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<DATE>9-2-11</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB N="4" REF="1">
<GAP DESC="missing" EXTENT="2+ pages">
<P><HI>Outer,</HI> and an <HI>Inner.</HI> The outer, in the <HI>Letter, Chri&s;tian Prudence.</HI> The inner, in the <HI>Allegory, Christian Pati|ence.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Prudence</HI> in a &s;ea&s;onable flight, when a danger threatens. <HI>Enter thou into thy chambers, &s;hut the doores about thee &amp;c.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 27.44.</NOTE> As <HI>Rebecca</HI> commanded <HI>Iacob</HI> to fly to <HI>Haran,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 11.22.</NOTE> till <HI>F&s;au's</HI> &s;ury was a&s;&s;waged: or as the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> came not out of doores, till the morning, when the de|&s;troying <HI>Angell</HI> was abroad: So when a <HI>Per&s;ecution</HI> rageth, we mu&s;t nor &s;tand to our-face it, but retire into our chambers. This &s;en&s;e <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> gives the words, who grounded <HI>his Apology profug&aacute;</HI> on the letter of the text.</P>
<P><HI>Patience</HI> in a quiet expectation of the Divine plea|&s;ure,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Lapide. &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>Enter into thy chambers, &amp;c.</HI> Not the <HI>chambers of Death,</HI> Purgatory, <HI>Limbus-patrum,</HI> or the Grave, as the Popi&s;h Commentators interpret it, of the retire|ments of mortality, till the day of Judgment. Nor the <HI>chambers of plea&s;ure,</HI> &s;uch chambering hath wantone&s;&s;e alwayes behind the Hangings,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Carthu&s;ian B<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">. Mu&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">.</NOTE> but <HI>the chambers of de|votion,</HI> patiently waiting for the &s;alvation of the Lord. For if you plea&s;e to light one candle by another, this of the <HI>Prophet,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luther in lo|cum. Cubicula in|gredimur, &s;u&s;ecreta mer<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> no&s;trae in<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> m<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 span"> il|licita <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 word"> ria<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">us. Greg. <HI>1.4.</HI> mor. <HI>6.26.</HI></NOTE> by that of the <HI>P&s;al. Luther</HI> &s;ales they give the &s;ame light; <HI>Frett not thy &s;elfe, becau&s;e of the ungod|ly rest in the Lord and waite patiently for him. P&s;al.</HI> 77. 7 O if this candle burne too dimme, will you bor|row a Taper of the Fathers? <HI>Cubicula ingredimur,</HI> &s;aies Gregory, <HI>we enter into our chambers, when we retire into the &s;ecret clo&s;ets of our &s;oules, we &s;hut the doores about us, when we coerce unlawfull de&s;ires;</HI> or as the ordinary glo&s;&s;e, <HI>when we put a watch before the doores of our lipps,
<PB N="5" REF="1">lea&s;t the greatne&s;&s;e of our mi&s;ery,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pone cu&s;todi|am ori, ne ex vehememia tribulationis verkaper rumant in of|fen&s;am dei. Glo&s;s, ordin.</NOTE> prompt our tongues to bla&s;phemy and murmuring.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly the Argument of both, drawne from
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The brevity of Affliction, <HI>Paululum ad momen|tum, for a very little moment.</HI> If there be any ods in minutes take the lea&s;t of them: and that not multiplyed, but <HI>donec pertran&s;eat ira, till the indig|nation be over pa&s;t:</HI> 'Tis a verbe of &s;peed, and bids you look up to the skie, and &s;ee how fa&s;t this cloude po&s;ts away on the wings of the winde.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;peedy releife we &s;hall have from
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Heaven. <HI>Ecce venit dominus, behold the Lord commeth. &amp;c.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Earth. <HI>Terra revelabit, the earth &s;hall reveale her blouds,</HI> and <HI>no longer co|ver her &s;laine.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The&s;e are the parts of our pre&s;ent di&s;cour&s;e, and for their multiplicity, I &s;hall need no other apology, then that they are like the <HI>&s;ix cities of refuge,</HI> each a Sanctuary, and I cannot throw open too many in the&s;e times of <HI>Per&s;ecution,</HI> yet becau&s;e he that hath many places to vi&s;it, mu&s;t not &s;tay long in a place, I &s;hall di&s;cover them to you, with all po&s;&s;ible brevity, beginning with that which begins all our di&s;cour&s;e, the <HI>Complement,</HI> in <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>My people.</HI></P>
<P>And a meere complement you may think it indeed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The Comple|ment.</NOTE> that he &s;hould call a company of poore captive Iewes, <HI>His people.</HI> He is not a <HI>true Courtier</HI> on earth, that will be&s;tow more then a Complement on men in mi&s;ery. But there is no &s;uch ba&s;e Court&s;hip in heaven. All God's complements are reall performances: He is
<PB N="6" REF="2">not a&s;hamed to owne his people when they are at the wor&s;t. In <HI>captivity,</HI> as well as in <HI>liberty,</HI> the wor&s;t condition: In <HI>Babylon,</HI> as well as <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> the wor&s;t place. <HI>Populi mei, my people,</HI> in both. Nay when all happine&s;&s;e and comfort &s;eem to di&s;clame them, then he invites them to him&s;elfe, <HI>Come my people.</HI> Come? Lord, they have but a <HI>&s;hort &s;tep</HI> to thee, who art alwayes pre|&s;ent with them. When the world was covered with a Sea,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 6.17.</NOTE> for <HI>fecit inhabitare,</HI> he brought a flood of waters upon the earth, <HI>Ierome</HI> reads it, <HI>Deus inhabitans,</HI> God <HI>dwelt</HI> upon the <HI>deluge.</HI> He would not tru&s;t his <HI>little world</HI> in the <HI>Arke,</HI> but li<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">e another <HI>Neptune,</HI> he mu&s;t &s;it upon the waters and &s;eeme to venture the hazard of a &s;hiprack with it. Ere <HI>I&s;rael</HI> trode a &s;tep towards <HI>Ae|gypt, I will go downe with thee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 46.4.</NOTE> &s;aith the Lord. <HI>Downe?</HI> what a word is that for a Deity? <HI>into Aegypt?</HI> what a place, that, for his holyne&s;&s;e. Yet, <HI>O the humility of our God!</HI> He never thinks him&s;elfe low enough to doe his people good, no place too had for his &s;ociety, which made it a rule among the <HI>Hebrew</HI> Doctors,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Meno&s; Ben. I&s;r. in Gen.</NOTE> <HI>that God and his peole are in&s;eparable,</HI> he will beare a &s;hare in their misfortunes. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had the <HI>Hieroglyphick of it,</HI> when he appeared to him in <HI>a burning bu&s;h.</HI> A &s;trange throne for &s;uch a maje&s;tie: yet here he laies a&s;ide the <HI>&s;tate of a Deity,</HI> and to re&s;cue his people from the fire, puts him&s;elf into the mid'&s;t of it. Will you but knock at <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> pri&s;on doore, and there they will tell you, <HI>Dominus cum illo,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen, 39.21.</NOTE> the Lord was with him.</HI> Will you but ca&s;t your eye with <HI>Nabuchadnezar</HI> into the <HI>Fornace,</HI> and with <HI>Darius</HI> peep into <HI>Daniels denne,</HI> and in both <HI>Angelus Domini, the Angell of the Lord,</HI> put nature to a
<PB N="7" REF="2">contradiction; you have a fire burning and not con|&s;uming, The devourers devoured by their own prey, <HI>My people are gone into captivity,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ai. 52.4, 5.</NOTE> A&s;hur hath afflicted them without a cau&s;e, Et qui&agrave; mihi nunc h&igrave;c,</HI> &s;aies the the Lord, <HI>what do I now here?</HI> why, where would'&s;t thou be, <HI>O Lord,</HI> but in heaven? is not that the Palace of thy Maje&s;ty? yet he &s;eemes to be <HI>at little ea&s;e</HI> in heaven, whil'&s;t his people are in durance on earth: his bondage is their captivity, and there is no heaven to him like his peoples Pri&s;on: or if you will read it otherwi&s;e (as &s;ome doe) <HI>Quid mihi nunc, what is now left me?</HI> you will wonder the more, that in the lo&s;&s;e of a few Jewels, he &s;hould e&s;teem him&s;elfe Plundered of the whole Cabi|net. Yet as <HI>the rights of the Crowne</HI> are all equall, and by &s;lipping off one of tho&s;e flowers, 'tis a &s;hrewd figne given all may be lyable: &s;o the divine providence hath an even property in all his Saints, and if he &s;hould &s;uf|fer &s;ome to be lo&s;t, he would bring <HI>his originall right</HI> in que&s;tion. But this hath bin di&s;puted by a <HI>deluge,</HI> and that could not obliterate; with the <HI>flames,</HI> and they would not con&s;ume; <HI>with age,</HI> and that could not anti|quate, with all the <HI>powers of darkne&s;se,</HI> and they could never get it by conque&s;t. It hath puzled the whole <HI>Presbytery of hell</HI> to forge a <HI>Smectimuus</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Iu|re divine.</HI></P>
<P>But what a bold enemy hath God now upon earth, that dares <HI>out law</HI> whole kingdoms, and da&s;h a nation at once out of <HI>the book of life,</HI> as if none were <HI>truely Sub|jects to the King of heaven,</HI> but <HI>the &s;toute&s;t Rebels a|gain&s;t their King on earth.</HI> O malice, where are thy bounds? Is it not enough, that thou ha&s;t bani&s;hed us
<PB N="8" REF="3">from <HI>our cities, our country, our hou&s;es,</HI> but wilt thou di&s;franchize <HI>us of the new Jeru&s;alem,</HI> di&s;inherit <HI>us of hea|ven, our true&s;t home?</HI> Is it not &s;ufficient, that thou ha&s;t &s;tiptus of our <HI>dearest friends and fortunes,</HI> but wilt thou rob us of <HI>our God too?</HI> Is it no ea&s;e to thee, to con|demne us <HI>for dead men while we live,</HI> and to make us un|capable to &s;erve God and the King, but wilt thou pur|&s;ue us in our gaves, and per&s;ecute us to the &s;entence of an <HI>eternall rume.</HI></P>
