Manasseh's MIRACULOUS METAMORPHOSIS:  
Representing to every Sinne-loaden (if Sinne-loathing) Soul, 

1 A Conduit of Consolation.  
2 A Comfort against Desperation.  
3 A Cond●ct to Devotion.    
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE thrice-famous University of Cambridge, at Great Saint Maries, Septemb. 10. Anno Dom. 1620.  
By GEORGE LANGFORD, Master of Arts, Preacher of God's Word, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of EXETER.  MAT. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. LUKE 5.32. I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. AUGUST. in Psal. 144. Misericordia Dei dat veniam peccatori, spem Justificationis, charitatem in qua omnia bona facias, dabit vitam aeternam, & societatem Angelorum. AUGUST. in Psal. 130. Debet unusquisque nostrum videre in quo profundo sit, de quo clamet ad Dominum. 
LONDON, Printed by G. Elder for john Clarke, and are to be sold at his shop under S. Peter's Church in Cornhill. 1621.   

TO THE HONOURABLE, and much Honoured Knight, Sir Humphrey May, Chancellor of his Highness' Duchy of Lancaster G. L. wisheth the confluence of all external prosperity in this life, and the affluence of eternal Felicity in the life to come.  
Honourable Sir:  
IF Saint Paul's Books and Parchments long since fell into the hands of Carpus, 
2 Tim. 4.13.  what may I expect in this curious, this censorious, this critical, this carping age, but to be scoured & scourged with the malevolent tongues of Momus & his mates? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Thucydides, lib. 1.  saith Thucydides: Hearing and Reading have a prerogative not to be liable to account; but Preaching and Printing cast themselves upon the rack of censure. For are there not in the popular sort as many heads as hearts? Quot capita tot sententiae, quot homines tot humores, quot humores tot mores, saith Lipsius: 
Lipsius.  The many headed multitude is so divided into faction and action, 
Bellua multorum capitum Seneca.  that Diogenes himself, with all his Lantern and candlelight, can scarce find two in this noontide of the Gospel, quibus una vox aut votum, of one mind or mould. There were diversities of tastes among Horace's guests, so that that which one deemed dainty, seemed unsavoury to another. Diana's Temple was burned by Herostratus the same night that Alexander the great was borne; One more nameless than Herostratus said: It was no marvel, for Diana herself, protectress of that sacred Monument, was then absent as midwife as so great a childbirth: 
Cicero de natura Deorum, lib. 2. Plutarch in Alexandro.  Tully commends this for a witty conceit; but Plutarch condemns it at a witless jest. The like unlike censures I look for of this Sermon: for though the reverend and learned presence wherein I preached it, was not like Hannibal's army, 
Linius.  Collunies omnium gentium, as Livy calls it, a Miscellany of all Nations; yet was it like S. Peter's Audience, Act. 2. consisting of men of many Countries, 
For it was preached upon Sturbridge Fair Sunday.  and they (it may be) of contrary Languages: Cato, me thought, called on me to plead for peace, Pompey for war; the Soldier cried, Arma virumque cane; the Merchant, Da pacem Domine: But I followed Cicero's counsel, Seruiendum tempori, though Lentulus thought it the voice of fawning flattery. But how? I discoursed of Prayer, which is not only Medicina vulnerum, 
Bernard.  as Saint Bernard styles it, but is fare more sovereign than the Physicians Catholicon, it is a medicine for all maladies. Were my Auditor's Students in the abstruse mysteries of Arts & Sciences? Behold, Prayer is their Oedipus to resolve, to dissolve their doubts. Were they Merchants that traded for the Gold of Ophir? behold, Prayer sanctifies their profits; hence Constantine writ a Prayer about his coin. Were they manual Artificers, or such as lived by retail, and tradition? behold, Prayer is, clavis diei, & 
a It is not dura sera, as Tibul. But firmasera, as Ovid: Yea, ferrea sera, as Plautus.  sera noctis, it is the Key to open, and the Lock to shut up their shops. In a word, were they 
b Deut. 28.3.  blessed in the City, and blessed in the field? behold, Prayer is their Ambassador to praise their God, and give him thankes.  
What then I spoke in the ear, 
Quia lucem aliquam tenui huic & per se obscura scriptioni conciliare conatus sum à luce vestrâ: Lipsius, ad Praetor. Consul. & Senat. Reip. Vltraiectinae.  I am bold to put under the shelter of your Honour's protection, presuming to win some lustre unto this poor Paper-present, from your judicious and learned Patronage. Your fidelity in Court employments, your eminency in Nature's endowments, have moved God and the King to promote you, and all men to congratulate the amplification of your Fortunes. In your Honourable seat of judgement you are like the Philosopher Zenocrates, 
Aelian. lib. 13. cap. 31.  into whose bosom the sparrow fled from the talents of the Hawk: which doth ascertain me, that Manasses, after the Deluge of his tears, shall not be like Noah's Dove, 
Gen. 8 9 Aelian. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  finding no place to rest in, but that with Noah you will put forth your hand, and receive him into the Ark of your protecting acceptance. Thus with Sinaetas in Aelian I presume to present you with a fistfull of water, distilled from the Limbeck of Manasses his sorrowful soul: 
Seneca de Benefic. lib. 1. cap. 8.  or rather, with Aeschines in Seneca, seeing I have no meet present worthy so great a Person, I will gratify you with myself, who will ever pray that your good name and fame MAY long flourish on earth, 
Bonum nomen, bonum omen.  fenced and defended from the Theonine consumption of Envy, 
Dente Theonino rodere, Horat.  till your consummation in glory.  
London this present june 4. Anno Dom. 1621. At your Honour's service I rest ever in all duty devoted, GEORGE LANGFORD.   

Manasseh's MIRACULOUS METAMORPHOSIS.  2 CHRON. 33.12. He prayed to the Lord his God. 
IT is fathered upon that ancient Father S. Jerome, that he was indicted before the Tribunal Seat of God's Sacred Majesty, not for that he was an excellent and eminent Enditer, or that his tongue was as the pen of a swift and ready writer (O let me admire these ever to be admired gifts!) but, Quòd Ciceronianus, non Christianus foret, for that he was not so exact a Christian, as an eloquent Ciceronian, too frequent in his Esse videatur. Therefore I call heaven and earth to record, that I come not this Holy day to hang golden jewels in the itching ears of any vainglorious Israelite, 
Exod. 32.3.  such as he may pluck from himself to make a molten Image. I desire not Nazianzens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  a filled and flexible tongue, if by it he understand a defiled and flagitious tongue, ever speaking sonantia verba, sed non sanantia, making a mere sound, but never ministering any sound comfort and consolation. I cannot but detest Saint Paul's frivolous though fraudulent hucksters, 
2 Cor. 2.17. Cauponantes, Erasmus, Beza. Adulterantes, Caluin.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sophisticating, adulterating the Word of God: For, what other thing do these chanting and enchanting jugglers, these impotent and false Impostors, than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, steal away the erring eyes of the ignorant; which fry are like Laban's flock, led by the eye, and violently posted away to admiration. The silver Trumpet of that Watchman of Israel, carefully keeping Ward and scentinell in the house of his God, 
Mr Ward of Ipswich.  should ever sound shrilly in the ears of his brethren the sons of Levi, who tells us that this hyperbolical kind of teaching turneth sound preaching into a sound of preaching, tickling men's ears like a tinkling Cymbal, feeding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, spoiling the Plainsong with Descant and Division.  
Thus having stayed you a little in Atrio Templi, speedily let me lead you in Sanctum Sanctorum. In this present Chapter, 
Mat. 13.52.  Ezra, God's sacred Secretary, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that Scribe taught unto the Kingdom of heaven, summarily compriseth, comprehendeth the Life and Death, the Acts and Monuments of those two Kings of judah, Manasses and Amon.  
First, he blazeth Manasseh's arms, Manasseh's harms: he points at him with an Ecce hominem. Behold the man: behold him falling and sinning, behold him entangled in the snares of Satan, who is not unfitly resembled by the ancient Fathers to that mighty Hunter, that apostatical and rebellious Nimrod: 
Gen. 10.9.  For he hath not only his hounds, 
Phil. 3.2.  Phil. 3. but also nets, snares, toils, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, so Saint Paul hath styled them, 
1 Tim. 3.7. 2 Tim. 2.26. Mat. 22.15. Mark 12.13.  1 Tim. 3. with both these, as once he laid for the Messiah, so here he lays for Manasses: with his hounds, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that they might take him; with his nets, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that they might entangle him; with both of them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that ruthlessly they might murder his immortal soul.  

