The four ways to Zion.  
I. The reward of Mercy.  MATH. 5.7. 
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  
II. The praise of Purity.  MATH 5.8. 
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.  
III. The Crown of Peace and Concord.  MATH 5.9. 
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the Children of God.  
IV. The honour of Obedience.  1. PET. 2.7. 
Fear God: and honour the King.  
Quadrivium SIONIS OR The four Ways TO ZION  
by John Monlas Mr. of Arts  
LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes. 1633.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, (AND HIS singular good Lord) EDWARD, Earl of Dorset, Lord Chamberlain to the Queen, Lord Lieutenant of his Majesty's Counties, of Sussex and Middlesex: One of the Lords of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, and Knight of the most Illustrious Order of the ●arter.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE:  
THis Pilgrim of Zion, having been beaten with the storms and tempests of a long persecution beyond the Seas, after he had learned the sweetness, and tasted the goodness and Debonayritie, which makes your Nation and Nobility of England honourable, and recommendable to all the four corners of the Universe, he is at last arrived in your Ports and Harbours, to shelter himself from the waves and winds, which so cruelly had beaten and assailed him, as they would not permit him, either to feed, or rest. But casting anchor here in your Harbours, I find that Fame hath infinitely wronged herself, in not having sufficiently discoursed, and published the excellency of your goodness and merits: She seems to be sparing of your praises, which are so justly due to you; For Experience hath now made me know a thousand times more thereof, than heretofore I heard or understood, because I find so much benignity and goodness among you, and especially your Honour's house, that I should esteem myself to be guilty of a base ingratitude, if I consecrated not the remainder of my days to the honour of your service and commands; For I confess, that this small Present, which I now present and proffer you, cannot counter veil or equalise those sublime favours; whereby you have eternally made me your debtor.  
Th●se Philosophers, which entreat and discourse of natural causes, do affirm, That the Sun which makes the rainbow in the firmament, by the darting and defusion of his rays, in a watery cloud disposed to receive it; doth there form and engender this diversity of colours so pleasing to our sight. Your Honour (my good Lord) is the Sun of my happiness, and I am this cloud covered with the rays of your favours, which makes all the world admire in me, the greatness of your Generosity, and the excellency of your goodness.  
But herein (notwithstanding) consists not my satisfaction, but rather your honour and glory, and as I desire to publish that, so I likewise desire to find this; For I cannot live contented, if I made not a public acknowledgement of those many favours, whereby you have perfectly purchased and made me yours, and this Confession consisteth in the oath of fidelity and obedience, which I have sworn to the honour of your service, and to testify the the immortality of my vows, wherein with all possible humility I present you myself, and this small Book to your Honour's feet; A work proportionable to my weakness, but merely disproportionable to your Greatness.  
If I am any way guilty herein, your goodness is the true cause thereof; in regard it makes me believe that you will rather excuse my zeal, then accuse or condemn my presumption▪ and I do promise myself this hope, and flatter myself with this confidence, that your Honour will partly excuse this work of mine, if it be not accuratly or delicately polished, and that the will remaining where the power wants, is free and current payment with great and generous spirits.  
Some perchance may affirm and say, that I have discoursed & treated those Matters with too much simplicity, which indeed is my only intent and design. Because my text and matter do● necessarily oblige and tie me thereunto, as also in regard I ever find the easiest way to be the best, for that the thorns of Study and Scholarship, do but engage and engulf our Wits in the labyrinth of insupportable length and languishment, and the which most commonly when we have all done and ran thorough, we in the end find but a Minotaur of doubts, and a pensive melancholy anxiety which devours them. My Lord, I have no other design or ambition in this my Dedication, but to pay this tribute to your Honour, hoping that your charities will cover my defects, and your goodness over-vayle and pardon my weakness and imperfections.  
And my Lord, it is with all manner of right and reason, that I consecreate and inscribe this small Work of mine to your Honour, and place your Honourable name in the Frontispiece thereof, as a bright Phare and relucent torch, which shall communicate and lend its lustre and light, to make it see and salute the world.  
And so my good Lord, I will seek my delights in the honour of your service; my inclinations shall have no other centre, but the execution of your commands. My vows and prayers shall be incessantly poured forth for your prosperities; and my Ambition shall never fly or soar higher, then to conserve the honour of your favours, and to be both to your Honour, and to the young Noblemen your Sons,  
Your most humble, and truly devoted Servant, JOHN MONLAS.   

The first Way to Zion.  
THE REWARD OF MERCY.  MATH. 5.7. 
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
THat which in men changeth Reason, courtesy, and humanity, into a wild, fierce, and brutish nature, and which makes them less pitiful than Lions, and more to be feared then Tigers, is cruelty; that terrible vice the mother of cowardice, the spring of disasters, and the death of innocence.  
For after a Coward hath once tasted of blood, he delights in no other spectacle.  
It is the cause of mischiefs, and of so many fatal and mournful accidents; for there being a natural Antipathy between that vice, and reason, she expels reason; and therefore will not hearken unto her, in her furious, violent, and sudden counsels.  
In a word, it is the death of innocence, for to satisfy her bloody appetite, she spareth neither age, nor sex, but upon the altar of her furious and brutish passion, sacrificeth as well the just, as the guilty, and would not spare herself, if she feared not the self same pains and torments, which she inflicts on others.  
Now this vice is detested by noble spirits and generous souls, is abhorred by Angels, and in great abomination to God himself; so by the law of contraries, mercy must be the subject▪ and royal field, where we must abundantly reap the honour of men, the love of Angels, the graces and blessings of our heavenly Father, then must mercy be practised by men, admired by Angels, and be delightful to God, and therefore we see in our Text, that the beloved Son of eternity itself jesus Christ our Saviour, to perfect his Apostles in the way of salvation, saith to them in general, Blessed are the merciful, etc.  
As if he had said, I do much hate and abhor cruelty, that I desire also that you that are my Disciples, should expel and banish it quite from your hearts, and thoughts, and in her room to admit and entertain mercy, that heavenly virtue, which I both esteem dearly, and love, and respect perfectly.  
You must therefore practise this eternally praiseworthy virtue, if you will be blessed; for it is impossible to get into my Father's favour, if you be not furnished and armed with mercy.  
You cannot ascend to the top of felicity, before you have left sin, this heaume and intolerable burden, I say, before you have received pardon, and absolution for your faults, which you can never obtain, before you have forgiven your brethren their offences; before you have showed yourselves favourable and willing to assist them; In a word, before you have ex●ended and practised on them all sorts of mildness, clemency, and meekness, which they shall stand in need of, for I say unto you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
We read words like unto these, Luke 6.36. Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful: And again after, forgive and it shall be forgiven unto you; give and it shall be given unto you: And Eccl. 4. Be merciful to the Orphans, be unto them a father, and to their mothers a husband, and then ye shall be the obedient sons of the most high, who will yet more liberally distribute unto you his great mercy: And Pro. 11. The soul that doth good, shall be exceedingly filled and replenished.  
It is a principle flowing from our nature, that we must not do to another what we would not have done to ourselves, from which principle is derived that golden sentence of Christ. Luk. 6. With what measure you meet, it shall be again measured unto you. And james 2. Condemnation without mercy shall fall on them that have not used mercy, and mercy is glorified against condemnation. Blessed then are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
In which words by God's assistance, which we to this end implore, we will consider, 1. Who be these merciful. And 2. The reason why they are termed blessed.  
And first, let us hear the sacred voice of the eternal Son of God, the Redeemer of our souls, saying in the first part of our Text, Blessed are the merciful, as if he had said, O how great and altogether incomparable, and incomprehensible are the favours, blessings, and graces laid up for them that shall practise the works of mercy, they shall be Citizens of heaven, the Angel's companions, and shall eternally enjoy and possess in heaven, those b●atitudes which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, and that are not entered into the heart of man; and this is the recompense that God hath prepared for them which practise mercy.  
Now that we may the better know the definition of this word, Merciful, which is the concrete, or conjoined, we will fir●t consider it in its abstract, as the Philosophers speak, to wit, Mercy, which is commonly defined to be, A hearty grief▪ or a sorrow, for another's misery, whom we assist and help with all our power.  
The object of it, is, the misery and affliction of other, which makes her produce these gracious and pitiful effects, because she is unable to behold the sore, without applying the remedy.  
God being one, cannot suffer any kind of division, there be no qualities nor accidents in him, but all things are essential in him, the Scripture to represent him unto us, doth describe him all justice, and all mercy, so by reason of the foregoing maxim, we cannot say, that mercy is one of his parts, seeing that being one, he is indivisible; but we will more properly say, that he is Mercy itself, and therefore the faithful that shall be merciful, that shall practise the works of charity, of clemency, and meekness, may undoubtedly believe that they are the sons of the most high, who hath communicated unto them a ray or spark of his infinite grace, and mercy, that so they may thereby resplend and shine with the same light with their heavenly Father, tread upon his steps, and be made like him as much as may be, Be merciful (saith jesus Christ) as your heavenly Father is merciful, Luke 6.36.  
Mercy, said an ancient Doctor, est fidei ornamentum, it is the ornament of faith, for faith showeth herself by her fruits, which are pious and charitable works, and as trees are never so fair to behold, as when they are loaden and covered with fruits; so faith never appeareth so glorious, as when she is adorned and crowned with the sweet and delightful fruits of mercy; He called it again s●lutis domicilium, the retreat and lodging of salvation, b●cause that when sinners shall be called to give account of their actions before God, when God shall ask them, the reason of their administration, as that Lord in the Gospel, than the shortest and safest remedy, is to fly to his mercy, and to ask him forgiveness.  
Solomon that wise King, counselleth us to make a carcanet of mercy, to put it about our neck, and that in this habit and ornament we shall make the access of heaven free to ourselves, finding grace before God, and men: and indeed it is one of the most precious stones, and that is fit to beautify and adorn the crown of perfection itself.  
We will therefore compare it to the Oppall stone Irius, which represents the same colours that appear in the Rainbow, so the merciful makes all sorts of graces and blessings to shine upon his forehead, and to appear in his actions; this Oppall stone Irius is green, red, and white, the green colour represents unto us that Hope which we have to find grace before the sovereign judge of our souls and bodies; The red colour represents unto us the pure blood of Christ, shed upon the Cross, to obtain this grace for us, she also denoteth unto us the redness of our sins, according to the Prophet's phrase, Though our sins were as red as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow, Isa. 1.18. and the white colour figureth unto us the divine justice, covered, ●nd overcome by the whiteness of his mercy, as it is noted in the Rainbow▪ that his white colour covereth, and exceedeth the red if fair weather to be follow; They mark beside that this Oppall easeth the pains and labours of women with child, so mercy lighteneth much the misery and grief of the afflicted.  
We will here make no difficulty to u●e in this place the fabulous inventions of the Poets, following the example of Solomon, who took of Hiram (though a Pagan) all the wood, and stones needful for the building of the temple.  
They usually describe Mercury (the messenger of the imaginary Gods) with a wand in his hand, composed of horns of plenty, wreathed with serpents, they also give him wings, with which he with incredible celerity, flies whether soever he is sent.  
