WHat Euripides spake in Hecub [...] concerning a noble and vulgar person deliuering the same speech, Eadem oratio non aequè valet: The same doe I hold true of an antient and a younger Di­uine should they preach, for matter and forme totidem verbis, the same Ser­mon; it would finde a farre different acceptation. Lue. 5. last. No man when hee hath tasted old Wine will desire new, for he saith the old is better.

[Page 2] I freely acknowledge this chayre of Moses should rather bee furnished with Masters in our Israel, men of such grauity and learning, whose awfull presence alone might stop the mouth of all, either censorious Criticisme, or enuious detraction: But so heauy hath the hand of Heauen beene vpon vs, as not onely the sheepe, but the shepheards them­selues haue beene scattered; Those greater and more glorious Luminaries are retired to their more priuate orbes, there praying and interce­ding with Gen. 18. Abraham in the fields for threatned Sodome; wisely carefull, according to the aduise of Salomon Prou. 27. 12 not to expose their bodyes to these arrowes of God, which as if they had chosen this Citie for their proper ayme, haue thus long, thus mortally wounded vs; so that this Night of our desolation hath beene inlightened onely with lesse and weaker constellations. And those reuerend and worthy ones that haue stayed, haue found their owne Pastorall charges a double labour vnto them. So that young Samuel, or none must supply the place of old Eli, and in the absence of the Prophets, their children of seruants must dis­charge this duty. It will be your charity to expect from Children no more then what such weaklins, and Nouices can produce; to pardon weake if there be no wilfull aberrations; St. Paul 1 Cor. 13. 11. himselfe when he was a childe, spake as a childe, Psal. 8. 2. and out of the mouthes of babes and sucklins is God of­ten pleased to make his praises issue forth: What then the Heathen were wont to proclaime in the [Page 3] beginning of their sacrifices [...] so wee desire none but equall eares and milde cen­surers at our Sermons. 2 Kings 7. Good newes is good newes though from a Leaper, and truth though vttered out of weake and vnworthy lips ought to lose nothing of it's worth and acceptation.

The Prophet in this Psalme describes foure se­uerall sorts of men that stand indebted to God for deliuerance from earthly and temporall dangers, and afflictions. vers [...] [...]. The first whereof are they that haue suffered banishment, as the beloued Disci­ple Reuel. 1. 9. Iohn in Pathm [...]s, are exiled from their na­tiue soyle, and may say with them in the Poet, Virg▪ Ecclog. [...] ▪ Nos Patriae fines & dulcia linquim [...]s ar [...], Their natiue Country with all the pleasures thereof they forsake, and are driuen to liue among strangers, to seeke their bread in an vnknowne Land, to conuerse with such people, whose language is riddles vnto them, yet there they crie vnto the Lord, Zach. 4. 10. whose eares as his eyes goe through the world, and hee heareth them and brings them home in safety.

The second are they that haue with Act▪ 12▪ Peter bin lockt vp in Prisons, and with ler. 37▪ Ieremy throwne into the Dungeon, and fettered, not onely in chaines of Iron, but which is worse, in fetters of darknesse, not hauing so much happinesse as to see themselues miserable, yet thence from those disconsolate places, they crying vnto the Lord, he also heareth them and deliuereth them, breakes those bonds in sunder, and set [...] their [...] ▪ in a larger r [...]me.

[Page 4] The third being the Text which at this time I haue chosen to bee the subiect of my weake dis­course, Verse 17. are they that haue beene brought so lowe, with the harbinger of death; sicknesse, that their soules abhorred all meat, and all pleasure is as the gall of Aspes vnto them, vnwelcome and vnsauo­rie, yet they also with [...] Reg. 20. Hezekiah, crying vnto the Lord, their strength is renued, and there are dayes and yeares added to their liues.

The fourth are they that goe downe to the sea in Ships, and occupie their businesse in great waters, Sea-faring men, that are neither Inter vi [...]s [...]ec inter mor [...]uos, betweene the liuing nor the dead, and are ready to offer vp their soules to euery flaw of winde, and billow of water which assailes them, yet these at last are ioyfully deliuered, and safely brought to that hauen where they would bee. The A [...]aebeum or burden of each one is this, Oh that men would praise the Lord for his good­nesse, and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men.

It was the saying of Salomon Pro. 25. [...]1. A word spoken in due time is like apples of gold with siluer pictures, whose outside is faire, but the inside glorious; if euer text was seasonable, this is now at this time, being a liuely description to our eares, of what our eyes haue beene wofull witnesses and spectators, here is a reall narration, and a true demonstration of our owne lamentable estate, whether we consi­der our misery we haue beene plagued and afflicted, or the cause of those sorrows our Transgressions [Page 5] and iniquity, or the effect of those disasters, our fasting and crying vnto the Lord, or the happy e­uent of our humilia [...]ion and contrition. He heard vs in our distresses, hee sent his Word and healed vs, hee hath spoken and wee haue escaped from the noy­some Pestilence. Or lastly the good end and conclu­sion which we all should make our thankfulnesse, Oh that men would, &c.

Ciprian. Plus profic [...]tur, cùm in rem presentem venitur, when we see and feele the truth of what we heare, the words cannot but moue and proue eff [...]ctuall. Horace. Illi [...]bur & oes triplex c [...]ra pectus, his sinewes are of I [...]on, and his soule of Marble, who, when he heares the sad relation of those miseries where­in himselfe and his brethren haue beene miserable sharers, shall not haue his heart pricked, as the Act. 2. 37. Iewes had at Peters Sermon, t [...]lling them their sin past, and their iudgement to come, so againe, that heart is as [...] as Brawne, and himselfe not worthy the ayre hee breathes in, that is not taken with this great deliuerance of our gratious God, that hath not his soule rauisht with ioy, and indea­uours not to expresse the fruites of his gratitude in his life and conuersation, in reall acts of chari­ty and obedience: For if euer Death triumphed, 'twas this yeare in the streets of our forsaken City, and if euer Mercy againe victoriously ouercame, it was now in this sudden and vnexpected decli­nation from the deaths of so many thousands in one weeke, to so few hundreds within a few we [...]kes after, it was onely the Psal. 118. 23 Lords doing, and it ought to [Page 6] bee meruailous in our eyes. Wherefore as Tully spake of a booke which Cran [...]or wrote, it was Paruus, sed aureolus, & ad verbum ediscendus, with better rea­son may I say of this Text of Scripture, it deserues to bee engrauen vpon the palmes of our hands, or rather on the tables of our hearts, neuer to bee for­gotten, to be worne as a bracelet vpon our armes, or rather as a [...]ron [...]let betweene our eyes, still to bee thought vpon and still to magnifie God for it.

But because [...] Pleni sumus r [...]marum as hee in the Comedie, and the thought both of sorrow and deliuerance equally slips out of our memo­ries with the sense of them, giue me leaue to thrust my finger into an al-most-healed soare, to drawe fresh blood from our late wounds; to discourse a while of our afflictions, that so our extremitie duly and often considered, our owne escape, and miraculous preseruation may bee more welcome to vs, and we more thankfull for it. And so I come to my Text.

Fooles because of their Transgressions, &c.

Psa. 101. The subiect of Dauids song Mercy and Iudge­ment, as of all holy Writ in generall, so it is the chiefe matter of this Text in particular, heere is Iudgement in the punishing, and Mercy in deliue­ring againe from that Iudgement, or rather here is Mercy, then Iudgement then mercy againe; for what was it that suffered these fooles so long to runne on in the wayes of their foolishnesse, till they added Transgressions to their F [...]lly, and Ini­quitie to their Transgressions, till they heaped one [Page 7] sinne vpon another, that their regions were for­borne not onely till they were Albae ad messem, but Siccae ad ignem, white for haruest, but drye for the fire, till the measure fo their wickednesse was not onely full, but heaped vp, pressed downe, and run­ning ouer, but those Viscera misericordiae as they are tearmed, the bowels of his compassion, his long suffering patience, who wills not the destru­ction of any; He could in the infancy of their sin [...]aue throwne them not onely to the gates of Death, but euen the belly of Hell, but yet He stay­ed, and stayed, till there was no end of their re­bellions, so that laes [...] patientia fit furor, patience too long, too much abused becomes fury: yet a little while and his bow will be bent, and his arrowes drawne to the head, and He is as it were compelled to strike. And yet see and wonder at Mercy in the middest of Iudgement, they are not swallowed vp quite of this deuourer, they are but at the gates of death, Psal. 1 18. 1 [...]. He hath chastened them sore, but hee hath not giuen them ouer vnto death. Hee plagues none ad destructionem sed ad correctionem, to amend, not to destroy vs; loath to begin, and yet in the proceeding procuring our good and aduantage. O quam vellem nescire literas, Sue [...]. in vita Nero [...]is. said Nero in the beginning of his raigne, when he was to subscribe for the execution of a Malefactor; ten thousand times more loth is our gouernour, the Father of all comfort, and God [...]f all mercy to strike, much more to kill. Ez [...]k. 18. 32. Hee wills not the death of a sinner, but rather their conuersion and saluation.

[Page 8]And because prosperity doth rather breed cor­ruption then amendment, as Deu [...]. 3 [...]. 15 Ges [...]urun waxing [...]at will kicke, and wee see that standing waters will soone grow noysome. Aduersity must then succeed, as when 2 Sam. 11. 29. Absolom could not draw Ioab vn­to him by faire intreats, he fired his Barley [...]ieldes to make him come, so that here is the course, God blesseth, they sin, God strikes, they pray, and then He presently heares and helpes them.

