David his oath of allegeance to Ierusalem. The sermon preached on Act Sunday last in the morning, in St. Maries in Oxford. By Daniel Price Doctor in Divinity.

PSAL. 137.5.

If I forget thee O Ierusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

THe lamentations of David were as dolefull as plentifull for Iona∣than, and Absolon, for his friend and for his sonne; yet more for his friende then for his sonne, because Absolon his sonne was his foe, but Ionathan his foes sonne, was his friend. But nei∣ther for friend or sonne, is he so passionate, as for Ieru∣salem: all the floudgates & cataracts of affections empt themselues vpon this subiect. His passions those inter∣nall acts and operations of the soule, linked in that in∣violable league of loue, with the ioy of the earth Ieru∣salem, vrged him so farre, that foreseeing the storme, though he lived in a sunneshine, affection enflamed his heart, and his heart resolved into incessant teares: he smarteth though vntouched,* 1.1 and being vnhurt lamen¦teth, not his owne case, but Ierusalem Calamity. And in three Psalmes, as Lyra and Carth••sian teach, he deplo∣reth, the threefold sacking & ransacking of Ierusalem▪ which was to be performed by those Nymrods of the

earth, that which he foresaw last he lamenteth first: de∣struction by the Romans, whervpon his 74. Psal. O God why art thou absent frō vs so long, O think vpō thy congre∣gation, thinke vpon the tribe of thine inheritance; deliver not the soule of thy turtle doue to the multitude of the eni∣mies: as also that former desolation by that plague of men & Scourge of heavē Antiochus which occasioned the 79. Psalme, O God the heathen are come into thy possessiō, thy holy temple haue they defiled & made Ierusalē a heape of stones: and before either of those the captivi∣ty of Babylon by Nabuchadonosor, that thistle which burned vp the Cedars of Libanus, which occasioned this sorrowfull Psalme, the embleme of their sighes and summe of the sorrow of that desolation. The first mira∣cle done in the old Testament is in the 1. of Genesis the 2.* 1.2 Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas. The first mira∣cle in the new Testament is the same, Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas, The spirit of God moved on the waters Ioh. 2. when our Saviour turned the water in∣to wine: I say not that there is a miracle here, but sure I am, Spiritus Domini ferebatur super aquas, the spirit of God, by the spirit of Prophecie, was with the Prophet when he sate by these waters of Babylon, describing & deploring Edoms cruelty, Israels misery. Ezechiel recei∣ved his prophecie by the river of Cobar, Daniel by the river Tigris, Iohn Baptist by the river Iordane: but by the waters of Babylon rivers of confusion and desolation our Prophet seateth himselfe, and these rivers be rather of oile thē water, they increase the flame of his affectiō, & rather nourish then diminish his griefe: his eies are

as those in the Canticles like the eies of Doues on the ri∣vers of waters, his eies like the eies of Doues, and his voice like the voice of a Doue, Turtur nō canit sed gemit, saith Isidor: the Doue was sent out by Noah & was a mes∣sēger of Comfort in returning in those waters, the Doue came down vpō our Saviour & was a messenger of ioy in descēding into those waters, but the waters of Baby¦lon haue no Doue neere thē but David, and my text is the voice of that Turtle heard in that lād, If I forget thee O Ierusalem, then let my right hande forget her cunning.

Votum est, saith Calvin, certé votivum quiddam est,* 1.3 saith Carthusian, they be words, or if you will vowes, or rather more then words or vowes: they receiue fire frō the altar of his heart, and the fire of his loue liues yet in them▪ neither the distance of the place, nor continuance of the time, since they were vttered, can quench them but that their sound is gone out into all nations, the sighes of the Prophets soule, and the billowes of Ba∣bylons water yeeld no other wofull warbling murmur but the Eccho of this Text, If I forget thee O Ierusalem, then let my right hand forget her cunning.

If I forget] Memory is more chāgeable thē the moone, it is a glasse placed behinde in the head, mans fall brake this glasse: since, it is crazed, dashed, dazeled, of all the faculties soonest decaieth: at the best, it is but sorrowes store house & sins table booke, it recordeth our woes & representeth our wants, it is a roome hung with the maps of all themiseries we endured. But our Prophet by a devoted confirmed sanctified memory doth pos∣sesse himselfe with the representation of the place of

Religion. The motions and resolutions of all the the ter∣restriall spheres cannot disturbe much lesse destroy his meditations vpon Ierusalem. This as a swift winged Seraphin, is fled vp to heaven, and there recorded, If I forget thee O Ierusalem, the ioy of the earth, Queene of the nations, City of God, beauty of the whole world, thee O Ie∣rusalem, seate or the Temple, Princesse of the Provin∣ces, chaire of the Monarch••e, throne of the kingdome, Golden head of the picture. No, Israel may forget E∣gypt, Simeon and Levi forget Israel their father, the mo∣ther may forget her childe, and the childe exenterate his owne mother, but Ierusalem, the apple of Gods eie, the signet on his finger, the Virgin of the East, beautie of the earth, his faire one, deere one, little one, onely one, shalbe had in everlasting remembrance. If I forget thee O Ierusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. The best exterior member of the body, the hand, the best vse of the hand cunning: but let hand and cunning perish, the right & best vse of the right hand perish, let neither his tongue stirre, nor his hand touch his harp, nay let his eies fall into the holes of his head, and all his faculties faile, rather then he faile to remember Ierusalem.

Which few words shew the much loue of the Pro∣phet to the place of Gods service: and as Reverend Cal∣vin vpō the words noteth,* 1.4, Testantur Dei cultores adhi∣bitâ imprecatione memoriam sanctae vrbis cordibus suis, semper fore infixam,, ne{que} vnquam deletam iri quicquid acciderit: the true worshippers of God doe seale with an imprecation the remembrance and reverend regard of Religion, never to be rooted from their soules, to be

their song day and night, their morning and evening sa∣crifice, their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, their meate and drinke, the ve∣ry light of their life, and breath of their nostrils, never to be separated, never to be divorced from them; e∣very man saying, as our Prophet, If I forget thee O Ieru∣salem, then let my right hand forget her cunning.

[Divisio Textus.] I haue numbred the words, let vs goe to the sikle of the Sanctuary, and there waigh them. 1. The suppositi∣on or exaggeration of his vow: If I forget thee. The se∣cond, the place, or subiect, or obiect occasioning his vow: Thee O Ierusalem. Thirdly, the obligation, and im∣precation, or if you please, his oath of allegiance to Ieru∣salem: then let my right hand forget her cunning. All of them be as the ingredients for the holy incense, sweet smelling savours vnto God: [ 1] the first a fervent and ve∣hement vow, holy for the matter, harty for the maner. [ 2] The second the most holy place of the most high, the Parallel of lost Paradise, and figure of the hope for hea∣ven, a resemblance of every faithfull mans soule, & the representatiō of the militant & triumphant Church. [ 3] The third a powerfull and faithfull confirmation of the Prophets profession and patheticall resolution, let my right hand forget her cunning.

And now Ho: Reverend, all beloued, lend your eares to that subiect, to which David the type of Christ, and Christ the sonne of David lent their teares. Babylō hath friends every where, Ierusalem wants Religion, I meane expecteth that you wil stand to her, otherwise, vt quid statis hic otiosi, why stand you here idle? but per silentiū consensum video, Acuanus spake in the same kind,* 1.5 I see

your consent by your silence, and hope your faithful∣nesse will never entertaine forgetfulnesse, especially of goodnesse: which profession, was Davids practise and my first part.

Forgetfulnesse,* 1.6 by the schooles is defined to be Memo∣riae lubricatio, and so Bonaventure speakes on the 119. Psalme, it is a slippery inconstancy of the memory whereby the best part of the minde, the vnderstanding can neither fitly receaue, nor faithfully retaine those species which are represented to it. It is like to that swift Kishon which swept Sisera's souldiers away, it is a precipitate torrent, the obliterating, and expunging of knowledge, the very index expurgatorius of the vnder∣standing, the cloud of the minde, and ecclypse of the memorie. The fathers distinguish it into two parts: first a vsefull and laudable: second an hatefull and damnable forgetfulnesse.* 1.7 Bernard obserueth that the name Ma∣nasses signifieth forgetfulnesse, and as the tribe of Ma∣nasses dwelt part on the one side, part on the other side Iordan, nātotus Manasses Iordanem non transiit, so there is a forgetfulnesse which stayeth from passing Iordan, & another forgetfulnes which leadeth through Iordan, to the land of Canaan.

