IT is 2. Sam. 7. [...] recorded of king David, Right Worsh: Men, Fathers, & Brethren, belo­ved in our Lord & Saviour, that when he sate in his owne house, and the Lord had gi­ven him rest frō all his enemies round about him, how he desired as S. Stephen speaketh Acts the seaventh, at the six & fortith verse, that he might find a ta­bernacle for the God of Iacob. I will re­late it to you in Davids words, Lord saith Ps. 132.1. David, or whosoever els was the author of that Psalme, Lord saith he, remember David, and all his trouble: how he sware vnto the Lord and vowed a vow vnto the Almightie God of Iacob, I will not come within the tabernacle of [Page 2] my house, nor climbe vp into my bed, I will not suffer mine eies to sleepe, not mine eie lids to slūber, nether the temples of my head to take any rest, vntill I find out a place for the temple of the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob. All this in the second of Samuel the seaventh chapter and second verse, is thus epitomised: The king said vnto Nathan the Prophet, Behold now, I dwell in a house of Cedar trees, and the Arke of God remaineth within the curtaines. His meaning was that since al fel out so favourably, with such correspon­dence to his desires, since hee had so much rest from al his enemies, & God was the author of all this, he would now be gratefull againe to that God, not so much in words which are but winde, as in very truth and real deeds, such as might be testimonies thereof both to the time then present, and to after ages that were to come. Beholde now, I dwell in a house of Cedar trees and [Page 3] the Arke of God remaineth within the curtaines. It was as if he had said, God hath bestowed a house on me, I will bestow a house on him too, hee hath given me rest from all mine enimies, I will giue him a kind of rest too, hee shall not be from 1. Chron. 17.5. tent to tent, and from habitation to habitation as hee hath been hetherto. A princely mind and meditation, a resolution fit for him who was to bee the man after Gods owne heart, Sam. 13.14. as Samuel the Pro­phet avouched of him.

The former part of this day now newly spent and gon, hath by the sil­ver tongue of one of the chiefest & M.D Riues Warden of New College sweetest singers in this our Israel put vs in mind of like benefits recea­ved on our parts from God aboue: of setting at home here in our owne houses, every of vs vnder our owne vine: of a singular rest given vnto vs from all our enimies round about vs. This day, this very day, it was more [Page 4] then miraculous that God did for vs, it was in truth a heap of miracles, as first the preserving of our bodies and goods, secondly the prolonging of our liues, thirdly the saving of our whole Realme, fourthly the protecti­on of true Religion, and all these then and at that time when safetie it selfe might safely haue sworn that she for her part could not haue saued vs. Da­vid on a time neere to danger spake most significantly when speaking of it vnto Ionathan, As the Lord liveth, & as thy soule liveth 1. Sā. 20.3 saith he, there is but a step betweene me and death. Anachar­sis the Scithian speaking of those that sayled by sea, and hearing that a ship was but foure fingers thicke at the most, then are there but foure fingers, Diog. Laert tit. in Anach saith he, betweene them and death. At another time being demaunded who were more in number the living or the dead: tell me first, Diog. Laert Ib. quoth hee, a­mong whether of them you reckon those [Page 5] that travell by sea: his meaning was that howsoever they seeme to liue, to moue, and haue a being, yet they might with good congruitie bee ac­counted even for dead, for nothing so ful of casualties as the Nihil tam capax fortui­torum quàm mare. Tacit. Annal. l. 14. sea and that in the turning of a hand.

Vpon how ticklish tearmes wee stood this very day when time Novemb. 5 1605 was, the more we muse of it the more we may, & how might al & every of these speeches here rehearsed haue bin ve­rified of vs. A step of that wretched miscreant might irrecoverably haue laid all our honour in the dust, a ve­ry finger of his might haue done it. Our adversaries abroad that saw the case wherein wee stood, how did they newse it to one another that wee might bee now accoun­ted dead. A Discourse of this late in­tended trea­son. Fol. F. 3. Terrible Blow was now at hand, we had all and every of vs but one necke, and that neck of ours was now on the block. The horror wher­of [Page 6] if we would conceiue let vs but i­magine another Fauks in some one of the vaults here abouts, as many bar­rels, as much powder, and that which then matched both barrels and pow­der. Doubtlesse we are never better affected vnto God thē whē we pray: we are now in the house of praier, & prayer you know was the last, the ve­rie last thing we did, yet should we all of vs now miscarry and in this very in stant of time be snatcht out of the world and haue the sudden death of those of whō Elihu in Iob Iob. 34, [...]0. Tremel. speaketh momento moriuntur, they are gone in a trice, or as speaketh the 1. Cor. 15 5 [...]. Apostle S. Paule, In momento, in ictu oculi, in a moment in the twinkling of an eie, how vnpreparedly might we all goe to appeare before that throne where this day we should receiue everie of vs our last doome. And yet wee are but a handful to the See the B. of Linc. An­swer to a nameles Ca­thol. p 360. 361. house ful of thē that should haue miscarried, and yet [Page 7] they though well affected no doubt as men in civill affaires might bee, yet somewhat perhaps behind our selues in respect of the soules businesse wee are about.

But it is not nowe of this point I point now to speake, my intent and purpose is to speake of the Thanke­fulnesse and Gratitude wee are to per­forme to God for this, not so much in words which are but winde, as in very truth and real deeds, such as may be testimonies thereof both to these times now present, and to after ages that are to come. What hath the Lord preserved our honor? We will also preserue his. Hath he made our housholds like Ps 107.4. flocks of sheep? We will endevour in like manner to fur­nish also his house: be it early, bee it late, it shall not for our partes, be so naked as it hath beene hetherto.

To the producing of which effect in every of vs here present, be wee of [Page 8] the one Corporation or of the other, of the one or other sex, I haue at this time brought vnto you a certain pas­sage of Davids Psalmes, that as David is the man who puts vs in minde of this gratitude, so he might instruct vs in the manner to how this gratitude should be performed, not in finding out new places for the Temple of the Lord, new habitations for the God of Iacob (there is no such necessity now a daies) but in maintaining the old places, the old habitations of the God of Iacob, and that by tendring there our continual presence at the vsual times of Divine Service.

The wordes I haue chosen to this purpose are in the fourth verse of the seaven and twenty Psalme, and parcel of the wordes this very night to be read at Evening Prayer: which will cause me also in reading them to fol­low the trāslatiō we thē vse, not that which is vsuall in our Bibles though [Page 9] the differēce in this verse be but smal. The words are these: ‘One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require, even that I maie dwell in the house of the Lord al the daies of my life, to beholde the faire beauty of the Lord, and to visit his Temple.’

IN which words without curiosity of giving every hen her own egge, as Plinie Plin. hist. nat. l. 10. c. 15. tels vs of one that was able to doe it with his hens, may it please you to obserue with mee two speciall points as here they lie, First a Petition of the Prophet Davids, Se­condly the Reason of that petition. The Prophets Petitiō in these words One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require, even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life: the Reason of it in these, To behold the faire beautie of the Lord, and to visit his Temple. The Petition wee [Page 10] shall best consider of, if so be we con­sider therein the Matter of it, and the Manner of making it. The Manner of making it in these words, One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will re­quire: the Matter of it in these, Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life. But it is with this Matter & Manner here as it was with Thamars Gen. 38.28. twinnes, the Maner shewes it selfe first, but the Matter must first be handled. First and fore­most therefore of the Matter, Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life. Wherein for our better proceeding I shal obserue vnto you three points, first, what kind of house this was, secondly, what it was to dwell in it, thirdly, the conveniency of dwelling there. And of every of these in their order, & every of these in these words, Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life. First therefore of the house, [Page 11] Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord.

As the Lord God out of the whol masse of mankind hath reserued to himselfe some whome he calleth his Elect, of times and seasons some his Saboths, and solemne Feasts, of servāts and attendants some his Ministers, & Priests, of goods and wealth that men enioy, some his Tithes & Oblations, so out of the habitations of the sonnes of men some he hath reserved which he cals his House & Temple. Now what kind of house this was, what better instructiō may be had then from the owner of it himselfe. The owner of it was the Lord, who though hee Esay. 66 [...] said when time was, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstoole, where is that house that you will build vnto mee, and where is the place of my rest? that is, as S ^t Steven Act. 7.49. interprets it, what house will yee build for me, or what place is it that I should rest in? Yet a house hee [Page 12] had, & a place there was, not so much to rest himselfe in, as where his people might rest there hopes to heare dayly and duly from him. The very first mētiō of this house is made in the booke of Exodus, where he cal­leth it a Sanctuary, whē speaking vnto Moses, They shal make me, saith he, a Sā ­ctuary that I may dwell among thē. Exod. 25.8. True it is that long before some speech there was of Gods house, as in the booke of Genesis, how fearefull G [...]. 28.17 saith Iacob is this place? This is no other but the house of God: and V. 22. againe a little after, This stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shalbe Gods house: but where mē ­tion was first made that it should im­mediatly be gone in hand withall, & a speciall name giuen vnto it wherby perpetually it should be called, that as I said was first in Exodus where the Lord himselfe cals it by the name of a Sanctuary. It is called in the same place an Exod. 25.10. Arke besides, and a V. 19. Ta­bernacle, [Page 13] which three names howso­euer seuerally distinguished among them selues, are but the diuers appel­lations & names of this house, as first for the Sanctuarie, Psalme the seaven­ty third at the fifteenth verse, Then thought I saith the Prophet to vnder­stand this, but it was to hard for me, vn­till I went into the Sanctuary of God: se­condly for the Arke, Psalme the hun­dred thirty second at the eight verse, Arise O Lord into thy resting place, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: thirdlie for the Tabernacle, in the Ps. 27.5. next words to this my text, He shall hide me in his Tabernacle, yea in the secret of his dwel­ling shall he hide me. Now as in a ma­teriall and worldly building wee then know it best when we know the seve­ral roomes of it, and to what vse each roome serues, so let vs see in the sa­cred Scriptures and other writers be­sides what is saide of these three roomes, in regard wherof this house [Page 14] of God was called by these names.

First then concerning the Tabernacle wee shall finde it recorded Act. 7.44. Exod. 25.40. Heb. 8 5. that it was the Lords owne invention, and how he shewed a patterne of it in the mount; Ioseph. Antiq. l. 3. c [...]. that after it was once reared it saved Moses his long iournies vp to mount Sinay, the Lord as it were ta­king the paines to come downe to him: lastly, that the cloud of the Lord was Exod. 40.38. vpon it by day, and fire was in it by night in the sight of al the house of Israel throughout al their iournies, wherevpon an ancient Father, Clem. Alex. Orat. Adhor. ad Gentes. this cloud, saith hee, waited on the Hebrewes like a [...]. handmaid, and as for the fire it was, saith the same Father, a [...]. token of grace and feare too, if so be they would o­bey then was it light to lead them, if not but they would be waiward, then was it fire to consume them.

