hea­venly things, it would appear unto us, quam abjecta sunt, que jam alta videntur, how base are all the things of this world, in our judgements rightly informed, which now seem so pre­cious in our imaginations, being corrupted.

What the spi­ritual men that are like the noble Eagle should doe.And therefore if we would be like the noble Eagles, mount­ing up to Heaven; then, as Moses builded his tent without the hoste, and far from the hoste: so should we build our habitation out of this world, and far above the world; and as Elias when [Page 35] he journeyed towards Heaven in his fiery Chariot, and was flying up in a whirlwinde, bestript himself of his mantle, and threw it down to the earth, lest the weight of it should presse him downward, and so hinder his ascent to Heaven: even so, if we desire to ascend to Heaven, we must bestrip our selves of all worldly impediments, that are as heavy as a talent of lead, and do not onely hinder us from ascending upwards, but do press many men down to the bottomless pit. And as the Prophet David, in all distresses, comforted himself with that pious meditation, saying. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and what is there on earth that I desire in comparison of thee? so do all those, that make their unum necessarium, their chief­est purpose and design to go to Christ to have an everlasting house and lands, satisfie themselves with the hope of obtain­ing their desire.

And this is the reason, that seeing God hath given them all that they have, they weigh not a straw if they be driven to spend all that they have, for the benefit and good of the Church of Christ, and to promote the service of God. And if the wise men of the world laugh at our folly, and say, we shall spend ten times more then we shall ever get. We may an­swer, that for our losses and expences they are but as feathers, and that shall never trouble us; but our hope is, that we shall attain unto our desire, which is, to mount up with the rest of God's Eagles unto the Kingdom of Heaven, and that will countervail all our losses. And so much for the peculiar and proper Description of these Beasts.

THE SECOND SERMON.

2. FOR their general and common description,2. Their gene­ral and com­mon descripti­on. it is said, they had each one of them six wings a­bout him, and they were all full of eyes. Touch­ing which you must observe.

1. Some things about their wings.

2. Some things about their eyes. And,

1. Of their wings. 1. About their wings. These two things are to be no­ted;

• 1. What are these six wings.
• 2. To what end they had these wings, or what use they made of them.

[Page 38] 1. What they are.1. Rupertus and others say, these six wings are the six works of mercy, visito, poto, cibo, redimo, tego, colligo fratres, that is, as our Saviour sets them down, to give meat unto the h [...]ngry, Matth. 25.35. drink unto the thirsty, lodging to the stranger, cloathe to the naked, and to visit the sick, and those that are in prison: others understand hereby the six spiritual works of piety and mercy, which are to correct the offendor, to instruct and consell the ignorant, to comfort the afflicted, to bear patiently all injuries, to forgive all trespasses, and to pray for our enemies and persecutors: but Balaeus and Lambert say, that these six wings are faith, h [...]pe, charity, justice, mercy and truth; and I think they come nearest unto the truth, for by those six we shall be able to shun and flie away from all the mischeifs of the world; and these six wings are able to mount us up unto our father in Heaven. And they that have not these six wings are rightly said to be like the Ostrich, which often spreads her wings but seldome flieth.

But they that have these six wings are most happy, and need not fear the greatest dangers, nor the malice of their greatest enemies. For,

1. Faith is radix omnium virtutum, the root of all virtues; and you know what mightie things Saint Paul setteth down, to have been done through faith.

2. Spes alit afflictos, hope preserveth the afflicted, and maketh not ashamed, saith the Apostle.

3. Charity covereth a multitude of sins; and of all the three divine graces, [...], the greatest of them all is charity

4. Justice is such a cardinal virtue that Theognis a Heathen saith, [...], justice compre­hends all virtues.

5. Our Saviour saith, blessed are the mercifull, for that they are sure to obtain mercy. And,

6. Truth as Zorob. proveth, is so great, that it will pre­vaile against all oppositions, for though that by the tricks and delayes of sutle heads, it may be clouded for a time, yet at last it will bud forth and appear.

But I fear the Lord hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of this Land, because as the Prophet saith, there is no truth, nor mercy, I may add, nor justice, nor knowledge of God in the Land; or if these be, then I am sure you will not build up Zion with bloud, and Jerusalem with iniquity, because the Lord loves neither House nor Lands that are unjustly obtain­ed. I cannot stand to examine it, or to handle the particulars that might be said concerning these six points; for that might require six houres to do it at least: but I will proceed and say,

2. If you would know to what end they had these wings,2. What use they made of their wings. or what use they made of them, the Prophet Esay tells you in the practice of the Seraphims, that it was for these three speci­al ends: That is,

• 1. To cover their faces.
• 2. To cover their feet.
• 3. To flie about.

For he saith, that with two of their wings they cover'd their faces, and with two they covered their feet, Esay. 6.2. and with two they did flie.

And this they did for these three ends: That is,

• 1. To check our curiosity.
• 2. To shew our misery.
• 3. To teach us industry.

1. It is the nature, and the foolish disposition of man to be alwayes prying and searching into every thing, the secrets of God, the mysteries of state, and the obscurities of nature. And yet the Seraphims that stand in the presence of God are fain to cover their faces, not to hide their sins which they had not, but because they are not able to behold the brightness of Gods glorious Majesty; and if the Angels hid their faces from the brightness of Gods Glory, how dares sinfull man prie into it? because, as the Apostle saith, he dwels in the light [Page 40] light that no man can attain unto it, 1 Tim. 6.16. Exod. 34.20. and the Lord saith him­self, that no man could see his face and live; for though we walk in the chearfull light of the Sun, yet we are not able fully and directly to look upon the Sun when he shineth in his full strength and brightness, but it will dazle our eyes, and make them to see a thousand colours. And as a pure chrystal glass cannot indure the strong working of the fire, but it will break all to pieces; even so the weakness of mans mortal nature, though it liveth by the enjoying of Gods pre­sence, yet it cannot bear, nor comprehend the glory and brightness of Gods Majesty; but that, in looking upon so clear an object, the eyes of his understanding shall be dazled, and he shall fall and be swallowed up into a thousand errours. For seeing, as the Apostle speaketh, our knowledge of God in this life is but in part, 1 Cor. 13.12. like the beholding of a man suddenly passing by us, when we can look upon nothing but onely his back parts, it is impossible for any man in this mortality to know perfectly and exactly the being and wayes of the most highest.

And therefore this checketh the curiosity, and reproveth the boldness of those men that like Phaeton will flie and mount up too high to search into the Heavenly mysteries: for as the wise man saith, who can number the sand of the sea, the drops of rain, Ecclas. 1.2. and the dayes of time? who can measure the height of Hea­ven, the breadth of the Earth, and the depth of the Sea? Who can find out the wisdome of God which hath been before all things? For if we consider either the nature and essence of God, or if we look into the counsels and works of God, we shall easi­ly perceive that they are all incomprehensible. Danaeus. Isag. Et si quid facit Deus naturae nobis assuetae repugnans, nihil tamen facit rationi repugnans, And if God doth any thing that seemeth repugnant to our accustomed nature; yet we may be sure he doth nothing that is repugnant to reason. And though all that God doth be exceeding good, yet we cannot always perceive many of them to be good; and yet this makes them not to be unjust, Gregor. in Job. c. 9. because we understand them not to be just: for as St. Gregory saith, Qui in factis Dei rationem non videt, He that [Page 41] seeth not the reason of Gods doings, let him consider his own infirmity and blindness, & rationem videat cur non videt, and he shall soon see the reason, why he seeth it not: and if we seek to know more then we are able to understand, we shall understand less then we do: And therefore Solomon gives good counsell to these Gnosticks, saying,Eccles. 7.18 be not thou just overmuch, neither make thy self over-wise. For the mystery of the Lords commanding Adam, that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge, was very great, because the knowledge that he should get thereby, would not onely cause his present fall, That we ought not to be too curious to search into di­vine mysteries. Gen. 3.5. V. 7. but also make both him and all his sons for evermore to fall.

And therefore the subtle Serpent that aymed at the readiest way to destroy them, promised unto Eva (and he kept his promise) that if they would eat of the tree of knowledge, their eyes should be opened and they should be as Gods, knowing good and evil, and so it was; for the text saith, that their eyes were opened, and they had the knowledge both of good and evil, the good that they had lost, and the evil that they had fallen into; for they knew that they were naked.

And so this knowledge did but direct them a way to run a­way from God, and teach them the art to sowe fig-leaves to­gether, to cover their shame, and to hide their wickedness and themselves from the sight of God, which they could never do: And therefore happy Adam hadst thou been if thou never hadst had this knowledge, for this knowledge made thee to full; and so the Prophet Esay saith of Babylon, Esay 47.10. thy wisdom and thy knowledge have caused thee to rebel, or to turn away; and so Ovid saith of himself. ‘Ingenio perii qui miser ipse meo.’

My wit and my knowledge hath undone me. And I fear that many other men will cry out, that their too greedy a de­sire inconcessae scientiae, of unlawful knowledge, and prying too far into hidden mysteries hath hurried them into most desperate conclusions; for though it be very true, that no other creature upon earth hath reason and understanding but onely man: yet [Page 42] it is as true, that no other creature goeth so far from reason as man alone. And therefore I do not say, happy are the beasts that want reason; but I say unhappy is that man, qui cum ra­tione insanit, that runneth mad with the reason that God hath given him, and by aspiring to get unlawful knowledge, doth fall into unavoidable mischief.

And therefore the Devil could wish that all his servants were as knowing as Berengarius, and as subtle as Dun [...] Scotus; because he hath more excellent execrable service from one of them, then he can have from a thousand others: for it is a true saying, That inferiour conceits have inferiour sins, & non nisi ex magnis ingeniis magni errores, and the great er­rors never came but from great wits, such as Arius, Pelagius, and the rest of the great Hereticks had. And as it was the Giants and Lucifer that highly rebelled and warred against God, and as it was the Princes and the Kings of the earth, that stood up and took counsel against the Lord and against his Anoin­ted; So it is the great Lords that were the great rebels, and the mean men that were infirmiores in exercitu, are but as the tayle of the Dragon which the great men drew after them. And so it is the curious wits, the pryers and searchers after un­searchable knowledge and secret mysteries, that hatch the cockatrice eggs, and produce the most desperate errours.

And therefore, seeing the ambitious desires of attaining more knowledge then beseemeth us, and the knowledge of those secret things,Deut, 29, 29. that as Moses saith belong unto the Lord our God, are the Devil's splendida peccata, his glistering sins, & generosa scelera, his noble projects, his jewels, and most honourable stratagems which have caused many men not one­ly to fall away,The Seminary Priests and Presbyterians, the most dan­gerous people in the Church of God. but also to run away from God, we ought to take the counsel of Saint Augustin, Magis metuere cum in intellectu habitat diabolus quaem cum in affectionibus, to fear more when the Devil dwelleth in the understanding then when he corrupteth our affections, when as a Pestilent Heretique, or a Seminary Priest, or a Fanatique Non-conformist, doth more mischief then either a dissolute drunkard, or a covetous mer­chant. And when we can not comprehend the Majesty of [Page 43] God, we should say with our selves, it is no marvel; be­cause he dwels in the Light, that none can attain unto it: so when we can not understand his ways, nor dive into the depth of his counsels, and his decrees of election and reprobation and the like, we should say with the Prophet David, Ps. 77.19. thy way is in the sea, thy patches in the great waters, and thy foot steps are not known. And so when we can not see the reason of his judg­ments, why this man prospereth, and that man is punished, and as Homer saith

Why he giveth this thing, and denyeth that thing, why he raiseth this man, throweth down that man, we should cry out with the Apostle, O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his way [...] past finding out?

And therefore, least (as they say) Pliny burnt himself in Mount Aetna by searching too far into the cause of its con­tinual burning, and Aristotle drowned himself in the sea of Oseria, by diving too deep into the causes of its extraordinary flowing; So our eyes should be dazled wi h the brightness of Gods presence, and our selves swallowed up in his bottom­less counsels, we should not presume to look too fully upon so glorious a Majesty, we should not dive too far into the depth of those bottomless mysteries: but, as these heavenly beasts, and the holy Cherubims did cover their faces with two of their wings, So should we; because we are no ways able to dive into the depth of them.

But as the Poet can say to every boy ‘Mitte arcana Dei caelumque inquirere quid sit; That the se­crets of State ought not to be pried into by the vulgar people.’ So you must know, that besides arcana Dei, there are also mysteria imperii, secrets of State, which we must not search into but with these beasts cover our faces with two of our [Page 44] wings; for if there were no government both in the Church and Common-wealth, but Anarchy, and as the Poet saith

We were in a worse condition then the bruit beasts. For they are governed by the law of strength, when the weakest must yield and obey the stronger, as all the beasts unto the Lion, the fowles unto the Eagle, and the fishes unto the Whale: But God ordered that men, indeed with reason should be guided and governed by Lawes, not onely those that he delivered himself, but also those that are made by the wisest of men, as Moses, Solon, Lycurgus, and the like, Kings and Princes; and their under-Magistrates to rule and to govern the people according to their Lawes: and this government is a matter of great weight and moment. And therefore the Prophet saith, that Christ his government is upon his shoulders, Esay 9.6. not in his hand, or at the armes end, but upon his shoulders, which are the bearing members of all heavy things: and government re­quires not onely strength and strong shoulders to bear it, but also wisdome, and a good head, to guide it; because it is ars artium gubernare populum, it is one of the hardest things in the World, and the chiefest of all arts, to govern the people, especially when turba begins to be turbata multitudo, that is, wayward and froward. And therefore the Prophet David compareth the government of the unruly people, to the ap­peasing of the raging seas, saying unto God, Thou stillest the rage of the sea, Hovv hard a thing it is to gove n the un­ruly people. and the noyse of his waves, and the madness of the people.

And this madness of the people requires grave Judges, and wise Lawyers, that can truly interpret the Lawes, and judg all differences according to Law, which otherwise would be made like a nose of wax, to be turned which way you will.

And least their madness should stop the current both of the Law and Religion too, and so destroy both the learned Law­yers that preserve our right, and without whom we were not able to live in the Common-wealth; and the Preachers of the [Page 45] Gospel that maintain Religion, without with we were most miserable (as of late years they intended to do) The Kings and Princes that are the governours of the people, must main­tain soldiers and Captaines to suppress their madness, and to [...]eserve peace and religion both in the Church and Common-wealth. And therefore the soldiers as I shewed not long since, are not to be slighted, but to be cherished and satisfyed for their wages, that, as John Baptist saith, they may be con­tented therewith, and not forced through want to oppress the people.

And seeing all these things and abundance more of like sort, that are requisite for the government of the people, can not be done without a great deale of counsel, and wisedome, and pollicy, and strength, and power, and the like; it is not for the common vulgars to steale fire out of Heaven, to search out the reasons, and to prie into the causes and all the actions of their Superiours: but as the maxime of all wise men is, cura­bit praelia Conon, let the secrets of the Prince be to the Prince; and as the Medes said to Deioces, wh [...]n they chose him to be their King, do thou what thou wilt about the government of us; both in war and peace, and we will obey thy commands and follow our husbandry, our trades, and our occasions;Josh. 1.16. and as the Jewes likewise said to Joshua, All that thou commandest as we will do, and wh [...]ther soever thou sendest us we will go, and wh [...]soever he be that d [...]th rebel against thy commandment in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: so should we and all other people, study to be quiet, as the Apostle speaketh, and to follow their vocation, and to learn obedience, which is better then sacrifice, and never to be so curious and censorious, as to prie into the secrets, and to condemn the actions of their Governours, but rather with the Cherubims, and these Beasts to cover their faces with two of their wings.

And as they ought to do this about the secrets of State, The Church affairs ought to be le [...]t to the disposal of Aaron and the Priests. so they should do the like about the Church affairs, which they should leave to Aaron and the Priests to dispose of; and not with the men of Beth-shemesh to prie into the Arke [Page 46] of the Lord: 1 Sam. 6.19. lest they suffer as they did, when the Lord smote fifty thousand, threescore and ten men for their curiosity in prying into the secrets of the Church. For what have Lay-men to do with the ordering of holy things, that the Lord God hath committed unto the Priests? Ne Sutor ultra crepidam. said Apelles

And will they order things in the Church of God, that have so much disorder in their own house, and can not tell how to mend it: therefore they ought rather to hide their faces with two of their wings, then to prie into the Government of the Church.

For as I told you even now, that the Government of the Common-wealth was a matter of great moment, and to be borne upon the shoulders, which are the best able to bear it: so the Arke of God, wherein all the Government of the Church was included,1 Chron. 15.15. was to he carried upon the shoulders of the Levites, 1 Chron. 15.15. To shew that this Government of the Church is no wayes of less moment, 1 Chron. 13, 10. then the Govern­ment of the civil State.

Therefore when this Arke was put, not upon the shoulders of the Priests, Numbers 4.15. according to the first institution, but to be car­ried upon a new cart, the Lord made a breach upon his peo­ple, and smote Ʋzza that he died; and so they may well fear the anger of the Lord will be kindled against those that take this Arke of God from the shoulders of the Priest [...], and put it, as it was of late, into the hands of those that had nothing to do with it.

Secondly, As the Cherubims and these Beasts did cover their faces with two of their wings,2. Why they covered their feet. to check our curiosity, be­cause we are not able, and therefore ought not to prie into secret mysteries: so they covered their feet with two of their wings, to shew our misery, because we have defiled our selves and fouled our feet by our walking in the wicked wayes and the dirty pathes of sin and iniquity. And so we are no [Page 47] wayes able to stand and to justifie our selves in the sight of God: for we are all become abominable, and there is none that doth good, no not one, But in all men there is corruption, in the best men there is defection, What the best of all our acti­ons are. and in the Angels unfaithful­ness hath been found.

And therefore God hath shut up all in unbelief, that every mouth should be stopped, and all the world culpable before God; for if you looke into the best of all our actions, and the choicest wayes that we walk in, you shall find that the righteousness which we have by nature, is but justitia Gen­tilium, splendida peccata, as Saint Augustine calls them: or the wisedome of the flesh, not sanctified by faith, as Saint Paul calls it. The righteousness that we have by the Law is but justitia Pharisaeorum, which as Saint Chrysostome saith, was in osten­tatione non in rectitudine intentionis, in locutione non in opere, in corporis afflictione non in mandatorum observatione, and so it was but sceria obducta, sin guilded and unprofitable, because never perfectly performed, no not by the strictest Pharisee. And the righteousness which we have by grace, is but justicia viatorum, inchoated and imperfect, and at the best but as menstruous cloaths full of staines; but Jehova justitia nostra, the Lord is that righteousness which must save us.

And therefore we should never exalt our selves with high conceits of our own worth, like the proud Pharisee; but ra­ther fall down upon our knees with the humble Publican, and say, Lord be merciful unto me a sinner: and to cry out with the Prodigal Child, we have sinned against Heaven and a­gainst thee, and we are no more worthy to be called thy Sons. For if God should enter into judgement, and be extream to mark what we do amiss, O Lord, who could abide it? For no flesh living could be justified. That we ought not to hide and co­ver our sins. And therefore we should not stand to justifie our selves and our wayes before God, but rather with these Beasts and those holy Cherubims to cover our feet with two of their wings.

But by this cov [...]ring of our feet, we must not understand the hiding and covering of our sins, as most of us use to do; for Solomon tells you plainly that he which hideth his sins shall [Page 48] not prosper, Prov. 28.13. but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy; and Saint John saith if we say we have no sin we de­ceive our selves and the truth is not in us: 1 Iohn 1.8. but if we confesse our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to clense us from all unrighteousness.

And therefore though we ought to cover our feet, that is, not to justifie our wayes before God: yet we must not cover our sins, but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent and obedient heart, if ever we look to obtain forgiveness of the same.

3. Why they did flie.3. As they covered their feet with two of their wings, so with the other two wings they did flie; and that was to shew the readiness of their obedience to do the service of God, and to teach all others to be industrious and diligent to do their du­ties: for here you see the Cherubims, and these holy Evan­gelists do not onely go or run, but flie very swiftly to do the work of God, and to execute his will; and therefore the Prophet saith,How ready and diligent we should be to do the works of God. he rode upon Cherub and did flie, he came flying upon the wings of the winde, that is, his Messengers, that he sent to perform his commands, were as ready and as swift as the winde. He needed no more but say to this man go and he goeth, and to another come and he cometh, and saith, in me mo­ra non erit ulla, Lucan. Phars. lib. 1. as Curio said unto Caesar.

So we should all be swift to hear, and diligent to do our duties; not lazily to go about them, like the Snaile, of whom the Poets fain, that when Jupiter invited his Creatures un­to his Feast, the Snail came last of all, which admonisheth us, saith Alciat.

To come slowly to revellings and pleasures, but to the Lords Table, and to other holy exercises we should not be like the Snail, or the sluggard that crieth, yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, but we should go nimbly like those that have wings to flie to do their business, because as Saint Chrysostome saith, sicut in unoquoque mater [Page 49] est diligentia, ita universae doctrinae & disciplinae noverca est negligentia: diligence is the mother of every good act, and sloth or negligence is the step-mother or fetters that entangle and choak all learning and discipline.

And as we ought to use diligence in all that we take in hand;Sloth and neg­ligence the hinderance of all good things. Cantic. 8.14. so we ought more specially to use it in the service of God, and to go to our Saviour Christ, that bids his Church and every member of his Church to make hast, or to flie away, as the original word imports, and to be like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountaines of spices, where she runneth and skippeth for very haste to get away: so Abraham made haste to make provision for the Angels that came unto him; and so David saith, O God, th [...]u art my God, early will I seek thee: and so the women that sought Christ came early, while it was yet dark, unto the Sepulchre.

And so all worldlings are diligent enough, and have wings like Pegasus to flie about the affairs of this world, ‘— Currit mercator ad Indos:’ The Merchant runs to get Commodities unto the Indians and the Oppressours are most greedy to rob both God and man, and the malicious man hath his feet swift to shed bloud, and the Fanatick schismatick flieth about, and compasseth Sea and Land to make a Proselyte; and yet we that professe to journey towards Heaven, do walk as it were upon leaden feet.

For you may see the Citizens of this World, how diligent they are and spare no cost to repair and beautifie their own houses in the fairest manner; and how slow they are, and how backward to do any thing to set up the houses of God upon their feet. But are like the Dog in the manger, that will neither eate hay himself, nor suffer the Oxe to eate it; so they will neither raise the Church themselves,1 Chron. 29.1, 2, 3. nor suffer those that would, to injoy the Revenues of the Church to raise the same.

But you know how heavily the Lord complaineth of those that dwell in sieled houses themselves,Hag. 1.4. and suffer the house of [Page 50] God to lie waste; and that use their wings to flie about their own worldly affairs, and have scarce any feet to walk in Gods wayes.

How diligent the vvorldlings are about their ovvn affairs.And therefore our Saviour tels us, that the children of this World are wiser in their generation then the children of light; because they omit no opportunity to gain their wicked ends; and we neglect all the furtherances that may help us forward to the Kingdome of Heaven.

For so you see how Judas watched and walked unto the High Priests, and from the High Priests to the Garden, and from the Garden to the High Priests again, and from the High-Priests to the gallowes, and most of this while Saint Pe­ter and the rest of the Disciples slumbered and slept.

But the reason why we are so slow in our flight towards heaven, is, because our wings that should carry us, are bird­lim'd and entangled with abundance of cares about worldly wealth, or drowned in the vain delights of sinful pleasures, or pressed down with the weight of those vanities, whereof the least is heavy enough to sink a ship; that being burdened with such hinderances, and hindered with such burdens, we cannot serve God with that readiness as we ought to do. For is it not strange to consider, how many mens hearts are filled with the cares of this World, and their heads loaded with a world of vanities? and how should they fly about Gods service, that are thus fettered with such obstacles?

What hinder­eth our readi­ness to serve God, and our diligence in his service.And therefore, as we see the birds that flie, will carry no more weight upon their backs, but what necessity doth re­quire: And as the runners of a race, will ease themselves of all heavy burdens; so we being to flie up to Heaven, and to run our race towards the spiritual Canaan, should cast away both deliciarum putredinem & curarum magnitudinem, our worldly cares and our sinful delights, and all other things that may hinder us to run readily to do the Lords service, and to flie with the Cherubims and these Beasts, about the Lords affairs.

