Hallelu-jah: or, King David's shrill trumpet, sounding a loude summons to the whole world, to praise God Delivered by way of commentarie and plaine exposition vpon the CXVII. Psalme. By Richard Chapman, minister of the Word of God at Hunmanbie in Yorkshire.

VERSE, II. (Book 2)

PSAL. 117. 2.

For his mercifull kindnesse is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise yee the Lord.

THe tres-noble branch of Iesse king David, having by a propheticall spirit, not onely summo∣ned but enjoyned both Iewes and Gen∣tiles to the joynt∣praising of God, de∣claring the bound∣lesse compasse, and unlimited circuit of the king∣dome of CHRIST, not onely King of the Iewes as Pilate stiled him, Iohn 19. 19. but even the hea∣then are his inheritance, linked into the society of faithfull Abraham, by the bond of faith and

obedience, elsewhere, as Psal. 19. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy worke, &c.* 1.1 Even insensible creatures, as Sunne, Moone, Starres, Meteors, Thunder, Haile, Snow; &c, Psal. 148. are called upon for the per∣formance of this dutie, every creature be it never so base in the sight of Man, bearing upon it the workemanship of his hands, even by silence loud∣ly proclaimes it's Maker; but he is praised of Man in a more lively and louder straine, a shriller and sweeter Diapason, sounding from an heaven-sprung soule, which in the internall, externall, su∣periour, and inferior powers and faculties there∣of, doth manifestly beare the Image of God, and the characteristicall badge and stampe of the Divinitie, as Calvin saith, is invested and inriched with such a measure and furnishment of Graces as it pleaseth the Olimpian love to distribute to every one,* 1.2 as Homer in the twylight of nature could say, the ditty of whose duty, in this vers. 2. is composed of Gods mercy and truth:* 1.3 and so this brings us to the reason,* 1.4 for his mercifull kind∣nesse, &c.

In which are considerable

• 1. His Mercie.
• 2. His Trueth in performing his promises.
• 3. The certainty of both confir∣med in the object toward us.
• 4. The Epiphonema and conclu∣sion of this Psalme, which is accounted the last of the Iewes Hallelu-jahs, which were appointed to be sung at their Passeover, ending in the same

• cadence in which it begun: Praise yee the Lord.

Mercifull kindnesse,* 1.5 the first motive injoy∣ning the dutie, is a common place, in which, as in a Maze or Labyrinth, we may loose our selves and make an easie entrance but no end, for all the wayes of God are mercie and truth, Psal. 25. 9. The Almighty hath stepped no where beneath or a∣bove the circle of the Moone, but he hath left plaine prints and characters of his mercies, that he that runnes may reade them, and that we may take notice of the tendernesse of them; sometime they are expressed in the love of Parents to Chil∣dren, Psal 103. 13. As a father pittieth his chil∣dren, so doth the Lord pitty them that fear him; sometime in the love of Eagles to their young, Is. 49. even exceeding the love of a woman to her sucking child, verse 15. hee hath engraven us up∣on the palmes of his hands, verse 16. sometime in the tendernesse of hennes to their Chickens, Mat. 23. 37. which how tender it is, we see in the continuall care that she hath in hatching, feeding, and (to her power) in defending her young; and yet all these are but shadowes,* 1.6 in regard of substantiall and everlasting love, which CHRIST IESVS the heavenly Henne hath over his beloved ones:* 1.7 his love is as himselfe infinite, for whatso∣ever is in God, is God, his mercy, his justice, &c. and all those backe-parts of the mighty IEHO∣VAH, Exod. 34. 6. When he is called mercifull what is he, but mercy it selfe in the abstract, saith Savanorola, if they were al gathered together that are in heaven and earth, and it be demaunded of

them how they have been saved, they all stand as a cloud of witnesses to testifie Gods free mercies,* 1.8 and to say with the Church, Psal. 115. 1. Not un∣to us, O Lord not unto us, but unto thy Name give the praise.* 1.9

Now consider further that the mercifull kind∣nesse of God is

• 1. Generall.
• 2. Speciall.

The generall, is his providentiall care over all his creatures, in creating, preserving, sustaining, and maintaining of them, Psal. 36. 6. Thou, O Lord, wilt save both man and beast, Mat. 5. 45. He maketh the Sunne to rise on the evill and the good, and sen∣deth raine upon the just and unjust, Iohn 5. 17. My Father yet worketh, and I worke with him, meaning in his generall care in the supporting of the crea∣ture, this is called, Psalme 51. 1. Loving kindnesse or benignity extending it selfe to the very Ra∣vens, Psal. 147. 9. Luke 12. 24.

The speciall mercy is that, by which hee loves his owne in CHRIST, redeemes, sanctifies, and saves them by his free grace, 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that beleeve, this he exerciseth toward us, both in giving and forgiving, both which Moses describes at large, Exod. 34. 6. Mercifull, in which he doth as it were clothe himselfe in the affections of man. Ier. 31. 10. His bowels are troubled for Ephraim, Matth. 9. 36. His bowels even earned in compassion, to see the multitude wandring as sheepe without a shepheard, how pathetically he perswades the reformation of his Church, Cant. 6. 7. Returne, returne, O Shu∣••••mite

returne, how passionately he deplores Ieru∣salem, Luke 19. 42. If thou haddest knowne even thou in this thy day, the things which belong to thy peace, in a word he rejoyceth in his owne mercie,* 1.10 but sorrowes for our miserie. Gracious, which intimates a forwardnesse to doe us good, he is never weary in doing it, Iam. 1. 5. he gives liberally to all. Slow to anger, full of patience, Gen. 6. 3. How long did he wait the repentance of the old world, in his mercy stopping the course of his deserved vengeance, Psal. 95. 10. Fourty yeares long did he suffer the murmuring Idolators, and Adulterers in the wildernesse, Psal. 106. 43. Many a time did they provoke him to anger by their Counsels, & yet, Is. 30. 18. he waits that he may have mercie. Aboundant in good∣nesse and truth, noting his disposition by kind∣nesse to win men, & the immutable constancie of his promises, & w^ch is the inexhaustible fountain of his mercies, he reserves them for thousands, his goodnes is not like the morning dew dispier∣ced and exhaled by the Sunne, nor like the Cof∣fers of the greatest Potentate, which may be drawen dry, but a Lamp which is fed by the oyle of Immortalitie, and which makes up the mea∣sure, he forgives iniquity, transgression, and sinne, no marvell than, if David call them (in his expe∣rience) the multitude of his tender compassions; in w^ch, he tenderly embowelleth his chosen, as the womb enfoldeth & nourisheth the new conceived Embryo, where he shewes mercies he shewes them by multitudes; & if the royall heart of Alexander

thought it not honourable to give small things; how much more than, shall the all-sufficient God give; that exceeds him as much as the maine O∣cean the least riveret, he is ready to forgive, Isa. 55. 7. Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, 2 Cor. 1. 3. Very pittifull and full of mercy, Iam. 5. 11. The heighth, length, bredth, and depth thereof, passeth all understanding, Eph. 3. 18.

All these compassions and mercifull kindnesses may be reduced to a sixe-fold ranke.* 1.11

[ 1] First, preventing Mercies whereby hee did us good when we knew not, keeping us from many sins w^ch otherwise we had committed many and many have we cōmitted against him, but far more should we have done,* 1.12 if his mercie had not pre∣vented us; acknowledg than Gods mercy toward thee, even in those sins w^ch thou hast not cōmit∣ted. If thou seest one w^ch is debtor to me for a sin, and I forgave him, know also that thou art a deb∣tor to me, because I prevented thee from the like; because there is in every mans corrupted brest, since the fall of Adam, the Seminarie and seed-plot of all iniquitie, springing from the bitter root of that originall Corruption, the match and tinder, the fuell and fountaine of every actuall transgres∣on,* 1.13 so that there is no enormitie which the most debauched wretch hath committed, but thou hadst acted the like if grace had not preuented, boast not thy selfe then in this, but with devoute Bernard extoll the mercie of the Almighty.

[ 2] Secondly, are his sparing mercies, experienced in his longanimitie and patience, in which thou

mayest say, I have sinned, and thou heldest thy tongue, I have transgressed, and thou hast spared me; when thou lookedst upon Zimri and Cosbi slaine in the act of uncleannesse, Ananias and Sa∣phira, the old world, Sodome and Gomorrha, Iulian, Herod, with thousands more, the dierfull specta∣cles of Gods powerfull Iustice; hast thou not sufficient cause to glorifie that God, that hath so long suffered thee to wallow in the puddles of thine iniquitie, and hath not sunke thee downe to the pit of perdition, but still waites that hee may have mercie.

Thirdly, his pardoning mercies, else what be∣nefit [ 3] were it to be long spared,* 1.14 and at last paid home as it shall be with every impenitent, though he enjoy the sun-shine of Gods patience, yet in the end the wrath of God shall burne as an Oven, as Tophet against him; though now he see the hand of Gods justice behind his backe, clouded and vailed in his daily continued mercies;* 1.15 yet the conclusion will prove a tragicall Catastrophe, though he passe with a slow pace, yet he goes in order,* 1.16 though with leaden feet, yet with Iron hands, but this feare is taken away by these par∣doning mercies, by which in the bloud of Christ he makes us as cleane as if he never had been po∣luted, Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne.

Fourthly, are his renuing mercies, by which he [ 4] gives not onely remission of sinnes, but also the grace of renovation, by which they become new creatures, trees of righteousnesse bearing and a∣bounding

in the fruits of faith and repentance, sanctified in their soules; bodies and spirits, not like the blacke Apostata, who after his cleansing is repossessed with seven spirits worse then the former, or the Dog returning to his vomit, or the Sowe to wallow in her myre, and which [ 5] is more fully made plaine in the fifth,* 1.17 which are his corroborating mercies; whereby hee conti∣nues in the state of grace, not falling and back∣sliding with Adam in the state of mutabilitie, but as mercy brought him to it, so it continueth and keepeth him in it.

[ 6] Sixtly and lastly, are his crowning mercies whereby he shall perfect his worke begun in us, and performe his Kingdome promised to us, where there shall be no hurtfull thing, but wee estated in the paradise of eternall happinesse, shall have our Vnion and Communion with Christ and the heavenly Hierarchie of the high and holy Saints for ever, such a measure of Beatitude, Isa. 64 4. As eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, nei∣ther hath entred into the heart of man, 1 Cor. 2. 9.* 1.18

This unmeasurable extent of Gods mercies serves first to urge upon us the drift of the Pro∣phet in this place, viz. To praise God for his mercy, the whole worke of our salvation goes under this Title, 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in time past were not the people of God, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercie, but now have obtained mercie; to what part soever we looke, the whole frame of it is made of mercy, if wee begin at Gods election, the foundation and

ground-worke of all, and passe downe to the last period of all, which is glorification, and aske from what roote each part sprung, this onely Mercie must answer all; Mercie in chusing mer∣cie, in sending CHRIST, in calling, justifying, san∣ctifying, strengthening, preventing, preserving, and the admitting of us to an Inheritance im∣mortall and undefiled, 1 Pet. 1. 4. all from mercy, so that the burden of our song must still be with David, Psal. 132. 1. For his mercie endureth for ever. In the parable of the profuse prodigals re∣turne, the whole streame of his Fathers carriage toward him, is nothing but mercy, when he was yet a farre off, his father saw him, had compassi∣on on him, ranne to meete him, fell on his necke, kissed him, &c. In the whole worke, there is no∣thing but mercie, Luke 15. 20. &c. So that light and darkenesse, God and the Devill, hot and cold, and not in a line of greater opposition then mer∣cie and merit in the worke of mans salvation, which Antichristian Doctrine is like a Centaure halfe man, halfe horse, or like that brood of Ni∣lus, halfe frog, halfe earth, or the minotaure, halfe bull, halfe man, contraries in a remisse degree may admit intention and remission,* 1.19 as heate and cold in tepide luke-warmenesse, but in the high∣est degree they cannot. So (though we graunt with Saint Augustine,* 1.20 good workes to bee neces∣sary in regard of their presence,* 1.21 not of their effi∣ciency, and with Bernard, that they are the way to the Kingdome) Yet in the case of Iustification, Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 6. and Rom. 6. 23. Conside∣red

in their highest degree,* 1.22 even to the very suffe∣rings of Martyrs, Rom. 8. 18. they can no more stand with mercy then Dagon of the Philistines is able to confront the holy Arke of IEHOVA,* 1.23 1 Sam. 5. 3. By which wee see the Papist,* 1.24 like an unskilfull Empiricke in Physicke make a Potion for a sicke soule,* 1.25 as he that went into the field to gather herbes, but found a wilde Gourd, and put it into the pottage, while the eaters cryed out, Death in the pot, 2 Kings 4. 39. So doe they tem∣per the soules-salving herbe of grace, with the poysoning Gourd of humane merrit, dealing with the Church of God, as unkindly, as unnatu∣rall Parents, or Nurses giving their children a stone for bread, and a Scopion for a fish, as the Phi∣listines with Isaacks wels, stopping them with earth,* 1.26 Gen. 26. 15. Choaking and damming up the fountaine of Grace, which ought to be open to the house of Iacob, Zach. 13. 1. Changing the reward of favour and promise, Col. 3. 24. into their owne, of debt. Nay, further, it is the corrupt and dangerous conceite of many who would not bee accounted popish, but seeme to magnifie the free mercies of God, which yet will be saved by well-doing, good meanings, and good prayers, like the children of the Iewes, who marrying with the Ashàodites, spake halfe in their language, Neh. 13. 24. which is an impeachment to their suffe∣rings, which trode the wine-presse cleane, Isa. 63. which will not give to others, nor communicate this his glory with others, Isa. 42. 8.

It is onely mercy without merrit, that must

lift a man from the gates of despaire, when the angry brow of the Almighty is bended against him for sinne,* 1.27 as we see in David, Psal. 51. &c. and our Saviour Christ standing in the gappe of Gods wrath (being but our surety and pledge) yet his soule was heavy unto death, trickling down those thicke drops of blood, in his miraculous sweat in the Garden; thou mayest for a while with Da∣vid cast the darke cloud of security over thy sins to hide them, as the fish Sepia casts up a blacke li∣quor to hide her selfe, but woe be to them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord, their workes are in secret, and they say, who sees it? Isa.* 1.28 29. 15. Eccles. 23. 18. Hee that searcheth Ie∣rusalem with a lanthorne, will find thee out, and rouze up thy slumbering Conscience, and then so heavy is the sinne of conscience that without any more evi∣dence it passeth Iudgement upon it selfe, Pro. 18. 14. A wounded spirit, who can beare? even none but God. In all other troubles, miseries, and mole∣stations we wrastle with men or divels, but here (impar congressus) weake man with his Maker, brittle clay with it's Potter, sinfull man with ho∣ly God, which is of purer eyes then to looke up∣on evill, Hab. 1. 13. and a consuming fire, Heb. 12. 29. In other things, man is a friend and favou∣rite to himselfe, as Peter perswades CHRIST to pittie himselfe, but here he is his owne enemy, and often in the rage of his conscience, his owne executioner, as in Iudas and Pilate, Iere. 20. 4. Re∣hold, I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe, thy memo∣rie, reason, every sense and faculty of thy soule, is a

Gorgonian-hell-••urie, to torment thee. Now in this case when a mans bones is full of the sinnes of his youth, Iob 20. 11. His heart broken with one breaking upon another, Iob 16. 14. His con∣science upon the racke, his God writing bitter things against him,* 1.29 Iob 23. 26. Then comes the mercy of God to comfort him, all other com∣forts of workes, merits, satisfactions, &c. are mi∣serable comforters, Iob 16. 2. And will consume as a rotten thing, and as a garment that is moth-ea∣ten; the soule of a Christian is like Noahs Dove, which finds no safety, till returning to the Arke of Gods mercie.

Comfort thy selfe then in Gods mercie, which will not suffer thee to bee over-yoaked with thy sinnes, plead with him in the receiving of Adam, Manasses, and the whole troupe of re∣conciled sinners, and though thine adversarie Sa∣than write a booke against thee, answere cursed Cain disabling Gods mercy,* 1.30 Gen. 4. 13. with Au∣gustine, Thou lyest Cain; for greater is Gods mer∣cie, than mans iniquitie, and say to thy disconso∣late spirit, Why art thou so sad my soule, Psalm. 11.

