FAther Iacob in his last Gen 49.21. wil fore­sheweth, that Neptalie shoulde be a hind let go, giuing goodly wordes. The singer of the song (beloued) is the performer of this Prophecie, euen Barack of Iud, 46. Cadesh the sonne of Abinoam: for as his feet were swift in Iud. 4, 10. leauing his armie against Sisera: so are his words sweete which for the victorie he here singeth with Deborah. The whole song is lon­ger then may now be handled, this part as fittest for our purpose I haue red vnto you: for wee are heere assembled, not onely to sanctifie this Sabaoth as at o­ther times: but also to blesse God for the late Spani­ards ouerthrow. It containeth 12. verses, and con­sisteth of two members. In the one the battell is de­scribed: in the other a curse to Meroz and a blessing to Iael is pronounced. Three circumstances describe the battell: the place wher it was fought: the parties that fought it & the euēt of it. Two places are named Taanah and Megiddo neighbor townes in half Iosua. 17 11. Ma­nasses. At Megiddo good king Iosias was 2. King. 23.22. 2. Chron. 35.22.23. slaine in the battell, & to Megiddo the three spirits like Frogs in the Reue. 16.13. Reuelation doe bring the kings of the earth [Page]to battel: the allusion is vnto this text, & the mening is, that pseudocatholikes should fight with no better suc­cesse against Christiās, after the reuiuing of the gospel, then did Sisera against Barack at the waters of Megid­do. And in this sence, well may our narrow Seas bee called the waters of Megiddo, for thither their pride brought them, and ther were they cutin peeces. And thus much for the place, the parties that fought are now to bee considered. Sisera and his adherents is the one, and Barack and his partakers the other. Sisera his adherents are thus recorded. The kings came, they fought: then fought the Kings of Canaan. Iosua in conquering the land, killed Iosu. 12.24. one & thirtie of them, Israel had expresse Exod, 23.33. and Deut. 7.2. commandement to roote out the rest: Iud. 1.21. But Beniamin, Iud. 1.28. Zabulon, Iud. 1.30. Asher and Iud. 1.31. Neptalie, thought it better pol­licie to put thē to tribute: they preferred gaine before godlines, but what gained they by that pollicie? They found them prickes in their eyes, and thornes in their sides, as God had Numb. 33.55. threatned: they were brought to meere beggerie and extreame slauerie, as well they deserued: meere beggerie, for their high Iud. 5.6. waies were vnoccupied, and traficke ceased: extreame slauerie, for the seruant of seruantes, euen cursed Canaan became Iud. 4.2. Lord ouer thē. But what is not Canaan his curse vpō the Popes backe? Is not he as rightly called the seruant of seruants as Gen. 9.25. Canaā was? If so? Why is not his brood rooted out from among vs? Or seeing England wil stil be pittying of them, why are they not Lords ouer her as was Canaan ouer Israel? The difference betweene them is the reason of it: for Israel chose new Gods; En­gland hath renounced I dolatrie, Israel did Iud. 4.1. euill in the sight of the Lord: England giueth free passage vnto the [Page]Gospel. And this I dare assure you, that so long as Eng­lish lawes do countenance true religion, England shall be ours in despight of Gods enemies. Truth it is, that in space of 339. yeares Israel was Iud. 3.8. Iud. 3.12. Iud. 4.2. Iud. 6, 1 Iud. 10 7. Iud. 13.1. six times oppressed: but this also is as true that no one oppression began before Israel went a whoring after other Gods. The tenne tribes were 2. King. 17.2 carried captiue into Ashur: but the tenne tribes had first 257. yeares continued in the sin of Iero­boam. 2. King. 24.14. & 25.11. 2. Chron. 36.20. Daniel. 1.2, Iudah & Beniamin were caried to Babel: but not before Iosias, his children had 2. King. 23.32, & 37. & 24, 9. & 19 ouerthrowne what Io­sias had established concerning religion. And as for their posteritie which returned from Babel, to builde the temple, 2. King. 2 [...].2, 2. Chro. 34.2. they became Saduces and Pharisies: they Mat, 27.22. Mark, 15.13. Luk. 23.21. Iohn, 19.15. ioyned with the Romaines, to Crucifie Christ, be­fore Titus, eitheir sacked their Cittie, or burned their temple. We reade of Dauid that he 1, King. 15.5. held Religion all his daies, the like we reade of 1. King. 22.43. Iehoshaphat, the like of 2. King, 18, 3. Ezechias, and the like of 2. King, 22.2. Iosias, and who of all their e­nemies preuailed against their land in their daies? And yet to that purpose, how often and how dangerously were they assaulted? Twise Philistims army was 1. Chro. 14.11. & 13. pit­ched in Baalperasim: once Edom, Ismael, Moab, Am­mon, Philistims, Amalakites, Hagarens, Gebalites yea and Ashur too had 2. Chro. 20.1. &, 2. and Psal. conspired together, and were ap­proched to Engeddi: 2. King. 18.17. Rabsache had brought his host to the walles of Ierusalem: and to such a plunge Necho Pharao put Iudah that she lost her 2. King. 23.29. King in the battell euen good King Iosias. And to come to those sower Reuel. 