TWO SERMONS Preached before his Majesty, in his Chapel at Whitehall, the one, the xi. of February, the other the xxv. of the same month.  
By Richard Meredith, one of his majesties Chaplains in ordinary.  
AT LONDON Printed by G. Elder, for Simon Waterson. 1606.   

Text.  Micheas Chap. 6. vers. 3, 4, 5. O my people what have I done unto thee, or wherein have I grieved thee? testify against me, surely I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and delivered thee from the bondage of servants, and have sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people remember what Balaac the King of Moab hath devised, and what Balaim the son of Beor answered him from Sittem to Gilgal, that thou mayest know the righteousness of the Lord. 
THat God's exceeding goodness towards the Jewish nation and their extreme unthankfulness again towards him, might the more clearly appear, being compared together, the mountains, that is as S. Hierom. faith 
Hierom in Michea●● Cap. 6.  the elect Angels of heaven, and the mighty foundations of the earth, that is the great Monarches and Potentates of the world, being summoned to be witnesses of this controversy and quarrel between God and them, the spirit of the Lord God in the mouth of the Prophet Micheas, the pen of a ready writer, maketh protessation in this place of the one, & provoketh him by open challenge, to avoid if they can in reason, the shame of the other, and therewithal licenseth them to dispute their own cause for themselves, & to plead against God, either to convince him of wrong done unto them and injury, or else to condemn themselves of too much ingratitude towards him and wicked obstinacy. O my people (saith God) what have I done unto thee? etc.  
It is not my purpose (most honourable) to call to your remembrance the manifold benefits and blessings which God from time to time, under good leaders, captains, judges, and kings, hath bestowed upon the jewish nation, that might be tedious unto some, superfluous unto others, and impossible to me, at this one time, for so I might at this time begin and not be able to make an end, my purpose is to come nearer home unto ourselves, and to apply in particular the circumstances of this Scripture unto these present times and present occasions, men consider with better attention those things which they feel to be done unto themselves, than they do those things which they hear done unto others, we believe the report of the one, because we have heard it, ourselves can testify the certainty of the other, because we have seen it, as we have heard concerning them, so also have we seen concerning ourselves in the house of God.  
God hath as little grieved us, as ever he grieved them. 1. God hath as abundantly blessed us, as ever he blessed them, 2. We for our parts have dealt as unkindly with him, as ever did they before us. 3▪ And therefore he for his part, may as justly contest against us as ever he did against them, and say unto us and against us.  
O my people what have I done unto thee. etc. Policarpus 
Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 3. cap. 9  being required by an Infidel judge, to blaspheme Christ, made him this witty, and devout answer, 86. peers have I lived, neither did he once harm me in any one thing, why then should I blaspheme my God, which hath neither hindered nor injured me. We cannot charge our God with any wrong, our gracious Lord with any hardness, injury, or unkindness towards us, but must always & ever with Polycarpus acknowledge his exceeding bounty and unspeakable goodness. There be but 3. things in the world which the Lord hath always used as 3. notable instruments, for the filling up of his fury, and for the spending of his plagues upon the nations, to wit, Famine, Pestilence, and the Sword, choose saith the prophet Gad unto David, whether 〈◊〉 wilt have 3. days Pestilence, or whether thou wilt have 7. years Famine in the Land, or whether thou wilt fly 3. months before thine enemies, and with which of these 3. hath the Lord grieved, I cannot say wronged us, if so be, it be a blessing and not a punishment, to stand still void and exempt of all affliction and trouble.  
First as touching Pestilence, albeit it be a special punishment appointed by God himself unto all those which stubbornly disobey and transgress his commandments, for so speaketh God by his servant Moses: If thou shalt not hearken unto the word which I command thee this day to do it, I will make the Pestilence to cleave unto thee, until it have consumed thee from the land, and smite thee with the botch of Egypt, etc. And no one nation under the cover of the cope of heaven (that we flatter not ourselves) more sinful people than we have been, yet so far forth hath the measure of God's mercy and goodness exceeded the measure of our sin and wickedness, that the fault remaining too excessively amongst us, the punishment for the most part hath been taken away, yea in the very time of vengeance and destruction, our God bethought himself of mercy and preservation, for in the winter season he commanded the Angel to smite, and in the summer season (a mercy beyond all expectation) he commanded the destroyer to forbear, in one year he constrained this mighty Niniveh the great City of London, to drink of the cup of the wrath of his vengeance, the next year following spared them, and enforced all the noble Cities of this mighty Kingdom to suck out the dregs which were left in that cup. At this time he hath gathered many of the arrows of this his displeasure into his Quiver, but suffereth some of them to remain scattered, that we may learn to fear him which hath power over the plagues, to take up betimes with God, lest a worse thing happen unto us & so occasion be given unto GOD to fill up the measure of that vengeance which he hath begone, and so sweep us all, top and tail, root and branch, great and small, young & old, superior & inferior sweep us I say all with that Besom which the holy Scripture speaketh of, the Besom of destruction.  
For the other instrument of God's justice, (famine of bread and scarcity of food) this Land hath not this many years been grieved and afflicted, the Lord hath opened his góod treasure unto us, even the Heavens to give rain unto the earth in due season: and the earth to give her increase, the Trees of the field to send forth their fruit, the Lord hath made us happy in the blessing of joseph, even in the fattnesse of the earth and the dew of Heaven. The Lord hath heard the heavens & the Heavens have heard the earth, and the earth hath heard the Corn, and the Corn hath heard Israel his people. Howbeit lest our long peace should breed us too much plenty, and our over much plenty should make us too proud, and our pride should prick us to play the wanton children against our gracious GOD, he hath in his Fatherly providence tempered our prosperity with some gentle 〈◊〉 of moderate correction: to this purpose some eight or nine years since, the seed became rotten under the clods, the meat was cut of before our eyes, our old store was spent, our garners were empty, our flocks of sheep were destroyed, our herds of cattle were ●oded, the start of bread 〈◊〉 in every place, the tongue of the suckling Child did even cleave as it were to the roof of his mouth, many asked bread, very few brake and gave unto them.  
For the third instrument of the scourge of God's justice, (war and the sword,) of this these many years we have not: and I pray God many more years we do not taste. Inquire the generations of old which were before time, since that God created man first upon the earth, and ask from one end of the heaven to the other, was there ever any nation unto whom, & upon whom God hath bestowed greater kindness & favour than he hath done upon us in this behalf, the lord hath done as much for us in this little Island, as ever he did for the children of Israel in the land of Goshan: through out the whole land of Egypt there was swarms of Flies, and Liece, and Caterpillars, and Blasting, and Thunder, and Mildew, but in the Land of Goshan where the children of Israel were, there was none of all these, insomuch as the Lord saith, he would deal wonderfully even between the beasts of Israel and beasts of Egypt. Altour near neighbours and emborders round about us, have drunken of the fierce cup of the wrath of God's indignation, he hath made his arrows surfeit with blood, and hath made his sword to eat the flesh of the one, and of the other, but as for us his beloved, in this little Island, he hath kept us in safety in a Land which floweth with milk and wheal, and honey, and hath multiplied us, and hath blessed us, and hath increased us, and hath enriched us, both in increase of our kine and flocks of our sheep, and herds of our cattle, and hath commanded the heavens that they should drop upon us the fatness of their dew, as some times they did upon the little hill of Hermon, he hath amazed the Duke of Edom with our happiness, he hath cast the terror of us upon the mightymen of Moab, he hath made the inhabitant of Canaan to quake, and yet for all this, is not the goodness of our God ceased towards us, but yet there is mercy powered on us still, it is much that he hath given us the Gospel, it is more that he hath given it without any public Cross and calamity.  
Surely he hath brought us also out of the Land of Egypt, and delivered us from the bondage of servants: speaking of this point, I may justly say where may I begin, or where may I end, the matter I am to speak of is much, the time allotted me to speak in, is but short, loath I am to offend any chaste or Godly or religious ears, but something must be said of it, that we may show ourselves thankful for our deliverance: of religion we are sometimes persuaded that it consisted only in the observation of a few outward rites and ceremonies, as touch not, taste not, handle not, which all perish with the usage, and after the doctrines and traditions of men. 2. Of faith, that it was only a bare speculation, full of fear and terror, without any certain knowledge of, or sure confidence in the word of God. 3. Of works, that a man might work out his own salvation, or if so be he had none of his own, he might buy the overplus of the works of other men, which they call the work of supererogation, which they call also the treasure of the church. 4. Ofdevotion, that ignorance was the mother of it, and pilgrimage the nurse. 5. Of prayer, that it may be used in an unknown tongue, and offered to stocks, to saints, and to Images. 6. Of the sacrament of Baptism, that it might be applied to bells in a mockery, and encumbered beside with infinite superstitions. 7. Of the sacrifice of the Mass, that it was a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead, as if the sacrifice of Christ once offered up upon the altar of his cross, had not been sufficient. 8. Of the Church, that it could not possibly err, although it departed from the express word of God. 9 Of the word, that it was but a dead letter written with Pen and Ink, insufficient without traditions, ambiguous without the interpretation of the Church of Rome. 10. Of the Pope, that he was Christ his general Vicar upon earth, above Kings, above Princes, above the word of God, greater & of higher authority than the Apostles. Of these things were some of us & our fathers sometimes persuaded, in the doctrine of these things were they trained up, they worshipped vanities, & honoured lies, or if they refused so to do, the talkmaisters were ready to lay more heavy burdens upon them, than ever were laid upon the Israelits in Egypt, their goods were spoiled, their houses ransacked, their livings forfeited, their lands extended, their bodies imprisoned, themselves martyred, their goods, houses, and children ransacked, look what cursing, what banning, what hangman, what gibbet, what torment, what torture, was able to do, the Saints of GOD did not only taste of it, but in full measure drink of, faggot & fire was as common in their mouths, as Ad leonem Christian in Licinius his days, but God which was able to deliver Daniel out of the lions den, and jonas out of the whales belly, & the three children in the fiery furnace, and Israel in the Red-sea, whose eyes are evermore over the righteous, and which is near enough to all them that call upon him faithfully, working their deliverance when things were most desperate, sometimes by means, sometimes without means, sometimes against all means, even he in the abundant riches of his mercies, hath freed us from this slavery and tyranny of our consciences, the Gospel which was defaced, he hath restored unto this marvelous light, & hath made the beams thereof so to shine over all parts, & corners and quarters of this excellent kingdom: the rich, the poor, the learned, the unlearned, the great mighty men & potentates in the world are become defenders and maintainers of the same, not only by their profession and by their word, but by their forces and their sword, when as they have protest with their dearest blood, & yet for all this, is not the goodness of our God ceased towards us, but yet there is mercies powered out still.  