Which if we do, we shall be crowned not with a garland of flowers, as the Romans used, but with a crown of eternal [Page 51] glory, as the Apostle speaketh. And if this cannot allure us to be ready and diligent in Gods service, but still to load our selves with the garbages of the earth; then I must turn from the Apostles promise to the Prophets threatning, and say,Jerem. 48.10. Cur­sed shall all those be that do the work of the Lord negligently: cursed in this life, and cursed in the life to come, cursed for a time, and cursed for ever.

And therefore if we desire to avoid this curse, let us with these beasts use two of our wings to flie about the service of God with all readiness, and rather strive to be the first in the Church of God then the last; for so we shall gain the bless­ing for ever. And so much for the wings of these beasts, and the use that they made of them.

2.2 The next part of their description is, that they vvere full of eyes. You must observe about the next part of their generall description (which is common to each one of them) that they are said,

• First, To be full of eyes. And
• Secondly, More particularly, that they were full of eyes.

• 1. Within. v. 8.
• 2. Before. v. 6.
• 3. Behind. v. 6.

For so it is in the 6. v. that they were full of eyes before and be­hind, and here in this verse, that they were full of eyes within.

First then you see, that they were full of eyes, which sheweth their illumination, that they could see like Argos every way; and our Saviour saith, that the light of the body is the eye; and those beasts being full of eyes, Matth. 6, 22 c. 5.14. they are rightly said to be the light of the World.

And here I might Philosophically dilate unto you the nature, quality, and excellency of this little part of the body, which is, the eye, and the inestimable benefit of our sight, which is the chiefest of all the five sences, but to explain all these, my time will not permit me.

And therefore I will onely say, that as these beasts were full of eyes, to see all things and to enlighten all others: so should all Christians be like unto them, full of eyes; and especially,

• 1 All Magistrates.
• 2 All Ministers.

1 That all the Magistrates and Ministers of justice should be full of eyes.All the Magistrates and all the Judges of the earth should be full of eyes; because they are not onely to look unto them­selves, and to see to their own ways, but they are also to guide and to lead many others. And if they be blind, & yet un­dertake to lead the blind, the blind Magistrates to lead the blind people, they both shall fall into the ditch, as of late a­mongst us both have done; because both wanted their eyes, and so both were blind, and he is blind, saith Saint Chrysostom, that hath not both his eyes in his head.

And these two eyes in a Magistrate and a Judge are,

• What are the two eyes of the Magistrate.
  1. The eye of Knowledge and understanding of the Law, and of all cases and causes that shall come before them.
• 2. The eye of doing justice and executing judgement according to the truth and merit of every cause.

And for the first point,1 The eye of knowledg and understanding the truth of the cause that is brought before them in every circumstance thereof. the understanding of all things aright, one eye will scarce serve the turn; but they must be like these beasts full of eyes: one eye to look to the Complainants charge, another to mark the Defendants answer, and another to ob­serve the quircks and subtleties of the Pleaders: and all this they must behold and see, not without a great deal of pati­ence, and a great deal of circumspection; for as Seneca saith. Qui parte judicat inaudita altera, aequum licet statuerit, ipse haud aequas est.

And therefore though the crie of Sodom and Gomorrha was [Page 53] great, and their sin very grievous; yet the Lord would not destroy them, but he saith, I will go down now and see whether they have done according to the cry of it: and if not, I will know. Gen. 18.21. So there is another cry amongst us, that the power and pri­viledge of Parliament doth many ways wrong men, and against many poor men stop the current of justice. It were well to do as God did, to see whether it be altogether according to the cry of it; for you may be sure, that priviledge is accursed, and woe be to that power that maintains wrong, and stops justice: and it will be a great deal more for your honour to lay aside that power, and to suppress such a priviledge then to support it. And I think few but such as never were in power afore would use it.

So when the report came, that the men of any City became Idolatrous and the seducers of the people to idolatry, as now our Anabaptists and Quakers withdraw their neighbours to their faction and rebellion, the Lord saith,Deut. 13.14. then shalt thou en­quire, and make search, ask diligently and behold if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought: Then for the second point, If thou findest it true, V. 15, that thou seest they have done it, thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that City with the edge of the sword, and destroy it utterly. For,2 The eye of doing justice, that offences should not be suffered to go unpunished. Aug. Epist. 182. ad Boni­fac.

2 when with these eyes they do see the offence, they should not let the offender escape, quia impunitas delicti inuitat homines ad malignandum, because the leaving of sin unpunished is the chiefest encouragement to invite other men to sin; for by favouring one, you hearten many: and as Saint Augustine saith, Illicita non prohibere consensus erroris est, not to restrain sin when you see it, is to maintain sin in them that do it; and he that suffereth it, which should hinder it, is as culpable as he that commits it. And Solomon saith, He that justifieth the wicked, or saith unto him, thou art righteous, and so let him go unpunished, and quasheth all that shall be proved against him, him shall the people curse, and Nations shall abhor him; and such a Judge deserveth very well to be accursed.Prov. 24.24.

And it is most certain, that the suffering of oppressors, in­truders, and the like malefactors to pass away unpunished, [Page 54] will bring the curse of God upon any Nation, and especially upon them that should hinder it and will not do it. For, nil doctores nisi ductores, the Ministers of mercy can do no good though we preach never so well, except the Ministers of Justice will maintain that good, because we can but forbid the cor­ruption of the heart, and they must prohibit the wickedness of the hand; when as we onely have the words of exhortation, and they onely have the sword of correction.

And therefore seeing the eye of Justice should not wink, and connive with the transgressors, the false-hearted subjects and traytors, the oppressours and plunderers of their brethren, be they of what Nation you will, Jew or Gentile, and of what condition you will, high or low, which might think it favour enough to have their wickedness pardoned, though they be not honoured and magnified, when the same deserves rather to be severely punished, then any wages to be connived at; but I will pass from this point, that is too hot to be held long in my hand. And yet I must tell you that this should no ways countenance the condemning of any man that is innocent; for the Scripture is very plain, that justum & innocentem non con­demnabis, neither is it any justice to punish Mephibosheth for Ziba's fault, but as every horse should bear his own burthen, so should every man suffer for his own faults: so let the re­bels that were murderers and traytours suffer and spare them not, but let the innocent go free.

2. I say, that as the Magistrates and Judges should be like these Beasts, full of eyes; so should the Ministers and Preachers of Gods word be likewise full of eyes: For other­wise it were to no purpose either for the Judge and the Magi­strate, or for the Preacher and Minister to be like Lions, full of courage, unless they were also full of eyes, and their eyes should be sharp and quick-sighted like the Eagles eyes: for the blind Lion may soon fall into the snare or ditch, and then his strength and courage will availe him nothing. And there­fore as well the Minister as the Magistrate should be like un­to these Beasts, full of eyes, and especially to have two eyes at the least.

• [Page 55]1. The one of famous learning and knowledg. And,
• 2. The other of a blameless life and conversation.
  2. That the Ministers and Preachers should be full of eyes.

And if the Minister wanteth either of these, he is but monocu­lus, an one-ey'd Priest, not fit by the Law of God to serve at Gods Altar, that would have his Priests without blemish.

1. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge; 1. The eye of Learning. The eye often signifies the understand­ing. and the eye by the idiome and customary phrase of the Hebrewes is often put for the whole minde and understanding of a man, quia oculi sunt pracipui mentis indices, because the eye is the most principal index and declarer of the minde; so impudicus oco­lus impudici cordis est nuntius, an unchast eye is the witness of an unchast heart, saith St. Hierom, and a pitifull eye is the te­stimony of a good mercifull man.

Therefore the eye put for the minde and signifying the un­derstanding, the Ministers that ought to be full of eyes, ought to be full of knowledge and understanding; for if they want knowledge, how shall the people get the knowledge of Gods Lawes from them that know nothing themselves? The people must needs perish, and they shall be liable for their destructi­on; for when they perish through the Preachers fault, I will require their bloud at the Preachers hand, saith the Lord.Ezech. 3.20. And therefore those Ministers that have taken upon them the charge of souls, and do either want the eye of learning and the light of understanding, or else keep it in themselves like the fire that is in the flint stone, and warmes no man, or the candle that is put under a bushel, and lights no part of the house, are in a fearfull case, because that as our Saviour saith,Matth. 5.13. when the salt hath lost his savour, it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot; The desperate condition of ignorant and negligent Mi­nisters. so when the crier hath lost his voice by being choaked with junkates, and the watch­man hath lost his eyes by too much sweating after worldly wealth, and the Minister cannot preach either through igno­rance or negligence, they are thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and thrown into the bottomless pit. But,

2.2. The eye of a blameless life. As the Ministers of Christ should have the quick sight­ed [Page 56] eye of learning and knowledge, so they should have the clear eye of a blameless life and conversation; otherwise as Pene­lope to delude her woers, is said to untwist in the night what she spun in the day: so by the darkness of their evil life, they pull down all that they built by the light of their preach­ing.

The Lord saith, that the Priest shall not go up by steps unto his Altar, Exod. 20.26. that his nakedness be not discovered thereon: and Saint Bernard saith, there are four things necessary for every Priest ne quid nuditatis appareat, that his nakedness may not appear. And they are,

1. Capiti velamentum, a vaile for his head; and that is pru­dent discretion which covereth all his folly and imbecillity,Four things necessary for every Priest. and is not onely a virtue but the guider and moderatrix of all vertues.

2. Corpori vestimentum, a garment for the body; and that is fervent devotion, because it is the office and duty of the Mini­ster to pray for all;

• 1. For the good men, that they may continue good and not fall.
• 2. For the evil men, that they may rise from their fall. And prayer without devotion, is like the body without a soul.

3. Manibus munimentum, a covering for the hands, and that is good works; because that as our works are strengthned through our prayers,Hieron. in La­ment. c. 3. so our prayers are available through our works, saith Saint Jerome.

4. Pedibus fulcimentum, propps and shoes or sandals for the feet; and that is a pure and an upright life and conversation, because bad Ministers do not dispensare but dissipare bona Do­mini, and rather dishonour then honour their Lord and Master Christ: And therefore the Heathen Priests at their sacrifi­cal solemnities, were wont to say,

And as the Magistrates and Ministers should be full of eyes, That all good Christians should be full of eyes. so all Christians in like manner should be full of eyes, to look unto themselves and to their wayes; for though, as the A­postle speaketh, they were once darkness, while God winked at the time of their ignorance: yet now they are light in the Lord, even as the Prophet shewed they should be, The people that walked in darkness have seen great light, Esay. 9.2 and they that dwell in the Land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined, because it cannot be denied but that as Daniel saith, knowledge is increased, and as our Saviour saith, light is come into the world.

And therefore the people should take heed that they love not darkness more then light, or that they be not like the fool Harpaste that was as blind as a beetle, and yet would not be perswaded, as Seneca saith, that she was blinde but that the room was dark. For I fear that we have too many men that think they want no eyes, but that the house of God is dark and wants light; but that is because they are bleere-ey'd like L [...]ah, and look a squint and cannot see the truth.

There be many others that are full of eyes, Many are full of eyes, yet not like these beasts, but of all evil eyes. but their eyes are oculi nequam evil eyes, such as Saint Peter speaks of; and o­thers have eyes far worse. My time will not give me leave to discover them.

But if the Lord should say unto me, as he said to his Pro­phet Amos, what seest thou: I must answer,Amos. 8.2. I dare not tell what I see: and if the Lord replies, should they that are to be like Lions become as fearfull as the Hares, that run away from the noise of the Hounds? Have I not often delivered thee as I did Elisha after he had delivered his message unto Jehu, when he presently shut the door and fled? 2 Reg. 9.3 & v. [...]0. therefore I command thee to tell me, what seest thou.

Why then, if thou commandest me, I must tell; and I must say with the Prophet, that I have seen unrighteousness and [Page 58] strife in the City; moreover I saw the place of judgment, and wickedn [...]ss was there; Eccles 3 16. and the place of righteousness, and iniqui-qu [...]ty was there. and I saw the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comfort because power was on the side of their op­pressours. c. 4. 1. And worse then the parable of Menenius Agrippa, when all the members conspired against the stomach, I have seen a monstrous ill-shap'd body cutting off his own most ex­cellent and unreprovable head; and the worst Parliament that ever England saw, rebelling and warring, and doing far worse to the best King that ever England had. And I have seen the Commons-house of that Parliament encroaching by little and little upon the rights and priviledges of the Lords, as the Ple­beians did upon the nobility of Rome, till at last they had quite supplanted them: felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, I hope, O Lord, that I shall never see the like again.

Yet I see one thing more that troubles me much, many men that say (excepting the conscience of their religion, that should not undo them) they are innocent from any offence done either against their King or against their neighbors, and yet to be dri­ven out of house and home, and those that were known to be rebels & to have fought against their King to enjoy their Lands and Livings, and to become great men, and to hold in their fingers the Lands of Innocents, of the King, of the Church, and of God himself, which can as hardly be pluck'd out of their fingers, as it was to pluck the club out of Hercules's hands; for they have got possession of them, and possession being as they say eleven points of the Law, twelve Juries can­not dispossess them.

But for the trial of the truth hereof, his Majesty hath most graciously appointed, and his Grace here doth most favoura­bly countenance these wise and religious men that shall justly and religiously determine these things. And I am confident that being wise men as they are, they will shew themselves men of courage, bold as the Lion to do justly, and to stand for the right Interest, be it of the Jew or of the Gentile, without fear of the greatest, and not caring what the meanest or the vulgar say of them; quia nec meliores si laudaverint, nec [Page 59] deteriores si vituperaverint, because their praise makes them never a whit the better if they do unjustly, nor their dispraise one jot the worse when they do right, which is the onely thing that all men ought to do without fear. And by their just and unpartial dealing betwixt party and party, I doubt not but they will as they have hitherto, shew themselves to be full of eyes to see to every thing, to search into every ca [...]e, and to find out the truth of every matter and every cha ge that shall be brought before them.

THE THIRD SERMON.

2. AFTER that they are said to be full of eyes, 2. The distri­bution of their eyes. the Evangelist tells us more par­ticularly that they were full of eyes within; and in the precedent 6.v. 6. v. it is said, that they were full of eyes before and behinde, so they were

Full of eyes,

• 1. Within.
• 2. Before.
• 3. Behinde.

1. They were full of eyes within, 1. Why these beasts were full of eyes within. Jer. 17.9. and that was to look into their own hearts and consciences, for the heart of man is de­ceitfull [Page 62] above all things: It is but a little member, vix ad uni­us milvi refectionem sufficere possit, scarce sufficient to serve one Kite for his break-fast; and yet as Hugo saith, magna cu­pit, Hugo l. 3. de anima. & totus mundus ei non sufficit, it affecteth great things, and as Juvenal saith of Alexander, the whole World will not suf­fice that Pellaean youth.

And it is very true, that In omni creatura, quae sub sole va­nit [...]tibus mund [...]nis occupatur, nihil humano corde sublimius, nihil nobilius, nihilque Deo similius reperitur; quapropter nihil aliud quaerit à te Deus nisi cor tuum. In all the creature which under the sun is occupied in these worldly vanities, there is nothing more sublime then mans heart, nothing more noble, and nothing more like to God himself; and therefore God requireth nothing of thee but thy heart, when he saith, My son, Pro. 23.26. give me thy heart.

But then the heart must be pure and sincere, free from all vanities, and void of all iniquity; for otherwise, qui de suo partem faciunt Deo, & partem diabolo, iratus Deus quia sit ibi pars diab [...]lo, discedet, & totum diabolus possidet; They that give part of their hearts to God, and part to the Devil, God being angry that any part is left for the Devil, departeth and leaveth all unto the Devil,S. Aug. in Jo­han. Matth. 5.8. as St. Augustine speaketh.

And therefore the Scripture saith, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; quia Deus non exterioribus oculis sed puro corde videtur, saith Saint Augustine, because God is not seen with our outward eyes, but with a pure and upright heart. But Vae duplici corde, woe to him that hath a double heart, Quod ingratum est ad beneficia, infidum ad con­silia, saevum ad judicia, invere­cundum ad tur­pia & imp [...]vi­dum ad pericula. Bernard l. 5. de considerat. which saith one thing with his tongue, and thinks other­wise in his heart; and woe to him that hath a wicked heart, which speaketh friendly unto his neighbour, but meaneth mischief in his heart; and woe to him indeed, which hath a hard heart, which as St Bernard saith, nec compunctione scin [...]i­tur, nec pietate mollitur, nec precibus movetur, which is neither broken with compunction, nor mollified with piety, nor moved with prayers, nor terrified with threatnings, nor yet yielding with any judgements: but is unthankfull for all benefits, re­gardless of all counsell, and senseless of all dangers, and so [Page 63] still growing worse and worse, untill like Pharaoh, he be quite destroyed.

And yet how many men have we that are double hearted and false hearted, and more deceitfull then the wilie Greeks that lurked in the belly of the Trojan Horse, or the subtle Serpent that beguiled Eve? And that which is worst of all, which do deceive and betray their own souls? For as of all mur­ders felo de se is most impardonable, so of all deceits, he that deceives his own soul is most desperate, and in the most wofull condition. And yet as Apollodorus the tyrant dreamed that he was taken and flead by the Scythians, and his heart thrown into a boyling Caldron, should say unto him, I am the cause of all this my self, because I have deceived thee in all thy wayes, and in all thy plots and projects: so how many sim­ple, foolish, and beguiled souls are in the world, that in all their wicked plots and practices, and in all their covetous de­signs and mercyless oppressions of the poor,John, 16.2. do beguile them­selves and betray their souls unto the Devil? When, as our Saviour saith, they shall put his servants out of the Synagogues, out of their places and offices, as they have done of late, and out of their means and maintenance, as you do still amongst us, and shall kill them and put them to death, and think that they doe God good service, and believe that they have the Ea­gles wi [...]gs to mount up the readyest way to Heaven, when as indeed they ride Post upon Pegasus the broad way to Hell.

And therefore, seeing the heart of man is so deceitful, as many times to perswade him he holds God by the hand, when the Devil hath him fast fettered by the heeles, it is requisite that we should be like these Beasts full of eyes within, to look into our own hearts, that they do not deceive us, and to ex­amine our own wayes, that we be not mistaken in them; lest, while we aim to go to Jerusalem the City of God, we shall with the Army of the King of Syria, that he sent to Dotham to fetch Elisha, 2 Reg. 6.19. be carryed blindefold into the midst of Sa­maria, the City of our greatest Enemy; for so the Prophet David saith, he did commune with his own heart, Ps. 77.5. and his spirit [Page 64] made a diligent search, that is, into his actions, lest his own heart should deceive him: and so he adviseth us to doe the like,Ps. 4.4. saying, Stand in awe and sin not, commune with your own heart, that is, to examine diligently, whether the things that you doe be sins or not: and do not trust the suggestions and suppositions of your hearts, until you make a search, and a diligent inquisition into the true nature of them, because many men do think, they doe not sin at all, when they doe most highly offend the Lord.

Why men de­ceive them­selves.And the reason is, because they have no eyes within, to look into their own hearts, and to examine their own actions; but they are onely full of eyes without, to pry into the do­ings, and to censure all the acts of all others, which is the hu­mour of them, that take delight to spy out the least mote that they see in the eyes of others, but never look into the beam that is in their own eyes, those horrible sins that lurk in their own hearts.

And this multiplicity of eyes without, and the want of all eyes within, when those that should be within are turned out, is the cause that there are so many reformers of our Church, and censurers of our State, Etiam opifices quorum res fi­desque in manibus sitae sunt, Yea, that even meer Mecha­nicks, Handicrafts-men, and Ploughmen, whose credit, wealth, and wit lyes in their hands, as Salust speaks of the seditious Plebeians of Rome, do so impudently prate and censure the Government both of the Church and Common-wealth.

But as our Saviour said to St. Peter, when he would needs know what should become of St. John, Quid ad te? What is that to thee? Do thou follow me: so I say to these men, Quid ad vos? What have you to doe with the mysteries of State, or the matters of the Church? It becomes you to doe as the Apostle adviseth you, To study to be quiet, and to med­dle with your own business; 1 Thes. 4.11. and, as my Text saith, to be full of eyes with [...]n, to look unto your own actions, and not immit­tere falcem in alienam messem, and to do as many Gentlemen use to do, that is, to travel over France, Italy, and Spain, to understand the customs and fashions of other Countryes, [Page 65] and to be altogether ignorant of the Lawes, customs, and con­ditions of their own Country. But,

2. These Beasts are not onely said to be full of eyes within, 2. Why these beasts were full o [...] eyes behind. but in the sixth verse they are also said to be full of eyes be­fore and behinde. And that was to this end.

1. They were full of eyes behinde, to look backward, and to behold the times and things that are past.

2. They were full of eyes before.

• 1. To consider the times and things that are present.
• 2. To foresee the things, and to provide for the times that are to come.

And Moses, the man of God, that was faithful in all God's house, thought that this threefold sight and consideration of the times past, present, and to come, would surely make the children of Israel to fear the Lord their God, and to walk in his wayes; or if these things would not do it, he knew no­thing in the world that could do it: and therefore a little be­fore his death, in his last farewell, and in the chiefest and most affectionate Sermon that ever be made unto this people, this is the chiefest wish that ever I found exprest therein, O u­tinam saperent & intelligerent, ac novissima providerent! Deut, 32.29. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! that is, Ʋtinam saperent praeterita, intelligerent praesentia, & providerent futura, I would to God, that this people did remember and call to minde the things that are past, that they understood the things that are present, and that they would consider the things that are to come, and shall inevitably fall upon them.

And as Moses, so do I wish to Almighty God, that all and every one that heareth me this day, would do as Moses here desireth, and would be, as these Beasts are here described, that they might do what is here required. And that is,

1. To be full of eyes behinde, to behold the times, and to consider the things that are past; for the want of this sight and consideration is a main cause of so much wickedness among [Page 66] the people, and so much ignorance and impudency in our late Fanatique Leaders of their seduced followers: for if they would have done,Deut. 32. as Moses adviseth us, To remember the dayes of old, and read the Ecclesiastical Histories, Councils, and Canons of the Church, and other Histories, the Records of time, both of the Greeks and Latines, I perswade my self they would never have been so disloyal and rebellious against their Civil Governours, and so averse and refractory to the Prelates of our Church, Quia ignorantia mater inobe­dientiae.

And therefore with Moses, we have great reason to wish that our men were, like these Beasts, full of eyes behinde them, to behold the times and things that are past; and e­specially; for I will name no more at this time, but,

• 1. God's dealing towards man.
• 2. Man's requital unto God.

1. It is a true saying of St. Augustine, Antequam conditi essemus, nihil boni merebamur, Before man was made he could deserve no good, he could merit no favour; and yet if sinful man had any eyes behinde him, to see what great things God hath done for him, he should finde cause enough to cry out with the Psalmist, What God did for Adam in Paradise. O God, what is man that thou art so minde­full of him, and so exceeding gracious unto him? for thou madest him a man, when thou mightest have made him a beast: and he made him in his own image, and after his own likeness, in righteousness and true holiness, and he placed him in Paradise, the sweetest place of all the world, in a garden of God's own making, and an orchard of his own planting, that brought all manner of fruits, and all kinde of pleasant flowers, at all times of the year: and he made him Lord and Master over all his creatures, the beasts of the field, the fowles of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatsoever walketh through the pathes of the seas: and these he needed not to run after them, and take pains to tame them as we do, but they were to come unto him, and to be obedient to him of their own accord. And [Page 67] because that among all these there was not a mate found meet for man, God made him an helper fit for him, a Lady more excellent then Helen, whom he loved, and delighted in her at first sight.

And were not these, Beneficia nimis copiosa, multa & ma­gna, privata & positiva? Blessings and benefits, for number beyond number, and for excellency beyond expression; for as the Psalmist saith, Who can express the noble works of the Lord, and shew forth all his prayse?

But how did man requite all these benefits?How Adam requited God. God gave him but unum breve, leve, & utile mandatum, one short, easie, and most profitable Precept if he had observed it; no positive injunction of any hard work, but that which is far easier to be kept, a negative inhibition, that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, this was all, and no great matter, how easily might he have done it? Yet this man sold his God, that had done such great things for him, and brake his Commandment for an Apple. What moved Adam and E­vah to offend God? Ambition. And what moved him to doe this, but that which moveth all his children ever since, to destroy themselves and all the Kingdoms of the earth, Ambition? That he might be as Lucifer desired to be before him, similis Altissimo, like Gods, knowing good and evil.