Jt is a wonder that Manasses should bee the father of a Tribe: an Egyptian bare him, Pharaohs Court was the place of his breeding, neither Nurse nor Mother could giue benedictionem patriae: when he came for Ia∣cobs blessing Ioseph the father led him by the left hand, and Iacob the grand-father laid his left hand vpon him, neither father, nor grand-father gaue him benedictio∣nem

dextrae, the blessing of the right hand. When hee came to tearme of inheritance, the tribe was divided, Iordan divided them, halfe on the one side,* 1.8 the other on the other, no tribe so devided as Manasses, neither had benedictionem terrae. Manasses was but nephew to the Tribes, & lost his birth-right as Esau did. Gedeō was of this tribe, whose sonnes were all slaine, Zelophehad of this tribe, who had no sonnes but daughters. Many monuments of orbitancy, of defection, and oblivion in this tribe; and yet many Princes, many Prophets, were of it.

I follow S^t Bernard his allusion, that Manasses the eldest sonne of Ioseph, should bee forgetfulnesse,* 1.9 It is much, Ioseph was now a Prince in Egypt, who had bin a prisoner in Egypt, Ioseph whose feete they hurt in the stockes, that the yron entred into his soule, Ioseph from the state of a Prisoner to be a Prince, his first fruit to be forgetfulnes, it is very much. Adams first fruit Cain to be a murderer, Iacobs first fruit Reuben, to be incestuous; Aarons first fruit Nadab, to be contumacious; Davids first fruit Ammon, to bee adulterous; Salomons first fruit Rhehoboam, to be Idolatrous; sheweth, that these holy men did not offer their firsts fruits, their eldest sonnes vnto God: but Ioseph almost the lest and youngest of his brethren, saued from the pit, saued from the prison, now a Prince in Egypt, and Manasses, forgetfulnesse, his first sonne, enforceth that all that are dignified & mag∣nified, are most ready to forget the state, frō whence God hath brought them. They are the sons of Ioseph, not of Iacob; he wanne by yeelding, and was honou∣red

by his halting, by his humbling saith Chrysostome, the lower he stoups to the earth, the neerer, the better his advantage for this blessing,* 1.10 felices hi ex tribu Ma∣nassis qui humilitatem induunt, authoritatem exuunt, Leo giueth the reason, Humilitas animi sublimitas Chri¦stiani, happy is their forgetfulnes, the starres of whose firmament, being great, yet seeme lesse then the earth, this fargetfulnesse is virtus honorata, saith Bernard, an humble mind in an honorable place,* 1.11 it is a lowly valley sweetly planted, and pleasantly watered, a royall Ar∣gosy with a low faile, a holy temple with a low roofe. He is a true Israelite, more then a Nathiniel, he is of the band of the Centurion, or rather the Centurion him∣selfe,* 1.12 who in the Gospell cryeth Domine non sum dig∣nus, which is the voice of 4 in the old Testament, and 3 in the new, happy sonnes of the tribe of Manasses, blessed practises of forgetfulnesse.

In the second legion of Manasses, passing over Ior∣dan, J place those, who in a charitable forgetfulnesse forgiue all wrongs done to them It was Peter his que¦stion, Mat. 18. How often shall J forgiue my brother? How often in a day, as Luke addeth, the answer is 70 times 7.* 1.13 that is, saith S^t Ierom 490 times, if there may be so many ebbings and flowings in the sea of thy pas∣sion. S^t Austine giueth the reason,* 1.14 why seaventie times seaven, from Adam to Christ there were seaventy ge∣nerations, and when Christ came, hee forgaue all the transgressions of mankind diffused into so many gene∣rations: so also should a Christian remit as many offen∣ces as in the compasse of his life can bee committed a∣gainst

him. Tully of Caesar, and Ambrose of Theodosius,* 1.15 restify that they forgat nothing but iniuries. Happy is he that so conquereth himselfe, as that wrongs can∣not conquer him; he is aboue nature, whē he seemeth below himselfe, for not to resist being vrged, is more then Heroicall. Theophrastus giueth him this chara∣cter, he is Gods best witnesse, Natures best child,* 1.16 the surest friend, the latest enimie, the greatest conquerour. So farre forgetfulnesse is vsefull, and the posteritie of Manasses fruitfull. But the forgetfulnesse, against which David with an execration voweth, is a neglect bred by the corruption of nature, nourished by the ecclipse of grace, whereby Gods blessings be either not remēbred or not regarded. This is the rust of the senses, & Canker of the soule, mans worst inmate, sinnes greatest associ∣ate. Accipiendis est indignus, qui fuerit acceptis ingratus;* 1.17 man hereby enioyeth not those he formerly receaved, not receaueth those which futurely he expecteth: Our Prophets resolution is otherwise, If I forget.

In Deū nō cadit oblivte, saith S^t Austin, mā may for∣get, but God will not, cannot forget.* 1.18 Aquinas putteth it among those actus Deo incōvenientes. Yet as the iust be had in his eternall remembrance, so the wicked bee forgotten, that is, caused to be forgotten, vtterly oblite∣rated from the earth. David and Ahab proue this:* 1.19 the ouenant made to David is, that for ever there should be a light in Israel. Rhehoboam sinned,* 1.20 to tribes were cut of yet the kingdome shall not vtterly be taken way, Erit lux Davidis in Israel, 1. Kings 11.34. Abijam his son, ditionum & vitiorum haeres, as Lyra names him, actu∣ates

and augments his fathers sinnes, the axe is laid to the root of the tree, the Scepter begins to wither, the Lord is ready to destroy him, yet he remembers his Covenant, Erit Lux Davidis in Ierusalem 1. King 15.4.* 1.21 Iehoram ioineth with Ahab, whose posteritie woe and ven∣geance was to vndermine; all Iehorams children are slaine, now the light of Israel was to bee extinguished, but the Lord remembreth his covenant to David, though all the seed royall of Iudah was thought to bee destroyed, yet Ioash is saued, preserued from the horrid massacre, hid in the bed chamber, the Covenant conti∣nueth, Erit Lux Davidis in Ierusalem 2. Chron. 21. It is a speech vsuall in the Kings and Chronicles,* 1.22 Erit lux Davidis in Ierusalem, the Lord would continue a light in Israel, so did the Lord vntill he came, who was the light of the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Isra∣el, a continuāce, a successiō, an emanation of the root of Iesse. Davids seed shal remaine among the posterities, impij autem non sic, it is not so with Ahab, he & his shal be forgotten, God hath forgotten him, hee turneth his face from him, and there is none to helpe him: a little vineyard rooteth, eateth, obliterateth him, and all his. They were al like those that perished at Endor, and be∣came the dung of the earth,* 1.23 Ahab is accursed by Eliah, his wife, and children cursed, vengeance dogges him to his end, Ahab is slaine in battell, dogges licke his blood, Iehoram his sonne wounded in battell, after slaine by Iehu,* 1.24 dogges lickt his blood, Iezebel his wife cast downe from the window is slaine, Ahaziah her sonne fel from the window,* 1.25 is slaine. Dogges lickt but

the blood of Ahab, but they eate the body of Iezebel:* 1.26 his two sonnes both Kings, cast out as filthie carcases, and yet the Tragedy not ended, vengance hath another scene, seaventie of his sonnes were slaine. Athaliah sought to destroy all the blood royall,* 1.27 and feminine crueltie exceedeth masculine, saith the Historian,* 1.28 but A∣thaliah could not destroy Ioas, one remaines. Iehu slew two and forty of Ahaziahs brethren, and none remai∣ned, but this number is almost doubled,* 1.29 seaventie sons all of their blood royall derived from vena basilica of Ahab all slaine, yet not an end, for an Epilogue, as if destruction were come to a perpetuall end, and the memoriall of them perished with them,* 1.30 Iehu slew all his great men, all his Captaines, all his kinsfolke, all his Priests, all his servants, til hee left him not one remai∣ning, 2. Kings 10.11. These might say,* 1.31 as those in the Psalme Ps. 10.11. God hath forgotten them, hee turneth his face from them, and there is none to deliuer them. But this forgetting is effectus irae, not defectus memoriae, in God it is a note of his punishing, not of his not remem∣bring, it is the effect of his wrath, not a defect of his pow∣er. He seeth all, knoweth all, remembreth all, only God may truely say, I will not forget.