Psal. 137.1.  The sweet Singers of Israel may now sit by the banks of Babel, and pour out the cataracts of their compassion, empty the floodgates of their affection upon this King of the jews, the subject of my Text. For, cecidit, cecidit Manasses, Manasses hath caught a fall, Satan hath given him the foil, both have exceedingly bruised him: 
job. 10.17.  changes and armies of sorrows are against him, the worm of conscience hath stung him, 
2 Cor: 12.7.  the messenger of Satan hath buffeted him; Sin, 
Gen. 4.7.  that ever arring and barking Bloodhound, whose teeth are as spears, and whose jaws as arrows, hath ceased upon him. In a word, he hath traveled from jerusalem to jericho, 
Luke 10.30.  from mount Zion to port Esquiline, from the city of God to the suburbs of hell, he hath fallen among thiefs, and is sore wounded; cecidit, ah cecidit Manasses, Manasses is down, but shall he rise again?  
Yes doubtless, this downfall is not unto death; 
john 11.4.  for as he fell by sin, so did he rise by Repentance: as he fell low into misery, so did he soar aloft to the seat of mercy. His fall was his rise, he fell to rise: he fell into prison that he might fly into Paradise. His fall was his rise, he fell to rise, he was a prisoner in Babylon, that he might be a free Denizon in jerusalem: happy, thrice-happy souls, Queis datur Elysium sic habitare nemus, who are thus enfranchised in the freedom of heaven.  
Suppose we then Manasses to be like bifronted janus, 
Supposed to be japheth, Noah's eldest son, who saw the ending of the old world, and the entrance of the new. Can: 5, 2, and 6, 8. 1 Tim: 3.15.  with two faces, the one looking toward Beth-auen, that sink of sin, the house of vanity, the other beholding beautiful Bethel, that house of God, the Church of the living God, Columba unitatis, Can. 5. Columna veritatis, 1 Tim. 3. Christ's Love, his Dove, his undefiled, the pillar & ground of truth. For first, we see Manasses sinning, and his sin we see is aggravated from the second verse unto the 11. But as Manasses sinned, so Manasses sorrowed for sin, and having gone whoring after other gods, prostituting his soul to sacrilegious Idols, so he now acts the return, takes the Rod into his own hand, enioynes himself a kind of Penance, he returns to God by true repentance.  
The which his repentance is here expressed by the three parts or members of it: 

1. By his Confession of mouth.  
2. By his Contrition of heart.  
3. By his Conversion of the whole man.    
His confession is implied in that word, prayed: His contrition is implicitly enfolded in those words, He humbled himself. His conversion is branched out into two severals: 

1. In terminum à quo: What he turned from.  
2. In terminum ad quem, what he turned unto.    
Thus you see the near Neighbourhood, the conjunction that these words have with the other! Now were it usual to give names to Texts, this might not unfitly be styled, The Mirror of God's mercy in Manasseh's miraculous Metamorphosis; if you will, The Royal Exchange of the Merchant Royal, 
Mat: 13: 46.  who having found a pearl of precious price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. He hath sold his Idolatry, to buy Piety; He hath sold his Avarice, to buy Liberality: He hath sold his Pride, to buy Humility; He hath sold his Luxury, to buy Frugality; he hath sold his Cruelty, to buy Amity: In one word, he hath sold all Iniquity, to buy a state of Perpetuity, and being plunged in adversity, he sends up his perfume of Prayer to the God of Mercy, for so says my Text; He prayed to the Lord his God.  

Gen: 2.10.  Which like that River of Eden, Gen. 2. may seem to divide itself into four heads: 1. is an Agent. 2. is an Action. 3. is the Object of that Action. 4. is the Application of that Object.  

1. Is an Agent, [Herald]  
2. Is an Action, [Prayed.]  
3. Is the Object of that Action, [The Lord.]  
4. Is the Application of that Object, [His God.]   
He,] an Agent. Prayed,] an Action. The Lord,] the Object of this Abjects prayer. His God,] The Application of the Object, in the Supplication of this Abject, who prayed to the Lord his God.  
And now Well-beloved, in the Bestbeloved Christ jesus, lend me your listening and attentive ears, while of all these I speak severally, though of some of them summarily: and first of the first part, namely the Agent, [Herald  
We need not now with the Eunuch ask any Philip, 
1 Agent. Acts 8: 34.  Of whom speaketh the Prophet this, of himself, or of some other man? this Capital Sinners name, is writ in such Capital Letters, that he that runs may read it is Manasses.  
It is Manasses, he that did evil in the sight of the Lord, vers. 2. It is Manasses, he that went back and built the high places, vers. 3. It is Manasses, he that built Altars in the house of the Lord, vers. 4. It is Manasses, he that caused his Sons to pass through the fire in the valley of Benhinnom: that gave himself to Witchcraft, and to charming; that did evil, yea, very much evil, that did evil in the sight of jehovah, and that to angel him, vers. 6.  
It is Manasses, one of Sins greatest Associates, one of Satan's greatest Inmates; an open opprobrious and flagitious sinner; one who had drenched his soiled soul in the gall of ungodliness, 
Act. 8.23.  in the gall of bitterness with Simon Magus: One, who Spider-like, out of his own bowels had spun a fair thread, and weaved the Web of unrighteousness; it is ipse, he, he it is that prayed: He prayed to the Lord his God.  
A lass, fond deathling he, how dared he veil his guilty, teare-drowned eyes to Heaven? how durst his fainting knees and faltering feet approach before God's awful presence? He prayed indeed, obsequiously he did implore for pardon, oh pardon, pardon mine outrageous sins: But why rather with Belshazzar, 
Dan. 5.6.  was not his countenance changed, his thoughts troubled, the joints of his loins loosed? why did not his knees knock one against another, and his eyes fail him for fear? Nature would deem that in this deluge of distress, he should rather pray upon himself, casting his confused soul into the Chaos of horror, & horrible confusion, then pray for himself, whose exotic sins so hideous, whose exorbitant sins so heinous, might seem to have built a Babel of confusion, to have erected a wall of separation 'twixt him & his God. But ecce hominem, behold with attention, look upon Manasses with admiration; he hath both form & beauty, when you shall see him, you must needs desire him, you must needs admire him! He is despised indeed & neglected of himself, for he is a man full of sorrows, & hath experience of infirmities; 
Can. 1.5.  but regard ye him not because he is black? because the parching sun of original pollution, and the perpetration of actual transgression hath looked upon him? 
Virgil Eglo●●.  Alba ligustra cadunt, vacinia nigra leguntur: Vzziah the Leper, 
2 Chron. 26.19 Ier: 39.18.  though white as snow, shall be excluded the host, when Ebed-melech the Black Moor, shall not remove one foot. For now behold Manasses (that Transcendent sinner so superlative) coming from Labanon, and looking from the Tower of Babylon, 
Can: 4.8.  from the top of Amanah, Shener and Hermon, from the dens of the Lions, and from the mountains of the Leopards. Behold him going about in the City, 
Can: 3.2.  by the streets and open places, seeking him that his soul loveth, he sought & found him, or rather was found of him. For, which may strike our senses with astonishment, he that suffered him to be led captive, hath had compassion on him, he hath made a light to shine into the prison, he that sat in the shadow of death hath seen the Sunshine of life. God hath appeared unto him, 
Acts 17.20▪  Ipsa vita qua vivimus, quam vivimus, who is the life which we live, by which we live. He, he smote Manasses on the side, 
Acts 12.7.  as that delivering Angel did blessed Peter, 
Can. 2.4.5.  his chains fell off, he raised him up, he delivered him out, he brought him into the wine cellar, and love was his banner over him; he stayed him with flagons, and comforted him with apples, for he was sick of love.  