And this infernal weed, that first took life in Lucifer's breast, hath poysoned all his Posterity ever since, and especi­ally all the great men of this world, that desire to be greater, and affect and contend for honour and greatness above mea­sure. For as Eudoxus the Philosopher desired of the Gods, that he might behold the Sun very near, to comprehend the forme, greatness, and beauty thereof, and afterwards be burnt of it, as the Poets say Phaeton was: so Ambition is the boldest and the most disorderly passion of all those desires, which trouble mens mindes, and fills their heads with an un­satiable greediness of obtaining those things, which they should no wayes desire; and by that means, as Adam did, they undoe themselves and many thousands more: for so Mar. Crassus, the richest man in Rome, M. Crassus. burning with am­bition and an excessive desire of new triumphs, presumed at [Page 68] sixty years of age to undertake the warr against Arsaces, King of the Parthians, and therein his whole Army was discom­fited, himself miserably slain, twenty thousand of his men killed,C. Marius. and ten thousand taken Prisoners: So Caius Marius weakened with old age, but strengthened by Ambition to continue in sovereign authority, would undertake the warr against Mithridates King of Pontus; and thereby he was the cause of his own utter overthrow, and of that great slaughter, which imbrued all Italy and Spain with the deluge of bloud, that Sylla, by his extreme cruelty, brought upon them.

Spurius Melius. Marc. Manlius. Hen. 5.And the like may be said of Spurius Melius the Roman Se­nator, of Marc. Manlius, of Henry the Fifth, whose ambi­tion deprived his own father from the Empire, and caused him to dye miserably in Prison; and indeed of those threescore and thirteen Emperours, that, within the space of one hun­dred years, dyed all of them (excepting three that dyed of sickness in their beds) by violent deaths. And as the ambi­tion of the Triumvirate Octav. Antonius, and Lepidus, had well­nigh ruinated the Roman Empire;Pet. de la Pri­mauday. fr. ac­cad. pag. 223. so Peter de la Primauday saith, that the ambition of the Dukes of Orleans and Burgundy had almost utterly consumed the Kingdom of France, and was the occasion, that more then four thousand men were slain within Paris in one day: and so I may say, that this wilde plant and bitter root of Ambition, that first sprang up in Paradise, and afterwards grew worse and worse in the accursed earth, was the cause that moved the late Ʋsurper, and many others of those Traytors and Rebels that followed him, to bring all the calamities, that we have both seen and felt in these Do­minions.

And therefore we ought to detest this cursed Plant, that brought forth such bitter fruits of undutifulness, unthankful­ness, and rebellion to be rendred unto God for all the great good that he had done for man.

But now, after that man had fallen, and thus disloyally sinned against God, Non dignus est peccator panc quo vescitur, nec lumine coeli quo illuminatur, The sinner, even the best of us all that are Adam's seed, is not worthy of the bread that [Page 69] he eateth, or the light of the Sun that shines unto him; for if before his being, he deserved no good; how much evil doth he now deserve, when he hath so fouly defiled himself, and so highly offended his God?

And yet, Ʋtinam saperent, How gracious­ly God dealt with Adam, after he had sinned. I would to God we would cast our eyes behinde us, to behold and see the goodness of God, and what wonders he hath done for the children of men; for he pittyed Adam when he was naked, and made them coats of skin to hide and cover their nakedness, and to preserve their bodies from the storms of winter, and the scorching heat of summer. And when all the World had corrupted their wayes before God, he saved Noah and his family,And with the seed of Adam. when the deluge destroyed all other flesh: and afterward he snatched away Abraham out of the very flames of Idolatry, that was begun to be kindled in his father Terah's house, and then he delivered him out of Egypt, and preserved him out of all his troubles: And for the seed of Abraham, The Israelites. the children of Is­rael, Moses tells you what God hath done for them; for, when he divided to the Nations their inheritance, Deut. 32.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. he took Jacob for the lot of his own inheritance; and though he found him in a desart land, and in the waste howling wilderness, yet he led him about, he instructed him, and kept him as the apple of his eye, and he made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the encrease of the fields, and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oyl out of the flinty rock, butter of kinc, and milk of sheep, fat of lambs, and ramms of the breed of Ba­san, and goats with the fat of kidneys, of wheat, and to drink the pure bloud of the grape.

And the Prophet Ezekiel doth amplifie the great good­ness of God towards this people more at large, saying, that their birth and their nativity was of the land of Canaan, their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite, (i. e.) an accursed people; and in the day that thou wast born, thy na­vel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water, nor salted, nor swadled at all, no eye pittyed thee to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person: and when I saw thee polluted in thine own bloud, [Page 70] I said unto thee, live; and I washed thee with water, and a­nointed thee with oyl, I cloathed thee also with broydered work, and shod thee with badgers skin, and I girded thee about with fine linnen, and I covered thee with silk, I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chain on thy neck, even as our fine Ladyes have in these dayes, and I have put a jewel on the forehead, and ear-rings in thine eares, and a beautiful Crown upon thy head, and thou didst eat fine flower, Ezech. 16.3. ad v. 15. and honey, and oyl, and thou becamest exceeding beauti­ful and perfect through my comliness which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

How unthank­ful and undu­tiful they were to God.And what reward did this people render unto God, and what requital have they made unto him for all these great be­nefits, that this good God had done unto them? First Moses tells you, They waxed fat, and then they kicked, as we lately did, and forsook God that made them, and lightly esteemed the rock of their salvation; They provoked him to jealousie with strange Gods, and moved him to anger with their abominations: They sacrificed to Devils and not to God, to Gods that they knew not, that came newly up, whom their fathers feared not, which was and is the fruit of every new Religion, as of late dayes we have fully seen amongst us.

And then, as they forsook God that formed them, so pre­sently they rebelled against his servants, they muttered and murmured and rejected all their Governours; and as the Psalmist saith, They angred Moses in their tents, and Aaron the Saint of the Lord: for these two, to forsake God, and to rebel against their Governours, do always go together. And if you look into the foresaid sixteenth Chapter of Ezekiel, you shall see how the Prophet sheweth their wickedness, and how they have multiplied their abominations above measure, and as many of us, over-wickedly and unjustly seeking to make our children great in this world, do bring them unto the Devil in the world to come; Ezech. 16.21. so did they slay their children, and cause them to pass through the fire, and as the Psalmist saith,Ps. 106.37, They offered their sons and their daughters unto Devils: and the Lord himself assureth us, that Sodom had not done [Page 71] so wickedly as they had done,Ezek. 16.48.51. and Samaria had not com­mitted half of their sins.

And what an intolerable ingratitude was this? The most monstrous thing that ever was; not possibly to be described, quia dixeris maledicta cuncta, cum ingratum hominem dixeris; because thou sayest all the evils that can be said, when thou namest an ungrateful man; especially to God, that hath done such great things for us.

For we read of many bruit beasts, that for small benefits, have been very thankful unto men, as of the Dog, that for a peice of bread, will follow and be ready to die for his Master, and the Lion that for pulling a thorn out of his foot, preserved the slave that did it, from all the beasts of the forrest, and af­terwards his life on the Theatre in Rome; and Primauday tells us of an Arabian infidel, that, being taken prisoner, and afterwards set at liberty by Baldwin King of Jerusalem, in token of his thankfulness for that favour,Pet. Prim. c. 40. p. 431. he went to him by night, into a Town where he was retired, after he had lost the field, and declared to him the purpose of his companions, and conducted him, until he had brought him out of all danger.

And when bruit beasts and Pagans are thus thankful unto us, shall man be unthankful unto God? No, no: He should be truly thankful.

And Seneca saith there be four special conditions of true thankfulness.

• 1. Grate accipere; to receive it thankfully.
• 2. Nunquam oblivisci; Never to forget it, for he can never be thankful that hath forgotten the benefit.
• 3. Ingenue fateri per quem profecerimus:
  Four conditi­ons of true thankfulness.
  ingeni­ously to acknowledge by whom we are pro­fited.
• 4. Pro virili retribuere: to requite the benefit re­ceived in the best manner that we are able.

But this people scarce observed any one of them, I am sure [Page 72] not the second, and therefore not possibly the third and fourth; for the Prophet David tells us plainly, that after the Lord had shewed his tokens among them, and his wonders in the land of Ham, and had brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness, and had given them the lands of the Heathen,Is. 105.42, 43, so that they did as many have done amongst us, to take the labours of the people in possession;Ps. 106.13. Yet, within a while, they did as we do, forget his works, and would not abide his counsel: V. 21. yea, they forgat God their Saviour, which had done so great things in Egypt, wondrous things in the land of Ham, and fearful things by the Red-sea.

But to let this people pass, that were destroyed for their unthankfulness, let us look unto our selves and have our eyes behind us, to behold and see.

• First, What God hath done for us. And,
• What God did for us, the people of these domi­nions. Amos 3.2,
  Secondly, What we have done for the honour and ser­vice of God. And,

First, As the Lord said of the Jews, You onely have I cho­sen of all the families of the earth: so I believe the Lord may justly say of our Kings dominions, that he shewed more love and favour unto them, then he did to any other Kingdom of the World; for whatsoever good he did to others, he did the same to us. And he shewed two more signal favours to us, then he did to any other Kingdome of all Christen­dome; As

I. He raised the good Emperour Constantine, the Son of Helen out of Britaine, to close up the days of persecution, and shut the doors of the Idol-Temples.

II. When the mysts of ignorance, and errors, and supersti­tion had covered and overshadowed almost all the Church of Christ, God sent successively no less then five such excellent Protestant Princes, King Edward the sixth, Queen E­lizabeth, King James, and King Charles the I. and II. (as no other Kingdom had the like) to protest against all the Popish errours and superstition, and to make such a perfect reforma­tion [Page 73] of Religion, that, both for Doctrine and Discipline, no Church in Christendom is so purely and so perfectly esta­blished, as these Churches of our Kings dominions are; such love and such mercies of God to us, as exceeded all the bless­ings of the earth, and shewed to no other Nation of the world in such a measure, but to this.

And what reward, I pray you,What requital have we ren­dred unto God. have we and our people ren­dred un [...]o God for those great unparalell'd benefits that he hath done unto us? I do profess I have been a man ever faith­ful to my King, and ever fearless of all the dangers of the world; and therefore, I must say the truth, as Saint Steven told the Jews, though I should fare as Saint Steven did, that as they were a stiff-necked people, that have always resisted the Holy Ghost, and persecuted the Prophets, and been the tray­tors and murderers of Christ: so have the major part of us shewed themselves a rebellious Nation, that confederated to assist the Devil, to requite Gods extraordinary signal favour to us, with extraordinary signal contempt of Gods service, and signal malice to all his servants above any other nation of the World, by raising out of us, and bringing in amongst us, the great Anti-Christ, that is, the great enemies of Christ, you know whom,The Long Parliament. to slay the two witnesses of Jesus Christ, which were Cohors Magistratuum, & Chorus Prophetarum, 1. the best and blessed King Charles the First, that like a good­ly Oake, or the Cedar of Lebanon, was cut down with all his boughes and branches of Magistracy; and 2. all the Seers, that were the eyes, the light, Those were the 2 witnesses and the reverend Governours of Gods Church: and instead of them to bring in the wild-bore out of the wood, the great Ʋsurper, to destroy the vine­yard of Christ; and Gebal and Ammon, and Amalec, the Phi­listims, with them that dwell at Tyre, Ps. 83.7. the whole rable of Pres­byterians, Independants, Anabaptists, Quakers, and other sects, which are the false Prophet, to devour the revenues of the Church, and to destroy all the houses of God in the land: and so to corrupt the whole Service of that good God that had so graciously done such great things for us, as I have [Page 74] fully shewed it heretofore, and will hereafter be manifested for truth, every day more and more.

And if these things be a good requital, or a just thankfulness to God for all the benefits that he hath done unto us, judge you.

What God hath done for every one of us in particular. 1 What good things he hath bestowed on [...].But to leave these monsters of men for their imparalell'd in­gratitude, let us return to our selves here present, and see what God hath done for every one of us; for he made thee a man or a woman, when he might have made thee a beast; and he gave thee all thy limbs, thy sight, and thy senses, when thou might­est have been born, like him that was so, blind from his mo­thers womb. I am sure thou wouldst be very thankful to that Chirurgion that would but preserve thy finger; and what thanks owest thou to him, that gave thee all thy members, and whatsoever else thou hast? good wit, larg memory, strong body, comely proportion, loving wife, sweet chil­dren, riches, honour, favour, preferment, and all that thou hast; all is from God. And that which is far better then all these; for herein, Dedit te tibi Deus, He did but onely give thee unto thy self, and those temporal blessings that are mo­mentary: but he redeemed thee from the pit wherein there is no water, and in this thy redemption, Dedit se tibi Deus, God gave himself unto thee, and his onely Son to die for thee, he sends his servants to teach thee, and his Holy Spi­rit to work all the good gifts that are in thee to make thee a good Christian here, that thou maiest be for ever blessed here­after. And

2 From how many evils he hath preserved us.2. If thou hadst these eyes, to look behind thee, thou mightest see, not only how much good the Lord God hath bestowed upon thee, but also from how many evils he hath preserved thee: for Satan, like a roaring Lion would have de­voured thee, thine enemies that rose up against thee would have undone thee, if the Lord himself had not been on thy side;Ps. 124.1, 2. and, as the Psalmist saith, they would have swallowed thee up quick, when they were so wrathfully displeased at thee; yea thine own self many times, by thy desperate ri­ding, running, jumping, or the like, mightest perhaps have [Page 75] broken thy bones, thy limbs, or thy neck, if thy good God had not reached his hand to save thee from falling, as he did to Saint Peter to preserve him from sinking.

And are not these things blessings worthy to be remembred?

O that we would therefore prayse the Lord for his good­ness, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men? And that we would sometimes cast our eyes be­hinde us, to see what requital we have rendred unto God for all those benefits that he hath done for us; and especi­ally for bringing our Gracious King unto us, and resto­ring both the Church to her purity, to her rights, and ser­vice of God, and the Common-Wealth to its peace and tranquillity.

For as the Prophet David saith, I called mine own wayes to remembrance: So should every one doe, call his wayes to remembrance; that, if he findes, he hath been carefull in God's service and a faithful Steward in God's house, it may be a comfort unto his Conscience, Quia immensa est laetitia de memoria transactae virtutis, because the re­membrance of former virtues, and of our Service and thankfulnesse unto God, will bring a great deale of joy and comfort unto our selves; or if he hath blasphemed Gods Name, neglected his Word, robbed his Church, and offen­ded his Majesty, he may repent, and as Job saith, abhorr him­self in dust and ashes.

But that I may the better and the sooner perswade you to fear God, and to serve him,Two things to be considered to move us to serve God. and to doe that which is just and honest in his sight, I shall with Moses desire you to re­member the days of old, and consider the years of many genera­tions, and therein to observe but these two things.

• First, How God blessed those that walked in his wayes.
• Secondly, How he plagued those that neglected his service, and transgressed his commands.

[Page 76] 1. How God blessed those that served him.1. Enoch walked with God, and God took him to himself: Noah was a just man, and God preserved him from the de­luge: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph feared the Lord, and the Lord blessed them in all that they took in hand: and the Prophet David generally saith,Psal. 112.1, 2, 3. blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that hath great delight in his commandments, his seed shall be mighty upon earth, riches and plenteousness shall be in his house,Proverb 10.7. &c. 20.7. and his righteousness endureth for ever: and Solomon saith the like, that the memorial of the just is blessed, and his children are blessed after him. And therefore if thou lovest thy children, and wouldest have them to grow great and to prosper in the world, be just in all that thou doest, and nei­ther rob God of his right, nor oppresse, cozen, or defraud thy poor neighbour; which not done are the chiefest, if not the onely things, that will bring the curse of God upon thee and thy Posterity. For,

2. How God plagued those that transgres­sed his com­mandments and neglected his service.2. Do but cast thine eyes behind thee, and consider how God plagued the unrighteous Generations; and you shall finde, that when the old world corrupted their wayes, the Lord swept them all away with the deluge; when the cry of Sodom and Gomorrha came to the eares of God, God destroyed them with fire and brimstone: so when the cry of the inno­cent servants of Christ shall not be heard to have justice done unto them, because of the great friends and power of their op­pressours, then as the Psalmist saith, The Lord will hear their cry and will help them.

And here to terrifie offenders from their wickedness, I could willingly enlarge my discourse, to shew the fearful examples of Gods judgement against many sorts of Male­factors; but my short allowance of time will scarce permit me to give you the sight of some few judgements against and upon these four predominant sins, that are so rise amongst us, and so pernicious unto us.

• [Page 77]1. Rebellion,
• 2. Perjury,
  The four usu­al sins of these dayes.
• 3. Injustice,
• 4. Sacriledge.

1. For Rebellion, this our last Age,1. Rebellion. and the many Plots and Practices of wicked and fanatick Rebels now peeping forth amongst us, do sufficiently shew how apt we are to fall into it, though it be as bad as the sin of witch-craft, which is the giv­ing of our souls by a Contract unto the Devil: but the dreadful vengeance of God for the Rebellion of Corah, Da­than and Abiram against their Governours, when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them down quick to Hell, and the heavy judgement of God upon Absolon for rebelling against King David, which followed him hard at the heeles, until he came to the bough where he was hanged, and the shameful yet most justly deserved death of our late Rebels, and of many more the like Villaines, that I could quote to you out of Histories, should deterre them from this unnatural sin of Rebellion, and keep them within the bounds of their obe­dience to their Governours, which is more acceptable in the sight of God then any sacrifice that we can offer him: or if this can not do it, then may they look for the like end, as those that committed the like sins.

2. For Perjury, it is so pernitious a sin, and yet so general, 2. Perjury. that I know not how to express the hainousness thereof. But I finde this perjury to be like the three headed Cerberus.

1. Of those Inferiours, that either for bribes and reward,1. Of Inferi­ors. or for fear of their Land-lords or other great men, will most falsly swear before Judge or Jury to the taking away of the goods, lands, or life of many innocent men,2. Of Superi­ors. which is a sin wor­thy to be punished by the Judges, as being the utter ruine of many men, fatherless and widdows.

2. Of Superiours which break their faith and oaths that they make unto their Inferiours. And such a forsworn wretch was Lysander the Admiral of the Lacedemonians, Lysander. and [Page 78] Tissaphernes that brake his oath which he made with the Grecians, Tissaphernes. Cleomenes. and Cleomenes King of Lacedemon that did the like with the Argians, but he was sufficiently plagued by the just judgement of God for his perfidiousness and perjury, when the women of Argos overthrew the greatest part of his Army, and he with a knife killed himself. And many more Tyrants and Commanders I could name of this kinde, that neither feared God, nor regarded their faith with men; and therefore were plagued by the just judgements of God.

3. Of the mid­dle sort.3. The other sort of perjurers are of a middle size, and great men, that either through discentent or hope to be made greater,Eccles. 8.2. do break their faith, and falsifie the oath of God, as Solomon calls it; and so prove Rebels and Traytors unto their Kings and Governours.

1. How Neclas served Durin­gus for his treachery to the Son of Ʋratislas.But how doth the just God reward these perfidious and perjured Villaines? And how do most wise men deeme and deale with them? but as Neclas did with Duringus, who to secure Neclas, as he said, in his Throne, falsified his faith to his Prince, and killed the Son of Ʋratislas, that was the next Heir unto the Crown; hoping that for his good service he should be much favoured and well rewarded of Neclas: but the wise Prince abhorring such perfidiousness, said unto him, that perjury and treachery could not be mitigated and wiped away by any good turns or after-service; and therefore whereas he expected a reward for his good service done unto him, he should have it according to his merit. For of three things he should chuse which he would. 1. To kill himself with a poinyard;Aenaeas Sylv Hist. Bobem. c. 11. or, 2. Hang himself with an halter; or, 3. Cast himself down from the Rock of Visgrade: and he hanged himself upon an Elder tree, which while it stood, was called Duringus tree, as Aenaeas Sylvius writeth.

2. How Selim used Ladislas, Kerezin. Camerar. Hist. Meditat. l 1. pag. 20. c. 7. Johan [...] Menari­us Histor. Turc. l. 4. c. 22.And though Ladislas Kerezin did a very good turn to Selim, in yielding up to him the strong place of Hinla; yet for his perjury and perfidiousness he caused him to be brought to a most miserable death, which you may see in Camerar. And the same Selim did the like to a Jewish Physiti­an, whom after the good service he had done unto him, he [Page 79] caused to be beheaded for his treachery against his Father, saying, that upon the least discontent or hope of reward, he would not stick to do to him as he did to his Father; and therefore he had no reason to let him live, because commonly Traytors are double Traytors, and as unfaithful to him whom they serve, as to him whom they have betrayed And so So­liman his Son promised his Daughter with a very great dow­ry to a certain Traytor for yielding unto him the Isle of Rhodes; and when he got the Iland,3. How Soli­man used the Traytor that yielded to him the Ile of Rhodes. he brought his Daughter in a magnifical pompe unto him, and said, thou seest I am a man of my word; but forasmuch as you are a Christian, and thy Wife a Mahumetan, and I am loath to have a Son in Law, that is not a Musulman; therefore it is not satisfactory to me, that in hope of favour and gain thou turn thy coat for fashion sake:Camerar. l. 1. c. 7. p. 21. but thou must also put off thy skin which is bap­tized and uncircumcised, and so he caused him to be flead alive. And the same Solyman used the betrayers of Nadast that defended the Castle of Buda in like manner.

And the King of Henetia having promised Marriage to Romilda the Wife of Prince Sigulphus, 4. How the King of Hene­tia served Ro­milda the Wife of Sigulphus. Aventinus l. 3. Annal. Bavar. which had fallen in love with him, as Potiphars Wife did with Joseph, so soon as she delivered unto him the City of Friol, did after her marriage and one nights lodging with her, cause her to be set, and mar­ried to a sharp stake, as a worthy punishment of her treachery.

And the Emperour Aurelian did not much better use the Traytour Heraclemon, nor Brennus Demonica, 5. How Aure­lian served He­raclemon. that betrayed into his hands the City of Ephesus, as Titus Liv. saith the Daughter of Sp. Tarpeius betrayed the City of Rome unto the Sabines, and for her reward lost her life on the Tarpeian Hill.

But though I could produce to you very many more ex­amples of this kinde,6. How Maho­met served John Justinian. yet I will close up this point with what Mahomet did to John Justinian of Genua, who promised to deliver Constantinople into the Emperours hands, so he would make him King of such a place that he desired. And Mahomet yielded and assured him that he would do it; and so he did; Pet. Primanday c. 39. pag. 423. for as soone as ever the said Justinian had betrayed the [Page 80] City into his hands, he presently made him King for that good service which he had done unto him; but for a reward of his treachery to his Lord and Master Augustulus, he cut off his head within three dayes after.

And so all the wise men that I have read of, do conceive that no good service done to succeeding Kings, can merit the blotting out of the perjury and perfidiousness of Traytors to their former Kings and Masters; but that after they be re­warded for their good turns done to the latter, they should likewise receive the merit of their perfidiousness to the for­mer.

Theodorus in Collect. l. 2. The reasons why perfidi­ousness should not be pardo­ned.And the reason is rendred by the foresaid Sages.

1. Because that as Theodoric the Arian said, when he cut off the head of an Orthodox Deacon whom he loved, because he revolted, (to please Theodoric, as he thought) to Arianism, they that keep not their oaths and faith to God, can never be faithful to any mortal man.

Flav. Vopisc. in vita Aureli­an.2. Because that as Aurelian said, when he suffered Hera­clemon, which had done him so good service, to be slain, he could not believe that he which would betray his Countrey, and prove faithless to his own Prince, could ever continue faithful unto him; but that upon the like discontent or hope of a greater gain, such Traytors as will turn the leaf, and saile with every winde, will become as treacherous to their latter benefactors, as they have been unto their former Masters. And therefore though we should forgive them as Christians; yet it is neither wisdome nor pollicy to believe them as friends, because not onely the Fable of the Snake, but the Son of Syrach also teacheth us, what little credit is to be given to reconciled friends, Eccles. 10.12. And the wise heathen bids us, semper diffidere, to suspect such faithless men continually.

Object. But what if the Kings and Princes have promised Pardons unto the Traytors for some special service done unto them: Can they afterward punish them for their precedent offences unto others?

