I Feare to speake of Iudgement, it made Foelix tremble, or of Mercie, for then the Wicked will not trem­ble, I cannot speake of Pietie, for Pietie is sicke, nor of Faith, for Faith is dead, nor of Works, for Works are buried: Not of Deuotion it is become Ostentation, nor of Religion, it is made a vaine Speculation, nor of Prayer, for Prayer is contemned, nor of Almes for [Page] Almes are neglected, nor of Fasting for Fasts are ba­nished, nor of Charitie for Charitie is Out lawed, Hope is become a vaine presuming, Holinesse Hypo­crisie, zeale furie: The Common-wea [...]th oppressions, safetie vertues depriuation, hospitalitie depopu­lation: The Church Symonies possession, Schismes diuision Atheists expectation: This World a wil­dernes, a drie, heathy, thornie, bare, barren wilder­nesse, wherein Sathan the Serpent, Sinne the Satyre, Wrath the Lyon, Lust the Leopard, Zi [...]m and I [...]m, the Ostrich and the Scritch-owle and the Vulture doe in­habite, wherin Vertue is an exile, Conscience a Hermit, Honestie a Stranger, Trueth a Prisoner, a wild wilder­nesse wherein all things are most miserable: The Wayes rough and crooked, the Wealth base, the Pleasures false, the Hopes vaine, the Promises lies, the Delight light, the Glorie short, the Sta [...]e a banishment and a Dungeon of condemned Persons, scrawling about the Globe of the Earth, the Theater of their miserie and mortalitie. In a word ALL THINGS are in such confusion, by reason of the Catechlisme and inundation of sinne, that if euer euen now, we may take vp the speech of Esay vnto God. O that thou wouldest breake the heauens and come downe, either in Merci: to pardon, or in Iudgement to punish the sinnes of the people.

In the Lyon there was sweetnesse and strength, In the Cherubims the face of a Lyon and the face of a man, Iud. 13. with God there is aureum and aereum scepirum. Eze. 1. And hee hath sent downe a Commission from the Kings-bench of his iudgement, Austen. and another from [Page]the Chancerie of his Mercie, his fountaine hath sent forth sweete and bitter water, his mouth cursing, and blessing: It is the speech of Dauid in his 32. Psalme, that ioyneth both these together, Many plagues are prouided for the vngodly, but he that putteth his trust in the Lord, Mercie shall compasse him on eue­ry side. Behold in that one verse, Oliues and Prickles vpon one tree, punishment and pardon in one breath, life and death in one word, Gerezim and Eball in one place, winter and somer in one day, the fall and spring in one season, Mercerus. the red Ensig [...]e of the wrath of God, and the red Ensigne of the blood of Christ, an armie of miseries, sorrowes, punishments, angui­shes, and an army of comforts, promises, hopes, mer­cies, deliuerances; not so many dartes on the one side, but so many sheeldes on the other, Iu­stice not such indignation, but mercy hath as much compassion, if plagues compasse, yet mercy shal neerer compasse, if there be bitter waters of Ma­rah, there is sweet wood cast in, to season it; if a red sea, yet Moses rod to diuide it; if the Cananites pur­sue Israel, yet a Ioshua to defend it.

There was mercy and iudgement together, and yet not together, in one verse but not in one place, there was a distance betweene them, as betweene Diues and Lazarus; but in the Text, I haue read vnto you, there is both, in one place, person, action. Transient in God, Immanent in Paul, iudgement so sweetened, mercy so edged, that sweet and sowre, life and death, loue and feare, alluring and terrify­ing, neuer came neerer together, then in this Text, [Page] Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

For if euer mercy and iudgement met together, here may yee behold iudicium misericordiae, misericor­diam iudicij, August. in Psal. the iudgement of mercy, and the mer­cy of iudgement, a voyce and a stroke, the one stri­king downe to the earth, and the other lifting vp to the heauen, a light shining from heauen, and a light shining to direct him to heauen, a light shi­ning to him that was in darkenesse, and in the sha­dow of death, to bring him from the snare of darke­nesse to the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God: hee that was the way met him in the way, he that was the light met him with a light, he that was the word, mette him with the voyce of the word, Saul, Psal. 29, 3. Saul, why persecutest thou me? It was a voyce indeed, it was the voyce of the Lord, mighty in operation, the voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce, the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars, yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Libanus, The voice of the Lord shaketh the wildernesse, yea the wildernesse of Cadesh. It was that voyce that made Ionas Mariners to shake, Foelix to feare, Herod to tremble, and the Diuels to roare, It was the voyce that strake the Souldiers with ama­sednesse, Elimas the Sorcerer with blindnesse, Za­charias with dumbnesse, Ananias and Saphira with deadnesse, Iob. 31. and of this voice Iohs Epiphonema and ac­clamation serueth, Quis poterit tonitruum magnitu­dinis illius intueri? who can vnderstand the feareful­nesse o [...] his power, or heare the voyce of his thun­der? The walles in Ierito could not stand, the C [...] ­da [...] in L [...]banus could not but shake, he wildernes in [Page] Cadesh could not but tremble, the Army at Mount Oliuet could not but fall, the Auditory of S. Peter at Ierusalem neere stabde to the heart with this voyce, and then how shall Paul a weake, single, simple, abortiue birth, but feare and tremble, and becom terrified, amased, & astonished at the Eccho of this voyce? O It was a powerfull voyce, the voyce that Iosephus speaketh of, crying, vox ab O­riente, Joseph. de bel. Judai. vox ab Occidente, a voyce from the East, a voyce from the West, a voyce from the foure winds; it was no more powerfull then this voyce, and yet the voyce not so powerfull as mercifull, it is vox suauiter fortis, fortiter suauis. S. Chrysostom ob­serueth, Chrysost. in Act. that they that came to betray Christ in the conuoy of Iudas, and were stroken to the earth with Christ his words, were now in the company of Paul, when Paul was stroken to the earth by the words of Christ. If it were so, the miracle was the greater, and their sin the greater; but as my Sauior, so my Text singleth out none but Saul, and stri­keth Saul to the earth, it was the heauiest fall, and yet the happiest fall that euer any had; it was his fall and his rising, his funerall and his resurrection, his buriall and his birth, his killing and quickning.

I diuide the little body of this my Text into the forme and matter thereof. Diuision. The forme an Interro­gation, the matter Saules violence in persecution. In the forme obserue first a question, Secondy, an Ingemination. In the matter, obserue first, Soul per­secuting, Secondly, Christ persecuted. Thus be these wordes diuided, that diuided the soule and the [Page]spirit, and the ioynts and the marrow of Saul, and of these in their order, first of the question.

The Lord that in Deuteronomy is a Phisitian: in Iob a Bonesetter: Deu 32.39. Iob. 16.11 Esay. 5.1. Ioh. 15.1 Luk 2.46. Mat 8.25. Mat. 2.30 Exod. 15.3. In Esay a Vine-dresser: in Iohn a husbandman: in Luke a moderator, among the Doctors: in Mathew a Pilot amidst the Flouds: in Marke a Law-giuer among the Lawyers: in Exo­dus a man of warre among the Armies. Hee is here a Iustice to apprehend & an Examiner to questionize with Saul: Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me? He was in Esay, a Prince of Peace, and here is a Iustice of Peace, though he was somtimes put out of the Com­mission of Peace to worke our Peace.