<P>Though I ever e&s;teemed S.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ribad. in vit. S. Aug</NOTE> <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> the more <HI>pro|&s;ound Doctor,</HI> for being called by the <HI>Manichees Pra|do anima<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">am</HI> the <HI>Pyrate of &s;oules:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tortus p, 97.</NOTE> King Iames</HI> the founder <HI>Prote&s;tant,</HI> for being the <HI>Popes Heretike,</HI> &amp; you the more <HI>orthodox Chri&s;tians,</HI> becau&s;e you are the <HI>Tray|tors Papi&s;ts:</HI> yet I pray God our wicked lives have not atticulated this Bla&s;phemy to them. For will you e|&s;teem <HI>Him a Roman,</HI> that always walkes in a <HI>Per&s;ian habite, Him</HI> an <HI>I&s;raelite,</HI> who&s;e language is <HI>pure Aegyp|tian,</HI> or <HI>Him</HI> an <HI>Engli&s;hman;</HI> whom nature hath died a very <HI>Aethiopian?</HI> If we are God's people, <HI>true I&s;rae|lites indeed,</HI> we &s;hould weare the habite, &s;peak the lan|guage, and live according to the Lawes and Con&s;titu|tions of his Kingdom. When the <HI>Cura&s;hier Bi&s;hop</HI> was pre&s;ented to the <HI>Pope,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Speed Hen. 4.</NOTE> he would not owne him for his Sonne, <HI>Hae non e&s;t tunica filij, This is not the eoate of my Sonne.</HI> And when God &s;hall behold us in our <HI>exo|tike fa&s;hions,</HI> dre&s;&s;ed with the vanities of all forraigne Nations, when the times call for <HI>&s;ack-cloth and a&s;hes:</HI> when he &s;hall heare us &s;peake in that <HI>infernall language</HI> of execrations and bla&s;phemies, when <HI>bleeding England</HI> begs for our <HI>prayes:</HI> When he &s;hall &s;ee <HI>our faces &s;peck|led
<PB N="9" REF="3">and pyed,</HI> to court and adulterous eye, when our pre|&s;ent mi&s;eries <HI>&s;hould bedew them with teares</HI> to pacifie our angry God, what can we except but <HI>a Non novi, I know you not.</HI> This is not the habite, the language, nor complexion of my people: very true in the old law, where we do not read that every <HI>your &s;trang &s;potted bea&s;ts were accepted for &s;acrifice.</HI> The claime God layes to us is by right of<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Colof. 1.16.17.</NOTE> <HI>dominion,</HI> and &s;o we owe him <HI>&s;ubjection;</HI> by right of <HI>purcha&s;e,</HI><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 6.20.</NOTE> &s;o <HI>gratitude;</HI> by right of<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.18.</NOTE> <HI>Con que&s;t,</HI> &s;o <HI>Homage;</HI> by<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Exek. 16.8.</NOTE> <HI>Covenant,</HI> &s;o <HI>Fidelity:</HI> yea by a &s;weer<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.10.</NOTE> <HI>Communion</HI> and &s;o we owe him our <HI>deare&s;t affection.</HI> And cannot all the <HI>cords of love</HI> binde our Allegiance? Into what a <HI>&s;acred &s;nare</HI> hath the <HI>Almigh|ty</HI> brought him&s;elf, whereby he is <HI>chain'd up</HI> as it were, and bound to be <HI>Our God,</HI> and yet no <HI>bonds</HI> can hold us to our <HI>Obedience.</HI> Nece&s;&s;ity hath forced the proude&s;t heart to be a&s;&s;i&s;tance of that hand, which pro&s;perity taught him to &s;corne: And me thinks, if there were no other argument left us but <HI>our owne mi&s;ery,</HI> it &s;hould teach us &s;o much wi&s;dome as to keeepe <HI>God our friend.</HI> The Church of <HI>England</HI> hath long called upon <HI>her lovers,</HI> but &s;he finds them, as her elder Si&s;ter did, <HI>Fal&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lament. 1.19</NOTE> <HI>Deceperunt me , they have deceived me.</HI> Humane friend&s;hip is like <HI>Quick-&s;ilver,</HI> which you may incor|porate into <HI>Gold,</HI> but ca&s;t it into the fire, and 'twill <HI>&s;teale away,</HI> as if it &s;corn'd it's acquaintance: but the divine love is not made of &s;uch <HI>running mettall;</HI> The Chri&s;ti|an cannot be ca&s;t into <HI>a Furnace of affliction,</HI> that is <HI>too hot for his maker.</HI> 'Tis a <HI>fiery tryall</HI> indeed, but of <HI>God's love,</HI> as well as the <HI>Chri&s;tian's faith.</HI> As the <HI>King of Ar|ragon</HI> was &s;ayling into <HI>Sicily,</HI> he ob&s;erv'd the <HI>brids</HI> at|tending
<PB N="10" REF="4">the &s;hip,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Panormitan lib. <HI>1.</HI> derelus ge&s;t. Alphon&s;i.</NOTE> <HI>whil'&s;t he threw corne to them:</HI> but when they had <HI>eaten that up, away they flew,</HI> whereupon &s;aies he, <HI>Per&s;imiles his garri&s;s purpur all &amp; curiales mei, My Peeres and Courtiers are very like the&s;e birds;</HI> I &s;hall have their company by &s;ea and land, &s;o long as I feed and dignifie them: but if my trea&s;ure fayle, they take their wings, leaving <HI>me and the &s;hip</HI> to the mercy of the &s;torme. <HI>Great Alphon&s;us,</HI> thy Court is but the em|ble me of all mankind: &s;o <HI>Scotti&s;h and coveteo us</HI> are the hearts of men, that there cannot be <HI>a true loves-knott</HI> tyed among&s;t them, <HI>but in chaines of gold, and threds of &s;ilver:</HI> but our God is no <HI>mercenary diety.</HI> He followes not our &s;hip for booty or pillage: but as <HI>Queene Eliza|beth</HI> one &s;tyled her &s;elf,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Speed, Cron.</NOTE> <HI>the poore man's Queene:</HI> &s;o out God is the <HI>Bani&s;h't, Impri&s;oned, Plundered, poore mans God. My people?</HI> Lord, whom do&s;t thou &s;peak to? wilt thou owne us in our bloud, and look upon us in our mi|&s;ery? We have been indeed, <HI>Gens deo chara, A nation be|loved:</HI> but now (O our misfortune!) <HI>Invi&s;a deo, Ab|horr'd of the Almighty.</HI> Once <HI>Rignum Dei, the King|dome of God:</HI> but now, (O our fall!) <HI>Magnum latroci|nium, A den of Theeves.</HI> May we not &s;ay with <HI>Rebecca, if it be &s;o, why am I thus?</HI> if we are &s;till <HI>thy people, Lord,</HI> why are we <HI>thus efflicted?</HI> But did you never heare, what <HI>Au&s;onius</HI> an&s;wer'd <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> when he de&s;ir'd a copy of his Ver&s;es,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Epi&s;t. ad Aug. Ca&s;.</NOTE> <HI>Non habed idingenij, I have not &s;o good a fancy,</HI> O Emperour: <HI>but command me and I &s;hall have, Cur me poRe negern, poRe quodille putat, why &s;hould I &s;ay, I cannot doe, what he thinks I can: So if God &s;till call <HI>us his people,</HI> why &s;hould we think we are not? Did he owne us in <HI>our Sinnes,</HI> and will he di&s;claime us in <HI>our
<PB N="11" REF="4">Sorrowes?</HI> could our very <HI>Injuries</HI> move him to compa|&s;&s;ion, and &s;hall our <HI>calamities</HI> enrage him again&s;t us: Is it his cu&s;tome to make men mi&s;erable, and then ob|horre them? <HI>If he cha&s;ten every Sonne whom he loves,</HI> adver&s;ity &s;ure is but an argument of his dearer affecti|on. Will any man take the paines to prune a <HI>Vine,</HI> that is none of his owne, or weede the <HI>Garden,</HI> that is ano|ther mans? Propriety is the ground of care, and by this we know we are <HI>his people, that he careth for us.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 34.11.15.</NOTE> When King <HI>Edward</HI> told <HI>John</HI> of <HI>France,</HI> his Pri&s;oner, that he &s;hould have his liberty, if he would but doe him ho|mage for the Realme of <HI>France,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">French Hi&s;t. in <HI>Iohn. 51.</HI> King.</NOTE> He an&s;wered him free|ly, like a King, <HI>That he mu&s;t not &s;peak to him of that, which he neither ought, nor would doe, to alienate a right inali|enable: Affliction may engage my per&s;on, but never the in|vielable right of my Crowne.</HI> And doe you think the God of heaven will deba&s;e him&s;elfe to doe homage to tho&s;e two proud u&s;urpers, <HI>the World and Devill</HI> for his dominions? no, <HI>His Propriety is as in alienable and im|mort all as Him&s;elfe.</HI> Though now our &s;hip be almo&s;t &s;inking, yet becau&s;e it is <HI>his Ve&s;sell,</HI> 'tis an undoubted ar|gument to me, that he will rebuke the tempe&s;t, and bring it &s;afe to land. <HI>Doe you thinke the God of heaven will loo&s;e his right?</HI> Though our Soveraigne be now per&s;ecuted his life and honour, yet becau&s;e, <HI>He is God's Anoynted,</HI> you may be confident, he will re&s;tore him to his Crowne and Dignity. <HI>Doe you thinke the God of heaven will loo&s;e his right?</HI> Though the Church ne now almo&s;t buried in her owne ruines, yet becau&s;e it is <HI>His hou&s;e,</HI> He will repaire it into it's former Beauty and Lu&s;tre. <HI>Did you ever know the God of heaven cheated</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="5">of his right?</HI> In a word, where ever we ca&s;t our eyes now, we behold nothing but mi&s;ery and de&s;truction, yet becau&s;e he is &s;till plea&s;ed to owne us as <HI>His peculiar people,</HI> we may a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves, that notwith&s;tanding our manifold provocations, he will yet looke upon us for good,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Malach 3.17.</NOTE> <HI>and in the day, that he maketh up his fewels, &s;parens, as a man &s;pareth his owne Sonne. Never thinks the God of heaven will loo&s;e his right:</HI> But that we may &s;till take the boldne&s;&s;e to pre&s;ent our &s;elves before him, <HI>as his owne in Chri&s;t,</HI> and with the <HI>Prei&s;t</HI> between the <HI>Porch and the Altar,</HI> make it the argument of our devo|tion,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iocl. 2.17.18.</NOTE> <HI>&s;pare thy people, O God, and give not thy heritage to reproach.</HI> And &s;o lea&s;t you &s;hould think I meant to en|tertaine you only with a <HI>Complement,</HI> I de&s;cend to the <HI>Coun&s;ell,</HI> my &s;econd generall: And therein, Fir&s;t the <HI>Advice of the Letter</HI> Chri&s;tian Prudence in a &s;ea&s;on|able flight. <HI>Enter thou into thy Chambers, &s;hut the doores about thee, and hide thy &s;elfe.</HI></P>
<P>A Chamber was never but &s;afe and delightfull to a contemplative mind,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The Coun&s;ell.</NOTE> but now &s;o much the better, as the world is wor&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Literall.</NOTE> 'Tis a happine&s;&s;e not to be a wit|ne&s;&s;e of the mi&s;cheife of the times, which 'tis as hard to behold, and be innocent, as to conver&s;e with and be &s;afe: &s;o that he, who needs not <HI>a chamber</HI> for <HI>contempla|tion,</HI> may for <HI>Protection.</HI> The old law opened <HI>cities of refuge,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 10.23</NOTE> and &s;ure the Go&s;pell hath not &s;hut them. He that gave the per&s;ecuted coun&s;ell, <HI>to fly out of one city into another,</HI> allowes every man the choyce of his owne Sanctuary. When a danger approaches &s;o neere, that there is no &s;afety in &s;taying, and God offers us the <HI>wings