I answer, that as Cicero saith,Sol. every man is bound (and much more it is for the honour of a Prince) to keep his word and promises inviolable; though upon some exigent necessity, he may be constrained to make the same to his prejudice, and a­gainst his will: and it was well said, that the bare word of a Prince should be of as great force as the oath of a private man.

But though Kings and Princes should inviolably observe their words in their Pardons granted unto Rebels and Tray­tors and other Malefactors;Not to coun­tenance and favour those that have been Traytors: and why. yet as Philip King of Macedon answered Lasthenes, that betrayed the City of Olynthum, and Augustus Caesar said to Rymetalces King of Thracia, that had forsaken Antonius, to joyn with him, that he loved the trea­son that did him good, but he could not endure the Traytor that betrayed his Master. And Alexander Severus was of the same minde, but that he joyned cruelty with his hatred unto the Traytors; for when he had inticed many Captains of Piscennius Niger, his Competitor of the Empire, to dis­close their Masters secrets, and had served his turn of them, and settled his affairs, he made all those Traytors, Herod. l. 3 and their children also to be put to death, as Herodian writeth. So the wisest men conceived that they ought not to countenance and favour those that had been Traytors unto other Princes; though they had done good service unto them: and that for these three reasons.

1. For that he which hath turned one leaf can turn ano­ther; and he that hath betrayed my Father, may upon the like hopes and surmises betray me likewise; and he that hath been a Rebel, knows the way to become a Rebel.

2. For that this honouring and magnifying of Rebels and Traytors to former Princes, for their good service done to latter Masters, may prove to be an encouragement for others to become Rebels and Traytors in like manner against their Kings. For when amongst many thousands of Rebels, they see but few punished, the rest pardoned, and many of them fa­voured and preferred, why may not the seditions think, that [Page 82] they shall either prevail; or if miss of their enterprise, they may escape the fortune of those few that shall be punished, and be magnified like those that they do see thus rewarded?

3. For that this favouring and countenancing of those that have been Rebels and false, is a great offence and dis­couragement to those that have ever continued faithful and loyal, especially if they see themselves postponed and ne­glected.

And therefore the Kings and Princes that I told you of, thought it neither wisdom nor policy to regard and favour those, whom they pardoned for their treachery to their for­mer Princes, though they had done never so good service un­to themselves; and if all Kings did so, I believe fewer Tray­tors would spring up among the people.

And this appeareth plainly by our new Plotters of Rebellions and Treasons now amongst us in this Kingdom of Ireland; for who and what are they that doe thus murmur and mutter a­gainst both God and his Anointed, the King and his Lieutenant, the Church and Common-wealth? But those that have been members of the Beast, and limbs of the great Anti-Christ, the Rebels and Traytors that rose and warr'd, and some no doubt, but had their hands or fingers dipped deep in the bloud of that blessed Saint and glorious Martyr, our late most gracious King Charles the First: and having escaped their just deserved shame and death, and being so highly rewarded by their Grand Masters for their great wickedness, with the lands of the Irish, without distinction, whether they were bloudy Murderers and Rebels against their King, or innocent Papists, that were both loyal unto their King, and succourers of the Protestants, and now seeing the touchstone of truth and justice, rendring to every one his own, according to his merit, either of nocency or innocency, they stamp and stare, and being moved with madness, like boyes at blinde man­bu [...], they let fly their Arrows, even bitter words; nay, false scandalous, rebellious, and treacherous words against the King, against his Lieutenant, and against the peace and happiness of this whole Kingdom: they care not whom they traduce, so [Page 83] they may stir up the coals of contention, and move the discon­tented to a new Rebellion.

And what wayes do they take for this, but the very same which they had learned and practised before in England under the Long-Parliament.

1. To tax and to traduce the good King for doing that they know not, nor ever shall be able to prove that he did; but the Scots say that he did: and so they do say a thousand things more then I believe to be true: and they should believe nothing, e­specially what they know not, against their King, when as all other men, that are both wise and honest, can sufficiently an­swer and justifie all that ever his now Majesty did. And I, that am not worthy to be of his counsel, and to know the rea­sons of his actions; yet could shew you very just and sufficient reasons for every thing that ever I heard his Majesty did: and I would do it, but that Himself and his Council, I know, can justifie all his actions, with many far deeper reasons then I can dive into.

Therefore these very firebrands of sedition, knowing this, would a little excuse his Majesty, by laying the faults upon his Counsellors, that seduced him. And who are they? They speak in general, & in universalibus latet error; so did the long Parliament against our late King: there they learned their lesson, and they walk in the same paths. But the former Parliaments could name their names, the Duke of Bucking­ham: so can these men name the Duke of Ormond. And what hath he done? I observe two things that they charge him with.

1. To testifie what he knew to be truth, and these men con­ceived to be otherwise; A mighty fault! because they had not their eyes open to see the truth, his Grace offended to testifie the truth.

2. In obeying his Majesty's gracious goodness, by relieving those that were necessitous, and perhaps, for ought that they know, had done his Majesty very good service, and, for ought that we know, had done no injury to any of our men; and this is a sin unpardonable with these uncharitable men. I, but [Page 84] they will say, by relieving these he lets the Army starve: and I demand, what Subject ever did pawn his own lands, melt his own plate, lay out his own moneys to relieve the King's Ar­mies, and to shew himself, I will not say more faithful, but I say, neer so faithful to his King, and so bountiful a bene­factor and friend to all the King's loyal Subjects, as the Duke of Ormond hath alwayes been? I must, and ever will, with all thankfulness acknowledge it; when the long Parliament and their whelps had robbed me of all that I had, all the re­lief and subsistence, which I had from all the friends in the world, was that bountiful gift, which this noble Duke sent me by Sir George Lane: And I could name the many many more, to whom his Grace did the like; And are these things, faults worthy to be reproved? And I am sure he hated the Rebellion, and disowned the Rebels of this Nation as much or more then any man: and would you have him to be an enemy to the postnati, and a stranger to the innocent? God hath made him a more honourable, and a more gracious man.

I, but we are not yet come to the quick the English inte­rest, by the favour of the Duke unto the Irish and the Judges of the Court of Claim, is much shaken, and is like to be dis­membred and left inanimate.

But would you have the English interest to continue, be it right or wrong? or would you have it so to continue, that God might bless it, and it to prosper? If so, then let it be rooted in justice and established in truth; or otherwise, the breath of the Lord will scatter it, and the wrath of God will soon destroy it; and instead of blessing, will, as Jacob said, bring the curse of God upon you and your Posterity. And you might see if you had your eyes open, the great care of my L Duke, and the great pains and diligence of the Court of Claim, to search out the truth of every cause, that the inno­cent should not be made guilty, nor the nocent carry away the victory. And what more would you have done?

Yet, as I said before, they that have learned the way to be Rebels, do know the way to be rebellious still.

But especially because Rebels and Traytors have had their Presidents and examples to chalk and tread out the desperate pathes of treachery and rebellion unto them; because, as the Poet saith; ‘Nullum caruit exemplo nefas,’ You cannot easily name the wickedness, that I can not parallel with the like example, as, If Alexander and Holophernes were drunk, so was Noah long before them; If Oedipus commit­ted incest with Jocasta, so did Lot commit incest with his own daughters, and if Polynices kill'd his own brother Eteocles; so did Alexander Caracalla kill his own brother Getha, Romu­lus killed Remus, and Cain his onely brother Abel.

And so the men that became Rebels and Traytors unto their King, and murderers of their Brethren here amongst us, may alledge, they are not the first that rebelled; but they can name enough that murdered their oppressors, which they onely inten­ded to do: and they can cite you great Massacres, and the rooting out of many Potentates, that Lorded and domineer­ed over the poor people; as the massacres in France, the Cici­lian Vespers, the treachery of Mithridates, and the subjects of Pontus, that conspired together, to destroy all the Romans, that were dispersed over all the Kingdom of Pontus; so the Saxons became treacherous, and the murderers of all the Bri­tish Lords, on Salisburie-plain: and they say the Irish did the like, to eradicate the Daues out of this Kingdom: and they have done no more unto their Oppressours.

But to answer these subtle Pleaders; for the defence, or lessen­ing of their sinful mischief, by the example of others wicked­ness, I say,

1. That no example can any ways excuse wickedness, but rather aggravates the sin; that the sight of others falling into the ditch, should teach us to beware of the like fall; yea, [Page] though we should have never so many examples of any evil-doing, yet we ought not to follow them; because the Lord tells us plainly, We ought not to follow a multitude to do evil; and it is our duty, not to do what others do, but what God commands us, and all others to do.

2. I say, that herein, hîc hîc caruit exemplo nefas, those two fold treachery and rebellion,

• 1. Of the late English-Scotizing Rebels, And,
• 2. Of the bloody Irish murderers,

can not be fitted with any Presidents. nor parallel'd out of any Histories.

I do assure you, that I have read as many English, Greek, and Latin Histories, as well I could; yet in all the Histories that I have read, I do profess unto you, I never found so much cruel subtlety, and such infernal impiety, as I saw in the English Rebels; nor so much ingratitude, inhumanity, and cruelty, as we read in Sir John Temples Book, was acted in the Irish Insurrection, if you will afford it no worser name; for,

1. Touching the English and Scotish Rebellions; first for their subtlety; the subtle serpent devised not so many lies to de­ceive our forefathers, as they most impudently forged to de­stroy their own most Pious King, and all their Spiritual Fa­thers; so that all the Kings Declarations, all the Protestations of his friends and Councel, and all the Preaching of the most faithful and Orthodox Preachers, could not undeceive the se­duced giddie-headed people. And,

2. For their impiety; it is most certain, and beyond compa­rison, that there was not ever a greater wickedness commit­ted, [Page] then the crucifying of the Son of God; but besides the many parallels, betwixt those Jews, and these Rebels, exceed­ing all impiety; the malicious prosecution, and the violent persecution of these rebels against our late King, and the hel­lish manner of compassing his death, and killing him, went be­yond all the wickedness of those wicked Jews. For.

1. The Jews knew him not, 1 Resp. Act. 13.27.17. nor yet the voices of the Pro­phets, as the Apostles testifie in many places; and Christ him­self saith, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do: and they knew him not to be their King; for the Romans had long reigned over them, and he had refused to be made King; but the long Parliament knew Charles the first, and knew him well enough to be their own indubitable, just, and lawful King. And therefore they fought for the King and Parliament, such a cheat, and such a riddle as you never read the like; and yet a very true one, as true as Samsons riddle, if you understand it right; for they fought for the King to destroy him, that i [...], for the Kings destruction; and they fought for the Parlia­ment, to make them absolute Lords, to reign and rule as Kings. The Jews never had such wit.

2.2. Resp. The Jews put Christ to death more for fear then for hate; for, Venient Romani, was the spur that pricked them for­ward to destroy Christ, lest the Romans should come, and take away their rule, and destroy their religion; but not the fear of any strange Nations coming to reign and rule over them; but inveterate malice to the King, and the height of ambition to rule, and to become as Kings themselves, made the late Rebels to destroy the Vice-Roy of Christ.

3. The Jews dismembred not our Saviour; for,3 Resp. not a bone of him was broken, not the least limb of him was taken away; but those Butchers brake, and cut off the head of him, that was their head, and the head of us all; and they did so many o­ther such tragick-acts, that, while I was writing the great [Page] Antichrist, I often conceived, that if Beelzebub, out of all the choisest Varlets, and most transcendent Villains, that from the beginning of the World he had collected to be his own cabinet-companions, he had picked out a pack of rebels, and had sent them unto us, they would have become short of those bloody murderers of our late gracious King: because, that as Satan himself, so the Instruments of Satan, by experience, and the length of time, do grow subtler and subtler, and are still better and better inabled, to commit the greater wickedness.

And how a greater wickedness could be committed, then that so good, so pious, and so excellent a Prince as King Charles the first, should be withstood, rebelled against, betrayed, deserted by his English, Scottish, and Irish subjects, (excepting a few noble Lords, and others) that stuck unto him, and so cruelly bemangled him to death, it makes me silent and dumb, that I know not what to say, but to pray to God that this great wickedness be not yet laid to our charge.

And Secondly; For the Irish Rebellion, it was beyond ex­ample; I say, that in many particulars their ingratitude was beyond all parallel; for other Nations, as the subjects of the King of Pontus, and the like, that rebelled and murdered all the Romans in their dominions, and those Irish that rooted out the Danes, had some kind of colour to do the same; be­cause their domineering Lords were aliens, and oppressed them beyond measure, as the Philistins did the Israelites, and kept them as slaves under them; but the late Irish Rebels were Peers, and as the chief Lords of the kingdom, and such inter­change of marriages, betwixt the English, British, and Irish, and such mutual pledges of love, amity, and familiarity be­twixt them, that there could not be the least suspicion of the least distast amongst them.

And besides all this, though there were some penal Statutes made against them; yet they were for the most part suffered to lie asleep, and covered over with many kindnesses: and they themselves permitted, as God said of Adam, to become as one of us, and as Q. Dido said of the Trojans, [Page] ‘Tros, Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur.’ We made no difference of any priviledge amongst us. And therefore,

What a horrible ingratitude was it then for such men to rise, and to rebel, and so maliciously to intend, so inhumanely, so barbarously, and so cruelly to root out, and to destroy their Neighbours, Friends, and Allies?

And especially, to plot such a mischievous act, as they intended so subtly, so secretly, and so universally as they did? For what created power under heaven is able to dissolve that villany, and to evade that mischief, which subtlety, power; and cruelty have combined and confederated to bring to pass? Surely we may most justly take up the words of the Psalmist, and say, If the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may England say, Ps. 124.1. If the Lord himself had not been on our side, when these men rose up against us, it had not failed, but that they had swallowed us up quick, and we had been utterly destroyed, when they were so wrathfully displeased at us.

And this his being on our side, is not to be understood of an ordinary manner, and common providence, which ruleth and di­sposeth all things wisely, but of a special providence in an ex­traordinary manner, and a signal favour towards us; which the Lord hath shewed three special times in our days, and to our people, As,

1. In the reveiling of the Gunpowder-plot, when as flos & medulla regni, the King and all his Peers, the flower and mar­row of the kingdom should have been blown up, and all de­stroyed, uno ictu, in one twinckling of an eye.

2. In the discovery of this Irish machination, and desperate [Page] intention of these Rebels, which had got into this City; and had gotten their ends, had not our good God set a hook in their nostrils, and said unto them, as he saith unto the Sea, Hitherto shalt thou go and no further, here shalt thou stay thy proud waves; and out of his special providence, sent one, in a strange manner, out of themselves, to discover them unto our Governours.

3. In the dividing and scattering both of the English, and the Irish Rebels, and the bringing in of our most gratious King unto us, so peaceably, so quietly, and in a manner so miraculously, sine sanguine, sine strepitu, to the joy and comfort of us all. For these things above all the rest of Gods mercies, are special acts of Gods provi­dence, and such as any one, that, like these Beasts, hath his eys behind him, might see, and say, Digitus Dei erat hîc, here,Why God brought things thus to pass. in all these things, no humane art, but the very hand of God brought them all to pass.

And God brought them thus to pass, for these two special ends.

1. For the deliverance of his servants, and all faithfull people, to incite them for ever, to become thankful unto him, for such unspeakable and extraordinary favours.

And truly, if God commanded the Israelites to observe the feast of Passover in remembrance of their Deliverance from Pharaohs bondage, and their passage through the red sea, and doth so exceedingly blame them, that they had so soon forgot his works, and were not mindfull of his covenant but had forgot God their Saviour, that had wrought such great things in Egypt, wonderous things in the land of Ham, and fearful things by the red-sea; and if the Jews upon the command of Hester and Mordechai did, throughout all their generations, Hes [...]er [...].27.31 observe the feast of Purim, the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the moneth Adar; and Christ himself observed the same, in remembrance of their [Page] deliverance from the treachery of Haman, then certainly we have great reason to observe this twenty third day of October, in remembrance of our great deliverance, and to shew our thankefulness unto God throughout all generations, for that de­liverance from those bloody massacres that were intended a­gainst us, and it should be a day of rejoycing, and of feasting, and of relieving the poor, as were the days of Purim, and especially, seeing it cannot be imagined what miseries and calamities might have succeeded, if they had prevailed.

2. God discovered these secret Plots, and Treacheries of the Rebels, and effected these wonderful things, not onely, for our sakes, or onely to get thanks and praise for the deliverance of us his servants; but also to get honour and glory unto him­self, as he faith of Pharaoh, by the punishment and destructi­on of his Adversaries. And that the punishment and rooting­out of Rebels, and Traytors, might be a preservative to deterr all others from plotting rebellions, and treason against their King, or any other mischief against their Neighbours.

And therefore, if men will needs be seditious and rebellions, I would they were like these beasts full of eyes behind them, that they might see, and seriously consider, how the just God doth reward, and punish, and plague these perfidious, and perjured Villains, and how most wise men deem and deal with them, no otherwise, but as Neclas did with Duringus, and the other wise Kings and Princes did with those perfidious, and perju­red Rebels, that I told you of before.

And the reason why they did so, was, because they found it unanswerably true, that the best way to secure their peace, and to establish them in their dominions, is to destroy, and to root out rebels, and traytors out of their territories.1 Sam. 6.5. & 19.23. 1 Reg. 1.19. For you may read how Shimei became a rebel against King David, and how King David pardoned him: Yet he bids King Solo­mon to bring his hoary-head to the grave with blood, and saith For thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do un­to [Page] him; and was not David so? Yes, and it was wisdom and mercy in David, at that time, to spare him; but now he tells Solomon, That when time serveth, it should be neither wis­dom nor policy in him to spare him; but his wisdom should teach him to destroy him; because it is an old Axiom, that, Qui malus est, in eodem genere mali, semper praesumitur esse ma­lus; and experience hath very often found it to be very true, that an oppressor, drunkard, or rebel, can as hardly leave his drunkenness, or rebellion, as an Ethiopian can change his black skin, or a leopard his spots that are upon his back, as saith the Pro­phet Jeremy.

Therefore Solomon tells him, that whensoever he goeth out of Jerusalem, he shall die: And at the end of three years, two of his servants ran away to Gath, and he, like an asse, sadleth his asse, and followeth after them; then Solomon tells him of his wickedness against King David, V. 44. and commands Benaiah the son of Jchoiada, which fell upon him that he died.

V. 46.And then it is added in the text, And the Kingdom was e­stablished in the hand of Solomon. And was it not established be­fore? yes, three full years at least: but never so absolutely, and so surely, as now this old rebel is taken away: For though he was the first that submitted himself to King David, yet it was very likely, or at least suspicious, that his malice and rebelli­still lurked in his heart, as fire under the ashes, till they found opportunity to break out; and so it may be with all others the like rebels whatsoever.

And therefore if men will be rebellious, it is wisdom and po­licy,1 Reg. 2.12. for the establishment of Kingdoms, to keep Soldiers, and Garrisons, to keep them under, in ore gladii, till all the old rebels be quite destroyed and extinguished.

And if men complain of burthens and taxes, and impositions; let them blame themselves, and those rebels that caused them, and the rebellions dispositions of them, that may be justly sus­pected to be the obstacles of peace, and tranquillity.

But if they will needs charge our good King and the Duke's Grace for any fault, let them do it for their being too mercy­full and milde, in suffering them and others that are like them, to live, that had so justly deserved to dye; and espe­cially if they would suffer them to enjoy the Lands of the Church, and the Possessions of them that are innocent.

3. The next reigning sin, that spreads it self amongst men,3 Injustice. is injustice: and I wish we would cast our eyes behinde us, to see how God hateth, and hath plagued this monstrous vice, which bringeth forth so many pernicious effects, and destroy­eth all the duties of honesty. The wise Solomon saith, That oppression maketh a wise man mad; Prov. 7.7. and oppression is but one branch of injustice: and therefore injustice is far worse then any oppression. For if justice be such a general virtue, as A­ristotle saith, that he which hath it, hath all other virtues; then certainly, he that is unjust must be filled with an huge heap of vices, when as this is such a cardinal sin, as never walks alone. And therefore as Justice exalteth a Nation; so Injustice translateth a Kingdom from one Nation to another peo­ple, as it did the Monarchy of the Assyrians unto the Medes, and that of the Medes and Persians unto the Grecians. And it pulleth down the wrath and vengeance of God, not onely upon the person that is unjust, and doth injustice; but also up­on the heads, many times, of all his posterity: as, for the Injustice done to Naboth, God destroyed Ahab, Ahab. and rooted out his whole off spring. And I could spend my whole hour in examples of this kinde, but I will content my self with two or three. As,

1. Of Ferdinando the fourth King of Casti [...]e, Ferdinando. who did most unjustly condemn two Knights to death; and one of them cryed, "O thou unjust Judge, we do cite thee to appear within thirty dayes before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ, to receive judgement for thine injustice; and so upon the last of those days he dyed, to receive his sentence according to his summons. And one Lapparel, a Provost of Paris, Lapparel. caused a poor man, that was prisoner in the Chastilet, to be executed by giving him the name of a rich man, who being guilty and [Page 86] condemned, was set at liberty in the place of the poor man: but the just judgment of God discovered his injustice, and be­ing accused and condemned, he was hanged for his labour; and so Philip King of Macedon was killed by Pausanias a mean Gentleman,Philip Macedo. Demetrius. because he denied to do him justice against Antipater that had wronged him; and Demetrius for throw­ing the petitions of his subjects into the River, and denying to do them justice they all forsook him, and Pyrrhus took away his Kingdome. And many other men I could name to you, that their injustice hath undone them.

And therefore all men should take heed of committing this horrible sin of injustice, either by doing wrong, or denying right unto others.

The injustice of some Judges.And yet I am ashamed to speak it, though I shall not be affraid to write it, how gravely some Judges have sate upon the seat of judgment to pronounce unrighteous judgments, and think to cover all their iniquity with the fig-leaves of the formalities of their Lawes to overthrow the reality of justice.

Oh beloved, Monstrum horrendum ingens est, it is a most horrible thing to have injustice done from the seat, and from the Ministers of justice; when a man is apparently wronged, oppressed, and expulsed out of house and home, and shall with a deale of travel and a great deale of expences come to a Court of justice to be righted, and instead of being redressed, he shall see there scelus sceleribus tectum, his former wrongs finely handled and loaded with far greater wrongs. Do you think that this is well pleasing unto God, or that such injustice shall escape unpunished? no, no; for they shall finde that there is a God which judgeth the earth, and that his judgment will be ac­cording to truth, without partiality, either to Jew or Gentile, which here among men I see is not so.

But as I read that Diogenes seeing some petty thieves led to the place of execution laughed exceedingly, and being demand­ed why he laughed? he answered to see the great thieves lead the little thieves to the Gallowes: so if he should see men forcibly expelled out of their possessions, and the forcible en­trers [Page 87] legally acquitted; or if he should see the poor Irish Catho­licks driven out of house and home, either because they were Irish rebels which justly deserved it, or because they were Romish Catholicks, which should not therefore be destroyed; and should see the great English Sectaries (that had been great­er rebels) countenanced and magnified, and to injoy the others Lands and Livings: would he not laugh at this justice? which is just like that which we read of in l. 1. of Philip Commines when Charelois lost the Feild, and his Captains, and their Troopers fled away, he gave the offices and places of them that fled ten leagues to those that had fled twenty leagues beyond them.

Therefore I say to you, whom God and the King have made Judges of these things for the settlement of this King­dome; As you have done hitherto, so still ride on with your ho­nour and have no respect of Persons, nor of Nation, nor of Re­ligion: but do that which is just and righteous in the sight of God, and as God hath blest you and preserved you hitherto, so he will still bless you and preserve you for evermore.

And for the preservation of better justice then I see in many places, I shall speak more of it in another place, and after ano­ther manner; for you may be sure, that Kingdome shall never be happy, where oppression is frequently used, and iniquity protected by injustice, and especially by the Courts of Justice. And therefore to the end that true justice might be truly ob­served, I could wish the Parliament would make some Acts & Lawes against many abuses practised by some cunning Law­yers in the very Courts of Justice;The abuse of some cunning Lawyers in quashing of Indictments. and especially against the frequent and abusive quashing of Indictments, which is a sin of no slender malignity. [...]or when a poor man far from the fountain is by violence oppressed, and he indicts his oppressors, then presently comes a Certiorari and removes it to the Kings Bench, and there the Lawyers are so skilfull in the tricks and quiddities of the Law and the Cases of John A-Nokes and John A-Stiles, that they say there can hardly be any indictment framed, but they are able to finde a flaw to quash it, which I was told by great Lawyers. And what a wrong is this to his [Page] Majesty in his fines? what an injury to the poor men that are oppressed, and what incouragement to all those wicked men that are so ready to offer all violence unto their neighbours which are not able to indict the same offendors three or four times over, till they shall finde a man able to draw a fault­less indictment.