And as we ought,* 1.31 and in dutie are enjoyned to give thankes for all things, so are we chiefely to sing our Ha••••elu-jahs unto God, for the perfor∣mance of the promised Messiah, and that in the practise and phrase of the Priest Zacharie, Lu. 1. 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for hee hath visited and redeemed his people, &c. And with old Simeon in his Cygnean dying Hymne, Blessed be thou, O

Lord, for our eyes have seene thy salvation, L••ke 2. 30. That fountaine of living waters, Iere. 2. 12. In regard of whom all other things are but the broken Cysternes of vaine and disconso∣late hope. The refreshing waters of Gods free mercies,, the purchase whereof is without mo∣ney or prize,* 1.32 Esa 55. 2. least you thinke it too deare, and because water, if you thinke it not worth the labour, it's wine and milke, whose worth and necessitie you well know, that true A∣qua vitae, w^ch whoso drinketh shall never thirst, but it shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life, Iohn 4. 14. He is our Beth∣lehem and house of bread, the living bread that came downe from heaven, Ioh. 6. 35. He is a ship of safety which beares us by the comfortable goale of his love,* 1.33 and the gentle Zephirus of his mercie, from the shelves and rocks of blacke dispaire, so that though immodest.* 1.34 Modest as Generall to the Emperour Valens the Arrian, burne the ship wherein the Christian Legats were imbarked, seeking to destroy the Confessors and professors of Christianity, which though they perished in their wooden barke, were sure enough in the hea∣venly Arke by CHRIST. He is that unspeakea∣ble gift of God, for which we must give thankes, 2 Cor. 9. vlt. And if thou knowest the gift of God, Iohn 4. 10. Which is the gift of all gifts, which is given to us, Esa. 9. 6. In comparison of whom all other are but as the drop of a Buc∣ket to the whole Ocean, in whom, appeare the bowels of Gods love, and the inscrutable depths

of his mercy in him, through him, and by him (while we were sinners and enemies) to bring to passe that wonderfull worke of our Redemp∣tion, Ioh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. In him by this wee see the fulnesse of it, 1 Iohn 4. 9. And as Bethlem to Iurie, and Scicilia to Italie, were accounted their granary for their fruitfulnesse, the Poets fai∣ning Ceres to keepe residence there; so may our Saviour CHRIST be accounted as the store∣house and Cornu-copia of all good things to his Church, Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the trea∣sures of wisedome and knowledge, the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily, ver. 9. In him we are com∣pleate, ver. 10. Knowledge and wisedome are in men by revelation, in Angels by vision, but in him by union; of whose fulnesse wee all receive, Iohn 1. 16. Thy being, well-being, and eternall being, have their dependance on him: this con∣solation of Israel,* 1.35 this expectation of the Gentiles, this Noah to comfort thee, Gen. 5. 29. This cru∣cified Lord, shewed to Constantine to comfort him in his expedition, against the Tyrant Max∣entius, with a promise of victory, is opposed a∣gainst all thy feares and discontents; if finne presse and oppresse thee, he is thy righteousnesse, 1 Cor. 1. 30. If the curse vexe thee, he is thy blessing, Gen. 12. 2. Galath. 3. 8. If weakenesse pinch thee, he is thy strenght, Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 9. If the great debt of thy sinnes lay hold on thee, charging to pay that thou owest, he is thy paiment, Matth. 17. 27. If damnation make thee afraid, he is thy salvation, Acts 4. 10. If death, he is thy life, Iohn 14. 6. If Sathan,

he hathover come him, Heb. 2. 14. If hell shall open her mouth upon thee, he hath victoriously Sampson∣like borne away the gates, quelled and quashed the power of it, Hos. 13. 14. So that in and through him onely, thou art more then a Conquerour. Be not like the Horse or Mule that have no understan∣ding, nor like the sonnes of the earth, the cocke∣red Darlings of unstable Fortune, who gaping af∣ter the transitory things of the world, can onely now and then, in a carnall humour send forth a short ejaculatory Thanksgiving for their tempo∣rals which they possesse, but seldome or never for CHRIST IESVS, which they possesse not, without whom, they must be content to perish for ever. This is that rich pearle bestowed up∣on the Merchant, resolving above all things to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteous∣nesse, setting saile for the Cape De bona Speransa, fraught and bound for the New Ierusale••; than let thy mouth from thy heart) the fountaine of all true praise, be as this silver Trumpet filled with Hallalu-jahs for this heavenly and unspeak∣able gift.

Thirdly,* 1.36 this Doctrine just in the phrase of another Baptist preaching in the wildernesse of Iudea, cryes unto us in a more then necessary ex∣hortation, especially in these last and worst dayes, Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand, Matth. 3. 2. The selfe-same holy use which the Spirit of holinesse drawes from the Doctrine, Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his good∣nesse, and forbearance and long suffering, not

knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance? 2 Peter, Chapter 3. verse 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promises, as some men count slacknesse, but he is long suffe∣ring toward us, not willing that any, should perish, but that all should come to repentance; Turne yee then unto the Lord, your God, for hee is gracious and mercifull, slow to anger, of great kind∣nesse, and repenteth him of the evill, Ioel 2. 13. and that you may rightly turne, find ease and refresh∣ing for your soules; Consider, that as in Iacobs ladder, which reached from earth to heaven, there were certaine steppes for ascending and descending, so are there certaine degrees in de∣scending to this all-curing Bethesda of repen∣tance.

[ 1] First, is an inward perplexitie, sitting like Ha∣gar, Gen. 21. 15. when her bottle was emptied, or like the Prodigall, Luke 15. which by his want is forced to a consideration of his estate, re∣torting his thoughts into himselfe, is deepely affected, with the solid apprehension of his owne misery,* 1.37 verse 17. and in this perplexed case con∣cludes against himselfe; that if he remaines as hee was, his case was desperately hopelesse, and hee must perish for ever; upon which, hee resolves with himselfe, to goe home to his fathers house, by repentance, seeing the gate of Mercie opened to all true penitents; wicked men have but one spirituall eye, by which they see the horrid pit∣fall of their misery,* 1.38 as Cain, Iudas, &c. but the penitent hath two, with the one he sees his mise∣ry

by sinne; with the other, his hopefull comfort by Gods mercie, and thus his feare becomes fili∣all, Psal. 130. 4. Thou art mercifull, and worthy to be feared, drawing the Argument of his sonne∣like obedience from that mercie, which he feares to misse; the wicked mans service (if ever he have any) springs from a terrour of judgement and wrath, w^ch is only servile, the penitent beares not the image and superscription of a Pharisaicall Iu∣sticiarie, Luke 18. who begins with gloria patri, instead of miserere mei, his motto, I thanke thee, O God, that I am not like other men, but the portraiture of the poore Publican, perplexed, and knocking upon his breast; Crying, Lord be mercifull unto me a sinner.

The second degree, is Sorrow, which ariseth [ 2] from the former apprehension of Gods anger, and mans perplexed guilt standing before him, ar∣raigned and convicted in his owne Conscience, for so many and so manifold rebellions and transgressions.

And here we must distinguish Sorrow which is two-fold;* 1.39 first, a worldly sorrow, which is a dessembled, hypocriticall repentance, as in Ahab, Iudas, Esau, &c. Secondly, the other is a godly sorrow for sinne, proper onely to the godly man, and the true badge of the penitent, both which we see, 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh sal∣vation by repentance, not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death; the for∣mer arising from the mercy of God, as being sor∣rowfull that he hath offended him, as David, Psal. 51. 4. Against thee, thee onely have I sinned

and done this evill in thy sight; the gracious fa∣vours which were bestowed upon him, as his exhaltation from a poore ruddy-faced Shep∣heard, to sit upon a Princely throne; his severall deliverances from the Beare, the Lion, the Cham∣pion of the Phlistines, and the sundry treacheries practised against him by his Master Saul, hunting him as a Partridge upon the mountaines, establi∣shing his kingdome, &c. with infinite more, be∣ing called into Davids remembrance and made the matter of his retired meditations, with his owne ungratefull ungracious rebellions, doe cause his eyes to distill like a Lymbecke, and his rocky-stony-pumise-dry heart, to over∣flowwith the Teares of a truely-sorrowfull∣penitent, and now his heart being hot within him, as at other times upon other considerations Psal. 39. 3. He breakes silence, and in the griefe of his soule complaines of the ill requitall with which he had recompenced the Lord of his mer∣cifull kindnesse. The like wee may see in that patterne of penitents, the profuse Prodigall, Luk. 15. The sinne-loden-citizen woman, Luke 7. 47. Comming attended with shame and sorrow, la∣vishly washing the feet of her Saviour with teares from her soules stillatory, that must wash not onely her feet, as was said to Peter, Iohn 23. 9. but also her hands and her head; this hath been, is, and must be, the course of every saved sinner to retire, and returne by weeping crosse; thus breaking the heads of Dragons in the water, wa∣shing away great sinnes by great sorrow: What

shall then be said of the preposterous course of the world, doing all by contraries; like that Na∣tion, who in a crosse emulation of their neigh∣bours, whose custome in curtese is to put off their Hats in saluting one another; these (be∣cause they will be contrary) put off their shooes at their meetings;* 1.40 so in this maine matter you shall see the wicked man play cart before horse, and in stead of sorrow for his sinnes, bragge and boast of them, as if the Peacocks pride lay in his blacke feete, or the Theeves glory in their hal∣ters, to boast of strength, to quarrell, and drinke wine, Hab. 2. 15. To boast of lying, stealing, cozening, policie, &c. with the bloudy Poligamist, Gen. 4. 23. I have slaine a man in my wounding, and a young man in my hurt; which Scripture, although Ca∣tharinus, thinke inexplicable,* 1.41 and upon which O∣rigen writ two whole bookes, and with divers have diversly interpreted; yet with Calvin, it is most likely to be a bragge, and an insolent boast of his bloody strength. What is this else, but even to be proud of that which should be (and at length will be) the matter of our shame, and the confusion of our faces, Phil. 3. 19. They glory in their shame.

The third degree in repentance after our humi∣liation, [ 3] is the earnest craving and begging of par∣don, grounded likewise upon Gods mercifull kindnesse, a glympse of which the penitent sees, though dimmely (as the newly-cured blinde∣man, saw men walke like trees, or as Zebul, Iudg. 9. 39. Tooke men to be but the shadowes of the

mountaines) yet truely, Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him turne to the Lord; the reason followes, and he will have mercy upon him, and will abundantly pardon; the like. Hos. 6. 1. Come let us returne unto the Lord, the reason moving; for he hath torne, and he will heale us; he hath smit∣ten, and he will bind us up: and this assurance of mercie and willingnesse to forgive, armes the sinner with boldnesse, to sollicite the throne of Grace; so that hee which unfainedly repents, be∣leeves, and prayes for pardon, Repentance and prayer being inseparable Companions, Eccle. 3. 12. Examine thy selfe than with what boldnesse thou prayest, filling heaven and earth with the Abba, Father, how thou commest to God as thy father, in the name of CHRIST as they Redee∣mer, by the power of the Spirit of Adoption: as by Gods mercy in the assurance of thy faith in¦teressed in all the promises, being drawne here∣to by the cords of love, and the bands of mercie; and this hath been the pathway, in which all the high Saints and servants of God have traced and troden to their Celestiall home, it being Gods owne precept, Psal. 30. 15. Call upon mee in the time of trouble, &c.

[ 4] The fourth degree ushered by the former, is newnesse of life, springing. Likewise out of the brazen mountaines of Gods constant mercies, as continent Ioseph makes his advancement, the ar∣gument of his chastitie, Gen. 39. 8. Hee answered his Mistresse, behold my Master woteth not what is

with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand, there is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept any thing from mee, but thee, because thou art his wife, how then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God? Three things stay Ioseph from committing this sinne; first, the feare of God; secondly, the love of his Master, in regard of his liberality; third∣ty, the dutie of the wife toward her husband, as learned Mercerus hath well observed.* 1.42 Or first, the reverence of Gods Majesty, seeing and behol∣ding all things; secondly, the consideration of his mercie and benefits received; thirdly, the feare of judgement, as Pererius, he knew all the honours of Egypt could not buy of the guilt of one sinne; a good heart will rather lie in the dust, then rise by wickednesse in offending a mercifull God, and thus it is grounded, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Vpon Gods mer∣cifull promises, Having therefore these promises, dearely beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all fil∣thinesse of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holinesse in the feare of God; The same Apostle, by the same Apostolicall spirit, exhorts to renovation of life by the same reason, Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Bre∣thren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable seruice. Then beloved, let the mercifull kindnesse of God, which every houre thou triest upon thee and thine, even in thy food, raiment, liberty, friends, breathing, &c. be∣sides those inestimable treasures of his love in thy daily preservation, &c. draw thee to repentance

in newnesse of life, to stampe upon thee a new creature, Turne not the grace of God into wanton∣nesse, Iude 4. but know, that the grace of God hath appeared to teach us, to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to walke honestly, soberly and righteously in this present world, Tit. 2. 12. Wee are delivered from the feare of our enemies, to make our obedience without feare, Luke 1. 74. being under grace then, let us give up our members weapons of righteousnesse, Rom. 6. 19. Seeing all the mer∣cies of God like so many remembrancers, cry unto us for this dutie; let us not despise (under∣valuing and vilipending) the mercies of God,* 1.43 in living after our owne hearts, and following our owne crooked wayes, as those Heretiques of old, which sprung up from the malicious seed of the Serpent, immediately after the Apostles, have wickedly taught; else yee heape up wrath against the day of wrath, and make the holy Gospell of CHRIST IESVS, no better, then the Turkes licen∣tious Alcoran, which is fraught with nothing but the merchandize of the corrupted flesh, large promises of Epicurisme in Paradise.

But Christians must not so learne CHRIST backe againe by repentance is the better way, loosing the Herculian gordian knot, and unwea∣ving with Penelope the webbe of thy sins, else can we not hope for peace; For there is no peace to the wicked, Isa. 48. 22. Our iniquities have made a division betwixt God and us, Isa. 59. 2. which must be broken downe by repentance; if thou aske, being in the Gibeonitish rags of thy sinnes, as

Iehoram asked Iehu, Is it peace? is it peace. 2 Kings 9.* 1.44 18. Shall there be peace betwixt God and thy soule; the answer retorts it selfe vpon thee, What hast thou to doe with peace? so long as thou wantest Grace, and lyest polluted; prostituting thy Soule and Body to all prophanenesse. What wicked man ever had peace? Let Caine, Achito∣phell, Antiochus, Epiphanes, Nero, &c. With the whole garison of Scorners be brought vpon the stage, and they will answer, they never had peace; because they never had renovation by Repen∣tance. Come then while the Lord is neere, and seeke him while he may be found. Isa. 55. 6.

Seeing the mercifull kindnesse of God is so largely extended to all Creatures,* 1.45 but more and most especially to Man, it teacheth us to be his followers and imitators in this, and as he hath propounded himselfe an exampler and patterne in other things to be followed,* 1.46 as in his Holines, Levit. 9. 2. Cap. 20. 7. Be holy for I am holy. E∣very of his morall actions being our instructors, so he would be imitated in this act of Mercy, Mat. 5. 45. Doe good to them that hate you, that you may bee the Children of your Father which is in hea∣ven, who causeth his Sunne to shine both vpon the bad, and the good, and this our duty of mer∣cy consists in two things.* 1.47 1. In giving, 2. In forgiving.

First, in Giving, that is compassionately and pittying, administring to the necessity of our bre∣thren, taught vnto vs in the Communion of Saints: As citizens of one Corporation, bran∣ches

of one Vine, members of one body, all vnder one Head, the body of CHRIST. Colos. 2. 17. so to sympathise in affections, as to have a sen∣sible feeling of our mutuall wants, like Peters new converts, Acts, 2. 44. which is not Anabap∣tisticall, denying all propriety of Goods or Lands to any Man, nor all to be meum, tuum, Common, but as a Christian tendering one ano∣thers good, and a supportation of their wants, as Act. 11. 28. when Agabus signified by the spirit, that their should be Dearth throughout the World, the Disciples every man according to his ability, determined to send reliefe to the brethren which dwelt in Iudea. Heb. 13. 3. Re∣member them which are in prison, as bound with them, and them that suffer adversity as your selves being in the body, for if one mem∣ber suffer, all the members suffer with it. 1. Cor. 12.* 1.48 26. And a Righteous man even pittyeth in∣feriour creatures, hee regardeth the life of his Beast. Prov. 12. 10. Like Xenocrates, an Heathen Philosopher, whose pittyfull heart succoured in his bosome, the poore Sparrow, eagerly pursu∣ed of her Enemie the Hawke.

Be then exhorted to this duty, there are great numbers of poore Lazarusses which lye at thy Gates, bearing the image of CHRIST in their naked bodies, give vnto them not sparingly, that thou mayest reape liberally, for thy harvest must answer thy Seede-time, an Almoner is like an Archer,* 1.49 which aimeth at the marke in the middest of the white, the White he seeth, the

Marke he seeth not; the marke he cannot hit which he seeth not, vnlesse he hit the white which he seeth, so we cannot hit God the marke which we ayme at, vnlesse we hit the white which is Man. 1. Iohn 4. 20. If wee love not our Brother whom wee have seene, how can wee love God, whom wee have not seene, those that abound with Gods blessings, must be like the full end of an houre-glasse-emptying them∣selves into the needy?* 1.50 Gregory Nazianzen re∣gestring the life of great Basill, commends a Ze∣nodochium, or house of Harbour, which he built for strangers above the Egyptian Pyramides, the famous Sepulcher of Mansolus, or the famous Collossus of Rhodes, or any other wonder in the world; so thy mercy shewed to the poore, shall make thy name like an odoriserous perfume made by the art of the Apothecarie, smell after thee to blesse thine increase in all things, the plow-man shall touch the Mower,* 1.51 and the treader of grapes him that soweth seede, Amos 9. 13. Thy moun∣taines shall drop sweete wine, and all thy hills shall melt, cast then thy bread upon the waters. Eccles. 11. 1. And when thou makest a Feast call in the lame and the blind, Luke 14. 13. and like Elisha,* 1.52 powre thy oyle into emptie, not full ves∣sels. 2. King 4. 4. The seede of almes growes better, thrives and multiplies more aboundant∣ly in a poore then fat Earth, let the feeble hearts of the Saints b••e comforted by thee, Philemon 7.

The second, is shewed in forgiving, the p••e∣cept of which is laid downe Eph. 4. 32. For∣giue* 1.53

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one another as God for CHRISTS sake for∣gave you; when our Saviour CHRIST had laid it downe in that methodicall Prayer com∣mended and commanded to his Church, Mat. 6. 12. And that vnder paine of excommunication from God retaliating vpon vs the same measure we offer to others, knowing our backward per∣versnesse in performing those duties of love, es∣pecially this, of forgiving, he begins a fresh Ser∣mon, Verse 14. Drawne from the law of equity, by which we shalbe measured, If you will not for∣give men their trespasses, no more will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. In the parable of the vnmercifull servant Mat. 18. 34. How sharpely doth our Saviour reprehend him? O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst mee, shouldest not thou also have had com∣passion on thy fellow, as I had pitty on thee; and his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tor∣mentors, &c. Pro. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to passe by offences. Yet not in a foolish pitty, as Ahab with Benhadad. 1. King. 21. let∣ting him escape whom the Lord had comman∣ded to be slaine; or to take away the sword from the secular Magistrate, the Kings owne Sonne borne of his Grace and soveraignety; for he is appointed to punish offenders,* 1.54 whose ordinance is from God. Rom. 13. 4. of such, Deut. 19. 13. Their eyes must not spare the offenders, whose escapements by their negligence shalbe requi∣red at their hands, but of revenge for private wrongs to take the sword of Iustice into our owne hands how dare we when God hath threat∣threatned

(by the mouth of truth it selfe) that their shalbe iudgement without mercy, to him that sheweth no mercy,* 1.55 and he that forgiveth not, must never be forgiven; how many woes then lye vpon this Iron age, wherein we live, how many of those barbarous Scythians which seeke no iustice but by bloody cruelty, sword and revenge to right themselves, say not then, I will recom∣pence evill, but waite vpon the Lord and he shall save thee,* 1.56 Prov. 20. 22. How many are there whose hearts are as hard as the nether mill-stone, and whose hands are withered like the hand of Ieroboam, which they cannot stretch forth to give any thing. If they give, it is for their owne ends and not for the affliction of Iosoph, Amos 6. 6.* 1.57 Which with many more, showes that we are but emptie barrels, sounding, but holding no li∣quor, our professions like the bird with the great voyce, but almost no body, and as we know not how to give, no more doe we how to forgive; our private grudges, heart-burnings, and conti∣nuall suits (which makes one cluster of humane Lawe more esteemed, then the whole Vintage of divine Law) proclaime that our profession is nought but policie, our cases in Law, more worth than the cases of Conscience.