Moyses led the Israelites many daies iourney out of the way in their passage to Canaan,* 1.32 my iourny is to Ie∣rusalem; Pardon this last necessary outroad. I come nee∣rer to our Prophets meaning and remembring: whose harty resolution leads vs to this holy position.* 1.33 It is the du∣ty of a true Christian alwaies to remember, never to forget the blessings, that his God hath bestowed vpon him.

Natures impotencie by sinnes obliquity hath ship∣wrakt all the faculties of the soule, the vnderstanding is blind, the will madde, the minde lame, the memory, as the man betweene Ierusalem & Iericho, sore wounded. Grace as the good Samaritan cureth and recovereth these.* 1.34 Nihil facilius putrescit quàm amor, saith Seneca, nothing decaieth sooner thē loue, Putrescit, senescit be∣neficium, a benefit soone antiquateth and putrifieth. Of all the powers of the soule delicata, tenera, maximè fragilis memoria, in quam primū senectus incurrit: white haires be not more present harbingers of old age then the tender, delicate, britle memory, which soonest wa∣xeth old: no faculty sooner then memory, no apprehē∣sion of memory, sooner waxeth old then a benefit. Men forget those favours, the authors wherof be their dai∣ly obiects, how easie then to forget God they see not! When al the world sitteth as at the poole of Bethesda, Grace as the Angel descendeth and healeth the ma∣ny proclivities to forgetfulnes of those that be Gods children.* 1.35 Tully compares Lucullus and Hortensius to gi∣ther, both of wonderful memories, but preferreth Lu∣cullus before Hortensius, because hee remembred matters, the other but words. But the excellentest ob∣tect of all others, either for the memory to account, or for any part of the soule to conceiue, is the meditations of the Lords blessings. Happy is he that maketh a cu∣stome house in his soule in this kind, that setteth downe all the blessings of God that came into his haven, that remembreth the Lord, as he hath remembred him, that nameth thē over oftē, & as God reckoneth the starres

and calleth them al by their names: and though he can not in that number and order, that God hath bestowed them on him, because they be more then the haires of his head, yet with David summes then vp, Quidretri buam,* 1.36 what shal I giue to the Lord for al the benefits he hath done vnto me?* 1.37 Renumeratio haec Remuneratio quaedam, this is continuall incense of the soule, gratia∣rum ascensus, gratiae descensus, saith Bernard. It was Io∣nas indiuiduus comes,* 1.38 when my soule fainted I remem∣bred the Lord: when his soule was not only distem∣pered, but almost overwhelmed, he crieth out, I remē∣bred the Lord. The Disciples only on the sea in the boat, evē with saluation it selfe, cry out, Master we perish, the mast of their faith was shaken, the anker of their hope almost broken, Master we perish! But Ionas not in a boat on but in the sea, in the wombe of a Whale, in the bottom & belly of the sea, I remembred the Lord, saith he. David may forget his owne people and fathers house, forget the wife of his bosome, and the fruit of his loines, yea forget to eate his owne bread, yet his memory never faileth him in this service, to reach to the true obiect, the faithfull continuall meditations of Gods mercies, the ingeminated eiaculations of remembring & thanks giving. God hath beene bountifull in mercies, David will be plentifull in these holy meditations.

[Vse.] The vse of which Doctrine is to incite & encourage vs to be exercised in the cōtinual meditations of Gods continued mercies. It is the faithfullest coniunction of the soule with God, coelestis est mercatura, saith Acuanus,* 1.39 it is a celestial trade, betweene God and man, when

man becommeth remembrancer to God his great be¦nefactour. O thē, blessed brethren, practise Davids holy, and daily exercise herein! Looke vpon the kingly Pro¦phet, vpō the bended knees of his soule, lifting vp eies, hands,* 1.40 hart to heaven in 22. Psalme, Thou O Lord art he that tooke me out of my mothers wombe, thou wast my hope whē I hanged on my mothers breasts, thou art my God from my mothers wombe. In this great & honorable assembly now we are all met, for cause of reioicing and comfort wee are hereby remēbred, what God hath done for vs since the time hee made vs, that he hath created vs out of the slime of the groūd & put living & reasonable souls into vs. It is Iobs questiō, Why died I not in the womb, why gaue I not vp the ghost, when I came from the belly, why did not the knees prevent me,* 1.41 or the breasts that I might not sucke? we may aske in a thankfull awfull feare, as he as∣ked in a wilfull wofull fury. The Lord hath nursed vs vp in a civill and well manerd country, hath redeemed vs with the blood of his Sonne, visited vs with the light of his gospell, iustified vs with the power of his grace, & fil∣led our garners with store, & our baskets with increase, and hath raised vp many of vs, when wee were lowly in our owne eies, and hath prevented vs with the bles∣sing of good things. Who so is wise will ponder these things, and never forget the loving kindnesse of the Lord.

But alas! we are not more vnable, to helpe our selues thē vnapt to acknowledge the help of God. Some Cri¦ticall Sceptick may tell me, this is too popular too vul∣gar an argumēt for this Comitial assembly. But let him looke into Davids practise; I will praise thy name in

the great congregatiō. The temple was called the house of thanksgiuing, the daily sacrifice was the oblation of thanksgiving; once a yeare there was a solemne gene∣rall feast of thanksgiving, and now the great Sacramēt of the Lordes Supper is Eucharistia the sacrament of thāksgiving.* 1.42 Sluggishnes was indorsed vpō the doores of the Sybarites, forgetfulnes is fastned vpō ours, it stic∣keth to vs, as the leprosie of Gehezei. O that every one would put his hād into his bosome, to see how leprouse he is!* 1.43 this Epidemicall Contagion is as water in our bow∣els and like oile in our bones. There was a time, that I may speake as Hierome did, Debora sedebat sub Palma,* 1.44 the Paragon of mortall Princes, Debora the woman after Gods own heart, the virgin Queene of the earth, the glory of the Christian, & envy of the infidel world, like vnto whom wee never had king or Queene before her; ELIZABETH lived, & like a gracious mother dai∣ly blessed vs: most of vs were borne in her golden daies, all of vs blessed by Peace within her wals, and plenteous∣nesse, within her Palaces, by that noble Progresse of Re∣ligion, within all her kingdome, all her time. But we for∣got this, and therefore when Nature had given her fulnesse of daies, virtue fulnesse of grace, providence ful∣nesse of riches, estimation fulnesse of honour, Debora de∣ceased, and how soone was shee forgotten! shee was gathered to her fathers, and as happy in her life, so holy in her death, shee went to rest with the greatest token of divine favour, maugre that horrid fury of Parsons, the curse of his name, and plague of his nation, who in his last gaspes, as if he had learned Iobes wiues counsell,

to blaspheme God and die, brake the impostume of his then poisoned, cankred, now (I feare) damned soule, & left that infection in papers behinde him to engaster the name and memory of that blessed Queene, in life more then Saint, and now equall with Angels. How soone was shee forgot! After her decease the darkest daw∣ning of a day, that ever our Coūtry saw, al eies streaming with teares, all hearts breaking with sighes, our firma∣mēt ful of clowds, the sun rose in the North, as gl rious as ever before, in the East, the entrance of our day star was, roseo cūsole, Infinit blessings of vnion & Religiō, by our Soveraigne, Infinite deliverances of David and his seed, the foundation of posterity and prosperity laid, all clowdes removed. Salomon the Prince renowned through the Christian world, al beames of expectation reflexed vpon him, the lines of the whole circumference met in Prince HENRY as in the Center, the eies that saw him blessed him, the eares that hard him gaue witnesse to him, all acclamations sound this, blessed the wombe that bare thee, and the pappes that gaue thee sucke. But we forgot this, we all admired his person, his deportment, his wisdome, his grace with God & men, but we forgot to be thankfull to God, that had given such a Prince to men: our vnthankfulnes slew h••m, that renowned plant, as the first flowre of the figge tree, in the prime & bloo∣ming of his age, was translated to heavē. Religion wept, vertue bled at his dea••h & the Christiā world was rea∣dy to expire, yet gracious Prince HENRY is forgot, the Jewel of Nature modell of grace, religions Champion, humani generis deliciae, the light and life of mankind is

already forgot: so senselesse and stupid and horrid is our vnthankfulnesse. If wee had no other sinnes but forget∣fulnesse, and no other forgetsulnesse then of renowned Q. Elizabeth, and blessed P. Henry, this were enough to shake, nay to sink vs: it is not a worm or moath vpon vs, but a viper hanging on our hand, an embleme of our de∣struction. Wherefore to land this point, Ho: Reverend, and blessed Christians, set vp pillars of remembrance in the faculty of your memory, for all the blessings God hath shewed to you. Be meditating of the Lords mer∣cies from day to day, let body and soule bee free from the plagues, that fall vpon both, by neglect of remem∣bring the blessings to both. But I leaue this, least I for∣get my second part Ierusalem; and If I forget thee O Ie∣rusalem, then let my right hand forget her cunning.