Secondly concerning the Arke we shal fiind it recorded in holy scrip­ture that it was stiled and called by [Page 15] Gods owne peculiar Ios. 4.13. 2. Sam. 6.2, name: that when it was borne on the Priests shoulders, the feet of them that bare the Arke were no sooner dipped in Iordans water but Iordan was driven Ios. 3.15. backe, the mountaines skipped like Ps. 114.3. rams, & the little hils like young sheep: that it was the cause of the falling downe of Iosh. 6.4. Iericoes wals: that when it was brought into Dagons house, 1. Sā. 5.3. Dagon was overthrowne: that V. 9 when it came into Gath, it made havocke of Gods enemies, Ps. 78 67. it smote them on the hinder parts and put them to a perpetual shame: that when it came to Ekron, it did as much vnto the 1. Sā. 5.11 Ekronites: that whē the milch kine brought it home it 1. Sā. 6.12 guided the kine in that their iour­ney, it was as the rudder in a ship which though it be behind, yet direc­teth all afore: lastly we shal there find that when the men of V. 19. Bethshemeth pried into it over boldly, it slew aboue fiftie thousand at one time, so exaspe­rated [Page 16] was the Lord against them. All that afterwards hapned by it, as the 2. Sā. 6.7. slaying of Vzzah but for touching it, the blessing of V. 11. Obed Edom for enter­taining it, and some other things be­sides, I now omit at this time as be­ing done by all likelyhood after the composing of this Psalme and there­fore not likely that the Prophet here had any relation to these events.

Thirdly concerning the Sanctuary we shall find it recorded there, what pretious Iewels that had in it being the cabinet as it were and casket of them, as first, this aforesaid Heb. 9.4. Arke and all the sacred things therein con­tained, the golden pot wherein was Manna, and Arons rod that had bud­ded, and the Tables of the Testament: secondly, the golden Heb. Ib. Censer: thirdly, the mercy seat of Exod. 25 17. gold: fourthly, the V. 18. Cherubins of gold too: fifthly, the V. 38. dishes, cups, coverings, and V. 31. candle­stickes of gold. We shall find it recor­ded [Page 17] there that the Lord from thence gaue forth his Exod. 25.22. Numb. 7.89 Oracles, and told all things vnto Moses concerning the children of Israel. We shall find it re­corded there that the high Priest went into it Heb. 9.7. Levit. 16.33. once every yeare to make an attonement both for him­selfe, for the Priests, and for the Peo­ple. Lastly we shall find it recorded there that it was Heb. 9.3. called Sanctum San­ctorum, that is, The holiest of all, for so is the Hebrew phrase in stead of the superlatiue, like as our Saviour is 1. Tim. 6.15. called in holy Scripture, Rex Regum & Dominus Dominantium, that is, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, ac­cording to that dialect.

And these are the excellent things recorded of that house, wherevnto as this our Prophet no doubt had special reference here in these words, so they may serue vs as a draught in some sort to knowe what manner of house this was. There are that Ioseph. An­tiq. l. 3. c. 8. com­pare [Page 18] this house to this great world wherein we liue, for it being devided say they into three parts the Outward Court, the Inward, and the Sanctuarie: two of them signifie the Earth, & the Sea, wherein al kind of creatures are, and such were the Outward and In­ward Court: the third part which was the Sanctuarie signifies Heaven say they which was reserved for God a­lone in like sort as the Heaven is not to be come vnto by men. In my conceit it may more fitly bee compared to the little world of man, as man in holy Thess. 5.23. Scripture is said to haue a Bo­dy, a Soule, and a Spirit: the Soule being taken as Dicitur a­nima dum [...]getat, spi­ritu [...] dum cōtemplatur. Aug de Sp. & Anim. l. 1 c. 13. sometime it is for the will & affections, the Spirit for the vnder­standing. First then concerning the Tabernacle, that J resemble to the Bo­dy, my reason is, for that so oftētimes in holy 2. Cor. 5.4 2. Pet. 1.13. 2. Pet. 1.14. writ we find this Body of ours resembled to a Tabernacle. In this Bo­dy is a Soule, and in that Tabernacle an [Page 19] Exod. 40 3. Arke, which Arke containing prin­cipally the Two Tables of stone the ten Commandemēts, what may we bet­ter resemble them vnto then to the will and affections over which they beare the sway. The Sanctuarie I may wel resemble vnto the Vnderstanding, though as the chiefest roome in this house it passed indeed all vnderstan­ding. Nor may it seeme strange that the Temple here should thus be com­pared vnto man, seeing man so often times in holy Scripture is called the Temple of God. Knowe ye not 1. Cor. 3.16. saith the Apostle, that ye are the Temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroy the Temple of God him shall God destroy, for the Tem­ple of God is holy which ye are. And a­gaine in another 2. Cor. 6.16. place, ye are the Temple of the living God: wherevpon Tertullian very elegantly, Being all of vs, Tertul. de cultu Fam. Eius templi Aeditu [...], & Antistes P [...] ­dicitia est. saith he, the Temple of God, the P [...]rson & Prelate of that Church is Cha­stitie, [Page 20] which will not suffer any vncleane or prophane thing to be brought into it, least that God that doth inhabit it should vtterly leaue the place by reason of such pollution. But thus much of his house. Now let vs see what it is to dwell in it, Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord.

Hannah the mother of Samuel whē shee had beene long barren, & it was often cast her in the teeth, she vowed a vow & 1. Sā. 1.11 said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look on the trouble of thy handmaid, and remember mee, and not forget thy handmaid, but giue vnto thy handmaid a man child, thē will I giue him vnto the Lord all the daies of his life, & there shall no raiser come vpon his head. Her mea­ning was that he should be brought vp in the house of the Lord in Shiloh, there to do the Lord that service that Eli the Governor should enioin him. Al things hapning to her desires, that is the Lord looking on her trouble, & [Page 21] remembring, and not forgetting her, & giving vnto her a man childe indeed, shee gaue him indeed vnto the Lord, he became a Nazarite, and a Levite, and dwelt in the house of the Lord al the daies of his life. But this is not the dwelling here meant in this place. This kinde of dwelling was for Pro­phets indeed, and for the Children of the Prophets, howbeit Dauid though he were a Prophet, yet had he besides an other calling, and by reason of that calling coulde not thus dwell in this house. The dwelling then that David meant was in all publike assemblies both at Morning and Evening Sacri­fice to tender his presence to the Lord, to sort himself with those who Ps. 121.1 glad­ded him so much when as they said vnto him we will goe into the house of the Lord, to be alwaies praising of the Lord in those Assemblies accor­ding vnto that in an other of his Psalmes, Ps. 84 4. Blessed are they that dwell in [Page 22] thy house they will bee alwaie praising thee. And this because he coulde not now perfourme by reason of his ba­nishment how dry was his soul with­in him, & what bitter moane doth he make, Psa. 42.2. My soule saith he is a thirst for God, yea even for the liuing God, when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God? I, for his banishmēt had berest him of the exceeding solace he there took, he prefers before himself those very fowles of the heaven, before which our Mat. 10.31. Saviour in another case woulde haue preferred him so much, The Sparrow Psa. 84.3. saith he hath found her a house, and the swallow a nest where shee may lay her yong, even thy altars O Lord of hostes, my king, and my God. I know there are of the Calvin & Tremell in hunc loc. Interpreters that take these words otherwise, but since our Church thus readeth them▪ I for my part am cōtented in this case not to vary from the Church. But to re­turne vnto my purpose.

To approach continually then vn­to the Temple, and thither continual­ly to repaire was the dwelling no doubt here meant; to dwell, to reside continually there, not to come for a spurt, or a fit, as you heard this word Dwelling descanted vpon by M ^r Doct. King. Vice-chancelor of Oxford and De [...]ne of Christ-ch. in a latin Sermon at the begin­ning of the Tearme, vpon Ps 91.1 one of the worthiest amongst vs in another dialect not long ago. And thus dwelt Anna here the daughter of Phanuel, who is said in the secōd of Luk. 2.37 Luke for the space of fourescore and foure yeares not to haue gone out of the Temple; not that she was there alwaies, but often saith Lyra & Beda in hūc loc. Lyra, and venerable Bede to the same purpose, not that shee was never absent no not an howre, but for that she was often in the Temple. And the same S. Luke speaking of our Savi­ours disciples after they had seen him ascended into heaven, They returned Luk 24.52. saith he to Ierusalem with great ioy & were continually in the Temple praising and landing God. Thus S. Austens mo­ther [Page 24] in her time to might be said to dwell in Gods house, wherevnto sh [...] came so duely and truely twise a daie, that shee in thy Scriptures A [...]g. Con­fess. l. 5. c. 9. saith S. Au­sten, might heare O God what thou saidst to her, and thou in her praiers what shee said to thee. In a word, such were the Christians the same S. Austen speaks of in another place whom he calleth the Emmets of God, Behold the Emmet of God Aug. in Psal. 66. saith he it riseth early every daie, it runneth to Gods Church, it there pray­eth, it heareth the Lesson read, it sin­geth a Psalme, it ruminateth what it hea­reth, it meditateth therevpon, and hour­deth vp within it selfe the precious corne gathered from that barne flowre. And thus much for the dwelling here, now concerning the conveniency of dwelling in this place in as much as he desired it for tearme of life. All the daies of my life.

Many and manifolde are the cares that are taken by mortall men con­cerning [Page 25] their habitations if so be they haue purse-opportunity either to purchase, or to rent them. Some like the City best, some the Horat. E­pist. l 1. Ad Fuscum. Virg. Georg. l. 2. Country, some one Hor Carus l. 1. Od. 7: Coast, some an other, and yet when all comes to all, nor City, nor Coast, nor Coūtrey whatsoever that continually can content them. Varie­ty of houses in every age hath been a great salue for this soare, that as he Terent. Eunuch. Act. 5. sc. 6. said in the Comedie when they are wearie of one house they may presentlie walke vnto another. Even Princes thē ­selues haue this variety how well ac­cōmodated soeuer their Pallaces be, and no house of theirs so gorgeous, so glorious whatsoever, but should they be tyed vnto it continually, it would seeme a Prison rather then a Pallace. It seemes it was not so with the Lordes house in this place, for a Prince here is so desirous to liue therein continually, as that he wished there to dwell all the daies of his life: [Page 26] and therefore in one of his Psalmes, I will dwell Psa. 23 6. saith he in the house of the Lord for ever, and againe in another Psa. 61.4. place, I will dwell for ever in thy Ta­bernacle, He could haue beene con­tented it seems to haue set vp his rest there, like as the Lord Ps. 132.15 speakes of Si­on, This shalbe my rest for ever here will I dwell for I haue a delight therein. This it was in effect that Zacharias Iohn Baptists father did aime at long after whē speaking of the effect of our re­demption by our Saviour, that we Luk 11.74 saith he being delivered out of the hāds of our enemies might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse be­fore him all the daies of our life. And here Beloved let vs admire the greate goodnesse of our God and his excee­ding mercy towards vs, who speaking to vs when time was in so great an­ger and indignation, Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the earth for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the daies of they life (for in [Page 27] that he spake it to our first father A­dam he spake it to vs to) doth sweeten as it were this curse againe by taking vs into his owne service, and in that service to remaine with him all the daies of our life. Wherein what doe we else but even set at his owne table, either as 1. Sam. 20 27. David did at Sauls, or 2. Sam. 9 7. Me­phibosheth at Davids. It was a vaine hope of Lamech therefore who vpon the birth of Noah his sonne, this sonne Gen 5.29. saith he shall comfort vs as touching the earth which the Lord hath cursed: it is the sonne of God only that so can do, and so shall it be done vnto vs if so be we endevour to serue him all the daies of our life. I end this point with the words of Peter which he spake vn­to our Saviour, somewhat vnadvised­lie I confesse in the case he then spake them but for our purpose very fitly, Master Mat. 17.4 saith Peter it is good for vs to be here, right so say I, it is good indeed for vs to be here, and therefore let vs [Page 28] here be all the daies of our life. And thus much of the Matter of the Pro­phets Petition here, now as touching the Maner of making it which I told you was in these words, On thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require, wherein I consider these points: first that he made it his Chiefe Desire and that in these words, One thing haue I desired: secondly, his Constancie in it & that in these, I desired of the Lord: not I desired of thee o Lord as if he had spoken it in private, but I desired of the Lord in the third person, and there­fore speaking no doubt to others, e­ven to all who should ever haue the pervsing of this Psalme. And of each of these in their order, and first of making it his Chiefe Desire, One thing haue I desired.