He hath sent before us also Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, if the wish of our hearts were given unto us in two things, as it was given to King Solomon in one thing, we could not desire two greater blessings to be given from heaven unto earth by god unto man, than Moses and Aaron: a good king to rule us, and a good priest to instruct us, now if God in the multitude of his mercies hath given us the fruition of both these, how justly then may he say unto us as unto the jews. What can I do more?  
S. Paul is very earnest with the Corinthians that they should learn to know themselves, which is as some think the first point of wisdom. Know yourselves (saith he) what do you not know yourselves? so give me leave a little to importune, know yourselves, what know you not your own state, after God in the multitude of his blessings, had given unto you to be governed for the space of 45. years under the regiment of a most heroical, gracious, virtuous, & religious Queen he hath in the abundance of his mercies, given you a King to reign over you, O how honourable is the name of a King, for God & the King interchange names, for the King is a God upon earth, and God himself is a King in heaven.  
I will express all whatsoever I mean to say concerning this matter in an Emblem or mystery. The Lord passed by, & a mighty wind rend the mountains and tore the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after 
1. King 19  the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, & after that came fire, but the lord was not in the fire, and after the fire, came a small still voice, and the Lord was in the voice.  
In the days of king Henry the 8. of renowned memory, true religion began to appear & to show forth her head, but this was brought to pass with much tumult & hurly burly. Here the L. passed by us in a mighty strong wind renting the mountains & tearing the rocks, but yet the Lord was not in the wind, Deus in turbine. It pleased not God to have a temple erected unto him in his days, I think it was because he was a man as David was, a man of Blood.  
After him succeeded K. Edward the 6. & in his days the very foundations of Popery began to be shaken, whereupon sundry violent insurrections were attempted, and most dangerous conspiracies were prevented, here the L. passed along by us in an earthquake, but the L, was not in the earthquake. Deus non in commotione, no religion established in K. Edward the 6. days.  
After him succeeded in the kingdom, Q. Mary, and in her days was seen in England such a fire, as was never seen from the beginning, and I hope never shall be seen to the ending. Here the Lord passed along by us in the fire, but the L. was not in the fire. Deus non in igne.  
After her succeeded in the kingdom Q. Elizabeth of most happy and blessed memory, and she albeit she was the voice, yet she was not the small still voice, the overswaying faction of Popery at home, & the manifold suspicions of practices abroad, enforced her to carry her Ensign under his banner whose name is the L. of hosts, only in the old Testament, but ever the God of peace in the new Testament. As a voice she gave forth Tanquam ovis ad mactationem, as a voice she gave forth, Posui deum adiutorem meum, but the noise of the warrior, and the report of the Cannon, and the tumbling of garments in blood, and the rumours of wars, and the just suspicions of Armadas and invasions would not permit her to be the small still voice, Sibilus aure tenuis, she found the Gospel professed, by her accompanied by the sword, as our Saviour foretold, Tinke ye that I am come to send peace 
Mat. 10.  upon the earth, I tell ye no, I am not come to send peace but a sword.  
But we have lived to behold him, who is both the voice and the still voice, Et sibilus, & sibilus aure tenuis, as a voice he gives out behold, The Lamb of God 
Mat. 3.  which taketh away the sins of the world, as a still voice he writeth for his word, Beati pacifici. 2. as a voice he protesteth, This is the way walk in it, turn neither to 
Mat. 6.  the right hand, nor to the left, as a still voice he hath made peace with them that are a far off, & with them that are near, Pacem his qui long, Pacem his qui prope, as a voice resolveth come of it what may, I & my people will serve 
1. Sam. 17.  the living L. as a still voice he engraveth, Faciem eo in gentem unam. 4. as a voice he publisheth, Exurgat Deus discipentur inimici, as a still voice he hath done more than any of his noble progenitors, for although Henricus rosas, yet Regna jacobus, as a voice he studieth, he disputeth, he 
Ephe. 2.  conferreth to make us all to be of one religion, on god, on faith, on baptism, as a still voice he laboureth to make us all to become one nation,  fiat unus pastor et unum ouile, 
1 Reg. 9 Eph. 4. Cassiodor.  unus Rex, una lex, unus dux, una lux, una civitas una communi●as, omnia sunt unum inquit Milissus. We have lived therefore to enjoy him which is the voice to enjoy him which is the still voice, et sibilus, et sibilus aure tenuis, the Lord no doubt of it is in the voice, the Lord is in the still voice, and I give a reason, for wars, and tumult, and sedition, and faction, and schismatical contention, is like unto a Cannon stone, which makes two walls of one, but peace, and concord, and amity, and charity, and unity, and union, is like unto Christ the corner stone, which maketh one wall of two, peace and truth in the days of Ezechia, we read it, we believe it, the Gospel and all quietness in the days of King james, we have it, we enjoy it, we have found him therefore of whom the scripture saith, Rex Pacificus magnificatus est super 
2. Peg. 9  omnes reges universae terra.  
I dauve not up with untempered mortar, neither do I power out the precious oil of flattery, to break that head which under Christ in his Church is the head of us all, but I speak the words of truth & sovernesse, of truth in respect of the matter, of soberness in respect of the fashion, and in very reason, flattery useth not to commend that which is, but that which is not, but rather to this end and purpose have I spoken, that which I have said, that we may be thankful for the benefit, and with the prophetical King David, break out into praises of our peaceable King, saying, Praise thy God O jerusalem, praise thy God O England, for he hath made fast the batres of the gates, and hath blessed thy children within thee, he setteth peace in thy borders.  
Now as God hath given us a good Moses, a meek King to reign over us, so if he have given us good Priests withal, we must needs confess that he hath loaden us withal his benefits, aswell spiritual as corporal, & temporal, commonly they go not far a sunder, the one is subordinate unto the other, a good King will take order that there be good priests So Solomon a good king, drpased Abiathar the high priest, & set up Saadoc: 
Euseb. eccl. hist. lib. 2. cap. 5.  so lustinian a godly Emperor, deposed two Bishops of Rome, Silverius and Vigilius, and anthorised others, the same justinian was wont to say, that he had no less care of the church of Christ, then of his own soul: so Constantius, Theodosius, and Valentinianus, were wont to call themselves Vassallos Christi, the vassals and servants of Christ, and how can Kings serve Christ the King of King's better, then to provide for his church a faithful Ministry, in that state that the flock is that hath no shepherd to lead it, or a ship tossed in the floods and tempests, in the sea, and hath no Pilot to guide it, or the sucking child that hath no nurse to séed it: in such state are men's souls unless they have the Ministry of God's word abiding amongst them, you are as children, the Preacher is your nurse, you are as a ship tossed with the manifold surges and tempests of this trouble some world, the preacher is your Pilot, safely to conduct you to the barber of rest, you are as a flock of sheep, your preacher is your shepherd to lead you from dangerous bogs, to the most wholesome pastures of Gods sacred word.  
It is therefore a most incomparable benefit, even as much as the salvation of men's souls, to have a learned 
Tim. 1.5.  clergy, and a virtuous Ministry, learned, or else how should he be able to discharge his duty, to teach, to instruct, to correct, to reprove, to rebuke, to confute, that the man of God may be made perfect being most absolute to every good work, and therefore it is recuited, that he be such a one which hath been bred up at Oxford, where the University is, and not at Stanford where the University never was, that is of no University, virtuous, otherwise he will pull down more by his evil life, than ever he will be able to build by sound doctrine: the saying of Gregory the great is most true, we find it by experience to be so, culpa Sacerdotis ruina populi, in signification 
Lib. 2. Miralium.  of both these, the Priest had always a Tablet before his breast in the old law, in which was written in great letters of gold, urim and Thummin, in token that he should be a man, both perfect in life, and full and about daunt in the word of God.  
Concerning ourselves, modesty forbids me to say much, yet necessity enforceth me to say something, it is true indeed, neither I, nor any man else, with any face, can justify all those that are amongst us, as amongst the best orders that ever were, so also are there some at this day amongst us, false prophets, devouring Wolves, wily fores, insatiable dogs, deceitful workmen, sowers of sedition, unsavoury Salt, idol pastors, which have months and speak not, and if they had months could not eat as they devour, all were very Idols as they are no pastors, Magus buyeth, judas selleth, and some Balamits investeth, this is the great canker and calamity of our time, and no marvel though it be so amongst us, for even amongst the best always that ever were, are some faulty. Reuben amongst the Patriarches, Saul amongst the Prophets, Nicholas amongst the Diacons, judas amongst the Apostles, the devil amongst the Angels, thieves and murderers in the Temple of God, abomination of desolation in the holy place.  