In this fable we see a remarkable moral, which is, that it is a symbol of the Merciful, who quickly and without delay takes pity of the misery of others, according to this axiom, no less common than true, Bis dat, qui cito dat, he giveth twice, that giveth speedily. Secondly, he lives in all pl●nty and abundance, because, that God blesseth him in all his goods, as the Psalmist speaketh, He hath given largely to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for ever, his horn shall be exalted in glory, and he shall have whereof to lend, all the day's o● his life. Psal. 112.9.  
Th● serpent useth once a year to cast off his skin, to assume another, that thereby he may be more healthful and fair; so those who are merciful leave, and cast off their wealth and substance, in favour of them that need it, that so they may appear fair in the eye of the most high, give your alms, and all things shall be clean unto you, putting off the old man.  
But that we may walk in the sacred paths of the holy Scripture, let us compare Mercy to the Serpentine rod of Moses, that faithful servant of God, for if this had done many miracles in Egypt, that hath done as many wonders in the world: If this was called the finger of God, that is an excellent virtue, that maketh us come near to God; but contrarily if the rod hath turned the waters into blood, Mercy turneth the blood of wrath into the water of mildness, and mansuetude; If that hath caused darkness, this bringeth light, if that wounds, this cures; In this they agree, that as the one divided the red Sea, to deliver the people from Pharaohs slavery, so the other maketh us pass the red waters of Gods divine justice, to shun the devils seizing of us, and to come to the Sanctuary of celestial goodness, according to the sense of the beatitude described in our Text, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
O happy and infinitely glorious (therefore) sh●ll those be, that use mercy towards their afflicted brethren, who open the bosom of liberality, and reach out the hands of goodness and compassion, to draw them to them, there and thereby to shelter them, from the miseries and calamities that compass them about; for when the sovereign judge of our souls and bodies, sh●ll come to keep his Assizes, when he I say shall come accompanied with thousand millions of Angels, who are the Heralds and great Officers of his divine justice, when heaven and earth shall shake before his face, when all the elements, and all the creatures together shall quake for fear in his presence, when he shall judge by an eternal decree the living and the dead, among all the most grievous and notable reproaches whereunto the wicked shall be subject, that of cruelty shall be the most remarkable, he will not then so much tax them of having been thiefs, drunkards, murderers, fornicators, as of not having been pietifull to the poor and needy; Math. 25.42. Go (will he say) ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry, and ye gave me not to ●ate, I was thirsty, and ye gave m● no drink, I was naked, and you clothed me not, I was in prison, and ye visited me not.  
But chose he will alter his voice, when speaking to his Elect, with a sweet, smiling, and gracious countenance, he will pronounce this favourable sentence of congratulation, Math. 25.34. Come ye blessed of my Father, possess the inheritance prepared for you before the foundation of the world, for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was naked, and you have clothed me: I was in prison, and you have visited me.  
The end, and centre of the law of God, in the second Table, is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbours as thyself: in these few words, we see all the offices, all the duties, and all the services which we owe to our neighbour, to wit, to love him as we love ourselves, for as no man is so unnatural (unless he hath lost the use of reason, and be ready to precipitate himself into despair) that would in his need, for his good, refuse himself any thing that should be in his power: so likewise, let us represent to ourselves, that our neighbour is our other self, and that to refuse him any needful thing, yea, not to prevent him in his wants and incommodities, is a sin in him that is infected with it, which makes him unworthy to be compared or placed among the Pagans and Infidels, for they help one another with all their might: but with a great deal of reason and justice we may say, ●hat he is far worse than a brute beast, for we may observe and mark, that those of th● same kind help, and succour one another; As we read in Pliny, that when a great and heavy Elephant is fallen, being for his heaviness not able to rise, s●●ing specially they have no joints in their legs, his fellows do then assemble and raise him up with their snow●s.  
It is noted, that when Stags intent to swim over some swift River, they gather themselves together; and because their heads laden with such great horns, would make them sink, they lay them on the hinder parts the one of the other, and because the foremost hath no place to lean his upon, every one in his turn supplieth that place, and what should we not do although we had no natural affection; would not the very beasts accuse us of cruelty, and barbarousness, if being all to pass together the vast and deep Ocean of this tempestuous life, in hope once to arrive in the delightful Haven of salvation; If, I say, feeling our heads laden with so many miseries, imperfections, and calamities, we did not mercifully assist and ease one another, and so we should not accomplish the Apostles command, saying, Bear ye one another's burdens, that you may fulfil the law of Christ.  
St. Chrysostome with his golden mouth as his name importeth) tells us in general, that all men represent unto us but one body, whereof the greatest and most honourable are like th● brain, the eyes, the mouth, and the ears, and that so orderly according to their dignities, they possess and take their place; and nevertheless, there is so great an affinity between all th●se different members, that they all help and succour one another; the eye helpeth the foot, and the foot serveth the eye; the mouth is serviceable to the hand, and the hand to the mouth; and beside, that experience teacheth us, that if there be the least ache in the head, the face becometh pale, the eyes often times flow with tears, and all the other members participate of her pains, according to the proverb, Quando caput dolet, caetera membra aolent. If the foot chance to tread upon a thorn, and to be pricked by it, the eye though far distant seeks presently the place offended; the back stoops, the hands run to the place, and all the members in general are attentive and careful of the easing hereof: Alas! let us remember that we are members of the same body, that we owe our help and assistance one to another; when we see any in affliction among us, let us not stay so much to know the cause of his grief, but that we may run to apply the remedy to it, and to help him out of his wants and incommodities, and then by these actions w● shall testify, that we are the children of God, who saith, Math. 10.42. That if we give to the poor, a glass of cold water in his name, he will hold it as done to himself, so much doth he delight in the holy and pious works of mercy: Blessed (saith he) are the merciful.  
Mercy is compared to a tree, planted in the fruitful ground of the hearts of the faithful, that is watered by the wholesome waters of blessing and grace, which the holy Ghost continually distilleth thereon, and upon which the Sun of righteousness continually shineth, that so at all times he may bear abundantly the gracious and delectable fruits of charity, compassion, and meekness.  
This tree is divided into three branches, which we see is set forth unto us, Luke 6. whereof of the first showeth us, that we must not rashly judge of our neighbour, but that we judge of him charitably.  
The second teacheth us, that we must liberally distribute, and dispose of our faculties in favour of the needy, that thereby we must partake of their misery, and sigh with them in their afflictions.  
The third and last branch, is, to forgive our enemies, and cast away from us all desire of revenge.  
Saint Luke in the Chapter before cited, after he had exhorted us to be merciful, as our heavenly Father is merciful, divideth this mercy into three kinds, as we have already showed, saying, first, 

1 judge not, and ye shall not be judged.  
2 Give, and it shall be given unto you.  
3 Love your enemies, and ye shall be the children of the most high, for he is kind unto the unkind, and to the wi●ked.    
Let us a while attentively consider the three offices and duties of the merciful, but rather let us practise them heartily, that we may be recompensed with the felicity promised unto us.  
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mer●ie.  
The corruption of this age is come to that height, that it seemeth that the best discourse that men can find, is to speak ill of one, to detract from another, & to judge so hardly of the best actions, that one might think them void of reason, and of the fear of God, and to be partakers with the devil, in vexing and slandering the life of those, who are good examples to all, and the subject ●f thanksgiving to all them that fear the Lord; and therefore the holy Ghost admonisheth u● in this first kind of mercy not to be rash in our judgements, lest we suffer the pains, and incur the rigours of Talions law.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. judge not, that ye be not judged. Math. 7.1.  
We must then observe these maxims in judging the actions of others, that if they be manifestly good, we praise and imitate them, that those that did them may be encouraged to continue, and that the wicked leaving their wicked ways, may follow them, for examples move more than rules or precepts.  
If in all likelihood they may be thought evil, nevertheless we must practise and confer on them the works of charity, and construe them favourably, seeing that it is God alone who searcheth the hearts, and who trieth the reynes and thoughts, and who is only able to judge of our good, or bad intentions, for now Satan transformeth himself into an Angel of light, and hypocrites (his imitators) do so perfectly counterfeit the just, that it is altogether impossible to discern truth from falsehood, Satan hath made them so deceitfully crafty.  
On the other side, the just do sometimes commit actions, which seem to be evil, and notwithstanding are in themselves very good, though they do not appear to be such, as when Christ was found alone speaking with the Samaritan, but it was to teach her the way of Salvation.  
When he delighted in the kisses of Mary Magdalene, who was so impudent in her life, and manne●s, in so much that the Pharisie that had invited him was offended at it, yet the end and the answer which Christ gave them made them think otherwise, when speaking to the Pharisie, he said, joh. 11.2.12.3. Simon, seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, and thou gavest me no water to wash my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. Thou didst not anoint my head with oil, but she hath anointed my feet with precious ointment. Wherefore I say unto the● many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much, to whom a little is forgiven, he doth love a little. And he said unto her, thy sins are forgiven thee, Luke 7.44, etc.  
jesus Christ (take this example more) did often eat with Publicans and sinners, but it was purposely to convert them, and yet the Scribes and pharisees that envied him, did not interpret it so, for they called him a glutton, a wine bibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners, Math. 11.19. Behold how the best and wholesomest meats are converted into ill humours by ill disposed stomaches, whence comes the proverb, Ictericis omnia videntur esse slavia, all things seem yellow to them that have the jaundize, the wicked measure other by themselves, and think that all imitate them in doing ill.  
The second branch of this divine tree, is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Give, and it shall be given unto you, that is, that jesus Christ by these words exhorteth us, to distribute freely, and liberally of our means to the poor, assuring us to hold it as done to himself, and that he will repay it a thousand fold unto us, by giving ●s eternal life. Make you friends, saith he, Luke 16.9. with the riches of iniquity, that when ye shall want, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.  
jesus Christ Math. 19.21. speaks thus to a young man, that asked him what he should do to inherit eternal life, after he had bidden him keep the commandments, he saith moreover unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go sell all that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and then thou shalt have treasure in heaven.  
One of the chiefest laws which God commanded and recommended to his people Israel, was to be merciful to the poor, and needy, as we read Deut. 15.7. If one of thy brethren with thee be poor, within any of the gates of thy land, thou shalt not harden thine heart against him, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother, but thou shalt open thine hand unto him, and shalt lend him sufficient to sustain his needs and wants, and let it not grieve thine heart to give it unto him, for because of this the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand to. And Prou. 28.27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack, but he that hideth and shutteth his eyes from him, shall have many curses.  
It is a wonder to see and behold the admirable effects, and works of the Almighty, that which commonly makes those to abound in wealth, that bestow largely upon the poor, like a good spring or fountain, which the more it is emptied, the more it overflows in the excellency of her waters; so the more the faithful gives to the poor, the more God sendeth his graces and blessings upon his wealth, so that the alms which he gives are like seed fallen into good ground, which yieldeth a hundred for one.  