Davids desire for it was One thing here, is not so to be vnderstood as if it therfore were but One, or the only thing he did desire. This very Psalme [Page 29] dispelleth that conceite for there are even in this Psalme diverse and sundry desires besides: as first to haue Psa. 27.7. mer­cie vpon him, and to forgiue him; se­condly, not to v. 9. hide his face frō him: thirdly, to v. 11. illighten his vnderstāding that he might tread his waies aright: fourthly, to v. 12. deliuer him from the ma­lice and malitiousnes of his Adversa­ries: over and aboue a thousand de­sires and petitions besides, both in this his booke of Psalmes, in the book of Samuel▪ and els where. It is nor therefore to be said of this One as speaks the Apostle to the Eph. 4.4. Ephesians, of one body; one spirit, one hope of our vocation, or in the words immediatly following, V. 5. one Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme; or as it was said of our Savi­ours coate that it could not haue bin Tunioa vnlesse it had beene D. Playfers Pathway to Perfection pag. 130. Vnica, that is, one or els none; or, as Ruffinus Cypr. in. Symb. sine Ruffinus. speakes of that Sonne in the firma­ment which is so only one that there [Page 30] cannot be another, or a third to beare him company: [...] vel [...] [...]ddi [...] possit. no it is not such a one, the meaning therfore is that he prin­cipally desired this one thing, that he specially & chiefly would require it, like as our Saviour [...]. 20. [...]. saith of Maries choice One thing is needfull: Mary hath chosen the good part, and yet was Mar­tha her sister to haue a childs part to. For if so be a cup of cold water onely givē to one of our Saviors little ones in the name of a Disciple shoulde not loose a Mat. 10. [...]. reward, how great a reward was hers to bee that gaue so great en­tertainement to our Savior and that in the name of a Saviour to? For that shee beleeved in him now it is more then manifest, in respect her Brother Lazarus had now beene Ioh. 12.2. raised from the dead. But thus much briefly for the eminēcie of the Prophets de­sire here in this place. Shall we now see his constancy in it? Or was it with him as with the Poet, Horat. Ep. [...]. 1. ep. 1. quod petijt spor­nit, [Page 31] was the winde afterwards in ano­ther quarter? No, in no wise, & there­fore to the preterperfectence he ad­deth the future here, which I will re­quire: Virg. Aen. l 4. Mens immota manet, his minde was stedfast, it was like Queene Eli­zabeths Semper eadem, Ever and never but the same. Which I will require.

It was our Saviours question con­cerning the Mat. 11.7 Baptist what went ye out into the wildernesse to see? A reed sha­ken with the wind? And what Greg. in Evang Hom 6. saith S. Gregorie is vnderstood by this reed, but only a carnall minde which accordinglie or as it is hoysed vp by favour, or by slan­der depressed downe, yeeldes presentlie it selfe or to the one or to the other. The author of the imperfect worke vpon Matthew giues the reason, A reed Chris. Ob. Impers. in Mat. Hom. 26. saith he, is a voide and emptie thing, having in it nor strength, nor vigor, & therefore is it driven with every winde, right so a carnall man saith he that hath no pith of faith within him, no strength [Page 32] nor vertue of trueth whatsoever temp­tation comes vpon him, it not only bru­seth, but breakes him to. The Baptist by our Saviours testimony was no vegi­table of this nature, he was a huge high oke rather as Et quantū v [...]rtice ad auras Aethereas tantum radice in tar­tara tendens Virg. Aen. l 4. deep in the root as he was high too, able to withstand any tempest whatsoever. And as it was with Iohn the Baptist so was it before with this our Prophet, whom no adversitie could driue from the loue he bare to this house. He was affected it seemes to this desire as was Cic. de Clar Orat. & de Orat. & Orat ad Brut. Demosthenes to Action, or S. Au­sten to Humilitie, he giues it the first and second, and third place too, he hath and will desire it. Aug. ep. 56 For as the lear­ned Barth. Traheron vpon Iohn. Ioh. 1.15. & v. 30. Interpreters gather of those words of Iohn the Baptist, This is he of whome I spake, that he had before made many Sermons concerning Ie­sus, so in that the Prophet here saith, One thing haue I desired, it may proba­bly be gathered that he had desired it [Page 33] often times before, so that he is no­thing like the inconstant man. The in­constant man, D. Hals Ch [...] ­ract. l. 2. saith a worthy writer of our age, treads vpon a moving earth and keepes no [...]ace. It is a wonder if his loue or hatred last so many daies as a wonder. His heart is the Inne of all good moti­ons, wherein if they lodge for a night it is well, by morning they are gone, and take no leaue, and if they come that way againe they are entertained as Guests not as Friends. It was not thus with this our Prophet, He was like the round world rather even so sure that he could not not be Ps. 93.2. moued: He was like those heavenly Orbs aboue that keepe an Arist de Col. l. 2. c. 6. vniforme course and station: in a word, He was like vnto his Patterne whose image he was, the eternal God, of whome it is said in Malachy, I am the Lord. I change not, Malachy the third at the sixt vers. And this was the Prophets Constancy, a vertue so ver­tuous, that as it was said of the Sto­icks [Page 34] that they were Mares Philosopho­rum, the Male Philosophers of all the rest (but it was said but by a Sen. Quod in Sapient. nō cadit iniur [...] ▪ Stoicke) so no vertue without this vertue but is as it were a Widdow.

one that hath lost her true Philemon indeed. Witnesse the three Theologi­call Vertues, Faith, Hope, and Charitie, and what are they without this Con­stancie? Witnesse the foure Vertues Quae quasi origines & cardines sunt amnium Vir [...]urum. Aug. de Spir. & anim. l 1. c. 4 Cardinal, Iustice, Prudence, Tempe­rance, and Fortitude, & without Con­stancie what are they? The Intellectu­all and Morall Vertues are as Thomas Th. Aquin. [...] 2 [...]. in P [...]l. Aquinas tels vs reduced to these seaven▪ & therefore if these without Constancy are no more, no more are they. Nay are they not harmefull ra­ther, 2. Pet. 2.21 sure I am S ^t Peter saith tha [...] bet­ter it were not to haue knowne the waie of righteousnesse, then after we haue knowne it to turne from the Commande­ment giuen vnto vs. Howbeit h [...]e [Page 35] we must haue speciall care that we take not Quid pro Quo, one for ano­ther as many doe. It is easily done, and often, & never more oftē then now a daies. The Pastor of souls, Greg. Past. Cur. Part. 2. c. 9. saith S ^t Gre­gory, is to knowe (& so is the Flock to) that vices a many times doe heare them­selues as vertues. Thus Covetousnesse cloaks it selfe vnder the name of Thrift and Parsimony, and contrariwise riotous spending vnder the name of Liberality. To much pitty a many times is thought to be Pietie, and vnbridled Anger the vertue of Zeale. A headlong Action is accounted quick dispatch, and to be to too tardy in performing ought a high point of singular wisdome. The vice that beares it selfe as the vertue of Con­stancie, no vice any vertue more, is the vice of Selfe will and Obstinacie, a sowre and a sullen vice, & that which hath blasted so many hundreds of our age both on the right hand of vs, and on the left, Schismaticks and Papists. [Page 36] But vtterly to avoid this mocke ver­tue, this Virg. Aen. l. 7. Alecto in deed in anothers likenesse, the safest and surest way, is to haue good ground for what we doe, not a particular spirit with the one, or the Religion of our Fathers, and Mothers, and Forefathers with the other. It is a good thing, Gal. 4.18. saith the Apostle, to loue earnestly alwaies in a good thing. And this good ground the Prophet had, the Law of the Lord was his direction, and for he was so stable and stedfast in the same, the ver­tue which he had was not vice in ver­tues robes, it was vertues owne selfe the vertue of Constancie. And thus much of his Constancie in this his de­sire, come we now to the Manifesta­tion of this his desire to the world which I told you was in these words, I desired of the Lord.

There is a peece of a verse in [...]id more canonicall with a many, [...]e I am more powerfull then all the ver­ses [Page 37] or chapters either concerning the contrary throughout the whole Bi­ble; ‘ Ovid. Trist l. 3. Eleg. 4.Benè qui latuit, benè vixit.’ He that lurks well, liues well, as if the Lord had sent vs into the worlde to play all hid. I grant the times may be such as may cause vs to betake our selues to such a kind of retired life, or to play least in the worlds sight, even as those Christians of olde time, of whom the Apostle to the Heb. 11.38. Hebrews, They wandred in wildernesses, & moun­taines, and dens, and caues of the earth: but to do it now in these daies, or to keepe our Consciences to our selues, or not at al to imploy the Talēts that God hath committed to our charge, is vngratefully to liken these times to the ticklish times of Nero, wherein sloth Tacit. vit. Agric. saith Tacitus was a vertue▪ and to doe nothing the greatest wisdome of all. Such wyzards in the end wil play but wyly beguily with themselues, who [Page 38] while they proceed in silence as Qui dum iuuenes ad se [...]ctutem, se­ [...]es propè ad ipsos exactae [...]tatis termi­nos per silen­tium veniūt. Tac. Ib. speaks the same author from young men to a­ged, from aged to the graue, are like to make the next step from thence to hell if so be they be not there before. Mat. 25.30. Cast that vnprofitable servant into vtter darkenesse, there shalbe weeping & gnashing of teeth. True it is, it is the Hart that God requireth for his ser­vice, but he requires withal the Tōgue to, & if we thinke this tongue of ours is not to be imployed in publique As­semblies as well as at hoame, let vs remember what was saide to Meroz by the Angel of the Lord, Curse ye Meroz Iud. 5.23. said the Angel, curse the in­habitants thereof, because they came not to help the Lord, to help the Lord against the mighty. Our Prophet you see in this place was farre from this sin, he proclaimed to all the world of what religion he was. He stucke not to tel it vnto others, & to acquaint all men living with the desire of his heart, es­pecially [Page 39] al such as should haue or the hearing, or seeing, or singing, or say­ing this Psalme. He doth Pers. sat. 2. Aperto vi­vere voto, he regards not who heares him, he beleeved, & 2. Cor. 4.13. therefore spake, he spake, and in speaking proclaimed it to the world. And thus much of the manifestation of this his peti­tion to the worlde, and consequent­ly of the Petition it selfe, namely of the Matter of it, as also the Man­ner of making it. We are now to come to the second point to wit the Reason of this Petition, which I told you was in these words, To be­hold the faire beauty of the Lord, and to visit his Temple. Wherein I thought to haue observed to you these points: First, his Contemplation, and that in these words, To behold the faire beautie of the Lord: Secondly, his Action, & that in these, To visit his Temple: Thirdly, the ioining of both together & that in the particle [And] To behold the [Page 40] faire beautie of the Lord, and, to visit his Temple. His Contemplation in respect of the Soule, his Action in respect of the Body, the Ioyning of both toge­ther in respect of both combind together, Body and Soule. But this were to enter a new Ocean, a word of ex­hortation therefore and so God wil­ling an ende, One thing haue I desired of the Lord &c.