Notwithstanding, howsoever our ministry be debased or disgraced by some, for these and such like other enormities, yet for all that, this is true, and the judgement of those which are very wise, learned, and of great experience, and much reverence, confirm the same, there never was a more sufficient and a more learned Clergy, then at this day. Albeit in contention of learning I may be worst heard for to speak, being the most unlearned of all my brethren, yet for all that, we are not so far to seek as our adversaries would make the world believe, as if we were such men which followed only the tide and stream of the time and Parliament, religion as they call it, and had never seen, nor read, nor saluted a far of, the Fathers, the Counsels, the Schoolmen, or Ecclesiastical histories.  
Saint Paul in a like matter of comparative contention between him and the false Apostles, was enforced 
Galat. 3.  to justify his ministry after this sort, they are Hebrews, so am I: they are Israelites, so am I: they are the seed of Abraham, so am I: they are the Ministers of Christ, so am I: so may I say, and most justly say, between them and us, they have skill in the tongues, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, they have read the Counsels, the Fathers, the Schoolmen, the Ecclesiastical Histories; so have we: they have studied the Arts and Sciences, so have we: now if they can be learned doing these things, I what infortunate and unhappy men are we, which are so unlearned, and yet do the same commonly this luck followeth all them which are professors of the truth.  
Now as these men mislike, as if we lacked learning, so are there others which mislike as much, as though we had more than sufficient to live upon, our ship is tossed between two dangerous gulfs, Scylla and Charybdis. Aram before, the Philistines behind, the Papists seek our lives, the Atheists seek our livings, our Preachers now adays, say they are no better than Paul, than Peter, than james, which were poor men, poverty with them is a commendable estate, with like devotion as judas did, what needeth this waste saith he, this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor, not because be had any care of the poor, but because he was a théfe, 
Psalm. 92.  and carried the bag, and here for Zions sake I will not hold my peace, and for jerusalems' sake, I will not keep silence.  
The world hath been disposed to make themselves sport with men of the Church, as Dionysius did by jupiters' 
Tull. de natu. dear.  Idol, who coming into the Temple of Apollo, and finding jupiter clothed with a very stately rich pale of gold, takes it away clean off from his shoulders, and gives him a coat of Linsey-wolsey: O Sir saith he, this is a great deal better for you, it will keep you warmer in the Winter, and colder in the Summer.  
Afterwards, finding Aesculapius his son, set out for the ornament of his person, with a very fair goodly long heard of gold, plays the Barber with him, shaves him roundly, O sir saith he, you are but a young man, there is no reason that you should have a beard, your father hath none. The rest of the Images in the temple holding forth as it were in their hands certain costly rich platters, & vessels of gold and of silver, upon which this was written and engraven, Bona Deorum. I mary saith he these are the goods of the Gods, and you do well to offer them us, great reason we use the goodness of the gods and so leaving a scoff took the gold away clean.  
As he did then so have some others done heretofore, I cannot say justly speaking the truth that it is done now: the land and yearly revenues which our ancestors of renowned memory have bestowed upon churches freely for the maintenance of good learning and laws, is now altogether taken away from us, the good use of them, for the evil abuse sake, this pale of gold was too heavy for our shoulders, a garment rather of Linsiwolsye must become us better, I would God they had given us for it either linen or , for than we should have seen by the way of exchange to have had something, they have taken away all stone, timber, lead, iron, glass, manors and lands, and have left us just nothing by way of recompense.  
Our Bishops, which heretofore did wear long beards of Gold even down to their girdles, have been if not altogether shaven, yet so nearly cropped and shorn, and wots you by whom? forsooth by their sheep, there is one abuse added more to those 12. abuses, which S. Augustine noted in his time, Senex sine moribus etc. The sheep most monstrously and most unnaturally have flieced and shorn their shepherds.  
The whole body of the Clergy of this land whom our ancestors before us had endued with very great and sufficient livings for the maintenance of themselves and relief of others, whom also these men might have spared, if it had been but for this cause only, because the Lord hath challenged as his, and called them his own portion, towards them how have these men behaved themselves? some of them they have polled, and some of them they have peeled, and some of them they have fleed, and some of them they have fleeced, and some they have impropriated from them and appropriated to themselves, what by prodigality on way and Simony another way, the 2. horseleeches daughters, which cry out, give give, the faces of the poor clergy of this land have been so grinded, and grated, that after so many years past, that we have had Kings to be our nursing fathers and Queens to be our 
joel. 1.  nursing mothers, we may begin with S. Paul in the Primitive Church to make tents the residue of the palmer worm hath the cankerworm eaten, and the residue of the canker-worm hath the grasshopper eaten, and the residue of the Grasshopper hath the Caterpillar eaten, all men sees this to be most true, which now I make bold to deliver to this mighty presence, many find it, some feel it, few will speak it, no man goeth about to redress it.  
Only that most devout, and religious act against the diminution of the possessions of Archbishoprics, and Bishoprics (O King) proceeding on from your most royal munificence, and princely piety and care, hath made a stop and a stay against all future sacrileges, alienations, depredations, honours, hereditaments & possession of the Church: for this cause shall the holy urim and Thummim of Levi shine refreshed, out of the most gracious heanes of the light of your charity, his devotion shall ascend sweeter than any incense in the presence of God, continually to entreat for you, Habes enim multos intercessores, his prayers shall be as so many Legions of angels everlastingly to guard you, against all plots and practises, against all treasons and treacheries, the naked loins of the poor shall bless him, I mean Levi being covered with his fleece, the empty bellies shall bless him, I mean Levi, being filled with his morsels, and we all shall bless the memory of you most dread Sovereign, which hath enabled Levi to give, and so by giving to receive a blessing.  
He reigneth unprofitably, which is horn and deserveth not to reign, saith the golden-mouthed Chrisostome, but he that cometh unto us in a double right of nature and so much grace; all the blessings of both the testaments rest on him, rest on his, even so, Amen. And yet I give my note in conclusion to this point: Moses and Aaron are joined together in my text, and in a 100 places beside of holy Scripture, they should never be made base, by any vile contempt, or abject beggary, which follow kings so near in the word of God.  
It follows in the Text, Remember what Balaac the King of Moab hath devised. As touching the devise of Balaac, it was on this wise: After that he saw that he could not induce Balaim to curse God's people, he devised a new stratagem by the daughters of Moab, suborned some of them thorough their wanton allurements, to entice the children of Israel to commit first fornication with them, & afterwards Idolatry, that in so doing, they might be brought to stink in the nostrils of God, and being cast out of his favour and protection, be made a present prey to their enemies the nations. This was the devise of Balaac the King of Moab, the end of it was to make havoc of the people of God, the mean to effect it, was first fornication, and afterwards idolatry, the instrument, a strange woman.  
The devise of Balaac the King of Moab, was a devise coming from flesh and blood, and a devise to be wrought by a special instrument of flesh and blood, viz. a woman. The devise of this last traitorous, Heathenish, uncircumcised Moabites, was a devise not coming from flesh and blood, or any human nature, but from the devil and his Angels, for seeing their doctrine is a doctrine of devils, it follows accordingly, that their devices, be the devices of devils, as the tree such is the fruit, a proper kind of religion which dispenseth with Fornication, and maintains rebellions. Of hell, the Prophet Esay saith, the nourishment of it is wood, and much fire, and the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone 
Esay. 10.  doth, set it on fire, of this we may say the nourishment of it should have been gunpowder, & much fire, & the breath of the devil, like a stream of brimstone should have set it on fire.  
The Devil when he threw down the house upon the children of job, threw it down when they were doing ill, to wit, eating, drinking sporting, & pastiming, these men, worse than their father the devil, would have blown up the Parliament house men being assembled together to do good, the King, the state, the Clergy, the nobility the gentry, the commonalty, all being assembled together in one to set down wholesome laws, for the good of God's glory, quietness of the church, and peace of the commonwealth, what a strange monster is treason, which diveth down to hell, and beneath hell, the very bottomless pit of hell, for to hatch devices: for this is the resolution of treason:  Flectere si nequen superos, Acharonta movebo. 
The Poets feign of Cerberus the Dog of hell, that he is a Dog of many heads and we read of Hydra the Serpent that he is a Serpent of many heads, which being cut off spring up again as fast as they be cuts off. Treason the very Dog of hell, the very head of Satanas, the old subtle Serpent is like unto Hydra a Serpent of many heads, which being cut off, springs up again as fast as they be cut off. It is to be wished, nay it is to be prayed for, that the sword of God's justice may so cut them off, or rather sear them up in these last Traitors, that they never spring up again, and if they do, let them know there is a decree against them more firm, than the decree of the Meads and Persians, which never changeth, God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hayric scalp of such a one, which goeth on still in his wickedness.  
Remember what Balaac, the King of Moab hath devised.  
That which the Lord would have remembered, may not be forgotten. Remember what these heathenish ethnical, rebellious Moabites had devised, seeking they sucked that device from the smoke & breath, & brimslone of the Locusts of hell, I mean the jesuit the fouls Puritan Papist, remeber it therefore to all kind of circumstances, remember the place, they would have blown up the Parliament house, a place next the Temple consecrated to holiness: remember what time, when all the whole estate was included in one: remember the engine, by fire and gunpowder, the fuel of hell: remember the instrument, the one Sinon like, which was in Vtramque paratus, he thought to purchase heaven by foul destructions and massacres: remember to what end, Caligula-like, at one blow to have taken away both King and state, and root and branch, & Church and religion, and commonwealth and laws.  