The Lord might without any expostulating haue powred downe vengeance vpon him, and so he had neuer come to his answere, hee might haue turned him into hell with all the people that forget God: he might haue summoned out some punishment or other to haue serued the execution of wrath against Saul, Psal. 11. his arme is not shortened, hee had his great­ter armies and his lesser armies, Ioel. 1. hee might haue sent out the least of his great ones, or a great army of his least, hee might haue sent the fire he vsed against the Sodomites, or the Sunne with which he fought a­gainst the Ammonites, or the starres wherewith he plagued the Cananites, or the sea wherewith hee drowned the Aegyptians, or the earth wherewith he swallowed the Murmurers, or the Beares wherwith he deuoured the mockers, but he taketh another Course, he sendeth out no Out-lawrie before Saul come to his answere, no castigation, nay no [Page]expostulation, but a milde and mercifull speach. I should haue expected burning coales from his lippes, coales of fire from his nostrils, vials of wrath the furious seruants and serieants of indig­nation, against such a rampant rauening wolfe, a mercilesse Tyger, an insatiat Tyrant, spirans mi­narum & caedis, [...], 1. Tim. 1. Chrysost. breathing out threat­nings & shughter, nay a murtherer, oppressor, blasphe­mer, as hee confesseth himselfe. Yet [...], in Correction Moderation, in Reproofe Com­passion.

The Doctrine, that the Lord is slow to anger, and in his indignation ready to show compassion, Doctrine. when the Lord in Micah had called a congregation of the Mountaines to heare his quarrell, as in Esay a conuocation of heauen and earth, men and Angels to be witnesse against his people, Mich. 6. yet heare what his speech was, O my people what haue I done vnto thee, or wherin haue I grieued thee, Esay. 1. testifie against me: no threatning, no cursing, no fire or brim­stone, storme or tempest, O popule mi, quid fecitibi? When his Prophet Ionas had fled from his presence, and rebelled against him not onely in flying, but in murmuring, and fuming, fretting in a querulous, contumacious, & contumelious con­testing with God. God relpyeth onely this; Doest thou well to bee angry. Hee raged that God would not destroy Niniuie, a great and glo­rious, spatious, populous City, the Lady of the East, Queene of the Nations, Metrop [...]lis of Ass [...]ria, beauty of the world, that had so many 10000. no­ble, [Page]rich, honourable inhabitants, besides In­fants and Innocents, and Ionas to bee angry to the death, that Niniuie was not destroyed, and after­wards that a Guord, Ion. 4.9. a weake▪ creeping, sprowting, fading, guorde of no conti [...]nce, springing in one night, dying in the other, and yet that Ionas againe is angry with God, very angry euen to the death, for the death of this Guord, and Gods re­ply vnto him is onely this, Ionas doest thou well to bee angry? Saul heere that had his hand in so many murthers, in so many bloody, tragicall, barba­rous executions, against whome the bloud of the Martyrs cryed for vengeance, yet God merciful­ly, and fauourably, in as kind, and as familiar sort, with as much indulgence, as if the Spirit of Eli, or the soft voyce in Elias had spoken, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? If Iohn Baptist speake to the Pha­risies, he cryeth out, O generation of vipers. If Peter to Ananias and Saphira, why hath Sathan filled thy heart to lie, Mat. 3.3. Acts. 5.10. Acts. 13.10. why haue yee agreed to tempt the spirite of God, he striketh them dead. If Paul to Elimas the Sorcerer, O thou full of all subtlety and mischiefe, the child of the Deuill, Acts. 7.5. and enemy of righteousnesse. If Stephen to the Iewes, O yee of stiffe necked hearts and eares. Nay seruants with their fellow seruantes, Brethren with their Brethren, that had the same Commission and profession, tyed by all the bonds of nature and grace, yet in their writings and speeches, there haue been bitter inuectiues, conte­stings and withstandings to the face, Paul and Bar­nabas, Cyprian and Cornelius, Origen and African, [Page]Chrysostome and Theophilus, Ruffinns and Ierome, Ie­rome and Austine, Austine and Symplician, Frosper and Hilary, Gregory and Eutichus, who haue almost all fought as fiercely with their pennes, as euer Caesar and Pompey did with their swordes. But behold the Creator of all things, whose throne is hea­uen, whose footestoole is the earth, who hath his garisons of Angels in the heauen, of starres in the firmament, of stormes in the winde, of mil-dew in the ayre, of Dragons in the deepe, of all crea­tures in the world; he receiueth him friendly and fa­uourably, euen as a Master that had caught his run­nagate seruant, and hauing him fast, thus (sayth S. Chrys [...]stome) bespeaketh him; Chrysost. in Act. Quid tibi v [...]s faciam nunc, ecce venisti sub manus meas, quo reeidit furor tu­us insania, zelus intempestinus, vbi vincula? &c. Now I haue apprehended thee, whatsoeuer thou wilt I will doe to thee: whether hath thy madnesse tended, thy fury, thy vnseasonable, vnreasonable zeale, where be thy bonds or stripes or imprison­ment, Crimen obijcit non tam arguendo, Locinus in Act. quam de­fendendo: hee obiecteth his fault, not so much re­prouing Saul as defending himselfe, as hee did in Iohn to the Iewes, Many good workes haue I shewed you from my father, Iohn. for which of them doe yee stone mee! So that Christ here his Mollis interrogat [...]o tollit iram, his sweet, soft, heauenlie interrogation sheweth, how farre hee was from indignation. Blessed and thrice blessed bee his name for euer and euer.

The vse of this Doctrine, Vse. that we bee like vnto [Page]our Lord and Master, euen in our reproofes and exprobrations to mitigate our anger and furie and feruour. The Philosopher in his Ethickes, con­fineth and limiteth the Sea of anger to his bounds. Ethic. lib. 4. Why against whome, how, when, and how farre it may proceed: and surely, Christians may learne that lesson to obserue the cause wherefore, the persons with whome, the season when, the manner how, and the end of the Tearme, how farre it may passe, and how long endure. The greatest thing in that incomprehensible goodnes, that we vespertilionum oculis, Aristotle. with our Wants eyes can behold is his mercy, his iustice exceedeth his works, his mercy exceedeth both; hee is slow to anger, and he kee­peth not his anger for euer. O then, if the natu­rall edge of anger be whetted and sharpened on thy stony heart, to wound those thou art angry with; Remember to be slow vnto anger, to be short in thy anger, to be milde in thy anger, re­member how farre this sword may be vnshea­thed.