Lastly,* 1.58 this doctrine serveth as a Counterplea to a false Challenge, made by the wicked and vn∣regenerate Man, daring in his presumptuous se∣curity to challenge those mercies of God, as his owne by free Charter, like the Divels lay claime to the whole World, Mat. 4. 9. All these things

will I give thee, pretending them all to be his owne free Lordship, but Dan. 4. 21. It is Iehovah the most high God that beareth rule over all the Kingdomes of Men, & giveth them vnto whom he will.* 1.59 Or like the deepe Lunatike, who dreames of Kingdomes, and greatnesse, being poore; or like the Foole in Athens, who challenged all the Ships in the port, and all the riches that came to the Citty to he his, when in the meane time hee had scarce a rag to cover himselfe withall; or like Isaiahs Dreamer,* 1.60 dreaming of eating & drinking, but waking, his soule is emptie, hungry and thirsty; Or like Charles the 7. king of France, being by our victorious English and that warlike Ed∣ward named the Blacke-prince, almost expelled, and expulsed his whole Kingdome, was called King of the poore Biturgians,* 1.61 a King without a Kingdome. So doe the wicked claime an inter∣est in Gods mercies: CHRIST indeed is suf∣ficient for all, but not efficient to all, Ioh. 1. 12. To as many as received him he gave power to be called the sonnes of God. He came to all, but all receives him not; The mercies of God Psal. 120. Are from ever lasting to everlasting. Great are thy tender mercies, Psal 119. 156. but it is vpon them that feare him.* 1.62 Mal. 4. 2. Vpon such the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall shine with healings in his wings, as the Sunne is cheerefully pleasant to eyes that be found, so it is troublesome to the sore; so is CHRIST IESVS in his rising: and even as a halfe blind man passing over a nar∣row bridgevsing spectacles,* 1.63 which make the

bridge seeme broader then it is, the blind man being thus deceived falls headlong into the wa∣ter; So by the spectacles of corrupt naturall rea∣son and presumption which the wicked man lookes through,* 1.64 the mercy of God which is the bridge is made too broad & his iustice shruck too narrow, leaning vpon the one & forgetting the o∣ther till he tumble downe into the brimstone Gulfe of perdition, so that thou must know, saith Stella, that as he is mercifull so is he iust, and of most exact integrity. Zeph, 3. 5. The iust Lord is ia the middest of his Temple, he will doe no ini∣quity, every morning doth he bring his iudge∣ment to light;* 1.65 Therefore doth he punish most heavily in regard of the weight and greatnesse of sinne,* 1.66 most justly because of the holinesse of his Law,* 1.67 and most certainely because of his integri∣ty & truth: In this regard Nehemiah Chap. 9. 33. acknowledgeth, Thou O lord art iust in all that is come vpon vs; for thou hast dealt truely, but we have done wickedly; Mercy and justice walk∣ing in a iust Paralell with God,* 1.68 humble thy heart than and examine thy selfe, if thou lye with Mo∣ab corrupted vpon the lees and dregs of Swear∣ing, Lying, Stealing, &c. Thy claime to Gods mercies is nought, thou art in the gall of bitter∣nesse, having neither part nor portion in this bu∣sinesse Act. 8. 21. Be ye not deceiued. 1. Cor. 6. 9. The vnrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God. No vncleane thing is written in the Booke of the Lambe. Reu. 21. 27. Be thou then obe∣dient to the Heavenly vocation, and the mer∣cie

of God shall imbrace thee on every side.

The second motive,* 1.69 inioyning us to the duty of praise, is drawne from the truth of the Lord, that is, the stedfast mutability, and the vnchang∣able constancie of his promises, the most cer∣taine and continuall testimonies of his Grace in sending CHRIST, and in him performing all those Covenants betwixt him and his people.* 1.70

Sometime truth is taken as opposed to all the outward Leviticall cerimonies, onely shaddow∣ing the Messiah to come. Ioh. 4. 23. The time shall come when the true worshippers shall wor∣ship the Father in spirit and truth, sometime for sincerity in our conversation, Ioh. 3. 21. hee that doth truth commeth to the light, an Israelite in whom is no guile. Ioh. 1. 47. Sometime for the rule of Gods law, Rom. 2. 8. Disobeying the truth, and obeying vnrighteousnesse; and 1. Pet. 1. 22. Your selves are purified by obeying the truth.

Sometime for the sincere doctrine of the Gos∣pell, Gal. 2. 5. that the truth of the Gospell might continue with you.

Sometime for Iustice Prov. 20. 28. Mercy and truth preserves the King.

Sometime for such a truth as depends not vp∣on Opinion which may erre, but for that Me∣taphysicall truth, which is affectio Entis, and such I take it to be here, and so in God it cannot faile, so taken, Rom. 3. 7. If the verity or truth of God, hath more abounded through my lye, and so vpon the premisses this doctrine builds it selfe.

There is nothing more certaine to come to passe in a due and true performance,* 1.71 then the truth of all Gods promises.

Wee neede not stand to prop the truth, of this truth, vpon any weake foundation of mans building,* 1.72 for his truth is himselfe, Exod. 34. 6. aboundant in goodnesse and truth. Man may be said to be true, mercifull, just, but God is truth mercie and justice it selfe in the abstract; so the Prophet here brings his truth in the second place as the sure performer of his mercifull kindnesse, whatsoever, saith Calvyn, He doth promise by his mercy,* 1.73 he doth faithfully performe, because his mercy and truth are vndissolubly knit toge∣ther, they goe hand in hand, and cannot be se∣perated; and as he cannot lye nor deny himselfe, Tit. 1. 2. No more can his truth faile, Num. 23. 19. God is not as man, that he should lye, or the sonne of man to repent, his truth is confirmed, strengthened, veryfied, and so corroborated to∣ward us (for so the word translated great,* 1.74 in the Originall signifieth) that if we would we can∣not put it from us, but it will overcome us to acknowledge it, if the Lord speake it even to the miraculous continuing of the Meale in the bar∣rell, and the Oyle in the Cruse, 1. King. 17. 14. Even in the preservation and maintenance of the Patriarch Iacob, Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy the least of thy mercies,* 1.75 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy servant, heere is finem non habitura fides, his truth is even dec∣ked and clothed with constancy and firmnesse,

we cannot obiect against him as the Poet against Iason,* 1.76 and in him against vnstable Man.

Mobilis AEsonide vernaque incertior aura, Cur tua polliciti pondere verba earent?

Inconstant sonne of AEson, fickle wight and more vnconstant then the wind in spring, How is it that thy words are growne so light, to want that weight should be in promising.

He deserves not with Antigonus, to be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.77 who promised much and performed little, neither with Thaeaginus, to be called smoake who promised much being very poore, neither with Hermodorus will he sell his words, he doth not,* 1.78 will not, cannot, equivocate with man in the truth of his promises as he that promised cen∣tum oves, and performed centum ova, he hath gi∣ven us an hand-writing and obligation of promi∣ses, made himselfe our debter, not by owing but promising, sayth the great Bishop of little Hippo the heavenly Augustine, that we cannot say vnto him, give that thou owest, but we must pray vn∣to him, for what he promiseth; his promises are not like the golden shewes, nor showers of the World, who like Sathan, Mat. 4. 9. promise what they cannot perform, inverting the words of the wise Phocion,* 1.79 who would have great matters per∣formed not promised, as Stobaeus witnesseth, but they promise golden mountaines, the opulency of Lidian Craesus, which in performance prove

but moale-hills. Among the sonnes of the earth, some indeed performe that which after ward they repent, as Ioshua did to the Gibeonites, Ios. 9. 23. some promise what they can doe but meane it not, as Iacobs sonnes to the Sichemits, Gen 34. 26. Some promise willingly but give vn∣willingly, as Herod Iohn Baptists head to Herodias, Mar. 6. 16. Some promise but after deny it, as Laban dealt with Iacob. Gen. 29. 23. as is com∣plained Cap. 31. 41. Thou hast changed my wa∣ges tenne times, but the promises of God are to the faithfull in hope, without hope, above hope, and against hope,* 1.80 the father of the faithfull pro¦ved all this to be true, Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope, that he might be the Fa∣ther of many Nations, the ground of whose Faith, was the promise according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seede bee, Gen. 15. 5.

This was accompted vnto Abraham for righte∣ousnesse,* 1.81 saith Ambrese, because he beleeved and required no reason, so the truth of the Lord en∣dureth for ever.

Because he hath made his truth as strong as the brazen pillers of eternitie,* 1.82 to encourage his ser∣vants wholly to relye vpon him, expecting the performance of his promises, he made them be∣fore the foundation of the World, inact them in the great Parliament of Heaven before all time, Ephe. 1. 5. they were and are, firme, stable, great and precious, to make us partakers of the divine nature, 2. Pet. 1, 4. performed in time when the time of promise came, which God had sworne

to Abraham,* 1.83 given a word of prmoise. Rom. 9. 7 in Isaac shall thy seede be blessed, purposed sal∣vation for us before the world began, 2. Tim. 1. 9. Purchased inheritance of promise,* 1.84 Heb. 6. 12. be not sloathfull,* 1.85 but followers of them, which through Faith and patience inherit the promises adopted,* 1.86 as children of promise, Gal. 4. 28. Now we brethren as Isaac,* 1.87 are the children of pro∣mise, drawne Covenants of promise,* 1.88 Ephes. 2. 12. The spirit of truth the Scrivener of them.* 1.89 Ephes. 1.* 1.90 13. And sealed with the spirit of promise, ha∣ving set not onely his hand,* 1.91 but the signet of his right hand,* 1.92 the character & ingraven image of his own person, Amen. The truth of the father, 2. Cor, 10. 10. All the promises of God are yea, & Amen in CHRIST, which is the truth it selfe. Reu. 3. 14. These things, saith the Amen the true and faithfull witnesse, the new convenant drawne, Ier. 31. 31. And the counterpane thereof. Heb. 8. 8. Are of more force and vertue then all the bills, bonds, and obligations be they never so curi∣ously and cunningly framed in the winding M••∣ander of a Ploydons braine, Heaven and Earth shall passe ereone jot, or title of these can perish; nay if there were neither booke, record, inke or pa∣per in the world, they are written more surely then with a pen of Iron, ingraven more firmely then with the point of a Diamond by the spirit of Gods grace, and adoption in the heart of eve∣ry beleever; and further, we have not onely his bond and counterpane thereof, but for our bet∣ter assurance wee have his oath, Gen. 22. 16. I have

sworne by my selfe, as much as if he had said, let me be no more God, if these things be not perform∣ed, thus Isa. 45. 23. sometime for this purpose, he sweareth by his Soule, Ier. 51. 14. Amos 6. 8. by his Name, Ier. 44. 26. by his Holines, Amos 4. 2. by his right hand, Isa 62. 8. so to sweare by himselfe his Name, Holinesse, &c. are all one (contrary to Philo the Iewe,* 1.93 who would have God to sweare by himselfe, and man by his attributes) thus God for our assurance deales with us like a debter, who for the certainty of payment pawns his Faith, Truth, Soule, and sometime his God, and this promise was so Sacred even in the light of Nature, that Adesilaus King of the Lace∣demonians,* 1.94 thanked Tissiphernes for breaking his promised truce, because by this breach he had in∣curred the anger of the Gods; if thus inviolable in Man,* 1.95 how much more in God, who will not falsifie his truth, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Psal. 89. 33. and whose truth of promise is so confirmed in his CHRIST, Rom. 15. 8. It was the worthy resolution of the Pro∣phets long before the actuall incarnation of CHRIST, and the reall performance of that great mysterie, 1 Tim. 3. 16. that he would performe his truth to Iacob, Mic. 7. 20 that he is the Lord Ie∣hova and changeth not, Mal. 3. 6. and that he is faithfull, 2 Tim. 2. 13, so that his truth endureth for ever.

And that we may be the more assured of this turth for our third Reason,* 1.96 let us looke a little into the all-sufficiency of his power, and launch

our selves into the mayne Ocean of his omnipo∣tencie,* 1.97 David tels us, Psal, 115. 3, hee hath done whatsoever pleased him, he hath potentiall pow∣er, by which he is able to doe more then he will. As of stones to rayse up children to Abraham,* 1.98 Math. 3. 9. to send 12 legions of Angels to rescue our Saviour CHRIST from the Crosse, Math. 26. 53. to built a thousand worlds, &c. But his will is the limmit of his power, In his actuall power by which he mightily works in the daily preservation and gubernation of his creatures, he works not with wearinesse, irkesomenesse or tediousnesse, but without all impediment, not as Man in the sweate of his face, but in the whole Hexameron and worke of Creation, he onely spake the Word and they were made successive∣ly in order, by his word onely he causeth the thunder, which is his glorious voyce, the Hindes to calve, and the whole course of nature to be continued in her severall species without con∣trolment, so that whether wee respect his prin∣cipall promise in sending CHRIST. the desire of all nations, or his inferiour lesse principall, all are surely sealed duely to be performed unto us, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

But it may be obiected against the faithfulnes of Gods truth,* 1.99 Gen. 12. 7, hee promiseth to give Abraham the land of Canaan, but he inherited it not as the protomartyr witnesseth, Acts 7. 4. God brought him in but gave him no in∣heritance in it, no not the breadth of one foote.

Resp.* 1.100 Though Abraham did not personally possesse it, yet he may be said to inherite it two wayes. First, mystically as it was not onely a fertile fruitfull and country in Asia (as Scicilia to Italie) but likewise it did Typically shadowe the Kingdome of Heaven, the celestiall Canaan, the Church Tryumphant, and this did Abraham inherit in his owne person,* 1.101 called his owne bo∣some, Luke 16. 23. into which all the faithfull are gathered as into a sure haven, out of the ra∣ging stormes of the glassie Sea, the brickle world, Rev. 4. 6. So that God in the performance of his promises, though he give not the samething, yet hee give something equibalent, as to Iosia, 2 Kings 22. 10. Though he gaue him not long life, the promised portion to obedient children Exo. 20. 12. yet he gave him a more excellent thing, taking him from the evill which presentlie upon his death fell heavily vpon his people, and giv∣ing him a better life in Heaven.

Secondly,* 1.102 he may be said to inherit it, though not in his owne person, or his immediate seede, yet in his posterity, 430 yeares after the pro∣mise was made, as the Apostle proveth, Gal. 3. 17. so though not to the same parties, yet to their successors the truth of God is surely performed, the godly mans patience is expected, for Hab. 2. 3. the vision is for an appoynted time though it tarty, waite for it, which shall surely come and not stay, thus Psal. 97. 11. Light is sowne for the the righteous, not in the harvest, but in the seede time, thy harvest is but in hope, as the husband∣man

casteth his seede into the ground, and is con∣tent to stay the time of the reaping, so must wee waite for the promises. And though yet hee hath not gathered the dispiered of Iacob his an∣cient people, yet the time shall come when the Shulamites shall returne and the spirit of grace shall be powred upon the Inhabitants of Ierusa∣lem, Zach. 12. 10. CHRIST himselfe the coyne or corner stone and to joyne together those two great seeds,* 1.103 the Iewes and Gentiles, as by a corner two wals, (which otherwise were broken a sun∣der) are joyned and made one and the building perfected, Ephes. 2, 20. and thus of the truth of all his promises revealed to his Church from time to time, sealed by the infallible witnesse of the Spirit of truth, even to Peters vision, Acts 10. 19 are and shall surely be performed:* 1.104 so the Doc∣trine is confirmed against all Atheists that doubt of any of the particulers and say,* 1.105 2 Pet, 3. 5. Where is the promise of his comming?* 1.106 and against all those by whom the way of truth is blasphmed and evill spoken of, let God be true, and every Man a lyer, Rom. 3. 4.