It is like a little piece of leaven among a great deal of dough, which raiseth, and maketh it to increase, and therefore the Wiseman exhorteth us, to give the first of our fruits to the poor, and that the rest will make our Barns to overflow with plenty and abundance.  
The widow of Sarephta, 1 Kings 17. making a Cake for the Prophet Elijah, with a little meal and some few drops of oil, which only were left unto her in that extreme famine, desiring rather to obey the Prophet, then to satisfy her own hunger, and that of her own son: but how can we produce this example without admiring this her incomparable charity, to see the love of herself, the natural affection she bore to her dear, only, and well-beloved child, give place to the pity and compassion she had a Stranger, for the Prophet ask her something to eat, she answered, I have but a little oil, and a little meal, which my son and I will eat, and after we shall die, showing unto us, that the hopes of recovering any elsewhere would be vai●e, and yet mercy passeth through all these difficulties, she makes a Cake for the Prophet; but where is the recompense? it followeth immediately, as the shadow the body, that is, that during that extreme famine, she wanted no meal, and her oil was never dried up.  
Merciful effects are commonly followed by those which are miraculous; as we have already showed, and as we could yet more largely show, if we did not fear to be too tedious; but let us see how God delighteth so much in mercy, that besides that he rewardeth it in this world with many temporal blessings, he doth also shower down on the merciful, his eternal and spiritual graces.  
In the 29. Chapter of Ecclesiasticus, Lay up thy treasure according to the commandment of the most high, and it shall be more profitable to thee then gold, shu● up mercy in thy Cabinets, and it will draw thee out of all affliction, the bounty of every one b●ing shut up in him, a● in a purse shall conserve his grace, as the apple of the eye, and at the end will give the reward unto ●very one. And Dan. 4. The Prophet speaketh thus to Nabuchadonosor the King, Dan. 4.27▪ O King, take my counsel, break off thy sins by justice, and thy iniquities by being merciful unto the poor. And Luke 11.41. Give alms of what you have, and behold all things shall be clean unto you.  
But because many seek precautions, going about to practise the works of charity, I will give my opinion upon this matter, that is, that we must not be like Martha, curious to be informed of so many things, but as jesus Christ, before whom there is no regard of persons, but maketh his Sun equally to shine both on the just, and on the unjust, and maketh his rain to fall upon the good and bad, the Sun shineth as well upon mud and dirt as upon Roses on the valleys, as on the mountains; the rain falleth as well upon the rocks and sands, as upon the good and fertile ground: so the merciful wheresoever he seeth any calamity, he partaketh of it, and applieth the beft remedy to it that possibly he can.  
Intention is the level and square wherewith all our actions are measured. It is the rule to measure them; the touchstone to know their value: Havens and Harbours receive as well the broken and torn pieces of a shipwreck, as a great and rich lading in a good vessel; the earth which is the mother and cradle of all mortal men, receiveth equally Lazarus, and Dives, Irus, and Cyrus, Diogenes, and Alexander.  
So the merciful must always propose this object to himself, to obey God's Commandment, in assisting the poor, and in comforting and consolating the afflicted, without searching further if he be worthy or not of your compassions, if it be his laziness, or his folly that have made him miserable; these things are not to be examined by you, it belongeth to God to judge of it, and to you to obey Gods holy ordinances.  
jesus Christ being here on earth, exercised his charity on all those that asked it of him: He fed several times great multitudes: He healed the sick: He made the lame walk, the blind see, and that at the first request, without further enquiring.  
Mercy is the bank and haven of misery, if thou receive the unworthy, after thou shalt entertain the worthy: Abraham making an Hospital of his tent, received therein all Strangers indifferently that came to him; and in practising this courteous and bountiful hospitality, he received Angels into his house: St. Paul, Heb. 13. biddeth us forget not hospitality, for some have lodged Angels, not knowing it. When thine enemy is hungry, give him to eat, and to him that asketh give, saith Christ.  
Saint Math Chap. 4. The devil seeing that Christ was hungry, asked him if he were the Son of God: you likewise when you see the poor languishing and starving at your doors, secure him quickly, and ask him not if he be the child of God, if he be an honest man and worthy of your alms, because that Christ saith, Math. 10.41. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward.  
The good Tobias finding any ofhiss brethren lying dead in the midst of the streets, used to rise from his bed, and left his meals to come and bury him.  
Lot stayeth very late at the gates of Sodom, to receive and entertain into his house poor Strangers, yea, defendeth them valiantly, and lovingly against the Sodomites rage and violence.  
From all these examples we must draw this wholesome doctrine, That there is no virtue that makes us so conformable and delightful to our heavenly Father, as Mercy, and therefore that we bear not wrongfully the title of the sons of God, let us extend our liberalities to the poor; Let us give them cheerfully, and without grudging or enquiring, the first and best of our alms deeds, let us not stay to be troubled with their cries.  
The Israelitish women at the first ask of Aaron despoiled themselves of their Rings, Carcanets, and jewels to make that Idol, the golden Calf, Exod. 32. and should we be abl● to stop our ears, and not to hear those pitiful and lamentable cries of Christ, speaking by the mouths of the poor, use charity, give and it shall be given unto you: those alms or benefits which are done either by importunity, or by force, or for shame, deserve not the name of ●ercie: think you that it was a great favour which the wicked and malicious jews did to Christ, to give him gall and vinegar to drink, in the agony of his Passion, when he pronounced these grievous words; I am dry, those that give alms for spite, to be rid of the poor, for grief, or for shame, if they commit not an equal malice, they commit a like offence.  
What then is that Tiger, and Dragonlike cou●age, tempered in the water of eagernes, and cruelty, that is not penetrable to the shot of th●se powerful reasons, who is so unnatural as to behold with dry eyes a poor Christian languishing for hunger, starved with cold, and full of wounds, and doth not give him bread to eat, calleth him not into his house to warm him; and that like the Samari●ane, poureth not oil into his wounds, what Adamantine heart is so hardened, as not to open and cleave with grief, at the object of such pitiful sp●ctacles, and sights.  
There be some that take the Etymology of Miscricordia, Mercy, from that it makes the hearts of men miserable, by beholding the misery of others, and that with as much truth, as reason, for the truly merciful feeleth in himself all the miseries of o●hers, which was it that drew so many tears out of Heraclitus his eyes, being able to behold nothing on earth, but what was lamentably miserable.  
Saint Paul exhorteth us, Rom. 12.15. ●o weep with them that weep, and to be of like affection one towards another.  
Good job in his complaints, Chap. 30.25. said, Did not I weep with him that was in trouble, wa● not my soul in heaviness for the poor?  
It is one of the most pious and generous actions of the soul, to take upon her the afflictions of others, and to ease them of them: It is the sacrifice the most delightful, with which the Lord is pleased, they are I●remiahs rags, but they draw us from the Cave of sin, from the pit of iniquity; it is the dry rock of the mountain of Horeb, from whence flows abundantly the wholesome waters of grace, and blessing.  
In a word, it is a Jacob's ladder, by the which the Angels of consolations and divine favours descend upon us, by the which our faith, our love and affection ascend up to Christ, who stayeth for us on the top, to say unto us, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, before the foundation of the world.  
And will not therefore our hope to hear those sweet and gracious words, oblige us to comfort and consolate the afflicted, and with our meanus to ease and refresh the poor and needy, since those are actions so pleasing & acceptable to God, that S. August. saith, That charity towards the poor, was a second Baptism, b●cause, that as the water of baptism, is a sacred sig●e unto us, that the fire of original sin is extinguished in our souls: so pity and compassion of the afflicted, is an undoubted mark that God hath poured out the sacred waters of his grace and forgiveness, upon the burning coals of our transgressions to quench them.  
Saint Chrysostome calls it the friend of God, that obtaineth of him all she asketh, she setteth prisoners at liberty, recalls the banished, and implores and obtains grace for the condemned; the hand of the poor is the purse of God, it is the Altar whereon we leave our gifts, to go and reconcile ourselves to our eldest brother jesus Christ our Saviour, whom the wickedness of our sins, did cruelly fix and nail to the Crosse.  
Having sufficiently considered the two first branches of mercy, let us now behold the third branch of this divine plant which Saint Luke hath perfectly taught us, saying, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Love your enemies, and ye shall be the children of the most high, Math. 5.44. Luk. 6.27. Luk. 3.24. for he is kind unto the unkind, and to the evil. And indeed this part of mercy doth greatly beautify, and make glorious her body; for her two sisters, Pity in giving, and Compassion in condoling, are actions which humanity cannot refuse, to the lamentable cries of the languishing, to the sad and sorrowful objects of poor and miserable men, but must move your hearts were they of steel, and draw tears from your eyes, though they were of marble.  
But to forgive our enemies, is to vanquish and overcome ourselves, it is a nearer approaching to the divine nature, then to the humane.  
All Histories are full of charitable actions of men towards their neighbours, and without taking them out of Scripture, the examples are (thanks be to God) usually to be seen, but to forgive our enemies, not to annoy them when it is in our power, is to be enlightened by the sacred presence of the holy Ghost, to be regenerated by his grace, to be fully possessed of mercy.  
Moses (that great servant of God) who had beheld him face to face, that had seen him practise this rare and excellent virtue, towards the people of Israel, falling into Idolatry; He that had mediated for them, speaking to God after this manner: O Lord what will thy enemies say, that thou hast brought thy people out of Egypt, by a strong hand and stretched out arm, to kill them in the wilderness, seeing that thou couldst not bring them into the land which thou didst promise them, and himself notwithstanding is carried away by this passion of revenge, when he made the earth open and swallow up alive Core, Dathan, and Abiram, with their families, though it be not mentioned that they had participated in the murmuring of their heads; yea, he did not spare Mary his own sister, whom he covered with leprosy. Neither is it to the purpose to say that it was in God's cause that he used this revenge, that is vallable in putting Nadab and Abihu to death, because they had violated the divine ordinance; God forbid that I should excuse their fault, but I desire only to show, that though Moses were so holy a man, yet he had some touch of humane weakness.  
But in this circumstance what shall we say of David, a man after Gods own heart, that so often curseth his enemies, that giveth charge to Sa●omon his son, to revenge him of the injuries, and curses which Shimhi had spoken against him, as he fled from before Absalon.  
What greater Prophet than Elijah, nevertheless because two of Achazias Captains were gone to seek him to take him, and bring him to the King, as he had commanded them, he made the fire fall down from heaven, which consumed them with their fifties.  
And the Apostles themselves having not been well received in a certain place, said to Christ, Wilt thou that we make fire fall from heaven, upon that City? but jesus diverted and hindered them.  
We produce all these examples not to imitate, but to shun them, and thereby to make it appear that we must not revenge ourselves when we can do it, but rather to do good to our enemies, when they have done us hurt, is to make ourselves perfect in this excellent virtue of Mercy. It is to become conformable to the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls, who seeing and feeling the horrible cruelties of the jews against him, hearing the blasphemies which they pronounced against his divine Majesty, notwithstanding in stead of revenging himself, he prayeth his Father, and crieth out thus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.  