Can. 1.11.12.  Now therefore, seeing the winter of Manasses woe is past, the rain is changed and is gone away, let his voice like the voice of a Turtle be heard in our ears. 
Pliny nat: Hist.  Turtur non canit sed gemit, saith Pliny, the Turtle sings not so much as sighs, 
Gen. 8.11. Ol●e pacales Ouid. 2 Chron. 33.6. Mat. 2.9.  yet let Manasses be the Dove to bring an Olive leaf, (true Emblem of trucefull peace) into the Ark of Noah. Let this stargazing Doctor be our conductor, leading us like that star to the Babe at Bethlehem. Let him be the messenger to bring these glad tidings of great joy to all Repentants: That so endless is the Ocean of God's liberal mercy; so boundless the sea of his unlimited bounty toward man, to (untoward man,) that abject thrall, that enthralled object of misery, and subject of all iniquity, as that an impious and flagitious sinner, may become a religious and repentant convert, as that a Manasses may be Metamorphosed; as that a Son of Satan, one of the brood of Belial, a brat of fathomless perdition, may become a natural son of mother Zion, a sacred Saint and Citizen of jerusalen, an heir apparent to the Kingdom, to the crown of Heaven, inheriting eternal, aye-enduring beatitude and felicity. Well might the sighfull Psalmist so shrilly sound that devout, though doleful ditty; Abyssus abyssum invocat, 
Psal. 42.7.  one deep calleth another, Psal. 42. Well doth that worthy saying of that famous worthy Saint Austin, 
Augustin.  suit and sort itself with our present purpose, Abyssus miseriae invocat abyssum misericordiae, a deph of misery, calls for a depth of mercy: here Mercy and Misery are met together, Misery and Mercy, kindly do kiss, embrace each other.  
Our God is not like Saint Basils' Magistrate, 
Basil.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, without the bowels of commiserating compassion, of compassionate commiseration: 
Hos. 1, 6.9.  He loved thee Lo-ammi when thou wast Lo-ruhamah; deserving nothing but desertion, he deferred the sentence of condemnation. When he displays the bright beams of his Bounty, he cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber, 
Psal. 19.5.  and rejoiceth as a Giant to run his race: But spreading the Sable colours of his Severity, coming to write us a Bill of Divorcement, to give the Devil a Capeas Corpus, and Tophet an Habeas animam, 
Suetonius in vita Neron. Clau●● Cas: Sect: 10: quàm vellem nesure literas.  oh then with Nero in Suetonius, he seems to wish, utinam, ò utinam nescirem literas, I would I had no cause to subscribe to the execution of this Malefactor. With Bias that judge of Greece, he never gives sentence of death, but seems to sorrow. The Sword of his justice (unlike to joabs') is willing to be contained in the sheath of his Mercy! Is he enforced to draw it? his bowels are rolled and turned within him: Is he enforced to draw blood with it? himself is wounded at the very heart. 
Isa: 1: 24.  He will ease him of his enemies, and avenge him of his adversaries. Esa. 1. But it comes with a Sigh, with an Eheu, Ah, or Alas, I will ease me of those that disease me: Exonerando me magis onero, as Bernard speaks in another case, may the Lord upon this occasion, The punishing of Israel for his sin, adds sorrow to the God of Israel: For alas, I must ease me of those that displease me. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, O the inexhausted treasury of God's Mercy, 
Rom: 11: 33. Fons vincit sitientem, August.  the infinite Fountain of his never-failing favour, the head of whose ever-streaming torrent, is more unsearchable than that of Nilus, 
2 Sam: 23: 15.  altogether past finding out. Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bedlam, was David's desire, but these Crystal Currents, this celestial Nectar, 
Psal: 42.1. 1 Cor: 13.  is that my heart brayeth for, is that that my soul panteth after. Yet had I the tongue of Men and Angels, tipped with the choicest and chiefest lustre of humane eloquence, I could not shadow in mask of words, or plainly portray with any pencil, this abundant, this ever-streaming torrent, this supper abundant, this over-streaming Current of God's Mercy.  
Lift up then thy head thou drooping soul, do not despair thou drowsy spirit, qui dilexit pollûtum, deseret politum? He that loved Manasses wallowing in the blood of his sons, can he loathe thee washed with the blood of his Son? from whose side issued those two Sacramental rivers, Blood and Water, 
Ambros▪ in Luc.  Aqua quae diluat, Sanquis qui redimat, saith S. Ambrose: Water to cleanse thee, blood to redeem thee. Hast thou with Lot committed incest? Hast thou with David committed adultery? Hast thou with Peter denied Christ? Hast thou with Paul persecuted the Church? Hast thou with Marcellinus sacrificed to Idols? Yet wade not in the gulf, walk not in the way of desperation, this Almighty, this All-sufficient Physician, healed Lot of his Lethargy, delivered David from his Leprosy, purged Peter and Marcellinus for their shaking palsy, cured and recovered Paul out of his Apoplexy. He forgives Manasses, aswell as Hezekias, he forgives a thousand talents aswell as one penny: He gives a Sea of Mercy as soon as one drop, he gives many Ephas as soon as one Omer. Decet magnum magna facere, saith Aquinas: 
Aquinas in Mat: 8.  By this Almighty God, all mighty things are wrought, are brought to pass! He delights to blaze his bounty, which most appears in great iniquity; the Diamond shows brightest on the blackest lead; Stars shine clearest in the darkest nights: Pearls show rarest on the basest rings: so God's bounty like the Diamond, his mercy like the Star, his pity like the Pearl, shows brightest, shines clearest, seems rarest, on the blackest, on the darkest, on the basest sinner. God is more incomprehensible in mercy, than it is possible thou canst be in sinning, the value of his bounty so infinitely surpasseth thine iniquity! 
Hierom.  Hence is it that Saint Jerome confidently affirms, that judas sinned more heinously in despairing of his Master's pardon, then in betraying of his Master's person. His Master indeed is Sponsus sanguinum as Bernard styles him, 
Bernard. Exod. 4: 26.  a bloody husband as Zipporah called Moses, yet a husband for us, bloody for us, celebrating here his contract, his espousals; and hence his marriage, his sacred Nuptials. Can he then cry with the Believing thief, Domine memento mei, Lord remember me, 
Luk 23: 42.  then like that blessed thief he might steal the crown, coeleste furatur imperium saith Chrysostome of the thief, he took the Kingdom of heaven by violence. 
Chrys: Hom: 2: de latr. Tanlerus: Med: cap. 43.  He came to the cross besmeared with the blood of others, but is washed with the blood of Christ, and who then can despair?  
Who can despair of pardon when he sees his Saviour triumphing upon the Cross, bowing down his head to kiss the sinner, spreading abroad his arms to embrace the Prodigal?  
Who can despair of pardon, when he doth remember, that those wolves who shed the heartblood of the Lamb of God, should be washed from their sins by the blood that they shed?  
Who can despair of pardon when he shall consider, that where Adam was buried, there was Christ crucified? as Epiphanius affirmeth. 
Epiphan: apud Kemnit: de trad Jgnatius Epist: 12. ad Roman. Can: 2: 14. Bernard: in can. Ser: 61.   
Christ is crucified, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, saith Ignatius, jesus my Love, my life, is crucified, that in his wounds, the holes of the Rock, the Dove may build her nest; as sweetly Bernard. Oh then suffer not the surging billows, the stormy Euroclydons of despair once to appal thy mind! Christ's head was harrowed with thorns, that thine might be hallowed with the Diaden of glory. Christ's face was besmeared with filthy spittle, that thine might shine brighter than the Sun in his beauty. Christ's eyes were darkened with the fog of death, that thine might behold the Beatifical Vision. Christ's ears were filled with the scoffs of Satanical malignity, that thine might be ravished with Angelical Harmony. Christ's lips were scornfully wet with macerating Vinegar, that thine might carouse the Nectar of Eternity. In Christ's hand was clasped the Reed of reproach, that as a King thou mightst sway the Sceptre of Felicity. Christ's feet were nailed to the Footstool of the Cross, that thou mightst trample on the powers of pitchy darkness. In a word, Christ's piercing incision, his bitter potion, his unsufferable passion, his unutterable compassion, his unsupportable, and unsupposeable temptation, affliction, persecution, prosecution, were all for thy sake, that thou for his sake shouldest shun the dangerous shelf and gulf of desperation. 
Bern: in can: Serm: 61:  Quod ex te tibi deest, usurpa ex visceribus Domini, this was Bernard's practice: Stand we in want of Mercy? let us not be wilfully wanting to ourselves, in standing upon our own merit! works of Supererrogation, are no small derogation to Christ's all-sufficient satisfaction. Merits of condignity (defended by the Cenuenticle of Trent) offer the Cross of Christ, a gross, a great indignity. 
Concil. Trident. Se. 6. cap. 11. Erant haec duo non legitima christianorum concilia, sed tyrannica Antichristi conventicula. Whitakerus de Synod. Florent. & Trident. Yet they call this Absolutissima Trident. Synod. Possevin. Biblioth. select.  What incongruity must there needs be, between our works of congruity, and the sempiternal Crown of felicity? Surely no more proportion is there, then between Stillam muriae 
* Tully.  & mare Aegaeum, between a drop of the sea, and the main Ocean. Pater terrestris terrestrem te generavit, regeneravit coelestis: Wast thou defamed? yet than thy God advanced thee. Wast thou deformed? he then reform thee. Wast thou quite degenerated? he regenerates thee. Nascimur homines, renascimur Christiani: We are not borne Christian, but brought to Christianity: yea, then oftentimes, when we persecute that way unto the death. Hath not God met us in our journey to Damascus, running ourselves out of breath, or breathing out slaughter against the Disciples? Yes doubtless, yet then, Et donavit bona sua, & condonavit mala tua, then did he give us grace, and forgive our graceless aberrations. O tune not then the doleful ditty of accursed Cain, say not, 
Gen. 4.13.  My sin is greater than can be pardoned: Mentiris Cain, mentiris, I dare give thee the lie, for where Sin aboundeth, there Grace superaboundeth, 
Rom. 5.20.  Rom. 5. Turn thy feet from judasses baneful Labarynth say not I have sinned and there stop, go a step further, I have sinned, 
Mat. 27.4.  but with the Lord is Mercy; Psa. 130. with the Lord is mercy, 
Ps. 130.  the Manna of the fainting soul; with the Lord is mercy, the Sovereign salve to cure the sore, the malady of Sin: with the Lord is mercy; the Loadstone that draws, the Lodestar that conducts to life: This mercy hath Manasses found; finding it, enjoys it; enjoying it, enioynes thee never to despair of boundless mercy.  
Secondly, is the greatness of God's ineffable love so incomparable? Is the graciousness of his inestimable bounty so boundless, so incomprehensible, as to pardon a Manasses? a Manasses, one that had almost sinned unpardonably, 
2 Chron. 33.6.  and like an unskilful, or rather wilful Pilot, made shipwreck against the Rock Christ jesus? Then hear my voice ye brood of Lamech, 
Gen. 4.23.  and hearken to my speech ye Sons of Belial; you that for the least disgrace would slay a man in your wound, and for a puff of wind a youngman in your hurt: 
Gen. 49: 6.  you that with Simeon and Levi, in your wrath would slay a man, and in your rage dig down a wall: O cursed, cursed be your wrath for it is fierce, and cursed, thrice cursed be your rage, for it is cruel. The Lord doth sit in heaven and laugh you to scorn, the highest God will have you in derision: with Cain he will make you vagabonds upon the earth, 
Gen. 4.2.  with joab he will take you from the horns of the Altar: he will not suffer your hoar head to go down to the pit in peace, nor your grey hairs to the grave in plenty: for you have put the blood of war upon your girdles, and in your shoes the blood of woe.  
But you my Brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, into their secrets let not your souls come: my glory, be not you joined with their assemblies. Let Christ's action be your instruction, though not for the equality of perfection, yet for the equity of imitation. Doth judas come with a kiss (like a fawning foe) to betray him? 
Mat: 26.50. Acts 2.  he salutes him by the name of Friend, Mat. 26. He suffers the rays of his compassion, radiantly to shine upon those, of whom he suffered his Passion. He cures and recovers those, of whom he is wounded. He gives life to those, who took life from him. Be followers then of God as dear Children; though men offend him, he will seek to save them; though men work mischief, he will seek to win them; though they turn aside like a broken bow, 
Ezek. 33.11.  he will strive to turn them; Turn you, turn you from your evil ways: for why will ye dye ye house of Israel, Ezek. 33.11.  
And hear my voice ye Tribe of Levi, harken to my words ye sons of Aaron. 
Exod. 28.34.  Let your Bells be heard often, often your Pomegranates smelled; for he that is a Manasses to day, a Saul, a Sheol, enlarging his desire as hell; may be an Hezekias to morrow, a Paul, Paulus quasi parnulus Christi, as S. Austin alludeth; 
Augustin confess. lib. 8. cap. 4.  he that is a great one in the Kingdom of darkness, may at the least become a little one in the Kingdom of happiness. Qui non est hodie, cras magis aptus erit: The Egyptian Pyramids, Artemisias Mausolêum, the Roman Capitol were not perfected in one day, nor was Zeuxis his Helena portrayed with one Pencil. jerichos walls must be compassed seven days, 
Iosh. 6.15.20.  yea seven times the seventh day, before they be levelled with the ground. Sleepy Samuel must three times be roosed, 
1 Sam. 3.10.  before he can say, Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth. Christ proceeds not to that cutting sentence, 
Luke 13.7.  Cut down the figtree, Luk. 13. till three years he had come and sought fruit upon it: which three years, were either those of his Ministry; or as Saint Gregory expounds them, 
Gregor. Homil: 31. in Euangel. Theophylact. Basil.  those three times, Before the Law, Under the Law, After the Law. Or as Theophylact and S. Basil do extend them, they are the three Ages of man; his Childhood which is a dream; his Youth, which is a Frenzy; his Old-age, which is a sickness▪ The Servant is not better than his Master, nor is the Subject above his Sovereign; Let us therefore follow him into his Vineyard, and three years seek for fruit, though finding none we sow in tears. 
john 5.4. Mat. 20.6.  Stay not to step into this Bethesda, till an Angel doth stir the water; Quîd statis hîc otiosi? Go work to day in God's Harvest, though even in it that envious One hath sown his tares. Be instant in season, and out of season instant; Give attendance to reading and exhortation, to teaching and dehortation: Cry often, and cry aloud, lift up your voices like a Trumpet often, often show the people their sins, and the house of jacob their transgressions; but as much as may be, in reproving, in reprehending, put on the bowels of tender Mercy.  
Many indeed, of whom I tell you weeping, do give their exhortations earnestly, their redargutions vehemenly, but they omit that other, that unum necessarium, to a bruised soul, 
Like those Angels, Reu. 8.  they deal not mercifully. One blows his trumpet and fire follows; Another blows his trumpet and hail ensues: A third is clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow is on his head, he roars like a Lion, and seven thunders utter their voice.  
That prejudicial aiming at the persons of men, too evidently declares; 
Leu. 10.1.  that our Nadab's and Abihus take not their fire from God's altar. That pleading of judgement, to the plunging of souls too deeply in the pit of desperation, manifestly demonstrats, that they care not to come in that still voice, Kings 1.19.  

