jacob's GREAT DAY OF TROUBLE, AND DELIVERANCE.  
A SERMON PREACHED AT Paul's Cross, the fifth of August 1607. upon his majesties deliverance from the Earl GOWRIES' Treason and CONSPIRACY.  
By JOHN MILWARDE Doctor of Divinity.  
LONDON Printed for ELEAZAR EDGAR, and are to be sold at his Shop in Paul's Churchyard, at the Sign of the Windmill. 1610.   

To the Right Noble, and Right Honourable, GEORGE, Earl of Dunbar, Lord Hume of Berwick, Baron of Norham, Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, one of the Lords Commissioners, equally conjoined for the middle Shires of Great Britain, sometime called the Borders or Marches, Lord Governor and Captain of his majesties Town of Berwick; and the Garrison of the same, Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter, and one of his majesties most Honourable Privy Council in both Kingdoms.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE,  
THe nature of true goodness, is to communicate itself to others; it is a powerful Agent, and would work all like itself. It pleaseth God to call great ones after his own name, dixi dij ostis; and good ones after Christ's name, Nolite tangere Christos meos; to to this end saith Saint Bernard, ut sicut sunt haeredes nominis, sint etiam imitatores sanctitatis, to show how noble they are by deputation, and how worthy they should be by imitation; that being the Delegates of so high a sovereign, they might be dij tutelares, not titulares only. The mighty are said to be God's hills, & mons Domini, mons pinguis; though they first receive rain from heaven, yet they keep it not to themselves, but suffer it with speed to slide down to the valleys: they are the first to whom the Sun shows his rising, and the last that behold his setting; yet being once mounted up to his Meridian, the poorest Ant-hils than feel the virtue of his influence. Those glorious lights of honour that shine in the fair Orb of justice, the Star Chamber, they borrow their beams of brightness from one Sun; and those beams they keep not to themselves, but as Homer calls Apollo, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 long iaculantes, imparting their splendour to inferior bodies. For greatness armed with goodness is the sanctuary of innocence, and whither should misery fly, if not to the merciful? Virtue indeed hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and is to herself a sufficient recompense, sat habet fautorum semper qui recte facit, nor needs she like palliated hypocrisy prostitute her beauty to popularity; for she is the king's daughter, and her glory is within, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Alexandrinus, amiable she is, but not amorous, and with no other philtres than her own worthiness wins the hearts of the Noble; yet like Truth that goes now and then with a scratched face, she hath need of a Patron, and looks for protection from her true professors; not to be magnified above her merit, for she cannot but to vindicate her honour from vile contempt. He that loves others virtues hath many of his own; and it is impossible for goodness to find favour, but with the good. Amongst whom (most honourable Lord) I find your noble self a Principal: and whose memorable love to my dearest brother if I should forget, I were worthy, as Alexander once served one, to be branded in the forehead with Ingratus hospes.  
He that painted Ingratitude like a Fiend, meant her for hell, not man's heart; which like the Sea, for all the fresh rivers that fall into her vast bosom, is never the sweeter; like a whirling gulf, ever swallowing down benefits, never returning the least remembrance of thanks. The nine lepers that our Saviour healed, had a worse disease than leprosy sticking on them, un thankfulness. Sapientis est (said Seneca) bene debere beneficium, bene solvere, interdum autem solutio est ipsa confessio: so falls it out with me (right Honourable) having obtained more than I durst desire, and wanting power to requite (nam tibi quod soluat non habet arca iovis.) My heartiest prayers must be your best payment, and no other requital than a thankful acknowledgement. Accept therefore, I beseech you, haac divinae particulam aurae, this heavenly parcel, and blessed remnant of that faithful and painful Doctor, whose powerful preaching, like Bonarges one of the sons of Thunder (for he was a john) many a Christian ear hath with comfort heard; and whose worthy praise will sound better from any man's mouth then mine: He was my brother, therefore I forbear; yet me thinks to praise the dead and he deserving, were no flattery.  
That his life was fraught with crosses, I impute not to any inauspicious planet (though he found in his horoscope some too malignant) but to Divine providence, that with the frequent strokes, malorum seu malleorum, he might be fitted for that heavenly jerusalem, where of he was living, a lively, and dead is now an everliving stone. Yet this comfort God sent him and his friends, to sweeten the bitterness of sorrows, he served a most gracious Master, who loved him alive, and honoured him dead, Cuius erat vinus, mortuus huius erat. For first his most excellent Majesty, to whom he owed the duty of a subject, being his King, of a servant, being his Master; did out of his Heroic and Princely clemency, a compassionate pitier of wronged simplicity, rescue him from the jaws of conspiring perjury. And after his death hath granted (by your Honourable means) an Annuity of an hundred pounds sterling, for the better maintenance of his wife and children. And since it pleased his Highness to hold him worthy of employment into Scotland, I can testify with what abundant joy he mentioned in his Letters, your Honourable name; how more like a father then a friend you respected him: and to use the words of his own pen, which if he had lived, the world should not have known, and which he wrote more for our comfort, than any vain ostentation: unless he should lie in your bosom, you could not use him more lovingly. Also that honourable Lord, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, in whose house my brother departed this life; whose exceeding kindness I ought never to forget: and if cost or skill, pains or prayers could have redeemed him from the grave, he had not died. Besides the sumptuous Funeral, the large remuneration of his servants, all at your honour's charge, do witness to the world your Honourable disposition, and how much you esteemed him. Amongst his other children (right Honourable) left behind him, this which I here dedicated to your Honour, is one; not bred of the mother, but borne of the fathers own brain, like Pallas, for which he endured some throws, and was by the help of a happy memory delivered of it at Paul's cross. It is a poor Orphan, but rich enough if you give it countenance, and safe enough, if protection. And the God of peace, whose Minister he was, whose Agent you are, and whose work this is, vouchsafe the light of his countenance to shine upon you, and so increase your earthly honour as you desire the advancement of his.  
Your Honours humbly devoted, MATHIAS MYLWARD.   

TO THE READER.  
REligious Reader; I am bold to call thee by a binding word, because I suppose thee to be no lose companion. This Sermon is bound for thee, and may be much bound to thee. Peruse it, but misuse it not. Art thou a good Subject? Thou wilt Read it for the King's sake. Art thou a good Christian? Thou wilt love it for thy soul's sake. Art thou both? Thou wilt reverence it for God's sake. Art thou neither? Why then for God's sake let it alone: The dead bite not, they must not be bitten. The Author is at rest and gone, yet he lives thou secst. He hath unboweld himself like the silk-worm, and died in a good cause, yet left such tasks behind him as may record his memory, and propagate his fame to perpetuity. The kind acceptance of this, may occasion the coming forth of more. If I have done well in publishing it, thank God for my sake, if not, forgive me for God's sake.  
Thine in him, by whom, and in whom, and through whom are all things. Mathias Mylward.   

MEMORIAE VIRI DOCTRINA CLARISSIMID. MYLVARDI, ANGLI, S. SANCTAE THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS, REGIAE MAIESTATI A SACELLIS, etc. IN SCOTIA DEFUNCTI CAL. AUG. I. D. C. IX.  

SIccine te summam nobis, Miluarde, salutem  
Dicere; nec patrios fas adijsse Lares?  
Credo, tuam hanc duxti Patriam: viget Vnio: Doctor  
Quam vivens docuit, nunc quoque morte probat.   

ALIVD.  
Quam bene, Miluarde, est? tua vox haec ultima nobis,  
Ecce citus venio: maxime Christ veni,  
Venit, adest; frueris. Te ô terque quaterque beatum  
Laeta ferens alijs, qui rapis ante tibi.   
Patricius ab Arenis Edinburgenus P.   

jacob's GREAT DAY OF TROUBLE, AND DELIVERANCE.  jerem. 30.7. 
Alas, for this day is great, none hath been like it, it is the time of JACOBS' trouble: yet shall he be delivered from it.  
THere is no Story more noble, nor of note for Fame better known, nor for Grace more honourable, than the Story of the jews and State of Israel, if ye consider the vocation special of Abraham and his family, or the redemption of his posterity, from the iron and Egyptian bondage, elutulentis manuum operibus, saith Saint Augustine. Though the service was base, 
Aug. in Psal. Esa. 48.17. Psal. 130.7.  yet was the redeemer Noble, and the redemption copiosa nimis, as the good King said; or if ye consider the great benefits wherewith they were enriched, beneficia privativa & positiva, as the schoolmen call them. First, benefits conferred, or evils removed; in one word to say as much as may be said toties liber, tot malis tot bonis toties auctus, 
Psal. 116.12.  might make them cast in their mind with that holy king and Prophet Quid retribuam? What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? So that when God gives, he doth not as many do, which give to Ruffians liberally, that which they spend loosely; 
Deut. 4.40.  but as in Deuteronomie, ut bene sit tibi, that it may go well with thee, ten times repeated in that book; for to that end God gives, that his gifts may be blessings: and, that you may see gods bounty too, he calls them omnia beneficia all, because he withholds nothing: Nothing that is good from them that leadea godly life: and then King David calls them, 
Psal. 84.  beneficiadej, from the person to show their excellency, and to the persons to show their dignity, that is, excellent gifts from an excellent giver, given to men to make them excellent, that as the Hebrew word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of troubles, signifies, number and quantity, many and great: so of benefits theirs were, multa & magna, and all to make the threefold cord of duty strong, whereby they might be bound to God.  