And if this be not a greivous greivance worthy to be re­dressed, if you desire the preservation of justice, judge you. And therefore it were good that some better way were devised for the framing of Indictments or the not quashing of them so easily and so frequently as they are reported to be.

4. Sacriledge.4. The last frequent sin that I shall at this time desire you to cast your eyes behinde you, to behold Gods detestation of it, and his punishments that he poureth out upon the offenders, is sacriledge, which is the taking away and with-holding of those Revenues which God hath appointed, and godly men have de­dicated for the maintenance of Gods service, and the religion of Jesus Christ, and so the robbing of God himself, both of his honour and service: a sin so general, that the custome of it hath quite taken away the sense of it, and men think it to be no sin at all.

But I know what some may here say, that now I plead mine own cause.

1 Sam. 12.3.I will briefly answer as Samuel did unto the people, and I say, that I sued indeed for the Church right: but I testifie before the Lord, and your Grace, and you All, that I did it not to inrich my self; for I thank God I have enough both for my self and my relation, wife, children and friends: but I did it for the right of the Church, and I resolved and vowed that whatsoever I recovered, I would by the grace of God wholly bestow it upon the reparation of the Church; so that recovering it I should be not one penny the richer, and loosing it, not one penny the poorer. And I desired nothing but what I conceived to be the right of the Church, because I know God loves not to be honoured with unjustly gotten goods.

But now finding that as the Prophet saith, I have laboured in vain, and I have spent my strength for nought; and seeing [Page] the partiality and injustice of men, I will with patience submit my self to that strength which is beyond my ability to oppose, and study to serve my God another way: because I see that as David saith, the sons of Zervia are too strong for me, because we that were faithfull to our King were fleec'd and bare­shorne, and left poor and beggarly, and they that served the Beast and adheared to the long Parliament, and were arrant rebels against our late good King, have got all our Lands and our Monies to make friends withall, and to keep us still under hatches: and so though nos fuimus Troes, yet now they are the men, and without envy, let then enjoy their prosperity, so they forsake their iniquity, and repent them of their former impiety.

And so desiring you to bear with this my just defence, I shall proceed in this discourse, for none other end but to dis­charge mine own duty, and for the good of your souls, to a­void the just wrath of God for a sin so highly displeasing unto God; and to that purpose I shal desire you to read the 2 Mac. c. 3. where you shall finde how that when Simon the mu­tinous traitor both to God and his Country, had informed Seleucus King of Asia, of the riches and the treasure of the Church of Hierusalem, and incited him to seize upon it, and he had sent Heliodorus his treasurer to fetch it, and Heliodo­rus came like a Fox, pretending it was to visit and to reform the disorders of Phoenice and Caelosyria, but Onias the high Priest perceiving that the goods of the Church was his errand, his countenance was quite cast down, and the people not endu­ring sacriledge, ran some to the Temple, some to the City Gates, and some gadded up and down the streets as frantick men, like Bacchus froes, and all lifted up their hands and eyes and voices unto God for the defence of his Church, and God heard their cry and did help them. For,

Heliodorus was no sooner entred into the treasury, to take away the spoile, but there appeared to him a terrible man in compleat armour of gold, mounted upon a barbed horse that ran very fiercely at the Kings Treasurer, and trampled him un­der-foot; and withall, there appeared two other men of most [Page] excellent beauty and strength, whipping him so, that he was carried out of the place speechless, and without any hope of life, untill God restored him upon the earnest prayer of the Priest and people.

And to let you see how dangerous a sin is sacriledge to rob the Church,Act. 5.5. the end of Ananias and Sapphira can bear witness; for though their death was the punishment of their lying: yet all must grant they were drawn to that sin by the cord of sa­criledge. And if a greedy desire of with-holding that from the Church which themselves had given, was sufficient to open such a window unto the Devil that he came presently to cast them as a prey to the Jaws of Hell; how many foule sins do they commit, and how many greivous plagues may they fear to fall upon their heads, which take away from the Church, that which they never gave?

Gen. 47.22. & v. 26.And you may remember, that when Egypt in the time of Joseph felt so extreme a famine, that the fift part of the Land was sold to releive the Land; yet the Patriarch in all the care that he had both of the Country and of the King, to succour the one and to enrich the other, never attempted the sale of the Lands of the Priests, nor once to diminish any jot thereof. And if the holy man in so great an extremity, never ventured to take away the possessions of the Idolatrous Priests, though it were to the releif of a whole Kingdome, I wonder with what face dares any man in the world curtal the maintenance of Gods Church, and take away those Lands and houses that by religious Princes and other pious men have been consecra­ted to Gods service. But, ‘Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.’ You might be happy, if you would cast your eyes behinde you, and by the examples of Gods judgments upon other sacrile­gious persons learn to escape the punishments of sacriledge, be­cause they are all written for our instruction. And we read that Celce, the Constable of Gertrund King of Burgundy, having, under the authority of the King his Master, enriched himself, [Page] and enlarged his Territories with the Goods and Lands of the Church, and being one day in the Church at his Devotion, and hearing the words of the Prophet, that proclaimed a woe to them that joyn house to house, and land to land, he suddainly shricked in the Congregation, and cried out, This is spoken to me, and this curse is upon me and upon my Posterity; and so afterwards died most miserably. And we read in the Annals of France, that although Lewis the Sixt, surn [...]med the Great, was once the Protectour of the Church, and had caused the Count de Claremont, the Lord de Roussi and other great men, that had pillaged the Bishopricks, to restore their robbe­ries unto the Church again; yet in his old age when he be­gan to pull the Church, he was sufficiently punished for it, by the suddain death of his Eldest Son, which was indeed the ve­ry staffe of his age, though he was urged unto it with ex­treme necessity: They that would see more examples of this kinde, let them look into my Declaration against Sacriledge, and Doctor Saravia's vindiciae sacrae, translated into English by James Martyn.

And if for all this, men will needs have the portion of Gods Church, let them eat it with that sauce, which God hath pre­scribed in Psal. 83. and which like the Ieprosie of Gehezi, wil stick to them and their Posterity for evermore.

3.3. Why these beasts were full of eyes be­fore. As you heard that these Beasts were full of eyes within and behinde; so they were full of eyes before: and so should we be. And that is to behold and see.

• 1. Praesentia, the things that are present.
• 2. Futura, the things that are to come and must come.

1.1. To behold the things that are present. As, 1. The vanity of all things. For the present things I shall onely leave to your con­sideration,

• 1. The vanities of this life. And,
• 2. The uncertainty of our state.

And touching the first, Saint Augustine saith most truly, Si quid arrisisset prosperum, taedebat apprehendere; quia prius­quam pene teneretur, avolabat, if any prosperous thing in this world did seem to smile and offer it self unto me, I was loath to take it, because that before I could scarce enjoy it, it was presently snatched from me. For,

1. Friends are like the waters of Tenia sliding away, and turning as the wheele of your fortune turneth.

2. Riches, saith the wise man, betake themselves to their wings as an Eagle, and the sea can drown it, fire consume it, servants waste it, and thieves bereave us of it.

Prov. 23.5.3. Honour is but Vertues shadow, a winde that maketh fooles to swell, but cannot satisfie any wise man.

4. Beauty is such a thing, as the Daughters of Vanity can tell you that the Sun will tanne it, a scarr will blemish it, sick­ness waste it, and age consume it away, as we read fair Helen wept when she saw the wrinckles of her old face, which all your black patches cannot make young.

5. And for our Health, which is the greatest happiness in this life, we see mans body is subject to a thousand diseases, fraught with frailties within, wrapped in miseries without, uncertain of life, and sure of death.

And so all the things of this world are but like the Apples of Sodome, pleasant to the eyes, and provoking to the appetite; but vanishing into smoak when they are touched with the teeth.

And therefore our whole life is but painted over, as some Ladies do their faces, with vain semblances of Beauty and Plea­sure; and it is attended on the one side with whole troopes of sorrows, sicknesses, wants and discontents; and on the other side with uncertainty of continuance and certainty of dissolu­tion. And,

2. The uncer­tainty of our state. Rom. 9.21.2. For our state, all is in the hand of God, as the clay is in the hand of the Potter, who can of the same lumpe make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour; and the Heathens conceived all was at the disposing of fortune, which they ac­cording to their ignorance, took for God, and said, ‘[Page]—Te facimus fortuna Deam.’ When they saw that, as the Poet saith, ‘Ʋna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit:’ The same hand that hath cast us down can raise us up: and the same God that raised us to honour, can bring us down to the dust; and can either prolong our dayes, or cut them off at his pleasure.

And who then would not serve such a Master, and be af­fraid to offend such a Lord, as hath our life, our wealth, and our woe in his own hands and at his own disposing? O con­sider this all you that forget God, and think of it, lest he take you away, and tear you all to pieces: or if this cannot move you to fear God. Then,

2. Cast your eyes before you, 2. To look unto the things that are to come. to look unto the things that are to come, and must fall upon the world: and they are many, but especially and inevitably these four.

• 1. Death.
• 2. Judgement.
• 3. Heaven.
• 4. Hell.

And these are quatuor novissima & terribilissima, the four last things, and the most terrible things that can be to all wicked men to think of them; and they may serve as four ex­cellent Preachers, to disswade and terrifie all men from evil, and to call them continually to the service of God. For the Son of Syrach saith, Whatsoever thou takest in hand, Eccles. 7.36. remember the end, and thou shalt never do amisse. And,

1. Death makes an end of our life,1. Of death. and before it shuts the eyes of our bodies, it commonly openeth the eyes of our con­sciences. And then every man shall see his owne state, though he seldome or never thought of the same before. For,

[Page] 1. The state of the wicked Revel. 12.12.1. The wicked man shall see all his sins set before his face, and Satan will now bestir himself to gain his soul; for he knoweth that his turn is short, and therefore he will tell him, that if he would have entred into life,Rom. 2.13. he should have kept the commandments, that not the hearers, but the doers of the Law shall be justified, that if the just shall scarce be saved, where shall he, being such a wicked wretch as he is, appear? when as the Apostle tells him plainly, that neither adulterer, nor for­nicator, nor covetous person, nor the like, Traytor, Rebel, Per­jurer,1 Cor. 6.9, 10. or such other, shall inherit the kingdome of God: and so what the Preachers of God now cannot beat into the thoughts of these careless men, this damned spirit will then irremovably settle in their deepest considerations.

O then what agonies and perplexities will tear the wofull hearts of these wicked men? In that day (saith the Lord) I will cause the Sun to go down at noon, Amos 8.9, 10. and I will darken the earth in the clear day, I will turn their feasts into mournings, and their songs into lamentations, that is, I will make all those things that were wont most sweetly to delight them, now most of all to torment them; for now that pleasure which they had of sin, shall turn to be as bitter as gall, when they do see, that as the Father saith, transit jucunditas non reditura, & manet anxie­tas non peritura, and now they must die, and live they can no longer; and Satan, whose will they did, and whose wayes they followed all their life, will not forsake them at their death, but will say, Me you have served, and from me you must expect your wages.

For so we read, that the Devil assailed some of the best Saints, as Saint Martin, Saint Bernard, Ignatius, Eusebius, and others; and if these things be done in a green tree, what shall be done in a withered, saith our Saviour? If he be so busie about the Saints, what will he do to sinners? And this is the state of a wicked man at his dying day.2. The state of the godly. But,

2. In the death of the godly it is not so; for having served God all his life, he hath hope in his death: and he knoweth not whom he needs to fear,Prov. 14.32. 2 Tim. 1.12. because he knoweth whom he hath believed: and when his body is weakest his faith is strongest: [Page] and therefore with Saint Paul, he desires to be dissolved, and he longs for death, that he may be with him which was dead, and is alive, and liveth for evermore: and he is well conten­ted, that his body shall go to the grave, that his soul may go to glory: and that his flesh shall sleep in the dust, that his spirit may rejoyce in heaven. And this is the state of the godly man at the day of his death.

And therefore, if men would seriously consider this before they come to this, then certainly the fear of the most fearful death of the wicked, and the love of the most comfortable death of the godly, would make them to have some care of a Godly life, and to repent them of their wickedness. And therefore well did Moses, and we with Moses, wish, that men would consider their latter end. And yet this is not the end of all; for after death comes judgement. And so,

Secondly,2 Judgment and that two sold. This judgement is either

• 1 Particular, or
• 2 General

1. As soon as ever the soul is parted from the body,1. Particular. before the body is laid in the grave, the soul of the wicked is fetched by the Devils, and carried into the place of torments, and the soul of the godly is received by the Angels into Abrahams bosom,Luke 16.22, 23. as our Saviour sheweth most plainly in the story of Dives and Lazarus. And

2 Because the whole world,2. General. both of men and Angels might see and approve the just judgement of God; and that the whole man, both body and soul might receive the full reward of their due deserts, the Lord hath appointed a day, saith the Apostle, in the which he will judge the world in righteousnes, Act. 17 31. that is, by Jesus Christ.

And this is that day, which Christ and his Apostles, and all the faithful preachers of Gods word, would have all men al­ways to remember, and to set it before their eyes. For so Saint Hierom saith, Whatsoever I doe, whether I eat or drink [Page] or whatsoever else I am about, me thinks I hear that dolefull voice of the Arch-angel sounding in mine eares, and saying, surgite mortui & venite ad judicium, arise you dead, and come to judgement, saith the Holy Father, I tremble all my body over; and so Felix, though he was but a Heathen, trem­bled,Act. 24.25. as Saint Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come. And so indeed, it should make any heart to tremble, that would seriously consider but these two things.

• Two things to be considered concerning this judgment.
  1 The manner of Christ his coming For,
• 2 The terror of his proceeding For,

First in that day, there shall be signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars, The Sun shall be darkned, the Moon shall not give her light, the Stars shall fall from the skies, and all the powers of heaven shall be moved, the Elements shall be dissolved with heat, and the earth shall be consumed with fire.

Whereby you may see, what a dreadful thing is sin; for what have these senseless creatures deserved, that they should be thus severely punished, and thus travel in sorrow and pain, but because they rose not up against us, when we rose up a­gainst God? He will therefore fight against them, because they did not fight against us, when we doe fight against him. And what a fearful contagion of sin is this, that subjecteth the very heavens unto vanity? And therefore most wretched are we, in whom dwelleth nothing else but heaps of sin and iniquity. But to go on.

The distress of Nations how great.Then the distress of nations shall be great, and men shall wither away for fear (saith our Saviour) for when destructi­on shall be dispatched as a whirlwind, and God shall burn the earth, as Holophernes did the Countrey of Damascus, what fears think you, shall then affright the hearts of men, and what heapes of perturbations shall run upon the damned sort, when they shall see all these things playing their last act upon the fiery stage of this world.

And then they shall see the son of man cloathed with the clouds, as with a garment, riding upon the heavens,The glorious manner of Christ his coming. as upon an horse, and coming flying, as upon the wings of the wind, in the glory of his father with his Angels; and what manner of glory is that?

Moses tells you, that the Lord our God, is a God of Gods, Deut. 10. and a Lord of Lords, a great God, mighty and terrible, that accepteth no person, nor taketh reward: and Daniel descri­bing the great Majesty of God, saith, that his garments were as white as snow, the haires of his head like the purest wool, his throne like the fiery flame, and his wheeles like burning fire: Dan. 7.9, 10. and there issued forth a fiery stream and went out from before him; a thousand thousands ministred unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. And it is recorded of the Angels, that one of them slew all the first-born of Egypt in one night, and that another of them made such a havock in the army of the Assyrians, that, a hundred fourescore and five thou­sand of them were all slain in one night, and were laid on the ground, as corn by a sickle.

And if one Angel could do such Tragick feates,The great po­wer [...] the An­gels. what shall become of the enemies of God, and wicked men when Christ like a man of warr shall buckle his harness unto his side, and come in the glory of his Father, with so many myriads of hea­venly Angels attending him?

Eusebius Emysenus demandeth, Si talis & tantus sit ter­ror venientis, quis poterit terrorem sustinere judicantis? if his coming be such and so terrible, who shall be able to endure the terror of his judgement? And if the Israelites durst not abide his Majesty, when he came to deliver the Law, how shall the wicked abide and stand before him, when he com­eth to render vengeance unto them, for transgressing his Lawes?

And yet they must endure it, And it will be very terrible unto them. For

2. In that day (saith our Saviour) He, i. e. God shall send his Angels with the sound of Trumpets, and with a mighty cry, to raise the dead, and to gather together the Elect from [Page] the four windes, and from the one end of the world to the other, and to bring all men before the judgment seat of Christ; for I have sworn by my self, saith the Lord, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, Esay. 45.23. and shall not return, that every knee shall bow unto me, and not one man shall be hidden from my presence. Alas beloved, if all the bodies of one Army did lie naked upon one heap, what a ruthfull sight would it make? And what a spectacle then will that be, when so many myriads of men, like the sand of the Sea, shall stand quaking and trem­bling before the face of Christ? For,

Then their eyes shall be opened; and what shall the wicked see, but all things crying vengeance against them, for above them shall be an angry Judge, beneath them Hell like a boyling furnace, ready to receive them, on the right hand their sins accusing them,How the wicked shall be encompas­sed with mise­ries. on the left hand the devils ready to torment them, within them a guilty conscience like Prometheus vul­ture, continually gnawing them, without them all damned souls bewailing, and on every side the world burning.

O good God, what will these wicked wretched sinners do, being thus enclosed with such miseries? how can their hearts sustain these anguishes? Our Saviour tells us that they shall cry to the Mountains, that they would fall upon them, and so hide them from the face of Christ, but that cannot be; for then Satan will begin to play his part,How Satan will now play his part. and say, not bone Deus, O good God, to move him to clemency, but juste Judex, O just Judge, to sharpen him to severity: though these wretched men were thine by creation, yet now they are mine by trans­gression, and though thou hast suffered for them, yet I have beguiled them, for they have forsaken sacramenta tua, thy ho­ly sacraments, and they have followed blandimenta mea, my wicked allurements, they would not be perswaded by thy Preachers, but they would needs follow their own plea­sures.

And therefore, O thou just Judge, seeing they belong unto me, let them ev'n be condemned with me. So he that before seemed to be an Angel of light, is now become a Devil of dark­ness; he that inticed them to all vanities, will now bring [Page] them to all miseries; and he that in paradise would make them like Gods, doth now prove that he made them like devils: And so now he sheweth himself to be a devil indeed, and ne­ver so much a devil as now, or rather he seemeth now to be­come a Saint, because now he calls for justice.

Then the Lord will look upon them;How wrath­fully Christ will look up­on the wick­ed. but how shall they be able to endure his looks? for fire is kindled in his wrath, and it shall burne to the bottome of Hell; out of his mouth goe lamps, and sparks of fire leap out; out of his nostrils cometh smoak, as out of a boyling Caldron; his countenance will be so grim, his lips so burning, and his face so full of indignation, Job. 14.13. that the very Saints will be afraid of his looks, and holy Job crieth out, who shall hide me untill the anger of God passeth over? or as our last Translation hath it, O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldst keep me secret until thy wrath be past? Malach. 3.2. and the Prophet Malachy demandeth, who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiners fire which is the quintessence of fire, and like a Fullers sope which scoureth all things to the uttermost, and leaves no filth behinde it: and therefore how shall the wicked abide his looks? and if not his looks, how shall they abide his words? For now they shall hear that fearfull sentence pronounced a­gainst them, I lictor, liga manus, goe Satan thou executioner, binde those Kings in fetters, & those Nobles with links of iron, Ps. 149.8. and goe ye all, or depart ye accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and then they shall be adjudged to be cast into utter darkness, Matth. 25.41. where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is the doom of the ungodly.

But upon the righteous, and those godly men that served him, he wil look with such an amiable and chearful countenance that the very sight of it will banish away their fear, and reple­nish their hearts with joy and gladness; and he will say unto them, come ye blessed of my father, you have walked in my wayes, you were carefull of my service, How Christ will look up­on the righte­ous men that served him. you have suffered for my sake, and you have relieved and comforted my poor members; therefore be you cloathed in white robes, and re­ceive the Kingdome which was prepared for you before the be­ginning [Page] of the world. And this is the sentence of their absolu­tion,

Well then, if we were like these Beasts full of eyes before, to look, and to consider of these things now, before they come to pass, would it no whit move us to seek for the waies of god­liness? if not, I would they that regard it not, would look a little further and behold Gehinnon, the place where they shall be carried to be tormented. For,

3. The tor­ments of the wicked in Hell.3. The wicked being as I told you before, adjudged by God to receive their doom according to their desert, they shall be forthwith carried by the devils into a Lake or dark­some Vault that is in the midst of the earth, and which burn­eth with fire and brimstone for evermore. And there in that Lake their musick shall be horrours and howlings, their meat shall be balls of fire, their drink shall be fountains of tears di­stilling down alwayes from their eyes, their torments shall be intolerable, their time endless, and their companions devils: for as Saint Augustine saith, In inferno nec tortores deficient, nec torti miseri morientur, Aug. de tem­pore serm. 55. sed per millia millia annorum cruci­andi, nec tamen in secula liberandi, In Hell the tormentors shall never fail, nor faint to punish, nor the miserable wretch­es ever die, but for thousand thousands of years punished and never to be delivered; quia ibi erit semper velle quod nun­quam erit, Isidorus de summo bono, The perpetui­ty of their mi­series. and semper nolle quod nunquam non erit, for there shall be a will never satisfied, and a nill never gratified; ne­ver enjoying the ease they would, and ever suffering the pains they would not And if you dive into the depth of that dolefull Tragedy of miserable Dives, you shall see this truth more ful­ly confirmed. But,

4. The joyes of Heaven.4. On the other side, if you cast your eyes on the joyes of Heaven, you shall finde that neither eye hath seen, nor eare heard, nor heart of man can conceive how inestimable and un­expressable it is: for there our bodies shall be freed from all sorrowes, and all teares shall be wiped away from our eyes: and our mindes shall be satisfied with all the good that can be desired; for if thou wouldst have riches, riches and plente­ousness are in his house; if thou wouldst have pleasure, in his [Page] presence is fulness of joy, and at his right hand there is pleasure for evermore; if thou wouldst have life, he giveth thee a long life, even for ever and ever; and in brief, there is a freedome from all evil, and a full fruition of all good things. Most hap­py are they that shall be there.

And so you have heard of the four things that are before us, and that are so imminent, hanging over our heads, that we do not know how soon they may fall upon us. And therefore we should be full of eyes before us, that we might alwayes look for the coming of them before they come, that when they come, they may come to our comfort; for either the continual consideration of these things will keep us from the wayes of wickedness, or we are past all hope of true happiness, and we may be pitied but not helped.

And therefore let us all most earnestly and humbly pray to God to grant us these eyes with these beasts, continually to behold and to consider all these things, that we may escape the dreadful doom of the wicked, and attain to everlasting hap­piness through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and onely Saviour, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

THE FOURTH SERMON.

AFTER that the holy Evangelist had described these Beasts, he sets down their practice, and the exercise that they used. Touching which, we are to consider,

• 1. Their Constancy, They ceased not, or rest not day and night.
• 2. Their Harmony, saying, Holy, holy, holy, &c.

The which Harmony consisteth of six special parts. That is,

• 1. The mystery of the Trinity of persons, in the Ʋnity or one essence of the Deity.
• [Page]2. The sanctity, purity, and equity of God, in the word [...].
• 3. The power, authority, and dominion of God, in the word [...].
• 4. The knowledge, sight, and providence of God, in the word [...].
• 5. The strength and omnipotence of God, in the word [...].
• 6. The continuance and eternity of God, in the words [...].

And these six Points cannot well and fully be explained by any humane wit; they all and every one of them being, as God is, ineffable and incomprehensible.

And therefore (as Synefius saith) as the Geographers use to draw the great Ʋniverse and Compass of the world in a lit­tle Map; so I can speak and express but very little of these great and unspeakable Attributes of the great God.