OF all the daies in the weeke there is speciall notice taken of one day as very dismall to the Irish, and in a maner fatall to thē. This day [...]ani [...]urst. [...]o Reb. Hi­ [...]rn. l. 3. they say is Tuesday, for vpō a Tuesday they lost Limmirick, vpon a Tuesday they lost Wexford, vpon a Tuesday they lost Waterford, and vpō a Tuesday againe they lost Divelin. I and at a fift time too vpon a Tuesday it was, that they had a great over­throwe the Earle of Tumond that thē was being chiefe of all their troup [...]. [Page 41] But whatsoever may be said of that day concerning the Irish, sure I am that of this day a Tuesday too when In the yeare of our Lord 1605. time was, and of an other day in this Moneth, it may be said of vs English, that we haue receaued two as great Blessings from the immediate hand of God, as ever did natiō in this world or ever is like to doe to the worlds ende. I mean the Beginning of Queen Elizabeths Raigne of happie memo­ry, the Seauententh of In the yeare of our Lord 1558. this Moneth, & that wich this fifth day we haue ce­lebrated, the Cōtinuing of King Iames his. Which two daies the Seauen­tenth and Fift might they parley with one another as Plutarch Plut. Quest Rom. qu. 25. reports the Holy day and the Worky daie once did, and the Seauententh should say as did the Holy day, vnlesse I had been so happy, thou hadst never been: how might this Fift replie agai [...], but if so be I had not beene, thou hadst never beene so happy. For indeed had not this day beene, [Page 42] what should it haue profited vs to haue liued in prosperitie some fortie yeares there abouts, and at the last to haue beene a by-word to all the na­tiōs of the world. Would it not haue beene said of our Land as was some­times of Ierusalem, but of Ierusalem o­verthrowne, Ier. Lam. 2.15. Is this the Country that men call the perfection of beauty, & the ioy of the whole earth? Might not our Mother this little Iland haue said, Ier. Lam. 1.15. The Lord hath troden vnder foot al my valiant men in the midst of me, he hath called an Assembly against me to destroie my young men, the Lord hath troden the wine-presse vpon the Virgin the daugh­ter of England. Might not the Survi­vers of vs haue said, but alas who should haue survived? but yet if any should, might they not haue said with the Ier. Lam. 4.20. same Prophet, The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord was ta­ken in the nets, of whome we said vnder his shadow we shall be preserved? But [Page 43] thankes be to our God, there are evē in that Prophet other words which better fit vs, and may be said and spo­ken of vs; which this our Iland may also speake, and we the Inhabitants may speak also, Ier. Lam 3.22. It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed, because his cō ­passions faile not. I will speake it Belo­ved againe, ‘ Virg. Aeneid. l. 3.Et repetens, iterum (que), iterum (que) monebo’ and Matt. 11.15. he, that hath eares to heare let him heare, It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not.

Such the mercies of the Lord to­wards vs & his compassions so great, what greater recompence to be made him then to performe that very thing which the Prophet in this place doth desire, Even to dwel in the house of the Lord all the daies of our life. What will ye say in these Churches? or in such as are inferiour vnto these? I, even in these Churches, or in such [Page 44] as are inferior vnto these, even where soever the Lord shall place vs, & the lot of this world shall hereafter fall vpon vs, the meanest of which and respect their beautie with the right eye of vnderstanding in deed, and not Sa­lomons Temple in all its glory, much lesse this Tabernacle here, arayed like one of them. For what was all they had but shadowes of what we doe, that House in truth, and in the eye of faith, was but a Cottage vnto ours. Wherefore as Hieron. ep. ad Laetam et ep. ad Salui­nom ex Tur­tull. ad Mar­tyr. S ^t Ierom in another case, Si tanti vitrum quāti margaritū, If so be glisse, saith he, be so much to be esteemed, of what estimation is a Pearle to be, so say I in this case, if this our Prophet were so inamored with so very a Glasse as that was (I speake it by way of comparison) how should we be with our Pearles, and that so ori­ent as ours are. Nor let me now seem contrary to my selfe for that I cal that Tabernacle a Temple of glasse in re­spect [Page 45] of our Churches, seeing it is in that respect that I only call it so, as a candle in respect of a lampe, Hieron. A­pol aduers. Iouin. saith S ^t Ie­rom, is nothing to be accoūted of, a lampe in respect of a starre why it giues no light at all, compare the starre, with the Moone and the starre is obscure, set the Moone, againe by the Sun, and the Moone shines never a whit, lastly compare the Sun and Christ together, saith he, and what is the Sunne but meere darknesse: and so was the candle of this Tabernacle in respect of our Lampe, the lampe of this Taber­nacle in respect of our Star, the starre of this Tabernacle in respect of our Moon, the Moone of this Tabernacle in respect of our Sun, in a word the Sun of this Tabernacle in respect of our Christ, or which is all one in effect our Christian Congregations. And doe we yet doubt to make them our chiefe desire? In making them our chiefe de­sire we may happily get more by it then indeed we doe desire. You know [Page 46] what was said to Salomon when he as­ked wisdome of the Lord. Because, 1 King. 3.11. saith the Lord, thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, nor riches, nor the life of thy e­nemies, behold I haue done according to thy words, and I haue also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both Ri­ches, and Honours, and so forth. Thus fell it out with S ^t Austens mother too, shee desired that shee might but see her Sonne a Christian Catholicke before her death (marke I pray you the phrase of those times, a Christian Catholike, wherevpon Baron. An­nal. Tom. 1. fol. 310. Pacianus, Chri­stian is my name, saith he, Catholick my surname, and S ^t Austen elsewhere, by the goodnesse of Christ, Aug. ep. [...]07. saith he, we for our pares are Christian Catholickes, not the only stile now adaies a Catholicke Roman, or no Catholike) but shee but desired to see him a Christian Catholike before her death, and my God, Aug. Con­fess. l. 9. c. 10. faith she to her Sonne S. Austen, hath gi­ven [Page 47] me more abundantly then I desired, even to see thee his servant, and to con­temne all the felicitie of this world besids. God indeed is no nigard he giues sometimes before we aske, sometime more then we aske, alwaies as much, and that or in the same kind that we aske it, or else in some other much more behoofull and necessary for vs.

But we must be Constant in this desire. But alas when he that wrote of Constancie became Iust. Lips. himselfe so in­constant, and so many hundreds after him as little constant as he, and some even of our owne selue [...] as constant­ly inconstant as they, what shal I say of Constancy when so many flock-meale fall away. Beloved, I will say as once our Saviour said Ioh. 6.67 What will ye also goe away? Why but whether? Or to whom? Here are the words of life eternall:

[Page 48] not the meanest Church in this our Land but will afford you much more comfort in the service of our God, then the goodliest Synagogue this daie or at S. Omets, or at Rome. Nor would I haue you thinke I speake altogither vnexperienced in this comparison.

I haue seene Beloved; seene I haue, though not the Popish Mufftie a­pud Turcas Sacerdotum supremus vt apud nos Rom. Pont. Busheq. ep. 1. Mufftie him selfe, yet his Pavillions and his Tents, I meane a many Assemblies and Con­gregations of his where I am sure but as few words as Porpheries Praedicables with vnderstanding; if the Apostle S. 1 Cor. 4.19. Paule were not mistaken, would to those Assemblies haue done more good, then those many thousandes that then were vttered by so many Blacke Birds there, so many Parrets, so many Crowes, and Pyes, not vnder­standing what they saide or sung, the similitudes are Aug. in ps. 18. Expos. 2 S. Austens. And [Page 49] now I haue said thus much let me go a little further, and speake vnto you a little more concerning those our Ad­versaries, vpon whom had I lookt with a carnall eye, I should say I con­fesse, as did those Spies Num. 13.32. we be not able to hold out against them for they are stronger then we all the people that we s [...] there are men of great stature. Gy­ants they are, the sonnes of Ana [...], and we to them but Grashoppers. But the Lord that gaue meat that time an others gates eye to behold them with, puts another message into my mouth, & as a learned Divine M. Gossen in his Trum­pet. of warre, p. D. 5. b. speakes of Caleb that he had not asheepes eye as the other Spies, but the eye of a Lyon, and how he passed by that people with an honourable scorne: right so say I with Num. 14.9. Caleb, Rebel not you against the Lord, neither feare ye the people of that Land for they are but bread for vs, their shield is departed from them, and the Lord is with vs feare them not.

The greater cause haue we to pro­claime this desire of ours vnto the world mauger all the banded Forces of all the Romanists whatsoever, who what haue they Pamphletted against our How lets 9 Reasons why Catholickes may not goe to Church, answered by D. Fulcke and M Wyburne. Publique Service, or our Religi­on therein contained which hath not beene fully answered, or at least wise may be, and that in the turning of a hand. Their Proofes are Dormans proufe of cer­taine Articls in Religion reproued by M. Nowell. repro­ved, their Disproofes confuted, their Rockes vndermined, their Stapletons Differences and Fortresse of the faith, answered by D. Fulke. Fortresses overthrowne, Dormans Disproufe of M Nowel [...] Reproufe cō ­futed by M. Nowell. their Heskins Parlement repe [...]led by D. Fulke. Parlaments re­pealed, their [...]i­stons Challenge answered by D Fulcke, and Oliver Carter. Chalenges answered, their Mar­tials Reply to M Calfeth answered by D Fulcke. Replies reioined vnto, their Harding [...] Reioynder to M. Iewe, answered by M. Deering. Reioinders disiointed. True it is they rest not satisfied, nor is it likely they ever will, Sanders Rocke of the Church vn­dermined by D Fulcke. Rana, saith S ^t Austen, est lo­quacissima vanitas, nothing so full of tattle as Folly, and that, saith he, was [Page 51] signified by the Frogs of Egypt.