1. King. 19  But what shall we say to those cursing Balaams', those Bedlams of Babylon? to the ceremonies of terror used by them at the time of Cursing? to their fiery torches? to their flaming candles cast from on high, as though the fire of God's fury was pressed and ready at their command? That Brand of hell Pope 
* This Hildebrand had so much modesty as to be ashamed of his name, and would needs be called Gregory the seventh.  Hildebrand, whom for honour's sake here I mention even as Pilate is in the Creed, this monster as Cardinal Benno describes him, was not more horrible in deluding the people with 
a Cùm vellet, manicas suas discutiebat, & in modum scintillarum ignis dissiliebat. Card. Benno in vita Hildebr.  fire from his sleeves, then are his successors terrible in execrating those, who refuse to receive the mark of the 
* Reu. 13.16.  Beast in their right hands. All these are impostors, not pastors; or if pastors, not David's but Doegs', not Simon Peter but Simon Magusses, in the gall of bitterness; not Alexander's but Ariusses, Aeriusses, 
b Eusebius Nicomed. Const. was a persecuting Arrian heretic about the year of Christ 342.  Eusebiusses, (of Nicomedia not of Caesaria,) shepherds they are that never whistle, but ever let lose their dogs: shepherds they are that feed their sheep with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: Paul's milk is taken from the Lambs, his stronger meat from greater sheep: 
c Virgil. Eglog 3.  Et succus pecori & lac subducitur agnis, Menalcas complaint of false Damaetas.  
Contrarily, let us consider, that 
d 
Chrysost. Miscenda est lenitas severitate, faciendumque quoddam ex utraque temperamentum. Greg. Moral. lib. 20. Severitas exercenda est in peccata paucorum, & (si quid minamur) cum dolore fiat. August. Epist. 64. Discite subditorum matres vos esse debere, non dominos: studete magis amari, quam metui.— matres fovendo, pa●res vos corripiendo exhibeatis.— Suspendite verbera, producite ubera. Bernard. Super Can. Sermon. 23.  
Omnia remitto, multa dissimulo colligendae fraternitatis study, delictis (plusquam oportet) remittendis penè ipse delinquo: ut fraternè de scipso Cypriani●, lib. 1. Epist. 4   Minister medicus est, is curate vulnera non ipse verberat, as Chrysostome hath it: we are Physicians for the soul, we must not wound, unless it be to heal. 
a Plutarch.  Aqua guttatim lapsa lapidem cavat, by frequent drops the stone is made hollow, and by fervent admonitions the hollow heart is made holy. The softer lead, not harder iron cuts the marble, and sweeter phrase, not harsher language doth sometime pierce the stonier heart. Let us therefore add precept unto precept, line unto line, here a little and there a little, in mercy let us exhort with iterations, compassionately let us iterate our exhortations, Manasses is not dead but sleepeth.  
Lastly, this reproveth our prying critics our envious Momes, our censorious 
b Gen. 49.17.  Dans, serpents by the way, & adders by the path, sitting in judgement, passing and pronouncing sentence upon every notorious malefactor; a sentence according to the 
c Dan. 6.8.  law of the Medes and Persians, which never altereth, never changeth. What would these men have said of Manasses, had they seen him in the valley of Benhinnom, causing his sons to pass through the fire unto Molech? What of the 
d Luke. 15.13.  prodigal, had they seen him among his harlots, quaffing and carousing, mispending his goods upon miscreant varlets? What of 
e Act. 9.2.  Saint Paul, had they seen him in the high Priests house, desiring letters dimissory to Damascus, to persecute the Disciples? What of Saint Austin, had they seen him addicted to gluttony 
* Rom. 13.13.  and drunkenness, to chambering and wantonness, to strife and envying? Surely they would have cast them upon the rack of censure, dashed them against the rock of despair, and excluded them from any hope of future amendment, of fruitful recovery.  
Can Manasses have disrobed himself of his robes of royalty, and consulted with some censurer as Saul with the witch at Endor, 
1. Sam. 28.8. Irenaeus adverse. Haeres. lib 3. cap. 3.  ask him as Martion did Polycarpus, Agnoscis nos? dost thou know who I am? Doubtless he would have answered him as roundly (though not as truly) as Polycarpus did Martion, Agnosco primogenitum Satanae, I know thee to be the firstling like the first borne son of Satan: but blind had been their censure of uncertainty, and ever, o ever, may such falt-finding carpers, such falt-minding and censorious cavillers be deceived. Let us not then curiously pry into the sacred Ark of God's secret predestination, let it suffice us that we are of God's Court, though not of his counsel, for I say to every one that is among you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that no man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand, but that he understand according to sobriety. We may pronounce of the barren figtree, that it hath no fruit growing thereupon, 
Mat. 21.19.  but only Christ may say, cut it down, or never fruit grow on thee henceforward. For God hath left even in the wicked, some relics and remainders of his image, like the roots of Nebuchadnezzars tree; 
Dan. 4 11.12.  some stamps thereof are yet to be found, even in nature unregenerate, like the stumps of Dagons' hands, 
1. Sam. 5.4.  which like jobs messengers, may bring these sad tidings of great woe, we only are escaped alone to tell thee, that we are the ruins of a sumptuous edifice. True it is, that Adam by his fall did bruise this image, so that now we may make that Quaeri with our Saviour, 
Mat. 22.20.  whose image and superscription is this? but yet the breaking thereof is not like that of jeremies' bottle, jer. 19 broken it is not like a potter's vessel, 
jer. 19.10.11  that can never be made whole again. He that had given Satan an Indenture as a ceisure of his soul, 
M. Fox Martyrolog. junii vita.  at the request of Luther was set free again. junius was once an irreligious Atheist, yet after writ Divinely of the Deity. Heroical Luther was once a superstitious Friar, enueloped in the cloud, environed in the fog of Egyptian, of papal and palpable darkness, yet after became a champion, marching courageously against that Hydraheaded monster, lurking in that septimontiall 
* This Septimontiall City is Rome, that seat of Antichrist, Reu. 17.9. which hath seven hills: Septemque una sibi muro circundidit arces. Virgil. Georgic. lib. 2. & Aeneid. lib. 6. Septem urbs alta iugis, toti quae praesidet orbi. propert. lib. 3. Eleg. 10. Eutropius, Victor, with diverse others do name these seven hills. they are thus called, Palatinus, Capitolinus, Auentinus, Esquilinus, Caeli●s, Quirinalis, and Viminalis. Eutrop. Hist. Publ. Vict. in Descript. urbis Rom.  City.  
Which first meets with our cold friends that gad and go astray to Amsterdam, with the unjust judgement, of the Ouer-iust sect of our black mouthed Brownists, our English Novatians, Luciferians, Donatists, Separatists: These upon a supposal that our mother is black, think that for ever she hath lost her beauty. They cry out with Israel, we would have cured Babel, 
jer. 51.9.  when as England may twit them with Israel's proverb, Physician, heal thyself. Their ingredients are vehement purgers; the vomit they have prescribed, will cast us out of the Church, if once admitted, if once administered: Their coloquintida, vertit amorem in amarorem, 
Bernard.  as speaks Saint Bernard, it hath turned their love into lowering, and makes us cry out, Mors in olla, death is in the pot, is in the potion. 
2 Kings 4.40.   
It is remarkable that their first founder Browne, hath found the way into our Church again: even he that held we had no Church in England, is now Pastor at a place called 
* A Town in Northampton shire.  A church: Bonum nomen, bonum omen, At quantum mutat us ab illo?  
Sed hinc illae lachrymae, We need not sail to Amsterdam, to find out incensed & censorious foes for our Church of England, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, It is thou my Adopted son, says our Mother Zion, my companion, my guide and familiar, which delighted in consulting together, and went into the house of God as companions: It is thou my familiar, whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, and suck of my breasts, thou hast lifted up thy heel against me.  
I speak not here of Heretics, those foxes, qui conantur corrumpere fidem, but of Schismatics, those crafty cubs, those sharpe-phanged Satirists, 
a Non verenda retego, sed inverecunda refuto: utinam nobis reliquerint moderni No, unde à nobis possent aliquatenus operiri, Bernard Epist. 42.  qui conantur disrumpere charitatem. Such these are, as 
b Leo ad Paleast.  Leo speaks of, Ecclesiae nomen tenent, & contra Ecclesiam dimicant: Such these are as 
c August. de Ciu. Dei, lib. 18. cap. 51.  Austin aims at, qui sub vocabulo Christiano, doctrinae, I may say disciplinae resisterent Christianae. Furious vapours they are, who being restrained shake the very earth for vent. Such were the Donatists in Africa, such are the Anabaptists in Holland, such are the Anticonformists in England, who threatened to introduce their Discipline, that Trojan horse, not as the Grecians with quaffing and feasting, but as the Germans with quarrelling and fisting. 
Ex Bullinger. Vdal. Penri.  So possessed are they with an overweening conceit of their own worthless worthiness, as that they dare condemn the present Discipline of the Church of England, as grossly idolatrous; but Pigmaleon-like they fall in love with an Image of their own carving, for needs will they be their own carvers. Not unlike are these unto those of whom 
e Iren Adverse. Heraes. l. 1. cap. 1.  Irenaeus writeth, who were so besotted with an opinion of themselves, that they accounted their own writings to be Gospels: like they are unto the 
f Augustin.  Manicheis, who derived their name of Manna, as if Manna-like their doctrine had come from heaven: or like those who terming their Sectaries 
g Haeretici quidam sic dicti ob insignem eruditionem quam sibi vendicabant: Hen. Stephan. contra quos Irenaeus.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, accounted themselves to be ignorant of nothing.  
Yet our chiefest Sectaries so censorious of us, cannot fully agree in the main points of erecting this their Discipline. Master Knox and others compiled a Book of Discipline after the Geneva fashion, but it was rejected of the Disciplinarians, and tauntingly termed, A devout Imagination. Another Book called 
* About 1587.  Disciplina Ecclesiae sacra, verbo Dei descripta, was yet by them corrected, altered, and amended; so that this tumult is like that which Demetrius raised, Acts 19 wherein the most part know not wherefore they be come together.  
Some, when ambitiously they cannot exalt themselves, grow mosse-growne in Schism. Arrius coveting the Bishopric of Alexandria, Donatus the Bishopric of Carthage, Novatus a Bishopric in Italy, 
h S. Austin ascribes this to Acrius for a Heresy, in that he held, Pre byserum ab Episcopo nulla differentia debere discerni. And Epiphanius saith that this opinion is stultitiae plena: Epiphan. lib. 3. Tom. 1. Heraes. 75.  Aerius a Bishopric in Pontus; all these repulsed, grew turbulently censorious against the Senators of Zion. 
i Sir George Paul in the life of john Whitgift Lord ArchBishop of Canterbury. p. 7.  Cartwrights' first discontentment grew from that, for that he was neither regarded nor rewarded by Queen Elizabeth for his Academical disputation, correspondently to his expectation.  
Another baneful seed of censorious schismatics is Avarice. 
k Theod. lib. 2.  Paulus Samosatenus fell into Schisms, being alured with preferment, which he expected of Zenobia the Queen of Arabia, saith Theodoret. 
Theodoret. lib. 2.  And why do so many affect the Geneva Discipline, but to fill their greedy maws with the ruins of Cathedral Churches?  
But above all, the contempt of Ecclesiastical Authority, is the greatest breeder of this Schismatical antipathy. Vnde 
l Cypr. ad Pupianum.  Schismata & Haereses ortae sunt, nisi dum Episcopus superba praesumptione quorundam contemnitur? saith S. Cyprian. 
m Hieron. count. Luciferian.  If Bishops had not this authority, tot in Ecclesiis efficerentur Schismata, quot Sacerdotes, saith S. Jerome. All the ancient authentic Fathers believed that the calling of Bishops was jure Apostolico. 
n Iren. contra Haeres. lib. 3. c. 3.  Irenaeus calls this, The ancient Tradition of the Apostles through the whole world. 
o Cyprian. lib. 4. epist. 9  S. Cyprian says, that the Bishop is honoured by the acceptance of God. 
p Chrys. hom. 33. in Act. 15. Hieron. de script. Eccles. Ambr. in Gal. 1. Aug. cont. Crescon. l. 2. c. 37.  S. james the Apostle was Bishop of jerusalem saith Chrysostome. Saint 
q Gregr. lib. 6. epist. 37. Eus. Eccles. Hist. lib. 2. cap. 24. Hier. ad Euagr.  Mark the Evangelist was Bishop of Alexandria, saith Gregory. 
r Orig. hom. 6. in Lucam. Hieron. descript. Eccles. in Ignat. Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 2  Saint Peter was Bishop of Antiochia, saith Origen. 
s Cypr. Epist. 10.  Cyprian teacheth us, that a Bishopric is an Apostleship, and an Apostleship a Bishopric. 
t Aug. in Ps. 44.  S. Austin expounding that in the forty fourth Psalm, Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children, shows, that our Bishops inherited the Apostles, as children their fathers. Who then not transported with prejudice, dare censoriously traduce this tradition Apostolic? who not violently censorious would say with 
u Bern. contra Abail. epist. 190. Thus you see by all consent of authentic Antiquity, that Bishops (whom our Novelists censure as limbs of Antichrist,) are ordained by divine institution, and Apostolic tradition. Indeed Jerome says that Bishops are greater than Priests, rather by the custom of men, then by the constitution of God. But 1. this is the private opinion of S. Jerome. 2. He was no great friend to Bishops, because he should have been elected Bishop of Rome, but by reason of his emulators had the repulse. 3. He saith Bishops were set over the Church when those Schisms began, I hold of Paul, I of Apollo's, I of Cephas. Comment. in Tit. 1. But did not this fall out in the Apostles days? 1 Cor 1.12. 4 He so magnified his Priesthood, to quell the pride of diverse insolent Deacons, who compared themselves with Priests. 5. He in sundry places of his writings declares himself against the parity of Ministers, as lib. 2. contr. jovinian. In comment. in Esa. 19 in jer. 6. In Epist. ad Rusticum Monachum.  Abailardus, Omnes Patres sic, at ego non sic? the tied of opinion seems to glide that way, but we affect to strive against the stream, and extremely to cross the current of Antiquity.  
As these are thus troubled with a swelling spleen, so our Enemies at Rome are much molested with an overflowing gall. These Catilines think our case desperate, that there is no Room for us, no mansions in our Father's house. Hence is it, that their great Cham the Pope, (worshipped might he be) upon the Evening before Good-friday, in great solemnity curseth us all to hell, whereas 
* In one of the prayers appointed in our Liturgy for Good-friday. jer. 8.22.  we for recompense the next day, pray for the conversion and salvation of him and his as being Heretics. But is there no Balm at Gilead, to recover the health of the daughter of England? What Scythian cruelty is this, to deny that to Christians, which they grant to mere Pagans? Doth not their Leaden-Legend report (fides sit penes Authorem, believe it who list,) that the souls of 
a This former fable is to be seen in the Revelations of S. Bridgit: A book allowed by the Pope: And Alphonsus Cia●onus a Spanish Friar hath defended this opinion.  Traianus and 
b Damascen relates both these Legends. Damasc. orat de defunct. but he concludes, At nos definimus nihil, tantum fraternitatis studio ratiocinamur.  Falconella were both of them rescued from hell, transported into Abraham's bosom, the one at the prayers of 
c Did God ever the like?  Pope Gregory, the other of Tecla? And may not much more flagitious sinners (suppose we were such) become religious Converts?  
But surely, the Romish malignancy would extenuate our sickness, would we exenterate our Mother and change the air: but alas, the infection is there too gross, nor could it be any better than a furious frenzy, to resort to that Romish Mountebank, having at home such approved Physicians. And be it that they may boast of their Aër, yet sure I am their fountains are sealed up: The Nobles (as 
d jer. 14.3. jewel. Apolog.  jeremy complains) have sent their servants to the water, who came to the wells, but returned with their vessels empty: which may more justly constrain us to remove from Rome, than the failing of the Conduits compelled the later Romans, to descend from the seven hills and inhabit the Plain.  