1. For their constancy in the service of God, it is said, they ceased not day nor night to sing this heavenly harmony, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, &c. and it was not weari­some unto them continually to praise his glorious Names, but it was rather their whole joy and felicity to glorifie their God, and to magnifie him for ever; for they are so satisfied with the sight of his presence, the beatical Vision of God, and so ravished with the love of his Majesty, that they can ne­ver leave to praise him.

And this should teach all the Saints of God to be like these beasts, and to do the like; to be never weary of well doing, but to be like King Therons Horses, that, as Pindarus saith, were never weary of running; so should the Servants of God be never weary of serving God, but to continue constant in the performance of the duties of their profession, night and day without ceasing; because, as St. Bernard saith,Bern. Epist. 129. Absque perseverantia, nec qui pugnat victoriam, nec victores pal­mam consequuntur, without perseverance and continuance in well doing; neither can they that fight obtain the victory, [Page] nor the Victors get the Garland of honour for to triumph: And St. Augustine saith, He doth not truly believe in Christ that doth not continue constant in his profession unto the end; Quia credere vere, Aug. tract. 106. in Joh. est credere inconcusse, firme, stabiliter, fortiter, ut jam ad propria non redeas & clam relinquas: because that to believe truly is to believe without wavering, firmly and strongly, so that you return not to your carnal and worldly desires, and leave the things of Jesus Christ.

And therefore the Prophet David, describing the blessed man,Psal. 1.1, 2. saith, He will not only withhold himself from walking in the counsel of the ungodly, and from standing in the way of sinners, and from sitting in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is also in the Law of the Lord, and in his Law will he exercise himself both day and night; and so the Lord saith un­to Joshua, Let not this Book of the Law depart out of thy mouth, but meditate therein both day and night, that thou mayst observe and do all according to that is written there­in.

Whereby you may see, that perseverance and continuance in Gods service, and preferring the duties of our calling, is not to be done by fits, but alwayes, and especially without ceasing,Alexand. Hal. secund. 2. in tract. de apostat without apostacy; which is Temerarius à statu fi­dei vel religionis recessus, a starting aside like a broken bow from that faith, obedience and profession, that we have for­merly made.

How men re­lapse from their duties.And such a one was Ammonius Alexandrinus the Master of Origen, that being bred a Christian from his childhood, and applying himself wholly to Philosophy, did quite forsake the orthodoxal Faith. And so Ecebelius at the first was a zealous Christian, and in the reign of Julian a great per­secutor of the Christians, and after his death he became a Christian again, and for his apostacy cried out, and casting himself to the ground at the Church-porch,Socrat. l. 3. c. 13. said, Calcate me salem insipidum: O tread upon me as upon unsavoury salt.

And how many men have we, that, like Ecebolius, were very loyal and faithful Subjects and good Protestants in the time of Charles the first: and when they saw the power of [Page] the Parliament increasing, they became arrant Rebels and Traytors against their King, and amphibolous in their Reli­gion; and within a while, when God did cut in pieces that g [...]rdian knot, and scattered those Rebels like a summers Cloud, Who seem more faithful to Charles the second then these Schollers of Ecebolius, that ever whirled with the strongest wind? and yet they do not with Ecebolius fall down to the earth, and cry out with him in true repentance, Cal­cute nos salem insipidum: but most of them jet it up and down in pride, and shew themselves rather like the Borussi­ans, that being perswaded by Boleslaus Crispus King of Po­land, to imbrace the Christian faith,What the Bo­rus [...]ians did Cromerus lib. 6. within a while after re­nounced the same, and told their Prince, Se omnia ejus impe­rata, excepta religione, facturos, they would be obedient to him in all things, but only in the profession of his Religion: for so these men profess themselves now, to be good Subjects, but they cannot endure our Ecclesiastical discipline, and our Church service.

And therefore seeing many men do relapse with the Borus­sians from the true profession of faith, or serve God by fits, like those that are taken with the fits of an Ague, or be like the Laodiceans, neither hot nor cold: and that we ought to be like these beasts, serving God, and discharging our du­ries without ceasing; it behoveth us to preach in season and out of season, and to do as we are required by the Lord him­self, Cry aloud, & ne cesses, and give not over, but lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions, Esay 58.1. and the house of Jacob their sins; that is, as well the great sins of the great men, and the nobility of the house of Ja­cob, as the ordinary sins and transgressions of the common people.

And because I know no sins that are greater,Which are the great sins, that do most mis­chief. and more pernicious to the publick good, and so destructive both to the Church and Commonwealth, as Rebellion, Sacriledge, and Injustice; for that Rebellion, Turbabit faedera mundi, shakes the foundations, and ruinates whole Kingdomes; and Sacriledge is the destruction of all Religion: when as the [Page] props and pillars of Job's house,Job 1.19. Judges 16.29. & 30. and so of the Philistines al­so, being taken away, the houses presently fell; so the maintenance of Religion, and the revenues of the Church, being the only outward props and pillars of Religion, Sub­latis his religio perit, when you take away these, you may shake hands with your Religion, and your Churches shall be, as they are in most places here in Ireland, weeping and wailing for want of roofs, which is the fruit of Sacriledge; of which I may truly say, as St. Hierom doth against Vigilant. Fatebor dolorem meum, sacrilegium tantum patienter audire non possum, in Epist. 53. ad Riparium: And Injustice, espe­cially when it proceedeth from the Seat, and from the Courts of Justice, and the Judges of the Law, destroyeth all the duties of honesty, and overthroweth all civil Societies, and causeth Kingdomes to be translated from one Nation to ano­ther People; as that of the Assyrians was to the Medes and Persians; that of the Persians unto the Grecians; that of the Grecians unto the Romans; and that of the Romans unto the Gothes and Vandals, when their Judges became corrupt, and the companions of thieves, as the Prophet Esay speak­eth.

The Authors resolution.And therefore as I hate and abhorr these sins above all other publick sins whatsoever, so for Sion sake I will not hold my peace; I cannot choose, nor cease to cry out against all Rebels, and Church-robbers, and unjust Judges, until they do cease to commit these sins, or my mouth be filled with dust; but while I am able to utter forth my voice, or have means to prosecute my purpose, I will never desist, but do the uttermost of my power to hinder any man that hath been a Rebel, and fought under the great Antichrist, and the grand Usurper Cromwell, against that gratious King whom they have murdered, to hold the Revenues of the Church, and to obstruct the Service of Jesus Christ; be­cause,How to serve God day and night may be two wayes in­terpreted. like these beasts, we ought to be as Lions, and to do our duties without fear, without ceasing, and to do it, as my Text saith these beasts did it, day and night. And this phrase may admit a double exposition; and that is,

[Page]1.1. Interpre­tation. In the sun-shine of knowledge and the glorious light of the Gospel, signified by the day; or in the glimmering light of the Moon, and darksome ignorance of superstition, sig­nified by the night, they ceased not, and gave not over to praise God, and to serve him to the utmost of their abi­lities.

And they that do so,Faithful igno­rance prefer­red before proud and fruitless knowledge. God will accept of their faithful ser­vice and praises of him in their invincible ignorance, and the night time of superstition, far better then the proud con­tempt and careless neglect of our duties in the height of our knowledge, and the clear day-light of the Gospel, when men know their Masters will and do it not: in which case St. Augustines judgement is most certain, that Melior est fi­delis ignorantia quam temeraria scientia, their zealous igno­rance will find more favour at the hands of God, then the others careless and fruitless knowledge, unless it be the fruits of sin and iniquity. Aud therefore I doubt not, but our Forefathers, that lived in the dayes of ignorance and super­stition, and in their zeal built the Churches of God, and endowed them with maintenance for Gods service, will rise in judgement against our Gnosticks, that in the abundance of knowledge do overthrow the Churches, and suppress the service of God, and withal rob Christ of his garment, to give it, you know to whom the Evangelist saith it fell by lot, I hope we will not do the like.

2. This their not ceasing to praise God day and night,2. Interpreta­tion. may be understood of their constancy and perseverance in the faith and the service of God, both in prosperity and ad­versity; the Day signifying the joyous time of our prosperity, and the Night signifying the sad and grievous times of our adversity.

And there have been alwayes too too many men,How many men use to serve God. John 6.26. Psal. 4 8. Job 1.10. that as the Jews followed Christ, not because they saw his miracles, but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled, so do they freely praise God, while their Corn, and Wine, and Oyl increaseth: and, as the Devil falsly said of Job, while God doth make an hedge about them, and about their houses, [Page] and about all that they have on every side, and blesseth the work of their hands, and their substance is increased in the land; they will serve the Lord; and yet, as the Lord com­plaineth of them, In tempore tribulationis recedunt à me, when God putteth forth his hand and toucheth all that they have, to try them, as he tried Abraham; then will they start aside like a broken bow, deny their faith, and be ready to curse God to his face.

Our Presby­terians like the Apostata's under the first persecutions.And such were the Apostata's in the time of the first ten persecutions, and our Presbyterians in the time of our late King Charles: for while they enjoyed their livings, they were right Episcopal men, but when deprivation and persecution came, they will have none of that, but will rather change both their Coat and their Calling, then serve God rightly in that adversity, and that is to serve him and praise him in the day of our fulness, and not in the night that is full of dan­gers.

But all the true Saints of God will with these beasts never cease to serve him and praise him as well in the night of adver­sity as in the best dayes of their prosperity;Heb. 11.37. yea, though they should be driven to wander like those spoken of by the Apo­stle, in sheep-skins and Goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted and tormented; for they are resolved, as the same Apostle speaketh,Rom. 8.35. that neither tribulation, nor distress, nor persecu­tion, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor any other creature, shall separate them from the love of Christ, or cause them to cease from the service of God day or night; and such is the resolution of all Gods faithful servants, which makes them to be as bold as lions, to fear no man and no dan­ger.

And so much for the first part of the practice of these beasts, which is their constancy in the service of God day and night.

2. Of the har­mony of these beasts.2. For the harmony of these beasts, I told you that it con­sisted of six parts, whereof the first is concerning the mystery of the Trinity.

Touching which, before I proceed any further, I must say with St. Augustine, Ʋbi trinitas unitatis & unitas trinitatis, Aug. de Trin. lib. 1. Of the true knowledge of the mystery of the blessed Trinity. Patris, Filii & Spiritus sancti quaeritur, nec periculosius alieu­bi erratur, nec laboriosius aliquid quaeritur, nec fructuosius ali­quid invenitur; we cannot any where erre more dangerously, we cannot seek for any thing more laboriously, neither can we find any thing more profitable then the knowledge of this holy mystery; and therefore, as he saith, Non pigebit me sicubi haesito quaerere, nec pigebit me sicubi erro discere, it irketh me not to inquire where I stumble, neither will I be ashamed to retract and to learn where I erre. And so to proceed.

The holy Evangelist in this harmony of these beasts setteth down these two principal things.Two things set down.

• 1.
  1 Of the Tri­nity of Per­sons.
  The Trinity of Persons in the Ʋnity of Gods Es­sence.
• 2. The Ʋnity of Gods Essence in the Trinity of Per­sons.

For the first, To declare the Trinity of persons, the Evange­list saith, these beasts cry three times, Holy, holy, holy, as if they should have said, Holy Father, holy Son, and holy Spirit; and yet they say not, holy Gods, but holy God; and to shew the same truth, the very phrase and loquution, or the like manner of expressing this mystery, is used in divers pla­ces of the holy Scripture; as where Moses saith, Creavit Elo­him coelum et terram, God created the heaven and the earth; where the Verb singular creavit, doth manifestly declare the unity of Gods Essence, and the Noun plural Elohim, doth as plainly shew the Trinity of persons. And again, where he saith, Faciamus hominem ad imaginem nostram, let us make man in our Image; where the Verb plural faci [...]mus, decla­reth the plurality of the Persons, and the Pronoun singular, nostram sheweth the unity of the Essence: even so here, the word sanctus three times repeated doth manifestly declare the Trinity of persons; and the word Deus, God in the sin­gular number, doth as plainly shew the unity of Gods Essence [Page] And so the whole sum of all is,

• 1. Quod Deus sit unus quoad essentiam, that God is one,
  That God is but one Es­sence and three persons.
  and but one, in respect of his Essence.
• 2. Quod Deus sit trinus, quoad subsistentiam, that in the Ʋnity of that Essence there are three Per­sons in respect of their subsistence or manner of being.

And this will appear most evidently, if you do compare together the 6.Deut. 6.4. Matth. 28, 29. of Deut. and the 4. ver. and the 28. of St. Matthew and the 19. ver. For in the former place it is said, Dominus Deus tuus Deus unus est, the Lord thy God is one God; and in the later place, our Saviour commandeth his Disciples to go and to baptize all Nations, in the Name (and not in the names) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost; therefore there is a Trinity of persons, that is, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost in the divine Nature, Et una est numero essentia, and yet there is but one Essence; because no diversity can be given, whereby these persons differ in regard of the Essence.

And therefore in regard of this identity and unity of essence in the three Persons, our Saviour said, Ego sum in patre, et Pa­ter est in me, I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; and yet, as St. Cyril saith, Non est dicendum, Pater est à filio, vel in filio continetur, we may not say, the Father is from the Son, or contained in the Son, Nec est filius in patre, ut nos in Deo esse et vivere dicimur, Neither is the Son in the Father, as we are said to be, and to live in God: Quia de ejus essentia nos non sumus, because we are not of the essence of God, but in and by the vertue, grace and power of God.

But here it may be some will demand, from whence have we the name of Trinity, About the name of Tri­nity. when as we cannot find the same in all the Scripture?

I answer, that we have the word three from whence the word Trinity is derived, for St. John saith, There be three that bear witness in heaven; and therefore as unity is derived, [Page] ab uno, from one, so Trinity may as justly be derived from three; and the Church of God, Penes quam usus et forma lo­quendi, to whom the phrases and forms of speech are com­mitted, hath power to use such words as may best express the Truth, and confute the Hereticks, so the same be not contra­ry to the sense and meaning of the holy Scriptures.

Now the difference between essence and person, is this,The difference betwixt the Essence of God and the Persons in the Godhead. that the essence is the nature, which is indivisible and common to the three Persons: but a person, Est subsistentia in natura divina, as the Schools speak, a subsistence, or the manner of the per­sons subsisting, in the divine Nature; when the one person is distinguished from the others: distinguished; I say, and not divided, because there is no division in the divine Na­ture.

And the difference betwixt each Person is twofold.The difference betwixt each Person and the others twofold. 1. Difference internal.

1. Internal: and 2. External.

1. The internal difference between the Persons is and con­sisteth in their internal operations and proprieties, whereof the Divines say, that Opera Trinitatis ad intra sunt divisa, The internal operations of the Trinity are severed and divided; because, as St. Augustine saith, Hoc est proprium patris quod solus est pater, et quod ab alio non est nisi à seipso, It is proper to the Father, that he only is Father, and that he is not from any other but from himself: Et hoc est proprium filii, quod do patre genitus est, solus à solo, coaeternus et consubstantialis ge­nitori, And it is the property of the Son, that he is begotten of the Father, the Son alone from the Father only, coeter­nal and consubstantial to his begetter, Et proprium est Spi­ritus sancti, quod nec genitus nec ingenitus est, sed à patre et filio aequaliter procedens, It is proper to the holy Ghost, that he is neither begotten nor created, but equally proceeding both from the Father and the Son.

And this difference is not essential, because the Essence of all three is the same and all one, but personal, and yet real and incomprehensible.

2.2. Difference external. The external difference is taken from the external works and operations of these three Persons, as that the Fa­ther [Page] sent the Son, the Son is sent to be our Redeemer, and the holy Ghost sent to be our Sanctifier and Comforter; and as in the Apostles Creed the Father is discerned from the Son, by ascribing unto him the creation of Heaven and Earth; and the Son is discerned from the Father, by ascribing unto him his Incarnation of the Virgin Mary; and the holy Ghost is discerned from them both by working that Conception of him in the Virgins Womb, and afterwards by his appearing in form of a Dove,Matth. 3.16. Act. 2.3. and like cloven Tongues of fire.

A special ob­servation a­bout the out­ward works of the Persons.And here you must observe, that although these operati­ons are thus ascribed to each of the three Persons of the Dei­ty, yet the self-same God did work all and each one of these works: because, as the Schools say most truly, Opera Trini­tatis ad extra sunt indivisa; the outward works of the Tri­nity cannot be separated from any one of the three Persons, but are common unto all three; and may be ascribed to each one of them; for the Son is the Creator of all things as well as the Father,John 1.3. for All things were made by him, saith the Evan­gelist, and both the Father and the Son sanctifie us, and are our Comforters as well as the holy Ghost: And therefore it is most truly said by Nazianzen, that in these operations, Non possum unum cogitare, quin trium fulgore confundar, nec tria possum discernere, quin subito ad nuum referar; I cannot think of one of these three Persons, but I am dazled with the brightness of all three: neither can I discern the three, but presently I shall be referred and carried to one.

That the per­sons are di­stinguished two wayes.And it is further observed by the Divines, that the Persons are distinguished in the Trinity two wayes.

• 1. By the Relations of the Persons.
• 2. By the Pro­perties,
  • 1. Of their Effects: Effectorum.
  • 2. Of their Offices: Officiorum.

1. By the re­lation of the Persons.1. The incommunicable Relation of the three Persons are the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost proceeding; for the Father is not the name of the Essence, but of relation un­to the person of the Son; so the Son is not the name of the [Page] Essence, but of relation to the person of the Father; and so the holy Ghost proceeding is not the name of the Essence, but of relation both to the Father and the Son, from whom he doth proceed.

2. They are distinguished by the proprieties of the per­sons,2. By the pro­prieties of the Persons. as

1. By the effects, that is, by the form of speech,1. The effects. which the Scripture useth, as when it speaketh of the Father, it saith commonly,

• 1. A quo, velut à principio rerum omnium, &
• 2. Ad quem, velut ad finem omnium.
  [...].

That is, Of whom, as of the beginning of all things; and,1 Cor. 8.6. Rom. 11.36. To whom, as unto the end of all things. And when it speaketh of the Son, it saith, commonly,

• 1. Per quem, tanquam per Mediatorem et dispositorem omnium:
• 2. In quo, velut in materia, omnia sunt.
  [...].

That is, Through whom, as through the Mediator and dispo­ser of all things; and, In whom all things are contained and do subsist, as in the proper place and matter. And when it speaketh of the holy Ghost, it saith, commonly,

• 1. Ex quo, tanquam ex motore et agente, &
• 2. Quo, velut sustinente, fovente, et efficiente rerum om­nium causa.

That is, From whom, as from the mover and doer of all things; and, By whom, as by the sustainer, cherisher, and efficient cause of all things: As when Moses saith, That the Spirit of God moved upon the waters, that is, to sustain it, and to preserve the same together.Gen. 1.2.

2. By the Offices of the Persons, that is, in the work of Creation and Redemption:2. Their Offi­ces. for though the Son creates all things, as well as the Father, for, By the Word all things were [Page] made and without it nothing was made that was made; John 1.3. yet pro­perly it is attributed unto the Father, as it is set down in the Apostles Creed; and though the Father redeemed us as well as the Son, yet properly it is attributed unto the Son; and though the Father and Son do comfort us, and sanctifie us as well as the Holy Ghost; yet properly, it is ascribed to the Ho­ly Ghost, to be our comforter; and therefore the Father is commonly described by the Name and Title of Creatour, the Son by the name of Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost; by the name of Sanctifier and Comforter.

Whereby it cometh to pass, that although there be an unity in the Essence of the three Persons, yet in the works of our re­demption, each one of them hath his proper operation, which is not communicable unto the others; for the Trinity (or three Persons) was not born of a Virgin, it was not crucifi­ed, it was not buried, but onely the Son, the second person of the Trinity; so that it is the proper office of the Son to be made man, to suffer death, and to rise again for our re­demption; and not of the Father, or of the Holy Ghost: so the Trinity said not,Matth. 3.17. and c. 17.5. Luke 1.35. Tu es filius meus dilectus, Thou art my well beloved Son, but the Father onely said it; and so the Trinity did not overshadow the blessed Virgin, but the Holy Ghost alone overshadowed her.

And yet we must observe, that, as the Trinity of persons is infinite and inseparable, so he worketh communiter, that is, both equally, The outward works of the Godhead. and inseparably in all the works which are called opera ad extra; and therefore both the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, do the same things, ratione effecti operis, in respect of the work done, but they do it not eodem modo, after the same manner; so that here, in their operations, there is a distinction, but no diversity. And so much shall serve for the distinction of the Persons, both in respect of their relation, and proprieties. And now,

2. Of the unity of the Essence of the Trinity of Persons.2 Having shewed unto you, that for their works ad extra, the Trinity, in all and every thing equally and together, al­ways worketh in community: and especially having set down, for distinction sake, how his own proper operation is ascribed [Page] to each person, it resteth that I should declare the Ʋnity of the Essence of this blessed Trinity, to which I must say with S. Augustine, that, In summa Trinitate tantum est una, quan­tum tres simul sunt, in the holy Trinity, one is as much as are all the three Persons, nec plus aliquid sunt duae quam una res, & in se infinita sunt; neither are two any thing more then one thing, and in themselves are infinite; Ita & singuli sunt in singulis, & etiam omnia in singulis, & singula in omni­bus, & omnia in omnibus, & unum omnia; and so each of them are in each one, and also all in each of them, and each of them in all, and all in all of them, and one is all: and again, de verbis Domini, he saith, Videmus Solem in Coelo currentem, fulgentem, & calentem, We see the Sun in Heaven, running, shining, and warming us: and so in like manner, the Fire, saith he, hath three things in it, motum, lucem, & fervorem, mo­tion, light, and heat, Divide ergo si potes, Arriane, Solem, vel ignem, & tunc divide Trinitatem; and therefore if thou canst, O thou Arrian, divide the Sun, or the fire, then at length divide the Trinity: And S. Gregory saith, Tunc aperte videbimus quomodo & unum indivisibiliter tria sunt, & indi­visibiliter tria unum; When we shall be so happy, as to attain to the kingdom of Heaven, we shall then plainly see (what we now believe) how the one (that is, Essence) is indivisibly three (that is, Persons;) and the three (that is, Persons) is indivisibly one, that is, Essence.

And as for the eternity of these three Persons,That the three Persons are coetenal. none is be-before nor after the other, but all are coeternal; for seeing the Son is [...], as S. John calls him, the Word and Speech of God, and [...], the Wisdom of God,Luke 2.49. as S. Luke calleth him; it followeth, that, aut Pater fuit absque Sapientiâ, aut nunquam fuit absque Filio; either the Father was sometimes without his Speech, or without his Wisdom, or he was never without his Son: and seeing the Holy Ghost is amor, nexus, & unitas Patris & Filii, the love, connexion, and unity of the Father and the Son; it must needs follow, that either the Father and the Son were without love, and unity betwixt them, or else they were never without the Holy Ghost.

That the three Persons are co-equal.And so for the equality of these Persons, there is none greater, nor lesser then the other; but as they are coeternal, so they are co-equal. And therefore they are deceived that think the Fa­ther is greater then the Son, ratione nominis, in that he is called the Father, because the name of the Son in the blessed Trinity signifieth not a subjection, but a relation, and not such a rela­tion as it signifieth among men, but for our better notion and apprehension of these holy Persons, that in regard of our weak understanding were so graciously pleased, to condescend, to make themseves known unto us by those Names, Titles, and Epithetes as we could best understand, when as otherwise both the Essence and the Persons in themselves, are every other ways incomprehensible. And thus much of the Mysterie of the blessed Trinity: Now followeth some special Attributes of the divine Essence; and here are five of them.