I know there is a time to hate, and a time to loue, a time of peace, and a time of warre, a time wherein Clergie and Laitie that bee in office may whet their tongues like rasors, their salt must bee quicke, their voyce pearcing, their sound powerful; yet in all these kindes, Subesse debet iracundia non praess [...], as Gregory counselleth, let anger rather at­tend your reprehension, Greg. in Iob. Angustaa Psal. then commaund it; Non vt dominando praeueniat, sed vt simulando subsequatur: so that it beare not a fury by going before, but a [Page]shew in comming after, and continue not in an o­dious, tedious passion and perturbation of anger: as thy anger must not be vnaduisedly, not vniustly, so neither rashly nor perpetually. Anger is defined to be furor breuis, if it be furor, let it be breuis also, of Pompey it is obserued, dies natalis fatalis, the day of his death, was on the day of his birth, Polychr. and of Io­nahs Guord, that it came vp in a night, and withe­red in a night; and of Plinies [...], borne in the rising, dyes in the setting of the sunne, and the Toad-stoole, oritur moritur, Plin. growes in a night and dyes in a night: so let anger perish, consume and consummate it selfe in a day, sufficit dei malitta, the day hath enough for his owne malice, sayeth the Prophet; nay, a day is too much, let it continue but a night, let it bee like the vntimely fruite of a wo­man, let it perish ere euer it see the Sunne, sayeth Dauid; nay, a night is too much, sufficit ad trom v­na vel altera hora, an howre or two is enough for anger sayeth Chrysostome; nay, an howre is too much; Chrysost. in Mat. be no longer angry then thou mayest say ouer the Greeke Alphabet, sayeth the Heathen Philoso­pher; nay, that is too much, sayeth the Diuine, if thy violent, vsurper Anger will holde the crowne of reason, and manage the kingdome of vnderstan­ding, let it bee but for a moment, for the anger of God endureth but the twinckling of an eye, sayeth Scripture: Let not the Sunne that glorions eye of the world, be as of thy wrath a faithfull witnes in heauen, so not of thy vengeance the swift witnes in hell: and when thou art angry, be angry, but sinne [Page]not, Leo Ep [...]st. let it be cum animo medentis, non santentis, as Leo speaketh, not with the mind of a persecutor, but of a helper: speake thou vnto thine enemy mildly without choler, moderately without fer­uour, as thy Maister heere did, Saul, Saul, why per­secutest thou me?

Saul, Saul, the ingemination, Nomen bis tinctum sanguine, Austine. a name againe and againe dyed deepe inough in bloud, once in the olde, and once in the new Testament repeated, both of the Tribe of Beniamin, both Tyrants. It was a gracious fa­uor of the Lord to vouchsafe to question with him, but to call him by his name, Be [...]. Lorinan Act. 9. and to ingeminate that name, Hoc indicat affectum commiserationis, it was a signe of his great affection and commiseration. When he was saluted by Iudas with a kisse, he v­seth no other word then this, Iudas betrayest thou the sonne of man with a kisse? Why Iudas? thou one of my friendes and followers, but twelue and one a Deuill, one of my owne trees to bee so blasted, of my owne foundations to be so vndermined, of my owne, that had professed to forsake all to follow me, and now none of all the world else to betray mee, who vowed to follow to their losing of life, & now to follow and pursue, and entrappe, and betray my life? Iudas thou to betray me, what, and to betray mee with a kisse, the signe of perfect amity, and the seale of loue, and dost thou seale thy treason with a kisse? Iudas my Apostle, my friend Iudas, as Luke cal­leth him; Doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse? It was a signe of his great affection, in spea­king [Page]to Martha, who was more busie to prouide for his body then for her owne soule, Martha, Mar­tha, thou art troubled about many things: but a grea­ter signe of his affection, Luke 22.31. when hee behelde Peter weake, wrackt, weather-beaten, leaking, sinking Peter: hee doubleth his speech, Simon, Simon, be­hold Sathan hath sought to winnow thee.

How mercifully dealt he with Peter, who when hee was miraculously called from among Fisher­men, to bee a Fisher of men: yet fell most feare­fully, and notwithstanding all his fainting and fal­ling, yet hee was restored and receyued: his story is an Ocean of mercy; you shall find him somtimes doubting, sometimes sinking, sometimes distru­sting, sometimes denying, so peremptorily, and so blasphemously, as if hee had beene reprobate. Nay, in the greatest misteries of our saluation, Pe­ter was possessed with a dead, dull, heauy, drowsie sleepe. Looke vpon him in the transfiguration, Luke 9.32. Peter was a sleepe. Looke vpon him in Christes Prayer, Peter was a sleepe. Mat. 26.39▪ Looke vpon him in the very howre of the power of darkenes, when Christ was to be betrayed, Peter was a sleepe. Mar. [...]3.34. In the Persecution of the Church, when earnest prayer was made by all the Church for Peter, Acts. 12.6. euen then also Peter was a sleepe: And yet after all these slips and sleepes, and falls, and faults, Peter is receyued to be Angelus terrestris, Coelestis homo, Magister Gen­tium, Forma Martyrum, Formido Daemonum, Aug. de Temp. In­dultor criminum, Fons virtutum, &c. as Austen speaketh, and to be, though not Primas, yet Primus Apostolorum.

but of all other that ingeminated Lamentation of his, euen Ierusalem, O Ierusalem, Ierusalem which killest Prophets, and stonest them that are sent vnto thee, how often would I haue gathered thy children together, Luk. 22.31. as the henne gathereth her chickens, vnder her wings, & thou woulast not. The passionate compassion that our Sauiour had ouer these, Mat. 23.27. and so ouer all his, is so in­finite, that no dimension in Arte, no affection in nature, no proportion in the Creature can expresse it. O height of heauen, depth of hell, bredth of the world, distance of the Poles, loue of friends, fathers, mothers, nurses, they are but shadowes and sem­blances, kennings, not skannings of his fauour, his mercies cannot be sufficiently descried or descri­bed; they be the heads of Nilus, riuers of Paradise, springs of Lebanon, fountaines of Hermon, streams of Sion, Iordan that maketh glad the City of God. They be the Charter of heauen, couenant of grace, assurance of glory, musicke to the eares, splendor to the eye, odour to the smell, dainties for the taste, pleasures for the sense, and solace for the soule: Mi­sericordia Christi germinat, & ingeminat, he giueth grace liberally, multiplieth his grace giuen, con­seruing his grace multiplyed, rewarding his grace conserued.

Out of this doubling and reiterating of the name, Doctrine. I obserue this doctrine, that the Lord doth so much desire the repenting of a sinner, that hee will vouch safe his seruants that fauour as to double his call, and not at the first to proceed in iudgement against loi­tering [Page]and lingering conuerts: Expectat torpentes, inui [...]at repugnantes, he expecteth them that linger, Austen. inuiteth them that repugne, stirreth them that loiter. He calleth Saul 2. Samuel 3. his Spouse, 4. Sodome shall haue some dayes, 2. Sam. 3.4. Niniuie shall haue fortie dayes, Ierusalem forty yeares, There was a time when he did not call once, nay, for sinning once, he punished for euer, he thrust the Angels out of hea­uen for one sinne, expelled Adam Paradise for one Apple, stoned Achan for one wedge, plagued Ge­hezi for one bribe, Ananias for one dissembling, Corah for one rebelling: & yet since to moue vs to repentance, hath borne with sinners yeares and yeares after a thousand falls of weakenesse and wil­fulnesse in thought, in word, in deed: Euery thing in God is worthily to bee admired, and wondered at, but his mercy is to be embraced with amased­nesse, that he is merciful in so rich, so deepe, so long, so broade, so vnmeasurable a measure, in so great, so mighty, manifold, miraculous maner. Hilary on the 144. Psalme, hath a sweet saying to this purpose, Hoc magnum est, hoc mirum, Hilary in 144. Psal. this is an especiall thing in God, this is mightily to bee wondred at in that mighty one, not that hee made heauen, because hee is powerfull, nor that hee setled the earth, because he is strength, nor that he distinguished the yeare by starres, because hee is wise, not that he gaue man a soule because he is life, not that he moueth the sea by ebbing and flowing, because he is a Spirite, but that he should be so mercifull, who is so iust, that he should so familiarly deale with vs, who is a God; [Page] Hoc mirum, Hilary. 144. Ps hoc magnum, and all this onely to draw vs to repentance.