But happy it were with vs had we in this point of Church Service the Romanists only our only Adversaries. Cassius and his Complices we could deale withall well enough, but what shall we doe when our own Mothers Children lift vp the heele against vs, and so vilifie our Church Service e­specially in their practise, that vnlesse there be a Sermon with it, we shall seldome or never haue their compa­nie. 2. King. 6.21. Shall I smite them Fathers & Bre­theren? shall I smite them? They are flesh I confesse, of our flesh, and bone of our bones: Why, but shall I let them goe then, and die in their error? that were a cruell kind of compassion, let their error die in them rather, Moriatur er­ror, vivat homo, saith S ^t Austen, Aug. de Verb. Apost. Ser. 31. slay the error, saue the man. And will you thē behold their error? O, say they, vnlesse there be Sermons, what beautie is there in our Churches? why should [Page 52] we take so much paines to goe fo of­ten vnto them? The Scriptures that there are read we can read our selues at home, we can pray those Prayers at home too, haue we but the Psalter & Bible in our houses, what beauty haue we not that there is to be had? So say they indeed that little knowe or what is Beautie, or what is Service, or what are Sermons, or the Minister of God, or intruth these Churches. For if so be they did, would they thus speake? would they huddle vp together so many Solecismes? would they first compare their Houses to the proper & peculiar House of God? themselues vnto his Ministers? their private pray­er to the Publicke? and debase Publicke Prayer so much as to make it so much inferiour vnto Sermons? why what o­ther Gospell preach our Sermons then that which our Service delivers to them? If in their own house where Mat. 18.20. but two or three be gathered toge­ther, [Page 53] the Lord (it may be) is in the midst, how much more when we are such troups & multitudes in Church Assemblies? when we there set by Marc. 6.40. rowes, by hundreds, and by fifties? If he or she may compare themselus, I, their very Children to the Priest, or Minister, because they can read aswell as he, so many a Butcher among the Iewes was as able as the Priest him­selfe to haue killed a Calfe, or an Ox, and was it as lawfull therefore and fit for him to haue sacrificed the same? Lastly, if so be the Lords House be of no more value with thee then thine owne, take heed the Lord another day leaue thee not altogether to thine owne, when there shall be no Prince in this our Israel, but every mā doing that which is best in his owne eyes, when there shall be no Priest, but every man of a Religion that he hath forged in his owne braine, and which is the consequence of both [Page 54] these when we shall be no People nei­ther, but Virg. Aen. l. 1. Relliquiae Danaûm, the Re­licks, and Remnant of a People, when a man shall be more precious then fine Gold, and aboue the wedge of the gold of Ophir, I meane in respect of the rarity of them as speakes the Prophet Esay. 13.12. Esay in another case.

But I am perswaded better things of you Beloved though I now thus speake, the rather for that a many of you (I may say it of my owne experi­ence) visit so well the Lords house at the vsuall times of Divine Service, so that I may now say as saide the Apo­stle in his 2 Thess. [...].4. Epistle to the Thessalonians, We are perswaded of you through the Lord that you both doe, and will doe the things which we warne you of. Rev. 22.11. He that is righteous let him be righteous still, & he that is holy let him be holy still. Gal. 6.9. Let vs not be weary of welldoing for in due season we shal reape if we faint not. And that shalbe, and it shalbe then▪ when [Page 55] we shall not hereafter on our death­beds depart as one Vt n [...]n ex vita sed ex domo in do­mum vid [...]re­tur migrare Corn. Nepos in vita Attic speaketh out of this life, but out of one house into ano­ther, that is when vpon the parting of Body and Soule we shalbe sped frō this House of Praier here on earth, to that higher house aboue, the House of Praises in Heaven, where Ambros. Te Deum. with Cherubins & Seraphins continually cry­ing Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Saboth, we shall all of vs be satisfied with the Ps. 36.8, plenteousnesse of that house. I wil [...]d with that of Austen who ending a Tract of his with the words of this my Text doth thus descant thervpō, Let thy Soule Aug. in E­vang Ioan. Tract 3. saith S. Austen say, One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require, even that I may dwell in the [...]use of the Lord al the daies of my life to behold the fair [...] beauty of the Lord. Feare not saith S. Austen, that thy continuance [...]h [...]re, will br [...]d a fulsomnes in thee. Such a pleasure of beau [...]y shall it be that it shal be [...] alwaies in thy [...]ie and yet shalt thou [Page 56] never be satisfied with it. Or rather to speake the Truth saith he, thou shalt e­ver be satisfied and never to. For if I should only say thou shalt never be satis­fied, then mights thou feare some hunger to ensue, if I should say only thou shalt be satisfied, then mightst thou on the con­trary feare there should be some fulsom­nes, where nor fulsomnes shalbe, nor hun­ger, I faith he for my part am ignoraunt what to call it. But howsoever I am igno­rant, yet hath the Lord sufficient to giue and to bestow on vs, which we are igno­rant how to call, and yet beleeue that we shall receiue it.

The same Lord so blesse vs, and the seed that hath beene sowen, that with you of the poorer sort the Mat. 13. [...]2. Cares of this world, with you of the wealthier, the deceitfulnes of your riches, with either of you of [Page 57] ether sort the lusts of other things growe not vp like thornes and choake it.

IT is not long since Right w ^o• and dearely be­loved in our Sa­vior Christ, that my course com­ming in order to execute the Priests Luk. 1.8. office before the Lord in this kind, I made my choise of these few words to be intreated of at that time. When by the assistance of the same Lord hauing multiplied the self-same words into as many more wordes as [Page 56] tooke vp the space of a whole houre, there was yet behind some overplus, such as at that time could not bee dis­posed of, and therfore reserved by me till some fitter opportunity. Which opportunitie now come by reason of the Solemnity of this Day which re­quireth at our hands a more then or­dinarie respect, I am now come with that overplus & as it were the Ne velut semesas ver­borum no­strorum epu­las reliquisse videamur. Ambros. de Penitent. li. [...]. c. 1. frag­ments that were left, that nothing be lost as speakes our Saviour, Iohn the sixt at the twelfe verse.

When first I handled then these words, you that were present may re­member, you that were not are now to know, that I thē devided the same into two especiall points. First into a Petition, secondly, into the Reason of it. The Petition in these words, One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will re­quire, even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the d [...]ies of my life. The Reason of it in these, To behold the faire [Page 57] beauty of the Lord and to visit his Tem­ple: In treating of the Petitiō, I obser­ved the Matter of it, and the Manner of making it. The Manner of making it in these words, One thing haue I desi­red of the Lord which I will require: the Matter of it in these, Even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life. Jn the Matter of the Petiti­on I handled these points, First, what kind of house this was; Secondly, what it was to dwell in it: Thirdly, the con­veniency of dwelling there. In the Manner of making it, these; First, that it was his Chiefe Desire: Secondly, his Constancie in it: Thirdly, th [...] Mani­festation of it to the world: and thus farre I then proceeded.

That which remained then be­hinde, and with the which I am now come, and of the which you are now to heare, is the Reason of the Petition, and it is as I said in these words, To behold the faire beauty of the Lorde and to [Page 62] visit his Temple. In which words may it please you to obserue with mee these two points: First, what this Faire Beauty was: Secondly, the Pow­er and Force that this Faire Beautie had. VVhat this Faire Beauty was we shal throughly obserue if so be we do obserue howe it consisted in two points. First, in regard of the Parties that were present in that house: Se­condly, in regarde of the Things per­formed by those Parties. The Parties present in that house was first the Lord himselfe: Secondly, the Priestes: Thirdly, the People. The Things per­form [...]d was the publike solemnitie of the worship of God, both in the Word and Sacraments, & Sacrifices, & Praier, and Praises. And of every of these in their severall order, & first of the Pre­sence of the Lord.

Anaxagoras being demanded to what end and purpose he was borne, his answere Lactantius [...]st. l. 3. c. 9. saith Lactantius was, to [Page 63] beholde the Heavens and Sun in the fir­mament. Which answere of his saith Lactantius is of all men much admi­red, and accounted to be a speech wel befitting a Philosopher I, saith he, for my part am quite of an other minde, and perswade my selfe that the partie not knowing in that case what to say, thought good to say somewhat yet least he should haue beene thought by his Opponēt to haue been put to a non plu [...]. For indeed to say the truth saith Lactantius, in so few words then vttered, how many solecismes shall we find, & those no meane ones nei­ther? As first in that he referre [...] the whole duty of man only to the eye of man, to the minde of man nothing at all, and how if Anaxagoras had bin blind saith he, shoulde he therevpon haue had in this worlde nothing to do? Againe saith Lactantius the o­ther partes of the Body had they no offices to performe? Besides that the [Page 64] chiefe Soveraignety seems rather in the eares saith he then in the eies, be­cause Learning & Wisedome may be obtained by the eares only, by the only eie they cannot be. That which La­ctantius there aimes at, namelie that the Creator of Heaven should haue beene respected not the Creature which was Heaven, at least wise be­fore the Creature, is respected no doubt by our Prophet here, in regard of whom it principally is that he ac­knowledgeth here so faire a beauty. For what is it that makes the Court more glorious then all places and as­semblies in the Land besides, Is it not the presence of the King? Doublesse where the King is, there is the Court, as it was tolde Commodus the Empe­rour Meredian l. 1. there was Rome where the Empe­rour was. Now that the King of Kings here was, witnes that of the Book of Numbers wherein it is Numb. 7.89. said that wh [...] Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak [Page 65] with God, he hard the voice of one spea­king vnto him from the mercy seat that was vpon the Arke betweene the two Cherubins. Hence that of this our Prophet in another of his Psa. 80.1. Psalmes, Here oh thou shepheard of Israel, thou that lea­dest Ioseph like a sheepe, shew thy selfe also thou that settest vpon the Cherubins. And againe in another Psa. 99.1. Psalme, The Lord is King bee the people never so im­patient, he setteth betweene the Cheru­bins be the earth never so vnquiet. And as in these two Psalms he is said to set, so in other places of holy Scriptures he is said to dwell betweene the Che­rubins, both these tearmes Setting & Dwelling signifying vnto thē his pre­sence there. Not that he sate or dwelt there in truth and in very deed, as we in our tongue vnderstand or Setting or Dwelling, yet that he was as really there present in that place, as them­selues were in the seats they sate on, or in the houses where they dwelt.

Concerning the Priestes that here were present though the beauty they had was nothing comparable to this beautie, yet considered in it selfe it was a Beautie no doubt exceeding gratious & glorious too. They were the Deut. 33.8. holy one of God, and had a [...] Moses saith the Vrim and Thummim, that is, Light and Perfection, the one signifying their Knowledge, the o­ther their Life and Conversation. Of Priests were two sorts the High Priest and the Rest that were inferiour vnto him. Concerning the glorie of the High Priest we shall the better con­ceaue what it was, if so be we call to mind what the sonne of Syrac said cō ­cerning one of them namely Simon the soone of Onias. He was, Ecclus. [...]0.6. saith the sonne of Syrac, as the morning starre in the midst of a cloud, and as the Moone when it is full, and as the Sunne shining vpon the Temple of the most High, & as the Rainebow that is bright in the faire [Page 67] clouds, and as the flowre of the Roses in the spring of the yeare, and as Lillies by the springs of waters, and as the bran­ches of the Frank [...]ncense tree in the time of Summer, as a fire and incense in the Conser, and a [...] a vessell of massie gold set with all manner of pretious stones, and as a faire Oliue tree that is fruitfull, and as a Cypresse tree which groweth vp to the cloudes. When he put on the garment of honour and was clothed with all beau­ty he went vp to the holy Altar & made the garment of holynesse honourable. Concerning the glory of the other Priests which were inferiour vnto him we may make an estimat by that which there followeth. When he tooke the portions out of the Priests hands he himselfe stood by the hearth of the Altar compassed with his Bretheren round a­bout as the branches doe the Cedar tree in L [...]banus, and they compassed him as the branches of the Palme tree. So were at the sonnes of Aron in their glory & [Page 68] the oblations of the Lord in their hands before all the Congregation of Israel. In a word, the Iewes they were Levit. 20.24. separa­ted as Gods peculiar people from all other people besides, and the Priests as more peculiar vnto God were [...]. 8.14. se­parated from the Iewes.