john 6.68.  Our Church hath the words of eternal life, whither then shall we go? It is the Ark of Noah, the Vine of Solomon, the Spouse of our Saviour, producing a fruitful progeny, reducing many fruitless run-agates, many renegates, as here Manasses, who being converted turns unto the Lord by prayer. He prayed to the Lord his God. And thus much of the Agent, [He.] Now follows the Action, [Prayed.]  
Hitherto you have seen Manasses, not with Lot's wife, 
2. The Action. Gen. 19.26.  transformed into a pillar of Salt, but with the Poets 
* Amphion● wife.  Niobe, into a weeping and waimenting stone: now shall you see him with an humble and lowly heart, raising his ruined soul, depressed with sin, deprostrate for sin; lifting up his bleared eyes, streaming with tears, swelling for sorrow: you shall see him roose up the one, and raise up the other, from the centre of the circled earth, beyond the circumference of the heavens.  
Behold therefore this penitent Publican on bended knees with a broken heart, behold his hands beating and thumping his flinty and obdurate breast: look well upon this huge Whale, as one styles that Whipster, 
Dr. Worship.  Luk. 7. behold in him a modest boldness, and bold modesty, an acting passion, and a passionate action; look into the grates of the Prison and you shall find him praying: even him who had tired himself in pursuing vanity, and attired himself, not with Tertullians' Christianlike cloak, 
Tert. lib. de pall. Rom. 13.14. Reu. 6.11. Gen. 37.31.  Saint Paul's wedding Garment, or Saint john's White robes, but with josephs' Particoloured coat besmeared with blood: even him shall ye find retiring to God by praire, with cheeks impearled with tears, with hands wring for sorrow, with an heart rieving with sighs, with a breast breaking with sobs, for he, he it is that prayed: He took unto him words, as the Lord exhorted Israel by Hosea, 
Hos. 14.3. Isa. 38.14.  he turned to his God with his father Hezekiah, he chattered like a Crane, he mourned like a Dove, and fixing his eyes upon Heaven, that Starspangled Canopy, he poured out a torrent of melodious Harmony.  
I list not here largely to dilate upon the definition or description of praire, whether it be an elevation of the mind to God, as one: whether it be a communication of man with God, as Caluin: whether it be either of these, or both these. 
Caluin. Instit.  Nor need I macerate myself about the distribution of praire, blessed Saint Paul hath exquisitely and excellently expressed the kinds thereof, 
1 Tim 2.1.  Tim. 1.2.  