But with ill natures thus it happeneth, that fullness is the mother of forgetfulness, and we alth and prosperity Nurse's of wantonness, in Deuteronomie God therefore complains thus, Dilectus meus impinguatus, dilatatus, incrassatus, recalcitravit, 
Deut. 32.15.  the people fed, fatled, enlarged, spurnedwith their heel, that is, were unthankful and unkind; and the Prophet Hoje. saith, 
Oz. 13.6.  They were filled, their heart was exalted and they have forgotten me; They forsook their God, and justly he cast them off, and cast them into the hands of Philistines, 
jud. 4. jon. 1.15.  Canaanites, Moabites, Ammonites. etc. So that their sin became to them like Jonas to the Mariners, against whom winds and waves and all conspired to cast the fugitive overboard; yet was he near and dear unto God; whom heavenly providence would not suffer to perish, but hedged his way with thorns, that he should not run away to his utter ruin. And God thus tempered this people's posterity with invasion of enemies, assault of neighbour evils, scorn of wicked men, with troubled state, with bad governors, with continual wars; and wars injustice and misgovernment, are like a three stringed whip for punishment, afterwards their kingdom was divided, and at last they came to their worst state; captivity under the Chaldees for 70. years together, who overturned the Temple, the glory of that kingdom, rooted out that Nation almost utterly, razed down their walls, burnt their City, and miserably and unmercifully slew their people, bringing in the lamentable times of famine, fire, and sword, times saith Lactant. In quibus non erat jucundum vivere, every where being overtaken with trembling and horror; their days now likened by this Prophet in this Chapter to the days of childbearing, wherein their men like women in travel, put their hands upon their loins and all their faces were turned into paleness, which made the Prophet cry out, Vae, quia, etc. Alas, for this day is great, none hath been like it, it is the time of jacobs' trouble, yet shall he be delivered from it.  
In which words are two general points contained, viz. First the Sorrowful distress of jacob. Secondly the Consolation which followed.  
In the first I observe four things.  
First, A vehement exclamation, a very Vae, Alas, more than a sad and heavy groan; sorrow of a deep impression, from the very hearts root, sighing, crying,  
Secondly, A confirmation of it with a reason, to show he cries not without cause, Alas, for this day is great, in which, are two words, dies, & magnus, there is brevitas and gravitas, not short and sweet, but like to anger, si brevis gravis. viz. If it be short, it is sharp.  
Thirdly, A reason upon reason, it is a great day, why so? for none hath been like it, and this is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very forcible, such a day as never was the like; a strong & a strange amplification of sorrow.  
The fourth part speaks out; for in the other three, sorrow spoke in her own language, that is, scarce could speak at all, but chatter like a Crane or like a Swallow, as Hezechias did; this fourth declares all: Where the first is an exclamation, thesecond a confirmation, the third an admiration none like it; the fourth is an explanation, and tells what all this sorrow means, It is the time of jacobs' trouble.  
The second part is sacobs consolation, and in it are three things.  
First, the promise he shallbe delivered, a word of a future time, not he hath been, not now, no nor yet; but he shall be, and this noteth three other matters.  

1 jacob must have patience and tarry God's leisure.  
2 That he must hope then most, where reason is least;  
3 He must not be weake-handed, nor faint-hearted, lest he droop ere the promise be fulfilled.   
Secondly, here is an union of the people with their head jacob, and all jacob; rex & populus, jacob and every jacob, that is, every holy man shall suffer tribulation, but he shall overcome it, and rise like Israel out of the Sea.  
The third is in the words Sed tamen, which implies a mighty defence of God on jacobs' side, as if he should say although they should conspire by fraud or force to put jacob down, and as the proverb is pes pede densusqueviro vir, band themselves, and hand in hand with weapons in their hand, endeavour to take jacobs' life away; yet let him bear his trouble, it is but for a time, Sed tamen, that is, I the God of jacob, in spite of them all, I will deliver him: and this is the sum of this verse, and as I take it the fittest text that could be chosen for the time.  
This verse gins like the life of man, with a mournful ditty, Alas, a note of sorrow, and, 
Aug.  Puer qui nascitur a ploratu incipit gins with crying; nesciens prophetizat quid malorum passurus sit, and is at first a prophet of his own adversities; and all experience tells us it is true, and never any heard of but Zoroaster, the great Magician, who is said to have laughed when he was borne. These words are Speculum humanae vitae the very glass of life, representing to all men alike their common lot in their several foreheads and beginnings. So that if we consider nature only, it is true that one observed, man's life for his entrance is blindness, his birth a crying, his progress labour, and his end dolour, every where error: and now a sorrowful Alas salutes me at the threshold, like a churlish porter to shut the door where joy would enter; so that me thinks, I do not speak but groan, and rather weep then persuade.  
The Poets feign that jupiter hath two great tons or vessels, of which every man at his birth must take his draft; the one is prosperity; the other is adversity; of the first he may but sip, of the last he shall have store If you mark the overthwarting; of life and the crosses of all men's states, 
job. 23.4.  Seneca said true Lacrimae potius deerunt quam causae dolendi, yea Saints and holy men when they do plead with God as job calls it, cannot, nor dare not fill their mouths with arguments, but lay their hand upon their mouths and so make supplication to their judge, plus gemitibus quam ser monibus, with sighs, rather than sayings, saith Saint Jerome; and treat with him, affectu potius quam affatu, saith Saint Ambrose. First with remorse rather than discourse. The holiest King in his 88 Psalm saith, 
Psal. 88.15. Thren. 3.  from my youth up thy terrors have I suffered and he said not dolores, but terrores, well, that was in youth; and it is good (saith Jeremy) for a man to bear the yoke in his youth; but should not his age be better comforted? no. But as Martyr saith, though God forgave his sin and gave him favour, yet he so lived, as if God had reserved him ad vitam plenam crucibus. viz. To live and die an afflicted man. The wisest King in his preaching book against vanity, hath this grave sentence; 
Eccle. 7.  it is better to go to the house of mourning then of feasting: wise men are mourners for the most part, and it is better to go from tears to joy ' then from your joy to weeping; labour and sorrow are the twins of sin, borne at a birth, and our life is an Hermaphrodite consisting of both sexes, partaking of both. For to Adam God said, in sudore vultus tui; and adds, manducabis in labour; 
Gen. 3.19. & 3.16.  there is sweat and toil and labour for the man: and to the woman he said, paries in labour, and there is sorrow for the woman; sorrow is her portion; one of these for them both, if not both these for either one. But if you come to Prophets and there happen to find Daniel to be vir desideriorum, as the old translator reads, you shall find that jeremy is vir dolorum, 
Dan. 10.11. jor. 10.19.  a man of sorrow, and crying out vae mihi propter rupturam; Alas and woe is me for my breach, plag mea dolorifica, my plague is sorrowful; the old translator saith, it is plaga pessima, a superlative plague; but yet jeremy is courageous, and struggles not impatiently, but resolvedly layer hit to his shoulder saying, this is dolour meus, my sorrow and I will bear it. And without doubt this Alas is great, for the day is great, and none hath been like it, and a day and a sorrow that made a sorrowful day, and a day of such a sorrow as made him say non fuit similis illi, and, non estdolor sicut dolor meus; that first is in my text, 
Thren. 1.12.  and this other fitly placed in the Lamentations, spoken also properly of jerusalems' misery, and by the ancient fathers referred unto Christ. Let this Alas stand for a great sorrow; yet whether sorrow will or no, sorrow hath this comfort in it, nemo potest valde dolere at que diu, no man can sorrow much and sorrow long; for nature (saith the Philosopher) we say (God) hath made every sorrow, si non brevem, at certe tolerabilem, that is, either a man shall quickly wear it out, or bear it out.  