To teach us to make the truth of God in his promises,* 1.107 the ground worke of our comfort, stedfastly setling our faith and full assurance thereon,* 1.108 devote Barnard in the consideration of this truth was even ravished in an holy extasie, saying O the wonderfull love of God, in our adopti∣on, the trueth of his promises and his power in their performance, we must beleeve with Abraham, (be∣leeving above hope) though in mans reason they

seemed to be frustrate, as those millions of Nati∣ons to issue out of halfe sacrificed Isaac, and with faithfull Paul, who in his dangerous voyage to Rome (a great tempest arising, neither Sunne nor Starres appearing for many dayes, and being hopelesse of all safety) Acts 27. 20. saw by the vision of his faith, and comforts the Marriners, that there should be no losse of any mans life, but onely of the Ship, and with David, Psal. 77. 2 ••n the day of my trouble I sought the Lord, &c. when his Soule was full of anguish, refusing comfort, ready to enter the Port of blacke dis∣paire, verse 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever, and will hee be favourable no more, hath he forgotten to be gracious, &c. yet hee checks himselfe, Verse 9. This is mine infirmity and weaknesse. So must we•• in the middest of our fiery tryals, when the old Serpent, layes the strongest siege at the Castle of our faith, seeking by the roaring Cannons and murdering Bassaliscoes of diffidence and distrust, to weaken our hope in the truth of Gods pro¦mises. And to shake our faith (the anchor of our Soule, onely able to stay it in the swelling surges, and boysterous waves of all temptations and crosses) Heb 6. 19. But let thy faith, which is the ground of things hoped for, & the subsist∣ing of things which are not seene Heb. 11. 1. grounded upon the truth of God, which purpo∣sed, framed, confirmed and inacted, thy happi∣nesse in the starrie coast of Heaven before the foundation of the world, counter-guard thy heart against all the deepnesse, strength, power

and pollicy of Sathan, build thy selfe upon the rocke, Mat. 7. 24. Which is CHRIST, 1 Cor. 3. 11. and Wee are stones built upon him, 1 Pet. 2. 5. say of this truth as Gamaliel in such a case, Acts 5. 39. This is of God, it cannot be destroyed or frustra∣ted, be not faithlesse, but beleeving, sinke not with Cephas in the pit of diffidency, Mat. 14 31. but let his truth be thy supporter in all thine ad∣versities, let thine helpe stand (not upon the san∣dy foundation of thine owne weakenesse) but in the name of the Lord, Psal. 121. 2. Rowse up th•• selfe with the cripple at the beautifull gate of the Temple, Act; 3. 8. for He that trusts in the Lord is as Mount Sion which cannot be remooved, Ps. 125. 1.

Secondly,* 1.109 out of the stedfastnesse of this truth learne further, that in it are considerable, 2 things Hos. 2. 23. First, on Gods part, Thou art my people, Secondly, on our part, Thou art my God, hee pro∣miseth, confirmeth and performeth happinesse, wee holinesse, hee glory, wee duty, hee heaven, wee obedience, hee to be a father, wee to be∣come children, hee is tyed to us by oath, and we are bound to him in the strayte irrepealable con∣dition of vowe; if we want not in obedience, he cannot in performance, and if wee ex∣pect his performance, let us looke unto our owne part which is obedience, which if wee should doe with the reflecting optique and per∣spicill of true judgement, and consider the croo∣kednesse of our pathes, he backwardnesse of our obsequence, and the perverse carriage of our lives, wee may with our tongues say with Saul,

to Samuell, 1. Sam. 15. 13. Blessed bee thou of the Lord: I have fulfilled the Commandement of the Lord, but it might justly bee retorted against vs, and sheathed in the inmost closset of our consci∣ences in Samuels reply? What meaneth then the bleating of the Sheepe in mine eare? and the lowing of oxen which I heare? Thus might it be replyed to our pretended holinesse and obedience, what meane those troupes of Blasphemers, Atheists, Drunkards, Lyers, &c. which like the frogs of Egypt, cover the whole land, and yet presumptu∣ouslie daring, claime the promises of God, and scarce bearing the outward face of Christians, yet are impudently bold with the gaine-saying Iewes, to cleere themselves, and say, Mal. 3. 8. Wherein have wee trespassed? When in the meane time our consciences testifie, that wee have wea∣ryed the Almighty, pressed and oppressed him as a Cart with sheaves, Amos, 2. 13. with our enormous transgressions, and rebellions commit∣ted with an high hand, Num. 15. 13. seated in the chayre of the scornefull, Masked with brasen∣faced impudencie that we blush not, Ier. 8. 12 with a blockish benummednesse, a calumne and brawny dulnesse of heart, that we cannot enter into the chambers of our heart in the considera∣tion of our wayes, not once crying in the re∣morse of soule, Alas, what have I donne? Ier. 8. 6 the very tryall of our countenances testifying against us, Esay 3 9. that wee can lay no sure ti••l to the Covenant and promise of Mercy, because wee ••ilfully tre•••• under foote the vowe of obedi∣ence

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but even that God in the rigour of his ju∣stice, 1 Sam. 3. 11. should make our two eares to tingle, and our bellies to tremble, Hab. 3. 16. and not to be mercifull to such an one, Deut. 29. 19. that addeth drunkennesse to thirst, blood to touch blood, Hos. 4. 3. heaping one sinne upon a∣nother; as one wave of the Sea followeth in the necke of another, where is now the correspon∣dence of this obedience, when thou hast delt thus falsely in Gods covenant. Psal. 44. 67. When thine eares and thine heart are uncircumcised, thy necke not used to the yoake, thy rebellions growne so sinewie and strong, that they cannot bowe, and the promises of mercy for all this be∣ing made the Argument of thy security, like the Sycamoore, the more wet it receives, the dryer it is, so thou, the more mercy the lesse o∣bedience, what part of Gods truth canst thou clayme, but that of his justice, even to be bray∣ed and brayned with the foole in the morter of his wrath, though thou be in no dammage like other men, but flo wrish like a greene bay tree, as David, and that thy breasts be full of milke, and the collops of prosperity appeare in thy flancke as Iob, and though thou lye upon beds of Ivorie, and stretch thy selfe upon thy cou∣ches, eating Lambes out of the flocke, and the calves out of the middest of the stall, chaunting to the sound of the viall, and inventing to thy selfe instruments of Musicke, like David, as A∣mos sayth, Chap 6. 4. Yet it shall not goe well with the wicked, hee that sowes iniqui••y must reape

affliction.* 1.110 Prov. 11. and he that soweth righteous∣nesse shall reape a sure reward; it is thy goodnesse not greatnesse, thy obsequious obedience onely holds plea in this case,* 1.111 though thou post thy wickednesse upon the wings of the silent night, and hide thy sinnes in the secret cavernes and subteraneous cloysters and valts of the earth, yet the Lord will search Ierusalem with a lantherne, The eyes of the Lord are upon thee,* 1.112 Hab. 2. 20. and his eye lids consider thy wayes, Psal. 11. 4. though he now winke and seeme to sleepe, considering with his eye lids, the crookednesse of thy wayes taking leisure and respite ere hee bring them to light, yet he goes with thee all this while (as hee did with the old world 120 yeares, and a long time with Sodome and Gomorrha) as a pub∣like notary, marking thy courses, till thou run thy selfe to perdition, then opening his eyes which seemed shut, seazing upon thee with this dierfull redargution, Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done, I held my tongue, thou thought∣est wickedly, that I was even such a one as thy selfe, but I will reproove thee,* 1.113 and set before thee, the things w^ch thou hast done; all the time of Gods patience, wicked man dreames of no∣thing but peace, making God the approoving Parron of his villanies, and if hee were not ac∣knowledged, Heb. 11. 6. To be a rewarder, both of the righteous and of the wicked, rendering to the one honour, glory and immortall life, and to the other indignation, wrath, tribulation and anguish, Rom. 2. 7. hee might justly be reputed

as the wicked themselves,* 1.114 but it is as possible to change and alter the nature and essence of God, as for the obstinate unjust person to escape the instruments of death prepared for him, Psal. 7. 12. Even the iust shall reioyce when he seeth the ven∣gance, Psal. 58. in the performance of this truth. Consider then, what danger it is to weare the livery of disobedience, to treade upon the egges of a Cockatrice, to hatch their poysonous egges which who so eateth, dyeth, and that which is crushed, breaketh into a viper, to weave the Spi∣ders webbe, Isa. 59. 5. to have any thing to doe with the unfruifull workes of darkenesse, but to inherite shame and confusion. Be ye then like the kine of Beth-sheemosh, drawing the Arke, 1 Sam. 6. 12. though their calves lowed to them and they to their calves, yet being yoaked to the Arke they could not turne backe; so resolve with thy selfe, that though thy calves, thy brutish af∣fections cry after thee, and thy deareling sinnes like so many swarmes of Bees, troupes of be∣loved friends,* 1.115 or dearest children, (as Augustine confesseth of himselfe upon his conversion from a dissolute Manichey) incompasse thee on every side for reentertainement, yet being tyed to the A••ke by thy covenant of obedience, refuse, renounce, shake them off, and cast them away as Ephraim his Idols. If thou wilt needs follow thine imaginations which are evill, Gen. 6. 5. and suffer thy selfe to lye sottishly chayned in the inchaunted Castle and fooles Paradise of sinne, Pitching thy tents in the Bethaven and house of

vanity, drowned in the Soporiferous Nepenthick dregs of the cyrce and bewitching corruption of thine owne heart, silencing the thoughts, and vailing the eyes both of sinne and punishment, the very visions of thy head will one day make the affraid, Dan. 4. 2 an evill conscience will be unto thee as Iobs messenger, Ioh 1. 19. a disaste∣rous nuncio to torment thee, Prov. 28. 1. cause thee to flye when no man pursueth thee, smite thee with astonishment of heart, Deu. 28. 28. Lev 26. 17 give thee the oyle of sadnesse in stead of gladnesse, cause thee to say of laughter thou art madde, when the best of thy comforts is bu•• from the teeth forward,* 1.116 with Nero thou may est change thy chamber, but not thy chamber fel∣lowe, for the eyes which sinne hath shut, pu∣nishment doth open, the whole world of the damned sufficiently testifying,* 1.117 as we see in Bal tazar, Dan. 5. in the time of Gods silence, what a Iolly fellow he was, God gave him a King∣dome, Majestie and honour, all Nations trem∣ble before him, he put downe and exalted whom he would, securely carrowfing with hi Queenes and his Concubines, his Princes, and proceres, in the sacred bowles of the Temple, praysing the Gods of golde and silver, but the God in whose hands his breath was, he regarded not, his coun∣sels and hests he obeved not, tell me now when his countenance ch••ngeth, and his knees knocke one against another, what an unquiet house is here when his Iudge is but writing against him with a little finger, thus it is with wicked men

in the time of their disobedience and Gods pati∣ence,* 1.118 as cold congealeth together things of quite contrary natures, as wood, stones, Iron, &c. till the fire come to dissolve them, so the soule of man hath frozen together sinnes of all sorts, and because man is Sathanically blinded, God hath appoynted the fire of his judgement to dis∣solve them, letting them see what a horrid con∣fusion, they have brought upon their owne heads, and what a confused Babel and disordered heape of enormities, they have piled and com∣piled together, against the day of wrath, the just Judge of the world is not like Phillip of Ma∣cedon,* 1.119 who heard the poore womans cause while he slept, and so gave sentence against her, but true and just in all his sayings, whether they be Menaces or Mercies, even the word which I have spoken unto you shall judge you at the last day,* 1.120 Iohn 12 48. Eodem constanciae & firmitatis e∣logio, ornabitur clementia & veritas, The mercy and trueth of God are commended in the same title of constancy and stabilitie, both grounded upon himselfe; if hee be thy Master, then where is thy dutifull feare, and if thy father, then where is thy filiall obedience, Mal. 1. 6. If thou expect his promises looke to thine owne vowe, squaring thy obedience by the rule of his law, which must be thy compasse, Cynosure, and loadstarre to guide thee, to the inherritance w^ch is sealed by his promises in Heaven, to be the happy portion & guerdon of all obedience, respected more than sacrifice. 1 Sam. 15, 22. Eccles. 4. 17. Hos. 6. 6. Ier. 7 22.

This unmeasurable truth of God teacheth us,* 1.121 as dutifull children in this matter to imitate the father of truth in our awfull and lawfull oathes, our promises and simple asseverations, let truth be the character and image of the inward affection of our hearts,* 1.122 and our tongues the true ambassadors of our Soules, the mouth and the minde are coupled together in an holy Marriage, Math. 12. 34. Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; and doth a fountaine send forth at one conduit, bitter water and sweete water, Iam. 3. 11. so when the tongue speaketh that w^ch the heart never thought, it is conceived in Adul∣tery, and he that bringeth forth such bastards, offends not onely the rule of charity, but in∣fringes the inviolable bond of chastity,* 1.123 makes a dangerous breach in that morall verity, which is incomparably more beautifull among Christi∣ans, than the farre-admired Helena, was accomp∣ted among the Grecians, for she crownes all those that dye her Martyrs:* 1.124 The King is strong, women is strong, wine is strong, but the truth is above all, it liveth and conquereth for evermore, 1 Esd. 4. 38.

Fidelity in keeping promises, is a fruit of the Spirit, and called Faith, Gal. 5. 22. a property of him that is qualified, to dwell in Gods Taber∣nacle, and rest upon his holy Mountaine, Psal. 15. 4. It is Gods owne precept, Ephes 4. 15. Put away lying and speake truth every man to his neigh∣bour, it is our armour of proofe, able to abide the fiery tryall, to make truth our proposition,

honesty our assumption, and conscience our con∣clusion. In this, wee are like to God himselfe, whose wayes are mercy and truth, hee whose soule is fraught with this, may safely with un∣daunted boldnesse, launch foorth into the depth of his enemies, set saile and direct his course to the haven of Heaven, to the father, the God of truth, Psal. 30. To the Son, which is truth it selfe, Iohn 14. 6. and to the Spirit, which is the spirit of truth, 1 Iohn 5. 6.

What shall wee say then of these spurious brats of Sathan, which beare his image and super∣scription, in their lying, dissembling, false swea∣ring, undermining, ledgier-dumaine, &c. which have the deepenesse of craft in the center of their hearts, whose sinne of lying goes not alone like the Raile,* 1.125 but like the Partridge in covies, cou∣pled and yoaked with the Theefe, as his fittest copesmate. Zach. 5. 4. Let our Saviour CHRIST bee the Herald, to derive theyr base pedigree, and lyneall discent, Iohn 8. 44. You are of your father the Devill, he was a lyer from the beginning, so are yee, as like as one apple to another, and how ma∣ny of these Cratians, Tit. 1. 12. which are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 alwayes lyers, Irijahs and false accusers, Iere. 37. 13. bearing in his tongue the image of his patron, which is called, an Accuser, Rev. 12. 20. How ma∣ny covetous lying Gehezies, which beare the marke of their infamous leprosies to their graves, 2 Kings 5. 25. how many dissembling Zi∣ba's, 2 Sam. 16. 2. undermining the honest hear∣ted Mephibosheth, how many like the false and

perjured Elders against the innocent Susanna, in whose gray beards, and grave heads should have shined the lustre and splendor of truth and hone∣stie, yet filled with in continency and perjury. How many of such false witnesses (as were sub∣orned against our Saviour CHRIST, Math. 26.) And those perjured wretches, which out of their venemous hearts and mouths, belched out those false accusations, and foule aspersions upon the sincere Narcissus sometime Byshop of Ierusalem,* 1.126 Al which three were shortly after rewarded with the due desert of perjury; how many of those monsters of men, who in the dayes of that Vi∣rag, the mirror of Fame of more than famous memory,* 1.127 have not onely multiplyed, and varia∣ted, strange and hell-bred plots, and Iesuiticall more than Italianated complots, against her Sa∣cred person, crowne and Kingdome, like those monsters in Affrica, every day a new conspiracy, but even after her death to cast the venome of their more then malicious spite upon her imma∣culate Virgin soule, that rests with her God.

—Nec mors mihi finiet iras, Saeva sed in manes manibus arma dabo,

It is not death can end my endlesse wrath, But Spite shall rake her ashes, Envie saith.

Hence then thou sublimated malice, among the infernall Spirits, her incorruptible part is gone to God that gave it, how many of those dogged

Doegs, 1 Sam. 22. How many Ananiasses and Sa∣phyraes, Acts 5. with thousands more, which like locusts, cover the surface of the Earth; is not the Starre Wormewood, fallen into the glassie Sea of this world, and hath poysoned it, the whole world lyes in wickednesse, 1 Iohn 5. 19. There is none that doth good,* 1.128 no not one, Psal. 14. 3. Truth is parted from the Sonnes of Men, Psal. 12. 1. Every man is a lyer, Rom. 3. 4. the abstruse Hypocrite thinkes all simplicity faulty, and truth scarce warrantable.

Learne then beloved from aged Eleazer, 2 Macchab. 6 24. who going to his death because he would not eate Swines flesh, unlawfull to the Iewes profession, was counselled, for the saving of his life to dissemble & faine the eating there∣of; but he considering his age, his gray haires, his Godly education, &c. answered, It becommeth not our age in any wise to dissemble; So a Christian bearing in his crest, the Armes of Heaven, being a Knight of the conquering order of Saint Vincent, and of the red Crosse, must not defraud his bro∣ther in any matter; for God is the avenger of all such things,* 1.129 1 Thes. 4. 6. neither dissembling in matters of Religion, which is a capitall lye, nor in civill affaires, as being pernicious; nor in the least kinde, which may be officious; for none of these are justifiable, being layd in the ballance of Gods truth, Quisquis esse aliquid genus mendatij quod peccatum non sit, putarit seipsum decipit, Hee that thinkes any the least kinde of lye, to be no sinne, deceives himselfe, for No lye is of the truth,

1 Iohn 2. 21. for the severall kindes of lying and dissembling,* 1.130 reade at large, Augustine de mendacio ad consentium.