[Part. 2] Many glorious things are spoken of thee thou city of God, saith the Psalmist. Ierusalē was the Elect city of God,* 1.45 holy and most glorious,* 1.46 built vpon the holy moun∣taines, this exceeding all other cities, as their Temple all other buildings. It was situated in the midst of the world, and by rude and polite, divine and prophane au∣thors stiled the center of the earth, and the midst of all natiōs. Strabo thinks that Moyses built it, but that Scrip¦ture contradictes: but Scripture is plaine that Iacob dwelt there, Gen. 33.18. It was built,* 1.47 as Iosephus re∣cordeth two thousand twenty & three yeares after the creation. Melchesedech was the first founder and king of it 50 yeares, & called it Salem, which as some think, is that which is by Homer called Solyma.* 1.48 The Iebu∣sites, Cananites possessed it eight hundred twēty foure

yeares, then David rooted them out, and the city cō∣tinued in perfect beautie, as Iosephus accounteth, foure hundred seaventie and seaven yeares, in compasse, saith Strabo, six miles, 2 hundred and fiftie paces. In the olde Testament it was seaven times besieged by Shishak K. of Egypt,* 1.49 1. King. 14. by Ioas king of Israel, 2. King. 4. by Reshim king of Aram, 2. King. 18. by Senacherib king of Ashur, 2. King. 19. by the Assyrians in the time of Ma∣nasses, 2. Chro. 33.11. by Pharaoh Necho in the time of Iehoiakim, 2. Kin. 24. Lastly in the time of Zedekiah, by Nabuchadonosor that scourge of heaven, which fatal, though not finall, desolation was foreseen in this Psal. The originall is Ieruschalaijm in the duall number, for there were two cities, Salem and Syon, both sisters, Iu∣dah dwelt in the one the great and kingly tribe, Benia∣min in the other, the least and youngest tribe. It was never perfect til Solomons time, for Melchisedech was their King, but wanted succession; then the Iebusits inva∣ded, and possessed it, Ioshuah sets against the Iebusites, kills their king, but obtaines not the Castel, the fort of Syon; David conquereth them, and obtaineth the Ca∣stell. Yet there was no Tēple al this time. A praefigura∣tion of the Temple there was long before. Abraham in the 2 thousand and twentie yeare of the world built an altar here, on the mount Moriah, but sacrificed not Isaac, for which he built the altar. David about the two thousand eight hundred yeare of the world built an altar, and sacrificed on the same mount, but the altar had no Temple. After this Solomon built the Temple, and the altars in the Temple, and offred 20 thousand Oxen,

and a hundred and twentie thousand sheep. Yet the Tem∣ple was not perfect, there lacketh the Priest. The Priest himselfe was crucified, the sacrificer sacrificed: & where Adam was buried, as Epiphanius testifieth,* 1.50 there was Christ on the edge of Moriah on Calvary crucified. Now the citie is perfitted and consummated, but here consummatio consumptio est. Ierusalem in her infancy was in a kind of innocency, Et si non Innocentia à peccatis tamen innocentia à scandalis, et si non libera à peccati ma∣cula, tamen à peccandi malitia. Shee was a choise chast virgin, Gods owne daughter, nay his deareling, as the apple of his eie deere vnto him. All his messages were then endorsed, Tell the daughter of Syon, al his Prophets come as Amos to Hesekiah, the virgin, the daughter of Syon, the daughter of Ierusalem: Grace was nurse to this virgin in the time of the law, the dew of Hermon was her milke, Melchisedech, a King and Priest was her father, David a King and Prophet was her foster father in her infancie Ierusalem was the Kings daughter, al glo∣rious within, her clothing was of wrought gold, the daugh∣ter of Tyre was there with a gift, kings daughters were a∣mong her honourable women, all her garments smelt of Mirrh, Aloes, & Cassia, the King had pleasure in her beau∣tie, she was brought to the King in rayment of needle work, the virgins, that were her fellowes did beare her compa∣ny. Iericho a Citie of Palme trees, Tyrus rich in purple, Samaria the throne of Israel, Egypt the womb of Nilus & all other Tributary, subsidiary daughters to Ierusalē, shee was great among the Nations and princesse of the provinces.* 1.51 The sunne did once shine vpon all the

rest of the world, yet Egypt, only Egypt was darke; but now al the rest of the world was darknesse, and the sun only shined vpon Ierusalem, There was no beauty to the beauty of the daughter of Syon, the Lord kept her as a match for his own ••o••••e, sent many messengers to her, to win, to wooe he••, but shee was turned harlot and en∣tertained lust, last preferred murther to the service of Ierusalem, murther slew all the messengers that came: yet God, as desiring the match, forbare yet to be angry and his prophets lamented her: you may heare Ieremie in his owne words,* 1.52 Let mine eies run downe with teares night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daugh∣ter of my people is brokē with a grievous blow. And Amos among others, as commiseratly, Heare the lamē∣tation, O house of Israel!* 1.53 O the daughter of Israel is fallen! And the lamentations are so ful of condolements for Ierusalem, that her gates sunke, her barres brokē, the stones of her sanctuary scattered in every corner in the street, her mountaines desolate, houses fiered, temple de∣stroied, Virgin violated, and all turned to ruine & rub∣ble. Such are those lamentations, that if their Eccho can passe by the eares of any man, and leaue not lamentati∣on and passion behinde him, I say his hart is a strong ca∣stle for the divell, it is harder, then the nether milstone. Well, Ierusalem is defloured and disfigured, Civitas sācta est meretrix, facta est adultera, the virgin is turned whore, civitas sanctitatis is become Civitas sanguinis, saith A∣cuanus, The city of peace is become the city of blood,* 1.54 the ioy of the earth become the shame and shambles of the earth, the Academy of the prophets become the

Aceldama of the Prophets; Ierusalē a lodge in a gar∣den of cucumbers, a den of theeues, a cage of vncleane birds, the caue of vncleane beasts, habitatiō where Zym, Iim, the ostridge, the schritchowle, the Satyre do inha∣bit: yet God continueth his loue, and sends his sonne to this f nfull City, and when HE came, sure hee loved her dearely, for he wept for her bitterly:* 1.55 but shee like a deceitful harlot first dissembleth, & thē betraieth him, one day kneeleth before him, the next accuseth him be∣fore Pilate, one day comes to attend him with Palmes another day gathers to apprehend him with staues, one day worships him, another day crucifies him. Hee that came to preserue her, shee goeth about to destroy him, & preferring him, that slew the living, before him that raised the dead, they crucified the Lord of life, Supplici∣um quo nullum maius! opprobrium quo nullum vilius!* 1.56 Ie∣rusalem crucified her Saviour Iesus: yet the Lord for∣beareth Ierusalem, & yet thou remainest holy, O thou worship of Israel. When he had been crucified and ri∣sen againe, and they denyed his resurrection, and he as∣cendeth to heaven, and they regard not his ascension; He, in his last words that ever on earth he spake to his disciples commandeth them,* 1.57 not to depart from Ieru∣salem, but to wait for the promise of the father, the cō∣ming of the spirit among them in Ierusalem. I finde some of the ancients amazed at this loue of the Lorde of life.* 1.58 Poore disciples, children of the bride chamber, their eies streaming with teares & harts breaking with sighes, must they yet continue in Ierusalem? With that sinfull nation, that people laden with iniquity,* 1.59 seed of the