Let therefore no man wonder, for heavy things are mixed with joyful, in medicinam saith Saint Augustine for physic to the soul; and Saint Gregory saith that exleni●ate & severitate God doth temper salutare poculum the health-bringing cup. For as before is said, the wisest men are mourners, so every good man is vir lachrimabilis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, good men are weeping men and compose mentem ad lamentum, they order their minds to mourning upon the world's ruthful accidents. And it is true that Seneca said, ni ratio finem fecerit fortuna non faciet. Well, if sound eyes cannot look on sore eyes, but will shed tears, and be like affected; what heart can joy in such a day, such a time, in such a word of sorrow? Barbarians have judged it shameful and a fault not then to sorrow, when if not all, yet best men sorrow, Alas, to sing songs to a heavy heart, is Nero-like, that played on his harp while the City was burning: the Greek Orator said well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wha is out of season is out of reason: if an Ah, of a sigh or a groan, bends and rends the heart with such a tangit & angit, what think you of this Oh? this Alas, this Vae, the note for the most part (saith Chrisostom) of damnation eternal; it is at least a vehement sorrow that turns lumina in flumina, in fontem frontem, eyes into tears, and face into a fountain: 
jer. 9.1.  yea that turns all faces in auruginem paleness, 
jer. 30.6.  as in the verse before, Yea into blackness blacker than blackness, Lamentations, 4.8. and Pagnine and Vatablus so translate it. Sad and mournful looks declare a heavy heart, such is the face of my text, where in the forehead this Alas is fixed as the sign of sorrow.  
So would the Creator that his creature should make his progress like the noble Patriarches; I am no better than my fathers, 
1. Reg. 19.4.  saith good, yet sorrowful Eliah: Oh that we were so good! but look upon their sorrows, 
Gen. 4.  and you shall see Adam's heart melting for the parricides curse, and mourning for Abel, whose name signifies mourning; me thinks I see Noah grieving to pronounce a curse upon his own son and to see Cham's Chanaan accursed from the father to the son in their posterities. 
Gen. 9.25.  Look upon Abraham and Isaac God's friends, wandering up and down like pilgrims, and settled no where save in God only: and jacob that is, fons omnium disciplinarum, as Saint Ambrose calls him, what sorrows did he suffer, which made him confess his days few and evil? Look upon the Israelites pursued with Pharaohs host, 
Genes. 47.9. Exod. 14.28  to pass the sea of blood, by the desert and fiery Serpents to win the promised land. Go a little further, and see the Prophets, and Christ and his Apostles, and see how Saint Jerome speaks of them together, An putatis fratres, quod Prophetae iocando praedicent, ridendo loquantur apostoli, aut Christus infantiliter comminetur; sed ioci non sunt ubi tormenta intercedunt: Esaias serra secatur, Daniel leonibus devorandus exponitur; Petrus in cruse, Dei exemplo suspenditur. Si iocando sunt passi, credo & iocando suut locuti. But we may fear the world's faith, to be rather a sporting faith then theirs was: they went the way to the Kingdom, as beautiful Naomi did by Marah, that is bitterness. The beginning of the Prince of salvation was with a Vae, Alas, heavy and sad entrance; borne poor, and yet persecuted; driven to fly, and into Egypt; yet saith Chrysostome, persecutor primogeniti fit custos unigeniti, let his life go, for it went for us: what did he? Tertullian tells us the order, that Christus favos post fella gustavit, after the gall of the Cross, he was to taste honey combs of glory, and was not saluted of the heavenly company, ante quam rex judeorum proscriptus in cruse; and there begins his Trophy. 
Zach. 13. Psal. 24.7.9.  What means these wounds in thy hands, saith the Prophet? And the answer is, sic percussus sum ab amicis: and David like an Herald went before, proclaiming, Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and let the King of Glory come in. The Cherubims & Seraphims, the heavenly host, & howsoever else called, to see and hear such a call were amazed, and ask, Quis est iste rex gloriae? Who is this king of glory? at last they knew him, it is the Lord of Hosts, etc. He that first passed from Edom with his garments so red as in blood; that went by Acheldama, 
Esay 63.1. Mat. 26.  and by the cross: so saith Saint Bernard, Et tu perge; non est n●iter ad cellaria regis nisi per torcular crucis: therefore if you will Christum se qui & consequi, follow Christ and come to Christ, shrug not, nor shrink not, nor shift not the Cross, nor think to make it last: this Alas will stand no where so well as in the beginning, assure yourselves this Alas will salute you first: and that for three reasons,  
First, to wean us from the world, as Nurses do their children, anointing their breasts with some bitter thing: so doth almighty God, to make us loath and forbear the world's sweetness, seasons thy life with sorrows more bitter than gall, and yet all must be borne, so the end may be sweet: is not short pain well borne, that brings long ease? peace is most welcome after wa●re, and haven after stormy seas: aftera sad life glad death, and after combat conquest, aut citò mors venit aut victoria laeta, said the Poet.  
Secondly, that every man's mind might by daily exercises in bearing adversities be made more manly. Saint Ambrose saith Animus stabiliendus est constantia, ut nullis frangatur molestiis, etc. a good man will not be daunted with any storms, although like Samson he encounter Giants, or like David wrestles and fights with Lions and Bears, because he knows how God first makes fit, and after brings him to the fight.  
Thirdly that we might consider God's judgements and their causes, what they are, and on whom they fasten, learning thereby to wait for the Lord in vijs iudiciorum, as Esay saith, who will then turn your Vae into an ave, 
Es. 26.8.  your meat of sorrows, as Job calls it, 
job 6.7.  into the feast of comforts, your lament into rejoicings, 
Apoc. 21.4.  washing the face of sorrows, and wiping away all tears from your eyes? Therefore the Prophet here to infer the greatness of the grief, in the very entrance placed the name and note of sorrow, showing hearty and inbred sorrow; not in labris, but in fibris: a Vae, that is, Alas, not sounded but with a deep and a heavy groan, a strong and sharp exclamation, confirmed with a reason; that you should not think he did as wantoness do, cry and have no cause, but he cries out, and brings good reason for it: Alas, For this day is great, etc.  
There have many great days been in former times, 
Gen. 1.  and amongst them all that dies unus, which was dies primus, the first day, when God called the light day, and that was dies dierum; the day before which there was no day, which verily was dies magnus. Yet that same addition given to the seventh day, that it should be sanctified dies sanctus, 
Gen. 2.4.  a holy day, the rest of good and holy souls, the blessed and sanctified day; that day is dies magnus. And of these Moses speaks with admiration, in die, qua Deus creavit caelum! and again, in die, qua creavit Deus hominem! in that day too wherein God created man. 
Gen. 5.1.  What would Moses have said of the day of the world's redemption, if he had lived to it? certainly a greater, and a far better day, nam plus mihi contulit Deus redimendo, quam creando, saith Saint Ambrose; quia creando me mihi dedit; redimendo, seipsum pro me, & me mihi reddidit: si totum de beo pro me facto, quid iam reddam pro me refecto? Both the days were glorious days, the creation and redemption: but yet here the Prophet jeremy speaks of another day, that is, of the distress and affliction of this people in the name of jacob, and so it was dies magnus. Two words implying two things:  
First, Brevity, for that it is but a day, used to express small continuance.  
Secondly, Gravity, and weight of sorrow in that word magnus, which implieth sharpness and the extent of affliction.  
Short it is, but for a day, and dies unus: so when Moses sums up Methushelah his life, he then numbers (as in job, vita unius diei) his life by a day, and sets one day for his life; but when he gathers particulars to make the total, than he saith, All the days of Methushelah, etc. 
Gen. 5.  And jacob to Pharaoh makes mention in one verse once of years, and thrice of da●es: if this life be short by years, 
Gen. 47.  it is shorter by days; though Abraham, as the Text saith, lived full of days, yet he and others gave place to nature, 
Mat. 6.34.  and were not more full dierum then dolorum. The truth hath spoken it, sufficit diei malitia: i. the sorrow or vexation of it: Moses couples labour and dolour together, 
Psal. 90.10.  & such a day was jacobs' day. Why, had not Esau a day too? Yes, the day of my father's mourning will be shortly: what then? 
Genes. 27.41  Why, then have at my brother jacob. I will kill, saith one Text, I will slay my brother jacob; kill and slay are terms for Esau. Rebecca hears of it, and cries, shall I lose both in one day? that is, the younger oppressed, and the elder accursed; and jeremy brings in Rachel crying for her Children: 
jer. 13.15.  Rebecca cried because she feared, Rachel wept because they were not. And the Church our mother Rachel-like sigheth and lamenteth in her Children non carnis necessitudinm, sed fidei destructionem. Many amongst us are lukewarm, and hasten to death as men stung with Asps, not feeling their dying and are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any remorse; and others are striving in their mother's womb unkindly like Benoni, Children of sorrow, that bring her death for breeding them. If ye will yet so unnaturally strive, do that which children do, who when they have bit and scratched a while, turn clamores in amores, and are friends again. The great measurer of times, made jacobs' affliction but a day; and will you nourish lights immortales immortal hatred? Lactantius saith, mortalium utique mortalia sunt opera; if you must die, let your contention first be killed. See the longest and shortest days of the year, the winter and summer, and you shall find the stormy winter days the shortest, because they are the sharpest. 