Concerning the presence of the People, if so be in civil Societies wher­as they are orderly pyld together and they are not a tabble or a rout, it is no small beautie which in such Societies is to be seene, how much more was the beautie in those Assemblies in so peculiar a People as that was. One Timotheus a Captaine of Athens be­ing demanded by Themistocles what was the greatest ioy that ever he had in all his life, It was, Ae [...]ian. l▪ [...]3. c. 43. saith he, when in the Olympian games beginning to play my Prize, the whole Theater there pre­sent beh [...]ld me with their eies. And fa­mous is that of the Senators of Rome, who when the Gaules had taken their [Page 69] Citty, and now were entred into the Senate, They Liv. Dec. 1 l 5. seemed vnto them at the first like the Images of the Gods, of such a goodly presence they were. The or­der observed in these Assemblies as it was farre beyond those, so was the Beautie no doubt far faierer, a wor­thier obiect to the eie. It is well seene o God, Ps. 68.24. saith David, how thou goest, how thou my God and King goest in the San­ctuarie. The Singers goe before, the Minstrels follow after, in the midst were the Damsels playing with the Timbrels, Nor was it preiudiciall to this beauty that there was perhaps in those As­semblies much cockle among the wheat, the bad among the good, all as speakes the Rom. 9.6. Apostle S ^t Paule, not being Israel that were of Israel, nor all of them Children because they were the seed of Abraham: seeing it was in re­spect of the better part that this beautie here was thus accounted of. Like as we say in our Creed, The holy Ca­tholike [Page 70] Church, notwithstanding there are too many neither Catholike there­in, nor Holy. But thus much of the Persons, the Parties here present.

The Things performed in these Assembles wherein this Beautie did consist, was as I said the Publique So­lemnitie of the honour and service of God, both in his Word, & Sacraments, and Sacrifices, and Prayer, and Praises; and indeed admirable was the beauty in every of these particulars being beheld with spirituall eyes. As first & formost in the Word, to consider how the eternall God at Heb. 1.1. sundry times & in divers manners spake vnto them by the Prophets. Secondly, in the Sacra­ments, to consider how the same God did bind himselfe vnto them, even as the Debt or bindeth himselfe by bond vnto his Creditor, or man to man by way of Indenture. Thirdly in the Sa­crifices to consider what was due vn­to the sinnes themselues committed▪ [Page 71] I say themselues committed, and yet

the milde and gentle Sheep, ‘Animal sine fraude, dolis (que),’ the innocent & harmelesse Oxe, they forsooth must die the death. Fourthly in their Praiers, how they needed not now make such Apologies as Abrahā did vnto the Lord, Gē, 18.27 Behold now I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord, and I am but dust and ashes: and againe, V. 30. Let not my Lord now be angry that I speake: and yet againe, V. 32. Let not my Lord now be angry and I will speake but this once: no they might nowe talke their fill with him, every Morning, every Evening, both at their Morning and Evening Sacrifice. Lastly in their Praises to cō ­sider how they Ps. 150.1. praysed God in his ho­lines, praised him in the firmament of his power, praised him in his noble acts, prai­sed him according to his excellent great­nes, praised him in the sound of the trū ­pet, [Page 72] praised him vpon the Lute & harp, praised him in the Cymbals & Daunces, praised him vpon the strings and Pipe, praised him vpō the well tuned Cymbals, praised him vpon the lowd Cymbals. In­deede it was a good thing as Ps. 147.1. saide the Psalmist to sing praise vnto their God, yea a ioyfull and pleasant thing it was to be thankfull. And thus much of the Faire Beauty in respect of the Things performed in those Assemblies: nowe as touching the Power and Force this Faire Beauty had, which was as you may remember the seconde point to be observed.

Concerning the Power & Force of this Faire Beauty here specified, wee shall take a scantling thereof, if so be we do consider howe it ravished this our Prophet, Body, and Soule. First his Soule, and that by way of Contempla­tion, To behold the Faire Beauty of the Lord: Secondly his Body, & that by way of Action, To visit his Temple: Third­ly [Page 73] in that it caused him to ioine them both togither, & that in the particle, And To beholde the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple. And of every of these in their order, & first that his Soule was ravished by way of Contemplation. To behold the faire beauty of the Lord.

Great is the Power of Beauty though it be but worldly beauty such as is the beauty of womē ▪ Is not the king 1. Esd. 4.28. saith Zorobabel great in his power? Doe not all regions feare to touch him? Yet I saw him and Apame the kings concubine, the daughter of the famous Bartacus, sitting on the right hand of the king. And shee tooke the crowne of the kings head, and put it vpon her own, and stroke the king with her left hand. Yet in the meane sea­son the king gaped and gazed on her, and if shee laughed at him, he laughed, and if she were angry with him he did flatten her that he might be reconciled with her. The sonnes of God Gen. 6.7. saith the Scripture [Page 74] saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wiues of al that they liked. Behold Gē. 12.11 saith Abraham to Sara I know that thou art a faire woman to looke vpon, therefore it will come to passe that when the Egiptians see thee they will say she is his wife, so they will ki [...] me but they will keepe thee a liue. Now if so bee in worldly beauty which is but a superficial colour only covering the bloud, skin, & bones, things most hideous to be beheld, & that which Diseases some times, alwaies Age doth deforme, Fl [...]vit vt in speculo ru­ga [...] adspexit aniles Tyn­daris. Ovid. Metam. l. 15 the power and force therof is so great, what may we think of this Beauty which was ever the selfe same, as fresh in Davids times as it was in the time of Moses, and in the times of the Prophets after, as in Da­vids long before, nay much more fresh & glorious, having a most beautifull Temple to adorne it, the Temple of Ierusalem. Howbeit here we are to note that the beauty here specified [Page 75] was not outward so much as within, and therefore needed an inward eie, the eie of Contemplation. The Kings daughter Ps. 45.14. saith the Prophet is all glo­rious within, quite contrary to world­ly beauty. Worldly beauty as you hard even nowe reacheth no further then to the skin, to the outward Su­perficies, It may be faire without and foule within, much like to the Egip­tian Temples which were marvellous beautifull without, but within insteed of a God, they had a Crocodile, or a Cat, or some strange serpent more meete for a caue, or a den, I for a dunghill saith an ancient Clem. Alex Paedag. l. 3. c. 2. Father then for a place so gor­geous. It was not so with this Temple. There was beauty without i [...] deed, but more, much more within, and therefore not to be seene with corporal eies so much, such as are common to vs with Flies, & Gnots, as with the eie of vnderstanding, even with those eies as speakes [...]. Theod. Grae [...] Affect. C [...]r [...] Ser. 11. Theodoret, which faith [Page 76] hath put into our heads. And thus much for the Prophets eie, the Eie of Contemplation: not the eie he behelde when time was the beauty of 2. Sam. 11.2. Bath­sheba with, no he was now blinde on that side, but the eie of the mind, and of the soule, To behold the fa [...]re beautie of the Lord. The thing I noted here was that it ravished his Body to, and that by way of Action, & that in cau­sing him to take the paines to go him selfe in person thither, and therefore now concerning his body: To visit his Temple.

The word Temple in this place do­eth not argue that this Psalme was made after the building of the Tem­ple, & that consequently it was none of Davids, the Temple in Davids time not being built, for even long before this time it was [...]. Sam. 1.9 said of Eli the Priest, that he sate vpon a stoole by one of the posts of the Temple. It is by a kind of fi­gure then that it is tearmed here the [Page 77] Temple, like as S. Ierome vpon Ezechiel, we in steede of the cittie Noe Hieron. in Ezech. l. 9. c. 30. saith he, haue translated it Alexandria; for that it was afterward so called; and S. Aug. de Consens. E­vang. l. 2. c. 17. Austin to this purpose, we heare that Christs disciples were bidden to the mariage at Cana in Galylie, not that they were his disciples then and that at that time, but that they were afterwards so to be. But nowe concerning the Action of visi­ting the Temple.

The verbe To visit being a frequē ­tatiue intimates vnto vs the frequency of the Prophet Davids going to that Temple, his frequencie of going thi­ther the fervency of his desire. Con­cerning his frequēcy of going thither it was well observed by the Arist. Eth. l. 1. c. 7. Philo­sopher that a habit is not gotten by one only action, no more the [...] [...]ne swallo [...] as he speaks in an other case, or one faire day makes a summer. I [...] [...]as wel obser­ved by him in Ethic. l. [...]. c. 4. another place, that it is not the multiplicity of actions neither [Page 78] that doeth denominate the party vertu­ous but if he do them vertuously: as aiust man if he do iust things iustly, a tem­perate man if he do temperate things temperatly. In regard whereof the Vid. Iew­els Defence of the Articles. Art. 5. Div. 5 and M. Hoo­ker Eccl. Pol. l. 5. Sect. 62. Canonists were wont to say that God was the rewarder of Adverbs, not of Nownes, and our Saviour to this pur­pose, Mat. 6.22 If thy eie be single, thy whole body shalbe light, but if thine eie be wicked thē all thy body shalbe darke: that is as S. Au­sten August. de Serm. Dom. [...] Monte. l. 2 interprets it, such shalbe thy deeds as thy intention is to do them. These two pointes the one of Multiplicity the other of Quality, are both of them intimated here in this single sole word of Visiting: To Visit implyeth both; First it implies a Frequency of going to the Temple, as if the Pro­phet had meant his feet should even weare out the very steps of the dore. Secondly, it implies his Feruency of spi­rit which manifestly sheweth that what was done was done religiously. [Page 79] And this it is that must be done, and it must be done thus, that must be held to be such an action as the Pro­phet protesteth here he woulde per­forme. If either of these two want, or Frequencie, or Ferventi [...], it makes vs like a bird that hath but one only wing, wel we may hop to Church, but fly thither we cannot, we shal ne­ver be able as speaks the Esay. 60.8 Prophet, to fly thither like a clowde, and as the Doues to their windoes.