1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  First, there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, deprecations against evils to be avoided.  

2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Secondly, there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, petitions for good things to be obtained.  

3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Thirdly, there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Intercessions for others, to whom we are obliged.  

4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Fourthly, there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, thanksgiuings, for the avoiding of evils, the obtaining of benefits by ourselves or others. I dwell not in these, but post on to this proposition, extracted from the propounded pattern of this our Manasses, namely,  
That it is the constant practice of every penitent convert, to pour out his prayers to prefer his Petitions, to send up his suits and supplications to his God Let Ananias seek in the house of judas after Saul of Tarsus, 
Acts 9.11.  and behold, he shall find him praying, Act. 9 Hear you not the Pythagorical harmony of reverting Israel, sounding so shrilly their De profundis, 
Psal. 130.1.  Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord? Psal. 130. And surely, 
August. in Psa. 130.  valdè in profundo sunt, qui nec clamant de profundo, as saith Saint Austin, Those are stifled in the depths, who cry not out of the depths. A Tennis-ball percussus surgit, the harder you strike it, the higher it rebounds: The Lords obedient children, the harshlier they be entreated, the heartilier they entreat and sue for pardon: 
jer. 29.12.  stiff necked Israel, being humbled by the yoke of Babel, Shall go and cry and pray unto their God, jer. 29. Therefore shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee O God, 
Psal. 32.6.  surely in the floods of great waters, then, even than shall they come near thee.  

jer. 9.1.  But, oh that my head was full of water, and mine eyes two fountains of tears, that I might weep day and night, for the neglect, for the contempt of this duty.  
How many Children of Israel are either tongue-tied, or which is worse, possessed with a dumb devil? they are not able, or not desirous, obsequiously to implore the all-prevailing power, the powerful presence of the God of Israel. It is a legal verity, that if the Child did never cry, it was never the King's Subject, it was never capable of any right, of any inheritance: yet (see their palpable absurdities) these dumb men think to get in possession the fruitful land of celestial Canaan. 
The Turks account dumb men Santones, that is, Saints. Mr. Will. Biddulph.  The Turks may canonize their Dumbe-men for Saints or Santones, but sure we are, these are incarnate Devils.  
Others there be who plead simplicity, their unpolished rudeness, makes them that they dare not press into God's awful presence! But necessitas docet arts, extreme exigency, will make the dumb man speak most eloquently; Even rustic clowns will play the Rhetoricians, rather than starve for bread.  
A third sort there are, with whom God can never be acquainted, but in their extremities: such as are the Cimbrians, who hold their idols in account, only when they are encountered with a tempest. When Sheth had cause to call the name of his son Enosh, sorrowful Enosh, than men begun with alacrity to call upon the Name of jehovah, Gen. 4. When Israel is in bondage, then are they free of speech, Ex. 2. They sighed and cried for their oppressing slavery. 
Exod. 2.23.  When Amalck comes to skirmish with the Hebrews, 
Exod. 17.11.  then look for Mosesses hand to be held up These jonah-like, sleep in the ship, 
jon. 1.5. with 2 2.  but pray in the Whale's belly.  
But did you never hear of a horrid, and strange misshapen monster, called the Christian Atheist? he posts over this duty of praire to the Priests; 
1. Cor. 9.13. 2. Chro. 26 16  they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they serve at the Altar, and he with Vzziah, will nor usurp the Priest's office. He may fetch his descent as fare as Pharaoh, who would not trouble himself to call upon God, but entreats so much favour of Moses and Aaron, Orate vos, pray ye unto the Lord, 
Exod. 9.28.  Exod. 9 He is something allied to jeroboam, who besought that Prophet whose blood he sought, 
1. King. 13.6.  to pray unto the Lord and make intercession for him, King. 1.13. Had I not styled him a Christian Atheist, I might have called him an Atheistical lieu: 
Abba Saul lib. Sanhed. cap. Helec. ex San●erdo De Descensu. lib. 1. sect. 9  for like at the jews will not suffer that Name of God jehovah to be pronounced, but only of the high Priest, and that only once in the year, when he enters the Holiest of Holyes; so these; but I spare to apply it.  
Polycarpus, saith 
* Vnamque ab illis horam ad orandum, etc. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib 4. cap. 15.  Eusebius, begged one hour of his persecutors to spend in praire, but we will not redeem our days, our weeks, our months, our years from vanity, to employ them, in deploring our sins, in imploring the assistance of our God. If every one was forced to publish to the view of the vulgar, a Chronological history, an historical Chronologie of their own exploits, than should we see to the shame of mortals, how shamelessly we shuffle off our mortal days. So much time spent in nothing but hunting, 
* Vir qui venationibus magis, quàm orationibus vacabat: de johan. 13. Carranza in Sum. vit. Pontif.  says our voluptuous Esaw. So much time spent in courting our Delilah's, says our amorous Samson. So much time spent in coffering Mammon, says our avaricious Nabal. So much time spent in painting our faces, and steeling our foreheads, says our gorgeous jezabel. So much time spent in gormandizing, says our licentious Libertine. So much time spent in quaffing and carousing, says our barbarous Scythian. 
Scythia bred not one learned Sage, save only Anacharsis. For as temperance in wine is a whetstone to the wit, so excess, is a millstone to it.  So much time spent in gaming, in carding and in dicing, says our penurious prodigal, but so little, so none in praying, so little, so none in calling upon God. 
a Tully Orat. in Catilinam.  O tempora, o mores, Oh the times that we are fallen into, Oh the manners of men, or rather of brutish beasts, of men more brutish than beasts, than 
* Nu. 22.28.30.  Balaams' Ass, for she spoke twice to her Master in one day, but these will not bid their God good morrow or good even, though 
* Act. 17 27.  by groping after him they might have found him, as Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles, once bespoke his schooled Athenians, Act. 17.27.  
I could suggest unto these, that rare and admirable are the effects of prayer: if we look upon the elements, prayer is a controller, if we look up into the heavens, prayer is a commander; 
Chrysost.  Est oratio vis Deo grata, saith Chrysostom, a gracious prayer, is the most grateful violence we can offer to God.  

2. Kin. 1.10.12  Eliasses prayer can fetch down Fire from heaven, 
c 1 Sam. 12.18.  samuel's prayer can cause the Aër to thunder, 
d Exod 15.25.  Mosesses prayer can sweeten the embittred waters, the 
e Acts 4.31.  Apostles prayer can shake the centre of the senseless earth. At 
f Iosh. 10 12.13.  joshuahs' prayer the Sun must stay in Gibeon, and the Moon in the valley of Aialon. It climbs the battlements of Olympus, and with 
g Goe 22.24.26.  jacob wrestles with God till it get a blessing.  