<PB N="13" REF="5">of a Dove,</HI> faire and certaine meanes of e&s;cape, not to fly then,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Athona&s;us Apolog. pro fuga.</NOTE> were <GAP DESC="foreign">, in <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> phra&s;e, <HI>to condemne providence it &s;elfe,</HI> &amp; to &s;corne deli|verance, when 'tis kindly admini&s;tred. For though God be omnipotent and can fetch a deliverance for us out of an <HI>Impo&s;sibility,</HI> yet becau&s;e his power is commanded by his will, and his will is to &s;ave by meanes, <HI>Abomni|potenti&acirc; Dei non e&s;t inferendum quidlibet,</HI> We mu&s;t not pre&s;ume to inferre more from his omnipotency, then what is authorized by his will: el&s;e we &s;hould make no more u&s;e of God's imperiall power, then we do <HI>of juglers, only to &s;hew tricks to the world, &amp; to plea&s;e every man's humour, with a fre&s;h miracle.</HI> Who can read without admiration, that God &s;hould fly from a weake man that he <HI>before whom the earth moves, and the &s;eas goe backward,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Apoca. 20. v. 11</NOTE> &s;hould be put to this poore &s;hift to &s;ave his life from him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 104.7.</NOTE> whom a <HI>de&s;picable worme</HI> could con|quer: yet our Saviour fled into <HI>Aegypt, leaving us an example that we might follow his &s;teps.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2. v. 21.</NOTE> He could have commanded an officer of heaven to have &s;troke <HI>Herod</HI> dead, or call'd out a <HI>Legion of Angels</HI> for his life-guard, but that he would in&s;truct our pre&s;umption, not to ex|pect an <HI>Act of grace,</HI> where the <HI>Common-Law</HI> may re|lieve us: not to look for a <HI>Miracle,</HI> where <HI>ordinary pru|dence</HI> will protect us. Why doe you not call home your Armies, and di&s;mount your Ordinance, if you can ortaine the victory by <HI>&s;ounding of Rams-hornes and breaking of Pitchers,</HI> yet with &s;uch an <HI>Artillery, I&s;rael</HI> battered <HI>Iericho</HI> to the ground? Nay, why &s;o much provi&s;ion for a Seidge, if you can per&s;wade the heavens
<PB N="14" REF="6">to fill your Magazins with <HI>Manna</HI> enough? yet they were &s;o curteous to the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> campe: but, if you dare not tru&s;t &s;uch an <HI>Artillery,</HI> or <HI>Sucklers</HI> to your Army, why will you venture your lives on a certaine danger, upon the pre&s;umption of an extraodinary and di&s;ingaged providence?</P>
<P>Nor doth it excu&s;e the ra&s;hne&s;&s;e, that <HI>Per&s;ecution is God's vi&s;itation.</HI> For what evill is not? <HI>The &s;word of Pe|&s;tilence,</HI> as well as the <HI>&s;word of Warre,</HI> both are weapons of divine ju&s;tice: And why will you court one more then the other? doe you make any difference, whether you peri&s;h by a <HI>&s;tab</HI> or by an <HI>infection?</HI> Since then the danger is equall, why not to be declined with equall prudence. <HI>Lot</HI> did not think it &s;afe &s;taying among the flames of <HI>Sodome, becau&s;e they came from heaven:</HI> nor would the people embrace the <HI>Leper,</HI> for the <HI>divine hand</HI> that &s;mote him. This were not to peri&s;h <HI>by Gods vi&s;itation,</HI> but <HI>our owne pre&s;umption,</HI> and to <HI>fetch</HI> in a judgment, not to have it <HI>&s;ent</HI> us; he that bid us fly, when we are per&s;ecuted, did not except him&s;elfe, when, with reverence be it &s;poken, <HI>he became a Per&s;ecuter.</HI></P>
<P>But whether can we fly from God's hand? Can we be too nimble for our de&s;tiny? or cheat the fates by changing our Hemi&s;phere? No, as <HI>Alexander</HI> of <HI>Alex|andria</HI> told <HI>Athana&s;ius,</HI> whom he had elected his Suc|ce&s;&s;our in that <HI>See,</HI> but &s;aw him decline it: &s;o our de|&s;tiny &s;aies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ribadin. in vit. Athna&s;i.</NOTE> <HI>Fugere licet, Athana&s;i, non tamen effugies. Fly thou mai&s;t, Athana&s;ius, but thou &s;alt not e&s;cape.</HI> Death is a common debt we owe to nature, yet he is not &s;o <HI>cruell a Creditour,</HI> as to demand it before'tis due. The time of payment is &s;et downe in God's booke, and &s;o
<PB N="15" REF="6">long as we have any lawfull meanes to pre&s;erve our lives, the dare is not yet expired.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierom. in Ioh.</NOTE> <HI>Nome&s;t no&s;trum arri|pere mortem, &s;ed illatam libent&egrave;r accipere:</HI> We mu&s;t <HI>bid death welcome</HI> when he comes, but not <HI>hale him to us, and put the &s;it he in his hand whether he willor no:</HI> this were to antidare our owne ruine, and to make death it &s;elfe <HI>guilty of murder</HI> by cutting us down before our time. Though <HI>Martyr dome</HI> be the <HI>Crowne of Chri&s;tia|nity,</HI> yet we may not be &s;o ambitious of it, as to betray our &s;elves to the Pri&s;on or Stake,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Furio&s;um ge|nus hominum. Aug. epi&s;t. ad Bonifac.</NOTE> as tho&s;e <HI>furious He|retiques,</HI> the Circumcellions in <HI>Au&s;tines</HI> time, that went up and downe begging Martyr dome, <HI>Come, Plunder, Stab, Burne us; and if none would be &s;o kind as to kill them, they were &s;o cruell as to become their owne execu|tioners.</HI> The <HI>Fryers</HI> relate of their good Saint <HI>Francis,</HI> that he went up and down to <HI>Majorka,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Bonavent. &amp; Ribadin in vit&acirc; Franci&s;ci.</NOTE> and <HI>Minorka,</HI> among the <HI>Mahometans,</HI> de&s;iring to be put to death for Chri&s;t's &s;ake; <HI>pitty, he &s;hould goe &s;o farre for a halter, that had &s;uch a mind to it.</HI> But Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was of another opinion, who hearing the <HI>Iewes</HI> had con&s;ulted to de&s;troy him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John. 11.54.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>he walked no more openly, but retyred into a Village neare a Wilder|ne&s;&s;e,</HI> to teach all his Di&s;ciples,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Origen in ca|tan&aacute; Pat<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1+ letters">m in locum.</NOTE> <HI>Origen</HI> &s;aies, <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Not to be too ra&s;h and hot upon dangers, though it be for truth it &s;elfe.</HI> A wi&s;e <HI>Pilot</HI> will not run his &s;hip wilfully on a rock, but if a tempe&s;t drive it, he will &s;hew his skill and courage to &s;ave it from &s;plitting. That Commander needs not an enemy, that will drive his men on the Cannons mouth. His temerity &s;hall &s;lay more then the enemies &s;word:or if he chance to <HI>&s;lunder
<PB N="16" REF="7">upon &s;ucce&s;&s;e,</HI> yet he is more conquered with &s;uch a Vi|ctory, then by a di&s;comfiture. So, he that &s;eeks death, before death &s;eeks him, dyes not a <HI>Martyr,</HI> but a <HI>Man. &s;layer.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, Clem. Alex. l. <HI>4.</HI> Strom.</NOTE> For what difference is there, between falling on my owne and running upon the point of another mans &s;word? He that dilivers him&s;elfe into the hand of danger, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>He joynes in con&s;piracie with his per&s;ecuter against his owne life.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Clem. d. l.</NOTE></P>
<P>But if any man &s;hould be &s;o unkind to his owne &s;oule, as to throw it away, yet he <HI>owes &s;o much chari|ty</HI> to his very per&s;ecuter, as not to give him an occa|&s;ion to &s;hed innocent bloud: <HI>As Nazianzen</HI> ob|&s;erves of <HI>Marcus Arethu&s;ius</HI> his flight, that it was not &s;o much in love to him&s;elfe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nazlan. orat. <HI>3.</HI> adv. Iu&s;ian.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>but in compa&s;sion to his per&s;ecuters, least he &s;hould fuell their malice with his owne bloud.</HI></P>
<P>Think me not though, &s;o faint hearted an Oratour, as to per&s;wade any man to fly from his Colours. Chri|&s;tianity is no &s;uch <HI>cowardly Religion:</HI> but there goe &s;o many flowers to make up this crowne of Martyrdom, that he, who doth but <HI>&s;imply dye</HI> for Chri&s;t, without o|ther circum&s;tances, is like to weare but a <HI>&s;ingle flower,</HI> not the <HI>whole crowne.</HI></P>
<Q><L>Cuipatientia, mens ben&egrave; con&s;cia, congruacau&s;a,</L>
<L>Tempus &amp; ad&s;uerit, hic ben&egrave; Martyr erit,</L></Q>
<P>As my Countryman<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Alexander &s;ir-named of <HI>Hales,</HI> a ham|let near <HI>Sude|ly Ca&s;tle</HI> in <HI>Gloce&s;ter &s;hire</HI> The only lear|ned writer my Country hath to boa&s;t of. <HI>Speed.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Alexander of Hales</HI> makes the~ into a Po&s;ey. <HI>He that hath patience, a good con&s;cience, a just cau&s;e,</HI> and (what makes the Crowne compleat) <HI>a fit opportunity</HI> to dye for Chri&s;t, He only de&s;erves the name of <HI>a Full Martyr.</HI> The other <HI>three</HI> are like flowers in <HI>Autumne, withered</HI> and <HI>dry,</HI> till God's ap|pointed
<PB N="17" REF="7">time: then they will blo&s;&s;ome and &s;pring, and flouri&s;h in the <HI>Crowne</HI> &s;o that a future threatned danger we may decline without imputation of Cowardize, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Origen. loc: dect.</NOTE> <HI>becau&s;e of the uncertainty of the event:</HI> but a pre&s;ent unavoydable one, we mu&s;t un|dergoe with the highe&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of valour. When our Saviour's <HI>houre was come,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.23. Mat. 26.50.</NOTE> he called his <HI>friend Pe|ter, Devill,</HI> for di&s;&s;wading him from his Pa&s;&s;ion, &amp; the <HI>Devill Judas, friend,</HI> for betraying him to it. Wonder not at <HI>Ignatius,</HI> and <HI>Germanicus,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignat: Ep. al Rom. Lu&s;eb. l. <HI>4.</HI> c. <HI>15.</HI> Socrates. Schola&s;tic. l. <HI>4.</HI> c. <HI>16.</HI> et <HI>16.</HI></NOTE> who being both con|demned to the mercyles teeth of wild Bea&s;ts, <HI>provoked</HI> tho&s;e &s;avage creatures to teare them in peices. Cen&s;ure not S^t <HI>Ba&s;il's Vtinam,</HI> when his immode&s;t per&s;ecuter <HI>Mode&s;tus</HI> threatned him, with pre&s;ent death. <HI>Would to God it might goe &s;o well with me,</HI> &s;aid he, <HI>as to leave this carca&s;se of mine in the quarrell of Christ.</HI> Did you be|hold the <HI>three Chri&s;tians</HI> laid on a griditon by <HI>Amachi|us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Socrat. l. <HI>3.</HI> c. <HI>15.</HI></NOTE> to be broyled to death, what could you expect, but teares, and &s;upplications for mercy, or an open renoun|cing of their faith: yet as if tho&s;e burning coales had only kindled their zeale, they gave him this flour, <HI>If thou do&s;t long, O Amachius, after broyled meat, turne the other &s;ide of us, lea&s;t thou make but a raw feast of it, and the bloud run about thy teeth.</HI> Such was the undaun|ted courage of the Saints, when they &s;aw a nece&s;&s;ity of &s;uffering, that they more tormented the Per&s;ecuter with their con&s;tancy, then he could them with his tor|ments, God knowes, how many of our lots is may be, to drink of this bitter cup: keep in our chambers we may, and pray with our Saviour. <HI>If it be po&s;sible let this cup pa&s;se from us:</HI> yet if God &s;hall put it into any of our