Can this pestilent devise of this Heathenish Moabites be forgotten? no, no, it will be remembered wheresoever it goes by the mark of infamy. jeroboam the son of Nebah, that made Israel to sin, jeroboam the son of Nebah which made Israel to sin: the jesuit that child of perdition, that made Israel to rebel: the jesuit the child of perdition, that made Israel to rebel. Let it be remembered to continue more durable against them, & against their plots, & against their practices, & against their devices, & against their designs, then that pillars of Hercules, as Gregory Nazienzen 
Oratio prima in julianum.  of his orations against julian the ranagate, Hanc a me habes sempiternae ignominiae columnun Herculeis columnis sublimiorem & insigniorem, so let this wickedness of theirs stand against them more durable, than the pillar of Absalon, than the tower of Babel, than the pillars of Hercules, than the black Marble pillar in Paris, than all the Pyramids of Egypt, to what end? marry to make them stink in the nostrils of them that are living, like a dead carrion, to moderate their excesses and their outrages for the present, and to terriffe the posterities and generations to come.  
Let it be remembered, that we being the children of God in imitating God, may learn out of evil for to draw good, for as old Origen saith, God were not omnipotently good, unless he were able to draw good out of evil, Malitiam deus 
Origen. in 4. cap. Exod.  non fecit, sed factam utitur ea ad necessarias causas, so it may stand with the good and Christian policy, to use these wicked actions of disloyal men, to make more sure preservatives, for godly Princes, and faithful subjects: Serpentum venena depelli medicamentis confectis exserpentibus perhibent, which speak not bloodily to incense, for what hath the pulpit to do with strangling of blood? and I know that this presence before whom I stand, resembleth upon earth the mercy seat of God, and goes unwillingly constrained, and sorrowing out of the same, as God himself did, when he said, Ah I must ease me of mine enemies, and avenge me of mine adversaries, and therefore I express my meaning, and pray, that the divided heads, and the divided hearts, and the divided legs, and the divided arms, and the divided quariers of these last traitors, so justly executed for their foul offence, may ensample the whole world, never to carry a divided head, or a divided heart, nor a divided part, nor a divided tongue, nor a divided soul, nor a divided thought against our dearest Sovereign.  
Notwithstanding, so many plots defeated, and so many deliverances, deliverance upon deliverance, wrought upon this a most memorable day of the week, make the King as confident as a Lion, for he knows, that it is God which hath set a crown of gold upon his head. and therefore all traitors may as well fly upon the wings of the wind, or remove mountains out of their places, as to depose and transplant the royal estate of Princes, therefore as King David said, so King james may say, Thou hast made my mountain so strong that it cannot be moved, yea although Gunpowder lie under it.  
It is a vain thing for Molehills to rise against mountains, as the same little creatures which we call Wants or moles, dig frenches, make breaches, and raise hillocks, yet by certain breaches and vents, and hillocks of their own making, they are discovered, so to their very letter, albeit these traitors did dig under the earth never so secretly, and carried their conspiracies never so covertly, yet by certain vents and breaches of their own making, they have been discovered, and as the hand writing appearing unto Balthasar, prognosticated ruin and destruction unto him, so a hand writing coming from their selves, hath wrought confusion unto their plot, and I hope shall work confusion to all plots and practices, issuing from all fancies and factions for evermore.  
As touching the answer of Balaim to Balaac it was this, Though Balaac would give me this house full of gold & silver, I cannot pass the commandment of the lord, as the lord shall put in my mouth, so will I speak, I cannot pass the commandment of the L. Balaim could not, nor would not pass the commandment of the L. Popish Balamites curseth them whom the Lord hath blessed & blesseth them whom the lord hath cursed, but let us see by the way of comparison whether they be in better state whom the Lord hath blessed, & the Pope hath cursed, or whether they be in worse state, whom the Lord hath cursed and the Pope hath blessed, & this is evident, god hath made them to yield unto us, and not us unto them, he hath set us above and not beneath, he hath made us the head, and not the tail he hath sent a faintness into the hearts of our enemies & sorrow upon the inhabitants of Palestina, the L. hath made us plenteous in goods, we have lent unto others, and not borrowed ourselves, in our strength and fortifications, the multitude of the valiant men of this kingdom, are as the dust of the earth, & as the sand upon the sea shore innumerable. In the fatness of the earth & the fertility of a plentiful soil, we eat our bread in plenteousness & are fully satisfied, the lord hath blessed us at home, & abroad in all the works and labours of our hands, & all the devices & executions of our counsels, & that which is more than all this, he hath chosen us to be a holy, and peculiar people unto himself, & hath imparted unto us his law & commandment. O how beautiful therefore are thy tents, O jacob & thy habitations O England, as the walls are they stretched forth, as the gardens by that river side, as the Alloe trees which the lord hath planted, as the Cedar trees by the rivers of water, and therefore we care not although the Pope curse us, the more the pope 
Numb. 22.  doth curse us, the more the L. doth bless us, & therefore no doubt the L. doth bless us, because the pope doth curse us.  
All the works of God are done (how soever they be done in mercy or in justice) to the honour of God's glory. Now the end why he hath done these and more than these for us, is that we may know the righteousness of the Lord, how good and gracious our God is to us, that he hath not immeasurably grieved us above that we can conveniently bear, that he hath kept us from the noisomeness of pestilence, biting teeth of famine, & violence of sword, that he hath freed us from the bondage & slavery of our consciences, in comparison whereof the making of brick in Egypt had been very tolerable, that he hath given us a most mild, a most peaceable & a most religious Moses to govern us; a learned & sufficient Clergy to instruct us, that he hath defealed and disappointed clean both Balaac & Moab, and all their heathenish devices; and that he hath turned the curse of Balaim into blessngs, and hath done for us more than for any other nation under heaven, all this he hath done that we may know the righteousness of the Lord.  
O that we were wise, then would we understand this, we would consider our latter end, why should God thus hem us in on every side? why should he set us still as a signet on his right hand? why should he thus tender us as the apple of his eye? why should he deal otherwise with us then with the rest of the nations? our part, our mess, hath been Benjamins mess, five times as much as the rest of our brethren. In every one of these things, God knocketh still at the door of every one of our consciences, he would come in to us, & he would sup with us, he hath besought us for these many years, even as a father his children, & as a mother her daughters, & as a nurse her babes, that we would be his people, as he is our God, & that we would be his children as he is our father, or despise we the riches of the bountifulness and patience, and long sufferance of God, not knowing that the bountifulness of God leadeth us to repentance? or if not so? I fear me he may say of us as heretofore he did say of them, he that should have been upright when he waxed fat sporned with his heel thou art fat thou art gross, thou art loaden with fatness, therefore they forsook. God that made them, and regarded not the strong hold of his salvation, God hath as abundantly blessed us, as ever he did the Jewish nation, with whom he contested so earnestly in this place, if we deal as unthankfully with him as they did before us, we which know what hath befallen them, cannot be ignorant what in time may befall us.  
God of his infinite mercy, for his dear son jesus Christ his sake, grant that our end be not worse than our beginning, and continuance hitherto hath been thou O Lord hast sent forth strength for us, establish the thing which thou hast wrought in us for thy temple sake, O Lord God at jerusalem. O give salvation unto Israel out of Zion, & perpetuate the same, keep us, & preserve us under the shadow of thy wings from this time forth for evermore. If it be thy will from the noisomeness of Pestilence that it never infect us, from the biting teeth of famine, that they never devour us, from the violence of Sword that it never come near us, & as by a mighty hand thou hest delivered us from the bondage and slavery of our consciences, so keep us good lord we pray thee, in this freedom & liberty of the gospel which we all enjoy under our mild Moses, that he may long reign over us under a faithful clergy, that they may carefully instruct us. O let that malice of the wicked come once to an end, the pestilent devices of Balaac, and the devilish imprecations of Balaim, and bless thou thy people: greater blessings O Lord than we have already received we cannot ask or desire: we pray O Lord for the continuance of these things, and grant our request O Lord, even for thy dear sons sake, unto whom with the holy and blessed spirit, 3. persons in Trinity, one God in unity, be rendered all power, dominion, glory, majesty, and service for ever and ever.  
Amen.   

The second Sermon.  
Text.  joh. 16. verse. 23. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in the Sonnet name, shall be given unto you. 

A Promise we have in these words, more excellent, more certain, and more universal, then ever as yet hath come, or ever at any time can come out of the mouth of any prince or Monarch, universal, for that it promised all, and excluded nothing, more certain, for that he promiseth which never deceived, Dabit vobis, what so free as gift? most high and excellent, because he promised to give from the highest, a Patre, from the Father.  
Out of the coffer the treasure may be taken, the coffer is as it were the Father, the treasure is all grace, quicquid: the Key in nomine meo, will open to this treasure.  