The vse of this, to moue you to conuersion, by the mercifull compassion of the Lord: In the ma­nifold care hee hath of carelesse man, Vse. hee hath drawne him out a way to walke: This is the way, walke in it, and least the way should seeme darke and hard to be found, hee hath giuen him a lan­thorne, and least he should faint in the way, he hath placed a brooke in the way to refresh him, that he may drinke of the brooke in the way: This way is Conuersion, Bernard. which though it be via anfractuosa, is not via infructuosa, though a hard, rough, crag­gie way, yet is it not an incommodious or a fruit­lesse way, but the vertues thereof are eternall life: the world misconceiuing this way, they vtterly refuse it, they like not the pace, because they must runne, they like not the race because it is long, they like not the passage because it is strait, they like not the entrance because it is narrow, they like not to clime, they feare the hill, they like not to sayle, they feare the sea, the way hard, the race long, the race running, the passage straight, the dore narrow, the sea perilous, the hill promontorious; alas, they cannot endure it: and so they tire or re­tire with the thought of feare. Hereby they loose the life of Saints, and foreslow that holy conuersi­on and conuersation of the seruants of the Lord. O my beloued, seeing the Lord is slow to anger, and of great mercy, draw neere to him by a true, hearty, speedy conuersion. It is a speciall gift of God, [Page]salue of sinnes, hauen of sinners, ioy of Angels, ter­ror of Diuels, the new creation of the Soule, the new life of the Saints, a consumption, yet not sickenesse, a mortification, and yet no death, a com­punction, A Enigma Diumum. yet scarsly sorrow, a killing and yet a quickning, a Crucifying, and yet a Reuiuing: It is an A Enigma, wherin when we are borne, wee are buried, and when wee are quickned, Hugo de Victor. wee are killed, and when we are mortified, wee are raysed, and when our old man is consumed, our new life is consummated. O that yee were all sicke of this Consumption, that Prayer might bee your Phy­sicke, your Dyet might be fasting. Compunction your blood letting, your potion the teares of sor­rowing, faith your handmaid watching, and good workes the signes of your recouering. If yee were sicke of this Consumption, it would be the means to bring health to your bodies, happinesse to your Soules, length to your liues, life to your dayes, for euermore it would be a meanes, you would liue more religiously, loue the Lord more sincerely, serue him more obediently, tender his glory more deere­ly, heare his word more carefully, practise it more conscionably, pray more deuoutely, beleeue more faithfully, professe more fruitfully, which the Lord in mercy increase for euer in vs; and so I come to my second generall part, and therein first of the Person persecuting.

Saul, And here first of all, 2. Part. if ye Cate­chise Saul with what is thy name, or discharge such a peale of Gunne-shot vpon him, as the [Page]Mariners did vpon Ionas, Ionas [...]. what art thou? whence camest thou? what is thy name?, thy people, thy trade? You shall receiue answere out of his own words, hee is an Hebrew of the Hebrewes, an Israe­lite of the Israelites, of the seed of Abraham, of the Tribe of Bentamin, by birth a Iew. by Priuiledge a Romane, by sect a Pharisie, by zeale a Persecu­tor, his personall aduantages, prerogatiues, digniti­es, excellencies of profession, aemulation, conuer­sation, wonderfull! none euer had greater endow­ments and blessings of Nature then Saul. It is a worthy obseruation vpon that comitiall exercise had betweene Stephen and his Aduersaries, Sigonius. Lorin. in 7. Act. that there were some of all the world Opponents and Opposites in that Disputation and Persecution of Stephen, out of Europe Romanes, out of Affricke Alexandrians, out of Asia Cilicians, and of all these out of all the parts of the world, that were then knowne, and out of all those Nations reckoned, there was none, Acts. 2.3. more violent for strength, more virulent for sting, more zealous in profession, more powerfull in prosecution, more Tragicall and ty­ranicall in execution then Saul, he wasted the Church, dispersed the Disciples, destroyed the chri­stians, magna insania imo vesania saieth Chrysostome, quod & in domos ingrediebatur, Chrysost. & quod nec mulieribus parcebat: Hee followed Christians not onely from the Synagogue into the streetes, but from the streetes, into the houses, their owne houses, & violently, inhumanely drew out euen the women vnto their death. Hee was a Saul indeed, nay a [Page] Sheol, a very Hell, Lombard. as Peter Lombard out of the Nature of the Originall obserueth, or Shaul as others obserue, Lorin. in 9. Act. Excitatus a Demone ad per­sequendum Ecclesiam, stirred vp by the Deuill to persecute the Church. He was a Wolfe among the Lambes, a Beare among the Saintes, a Lion ramping and roaring for his pray, nay, put toge­ther the wilines of a Fox, strength of a Lyon, sting of a Serpent, Saenity of a Wolfe, the Sauadge madnesse of Beares, Boares, Leopards, Tygers, Crocodiles (for by all these in Scripture the wicked are described) they were all in Saul; his ZEALE had fiered him, and therefore he sayth of himselfe, by zeale I persecuted the church of God, so that Christ speaking to him now, & crying, Saul, Saul, meaneth, zeale, Zeale, why persecutest thou me? Is it possible that a sweete grape should bee so sowre? that poyson should in­fe & such a fountaine of life? that such an endow­ment should deserue such a punishment? such a blessing proue such a curse, the heate of the spirit, should be as hel fire? The glorious lustrous splendor of the Sun should be Cymerian Egyptian darkenesse, and make a man a dogge, a Christian a Deuill? It is, it is, behold one for example for all, Saul his spurre of zeale, proued a sting a piercing, poysoning, enuenoming assacinating sting, by zeale hee per­secuted the Church of God. I am sure true zeale is the true seale of the holy Ghost, it is the Leaxen that leaueneth the whole lumpe; it is the graine of Mustardseed, the sparke of fire, the fire of the Tem­ple, the measure of the Tabernacle, the Cubit of [Page]the Sanctuarie the beacon of Mount Sion, and yet zeale hath markt Saul a persecutor, oppressor, ma­ligner, blasphemer of God & his Gospell. I know the Kingdome of Heauen must suffer violence; Iacob obtained by wresling, Dauid by running, Paul by endeauoring, the Wise Virgins by watch­ing, Austen. the good seruants by working, vis intrare in reg­nū coelorum, wilt thou enter into Heauen? violentus esto, be violent (sayeth Austen) nay, sayth Christ the King of Heauen suffereth violence: But yet not a more hasty then warie violence, for as S. Ber­nard speaketh, Et feruor discretionem erigat, & discretio feruorem dirigat, zeale must stir vp discreti­on, Berna d. discretion must direct zeale. As the hope of a Christian, so the zeale of a Christian, is as Susan­na betweene two Adulterers, as Vertue between two extreames, as In ocency betweene two Ti­rants, Hercules betweene two Serpents, the graine betweene two Milstones: blind Ignorance on the one side, proud Insolence on the other side, a blind zeale, a proud zeale, the one superstitious, the other supercilious. The zeale of a Christian must be as Christ was before hee came from heauen, hee was in the midst of Angels, in the Cratch, hee was in the midst of creatures. In the temple, in the midst of the Doctors. In the transfiguration, in the midst of the Prophetes and Apostles. In the Crosse, in the midst of the theeues. In the resurrection, in the midst of his Disciples, In the comming to iudgement, in the midst of the elect and reprobate Lambes, on the one hand, Goates on the other, [Page] semper in medio, quia medium, semper medium, qui a mediator: Non in omnibus quadrat similitudo, Bernard. as Au­sten spake in the like, August. con Don. but let zeale euer goe in the middest, saile in the middest, passe in the mid­dest; let diligence raise vp negligence, be not cold, let moderation rule the passion, be not to hote, not bewitcht with fiery fury, as Saul was, as that Sauls zeale should persecute Christ.