<PB N="18" REF="8">hand, take it off we mu&s;t with the greate&s;t cheerfull|nes: 'Tis but a mornings draught, to that long and hap|py day, <HI>Aeternity.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tertull I de &s;uga in per&s;e|cut. De coro|nd wilit c. <HI>1.</HI> Thammerus <HI>1.</HI> de &s;uga.</NOTE> <HI>Tertullian,</HI> &amp; <HI>Theobaldus Thammerus,</HI> would have the <HI>Prei&s;t</HI> begin to you in <HI>this cup,</HI> again&s;t whom they &s;hut up all <HI>Sanctuaries</HI> in time of per&s;ecution. The Apo&s;tles might decline it, if it were offered them <HI>in one city, by flying into another,</HI> becau&s;e they were <HI>Preachers-gener|all,</HI> Mini&s;ters to the whole world, and &s;o whither &s;oe|ver they went, they were &s;till <HI>in their Pari&s;h,</HI> but we who are Sheepheards to one little flock, if the wolfe come, mu&s;t peri&s;h with them. Forthe <HI>people</HI> are their <HI>owne,</HI> the <HI>mini&s;ter</HI> the <HI>People~s; Them</HI> God hath tru&s;ted with their <HI>bodies, Him</HI> with their <HI>&s;oules:</HI> Nay, &s;hall we preach to them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10.28.</NOTE> <HI>Netimete, Feare not them that kill the body,</HI> and we fir&s;t take our heeles? or did Chri&s;t &s;ay it, only to the Laity,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 12.9.</NOTE> <HI>He that denies me before men, Him will I de|ny before the Angels of God.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Specialit&egrave;r adver&s;us Ec|cle&s;iam texuit volumina de pudicitia, de per&s;ecutione, &amp;c. ter. lib. de Eccle&s;ia&s;t. &s;criptor. Martyrium aded extolle|ret, us ne fu|gam, alia&s;i&abque; latebras vel redemptionem vitae admitte|ret. Baron. an Chri&s;ti. <HI>201.</HI> n. <HI>9.</HI></NOTE> Yet all this is but a kind of <HI>zealous Montani&s;me.</HI> For <HI>Tertullian</HI> taking a di&s;content that his countryman <HI>Victor</HI> was preferr'd before him to the <HI>Bi&s;hoprick of Carthage,</HI> after the death of <HI>Agrippinus,</HI> turn'd <HI>Monta|ni&s;t,</HI> &amp; employed tho&s;e acute parts of his, in defending many the Here&s;ies of that Sect, in which catalogue is the <HI>deny all of flight to the per&s;ecuted.</HI> For the <HI>Cataphry|gians</HI> &s;o magnified Martyrdome; <HI>that they would not al|low a man to &s;ave his life, though he could without &s;can|dall</HI> For my part, I did never love to <HI>uncover the naked|ne&s;se</HI> of any the <HI>ancient Fathers</HI> of the Church; But when their opinions &s;tand in co~petition with the truth, then S^t <HI>Cyprian</HI> hath given me a <HI>rule, Non debemus at|tendre
<PB N="19" REF="8">quid aliquis ante nos faciendam putaverit,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cyprian. l. <HI>2.</HI> Ep. <HI>3.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;ed quid, qui ante omnes, Chri&s;tus pri&ugrave;s fecerit. We mu&s;t not look what any did before us, but what Chri&s;t did before all.</HI> He &s;carce &s;aluted the world, but declared him&s;elfe <HI>a man by flight,</HI> as well as by tho&s;e querulous pa&s;&s;i|ons of <HI>hunger and thir&s;t.</HI> And what he did <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>af|ter the manner of men,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> &s;aies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Athan Apol. pro &s;uga.</NOTE> <HI>is common to the whole kind:</HI> And &s;hall nature be &s;o cruell a Step-mother to our tribe only, as to deny us the pri|viledge &s;he indulgeth all her &s;onnes? Look into the <HI>Saints Geography,</HI> &amp; you &s;hall find a <HI>double Synode,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Kin. 18.13.</NOTE> each con&s;i&s;ting of <HI>fifty Prophets in a cave:</HI> The fir&s;t Apo&s;to|licall Councell held in <HI>Golgotha,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Quare&s;mius Tom. <HI>2.</HI> elucid terrae &s;anctae. l. <HI>4.</HI> c. <HI>1.</HI> pere|grin. <HI>9.</HI> et. c. <HI>22.</HI> peregr. <HI>7.</HI></NOTE> among dead mens bones: The Apo&s;tles had no other <HI>Convocation-hou&s;e, Quare&s;mius</HI> &s;aies, but a <HI>larg cave</HI> or an <HI>ample &s;epulchre:</HI> Nor did they like men, but bea&s;ts, <HI>In Latibulis, in their denns and burrowes:</HI> Shall I give you a map of S. <HI>Paul's</HI> flight, out of <HI>his covert</HI> at <HI>Dama&s;cus,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Latibulum Pauli fuit an|trum in plag&acirc; meridionalt Dama&s;ci, Quare&s;. t. d. l. <HI>7.</HI> c. <HI>1.</HI> per. <HI>6.</HI></NOTE> to <HI>Iconium,</HI> from <HI>Iconium</HI> to <HI>Ly&s;tra,</HI> from <HI>Ly&s;trato Ephe&s;us,</HI> thence to <HI>Macodonia.</HI> You cannot forget old <HI>Polycarpe</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eu&s;eb. Ec|cle&s;. hi&s;t l. <HI>4.</HI> c. <HI>15.</HI> Ribad. to Vit. S. Aug. Ille in Vit. S. Ba&s;ilij. Soz. hi&s;t. Ec|cle&s; l. <HI>6.</HI> c. <HI>2.</HI> &amp; <HI>3.</HI></NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>hid in the cockloft,</HI> when his per&s;ecuters &s;earch't the hou&s;e for him. S. <HI>Cyprian</HI> in his chamber, when the people cryed, <HI>Cyprianum ad Leones, Away with him to the Lions.</HI> S. <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> lock't within doores, when the <HI>Manichees,</HI> that could not confute him with <HI>argument,</HI> would have done it with the <HI>pon|yard.</HI> S. <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> in the <HI>&s;olitude of Pontus,</HI> when the peevi&s;h Prelate <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> mole&s;ted him at <HI>Cae&s;aroa.</HI> And though <HI>Origen</HI> in his youthfull yeares was &s;uch a hot &s;purre, as to run upon danger, yet in his riper age and judgement, when <HI>Alexandria</HI> was too hott for him, he was glad to
<PB N="20" REF="9">accept of <HI>a corner</HI> to &s;ave his life. What &s;hould I tell you of S. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Non t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">ul|til ut judices ferat c<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">s qui e&s;&s;ent mane|fe&s;ti ho&s;tes, Soz <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <HI>8.</HI> c. <HI>17.</HI></NOTE> who, when there was a Synode pack't by <HI>Theophilus</HI> to condemne him, withdrew him|&s;elf, and &s;ent them word by <HI>Demetrius, that they must not take him, for T&agrave;m &s;lultum, &s;o very a fool,</HI> as to be try|ed by <HI>&s;uch Iudges,</HI> as were his <HI>profe&s;sed enemies,</HI> but in <HI>a full convention</HI> he would make his defence. Nay <HI>great Athana&s;ius,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Socrat Schol. l. <HI>1 6 35</HI> l. <HI>2.</HI> c. <HI>1, &amp;c.</HI> Ri<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ad in l<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">it Athan.</NOTE> who for <HI>forty &s;ix yeares,</HI> was cha&s;ed up and down by tho&s;e <HI>Arian bloud. hounds, Con&s;tantine, Con|&s;tantius, Julian,</HI> and <HI>Valens,</HI> with &s;o much malice and &s;everity, that &s;carce any of the foure Elements did dare protect him, but he was compelled to live in a <HI>Ci&s;terne,</HI> and &s;ometimes in his <HI>Fathers toomb</HI> like a dead man.</P>
<P>And here I cannot pa&s;&s;e by, <HI>that fal&s;e imputation,</HI> which <HI>Thammerus</HI> ca&s;ts on this reonowned Prelate,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Thammerus de fug. l. <HI>1.</HI> fol. <HI>16.</HI></NOTE> viz. <HI>That the occa&s;ion of his flight, was his own Avarice, in en|gro&s;sing the corne, Con&s;tantine &s;ent to the poore of Alex|andria:</HI> A foule crime in a Bi&s;hop,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Socrates. l <HI>2</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> 19 ad <HI>28</HI> Niceph. l. <HI>9.</HI> c. 9. Theod. bi&s;s. Eccle&s;. l 2, c <HI>7, 8.</HI> &amp;c. Lib <HI>1</HI> d<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">c. <HI>25.</HI> ad <HI>32.</HI> S<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> l <HI>1.</HI> c <HI>35</HI></NOTE> to rob the poore: but of this, and other fal&s;e accu&s;ations preferr'd again&s;t him by the <HI>Arians,</HI> he was <HI>acquitted before the Empe|rour,</HI> and in a <HI>Councell at Sardica,</HI> a city in <HI>Illyria;</HI> when <HI>Julius Bi&s;hiop of Rome</HI> &s;ent a &s;harp Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Bi&s;hops of Antioch,</HI> for endeavouring to &s;tain &s;o <HI>Spotle&s;se an in|nocence:</HI> the <HI>true cau&s;e</HI> of his flight being the <HI>bloudy malice</HI> of the <HI>Arian</HI> faction again&s;t him.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Fugiant cum corum qui&s;quam. &s;pecia|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ter a per|&s;ecutori<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">us queritur, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Aug Ep. <HI>180.</HI> ad Honorat.</NOTE> And truely where the <HI>life</HI> or <HI>liberty</HI> of a Mini&s;ter is &s;ought (as at this day) I am to learne what obligation &s;hould &s;tay him for ruine. For he is not &s;o much the peoples, but he is &s;till Lord of his owne life: Nor be|cau&s;e he hath the care of <HI>their &s;oules,</HI> is it any warrant, he &s;hould neglect his <HI>owne.</HI> Our <HI>charity</HI> may <HI>begin</HI> at