Certain Rules to be observed concerning the divine attri­butes.But touching these, and the other Attributes of God, be­fore we proceed any further to treat of the particulars, some certain Rules are to be observed. For,

An Attribute is the Propriety of the Divine Nature, which cannot be separated from the same, because it is of the Essence of God, when as Quicquid in Deo est, Deus est, Whatsoever is in God, is God; and therefore the Divines say:

1 That we must consider, Eas proprietates, non esse quali­tates, 1. Rule and Observation. Gods attri­butes are no qualities in him. James 1.17. sed ipsam Essentiam Dei, Those properties not to be any qualities in God, but the very Essence of God; because the nature of God is most simple, and admitteth nothing of the pre­dicaments, when as nothing can be added unto it, nothing can be taken from it: but, as S. James saith, With him there is no mu­tation, no change, nor shadow of turning; for in God there is nothing either by way of composition, or by way of accident, or by way of matter and form; and therefore God is not called holy, and just, as a man is so called; for holiness and justice in a man are qualities, but in God they are his Essence; from whence it cometh to pass, that God is holy, just, and good, without quality; and he is infinite, and immeasure­able without quantity: but neither Man, nor Angel can be said to be holy, just, good, or great without quality and quan­tity: [Page] Even so, God is present every where without moving, Et sempiternus sine tempore, and he is everlasting and eternal, without time, as being from all eternity before all times, and so continuing for ever & ever, when there shall be no time. He that would see more of this point, let him look into S. Bernard, Serm. 80. in Cant. and S. Augustin, lib. 5. c. 1. de Trinit.

2. We must consider, that all the proprieties of God are in him most perfectly, most equally and most incommutable:2. Rule and Observation. Gods attri­butes are all perfect and equal in him. but in Men and Angels, they are inchoated, measured, and compre­hended within certain bounds and degrees, and they are mu­table and imperfect: so that to the holiness, purity, and justice of God, the blessed Angels are neither holy nor pure, nor just; and to the goodness of God, neither men, nor Angels are good, as both Job and our Saviour sheweth, when he saith, There is none good but God, that is, perfectly, simply, and abso­lutely good, the Angels being not pure in his sight, Job 15.15.Job 4.18.

From hence it cometh to pass, that these proprieties in God cannot suscipere magis aut minus, Matth. 19 16. Vide S. Aug. Enchirid. that is grow greater or lesser, or be augmented, which they may do, and do, in any and every man.

And as these proprieties are most perfectly in God, so they are most equally in him; for neither is his mercy greater then his justice, nor his justice any less then his mercy because he maketh not the wicked innocent, Exod. 34.7. Ezek. 18.24. nor calleth evil good nor good evil; so neither is his wisdom greater then his power, nor his power any less then his wisdom, because his power can do whatsoever his wisdom thinks fit and good to be done.

Yet I say, that we, by reason of our infirmities cannot perceive them to be equally in him; but we perceive his mer­cy to be far greater then his justice, though in God, the one is neither greater nor lesser, or better then the other. And therefore the Lord is called Very mercifull, Exod. 34.6. Ephes. 2.4. and abundant in goodness and truth; and again, rich in mercy, rather then in justice, onely in regard of us, and not in regard of God him­self; because now we perceive and find more effect [...] of his mercy and goodness, and of his love, favour and benignity, then we do of his severity and justice, which notwithstanding [Page] are equally in God, as they shall find that abuse his mercy, and despise his patience and long-sufferance.

3. Rule and observation: Gods attri­butes and pro­prieties are not contrary one to another. Ambrose de ob­itu Theodosii. August. de tempore Ser. 102. James 1.17.3. We must observe that the proprieties of God are not contrary in God, that is, that there are no contrary propri­eties in God; for his mercie doth no wayes hinder or oppose his justice, and his justice hindereth not his mercie; but his mercie is justice in him, and his justice is to shew mercie, as St. Ambrose sheweth: because, as St. Augustine saith Serm. 102. de tempore, There are nothing of those things in the Di­vine nature, which are capable of contrarieties, lest God should seem to be changeable, who is ever the same, without any shadow of turning; and therefore, all the proprieties of God being of the Essence of God, and the Essence of God be­ing not contrary to it self, nor any wayes capable of contrari­eties, it must needs follow that these proprieties of God cannot be contrary the one to the other.

Yet these proprieties may be diversly considered quoad nos, in regard of the creatures; because they tend to divers ends: as his mercy tendeth to another end, then his justice doth; for,Basilius Contra Eunomium. as St. Basil saith, among moral virtues, frugality is diffe­rent from liberality: for frugality doth honestly keep those things that are necessary, and doth not wastfully spend them, and liberality doth honestly bestow those things that ne­cessity requireth to be given, and not niggardly deny them) yet frugality is not contrary to liberality,Virtues do preserve and not destroy one another, and so do the attributes of God. but may well stand together in the same subject, when the same man may be and is, both frugal and liberal: so no more is Gods mer­cy contrary to his justice; for in contraries, the one doth take away and destroy the other; as prodigality destroyeth fruga­lity, and ebriety destroyeth sobriety, but virtues do preserve, and mutually keep each other, as frugality giveth place to li­berality, and is the means to preserve it; so the justice of God is the cause that there is a place for Gods mercies; for if God were not just to punish us, we should have no need of mercie to spare us. And therefore these proprieties of God are not contraries, though in regard of us they are, as they seem, diverse, and to be diversly considered.

Again, it is manifest,Contraries cannot be in the self-same subject at the self-same time without de­stroying one annother. that two contraries cannot be in the self-same subject at one and the self-same time, but that the one of them will destroy the other, as heat will destroy the cold, or the cold suppress the heat; but in the one and the self-same good man and his works, both frugality and libera­lity may well stand, and be together, without any prejudice of the one by the other: even so in the one and the self-same God, both Justice and Mercie, at one and the self-same time, and at all times, are and do stand together, without any the least prejudice, of the one to the other; and therefore we do find, that in the self-same place, and at the self-same time, the self-same God is called both, punitor & salvator, the punisher and the saviour, for I kill and give life, Deut. 32.39. I wound and I make whole; and, as Hannah speaketh,1 Sam. 2.7. he bringeth down to the ground and raiseth up, he maketh poor and maketh rich, he bringeth low and exalteth:

And therefore, contrary to the opinion and sentence of Marcion, that affirmed the Justice of God to be contrary to Mercy, you see, that one propriety of God cannot be con­trary to another; because all and every one of his proprie­ties do, at all times, and at the self-same time, reside and sub­sist in him together.

4.4. Rule and observation. We must observe that between the Attributes and pro­perties of God, there is no real distinction, but only notionis & rationis, in respect of notion and our apprehension,Basilius l. 1. contra Eunomi­um. 5. Rule and observation: Some Attri­butes may, and others may not, be com­municated to the creature. as St. Basil teacheth.

5. And lastly, we are to observe that some certain of Gods Attributes may be, and are communicated to the creatures, and certain others cannot be communicated to any creature; as in that he is called Holy, Just, Merciful and Good, and the like, these Attributes are and may, in some respects, be com-communicated to the creatures; but in that he is styled and said to be Infinite, Eternal, and Almighty, and the like, these cannot be communicated to any creature, no not to the very Angels of God.

And here you must further note, that these Attributes of God, which are communicated to the creatures, are not real­ly [Page] communicated to any of his creatures,Nota, that not the very Attri­butes, but the effects of Gods Attributes are communica­ted to the crea­tures. but only the effects of these Attributes; for, as I said before, the Goodness, Ho­lyness and Justice of God, is God; but the Goodness, Sancti­ty, Justice, and the like, that are either in Men or Angels, are but the effects of those Attributes of God, and are wrought in the creatures, by the power and goodness of God.

And now to speak of these particular Attributes here ex­pressed.

1. Attribute is Gods holyness.The 1. is the Sanctity, and Purity of God, in the word [...]. Holy, and this word [...] is derived of the privative ar­ticle α and the word [...] which signifieth the Earth, as if it were a separation from all earthly things: and so it signifieth that which is Pure and Clean, and free from the least stain of iniquity, or the least shadow of injustice. And thus God only is of himself, and of his own Nature simply and absolutely Holy; and so our Church in her highest strain of Devotion, immediately after the receiving of the Blessed Sacrament, sings unto God, Thou only art Holy, that is, simply and in all re­spects Essentially Holy.

And so the Blessed Virgin, speaking of God, saith, Holy is his name; and therefore in that Golden Plate, which was to adorn Aaron's Fore-head, Moses commanded, there should be Ingraven [...] as the Septuagint translates it, that is, Sanctitas Jehovae, as Tremelius, or, Sanctum Domino, as the Vulgar Latine hath it; all Holyness or Sanctity is to be as­cribed to the Lord, and doth only proceed from the Lord: and the glorious Seraphims, which Esaias saw, and these won­derful Beasts in my Text, repeat this Attribute three several times, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which we do not read of any other Attribute of God; the Spirit of God, to whom this Attribute is specially appropriated, by the name of the Holy Ghost, having a special regard to preserve this Attri­bute, of all his Attributes, inviolable; because he foresaw that, through the malice of Satan against God, and the fro­ward disposition of corrupt men, this Attribute of all Gods Attributes, should be most of all contradicted, murmured a­gainst, and traduced; as if God were not so pure, just, upright and holy. Especially,

• [Page]1. In the election of his Servants.
• 2. In the distribution of his Graces.
• 3. In the remuneration of our Deserts.

For

1. If he hath created the wicked for the day of wrath,Proverb 16 4. Job 21.30. and for this cause hath raised up Pharaoh, and hardened his heart to make his power known, and hath from all eternity by his irrespective Decree, before the Children had done either good or evil, loved Jacob and hated Esau, and determined the pre­terition of those whom he reprobateth, How can the Repro­bates otherwise choose but walk in the paths that leads them to destruction? when the Apostle tells us plainly, It is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that shew­eth mercy: and God by his unchangeable purpose to pass by them, and to deny that mercy unto them whereby they should will to answer when he calleth, and to lay hold of his Grace when he offereth it: How can he be so holy, so pure, and so free from accepting of persons, and of being some wayes the Author of the damnation of all Reprobates, that, as he saith of Pharaoh, both his Justice and his power might be known?

To those rigid Presbyterians that make this indirect Obje­ction, to the great dishonour of God, and the wounding of his chiefest Attribute, we say, That although God hath, Jus absolutum in Creaturas, an absolute power over all his Crea­tures, so that he may do with them what he will;Rom. 9.13. Even as the Potter hath power over the clay to make a vessel either to honour or dishonour, as the Apostle speaketh: Yet because it seemeth to be cruelty, to make a Creature purposely for his own plea­sure to be miserable, and especially eternally miserable; God doth not use this his power, nor Preparare filios ad patibulum; Sap. 1.13. & 14.6. for he made not Death, neither temporal nor eternal, but he made all things that they might have their Being; and he takes no pleasure in the destruction of the living; but, through the malice of the Devil, and mans own wilful frowardness, death and damnation came upon us: And Gods Decree of [Page] Preterition is but the just punishment of our transgression: for God, that had decreed our creation, foresaw our trans­gression, and the frowardness of the one, and the readiness of the other, that is, of the elect and reprobate, to re­cede from that condition, and both of them, being alike wrapped in the mass of corruption, which came so by Adams transgression, and neither of them could challenge any thing at the hand of God, from whom both of them had alike receded, God sheweth mercy upon whom he will, and whom he will he leaveth still in that state wherein he was, not created by him, nor intruded by his means, but, most miserably fallen in the loyns of Adam: and this he doth most justly too, because he foreseeth, that when he calleth, he will not answer: and though he should stretch forth his hand all the day long, yet this froward wilful man will not regard it.

And therefore certainly, Culpa non est vocantis sed renuen­tis, there cannot be laid the least blame on God, that in the election of the one, whom he foreseeth will answer when he calleth, he sheweth, Indebitam misericordiam, more then de­served mercy; and in the preterition of the other, whom he foreseeth will refuse his mercy, he doth nothing else but ren­der unto him, debitam justitiam, what he most justly deserveth.

And whereas the Scripture saith, That God hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and that it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth; and that the vessels of wrath are fitted for destruction, and the like: some of them are not rightly un­derstood, when they are spoken in one sense, and are applyed by our Presbyterians to another sense; as those that are fit­ted or prepared for destruction are not so fitted and made up by God for that end, but by their own sins, that do fit them for their damnation: some other speeches are spoken of God, ad captum nostrum, not properly to be understood as they are spoken, but in that sense which the holy Ghost mean­eth; as, God sware in his wrath, when as God saith, In me non est furor: and he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye, when as God hath neither feet, nor hands, nor eyes: So when it is said, Whom he will he hardeneth, it is not meant, that he [Page] hardeneth any man, Efficiendo duritiem, by working any hard­ness or stubbornness in him, but Non molliendo per gratiam, by not softening it by his Grace, which he justly denyeth unto him, when, like Pharaoh, he doth stubbornly refuse to obey his Voice.

And therefore seeing that in the proper sense God harden­eth no man, and rejecteth or reprobateth no man but for his sins and wickedness, but professeth, As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of a sinner. And again, Perditio tua ex te, Thy destruction is from thy self, and not from me. If men will rob God, kill their Brethren, oppress their Neighbours, and so damn themselves; let them thank themselves, and not lay the blame on God, who is most just in all his wayes, and holy in all his works.

2. For the unequal distributing of his Graces we say, that this inequality, as of glory in the Stars, and the Orders of An­gels, and so of all other Creatures, maketh the better harmo­ny, and sheweth more of the Wisdom and Power of God, then if all of them were equal;Matth. 25.15. and though he giveth to one five Talents, to others but one, and to some none at all, and that he exalteth some, and make them rich, and Lords, and pulleth down others, to make them poor and Beggars, and so distributes all his gifts and graces diversly; yet herein we say there is no ataxie, no disorder, nor injustice in Gods doing, nor any wrong done to him that hath but one gift, or to him that hath none at all; Quia non tenetur Creator creaturae, because God is debter to none, and he is not bound to give any thing to any one; and therefore he may lawfully and justly do what he will with his own, as our Saviour sheweth most excellently in the Parable of the Labourers,Matth. 20.15. hired into his Vineyard.

3. For the remuneration of deserts we say, that in giving unto them, which by continuance in well doing seek glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life, he sheweth himself most gracious and merciful, in bestowing upon them what they could not challenge from him; and in rendring vengeance to them that obey not God, and in plaguing them both in this [Page] life and in the life to come, he doth but what is most just and upright: and therefore the Prophet Esay, after he had set down many of Gods Judgements against the wicked, addeth, That the Lord of Hosts should be exalted in judgment, Esay 5.16. and the holy God should be sanctified in justice, that is, that he should be acknowledged by all men to be most pure, and holy, and commended for his justice, in punishing the wicked according to their deserts. And this doctrine of Gods holiness and pu­rity should put us in mind of our duty, to be, not as the De­vil, corrupt and unjust, but, as God commandeth us, to be ho­ly as he is holy, and to be as he is, if we desire to be where he is, where no impure thing shall ever come. And so much for the first Attribute here expressed.

2. Attribute is, Gods rule and authority.2. The next Attribute is [...], Lord, and he is said to be the lord of any thing, Qui jus, autoritatem, & dominium habet in aliquam rem, which hath right, authority and rule over any thing, and whose own proper thing is that, of which he is said to be lord; for [...] is derived [...], which signifieth Authority,Zanc. de na­sura dei l. 1. c. 17. saith Pasor; and the Latine word, Dominus, dicitur à domo, saith Zanchius; because the Ma­ster of the house was wont to be called the Lord of it.

And this name Lord, saith he, in the Writings of the Apo­stles is ascribed to Christ, idque millies, about a thousand times; because he ruleth and governeth, not only the little house of his Church,Heb. 1.2, 3. but also the great house of this whole World, as the Apostle sheweth.

Reason 1 Why the Fa­ther is stiled God, and the Son Lord.And the reason, why the name of God is usually attributed to the Father, and the name of Lord commonly ascribed to the Son, is twofold.

1. Because the Father is the fountain of the whole Deity, therefore is he usually termed God: and the Son is termed Lord, because he is appointed of his Father to be Lord of all things,John 17.2. and all power is given unto him, over all flesh.

Reason 2 2. The Father is called God most usually, because that in the mystery of our redemption, the Father remained still in his Majesty, and gave his Son only to be our Redeemer; and the Son, though he was in the form of God, yet was he con­tent, [Page] not to remain with his Father in that equal Majesty,Phil. 2.7. which he had with him from all eternity, but, He made him­self of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant; and so with the laying down of his Glory, he laid down also the Name of God, and by taking unto him the form of a ser­vant, he took also the name of a servant, that is, in respect of his Father, to whom, as a servant, be became obedient in all things unto death: and therefore the Father calleth him his Servant, saying, Ecce servus meus, Behold my servant,Esay 42.1. Matth. 12.18. Whom I have chosen. whom I uphold; which is interpreted of Christ.

But in respect of us, the Son is said to be our Lord, and so he is called every where, because we are given unto him for his inheritance, that we should serve him and acknowledge him for our Lord and Master; and so, as he is made our Lord, the name of Lord is given unto him of his Fa­ther.

And therefore, though Christ indeed remained alwayes God, and in the form of God, wherein he was from all eterni­ty, yet because he was appointed by the Father, Christ laid a­side the Name of God, and took two o­ther names. The first in re­spect of his Father. and content­ed himself to be the Saviour of all mankind, he humbled him­self unto death, and unto death he laid down the Name of God, and took unto himself two other names. As

1. The name of a Servant, in regard of his Father, to whom he was made obedient as a servant, and for which cause he alwayes calleth upon him as a servant calleth upon his Master, and referreth all things unto him, as to his Lord and Master.

2. He took upon him the name of Lord, The second, in respect of us. in regard of us: and that is due unto him in a foursold respect, that is, By right

• 1. Of Inheritance.
  Christ is our Lord in four respects.
• 2. Of Redemption.
• 3. Of Wedlock.
• 4. Of Creation.

For

1. He is the Lord our God, 1. By right of Inheritance. and we are the people of his pa­sture, [Page] and the sheep of his hands; and the Father said unto him,Psal. 2.8. Dabo tibi gentes in haereditatem tuam, I will give the Gentiles for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession: And therefore St. Peter saith, Let all the house of Israel know for certain, or assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, Act. 2.36. whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

And in this respect also he is Lord of the wicked Repro­bates, though they will not obey him; for the Prophet Da­vid saith,Psal 8.5. & 6. Heb. 2.8. Omnia subjecisti sub pedibus ejus. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet; and the Apostle saith, this was spoken of Christ: And again, the same Prophet speaking of him,Psal. 110.1. saith, that the Lord said unto him, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool: Yea more then this, he is the Lord of all things whatsoever; for Him hath God appointed and made heir of all things, Heb. 1. as the Au­thor of the Epistle to the Hebrews teacheth: and our Savi­our himself saith,Matth. 28 18. John 18.15. All power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth: And again, All things that the Father hath are mine.

Whereby you may see, that, Jure haereditario, by right of inheritance, as his Fathers Heir, he is the Lord: 1. Of the Elect. 2. Of the Reprobates: And 3. Of all the things in the world.

2. By right of purchase. 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. 1 Pet. 1.18, 19.2. He is our Lord by right of redemption or of purchase: for so the Apostle saith, You are not your own, because you are bought with a price: And St. Peter sheweth, what price it was that redeemed us, and was paid for us, No corruptible thing, as silver and gold, but the pretious bloud of Jesus Christ: And therefore seeing Christ hath bought us, and redeemed us out of the hands of our enemies, he may justly challenge us to be his servants, and himself to be our Lord and Master: for so the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Judg. 8.22. Rule thou over us, and so be our Lord, and Governour, for that thou hast delivered us out of the hand of Midian.

3. By right of marriage.3. He is our Lord by right of marriage, because he is the Husband of his Church, and the Church is the Spouse of [Page] Christ: for so the Lord professeth,Hosea 2.19, 20. I will betroth thee to me in faithfulness; and I will betroth thee to me for ever, and the Husband is the head of the Wife, and so is Christ of his Church, saith the Apostle: and therefore,Ephes. 5.23. as Sarah obeyed her Husband, and called him her Lord; so Christ being our Head, and the Husband of every faithful Soul, we acknow­ledge him for our Lord, and be subject unto him, as to our Lord and Master.

4. He is our Lord by right of creation,4 By right of Creation. John 1.2. because all things were made by him, as St John testifieth: And he hath made us, and not we our selves, saith the Prophet David: and there­fore he must needs be our Lord. And no man can deny it: for the Prophet saith, The earth is the Lords and all that therein is, Psal. 24.1. the whole world, and they that dwell therein And why so? He answereth immediately, Because he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. And so St. Paul saith, God that made the world, and all things therein, Acts 17.24. he is Lord of heaven and earth.

And this point of doctrine,The former Doctrine teaches us a threefold les­son. 1 Lesson in respect of the godly. that Christ in all these respects is our Lord, and Lord of the godly, and of the wicked, and of all things else, it should teach us this threefold Lesson.

1. In regard of the godly, it should teach them humility, obedience, and comfort. 1. Humility, because they are but servants; and the Comique saith, Non decet hominem servu­lum esse superbum, It is a very unseemly thing, to see a proud servant of an humble master. 2. Obedience, because the servant ought to be obedient to his Lord and Master, and to be afraid to offend him; for, A son honoureth his father, Mal. 1.6. and a servant his master, saith the Prophet: If Christ then be our Lord and Master, where is our reverence, our fear, and our obedience to him? May not he say to us as he doth unto the Jews, Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not what I say? Luk. 6.46. For to say that Christ is our Lord, and not to do what he com­mands us, is but meer hypocrisie; and with the Jews to say Hayl King, and spit in his face. 3. Comfort, because they serve such a gracious Lord, as taketh pleasure in the prosperi­ty of his servants, and will case them when they cry unto him, [Page] that they are weary and heavy laden, Matth. 11. as himself doth promise.

2. Lesson in respect of the wicked.2. In regard of the wicked; it should teach them to be ashamed of their pride and arrogancy, to neglect their obe­dience, and to flight the Rule and Authority of this their Lord and Master. For as of old, when Moses came unto Pharaoh in the name of the Lord, he proudly answered, Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice? And Nebuchadnezzar, when the three children were brought before him, did most arrogantly demand,Exod. 5.2. Who is that God which can deliver you out of my hands? So now we have too many that in words profess to be the ser­vants of this Lord,Dan. 3.15. Titus 1.16. sed factis negant but, as the Apostle saith, they deny him by their deeds, which they ought to be ashamed to do.

3 Lesson in respect of Gods crea­tures. 1 Cor. 4.7.3. In regard of the creatures; seeing he is Lord of all things, and, as the Apostle demandeth, What hast thou, that thou hast not received from him?

1. We ought to be thankfull for what we have, and be contented with whatsoever we have, be the same little or much: for, Is it not lawfull for him to do what he will with his own, and to dispose of them at his pleasure, to give what he will, to whom he will, but thine eye must be evil, because he is good?

3. We ought to imploy all that we have for the honour and service of this our Lord and Master: for we are but his Stewards, and we must give an account how we expend our Masters goods; he allows us food & rayment; and having that, the Apostle saith, we should be therewith contented. And truly, for mine own part, I do here, on this good Day, and in this holy Place, prosess before you all, I am sufficiently contented, and fully satisfied, and very thankfull to this my Lord and Master for what I have, having farr more then I deserve, or could expect; and therefore whatsoever I sue for to recover from any other, it is not to enrich my self, or any of my relati­ons, wise, children, or friends; but I do it for the service of this my Lord and Master, and I will wholly and fully bestow what­soever I recover, for the repairing of this Church; so that, re­covering [Page] it, I shall be not one peny the richer, but this Church shall be the better; and not recovering it, I shall not be the poorer, but the Church shall want so much, as I should reco­ver: and this is my resolution, and if I fail in one tittle of what I say, Let these my words be a witness against me in the last Day.

3. The next Attribute is [...], God; and Damascen saith,The third at­tribute is Gods know­ledge and pro­vidence. Three signifi­cations of [...]. 1. Significa­tion. there be two principal Names of God, that is, [...], He that is, or I am, as he saith unto Moses, and God; and he giveth three special significations, or Etymologies, of this word [...], God.

1. [...], Curro, ambio, of running, and compas­sing about the world, to order and to dispose of all the things that are therein; and this declareth the providence of God over all, even the least things of this world whereof not any thing, not the lighting of a Sparrow upon the ground hap­peneth, as our Saviour sheweth,Matth. 10.29. without the providence of God: and the Wise man saith, the Wisdom of God, Attingit à fine usque ad finem, & disponit omnia suaviter, Sap. 8.1. reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly: and so the Apostle saith, that God, Portat omnia verbo virtutis ejus, beareth up all things with his mighty word, or the word of his power, which is Jesus Christ; and in this sense both Proclus and Plato do interpret the word [...] to signifie the Providence of God,Hebr. 1.3. and to shew that no­thing cometh to pass without the will of God, and all things that do come to pass by the wil of God, are, in respect of God, most holy, just, and good: for as in the creation, all that he made was exceeding good; so in the ordering, disposing, and go­verning of them, all that he doth is exceeding just; and the very evil that he suffereth to be done, he turneth to good, for his own glory, and the benefit of his Church, as he did the crucifying of his Son, to the saving of all his servants. For, so great is his goodness, saith S. Augustine, that he would never have suffered Sin, or any other evil to be done, unless his power and wisdom were able, as he drew light out of dark­ness, so to draw a greater good out of our evil, though not [Page] to them that commit the evil;Rom. 6.1. because we should not sin that grace might abound, as the Apostle sheweth.