Thus then my Text falls in sunder: First, as all Phisitians comming to their Patients examine the cause of the disease; so here wee haue the ground and the originall of all our sorrowes our Transgressions and Iniquities.

17. Foole because of their Transgressions, and because of their Iniquities, are afflicted.

Then secondly we haue the nature of the di­sease, the new Transl [...]tion saith in generall they are afflicted. The old hath it, they are plagued which by the symptomes of it may be thought to b [...]e the same disease vnder which wee haue thus long groaned▪

18. Their soule abhorreth all meate, and they drawe neere to the gates of death.

Vomiting I am sure is one of the certainest signes of the plague.

Then thirdly the seeking to the Phisi [...]ian.

19. Then they cry vnto the Lord in their trouble.

F [...]u [...]hly the cure intended in the same verse applyed in the next. Hee saued them out of their distresses.

[Page 1] 20. Hee sent his Word and healed them, and deli­uered them from their destructions.

And lastly the conclusion of all, the onely Fee and gratification which our Phisition expects for the cure.

21. Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse, and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men.

These are the parts, The cause, The disease, The seeking to the Phisition, the Cure, and the discharge, or satisfaction.

As the Prodigall Luc. 15. 18. when hee returned to his Fathers house freely confessed hee had sinned a­gainst Heauen and against him, and was no more worthy to be called his sonne, and so reduced all his delinquencyes to these two heads, God, and Man; So are all our sinnes wee can bee guilty of, included in these two, our Transgressions and our Iniquities; our Transgressions, as all interpreters doe agree, smiting against the first Table, and our Iniquities violating the second; our sinnes of knowledge, our sinnes of ignorance, our sinnes of weaknesse, our sinnes of wilfulnesse, our secret, our open sinnes, of our thoughts, of our mouthes, of our hands, are all here comprised, whatsoeuer the diuell can suggest, or to which our hearts can consent, or our hands act are all here vnderstood.

Should I take vpon me to number the Trans­gressions of our Iudah, and reckon vp the par­ticular Iniquities of our Israel, I might as easily call all the [...]arres by their names, and giue a true [Page 10] and exact accompt of the sand vpon the Sea­shore; not onely the ends of the world as 1 Cor. 10. 11. Saint Paul saith, but the ends of all goodnesse are met vpon this last and worst age of ours.

The sinnes which in former ages were but in their Infancy, are now in ours, growne to their full height and strength, those which whilome were but in the Egge, are now come to be fiery fly­ing Serpents; All these wee haue and more of our owne, more horrid; Euery new day almost brings in a new way of offending; Were Salomon now a­liue, he would recant, in that Eccles. 1. 9. he said, He saw no new thing vnder the Sun, Et dictum, & factum quod non prius, wee offend both in word and workes in such kindes, such fashions, as former ages were neuer guilty of the knowledge of, and

Posterity will neuer be able to paralell our exor­bitancies; As in the time of the Plague wee won­dred not so much at those that dyed, as at those that escaped: so in this generall Infection, they deserue no admiration that offend, but they that are found innocent, vt Pueri Iunonis au [...]m, are wondred at as a Bird of diuerse colours.

Should euery Leaper in this kinde be enforced as those other Leapers in the old Num. 5. 2. Law were, to go out of our Cities, and rend their clothes, and cry I am vncleane, men would swarme in our fieldes like those Grashoppers in Aegypt, our Townes and houses should onely be places for Isa. 13. 21. Zim and [Page 11] Iim, Owles and Ostriches to inhabite in; our streetes should bee left so desolate, that grasse might there grow, and a Ibid. ver. 1 [...] man should bee more pretious then the purest gold of Ophir.

2 Sam. 24. Not a man amongst vs but may cry as Dauid did Peccaui, nay Stul [...]è seci, wee haue sinned and done very foolishly; Stocke and branch, Cedar and shrubbe, Prince and Priest and People, all of vs are digged out of one and the same pit of A­dams disobedience, and hewen out of that rocke of Infidelity. Ez [...]k. 16. 3. The father of vs all was an Ammo­rite, and our mother an Hittite; in sinne haue they begotten vs, and in Iniquity haue they produced vs. and we our selues sucke not the ayre faster, nor Behemoth drinkes downe Iordane with more gree­dinesse then we Isa. 5. 18. hale on sinne with cart-ropes, and pull it vnto vs euen by violence: The Isa. 1. 5. whole head of man-kinde is sicke, and the whole heart faint of this malady. There is none that doth good, no not one, Ps [...]l. 14. 1. saith Dauid; there is none that doth not cuill, say I, and very euill, no not one. Salomon 1 King 8. 46 at the Dedication of the Temple concluded vs all vnder sinne; Omnes aliquid, Nemo nullum. All of vs offend in some things, and some of vs offend in all things; Pro [...]. 24. 16. The most righteous in all the cluster of man-kinde falls in his happiest day seuen tim [...]s. Hee hath Breuia, leuiaque peccata, quam [...]is pauca, quamuis parua, non tamen nulla, so that omnes odit, qui malos odit, His sword must needs be against euery man that fights against wicked men. For our skin cleaues not faster to our flesh, nor our flesh to our [Page 4] bones, then Transgressions and Iniquities to the hearts and hands of vs all.

But to reduce my In [...]ectiue into some method, as Caesar comprised his Victories in three words, Veni, vidi, vici. So will I reduce all our extraua­gancies to three other, Corda, ora, opa; our hearts, our tongues, our▪ hands, are the three weapons with which we fight against our God, our neigh­bour, and our selues, with our hearts wee con­temne, with our tongues we defie, with our hands we worke against the God of Heauen. Or if you please, because my Text hath but two words, Transgressions and Iniquities; I will confine my selfe also to two particulars, our Transgressions a­gainst the first, and our Iniquities against the se­cond Table.

The former Table briefely containes in it foure seuerall Precepts, the first whereof commands in­ternall pietie, that in our hearts we haue one, and but one God alone; The second externall wor­ship of that one God, and sorbids vs to bow our knees, or prostrate our selues to any grauen or carued Image, or likenesse of any creature, but onely to himselfe: and because ex abundantia cor­dis os loquitur Luc. 6. 45. as our Sauiour saith, as wee con­ceiue in our hearts, our tongues will expresse, ther­fore the 3. Commandement orders that, which is the principall member we haue, either to honour or dishonour our Maker; in it is both life and death Prou. 18. 21. saith Salomon; that commands vs to ex­ercise them [...] in blessing and praising [Page 5] his holy Name, not in swearing, cursing, and blas­pheming, but to speake reuerently as befits the seruants of so great a Maiestie. And as at all times we ought to be busied in the celebration of his praises, so especially on that day which he hath set apart for his diuine worship, in the Taberna­cle and great congregation; for which the fourth Commandement takes order, which sets one day apart wherein we should meete and pray to him for things wanting, and praise him for benefites receiued at his hands.

Giue me a man that hath not transgrest against these foure words, and I will say and pronounce, that he needs no Sauiour, nay himselfe shall be­come a kinde of a Sauiour of his fellow-brethren. I may not be long in particulars, I shall but onely touch them leui digito, as Num. 6. 13. the 12. Searchers of Ca­naan brought some of the fruit of the land to their brethren, for a taste, so must I onely trouble you with a few, and in briefe of our rebellions in this kinde, yet so as ex vnguê Leonem, yee may ghesse at the Lyon by his clawes, wee shall see that, what the most are by act, all of vs are by nature.

To taxe vs with the cōmon Idolatry of bowing our selues as Exod. 32. the Iewes to their golden Calfe, to any carued or grauen Image, it shall now be altogether vnnecessary, sith the glorious shine of the Gospell hath quite dispeld all those mists of ignorance and superstition; those Idolatrous Micha's that are, dare not, (thrice blessed bee that power by which they dare not) shew themselues [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 14] abroad, but like Owles and Batts in obscuritie, or Be [...]sts in their dennes, they bury themselues in their secret and vnknowne Houses, and there more blinded, then the [...] King. 11. Syrians were when they were led into Sa [...]aria, fall to their abominations; But such order is happily taken, by direction from his sacred Majestie to his Iudges and principall Officers of state, that these Cacus-dennes shall bee more narrowly searched into, and these Wooden [...]riests, and wooden Saints, together with their wooden Gods, shall be excluded our Israel, and sent to eate their bread in those places where first they suckt their contagious Poyson, or liuing here, they shall be serued as the Iosh. 9. Gibeonites were, so kept vnder and supprest, as they shall neuer en­danger our State and Common-wealth. When the head hath thus well ordered and commanded, may those hands forget their cunning that shall ei­ther be carelesse, or negligent in the execution. Cursed may he be, and may the curse cleaue to his seed, that shall doe this worke of his Lord and Master perfunctorily with a double heart, or a double eye, carrying fire in one hand, the autho­rity and command of the King, and water in the other; his owne timorous or [...]upine conniuence.