<PB N="21" REF="9">our &s;elves, though I would not have it <HI>end there.</HI> If my my <HI>con&s;cience</HI> tells me, I &s;hall not be able to conte&s;t with the temptation, that I have not <HI>patience for apri|&s;on; nor courage for a &s;take,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. a. v. 13.</NOTE> Then as the Angell &s;aid to <HI>Io&s;eph, Ari&s;e</HI> I mu&s;t, and take the young Childe, <HI>My weak faith,</HI> and fly into <HI>Aegytt.</HI> Better a prudent flight, then a pre&s;umptuous re&s;idence. I had rather accept of S. <HI>Paul's basket at Dama&s;eus,</HI> and keep my faith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act, 9 25.</NOTE> then fit by the <HI>high Prei&s;ts fire</HI> with <HI>Peter,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. 691</NOTE> and deny my Ma&s;ter:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pet. Mart. Ep ad Lucen&s;. Eu&s;eb. l. <HI>14.</HI> c. <HI>14.</HI></NOTE> With <HI>Peter Martyr</HI> rather leave my Church at <HI>Luca</HI> &amp; enjoy a good con&s;cience: then keep my Living and loo&s;e my faith with <HI>Quintus.</HI> Sure he cannot be faid to <HI>deny</HI> Chri&s;t by <HI>flying,</HI> who <HI>flyes lea&s;t,</HI> he &s;hould <HI>deny him.</HI> Nay what more reall, and publique <HI>confe&s;sion</HI> can he make of his faith, then to leave all for his Savi|our? Lock upon his plunder'd hou&s;e, his &s;catter'd pa|trimony, nay the poor man's cheeks, that were fed with his bread, and doe they nor all &s;uffer a <HI>kind of Martyr|dome</HI> for his Allegiance? Can you behold his Wife and Children, the con&s;tant addition, and companions of his misfortunes, and doe they not all &s;ee me to you <HI>&s;o many confe&s;&s;ours</HI> of his Loyalty? Nay where another <HI>Curate</HI> can't be had, what if I &s;hould &s;ay, <HI>Domus ip&s;a di|vinat,</HI> The <HI>very Par&s;onage hou&s;e,</HI> can Preach <HI>obedience</HI> to the whole Pari&s;h? Tell me now, which <HI>denyes Chri&s;t before men,</HI> He that &s;its &s;ecure at home, and <HI>Rebels,</HI> or He, that expo&s;eth him&s;elfe to all difficulties, to keepe a good con&s;cience. He that &s;tayes in his hou&s;e, and goes to <HI>Ma&s;se,</HI> or He, that flyes to keep him&s;elfe from <HI>Idolls. Peter Martyr</HI> upbraydes the pre&s;umption of his <HI>Pari|&s;hioners,</HI> who e&s;teemed him a <HI>Coward</HI> for his prudence,
<PB N="22" REF="10">and boa&s;ted that they were <HI>Equites Chri&s;ti fortes &amp; probati Valiant and approved Cavaleirs of Heaven,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pet Mart Ep. <HI>2.</HI> ad fra: Lu|cens. p. <HI>1104.</HI></NOTE> that would rather dye, then &s;tirre a foot from. <HI>Chri&s;t's Ban|ner,</HI> and yet ranne to the enemy, and faught under a <HI>Po|pi&s;h En&s;igne. O qu&agrave;m multos fefellit haec vana &s;pes? How many hath this vaine hope deceived?</HI> whil'&s;t they de&s;pi&s;e this <HI>common remedy of weakne&s;se,</HI> or rather <HI>true Chri&s;ti|an policy,</HI> they run their con&s;ciences on a wilfull, and de|&s;erved ruine.</P>
<P>Nor is the Mini&s;ters <HI>ab&s;ence vncharitable,</HI> where his <HI>pre&s;ence is vnprofitable:</HI> For it is not <HI>his ab&s;ence,</HI> but the <HI>peoples profe&s;sion,</HI> that expo&s;eth them to the Wolfe: not <HI>his flight,</HI> but <HI>their faith,</HI> that invites the per&s;ecuter. Or if he did &s;tay, when his office cea&s;eth, He is <HI>&s;piritually ab&s;ent</HI> (the wor&s;t of the two) though corporally pre|&s;ent: yea, how unable were he to confirme the <HI>weake,</HI> who him&s;elf is the <HI>weake&s;t?</HI> &s;o that, where the people can have no benefit of his pre&s;ence, they are his greate&s;t Per&s;ecuters, that quarrell with his ab&s;ence. Will you not allow him to learne to handle his weapon in a chamber, that he may come prepared, and not be hi&s;&s;ed off the &s;tage?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Athan. Apol. pro fugd.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Flight is a fencing Schoole,</HI> where we exerci&s;e our &s;elves at <HI>foyles with death,</HI> ere we come to <HI>a publique encounter.</HI> Call it no more <HI>Feare</HI> that he is gone, but <HI>Art:</HI> not <HI>cowardize,</HI> but <HI>&s;trategem.</HI> He is &s;tept a&s;ide, as the <HI>Fencer</HI> falls back &s;ometime, to give the feircer on&s;et: or the <HI>Souldier</HI> re|treats, only to returne with greater courage to the bat|tle. Have you but the patience, till the cloud breaks, and the Sunne will recompence your &s;hort darkne&s;&s;e with a more glorious light. Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;tay no longer in <HI>Ae|gypt,</HI>
<PB N="23" REF="10">then till <HI>Herod</HI> is dead: <HI>then,</HI> the Sunne of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall ri&s;e in <HI>Inry</HI> with <HI>heading in his wings.</HI> Let not <HI>Carthage</HI> thinke they have quite lo&s;t their <HI>Cyprian,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cypr. Ep. <HI>9.</HI></NOTE> in le&s;&s;e then two yeares <HI>Decius dieth,</HI> &amp; he returns their vigilant <HI>Bi&s;hop and Pa&s;tour.</HI> Doth <HI>Alexandria</HI> de&s;paire of ever &s;eeing <HI>Athana&s;ins</HI> againe? why, the very &s;ame power, that fir&s;t bani&s;hed, re&s;tores him againe to his <HI>&s;eized Bi&s;hoprick.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Theod. l, <HI>1,</HI> &amp; <HI>2.</HI></NOTE> For <HI>Con&s;tantius</HI> is now &s;ending his <HI>Imperiall letters,</HI> to invite him home, and <HI>devout, George the &s;eque&s;tratour,</HI> mu&s;t out of his u&s;urped Prelacy. Doe but permit <HI>Luther</HI> to keep clo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid. Anno <HI>1521.</HI></NOTE> till the <HI>Popes Bull hath done roaring,</HI> and you &s;hall heare him again in <HI>his pulpit at Witenberge.</HI> Suffer <HI>Melancton</HI> to hide a while in the Cities of <HI>Harcinia:</HI> when the Seidge is rai&s;ed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid: <HI>1547.</HI></NOTE> he will returne to his <HI>Divinity &s;choole</HI> in that Vniver&s;ity. The text allowes not of <HI>&s;uch chamber,</HI> as &s;hould entertaine you in a perpetuall &s;ecurity, but by the <HI>&s;eptuagints word,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, they are like the <HI>Cabinet,</HI> where you put up your <HI>Iewels</HI> &s;afe, till you plea&s;e to weare them, or the <HI>common Magazins,</HI> where you lay in provi&s;ion, till ne|ce&s;&s;ity calls it forth.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, will you make the Almighty &s;o <HI>vnskilfull a Generall,</HI> as to venture all his <HI>Army</HI> on the very <HI>first charge:</HI> &s;ome <HI>Re&s;erves</HI> he will have for the Nece&s;&s;ities of his Church: As <HI>Demo&s;thenes,</HI> when one upbrayded his flight, an&s;wered, <HI>Serve me patrioe,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Plat.</NOTE> <HI>I keepe my &s;elfe for my Country:</HI> &s;o the <HI>learned Clergy,</HI> that take fanctuary here, and in other places of &s;afety, are but the <HI>Churches Re&s;erve,</HI> not to be commanded up, till the very la&s;t plunge of the Battaile. And how many <HI>triumphs</HI> doth the Church owe to this one <HI>Per&s;ecuted Brigade?</HI> When
<PB N="24" REF="11">all the <HI>world</HI> was <HI>Arian<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Atha<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s; <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters"> ad orthedox: frat.</NOTE> &s;tout <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> lead up the <HI>Re&s;erve</HI> of <HI>Orthodox Bi&s;hops,</HI> and quite <HI>rou&s;ed</HI> the <HI>Here &s;ie,</HI> that it could never gather a head &s;ince. When the <HI>Pope</HI> had the <HI>necks</HI> of all <HI>Chri&s;tian Princes</HI> under his club foot, and they held their Con&s;ciences, and Domi|ons in <HI>Va&s;&s;alagae</HI> from him, did not that poore Re&s;erve, <HI>Lather a &s;ingle Monk</HI> cut off this <HI>Phili&s;tin's</HI> head with his <HI>Owne Sword?</HI> I cannot tell what we &s;hould have done for a <HI>Redeemer,</HI> had not <HI>David</HI> &s;aved his life in a <HI>Cave</HI> Could you have had the <HI>branch,</HI> if the <HI>&s;tocke of Ie&s;se</HI> had been cut down and withered? Nay we had all been <HI>Pagans</HI> till this day,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Baronius t. <HI>1.</HI> annal.</NOTE> had not &s;ome of tho&s;e <HI>fifteent thou&s;and,</HI> that fled from <HI>feru&s;alem</HI> at the Stoning of <HI>Steeven,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 8. 1.</NOTE> cro&s;&s;ed the <HI>Britti&s;h &s;eas:</HI> By this, the <HI>Romane Scepter</HI> was prevented by the <HI>Cro&s;se of Chri&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Eng|land</HI> made one of the <HI>fir&s;t Chambers,</HI> where <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> was borne. In all the rety rements of the&s;e <HI>worthies,</HI> the <HI>Church</HI> hath reaped a very <HI>plentifull harve&s;t.</HI> Had &s;hoe nor many of<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al,</HI> 3. In the Cave, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 57. In the Wilderne&s;&s;e, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 63. His prayer in the Cave, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 142. <HI>Eu&s;eb</HI> l. 3. c. 15.</NOTE> <HI>David's P&s;alme,</HI> out of a <HI>Wilderne&s;se,</HI> &amp; a <HI>Cave?</HI> choyce flowers, for &s;o barren a &s;oyle. Saint <HI>Ihon's Revelations,</HI> out of the <HI>Ile Patmos,</HI> the place of his bani&s;hment: The <HI>Apo&s;tles Greed,</HI><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Oblonga ci|&s;terna in rupe montia exci&s;a <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Quare&s;|mius, tom. 2. elucid. terra &s;anctae. l. 4. c. 1. pereg 9.</NOTE> out of a <HI>long vault at the foot of mount Olivet</HI>: where the <HI>Twelve</HI> drew it up, ere they di&s;per&s;ed them&s;elves throughout the world: The <HI>Athana&s;ian</HI><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Nauclerus vol. <HI>2.</HI> Chro|nol generat. <HI>12.</HI> p. <HI>608.</HI> Ribad in Vit. eypr.</NOTE> out of an <HI>old ci&s;terne</HI> at <HI>Treveris in Germany,</HI> where that Father penn'd it a|gain&s;t the <HI>Arians.</HI> Godly and learned men are of &s;uch <HI>a diffu&s;ivanature,</HI> that like the <HI>rivers,</HI> if they be denyed pa&s;&s;age in their <HI>proper channelts,</HI> they &s;well above the banks, and water the &s;terill country about it. S. <HI>Cyprian</HI> being bani&s;hed <HI>Carthage,</HI> retyred to <HI>Curhis,</HI> confir|ming