h Socrat. histor. Eccles l. 5. c 25.  Theodosius obtained that victory against Eugenius, not by his power and prowess, 
Praeparatur ad bellum non tam telorum quàm orationum subsidij●●de Theodosio Ruffians Hist. Eccles. l. 2. c. 33. Tam in pace quam in bello divinum anxilium semper pelijt Theodosuis, & nunquam illo frauderetur. Theodorit. Hist. Eccles. l. 5. c. 34.  but by pouring out his prayers to the Lord of hosts. 
i Ferunt fulmen subsecutum, quod hosts in exitium impulerit, & imbrem ad refocillandum exercitum. Euseb. hist. Eccl. l. 5. c. 5.  When the Camp of Marcus Aurelius was oppressed with thirst, the Christian Soldiers by prayer obtained, not only a shower to refresh the Army, but thunder also to affringht the Enemy. 
k Horat.  Sed quid terras alio calentes sole mutamus? Why do we wade into a world of wonders, to find out the wonderments wrought by prayer? it rescued Manasses from the jaws of Hell, and restored Manasses to the joys of Heaven; for not S. Peter with his cross keys, but Christ with the key of his cross, & Manasses with the key of his prayer, made passage to the Throne of Grace: He prayed to the Lord his God.  
Time and desire challenge our attention, to the third member of our present division, which is the Object of the Action, [jehovah] the Lord. 
b Chrys. hom. de Prisc. & Aquila, sive de colendis Sacerdotibus.  Studiosos arbritror ne laturos, saith Chrysostome, ut verbulum aliquod in sacris libris, contemptim praetereatur. Christ says that the least jota, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the least Hebrew point shall never fade till all be fulfilled, 
c Mat. 5.18. Luke 16.17.  Mat. 5. Here therefore I might play the Rabbin, and give a reason why the great name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as here in the Hebrew, so almost in all tongues, 
* 3 The Object.  it is wrttten only with four letters: the Egyptians, Thewt; the Persians Syros; the Arabians Alla; the French Dieu; the Germans Gott; the jews 
d jehovah in Hebrew is written with four Letters.  jehovah; to import that in the four parts of the world his name is known, and that he hath his Church in every quarter.  
And here might I deplore the dangerous dotage of 
e Multos deos Manichaeus colendos esse admonet. Socrat. hist. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 22. Duos affirmavit esse deos. Clemens Recog. lib. 3. Which opinion went currant almost three hundred years, as Nicephorus writeth: Niceph. Eccel. Histor. lib. 5. cap. 31.  Idolaters, who multiply their Idols according to the Ideas of their seduced fancies. In Calicute they adore the devil; In Persia, their King: In Egypt, the Crocodile: In Siam, a Province of India, they worship the higher Elements. The Magis worshipped the Sun, the Ophitae, the Serpent; the Petilianists, judas! The Papists honour the whip that scourged, the Spear that pierced, the Nails that fastened, the Soldier that gored our Savious side. 
* Danaeus in explicat. Orat. Dominicae.  Danaeus dares to say, that una cum Rocho, canem; cum josepho, Asinum; cum Agnete, agnum quoque colunt: That together with Saint Roch they worship a Dog, together with joseph they worship an Ass, and together with S. Agnes they worship a Lamb. According to the number of thy Countries are thy gods, O Babylon! S. George for England, S. james for Spain, S. Denice for France, S. Patrick for Ireland. And as they make them Patrons for Kingdoms, so they create them protectors from diseases, from disasters: The blessed Virgin, from Shipwreck; S. Roch, from the pestilence; Raphael, from sore eyes; Apollonia, from the toothache. They worship for Saints such as never were men, as supposititious Christopher; or such as were the worst of men, as treacherous 
z Inter Magistros Parisienses quaestio erat, Damnatúsne sit, an seruatus Beckettus. Hu●rf.  Becket.  
Whatsoever hath the highest pitch of our affections, that is our God. 
a Auarus colit Mammona, & Haereticus dogma quod finxit.— Vertunt in Idolun, etc. Hier.  Haereticus colit dogma quod finxit, saith Jerome: the Heretic deifies the defied popularity of his opinion. Midas worships his Mammon, that god of rust, who like a cankered god at last will consume him. They idolise Diana at Ephesus; Lais at Corinth; Mahomet at Constantinople; Antichrist at Rome; Machiavelli at Florence; Arius at Alexandria; Aerius at Pontus; All these at Amsterdam.  
Here also might I mightily torment the tortured Ghost of Simon Magus, whose Statue pointed, Simoni deo sancto: the Ghost of 
b Who yet in sleep and lust perceived himself to be a mere animal. Yea, though living he affected to be styled a god, yet being dead, he could not get a grave to bury him in, according to his mother Olympias lamentation in Erasmus: o fili; tu qui studebas coeli particeps esse, huc toto impetu properans; ne iis quidem potiri valuisti, quae sunt mortalium omnium communia, terra ac sepultura. Eras. Apophl. li. 4.  Alexander the great, that great desirer to be styled a god: But with 
c 1 King. 22.31.  aram's Captains, I will fight neither with great nor small, save only against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the King of the bottomless Abyss, the profane zeale-scoffing Atheist, that black brat of fathomless perdition, braving the Deity with a brazen brow.  

a Nulla est tam barbara natio, nulla gens tam efferata, cui non insideat haec persuasio, Deum esse. Cicero de nature. Deorum. lib. 1.  Never was there Nation so rude and barbarous, saith Tully, but hath been persuaded that there is a God. 
b Orpheus' lived about that time in which Ehud and Shamgar judged Israel, More Chronol.  Orpheus (that I may point at some of their learnedst Sages) confessed that there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, one begotten of himself, by whom all things were made. Their ancient description of a principle agrees only to God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, said that ancient Philosopher, the first Principle is made of nothing. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, said Anaxagoras, it is without generation! The same Anaxagoras is commended by 
c Arist. de Anima. lib. 1.  Aristotle, for that he held that there was an immixed & most simple understanding, which knew all things: whence the Platonists called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as being the Seer and Beholder of all things whatsoever.  
But because the audacious Atheist, with a brazen & iron forehead, blasphemously 
d Psa. 14.1. and 10.4. and 53.1.  says in his heart There is no God, holding the Scriptures to be but fables, coined for current only to awe the world, I will, though very briefly, prove that there is a jehovah to whom Manasses prayed, [He prayed to the Lord his God.  
First, the excellency of the Angelical nature shows that it must proceed from a more excellent cause than is itself. These heavenly Hïerarchies could not compose or frame themselves, therefore were they form of some other cause, which must needs surpass them in dignity, according that received Maxim in the School, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale: That which gives excellency to another, must needs in itself be fare more excellent.  
Secondly, those heroical instincts in the mind of man, whereby extraordinarily great exploits have been achieved, must needs evince, that some superior power hath prospered these undertake, and produced them to their several issues and events. How could either the pupil Aexander, so speedily have overrun the world, with his warlike, and more than Tragical Trophies? or his Tutor Aristotle, so successfully sounded the depth of so many Arts, and polished so many Sciences, had not some higher and more powerful hand aided them in the accomplishing of those weighty enterprises?  
To speak of the latter. 
* Entis à primo Actus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primi entis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Is not the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Arts, the energetical and operative wisdom of the first Being? Doth it not as firstly spring and arise from him, so lastly return and retire to him again? Herein like the lesser rivers, which as they receive their particular currents from the Main, so do they at length repay their due tribute to the Deep.  
Thirdly, consider that if some Infinite Being be not the repose and centre of our minds, we are all like toiling Leander's in the boiling Hellespont, easeless, restless, reckless, a very burden to ourselves, never satisfied with any terrene, or transient, or trivial contentment. We are all sick of a direful dropsy, like selfe-soothing Narcissus, of whom the Poet, 
Ouid.  
Dumque sitim sedare cupit, sitis altera crevit:  
In vain Narcissus seeks to quench his thirst,  
Sith it was less insatiate at the first.   
If with Alexander we could never so successfully subdue the Universe, yet with Alexander mounted on the Stage of encroaching arrogance, we would burst-forth into bitter tears, grievously lamenting that there remains not yet another world for us to conquer.  
Fourthly, look upon those horrors of Conscience, which cease upon the mighty men of the earth, though in regard of their supereminent place, their eminent power, their puissance, their prowess, their prosperous events, they need not once shrink at fear 'mid chiefest brunts of battle. Is not this then some superior judge, who thus makes them veil the glory of their vaunting plumes? Is not this some superior Power, who showing them their heinous guilt, thus dolefully dismays their dauntless minds? And to conclude, is not this some superior Potentate, who declaring his dreadful vengeance, thus heralds unto them Deaths pale and trembling triumphs?  

Dan. 52.  Witness Belchazzar King of Babylon, behold him well, and whuishtly view his feature, he cannot keep his countenance, but is like unto the Image of Diana in the Island Chios, which on the one side being looked upon seemed to smile, but on the other to frown: So hath he two faces, the one swelled like Aeolus, and puffed up with drinking Wine; the other ashy-pale and meager, with looking at the hand-writing on the wall. Pale trembling Coward, 
Dan. 5.5.  what needest thou fear? why is thy countenance changed, thy thoughts troubled, 
Dan. 5.6.  the joints of thy loins loosed? why do thy knees smite one against another? what? blurring and crying to see the Palm of a hand? 
Dan. 5.7.  Remember man the former power of thy martial arm, Remember that thou art guarded with a thousand of thy Princes. See, here is plenty of the Red liquor of the grape, 
Dan. 5.1.  which is like lapis Alchymicus, the Philosopher's stone, converting a leaden passion into a golden, sweet, contenting contemplation. But of all these he might truly say as job once spoke of his Friends, 
job. 16.2.  Miserable comforters are ye all! For indeed, 
job. 6.4.  the arrows of the Almighty are in him, and the terrors of God, 
job. 10.17.  yea changes and armies of sorrows do fight against him. Now be it spoken unto thee O King, that there is a King of Kings, that the Lord is a man of war, his name is jehovah: 
Exod. 5.3.  He esteemeth thy darts as straw, 
job. 41.20. job. 12.18. job. 12.21.  and laugheth at the shaking of the spear: he looseth the collar of Kings, and guirdeth their loins with a girdle. He poureth contempt upon Princes, and maketh the strength of the mighty weak. What should I speak of that common contemner of God Caligula? 
Qui Deos tantopere contemneret, ad minima tonitrua & fulgura connivere, caput ohuoluere, ad vero maiora, proripere se à strato, sub lectunque condere solebat. Sueton. in Caligul. cap. 51.  who notwithstanding would wink at the least lightning, and cover his head. I will not now disease this timorous Tyrant, who creeps under the bed, and runs into a benchhole, hoping so to escape from heavens revengeful thunder.  
Shall I sum up all in a word? then thus. There must needs be some overruling Deity, establishing all rule and regency. There must needs be some thought-sounding and superior judge, punishing the mighty Nimrods', the Gods of the earth. There must needs be some Infinite Being, satisfying the vast minds of us mortals. There must needs be some supreme power, prospering all high and heroical events. There must needs be some excellent cause of the Angelical nature, surpassing in excellency the excellency of them, who excel in excellency all less excellent creatures. This overruling Deity, this superior judge, this infinite Being, this supreme power, this first and excellent cause is no other, can be no other than a God, than this God to whom Manasses prayed: He prayed to the Lord his God.  
Solus Deus ipse, quoad se, seip sum novit, God only knoweth himself, as inhabiting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a light unapproachable, unaccessible, 
a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1. Tim. 6.16.  Tim. 1.6. 
b Cicero de nat. Deorum.  Tully tells us that Simonides after three day's study how to describe God, was in the latter end more remote from any resolution, then when he first began! See, here is Simonides, with the 
c Gen. 19.11.  Sodomites strucken blind, so that he is weary with seeking the door of this knowledge. And might not that so much to be admired Aristotle, with 
d Act. 13.11.  Elymas, go about to seek a man, to lead him by the hand! For to say as the truth is, the best Philosopher is in this regard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Juliam. in Caesaribus.  as julian spoke of Traianus, vaunting of his Parthian trophies before the gods; He is but as sounding brass, or a tinkling Cymbal. 
1. Cor. 13.1.  The most renowned Orator attempting this, Verborum minutiis rerum frangit pondera, as one speaks of Seneca: He should sooner want a world, a Sea of words, than a drop of worthy matter.  