But there is another Idolatry more common, no lesse dangerous then that other, if the Col. 3. 5. Apo­stle deceiue vs not, Couetousnesse is Idolatry, and there are whose backes and Phil. 3. 19. Belly is their God. Mammon is the God of the Couetous, and Belial of the Voluptuous; these are thy Gods ô England, [Page 15] to which the greatest part of the Inhabitants are votaries and Idolaters; in these respects wee may complaine as the Prophet did of Iudah and Ieru­salem, Ier. 11. 18. According to the number of thy Cities O Iudah haue they set vp Altars, and according to the number of thy streets O Ierusalem haue they erected Images, so according to the number of men are their Idolatries. The Heathen were justly taxed for burdening the poore shoulders of Atlas with so many Deities, for euery seuerall purpose they had one, for Peace, for Warre, for Corne, for Wine, houshold-Gods, aud Country-Gods, and Citie-Gods, and field-Gods; [...]ay, Rome was so base in it, as to erect a god-head for their draught­houses, Cloacina was the Goddesse for that pur­pose. Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum, Wherein are we inferiour, and in what are they better that dei [...]ie their throates or bellyes? that ob vnius horaehilarem insaniam, as Drunkenesse is called, diuest themselues of all hope of eternall happinesse: Whose Temple is the Tauerne, and the Drawers their Priests, the Flaggons of Wine their sacrifice, which they poure downe their Throates, as the Heathen did to their god Bac­chus, and so giue a drinke-offering to the Deuill.

That Epicure that wished his necke as long as a Cranes, that he might haue the longer pleasure of his meates and drinkes, compared to many a man in our times might bee thought temperate, and Luc. 16. 19. Di [...]es his dain [...]y fare; or Apitius dyet would be thought penurious.

[Page 8] The Diuells walke is vndertaken, Iob 1. Seas and Lands are compassed for the satisfying our appe­tites in this kinde; and as [...] Sa [...]. 24. 17. Dauid called the water of Bethlehem fetcht with the hazzard of the liues of his men, the blood of those men, so the blood of many men is daily drunke, and drunke in ex­cesse, that blood of the Grape fetcht from farre alwayes with the hazzard, and many times with the losse of many a mans life. Nor doth the vari­ety so much offend, as the abominable superfluity in the abuse of them, making them indeed the li­quors of blood, beginning them to the healths of ourrfriends, but often ending like Tragedies in one anothers Massacre.

As Seneca complained in his times, vidi ebrio­serum sitim & v [...]mentium famem, haue we as much reason to complaine in ours, there being obiected daily to our eyes, as was to the blinde mans in the Mark. 8. 24. Gospell at the first recouery of his sight, Men walking like trees, shaking like the tops of them in a winde, reeling like a vessell in a tempest at Sea, cutting indentures with their inconstant feete without sense or shame, or controlement.

I haue read that Cleopatra beat a Iewell valued at 50000. pound to powder, and drunke it off at one draught to the Health of Marke Anthony, such summes few of our Drunkards are guilty of, but as Christ said in the M [...]k. 16. 43. Gospell, that the Wi­dow in offering but two mites, offered more then the rich Pharisees did, because she offered all she had, so in this respect wee haue among vs, that [Page 17] drinke more then that vaine woman did, ventring their whole estates through the [...]raytes of their throate, and haue lost it all in the bottome there­of their Bellyes, themselues hauing beene after such shipwracke forced with Belisarius in Rome to beg a farthing, and glad, with the Luc. 15. Prodigall, of Huskes and Acornes for want of other food.

And for our Tables, how are they surcharged with the weight of dishes vpon them; One fowle is fed 100. times, that it may feed vs but once, aud Rom. 5. 22. all the creatures groane vnder that burden, Ha [...]d necessitatem deprecantes sed iniuriam, They wil­lingly like those Num. 11. Quayles in the Wildernesse, of­fering themselues to our slaughter for our necessi­ty, onely desiring the excessiue abuse of them to be forborne. I know there must be Feasts for the honour of Kingdomes, of States, of Magistracy, publike persons must haue such publike meetings as their worth and place requires, but for 1 Sam. 25. a Luc. 16. 19. Nabal to feast like a King; for homo quidam as Diues was called, a certaine rich man, to fare daintily quoti­die, he is the Belly-God, and this is his Idolatry; whose Kitchin is his Temple, whose Priest is the Cooke, whose Table is the Altar, and whose meat his Sacrifice which he daily offers vp to that god, as the Babilonians sometime did to their Idoll Bel.

So weighty is the Idolatry of the backe, carry­ing thereon whole Farmes and Mannor-Houses that Clemens Alexandrinus said, it was a a meruaile they were not killed, Cùm tantum onus baiulent, [Page 18] Augustus the Emperour tearmed this vanity vex­illum superbiae, nidumque luxuriae, they are tokens of a naked and a wanton minde, which because their soules want that inward clothing of grace and good workes must thus like Sepulchers paint and beautifie their bodies for want of better or­naments; 1 Tim. 2. 10 they are fruitlesse twigs that aspire aloft when the fertile bowes humbly descend to the earth. They who thus vainely set out their bodies as it were to sale, meerely discouer the pouerty of their spirits.

It is a pretty picture that points out an Eng­lish-man naked, with a Taylor standing by with a paire of Sheeres in his hand, ready to shape him into any dresse, sometimes he is French alone, then Spanish, then Dutch, then Italian, then alto­gether like them all, and in all so vnlike himselfe, that when the true God that made him comes to see him, hee must needs say Non novi, depart from me, you have so disguised and mishapen your selues, as I doe not know you.

Their faithfull Taylors are the Priests to these Idolaters, and their Bills their Bibles, which sometime for want of discharging they keepe by them, but when they are payd, they profanely cut them in pieces, but yet so happy are their Priests, that their tenths grow to a greater heape in the close, then all their Patrons 9. parts besides.

But there may bee some reasons for these Ido­latryes, the pleasing of our senses, and the satis­faction of our flesh, but the other that we should [Page 19] Iob 31. 24. say to a wedge of gold thou art my hope, or to sil­uer, thou are my confidence, that wee should make our selues seruants to that which euery beast treads vnder his feet, this, as it hath lesse shew of reason in it, so is it farre more hatefull; an abomi­nation which the Indians themselues abhorred in Christians, when holding vp a piece of gold, they cryed Eh De [...]s C [...]ristianorum. I cannot but thinke how soone a couetous man would bee downe on his face, and▪ vp with his hands to the diuells worship, should he but say to them, I will not say as the Deuill did to Christ, Mat. 4. 9. Omnia hac dabo, but the least Mole-hill almost that it con­taines, which is not more base in it selfe, then vn­certaine for the continuance▪ The holy Altars of God shall be sacrilegiously robd, and his Sacred Reuenews purloyned to fill full their Coffers, the Temples of their Mammon. And so thrifty are these Beads-men, as they will not be at the charge of a Priest, themselues will doe that office, or at least they doe as Micah, Iudg. 17. Consecrate one of their Sonnes, who looking to their Temples and golden Gods, sometime play false with them, as Micah with his Mother, and they with others; what they get with the sweat of their brow, and the sorrow of their heart, their sonnes like those of 1 Sam. 2. Eli, spend as merrily. The father grindes the faces, and grieues the heart of the poore, the sonne glads the heart, and decks the body of an Harlot. What Agrippina said of Nero her sonne, Interim at modò imperet, so the Father hee will [Page 20] kill, burn, destroy, so he may but get 1 Tim. 5. 6. gaine, which is his godlinesse, and the Sonne kills, burnes, de­stroyes, to satisfie his mistresse, which is his Saint, and the onely matter of his Religion.

Thus wee violate the two first Commande­ments, now for the third and fourth, let our hor­red oathes, tearing God in pieces with blasphe­my, with Iohn 20. 27. Thomas, putting our fingers into the wounds of our Sauiour, making new blood thence to issue afresh, witnesse: Words come not faster then oathes, and those newly coyned, old ones are scorned as obsolete, and the forge of our braines is still on worke for new ones, such as will make the eares of euery honest Christian man to tingle and shake, if it were possible, the foundati­ons of Heauen and Earth.

So likewise our prophane violation of the Sa­baoth; I will not strictly vrge a ceremoniall absti­nence from all moderate and lawfull recreations at seasonable houres, but I onely could wish this day were as happy in its kinde as the other sixe are in theirs, then are the manuary Trades exerci­sed, euery man is busie in his vocation, buying or selling, or the like, few or none are idle, onely this day wherein our humane Lawes [...]orbid workes, and the Diuine lawes command sanctity, men take more liberty to doe euill, being longer and with farre greater content in the Tauerne, and sometime in worse houses then the Temple of God.

Thus we multiply our Transgressions as the [Page 21] hayres of our heads, and there is no end of our Rebellions the euening of our carelesnesse, and the morning of our presumption makes the first and second and third, and all the dayes of our liues.

And if we thus deale with our God, how doe wee vse our neighbour? if the first Table bee thus profaned, how is the second violated? if we swal­low downe these Camels, surely what followes are but G [...]ts, and while we with such facility passe o­uer these Mountaines, Mole-hills will neuer keep vs in our bounds, and so I come to consider our Iniquities against the second Table.

I will but run them ouer. 1. Wee scornefully cast the cords of superiority from vs, and breake the b [...]nds of all subiection in sunder, our Fathers that begat vs, our Mothers that bore vs, our earthly gods are neglected and forsaken, should they but command ought contrary to our humours;

2. Nay, is life spared when anger and fury is prouoked? Caligula among the Romans was cal­led Lutum sanguine maceratum, are there not ma­ny among vs that haue made Blood touch blood? a wry looke, a misplaced word, a mistake sometimes hath spilt the blood of him for whom Christ dyed; Man was made at first to bee as Exod. 4. 16. Moses to Aaron, a God, a friend, a helper, but now Isa. 1. our siluer is become drosse; the beasts de [...]uour not one the other more fiercely then one man doth another.

3. So for the third, How are our bodyes that should be vessells of honour, 1 Cor. 6. 19. Temples for the [Page 22] Holy Ghost to dwell in, giuen ouer to all vnclean­nesse, men Ier. 5. [...]. neighing with the horse after his female, and thinking no Prou. 9. 17. waters so pleasant, nor any bread so sweet, as what in that sort is purloyned.