<PB N="25" REF="11">the Martyrs, and releiving the poore. S. <HI>Chry&s;o|&s;tom</HI> in his exile to <HI>Cucu&s;us</HI> wrote that divine Paradox, <HI>Nemo Laeditur, ni&s;i &agrave; &s;eip&s;o,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zo<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">. l. <HI>8.</HI> c. <HI>27.</HI> Ribab. in Vit. Chry&s;om.</NOTE> and though he found the People <HI>Pagan,</HI> yet he le&s;t them <HI>Chri&s;tian:</HI> For by his unwearied paines and exemplary piety, he planted a <HI>Chri&s;tian Chruch,</HI> and at his departure, ordeined <HI>&s;even Bi&s;hops, and many Presbytens</HI> there. You would think, Ivpbraided your <HI>Idlene&s;se,</HI> &s;hould I tell you of <HI>Ori|gen's</HI> preaching at <HI>Cae&s;anea,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Era&s;m in Vit. Origen Pet Mart. ad Lucen&s;. Sleid. l. <HI>3.</HI> an. <HI>1521.</HI> extant tom. <HI>1.</HI> &amp; <HI>2.</HI></NOTE> when he was driven from <HI>Alexandria:</HI> Of <HI>Peten Martyr's.</HI> Divinity Lectures at <HI>Argentoratum,</HI> When he could Preach no longer at <HI>Lu|ce:</HI> of <HI>Lather's</HI> tomes, which he wrote in the Ca&s;tle of <HI>Wartenburg,</HI> when they laid wait for his life at <HI>Wor|matia:</HI> and of <HI>Brentius</HI> his <HI>Commentaries</HI> in his rece&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid. k <HI>20.</HI> an <HI>1548.</HI></NOTE> when the <HI>Spaniards</HI> expolled him his Church at <HI>Hala.</HI> You are not of this <HI>re&s;erve,</HI> whom your Pari&s;hes have <HI>&s;pued</HI> out for your <HI>drunkenne&s;se</HI> and <HI>luxury:</HI> Nor any, that come hither, as to a <HI>Garden of plea&s;ures,</HI> to live at ea&s;e, or as to a <HI>Faire of preferments,</HI> to ger honour and advancement, as too many follow our Aimies, onely <HI>for Quarter and pillage,</HI> who never meane to <HI>draw a &s;word.</HI> None are of the <HI>Churches Regiment,</HI> but tho&s;e whom <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> and <HI>Loyalty</HI> to <HI>God</HI> and the <HI>King,</HI> have brought to this place, and are willing, when God &s;hall call, <HI>to lay downe their lives</HI> for the Churches good. As oft as I think of <HI>Witenberg,</HI> I e&s;teeme every &s;uch <HI>Champion</HI> (How meane &s;oever he &s;eeme to the eye of the World) a <HI>Pledge of divine protection.</HI> For when <HI>Charles the &s;ift</HI> be&s;iedged <HI>that Vniver&s;ity,</HI> God &s;o heard the prayers of <HI>Pomeranus</HI> and <HI>other learned men,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid l. <HI>19.</HI> Wig de Jugd mini&s;te.</NOTE> that, when the <HI>Souldiens</HI> entred, in&s;tead of <HI>Violence,</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="12">they &s;hew'd them all <HI>reverence,</HI> and &s;pared the City for <HI>their &s;akes.</HI> Pray God, <HI>We</HI> never meet with a <HI>wor&s;e enemy.</HI></P>
<P>By the <HI>divine Indulgence,</HI> we have this <HI>Zoar,</HI> this <HI>Pella</HI> yet left us: but if he hath purpo&s;ed, this &s;hall not be the <HI>la&s;t &s;tage</HI> of our <HI>&s;light,</HI> as the <HI>Poet</HI> of him&s;el&s;e and his friend,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Martial. E. pigr.</NOTE> <HI>Quocun&abque;, in loce, Roma duobus erit:</HI> &s;o, let this be our comfort, that <HI>God</HI> and a <HI>Christian,</HI> where|ever they are, make a <HI>great city.</HI> He cannot want the conveniences of one place, who is accompanied with him that fills all places, and we may be&s;ure of <HI>His &s;o|ciety,</HI> who flye for <HI>his &s;ake,</HI> as <HI>Nazianzen</HI> &s;aid of <HI>A. thana&s;ius,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nor. orat. <HI>21.</HI></NOTE> <GAP DESC="foreign">, He &s;led <HI>for the Trinity,</HI> and therefore <HI>with the Trinity.</HI></P>
<P>Aske me not, <HI>What you &s;hall cate, or what you &s;hall drinke, or where withall you &s;hall be clothed?</HI> Rather then your <HI>Heavenly Father</HI> will &s;uffer you to <HI>want any of the&s;e,</HI> The <HI>Heavens</HI> &s;hall raine <HI>Manna,</HI> the <HI>Rocks</HI> run with a <HI>plea&s;ant &s;treame,</HI> and the <HI>winds</HI> &s;erve in <HI>Vari|eties</HI> for you. You have forgot the <HI>Dry cru&s;e,</HI> that &s;prang with oyle, the <HI>Lion's jawes,</HI> that di&s;till'd hony, the <HI>Raven,</HI> that carried meat in his bill, and the <HI>Fi&s;h,</HI> that brought mony in his mouth, to <HI>defray the charges</HI> of God's people. All the creatures are ready to bring in <HI>Contribution,</HI> either <HI>provi&s;ion</HI> or <HI>mony</HI> for their re|liefe. We cannot &s;ure be driven into a more barren &s;oyle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;, 63. v. 6.</NOTE> then the <HI>wilderne&s;se of Ziph;</HI> yet there <HI>David</HI> was <HI>&s;atisfied, as with marrow and fatnes.</HI> Doe you not think the <HI>Angell</HI> mi&s;taken,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 2.</NOTE> that he &s;hould &s;end <HI>fo&s;eph with our Saviour</HI> into <HI>Aegypt,</HI> A <HI>Nation alwayes abhorred of the Iewes:</HI> this were, in your judgement, to deliver
<PB N="27" REF="12">him out of one danger into another: yet <HI>there</HI> the di|vine providence de&s;igned him a <HI>&s;afe quarter,</HI> and pro|vided our tender Je&s;us a <HI>bed in Heliopolis,</HI> for his <HI>hard manger in Bet blehem.</HI> Whether could you imagine S^t <HI>Chry&s;ostome</HI> was going, but as a <HI>certaine prey to fa|mine</HI> and <HI>mi&s;ery,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zor. l. d. Ribad. in vit.</NOTE> when he went in bani&s;hment into <HI>Ar|menia,</HI> without <HI>friend or fortune?</HI> yet there God rai&s;ed him two noble friends, <HI>Philadelphus,</HI> and <HI>Die&s;corus,</HI> who e&s;teemed them&s;elves happy in &s;o <HI>rich a prize,</HI> and became not only <HI>Patrons to his Per&s;on,</HI> but <HI>Pro&s;elytes to his Religion.</HI> How was it po&s;&s;ible, <HI>great Athana&s;ius</HI> could live <HI>&s;ix yeares in a ci&s;terne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Naucler. vol. <HI>2.</HI> chronol. gen. <HI>12.</HI></NOTE> and <HI>&s;oure moneths in his Father's monument,</HI> had not God moved the heart of a <HI>Vertuous matron</HI> to conveigh him dayly reliefe? Will you behold you owne misfortunes in <HI>reverend Brentius,</HI> who after <HI>twenty &s;ix yeares</HI> con&s;tant preach|ing at <HI>Hala in Swethland,</HI> with his Wi&s;e and Children was, by the bloudy <HI>Papists,</HI> throwne out of his owne <HI>hou&s;e</HI> into a <HI>ho&s;pitall,</HI> and,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid. l. <HI>20.</HI> an. <HI>1548.</HI></NOTE> as if that had been too &s;tately a Pallace for a poore Prote&s;tant, &s;ent a begging, had not <HI>Vlrichus</HI> Duke of <HI>Witenberg, Ho&s;pitium occultum,</HI> en|tertained him privately in his owne Court. What &s;hould I tell you of poore <HI>Merlin,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Fr. Hi&s;t.</NOTE> who during the <HI>ma&s;sacre at Paris</HI> (a fortnight together) was fed with <HI>one egge a day,</HI> which a <HI>Hen</HI> layd in the <HI>Hey-mow,</HI> where he hid him&s;elfe? or of di&s;tre&s;&s;ed <HI>Peter Martyr,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pet. Mart ep. adfr. Lucen&s;.</NOTE> whom <HI>Martin Bucer</HI> relieved at his owne Table, till he pre|ferr'd him to be <HI>Divinity reader</HI> at <HI>Argentoratum,</HI> and procured him an honourable &s;tipend of the <HI>Senate</HI> Since the divine providence hath found out &s;o many <HI>unexpected wayes</HI> of relieving his people, why &s;hould
<PB N="28" REF="13">we think his hand will be <HI>&s;hortned</HI> towards any of us, who are now under the like per&s;ecution? In the Civill Warres of <HI>France,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Fran Hi&s;t.</NOTE> the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> &s;coffed the <HI>Prote&s;tants,</HI> that they had neither <HI>Men</HI> nor <HI>mony,</HI> but <HI>a God for all purpo&s;es,</HI> and this Magazine never failed them. We have almo&s;t for got <HI>our meane beginning:</HI> who it was, that advanced us out of the du&s;t to be a terrour to our enemies? Had our King any <HI>Ar&s;enall of Armes,</HI> but <HI>the divine providence?</HI> any <HI>Magazine</HI> left him, but <HI>his God?</HI> doe but continue your affiance in Him, and he will be Riches, honours, friends, maintenance, <HI>All</HI> to you. Or, put the wor&s;t that can be, if our Enemies &s;hould bear us off <HI>God's earth,</HI> yet they will but drive us <HI>into Heaven:</HI> and poore prize, they will have of <HI>our bones,</HI> (but a <HI>la&s;ting monument of their owne &s;hame</HI>) when our immortall Soules &s;hall mount above the Stanes, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Clem Alex. l. &s;hrow. <HI>4.</HI></NOTE> a <HI>Place above the reach of a per&s;e|cution</HI> As <HI>Luther</HI> an&s;wered <HI>Cajetan's</HI> Oratous, when he asked him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Melan&s;ton in pre&s;at ad town <HI>2.</HI> Lutheri.</NOTE> <HI>where he could live &s;afe, if Prince Frede|rick did not protect him,</HI> Si&s;b Coelo, <HI>Vuder the Firma|ment &s;omewhere,</HI> bur if <HI>Earth</HI> will not entertaine me, <HI>Heaven</HI> &s;hall, <HI>In my Father's hou&s;e are many man&s;ions,</HI> which puts me in mind of our Inner chamber, <HI>The Allegory,</HI> in <HI>Chri&s;tian Patience. Enter thou into thy chambers,</HI> &amp;c. This, as well as the Other, my next particular.</P>
<P>But we have been &s;o long in the other,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Coun|&s;ell, 2. Allegori|call.</NOTE> that as <HI>Cy|prian, De patieptia dicturus, patiention ve&s;tram, Before I di&s;cour&s;e of Patiences I had need be &s;eech your patience:</HI> yet as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> from mount <HI>Nebo,</HI> Had onely a <HI>view of Ca|naan</HI> a farre off, and <HI>then dyed:</HI> &s;o, Plea&s;e you onely
<PB N="29" REF="13">to <HI>look</HI> into this <HI>Inner roome,</HI> and I &s;hall conclude.</P>
<P>Patience is a <HI>retiring Virtue:</HI> &s;hee alwayes keeps her chamber, and never goes abroad to <HI>meet affliction,</HI> but <HI>bids</HI> it <HI>welcome,</HI> when it comes. He is too delicate for her acquaintance, that cannot entertaine &s;o <HI>chur|li&s;h a gue&s;t. Erras, erras frater,</HI> &s;aies S. <HI>Ierome</HI> to <HI>Helio|dore,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier, Ep. ad He|liodor.</NOTE> You are mi&s;taken Brother, you are mi&s;taken, if you think to be a Chri&s;tian and not to &s;uffer.</HI> Twas <HI>Iulian</HI>'s &s;coffe, but a true one, <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c. <HI>'Tis your duty,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Soen.</HI> 1.3.6.12.</NOTE> <HI>when In&s;uries are offered you, to beare them patiently.</HI> And if our duty, why are we &s;uch <HI>&s;trangers</HI> to this <HI>noble virtue?</HI> Sure you are not &s;o <HI>&s;traitned</HI> in <HI>roome,</HI> but that you may &s;pare <HI>Patience</HI> a <HI>chamber.</HI> Shee ex|pects not any <HI>&s;tately palace,</HI> but a <HI>Quiet mind:</HI> the <HI>lea&s;t clo&s;et</HI> you have will &s;erve her turne, <HI>But your Hearts.</HI> A cheap gue&s;t &s;he is: you may &s;ave your <HI>hangings</HI> and <HI>Perfumes,</HI> &s;he delights in no <HI>Ornaments,</HI> but the <HI>Cro&s;&s;e:</HI> no <HI>delicacies,</HI> but <HI>faith</HI> and <HI>hope:</HI> &s;hee keeps not her chamber for <HI>&s;tate,</HI> but <HI>devotion,</HI> and &s;huts the doores again&s;t all <HI>company,</HI> but <HI>afflictions.</HI> A &s;trange humour this! Can &s;he dwell with mi&s;ery and not the de&s;troyed with it? Why not? Doe you not &s;ee the <HI>Keeper</HI> &s;port with his <HI>Lion,</HI> when the <HI>Spectatour</HI> will &s;carce tru&s;t <HI>his chaine. Mi&s;ery</HI> lookes <HI>terrible</HI> onely upon <HI>&s;trangers.</HI> Let patience bring you acquainted, and though it look <HI>grim</HI> vpon you at fir&s;t, yet you will find it a very <HI>&s;weet companion.</HI> For <HI>Patience</HI> can tell thee, All thy mi&s;ery is fetcht in by thy &s;elfe, or &s;ent from God.</P>