The ioining of both these puts me in minde of the third point, namelie how this our Prophet ioineth like­wise togither, Contemplation and Acti­on both, & that in the particle [And] To behold the faire beauty of the Lord, and to visit his Tēple: so that he seemes not to say as Mach. Cō ­ment. l. 2. c. 2 & l. 3. c. 3. Machauel in another case, Divide & Impera, divide them and master them both: but as it was Quintil. Inst. l. 6. c. 4. said of the Ship rather, Si dividi [...], per di [...]: If ye once divide it, you marre all. And there­fore [Page 80] what the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.1. saith of ma­ried folkes, Defraud not one another ex­cept it be with consent for a time that you may giue your selues to fasting and praier, and againe come togither that Sa­than tempt you not for your incontinen­cy, may not vnfitly be applied as to the two liues the Contemplatiu [...] and Ac­tiue in generall, so to this Contempla­tion and Action of the Prophet here in particular. Our Souls and Bodies are Caro at (que) Anima velut quadam lege sociantur cō ­iugii. Ambr. de Abrah. Patriarch. l. 2. c. 6. Man and Wife as it were, so louelie linckt togither that till death it selfe depart them, no Divorce betwixt the both. With consent indeed they of­ten times 1. Cor. 7.5. defraud one another, that so they may giue themselues to fasting and prayer, and what is this but the Life Contemplatiue? But afterwards they come together againe, and are care­full for things convenient for them, and this is the Life Actiue. These two severall liues the Actiue and Contem­platiue haue had their severall welwil­lers [Page 81] from the beginning of the world to this day, while some preferring the one Life, some the other, haue wholy addicted themselues or to the one, or to the other. Much I confesse may be spoken in the behalfe of either of thē, but when all comes to all, the Life that ioines them both together and vnites these two Roses, the White as it were and the Red, is the Life in my o­pinion best accepted with God and man. I appeale in this case to Antiquitie it selfe, which tooke such strict or­der that very Monks who had beta­ken themselues to Contemplation, should not be Vid. A [...]g. de Opere Monach. Tom. 3. labourlesse notwith­standing; I they were to worke with their owne hands, & that to get their owne living. Howbeit the Action here meant by the Prophet in this place, is not an Action of this nature, it was to vse his feet not his hands, e­specially his hands in a Mechanicall kind of sort. It was indeed to vse those feet of his to the often com­ming [Page 82] to the Temple, and not vpon the wagging of a strawe, or to absent himselfe from thence, or to make of his owne house a Chappell of ease. Hence it is that he so often Ps 26.12. voweth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the Congregation, that he so Ps. 134.2. earnestly exhorteth others to sing praises to the Lord in his Courts, in his Ps. 134.3. Sanctuary, before the Ps. 30.5. Memo­riall of his Holinesse, and so much com­plaineth of his owne vncomfortable exile, See M Hoe­ker Eccles. Pol. l. 5. Sect. [...]4. wherein although he sustained many most grievous indignities, and indured the want of sundry both pleasures and honours before enioyed, yet as if this one were his only griefe and the rest not felt, his speeches are all of the heavenly benefit of Ps. 27.4.4 [...].4.84.1. Pub­like Assemblies, and the happinesse of such as had free accesse therevnto. And as the Prophet here in this place thus ioineth them together, so doubt lesse no good Professor that liued in those times but also did the like, ioy­ning [Page 83] and coupling both together, least with idle Contemplation without comming at all to Church Assemblies he might vanish away in his specula­tion, or comming to Church Assem­blies without the benefit of Contem­plation he should be like to those who Esay. 29.13. came neere to the Lord with their mouthes, and honoured them with their lips, but their hart was farre from him. And thus much of the Reason of the Prophets Petition in this place, the Beautie of the Church that so much moved him to be so desirous to goe to Church. Now to apply what hath beene spoken, and to make such vse of it as is fit, & to come to the marke it selfe whereat I first aimed when I first made choise of this Text. To be­hold the faire beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple.

Little wrong was done to Saul by the woman of Israel when they made it the burden of their song, 1. Sam. 18.7. Saul hath slaine his thousand, and David his ten [Page 84] thousand. The vnlike deserts of these two Princes, M.D King on Ionas. Lect. 1. saith a worthy Divine of our daies, might iustly admit an vn­like commendation. Our Saviour in the Gospell indeed Luk. 5.39 preferreth olde wine before new: but in the same Gospell if we marke it, he preferreth the New Luk. 7. [...]8. Testament before the old. There is no greater Prophet then Iohn, Mat 11.11. saith he, among them that are begot­ten of women, neverthelesse he that is least in the kingdome of God is greater then he, the kingdome of God being there taken as the kingdome of heauen, Matthew the third at the second verse, and the Gospell of the kingdome, Mat­thew the fourth at the three & twen­tie verse, and the word of the kingdome, Matthew the thirteenth at the nine­teenth verse, in a word, as our Savior meant when he said, The kingdome of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a Nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof, Matthew the one and twentieth at the three and [Page 85] fortieth verse.

These things thus, Beloved, it shall be no disparagement to the Temple here in this place, if so be we preferre before it the Beautie of our Temples. The Beauty I told you of this Temple consisted in two points, First in re­gard of the Parties that there were present: Secondly in regard of the Things performed in those Assem­blies. The Parties present were first the Lord himselfe, then the Priests, thē the People. The Things performed in those Assemblies was the Publique Solemnitie of Gods worship both in the word, and Sacraments, and Sacrifi­ces, and Prayer, and Prayses: and doth not the Church of God whereof our Assemblies are every of them parts and parcels, of the selfe same nature the Church is, evē the meanest Assem­bly that is (so it be a Congregation) doth not the Church I say so far excell that Synagogue as the Sunne in his brightnesse the meanest starre? Begin [Page 86] wee first of all with Gods presence, and is it not more in Christian Assem­blies thē it was to the Israelits in that Temple: At sundrie times and in diuers maners Heb. 1.1. saith the Apostle to the He­brews God spake in the old time to our Fathers by the Prophets, in these last dais he hath spoken to vs b [...] [...]is Sonne: & ne­ver spake Prophet [...] [...]ke the Son, Iohn the seaventh [...] [...]e sixe and for­tith verse. O but you w [...] say God him selfe spake to Moses, Moses hard his Numb. 7.89. owne voice: I grant he did; and was not the same voice of the same God hard also in the new Testament first vpō the baptisme of our Savior, Mat­thew the third at the seavēteenth vers, secondly, at another time Iohn the 12 at the eight and twenty verse? True it is, it was at those times, it was then, it is not now, howbeit as S. Austen in the matter of the Tongues, To one that should say Ang. de Temp. Ser. 188. saith he if thou hast received the Holy Ghost why then speakest thou not as did the Apostles with diversity of [Page 87] tongues, thou mayst answer him againe, yes, I speak with diversity of tongues, for I am in the body of Christ that is the Church, which speaketh with such diversitie: right so may we say in this case, no particular Church whatsoever but in regard this was spoken to our Savior Christ the head thereof, but hath the benefit of those words, and may bee said to haue hard the voice of God.

Nowe as wee haue God the father here, the first Person in Trinity, so haue we here God the sonne to, even as he testified of himselfe, where two or three Mat. 18.20. saith he are gathered togither in my name, there am I in the midst of thē. Not as he was in the midst betweene the two theeues, giving influence to the one, and none at all to the other, Luke the three & twētith at the three and fortith verse, but as he was in the midst of the Luk. 2.46 Doctors, or in the midst of the Luk. 24.36. eleaven Apostles, or if not so personally for he is nowe at the right hand of God, & there setteth as speak [Page 88] the Mark. 16.19. Scriptures, yet as he was in the midst of the candleslickes Revelation the first at the thirteenth verse.

Over and besides the Sonne of God, we haue God the holy Ghost to, of whō our Saviour himselfe said, that hee should abide with vs for ever, and is therfore called by Tertullian, The Tertull. de Vir. Veland. Vi­car of Christ vpō earth. True it is they had in their Temple this Trinity as well as we, the Father, and Sonne, and Holy Ghost, for they were but one God both then, & now, & ever; but come to the manner of their being there, & being with vs in our Assemblies, and it was a ridle to the Iewes, we that haue plowed with Iudg. 14.18. Sampsons heyfer, that is, with the holy Scriptures, haue easily found it out. You shall heare Dichers & Delvers saith [...]. Theodor. ad Graec. Infid. Ser. 5. Theodoret of the Chri­stians in his time, and he spake it not in skorne neither, reasoning about the Trinity.

Over and besides the Holy Trini­ty, we haue the Angels to, here pre­sent, [Page 89] in regard of whom the Apostle in his Epistle to the 1. Cor. 11 10. Corinthians, The woman ought to haue power on her head, that is, to haue her head covered, be­cause of the Angels. Nor are they pre­sent only as Spectators, but they as­sist vs after a sort, I they solace them­selues in the beauty of this house ac­cording to that of S ^t 1. Pet. 1.12. Peter, The which things the Angels desire to behold: spea­king of the misteries published in the Gospell. The word [...] Beza. in 1. Pet. 1.12. Beholding there vsed, being the same that was vsed of himselfe when he lookt so diligently into the Luk. 24.12. sepulcher, and the Apostle alluding thereby as it is thought to the figure of the Cherubins that were so fashioned by the hand of the work man, as if they had Exod. 25.20. looked into the Arke.

Concerning the other Parties that were present, namely the Priestes and People, how infinitly in each of them doe we Christians out strip the Iewes? First concerning our Priests they are [Page 90] not in deede so gorgeous in attire as they were, but being Ministers of bet­ter things, how are they more beau­tifull notwithstanding? How beautifull Rom. 10.15. saith the Apostle are the feet of them wh [...]ch bring glad tidings of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things? And S ^t Chrysostome, he compares thē in one Chrys. de Eucharist. in E [...]n. place to the Angels, in ano­ther Chrys. de S [...]ced. l. 3. place he prefers them farre be­fore thē. To them saith he that inhabit the earth and are conversant therein, is committed the dispensing of those things which are in h [...]avē. They haue that pow­er given vnto them which he neuer gaue to Angels, no not Archangels thēselues.

Concerning the People, they indeed were a Natiō, but they were but one Nation, we the whole world. And therefore as our Saviour Mark. 28. [...]9. said to his disciples, Go and teach all Nations, so they went and taught them severally; See Eu­s [...]b. l. 3. c. 1. & Hieron. Catal. script. Ecclesiast. S. Iohn the Asians, S. Andrew the A­chaians, S. Matthew the Ethiopians, S. Philip the Phrygians, S. Bartholmew the [Page 91] Indians, S. Thomas the Parthians, and so forth, their soūd Rom. 10.18. saith the Apostle went out through all the earth, and their words into the end of the world. Or if so be they went not to all places in their owne proper persons, as S. Austen Aug. ep. 80 seemes to be of opinion, yet hath e­very Nation now, or at the least wise hath had the benefit of that doctrine which the Apostle delivered to those nations that in their owne persons they then visited. We may well adde vnto this point that peculiar honour and testimoniall that is given vnto Christians in that they are saide so 1. Cor. 3.16. 2 Cor. 6.16 many times to bee themselues the Temple of God, I every of them in par­ticular in regard of their 1. Cor. 6.19. bodies to be the Temple of the holy Ghost. But thus much of outstripping them in regard of the Parties present: that we no lesse outstrip them to, in regard of the Publike Solemnity of Gods worship, namely in the Word, and Sacraments, and Sa­crifices, and Praier, and Praises, remai­neth [Page 92] now to be declared, & first con­cerning the Word.