4. Those Pronounes Meum and Tuum are ra­sed out of our Grammers, many violently stea­ling, but more fraudulently cozening their Neighbours of their estates; Prou. 20. 14. It is naught, saith the buyer, and comming to sell it, hee as much commends it, and in both equally deceiptfull.

5. How greedily doe our eares sucke in false Reports of our brethren, and how are our mouthes with childe till againe they be deliuered of them to the detraction of their repu [...]es; The Diuels name comes from such practice Diabolus is Divulgator, a spreader abroad of euill reports, so that they that report them, haue the Diuell in their tongues, and they that receiue and beleeue them, the Diuell in their eares, both in their hearts. Nay, are there not found among vs 1 King. 21. Sons of Belial, such as Iesabell procured to sweare a­gainst Naboth, who for a small salary will sweare downe Innocence it selfe, and condemne it? The Temple-walkes in the Tearme-time are seldome vnfurnisht of such necessary mischiefes.

6. And whence come all these? what is the ground of all these Iniquities, but our owne con­cupiscence, the sinne against the last Comman­dement, which as St. Iohn 1 Ioh. 2. 24. diuides it, is either carnis or occulorum, with Iosh. 7. 21. Achan wee see a Babi­lonish garment, and a wedge of gold, and so wee [Page 23] desire to be fine, or rich, or to enjoy such a beau­tie, or to be reuenged in such a kinde, for such an iniury, and loe all these actuall Iniquities follow.

These are in grosse our grosse Transgressions and Iniquities, against which being to declaime, I could wish I had Stentors voyce, and more sand to runne out, but there are other things which call for my labour and your attention: But yet ere I leaue this verse, with the practice of which sinnes we so much please our selues, giue me leaue to doe as the Finers of gold and siluer, who non solùm aurimassas, verum & bracteolas parvus tol­lunt, not onely make vse of the Wedge it selfe, but euen of the smallest rayes or foyles which their mettall casteth, so heere giue mee leaue to note out the first word of the verse, the censure which the Wisdome of God giues vpon men, when they are in their greatest Ruffe, in the toppe of their Pride, as Nebuchadnezzar in his Galle­ries, and say with Exod. 5. 2. Pharaoh, who is the Lord that I should obey him, or with [...] King. 19. Rabsaketh to Hesekiah, he shall not be able to deliuer thee out of my hands, I say though they like the Drome­dary weary themselues in the race of their abomi­nations and yet triumph, thinking that Wisedome shall onely liue and die with them: Yet see what a blacke coale they are marked with by the finger of the Spirit, the honourablest stile they can haue, is but Fooles, that's the best and most charitable construction can be giuen of all their actions, and the fayrest tytle they can deserue. One builds and [Page 24] thinkes to get him a name that way, another lades himselfe with thicke Clay to vse the phrase Hab. 2. 6. of the Prophet, and hopes that way to get him a name, another ventures his life to get him a name after his death, and there are Catilanary disposi­tions, who by mischiefe thinke to procure a name, as those Inventors of the Powder-treason, but see here what name they get, this is the deno­mination which they haue in their liues, and shall without repentance be written on their Tombes, Foole and vnwise to heart, and without vnder­standing shall each of them be called, and so re­corded to Posterity. As 1 Sam. 25. Abigal spake of her Husband, Nabal is his name, and folly is with him, so it is with vs all by nature, we are all bound vp in a bundle of folly together, were wee as wise as Achitophell 2 Sam. 16. 23. whose counsell was thought as the Oracles of God, or as 1 Kings 4. 33. Solomon who could dispute of euery thing, from the Cedar to the shrubbe, or as Gen. 2. 10. Adam, who had the wisedome to impose names according to the seuerall natures of euery creature, yet is all 1 Cor. 1. 20. the wisdome in the world folly with God, who Psal. 2. sits in Heauen and sees the actions of men, and laughs them to scorne, and will at last openly discouer their nakednesse to themselues, that they themselues shall bee en­forced to acknowledge their folly, and bee asha­med of it.

Though the sword of Gods vengeance long rests in the scabberd of [...]his patience, as it did to these men here in my Text, yet at last it will bee [Page 25] drawne forth, The Heathen shall know themselues to bee but men, and these men to bee but Fooles, the day of their pleasure is now past, and the night of their Tribulation comes, they were well and in health and merry, but see now they are afflicted, nay, Tarditatem supplitij gravitate com­pensat, for see the manner of it; Their soule ab­horreth all meate, and they drawe neere to the gates of death, and so the second part comes in, the Disease.

The cause of our disasters you haue heard, our Transgressions and our Iniquities, hinc nostri fundi calamitas, hence is the source of all our sor­rowes, the originall of all our afflictions.

Had our first Parents continued in that Inno­cency wherein they were created the name of af­fliction had beene a stranger vnto them, they had neuer suffered, had neuer dyed, but they starting aside like a brok [...]n bow, and falling from that Inte­grity, haue not onely brought a death, and that a double one vpon themselues and their issue Mo­ri [...]nd [...] moriemini, but also encumbred that short life which was alotted them with a world of sor­row and vexation. Hence come that infinite number of diseases which begirt and enuiron this body of ours, so that not one part from the sole of the foot to the top of the head may challenge any freedome and immunity, some whereof am­bitiously aspire to the seate of Maiesty the head, and there despightfully triumph ouer vs, while o­thers more humble, no lesse cruell, content [Page 26] themselues with the Iniury they offer vs in our more inferiour members; Others there are who as if they had receiued that commission of his 1 King. 22. 31. to his Souldiers, fight neither against small nor great, saue the King onely, so these bend all their forces against the onely fountaine of our life, our heart, where yet more kindely cruell, they strike vs with present death, while others to shew the virulency of their disposition, are many yeeres in killing vs, during all which time, our whole life is but labour and sorrow, and the graue is more de­sired then all the treasures of the world; One hee complaines of his head as 2 King 4. 19 the Shu [...]a [...]it [...]s Son, another of his belly, Ier. 4. 19. as the Prophet, another is [...]icke in his legges, 1 Kings 15. [...]23. as Asa, another of a soare, as 2 Kings 20. 7. Hezekiah, all of vs haue some way or other to bring vs to these gates of death here spoken of.

I am not able to call all the seuerall Arrowes of this quiuer by their proper names, but surely the least, and most gentle of them is sufficient to rob vs of the best of natures Iewels our life. We haue all experience in this kinde of as much as I can relate, wee see that all the Cities and Townes of the earth, so farre as the line of them is stretched, are but humanarum cladium mis [...]randa consepta, and though there is but [...], yet there are I [...]numeri exitus, but one way of comming into the world, yet there are a world of wayes of go­ing out, and if any question the cause of these our maladies, let him at his leisure but reade ouer the 28. of D [...]ut. and there hee shall see that the

[Page 27] sinne of his soule is the onely cause of the suffe­ring of the body. It was the word of the Sonne of Syrach, Let him that sinneth against his Maker, Ecelesiast. 38. 15. fall into the hands of the Phisition. And experi­ence tells vs daily, that there are some Diseases which grow vpon men meerely by their sinne and wickednesse; Our Luc. 21. 34. Sauiour bids vs take heed that our stomacks be not ouer-charged with sur­feiting and drunkennesse. Plures gulâ quàm gla­di [...], a true, though as olde Prouerbe, the Graue hath beene as much beholding to Intemperance, as any other thing whatsoeuer. Whence come our Agues and Feuers, and that other, which was once out-landish, but may now be called our na­tiue disease, not fit to bee named, which breedes corruption in the bones, and consumes the mar­row in the loynes, but by excesse and voluptu­ousnesse?

For this cause 2 Cor. [...]. 30 saith St. Paul, speaking be­fore of the neglect and abuse of the Sacrament, many are weake and sicke among you, and many are fallen asleepe. Ier. 23. 10. For vaine Swearing the whole Land mournes, and the Heathen did ob­serue that [...] as the Israelites were discomfited for the offence of Achan.

But for this disease which thus long hath trou­bled vs, and which, if any, is particularly meant in this place, you shall obserue tha [...] that neuer came, but for some great and grieuous precedent sinne, in the 11. of Numbers and 16. there the [Page 28] people were so plagued, the cause is set downe, their murmuring and impatience, one time a­gainst God, a second time against Moses and Aa­ron, So when Dauid lost 70000. 2 Sam 24. of the same di­sease, the Text saith, for his sinne in numbring the people. This is called Psal. 91. 5. the arrow of the Lord that flyes by day, and when this once comes, the Text hath it, that Wrath [...] is gone out from the Lord, as Moses said to Aaron, as if all other diseases were but whipping with Roddes; light, and slight afflictions this whipping with Scorpions, the worst, the terriblest, the most seuere of all other. It is not the Infection of the Ayre, nor distemperature of the body, nor the heape of Inhabitants, nor the Influence of the Stars which Phisitions could or would euer apply this disease vnto, but as the Exod. 8. 19. Aegyptians said of the Plague of Lice, Digitus deiest hic, and that for some great some grieuous offence.

Wherefore let vs all strike our selues with a­mazement vpon the thigh, and say, what haue wee done, let vs resolue a Christian alteration and re­formation, otherwise though this bee remoued, yet a worse thing will befall vs, which surely must be in the other life, for heere naught worse can come, for see how it is described. Their soule ab­horreth all meate, and they draw neere to the gates of death. All pleasure, all delights proue hatefull to them, nay, their necessary foode which should preserue their being, keepe life and soule together is loathsome, and then no meruaile though they [Page 29] bee neere death, for can a fire continue without [...]ewell, and nature bee sustained without its ap­pointed food?