Apoc. 2.10. Es. 54.7.  All the Church's sorrows are reckoned but ten days, and in Esay for a moment in mine anger I have smitten thee; Anger saith God, is not in me, if any appear, you see it is but momentany.  
Days of sorrow have many names in Scripture; 
Eze. 1.18.  Ezechiel calls them dies plwiae rainy days. 
job 14.6.  job calls them the days of an hireling: 
Matth. 24.  Christ calls them dies tribulationum; and Solomon calls them days of extremity, 
Prou. 24.  or days of anguish: and in the book of the Preacher, 
Eccles. 12.1.7.16.  dies malos, evil days and days of vanity: and the prophets they speak roughly; Esay calls them dies interfectionum, 
Es. 30.25. Esay 34.8.  days of slaughter, days of revenge and vengeance, days wherein God exerciseth his judgements: and Amos calleth them days of a Tempest or Whirlwind: and Obadiah calls them days of desolation, 
Obad. 1.  days of ruin and destruction; and all meet together to make them days of lamentation: and yet but a day, that is, a short time, and passing quickly, and for the affliction of the days, in the end of the world they shall be shortened, ob nimiam afflictionem, saith our Saviour. And the last judgement is called a day, either for the clearness, in that all evils now hidden shall then be manifested: or because the Lord, as Saint Paul saith, 
Rom. 9.28.  will make a short sum and abbreviate quickly: and here this Prophet gathers up into a sum, all jacobs' trouble into a day, one day, but it is dies magnus, A great day.  
Great! why so? 
Jer. 30.  for we have heard a horrible noise, the voice of trembling, and not of peace, of mourning and lamenting, Alas, for this day is great. In comparison, Great, in this verse dies iste, but in the eight verse n die illo conteram jugum & vincula, all will fit for us anon: for this distress of jacob was great, when a Traitor offered to bind jacob; but Israel here did bear the yoke, and now was to be bound in iron bands; so Zedekiah was chained, 
2. Reg. 25 7.  and this great shame and misery the prophet aforehand describes, that men mourned, yea cried out like women in travel, who keep in their cries as long as they can; at last do what they can, they will break forth: and as in Cities set on fire by the enemy, some men run up and down, others are amazed and stand still, some look pale, others whisper, some shriek and cry out; so stood this people then afflicted, and afflicted in the day of jacobs' trouble; every where Alas; and the sorrow was great, for this was a Great day: and now followeth the admiration; it was Great, for there was none like it.  
No? there was none like it! certainly there was, 
Exod. 2.  if jeremy speak of captivity: for what was harder than that of the Egyptian bondage, infants taken from their mother's breasts, and drowned in Rivers? all degrees of either sex, oppressed with servile works and scourge, things hard and heavy to be borne: yet in Egypt they were bred, and grew miserable by degrees; But for Majesty and State, suddenly to fall into distress, shows this (the higher up the sooner downe) and honours and pleasures to be very baits of evil; but under a proud enemy to bear reproach! and to seem reserved for an evil day; thus dies magnus is become dies malus, in which saith God to Babel, 
Amos 6.3.  these two things shall happen to thee; 
Esay 47.9.  loss of thy children, and widowhood, and both these will make a great lamenting, as when josiah was slain, than it was called Hadadimmon, 
Zach. 11.12.  in the valley of Megiddon: then grew upon Israel the evil day, when their good josias was slain, who taking part with a wicked king, lost his life and honour too; then was Israel's glory shaken in that day, which jeremy bewails in his Lamentations, there was no sorrow like that sorrow, nor any day like this, non fuit similis ei.  
Yea, but the prophet doth not say, Non erit, there shall not be any day like this, but there hath not been; for there shall be a day, in which they shall-crie and howl; For as of the first day, it was said, there hath been none like it; such is the last day, none shall be like it, 
Ames 8.9.  as Amos the prophet saith, when the sun shall go down at noon, and it did so in our saviours passion; and that day of sorrow, of which the Fathers said, Non erat dolor sicut; is turned into a day of Redemption, of which it is truly said, non erat similis illi; for of this day Dionysius the Areopagite said, Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissoluitur: But yet the last day, 
Thren. 1.12.  that day which is dies Domini, the day of our Lords coming, the day of judgement, that is without all comparison, for Daniel saith, non fuit similis ei, 
Dan. 12.1. Zoph. 1.14.15.  nec erit: and Zophanias the prophet sets it down for a strange day, no Ephemerideses can have the like: Yea our blessed saviour in the Gospel, 
Matth. 24 21.  sets this stamp upon it, Qulis non fuit, neque fiet, First referred to the jews eversion and dispersion, and then to that woful subversion of wicked men in the day of Christ's coming; which day he forewarns to come like a thief: first speedily and suddenly, and afterwards, as Saint Paul saith, terribly with flaming fire, 
2. Thes. 1.7.  rendering vengeance. This day is such a day, that it may truly be said, non fuit similis ei, nec erit, never was seen such a day, nor besides that ever shall be.  
And now before I come to the Explanation, what jeremies' day is, mark what use ariseth out of these three; the exclamation, Alas; the Confirmation, for this day is great: and the speech of wonder, none hath been like it.  
First in the text is placed Alas, a Vae, the mark of sorrow in the beginning, but yet the end is sweet, for there is a liber abitur, or else the soul would faint, and to the soul it shows, that God hath placed in vestibulo poenitentiam, as Tertullian says, yea bitter repentance, as Anselme calls it, sit a mara poenitentia indiniduus con es etatis meae, and he that performs it shall find it, though yet bitter repentance follow sin, after repentance comes salvation, sorrow first, and joy will follow.  
Secondly, many evils and many adversities must be borne, therefore we must have patience, this repelles the darts of pain, and is a perpetual document in matters of perplexity, and only patience triumpheth over misery.  
Thirdly, God sendeth sorrows for a check, for in an easy life it is easy to do amiss; therefore sorrows are like strong Porters to shut the gates, where sins would enter. Sorrow is a medicine and the smart of sin, and biting, cures whom it corrects, it prevents new dangers with derestation of the old disease. Avoid therefore thy lives bitter sweets, for all thy worldly pleasures are but fortunes flatteries, and easy premises to bring thy soul to hard conclusions.  
Fourthly, where Christ and all his Saints have had their Alas and day of sorrow, and made their way to highest honours through thorny passages; why then, nudus nudum sequere, nay rather armed with his life and death follow hard after the price, willing to change this earth for heaven, this life is the very frosty hardness of all thy happiness and felicity, and death will one day thaw and dissolve and melt thy vanity.  
Fiftly, these sorrows are but short, as Saint Paul saith momentany, and leaves & breves saith Athanasius & ideo leues quia breves; short it is indeed that is ended in a day; and it is much comfort, when heaviness is but for a night and joy cometh in the morning.  
Sixtly, although misery hath her increase, and the end of one adversity be the beginning of another, yet none can be greater than a state and kingdom, than majesty itself to be cast into misery, as Jacob was in his day: which may show Potentates thus much, that Kings and kingdoms and famous Cities have their dying days; and the more happy in liberty is the more wretched in danger; mariner's call fortune a tempest, and a great fortune is a great tempest, and there we have need of strength and council too; if therefore thou hast wasted the day in foul weather, provide that at night thou mayst be in the haven.  
Seventhly, the day is great, and none like it, for though there shall be none like that day of judgement, yet some will date to desire not diem magnum, but diem malum, as in Amos, and the very day of Christ with such a face, as if they would outface the judge: Thus doth sin put on a harlot's forehead, and in her evils is become impudent, that if there were not a day wherein jacob should be honoured, and every proud Tyrant overturned; if death were not moderator to pull them hence, obtorto collo, as the proucrbe is, there are some that would live alone, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sine rege, sine lege, yea, and sine grege too, that is, without all human society. Well, these may have their day, diem suum; viz. a day of their own making, but when the day shall come, that sheep and Goats shall be divided, that day shall reform all and turn good men's fasting into feasting, and right all wrongs; but for the while 'tis heavy to bear, it is a day, a day and none like it; tell plainly then, what day is it?  
It is the time of jacobs' trouble:  
Time of jacobs' trouble! what's this? Indeed this is the day, this fift of August, wherein our jacob was troubled, and I did but hold you in suspense a while, it was our own cause, and came very near us, while I spoke of Israel and that state, according to the verse, iam tua res agitur, etc.  
But now I will draw away the veil, and speak plainly: Great was the Alas, the signs, and cause of sorrow, a heavy day, and none like it: A king that is alti sanguinis decus, as Saint Jerome said of Marcelia, a King that holds it nobility, clarum esse virtutibus, as the same father saith, qui benig nitate potius quam severitate exigit reverentiam, a king, the glory of these times, the most noble of all his progenitors; Henricus rosas, regna jacobus: such a king to wrestle for life in the gripes of a Traitor; this time was the time of jacobs' trouble, and in so great a matter, that we may running read, as Abacuc said, or hearing discern, as Esay speaks: and to proceed orderly; in these words I find three things principally to treat of, and they are:  
First the person distressed.  