<P><HI>If by thy &s;elfe,</HI> No greater argument for patience. He that could never forgive another, will not &s;ure be &s;o unkind to him&s;elfe, this were to adde <HI>Impatience</HI> to
<PB N="30" REF="14"><HI>Imprudence,</HI> and by the &s;ame rea&s;on thou vexe&s;t at thy former errour, thou maye&s;t <HI>vex at thy vexing?</HI></P>
<P><HI>If from God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tertul. l. de patient.</NOTE> Cui magis patientiam, quam domino? <HI>To whom is our Patience more due, then to the Lord?</HI> He hath borne with our Injuties, and &s;hall not we endure his cha&s;ti&s;ements? <HI>Proud clay,</HI> will thou ever be check|ing the <HI>Potter? In&s;olent earth,</HI> would'&s;t thou controll, where thou &s;houlde&s;t admire? Is his <HI>Wi&s;edome</HI> him|&s;elfe, <HI>Him&s;elfe</HI> infinite, and &s;hall not be know what is mo&s;t expedient for thee? Is his <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> him&s;elfe, <HI>Him&s;elfe</HI> mercifull, and becau&s;e his proceedings &s;eeme <HI>har&s;h,</HI> wilt thou call them <HI>unju&s;t?</HI> In fine, Is his <HI>will</HI> the <HI>rule</HI> of his <HI>actions, His goodne&s;se</HI> of his <HI>will?</HI> And can any thing, <HI>but what is good,</HI> proceed from <HI>goodne&s;se</HI> it &s;elfe?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cul dew dig|natur ira&s;ci Tert I.de.pat.</NOTE> <HI>Tertullian</HI> is in the right, <HI>Beatum illum &s;ervum,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Happy the man, with whom God vouch&s;afes to be angry!</HI> Suffer him, O &s;uffer him to &s;courge thee here, that he may &s;pare thee hereafter. For did <HI>Mercy</HI> open all her <HI>bowells</HI> upon thee, yet &s;he could not produce <HI>&s;uch another mercy,</HI> as this <HI>very Anger.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed for a man to be throwne out of <HI>plenty</HI> into <HI>want,</HI> out of a <HI>large Revenue,</HI> unto <HI>almo&s;t an Almes,</HI> is as <HI>great</HI> a <HI>temptation,</HI> as now <HI>common.</HI> Yet remem|ber, The greater the evill; The more glorious the conque&s;t. 'Tis <HI>no Victory,</HI> to vanqui&s;h a poor worme, <HI>No prai&s;e,</HI> to wade over a &s;hallow <HI>foard;</HI> but to cut the <HI>Ocean,</HI> and encounter a potent Enemy is the <HI>true gallantry,</HI> that de&s;erves the laurell. <HI>Great evills have this benefit</HI> with them, that their <HI>difficulties</HI> are not &s;o <HI>large,</HI> but their <HI>Crownes</HI> are <HI>proportionable,</HI> and
<PB N="31" REF="14">though they require <HI>much patience</HI> to conquer them, yet that is, onely that they may <HI>Crowne</HI> the <HI>Victor</HI> with the <HI>greater glory.</HI> Many of us, I know, were ne|ver in <HI>the li&s;t before;</HI> now we are &s;et upon by a <HI>fierce Judgement,</HI> &s;hew <HI>what patience</HI> you have, <HI>what forti|tude.</HI> Let not the <HI>Heathen Philo&s;opher</HI> &s;hame you, who could laugh at his <HI>owne &s;hipwracke,</HI> when we <HI>cry out,</HI> as if our <HI>eternall happine&s;se</HI> were embarqued in a <HI>Coffer.</HI> He could throw that <HI>carele&s;&s;e Epitaph</HI> after his goods, <HI>Pereant, ne Peream, Let them peri&s;h, lea&s;t I peri&s;h with them;</HI> but we wi&s;h, we had &s;unke in the &s;ame bot|tome, or with the di&s;contented <HI>I&s;raelites, That we had dyed, ere we came out of AEgypt.</HI> What meanes this Impatience, this cowardize? Have the Enemy <HI>&s;eque&s;tred</HI> your <HI>hearts,</HI> as well as your <HI>Lands?</HI> Have they plundered you of your <HI>Faith</HI> together with your <HI>Goods?</HI> me thinks I heare you talke like <HI>Laban, Wherefore have they taken away my Gods?</HI> As if you knew not, what to doe for a <HI>God,</HI> a <HI>Chri&s;t, a Heaven,</HI> now your <HI>wealth</HI> is gone. Come, di&s;&s;emble no long|ger, but profe&s;&s;e thy &s;elfe an <HI>Athei&s;t,</HI> who knowe&s;t <HI>no Diety,</HI> but thy <HI>Mammon:</HI> Be no more a <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> who can'&s;t not &s;uffer <HI>for righteou&s;ne&s;se &s;ake.</HI> Never was any man <HI>loo&s;er</HI> by a <HI>&s;ju&s;t cau&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Totum &s;ecu|lum pereat, mod&ograve; patien|tiam lucri <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">a|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">am, Text. de pat.</NOTE> though he had no|thing left him, but <HI>his patience. He is richer with this then with the whole Indies.</HI> Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e will not be long in his debt: but he that hath lo&s;t a <HI>friend</HI> for <HI>Her &s;he</HI> will <HI>pay</HI> him with a <HI>God.</HI> He that is deprived of his <HI>liberty</HI> for <HI>her,</HI> &s;he will <HI>recompen&s;e</HI> him with a <HI>Redee|mer,</HI> He that &s;hall loo&s;e <HI>Lands,</HI> or <HI>Hou&s;es,</HI> or <HI>Life</HI> for <HI>Hes,</HI> &s;he will repay him with a <HI>Kingdome,</HI> a <HI>Crowne,</HI>
<PB N="32" REF="15">yea <HI>Aeternity</HI> it &s;elfe. <HI>O let me ever be &s;uch a loo&s;er, and Impatience it &s;elfe cannot complaine?</HI></P>
<P>Wherefore, <HI>let not your Hearts be troubled,</HI> but <HI>po&s;|&s;e&s;se your Soules in patience.</HI> Non Villas,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Augu&s;t.</NOTE> non Laudes, <HI>Not your Farmes, not your Lord&s;hips,</HI> tho&s;e you are lea&s;t ma&s;ters of now:but <HI>Animas, Your Soules, That manour</HI> you have &s;till left you: nothing can <HI>di&s;po&s;se&s;se</HI> you of it, but your <HI>Impatience.</HI> And why will you make a <HI>For|reign</HI> evill <HI>dome&s;ticall,</HI> and fetch in <HI>tho&s;e furies,</HI> that are now abroad, <HI>to di&s;quiet patience in her chamber?</HI> When <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aw <HI>Melancton</HI> torne in him&s;elfe at the di&s;tra|ctions of the Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sleid. l. <HI>7.</HI> an. <HI>1330.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Cur ad hunc modumte crucias,</HI> &amp;c. &s;aid he, <HI>Why do&s;t thou thus torment thy &s;elfe with impatient thoughts? If our Cau&s;e be naught, why doe we not throw it up? If Just, why &s;hould we make God a lyar in &s;o many promi&s;es of &s;ucce&s;se?</HI> If ever a <HI>&s;ad Melanction</HI> be in this A&s;&s;embly, let him intreat his <HI>patience</HI> to keep her chamber but a <HI>moment,</HI> and he, <HI>that is to come, will come and will not tarry:</HI> which is the la&s;t particular, I &s;hall at this time treat of, the <HI>Fir&s;t argument,</HI> which like a <HI>key</HI> locks both chamber doores, <HI>V&s;&abque; ad momen|tum, for a very little moment.</HI></P>
<P>But are there any minutes in <HI>God's Ephemerides?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Argument, 1. <HI>from the Bre|vity of our affliction.</HI></NOTE> doe &s;uch <HI>atomes of time</HI> come under his <HI>ob&s;ervation?</HI> Our <HI>Philomathi&s;ts</HI> have kept their account &s;o well, that they have <HI>lo&s;t us</HI> &s;ome part of our yeare: but God numbers the <HI>dayes,</HI> the <HI>houres,</HI> yea the <HI>very minutes</HI> of our affliction. No &s;o <HI>exact a Chronologer,</HI> as the <HI>divine providence.</HI></P>
<P>Yet you may &s;ay unto me, as the Di&s;ciples to Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 16. v. 18.</NOTE> <HI>Quid est hoc modicum, What is this little while?
<PB N="33" REF="15">we know not what he meaneth.</HI> For the <HI>Jewes</HI> were <HI>&s;e|venty yeares</HI> in <HI>Babylon,</HI> and yet he calls it, <HI>Tanquam param momenti, Not a full minute.</HI> Nay, <HI>Our foure yeares Troubles,</HI> which have &s;eemed almo&s;t <HI>an Age</HI> to us, will he e&s;teeme, but a <HI>moment!</HI> &ocirc; longum mo|dicum!<NOTE PLACE="marg">O modicum longum, pledomine, lon|gum e&s;t &amp; multum val|de ninis, <HI>Bern. 74. Ser. in Cant.</HI></NOTE> <HI>the&s;e are long minutes indeed,</HI> when &s;hall we &s;ee an end of our &s;orrowes? But the Almighty mea|&s;ures time by <HI>another dyall</HI> then we doe: Not the <HI>mo|tion of the Sunne,</HI> but the <HI>purpo&s;e of his will.</HI> The <HI>clocke</HI> was &s;et from all eternity, but the <HI>flye</HI> cannot denore the <HI>minutes</HI> and fa&s;ter then the <HI>poize, The divine plea&s;ure,</HI> drives it. Did we &s;et our wills by his will, <HI>God's clocke,</HI> and <HI>ours</HI> would alwayes <HI>agree</HI> and <HI>&s;trike deliverance together.</HI> There was a <HI>Diall</HI> in <HI>Campus Martius</HI> at <HI>Rome,</HI> that never went according to the Sun: And if Our moments, and God's differ, 'tis becau&s;e they are not &s;et by his will. Our de&s;ires are poized with the heavy weights of <HI>&s;elfe love,</HI> and <HI>our private ends,</HI> and therefore move fa&s;ter, then God's will: &s;o that the divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance may happily come <HI>too late</HI> in re&s;pect of our <HI>Ha&s;ty de&s;ires,</HI> but never in re|gard of our <HI>True nece&s;sity.</HI> The &s;horte&s;t &s;tay &s;eemes long to a running mind, the longe&s;t &s;hort to the pa|tient.</P>
<P>E&s;teeme not God then <HI>&s;low,</HI> who keepes the <HI>very minute of his promi&s;e,</HI> though he come not at the <HI>mo|ment of thy expectation.</HI> In <HI>Chronicall di&s;ea&s;es</HI> you mu&s;t be ruled by your <HI>Phy&s;itian:</HI> though you may de&s;ire <HI>Phy&s;icke</HI> in the <HI>Paroxi&s;me</HI> or <HI>hot &s;it,</HI> yet he may thinke it time enough when <HI>the &s;it is over.</HI> &s;o, <HI>No|&s;peed</HI> to this &s;ame <HI>God's-&s;peed,</HI> and then we are to
<PB N="34" REF="16">judge our <HI>deliverance quick enough,</HI> when he &s;hall e&s;teeme it <HI>&s;ea&s;onable,</HI></P>
<P>Againe, I have &s;eene the <HI>twelve &s;ignes</HI> of the <HI>Zodi|acke</HI> compa&s;&s;e a <HI>Dyall,</HI> and denote the <HI>twelve houres</HI> of the days <HI>God</HI> hath <HI>&s;ignes</HI> about his <HI>Watch</HI> too, <HI>Faith, Repentance,</HI> &amp;c. but <HI>Deliverance</HI> is one of the <HI>last:</HI> now would you have the clocke &s;trike <HI>Twelve before One, deliverance before repentance?</HI> this is again&s;t the <HI>order of Numeration;</HI> The hand mu&s;t point at <HI>Repen|tance,</HI> and <HI>newne&s;se of life,</HI> ere it &s;tand at <HI>Deliverance.</HI></P>