2. Significa­tion. Deut. 4.24.2. The foresaid Father, and others say, that [...] is derived [...], that is, adurere, & accendere, to burn and to kindle and enlighten: and so Moses saith, Our God is a consuming fire, either because of his wrath against sin and sinners,1 John 1. or because of the brightness of his Majesty; even as S. John saith, God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all; Ezek. 1.27. and therefore he appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire in the burning bush, and in his vision to Ezekiel, he manifested himself in the appearance of fire, which should make all sinners to be afraid to offend him, lest this terrible fire should con­sume them.

3 Significa­tion. Hebr. 4.13.3. The said Damascen saith, that [...] may be derived [...], because he seeth all things, and all things are patent and open in his sight, as the Apostle sheweth, and no Creature, no word, no thought can be hid from him; and therefore the Wise man adviseth all discontented persons, to beware of murmuring, which is nothing worth; because the eare of jealousie heareth all things, and the noise of your mut­tering is not hid,Sap. 1.10, 11. neither is there any word so secret, that it shall go for naught.

These be the Etymologies and significations of [...], which Damascen giveth, Curro, uro, cerno, to run, to burn, to see; and to these, the Latine Writers do add another, and say that [...] may be derived à [...], by changing the asperate Δ into Θ, and that signifieth fear, because all nations should fear the Lord our God. And so the Greeks shew us, Qualis sit Deus, what man­ner of God he is, that seeth and governeth all things; and the Latines shew us, Quid sit nostri officii, what our duty is, to be afraid to offend this great and glorious God; and so the Prophet Jeremiah demandeth, Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? and God himself saith, Fear ye not me, and will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; that is, which have bridled and tamed that unruly Element, by the small and silly Sands, and though the waves [Page] toss themselves, yet can they not prevail, though they roar, yet can they not pass over these poor and feeble things.

4. The next Attribute here expressed is [...],The fourth Attribute is of Gods power which is om­nipotent in three respects. 1. Respect. Psal. 135.6. that is, Almighty, or that can do all things; and he is said to be al­mighty, in three special Respects.

1. Because he can do whatsoever he would do, and he can hinder whatsoever he would not have don: for whatsoever pleased the Lord, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the sea and in all deep places, saith the Prophet; and so the Creation of the World makes this manifest. And Solomon saith,Prov. 19.21. that many devices are in man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand, and all their devices, without his counsel, shall come to nought: as the Gyants, that thought to build the Tower of Babel to scale the Walls of Heaven, were soon con­founded, and their devices suddenly destroyed;Gen. 11. Gen. 19. so the men of Sodom thought to press upon Lot and the Angels that were with him, but the Lord presently blind-folded them; so Ab­solon conceited to make himself King, but God brought him to the bough where he was hanged; and so our late Ʋsurp­ers and Rebells had brave devices and projects in their hearts to destroy us all, and to make themselves Lords over all, but you see how easily the Lord overwhelmed them, and brought them to shame and confusion.

2. He is said to be Omnipotent, 2. Respect. because he bringeth all things to pass so easily, without any difficulty in the world; for he did but speak the word and they were made, Psal. 148.5. he commanded and they stood fast. And he doth all things, either without means, or with the weakest means in the world; and some­times contrary to the nature of the proper means, as when he made the world out of nothing, he did but say, Let there be light and it was so: Psal. 77.20. Josh 6.20. Judg. 4.21. Judg. 7.2. and what weak instruments were Moses and Aaron to bring Israel out of Egypt? Or Rams horns to batter down the strong walls of Jericho? or a silly woman, to be the death of General Sisera? or Gideon with three hundred men to overthrow the mighty Host and the innumerable Ar­my of the Midianites? And with what improbable strength hath this Almighty God brought our gracious King to his [Page] Crown and Kingdoms again? It was the Almighty God that did it.

And so in the Spiritual work of our Redemption, by what weak means hath he loosned and overthrown the work of the Devil,2 Cor. 12.19. and delivered his Prisoners out of captivity? For, bless­ed be this strong Jehovah, we see how his power is made per­fect through weakness, as the Apostle speaketh: and how Christ that seemed a worm and no man, as the Prophet speaketh, in be­coming poor, hath made us rich, and in becoming a curse, hath made us the heirs of blessing: 2 Cor. 8.9. 1 Pet. 3.9. and after his Ascention into hea­ven, with what weak instruments hath he converted the world from Idolatry and Infidelity, to imbrace the Christian Faith? Through the foolishness of Preaching, saith the Apostle, of a few poor Fisher-men, and us that are their successors: this is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eye. But it is more marvellous, that he should do what he will, not only without means and by weak means, but also contrary to all means;John 9.6. as with Clay, that is able to make any man blind, to make a blind man to see; and with Fire, that burns every thing else, to preserve the three Children in the Fiery Furnace; and to make the raging Sea, that swallows down, and drown­eth man and beast, to be a Wall of defence unto the children of Israel.

3. Respect.3. God is said to be Omnipotent and Almighty, because he is able to do, what he will not do, that is, more then ever he did, or ever will do; for he is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham. Math. 3.9. And he saith to St. Peter, Think you, that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more then twelve legions of Angels, Math. 26.52. and so he can do many thousand things, that he doth not, and will not do.

Titus 1.2. 2 Tim. 2.13. Aug. de Trini­tat. l. 15. c. 15.But it is objected, that the Apostle saith, He cannot lie; and a­gain, He cannot denie himself; to which St. Augustine answer­eth that Magna est Dei potentia, non posse mentiri, it is an argu­ment of Gods great power, that he cannot lie, or deny himself, because that to lie is the sign of weakness and imbecillity, when the lyer is not able to do what he saith, or to perform what he promiseth. And he that desireth further satisfaction in [Page] this Point, let him look into my Best Religion, See the Best Religion. where I have handled the same more at large.

So you have seen, how, and in what respect God is said to be [...], Almighty: and that should teach us a two­fold Lesson,

• 1. The one of Fear.
  Two Lessons to be learnt.
• 2. The other of Comfort.

For

1. God threatneth to [...]unish and plague wicked sinners,1. Of fear. and he that blesseth himself when he heareth the curse, the Lord saith he will not spare him,Deut. 29.19. but will blowout his name from un­der heaven; and again he saith,Levit. 26.23. if you wa k stubbornly and con­trary unto me. I will also walk contrary unto you, and plague you seven times more for your offences; and do not you think, that God is able to make good his threatnings? Therefore we ought all of us to humble our selves, and to fear the Almighty God, and, as our Saviour saith,Math. 10.28. to fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul.

2. This Doctrine of the almighty power of God,2. Lesson. may af­ford us a great deal of comfort, against the Devil, our affl [...]cti­ons, and all Tyrants. For when we see Satans army and con­sider his stratagems against us, we may well cry out with Eli­zaeus servant, Alas, what shall we do? 2. Reg. 6.15. But when we remember what our Saviour saith, I give to my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand, John 10.28. because my Father which gave them me is greater then all, and none is able to take them out of my fathers hands: 1 Pet. 1.5. we may com­fort our selves, and be assured, that, as St. Peter saith, the godly that do serve the Lord, shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation; because he that is in us is greater, and more powerful, then he that is in the world. 1 John 4.4.

5. The last Attribute here set down is which was, and is and is to come, and this crowneth all the other Attributes of God: for without this, to be Lord, to be a God, and to be Al­mighty would avail little or nothing: but to be so, and to be [Page] so for ever,Esai. 43.10. Psal. 90.2. is all in all, and only the honour and prerogative of the Almighty God. And so God saith, Before me there was no God formed, neither shall be after me: and the Prophet Da­vid speaking to him,1 Tim. 1.17. saith, Before the mountains were made, and before thou hast formed the earth or the world, thou art God from everlasting, Exod. 3.14. and world without end, and St. Paul calls him, the king of ages, or the everlasting King: and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Esai. 57.15. saith, [...]. For as he saith unto Moses, I am is his name, that is, an Eternal be­ing, and which inhabiteth eternity, and as here these Beasts do say which was, that is, Lord God almighty, and therefore the Maker and Creatour of all the things that are,What the for­mer point should teach us. and which is that is, Lord God Almighty, and therefore the ruler and governor of all the things that are, and which is to come, that is, to be, as he is, Lord God Almighty; therefore the rewarder of all men as their works shall be.

And this Eternal being of God should teach us all to labour for eternity: for that which is vain, and vanisheth, is of no­thing worth: but the truth is, that we shall all be Eternal, and for ever, either in felicity or misery, in joy or in tor­ments: and therefore our study and care should be, so to live and to serve this Eternal God, that we may live with him in Eternal happiness, and avoid those Eternal torments, where­in the wicked shall be chained for ever. For you shall find that, as the same Father saith, Praeterit jucunditas non reditura, & manet anxietas non peritura.

And therefore I advise you all, and my hearts desire is, that you would be all like these four Beasts, as I have explained them, in their description and their practice, that so with these Beasts you may for ever live with him, which was, and is, and is to come. To whom be all Honour, and Glory, and Praise, and Thanks, for ever and ever, Amen.

Jehovae Liberatori.

THE FIFTH SERMON.

I Have; not long since, began to treat of this Text before the most Religious and most Ho­nourable Person here: And what then the time prevented me, I shall now endeavour, by Gods help, to conclude unto you; yet with an abstract and an abreviation of the particular Points and Heads I then handled, that so you may the better understand [Page 138] the whole: And as St. Paul saith, Though to us it is trouble­some, yet for you it is profitable to hear the same things a­gain, Quia labilis memoria hominis, and good things will soon slip out of our minds. And I said then, that the Angel Ʋriel tells Esdras, 2 Esdr. 8.2, 3. the man of God, That as the earth hath more dust and clay for earthen vessels, then Ore and Mines for gold; so this present world hath more men that tend to­wards Hell, then those that shall possess Heaven: and that al­though many men are created, yet there shall but few men be saved.

Ch. 9. v. 15.And chap. 9. ver. 15. he saith, That, Sicut fluctus majo­res sunt guttis, as the wave is greater then a drop, so they are more that shall be destroyed, then those that shall be de­livered. And in the foresaid chap. 8. ver. 56, & 57. he set­teth down the reason,Ch. 8. v. 56, & 57. why so many men shall be condemned; not because God, by his absolute and irresistible Will would have it so, Quia non voluit Deus hominem disperdi, For he desireth not the death of a sinner, and he would have no man to perish: But it is, saith the Text,

• 1. They despised the most Highest.
• 2. They forsook his wayes, that is, to walk in his Laws.
• 3. They trampled the just and good men under foot; things usually done in the world, and too frequent in these dayes.

And left any man should detract from the testimony of this Angel, because the book of this man is by many of our men deemed to be apocryphal, that is, obscure, and not the clear Canon; therefore the Angel of the Covenant, Jesus Christ, Tremel. An­not in c. 4.1 lib. Esdr. which Tremel. saith, is here understood by this Ʋriel, that signifieth, Lux & Sapientia Dei, the Light and Wisdom of God, which Christ Jesus is, as St. Luke testifieth, saith the [Page 139] very same thing; for he tells us, That many are called, but few are chosen: and more plainly, he saith,Luk. 11. That wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: And strait is the gate, Matth. 7.13. and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it: And he sheweth the reason hereof to be the very same, that Esdras had set down before; for he saith to Nicodemus, That this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, John 3. and men love darkness more then light, because their deeds are evil; for Christ came into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world; to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to teach us the way that would lead us to eter­nal life.

And therefore, when the young worldling came to Christ and said, Master, speak to my brother, Luk. 12.13. that he divide the Inhe­ritance with me: our Saviour grants him not his desire, that was so pernicious to him, but he gives him far better things then he desired, that if he accepted the same, would prove most advantagious unto him; for he, like a Citizen of this world, had his mind only set to gain his Brothers inheritance; and our Saviour gives him counsel, to think of another world, and to seek for that eternal inheritance, that would make him eternally happy: And so he takes occasion from his unjust desire, to shew unto us all, what justly and chiefly should be desired. From whence you may observe:

1.2. S [...]ecial Observations from the for­mer Point. Observat. 1. That if with this young man we come to Christ to pray for any thing, he will either give us what we desire, if our de­sire be good, or better then we desire, if we desire what is evil for us; For, as we read of Pompey the Great, and of Titus the Son of Vespasian, that was called, Deliciae generis humani, The delights of mankind, that they were so courteous to all Pe­titioners, that none departed sad or discontented from them, saying, That, Non oportet quenquam à Caesaris colloquiae tri­stem dis [...]edere, it was not fit that any man should go sad a­way from Caesars conference: so much better may we say of Christ, who is clemency and bounty it self, and therein so far [Page 140] excelling them, as the ocean Sea exceeds a drop of water, that if we come to him we shall never depart empty away, and we shall never loose our labour, but we shall be sure to have, ei­ther what we desire, or better then we desire. And we ought the more willingly to come unto him, because he doth so lo­vingly invite us,Matth. 11. saying, Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden; and then doth so graciously promise, that he will ease us, and not only give us the health of our bodies, which was all that the Leapers desired, but also rest for our souls, which is the best thing that can be wished.

Observat. Esay 55.8.2. You may observe from hence, That Gods wayes are not as our wayes, nor his thoughts as our thoughts; for we common­ly turn good into evil; and as the Apostle saith, We turn the graces of God into wantonness; as abusing wine and strong drink unto drunkenness, our riches to oppress our neighbours, our wit to deceive one another, and our strength to wound and kill our own brethren, even as Cain, Romulus, and Cara­calla have done before us. But God, as he called light out of darkness, so out of our evil he draweth good: and as in Sampsons Riddle,Judg. 14.14. Out of the eater came meat, and out of the strong came sweetness; so out of the death of Christ, which was the most execrable act, and the most horrible murder, that ever was committed, God drew the satisfaction for all our sins, and the salvation of all his Saints: and out of intestine wars, we see how he produceth a happy peace, as he did to So­lomon after the dayes of David: And so here Christ, out of the ill desire of this undiscreet man, doth, arripere ansam, take hold of this occasion, to make this most excellent Ser­mon, that the Evangelist setteth down from the 15. verse to the 41.

The method that Christ u­seth, and which we should imi­tate.And of this Sermon I have chosen this thirty one verse to treat of, at this time; which is like Janus, looking backward and forward; backward in the discretive conjunction, and word [...], but, that noteth unto us what we should not do; and forward in all the other words, that do fully teach us what we should do: answerable to the method that the Pro­phet [Page 141] David proposeth unto us, saying, Eschew evil, and do good, and dwell for evermore; and which is the method that we ought all to follow.

1. To take notice, and to observe,1. The nega­tive part. what we should not do, and what evils we should eschew: for, as a good Gar­diner will first root out all noysome and hurtfull weeds, be­fore he can plant and sow his sweet and pleasant flowers; so must we root out all sins and vices, before any grace or virtue can be planted in us: and as there was a Law in Rome, de pur­gandis fontibus, of making clean their Wells and Fountains of water; so must the fountains of our hearts be cleansed, before we can receive the graces of God Spirit; because, as Solomon saith, The holy Spirit of discipline flieth from deceit, and dwel­leth not in the body that is subject unto sin, and can no more stand in one heart, than the Ark of God and the Idol Dagon could stand upon one Altar; and then, as S. Chrysostom saith, If thine hand be full of Counters, thou must cast them out of thine hand, before thou canst receive it full of Gold: so, if thy heart be full of sins, thou must cleanse the same, and cast thy sins away, before there can be any room for the graces of God.

Therefore our Saviour first of all telleth us, what we should not do; that is, not to be too carefull, and solicitous for the things of this world, but to take heed, and beware of covetousness; And to that end he laboureth much, and produceth many rea­sons to pluck up, out of our hearts, this evil weed of Co­vetousness, which, as the Apostle saith, is the root of all wickedness.

And the Summ and substance of the whole Discourse is this; that of all the wealth and riches of the whole world,1 Tim. 6.10. no man, no King, no Lord, can have any more, but his food and rayment; And the Providence of God hath so wisely dis­posed things, that every man, the poorest man hath these things, though not so excellent, yet competent, while he liveth: as we see, the poor Labourer hath his food of coarse bread and roots, as healthfull to him, and his sleep as delight­full, [Page 142] and oftentimes better then the daintiest Diet is to the greatest Glutton; and the mean man that is clad in Frize, or with John Baptist, in Camels hair, may be, and is, as well preserved from the heat of Summer, and the cold of Winter, and hath his nakedness as well covered thereby, which is all the use and end of apparel, as they that are clothed in Purple or Scarlet, or fine Linnen.

And this Providence of God, to find competent food and rayment for all men, the poor as well as the rich, our Saviour illustrateth by the example of the Fowls of Heaven and the Lillies of the field, whereof the one, i. e. the Fowls, are suf­ficiently fed, though they neither sow nor reap; and the other, i. e. the Lillies, are as bravely clad, though they neither weave nor spin; And yet Solomon in all his royalties, was not arrayed like one of these, nor all the colors in the Court of Spain cannot make so glorious a show as these fading flowers: and Sarda­napalus Diet,Herodian. in vitae Helioga­bali. or Heliogabalus fare; that, as Herodian saith, feasted on the rarest Fish, when he was the furthest from the Sea, and would have the daintiest Flesh and Fowls, that could be gotten, when he was nearest unto the Sea, could add no more unto their stature, then the Ravens carkases, or the Horse his grass, doth any whit lessen his full growth: and therefore, seeing none can have but food and rayment, S. Paul saith, that having food and rayment, we should there­with be contented. 1. Tim. 6.8.

But seeing we are all so bewitched with the love of this world, that we spend most of our time, and bestow most la­bour, and weary our selves in the pursuit of the vanities of this world; give me leave to explain unto you four special properties of these wordly things, that will shew unto you the great folly of them that are their greatest followers, and are most delighted with them, and beautified by them; for,

• The four inse­perable pro­parties of all worldly things.
  1. They are variable.
• 2. They are unprofitable.
• 3. They are deceitfull.
• 4. They are very hurtfull.

[Page 143]1. They are variable; and Solomon tells us,1. They are variable. they are all vanities, & evanescentia transeundo, and vanishing away by passing away, from one to another; as being with one to day, with another to morrow, and gone again from him the next day after; as the Stories tell us, how Cheops, King of Egypt, that built the Pyramides all of Theban Marble, and kept every day above thirty thousand men afore that work, became so poor, that he was fain to prostitute his Daughter to relieve his necessities: And of Croesus, the rich King of Lydia, the Poet saith, ‘Irus & est subito, qui modo Croesus erat:’ He suddenly became as poor as Irus. And to what end should I tell you of Caius Marius, that was seven times Consul, and yet was brought so low, as to hide his head in the Fens of Mynturnes: Or of Marcus Attilius Regulus, that had fettered many a noble Carthaginian, yet at last found him­self fettered in Carthage: Or of Belisarius, that brave Commander, and most excellent Souldier, under Justinian, and that was more famous then the King of Sweden; and had taken Gilimer and Vitiges, two mighty Kings, his Prisoners; yet came to so low an ebb, as to cry, Date obolum Belisario, quem virtus exaltavit, malitia depressit, et fortuna caecavit; O give one half-penny to Belisarius, whom Vertue advanced, Malice suppressed, and Fortune hath made now a poor blind Beggar! Or of a thousand more, that Histories do record, to have been tumbled from the top of all honour, wealth, and dignity, to the lowest degree of all misery; when as within these few years your own eyes may see and observe thousands of wealthy men, and honourable persons that are brought to the dust, and to have nothing: and a thousand of others, that had nothing, to become filled, some with the riches of Egypt, and others with the spoils of Israel: which doth sufficiently shew unto us, how vain and variable a thing is wealth, honour, and all other worldly things, that turn round like a wheel, [Page 144] Et ut Luna mutantur, And are as changeable as the Moon, and unconstant like the Wind.

2. They are unprofitable.2. As they are vain and variable, so they are unprofitable, for none of all these things can redeem our souls from hell, nor make satisfaction for one sin: when as the Prophet tells us,Mich. 6.7. That thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oyle, will not satisfie our God for the sin of our soul: And the Pro­phet David saith, It will cost more to redeem our souls then so: And Christ himself saith,Matth. 16.26. What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? As if he had said, All the wealth and all the honour in the world are not sufficient to redeem one soul: The which thing St. Peter meaneth, when he saith,1 Pet. 1.28. That we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, that could not do it; but with the pretious blood of Jesus Christ.

And as all the riches of the world cannot purchase the re­demption of one soul, so no more can they procure the health of our bodies: For the Poet tells us,

They can neither deliver us from death, nor preserve us in health, nor yet keep us out of prison, when God delivereth us into the hands of our enemies: And therefore the wise man saith, That when the rich mens eyes are opened, they themselves will cry out,Sap. 5.8. What hath pride profited us? Or, what hath the pomp of riches availed us? Just nothing; be­cause they are but like the Spiders web, that, as the Prophet saith, will make no garment for us.

3. They are all deceitful.3. All the things of this world are deceitful, and do deceive most of those men that love them and rely upon them: for so our Saviour in the Parable of the Sower saith, The seed which fell among thorns,Matth. 13.22. is like unto him, that heareth the Word of God, and presently the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choak the Work; for rich men, and [Page 145] all other worldlings, are like unto him, that in his sleep dream­eth he feasteth, and is at a pleasant banquet, filled with all dainty fare; but when he awaketh, behold, his belly is empty, and his soul is hungry: And so the Prophet David saith, The rich men have slept their sleep, and when they awaked they found nothing in their hands: And so now they are asleep and dream that themselves are the most happy men in the world, and the dejected Servants of God to be the most miserable; but when death openeth their eyes, and their souls are once out of their bodies, they do see that now all worldly things have forsaken them, and they must go naked of all wealth, and disrobed of all honour, before the seat of Judgment, to give a strict account of their Stewardship, how they have gotten, and how they have imployed all their wealth: and then they will confess, as you see they do, in the fifth of Wisdom, Sap. 5. What the worldlings at last do confess O how were we deceived! for these are they, Quos habebamus in risum, whom we derided, and had in a parable of reproach; we fools thought their life madness, and their end without ho­nour, and our selves only happy; but now they are among the Sons of God, and their lot among the Saints,S [...]p. 5.3, [...], 5. and we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of understanding hath not shined unto us; Et sic decipimur specie recti, and thus in all these things we do but, as Ixion did, imbrace a Cloud for Juno, and so deceive our selves with the shadow of things.

4. The things of this world, as riches, honours,4. They are hurtful. and the like, are not only deceitful, but also hurtful, and so hurtful, that the Apostle saith, They that will be rich do fall into temp­tations, and a snare, and into many hurtful and foolish lusts, 1 Tim. 6.9. which drown men in destruction and perdition: For as the Vi­pers do gnaw out the bowels of their own Dams, so the riches, honours, authorities, and the like things of this world, do ma­ny times prove the only bane and poyson that destroy their owners, both in this world and in the world to come: As witnesseth the story of that rich Roman Citizen, who having done nothing against the Commonwealth, nor any man else, that he knew of; yet being desirous to see the proscribed, he [Page 146] finds himself with the first in the Proscription; and then he cries out,How vanities and vain de­sires have de­stroyed many men. That it was his fair house at Nola, and not any thing that ever he did, had undone him, and caused him to be pro­scribed: So Plotius Plancus, the brother of Minutius Plan­cus, Consul and Censor of Rome, was so rich, and lived so de­licately, that being sought for by the Souldiers, during the Proscription of the Triumvirate,Valer. Maxim. l. 6. c. 18. to be put to death, and being hid in a very sure place by the faithfulness of his Servants, he was betrayed and discovered, only by the smell of his per­fumes; as was also Mulcasses, King of Tunis, discovered in like manner,Jovius hist. l. 47. as Paulus Jovius recordeth: whereupon the Poet saith,