The Doctrine hence is, Doctrine. that euery Christian let moderation gouerne the sterne of his violent o­pinion, or else his zeale is abhominable before God; the Prayer of the reprobate is abhominable, the Faith of the Hipocrite is abhominable, the zeale of the fiery obstinate is abhominable. In the Law they must bring no sacrifice without salt: zeale is that salt, they must bring no sacrifice without an eye, discretion is that eye: no vnseasoned sacrifice, no seruice without zeale, no blind sacrifice, no zeale without discretion. Rom. 12. The Apostle Paul direc­teth to Wisedome, Be wise, there is the Spurre, zeale: but according to Sobriety, there is the bri­dle, discretion. The Disciples were commended for their duety in following Christ. There is zeale, but they were condemned for their zeale when they prayed for vengeance, there wanted discretion. The Iewes were commaunded to gather Manna, there is a portion of zeale, but neither too much nor too little, there is the proportion of discretion. The holy Ghost descended with fire: there is zeale, but with a wind also that cooleth fire, there is discretion, Let zeale bee like to Moyses and [Page] Phineas, Ambrose. Moses for mildnesse, Phineas for feruen­cie, there is a Seraphicall zeale, like to that in E. Zechiels vision, Ezech. 1.16. the face of a Lyon, the face of a man; there is a Cherubicall zeale; let zeale and mode­ration be like Naomi and Ruth, let them goe toge­ther, or if that pace will not serue, let them like Peter and Iohn at the Sepulchre runne together.

Vespasians Embleme on his coyne, did well moralize the meaning of zeales moderation, there was a Dolphin and an ancor, the Dolphin out strips the shippe, the anchor stayes the shippe; if stay­ednesse and swiftnes, earnestnes and peaceablnes did goe together, then were zeale, that true zeale that the holy Prophets and seruants of God had. It was a feruent zeale that was in Dauid, when hee cryed The zeale of thy house hath eaten me vp, wher­in Dauid cryed not, My zeale hath almost eaten vp thy house, but the zeale of thy house hath almost eaten me vp: Austen. Oscrius. Saul was zealous as euer any was, and in zeale as outragious as euer any; hee was of the Tribe of Beniamin, and was the true Beniamin: Iacob on his death bed, breathed and bequeathed him this blessing, Beniamin shall rauin as a Wolfe in the morning, he shall deuoure the praye, and in the eue­ning he shall diuide the spoyle. Paul was this Benia­min, Beniamin was Benoni, Paul was this Benoni, he was Beniamin the sonne of the right hand, and hee was Benoni the sonne of sorrow; Beniamin the ioy of his Father, Benoni the death of his mother: Bentamin filiorum minimus, Lor. in Ps. 75. Paulus Apostolorum vlti­mus, Beniamin the death of Rachel his mother, Paul [Page]the death of the Church, vastans Ecclesiam sayeth Austen, the death of the Synagogue, Austen. Hierome. tollens legem sayeth Hierome, Saul was a Wolfe indeed in the morning, when he deuoured the pray, &c. and made a pray of the Church, but in the euening hee did di­uide the word richer then great spoiles.

The Vse of this Doctrine, Vse. is to direct and leuell your zeale aright, that it neyther fall short nor flie ouer, neither on the right hand, nor on the left hand, but that it ayme directly at the marke of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. I come not hither this Spring to sneape your zeale with any frosty speech, absit, farre bee it from mee to speake it, from you to thinke it: I know that Palsi­es and Apoplexies are more commonly incident in Christian zeale, then hote Agues: wee neede not quench the Spirite, O that we could kindle it: But my desire is, that you please so to moderate your zeale, that ye adde with your zeale faith, so with your faith, knowledge, and with knowledge tempe­rance, and with temperance patience, and with pa­tience brotherly kindnesse, and with brotherly kind­nesse loue, or else if your zeale bee neuer so hote, the hote feuer or feruour thereof shall not auaile you. Ye shall be like to those Fishers, with S. Peter, Fish all night but catch nothing, or those schollers in S. Paul, being alwayes learning, profiting no­thing; or those Petitioners in Saint Iames, asking alwayes, receyuing nothing, Iames. 5. Bernard. AElian. var. hist. Plutarch. or the Eutichoei in S. Bernard, Praying alwayes but obtaining nothing; like Atalanta running but a farre off; like Diogenes [Page]Archer, shooting but a farre off; like Peter follow­ing but farre off, farre off indeed, for your zeale shall make you enemies to the Crosse of Christ, Oppressors, maligners, murtherers, persecutors, to whome these Presents shal come greeting; Saul Saul, why persecutest thou me? If, therefore any of you haue beene so zealous, Barrowifts, Brownistes, Humorists, Atheists DIVELS, none else a­gainst Bishops that you could haue in zeale eaten vp Bishoprickes, and Ecclesiasticall Endowments, and in zeale haue persecuted our re­uerend Fathers the Chariots of Israel, & the horse­men thereof, know it, that your zeale is a Saul, a persecutor, a Wolfe, a Betraier of the Church of God. Looke vpon Saul a Pharisie by his Father, a Pharisie by his Master, a Pharisie by birth, bree­ding, zeale, sect, and profession, his knowledge more, his tongues more, his labours more then any Pha­risie of our time, yet he confesseth, by zeale I per­secuted the Church of God. In the bowels of Christ Iesus, truly with a religious soule consider it, and so turne as hee did from an Impostor to a Pastor, from a persecutor to a professor, from a Wolfe among Lambes, to a Lambe among Wolues, from shedding their bloud, to offer for them to shed his owne bloud; from Saul to Paul, from a fierce, fiery, furious, mad monstrous Traitor, to a holy, happy, gratious, glorious Martyr, for he was as zealous for the Church, as euer against the Church; witnesse his afflictions, necessities, di­stresses, stripes, prisons, tumults, labours, watch­ings, fastings, and manifold sufferings, in enduring the Crosse. But I end this point, and come from [Page] Paules Crosse to Christs Crosse in my last wordes, Why persecutest thou me?