From the cipher letter, the sense is to be found, the letter is as it were the father, therefore ask the father, the sense is all grace, quicquid, the expositor in nomine meo, will find out the sense. Therefore that ye pray, and pray effectually in your prayers. 1. Know whom you are to ask. 2. What things you are to ask. 3. And what manner you are to ask. 1. Whom you must ask, the father, petite patrem. 2. What things you must ask, quid, or quicquid, that which is worthy of the name of a thing. 3. In what manner, in nomine meo, in the sons name: of every one of these, and first of the person whom we must ask, and that is the father, petite patrem. The most merciful name of father in holy Scripture, giveth us many things to understand in God, to wit, assentialitie, eternity, antiquity. 1. Generation, spiration, production. 2. Predestination, providence, government. 3. Creation, disposition, distinction. 4. Adoption, guvernation, education. 5. Instruction, redargution, correction, many more remain.  
But principally in ask graces, the name of father implieth two things, which we ought always to set before our eyes in prayer, to wit, the power of God, & the will of God, the might of God, and the mercy of God, his great ability, and his great love; for so it falleth out amongst men, in ask any thing of a man, I consider whether he can do it of his power, and if he can do it of his power, whether he will do it of his love, and so it is with God.  
Therefore these two conceits of power and will, of might & mercy, Mary Magdalen had when she prayed 
joh. 11.  in the behalf of her brother Lazarus. Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick: Lord, is a name of power, therefore thou canst, he whom thou lovest, therefore I am to persuade myself, that in mercy thou wilt restore him.  
These two conceits of power and will, the Leper had when he prayed, Lord if thou wilt thou canst make 
Math. 9  me clean, vis, there is the will: potes, there is the power: and our Saviour answered to both, to the will, volo, to the power, mundare, in the Imperative mood.  
These two conceits of power and will, of might and mercy, our Saviour himself had when he prayed; Father, allthings are possible unto thee, if thou wilt let this cup pass away from me: All things are possible unto 
Math. 27.  thee, there is the power: if thou wilt, there is the love.  
Here the Prophet David doth will, that men join together in their prayers, these two; Semel locutus est 
Psalm. 62.  Dominus duo haec audivi: God spoke once, and heard these two things from his mouth; Power belongeth unto God, and mercy unto the Lord, for that he will render to every one according to his works, note it: God speaketh only one thing, he willeth me in my prayers to call him father: but by this one word father, he will have me to understand two things, his power & his love, his might, & his mercy. And as touching the power, who is more able than the father. 1. The father can do every thing in his son. 2. The father of the household in the family. 3. The father of heaven in heaven. 4. The father of the world in the world. 5. The father of all can do every thing in all. And as touching the will, who loveth more than a father, and what natural father so much as our spiritual and heavenly father? 
Math. 6.  If you being evil (saith our Saviour Christ) can give your children good things, if so be they ask them, how much more shall your heavenly father give you good things, if so be you desire them?  
Wherefore as the witty Bees, when they go about to make their sweet honeycombs, lick first upon the sweetest flowers of the fields and gardens of the world, and then carry the sweet juice into their hives, so before you enter to your prayers, fix your cogitations upon these two sweet flowers of power and love, which you find in the name of the father, and then carry the pure juice of them into the inward hives of your souls and consciences, and so shall you make a most precious honeycomb of all spiritual devotion.  
The consideration of these two things, will breed in us two other things, 1. humility, out of the consideration of the power of a father. 2. Confidence out of the consideration of the love of a father.  
A most potent father, but to so great mightiness what profound humility will be sufficient. The Prophet David, to humble himself in his Prayers, sometimes reckoneth up his natural defects, as where he 
Psalm. 22.  saith: I am a worm and no man, a very scorn and derision amongst men: sometimes his original sin, as where he saith; I was borne in wickedness, and in 
Psalm. 51.  sin hath my mother conceived me: Sometimes his actual sins, as where he saith, We have sinned with 
Psal. 110.  our Fathers, we have done wickedly.  
And how many things are there to humble us before the majesty of God? speak we one word, make we one beck think we one thought, but in God and from God, in him we live and move and have out being. O poor wretched miserable beggars that we are, that which a great King said of himself may be said of any, Ego autem mendicus sum, let us ask then as beggars, acknowledging 
Psalm. 29  our deep sores & wounds of sin craving like beggars kneeling like beggars, following like beggars, importaning like beggars, let us ask the father, petite patrem, let us ask that father with great reverence even for this, because he is a father of great power, pater potestatis, ask the father with great reverence, because he is a father of great power, ask the father with great confidence, because he is a father of much merey, Pater misericordiarum, 
Eph. 2.  Confidence and assurance in ask graces, is the only strength & marrow as it were of all our prayers, therefore the holy Ghost saith, Si fiduciam habemus apud Deum, if we have confidence with God, what soever we 
1. Ioh 2.  ask we shall obtain, now the name of a father implieth all confidence. 1. The father is merciful, therefore Saluum me fac propter misericordiam tuam. 2. Great are the merits of the son of so loving a father, therefore Respice in faciem Christitui. 3. True are the promises of the father, therefore fulfil thy word unto thy servant,  in sermonibus tuis iustificeris. 4. Can my faults, can my defects, can my vanities set a bar against me, and the father? I set against my faults the mercy of the father, against my defects the merits of the son, against my vanities, the inward comfort and consolation of the holy Ghost, and therefore I implore, I beseech, I entreat I importune, I am instant, in season and out of season only let not my heart condemn me of any soul or gross thing, and then praying to the father in Thrists name, and for such a thing as I ought to do, I shall be sure to obtain: so the holy Scripture, Si cor nostrum nos non reprehendit, tunc fiduciam habemus apud Deum. 
1. joh. 2.   
Have you ever marked that when you would look upon the sun, your eyes being not able to behold so great a light, ye use the defence of your hands, and the same sun causeth the reflection of a shadow from both your hands unto your breasts, I must tell you, God the Father is the true bright clear sun, unto whom you may not approach with so confident an eye to ask graces, without the interposition of these two hands of power and leave, which you have in the name of Father, and the interposition of these too, will cause a shadow to reflect upon your breast, that is, will work in you good desires, good purposes, and virtuous actions whiles out of the consideration of the power of the father, rises humility, and out of the consideration of the love of the Father riseth confidence, these are 2. legs, 2. arms, 2. wings which will carry us into heaven, two things very needful and necessary in our prayers, and both are produced in considering God as a Father.   

Secunda pars.  
But to rise a point higher, from the person whom we must ask, to the thing what we must ask, what may we ask, nap what thing may we not be bold to ask? Si quid, si quid, without any limitation, quicquid, quicquid, without any determination. All favour, all goodness, all grace, all glory, all this may I ask as much as you can see, as much as you hear, as much you can believe, as much as you can hope for, all this may you ask, temporal things for the world, spiritual things for the soul, corporal things for the body, eternal things for glory, all this may you ask.  
What will ye that the heavens be shut up? Elias asked it and obtained, that the heavens be opened, the same desired it, and had it. That the Sun stand still, josua asked it and obtained it, that the Sun go back ward, Ezechias desired it, and had it. That fire come down from heaven, Elias asked and obtained it: that waters spring out of the rocks, Moses asked it and had it.  
That the floods and waves sustain ye? Peter asked it and obtained it: that the dead rise again, sundry have asked it, and have had it.  
What will ye, wisdom? Solomon asked it and obtained it. Grace? David asked it and had it.  
Heaven and Paradise? the Thief asked it and obtaned it, quicquid, quicqud, without any limitation, si quid, si quid, without any determination, and to the reason, we may ask all of him, which can give all, we may ask all of him which will give all, voluntate labiorum non fraudabo te, saith God, I will not defraud the desire of thy lips, you may ask all therefore, even as much as your tongue can speak, or heart imagine.  
And for this cause we Christians, though we be poor, yet are we the richest of all other Creatures, note it, for cattle and bruit beasts, nature hath provided food and sustenance, and many getteth it only by his work and labour God hath clothed beasts which skins, and the trees with bark, man only is borne poor and naked, the beasts have for armour to defend them both horns and hooves, and teeth and cloves, man only is borne disarmed in all, the open air hurteth not them, man scarce defendeth himself with houses and buildings, the life of all other things is quiet and secure, and this life of ours, we know not how to term it, a life or a death, surely, if not a perpetual shipwreck, yet a continual warfare, nevertheless the beasts make no request, but man requesteth, these Creatures use no prayers, man prayeth, now if by this mean of prayer, he may get, all what soever is behovable for him, quicquid petiaritis, who can be more rich, or who can be more wealthy than a Christian?  
All universalitye is in this word quicquid, or si quid, we may ask and obtain it, so that it be quid, that is worthy of the name of a thing, now he that prayeth God will further him in his sins, prayeth not for quid, but for nihil, Sine ipso factum est nihil, God made not sin, so doth Saint Austin construe it, Sin destroyeth in us the true quid, which is goodness, and maketh a man as nothing, or worse than nothing, Quia melius nihil esse quam infaeliciter 
Mat. 15.  esse.  
Therefore it is said of the child of perdition, that it had been good for him he had never been borne: that man therefore that prayeth that GOD will help him in his sins shall not be heard, because he asketh not quid, but nihil, witness the Prophet David, Si iniquitates asperunt in cord meo, dominus non exaudiet, If there be any iniquity in my heart, the Lord will 
Psa. 14.  not hear me.  
Again, note farther, not only he that asketh not quid, receiveth not quid, but he that asketh nihil, receiveth nihil, he that asketh nothing, receiveth nothing, he that asketh sin, receiveth sin, for in ask a sin, he committeth a new sin, and so his very prayers are turned into sin, according to that in the Psalm, Fiat oratio eius in peccatum, Let his prayer 
Psa. 102.  be turned into sin.  