Further, that wee may be drawne to love the Truth, let us consider the Iudgements of the true God against the enemies of his truth, Psal. 5. 6. He will destroy them that speake lyes,* 1.131 him that in the one closet of his heart, sees a dissembling lye; and in the other Cabinet conceives the Embryo of truth, Psal. 55 23 Bloody and deceitfull Men shall not live out halfe their dayes. Wisd. 1. 11. The mouth that belyeth, sleyeth the Soule. Iohn makes it a marke of Reprobation, Revel. 21. last, Whose portion is the flying Booke of Iudgements. Zach. 5 4. and Revel. 22. 15. Lyers are the blacke guests enter∣tained in the same ranke with Murtherers, Adulte∣rers, Witches, Dogs and the Divels Machivistians, which must be without, and have their portion in vtter darknesse.* 1.132 Nec artificioso mendatio nec sim∣plici verbo opertet quenquam decipere, quia quomodo libet mentitur quis occidet animam suam, We must not deceive eyther by artificiall Lying, or by pretended Simplicity, for by what meanes soe∣ver a Man doth lye, hee destroyes his owne soule.* 1.133 Turpis est omnis fraus etiam in rebus vilibus, Dissimulation in the least things is abominable. See the all-just God, justly punishing Vladislaus a Christian King of Poland and Hungarie,* 1.134 be∣cause hee broke a Truce, dissembling with Amu∣rath the 6. an irreligious Turke, with a great o∣verthrow of 30000. at Berna; a just revenge for perfidious dissembling: The like may be seene

upon equivocating Arrius,* 1.135 who being called to the Councell of Constantinople, that there hee might renounce his Heresie,* 1.136 deceives those Fa¦thers by a paper in his bosome, in which he had written his Heresie, swearing hee beleeved as he had written, meaning (in a divelish mentall re∣servation) his hereticall position which hee kept in secret; but see the justice of God following him at the heeles, for presently after by the loos∣nesse of his Belly in the sodaine terrour of his Conscience,* 1.137 sinne lying now at the doore, hee empties his very bowels into the draught,* 1.138 so ta∣king his last farewell of the world; a just judge∣ment upon perfidious Equivocators and enemies of the Truth. And I would to God, that the main∣tayners of mentall reservation cunningly contri∣ving their mixt propositions, partly mentall partly vocall, seeking hereby to delude the truth, would looke upon and consider these Examples, upholding that Monster, which no doubt was first bred and brought to light, from the darke Cells of the State-undermining Iesuits these As∣sassionates, as they have severall and sundry, ma∣ny and manifold policies; especially in the El∣ders and Fathers of that Order,* 1.139 as hath beene dis∣covered in their subterranious vaults in their se∣verall Colledges; so have they likewise severall Names in every new Christened Countrey,* 1.140 they are Christened by a new name, called Ignatiani in Spaine, Theatin•• in Italy, Iesuini Campania, Scosiotti in Ferrara, Presbyteri, in St. Luciae in Bo∣nonia, reformati Sacerdotis in Mutina, with many

more. And as in their names so in their natures, ambiguous; for being asked what a Iesuite is, they answere?* 1.141 Every Man; they have two Soules in one body,* 1.142 as is confessed in their Catechisme; besides all these, and their severall projects, in themselves,* 1.143 and their darke Disciples, what tor∣tuous Leviathans are they in their amphibolous, amphibious, enigmaticall, ennuciations, and mungerill propositions, like so many Colour∣changing Camelions, as doubtfull as Proteus or Vertumnus:

Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo?

In what strong Chaine, can any tie, this Changelings face to know him by?

Wee may well say of their Labyrinth-like windings, and crooked Heterogenials, as Ierome sometime spake of the darke abstruse riddles of Iovinian,* 1.144 No man can reade these Letters except the Prophetesse Sybill, or as Martiall in the like case, None but some learned Apollo can vnfold these My∣steries, these Maeanders;* 1.145 or as Plautus in the like case, Has equidem pol credo nisi Sybilla legerit, in∣terpretari alium possi neminem,* 1.146 which hollow e∣quivocating hath translated vpon them, the an∣cient infamie of the Spartanes, called by Andro∣mache, Kings of Lyers; and that which Apuleius layes vpon the Scicilians triple-tongued:* 1.147 these be the Gibeonites, the Iebusites, the Iesuites, onely in Hypocrisie, bearing the name of IESVS,

(though often shadowed under the winges, and shrowded as poysonous Vipers in the bosome of Kings) have shewed themselves,* 1.148 to bee the onely underminers of States and Kingdomes, advan∣cing themselves by perverting the Truth against the God of truth, who will smite them for whi∣ted Walls, and painted Sepulchers; but leaving them to themselves, let us which are the chil∣dren of Light, love the Truth, and when all Ly∣ers and dissemblers shall have their portion with the Father of lyes, the Truth which maketh not ashamed shall translate us, and carry us upon his unconquered wings, from these dirty and dusty Cottages of clay into everlasting habitations, to the innumerable company of holy Angels and hie Saints for ever.

Now followes the object of Gods unutterable Mercy and uncontroleable Truth,* 1.149 Toward vs; which though David seeme to speake in the per∣son of the Iewish Church and Nation, the Patri∣arkes and Fathers of that time, who had already, and did continually taste of his favours, though not so fully as we doe, they having in promise, wee in full performance that great mystery God manifested in the Flesh,* 1.150 the matriculation and in∣carnation, of our blessed Saviour IESVS CHRSIT; yet no doubt, hee had an eye vnto all succeeding Generations both of Iew and Gentile, which were Gods elect and chosen, and in time to bee brought into his Chambers, Cant. 1. 4. To be made partakers of his Mercy and Truth; as when hee stood arraigned, hee stood not in his owne

place but in ours, making his personall appea∣rance on our behalfe; so in his resurrection, the whole Church arose in him, Ephes. 2. 6. hee hath raised us up together, and made us fit together, in the heavenly places in CHRIST IESVS, where we plainely see the Mercies and promises of God,* 1.151 especially this concerning the promised seede, called The truth of the Father, were per∣formed to the fathers, before and after the flood, in the worke of redemption and salvation, and now confirmed in the same title unto us, who live after the incarnating of that immortall word from which we gather this truth.

There is but one way of Salvation and Happi∣nesse to the Fathers,* 1.152 and also to us, and that by the same IESVS CHRIST.

For confirmation of this, we see the unchange∣able purpose of almighty God, in gathering his Church, Hebr. 13. 8. IESVS CHRIST, yesterday to day, and the same forever, Rom. 15. 8. Now I say that IESVS CHRIST, was a Minister of the cir∣cumcision, for the truth of God to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers,* 1.153 &c. Rev. 13, 8. The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world,* 1.154 which though manifested in the latter times,* 1.155 and afternoone of the world, like a Roe or young Hart; comming skipping over the Mountaines of Bether, Cant. 2 vlt. yet all the holy Men and wo∣men from Adam, inclusively, were saved by his blood, many of which, as Noah, Isaac, Ioseph, &c. were tipes and shadowes of him, the Ceremonies and Leviticall sacrifices, tending to little other

purpose, but to nourish them, in hope of the Messiah, the slaughter and death of which beasts, was to acquaint them, with the mysterie of re∣demption, which stood as under a vaile shadow∣ed in the auncient complement of the Law, Iohn 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced,* 1.156 Luke 1. 47. that hee might shew mercy towards our Fathers,* 1.157 Acts 26. 6. the Apostle Pauls religion, was concerning the hope of the promise made unto the Fathers, Cephas the Pillar of truth, Acts 15. 10. joyneth the Fathers faith with ours, wee beleeve even as they, so to them that lived be∣fore his Incarnation, hee was crucified in the sa∣crifices, and to us hee was likewise crucified in the word and Sacraments,* 1.158 Galath. 3. 1. CHRIST IESVS, evidently set forth and crucified a∣mong you, not in Roods, Masses, and Cruci∣fixes, but in his Holy and Sacred Ordinances.

To confirme and teach us, in the first place, that no length of time is able to disanull,* 1.159 abro∣gate, or make voyde, the counsels of the Anci∣ent of dayes, or extenuate and make lesse, the worth, efficiacie, and powerfull enargie of CHRISTS sacrifice, the same which was Preach∣ed to Adam in Paradise, Gen. 3. 15. promised to Abraham and David, and the Church of the Iewes, foretold by all the Prophers concerning CHRIST belōgs to us; by faith they looked upon CHRIST as up to the Serpent in the wildernesse, Iohn the 3. 14 as he was to bee crucified, by faith wee looke upon him as he is crucified, like the two Cherubins, at the two ends of the Mercie-seate.

having their faces one toward another, and both upon the Arke, Exod. 25. 18. So the age primi∣tive which is past, and all our after-gatherings of all-measuring Time, looke either on either, and both upon CHRIST, there is no other way, nor hath or can be Salvation in any other, Acts 4. 12.

Secondly,* 1.160 it serves to comfort every true belee∣ver though never so base, dejected, rejected, dispi∣sed, and dispited, though he lye among the pots, Psal. 68. 13. or behind the Ewes with young, Psal 78. 72. though hee be Lord and Master of few or none of these outward things, as Lazarus, Luke 16 yet is he by CHRIST, called to the same Salvation, admitted into the same fellowship, made partaker of the same Heaven, with those auncient worthies, Mat 8 11. sitting downe with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the Kingdome of happinesse.

The contrary whereof, viz. a deprivation and losse of that Heavenly Vision, called by the Schoolemen Pena damni,* 1.161 is an aggravation of the misery, and materiall poynt of the torments of the damned, Luke 13. 28. Yee shall see Abraham, Isaac,* 1.162 and Iacob, and all the Prophets, in the King∣dome of God, thou mayest justly heere, say with David (being the man whom the King will ho∣nour) 1 Sam. 18. 18. in the acknowledgement of Gods free mercy and truth toward thee? Who am I? and what is my life? or my fathers fami∣ly in Israel? that I should be not onely sonne in law, but even lawfull heire to the King of Kings,

to enjoy the same glory with those famous Patri∣arks and Worthies; what shall then become of all those, that neglect so great Salvation, who be∣ing invited to this heavenly banquet, of mortall Ambrosicall junckets, do still lie groveling in the myeric and nastie sinkes of Iniquity, eating the filthy dust of the earth with the Serpent, Gen. 3. 14. selling themselves with Ieroboa••••, to doe wickedly, soules and bodies with Esau to hell, for a messe of Pottage, or with Demas for a few of the transitory temporals of the world; but if wee expect the same happinesse with the Fathers, wee must go the same way, and tread in the same steps, not expecting to enjoy the poysonous pleasures of sinne, and the felicity of Gods cho∣sen, with Moses, Heb. 11. 25. refusing to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter, chusing rather to suffer affliction, with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasure of sinne for a season, e∣steeming the rebuke of CHRIST, greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt, for he had respect un∣to the recompence of reward, knowing if he had the one he must misse the other; thus our Savi∣our CHRIST endured the Crosse, dispised the shame for the joy that was set before him, Heb. 12. 2. Thus the Christian Hebrewes, in the Pri∣mitive Church suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods, the reason is rendered, they knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance, Heb. 10. 37. or as Da∣vid, Psal. 106 5. That I may see the good of thy cho∣sen and reioyce with thine inheritance.

Heere is propounded vnto thee, that double pathway of Hercules,* 1.163 the one the straight foot∣path of Vertue, which ascending may seeme hard and difficult:

Non est a terris mollis ad astra via:

Faire vertues war, hard and vneasie is, that leades from Earth to endlesse happinesse.

The other is broad, easie, and even, which is the inchanted way of sinfull pleasure:

Facilis discensus Averni:* 1.164

The often-troden path of filt hy Vice, is easie, plaine, and leades from Paradice.

Thus tracing the Patriarkes in the footing of holy Duties, Religion and Pietie, there is layd vp for thee, a Crowne of immortality; but traver∣sing thy steps, in the pleasing wayes of voluptu∣ousnesse, thou shalt be sure to finde nothing, but horrid paines, tumultuous horror, fiery chaines, scorching darknesse, tormenting Divels, and a full draught of the scalding Cup of the vnmea∣surable wrath of an angry incensed and reven∣ging God, who is a consuming Fire. Heb. 12. 29.

Seeing the Fathers received the Promises as∣suredly having the mercies of God,* 1.165 confirmed and performed vnto them by their Faith, Heb. 11. 33. even to their severall deliverances, even that

from Babels Captivity, which long expected in∣largement, was vnto them as a dreame, Psal. 126. 1. and preventing his servants, beleeving on him, as David, with blessings abundantly, Psal. 21. 3. So will hee deale with vs, if wee have Faith, Ephes. 3. 20. For hee is able to doe for vs exceeding a∣bundantly, above all that we aske or thinke, pro∣mising to heare our Prayers, even while we aske or speake; as hee did with Cornelius, Act. 10. 4. or Daniel, chap. 9. 23. While they are yet speaking I will heare, Isa. 65. 24. So by Faith wee must re∣ceive the Promises.

Hence wee see the apparent reason and cause, why so many, after so long Preaching of the Word, receiving the Sacraments, and frequen∣ting Gods holy ordinances (which he hath made as the instruments, to worke and nourish Faith in vs, and the Conduit-pipes to convey his Graces unto us,) doe still receive so little profit, remay∣ning obdurate, and hardened in prophanenesse, Idolatry, ignorance, &c. and are not healed of the sinne-wounds of their Soules, nor obedient to the heavenly vocation, that the Minister may justly take vp his complaint with the Prophet, I have laboured in vaine, and spent my strength in vaine. Isa. 49. 4.

When men goe from the word of Exhortati∣on, as Caine from Gods owne admonition, Gen. 4. 7. Worse then hee came; or, as Iudas from CHRIST, fuller of Sathan than before, Ioh. 13. 27. Our hearts are not opened, Act. 16. 14. Our eares not boared, our eyes not illuminated; but like

the deafe Adder, or like the poore Begger, wan∣ting his hands,* 1.166 that hee can receive no almes; or like an empty vessell cast into the Sea, which can receive no liquor, because the orifice is shut. E∣ven so vnbeliefe, frustrates the promises of God, wee may aske, pray, and receive nothing; be∣cause wee want Faith, Iam. 1. 6. the Word is vnpro∣fitable vnto vs: For, because of the vnbeliefe CHRIST did but few Miracles in Galilee, the two Olive branches cannot emptie the Golden∣oyle out of themselves, through the two golden pipes, because they are stopped, Zach. 4. 12. And this is that which Sathan once strove to bring our Saviour CHRIST unto, to distrust the provi∣dence of God, Math. 4. 3. causing the stones to be made bread; and this is that, by which he works upon the weaknesse of man, to distrust Gods care over him, bringing him by this meanes, to the shame of stealing,* 1.167 and from this distrust, even to the height of Apostacy,* 1.168 for this God will de∣stroy us,* 1.169 Iudeth, 5. Let us then, 2 Cor. 7. 1. seeing we have such promises, not loose the performance of them through unbeleife, taking heede least at any time,* 1.170 there be in any of us an evill heart of unbe∣liefe, Heb. 3. 12. but learne to say with the man in the Gospell, Marke 9 24. I beleeve, Lord helpe my vnbeliefe, and with the Disciples, Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith, and if oppressed with deadnesse of heart, stirre up our faith with David, Psal. 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe my soule, and why art thou so disquieted within mee, for he that beleeveth shall not make hast. Isa. 28. 16. saith maketh not

ashamed,* 1.171 Isa 26. The iust man shall live by his faith, Hab. 2. 4. All things are possible to the beleever, he may remoove mountaines, he is an omnipo∣tent creature, as Barnard sayth, Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things, by faith thou receivest the pro. mises, thine eternall life and happinesse, have their dependance thereon, Iohn 3. 16. hee that be∣leeveth in the Sonne hath everlasting life, but if yee will not beleeve, ye shall not be established, Isa. 7. 9.

Seeing this Mercy and truth of God is confir∣med, and upon our faith so assured toward us,* 1.172 that it cannot be frustrate, as it hath served to comfort us, so now it serves to confute and con∣found that uncomfortable Antichristian princi∣ple, bred in Popery, strongly affirmed, confirmed cannonized,* 1.173 and ratified by the counsell of Trent, prop and pillar of that cursed Idolatrie of the Beast, agreed upon by those Italianated Machia∣vels, viz. that A man must doubt of his Salvation so long as he lives, as much as if one should say, wee must doubt, of what God hath promised in his mercy or ratified in his truth, confirmed by oath, and sealed unto us in the blood of his Son, by the witnesse of the Spirit, Rom 8. 16. 1 Iohn 5 10. Eph. 4. 30. making them all of none effect? what is this, but to beleive the father of lyes, be∣fore the three witnesses in Heaven, and the three in earth, 1 Iohn 5. 7. What is this, but to teach the sinne of Infidelity, which above the rest, is like the fourth beast, Dan. 7. 7. dreadfull, terrible, ex∣cedding strong, and had great Iron teeth, this e∣ven

pushed against the truth of God, with the hornes of blaspemie? What is this, but to set a mans conscience upon the racke? and to give in∣to the hands of a desperate man, swords, Pistols, halters, the engines of his owne destruction, and even to cause the hands in this distraction of minde, in this deepe poynt of Salvation, to imbrue themselves in their owne blood, as ne∣ver being sure of Gods mercy and truth towards him, in the pardoning and forgiving his sinnes, when he can never by the doctrine of his Religi∣on, say with David, I put my trust in the Lords mercy, nor with Thomas, my Lord, and my God, nor with the faithfull, Isa. 25. 9. Loe this is our God, wee have waited for him, but his soule perplexed∣ly hangeth tottering betwixt hope and dispaire.

Consider with Augustine,* 1.174 that the name of IESVS, is a name under which wee must not dispaire,* 1.175 hee spreads his armes on the Crosse to imbrace both Iewe and Gentile; Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti promisit immortalitem, & tu dubi∣tas? hoc est Deum omnino non nosse,* 1.176 Christum cre∣dentium Magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere, God hath promised thee immortality, when thou goest out of the world, and doest thou doubt? What is this but not to know God, and to offend CHRIST,* 1.177 the Master of the faithfull, with the sinne of Infidelity, the mercifull God hath shed abroad his love in our hearts, that hee might beget and bring forth our love to him a∣gaine, from the reflection of his owne,* 1.178 non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius suae foelicita∣tis fiduciam, he beleeves not in God, who puts

not the trust of his whole felicity (for this life and a better) onely in him.

What a comfortlesse doctrine is this, which strives to blinde the eyes of faith,* 1.179 CHRIST came to preach no such, hee was preached by the An∣gels, to be a Gospell, and glad tydings of great Ioy to all people, Luke 2. 10. and Zach. 6. 12, Re∣ioyce O daughter Sion, for thy King commeth unto thee, &c. wee must reioyce in him as men doe in harvest. Isa. 7. which wee cannot doe, so long as the doctrine of our religion, teacheth us to doubt of Gods mercy and truth, cheare up thy selfe then, performing thine obedience, not from the spirit of meere bondage, but with David, Psal. 119 chearefully runne the wayes of Gods comman∣dements, make thine election, peace, and re∣conciliation, sure in CHRIST, and be∣ing iustified thou hast peace with God, by faith; Rom. 5. 1.