That which made Saint Stephen's martyrdom the more honourable, is that in the midst of his torments, among a fearful shower of hail of stones cast against him, he desireth not God to punish his tormentors, but rather being possessed with the spirit of mercy, and meekness, he prayeth to God for them, herein imitating his good and blessed Master jesus Christ, saying, Lord impute not this sin unto them, As we read Acts 7.60.  
If Moses in the precedent examples hath been seen something too much desirous of revenge, we may also read, that many times he hath for given those that had offended him, yea and hath mediated and prayed to God for them, lest he should have revenged them.  
David having received innumerable offence and wrongs of Saul, notwithstanding finding him weary in the Cave, having him in his bed at his discretion, he forgave him all the injuries and harms he had made him suffer, saying only, The Lord is a just judge, that will avenge me o● mine enemies, and will render unto me after the integrity of my heart.  
The Apostles indeed suffered themselves to be carried away by this sweet desire and appetite of revenge, when they would make fire fall from heaven upon that Town, that had offended them, but it was because they were frail and weak men, like us when they fell into their faults and errors, but they we●e soon rectified and raised up again by the grace of the holy Ghost; so that at length when any gave them injuries, they rendered none again, they were whipped and stoned, they were cast into prison, and yet they blessed, and prayed for them that did it, and sought by all means to Preach the Gospel unto them, and to show them the way of salvation: these second examples we must follow, that we may appear to be the children of God, Disciples of Christ, and imitators of his Apostles.  
This noble and godly action of forgiving our enemies; we must practise, first if we desire that God shall acknowledge us for his children, we must strive to be like him who is the fountain of forgiveness, who is meekness and courtesy itself, and nothing but mercy: Secondly, we must pardon others, if we desire that God shall forgive us, since that is conditional, which we ask him, Lord forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; Now if we do not forgive men their trespasses, no more will our heavenly Father forgive us. Math. 6.15. For with the same measure that we meet, it shall be also measured unto us again.  
And that which must the more oblige us to put off the infected and poisonsome coat of cruelty and revenge, since it is an abomination to God, which he hath prohibited us in so many places of Scripture; as Proverb. 20.22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil, but wait upon the Lord, and he shall save thee. And Rom. 12.19. Dear beloved avenge not yourselves, but give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord: if then thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat, if he be thirsty, give him drink, for in so doing, thou shalt heap burning coals upon his head. And Ecclus 28. The Lord will be avenged of him that revengeth himself, and he will keep carefully his faults for him: forgive thy neighbour his misdeeds, and when thou shalt pray, thy sinnes shall be forgiven thee. Shall man keep his wrath against man, and ask to be cured by the Lord, he will not take pity of man like to himself, and will ask pardon of his sins; ●ince he that is but flesh keepeth his wrath, and asketh forgiveness to God, who shall obliterate and blot out his sins?  
It is a common saying and proverb, There is nothing so sweet as revenge; but for my part I cannot perceive this sweetness, unless it be compared to a well scoured blade of a sword, that pierceth and passes through easily, but at the same time taketh away our lives, as the Bees that leave their sting where they strike, and with it their life, Animasque in vulnere ponunt, so when we revenge ourselves, we leave the sting of our wrath in the wounds of our enemy; but we do not consider (so blind are we) that withal we thereby wound our souls to death.  
Heliodorus tells us of one that said, That death would be sweet and welcome to him, if he knew that his enemy should also die, and of another jealous woman that cried out, O how delightful would death be to me, if I could fall dead upon the dead body of my rival.  
Plutarch saith very well, That of all the wild beasts, there is none so savage and cruel, as a man that hath the liberty and power to execute his revenge. But if we consider it diligently, we shall see, th●t this impatience, and not to be able to bear an injury, is a great infirmity and weakness; but as noble hearts, and generous, a●d magnanimous souls, do scorn and despise wrongs, so do they also forgive, and forget all kinds of revenge.  
Pericles of all the actions of his life, esteemed this the most remarkable, that he had never revenged himself, for any wrong done unto him.  
And Photion being pu● to death unjustly, feeling the effects of that mortal Hemlock, to bring him near to the last period of his life, recommended nothing so much to his son as this, that he should forget the memory of this offence, and that he should never seek to be revenged for it, that in meddling with it, he would stay the gods from taking in hand the justice of his cause, who would questionless revenge him of this offence.  
Let us use the same Doctrine, though coming from the profane mouth of a Pagan, they are nevertheless of infallible truth, as a Diamond looseth nothing of his value, though it be in the dirt: let us then practise it, and let us remember, that whilst we desire to punish our enemies, we do them a great favour, and are revenged of ourselves, for the offence which they have done unto us, which would deserve a far more rigorous labour if we left it to God; but he seeing that we will neither refer it to his justic●, nor to his commandments, nor to his promises, being unwilling to endure a companion in any of his works, he suffereth us to try our uttermost, which is most commonly the cause of our ruin.  
Let us then break off this discourse, which would never end, if we should punctually follow it; and let us remember that revenge is our Masters own dish, which none can touch without incurring his indignation: And let us (imitating our heavenly Father) forgive our enemies, for if he should take revenge of all the offences which we at every moment commit against his sacred Majesty, he would then reduce us to that nothing from whence we came, or would inflict upon us eternal pains and punishments, since the least offence committed against an infinite goodness, deserveth an infinite pain and torment. Let us then follow Saint Luke's admonition, Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful; and presently after we shall hear that blessed recompense, which we shall receive for it, to wit, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
We have already showed how God recompenseth the merciful, yea in this life, with blessings, favours, and graces, spiritual, and temporal, giving unto them a hundred times more than they have given to the poor, and giving them consolation in their distress, as they also have suffered with their neighbour in his affliction: But let us consider the third fruit of charitable works, which is the highest degree of honour, unto which the merciful shall ascend, to wit, eternal blessedness, and withal we will also examine the cause, wherefore the faithful receive graces spiritual, temporal, and eternal, which doth clearly enough appear in our Text, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  
The only and perfect felicity of man both in this life and in that to come, consisteth simply and solely in the possession of the favour of God, which the wicked, cruel, and impious shall never be partakers of; but only the Saints, the bountiful, and merciful shall pitch their te●ts there; the reason why the one are put back from this infinite good, and that the others shall be received and cherished therein for ever is, because the first have lived in cruelty, rigour, and tyranny, and shall therefore be thus punished; but the second having been gracious, bountiful, and meek, they shall obtain mercy, according to that saying of Christ, With what measure you meet, it shall be measured unto you again.  
In these words to obtain mercy, we have many very remarkable circumstances, for God will show himself such unto us, as we shall show ourselves to our neighbours, if we give a crumb of bread to the poor languishing at our doors, he will call us into his royal Palace; he will make us sit down at his Table, he will fill us with the dainties of his house, and will make us drink abundantly in the river of his delights, if we bear with grief our neighbour's affliction, if we dress his wounds, and pour oil on them; he will comfort u● in our sorrows, he will wipe off the tears from our eyes, and will fill our hearts with joy and gladness, if we forgive our brethren their offences, when either maliciously, or through infirmity they have offended us, he promiseth and assureth us, to be so bountiful and merciful to us, that h●e will drive our sins away from before his face; he will scatter our misdeeds like a cloud dispersed by the parching beams of the Sun, and in this part shall we find the centre where the fullness of our felicity resteth and resideth.  
This forgiveness of our sins is, that which covereth us from the divine justice, that giveth into our hands the shield of assurance, which is impenetrable by the revenging shot of his just judgements, that maketh us walk void of fear towards the throne of grace, and that without the least doubting, for since God is with us, who shall be against us? shall the world, why it is vanquished? shall hell, why it is fettered and shackled? Shall death, why it is dead? shall sin, why it is prevented and pardoned▪ Finally, shall the flesh, why it is crucified? We may therefore say and conclude with the Apostle Saint Paul, O death where is thy sting, O hell where is thy victory? now thanks be to God that hath given us victory through his Son jesus Christ.  
From this word obtain, we will also derive and draw this remarkable doctrine, for he presupposeth ask, seeing we cannot obtain a thing before we have demanded it, which teacheth us our duties towards God, acknowledging ourselves poor, weak, and miserable, both in body and soul, subject in body to thousands of sicknesses, weaknesses, and necessities, troubled in mind with a world of business, crosses, and afflictions, and so laden in soul with sins, misdeeds, and iniquities, that they are more in number then the sand that is on the Sea shore; But the only remedy to these sicknesses is, to have our recourse to God's mercy, which is the sac●ed anchor of our hopes, the haven of our salvation, and the eternal residence of our incomparable, and incomprehensible felicities.  
And let us hold for certain and infallible, that we shall never be refused by his sacred goodness, which calleth out aloud unto us, Math. 11. ●8. come unto me all ye that are troubled, ●nd ●e●vie laden, and I will ease you: take my yoke upon you, for it is ●ight, and ye shall find rest to your souls; his yoke is nothing else, but the affliction, weakness, and necessity of the poor, that is the yoke he commandeth us to bear, that is to 〈◊〉, we ●ust take off the load of misery and calamity from the poor, to lad it upon our own shoulders, and we shall find that his yoke is easy, and his burden light, because he will then augment our strength, and will make us so able to bear it, that we should be sorrowful ever to cast it off again.  
As a King findeth the weight of a crown but small, when it is upon his head, by reason of the wealth, honour, and power that follow the heaviness of this burden, as he would never leave his Kingdom, his power, and his Empire, for the weight of a S●epter, seeing they make him honourable to his Subjects, and feared of Strangers, so that faithful man which hath compassed and environed his forehead with the crown of love to his neighbour, that hath adorned his hand with the Sceptre of charity, to the needy, and miserable, he without doubt shall find rest in his soul, which is the fullness of all felicity.  
Now since such great and admirable effects, since so excellent profits and advantages, proceed from our mercy, charity, and bounty to our neighbour, since in the practice of it, we find our felicity, which consisteth in the love which God beareth unto us, in the confirmation of the pardon for our offences; since again God assureth us, that the charity which we give and exercise to our neighbours, he will accept as done to himself: alas, who would be so savage, and hardened with rigour; who would be so defiled with ingratitude, that having received favours from a King, would yet refuse to obey him, and to serve him with all his power, should not he be worthy of the greatest torments, of the most cruel punishments, that have ever been imagined; would not the heaven, the elements, and all the creatures together rise up in judgement, to ask punishment for so grievous a crime; since it is most true, that ingratitude is the basest and damnablest vice, that can infect the soul of man.  
Let us remember that we have nothing but what we have received of our heavenly Father; and if we have received it from his favourable and fatherly hand, why should we be so ungrateful, as to refuse him a small portion of it, when ●ee asketh for it: Now, and at all times when we hear and see the poor praying, and crying unto us in the streets, or at our doors, it is the voice of God himself, than calleth us to acknowledge his benefits, as often as we see one afflicted that asketh us help, and consolation; let us r●n●e to him, and give him occasion of joy, and gladness, for it is Christ himself which was comforted by an Angel, in the Garden, when praying to God his Father, he sweated drops of blood, which made him pronounce these lamentable words, so full of grief; My soul is full of sorrow even unto death.  