Secondly, the name of it, Tribulation.  
Thirdly, the continuance, it lasteth but for a time.  
The person, whose distress jeremy describes; and the text saith, it was jacobs': but how can this be jacobs' trouble? jacobs' head now did not ache, for true it is, jacob was dead before this time about one thousand five hundred year; how may it then be jacobs' trouble? The Scripture shows that jacob is populus dei, and Saint Jerome saith, duodecim tribus intellige; by these understand the posterity too, for all is but jacob, because all this people descended from him.  
First therefore it is set for the honour of his name, memoria justi in aeternum, Psal. 112. for jacob was a sincere hearted man, plain, and of true dealing, a man very dear to God, as appeared by his story; and God brings their father's name to remembrance for his great honour.  
Secondly, jacobs' life was an afflicted life, and therefore fit to have this word tribulation joined to it; and this prophet is, saith Jerome, in verbis simplex & facilis, in maiestate sensuum prosundissimus, and fits his words to the person, jacobs' trouble.  
Thirdly, Jacob had a special trouble, which never any had in such a kind; and there must be something in him to answer to his name, jacob a wrestler, a supplanter, like one that in wrestling trips up another's heels, a striver and a great prevailer, a man that wrestled with God, and held an Angel so fast, that he would not let him go without a blessing; and in his mother's womb he was forced to wrestle for his life with rough Esau: and in utero there he was too weak, his brother prevailed, and got before him, and was borne first, but yet jacob held him by the heel, and thereupon had his name, for jacob is calcaneum as Pagnine notes; but ab utero, then jacob was the stronger, and the elder served the younger, non obediendo sed persequendo, saith Saint Aug. he served him many a cruel touch, as the proverb is.  
And yet did jacob wrestle; with excellent wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, saith Rachel, when she obtained a son, and called him Nephthali, and, saith she, I have prevailed. And so might jacob say, with excellent wrestlings have I wrestled, with my brother Esau, and I have prevailed: indeed excellent wrestlings and for excellent things, for a birthright, and a blessing too, and he may say, I have prevailed, for he got them both, and supplanted his brother Esau. And may not our renowned jacobus, our sovereign King, our Patriarch, from whose face shines nothing but grace and mercy; may not he say with excellent wrestle, and vehement wrestle have I wrestled, with a Traitor hand to hand, foot to foot, with gripe for gripe, and I have prevailed? Alas, for this day is great, none like it, for it was the time of our jacobs' trouble. And now I come to that which in order is next, the time requires it, and I know you expect it: the trouble wherein our sovereign was in that unnatural Conspiracy of Gowries against his majesties life and honour, against the successful happiness of these kingdoms, united in his majesties most royal person, against the now enjoyed joys of every truehearted subject, a treason odious to God and men, infamous to the persons, and the deliverance therefrom, the greatest glory to God that any poor sinners may ascribe. In which matter these things cannot be omitted, but necessarily be observed.  
First, the Authors and Actors of it.  
Secondly, the action itself, namely to kill the king.  
Thirdly, the manner of doing it.  
Fourthly, the contention or wrestling, with the time it endured.  
Lastly, miraculum salutis, the wonder of deliverance. All which show it was a sad and heavy time. Alas this is a great day, none was like it, it was the very time of jacobs' trouble: and so can jacob tell best, how he was affected when he was worst afflicted.  
And now first of the Authors and actors of this saddest (thanks be to God for it) not Tragedy, that ends with killing of kings: but through God's mercy a tragicomedia, for though the beginning be sad, yet it had a joyful end.  
I would spare the name for the heinousness of the fault, 
Psalm. 16.4.  with king David's ne memorentur nomina eorum inter labia mea and had rather hide then blaze a shameful Fact. And yet in the names, this comfort the innocent of that name may have, that as of others virtues a man may conceive much joy, but win no glory to himself; so of another's fault they may conceive a grief, but take no shame; for where the fault is, there the punishment and shame must light.  
But truth enforceth to express the name of Gowries, and I should prove a false and faithless servant, to tender more the Offenders names, than they would tender my Master's life. Gowry, and an Earl, Comes principis, mark how justly King David's and king james his cause agreeth; he saith, If it had been thou mine enemy, that hadst done me this dishonour, I could well have borne it; and this saying is referred unto judas that betrayed Christ, from whom all Traitors are called judasses: from an enemy? I could then have borne it: But it was thou my Comes, my companion and a familiar friend, 
Psalm. 55.12.  which did eat at my Table; yea to whom our King had given again his forfeited estate, and made him and them a Table: that is, enriched, nourished, benefited, honoured them; and a companion, a friend, a Comes to do thus? It is much, yet it is no new thing. Therefore our Saviour would rather be betrayed of a Disciple, than any other, as S. Ambrose saith, voluit deseri, voluit prodi, voluit ab apostolo tradi, ut tu a socio tuo proditus mode rate feras tuum errasse judicium, tuum periisse beneficium: Indeed gifts may be given for necessity, but love is to be bestowed with judgement. No great hurt is it, yet grief it is, to confer upon unthankful persons; but benefits turned into weapons, to rebel against the giver is grief and danger too, as Ignatius Epistola ad Romanos said he was bound by beasts, qui ex beneficiis peiores fiunt, that is, the better you use them, the worse they are. But let his greatness go, and see his confidence: For this Earl having been addicted to charms and Necromancy, and being slain, had in his pocket a patchment of magical characters found, which he ever carried with him, as his preservative from danger: belike thinking himself safer under the devils witchcraft, then to be guarded with the grace of God. And this was apparent for one effect of his charms, that though he were thrust through at the very heart, yet he never bled, but when the Characters were taken away, his blood gushed out abundantly; a wretched man, a miserable confidence. Yea but to make his Table the snare, and his own house the slaughter-place, is barbarous and ignoble; and for any man to turn hospitality into hostility, is monstrous; so Lycaon would have killed jupiter, and for false turning, was turned into a Wolf: for by the laws of humanity all hate should there have ceased; yea that house should rather have been a harbour against violence, and a sanctuary especially for a sacred person, then to make it the prison of so free a king, and the shambles for Sovereignty: How true is that saying? 
Jerom. de vita Nalchi.  ovis, quae de ovilibus egreditur, lupi statim morsib. patet, the innocent mind that thinks no harm, is soon brought to danger. See if it would not trouble jacob to be thus dealt with by a Companion, a Comes principis, by a person honoured with his majesties presence, and that any nature should against the laws of nature there intent his hurt, whom he ought to help, Alas, it was a great day to fall into such hands, none was like it, it was the time of JACOBS' trouble.  
But the desperate Actor was the Earl's brother, frater quasi fere alter, almost another, saith Isidorus; nay this Alexander was a brother, that is as bad and somewhat worse; yea they were brothers indeed, 
Genes 49.  but fratres in malo, as the Patriarch jacob said of Simeon and Levy, cursed be their wrath, for it was fierce, and their rage, for it was cruel: go on good Patriarch still, and say, into their secret let not my soul come, nor jacobs' life into their closerts. Hilarion the Eremite said of the Devil, 
jerom. in vita eius.  in camelo atque in vulpecula unus & idem es diabolus. Whether in an Earl, or whether in a Brother, thou art but one Traitor, yet see how this Fox carries his tail, I mean the end of his Treason.  
First, he speaks so fair with lowly words, and looks, with courtesy never lower ducking; I should say, with duty down to the ground: A very Mark of TREASON; so saith the Italian proverb, He that useth me better than he was wont, will me betray: but let the Hebrew prophet speak in his discovery of a Traitor: He lieth in wait secretly, 
Psal. 10.7.8.  as a Lion in his Den; this setteth out the elder Brother, for he kept home, and would not be seen in it; he falleth down and humbleth himself, to make the simple fall by his might; and this was the Alexander of this treason, by guiles and wiles to entrap a harmless breast, and draw it into danger.  
Secondly, in him I observe the proud and scornful heart of a Traitor, that when he had closed and locked in his Sovereign in a strait room, so unmindful was he of Majesty, he changed his former fair words into foul deeds, clapped on his hat, swearing and staring in the face of his king; menacing and threatening him, now with hands, and words and bands, whom not long since he solicited with all duty and mediation, to have been one of his majesties Chamber. It may be a warning to Princes, whom they entertain, and how they admit of any unhallowed hands to come near where Majesty dwells. Thus was our most noble Patriarch shut up, and brought into trouble for the time; the Text says, it was the time of jacobs' trouble.  