The fourth and last thing considerable in the reason,* 1.180 is the conclusion of the Psalme, the first & last string of this well tuned Harpe, beginning and ending in the same cadence of an holy and heavenly duety, Praise yee the Lord.

Which are considered two wayes,—

• 1 As they are repeated,
• 2 As a duty enjoyned.

[ 1] First,* 1.181 wee see here not an idle Crambe bis cocta, but a necessary repetition, warranted by the Spi∣rit which indited it, and David that writ it; where obserue, that repetitions are used in the Scriptures in divers respects. Sometime in pray∣er, for the better stirring up of our zeale and fer∣vency

thus used by CHRIST himselfe, Math 26 39. 42. and chap. 27. 46. My God, my God, and Psal. 143. 1. Sometime in matters of Prophec••, and that most usually in the Coetaneall and Pro∣phets [ 2] of the same time, as in Amos, Isa, and Hosea, the same vices, the same false Prophets, and the same Idolatry is taxed, Mich 1. 3. the same vices in the same words with Isa 26. 21. and the same concerning the mountaine of the Lord, Isa. 2. 2. hath Mich 4. 1. And not onely among them of the same time, but also of many ages and genera∣tions distant,* 1.182 as Iacobs Prophecy, Gen. 49. 10. re∣peated many hundred yeares after, Hag. 2. 8. Zach. 2. 8. borrowes that from Psal. 17. 8. and the like, Zach 9. 9 from Isa 62 11. so Zach 9. 10. from Psal. 72. 8 and Zach. 11. 9. from Ierem. 15. 2. The promise concerning the powring out of the Spirit of grace, Zach. 12. 10. from Ioel. 2. 28, the destruction of the Idols which is threatned, Zach. 13. 2. from Ezech, 30. 13. All these to settle our faith in the certainty of the Scriptures in this united concordance and harmony of the writers thereof, all agreeing in the Analogy of faith, like Pharaohs dreame repeated,* 1.183 Gen 41, 32. to make him know it was established with God, and hee [ 3] will surely bring it to passe. Sometime they are used in simple narrations, to assure the beleever of the certainty of them, as 1 Iohn 〈…〉〈…〉 that which wee have heard from the beginning which wee have seene and handled &c. To this end the God of nature, hath given unto man two hands, two eares, two eyes, that if the one faile in the ob∣ject,

the other should not, or to put us in minde, with an earnest desire to performe our duties, which brings us to the doctrine,* 1.184 viz.

Repititions are not alway vaine Battalogies and superfluous Tantologies,* 1.185 but often times lawfull and warrantable, for the better stirring men up to their duties.

The Prophet Isa desires for the teaching of knowledge to them that are wayned from the milke and drawne from the breasts, Chap. 28. 10. Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little, Phil 3. 1. It greiveth not the Apostle to write the same things unto them, and Iude, 5. I will put you in remembrance, though you once knewe this, &c. There is no newe thing under the Sunne,* 1.186 saith the Preacher, nothing spoken which hath not formerly bin upon the Stage, what are the Prophets, but Expositors of Moses the great Prophet, the new Testament of the olde, and our Sermons Comments upon both. Men under the Gospell must be like the cleane beasts under the law of Ceremonies, to chew the cud in in an holy meditating and repeating of things taught and delivered for their good.

Reason,* 1.187 1. because of the dulnesse of Mans ap∣prehension, and his memories weaknesse in re∣tension,* 1.188 those lively powers and faculties of the Soule, superiour and inferiour, being so craysed and broken by the fall, Ephes. 4. 38. our cogitati∣tions darkened and estranged from the life of God, 1 Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man understandeth

not the things of God, 2 Cor. 3. 5. He thinkes, nor can thinke of himselfe a good thought, Rom. 8. 7. hee submits not, nor can submit to the law of God, Phil. 2. 13. he wills not, nor can will things ple••sing to God, Luke 13. 11. Hee hath a Spirit of infirmity, &c. so that viewe him in his naturals, and they are meere privations, a mixture and composition, whose ingredients are weaknesse and frailety, which causeth us to stand in neede, to have things often repeated, that they may leaue the better impression behinde them. The learned Doctor of the Gentiles, dealt so plainely, that he dares affirme both to the learned and ig∣norant, 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell bee hid, it is hid to them that perish; to this end the Minister is cal∣led a Nurse, 1 Thes. 2. 7. which halfe cheweth meate, ere she give it to her child, and in teach∣ing it to speake, to the right framing of its vocall Arteries, doth of ten (Parrat-like) repeate the same words; so must we as Babes, chewe, eate and disgest, the root of our instruction. Ionas Sermon was the same for three dayes together, Yet forty dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed, Iona. 3. 4.

As mea••e from the mouth is commended to the Liver and Stomach,* 1.189 then to the more tender and slender inwards in the first Concoction, next the nutritive,* 1.190 being segregated from the excre∣mentitious parts; in the second concoction, it is committed to the Mesaraicke veynes, and thence in the third concoction, dispierced secretly tho∣row the conduits of the outward veynes to eve∣ry part of the body, nourishing the blood, arte∣ries,

sinewes, flesh, &c. Even so the Word of God must bee committed to the outward eare, then to the intellectuall parts, thence to the heart and so to worke upon the will and the affecti∣ons, as to pull downe every imagination and high thing, that exalteth it self against the know∣ledge of God, by little and little to bring them into subjection, to the obedience of CHRSIT; which is not done all at once, but by working the Eare to like, the Memory to retayne, and the Heart to digest.

Heere are instructions;* 1.191 first, for the Minister, than for the People;* 1.192 the Minister who is Gods mouth, and Messenger vnto the people, must not onely teach new things and vnknowne, but also ••epeat and bring to remembrance, things old and knowne,* 1.193 beating upon the same nayle, to drive it the deeper, and make it the faster; and for this let the Apostle Peter bee our warrantable pat∣terne,* 1.194 2. Pet 1. 12. I will not bee negligent to put you alway in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and verse 13. I thinke it meete so long as I am in this Tabernacle to stirre you vp by put¦ting you in remembrance;* 1.195 and for this end, hee writes this second Epistle, Chap. 3. 1. So Timothy must stirre up the gui••t of God in him, 2 Tim. 1. 6. Least those guifts should lye dead in him, and give no light, as fire under many afhes; So though thy re∣petitions be thought penurious and poore, yet will they stirre up the dulnesse of the memory and understanding, and this thy plainnesse (if in the evidence of the Spirit) is the way to save

them that beleeve, 1 Cor. 1. 18. called, The Preach∣ing of the Crosse, openly and plainely crucifying CHRIST before your eyes, Gal. 3. 1. describing him in your sight, as it were painted upon your wals. This is that two edged sword dividing be∣twixt the marrow and the bones, Heb. 4. 12. That true prophecying, which judgeth men, discove∣ring the thing of the heart, causing them to say, The Lord is within you, 1 Cor. 14. 25. This is the mighty Scepter in CHRISTS mouth, by which he smites the Nations, conquers the prophane∣hearted Gentiles, Isa. 11. 4. That which shaketh heaven and earth, Hag. 2. 5. all other are unsavo∣ry, humane, and small more of the pride of the flesh, than of the Grace of the Spirit.

Which serves to shew what mettle wee are of, which like the Pharisees out of Moses chayre, hunting after the vaine breath of Mans praise, more than the true rewarding praise of God,* 1.196 Iohn 12. 41, soare in such an Eagles pitch upon the wings of humaine Rhetorique, and the darke ab∣struse mysteries of Schoole-invention, that wee wrap up CHRIST, and the way of Salvation in such swadling bands, Herculian knots, inextrica∣ble nice distinctions and Sphinxicall riddles, that Oedipus himselfe, might stand amazed, and the Disciples in astonishment might say, What meane these things?

Like many of those 38 Expositers upon Aqui∣nus, leaving him as darke as they found him, where we see little else but Tomes upon Tomes; what is this, but the pollicy of Sathan, working

in the swelling wisdome of the flesh, to obscure the way to Heaven, this was not the precept of God, Ier. 15 19. Thou must not turne to the peo∣ple,* 1.197 but they to thee, nor approved of our Savi∣our CHRIST,* 1.198 Iohn, 5. 44. Yee believe not, because yee seeke glory one of another, nor Pauls practise, Gal. 1. 10. Doe I preach God or man? or seeke 1 to please men? &c. and 1 Cor. 14. 19. I had rather speake five words in the Church by my understanding, that by my voyce I might teach others, then ten thou∣sand words in an unknowne tongue; empty thy selfe then of this thy Delphick obscurity, let thy Trumpet give a certaine sound, least thou shut up the Kingdome of Heaven with the Pharisees, and neither enter thy selfe, nor suffer them that would enter.* 1.199

To teach the people to bee content to heare the same things repeated,* 1.200 and to be fedde more than once with the same kinde of meate, while thou art a Babe in the old, thou must not desire newe, and as the Minister must not gild and blanch over, the word of God to please thy hu∣mor,* 1.201 and as a good Embassadour, of whom a Lawyer speaketh, must not be like a Stage Play∣er, to change his person, but constantly stand to the will and pleasure of his King and Master, and must not say with Issachar, Gen 49. 14 Ease is good but must feede the flock whereof the Holy Ghost hath made him over-seer, Act. 20. 28. and feed the lambes if hee love Christ, Iohn 20. 17. Giving to every one his portion in due season, and that in that evidence and plaine demonstration of the Spirit; so thou

art to heare,* 1.202 not as in the exchange, onely strange∣newes from forraigne Nations, or as those newg fangled Athenians, but putting off this itchinr∣humor, here to have thy understanding infor∣med, thy will reformed, and thy life conformed to the lawes of God, and thine obedience per∣formed unto CHRIST, that the word may work alteration to purifie thee, mollifie and open thy heart, convert thy soule, season thee with grace, dissolve the workes of darknesse, heale thy wounds of sinne, make thee fit for Hea∣ven.

And here come justly to be taxed, besides those convicted Recusants, who have shaken off the yoke of obedience, and (given theyr names to the Beast) all those that negligently frequent the congregation, accompting more of losse and dung, of ease, pleasure and profit, then of the Word, which is able to turne Wolves into Lambes, Sinners into Saints, Isa. 11. 6. A congre∣gation gathered together in the Church,* 1.203 sayth the father, Are like an armie of fighting men, ar∣med by prayer and prayses against the spirituall enemies of their soules, where the word offers it selfe to be thy loadstarre, to CHRIST, thy Iacobs staffe to scale Heaven, thy lantherne to light, and the heavenly Manna, to feed thy soule, in which place, and upon which ordinance, CHRIST pro∣miseth a blessing, My house shall be called the house of Prayer, and where two or three are gathered toge∣ther in my name, there am I in the midst of them; take a patterne of the servants of God, the primitive

Church, Acts 2. 46. the Prophetesse Anna, Luke 2. 37. and the Church in St. Augustins time, w^ch he compares to Ants, because they were alway about the Church, as the Ant is about her hole or home; and let not God for this negligence, de∣prive thee of his Grace, and bring upon thee that fearefull curse,* 1.204 which is due to those which doe his worke either negligently or not at all, Iudg 5. 23. Curse yee Meroh, said the Angell of the Lord, Curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof, be∣cause they came not to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty.

The second sort,* 1.205 are not negligent commers, but heedlesse hearers, hearing line upon line, but returning without profit, the Scripture, sayth Gregory the great, is like a River, in which the Lambe may wade, and the Elephant swim; or like an Apothecaries shop, in which are Potions, and Pils, Corrasives and Cordials, fit for every occasion,* 1.206 for every disease; but as Chrisostome sayth, when the Minister prayeth or preacheth, one walketh, another talketh, another sleepeth, while the Divell rocketh him in his cradle, like Ionah securely in the sides of the Ship, in the middest of the tempest, without profit or desire to be instructed, returning as a doore upon the hinges, at night in the morning station; whereas the word should be as the laver of Brasse, to Aa∣r••n and his Sonnes, to wash thee withall, Exod. 30. 18. and thou shouldest bee with the servant in the law, boared in thine eare, Exod. 21. 6. Thy flesh circumcised, thy heart instructed, the fal∣low

ground ploughed and broken up, Ierem. 4. 4. The soule hammered, Ier. 23. 29 and thou wholy framed, as a signet fitted for a mans right hand, Ier. 22. 24. When this axe is layd to the roote of the tree, Math. 3. 10. take heed then to thy feete when thou enterest into the house of God, Eccles. 5. 1. least in the end, thou be taken for an unpro∣fitable servant, and in the fearefull case of Ierusa∣lems negligence, and heedlesnesse, How often would I have gathered thee, as a hen her chickens, and yee would not, Math. 23. 37.

A third sort are such, as are displeased with [ 3] what they heare; like the Mule, kicking the dam, that feedes them; or like undutifull children at every angry word, casting dirt and myer in the face of their Parents; or like these Apes, which breake every looking glasse, because it shewes their deformities, whose galled backes, or rather unsound consciences, no sooner feele the Aqua-Fortis of reproofe, but presently as Ahab with E∣lija, they accompt their Minister their enemie, 1 Kings 21. 20. or as the same Ahab spoke of Mi∣chajah, He never Prophecies good unto mee, 1 Kings 12. 8. And for all this, what hath the righ∣teous done? How hath the Minister offended thee, when he wounds thy selfe-love, and the pride of thine heart, and when with the axe of the word, hee is hewing and fitting thee as a lively stone for Gods building; wee see in the Law, Deut. 19. 5. If a man hewing timber in the wood, should by chance let his axe fall from the

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helue and hurt a man, hee was to goe to a Citty of refuge for his safety? Why should it not then pleade the pardon of thy Pastor, when by chance, by the sword of the Spirit hee rubbs thy galled sores, touches thy Dalilah, thy Herodias, thy most beloved sinnes, and tels thee plainely, Thou must not have thy brothers wife, thou must leave her, or leave thy Heaven and hap∣pinesse.

Consider further that every man being as a brand taken forth of the fire, all the Placentia plea∣sing words, comforts, and cordials, cannot cure him, till he be lashed with Moses, and driven out of himselfe into CHRIST, let not then the poy∣sonous love of sin, stop thine eares, causing thee to say of it, as Abraham of Ismael, Gen. 17. 18. O that Ismael, my carnall pride & prophainnesse might live in thy sight; or conceit of it, as Lot of Zoar, Gen. 19. 20. Is it not a little one? Such a sinne is but a peccadillo, a little one, a small oath, an offici∣ous lye, a sleight excuse, these are with thee, but small matters, whereas thou must give an ac∣compt of every idle word, the Divell, like a cun∣ning Nimrod and hunter, spreads his nets of plea∣sure, profit, selfe-love, &c. To drive thee out of love with the word, to esteeme it base, or need∣lesse, and so to banish it as the Gargasites did CHRIST, or troublesome, and contrary to thy peace, as Amazia, Amos, 7 12. Goe thou Seer and flye into the Land of Iuda,* 1.207 and there eate bread and prophecie; but know beloved, as in the Law of

Moses, Deut. 25. The elder brother dying, the younger was to marry his widdow, so to rayse up seede unto his deceased brother, so by prea∣ching, and teaching, reproving, and exhorting, must the Minister (as a younger brother) unto CHRIST; he is the Embassadour in CHRISTS stead, to wooe and winne men to be reconciled with God, 2 Cor. 5. 18. Suffer then the words of exhortation and reproofe, rejoyce with Zacheus Luke 19. 9. Because Salvation is come to thine house, let the word win thee, that thy Minister by thy profiting, in the carefull discharge of his office, may answer unto God, having brought Beniamin backe, Iohn 17. 12. Of all those whom thou hast given mee, I have not lost one.

Secondly,* 1.208 consider these repeated words, as they containe and enjoyne a duty to be perfor∣med, Hallelu jah, wee saw it in the portall of the text, and finde it againe in the end (as it were reviving a duty, which is and hath beene, forgot∣ten of so many, in praising God for his manifold mercies and truth, continued from him the Crea∣tor to the creature, in creating, preserving, main∣taining, spirituall and temporall protection, with the sending of CHRIST for our redemption, where we see, two things, 1 The matter of the du∣ty. 2 The manner.

The matter to be performed,* 1.209 is Thankesgiving, commanded Psal. 50. 15. 1 Thes. 5. 18. Confir∣med unto us, in the practice of Gods children, Exod. 15. 1. 2. Iudg. 5. 1. Luke 1. 68. And as it be∣commeth

Saints to be obedient, so to be thanke∣full, Psal. 33. 1. The Israelites are upbraided with the contrary, 2 Chron. 32. 25. and Hezechia rende∣red not againe, according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore the wrath of God, was upon him, upon Iuda, and Ie∣rusalem.

The unthankefull person is not worthy of the bread which he eates,* 1.210 he is unworthy to be rewarded, which returnes not thankes for the reward,* 1.211 this causeth God, to shut up hea∣ven against us, making it Brasse above us, and the earth Iron under us,* 1.212 whose hardnesse and unsea∣sonable fructifying, may sufficiently convince us of unthankefulnesse, he stops up the channels of his love, and the boundlesse streames of his fa∣vours; because our hearts are dammed up with Ingratitude;* 1.213 he would have open thankes for se∣cret mercies,* 1.214 as Rivers come from the Sea, close∣ly through the cranies and silent p••ssages of the earth, but returne ope••ly, giving manifest notice of their thankefulnesse to the God of the Sea, all being his owne.* 1.215 Hag. 2. 9. No benefit but should bee the mother of thankes, Colos. 3. 15. What can wee either thinke, or speake, or write, which may be more acceptable to God, then Thankes∣giving, s••••th divine Augustine? What can be spo∣ken more briefly,* 1.216 heard more chearefully, under∣stood more joyfully, or done more fruitfully, it is the Musicke which Saints and Angels make in heaven, Rev, 5. 9. and 19. 1. 3. and should be the

burthen of all our mirth; it is salt to season all our sacrifices, the want whereof, God will not dispence withall,* 1.217 Ephes. 5. 20. Giving thankes in all things, at all times, and by all meanes; the contrary hath beene condemned, as the poyson∣ing of a vipor, not only in the Schoole of Grace, but even in the Academie of Nature; an ingrate∣full person, to be a short Epitomie of all odible, and avoy dable things, Rom. 1. 18. Collos. 2. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 2. as one unworthy to parti∣cipate of any mans love. Then praise the Lord O my Soule, and be not unmindfull of any of his bene∣fits &c. Psal. 102.