But they whom God hath deliuered out of it, can better expresse the nature of this disease then my selfe, onely thus much, it is in the most mor­tall, in all fearefull and vncomfortable, when a friend is barred from a friends visite, when hee shall haue none to close vp his dying eyes, nor to say to him leaue thy fatherlesse children to mee, when hee not onely suffers himselfe, but it any be so aduentrously kinde to come to see him, he may bee a pe [...]iduct and an occasion of the like misery to him.

But wee haue not changed the colour of our haire, not added one inch to our statures since our wet eyes and heauy hearts were witnesses of more then what my tongue is able to relate; when naught was heard but crying and complaining in our streetes, no fights but some carrying others to their graues, and not many dayes after, o­thers doing the like necessary office for them. Gods arme is not yet shortned, nor his strength so much weakened, but that if wee still sinne, hee will surely smite againe.

The onely way to make a perfect cure, is to humble our selues vnder the hand of heauen, who hath wounded vs, and who can heale vs, the Soare is but skinned, not perfectly healed without that plaister be applyed, this did these in my Text.

Then they cryed vnto the Lord in their troubles.

[Page 30] Prou. 26. 3. A whippe for the Horse, and a Bridle for the Asse, and the Rod is for the backe of a Foole. They haue sinned and smarted, and now they feele it and cry for helpe.

The wilde Asse vsed to the Wildernesse snuf­feth vp winde at her pleasure, who can turne her backe? they that seeke after her will not weary themselues, but they will finde her in her moneth, Ier. 2. God sees and obserues at all times the vn­tamednesse of the wicked, wearying themselues like an Asse in the by-paths of vngodlinesse, but hee takes them in their Moneth, and happy are they that are so taken.

As St. Austin of necessity, so say I of miserie, Foelix qua in meliora cogit, happy misery that driues vs to eternall happinesse. Aduersity makes them seeke to that God whom their prosperitie made them forget. In the time of their trouble they will say, Arise and saue vs saith God, Ier. 2. 27. 2 Chron. 33. 12. Binde Manasses with Chaines, and load him with Irons, bow downe his nceke, and his backe with bonds, and hee will soone know himselfe; Pull the King of Babilon also from his Throne, Dan. 4. lay his honour and insolency in the dust, banish him the company of men, turne him to eate grasse with the Oxe in the field, and he will at last learne to praise the King of Heauen: Let Moab settle her selfe vpon her Lees, and not be emptyed from vessell to vessell, and her sent will remaine in her, Ier. 48. doth the wilde Asse bray when hee hath grasse, or the Oxe low when hee hath Fodder?

[Page 31] Iob 6. giue but any of the sonnes of men, peace, plenty, and prosperity, all things at his hearts de­sire, let but the Sunne of happinesse still shine vp­on him, how like Waxe will he melt into all plea­sure, and cast off the yoake of all obedience, but let stormes and frownes seaze on him, then hee will say, Hos. 6. 1. 2. Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord, for he hath spoyled vs and he will heale vs, he hath wounded vs, and he will binde vs vp. I doubt not but there are many who heretofore haue beene wilde like the vntamed Heifer, that the Lord hath by this rod of chasti [...]ement reduced home, and made them his, who had they not thus suffered perierant nis [...] perijssent, had they not lost their liues or their healths, had lost their soules. And thrice woe to that soule that shall not make this vse of this his preseruation, and of Gods cor­rection. It is a fearefull complaint that God hath in the second of Ier. I haue smitten their children and they haue receiued no correction, that heart must needs bee seared as with an hot Iron, that is not sensible of these stripes, and wee cannot but iudge him, deliuered vp to a reprobate sense, that is not mollified at these afflictions. What can preuaile when neither Mercy nor Iudgement are auailable? 2 Sam. [...]0. 16. They were wont to enq [...]ire of Abel, saith that mother in Israel to Ioab, when hee be­sieged that Citie, before they destroy it, so doth God, the grand Captaine of Heauen and Earth, as Tamberlaine was wont to doe, first hang out his white flagge to any Citie hee enuironed, [Page 32] his proffer of peace and mercy if they will yeeld, then the red Flagge of threatnings, yet so as if yet they would submit, there was hope, but lastly the blacke Flagge was displayed, and then no way but death and destruction if he preuailed; so doth God first offer mercy, which if abused, then he threatens, and long it is before hee strikes, hee was 120. yeares before he smote the old world, if those preuaile not, then he strikes, but so gently as it shall but bee a taste as it were of what hee can doe, which if that also be in vaine, Immedicabile vulnus ense recidendum, that man is incurable, and must needs be cut off. Wee haue had so long, so large, so flourishing a time of peace, as our G [...] ­shen hath beene as it were the enuy of all the Na­tions of the world besides, this little fleece of ours hath beene dry, when all the earth round about vs hath beene ouerwhelmed with the Deluge and Inundation of Warre; Germany groaning vnder persecution, France encumbred with her fatall in­felicity, Ciuil wars, Italy burdened with the tyran­nie of Antichrist, Spaine ambitiously desiring to [...]athom all, like to keepe nothing▪ The Hollanders continually at warre, onely we, by the blessing of our God, and the happy meanes of our late So­ueraigne of euer blessed memory haue sit vnder our Vines and Fig-trees; But yet this peace hauing bred corruption, we haue had light and small pu­nishments many times inflicted, by Water, by Fire, and by the Pestilence, and all but to reclaime vs, which if we doe not seriously lay to heart, the [Page 33] sable flagge will be displayed: Our Candle will bee extinguishe, a night will come, an eternall night of destruction both of body and soule. But such was our happinesse, as in the time of our generall sufferings, wee had a generall sorrow comman­ded, a Fast was proclaimed by the King and his Nobles Ion. 3. as it was at Niniueh, and wee all wept and mourned, and prayed, and cryed vnto the Lord, and, I hope and dare say by the happy ef­fect, it was serious and in earnest, with these in my Text we cryed, and wee are deliuered. 1 Sam. 2. 9. Annah in a part of her song tells vs, that it is the wont of the wicked in the time of Affliction, to lay their hands vpon their mouthes, and hearts too, they fret with indignation, and repine to themselues, letting neither voyce nor groane come forth, nor any token of submission to him that hath cast them downe. But saith St. Gregory, Tolerare & o­disse non tam virtus mansuetudinis, quàm velamen­tum furoris, which because they dare not vtter, Murmura tunc secum & [...]abiosa silentia rodunt, they bite the lippe with an impatient silence, which comes from no other but from the Diuell himselfe, as Tertullian witnesseth, Impatientiae na­tales inipso diabol [...] deprehendo, but here as there was outward smart and inward sorrow, so there was a vocall expression of it, no way giuing a­ny discontent, as 2 Kings 6. 13. that King said, this euill com­meth of the Lord, why should I waite any more vpon him? but onely a vociseration and hearty inuocation for mercy.

[Page 34] In the great Famine of Samaria, a woman came and cryed vnto the King, Helpe Ibid [...]. 27. my Lord ô King, the King wisely and soundly replyed, How should I helpe with the Barne, or with the Wine­presse, seeing the Lord denies vs, In vaine shall we goe to Gilead for Balme, to the Apothecaries for Oyntment, to Physitions for receipts, to any for helpe, vnlesse withall wee cry vnto the Lord, it is not the plaister of Figges, nor bathing in Iordane, nor washing in the Poole of Bethesda, that will here cure, but onely seeking to the Lord, and yet the other are not to be neglected: 1 King. 15. Asa was not con­demned for seeking to Phisitions, but because he neglected the Lord. Eccle. 38. 1. Phisitions are honourable, and the act of the Apothecary is to bee made vse of. Wherefore hath God infused vertue into Plants and Mettals, but to be vsed? 2 King. 20. Did not he command Hesekiah's Plaister? 2 King. 5. And was not Naman willed to wash? they are onely here con­demned, that altogether neglect the Lord, and onely rely vpon these who can doe nothing with­out him, Nec Deus oratur nisi dignus vindice no­dus, Inciderit, 1 Cor. 3. 6. Paul may Plant, and Apollos may in their kinde water, Phisitions may prescribe, and Apothecaries may apply, but our health one­ly comes from aboue.

Virtus est in herbis plus gemmis, maxima verbis, there may, Chap. 38. 9. and there is power and efficacie in Herbes, and Mettals, but Prayer is the chiefe, and principall efficient. Pray vnto the Lord in thy sicknesse saith the Son of Syrach, and he will make [Page 35] thee whole, And it is Iam. 5. 15. St. Iames his counsell, if any bee sicke, let him send for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray ouer him, and so the prayer of the faithfull shall saue the sicke, and the Lord shall raise him vp. A reall experience where­of these men had, for no sooner did they cry vnto the Lord but he deliuereth them out of their di­stresse. Hee sent his Word, &c.

I remember a certaine speech by Bias vsed in iest in that earnest, when certaine Marriners were in distresse, and were euery one like those in Io­nas crying vpon his God, sile [...]e ne audiant dij vos hac preterire, 1 King. 20. 31. The Kings of Israel, say the seruants of Benhadad are mercifull Kings. I am sure the God of Israel is a mercifull God, who will heare the vnfeigned cry of the most wicked in their af­flictions.