wicked corrupt children, with thē that had so provoked the holy one of Israel to anger: why not in Ephrata? where the Lord was born, why not in Galily? whence they were chosen. Of all places, why in Ierusalem? the most odious of al places, in murdrous, adulterous Ieru∣salē stained with blood, & for ever branded with the ble∣mish of treason against her Lord: why in Ierusalem? a∣gainst which all the Prophets, had shot of vollies of wo, and heaven sent downe thunderbolts of vengeance: why in Ierusalem? where they were as odious, as obvious to Herods Court, Pilats pleading place, to Pharisees, souldiers, to al, that were famous for infamy. The Pro∣phets had been slaine, Iohn Faptist murdred, and the Sa∣viour crucified in Ierusalem: what lesse, could they here expect? the disciple is not aboue his Master, it had beene hatefull, and how could it be lesse then hateful, to them, to be in Ierusalem? I omit many reasons; most of the Greek fathers differing herein,* 1.60 noluit Christus equos su∣os abs{que} auriga prodire, Oecumenius giving another rea∣son: ne si citò digressi essent resurrectionis Christi veritas esset suspecta,* 1.61 saith Oecumenius. Isaiah and Micah giue a better reason,* 1.62 de Syon exibit lex & verbum Domini de Ierusalem, it was not the city, or seat, or sight of Ierusa∣lem, though the loftinesse of the situatiō, temperature, and moderation of the heaven, fruitfulnes of the soile, all be honored & so mentioned by Iosephus, Strabo, Pliny, Tacitus, though it was totius terrae vmbilicus, the cen∣ter and very verticall point of the whole earth, in quā Natura omnes vires essudisset,* 1.63 as Hormisda spake of Rome. Yet al this is not the cause of their slay, or of the

scriptures honouring, of Ierusalem, but because, it was the place, to which the covenāt, was made, that hence the word of the Lord, should passe into al lands, it was the type, & representation of the elect Church of Christ; It was the place of Gods service, the temple of sacrifice the house of praier, the consecrated holy place of the most high. And therefore the Parallel of the Church, & Ierusalem being measured with Ezechiels line, we shall finde, that as Hierusalem was built on a rocke, so the Church vpon Christ the rocke: as Ierusalem was surroū∣ded with hils,* 1.64 so the Church compassed with Gods protection: Ierusalem could not be conquered from the Jebusites, but by David, nor the church redeemed from Satan and sinne but by Christ: Iudah the seede of bleere eied Leah, inhabiting of the one side, signifi's the church of the Gentiles, Beniamin the fruit of faire Rahel, on the other side the hill Moriah figureth the church of the Iews: both had a part in Ierusalem, both belong to hea∣ven: Ierusalem built on the South, had the sun most ori∣ent shining therein, the church hath the sonne of righ∣teousnesse, most gloriously illuminating it: Ierusalem, the vision of peace, the Church the family of peace: All the Tribes came to Ierusalem, all nations come vnto the Church: in Ierusalem was the continual worship of God, in the Church the continued service of God: here he was more particularly, not only per essentiam, as hee is in all creatures, or per potentiam, as he is even in hel, sed per residentiā, saith Altensteg;* 1.65 & this caused the Pro∣phet so much to recall, and record, the remembrance of Ierusalem. Which leadeth to this position,* 1.66 that Religion

only is that, which addeth grace and honour to place a per∣son.

Religion, as the heathen confesseth, is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is not only the band betwixt man and man,* 1.67 the knot of all communion, and consociation, but is the sweet ointment, and holy ornament of the place, where it is. Shiloa, is honoured for the poole of Shiloa, but more for that the Tabernacle stood in Shiloa. Bethel is honoured for the Well of which David desired the water, but much more for that Christ the sonne of Da∣vid, was borne there. Ierusalem honored for her Tem∣ple, but much more for the worship of God, in the Tem∣ple. For the Eunuch in the Acts, as S. Chrysostome obser∣veth, came not to see the Tēple but to performe wor∣ship in Ierulalem. And while this worship continued, God called Ierusalem,* 1.68 Domus mea, but when this fire was gone out, Domus vestra. Syon is my hill, saith the Lord, Ierusalem my city, the Temple Domus mea: but when they forsooke him, he forsooke them, when their Religion expired, he thē departed, they change the pro∣perty, he forsook the patronage: it was Domus mea, now Domus vestra, once Domus mea, per amoris antiquitatē, now Domus vestra, per peccati iniquitatem, as a Glosse noteth now when the life of their liues, and blood of their soules, Religion ceased, it is become Loruhamah, Loamint, Domus vestra, a den of theeues. Fearefull is that place of the Apostle,* 1.69 if any man draw backe, my soule shall haue no pleasure in him.

David was borne in Bethlehē, annointed in Bethlehē, yet hee preferreth Ierusalem in his song: it did reioice

him, when they went to Ierusalem, that his feet might stand in thy gates O Ierusalem. O pray for the peace of Ierusalem, let them prosper, that loue thee, Peace bee within thy wals, plenteousnesse within thy palaces. The honour of Bethlehem in Micah is much, thou Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be litle amōg the thousands of Iudah, yet out of thee he shall come forth vnto me, that is to be ru∣ler in Israel. Obserue the continuance, and perpetuity of honour, done to little Bethel:* 1.70 The 1 covenant made by God to Abraham,* 1.71 & the first altar made by Abraham to God was in Bethel. Neere the same place Isaac his sonne built his first altar, and the Lord first appeared here to Isaac. In the same Bethel,* 1.72 Iacob his sonne recea∣ueth his vision, God maketh his covenant with him. In the same Bethel,* 1.73 God commands Iacob to build him an altar, & here Iacob giueth it that name the house of God. In the same Bethel, David of the line of Iacob was borne, & annointed, and in the same Bethel,* 1.74 now the city of David, was Christ, of the seed of David, borne. Loe, thus shall bee done to the place, that the Lord doth honor, thus shal be done to the place where God his name is called vpon. It is not the loftinesse of the building, the aspiring of the towres, the multipli∣citie of their turrets, the seats of iudgement, houses of the High Priests, schools of the Prophets, th••cknes of their senced vault round about the city, in which were one hundred and fiftie thousand men, which Strabo ma∣keth to be two hundred, & fiftie paces, nor those 400 catechising houses, which the Ribbins mention in the city, nor the Palaces of the Princes, nor the sepulchre

of their kings, nor the 11 orders of the city, or the 9 fountaines, or 12 gates, or ninetie turrets, which Villal∣pand describeth,* 1.75 or the mountaines aboue it, or valleyes about Ierusalem, no not the Temple it selfe, that was 7 yeares building by the dayly labour of a hundred fifty three thousand men: but it was the worship of God, Religion that gaue the grace & countenance,* 1.76 that made it the golden head of the picture; Lady of the world, seate of the Monarchy, Virgin of the East, ioy of the earth, so deare to our Prophet, as that he cryeth out, If J forget thee O Ierusalem, then let my hand forget her cun∣ning.

[Vse.] A Doctrine, that should be as fearefull for terrifying, as powerfull for instructing, all those places, & persons, that the Lord hath blessed, by placing his name, & word among them. Tyrus Purple, or Iericho's Palmes, or Sa∣mariahs kings, or Ninivehs buildings, continue not; Canker and Corruption hath vtterly consumed them, not a stone remaining on a stone, they are forsaken, be∣cause by them Religion is forsaken. Quinzay in the east, Mexico in the west, Millaine as it is, Antwerpe as it was, Paris in her late glory, Venice in her now beauty, can∣not continue, because Religion continueth not. The prime city of this land, the heart of the kingdome, and chamber of the king, hath beene often swept, her foū∣dation hath beene shaken, the multitude of her offen∣ces, hath consumed multitudes of her inhabitants, and that Nabuchadonosor, the plague hath kept visitation in her,* 1.77 Iuvenes{que} senibus coniungens, & gnatis patres fu∣nesta pestis, and why haue these ecclipses often hin∣dred