In an other sense doth Gregory the great expound this word, this word quicquid, as si quid, that is, that ye ask quid, & not quale, that is, that ye ask substances & not accidents, that is, that ye ask substantial things, and not vain things, that is, that ye ask permanent things, and not transitory things, for all these corporal and worldly things being compared to spiritual and eternal things, are not quid, but quale, vanities, toys, leaves, trifles, shadows, smoke, nay that are nothing, or very near nothing, they are the nihil, or very near to the nihil, I say, and will prove it.  
1. Either nothing for this cause, because many in seeking after them by sundry fears & cares, and turmoils, and tumults, and labours, & vexations, do waste and consume their vital spirits, and so bring themselves to nothing, according to that of S. Austin, propter talia se homines ānihilant imitando, insidiando, machinando, bellando. 
Ad fratres in eremo.   
2. Or nothing for this cause, because they avail and help us nothing in the fearful trial of examination, and severity of judgement, according to the censure of the Psalmist, Dormierunt somnum suum & nihil invenerunt: 
Psalm. 54.  the rich men of this world have slept their sleep, & found nothing, for their bodies must to the earth, their riches to the world, their souls to judgement, & so there is nothing left of all that ever they had to plead for them.  
3. Or nothing for this cause, because they never satiate or content the soul, for the soul having received many of them, desireth still to receive more of them, as if she had received nothing at all, according to that experiment, which Solomon found to be true in his own heart. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with 
Eccles. 4.  hearing. Can honours satiate the soul, many great honours were unto Hamon, and yet he is discontented in respect of Mardochay. All this can nothing avail me, saith he, as long as I see Mardochaie the jew sitting at the King's gate.  
Can pleasures satiate the soul? Solomon had his eyes, his ears, his hands, his heart, full of pleasure, and yet he cries out: All things are full of labour, and man cannot express them, can riches satiate the soul? Of & against covetous rich men, God saith: Ye eat and are not filled, ye drink and are not satisfied, ye cloth, ye, and 
Hag. 2.  ye are not warmed, he that earneth money, putteth the same into a bottomless bag. Can human learning, can learning satiate the soul? the Philosophers excelled in this, yet Saint Paul obbraideth them, where is the scribe, where is the learned, where is the disputer of this 
2. Cor. 4.  world, is not the wisdom of this world foolishness before God can territories, can dominions, can Empires, satiate the soul? Alexander hearing that there were three worlds wéept because he had got but one of them of whom this verse was made.  unus Pilleo iweni non sufficit orbis. 
For de opibus prava, of riches comes wicked things, de voluptatibus turpia, of pleasures comes filthy things, de honoribus vana, of honours comes vain things, all 
Innocentius  tends to that which the Prophet jeremy an eye witness saw, aspexi terram et ecce erat inanis & nihil, I bebeld the whole face of the earth and behold it was empty 
jer. 4.  and nothing, empty, for that it had no fullness in it to satiate the soul, and nothing, for that it was full of sin to defile the soul. And therefore pray not so much for honours, or riches or treasures, or pleasures, or health or wealth, or prosperity, and such like: these are not the essential quid, but the accidental quale, nay they are nothing in comparison of the true quid, hear the 
Eccl. 7.  censure of the wisest King, divitias nihil duxi in comparatione illius, I esteem riches nothing in comparison of wisdom, and if he esteem riches nothing in comparison of wisdom, the whole world esteems all the rest nothing in Comparison of riches for.  Et genus et formam regina pecunia donat. 
And therefore for honours and riches and treasures and pleasures, and health, and wealth, and prosperity, we pray not absolutely but conditionally, so far forth as they tend to the true quid, that is to the glory of God, & bettering of our souls, for that petition for temporal things, Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis, hath always a reference to the other petitions for grace and glory: idueniat regnum tuum, fiat voluntas tua, to shut up all in one, if ye ask that which is evil, you sin and ask nothing, in that ye ask that which is worse than nothing, if ye ask temporary things only, ye err, because ye ask not the substantial quid, but accidental quale, shadows not substances, if ye ask them in a disorderly manner, preferring temporal things before spiritual things, you ask amiss, because you would employ them upon your lusts.  
If you ask them conditionally, so far forth as they tend to the true quid, to the good of the glory of God, and salvation of the soul: you ask that which by good usage may be made quid, although in itself it 
Antonius.  be not the true quid, for as a witty schoolman  saith, Temporal things stand as things indifferent between quid and nihil, the good usage of them makes them to be quid, the bad usage of them brings them 
Sermone 3. 〈…〉.  to nihil, for as holy Barnard saith; Vsus eorum bonus, abi sus malus, sollicitudo peicr, questus turpior, the use of them is good, the abuse of them is nought, over much care to get them is worse, and being evilly gotten, and prodigally spent, they prove worst of all: but the best way is always to ask that which is quid, which is worthy of the name of a thing. Four things may we ask which are the true quid: to wit, Remission of sins, Grace, Perseverance, and Glory: in the te Deum, which is sung in the Morning prayer, you have all these; for remission of sins, Lord save thy people: for grace, And bless thine inheritance: for perseverance, And govern them: for glory, And lift them up for ever.  
Three things you may ask which are the true quid: Mercy for that which is past, Grace for the present, and illumination for the future. In the Psalm which is said in the Evening prayer, ye have all these: for that which is past, God be merciful unto us: for that which is present, And bless us: for that which is to come, And show the light of thy countenance upon us.  
Two things ye may ask which are the true quid, to eschew evil, and do good, Declinare a malo, facere bonum, What will ye that the quid be one and singular? Hear the Prophet David, unum petij a Domino, 
Psalm. 88  One thing have I desired of the Lord, and I will not cease to require the same, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold the beauty of his countenance, and to visit his Temple: But in this one thing there are all things: And therefore as Saint Austin saith; Ama unum bonum in quo sunt omnia bona, Love one thing, in which are all things: Pete unum bonum, in quo sunt omnia bona, and ye have enough.  
For 1▪ if ye be delighted with beauty, here the just shall rise, and shall shine as the firmament; and they that lead many unto righteousness, shall shine as the stars for ever & ever, 2. if with a long and healthful life, here shall be healthful eternity, and everlasting sanity, for the bodies of the Saints shall live for ever, and their health is from the Lord. 3. If for fullness and satiety, here the Saints of God shall be made drunken 
Bonavent. de diala salutis.  with the rivers of Paradise, they shall be filled with the beauty of God's countenance. 4. if for concord or charity? here the Saints of God shall love God better than themselves, and their brethren as themselves, and God shall love them better than they can love their own selves, and they shall love God and themselves, and their brethren, for God's sake; and God shall love them all for his own sake. 5. If for power & ability? here the will of God's Saints shall have an omnipotent operation, for as God can do all things whatsoever he will by himself, so they shall do all whatsoever they will through God. 6. If with honour and dignity, here God shall make his faithful servants, honours over much, even heirs of immortality, and heirs of a kingdom, and fellow heirs with jesus Christ: Therefore ask this one thing with the Prophet David▪ and ye have asked the true essential quid, in which are all things, and so much of the second.   

Pars tertia.  
In the third place, I observed the mean how we come to obtain all those things which is needful and behooveable for us, and that is by offering up our prayers in the sons name. In the same little instruments which are made with many wheels, one within the other, and each of them having imprinted upon them sundry letters, until you turn them forward and backward, in such sort, that the strait line do direct to every letter, it is impossible that the order of opening should be disclosed or that drawn out which is fast enclosed. The Father is the fountain and original of graces, from the abundance of whose stream, all manner of grace and goodness doth flow, so saith Saint james, Every good and perfect gift cometh from above, and proceedeth from the Father of lights, howbeit as Saint Paul saith, He dwelleth in the light which no man can attain unto to discover him, therefore unto us, and to open all the treasure enclosed in him, behold the strait line, behold the true letter, Petite in nomine meo, ask in Christ's name, and you shall obtain.  
But here it may be demanded what it is to ask in Christ's name, Chrisostome saith, that then we ask in the name of jesus, which signifies salvation, when as we ask nothing else, but that which appertaineth to salvation, S. Austin saith, that then we ask in the name of Christ, which signifieth anointed when as we are anointed in the faith and virtues of Christ: the word Nomen according to the Scriptures, sometimes signifieth authority, as to baptise in the name of Christ is to baptise out of the authority of Christ: sometimes to have such a name, signifieth to be such an one as his name shallbe called Emanuel, that is by interpretation God with us, sometimes the word name is taken for the virtue of the merit of Christ, as where it is said, At the name of jesus Christ, every knee shall bow, the things in heaven, the things in earth, and underneath the earth, That is, give thanks for the virtue of Christ's merit, Angels in heaven shall bow their knees, for that implentur ruinas, there seats are filled up, and men on earth, for that their sins are remitted, and the bodies of faithful persons under the earth, for that they are to be restored to the fullness of life, and therefore with Cirrell I take the word, Nomen, in the last sense for the virtue & merit of Christ, and say that Petere patrem in nomine Christi, Is to desire him, not to look upon any unworthiness in us, but upon the worthiness of his son, Respice in faciem Christi tui.  
Thus you see, it is not enough in your prayers to ask such a one, that is such a person, such a goodness, or such a gift, or such a grace, but you must have a special care in virtue, of whose merit you ask that gift, not in the virtue of the merit of Patriarch, or Prophet, Angel or Archangel, Saint, or Saints, but in the virtue of the merit, and satisfaction of Christ jesus in nomine meo, there is the mean.  