To stirre up our hearts to a conscionable per∣formance of this duety,* 1.218 hee that Gulon-like, de∣voures Gods blessings, even to the eating of his daily food without giving thankes,* 1.219 eates not to God▪ Rom. 14. 6, lives not to God but to his bel∣ly,* 1.220 is like Pharaohs butler to Ioseph, Laban to Ia∣cob, Iudas to CHRIST, the new Pharaoh to the Israelites, and the Israelites to God: how can we be thus unmindfull of him, that howerly is so mindfull of us? let our tongues cleave to the roofe of our mouthes, and with the father of Iohn Baptist, be dombe, let us be beasts with Na∣buchadnezar, till we learne in a thankfull remem∣brance to acknowledge the most high; let us pe∣rish with ingrateful Ierusalem, Chorazin and Beth∣saida, Sodome and Gomorrha; If it were so punished in the poore Gentiles, having onely the purblind light of Nature to guide them, onely

reading their lessons in the darke volume of the Creatures, to be given up to strange sinnes and strange Iudgements, Rom. 1. 21. for their Ingra∣titude? what shall then become of us, which have not onely that, but the day-light of the Scrip∣ture, and of the Spirit? Doe wee so requite the Lord, O stubborne and unthankfull generation that we are, CHRIST condemnes it with admiration, in the ten Leapers,* 1.221 Luke 17. 17. Are there not ten cleansed? We do not wonder at ordinary things, because every day obvious, but we are amazed at a Centaure or Monster, at any thing deficient or superfluous in Nature, because extraordinary; So wee doe not admire the ordinary sinnes of men,* 1.222 because wee see them daily; but wee gaze at an ingratefull person, because hee is hatefull, and almost unknowne to Nature it selfe.* 1.223

It was a Custome among the Romaines, That if a Servant made free, became vnthankfull, to bee adiu••ged to his pristine bondage. GOD from time to time, to moove us to this Dutie, hath caused his Mercies to bee kept in remembrance, as a pot of Manna in the Arke, and also the frag∣ments of his miraculous banquet, Iobn 6. &c. Bee not then like churlish Nabal, like Horse or Mule, that have no understanding, but let thy tongue, that so long hath beene mute and silent, become the well-tuned Cymball of prayse, and the silver trumpet of Thankesgiving; this is thy Heauen upon earth, and when the Word, Pray∣er, Faith, and Hope, shall cease, it shall remaine,

Blessing and Honour, might and Thankesgiving, be unto our God for evermore. Revel. 7. 12.

Having finished the matter,* 1.224 which is both the prescript and postscript, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending of this Psalme; let us see in the last place, the manner how this dutie must be performed, and layd downe, Collos. 3. 16. Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and Hymnes, and Spirituall songs, singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. Where note:

First, that the service of God, among Chri∣stians, [ 1] is not a sad, dull, melancholique, and so∣litary kind of life, but full of joy and myrth.

Secondly, a Monasticall and Heremiticall life, [ 2] condemned.

Thirdly, that there is an excellent use of sing∣ing [ 3] Psalmes.

And lastly, to what end, with the uses.

First, against which it hath beene long object∣ed, by the whole Colledge of the professors of prophainnesse, that in Religion, there is no mirth but only deepe lumpish melancholy to be found; here we see the contrary, and that euen under the law,* 1.225 which might seeme the saddest time of Gods service, yet was it performed in the Temple with Organes and Instruments of most ravish∣ing m••sicke, which as yet did but shadow to us, and give a taste of that great joy, which after∣wards should follow under the Gospell, Which is glad tidings of great ioy, Luke 2. 11. first chaun∣ted

and tuned, by those heavenly Choristers, the Angels, the like in every service, Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with feare, and reioyce with trem∣bling, Psal. 95. 1. O come let us sing unto the Lord, let us reioyce to the rocke of our Salvation; cheare∣fulnes and thanksgiving, is required in all things. Goe thy way then, eate thy bread with joy, and drinke thy wine with a merry heart, for God ac∣cepteth thy cheerefulnesse in thy workes, let thy garments be alway white, and let thy head want no oyntment, Eccles. 9. 7.

Wee see indeed, the man that lookes through the spectacles of Nature, soaring upon the laging wings of earth, sees no further or higher then earths happinesse, cannot rejoyce in Gods mer∣cy, in electing, adopting▪ &c. or any other things spirituall (which are and ought to bee, the dittie of all our musicke) because they are to him, no more then parables, or paradoxes, but he joyeth rather in carnall things, which though they con∣tent the flesh, they crucifie CHRIST, and grieve the Spirit, like foole-drunken Nabal in his feasts, 1 Sam. 25. 26. or Belshazzar, I••olatrously car∣rowsing, Dan. 5. 2. making himselfe merry with Sacriledge, or like effiminate Heliogabalus, the helluo who in his feasts to make himselfe merry withall, had eight bald-pated guests, as many lame, as many blinde, as many bleer-eyed, as ma∣ny gouty, as many deafe, &c. which he called his make-sports, and mirth movers. Or to rejoyce in Scurrilous jeasting; baudy songs, which are not

urbane and civill, but beastly and irreligious, set∣ting us in as great danger as Iobs children, disho∣nouring both God and our festivall merr••ments; or as the covetous money-monger, who locks up his God, his ioy, in his chest, and in the comfort of his heart, worships it every morning, with his o∣rysons, as the Persians the Sun, or the inhabitants of Calecut, the Div••ll; or rejoycing with the A∣dulterer, to see the darknesse, Prov. 7. 7. Ier. 5. 8. These rejoyce and delight themselves, as it were with the poysonous excrements of Sathan, w^ch is sinne,* 1.226 as the Scarrabee in the filthy ordure of beasts, feeding and fatting themselves for the time, like le••••e Witches, with the Divels leaner banquet,* 1.227 or as the Pselli and Marfi in Ital••e, feeding on poyson.

All these merry hearts shall be turned from their forbidden commons, as leane as Pharaohs kine, for with Ephraim, Hos. 7. They are as a Dove de∣ceived, without heart, forced with Salomon to con∣fesse, their mirth is madde, Eccles. 2. 2. I sayd of laughter its mad, and of myrth what doth it? But aske the godly man, who hath tasted the first fruits of the Spirit, and how gracious the Lord is, and hath drunke a full draught at the fountaine of mercy, hee rejoyceth in nothing but CHRIST and him crucified, ouerjoyed and as it were rapt in an extasie, in the fight of heavenly things, as Stephen, Acts 7. 56. and Paul, 2 Cor. 12. And David dances before the Arke, rejoycing to

see the peoples forwardnesse in Gods service, Psal. 122. 1. And the Martyrs have joyfully gone singing, to be devoured of that furious Idoll of the Persians; the godly mans delight is to exer∣cise himselfe with David in the law of God, Psal. 1. 3. and with King Alphonsus, reading over the Bible, 14. times every yeare. These and such, are ioy to the Sain••s of God; for even as wicked men do often feele in their conscience•• & soules, the very fl••shings of hell fire, out of which, they often make a desperate leape, as the Fish out of the pan into the fire; so the Godlie man contra∣rily, feeles the sparkes and reflections of Gods love towards him, dropping from the fountaine of life, The Sunne of righteousnesse, which brings healings in his wings, Mal. 4. 2. hee onely enjoy∣ing the comfortable presence of God, which is the matter of all joy, Psal. 16. vlt. Zeph, 3. 5. These and such fill our bellies with mirth, and our mouthes with laughter, more comfort in this fasting, than others feasting; in this weeping, than others singing; more comfort in Gods counte∣nance, than in all the corne and wine, Psal. 4. 6. the lusts and licentious liberties of wicked men, which have madnesse a spirituall bedlam in their hearts, while they live, and in the end goe downe to the dead, Eccles. 9

[ 3] Secondly, seeing this Duety is re-urged, and that not onely in particular but to be performed of all Nations, of all People; as ver 1. and Prayse the Lord in the great congregation, and in the con∣gation

of Saints, &c. It stands to condemne the so∣litary and sequestred life of Anchorites, Here∣mit••s, and Monasticall votaries, whose life hath beene so much admired, and commended, by le∣rome and others of the Fathers, and is in such e∣steeme with the Papists at this day, as accompted meritorious, and a state of perfection; like the dreame of the Esseni among the Iewes, where wee see how they have forgotten that of God him∣selfe, Gen. 2. 18. It is not good for man to be alone, and as the God of Nature, hath appoynted in the body naturall, one member to be an helper unto another; so wisely disposing their offices, that one of them cannot say unto another, I have no neede of thee. 1 Cor. 12. 10. So in the body politick and Ecclesiastick, one to be unto another; As the healthfull blinde man to the weak lame man,* 1.228 the one imploying his strength, the other his sight in their journey. Man is not made for himself, in his kinde of life, a man may in some sort be hindered frō doing evill, but he is likewise kept from do∣ing good, He cannot reioyce with them that reioyce, Rom. 12. nor praise the Lord among his Saints; or be an instrument for a publique good, or as a candle upon a candlesticke to shine to others, his life is hid under a bushell, and Cloystered in a de∣sart, sequestred from the society of men; as if the law of Nature had enioyned us, to have our conversation with Birds and Beasts, dam∣ming in a preposterous stopage, that light which should have done good to the world, and which by it, may be rightly challenged of thee, as it was

with Saint Francis,* 1.229 Paulus Thebanus, and Simeon Stiliotes, those famous, or rather infamous An∣chorites, which as the Papists are bold, or rather impudent,* 1.230 to say of some of them, They trans∣gressed no one jot of the Law; some of them compared with CHRIST, and in many things (according to their blasphemie) exceeding him: What is this, but flat impiety, grosse superstition, not warrantable by the word of God, where one day it shall be sayed to these will-worship∣pers, Who hath required this at your hands? Isa. 1. 12.

[ 3] The third, shewes the lawfull and laudable use in praysing God, by singing Psalmes, which are certaine songs composed by holy men, upon severall purposes out of the word of God, com∣mended unto us by precept, Iames 5. 13. Is any merry, let him sing Psalmes, it is Gods ordinance, binding all sorts of men to the practise thereof, Make a toyfull noyse unto God all yee lands, Psal. 66. 1. and 92. 1. and 135. 3. God allowing us, no o∣ther recreation to shoulder out this, as most doe, and this we ought to doe, as our daily exercise, in our families, Psal 101 1. 2 I will walke in my house with a perfect heart, in our Churches and congregations, where and when Christians meet together, 1 Cor. 14. 26. Ephes 5 19. Singing and making melodie in your hearts with Psalmes, &c. Now consider further, that wee may tune up a pleasant harmony, as a sacrifice of rest and accep∣tance, to the God of Iacob.

Foure things are required in our spirituall singing.

First, wee must not babble them over Parrot∣like [ 1] or as the ignorant Papist,* 1.231 gallops over his Ave Maries, and Pater Nosters, but with under∣standing, that we may teach and admonish either our selves or others with profit.

Secondly, wee must sing with grace in our [ 2] hearts, that is in exercising and stirring up the graces of God in our hearts, as our loy, Faith, Love, confidence, and commemoration of Gods benefits, either in giving or forgiving, kindle∣ing our dead zeale, as a fire with bellowes, 2 Tim 1. 6.

Thirdly, wee must sing with our hearts, not [ 3] onely tongues and voyces, but with a zealous de∣sire, by our singing to glorifie God, Psal. 47. 7. Sing yee praises with understanding, Psal. 118. 27, Bind the Sacrifice with cordes to the hornes of the Al∣tar; hence wee are sayd to prepare our hearts, 1 Cor. 14. 14 Thus David bids his Lute,* 1.232 his Harpe, his glory, his tongue, to awake, Ps. 57. 8. he would not have his heart sleeping, while his tongue is walking and waking, for—

Non v••x sed votum, non musica chordula, sed cor, non cantans sed amans cantat in aure Dei. Tis not thy voyce but vowe, not well tun'd harp•• but heart, Not sound but solid love, mirths in Gods hearing part.

[ 4] The fourth is, to sing to Gods glory, with an holy remembrance of his awfull and Majesticke presence; and this is that, which is observed by Cramerus,* 1.233 that if our doxologies and thankesgi∣vings be acceptable, they must begin from God, as the first mover and primus moter of his owne praise, they must be of God as the matter and ar∣gument of all our songs, they must be with him, as the end and scope of all our Hosannaes of mer∣cy, and Hallelu-jahs of praise; thus making him the efficient, materiall, formall, and finall cause of all our service, joyned together by the Prophet, Ps. 86.* 1.234 4. R••ioyce the Soule of thy servant, &c. First, in that he would his soule to be made joyfull, hee desires God to move it to that duety. 2. Where he calls God, hee shewes the matter of his Psal∣modicall melody.* 1.235 3. The listing up of his heart unto God, hee intimates his end and marke. And lastly, to whom hee dedicates his Mu∣sicke.

To teach all Christians a conscionable dili∣gence in this duety,* 1.236 all creatures in theyr kinde, blesse their Crea••or, even they that want tongues, as Sunne, Moone, Starres, &c. Psal. 148. The unreasonable creatures giue with their tongues obedient testimonies thereof; the Birds of the ayre sing, beasts of the field make a noyse, even the hissi••gs of Dragons in the deepe, are Psalmes of prayse unto God. Praise thou the Lord the•• with the best member thou hast, which is thy Torgue, the Eye is to see for all, the Eare to heare for all, the Hand to worke for all, the Nose to

smell for all, and the palate to taste for all, but the Tongue in the highest office is to sing pr••ises to God for all, its every mans duety, as a I must pray unto God, so all must prayse God, and as CHRIST IESVS carryes up thy prayers, being perfumed upon him, the true Altar on which they are offered, so will hee doe thy Psalm••s of praise, being winged with holy devotion, this is thy heavenly melody, the mirth of thy fami∣ly, aromaticall perfume of thy ch••mber, an ho∣ly homage to God, the sacrificed calves of thy lips. If thou hast then beene a Mute and tongue∣tyed in this duety, (though thou be opposed therein, by th prophane world, and Sathan∣stand at thy right hand, as he did against Sacrifi∣zing Iehoshua, Zach. 3. 2.) be now as a speaking vowell, or at least a consonant, to Stentorize the prayses of thy God, even with a lowd voyce, Psal. 34. Continually while thou livest, Psal. 104. 33. Before the morning watch, Ps. 119. 147. At mid∣night and seaven times a day, ver. 164. Thy mouth daily rehearsing his righteousnes and Satvation, Psal. 7. 15. Let his Statutes be thy Songs in the house of thy Pilgrimage, Psal. 119. 54.

Learne to tune thy voyce here on earth, that thou mayst have a place among the Psalmodicall quier of Heaven, acquaint thy heart with spiri∣tuall mirth, sing Davids Ps••lmes, that thou mayest have Davids spirit, it thou wilt not sing unto God,* 1.237 take heed least in his justice, he deprive thee of thy blessing of peace, mirth, and liberty; either taking away thy tongue, which hee made for the

same purpose, and the service of which, hee re∣quires; or cause thee to sing his songs in a strang•• land, as he dealt with the Iewes, Psal. 137. for their vnthankefulnesse.

Lastly,* 1.238 this reproveth the usuall vanity of flesh and blood. First, in vaine layes, which are sung to the world. Secondly, lascivious B••llads, which are tuned to the flesh. Thirdly, Satyricall libels to the Divell. All w^ch, are to ex••lt and strength∣en, the three Goliha's, and great enemies of mans Salvation, even to sing praises to the cur••••d Tri∣nity of H••ll;* 1.239 these are the fuming and fomenting nourishment to Luxurie, the Bellowes to blow the embers of lust, the Palate-pleasing meate of the Serpent, their originall from ••odome, not S••∣on; from Bedlam not Beth'lem; from Bethaven not Bethel; from Iericho not Ierusalem; from the Tap∣house not the Temple, the well-befi••ting accou∣trements and vaine garbe of the children of vani∣ty. And yet we see the world admiring, flesh and blood inventing, the Divell brewing and b••o••∣ching, the Sonnes of the earth ex••lting, & defend∣ing these hell-bred Sonnets, having the packet of their braines so full fraught with them, that they have left no roome for the Lords Psalmes? What is this bu•• to b••il•• up the Kingdome of darknes, and to make ungodly Proselites, for the grea•• Cham and Prince thereof. These be Sathans watchfull Vaites,* 1.240 which though they be estee∣med, as Augustine spake of the Donatists (who in his time lived as Theeves, but were honoured as Martyrs) yet here they are condemned, as the

spu••ious off-scowring of men, not praysers of God, but Organs and Organous provokers and movers to all uncleanenesse.

And this is a Loidoramastick to libellers, whose malicious tongues and pennes, writing in blood, (as Draco writ his lawes) are set on fire by Hell, whose mouthes are like the gate of the Temple called Shallecheth, out of which they cast the filth of the Temple; So they the foule aspersions of shame upon the persons of the Innocent.* 1.241 But consider beloved, and learne by insulting over these, rightly and holily to prayse God, let ••o filthy communication proceede out of your mouthes, least the Mouth, the Messenger of the heart, bewray an ancleane fountaine, Evill words corrupt good manners.* 1.242 1 Cor. 15. Ratio habenda est Sermonis cum non sit in eo parum momenti ad animū afficiendum aliquo modo vel ad mores corrigendos vel corrumpendos. Thy words worke not in vaine upon the affections of the hearers, but either cor∣rect or corrupt their man••e••s It is on••ly the Word of God, which is eternall life, Iohn 6 68. which ministreth grace to the hearers. Learne then to speake the language of Cannan, Isa. 19. 18. for a word fitly spoken is like Apples of gold in pictures of silver, Prov. 25. 11.