the sunshine of her Citizens, but for their neg∣lect of Religion. Wherfore my beloued, seeing that reli∣gion, this day maketh a proclamation vnto you, as wis∣dome in the Proverbs, entertain her, let her be the bra∣celet, tablet, frontlet, of each Christiā: whē the names of the great ones shall rot, their bodies rot on the earth,* 1.78 and their soules rot in Sheol, and their memories rot amōg the posterities, thy name to thy posterity, if thou be religious, shal be a happy patrimonie. David is more honoured in Scripture for being a Prophet thē a King, Solomon more regarded for being a preacher then a Prince, Job not honoured for his Camels, his sheepe,* 1.79 his oxen, his riches, but because he was a righteous man. A∣brahams religion and obedience, gat him the title of father of the faithfull: military men may remember the faith & religiō of the Centurion, honored not for his band or command, that he had power to bid one come and he came, another goe, & he went, but for his word, non sum dignus. Citizens and Townesmen may bee re∣membred by Symon the Tanner, Courtiers by the Eu∣nuch, women by Lydia, young men by Titus, servants by Onesimus, who ever thou art, thou art not left vn∣excusable, ô man, examples, precepts, blessings for the practise, curses for the neglect of religion, are offe∣red dayly to thy meditation. The praises of Religion should not only incite, but astonish thee, Kings her nur∣sing fathers, Queenes her nursing mothers; for louelines shee is a Roe, for fruitfulnesse a vine, for holynesse a priesthood, for brightnes the morning, for safetie moūt Syon, for Royaltie a Queene, for beautie the Sunne, for

priviledges, the godly and religious in themselues, they be blessed in the citie, blessed in the field, blessed in the fruit of the body,* 1.80 blessed in the fruit of the ground, in the fruit of the cattell, in the increase of the kine, & in the flocks of sheepe, blessed in the basket, and the store, blessed, when thy goe in, and when they goe out, and blessed in every thing they shall put to their hand. For their Family, and the preservation thereof, thou∣sands shall fal before him, tenne thousandes at his right hand, it shall not come nigh him, no evill shall come neere his dwelling. For his children, the seed of the righteous is blessed, I haue beene young, saith Da∣vid, and now am old,* 1.81 yet I never saw the righteous forsa∣ken or his seed begging their bread. Marke this yee Pa∣rents, yee, to whom, your children, be as deere as your liues, yee whose whole life is only for the continuance of your posterity, yee, whose long travels, troubled meales, short sleepes, great cares, nay great sinnes be only to maintaine your name and family, let Religion be the foundation, godlinesse the gaine, sanctitie the legacy you bequeath to your children, no moth shall corrupt it, no theefe shall steale it, no Pyonerlike advocate shal vnder∣mine it, your generatiō shal remain amōg the posterity. Let Religion, be the season of their childhood, the guar∣dian of their youth, and then it will be the guide of their age, the garland of their life, and their good Angel to glorie.

At alia est religio Iudaeorum, alia Samaritanorum, a∣lia Gentium,* 1.82 saith Chrysostome, Ierusalē had a temple, but Samaria a groue, Bethel an Idol, how is the true religion

to be knowne, men cry here is Christ, there is Christ. I answere first with Ieremy 6.16. stand vpon the waies, be hold and aske for the old way, that is the good way,* 1.83 walke therein, and yee shall finde rest for your soules. Per Scripturam etenim Deus loquitur omnia quae vult,* 1.84 saith Gregory: secondly avoide that way, which deviseth to keepe thee in ignorance, that is a godlesse religion, devout impiety; buy the truth, and sell it not, let only that, which scripture teacheth, evince thy conscience, convince thy vnderstanding.* 1.85 It was holy Augustines position, audi non quid Donatus, aut Vincentius, aut Ro∣gatus, aut Hilarius, sed quid dicit Dominus, be desirous to heare, carefull to proue, faithfull to retaine, that is truth: so thou shalt be blessed, if thou be thus, the religious man, that feareth the Lord.

At in Ierusalem Christus ipse à proditore proditus,* 1.86 why but there is no such priviledge to place, to time, to person, but there may be an ecclipse, and even the best sighted vnderstanding, may faile to finde by outwarde reason, the inward power of religion, for person the most sacred, the worlds Saviour was tempted, for place not only in the desert, but on the pinnacle of the Temple, for time not only when he fasted, but after the greatest feast, that ever he kept, for he was betrayed at the passe∣over. I deny not Beloved, but when that the children of God, came to present thēselues, before the Lord, Sathā also came to present himselfe; when the whole world, had but so many persons as it hath parts, but 4. there was a Cain, whē there were, after the flood but 8. there was a Cham, Lucifer among Angels, Iudas among Apo∣stles,

Nicolas among Deacons: I know that in Paradise a snake may lurke, and in Samaria, when the Church was established, Simon Magus appeareth, even in all ages, there wāted not a Demas, a Diotrephes, some agent for the Divell, to betray religion, some that sow with ming∣led seed, plough with an oxe and asse, weare garments of di∣vers stuffes, worship at Salem, and yet sacrifice at Shechē, who with blended, doubled, poisoned harts, do in these or the like holy places come with old scraps, as the Gibeo nites deceived with oldshooes, who being vngrounded in their first elements of learning, proue vnsoūd in Phi∣losophy, and rotten in Divinity, be ever learning, & ne∣ver come to the knowledge of the truth. If ever there were any such moates or mothes about the Candle of this place, I wish thē to consider the feareful story of those two false Prophets in the time of Ieremiah. Ha∣naniah and Shemaiah did both Prophecy to the people, neither of thē were takē for Baals prophets, yet both, saith the holy Ghost, did propehcy lyes, the iudge∣ment vpon Hananiah is Ier. 28.16. Thus saith the Lord, I will cast thee of, from the face of the earth, this yeare thou shalt die, because thou hast lied against the Lord. Against Shemaiah the iudgement is pronounced, Ier. 29.32. Thus saith the Lord, because Shemaiah hath prophecyed, and I sent him not, and he caused them to trust in a lie, I will pu∣nish Shemaiah and his seed, he shall not haue a man to dwell among this people for ever. Blessed be the Lord! that so harty & holy is the Iealousie of vs for Religiō, that now we may say inverting Gregories words, Tinea soni∣tum fecit damnum non fecit, though the mothe made

some sound, yet it left no soile, and is now silenced; we may say as Augustine discoursing vpon him, who in the time of Christs betraying fled naked, and left his linnen garment behinde him, certè hic non discipulus,* 1.87 sure this mā was nōe of the disciples, or as S. Iohn spake such were (as Bias spake of sailers, ne{que} inter vivos nec mortuos) with vs but not of vs, and such bastard Eagles dare not endure the sun-shine of scripture, no marvaile then, quia, saith Bernard, qui in vita perfidi,* 1.88 in doctrina infidi: false Israelites speaking Ashdod and hebrew, false Balamites that curse & blesse, false Ephramites bak'd on one side, dough on the other, false Greciās neither faith full to Achilles nor Hector, false Laodiceans neither hot nor cold. And again; Blessed be the name of our God, that as that honourable mother, and fruitfull twin our sister Cambridge, may reioice in the happy fruit of her wombe; so we in those many in all ages since Popery first engastered religion, who nobly haue resisted it, & haue nobly run all the sunnes course, with more light then the sunne, as Grosthead, Wickliffe, Bradwarden, Bur∣ley, Scotus, Occam, Iewell, Humfreys, Rainolds, Hooker, Hol∣land, our many worthies now among vs, & the sunne & moon of our present church gouernmēt those peer∣lesse vnparalleld Bishops. And the religion that this our Ierusalem, hath ever maintained, is that Religion, which not only Sleidan calleth Protestant,* 1.89 but even that reli∣gion, which S. Austin calleth Protestant religion; his words be plaine, ad Bonifacium Comitem, de coercendis haereticis, where he calleth the religion of his time by the name of ours, protestationem Catholicorum, the pro∣testant

religion of the Catholickes, which ought to bee as deere to vs, as ever Ierusalem, was to David. But, I haue kept you too long in Ierusalem, yet I was to fol∣low the commande, of the Prophet, walke about Syon, go round about her, tel the Towres thereof marke well her bullwarkes, consider her palaces, and tell it to them, that come after. I will now lead you out of Jerusalem, as the Angell did Ezechiel, and I will quickly measure out the rest that remaineth; else let my right hand forget her cunning.