As the cold of Snow in the time of Haruest, so is a faithfull messenger to him that sends him, for hee refresheth the soule of his Master, saith Salo­mon, Prou. 25. 13. Here is a faithfull Mercury, a winged Messenger, that in so short a space hath climbed vp into the highest Heauen, and gotten Audience. What manicles to the hands of Gods iustice are the cryes of poore afflicted penitent men, that will not suffer him to proceed in his in­tended vengeance! Nay, rather then they shall faile, God himselfe shall seeme to bee mutable, who though he threatneth Niniueh without any hope of escape, yet vpon those prayers is intrea­ted to spare them. Or rather how gratious is our [Page 36] God, and willing to be thus intreated, who vpon the first call answers and performes, hee in the Luc. 11. 17. Gospell when his friend did but knock at an vn­seasonable time, answered, the doores were lockt, the children were in bed, & so did not satisfie his desire, but for a loafe of bread; But no such thing here, no time in all our life is vnseasonable; the first, the second, the third [...] hee heares and opens. Bis qui citò, the bene [...] is double, that is speedily performed. 1 Kings 18. 28. The Priests of Baal prayed from morning till noone, and could get no an­swer, but the first word of Elias fetcht fire. And indeed how should such suppliants praying to such deities be heard, for what taste is there in the white of an Egge, or how can Baal, or any other liuing or dead creature heare or helpe, when they cannot helpe themselues? It is onely the infinite Maker and creator of the eare that can heare all men, at all places, at all times altogether. No Saint, no Angell, no forged or feigned god-head can doe that, but onely the God of all power and might, the mightie God of Heauen and Earth. Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit, He that bruised can againe binde vp, hee that made the wound can, and onely did cure it, now the means which he vsed was his Word. Hee sent his Word and healed them, &c.

This is that Delphian Sword, or vniuersall In­strument which hee vsed in framing the World with all that therein is; Hee said, let there bee Light, and there was light; Let there be Firma­ment, [Page 37] let the Waters be gathered into one place, and let the drie Land appeare, and all was fulfil­led; and Hee still vpholdeth all things by the Word of his power, Heb. 1. What is his Word now but the reall and effectuall performance of what hee intends, he but speakes, and all things in Heauen and Earth, and the great Deepes presently are o­bedient. I see now as man Mat. 4. liues not by bread a­lone, but by euery word which proceedes out of the mouth of God, so hee is not cured by Phisicke alone, but by the onely blessing of the omnipo­tent Word of God. No meanes can preuaile without that, and that with, without, besides, yea, against all meanes can easily bee preualent. No God can deliuer as Dan. 3. 19. the God of the three Chil­dren can, as the King confessed, whose Dicere is his Facere. His onely Word is able to bring mighty things to passe. Whatsoeuer seeme im­possibilities to man, are easily brought to passe by him that can doe all things. The Sea will bee calme, Diseases vanish, all the Creatures are mo­rigerous, yea Diuels themselues are obedient to this Word, onely Man dares to rebell against it, but hee that will not bend at the Word of his command, shall bee broken at the Word of his Power.

They that allegorise this part of Scripture, as Hugo Cardinalis, and Lorinus, make this Disease a farther proceeding in the wayes of impiety, a sitting downe in the chayre of vngodlinesse, a deli­uering vp from one sinne to another, and are at [Page 38] last growne to that height, that they care no more for their soule, then if they had none, the Word and Sacraments, the onely food of their soules they neglect and despise, it is as Wormewood to their taste, or smoake to their eyes, they so wholly deuote themselues to sensuality, as it might seeme to grieue them, non quadrupedes esse natos, that they might freely take their pleasure and delight, yet at last God hath a hooke to drawe these in, a meanes to enlighten and pre­serue them. Though they bee dead in sinnes and trespasses, and with Lazarus buried in the graue, yet if the Lord doe but say, Exi foras come forth of that Mare mortuum, wherein like Ionas in the belly of the Whale, or rather of Hell, as him­selfe called it, they are entombed, their Fetters fall presently from them, as they did from Peter in the Prison, they come to acknowledge them­selues Fooles, wicked and rebellious, to say with Exod. 10. 16 Pharaoh, I haue sinned against the Lord. This is wrought by the power of his Word, that cibus inconsumptibilis as Ciprian called it, that immor­tall Word which Ioh 1. St, Iohn saith, was in the be­ginning, the onely begotten Sonne of God our blessed Sauiour. Hee like the Num. 21. 9. Brasen Serpent cures all foule-diseased, that looke vp to him.

I vrge not this Interpretation to any, I know one sinne is oftentimes the punishment of ano­ther; as when Israel had 2 Sam. 24. prouoked God, hee stirred vp Dauid to number the people, and it is the fearefullest judgement that can bee, to heape [Page 39] more coales vpon the head of the delinquent by giuing them ouer to their owne hearts lust I know also, that there is a death of the soule as of the bo­dy, Etiam viuens mortua est, saith 1 Tim. 5. 6. St. Paul of a wo­man liuing in pleasure, there is a death spirituall as temporall, out of which God is able to deliuer. Nay, his Word, that is the second Person in Trini­tie came for that end into the world, was made flesh and tooke our nature vpon him, not for the righteous but Mat. 9. 14. to call sinners to repentance, yea, though they were twice dead, as hee was called twice a Murtherer, Semel consilio iterum spectaculo. Once in the act, and a second time in the glorying in it. Yet there is a blessing in this dead Elme, though he be consumed as a Sheepe in the mouth of a Lyon to a legge or an eare, or as a blocke in the fire to a stumpe, yet the least breath of his mouth is able to reuiue him. But the context me thinkes giues no great warrant for this exposition, hauing both be­fore and after spoken of temporall dangers and deliuerances from them. I see no reason why it should be thought, that herein onely he speakes of spirituall danger and a spirituall deliuerance.

I haue hitherto shewed you this disease, with the cause and the effect of it, The Phisition also I haue brought you acquainted with, together with his Phisicke, that if euer there bee the like need a­gaine, wee may with boldnesse approach the same throne of grace, and obtaine the like mercy, Pro­batum est may be subscribed to this Recipe▪ so many sighes mingled with teares, and a quantity of [Page 40] faith enfused, taken in poculo charitatis, and the blessing of our Doctor is a [...] for all diseases, a [...]ure Antidote against all infection, all amulets and preseruatiues compared to this, are meere toyes of Mountebankes. This neuer failes.

Many heere in this place haue experimentally tasted of the efficacy of this Medicine, All of vs haue beene Testes occulati, eye-witnesses of it, some haue smarted, and all I hope haue beene admoni­shed. The like cause breeds againe the like disease, Relapses are most dangerous, Wee haue sinned, with Dauid, wee with Dauid haue smarted, with him wee haue sorrowed, and with him wee haue beene deliuered. Psal. 4 [...]. [...]. Abyssus abyssum inuocat saith he, the depth of our misery I hope, caused the depth of our sorrow, and I hope it was according to the occasion, hearty and vnfeigned; if like 1 Kings 21. A­habs, it were but feigned and temporary, and like the carelesse Boy wee forget the rodde with the smart, and so returne to the vomite; Woe, woe to that man, the latter end of that man will bee worse then the beginning. None are now deliuered, but either to their greater happinesse, or greater mise­rie. They who are now spared, are either spared to redeeme the time that formerly they haue care­lesly lost, or till their sinnes are more ripe for a se­uerer Iudgement. The Israelites were kept out of the Land of Canaan so long, till the sins of those Inhabitants were fulfilled.

Luc. 13. 3. Our Sauiour told the Iewes, that they were not greater sinners vpon whom the Tower of [Page 41] Siloa fell then those that escaped, but vnlesse they repented, they should all likewise perish. De mor­tuis nil nisi bonum, saith the Canon; Our Prede­cessors sinnes haue not beene more great against God, but Gods mercy hath been more towards vs; Many greene and fruitfull Trees haue beene cut vp, when leauy and barren Trees are let alone; Wee haue seene Death like an vnskilfull Archer shoo­ting at Rouers, hath hit our superiours aboue vs, our inferiours beneath vs, our friends on our right hand, our foes on our left. The Cedars haue beene pluckt vp, and the shrubbes haue continued. Nay, to make the remembrance this fatall yeare for e­uer weare a sable liuery, hee of whom wee may say as the Israelites did of Dauid, 2 Sam. 18. hee is worth 10000. of vs, our blessed Peace-maker vnder whose branches we haue 22. yeares sate shadowed from the scorching heate of Warre, which hath parcht and withered most of our neighbour [...] Nations. Yet now, though not of this, yet of another as violent a disease hath beene taken away, and but that reliquisset nobis semen, he hath left vs of his seed, the flourishing estate of our Kingdome might haue dyed with him. Wee haue also beene bereft within the space of two yeares of many of the principall Peeres, and Pillers of the State, two Dukes, one Marquesse, fiue or sixe Earles, some Barons, and most of them Priuie Counsellours, all which were, as if our armes had been cut from our bodyes, or our eyes pluckt out of our heads. And then so many thousands of inferior subiects, [Page 42] as the memorie of man cannot equalise it. And loe, all we that are aliue this day, are escaped as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler. But let mee tell you, we may be deliuered in sixe troubles, and the seauenth may dispatch vs, we may escape the pit, and be taken in the snare, as Ier. 48. 44. Wee may flee from a Lyon, and a Beare shall ouertake vs, or leane our hand vpon a Wall, and a Serpent shall bite vs, Amos 5. 19. Him that escapeth the Sword of Hasael shall Iehu slay, and him that escapes the Sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay, 1. Reg. 19. Though our Master hath thus long deferred his comming to vs, yet at last the time of our Audit will come, we must all Reddere rationem, we must stand at the barre, and answer to what shall be obiected. Luc. 12. 18. To whom much is giuen, of him much shall bee required. The longer life afforded, we must either performe more dutie, or expect more paine; our Lord will take an accompt of our Talents bee they more or lesse, and in what kinde soeuer. Wherefore seeing our sinnes are the cause of Gods anger and our sufferings, and hauing had but the lappes of our gar­ments in comparison 1 Kings 2 [...]. cut off, as Dauid did to Saul, to shew what he might haue done. As wee haue sorrowed outwardly, so let vs shew the fruits of it. It is not the wearing o [...] customary blackes, the absteining from one meale in the weeke, or the bowing of the head like a bulrush, that God respects, it is the absteyning from our Transgressions and Iniquities that he regards, Oportet aliquid esse intus as he said of a dead body to make it stand; So [Page 43] there must be a true sorrow attended with visible workes, which argue sound repentance. It is true, we did fast and pray, and mourne, and cry, while the rod was vpon vs, and did not God regard vs? he beyond expectation spake to the Destroying Angell to desist. Now therefore as the effect of Iudgement was compunction, and sorrow, and wee did expresse that heartily and really in the liberall and freely relieuing the necessity of our brethren, for which double honour shall euer attend this honourable City, which may be a patterne and ex­ample to all the Kingdome of liberall and Chari­table contribution: So now after mercy recei­ued, let us expresse the thankfulnesse of our hearts, in vocall thanks-giuing, and actuall obedience to his behests. And so I come to the last part of all The Fee which the Preseruer of men as Iob called him, our God respects from vs. Oh that men, &c.