And well might this be called so, for the action was to kill the king; this was the end, like the devils quaerens quem devoret, for destroying is his end. A subject to kill his king! Si omnia membra corporis in linguas verterentur, to use Saint Ieromes words, 
1. joh. 3 15.  how should I speak out this evil? Saint john saith, he that hateth his brother, is a manslayer, and no manslayer hath part in the kingdom of God: where then shall he be thrown, but like a dog upon a dunghill, that kills his king; without shall be dogs as in the Revelation, & enchanters, 
Apoc. 22.15.  & murderers, & who so loveth or speaketh lies; & this was compassed all by lying. In Matth. our Saviour saith, 
Matth. 5.  He that calleth his brother (fool) in wrath saith Chrysost. shall be in danger of hell fire. To kill a man wilfully & desperately, is homicide, 
2. Reg. 9.31.  to kill a brother parricide: had Zimri peace which slew Master? shall he have peace that murders the Lords anointed? Our law doth well to make it treason for a servant to kill his Master, a wife the husband, a Clerk his Prelate or Superior, or any other such as havecivil rule and sovereignty over them; and shall this king-killing trade set up, and now warranted by that Romish bloodsucker, become no sin but merit? I reremember a witty tale of a fool, walking far from home (as many fools do) a shrewd fellow of the house met him, and would have set him home, and scared him much, and jestingly threatened to kill him: the fool in earnest told his Master; O Master, such a one will kill me: kill thee saith his Master! if he kill thee I'll hang him next day after. Nay rather (saith the fool) hang him a day before, and then I shall be safe. I wish, I hearty pray, that all such as bear that mind, to drink innocent blood, sacred blood, the blood of Princes, and of States (if they convert not) that they might all be hanged a day before they spill it. And that yet at last his Majesty so well experienced of the malice of that bloodthirsty generation, would as he hath well begun, either utterly banish these Romish Priests and jesuits; and if they will not away, but still abuse his mercy, as they be taken to hang them up. We may preach here and else where, till our hearts ache; but if they may mass it, and reconcile in secret as they do, late repentance I fear, will overtake the kingdom, and the States great sufferance may perhaps at last, against their wills, prove good subjects annoyance: Therefore you Magistrates, I exhort you in the Lord, as you tender the life of the king, the peace of the state, and the common good, fetch these snakes out of their holes.  
But me thinks I hear some say, we apprehend, we commit them, we do what we can, and what comes of it? there's nothing done; it is a sore speech this, yet fulfil you the law, go on in the right way; if they scape still, yet take those Foxes still, for fear of an evil day: for this I know by much experience, if there be any fortune in the world, it is the fortune of the worst men ever to scape punishment; but this kind of Romish spider first weaves his web in corners, but after will hang up (if first they hang not him) his work in King's houses, if they take not heed. Miseri sunt principes, si intelligant sua mala (said learned Erasmus) miseriores verò si non intelligant. To warn them of dangers is our office, if we forbear it, who shall do it? and in these distasteful times, when at many men's hands the truth may hardly be endured, and wretches presume though not to strike and kill, yet with their tongues to throw stones at Majesty. Lycophron called juno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is invulnerable, 
Ambros. de. Valentiniano's.  not that majesty cannot, but that it ought not to be wounded. To take away an emperors life is Solemn mundo tollere to put out the Sun; and to kill our King is Lucernam Britanniae extinguere, to quench the life and light of Britanny.  
Consider next the manner of this Action. First by devise, by fraud and lies to draw his credulous soul to danger credulas animas maliioqua lingua dissociat a false and lying tongue, 
jerom. ad Celantian.  dissevers and beguiles the Credulous. Well; he leads the King and misleads him, locks every door and Enigmatically says, I warrant you he is safe and fast enough: well; nay it is very ill, for he shuts up an armed man there, then with oaths and bloody threats tells him he must now die, chargeth his innocent majesty, with the death of his father, who was judged by their Law long before, and that in his majesties minority. Yet is there no remedy, for all that, it is he must die; then pulls he out that others dagger, and sets it to his sacred breast, begins to triumph over his Lord, offers to bind his King in bands; Alas, this day was great, none was like it, this was the time of jacobs' Trouble.  
Now if ever jacob was a wrestler, he must now wrestle for his life, and so he did, and by force held him, who by fraud deceived him, and in that strife was heard to call, and (like that most noble Patriarch that held Esau by the heel) he supplanted this rough-handed and tough-hearted Traitor.  
The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth anguish: that is, when the soul is in a strait, it is here expressed tribulation: and this tribulus or tribulum, the first is a thorn, the other a flail, that breaks out the corn, both painful to endure; of the first the prophet David saith, conversus sum in aerumna, dum configitur spina, where a thorn is fastened in the flesh, it is an inward and a rankling sorrow: so may our king have said, conversus sum, and unless it had been Deus in adiutorium, he might have said Euersus sum. S. Bernard saith Spina malus magistratus, malus Minister, Apostata discipulus, falsus frater, spina vicinus malus, such bad neighbours had he, but blessed be the God of jacob, that suffered not this thorn, ut infigatur, that it should pierce him; let the fire of the Lord fall among such thorns and consume them all.  
Tribulum is a flail; and here was jacob like good corn on the floor, in area contusus & ab omni humana confidentia ventilatus, threshed in the floor, and winnowed from all worldly hopes or confidence; granum tritici in area; nay rather agnus in crucis ara: a Lamb for sacrifice, saving in the hands of a Butcher, not a Sacrificer. O jacobs' God, and Israel's guide; the fiery pillar and the days cloud, if God had not helped now (may Israel now say) if God had not been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Master of the Combat, and a mighty defence in that great and evil day, jacob might say, I should have perished in my trouble; a great trouble for the time, and it was but a time, as my text inferreth.  
The time. Solomon saith to every work under heaven there is an appointed time, but amongst all those works he reckons not this time; there should be no time to assault Majesty, never such a time: Well, then was a time of this trouble, and it had his time, and here it is called a Day; yet it was a day almost to night here, ere it could be quieted: But mark this one thing how God restrains wicked men in their worst evils, constrains fury to yield; and keeps the Devil in chains, whose malice and mischief may endure but for a little time; yet the shorter the time is, the sharper is his fury, as Saint Gregory noteth, Quanto minus de tempore angustatur, tanto magis ad crudelitatem extenditur, and certainly as the devil hath a name, Exterminans, that is a destroyer: so are they to be called that partake of the devils nature: the Sibyl said of Christ, that when he should come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he shall dissolve the wicked Oracles, and break the violent bands: and this very work of Christ appeared herein, to daunt the heart, and daub up the mouth of cursed oaths, & parted those hands of bands, rescued his majesties life from that sad and heavy hour, which we had found if he had felt it; so that now it is certainly a great day; great then in the greatness of the evils (the time of jacobs' trouble) and now greater in the joy of his majesties most happy deliverance; great trouble, Sed tamen liberabitur, but yet he shall be delivered from it. And so I come to that which I called Miraculum salutis.  
In which I observe these three things:  
First, the Author of this deliverance; God only, and how he showed himself in it:  
Secondly, jacobs' virtue, consisting in these two: 

1. The innocency of his heart, which ever carries comfort and defence.  
2. Greatness of mind, valour and magnanimity.    
Thirdly, the instruments of God's mercy, by whom though God do many things miraculously, yet such is his goodness, and so evident for our sakes, that he saves by means, and not by miracles.  
First, God was the Author of this deliverance; and in it the head of all mercy is, Ero tecum; and the promise, cum ipso sum in tribulatione, I am with him in trouble: this being of God with faithful men, is the life of all their deliverance, their sum of comfort, fons benedictionun, so S. Ambrose calls it. It was said of joseph the Lord was with him, and made all things to prosper in his hands, four times in one chapter, erat Dominus cum joseph, and being shut up in the prison, the Lord was with him: he is every where, per essentiam, saith Saint Aug. but with his servants he is specially, with them per habitationis gratiam. In Exodus the Lord comforts Moses: 
Exod. 3.12.  certainly I will be with thee, and to josuah. the Lord speaketh; fear not josua, be strong and of good courage, 
Jos. 1.  there shall not a man be able to withstand thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. And when juda should go up to war, 
jud. 1.  Dominus erat cum juda; if a man can get the Lord his God with him, he is safe enough, though he be enclosed with walls and locks, and bars, because God is extra omnia, 
August.  sed non exclusus: intra omnia, sed non inclusus, without, yet not excluded, within, and not shut up; and so it appeared by his mercy in this day. Solomon therefore prayeth, 
1. Reg. 8.57.  that God would he with him as he was with their fathers; that he leave them not, nor forsake them. And it is an excellent prayer for the young Prince, if ever he should be in any strait, as his father was (which God forbidden) he might pray that God would be with him, as he was with his father in the day of his trouble, & in the very hour of tentation to deliver him:  
But how was God with their fathers? invisibiliter, ineffabiliter, admirabiliter, How thus? for he works & is not seen: he stirred up the spirit of jacob, and strengthened him, as David said, 
Psalm. 8.  mine arms shall break a Bow of steel: invisibly he wrought in that others heart, that was placed there to kill him, that at the sight of the king his heart failed, his tongue faltered, his hands shook, all his body tremble, and had neither heart or any power to hurt, to help perhaps, but not able to hurt: Is not this to stop the Lion's mouths? he wrought invisibly in the heart of that desperate Alexander Ruthwen, the Earl's brother, that was at first as fierce as a Tiger or a Bear, that the words of his Majesty made him relent, and consider and respite till he might talk with the Earl his brother; but after that, came again, bloodily resolved to be imbrued; yet than God was with him, as with the Patriarch jacob in Egypt, that iron sorrow; and as he was with Jonas in the Whale's belly, and kept him from consuming. But if you ask me, how was he with him? I can but say ineffabiliter, I cannot tell how to utter it: Nay more, he was with him admirabiliter; How's that? a present help in trouble, at every stab, at every gripe, at every assault a rock of stone, a refuge, a defence, and therefore blessed be the God of jacob for ever, and blessed be he that hath the God of jacob for his help, and whose hope is in the Lord his God, which only doth great things, and he is wonderful among the kings of the earth, and so he was with our king in this day.  