Maximam Emphasim habet illud me, perfecutest me? this was the word that stroke him to the earth, Austen. Chrysostome. stroke him from his horse, stroke him downe from his presumption, Persecutest thou me? it stroke him downe earth to earth. The Fathers compare the state of Saul at this time vnto some riotous young man, who by noctiuagating and nightly disorder in the streetes, quarrels, and fights, and woundes whosoeuer hee meeteth, at the length meeteth with his owne Father in the darke, and woundeth him; his Father at the length discerning him, cri­eth out, Sonne, Sonne, why hast thou slaine mee? thou my flesh and blood, and thou the shedder of my bloud, I the cause of thy life, and thou the cause of my death, thou my sonne and I the father of thy beginning, thy sworde my sonne, and thou my sonne, the father of my ending, O Sonne, why hast thou slaine me? the Sonne replyeth, what thee my Father? my Father, the light of my eyes, breath of my nostrils, ioy of my heart, honour of my name; what thee my Father? It is I thy Father that thou hast wounded, that thou hast slaine, thy Father that begat thee, bredde thee, fed thee, foste­red thee, nourished thee, exalted thee, endowed thee, that thought nothing too deere for thee, and now thou hast slaine mee. All the goary, gaping wounds that Caesar had, came not so neere him, as the stabbe that Brutus gaue him: what thou my Sonne? the Sonne of my hopes, and the Sonne [Page]of my desire, what Brutus my sonne, what Abso­l [...]n my sonne, my sonne? hast thou rebelled, hast thou persecuted me, O the wonderment, astonish­ment, amazement of such a Father, Osor. Euan. Part. Hiem. and of such a Son? Such the Emphasis of this voice, persecute me: why was it not sufficient, I was born poorly, bred barely, cloathed meanly, fed miserably, pursued vio­lently, entrapped & betrayed treacherously, but that yet thou must persecute me? was not my hungring, thirsting, fainting, sweating, bleeding, dying, suf­ficient, not all my labours in trauailing, trauels in preaching, temptations while I hungred, sorrows when I fainted, Austen. feares when I retired, teares while I pittied, blood while I suffered, sub iniustis, pro iniustis, cum iniustis, sub niustis iudicibus, iniustis causis, Graeca Liturg iniustis poenis, [...], all the miseries, needes, anguishes, scornes, thorns, whips, nailes, droppes, teares, clots, streames of bloud that issued from me, would not these serue?

It is obserued that Paul knew neither the voice nor the speaker, for what had beene the sting that Paul had been toucht with, if hee had knowne hee had persecuted Christ, but he did persecute Christ, for his seruants be his Church and the temples of the holy Ghost, and they bee his members, his Temples therefore his Church, his members therefore his body.

The Doctrine, Doctrine. that he that doth violētly persecute any of the seruāts of the Lord, doth persecute Christ himselfe: I neede not to expatiate in the proofe of this, those titles of seruants, sonnes, brethren, chil­dren, [Page]spouse, branches of his vine, sheepe of his fold, members of his body, sheweth sufficiently how dearely hee loueth them & their profession, Qui vos tangit me tangit, hee that toucheth you touch­eth the apple of my eye. And my SOVERAIGNE interpreting this my Sauiours Text in his Mega­sine of Learning, The Kings Maiesty his Booke to all Christian Princes. that diuine and royall booke a­gainst Antichrist, proueth hence that none that euer knew Scripture, can deny but by Christ often is meant his saintes and seruants.

The vse of this Doctrine is to stand in feare of entring into the nūber of the persecutors of Christ, Vse. the feare of sinne in Caine wandring, the beastlines of sinne in Nebuchodonosor grasing, the terror of sin in Balthazar trembling, the shame of sinne in Ha­man hanging, the punishment of sinne in Diues burning; these are examples to astonish and deiect the greatest sinners, but to an honest and religious soule that euer hath tasted of any part of the good­nes of the Lord, this is the most potent reason to feare him, that by sinne he doth persecute Christ, hee doth crucifie againe the sonne of God. When God in a Christians conscience cryeth within him, why persecutest thou mee? and yet hee continue in sinne so often and so long, that his mind is neuer troubled, his spirit neuer daunted, his thoughtes neuer checked, his soule neuer grieued: O this is a wound and a grieuous wound, from which the Lord for euer and euer deliuer vs. Lorizus obser­ueth out of the Legend, that it is a receiued opini­on among the Papists, that whosoeuer is borne [Page]vpon the day of Saint Paules Conuersion, shall e­uer bee free from any harme by venome and poy­son. I doubt not but it is a fable: but I could wish that you that haue heard this calling of S. Paul at the time of his Conuersion, would now bee conuerted, that the poyson of wickednesse may neuer doe you hurt againe. It is the labour of all that come hither, and the Lord giue a blessing to their labours. You haue receiued all kindes of exhortation and of instruction: Aarons belles, Moses rodde, Esayes trumpet, Ierem [...]es hammer, Dauids harpe, Salomons songes, Ebals curses, Ge­resims blessings, Peter; keyes, Paules sword; the milke of exhortation, wine of compunction, the oyle of consolation, and the Water of regenerati­on. What could yee haue desired more then yee haue receiued? O let not all these arise in witnes against you, let not the Lord continue his crie, why persecute ye the Lord? Semel loquutus est Dominus Paulus semper conuersus est, Austen. He spake but once to Paul, & Paul was a Conuert; and by this one call, con­uerts many Churches. O come yee not so oft to the Crosse, to returne enemies to the Crosse of Christ.

And now to come to some Application for this place and presence, and to omit the particu­lar sinnes of our Nation, the Pride of the Court, vsury of the City, Dissention in the Clergy, op­pression in Gentry, disobedience in the Commi­nalty, the lyes, lusts, oathes, vncleannesse, drun­kennesse, prophanenesse and wickednesse of all, and [Page]of all sorts. I will onely ayme at the two Mon­sters of this time, Atheisme and Apostacy, which doe bring and continue the ouer streaming sloud of Gods wrath vpon vs: they are both Generall, both fearefull; the extent of my speech cannot say enough, eyther of them, or against them; for Atheisme howsoeuer some Schoolemen distinguish that there is none that denyeth a God, quoad om­nipo entiam, sed quoad prouidentiam, yet I say our age, and this your CITIE, Lombard. Zincbius. affoordes such Di­uels, that neither confesse or care for the proui­dence or omnipotencie of God, who abound in the fulnesse of iniquity, to whome nothing is ac­counted euill, because nothing accounted good, nothing can bee a sinne, because nothing is a law; the first Article of whose Creed is in profession, that there is no God: the second, that the story of the Creation is a fable, the mystery of the Incar­nation fallible, the doctrine of Redemption impro­bable, of Election vnprofitable, of Predestination vnavaileable, of the Resurrection impossible: The next, that there is no Heauen no Hell, adding the Corolary, that if there bee a Hell, and they must to it, they hope that they shall not lacke Company: O who can expresse the misery of such a hardened heart, or who without a heart harder can choose but tremble at such a lamen­table state? O what can bee called Iudgement, when nothing doth seare, what can bee called Loue, when nothing doth allure, O what doth hee eyther hope or feare, who acknowledgeth no [Page] Religion, no Resurrection, no Reprobation, no Iudge­ment, no Heauen nor Hell, no God at all. To these belong for euer all the curses, vengeance, woes fire, brimstone, storme, tempest, cuppes of Gods wrath, dregges of his cuppes, vials of the dreggs of desolation and damnation, Mors sine morte, sinis sine fine, Greg. in Iob. numerus plagarum sine numero. These bee Murtherers, assacinats, persecutors of Christ; they stretch out his armes, bow his necke, pierce his side, nayle his hands, and imbrue his body with these blasphemous stripes and scourges. Heauy, O heauy is the sleepe of that Soule, that is not awakened by these warnings: Stony, O stony is that heart that is not feared with these terrors.