Wherein wee haue qui, quem, quid, quarè, the partyes, Who, Men, the dutie what, Praise, the obiect whom, The Lord; the reason why, for his goodnesse and wonderfull workes, endeared vnto vs by the mention of the partyes to whom this good­nesse, these wonderfull workes were extended, The Children of Men. I shall racke your patience but a very little while to runne ouer these, and I shall conclude.

1. The first Who, Men. They who erewhile when they thought themselues wise were called Fooles, are now, being humbled at the sight of their sinne, and sense of their sorrow called Men. They [Page 44] haue lost nothing by losing all they had, they haue gained now their true denomination. The nature of Man in his fi [...]st Creation, before that lumpe was soured with the leuin of sinne, was full of glory and grace, and as God said to Dauid, I made thee King ouer Israel, and if that had beene too 2 Sam. 12. little for thee, I would haue done more; So Man was made King, and put in Lord-like dominion o­uer all the earth, not of some cantons or corners, but ouer it all; Nay, the ayre and the Sea also were put vnder his dominion, with all the creatures in them all, all things were created for vs 2 Phisi [...]. [...] as Aristo: wee are in a manner the end of all things. And if this be too little, God hath yet done more for vs, for our sakes were the Heauens created, and for our sakes were the Hea­uens bowed, and propter hominem Deus homo factus est, God was made Man to pleasure Man. The wise men in the world, who could neuer looke so farre into the nature of Man, as wee can, yet euermore commended that Creature aboue all others; One called him a little world, the world a great man, a­nother a mortall God, God an immortall Man, ano­ther all things, because he partakes the nature of Plants, of Beasts, and of spirituall Creatures. Pha­uorinus merueiled at nothing in the World be­sides man, in man at nothing but his minde. Abda­la the Sarazen being asked what he most admired in the Stage of the world, answered Man; and Augustin saith, that a man is a greater miracle then all the miracles that euer haue beene wrought [Page 45] amongst men. When Vedius Pollio a Romane at a supper prouided for the Emperour Augustus, would haue throwne a seruant of his into a Fish­pond wherein hee kept his Lampries, because he had broken a Cup of Christall, the Emperour with-held him, & controld him with these words, Homo cuiuscunque conditionis, &c. Aman of what­soeuer conditions, yet if for no other reason, yet because a man is more worth then all the Cuppes and Fish-ponds in the world. Great reason then there is for the performance of this dutie, that Man should praise and magnifie his Maker, if for no other reason, yet because hee hath made him Man; he hath giuen him a soule to gouerne his body, and reason to rule his soule, and a Religion to direct that reason, and he himselfe who is all Good, all Wise, all Religious is the Lord of that Religion, and expects that homage and onely Man can performe it, faile not then. Other crea­tures haue bodyes but no soules, mouthes and tongues, but not the gift of speech, onely that is proper to Man, and that is the instrument where­with we are to praise him, and so the second; the duty, Praise.

The word in the originall which signifies lauda­re is also Confiteri, for that is a part of the praise which God requires, we must humble our selues at his presence, acknowledge our owne vnworthi­nesse, and that all his punishments are farre lesse then our deseruings. Iosh. 7. 19. Ioshua wished Achan to con­fesse his fault, and so to giue glory to God. We com­mend [Page 46] the proceeding of the Almighty when wee condemne our selues, our falling low before him, exalts him the more; and when we lay open our weaknes, is his power made more illustrious. [...]. We must in all things giue thankes, saith St. Paul, if in our Aduersity, then much more in our prosperity, if like the beast we looke onely downward for what we receiue. Os homini sublime dedit coelumque tueri Iussit, when our faces are erect, & we should onely minde Heauen, if we onely look to secondary cau­ses & meanes for our blessings, and so neglect the God that gaue them, the earth it selfe will spue vs vs out as an vnworthy burden: But now it is not onely the Heb. 13. 15. fruit of our lips as the author to the He­brews calls them, which is here expected; 1 Sam. 15. 22. Obedi­ence saith Samuel to Saul is better then sacrifice. It is in Thanks-giuing, the onely Christian sacrifice, as in the old Sacrifices, nunquàm in odoribus sacrifi­ciorum delectatus est, Dominus, nisi in fide & deside­rio offerentis, saith St. Augustine, the outward act neuer was acceptable without inward piety and deuotion, Cain and Abel both sacrificed and exter­nally both alike; but the soule of a sacrifice a faith­full heart was wanting in Gen. 4. Caines which God saw who looks as with Cresset-light into the closet of a mans heart, & so refused it, & accepted the other.

They are men that may be deceiued with words, but God is a God of spirits, as of bodyes, and so will be magnified in both. Mens cuiusque est quisque, & so the meaning and inward intention of an action is the reality of it. To blesse God with our lips, and [Page 47] blaspheme him in our [...]hearts, is to honour him ex vsu magis quàm sensu, rather of custome then de­uotion. God is weary of this lip-labour, it is as if you offered a dog in sacrifice. Honorant me labijs Isa. 29. 13. saith God in the Prophet, cor autem eorum longi àme, God hath the Tongue and Mammon, or Mil­chrom, or Belial hath the heart, what is this but to mocke God? but be not deceiued God will not bee mocked; he searcheth the inward parts of man, and there findes the dissimulation of the heart which cries to the tongue, make a shew of piety, do some­thing to get me credit among men. But alasse A­dam was not more naked when God called him after his fall, then the hipocrisie of these men shall be discouered. Praise him with our tongues, and blesse him with our hearts, and serue him with our hands, this is the true praising of him; For as hee made all these parts, so hee will be serued in them all, and he hath power of all, for he is Lord of all, which is the third; Praise the Lord. A Lord that hath power ouer vs, as the Potter ouer his vessell, if it distastes him; Hee challengeth duty and obser­uance of vs, first by creation, then by preseruation; he stil defends & prouides for vs, then by protection he keeps vs in all our wayes, so that no euill shall be [...]ide vs, but chiefly in our assured hope of glorification. Him that honours me, 1 Sam. 2. 30. saith himselfe: I will honour. Scipio repented that he had not a Souldier in all his Army, who if he commanded would not cast himselfe headlong from a steep Tower to the Sea; a powerfull Lord▪ & an obedient Army, no doubt [Page 48] we owe as much seruice▪ to our Lord as Scipio's Souldiers did him, and hee will as amply recom­pence it. When Gedeon had deliuered the Israelites out of the hands of Mad [...]an, they came to him and said, Thoushalt be Lord ouer vs for thou hast deliue­red vs. Iudg. 18. 28. Whether God hath mightily deliuered vs, let our selues be iudges, and whether euen by those deliuerances hee may not challenge superiority ouer vs; Nay, these deliuerances are but earnests and pledges of what he yet will doe, that glory that shall be reuealed to those that truly glo­rifie him, is farre beyond the shallow heart of man to conceiue, glory and Immortality, and life, and ioy, and pleasure at his right hand for euermore. If these certaine hopes will not allure; yet let feare stirre vs vp, the consideration of what is due to the neg­lect of it. What a reprehension did our Sauiour giue those vnthankfull Leapers, Luc. 17. 17. Were there not ten healed, where are the other nine? a fearfull thing when the Creator shall aske where the Creature is, as God asked Adam in the Garden after his fall, Where art thou? Ioh. 1. 18. our Sauiour saw Nathaniell vn­der the Fig-tree; so no doubt he knew where those nine ingratefull men were, but by their ingratitude they were lost in themselues, and so were quite out of his protection. He will be a Lord no lon­ger to defend and protect vs, then we are seruants to obey him; Not a seruant here below that will endure his Masters disgrace, [...]. ais aio, negas nego, saith hee in the Comedy! Their Masters word goes still for a lawe, and hee will be more iealous [Page 49] of his Masters honour then his owne peace, shall earthly seruants be so obseruant of their earthly Masters from whom time may release them, or di­stance of place secure them, and shall we dare to neglect our obeisance against him, against whom there is no priuiledge? No place, nor any time can exempt vs from his Dominion. Mat. 25. The vnpro­fitable seruant that gaue his Master his owne Ta­lent, yet was condemned because hee did not in­crease it, where shall they then appeare that doe not giue him what of right belongs to him? Mat. 22. 21. When the Pharisees tempted Christ by asking him whether they should giue tribute to Caesar or no, he called for a penny, and seeing Cesars image and superscription vpon it, iudged it his, giue saith he to Cesar the things which are Cesars, and to God the things which are Gods; Honour, and glory and praise, is that which of due belongs to him, and that which all the host of Heauen, Angells and Saints, daily sing vnto him; Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth, Heauen and Earth are full of thy glo­ry, the glorious company of Prophets praise thee, the noble army of Martyrs praise thee, The Holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee. Luc. 2. 14. In the Angels song there went gloria in Excelsis, be­fore Pax in terris, no peace on earth, if no glory to Heauen, and yeeld but that Peace shall be within our Walls, & plenteousnes within our dwellings. Would yee yet know a farther reason wherfore yee should praise him, my Text tels you; For his goodnesse▪ &c.