Secondly, I noted the king's virtue in this conflict; the first is innocency, which every where carries with it comfort and defence. It was a noble speech of Alphonsus king of Arragon, being advised to take some care of his person, where, and how he walked privately, answered, Satis munitus est, qui bonam habet conscientiam; yea this is a good armour for the soul, yet sometime the body wants it; a good conscience is a continual feast indeed, and nothing can keep in true peace your conscience, but your innocence.  
Another virtue was the magnanimity of jacob, which is certainly a virtue royal, and suffers not the mind to be daunted with any adversities; no fears, no rumours nor evil tidings, shall make him quake, 
Psalms, 112.  who standeth in the Lord; and this is such a virtue as hath been annexed to the Crown, that kings should be magnanimous; Solomon fetcheth an argument of mercy from God's omnipotency, misereris omnium qui omnia potes, thou hast mercy on all, because thou art Almighty, and noble Kings are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not so much for bounty as for mercy Saint Ambrose saith procul abest a magnanimis cupiditas ultionis, valiant natures never revenge: it is for wolves and Bears, for cowards to be cruel, & quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est, saith the Poet. As God therefore prepared David with Lions and Bears, and then brought him forth against the Philistim; and armed job, giving him as one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a patriarchical soul, 
Origin.  constant and valiant to endure all sorrow that might come; so did the almighty bless our holy King, with a speech, Spirit, wisdom, strength and courage, to resist his enemy, and jacob like, to wrestle for the blessing which now his eyes do see and we enjoy.  
The third thing is the means which God used for his majesties Deliverance, for though God doth many things miraculously, yet makes he not a man, to fly out of a casement like a bird, but ordereth by high providence, things below, and men and means, in the very extremity he directeth, where the danger is. That close by the windows, his owns servants should pass where his Majesty was striving; they heard his call, went up and found their Lord in the grasp of a Traitor, but the Traitor over-grasped that he could not hurt. By a noble servant of his were first the very wreaths of this Serpent untwined; this Alexander of mischief turned out to his cursed but deserved end; that as he showed no mercy; so perishing he called for none from God, in whose hand only mercy was. Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all men may know the calamities of Kings and Princes. For yet all jacobs Trouble was not over past. But now the old serpent, with seven other spirits as ill as himself, came up to the place armed, assaulting his Majesties. four defendants where with much strife and doubtful victory, at last it pleased God, to send the Earl his hire, and the rest vanquished to be thrown down headlong. W●ll said Ignatius ad Magnesianos Nemo multus nemansit: qui se contra potiores extulit, his Majesty now, had a little breathing given him, and like a religious and holy King upon his knees in the flore, where his enemy lay dead before him, gave hearty thanks to God for so great a mercy. And this; and thus, was the time of jacobs' Trouble. Trouble? yea, But he shall be delivered from it, saith God, and here he performed it; and hitherto as the day requireth, I have showed the trouble which concerned jacob.  
The consolation of jacob is in these words, Sed tamen liberabitur, Unspeakable is the joy of deliverance, 
Exod. 15.1.  it so opens the heart, and makes them sing that find it. And so did the Israelites sing, Moses and the men, and Miriam and the women with Timbrels, quia fecit Dominus magnificè, the Lord hath triumphed gloriously, he saved them, and destroyed their enemies, fecit magnificè, 
Jud 5.  he did valiantly: and Deborah made a song, when God delivered Israel from the hand of Sisera Captain of the Host of jabin, king of Canaan; and it is for a glorious victory, a most noble song: thus the Psalms of David were most of them composed, and are thanksgivings unto God: How did the three children sing in the flaming Furnace? and jonas pray and praise God delivered from the whale? 
jon. 2.  what heart can express the joy of the jews delivered from Haman? not one but all to be destroyed, and how mercifully God did turn the destruction upon the destroyers, as he did in this day: by these you may see, what joy comes with this Liberabitur.  
It is like God's Angel that comforted Saint Paul, and bade him not to fear, but be bold, the Lord shall stand by thee: or like the Angel's touch, that made all S. Peter's chains fall off at once: And I say that any that hath known the world's malice, the depth of Satan, the rage of his Hellhounds, may say with the holy prophet David, I was in woful misery, and he delivered me: what is he in his life, to whom deliverance, at one time or other, hath not been sweet?  
But this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a future time, a promise, He shall be delivered, verbum dulce super mel & fawm, saith Saint Bernard, yea but when? quando duplicantur lateres tunc venit Moses, not now, nor yet, but in the time of his trouble: So in the Psalm, Jnuoca me in die tribulationis & ego liberabo te, in the time of thy trouble, in thy greatest anguish and extremity, for then God shows himself like Christ, who slept till his Disciples were almost drowned, and then rebukes, etc. and suspends his mercy to take thee out like Peter, when he was sinking, he cried then, and Christ then presently rescued him. When there is but a step between thee and death, than God delivereth, then is his time.  
And this doth comfort much to think that we have God a looker on, and beholder; yea a Master and a Moderator in the matter, that things are governed, not by Fate and Constellations, but by heavenly Providence, which slumbers not.  
Yet jacob must have patience, to tarry God's leisure; there is no appointing his wisdom the time, 
judith. 8.16.  as judith notably said to the Elders of Bethulia, who were content to tarry five days; saith she, What? will ye bind his Council, 
Abac. 2.  or set the Lord a time? nay rather as Abacuc adviseth; if the vision come not, tarry thou, if it speak not, yet wait; for it shall speak in his appointed time, and the Lord will humble flesh and blood, and defer his comforts to make them sweeter, Si differt Deus sua dona, commendat non negat, saith Angush. and S. Bernard saith, delicata est divina consobatio, & non datur admittentibus alienam, it is a sweet mercy to be delivered, and he that will have it, must only look to God, and in this patience and hopeful expecting must every good man possess his soul.  
Secondly, jacob must then hope most, where his reason is least and this is a faithful man's part; for what reason had Abraham to hope for Isaac at those years? If as Saint Paul saith, 
Rom. 4.  he had not believed and hoped, without fixing his heart upon reason: or David ever to have worn the Crown, if he had bend to reason: And what reason had jacob in this day to hope, but that faith like Deborabs soul, marcheth valiantly and endureth like Moses, 
Hebr. 11.  as seeing him which is invisible.  
The third thing which I noted in this (liberabitur) is, That jacob must not be weake-handed nor fainthearted, to droop and cast away his confidence, but valiant and courageous, and so expect the promise: for this cause did the Angel say to Gedeon, go in this thy might thou valiant man. Kings and Princes be called saviours, but yet such as need salvation, and they that save others, the Lord will save them: But if there be any king, or noble, or judge, or Prelate, or potentate, that abuseth his power, and will not save such as are oppressed, the Lord will leave such in their enemy's hands; and as they have no care to comfort others: so GOD in their times of trouble shall leave them comfortless, and this shall be their just portion. These kind of men are endued with a more noble spirit, not for their own sakes so much as for others: David had a heart like a lion, Samson rends a lion in pieces, and after saves his people; and that people of Israel, not only in their Rulers had a blessing of mighty and valiant men, but in inferiors also, to show that from GOD cometh also the outward Ornaments of Nobility, and they are certainly most Noble, that are most Faithful, and they most valiant that are most virtuous.  
The first jacob that ever was, faith, 
Gen. 31.40.  I endured, etc. and then reckons his sorrows; and the last, and all must endure till they receive the promise: 
Job 36.5.  for job that suffered heavy things was told by Elihu, that the mighty God casteth away none that is mighty and valiant of courage.  