First then concerning the Worde, they had Moses I grant, and they had the Prophets. Moses as speakes Theodo­ret, who was the Theodoret. ad Graec. In­fid. s [...]r. 2. Ocean of Diuinity, and instructed mouth to mouth as it were by God himselfe; the Prophets, who were the floods and so many ri­uers as it were derived from him. Mo­ses he delivered them the Law, the Prophets they were the Interpreters of that Law. Both Moses and Prophets so complete at that time for the salvatiō of the Iews, that that of Abraham vn­to Diues concerning the salvation of his Bretheren then living, Luk. 16.29. They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them, was an argument that woulde not admit of any reply that Diues made. For when hee answered there­vpon, v. 30. Nay Father Abraham, but if one come vnto them from the dead, they will amend their liues, the Patriarch holds himselfe to his first resolutiō, v. 31. If they [Page 93] heare not Moses and the Prophets, nei­ther will they be perswaded though one rise from the dead againe. Now if they were then taught so wholy and per­fectly by Moses & the Prophets alone, howe much better is our case who haue the Apostles, and Evangelists an­nexed vnto them? Moses and the Pro­phets indeede being a light as S. Peter 2. Pet. 1.19. speaketh, that shineth in a darke place, but the Apostles, and Euangelists as the day star arising in our hearts. And thus much of the Word.

How far we outstrip them in the Sacraments S. Aug epist. 118. & de Doct. Christ. l. 3. c. 9. Austen wil bear vs wit­nes, who speaking of theirs, and ours; we, saith he, are not pressed with the hea­vy burden they were, but our Lord & his Apostles haue delivered vnto vs a few Sacraments in steed of many, and the same in performing most easie, in signification most excellent, in obseruation most reve­rend, and he nameth in that place Bap­tisme and the Supper. True it is the A­postle 1. Cor. 10 1. saith, they were all vnder the [Page 94] clowd, and all passed through the sea, and were baptised vnto Moses in the clowd, and in the sea; and againe, v. 3. they did all eate the same spirituall meate, and did all drinke the same spiritual drinke▪ for they dranke of the spiritual rocke that follow­ed them and the rocke was Christ, how­beit this which the Apostle saith is in regard of the substāce & effect of the Sacraments, the signification of our Sacraments is much more cleere thē theirs was.

In our Sacrifices we are farther be­fore thē then in our Sacraments, ha­ving had in our church the selfe same Sacrifice really acted, whereof al their Sacrifices were but shadowes. For if the blood of Buls, Heb. 9.13 saith the Apostle, and of Goates, and the ashes of an Haifer sprinckling them that are vncleane, san­ctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himself without spot to God, purg your conscience from dead works to serue [Page 95] the living God? And againe a little after, The law, Heb. 10, 1 saith he, having the shad­dow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can neuer with those Sacrifices which they offer yeare by yeare continually sanctifie the commers therevnto. v. 4. For it is impossible that the blood of Buls and Goats should take away sinnes. Now if so be we would know the vertue of our Sacrifice, though it were but one, their Sacrifices being many, with one offering, v. 14. saith the A­postle, hath he consecrated for ever thē that are sanctified. And he had said a little Heb 9.27. before As it is appointed vnto men that they shall once die & after that commeth the iudgement, so Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many. And comparing his Priesthood with theirs, Among them, Heb 7.23 saith he, many were made Priests, because they were not suffered to endure by the reason of death, but this man because he endu­reth ever, hath an everlasting Priest­hood. And againe a little after, Heb. 7.2 [...]. Such [Page 96] a High Priest it became vs to haue which is holy, harmelesse, vndefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher then the heavens, which needed not dayly as those High Priests, to offer vp Sacrifice, first for his owne sinnes, and then for the Peo­ples, for that did he once when he offered vp himselfe. Comparing then those Sacrifices with this of ours, I may say of them as did Theodoret of the like offered by the Gentiles, they were such kind of Sacrifices as were fit for [...]. Theodoret. ad Graec. In­fidel. Ser. 7. Huck­sters and Butchers to make.

Lastly concerning Prayer, wherein I comprehend with the Zanch. de Redemp. l. 1. c. 19. Learned not only the asking of things need­full for vs, and deprecation of things hurtfull, but the confession of our sins, the praises of God, and giving thanks for benefits receaved at his hands, how far we outstrip the Iewes, witnes that of the Prophet Malachie, who cō ­paring both together theirs & ours, From the rising of the Sun, Malac. 1.11. saith he, vnto the going downe of the same, my [Page 97] name is great among the Gentiles, & in every place Incense shall be offered vnto my name, & a pure offering. Now what is this Incense but Prayers, for so the Holy Ghost himselfe interprets Incēse, Revelation the fift at the eight verse. And that this Pure Offering is the same, witnesse that of Tertullian Tertul. ad­vers. Marci­an. l. 4. a Pure Offering, that is, a Pure Prayer frō a conscience that is pure, for if so be, as speakes the same Father in another Tertul Ex­hort. ad Cast. place, the Conscience blush, Prayer it selfe will blush too. I but you will say, since these our Prayers must needes tast of the caske from whence they come, and the caske is very impure be it the Conscience, or the Heart of man, how can they be the Pure Offe­ring here spoken of in this place? I an­swer according to Scripture that there is in heaven a certaine Rev. 8.3. Angel, it is indeed our Saviour Christ, that goes and stands before the Altar ha­ving a golden Censer and much odours given vnto him that he should offer with [Page 98] our prayers. Howsoever then as pro­ceeding from our selue, s they are tainted and corrupt, yet are they sweet­ned by bur Saviour, provided that they be infirmities only that taint thē not loud crying sinnes, for if they once come to that passe, then farewell all approching and appearing in Gods sight. When you shall stretch out your hands, I, saith the Esay, 1.15 Lord, will hide mine eyes from you, and though you make ma­ny prayers I will not heare: the reason he giues immediatly, for your hands are full of blood; and yet immediatly af­ter that too, as if he were loath to giue even such an vtter repulse, Wash you, [...]. 16. saith he, make you cleane, take a­way the Evill of your workes from before mine eies, cease to doe evill, learne to doe well, and so forth, Come now and let vs reason together, saith the Lord, though your sinnes were as crimsen they shall be made white as snowe, though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll. And to this end and purpose hath the [Page 99] Church of God for this sixteen hun­dred yeares and vpward beene in her severall Congregations continually on her knees. We come by troups, Tertul. A­pol. l. 1. c 39. saith Tertullian, that being banded as it were together, we may be supplicants enow, not so much to beseech, as to beseige God with our prayers. This force to God is most acceptable. The sound of men, wo­men, children, & infants, Basil Hex­am Hom. 4. saith S ^t Ba­sil, praying in the Church together, seems like the sound of the waues beating a­gainst the sea shore. Hieron. in 2. Prooem. ad Gal. S ^t Ierom, he likens it to the noise of Thunder, and in ano­ther place discoursing of the Fune­rals of Fabiola, The Psalmes, Hieron. ad Ocean. Epi­taph. Fabiol. saith he, did sound a loud, and the Haleluiah that was sung did shake at that instant the golden seelings of the Temple with the noise it made.

But of all the Beauties in our Church nothing so beautifull indeed as the Beauty of our Saviour. He was, saith Aug in Ps. 44. S ^t Austen, a beautifull God, he was the word that was with God, he was [Page 100] beautifull in his mothers wombe, where he lost not his Divinity, and yet he tooke Humanity on him. He was beautifull be­ing borne an Infant, because when he was an Infant, when as he suckt the dug, and was carried in his mothers armes, the heavens spake, the Angels praised him, the starres directed the wise men to him, he was adored in the manger being to be meat convenient for the mouthes of gentle Beasts. And this is that faire beautie which we celebrate this day. This day it was that hauing made for himselfe a Tabernacle, as speakes The­odoret, in the wombe of the Virgin, he is­sued forth from thence both [...]. The­odoret. de Grac. Affect. Ser. 6. a visible man, and a God to be adored. Borne of the substance of the Father before all worlds, but assuming that of the Virgin Mary which did appeare to the world. Borne, saith the same Father, as it were this day, and yet from all eternity. Borne of his Father, Aug de Temp. Ser. 12 saith S ^t Austen, without a mother he created every day, borne of his mother without a Father he hath cōsecra­ted [Page 101] this day, so that whereas, saith he, in the worlds beginning man was made to the likenesse of God, the case is altered now at this time, for this day God is made to the likenesse of man. Nor let it seeme incre­dible, saith the same August. de Temp. Ser. 181. Father, that he should be borne of a Virgin, who out of the Virgin earth made the first man that ever was.

These the Beauties of our Church, and of every our severall Congrega­tions, what remaineth but our desires in respect of them be such as was the Prophets concerning the Temple, namely to beholde there these faire beauties, and to visit these places, that if so be that Beauty were so power­full with the Prophet which was so farre inferiour vnto ours, ours with vs shoulde be more powerfull as be­ing farre more beautifull and so farre superiour vnto theirs. Let it ravish then our Soules by way of Contempla­tion, and like a load stone draw our Bodies to by way of Action to these [Page 102] places, and let vs ioine here Body and Soule by Contemplation and Action both Let vs not take as Gods name, so not his beauty in vaine, if so be the Lord wil not hold him guiltles that takes his Exod. [...]0.7. name in vaine, how will he iudge those another day that so much con­temne this his Beauty?

And to the better effecting hereof let vs come often to this House, and as the word vsed here is a frequenta­tiue, so let our deedes be frequent to. To come not at all with the Popish Recusant, or but monthly with the false harted Protestant, or in the fore­noone or afternoone only with the halfe Christian, or when Service is halfe done with the carelesse Gospeller, or when there is a Sermon only with the Precisian, are vices all of a quality, though not al of the selfe same quan­tity, all able to drowne vs though not all after one sort. The Precisian hee is drowned as it were in rose water, Moses and the Prophets are nothing [Page 103] with him here, vnlesse forsooth they be interpreted: The carelesse Gospeller in a bole of water, a little serues his turne: The halfe Christian in mud & water: The false harted Protestant in a river of water, but the Recusant hee that wil never be here, and that vtter­ly shunneth these Assemblies, he is drowned in a sea of water, drowned in deed as are the rest, but the manner of his drowning more dreadfull, so much the farther from all hope as he will needs be far thest from all helpe. If now you demand of me how often you should come hither. I answere e­ven as often as this Beauty here is to be seene in the Publike Service of our God. Whether on the Saboth day, or on Nostri dies festi in 4 ^o praecepto no­mine Sabba­thi compre­hensi. Zanch. de Redemp. l. 1 c. 9. Holy daies, or even on the weeke daies to, specially Masters & Mistres­ses of families, vnlesse as Zanch. Ib. qu. 2. Zāchius wel states the question, our sicknes is such as that we cannot come, or our affaires of such importance that we may not defer them till an other time. He that at eve­ry [Page 104] time else comes when ever opportunitie is offered, it is a signe he is en­amored with this Beauty of the Lord, and he that with this Beauty is so ena­moured in this world, shall an other day behold his fairer Beauty, and visit his other Tēple in the world to come. Of which Beauty, & which Temple to speake in S. Austens August. de Tripl. Habi­tac. c 4. phrase, whatsoe­ver a man shall say it is as it were but a drop in comparison of the Sea, & a sparke in respect of a fire. For how, saith the same Aug. in Ps. 85. Father, should it possibly come in­to the tongue of man, that could never come as yet into the hart of man. It be­ing an invincible truth which the A­postle [...]. Cor. 2.9 S. Paule delivereth, The things which eie hath not seene, neither eare hath hard, neither came into mans hart, are, which God hath prepared for them that loue him.

The same God so blesse vs and the seede that hath beene sowne, &c.