Exod. 33.23. job. 4.16.  Yet hath the Lord in mercy manifested unto us postica eius, his Backeparts, Exod. 33. So that as that Tyrian 
*— Caeteris in Orientem spectantibus, solus Occidentis regionem intuebatur. justin. Histor. lib. 8.  Strato proved in the end the wisest, who concluding with his consorts in the Evening, that he who first could see the Sun in the next ensuing morning should be King, looked not toward the East, where first he ariseth, but toward the West where his radiant rays did first display themselves: So we, not being able to look God in the face, at the resplendent brightness of whose glory, the very Seraphims covered themselves, 
* Esa. 6.2.  Esa. 6. must behold him as he himself hath been pleased to display himself unto us: 
* Exod. 33.20. joh. 1.18. 1. joh. 4.12. Deut. 29.29. and 4.1. and 5.33. and 30.19.  Further we may not see, & live; neither need we see further, that we may live.  
This Name of God jehovah est nomen essentiae, 
Essentia est qua per se, & ex se absoluté Deus est, & existit. Trelcat. Jnstitut. lib. 1.  saith junius, a title typing out the essence of God unto us; nothing hath a Being but he, nothing in comparison of him. Excellently the Prophet Esay, All nations before him, are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, 
* Esa. 40.17.  Es. 40. Let not us then poor worms exalt ourselves against this infinite Being: Let us not dare to conceive or speak any thing which is unworthy of so great a Majesty, seeing nothing can be spoken worthy of God, which is not therefore unworthy, because it may be spoken.  
We are now almost come ashore ready to cast anchor, 
4. The Application of the Object.  for there remaineth only the Application of the Object, [His God] Nun si fluctuat fides, inanis est & spes nostra? 
Bernard. in Epistol Cont. Abailard.  saith Bernard. It not that Academical opinion of miserable doubting, a doctrine full of danger? the Forge of despair? the Gulf of hell? A poisoning Brazuto? a stabbing joab? A perfidious Catiline, noting us with the eye, and designing us all to the infernal vault of pitchy Acheron? yet see and wonder, the Council of Trent defines it, 
Concil. Trident. sess. 6. can. 12. Bellarm. lib. 3. de justif. cap. 3.  Bellarmin defends it, to be an assertion, worthy to win our worthiest reputation.  
Here could I wound them with their own weapons; Sed satis est potuisse. O my soul, surcease with settled resolution. If any of the Sons of the Prophets will here send to seek Manasses, answer him with the tongue of men and Angels, quid quaeritis viventem inter mortuos? Why seek ye the living among the dead? Why seek ye Manasses in the valley of Ben-hinnom? he is ascended into heaven, the valley of Vision! Why seek ye Manasses in the High-places? or rather why seek ye not Manasses in the High-places? for surrexit, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; He is ascended into heaven, he is transported by the Angels into Abraham's bosom. He is entered into that figurative and mystical Paradise, that peerless place of endless pleasure, that sacred Sanctuary of a sinner, that renowned receptable of the soul, wherein he now enjoys eternal bliss.  
He hath abridged the way to heaven, and made a short cut to the land of Canaan, 
* Canaan the Greeks' call Phoenicia, of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifies a palmtree, which was the special cognisance of Phoenicia, as is apparent in many old coins which now are extant. Vespasian, for a memorial of his taking of judaea, stamped upon his coin a lamenting woman, sitting with her back to a palmtree, which this Inscription, judaea Capta.  that land of Palmetrees, where carrying triumphant palms in his hands after many conflicts and tribulations, he now keeps a continual Sabaoth, an endless Halleluiah, an eternal jubilee.  
And as for you, my attentive Auditors, let Manasses this day read you a lecture, not of late but speedy repentance. Of all that we possess only time is ours, and of all times only the time present. Austin for the gain of many worlds, would not be an Atheist for half an hour. Basil to wade in wealth, would not presume for half a moment. Basiliscus the Martyr to save his life, would not recant for half a minute.  
Tempus senex est, Time is Older than Methushelah, 
a Gen. 5.27.  he lived nine hundred sixty and nine years, yet than he died; but time hath been five thousand years and yet he hath still a being. Tempus senex est, Time is as ancient as the brightest Angel, yet is he like 
b 2 Sam. 2.18.  Asahel, as light on foot as a wild Roe. Tempus senex est, Time is older than Nature's fabric, yet he wears a foretop; but take heed, pòst est occatio calua, he is bald behind, take hold in time, time present is only ours.  
Security, sins Circe, lulls us in the lap of delight, and sings a requiem to our souls: with 
c Suetonius.  Suetoniusses Crow she stands upon the Capitol and proclaims an Omne bene, all will be well, though you repent hereafter. But the Lord with 
d Gellius.  Socrates, that Athenian Eagle, looks upon this Sun. With Zachary, 
e Zach. 9.12.  Hodie annuncians, to day he doth declare it, Turn you with Manasses. 
f Psa. 95.7, 8. Heb. 3 8.9.  To day then hear his voice, and harden not your hearts as in the provocation.  

g And thirty day's liberty he granted to malefactors, to pass betwixt the sentence & the execution,  intermedio tempore, ira Imperat●ris nonnihil mitigaretur, et misericordia locus aperiatur. Sozomen. Hist. Eccles. li. 7. c. 24.  Theodosius gave his foes ten days liberty, before he shown the least extremity, but if these ten days were ten times multiplied, there is not the least here but hath had them offered. The Lord hath given us time to turn, and we must return a reckoning how we spend it. Omne tempus nobis impensum requiritur à nobis qualiter sit expensum. But we with the evil servant have hid this talon in the Earth, with Pericles we do not think so much to make up our Accounts, as how to make no reckoning up at all. We say as Photion said unto the Athenians, If Alexander be dead to day, he will be dead to morrow; If we have time to turn to day we shall have time to return to morrow.  
Thus is tempus duratio rerum, God doth give us time to turn, but we are hardened in heart; with will not turn. With julius Caesar, we wear the slow-sliding Snail upon our Ensign, ancompast in a mocking motto, Lentè festinandum. With Callipedes in Suetonius, 
Suetonius.  We spend our days in moving, but go not forward one cubit. We slug in sloth, and languish in delight, we give ourselves the raines of raging appetite; we cut too fast the triple front of Time, and think to repent as seriously as Manasses when we list. But alas, our lives are not our own fee-simple: our bodies are houses, but of dust: ourselves are all but living clay; Our souls are tenants but all will; we may not, we must not promise to ourselves a day. The Lord indeed is our Landlord, but we have no leases of our lives. We grow like grass, in the morning we flourish, but in the evening fade away. 
Luk. 12.20.  This night shall they fetch thy soul was Divesses' doom. Mihi hodie, cras tibi; to me to day, to thee to morrow, is the dead man's dole.  
Non potest in morte videre vitam, qui non vult in vita praevidere mortem: If Zion will not repent while she hath time, and England return while grace is offered, Zion shall split her heart with grief, England shall mourn and not be comforted: Her Cities, shall be wasted without inhabitants, and her houses without a man. 
Esa. 13.21, 22.  Zijm shall lodge within her Towns, her Temples shall be full of Ohim: Limb shall cry within her palaces, Dragons shall creep into her pleasant places. For Nebo and for Dibon shall Moab howl, 
Esa. 15.2.  for Nebo and for Heshbon shall Medeba weep: jeremies' head shall flow with water, Isaiah eyes shall flood out tears, because their people will not turn, because they return not in time with good Manasses.  
With good Manasses seeing we return not speedily to the Lord, the Lord hath made our heaven brass, & our earth as iron. The Elements are up in arms, and all the creatures turn our foes. The Fire devowreth many houses, and the flame consumeth many towns. The Aer hath been infected with the plague, pestilence afflicted many people. The Water hath roared, and swelled, and overwhelmed the firmest ground. The Earth hath quaked to view our vanity, and groans to bear the burden of our villainy.  
Turn therefore now ye house of Israel, turn you with Manasses from your evil ways. Think not to con the Psalm of mercy, when Christ the judge of all flesh, shall ride in circuit to put a period to thy days, shall sit in judgement to cut shorter thy thread of life; but now while thou hast time to turn, turn to God; turn to God à toto, à tanto, à tantillo; from all, from the least, from the greatest sins, turn speedily with Manasses.  

Deut. 28.3. etc.  Thus if thou dost turn, blessed shalt thou be in City, and blessed in the town. Blessed shall be the seed of thy body, & the fruit of thy field. Blessed shall be the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Thy land shall flow with milk and honey, and thou shalt wash thy paths in butter. Thy rocks shall pour out oily Rivers, and thou shalt wash thy cloak in Wine. Thou shalt be blessed here on earth with great felicity, and triumph with Manasses for all Eternity. Then shalt thou reign in Heaven, where is Voluptas sine moerore, tranquilitas sine tremore, amoenitas sine terrore: where is joy without terror, ease without dolour, health without horror. Thou shalt reign in Heaven, Cujus Rex est Veritas, Lex est Charitas, Pax est aequitas: Whose King is Verity, whose Law is Charity, whose Peace is Equity. To the which he bring us, who, when we were lost in sin with Manasses, so early sought us; who, when we were sold to sin with Manasses, so dear bought us, jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, God and Man, the Man Christ jesus, God blessed for ever. Amen.  Ternae & aternae Trinitati, ascribatur honor omnis, gloria, dignitasque, in saecula saeculorum. Vox audita perit, litera scripta manet. 
FINIS.