Then to conclude this Treatise of praysing the Lord,* 1.243 with Hugo, because he is,

Creator ad esse, which gave us our being, Conservator in esse, preserving us in that being,

Recreator in bene esse, restores us being fallen, into a better, Glorificatur in optimo esse, will glorifie us with the best being of all, at the day of the Lord IESVS.

To whom with the Father of mercies, and the Spirit of comfort and consolation, be ascribed and given, all Praise and Thankesgiving, both of Nation and People, Iew and Gentile, now and for evermore, Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Omnes Creatu∣rae Deum suum esse clamant opificem. Calv. super locum.
• * 1.2

  Certa infignia divinitatis in homine. Calv.
• * 1.3

  li. 1. instit. cap. 5. § 5.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hom. Odyss. 6.
• * 1.5

  First Motive.
• * 1.6

  God is not subject to any attending pro∣perties.
• * 1.7

  Quicquid in Deo est, Deus est, cum fis mi∣sericors, quid es nisi ipsa mi∣sericordia.
• * 1.8

  Quot iusti, tot sunt miseratio∣nes.
• * 1.9

  Mercies two-fold.
• * 1.10

  Gaudet in mi∣sericordia sua, dolet de mise∣ria nostra.
• * 1.11

  Sixe rankes of Mercies.
• * 1.12

  Agnosce gra∣tiam ejus, cui debes etiam quod non ad∣misisti. Aug.
• * 1.13

  O quanta dig∣natio pietatis, fic ingratum gratia conser∣vare. In Evang. 7. panum ser. 1.
• * 1.14

  Quo diutius ex∣pectat eo di∣scrictius judi∣cabit.
• * 1.15

  Quod defertur non aufertur.
• * 1.16

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Basil.
• * 1.17

  Adam potuit non mori, nos non possumus mori. Aug.
• * 1.18

  Ʋse. 1.
• * 1.19

  opera requirun∣tur necessitate presentiae non efficientiae.
• * 1.20

  Aug.
• * 1.21

  Fides appre∣hensive, opera declarative, Christ uc effe∣ctivae justifi∣cant.
• * 1.22

  Workes the cause of life everlasting.
• * 1.23

  Rhem. annot. super
• * 1.24

  2. Tim. 4. 8.
• * 1.25

  Ruard. Tappe∣rus in explic. artic. Lovan.
• * 1.26

  Re∣ward of Favour. Debt. Ʋis excidere gratiam tunc jacta merita tua. Aug. in Psal. 31.
• * 1.27

  Non dìaphore∣cus sed grumo∣sus sudor. Chri∣sti.
• * 1.28

  Ita gravis est culpa conscien∣tiae ut sine, ju∣dice ipsa se pu∣mat. Ambr. l. 2. de penit.
• * 1.29

  Cor meum a te, inquietum est donec redeat ad te. Aug. li. 1. Confess.
• * 1.30

  Mentiris Cain. Aug.
• * 1.31

  Vse. 2.
• * 1.32

  Ecce quam an∣tea vocaveat a quam nunc appellat vinam & lac, quae sunt res pretio∣fissimae. Tertull.
• * 1.33

  Socrat. l. 4 c. 16 Theodor. li. 4. cap. 18.
• * 1.34

  Sozom. li. 6. ca. 18.
• * 1.35

  Euseb. li. 1. devita Con∣stantini in hoc vince.
• * 1.36

  Vse. 3.
• * 1.37

  In se reverte∣bat. Ierom.
• * 1.38

  A penetent person hath tvvo eyes.
• * 1.39

  Sorrow two∣fold.
• * 1.40

  Hysteron-pro∣teron, in repen∣tance.
• * 1.41

  Hi••ron. Epist. 125 ••••d Da∣•••••• vide Wil∣let super locu••.
• * 1.42

  Mercerus super cap. 39. Genes. Peterius in ge∣nesin.
• * 1.43

  Simon Magus Basilides, Eu∣nomius, and the Gnosticks.
• * 1.44

  Grace and peace insepara∣ble Compani∣ons.
• * 1.45

  Vse. 4.
• * 1.46

  Omnis actio Christi est no∣stra instructio.
• * 1.47

  Act of Mercie wofolde.
• * 1.48

  Aelian. lib. 13. de varia, hist.
• * 1.49

  Simile.
• * 1.50

  Greg. Nazian∣zen monodia in Basill. mag.
• * 1.51

  Ecce misericor∣diam actiuam, praesta mihi passiuam.
• * 1.52

  Semen Eleemo∣synae magis multiplicatur in sterili, quam pingui terra
• * 1.53

  Stella sup. luc••
• * 1.54

  In the law as well Peace of∣ferings as meato offerings.
• * 1.55

  Iniurias illata•• raró iure sed feraro vindi∣cant, Munster.
• * 1.56

  Ioseph and Da∣vid both hono∣rable the one in pardoning his Brethren Gen. 50. 21. the other his ene∣mie.
• * 1.57

  2. Sam. 19. 23.
• * 1.58

  Vse. 5.
• * 1.59

  Athenaeus in dipnosoph. li. 12.
• * 1.60

  Isa. 29. ver. 8.
• * 1.61

  Rex Bituri∣gum.
• * 1.62

  Simile.
• * 1.63

  Stell•• super Luc.
• * 1.64

  Scias oportet quod quem ad. modum miseri∣cors est it a iust∣us et rectus.
• * 1.65

  Grauissime.
• * 1.66

  Iustissime.
• * 1.67

  Certissime.
• * 1.68

  Misericordia ct justicia pari∣gradum in deo currunt.
• * 1.69

  The second motive,
• * 1.70

  The severall acceptions of the word truth.
• * 1.71

  Doctrine.
• * 1.72

  Reas. 1.
• * 1.73

  Lib 3. Instit. cap. 4. quunque misericorditer pollicetur &c.
• * 1.74

  Signifieat, aucta, confir∣mata corrobera∣ta verificata.
• * 1.75

  Hessus super Psal. 117.
• * 1.76

  Ovid Epist.
• * 1.77

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.78

  Deus fecit cbi∣rographum, promissorum non debendo sed promitten∣do in verbis dum sedit. Luc. ser. 31.
• * 1.79

  Magna non, pro∣mittenda sed facienda homi∣nibus. ser. de prud.
• * 1.80

  In spe, extra spem, supra spem contra spem.
• * 1.81

  Lib. 5. de A∣braham cap. 3.
• * 1.82

  Reas. 2.
• * 1.83

  2. Things re∣quired in faith∣fulnesse both in God 1. Abilitie,
• * 1.84

  Rom. 4. 21.
• * 1.85

  1. Thes. 5. 24. Willingnesse,
• * 1.86

  Deu 32. Isa. 49. 7. 8.
• * 1.87

  Heb. 10.
• * 1.88

  Heb. 11.
• * 1.89

  2. Tim. 2. 13.
• * 1.90

  1. Pet. 5, 7.
• * 1.91

  1 Ioh. 3. 1.
• * 1.92

  Isa. 45. 15.
• * 1.93

  Lib. 2. de Alle∣goris legiss.
• * 1.94

  Que promisse non servate De∣os sibi hostes reddidisses.
• * 1.95

  Plutarch.
• * 1.96

  Reason 3
• * 1.97

  Psala. 1 35. 6 Rom. 9. 19 Prov. 21. 30
• * 1.98

  Aposse ad esse non valet, con∣sequentia in Deo.
• * 1.99

  Object.
• * 1.100

  Answer
• * 1.101

  Sinus dicuntur loca maris a procellis & turbine vento∣rum Liberima Stella. super Luc. 16.
• * 1.102

  2.
• * 1.103

  A Corner is an inclination or bovving of 2 lines, the one to the other and the one touching the o∣ther, not being directly ioyned together.
• * 1.104

  Euclid. lib. 1. Element.
• * 1.105

  Mat. 21. 42.
• * 1.106

  Psal. 118 22 1 Pet. 2. 7
• * 1.107

  Vse. 1.
• * 1.108

  Charitas adop∣tionis veritas promissionis, po test as redditle∣nis.
• * 1.109

  Vse. 2.
• * 1.110

  Qui mali sunt habent mala, qui boni bona, Plaut. in Pseu∣dol. in prolog.
• * 1.111

  Bonis, bene, ma∣lis, male. Pla∣to.
• * 1.112

  Apertio & o∣pertio occulo∣rum in deo Aug in Psal. 11
• * 1.113

  Scelerum pa∣tronus & ap∣probator, Mol∣ler super Psal.
• * 1.114

  Si deus impuni∣tos dimitteret∣malos fimilis injustorum in∣veniretur. Hai∣mo sup. Psal. 50
• * 1.115

  Aug. lib confes∣sion.
• * 1.116

  Riusus. sardoni∣cus Adag.
• * 1.117

  Occulos quos culpa clausit, paena aperget. Aug.
• * 1.118

  Simile.
• * 1.119

  Plutarch in A∣pophtheg.
• * 1.120

  Calvin super Psal. 117
• * 1.121

  Vse. 3.
• * 1.122

  Sermosit viva latentis affectio effigies. Calv.
• * 1.123

  Incomparabili∣ter, pulchrior est veritas Christianorum, quam Helena Graecorum.
• * 1.124

  Martyres qui pro ea viriliter ad mortem pug∣naverunt, coro∣navit. Aug.
• * 1.125

  Da mihi mēda∣rē & ego osten∣dam tibi surem. Erasm.
• * 1.126

  Niceph. Eccl: Hist. lib. 5. cap. 19.
• * 1.127

  Queene Eliza∣beth.
• * 1.128

  Apud Hypocri∣tarum sensum omnis simplici∣tas in crimine est Gregor.
• * 1.129

  Three things concur in a lie, 1 Vntruth in y^e matter, 2 A pur∣pose to deceive, 3 Taking plea∣sure in it. Pet. Martyr.
• * 1.130

  Ʋide August. in Enchirid. ad laurent.
• * 1.131

  Vnum sinum cor∣dis, habet in quo videt mendati∣um alterum in quo concepit verit••tem. Au∣gust.
• * 1.132

  August. de con∣flict. vitij & virtutis.
• * 1.133

  Ambrose.
• * 1.134

  Knolles in his History of Tur∣kie.
• * 1.135

  Hist. Tripartit. lib. 3. cap. 10.
• * 1.136

  Terror eum subito ex quo∣dam conscien∣tiae secreto con∣stri••xit, & cum formidine secuta est ven∣tris effusio.
• * 1.137

  Ʋide Niceph.
• * 1.138

  do dogmatibus Arianorum. lib. 8 c. 7. Eccles. Hist.
• * 1.139

  See a Booke de abstrufioribus Iesuitarum stu∣dijs.
• * 1.140

  Pap. Masson. in Paulo, 410.
• * 1.141

  Lib. 2. cap 17.
• * 1.142

  Lib. 3. cap. 26.
• * 1.143

  —Centum adde catenas effugi∣et tamen hac sceleratum vin∣cula Proteus. Horat.
• * 1.144

  Has literas ne∣mo p••eter Sy∣billam legat.
• * 1.145

  Non lectore tu∣is opus est sed Apolline scrip∣tis in Pseudole.
• * 1.146

  Act 1.
• * 1.147

  Siculi trilinge••
• * 1.148

  Henry, the 4. of France, slayne by the Iesuites plots, &c.
• * 1.149

  The Object.
• * 1.150

  Calcata maje∣stas, incarnata divinitas. Ber∣nard.
• * 1.151

  Christus est ve∣ritas p••tris, Ia∣cob. de valent. super locum.
• * 1.152

  Doctrine.
• * 1.153

  Ephes. 2. 14
• * 1.154

  1 Iohn 2. 7
• * 1.155

  1 Cor. 10. 3
• * 1.156

  Prosuit ante∣quam fuit.
• * 1.157

  They and wee are saved by one and the same Grace, by one and the same Faith, in one and the same Christ.
• * 1.158

  Anglican. Con∣fess. art 7.
• * 1.159

  Ʋse, 10
• * 1.160

  Ʋse, 2.
• * 1.161

  Damnati sci∣ent gloriam be∣atorum, sed so∣lum in confuso.
• * 1.162

  S••ella sup Luc. cap. 13.
• * 1.163

  Hercules hivi∣um.
• * 1.164

  Virgil. Aeneid. 6.
• * 1.165

  Ʋse 3
• * 1.166

  Simile.
• * 1.167

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 fit '〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.168

  Heb. 3. 12.
• * 1.169

  Vnbeleevers placed in the vantgard of the cursed.
• * 1.170

  Revel. 22. 8.
• * 1.171

  Sub Clypeo fi∣dei & subfidio virtutis.
• * 1.172

  Ʋse 4.
• * 1.173

  Concil. Trident Sess. 6. cap. 9. Canon, 13. 16.
• * 1.174

  Nomen sub quo nemini despe∣randum est.
• * 1.175

  Augustin. Moritur Chri∣stus pro indige∣nis pro indignis.
• * 1.176

  Augustin.
• * 1.177

  Ciprianus de mortalitate.
• * 1.178

  Amor Dei a¦morem Deo pa∣rit. Bernard.
• * 1.179

  Ciprian. de dupl. martyrio.
• * 1.180

  Conclusion.
• * 1.181

  Repetitions u∣sed diversly.
• * 1.182

  Post captivita∣tem Babiloni∣cam.
• * 1.183

  Mercer super Gen.
• * 1.184

  Doctrine.
• * 1.185

  Ʋerba totius inculcata, vera sunt, vita sunt, sana sunt, plana sunt. Aug. de a∣dulterijs conju∣gijs ad Pol. lib. 2 cap. 4.
• * 1.186

  Nibil dictum quod non dictū prius. Terent.
• * 1.187

  Reas. 1.
• * 1.188

  Numquam sa∣tis dicitur, quod non satis dicitur, D. Hū∣phrey in prefa∣tione partis. 1 Iesuitismi.
• * 1.189

  Simile.
• * 1.190

  Kecker lib 3 Phyfi. cap. 12
• * 1.191

  Vse ••.
• * 1.192

  For the Mini∣ster.
• * 1.193

  Plaine Preach∣ing the b••st.
• * 1.194

  Iude, a briefe of the second Epistle of Pet. and Marke, a compendium of Math. &c.
• * 1.195

  Divines had in all ages theyr introductions to Religion, as Clemens Alex∣••no••inus his Paed••gogus, La¦ctantius his In∣stitutions, Ci••il his Ca••ichis∣mes, August: his Enchiridion &c.
• * 1.196

  Obs••urum per aeque obscurum.
• * 1.197

  Ap••anon alta.
• * 1.198

  Bernard.
• * 1.199

  Vse. 2.
• * 1.200

  For the People.
• * 1.201

  Hottaman in his treatise of the Embassa∣dor.
• * 1.202

  Est natura ho∣minum novita∣tis avida. Plin.
• * 1.203

  Tertullian in Apolog.
• * 1.204

  I••desinenter maledicite. lu∣nius. Trewel.
• * 1.205

  2 In Morall.
• * 1.206

  Homil. 24. in Act.
• * 1.207

  So moralized by Gregorie, l. 1 cap. 5. pastor. curae.
• * 1.208

  The second consideration.
• * 1.209

  The matter.
• * 1.210

  Non est dignus dandis qui non agit gratis pro datis. Greg.
• * 1.211

  In vitat ad magna, qui gra∣tanter suscipit modica. cass.
• * 1.212

  Epist. 4
• * 1.213

  Cessat cursus gratiarum ubi cessit recur sus.
• * 1.214

  Bern. ser. 35 on Cant.
• * 1.215

  Gratiā gratia parit. Sophocl. in Oedip.
• * 1.216

  In Epistola ad Marcellinum.
• * 1.217

  Ingratū si dixe. ris omni•• dix∣eris Ingratum fi amas, nihil a∣mas. Plaut. in Psa.
• * 1.218

  Ʋse, 1.
• * 1.219

  Gen. 31. 1
• * 1.220

  Gen. 40. 23 Exod. ••. 8 Exod. 17. 3
• * 1.221

  Interrogatio sit in detestatio∣nem vitij ingra∣titudinis Stella super cap. 17. Luc.
• * 1.222

  Ignotum invi∣sum & vitium maxime repug∣ua••s naturae.
• * 1.223

  Stella ibidem.
• * 1.224

  The m••ner of praising God.
• * 1.225

  Spiritus Calvi∣nianus est spiri∣tus melancho••∣cus.
• * 1.226

  Ge••ner. de vo∣latil.
• * 1.227

  Plin. lib. 21. c. 13. Natural. hist.
• * 1.228

  Simi••••.
• * 1.229

  Bucchius de conformitate Franciscu•• & Christi.
• * 1.230

  Vide Perkins his demonstra∣tion of the pro∣bleme, title Monkes.
• * 1.231

  Psal 47. 7 1 Cor. 14
• * 1.232

  Grinaeu•• super col. 3. 16.
• * 1.233

  In tertia classe scholae Prophe∣ticae, & vatici∣nio sexto, ex Psal. 22
• * 1.234

  The Spirit of God makes ou•• pipes to g••••••. Macarius ho. 47.
• * 1.235

  God is the bel∣lowes, wee the Organs. Athe∣nagoras, orat. pro Christ.
• * 1.236

  Vse 1.
• * 1.237

  Qui fecit lin∣guam vt neces∣sariā, postulet ut creat••m.
• * 1.238

  Ʋse, 2.
• * 1.239

  Fumus & so∣mes luxuriae & cibus Diaboli:
• * 1.240

  Ʋiv••hant ut la∣tr nes; sed ho∣norab••antur ut Martyres E∣pist. 63.
• * 1.241

  Pie debes D••••∣mino ex ultars, si vis mundo in∣sultare.
• * 1.242

  Rolloc. super Coll. 3. 16.
• * 1.243

  Hugo Card.