9.14. vnto. 20. Angels of Gods wrath, I meane the Turkes and Sara­sins, what though for their multitude, they are c tenne thousand thousands: for their force horses: for their [Page]courage Lyons heades: for their great desolation they make burning where they come, they haue Habergi­ons fierie blew, and brimstone, and for their dooing this vpon a word, fire, smoke and brimstone come out of their mouthes: yet Christian nations they ouerrun not, only they kill such men as will bee still Reue. 9.20. worship­ing of Deuils, and Idols of gold, siluer, stone & wood, there onely making desolation where Gods wrath is prouoked by Idolatrie.

Salomon was as a Lyons whelpe couched in his denne whilest hee helde Religion, but after that his thousand wiues had 1. King. 12 3. turned his heart, who then had not a hart to rise vp against him? Hadad, Reson, Ie­roboam how pittifully did they 1. King. 12.14.23. & 26. verse afflict him? And at the last 1. King. 1 [...].20. rent in two peeces his kingdome. Israel had Exod. 34.24. pro­mises of her God to be kept safe in her land, whilst she held his ceremonies. His ceremonies we hold whilest his sonne we professe, for he is the end of them, & the truth of them, and therfore as safe as were the Israeli­tish women from the enemie at home, whilst their hus­bands appeared before God at Ierusalem: so safe are we from the Papists, whilst wee hold fast our professi­on. Salomons temple was seauen yeares in 1. King, 6.38. building, Nabuchadnezar, 2. King. 25, 9. burnt it, he was seuen yeares to be a Dan. 4, 22, beast for it: yet Daniel giueth him this Dan. 4.24. assurance, that if he would breake of his sinnes by righteousnesse, and his iniquities by pittying the poore people, there shold be a prolonging of his peace, Eliza. 1 Our Queene hath broken the necke of Poperie, hath receiued into her kingdome Christs righteousnes, & pittying the poore souls of her ignorant subiects hath caused it to be prea­ched [Page]among them. And why should wee distrust God for the continuance of our peace, whilst she and her suc­cessours continue this course? Yea but Moyses telleth Israel, that if they doe not all Gods commandements, the enemies shall eate the fruites of their land. Now England is so ful of sinne that in steade of al it seemeth to performe scarcely and one of them. Leui. 26.15, 16. The text is, if ye keepe not my commandements but breake my co­uenant then &c. Now England, howsoeuer it faileth in ciuill duties, yet holding the couenant shee is not subiect to this punishment. Neither is shee therefore the rather to be secure: for wherefore is pestilence and famine so often among vs? Wherefore so often is the sword of the enemie vpon our souldiers abroad? The sword of the magistrate vpō our malefactors at home? But for her sinnes. Neither yet anye whit the more is shee the to spare the Papists, for doe they not de­nie the nature & offices of Christ? Doe they not giue vnto that Reuel. 9.11. Abaddon what is due vnto our Soueraigne? They are heretiques and in truth very Traytors, & yet you would thinke them the best subiects, if you consi­der but their dealings with vnreformed ministers: they are so zealous in speeches against them, and so impor­tunate with Iudges til sentence be giuen against them. But O ye fooles, can ye imagine no other let for bring­ing in againe your superstitions, but only that the lear­ned ministers their mouthes are still opened? Are the lawes so soone altered? Will England bee so soone at your becke, as when with the Dog she returned to the vomite, and with the swine to the mire? Hath she these 37. yeares hated the whore, left her naked and burnt her with fire, and should she now againe begin to loue [Page]her? I tel you God hath put these things into her heart to doe them, striue not longer against his gouerment. Come out of Babell as we haue done, kisse his Sonne & then liue in our land, yea liue for euer. But if stil you will haue a Sauls eye against Gods Embassadors: then O ye iudges doe ye Iustice, & let not Conser. Ezra. 2.13. with Reuela. 