The other grande persecutors of Christ, PAPISTS. bee the Papists and Apostates to Popery, that bane and poison of Reason, and Witchcraft of Religion, that cuppe of Fornication, that venome of Baby­lon, wherein they maintaine, that they may eate their God, kill their king, subuert the Scriptures, adore Bones, pray to Stones, Deifie the Dead, de­serue Heauen, contest with God, and equalize their Popes with God; Onuphrius Platina Benno. &c. Some whereof haue been Heretikes, som Negromancers, many blasphemers, all Traytors. O that euer any Soule purchased with the bloud of Christ, should be so traduced, their reason so blinded, their vnderstanding so dark­ned, and their saluation so endangered, as to bee guilty of crucifying the sonne of God day by day, and violently incurring his owne damnation.

The generall Apostacy from the true profession [Page]vnto his Soules confusion, who liueth and seeth not, who seeth and lamenteth not? Pitty, O for euer pitty, that ingenuous, generous, worthy Spi­rites, should be so blindly led by those children of darkenesse, the Priestes and Iesuites among vs. O Beloued, stoppe your eyes and eares, and solemn­ly vow to God, that you will for euer, euen to the death resist these charmes and incantations of those men of sinne: Let them vrge what euer they can, all is false: their antiquity, wherein their claime is false, yet the Diuell is more ancient then they, or their Learning, which is also a false claime, yet the Pharisies more learned then they, or their good works, which is also a false claime, yet the Hypocrite in Micah is more glorious then they: Micah. 6.8. or their miracles, which are also false; yet the Diuell the Angell of light is more powerfull then they, or their blasphemies, murthers, treasons, barba­rous conspiracies, wherein I confesse the Deuill is scarse more aboundant then they, and when all these things are described, if then they be not found to bee bewitcht, to bee enemies to the Crosse of Christ, to crucifie againe the Lord of life, and to persecute as Saul heere did, then burne the Oracles of the Prophets and Apostles, pull downe your Churches and Temples, professe that Christs me­rites doe not suffice, or rather deny that there was a Christ.

Let it be the common slaunder of our disconten­ted Runnagates beyond seas, Higgons the runnagate a­gainst D. Morton. casting base aspersi­ons vpon the strong men of our Israel, the Reue­rend [Page]Bishops and worthy Doctors that haue la­boured against the common Aduersary: Let it be their diuelish calumnie, that they doe it only to serue the time, and to attaine their preferment; But let neuer so hellish vncharitable a thought come into any of your soules, as that so ma­ny wise, indicious, religious, absolutely learned Fathers, should euer dissemble with their God. If euer any such should bee found, let that curse of Iu­das fall vpon him, let his place be voyd, and let ano­ther take his roome, let his children be vagabonds, and his seed begging their bread, let his habita­tion bee a dwelling for Foxes. But if it be found that they deale sincerely, as in the sight of the all­seeing God, and that vpon the feare of the losse of body and soule, if they should beguile you. O then heare them and belieue them, for with them are the words of eternall life.

Paul had a Commission to goe to persecute, I haue by Saul receiued a Commission to enquire of those that doe persecute. And therefore lea­uing these two Monsters, let vs briefly descend to examine some persons and let all of you now en­ter into due examination, whether any of you haue persecuted Christ or no; If there bee among you a common Drunkard, a common Vsurer, a common Swearer, a common lewd liuer, a common hin­derer and slaunderer of Gods word, know thou that thou art a Saul, thou doest persecute Christ: If there bee an Atheisticall Degge, that doth reuile the Messengers of God with base and scandalous [Page]slanderous aspersions, abusing and abasing scorne­fully that Reuerend and Honourable Title of PRIEST, Know, that if thou haue not part in the Priesthood here; thou shalt haue none in the Kingdom there & in that thou dost it to the least of these, thou doest it to Christ, thou art a Saul, thou doest persecute Christ: If there bee any one that viper-like hath eaten out his birth, building vpon the ruines of broken poore Citizens eating vp his Brethren like bread; the stone out of the wall shal cry against thee, and know it, that thy house is Golgotha, the place of dead mens skuls, and thy possession is Acheldema the fielde of bloud: The bread thou eatest is the flesh of man, the wine thou drinkest is the bloud of man, thou art a Canibal, thou art a Saul, thou doest persecute Christ.

If there be any amongst your men of Traffique that euer haue afforded any Engines of Artillery, to that great enemy of Christ and Christians the Turke, thereby to worke the massacre of Christi­ans, and effusion of their bloud know it that that bloud doth crie against thee, thou art a Saul, thou dost persecute Christ, any, thou art a Iudas, thou dost betray Christ. If there be any among you that may deserue the stile of a quarrelling, queru­lous, litigious wrangler, and spend the greatest time of his life in Law, like that Triuultius in Mil­laine, of whome this Epitaph was made; Qui nun quam quicuit, hic quieuit, hee that neuer rested▪ nor let any others, here he rests; If there be any such know thou art a Saul, thou dost persecute Christ.

If there bee any such that haue engrosed the li­uings of the Church, to make a common sale of Soules hereafter, Simoniacally to sell that which the Kings of this Land, so many yeeres haue gi­uen: Let them beware, for though the Diuel plead for them by Scripture, that they haue not freely receiued, and therefore not freely to giue them: Let them remember that though the Cleargy must labour, yet buy they must not, and to begge they are ashamed: Let them know they are sacrilegious Balthazirs,, and the gold they receiue shall be aurum Tolesanum, it shall bring a curse vpon them, Erasmus. Adag. their families and posterities, they are like bloody Saul, to whome Christ spea­keth, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

If there bee any such Lawyers, that vnder­take any vniust and false causes, or proterminate their Clients, as Innocentius obserued; Nec ter­minantur negotia, Jano. de vita. hum. Conditi. donec euacuat a marsupia, and neuer suffer their causes to be ended vntill their purses bee consumed, Aelian. Ʋar. hist. lib. 9. cap. 18. which made Themistocles so sharp­ly to censure the Law, that if two waies were shew­ed him, the one going to Hell, the other to the Barre, hee would sooner take the way that leadeth to Hell: If there bee any such vnconscionable Lawyer, let him know he is a Saul, he doth perse­cute Christ.

If there bee any that haue opposed any action intended to the glory of God, and sauing of soules and haue stayed the happy proceeding in any such motion; let him know, that he is a persecuter, and [Page]an aduersary of Christ.