The Prophet David useth many arguments and reasons, by the which (as he thinks) he might and should prevail with God in his prayers, of the which some are drawn from GOD, some from himself, others from external things. 1. From GOD, hear me O Lord for that thou art mighty, hear me for thy mercy sake, hear me for that thou usest to take compassion, hear me that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings. 2. From himself hear me, for that in comparison of others, I may seem to be righteous, hear me for that I have washed my hands in innocency, hear, me for my soul trusteth in thee, hear me for that I am abandoned of all others. 3. From external things, hear me for the reproach of the enemy, hear me, why should he triumph this day over me, hear me, why should he say to my soul there, there, so would we have it, hear me, why should the enemy blaspheme thee thus daily? thus the devout king David laboured by all possible means, to prevail with God in his prayers.  
But to say truly, we have a more pregnant and urgent motive to obtain at God's hands, and that is Petere patrem in nomine Christi, a name which the Synagogue never used for ordinary, for they never went higher than to pray, propter Abraham, Isaac, et jacob: 
jerem. 12.  calling on the father Enigmatically in the virtue of the promised seed, which was to issue out of these patriarchs loins: and the most illuminate amongst them, never used this name but figuratively when they prayed, Respice in faciem Christi tui, nay the Apostles themselves were not come to this high manner of praying as to ask in Christ's name: And therefore our Saviour tells them in this Chapter: Vsque modo nihil petieritis, hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name, and exhorteth them, ask and ye shall obtain.  
And as the Apostles of Christ, so the Church of the Apostles, learned to offer up their prayers in the name of Christ: concluding every prayer and Collect as you may see in the communion book with this clause, Per jesum Christum Dominum nostrum, Through our Lord jesus Christ, O most bountiful Lord of whom we may say. Petimus te, per te, et propter te. We ask 
Gloss. ord. loco.  thee, we ask by thee, and we ask for thee, we ask thee in that thou art God, we ask by thee, in that thou art our mediator, we ask for thee, in that by the virtue of thy merit, all our prayers are founded and grounded.  
To make your prayers to be effectual, many conditions are to be required. 1. Let your prayers be fitly and aptly prepared, for a medicine which is prepared, helpeth, and not prepared, hurteth. 2. Let it be innocent and pure for the spouse than pleaseth the Bridegroom best, when she is a Virgin, and beautiful▪ 3. Let it be mental and votall, as occasion is offered, for devotion like the fire of Willow, unless it be blown, it will go out and die. 4. Let it be well disposed and quiet, for the harmony delighteth not where there is a noise. 5. Let it be discreet and wary, for salt is alway convenient to a sacrifice. 6. Let it be faithful and humble, for humility advanceth us, and faith maketh God to stoop. 7. Let it be lifted up on high, for a pygmy must be lifted up above his own measure, to talk with a giant. 8. Let it be devout and sincere, for the incense unless it be put on fire sinelleth not. 9 Let it be forcible and strong, for the dart with the more force it is cast, the farther it flieth, and deeper it pierseth. 10. Let it be full of love and ardent, for the Iron burning, pierseth more than when it is cold. 11. Let it be moist and weeping, for with that temperature the hardest stone is dissolved. 12. Let it be bold and importune, for the silly whelp after the repulses, obtaineth the morsels at his master's table. 13. In a word to say all, let it be in Christ's name, for an ointment powered forth, made the whole house to smell, and Christ's name is an ointment powered forth, oloum effusum nomen tuum, not only an ointment, as holy Barnard well noteth, quia lucet praedicatum, for it shineth while it is preached, pascit ●ecogitatum, for that it feedeth, whilst it is thought upon, lenet invocatum, for that it quieteth the conscience whiles it is called upon, but oloum effusum, an ointment powrod forth powered forth, for that majesty took upon it, humility, power took upon it infernitie.  
The mighty GOD became the prince of peace, the wonderful became the councillor, Ego dominus, et ego dominus, became misericors, et miserator Dominus, powered forth upon men, upon Angles, upon Saints, upon sinners, upon bond, upon free, upon male and female; powered forth from heaven unto earth, from the east to the west, from the jews to the gentles, from the Grecians to the Barbarians, from the known word, to the unkowen world, from jerusalem, to Tubal, and japan, the Isles a far off, powered forth like the oil of the widows cruse of Sa●repta, took greater advantage, for of one Christ, is risen a whole world of Christians, powers forth like the precious ointment which ran down Aaron's beard, unto the skirts of his garment, for we have all received of his fullness, grace for grace: powered forth, for the holy ointment of the Ark of God's Testament, the savour and sweetness of that ointment, drew on all the jews to follow the Ark, and the sweet savour of Christ's virtues, had drawn on all the world in the name of the son to worship the father. Petite in nomine meo, Ask in my name, a name of greatness, a name of majesty, a name of salvation, a name of glory, a name of greatness, his name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace, a name of Majesty at the name of jesus Christ, every knee shall bow, the things in heaven, the things in earth, and things underneath the earth, a name of salvation, there is no name given us under heaven, by the which we may be saved, but only in the name of the Lord jesus Christ, a name of glory, in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, because it pleaseth the father that in him all fullness should dwell. Petite in nomine meo, ask in my name, which hath been derided by the Gentles, scorned of the jews, abused of the Heretics, persecuted by tyrants, and trembled at by the devils, but within short time shall eat idolatry from the Gentles, superstition from the jews, the Church usurped from the heretics, the fierceness to shed blood from tyrants, and the very seats of heaven from the reprobate flocks of devils, Ask in my name, and ye shall receive, and my heavenly father Dabit vobis, shall give unto you.  
You will say perchance, ye have asked many times in this name, yet have not been heard: but I say unto you, that ye were more then heard, when as it seemed unto you ye were not heard. Four ways there be by the which God imparteth his favour and goodness, and graces unto us. 1. By deferring grace. 2. By changing grace. 3. By denying grace. And 4. by kindling our zeal to ask grace. What saith the zealous man and woman? that they have prayed for fervour of spirit, and could not be heard, ye but if God hath given unto them to be sorrowful, with a godly sorrow, for the want of this fervour, behold grace granted unto them, by deferring of grace. 2. What say the sons of Zebedie? that they have asked dextram & sinistram, and could not be heard ye but if God hath given unto them, to drink of the bitter cup of his passion, that for this they might receive a greater crown of glory, behold grace given by changing of grace. 3. What sales the luxurious? what say the wantoness? what say the ambitious? what say the covetous? that they have asked pleasures, and honours, and riches, and could not be heard: I but if God had given them, they would have misspent them upon the lewd shameful lusts, behold grace here given by denying of grace. 4. What say the hypocrites, the worldlings, the Atheists? that they have prayed in his name, and could not be heard: I but they prayed faithlessely, I but they prayed coldly, I but they prayed Kemissely: when they shall pray faithfully, and fervently, and devoutly, they shall be heard, behold grace here granted, in quickening our zeal to ask grace. And surely that oftentimes ye ask and do not receive, ye seek and do not find, ye knock and it is not opened unto you, either it is because when ye pray, ye curse, and that is, to say the Popes and devils Pater noster: or else it is, because ye ask amiss, as Saint james saith: or else it is because although ye ask honest things enough, yet not according to Gods will, as Saint Paul did: or else it is because ye pray vainly, as Zebedeus the wise did, or else it is because ye pray proudly, as the Pharasies did: or else it is because ye pray with your hands full of blood, as the jews did: or else it is because ye pray ignorantly as the Papists did, or else it is because ye pray faithlessely and coldly, as the Atheists do. If any fault be, the defect is on our side, on God's part, this promise remaineth firm, quicquid petieritis, whatsoever ye shall ask the father in the sons name, shall be given unto you.  
O most powerful, and profitable, and holy prayer, the comfort of the soul, the key to grace, the Ladder to heaven, the entry to salvation, a most rich field of Manna, a most endless fountain of Paradise, the heart of the spirit, the spirit of the life, the life of him that liveth well. Now the reason why I have thus magnified and extolled this holy exercise of prayer, is to diminish and abate the credit, of a certain newfangled, and overlicentious opinion which is of late conceived amongst men, to wit, that all the chief parts, and points of the christian religion consisteth in the reading of scriptures, frequenting of Lectures, and hearing of Sermons, and here it is necessary that I preface, lest I be mistaken. Therefore as S. james is not to be understood to dispraise faith, when as he preferred charity before it, in respect of continuance, nor alms deeds, nor martyrdom, when as he preferred charity before them both, in respect of the daily use, nor the operation of great and mighty works, and the speculation of high knowledge, when as he preferred charity before them both, in respect of piety: no more would I be thought to dispraise reading of Scriptures, frequenting of Lectures, and hearing of Sermons, when as I preferred prayer before them all, in respect of the uncessant use we have of it: in the daily service of God, let every thing be placed in his proper room and order, because they are given, and proceed all from him, which liketh so well of order, that he vouchsalfeth to be called the God of order.  