<P>But will you give me leave to follow <HI>Luther's ad|vices</HI> to put this noment in the <HI>Predicament of relation,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luther. in <HI>P&s;al. <HI>2.</HI></HI></NOTE> and then he &s;aith, it will Ab&s;orbere praedicamentum quantitatis, <HI>quite &s;wallow up the predicament of quantity:</HI> that is, compare the time of our &s;ufferings with that o|ther of our &s;innes, and the va&s;teternity, which expects us hereafter, and you will confe&s;&s;e, 'tis not halfe a mo|ment.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t looke upon your &s;innes, on <HI>both &s;ides,</HI> Their <HI>Guilt</HI> and <HI>Duration.</HI> The <HI>Guilt</HI> is <HI>eternall,</HI> though the <HI>Act</HI> be <HI>tran&s;ient.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chry&s;o&s;t in <HI>5. Joh.</HI> Caten. part. gr.</NOTE> For <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>God judgeth not alwayes of &s;inne by it's Continuance, but it's Nautre.</HI> Now, what proportion betweene a temporall puni&s;hment and an eternall one due? The very <HI>medi|tation</HI> of an everla&s;ting fire,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aug. Med.</NOTE> made <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> cry out, Hie ure, hic feca modo in aeternum parcas, <HI>Burne me, O Lord, cut me in peices here, &s;o thou would'st &s;pare me for ever? O mercifull God,</HI> doe we murmur under a <HI>&s;hort Purgatory</HI> in this life, when we are liable to an <HI>eternall torment?</HI> if every <HI>&s;inne</HI> merit <HI>everlasting death,</HI> how <HI>many eternities of mi&s;ery</HI> are due to out
<PB N="35" REF="16">many crying &s;innes? yet thou ha&s;t given us, but a <HI>Sip of &s;orrow,</HI> that by a <HI>Praelibation</HI> of this <HI>bitter</HI> cup, we may prevent the drinking the <HI>very dregs</HI> in Hell: that by <HI>atast of tempor all mi&s;ery,</HI> we may never be devou|red by an <HI>eternali.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="2" PLACE="marg">King. 17.5.</NOTE> But will you as <HI>Elijah</HI> upon the Widowes Son, <HI>&s;tretch this moment upon your &s;innes,</HI> lay mouth to mouth, and hands to hands, and what a <HI>vast di&s;pro|portion</HI> will you find, betweene this <HI>Little David,</HI> and that <HI>Huge Goliah?</HI> A Childe of foure yeares old, <HI>Our pre&s;ent &s;orrowes,</HI> and this <HI>Phili&s;tin</HI> of three&s;core, <HI>Our pa&s;t iniquities?</HI> The <HI>very fingar</HI> of this <HI>man of Gath, Our &s;innes,</HI> is bigger then the <HI>whole body</HI> of our &s;uffe|rings, <HI>Job</HI> compares his &s;innes to the <HI>&s;ands of the Sea,</HI> and if you will &s;it downe and tell the <HI>&s;ands of the Sea,</HI> and your <HI>&s;ufferings together,</HI> what <HI>Alpes,</HI> what <HI>moun|taines of &s;inne</HI> will you lay a&s;ide for <HI>one little heape of &s;orrow?</HI> O our <HI>Impanitency</HI> is our greate&s;t <HI>Calamity!</HI> This hath <HI>&s;pun</HI> out the <HI>moment</HI> into &s;o many <HI>yeares</HI> al|ready. For <HI>Warre</HI> is an <HI>Itinerary,</HI> not a <HI>man&s;ionary</HI> evill: It is going it <HI>circuit</HI> through the World, and would &s;oone pa&s;&s;e through <HI>England,</HI> did not our many <HI>crimes</HI> deteine it in &s;o <HI>long an A&s;size</HI> with us, Aske no more,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 4.21, 22.</NOTE> <HI>How long &s;hall I behold the Standard and heare the &s;ound of the Trumpet?</HI> When God doth &s;till com|plaine. <HI>My People are fooli&s;h, they have not knowne me: they are wi&s;e to doe evill, but to doe good they have no knowledge.</HI> Wonder not, that the de&s;ire of our hearts, <HI>Peace,</HI> hath been &s;o long an <HI>abomination</HI> to our Ene|mies, when the <HI>Almighty</HI> doth yet <HI>&s;tretch out his hands te Vs,</HI> a <HI>di&s;obedient</HI> and <HI>goine &s;aying People.</HI> Lord, what
<PB N="36" REF="17"><HI>Vnrea&s;onable</HI> Creatures are we?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Salv. l. <HI>6.</HI> de gub. dei.</NOTE> Volumus delinquere &amp; nolumus Verberari, <HI>We would of offend and not &s;uffer for it.</HI> Thou mu&s;t <HI>remove</HI> thy judgements, <HI>O God:</HI> but we may <HI>reteine</HI> our &s;innes: Thou mu&s;t not <HI>afflict</HI> us, but we may <HI>di&s;honour</HI> thee. I &s;ee I mu&s;t be <HI>plaine</HI> with you: Is there a <HI>nasty drunkard, a rotten adulterer,</HI> or a <HI>damned &s;wearer</HI> the le&s;&s;e for the&s;e &s;ad times? Are we not all more <HI>undone</HI> in our <HI>manners</HI> then our <HI>estates;</HI> and have we not <HI>le&s;se of virtue</HI> left us, then of our <HI>&s;ub|&s;tance?</HI> Nay, would <HI>Salvian's</HI> complaint were not verified, A&s;&s;iduitas calamitatum, augmentum crimi|num, <HI>&ocirc; Incredible, The Continuance of our mi&s;ery doth but increa&s;e our iniquity,</HI> like that <HI>&s;naky monster,</HI> that <HI>multiplyed</HI> the more for the <HI>beheading?</HI> Boa&s;t not to me, what a <HI>good Subject</HI> thou art, when thou do&s;t <HI>re|cruit</HI> the King with thy <HI>mony,</HI> and <HI>rout</HI> him with thy <HI>&s;innes.</HI> Tell me not, what a <HI>freind</HI> thou art to thy <HI>Na|tive Country,</HI> when thou wilt not <HI>expend a lu&s;t,</HI> to &s;ave it from ruine. How farre &s;hort art thou of the very <HI>Heathens piety,</HI> who did not thinke the <HI>&s;afety</HI> of their <HI>Nation</HI> too <HI>deare,</HI> at the price of their bloud, and yet thou wilt not part with <HI>one</HI> of thy <HI>&s;innes</HI> to re|deeme it from de&s;truction? Never &s;peake of <HI>peace</HI> more, &s;o long as thou art thus at <HI>open Warre</HI> with Hea|ven. If you would have God keep his <HI>moment in pu|ni&s;hing,</HI> why doe not you ob&s;erve your <HI>modicum in &s;inning.</HI> Can you blame the <HI>Phy&s;itian,</HI> if the <HI>di&s;ea&s;e</HI> continues, when the <HI>Patient</HI> will not forbeare the <HI>meates that nouri&s;h it?</HI> An intemperate &s;tomack doth but poy&s;on phy&s;ick, and &s;o feed the <HI>malady</HI> with the <HI>medicine.</HI> And will you thinke the <HI>Almighty cruell,</HI>
<PB N="37" REF="17">That the Warre la&s;ts, when <HI>Nos per no&s;trum non patimur &s;eelus,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Our &s;innes</HI> will not &s;uffer the <HI>Enraged Diety</HI> to put up his Sword. Alas! <HI>His mo|ment</HI> hath hitherto waited upon <HI>Ours:</HI> O <HI>Jeru&s;alem, wilt thou not be made cleane? when will it once be?</HI> For <HI>God's</HI> &s;ake, for the <HI>King's</HI> &s;ake, yea for <HI>Sion's</HI> &s;ake, <HI>let this be the day.</HI> God hath even put <HI>Deli|verance</HI> in our owne power, and why will you de|ferre your happine&s;&s;e any longer? <HI>Humble</HI> your Soules under the <HI>mighty hand of God,</HI> and he will bend the &s;tubborne hearts of our Enemies to Peace. Doe but <HI>Repent</HI> of your &s;innes, and the <HI>Warre</HI> is <HI>ended:</HI> make your <HI>Peace with God,</HI> and goe, <HI>Pro|claime Peace,</HI> throughout all <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P>But <HI>Once more;</HI> Compare the time of your &s;uf|fering on Earth to that of your raigning in Hea|ven, <MILESTONE N="2"> and if a <HI>Thou&s;and yeares be but as a day in that Kingdome,</HI> we have not yet &s;uffered the hundred thou&s;and'th minute of an houre of that day. The va&s;t circumference of the Earth conteines more then <HI>two thou&s;and and five hundred miles,</HI> yet the <HI>Mathematician</HI> will prove 'tis but a <HI>Point</HI> in re&s;pect of the Heavens,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Kecher. Geo|graph.</NOTE> becau&s;e from any <HI>&s;uperficies</HI> he doth not le&s;&s;e behold <HI>halfethe Heavens,</HI> then if he were in the Center of the Earth. So the many thou&s;and yeares exten&s;ion of &s;orrow, is butan <HI>In|&s;tant</HI> in re&s;pect of eternity: Becau&s;e eternity &s;eems not le&s;&s;e eternall if you look upon it from the very <HI>Center of mi&s;ery.</HI> Will you &s;ee it tryed by Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> who &s;tept up into the <HI>Third Heaven,</HI> to wrigh
<PB N="38" REF="18"><HI>the Cro&s;se</HI> and <HI>the Crowne.</HI> And returned with this joyfull <HI>Probatum e&s;t,</HI> The <HI>most ponderous Cro&s;se</HI> is but a feather in the &s;cales,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 4.17.</NOTE> a <HI>Momentary light|ne&s;se,</HI> in compari&s;on of that <HI>&s;urpa&s;sing, exceeding, eternall,</HI> (where &s;hall I &s;tay?) <HI>weighty Crowne of glory.</HI></P>
<P>Complaine not then of <HI>thy &s;hort paine,</HI> when an <HI>eternall ea&s;e</HI> expects thee. Thinke not that <HI>&s;or|row long,</HI> that ends in <HI>everlasting joy:</HI> but hold out this little moment, thou ha&s;t but this one &s;tep to thy <HI>Crowne.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Bi&s;hop <HI>Fi&s;h|er,</HI> in <HI>Hen.</HI> 8.</NOTE> And as the <HI>Bi&s;hop,</HI> when he was going to &s;uffer, <HI>threw</HI> away his <HI>&s;taffe,</HI> and <HI>bid his legges doe their duty, He &s;hould not trouble them farre.</HI> So command thy <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Patience</HI> to doe <HI>their last office,</HI> J&agrave;m pat&ugrave;m itineris re&s;tat, <HI>Thou art almost at thy journyes end,</HI> at the very gates of Immortality: And what a <HI>di&s;honour</HI> to faint at the <HI>end</HI> of the <HI>Race?</HI> what a <HI>misfortune,</HI> to &s;uf|fer <HI>&s;hipwracke</HI> in the <HI>Haven?</HI> &s;tretch thy patience, but a moment, and what a <HI>ble&s;&s;ed Change</HI> wilt thou finde it, To <HI>breath</HI> thy Soule out of <HI>&s;orrowes</HI> in|to <HI>joy,</HI> out of <HI>mi&s;ery</HI> into <HI>happine&s;se,</HI> out of <HI>ter|ments</HI> into <HI>plea&s;ures for evermore.</HI> For our pre|&s;ent affliction, will but adde to the <HI>degrees</HI> of our Happine&s;&s;e, and we &s;hall be the <HI>more ble&s;&s;ed,</HI> that we were once <HI>&s;o mi&s;erable.</HI></P>
<P><HI>O deare Lor&agrave;, &s;o inflame our hearts with the love of Aeternity, that the longe&s;t affliction may &s;eeme &s;hort, the heavie&s;t light, in compari&s;on of that everla&s;ting bli&s;se which thou hast prepared for us in
<PB N="39" REF="18">thy Kingdome. Vnto which bring us, for the me|rits of Je&s;us, to whom with thee and the holy Spi|rit, be a&s;cribed all Honour and Glory, for ever,</HI> Amen.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>PAg. 7. <HI>l.</HI> 8. <HI>r.</HI> Their bondage is His captivity. <HI>l.</HI> 21. <HI>for</HI> would, <HI>r.</HI> could.</P>
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