13.18. Adonicams chil­dren stand vp against them. Are they not Reuel. 11.3. two for their fewnesse and in sackcloth for their poorenes? Yet out of their mouthes commeth the Reuel, 11.5. fire that deuoureth your enemies, they are your 2. King. 6.17. fathers, and the 2. King. 2.12. chari­ots and horsemen of Israel, they bring vnto you the glad tydings of the Gospell, which if you belieue, you shall Iosu, 3.16. liue for euer, and if you still professe you shal stil be safe from your enemies. And this of Sisera his ad­herents. Barack is the other partie Iud. 4.10. 10000. marched vnder his banner, but who reuenged his quarrel? From heauen they fought, the starres in their courses fought against Sisera. These were dumbe creatures, yet such as Ieho­uah vseth to destroy his enemies. At his commaund­ment the waters Gen. 7.23. destroied the olde world: fire from heauen Gen. 19.24.25. Sodome and Gomorrath; Exod. 9.24.25. haile and Exod, 10, 14, 15. gras­hoppers the fruites and beasts of Egypt: the red Exod, 14.28. Sea Pharao and all his host: Iosu. 10, 11. hay lestones more of Iosuas e­nemies then did all Iosuas armie, the Lord of hostes is his name. The hostes of heauen and earth are alwaies ready prest for his armies. Had the Spaniard learned this lesson he would haue trembled to haue giuen the name of God to his Nauie, for onely Iehouah is in­uincible. The Centurion sheweth by his answere how well he beleeued it, I am not worthie Mat, 8.8. saith hee to our Sauiour that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe, only speak the word and my seruant shall be healed: for I haue souldiours [Page]vnder me, I say to one come and he commeth, and to another goe and he goeth: As if he should say: health, and conse­quently all other creatures are so ready to goe & come at thy word, as are my souldiers at my cōmandement. But to leaue this point, and to come to the euent of the battell which thus followeth. They got not the mo­ny they desired. The riuer Kishon swept them away, the riuer of their meetings, the riuer Kishon. Ther were the horsehoofes battered with the swift fleeing of their valiants. And was it any maruaile, though Sisera his army was thus foyled? who euer resisted God & preuailed? Daniels prophane kingdomes could not, yet was Babel among people as a Dan. [...] 4, Lyon among beasts. The Medes & Persians ruled ouer 127. nations. Alexander in sixe yeares well nigh ouerran the whole world, and the kingdome erected by his Captaines was a fearefull and ougly Ester. 1.1. beast with ten hornes. These in Nebuchadnezars eyes were as a goodly image, whose head was of gold, breast & arms of siluer, belly of brasse, and feete of yron: yet for resist­ing God & abusing his people, in short time the Lord so powned them to Dan. 2.34, pouder, that at his comming in the flesh, scarcely a remnant remained of them. And as for Rome, howsoeuer by Gods close prouidence it may remaine for a time, for the holines of Pilats vicar to abide in: yet seeing she hath Mat, 27.26. killed the Lord, bani­shed Iohn, & cōtinually Reuel. 17.6. & 18, 24, shed the bloud of Gods saints, her damnatiō is decreed, she is that Numb. 24 24 Chittim that must in the ende perish. In Iohns daies shee was called the Reuel. 17.18. great Cittie, and rule ouer the Kings of the earth had she: But that great Cittie shall Reuel, 16.19. drinke of the wine of the cup of Gods furie, Reuel. 16.21. haile like talents shall fall vpon it, the whore shall Reuel. 18.8. come to destruction, her Reuel, 18.15. Mar­chants [Page]may bewaile her, but none shal be able to helpe her. But to returne to Sisera: he had Iud. 4.3. 900. yron Chari­ots: his Ladies were assured that he could not loose the victorie, how therefore doe they comfort his mother concerning his long tarrying? Haue they not gotten? doe they not diuide the spoile? a maid yea two maides to euery one. Sisera hath a pray of diuers colours, a pray of diuers colours of nedle worke, of diuers colours of nedle worke, on both sides for the necks of the spoylers. But the Pro. 10.28. fooles their hope quick­ly perished, for Sisera is now dead, the armie fled and drowned: Iere. 6.1 [...]