[part. 3] I must not lead you through a library of interpre∣tations, whether Dextra be Christ, as Lyranus, or vita aeterna,* 1.90 as Carthusian, or opera virtutis as the glosse, or divinum auxilium as Mollerus, the summe of all is, the sense of all, all one, he wisheth knowledge and mercy to forsake him, if he forget Jerusalem. Jt was not a worde blowne from his lips & lungs, but his bowels did yearne, and his very inwards did yeeld, his soule sent out, with extraordinary vehemency, this holy and hearty impre∣cation. Innocentius,* 1.91 bringeth 7. notions of the inter∣pretation of the hand, pro filio dei, potentia, gratia, auxi∣lio, protectione, operatione, vindicta: The Opticks honour the eie, the Romaines the hand; it is the whole bodies a∣gent, it is the sensorium of the touch only, but the em∣bleme and resemblance of fiue severall senses and their faculties. Obliviscatur aextra; doth he wish himselfe to loose his right hand? vehementer certè se cōstringit, atro∣citer se obligavit, saith Austin on this Psal. The losse of the right vse of the right hand,* 1.92 whether yee take it for the losse of mercy as Acuanus, or the losse of protectiō,

as Albinus, or the losse of cunning, or skill, or know∣ledge, as Mollerus on this Psalme. Surely the losse of the right hād in a spiritual sense is a curse: the greatest curse, that David could wish his enemy is, that Sathan might stand at his right hand Psal. 109.6. And the grea∣test imprecation against himselfe is,* 1.93 that his right hande may forget her cunning. The divers gifts, that God hath bestowed vpon the sons of men, enabling them in know¦ledge to excell, bee to be esteemed, their author to bee acknowledged, their excellence to be admired, and their end to be imployed to the glory of the giuer, other∣wise men haue the right hand, and not the vse of the right hand. Hee that abuseth his knowledge, his right hand, like the hand of Ieroboam will wither, knowledge then flourisheth, when diligence planteth it, and grace watereth it, then God giveth the encrease. Of all the trees in Paradise, the most principall was the tree of knowledge, knowledge is the fiery pillar to lead vs through the wildernesse of our wills, it is the Manna of the worlds desert, the beacon in dāger, the Lamp in dark∣nesse. Cyprian complaineth ad Demetrium, Indies deficit in agris agricola, &c.* 1.94 There is a dayly defection of all knowledge, in the husbandman in the field, the marri∣ner at the sea, innocency in the Court, iustice in iudge∣ment, workmanship in trades, discipline in schooles. All these faile, and will vanish like smoke, & wither like the grasse, vntill they be directed to their true end & scope, the service of God, which maketh plaine this position, That, [Doct. 3] that knowledge, which is not imployed to Gods glory, is liable to a curse, and shall perish. There is a worme vn∣der

that Palme, a northwind shall blast it, it is like the spiders nest in Iob; it is a Meteor, a Cloud, an Ignis fatuus, a Cymbalum tinniens,* 1.95 a well without water, a curse, not a blessing to the possessions thereof, and shall con∣sume away as a moth fretting a garment, as the vn¦timely fruit of a woman, it shall never see the sunne. Ierusalem and Israel found this true,* 1.96 that angelicall and blessed harmonie of musicke, consecrated by David, e∣stablished by Solomon, continued till the deportation into Babylon, was lost in Babylon, never returned againe they hāged vp their harps, but never took thē downe, this imprecation fell vpon them, verè sic contigit, saith S^t Austin on this Psalme,* 1.97 quod optavit, praenunciavit, their right hand forgot her cunning, their harpes and Pipes, Lutes, Trumpets, Cymbals, their well tuned, lowd sounding Cymball, never returned againe, the voice of musicall reioycing was never heard again in their con∣gregations, & sie peribit omnis scientia quae cū à Deo pro∣cedit,* 1.98 ad Deum non recedit, saith Ambrose.

[Vse.] A Doctrine most fit for this place and time, & neere∣ly concerneth vs all, who by the mercy of God, and the blessing of our honourable mother the Vniversitie, at this time, how vnworthily our soules best know haue receaued encouragement, for our proceeding in knowledge, virtue, and godlinesse of living, how many or how few soever our talents be, that wee make the best of them for the good of the Church, and the glory of our God. It is ever obserued, that the children of darknes, are wiser in their generatiō, thē the childrē of light, I meane the Iesuites, who as if by some monopoly

or impropriation they had challenged, all learning and knowledge to themselues, are so earnest & forwarde in their studies, that they blind & besot the world with an estimatiō of them, as if the tree of knowledge grew only in their gardens: whereas the gleanings of Ephraim are farre better then the vintage of Abiezer, & the Iesuits themselues, are but the Collectors for the poore, and as if they made no conscience of that commandement, thou shalt not steale, they cunningly haue purloined whatso∣ever is good in them, out of our men. Jt is an ancient complaint that they had their Hebrew from Reuclin, Greeke from Budaeus, Latin from Erasmus, & that* 1.99 Vil∣lavincentius hath stolne a whole Tract from Hyperius, and printed it in his owne name. What is there, in the whole Bulke of voluminous Bellarmine, but that which he hath heaped vp out of Kemnitius, Calvin, Iewell? what hath Lorinus in his large, rather painefull, then faithfull, Commentaries, but what our hiues & helps for interpretation haue afforded him? What hath Cla∣vius in his Mathematicks, but that which Melancthou, or most of them, for their method but what Ramus hath delivered them? To vse Bonaventure his words in the preface Lōbard to, Compilatores sunt non authores: yet this I say their industry must edge ours, if, they doe the Divell and the Pope such diligent service, how dili∣gent should we be, to please our God. An illiterate opi∣nion, there is in some, not only to neglect, but condēne the vse of arts and sciences, I am sure our Prophet did it not, nor his sonne, who was so skilfull though a prea∣cher, that he wrote of all creatures, from the Cedar to

the Hissope on the wals. Worthy was that saying of Mi∣randula, si turpe sit bonas liter as colere, mallem agnoscere quàm deprecari culpā, If it be an opprobrious thing, to embrace good letters, I had rather acknowlege my fault, then aske pardon, for it. Jt is worthily observed by one of the glorious lights of our Church, that Moyses was learned in the wisdome of Egypt, Daniel skilfull in the knowledge of Chaldea, Iob not vnexpert in Astronomy, Ieremy skilfull in the common lawes of his time, David in musicke, Paul in Poetry, and in all the knowledge both of Iewes and Gentiles, & those holy Martyrs, & fathers, the great lights of the firmament, Cyprian, Austin, Hie∣rome, and the rest, haue come laden out of Egypt with the treasures, and spoiles of the Egyptians instructed for the better service of God with helpe of sciences and prophane learning: and therefore they are to be pitied rather then envied, qui suae patrocinantur ignorantiae, faith Erasmus,* 1.100 plus inscitiâ suâ fidunt & superbiunt quàm alij eruditione suâ, saith Bucer, rudes et degeneres sūt, saith Pomeranus, nay M^r Calvine is so absolute for this, as that his words vpon the 15. of the 1. Cor. are, Colligi∣mus hos esse superstitiosos.

Wherefore beloved, all you of the yonger sort, that are to be flowrishing plants, in particular societies, or are to be transplanted from this Eden of God, and to passe into the functions and Sanctions either of Church or Common weale; first stay at Ierusalem, til the spirit be sent you. The gift of tongues, was only given at Ierusa∣lem: it is morbus comitialis, that at our proceedings af∣ter the first or second degree some most rude, thinke

themselues most ripe, and forsake the Vniversity ne∣ver to returne againe. I say againe, so long as God, & friends & any meanes may be had, stay at Ierusalem till the spirit be sent you. When you go hence, take know∣ledge with you, exercise your talent, to the honour of your Master, that the retributiō may be, good & faith∣full servant, thou haste been faithfull in a little, I will make thee ruler over much. Otherwise, your right hand shal for∣get her cunning.

Honourable Lawyers, I giue you but that title, that your own glorious Emperour gaue you, how ever, the fat kine haue eaten vp the leane, and the law hath al∣most devoured your law: yet in your knowledge, which is more honoured in al parts of the Christian world, then is our owne land, let it be seene, that your knowledge and practise turn to the good, not the disgrace of the Church. Church & Churchmē, haue enimies more then friends. If a poore Prophet or Levite came before the Doctors of the law, among the Pharisees, the word was, Goe in peace: Jf ever you come to place of authority, and a poore Minister come before you, let him haue counte∣nance, far be it, that your learned lawes should be snares to good minds, or quirks for mercenary wits: lex et pro∣phetae, your Law and Prophets are ever ioined in Scrip∣ture, divide not, divorce them not, least your right hād forget her cunning.