Meruailous are thy workes saith Dauid, in Wisdome [Page 50] hast tho [...] made them all, the earth is full of thy good­nesse, so is the broad Sea also, not the least creature in the Ayre, or the Earth, or the Water, but if we rightly consider, it is fearefully and wonderfully made, & the least part or member of them is more then the weake and shallow reach of Man is able either duly to commend or to comprehend right­ly. It is a true position in morality, nimia familia­ritas parit contemptum, it is also true in Diuinity, Perseuerantia consuetudi [...]is amisit admirationem; quàm multa vsitata caleantur, qua considerata stu­pent? saith Augustine, how many things doth cu­stome make vile, which consideration would make admirable? Did wee but with Dauid truly consider the creation of our selues, that wee are wonderfully made, and that our bones were not hid­den from him, though they were formed in a secret place, it would enforce vs to giue acclamation to the workmanship of our Maker, as that sweet sin­ger of Israell there did, Meruailous are thy workes O Lord, and that my soule knowes right-well.

Then haue the wondrous workes of God their true end, when we take them for wonders, when we tremble at the sight of them, and feare that migh­ty Lord that hath wrought them, God doth not miracula propter miracula, but for our sakes, not ca­ring so much himselfe to doe them, as that wee consider and beare them away. The gratious God saith Dauid, hath made his wonderfull workes to bee had in remembrance. O Lord how gratious art thou, thy workes are very deepe, an vnwise man knoweth it [Page 51] not, and a foole doth not vnderstand it; So that all his Goodnesse is extended to vs, and his Meruai­lous workes are done for vs, which are the Children of men. The last part of all. O that Men, &c.

Tantus ille, tantilli nos, this addes to our en­gagement; That he should so consider vs, and thinke vpon vs, that neuer thinke vpon him; that he should regard vs that neuer minde him; for vs that haue deserued so little at his hands, nay, ra­ther so much, so much misery, & so many plagues, being non prius nati quàm damnati: that are not onely strangers but enemies, and that the most de­spightfully conditioned that can bee, vessells of wrath, and sonnes of perdition, that he should doe all these things for vs; how are we honoured, that he will vouchsafe to be honoured by vs so vile, so vnworthy as we are? All that we can doe is a thou­sand times lesse then a drop of raine to the Ocea [...], he is infinite of himselfe, and nothing can bee ad­ded to him, it is onely our happinesse, our welfare and aduantage.

The wonder which Dauid here instanceth in, is the recouery of vs out of sicknesse. Wee little con­sider how daily and hourely wee stand beholding to God for our liues and healths, when wee haue such enemies within, the Elements wherof we are composed, heate and cold, moisture and drought, which being brethren of one house, as one called them, but withall the Fathers and Founders of vs, as it were of our natures, if they but fall at va­riance within vs, how will they rend and teare vs [Page 52] like wilde Boares, how many haue beene buryed aliue in the graue of their earthly and melancho­like Imaginations? how many burnt in the flames of pestilent and hot diseases? their bowels set on fire like an Ouen, their blood dried vp, their in­wards withered and wasted with the violence thereof? The vapours and fumes of their owne vi­tious stomacks, like a contagious Ayre how ma­ny haue they poysoned and choaked vp? and fi­nally how many haue been glutted and ouerchar­ged with water betweene their owne skinne and bones? And therefore we must conclude and cry with the Prophet; It is the wonderfull mercie of God, that we are not consumed.

When a grape-gatherer comes, will he not leaue some grapes! if ought in the opening of this Scripture hath escaped me, as my ignorance & weaknes dare hope for no other, it wil be your charity to impute it to multitude of other priuate businesse, and bre­uitie of time, in which as Agabus with the girdle of Paul I am confined, these few sands are too lit­tle to expatiate my selfe in these many and various points which offer themselues to our considerati­on, though not all of some, yet somewhat, I hope I haue spoken of all; I would gladly conclude with some short application.

How many are there now in this City aliue, that haue beene summoned as Hezekiah was, to set their house in order, for they thought no other but they must die? that haue seene before them, the greedy and inexorable Graue with open [Page 53] mouth ready to receiue them; that friends and Phisitions haue all forsaken, giuing them for dead, yet haue escaped, and are recouered, and many there are also, to whom God hath giuen conti­nuance of health in this generall Deluge of infe­ction, when so many thousands haue fal [...]e round a­bout vs; To what shall we attribute this? were we not in the same Ayre? did wee not conuerse with the same men? are not our bodies equally subiect to the like diseases? was it not onely as our Saui­our saith, that the workes of the Lord might be mani­fest? who spake to this Infection, as sometime to the Sea, hitherto shalt thou goe and no farther, Di­uide in one house betweene brother and brother, in one bed betweene Husband and Wife, in one Family betweene seruant and seruant; These shalt thou absolutely take, these thou shalt but touch their bodyes and spare their liues, as he said to the Di [...]ell concerning Iob; Thus long shalt thou raigne and no longer; if euer we liue to forget this good­nesse, this wondrous worke of God, (I will soo­ner wish we should forget to take our daily food) how iustly should God forget vs, when wee stand in the like need of mercy againe. As the Empe­rour had his Boy that cryed euery morning to him, Remember thou art but a man; so let vs still haue something or other to put vs in minde of this great deliuerance; Let euery man write it vp­on the doores of his house, as the Exod. 12. Israelites in Aegipt sprinkled their posts with blood, that if e­uer God should againe strike, he againe may spare [Page 54] vs. I Gen. 18. 19. know, saith God of Abraham, that he will tell his children what great things I haue done. Let it be our talke to our children, that they that are yet vnborne may know, though not by sight, yet by hearesay, what great things the Lord hath done for vs. Scipio Africanus the Elder hauing made the City of Rome exanguem, & morituram, as himselfe called it, ready to giue vp the ghost, Lady of Af­frik at length being banished into a base Country-Towne, his will was, that his Tombe should haue this Inscription, I [...]grata Patria ne ossa quidem mea habes, let not the God of Heauen complaine so of vs, that we should haue no thought, no memory, of our great preseruations, let him not bee exiled our thoughts, and buried in obliuion, but let some remnant and foot-print bee left, to witnesse to the world, that we haue beene deliuered. Let him not haue cause to complaine as he sometime did, Isa. 1. Heare O Heauens and hearken O Earth, I haue brought vp and preserued children, and they haue despised me: Can a mother forget her child saith God; no childe so deare to the mother as wee haue beene to him, he hath tendred vs as the apple of his eye, and preserued vs, as the Signet vpon his right hand. Oh then let vs obserue and respect him. It is a good thing saith Dauid, Psal. 92. to praise the Lord, and to sing vnto the name of the most High, to declare his louing kindenesse in the morning, and his truth in the night season. It is good touching the act it selfe, for it is better to blesse then to curse, and to giue thankes, then to giue out a voyce of grudging. It is [Page 55] good, because of the retribution, [...] giue and thou shalt receiue, and all that wee can giue to him, is our thankes (for can our goodnesse ex­tend to him? saith Dauid) and cessat de cursus gra­tiarum vbi non fuerit recursus, the course and de­scent of the graces of God ceaseth, and the spring is dryed vp, where there is not a recourse and tide of our thankfulnesse, Wherefore let vs al­wayes be thankfull to the Lord, for it becommeth well the iust to bee thankfull. Had I the power, I would doe as Dauid did, begin aboue, and call the Heauens, the Sunne, and Moone, and Starres to praise the Lord for this our deliuerance, then would I descend to the Ayre, and call all those winged Messengers of God, all Birds and feathe­red Fowles to beare a part with vs, then would I come to the Earth, and haue Mountaines and all Hills, fruitfull Trees and all Cedars, Beasts and Cattell to ioyne with vs, then would I goe downe to the Deepe, and there summon all those Sea-citizens of those brinie Regions to come with vs, and magnifie his great and glorious Name. In a word, I would conclude as Dauid doth, Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Psal. last. The Lord whose goodnesse is without quality, whose great­nesse is without quantity, infinite in both; but all of vs that are the sonnes of men, especially I would haue to learne, the song of the blessed before hand, that hereafter wee may bee able to sing it with more perfection, Reu. 5. 13. Praise, honour, and glory bee vnto him that sits vpon the Throne, and to the [Page 56] Lambe▪ that Immaculate Lambe of God which once offered himselfe for vs, and at last will as­sume vs to himselfe in that place where he [...]its and Raignes for euer. To the which place hee bring vs, that onely bought vs, and can saue vs, IESVS CHRIST the Righteous. Amen.