When we have been offended by our neighbour, and that he will cast himself at our feet, to ask us forgiveness, let us not be such tigers, and so unnatural, as to refuse him his request, remembering that it is a condition needful to obtain the pardon for our own sins, which we shall never obtain, until we have first forgiven our brethren their offences: but let us follow the example of our heavenly Father, who saith, That at what time so ever a sinner repen●eth him of hi● sins he will put away his wickedness out of his remembrance.  
And when we must appear before the terrible and dreadful Throne of the Sovereign judge, when we shall be called to a strict account for the talents and administration which hath been committed to our charge by our heavenly Master: let us then I say follow the example of that wise Steward, let us make ourselves friends with the riches of iniquity; let us fill the hand of the poor, which is the Al●ar of God, upon the which he affectionately receives the Incense of our prayers, as a delightful and pleasing Sacrifice, to the glory of his holy name.  
Then I say, shall we hear that sweet and heavenly voice of the Saviour of our souls, speaking graciously to us after this manner: Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, before the foundation of the world. Amen. Amen.  

The Prayer.  
O Lord God, full of mercy and compassion, O favourable Father, that art the fountain of pardon and remission, and the refuge of them that truly repent, who desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live; we thy poor and miserable creatures, who by the weakness of our fl●sh, by the malice of our minds, & by our own vicious inclination to follow ill examples, have provoked thee to make thy wrath and indignation fall upon our sinful heads; we have many ways and times by our transgressions incited thee, to cast upon our sinful souls the thunderbolts of thy judgements, we have made sin our delight, and iniquity the height of our happiness. Thy justice did cry and run after us, like a roaring and ravening Lion seeking to devour us, thy judgements were ready to cast our bodies and souls into hell, but that the excellent greatness of thy mercy, (O bountiful and gracious Father) hath interposed herself, and hath not permitted that we should be cast down into the depth of eternal death, and condemnation; thy hand (O sweet Saviour) hath upheld us, and thy clemency (O our Redeemer) hath perfectly delivered us: therefore (O gracious Father) seeing thou hast preserved us from evil, conserve us still in good things, receive (if such b● thy good pleasure) the incense of our prayers, o●r sacrifice of thanksgiving, which we most humbly offer upon the sacred Al●ar of thy divine compassions. Put up our tears into thy bottles, accept our contrite hearts broken with grief, to have offended thee, for a pleasing Sacrifice: receive our griefs and displeasures for thy satisfaction, and behold thy Son, thy only, thy well-beloved Son, his head pricked with thorns, for our sins, his hands, his sides, and his feet pierced with Lances, and nails for our iniquities, for his torments sake, for his pains, and for his death's sake, restore us unto life, forgive us our sins, (O great God) blot out our iniquities, that so following thy example, we may do the like to them that have offended us; change in us our hard hearts, and make them gentle and easy to pardon and forgive; and suffer not our souls to be defiled, and infected with the venom of revenge: but that leaving it unto thee, we may think of nothing else but to be obedient unto thee, blessing those that curse us, speaking well of those that slander us, and praying for those that persecute us.  
O good God, kindle in our souls an holy love towards our afflicted brethren, that we may partake with them in their afflictions, and so ease them that they may the better bear that burthon, which thou hast imposed upon them.  
We most humbly beseech thee also (O good Saviour) to give us charitable hearts, and full of compassion to help the poor in their need, remembering that they are o●r brethren, that thou art the Father of us all, and that we are the children of the same mother, that a glass of cold water only given unto them, is of an inestimable price before thee, because thou acceptest of it as willingly, and recompensest it as largely, as if it had been given to thyself; make us understand and know that thou art the King and great Master of the world, that all that is therein justly belongeth unto thee, that we are but thy Stewards, to dispose of thy goods, to them of thy household, to wit, the poor, who as well as we have that honour to belong to thy house, to be thy servants, y●a to bear the name of thy children, that when it shall please thee to call us to account, we may be found to have used with profit the talon committed unto us: and that it may please thine infinite goodness, not for our sakes, but through thy mercy, for thy well-beloved Sonne● sake, to call us good and faithful servants, and to make us enter into our Master's joy, which is the heavenly jerusalem. Amen.    

The second Way to Zion  
THE PRAISE OF PURITY.  MATH. 5.8. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  
IN the holy and sacred Temple of wise King Solomon, there were three things chiefly considerable, that is, 1. The body of the temple whereto the people came. 2. The holy place appointed for the Levites, and those that ministered at the Sacrifices. And 3. the Sanctum Sanctorum, or the most holy place, consecrated for the Ark of the Lord, who had appointed it for his ordinary dwelling and residence, wherein he commonly appeared, in the form of a dark cloud, out of whic● were heard, the divine Oracles, and the irrevocable sentences of his sacred judgements. It was a place whereinto none (upon pain of death) could come, except the high Priest, and that but only once every year, and yet with many precautions, and circumstances, for he was first to purify himself, to wash his body, and to change his clothes, before he appeared in the terrible and fearful presence of the living God.  
By this fair and marvellous Temple of King Solomon, is lively represented unto us the world, adorned, and diversified with so many fair and admirable creatures.  
By the Body of the Temple, where the children of Israel heard the reading of the law of God, his Spouse the Church is naturally denoted and figured unto us.  
By the holy place, whereunto came only the Levites, and those which ministered at the Sacrifices, are signified unto us, the Ministers of the word of God, who are chosen and put a part in his Church, to be Heralds, and Ambassadors of his holy will, offering the ordinary Sacrifices of p●ayer and thanksgiving, which are his d●lectable and well accepted service.  
By the Sanctum Sanctorum, or the most holy place, is truly figured unto us Heaven; for, as the high Priest entered not into that place, before he had first purified, & washed himself according to the Divine ordinance: so the faithful cannot enter into heaven, until he hath first divested sin, and be covered with the cloak of justice, holiness, and innocence; therefore jesus Christ himself declareth the same thing unto us with his own sacred mouth, saying,  
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see GOD.  
The Prophet David expresseth exceeding well the same words, in the 15. Psalm, saying, Lord, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.  
And in the 24. Psalm, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall stand in his holy place? he that hath clean hands, and a pure ●ear●; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  
And in the 33. Chap. of Isaiah ver. 14. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who amongst us shall dwell with ●verlasting burnings▪ He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly: he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shake●h his hands from receiving of bribes; that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil. He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure. His eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off.  
O what admirable places, how many fair and rare promises, do all these Prophets make to the faithful, who shall keep his heart from sin▪ and his hands from iniquity; and jesus Christ himself cometh after to confirm their testimony, and to ratify their words, saying in this place,  
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see GOD.  
Words very energetical, and significant, as if he had said, Dear beloved, the only and perfect way to possess all happiness, all pleasures, and all the advantages that you can wish; and in a word, to enjoy eternal felicity, to contemplate face to face God's divine Majesty, wherein consisteth the fullness of happiness, and all contentment, following the serpent's example, to cast off the old skin, that is, to pull off the old coat of sin, infected with the leprosy of iniquity, to fly and eschew evil, to embrace good, to hate vice, and perfectly to love virtue, which is the true way to heaven, to the possession of heavenly graces; and in a word, to the fullness and perfection of all true happiness.  
Blessed are then the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  
Now to enter into a more particular explication of these words, we will divide them into two principal parts, and will consider, 1. who are the pure in heart. And secondly, the cause why they are blessed.  
The royal Prophet David in the 15. Psalm, describeth perfectly unto us those that are pure in heart, They are those, saith he, that lie not, and who live ●prightly; they who backbite not with their tongues, nor do evil to their neighbours, and in whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but they honour them that fear the Lord: they that swear to their own hurt, and change not: they that put not out their money to usury, nor take bribes or reward against the innocent.  
This is a very fair, true, and ample description of the Righteous man, who hath a pure heart, that is, who hath his conscience pure and just, and who lives in integrity, justice, and innocence.  
For this word heart, is not here to be understood or taken for the material & carnal heart, placed in our breasts, which is the fountain and beginning of life, the first living, the last dying i● man, but for the soul that keepeth there her ordinary Sessions, as we commonly say that is corn, by showing only the sacks that hold it; there is the King's Treasure, by showing only the Exchequer Chamber where it is kept, the place containing being called and taken by the name of the thing contained: so must we understand a pure heart to be taken for the conscience, which therein makes her residence.  
Where at the first sigh● we find a thing very remarkable, and worthy our consideration, that to wit, that sin being as it were a black and venomous Ink, or an infected and corrupted poison, as soon as it comes near our hearts, the seat of our souls, it defile●h, infecteth, and makes them so stinking, that God cannot endure them before his face, so much abhorreth he the very sent and smell of sin, and so much the very object of iniquity is noisome and troublesome to him.  
Now jesus Christ knowing that man brought into the world from his mother's womb with life, the cause of death, that is, original sin, cursed sin, a disastrous blade or stalk, which like the wild and evil plants casteth continually ●orth so many young sprigs, which doth so people and store the field of our souls, that in the e●d in stead of a Garden of Eden, where God took pleasure to walk, in stead of a delightful River, where the Angels bathed, it becomes a hideous and dreadful wilderness, where the devils and wicked spirits keep their Sabaths, and criminal Assizes and Sessions, a filthy sink, where wicked and impious men like Hogs continually wallow: And therefore jesus Christ (I say) to bring his Apostles to perfection, and to put them and all the faithful in the way to heaven, he exhorts them to keep their hearts pure, clean, and naked from all sin, filthiness, and iniquity, to extirpate the thistles, & briers from the fields of their souls, to plow and till it carefully, with the share and harrow of contrition and repentance for their sins: In a word, to make it a ground fit, and fruitful to receive the holy seed of the word of life, and to make it bear fruits to immortality and eternal life.  
As men would be curious to sweep and cleanse a house, wherein a King resolves for a while to be resident, and may justly accuse him of imprudence and impudence, who having advice and notice of his coming, would not make haste to perfume it, to adorn, and enrich it with the fairest furniture, to embellish it with all the rarities and most precious jewels they could recover: So, alas! the hearts of the faithful are nothing else but the house of God, the glorious throne of his beloved Son, and the tabernacle which the holy Ghost hath chosen for his habitation; where is then that heart of stone, that soul so base, and obstinately resolved to be lost, that knowing the happy and most honourable arrival of the great King of Kings, of the three divine persons, of the ineffable and incomprehensible Trinity, and trine-unity, doth not sweep and cleanse the house of his heart, and doth not purify it from all dirt and filthiness, who I say will not adorn it with the richest treasures, and with the rich ornaments that holiness, justice, and innocence abundantly affords; purposely to receive with honour and reverence so magnificent a King, who promiseth us to come unto us, when he saith in the 14. Chap. of Saint john, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come in unto him, and make our abode with him.  