Learned, and Honourable Physitians, I giue you that title, that the son of Sirach giveth, it is but Apocrhypha; direct your knowledge, the right hand of your know∣ledge, to the right vse; let praier go before, Religion bee

an ingredient in al your practise, let it not be observed as Innocētius once said, and yet in some places, though not here, yet in the great city of this land is frequently & lamentably to be found that dum corpus medici refici∣unt aegrotorum animas inficiunt, that while irreligious, Ephraimiticall, Hypocriticall, popish Physitians cure the body, by some Idolatrous dram, they infect the soules of their vnhappy rather them vnhealthy patients. Remem∣ber donum sanationis was given only to the Apostles practise with care, with knowledge, with conscience, lest your right hand forget her cunning.

My deere, and Reverend brethren in Divinity, you know what your Sauiour said, be yee not called Doctors for there is but one Doctor which is Christ, that is, Calvin and Iunius giving allowance to this interpreta∣tion, be not Pharisaicall Doctors, neither idle, nor idol Doctors, not factious, not ambitious, for otherwise, po∣suit Christus alios Doctores, alios Pastores, alios Prophets in Ecclesia, though the painted Pharisees of this age envy you this honorable degree. The contempt we are liable vnto is much, even by those whose fathers, saith Iob, I would not place with the dogs of the heard; Divini∣ty hath lōg been kept on foot, cogitur ire pede, yet bles∣sed be our God, since the first howre of reformation vn∣to this time,* 1.101 never were so many & so worthy sonnes of the Prophets many worthily, some honourably amōg vs descended and consecrated herevnto. Archippus looke to thy charge, watch, stand fast in the faith, pray, exhort, rebuke, with al power, with al authority. Preach in season and out of season, let no man despise yee. Ca∣ve

nedum vita tua mala nō sit per nequitiā,* 1.102 videarur ma∣la per negligentiam, Sit vestra cura nō nummorum sed a∣nimarū, saith Bern. seeke not so much the church goods as the churches good, lest your right hād forget her cūning.

All of you, Ho. Rever. blessed, & beloued brethrē, all of you that are come hither, to this great Comitial assem∣bly, that are come to this Ierusalem, as Ioseph and Mary to find Iesus in the midst of the Doctours, remember Ierusalem, Religion and knowledge, the mother and the daughter, nobile par, the Naomi and the Ruth, the blessed paire of Cherubins over the Mercy seat, let them both haue your best wishes, and partake of your best workes, in that yee doe any thing to these, yee doe it to Christ. All posterities, shall blesse the name of those, our wor∣thy present founders, whose workes be aspiring, & quo∣rū iam maenia surgunt. The blessing of Iuda, the blessing of Levi, the blessing of both testaments, of both lifes, shall be vpon them and their posteritie forever. Their names shall be honoured, their examples imitated, and their workes shall praise thē in the gates, and their right hand shall never forget her cunning. When wee shall all meet in the higher Ierusalem, in that great assembly of all Saints, we shall see these rewarded, with Palmes in their hands, and Crownes on their heads, let vs there∣fore, my beloued, covet these spiritual things, let vs do some service to Religion and truth here, that mercy and glory may crowne vs hence. Which that wee may ob∣taine, the Lord grant vs, all such measure of his spirit of his grace, that abounding here in faith and good workes, we may receaue the reward promised, Come yee

blessed of my father, receaue the kingdome provided from the beginning of the world.

To God the Father, God the Sonne, God the holy Spirit, be all praise, all Power, all honour, this day, and all the daies of our life in this place and all Congregations of his Saints for evermore. Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lyr. Carth Ahu¦lensi••, almost all the Fathers that interpret the Psalmes iudge this to be Davids.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 1.
• * 1.3

  Calv. in Ps. 13.
• * 1.4

  Calvin in 137.
• * 1.5

  Acuanus in Psal.
• * 1.6

  1. Part. Bon. in Psal. 119.
• * 1.7

  Bernard in Cant.
• * 1.8

  Spedi geneal. ante Biblia.
• * 1.9

  Bernard.
• * 1.10

  Chrysostom.
• * 1.11

  Bernard.
• * 1.12

  Iacob. Manasses. David. Esdr. Centurion. Paul. Iohn Bap.
• * 1.13

  Ierom.
• * 1.14

  Austin.
• * 1.15

  Tully. Amb.
• * 1.16

  Theoph.
• * 1.17

  Eern.
• * 1.18

  Th 1.2.
• * 1.19

  Bern.
• * 1.20

  Rhehoboam. 1 King 11.
• * 1.21

  Abiiam. 1. King. 15.4.
• * 1.22

  Iehoram. 2. Chr. 21.
• * 1.23

  Psal. 2. King 21.17.
• * 1.24

  2. King. 22.
• * 1.25

  2. King. 22.
• * 1.26

  2. King. 1.
• * 1.27

  2. Chr. 22.
• * 1.28

  Lamprid.
• * 1.29

  2. King. 10.
• * 1.30

  Psal.
• * 1.31

  2. King. 10.11. Psal. 10.11.
• * 1.32

  Philo.
• * 1.33

  1. Doctrine.
• * 1.34

  Seneca.
• * 1.35

  Tully.
• * 1.36

  Psal.
• * 1.37

  Bern. ep.
• * 1.38

  Ion. 2.
• * 1.39

  Acuanus in Ps.
• * 1.40

  Ps. 22.
• * 1.41

  Iob. 3.
• * 1.42

  Erasm.
• * 1.43

  Psal.
• * 1.44

  Hier.
• * 1.45

  Psal.
• * 1.46

  Villalpand. in Ezekiel.
• * 1.47

  Gen. 33.18.
• * 1.48

  Let, in Psal.
• * 1.49

  1. King. 14. 2. King. 4. 2. King. 18. 2. King. 19. 2 Chr. 33.11. 2. King. 24.
• * 1.50

  Epiphanius a∣pud Kemnitium de Traditio.
• * 1.51

  Lam. 1.
• * 1.52

  Ier. 14.17.
• * 1.53

  Amos. 5.2.
• * 1.54

  Acuanus.
• * 1.55

  Mat. 23.
• * 1.56

  Ratisbonens. de Pass. Dom.
• * 1.57

  Act. 1.4.
• * 1.58

  Oecum. Theod. in Act Apost.
• * 1.59

  Esay. 1.
• * 1.60

  Chrys. in Act. 1.
• * 1.61

  Oecumen. in Act 1.
• * 1.62

  Es. 2 3.
• * 1.63

  Livy.
• * 1.64

  Comp Ierusal. cum Ecclesia ex quam plurimis Rabbinis.
• * 1.65

  Alt ensteg. di∣ction.
• * 1.66

  2. Doct,
• * 1.67

  Plutarch.
• * 1.68

  Chrys. in. Act.
• * 1.69

  Heb. 10.38.
• * 1.70

  Mic. 5.25.
• * 1.71

  Gen. 12.8.
• * 1.72

  Gen. 26.24.
• * 1.73

  Gen. 28.20.
• * 1.74

  Gen 35.15. 1. Sam. 16.
• * 1.75

  Villal. in Ezek.
• * 1.76

  Iosephus.
• * 1.77

  Senec. Trag.
• * 1.78

  Pro. 1.
• * 1.79

  Iob 1.
• * 1.80

  Deut. 28.
• * 1.81

  Ps. 37.
• * 1.82

  Chrysost.
• * 1.83

  Ierem. 6.16.
• * 1.84

  Greg.
• * 1.85

  Aug. cont. Dona
• * 1.86

  Bosq. de Tempt
• * 1.87

  Diog. Laert. in vit. Biantis.
• * 1.88

  Bernard.
• * 1.89

  Sleid. Com. Augad Bon. com. ep. 50.
• * 1.90

  Lyra, Carth. Moler. in Psal.
• * 1.91

  Lor. in Ps.
• * 1.92

  Aust. in Ps. 117.
• * 1.93

  Ps. 109.
• * 1.94

  Cyp. ad Demet.
• * 1.95

  Iob. 9. 1. Cor. 15.
• * 1.96

  1. King. 10.
• * 1.97

  Aug. in Ps. 137.
• * 1.98

  Ambros. Ep.
• * 1.99

  As hath beene proved by bles∣sed D. Rainolds, Keckerman, and others.
• * 1.100

  Erasm. scholia in Ier. ad Pam. Bucer. Aemil. Prob. loc. 151. Pomer. in 1. ad Cor. 2. Cal in 1. Cor. 15
• * 1.101

  Aboue 40 sons of anciently de∣scended knights students in di∣vinitie, & most of them already ministers now in Oxford.
• * 1.102

  Austin.