Surely, as touching reading of Scriptures, & hearing of Sermons, we must needs confess both these to be great helps unto the man of God, in that cause of salvation. Whence is faith? but of hearing, whence is hearing but of the word, howbeit let the ungenerate man hear the Apostles preach strange tongues, he esteems them as drunkenness, let Festus hear S. Paul preach of judgement to come, he judgeth it as madness, let a multitude come to the hearing of the one of the self same sermon, some by the hearing of the same are converted, some by the hearing of that same are perverted, some believe, some doubt, some disdain, what's the reason? they use not all alike, the ordinary means of illuminating their minds, & rectifiyng their wills, & that is prayer: witness truth itself ask and ye shall receive seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, and therefore he which comes to hear a sermon having not prepared, and santified his heart before hand with prayer, is like unto a mariner which would govern his ship without a rounder, or like to a wayfaring man which will come to his ioyrnies' end, by going a diverse and contrary way: prayer therefore unto our preaching and your reading, is the most necessary external coagivant means, which maketh them both effectual, for to read the word is to receive it more confusedly, in great gobbots & morsels, to hear the word preached, is to receive it more orderly divided and cut, to think upon it seriously is to chew it with the clean tooth of godly meditation, but to pray unto God, to have the true understanding of the same in our minds, and a lively feeding of it in our hearts, and consciences, this thoroughly to digest it in every part of our bodies, & in every power of our souls: prayer therefore unto our preaching & your hearing, is even as the salt, which quickeneth the sacrifice, it is as the leaven, which seasoneth the lamp, it is as the soul which giveth life to the body, it is as the sun which giveth light to the world.  
And certainly I am persuaded that as we preach the word sometimes unto men, so if they did pray at the same time together with us, not for a fashion sake, with show to the eye, but in truth & earnestness and from the ground of the heart: this long planting, watering, & sowing which hath been bestowed, in husbandring the hearts of the men of our age, would have yielded more fruit of piety and godliness, to the praise of the glory of God, bettering the whole world, and stopping of the mouths of our adversaries on both sides, which have spoken and written so much evil of us. But as it was said of Zeched▪ short in stature, so it may be said of the children of this generation, they are short, they are dwarves, they are little in stature, little in faith, little in work, little in modesty, little in sobriety, little in temperance, little in chastity little in piety, little in hospitality, little in charity, little in virtue. To make you men of better growth, tall trees are strong pillars in the house of God, as you come diligently to hear, so remember also devoutly to pray, to pray I say unto him which hath the kéees of David, openeth, and no man shutteth, shutteth and no man openeth, that he will illuminate the beams of our understanding, that we may know, and direct the streams and courses of our affections, that we may do accordingly. A soldier goeth not to war without his weapons, a Christian, not without his prayers. 
Cassiodor   
Be pleased I most humbly beseech you to hear the explication of one argument more, which induceth me in respect of the common necessity to magnify prayer above hearing of sermons. Prayer in all extremities remaineth like a Christian tried companion which never leaveth his friend, but hearing of Lecturers, & preaching of Sermons, in divers cases faileth. 1. A man may be silenced from preaching, as we know Micheas was, but he cannot be silenced from praying, though he be silenced from the vocal prayer of his tongue, yet can he not be silenced from the mental prayer of his heart. 2. A man may be cast into prison, and fettered in cold irons as joseph was. 3. A man may be captivate, and carried away prisoner with the Turks and Sarisons, as we know the people of God were, with the Syrians and Babylonians. 4. A man may walk up and down in the wilderness, solitary, distressed, and afflicted, as divers of the holy men of God, did before the coming of Christ. 5. A man may come into a place which is full of the botch of Egypt & dangerous infection of pestilence.  
In some of these cases, nay in every one of these, how can a man conveniently be edified by preaching, I mean for the present? I deny not, but if he had been a diligent observer, he may call to mind sundry things, which he had heard and read, and so ease his oppressed & distressed soul by them But as S. Paul said of charity, it never falleth away in respect of continuance, so we may say of prayer, it never falleth away at any time, in any place, or upon any occasion jeremy by prayer can comfort himself 
Aug. 12. ser. de tem.  in prison. Daniel by prayer, can rejoice in the greedy lions den, the three children by prayer can triumph in the fiery flaming furnace. job can pray unto God lying on his dunghill, the thief can pray unto God hanging on the tree, Non est locus ubi non est Deus, God is in every place and every place a man may power out his prayers to God, yet the heady, giddy, presize disciplinarian cannot persuade himself that he can be edified by coming to the Church, unless there be a sermon, he must have a sermon, to inform his understanding, he will come to the Church for that, I tell him, he hath as great need of prayer to sanctify his soul and body, let him come to the Church for that: 1. Unless he be an infidel, a profession, is to be made here of his faith. 2. Unless he be too much a Puritan a confession is to be made here of his sins. 3. Unless he be a schismatic, his consent is required here by saying, Amen, with the congregation assembled. 4. Unless he be a Traitor his prayers are to pierce forth here for the good of the king, the state, and the country.  
Tell me dost thou ever read that God's house was called the house of preaching, this thou readest not, but to show that the most usual and ordinary exercise which God will have to be practised in his Church, is prayer, he thought it best to call the place of his worship by the name of the one, and not by the name of the other, the Church was sanctified for preaching, thou wilt come unto it while this is a doing, the church is sanctified for prayer, and hath his name of prayer, Domus mea, domus orationis. Come unto it also while this is a doing. Solomon upon, and after the dedication of the temple, went into the temple to prayer, it is read of the Publican & Pharisie, that they went both to the temple to pray. Peter & john went both into the temple at the 9 hours, at the appointed time for prayer: old Anna & Simeon continued daily in the temple praying, the temple then to those men, was the convenienst place to prayer, so thought the good, so the bad, so the believer, so the infidel, so the Publican, so the Pharisie, what a strange Cockatrice egg, hath the madness of certain Schismatics hatched amongst us, they will come forsooth to the church, but not to prayer? O how much impiety. O how much profaneness hath the liberty & licencionsnes of this our age brought forth? we read of certain of the ancient fathers, that they made their knees as hard as Camels hooves, with continual praying, we read of S. Jerome in moderate fastings, & wonderful humiliations of himself in watchings & prayers: we have S. Augustine's meditations & soliloquia, solitary speeches, which he used unto God, we see oratoria, not auditoria, oratory's, churches, Colleges chapels, so many signs & tokens of our parent's manificence, & uneomparable devotion these men thought these to be the godly exercises of religion, to water their couch day & night, for the sins they had committed, with David to chastise the rebellions of the flesh, with saint Paul to meditate upon their frail state & miserable condition, with holy job to entertain poor, needy, naked, distressed souls into their houses, & at their tables with faithful Abraham: all these are forgotten, nay, which I speak with the grief of my soul, they account them vanity, & superstition, & men think that they are come to the very mount Nebo, the height of religion, if so be they are come to the church, turned over their books, found the text, look on the preacher, mark his division, heard the sermon, where is wounding of the conscience, where is compunction of that heart? where is mortification of the flesh, where is detestation of sin, where is satisfaction for the wrong to thy brother, where is pity & compassion, where are sighs, where are tears, where are strong cries & groanings, where is the wish of the prophet jeremy, to have rivers of waters in your heads, to weep day and night, for the manifold sins ye committed against the majesty of god? The end of preaching is to teach men to live well & virtuous, hear S. Paul. The grace of God bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared, & reacheth us, there is the preaching what to do? mary to deny ungodliness & wordliness, & then we should live soberly, justly, & godlily in dispraise of the world: make not thy porch bigger than thy house it is a foolish kind of building, it is the property of an Athenian to know much, and do little, it is the duty of a christian to hear often, and do still that is to pray still: for it is written, pray continually. This is the perfume made of the gall, & liver of the fish in the took job. which driveth away all kind of devils, Exterminabit omne genus demoniorum, all kind of devils, all 
Tob. 6.  kind of plots, all kind of practices all kind of treasons, all kind of treacherers: oh as the Angel acuised Toby in that place, that you would give us leave (and so you do) which stand up in these pulpits, as upon the banks, and speak in your ears, which leapt too too many times beyond your bounds, like to the great fish of Tiber, used to devour, to take hold of your souls, to pack your affections, from the fluxible watery cogitations of all worldly affairs, unto the immovable centres of heavenly meditations, to set your galls and your livers, and your bowels, and your entrails, that is your hearts, and affections, upon the burning coals of the incomparable love of God, and jesus Christ his Son: undoubtedly this will not only make a presume which will drive away all manner of devils from us, but will make for your good, to the good of God's glory, and the good of the Church, and the good of this noble Kingdom, a most sweet, & adoriferous savour in the nosestrills of God, I will speak what I intent more plainly. Your sacred presence (most dread and mighty Sovereign) at the morning and evening Sacrifice, will induce others to present themselves, they will come, they will run, they will prostrate themselves, they will worship, they will adore in the holy Sanctuary of God, the sweet odor of the ointments of this your gracious devotion, hath, and doth, and will draw on others, yea many others for to follow: yea the strange children will be brought to follow, unto whom all that ever we could do, both our preaching and praying, were the savour of death unto death, even an abomination: for this cause of set purpose have I compiled this Sermon, according to the measure of grace which is given unto me, have preached the same in the ears of Majesty, the holiness of holiness, which was amnointed with the fullness of all graces, confirm & continue your gracious heart, in this most holy and Christian exercise of piety and godliness, that that may be spoken and written, spoken to them that are living, and written to the posterities to come, of the most religious King james, that was spoken and written of the most zealous king josias, that 
2. Reg. 23.  you may match him in all things, even by being a king as young and younger than he, like unto him was there not any before him, neither arose there any after him, which turned unto the Lord his GOD, with all his heart, with all his mind, and with all his soul, to love him, and to fear him and to serve him, and here imitating the wise governor, reserved the best Wine for the last, I end. Now unto God immortal, invisible, and only wise, the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost, three persons in trinity, one God in unity, be rendered all power, dominion, glory, majesty, and service, for ever, and for ever.  
Amen.  
FINIS.