Our good Master jesus Christ (the Saviour of our souls) teacheth us in the 22. Chap of Saint Matthew, how much and how dear pureness is acceptable before him, saying, That the Kingdom of heaven is like a certain King which made a marriage for his son, and having invited many, the banqueting room was filled, and the King himself being come in to see the guests, he there saw a man which had not a wedding garment, and said unto him, Friend how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the King to the servants, bind him hand and foot, and cast him into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth: for many are called, but few are chosen.  
Can we desire a more lively representation, or an example more formal, to show us that God delighteth in the sincerity and pureness of our souls; and chose, that he abhorreth, and detesteth the filthiness of sin, the ink and coals of iniquity, which blacks and defiles our consciences, for it is impossible ever to taste of the dainty and delicious Viands served at the Lamb's wedding, at the sumptuous and magnificent feast of the only Son of the great King of Kings, before we have left off our working days clothes, the infected and stinking coat of our natural corruption, to put on the white robe of holiness, purity, and amendment of life, and to use the very words of Scripture, Colos. 3. We must cast off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. And Ephes. 4. concerning the former conversation, Cast off the old man, which is corrupted according to the deceitful lusts of his heart, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and put on the new man, which like unto God is created in righteousness, and true holiness. And in Rom. 6.6. Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should serve sin no more, but walk before him in renovation and newness of life.  
The clearest waters are always the best, and therefore commonly see that the excellentest springs are derived from the rocks, and fetched from the highest hills, because that the water distilling through many narrow passages, and straight places, the farther it goes the more it is purified, & the most subtle and clearest springs seek the highest places, as approaching nearer to the nature of the air, whose nature and propriety is still to ascend. And chose, you may observe and mark, that the thick and heavy waters are always filthy and stinking, and are conserved in pits and deep sinks, as participating of the nature of the earth, and therefore are fit for nothing but to breed serpents. and Frogs, whereof some kill us by their mortal venom, and the other trouble us with their unsufferable croaking.  
These clear and pure waters do lively prefigure and set forth unto us, the faithful servant of the Lord, who hath purified, and as it were distilled himself at the fire of the love of God, thereby to leave off what was earthly ponderous, and troublesome in him, as hatred, ambition, sensuality, and vain glory purposely to soar aloft, and to elevate himself to the holy mountain of Zion towards heaven, which is the centre whither the circumference of his desires, designs, and thoughts tendeth.  
These black and muddy waters may express and set forth hell unto us, where there is nothing but horrible darkness and fearful obscurity, where that old serpent is justly banished for his deserts, and where the damned, ghastly, and frightful souls do nothing else but vex themselves and curse.  
But to apply it to the subject of our text, these stinking and corrupted waters, may very fitly be compared to the wicked, and to the men of this world, who have Wolveses or Lion's hearts under the shape and form of men, who wallow like Hogs in the mire, and dirt of carnal security, who run not after piety and virtue, but remain fast chained and bound to sensuality, and vice; casting all their affections on the earth, whereof their body is made and composed, never aiming nor levelling their thoughts at heaven, whence their soul had their original; True serpents in malice, hatred, and envy, that with mortal venom infect the Lilies and Roses of the best consciences, Frogs in prating and slandering, that never open their mouths, but to utter unsufferable blasphemies, oaths, lies, and detractions.  
Take yet this farther conceit upon the purity of the heart, to wit, that as the eyes ore-vayled with clouds, or with carracts and webs, cannot clearly discern the objects, or colours, which are exposed before them, because their faculty is prevented and hindered, by the interposition of these obstacles, which are placed between the object and the sight; whereas chose good sound and well disposed eyes as are these of Eagles, who though soaring in the highest clouds, do nevertheless see very plainly in the thickest bushes, in the remotest furrows of the far distant field, and which is most admirable, is, that her sight is so strong and powerful, that contrary to the nature and practice of other living creatures, she can steadily behold and contemplate the Sun, without winking at all; yea, when she is nearest him, and standing on the highest branch of a tree, planted on the top of the loftiest mountain.  
Now to appropriate this to our matter, we say, That he whose heart is encumbered with the things of this world, whose soul is ore-vayled with ambition, with the clouds of vanity, and vain glory, whose conscience is obscured, and darkened with hatred, envy, and malice, can never contemplate God, nor see his face, which is all the consolation, all the joy, and in a word, the true centre of our happiness, the fullness of all our felicity, and the greatest delights which the faithful can wish or desire. But those that shall be careful and diligent to keep their souls pure and clean from the filthiness of sin, those like Eagles indeed always soaring in heavenly and godly actions, shall be perched and placed in the highest place of mount Zion, from thenceforth ever to view the heavenly Sin rising, that beareth health in his rays and wings, to behold steadily, and without winking, the glistering, and bright shining beams of the Sun of righteousness, without any fear of hurt, being assured of his wonderful favour, manifested by his inviolable promises, for he saith in our Text,  
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see GOD.  
By this purity of heart, we may understand the simplicity of our lives and actions, and so this sentence, Blessed are the pure in heart, may be thus interpreted, Blessed are those that walk simple in their actions, whose heart is void of fraud, and of any thoughts of iniquity, whose tongue speaks nothing but the hear●s meaning, that shuns vanity, and the glory of this world, that so they may be perfectly glorious in that which is to come. St Augustine lib. 1. de Serm Dom. is of this opinion, because that as St john saith, 1. Epist. chap. 5. ver. 19 The whole worldlyeth in wickedness, and that the Apostles were to take men, and to bring them to the way of salvation, nei●her by craft, no● by force, but by meekness and simplicity.  
And therefore Christ sending through all the world, to publish the Gospel of the Kingdom of heaven, the redemption of captive sinners, from the chains and torments of hell, and to preach openly the acceptable year of the Lord, saith unto them; Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Woolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless and innocent as Doves; as we read in the 10. Chap. of S. Math. ver, 16. And in the same Gospel, Chap. 6. ver. 22. The light of the body is the ●ye, if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  
This so excellent virtue of meekness and simplicity, hath always been hated of the world, as being contrary to the vanity and folly of it, and the high way to mount Sinai, there to see God face to face as Moses, who preferred the simplicity of a Shepherd's crook, to the honours, riches, and preferments which he might justly have expected in Pharaohs Court, as being reputed his daughter's son.  
This virtue cannot but be very pleasing to God, since he himself hath put it in practice, in appearing to Moses in a bush, which is a base and abject plant, despising the lofty Pine trees, and Cedar's of Libanus, which in height and beauty exceed all other trees of the earth.  
The Angels also have practised it, when having left the heavens to appear unto men, they have not taken the form and majesty of Kings, to be respected of all, but rather the habit of Pilgrims, and men of base quality, to teach us to shun pride and vain glory, and to show us by their clothes that we are Strangers and Pilgrims in this world, that our houses are but Inns, where we should stay only as posts do under a tree till the storm be past, and so to continue our way as long as the day of our life shineth, that the night envelloping and wrapping us up in her dark cloak, we may arrive at the heavenly Canaan, which is our native Country from whence we first departed.  
We read in the 18. Chap. of Genes. That Abraham sitting at his tent door, saw three men passing that way, whom he● called, and desired to come and sit under a tree with him, to eat a morsel of bread, to comfort their hearts. Now if it were god himself in the form of three men, to represent the three persons of the blessed Trinity, or if they were Angels sent by him, is a question out of the subject of our Text; but because many Fathers of the Church are of the second opinion, we also will hold it, grounded on the 13. Chap. to the Heb. Be not forgetful to entertain Strangers, for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares, which is commonly referred to this action of the Father of the faithful, and of Lot his brother's son, who also entertained in Sodom two Angels, in the shape of Strangers, and of men that were travelling further.  
In the 5. Chap. of Tobit we read, that the Angel Raphael appeared to the young Tobit, and offered to bring him into Media, which he did afterwards perform.  
But leaving many other examples, which we could allege of the humility, and simplicity of Angels; let us briefly run over the lives of the Patriarches & Prophets, where the simplicity and innocent purity of their actions do most lively appear. Abraham at God's command, without any further information, goeth to the place appointed him, to sacrifice on an Altar his only son.  
Isaac following the steps of his Father's obedience to God, runs to his death, never fearing the great torment that he was ready to endure, layeth the wood on his shoulders, and carrieth in his hand that fire that was appointed to burn him to ashes; yea, he encourageth his poor old Father to execute Gods divine command, restores unto him by his exhortation, his strength already lost, by reason of the extreme grief which he endured, to be the executioner of his own son, and to kill him to whom he had lately given life.  
But lest we should be too tedious, this example of simplicity shall serve us for all the Prophet's, as being the most remarkable that can be ever rehearsed by man; and indeed was it not a great and lofty mystery, that God should give so resolute a courage, so great a constancy, to the Father of the faithful, and so admirable boldness to this obedient son; for Abraham representeth unto us God the Father, who to execute the irrevocable decree of his divine justice, hath seized the sword of his terrible judgements, to dip it in the blood of the spotless Lamb, that bore the sins of the world on the Altar of the Crosse.  
This sweet jesus, whose simplicity, and meekness are both peerless & inexplicable, this good Saviour, following the example of Isaac, by whom during the shadows of the law he was figured, goeth freely to his death, bearing the wood, which was to bereave him of l●fe upon him, and within him the burning fi●e of love, that inflamed him with an infinite affection to save the Elect: He was brought saith the Prophet Isaiah as a Lamb to the slaughter; so opened he not his mouth to complain: he is conducted as a dumb Sheep before her Shearer; but in that we see nothing but part of his simplicity, appearing in the catastrophe of his actions, when he was near his death; but if we should curiously view the acts of his life, beginning from his birth, we should be ravished in admiration of these infinite wonders; but let us consider only in general, that he is borne of a pure virgin, espoused to a Carpenter: was that befitting his excellent Majesty, who was the King of the world?  
He was borne in a Stable amongst beasts, judge if that were the Royal Palaces, and honourable company, which he had in heaven among the Angels.  
He was swaddled in clouts, and laid in a Manger, for want of a Cradle to keep him from the injuries of the weather: were those the delights of his Paradise?  
He was fugitive here and there, to shun the envy and furious rage of Herod, who fought to kill him.  
In a word, considering diligently all the course of his life, from the moment of his birth, to the last period of his death, we shall find all his actions framed in humility, and guided by meekness and simplicity.  
This example and no more, he did not go choose within the Palaces of Kings, the goodliest and gallantest Courtiers; he did not elect the sons of Princes to be his Apostles, but went to the receipt of custom, to the Cottages and Boats of Fishermen, to call that honourable company of his twelve Apostles, who like well instructed Disciples followed the steps of their loving Lord and Master; so well did they imitate and follow his examples and especially that of his simplicity, that they may be patterns of it themselves, as the History of their life sufficiently showeth, and as the duty of their place required, for men and being deeply plunged in malice, presumption, and arrogancy, there was no way to vanquish them, but wholly by contrary weapons to them unknown, that they might the more easily be subdued and vanquished.  
To their arrogancy, they opposed meekness, to their pomp and vain glory, humility, and simplicity, ever remembering the command of their good Master, Be ye simple as Doves.  