Plutarch. The Drones that lie at home. tradu­cing honou­rable ende a­uours of these abroad, are to be expelled the common wealth.In which Quaere giue me leaue to examine the lying speeches that haue iniuriously vilified and traduced a great part of the glory of God, the ho­nour of our Land, ioy of our Nation, and expecta­tion of many wise, and Noble Senators of this kingdom, I mean in the Plantation of VIRGINIA. When the descry of the Indians, was offered to that learned and famous Prince Henry the seuenth, Some idle, dull and vnworthy Sceptickes moued the King not to entertaine the motion. Wee know our losse by the Spaniards gaine, but now the Soules of those Dreamers doe seeme by a Pi­thagericall Transanimation to bee come into some of those scandalous and slanderous Detractors of that most Noble Voyage. Surely, if the prayers of all good Christians preuayle, the expectation of the wisest and noblest, the knowledge of the most experimented and learnedst, the relation of the best traueld, and obseruantst be true, it is like to be the most worthy Voyage that euer was effected by a­ny Christian, in descring any Country of the world; both for the peace of the Entry, for the plenty of the Countrey, and for the Clymate. Seeing that the Countrey is not vnlike to equalize (though not Inata for gold, which is not impossible yet) Tyrus for colours, Basan for woods, Persia for oyles, Arabia for Spices, Spaine for silks, Tharsis for shipping, Netherlands for Fish, Bononia for fruite, and by tillage, Babylon for Corne, besides the a­boundance of Mulberies, Minerals, mettals, Pearles, [Page]Gummes, Grapes, Deere, Fowle, drugges for Physicke, hearbes for food, rootes for colours, ashes for Sope, timber for building, pasture for feeding, riuers for fishing, and whatsoeuer com­modity England wanteth. The Philosopher com­mendeth the Temperature, the Marchant the com­modity, the Polititian the oportunity, the Diuine, the Pietie, in conuerting so many thousand soules. The Virginian desireth it, and the Spaniard enuyeth vs, and yet our own lasie, drousie,, yet barking Coun­trimen traduce it: who should honour it, if it were but for the remembrance of that Virgine Queen of eternal memory, who was first godmother to that land and Nation. As also that VIRGINE Country may in time proue to vs the Barne of Bri­taine, as Sicily was to Rome, or the Garden of the world as was Thessaly, or the Argosie of the world as is Germany.

And besides the future expectation, the pre­sent encouragement is exceeding much, in that it is a Voyage countenanced by our gracious King, consulted on by the Oracles of the Councel, aduen­tured in by our wisest and greatest Nobles, and vndertaken by so worthy, so honourable, and reli­gious a LORD, and furthered not onely by many other parties of this Land, both Cleargy and Laity, but also by the willing, liberall contribution of this Honourable City, and as that thrice worthy Deane of Glocester, D. Morton. not long since remembred his Maiesty and his Nobles, that it is a Voyage, wher­in euery Christian ought to set to his helping hand, seeing the Angell of Virginia cryeth out [Page]to this land, as the Angell of Macedonia did to Paul, O come and helpe vs. There is a fearefull woe denounced against those that came not to assist De­borah; Curse yee Meroz (sayeth the Angell of the Lord) Curse yee the inhabitants thereof, Iudg 5. because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mighty: Whosoeuer they be that purposely with­stand or confront this most Christian, most Ho­nourable Voyage, let him read that place and feare. Hath God called this land ad summum mu­nus Apostolicū to that great worke of Apostleship, that whereas this was one of the first parte of Chri­stendome that receiued the Gospell, so now it is the first part that euer Planted and Watered the Gospell in so great, faire, fruitfull a Countrie, and shall Scepticall Humorists bee a meanes to keepe such an honour from vs, such a blessing from them? No my Beloued, to the present assurance of great profite, adde this future profite, that who­soeuer hath a hand in this businesse, shall receiue an▪ vnspeakeable blessing, for they that turne manie to righteousnesse, Dan. 12. shall shine as the starres for euer and euer: you will make Plutarches [...], Athenocus [...] a Sauadge coun­try to become a sanctifyed Country; you will ob­taine their best commodities, they will obtaine the sauing of their Soules, you will enlarge the boundes of this Kingdome, nay the bounds of heauen, & all the Angels that behold this, if they reioyce so much at the conuersion of one Sinner, O what will their ioy be at the conuersion of so many, Goe on [Page]as yee haue begunne, and the Lord shall bee with you, goe and possesse the land, it is a good land, a land flowing with milke and honey; God shall blesse you, and those ends of the world shall ho­nour him.

I will ende with one word of exhortation to this City, many excellent thinges are spoken of thee, as sometimes of the City of God. Hither the Tribes come, euen the Tribes of the Lord, herein is the Seate of iudgement, euen the seate of the house of Dauid, Peace bee within thy walles, plenteousnesse within thy Pallaces.

Yet remember how manyfold infections hence as from a fountaine haue issued out, all the trickes of deceyuing, the diuers lusts of filthy liuing, the Pride of attire, the cause of oppression, gluttony in eating surfet in drinking, and the gene­rall disease of the fashions: Lactant. 7. diuin Justit. so that as Lactantius out of Sibilla prophesieth of Rome, [...] So may it be sayde of the Transformation of Lon­don. It should be Ierusalem the City of God, and it is become Murthers slaughter-house, Thefts re­fuge, Oppressions safety, Whoredoms Stewes, V­suries Banke, Vanities Stage, abounding in all kind of filthinesse and prophanenesse O remember that sinnes haue beene the Pioners of the greatest Cities, His Maiesties speech the 21. of May to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen at Greene­witch. and haue not left one stone vpon another.

My Honourable L. Mayor, I need not to re­member you in this behalfe; The last Sabaoth you receyued a Lesson though not from the Crosse yet frō the Crown by our royal Ecclesiastes, practise [Page]that lesson both concerning the infection of the body, and infection of the soule of this city: remēber the charge, your yeare must end, and your life must end & you must giue account of your Stewardship. My Honorable Lords, yee Reuerend Fathers of the Law, your iudgement is the Harbenger to the greater iudgement, Yee are Gods, but yee shalt die like men, as God hath honoured you, Psal. 82. so honour him in setting foorth of his glory, in punishing of his enemies, in countenancing of his seruants. O my Lords, if there were not negligence either in Spiri­tuall or Temporall Iudges, could there bee so ma­ny hundred Priests and Iesuites, Locusts of the bot­tomlesse pit among vs, and so many thousand Papi­sticall Apostates, since the death of the late Queene of blessed Memory. Remember to punish these, and to proceed in iudgement against them, lest God proceede in iudgement against you. And not onely punish his Enemies, but countenance, yea and re­uerence his seruants: O looke vpon the deiected state of the royall Priesthood, the Cleargy, They seeke not their auncient honours, their honour ly­eth in the dust but it shall reuiue: They seeke now but ordinary fauours: It was a faithfull witnesse of a religious and good heart in one of the chiefest & honourablest among you, in the L. Bishop of Winche­sters case, that the contempt of the Cleargy, My L. Cooke in his reports. will bee the downefall of Religion: had the Leuites in the Law their Priuiledges, and haue the meanest Clarks in your law their priuiledges, and shall the Cleargie be PROHIBITED theirs? it is Gods cause not [Page]theirs, and if God take it in hand, all your Prohibitions wil not serue. Remember then to countenance and reuerence his seruants.

All of you my Beloued, heare the Summe of al, feare God and keep his cōmandements, let there be vnity and verity in you of the Cleargy, iudgement and mercy in you of the Magistracy, obedience and religion in you of the Comminalty. You all know God is angry, wrath is come out, the Plague is be­gunne, yea continued from yeare to yeare, rideth progresse from Country to Country, executeth iudgement vpon high and low, and keepeth Court at this time within this City. O serue the Lord in feare, Kisse the sonne lest he be angry, and so yee perish from the right way, with true repentant sin­ners appease him, with poore distressed wretches entreat him, with Patriarkes and Prophets, and A­postles belieue him, with all his Saintes and ser­uants loue him, with the holy Angels prayse him, with Heauen, Earth and all the Cre­atures duely and dutifully serue him, which Grace the God of all Grace graunt vs all Amen.