The second thing is to show, what is implied in this word JACOB; and this will make up the application, and showeth:  
First, That jacob the patriarchs life was a very troublesome life, full of difficulty, danger, distress; hearts grief amongst his children, and yet GOD made a sweet and blessed end with him, and delivered him from all, sent him down into Egypt, yea went with him, 
Gen. 46.4.  Descendam tecum in Aegyptum, there he saw joseph his fruit full bough, there he blessed his sons, there he died and gave commandment of his bones, that is, prophesying their liberahitur, israell shall be delivered.  
But here jacob stands for a whole people, to whom Jeremy for their sin threateneth Captivity and makes a description of a said and ruth full day, wherein they shall look with gaslly and amazed looks one upon another, pale faced and heavy hearted, when this day shall come, a great day, a day of sorrow, the day of wretchedness and misery, never day like it; a people settled in a glorious state, thought never to be removed, but they shall have their day, and so had jerusalem in Christ's time her day. O sicognovisses, etc. and that day was her day, and time of trouble.  
Let us look upon ourselves; we stand now, we may fall, we are at peace, but there can be no security, iron and clay legs will not, nor can not bear up the biazen thighs, the golden lead, and silver body; the bribery and prowling, the oppression and cries of the oppressed, the parking in of beasts, and depopulating Towns, to shut out Christians, the neglect of justice, the death of godly zeal, the contempt of laws, and all good order, will bring a day of trouble upon jacob, that is upon this kingdom, which God yet withholds in great mercy, to make jacob and every jacob to bethink themselves, and not to melt away in worldly pleasures: for this is true, they that bath themselves in pleasure and in worldly joy, it makes the manliest heart to melt away; and I have heard it, and read it often, and in my life have seen it, that there are many have been worthy men, that have put on virtue with their Armour, and vices with their gown, that is in exercise and sorrow and acuersity, in distress, in action and arms have been very vigilant and valiant; but coming to peace and ease and lulled in pleasures lap, have fallen a sleep if not swooned, yea they have grievously fallen, if not fallen quite away.  
jacob yet is more particular, and here may stand for any faithful soul, which shall have her time of trouble, that is of adversity and tentation: therefore he must look first he be a jacob, that is an innocent and harmless man, and then to look for his oppression and trouble; 
Syrac. 2.1.  for as Syracides said, My son hast thou entered into the feat of the Lord, prepare thy soul to tentation? and the instance is notable in the person of Christ, that though he were persecuted by Herod while he was an infant, yet was he not tempted till after Baptism: to show that so soon as we give our names to God and take up our holy life, then comes the sorrow and persecution for righteousness; and if he have care to serve God and sever himself from the profane fashion of this world, he is derided and scorned, as Noah was when the Ark was a making; traduced by odious and disgraceful names, and loaden with infinite injuries, as if he were a mark for all the devils arrows. Yet jacob must have patience, and in all this, address himself to God, not shrinking in these adversities and wrestle, no more than that holy Patriarch did, 
Gen. 32.31.  who overcame and prevailed with the Angel, though he went away halting; we shall have from the world a touch of sorrow to carry to our graves, but there it should be buried, and that which shall follow is comfort everlasting.  
And now as this day and time admonisheth in this jacobs' trouble, I find a more excellent person, to which it is applied, that is to our very nathanael i. the gift of God, his sacred Majesty, who may take up Israel's complaint in a song of degrees, for the degrees of his sorrow, that oftentimes from his youth up, he was afflicted may Israel now say, 
Psalm. 129.1.  & the plowers ploughed on his back, & made long furrows, that in a great & noble kingdom, from a year old to this day, is by God upholden, & was preserved from dangers, though not freed from troubles; for cares infinite are wrapped up in the crowns of princes, & they are more noble than happy, & many troubles attend upon their persons, because as in Esay the key of government hangs upon their shoulder: and like the Master-pilot guides the ship of the Commonwealth, sitting at the stern in every storm; so that the troubles of a careful Prince are more than the labours of any common subject; and the dangers of the head, more than of all the body. Let us then that are but legs and hands or other parts, labour to support this jacob, not trouble jacob, but as much as we may free him from troubles; I mean from grief and sorrows; for it cannot be but the head will ache if the body be distempered: and the good and careful head will watch, and hear, and see, and search, and find out, and remedy all that may offend, and hurt the body, or else the head is not a head of care, but a drowsy and a sleepy part; which if it do but slumber, troubles are then sent both to awake the Pilot & the Mariners; for in the head you see the members are united, jacob for Israel, that is the whole people; jacob for every faithful man, jacob for the Prince of jacob; in every of these is seen a day of trouble. Sed tamen, But yet; that is, I the God of jacob in despite of them all, I will deliver him. And this shows God's own opposing himself against all the troubles and troublers of jacob. Wherein I will instance in two most famous particulars, and set before your eyes the mercies of God to this kingdom, in the days of our late most noble Queen Elizabeth, worthy of all our memories, under whom you have been bred, nursed and brought up: and the happy and most joyful succession of our so Noble a king, under whom we are still so godly, so lovingly and so peaceably governed: That this day we may remember with all possible thanks to God, both their miraculous preservations with a Sed tamen, that is, in despite of all their enemies.  
Elizabeth the glory of her Sex while she lived, and the honour of it being dead; a name signifying the oath of God, as if God had sworn to be merciful to England in the days of Elizabeth. Many and great were her troubles, and yet delivered out of all. Let go the famous acts she did; her succour of afflicted strangers, relief of distressed states, power to settle with peace, and to suppress by force, honour at home and fame abroad; I say, let these pass. But her deliverance from Conspiracies and bloody Treasons, so many and so wonderful, are to us certain Demonstrations of God's mercy; that the gospel of Christ which we profess, was at the first miraculously planted and established, and ever since hath been most miraculously preserved and continued. Notwithstanding all Romish oppositions, which so frequent and desperate plainly show, that our Church hath by them been persecuted, the Gospel intended to be suppressed, the glory of our State purposed to be supplanted, the life and honour of so noble a Queen so cruelly pursued: and yet I say, notwithstanding all that ever they could do, in despite of all Traitors (not worthy to be named) she was with her people's peace, her State and honour, to the end of her life miraculously preserved, and the Gospel lives; and being dead, she lives in their hearts that love the gospel.  
But now to see GOD'S goodness still, in preparing to this kingdom a king of whom I would say much, but that as Saint Jerome said, vereor ne damnum illius laudibus me a faceret verecundia, and preparing such a king for such a kingdom, A king of justice, a king of peace, whose receiving was with such joy and general applause, as I think, never happened in any nation: whose care of the afflicted and oppressed Israel, which by many testimonies hath so clearly appeared, shall plead with God, and he shall remember it in the evil day, and when his soul is troubled, the Lord shall stand by him, and save him alive; and the backs and sides of the poor relieved shall bless him, the prayers, cries, and tears of his people shall pray for him, and they shall say; Deliver jacob Lord out of all his troubles.  
And hath not GOD delivered him in this fift day of August, as you have heard before, and since his majesties coming to this kingdom from other foul and traitorous attempts.  
But above all, from that same Salt- Peter Treason, or Peter's salt Treason of Rome. I know Saint Peter the Apostle never seasoned his meat nor manners with this kind of salt: I say a Treason without all reason, a treason sine nomine without a name, as Saint Jerome notes of the face of the fourth Monarch, the first a Lion, the second a Bear, the third a Leopard, the fourth terribilis valde, but sine nomine, quia crudelitas eius erat sine modo; such was this, a Treason which never any age may forget: and I think so horrible as scarce posterity can believe, that ever any vipers bred in any Country, would so bloodily betray their sovereign Lord, him and his, All the Orders and States of a kingdom, and kingdom and all: such a treason, so conceived, conspired, contrived, and so concealed to a point of time, and then so mercifully discovered, tell me what God is there to the God of jacob, and who so great, yea add this, and who so good a God as England's God? let Rome if she please, boast of her miracles, and her rash, and Garnets' straw, all not worth a straw, we will rejoice in the name of our God, and make our boast of him, that hath delivered us from so great a death and will deliver; hath planted the gospel, and no power can supplant it; hath preserved our state, and still preserves it; hath confirmed his mercy to us, by his word continued it, in the hopeful succession of Princes hath saved our king out of the hands of all his enemies, and will save him from the evil day, from the sorrowful Alas, from the great days of trouble, from open and privy enemies, from all that bear evil will at Jacob: and the Lord is faithful, and hath promised (Sed tamen) that is, let them do what they can, in despite of them all, he is yet, and yet he shall be delivered. Which since our eyes have seen, and our ears have now heard the mercies of the Lord unto our king, and us in this his day of mercy: Let us ever pray that God would continue them still; and let our hearts joyfully give thanks, and for these blessings ever ascribe to God our heavenly father, to jesus Christ his son, our blessed Lord and only Saviour, and to the holy spirit our true and eternal Comforter, three persons and one God, All glory, honour, praise and power, this day and for evermore. Amen.  
FINIS.