Now it is remarkable, that the faithful, and such as walk uprightly before God, are called by the wicked, and by the children of the God of this world, Poor and simple people, because they addict not themselves to fra●d and deceit, so spoke jobs wife to her husband, being yet in affliction upon his dunghill, Dost thou still retain thine integrity?  
But jesus Chris● to show us that he approoveth those whom the world rejecteth, speaks as if he had said, See you those simple and base people, they shall see God: So Christ gives them hopes of the blessed vision of God, as if he had promised light to the blind, knowledge to the ignorant, and wisdom to fools, for so this wicked world calleth those that will not drink the cup of his malice, nor tread in his paths full of sin and iniquity.  
Blessed then are the pure in heart, etc.  
He doth not only say, they shall be blessed, but he speaketh in the present tense, saying, they are already blessed: for God having given them that holiness which they possess, and upon all occasions practise, hath also given them two strong and well feathered wings, to soar and fly aloft to heaven: whereof she one is faith, by the which the just trusting and reposing himself wholly in the promises of Christ, takes his flight towards Paradise, to have a taste of them; for it is the nature of faith (as appeareth by her definition) to know how to assure it s●lfe, how to ask the grace of God promised in his word, how to embrace salvation offered by jesus Christ, and during this life, how to possess in part that eternal and blessed life.  
And because faith beginneth here to taste the delights of the vision of God, she is yet upheld and fortified by Hope, which is the second wing, that makes her expect heaven, and promiseth her absolutely to fill her abundantly with those swee● pleasures whereof the hath, she yet had but a taste, and to make her perfectly know, that which now she seeth but obscurely, and like a shadow.  
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.  
Upon these words there is an objection to be resolved, why Christ saith here the pure in heart, seeing the Scripture in many places is directly opposite to this justice, to this purity, to this cleanness, as we read Prou. 20.9. Who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? And in the first book of Kings, the 8. Chap. There is no man that sinneth not. And in the 1. Epist. of Saint john, 1. Chap. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And in the 25. Chap. of job, How can man be justified with God: or how can he be clean that is borne of a woman?  
Although these places, and many more (that we purposely leave to avoid prolixity) seem to be opposite to our Text, notwithstanding we will reconcile them together.  
For when the Spirit of God calleth here those that live justly and holily pure in heart, we must not understand it so, as if they were totally and absolutely clean from the filthiness of sin: for in that sense the royal Prophet David saith, There is none just, no not one.  
But we must understand here those that strive to walk in the sacred paths of God's commandments, that live holily before God, and without reproach before men, that have been purified, like gold tried seven times in the fire, and that fire is the word of God, that enters and penetrates to the most secret thoughts, there to consume the wood and chaff of our wicked inclinations.  
This cleansing and purification is clearly set forth unto us in the 15. Chap. of Saint john in these words of Christ, Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken. And in the 13. Chap. ver. 10. of the same Gospel, He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.  
In a word, the faithful that live holily, may be called just, and pure in heart, Secundum quid, non-simpliciter, Just in that degree of justice that may fall on man whilst he is here below fight against flesh and blood his domestical enemies, that often overcome him, and would quite keep him down if he were not upheld and fortified by the spirit of grace, and by ●he Almighty hand of God that raiseth and delivereth him.  
The faithful servant of the Lord is again called pure in heart, because ●ee is such in part already, and that besides the great disposition that is in him to tend to his perfection, he already here begins to taste the excellent sweetness of that delicate fruit whereof he shall hereafter be fully and perfectly satisfied and satiated in God's Paradise.  
Blessed then are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  
We have another circumstance here very pregnant and remarkable, to wit, that Christ exhorteth us here to be pure in heart, and not of our head, or hands, because that the hea●t being the seat of the soul, sin is most busy to vitiate and infect it with his foul and filty corruption, which it doth not in the other parts of the body, and therefore you see that God doth so strictly command us to keep our hearts for his part and behoof, saying, My son give me thy heart.  
Now to omit or let pass nothing worthy consideration like the inhabitants of Nilus, we will draw water in running.  
We say then that this word heart, is diversely taken in the Scripture, First, it is taken for faith, as Rom. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  
2. It is taken for the thoughts, and for the gift of regeneration, as 1. Epist. of Saint Peter, Chap. 3. ver. 4. The hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price and estimation.  
3. For the understanding, as Rom. 2. They show the work of the law written in their hearts.  
4. It is taken for the conscience, as in the 1. of Sam. the 24. chap. 5. ver. David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And in the 1. to the Thessaly. chap. 3. To establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. Here is yet another very clear passage in the 1. Epist. of Saint john chap. 3. ver. 2●. If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things, and if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence towards God.  
And in this last signification it is taken in our Text, to wit, for the Conscience, as if Christ had said, Blessed are those that possess a holy, pure, and just soul, a good, clean, and spotless conscience.  
David desirous to raise himself from his fall, and to restore the temple of his body polluted by wicked adultery, desired of God a new Altar, praying him to create in him a clean heart, and to renew a right spirit within him. Psal. 51.12.  
judas Maccabeus having seen the Temple of jerusalem profaned by Antiochus his sacrilegious hands, he purifieth it, destroys all the Altars where that Pagan had sacrificed to his Idols, and called that the renewing of the Temple: Our bodies are the living temples of the holy Ghost, our hearts the Altars, on the which having wickedly sacrificed to the Idols of our passions, we must break them and destroy them, by our true repentance and conversion to God, who despiseth not a broken and a contrite heart: And afterward we must build new ones pure and clean, on the which we must offer to God Hecatombs of justice, and solemn burnt offerings and sacrifices wherein he delighteth.  
The Etymologists hold, that this word Cor is derived of Cura, that is, care, because that part communicateth, sendeth, and doth distribute blood and life to the rest of the body: Even so all our study, all our exercise, and occupation should be to seek the means fit for the conservation of our souls: for what will it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his soul. Math. 16.26.  
As soon as the Embryo is conceived, the first part which is form in the heart, being as it were the centre whence the several lines are drawn to the circumference of our bodies, it is also the first member living, and when the pains of death have compassed a man, the blood from all parts retires to the heart, as to a citadel, so that it is also the last part that dieth in us, according to that common saying, Cor est primum vivens, & ultimum moriens.  
So when the faithful of the Lord resolveth to live piously, he must cast for a sure and unmoveable foundation, the righteousness of a pure and clean conscience, which must be the Ocean where all the rivers of hisaffections must run and tend, the corner and fundamental stone, on the which must be edified this his Pilgrimage: All the building of this mortal and transitory life, must begin with the just man's beginning, and never end till his death, when it shall be augmented and perfected in heaven.  
It was God's commandment under the law, that all Israelites, all the seed of Abraham should offer and consecrate to him the first borne, both of man and beast; now if we unvayle the letter, and consider what it therein figured unto us, we may note among other things, that God desired by this Decree, whose letter and figure is abrogated, though the truth and sense of it be eternal, that we should offer and consecrate unto him our hearts, which are the first borne of ourselves.  
The greatest part of Physicians hold, that the soul being generally all over the body, hath her principal seat in the heart, as the King hath in his Court, although his power reach thorough all his Kingdom; so that the soul being that very man which God requireth, it is then not without reason, that God demandeth our heart, which is her throne: My son give me thy heart.  
The heart is known to be the original of natural heat; now God being a burning fire of love, and affection towards his children, we ought to consecrate that part to him for his Tabernacle.  
The heart is red and bloody, to show us the fervency and zeal that should be in us to God's service and glory, and that our thoughts should always burn with love to him, and with charity to our neighbours.  
It is little; whence we may learn not to puff, or swell it with pride, but to keep it always humble and modest. Virtues that seek not af●er large and spacious Palaces, but are contented in the narrowest and remorest places.  
His beating and panting is upwards; so all our desires and thoughts should tend towards the end of our supernatural vocation, according to the Apostles advice, Seek the things that are above.  
The heart is agitated by a continual motion, by reason of his vital spirits, that animate and nourish it: So our thoughts should bear and conduct us to the actions of justice, innocence, and godliness, and to follow the steps of the Scripture, Charity always worketh, and is never idle, by reason of the spirit of grace dwelling in our souls, who inspires continually in us holy and religious thoughts.  
There is but one heart in man, and yet his shape and form is triangular, a figure bearing proportion to his object, that is God, one in Essence, and three in persons: So our souls should be adorned with these three beautiful virtues, Faith, hope and Charity.  
He is open at the top, and that way he receiveth his nourishment: Which teacheth us, that our souls should always be open, to proclaim the praises of our Creator and Redeemer, that nourisheth them with the holy and wholesome meat of his sacred word, sent dow●● from heaven.  
The least angle or cor●e● is turned downwards, to show us that 〈◊〉 least care should be for earthly things.  
It is again not hairy, to teach us that our soul which is hi● hostess, must be void of the foolish and light imaginations, of the weak and unconstant considerations of this world, that so she may hope and aim at nothing but heaven, her blessed Country, wherein it is impossible to enter, before our heart (after Moses his example) have pulled off the Shoes of our corruption and worldly affection, that so we may come near this burning bush, this fearful fire, Gods divine justice.  
The Oracle of Apollo, being once enquired, what was the most pleasingst thing of God; after his ordinary manner he answered ambiguously, and obscurely:  
Dimidium sphaerae, sphaeram cum principe Romae.  
An answer most true, though it came from the father of lies, for a C is the half of a Sphere, and O is a Sphere, and the beginning of the word Rome is an R, which letters put together make COR, that is, the heart, and questionless it is the most pleasingst gift that can be offered unto God, and which no man can justly refuse him. The poor may say, I cannot give alms; the sick, I cannot go to Church, I can neither watch nor pray; but none can say, I cannot lo●e God, for thy others defects may be excused by ●hy poverty, or sickness, but to refuse God with 〈◊〉 heart it cannot be excused but by malice, as S. Augus●ine very learnedly saith.  
Let us remember th●● how charitable so ever our actions be, if our hear● do not go before to enlighten them, all of them will tumble down together into the obscure darkness of the deep.  
Our actions are of no value without the heart, but the heart may be good without the actions; God had respect to Abel, and afterwards to his offering; the good Thief to obtain mercy gave nothing but his heart; Marry Magdalene but her tears, and Saint Peter but sighs and lamentations, proceeding from the depth of his soul.  
Now that this heart may be pleasing and acceptable to God, it must be clear, bright, and shining, to the end that as in a glass God may see his own image and likeness after which he at the first created it, and when it is once clean and pure, then right so, and in that manner, we must keep it in the same glorious estate, for 
Non minor est virtu● quam quaerere, parta tueri.  And to that end we must imitate the Bees, which to hinder the drones and spiders from coming into their Hives, to corrupt or devour their honey stop the entries of them with bitter and stinging herbs, as good Husbandmen who enclose their grounds, lest passengers or the wild beasts should spoil them. Even so should we always keep the passages of our senses, of our hearts, and of our thoughts, fenced with the fear of God, which is a bitter Rue, and Wormwood, that the devil cannot endure to taste or relish.  