. they said peace peace, but sudaine destruc­tion came vpon them. And this for the former part of my text. The other is Meroz, curse & Iaels blessing. The cause of her curse thus followeth. Curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of Iehouah, curse ye the inhabitants therof, because they came not to helpe Iehoua: to helpe Iehouah against the mightie. Meroz durst not venter a limme to get libertie, she was situated so nigh the battel and so faint hearted, that wel she might be some towne in Isaschar, the only tribe which Deborah Iud. 5.16. vpraideth of asselike sluggish­nes, and which father Iacob Gen. 49.14. foretolde should bee an Asse couched vnder two burdens. She onely regarded her commodities, so shee kept them Sisera, or Iehouah whome she serued she cared not: Luke warme Reuel. 3 14. Lao­dicea was much like her in behauiour, and almost the like punishment had shee, for shee Reue. 3.16. was spewed out of the Lords mouth, and Meroz is here accursed from his mouth▪ And this of Meroz curse: Mels blessing thus fol­loweth. Let Iael the wife of Cheber the Leuite, be blessed a­boue women, aboue women, dwelling in the tents let her bee blessed. He asked water, she gaue him Milke, she brought forth Creame in a lordly dish: she put her lift hand to the nayle, and [Page]her right hand to the workemans hammer, and she smote Si­sera, she tooke away the head, and battered and brused his tem­ples. Betweene her feete he bowed himselfe, he fell, and where he bowed himselfe, there he fell depriued of his life. Before wee come to Iaels blessing, a word must bee spoken of her Country and exploit: she was neither Israelite nor Canaanite, but a Kenite, Iud. 4.4.11. descended from Exod, 3.1. Iethro king of Median Moses father in law the Kenite. Lot and Ie­thro shewed the like obedience, the one Gen. 14.4 left his fathers house to goe with Abraham, the other Mat, 11, 5 left a kingdome to goe with Moses, and almost the like reward founde they for Ruth the daughter of Lot was the Lords mo­ther, c and Iael the daughter of Iethro Iud. 4.17. killed the Lords enemie. But why should Iael therefore be blessed, was hee not in league with her? Did not hee * flie to her house for succour? The league was but ciuill and pri­uate: But now a Iud. 4. publike cause is in hand & the Lords battel in fighting, she was to prefer the cause of religi­on before her couenant with Sisera: Her blessing was the very same that Gabriel Luk, 1, 28. bestowed vpon Mary, for bearing the Lord, this onely excepted that Mary is blessed among women, but Iael aboue women. I will not now dispute whose was the greast blessing, but this I am sure of, that they were both saued by belie­uing, and not by these workes, howsoeuer they had a prerogatiue aboue women for them. For this is a sea­led truth, that wee are saued by Ephe. 2.8 9. faith, and not by the wokes of the law: Yea, Mary Luk. 1.47. reioyceth in God her Sauiour. The time is past: yet a word of the Spaniard; and that by way of comparison, with the enemie wee haue now in hand. Sisera Iudg. 4 3. had 900. yron Chariots, the Spaniard a Nauie inuincible: Sisera with an high [Page]hand, came downe to the riuer Kishon. The Spaniard brought their Nauy on our natrow Seas with the like affection. In Israel none doubted to follow Barack but such as misbelieued Deborah her prophecie: In Eng­land none fainted to take armour against the Spaniard, but such as knew not the course of Gods gouernment. Iudg 4.9▪ Deborah went vp with Barack to comfort his Souldi­ers. And at Tilberie O Elizabeth, how were thy Soul­diers encouraged at thy presence? Maidēlike in attire, thou camest vnto them, but warrierlike in behauiour wast thou among them, voyde of feare was thy coun­tenance, and gracious were thy speeches: Mightie was thine armie as was Baracks, but Iehouah would haue the glorie as then hee had, his windes reuenged thy quarel. O Iehouah, to thee must we sing, thou wast our man of warre in that day, the horse and his rider thou ouerthrewest in the Sea, thou hast triumphed valiant­ly: The Spaniard saide we will pursue, we will ouer­take, we will diuide the spoyle, our lust shall be satisfi­ed vppon them: thou blewest with thy windes, the depth couered them, they sunke to the bottome as a stone. O Iehouah, so let thine enemies perish, but they that loue thee, let them bee as the Sunne arising to his strength.