Mark and observe with me the care and diligence which is used to conserve Crystal, and China Dishes, what pains are taken to keep them clean, bright, and shining, because they are dear and rare. And what can we find in this world more precious and rare than our heart, then let us with a diligent care, and careful solicitude, seek the cleanness and purity thereof, following the Apostles counsel, Let every one possess his vessel with sanctification, and honour, 1. Thess. 4.4.  
When a vessel is cleft or cracked, it is unfit to contain any liquid thing; Now the wicked heart is a cracked vessel, saith Eccles. chap. 21.  
A broken heart threateneth death to a living creature, as a Ship split and torn with the violence of the waves, threateneth undoubted death, ruin and shipwreck; so that heart that is not well united to God, that is broken and shattered by the force of worldly affections, threateneth and foretelleth an infallible ruin and destruction.  
To fill a vessel in a Well or in a Fountain, we must needs bend it downwards; so must we humble our heart, to fill it with heavenly graces, I have inclined my care, and I have received wisdom, saith the wise man, Sap. 61.  
Again, we know, that none ca● fill a vessel with any good and wholesome liquor, wherein there is some corrupted, before he first empty it, and make it very clean: If we desire to fill our hearts with the love and other graces of God, we must first expel and exempt the love and delights of this world, that have been so long resident there, and then when we have done those things, we shall be sure fully to enjoy the inestimable effects of this divine promise.  
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see GOD.  
In this second part we have demonstrated unto us the reason, why Christ calleth the pure in heart Blessed, it is saith he, because they shall see GOD.  
This conjunction, for, joining those two sentences, showeth and marketh out unto us the reason of this felicity, and happiness, that cannot receive a name enough emphatical, and significant to represent to our senses, and to our understandings, the least beam, the least spark, the least drop of that inexhaustible Ocean of that devouring fire, of that Sun of righteousness, whose brightness if we should undertake to contemplate, it would strike us blind, whose immense depth if we should search, it would swallow us up, whose burning heat if we approach, it would convert us to ashes, and would make us pay dear for our curiosity.  
The Poets fain, that the Giants attempting to climb up to heaven, were thunder-stricken, as they were heaping Olympus, and Pelion upon Ossa, one mountain upon another: A fable derived from that truth taught us in the Scripture, touching the building of the Tower of Babel, whose Builders were shamefully confounded; the Allegory of this truth, the morality of this fable sets forth unto us the curiosity of them, who thinking to pierce too far into God's secrets, are cast down into a deep Abyss of confusion, by their audacious presumption.  
Empedocles desiring to know the cause why mount AEtna did cast forth such flames, was swallowed and devoured by them.  
●od indeed depresseth, and dejecteth the proud design●s of those that are so rash, as to discourse of that which is altogether ineffable, and incomprehensible, but yet is so gracious and favourable, that he enlighteneth and fortifieth those, that with fear & humility approach the greatness of his mysteries, as David teacheth us, Psalm. 2.11. Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice with trembling: And Solomon his son, Those that trust in the Lord, shall understand the truth: and the faithful shall know his love.  
Then with the spirit of fear, and humility, we are to seek after this hidden glory, and under the veil of faith, which teacheth us to believe the things which we see no●, nor cannot be the object of our senses, Hope will make us desire them, Charity to love them, and the gracious goodness of God will help us to attain them.  
O blessed then shall be the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  
St. john Chap. 17. saith, This is life eternal, to kn●w thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And in the 1. Epist. of Saint john, chap. 3. Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall so him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. And in the 22. chap. of the Revel. His servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face.  
The infinite greatness of this divine promise, whose performance is infallible, makes us skip and leap for joy, charmeth our senses, and ravisheth our minds, for it seemeth altogether impossible, that living tombs, mortal carcases, the prey of death, and the food of worms, should ever aspire so high, as to pretend to see and view that felicity which is better described by silence, and admiration, then by any other description, for they are things which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, and that are not entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them that love him, 1. Cor. 2.9.  
But the children of Israel did not pitch the Tabernacle in jerusalem, before they had cleansed the mountain of Zion, of those enemies that were opposite to their rest: So we must not settle ourselves in the contemplation of the divine Tabernacle, before we have cleared some places of Scripture, that seem to forbid us entrance.  
In the 33. Chap. of Exod. ver. 20. God saith to Moses, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me and l●ve. And in the 1. chap. of Saint john, No man hath seen God at any time. And in the 1. Epist. of the Cor. chap. 13. ver. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly. And in the 28. chap. of job, God is hidden from all living eyes. In a word, there are many other places to confirm this, which will be too long to rehearse.  
We with one consent said, That God is invisible; which seemeth to be opposite, and contrary to the promise made unto us in our Text, Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  
Nevertheless, to reconcile them together, for the holy Ghost is never contrary to himself; we say that the places before alleged a●e so to be understood, that whilst man is in this mortal prison, in this valley of tears so obscure, and dark, whilst like an Owl he delighteth in the night of sin, his eyes can no way endure the least beams of the Sun of righteousness, for God being an infinite Spirit, cannot be seen by a finite body; but when we shall leave off this mortal prison of our bodies, our souls then perfectly enlightened by the heavenly grace, shall be endued with that knowledge, and faculty, that they shall openly contemplate their Creator, and their God, as Saint Paul saith, 1. Cor. 13. Chap. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then we shall see hi● face to face.  
This word See God, is much controverted among Divines, which be of two several opinions; whereof the o●e holdeth, That souls delivered of this corporal veil, cannot see God's face, for two reasons; the first is, that God being a spiritual Essence, infinite, incomprehensible, ca●not be see●e by a finite creature, without implying contradiction, for then the containing, to wit, the blessed soul should be greater than the contained, that is, God, which is absurd, by this axiom, that the object is contained by the visual faculty: As if a man placed in the midst of the earth, or of the sea, looking round about a great distance off, as far as his sight could reach, could not for all that say, That he saw all the earth, or all the sea.  
Those of the second opinion answer to this first reason, saying, That the Creator may not be compared with the creatures, that God is all in all, and all, and whole in every part, that he is one, and consequently indivisible; that all things in him are Essential, and is not subject to division, that whosoever seeth him, seeth him totally.  
The second reason of the first, is, that we measure our souls by our bodies, imagining that they shall have eyes, with the which they shall be able to discern and distinguish the present objects.  
To which the others answer, that indeed the souls in heaven shall have no corporal eyes like ours; but that notwithstanding God will give them a seeing faculty, by the which they shall perceive the present objects: 2. When these souls shall be rejoined, and reunited to their bodies, God having purified them from all uncleanness, will make them like unto the glorious body of his Son jesus Christ our Lord, who saith, Math. 22. That our bodies shall be as the Angels of God in heaven, who always behold the face of God, Math. 18. that is, that are always in his presence, and that see him perfectly, in respect of themselves, as much as it pleased God to permit, but not perfectly in respect of God, as he that seeth the Sun, may say, that he seeth it perfectly, in respect of himself, if his faculty be good, and notwithstanding he ca●not see him as he is, because of the weakness of his eyes.  
The second opinion which is more generally received, holdeth, that this word See, is taken simply, and absolutely, for to Know, and those that hold it, say, That jesus Christ in our Text promiseth to the pure in heart, a perfect knowledge of the divine goodness; wherein consisteth the fullness of our felicity, of our delights, and content, which they do well prove by the 14. Chap. of Saint john, ver. 7. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also, and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him; where Christ showeth to his Disciples, that they have seen his Father, because they have known him by so many miracles done before their eyes. And in the 17. Chap. of the same Gospel, This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent: where it plainly appeareth, that this word to know God, is as much as to possess life eternal.  
And so from those two places joined to our Text, this conclusion followeth, that, To see God, know God, and have eternal life, are the same thing.  
As the Angels than see the face of God, even so shall we also see it, for that blessed sight is reserved for a recompense of our faith, as Saint john in his 1. Epist. 3. Chap. When he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him face to face.  
Not that we must imagine, that God hath any members, although it be said, that man is made in the image of God, for that is thus to be understood, that man hath been created in perfect justice, and innocence, after the example of God.  
But by this face of God, we must understand with the Scripture, the Church, and the Fathers, and namely Saint Augustine in his book Decivit. Dei, the manifestation of his glory, and a perfect knowledge of his wonderful mercy, which he will communicate unto us.  
It is a hard question, and difficult to handle, Whether the Saints after the Resurrection shall see God with their corporal eyes, after they be glorified; so job saith, In my flesh shall I see God: there job prophesieth the Resurrection of his body: but he doth not say, I will see him by my flesh; and if he had, it might have been understood of Christ, that shall come at the last judgement in the sight of all; but his meaning was, that when he should see God, he should be in his flesh, though the worms and corruption had devoured it.  
Saint Augustine is excellent upon this subject, saying, We shall see God with our corporal glorified eyes, as we see the life of a man by his living actions, not seeing life itself; so is it likely, that being enlightened by a heavenly and divine light, we shall be able to see the Creator of all things both in them, and himself, so doubtfully the learnedst speak of it.  
In the 5. Chap. of the 2. book of Kings, we read, that Elisha after that he had healed Naaman the Syrian, saw Gehazi his servant take Presents from him, although he were beyond the common reach of the sight; and when Gehazi was returned, he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned again from his Chariot to meet thee. Now if this Prophet hath been able to see the actions of his servant, although absent from him, how much more shall our glorified bodies see all, when God shall be all in all.  
Now Elisha saw this action of his servant, either by a special revelation from God, or by the sight of a spiritual imagination of the Prophet, that showed him the thing, after which manner he knew the most secret counsels of the King of Syria.  
We speak of these things, as blind men do of colours, we find no certainty of them any where, the Fathers themselves speak so obscurely of them, they go as softly on, in the handling of this question, as if they trod on thorns, they grope along, as if they went in the obscure darkness of the blackest night, hardly can you find two agreeing together, and which is more strange, not one that is agreed with himself; and indeed how should a worm of the earth, the dwelling of errors, the subject of ignorance, know or comprehend that great God, which is the fountain of all knowledge, and the bottomless and shorelesse Ocean of wisdom, and prudence.  
It is true, that when our souls shall be blessed with that eternal happiness, & that they shall enjoy the divine vision, in which consisteth our chiefest felicity, we shall then see God as he is, but to conceive and comprehend the infinity of his being, it will be altogether impossible to us.  
Those that sail in the main Sea, which way soever they look, find no other object but the heaven, or the waves, their sight being too weak to penetrate to the bottom, or to view the shores; Even so shall we see God, and know him as far as it shall please him to enable us, but so far shall we be from comprehending him, that he doth comprehend us, and we should then be no more seen there then a drop of wine in the Ocean.  
Saint Ba●ile handling this question in the Epistle to E●moniu●, hath an excellent comparison, from the least to the greatest, If we cannot comprehend the composition of a Pismire, for the smallness of it, how shall we comprehend the infinite greatness of God.  
We shall comprehend it indeed, but it shall be as sponge cast into the Ocean, which is filled quite with water, but is overcome, and compassed round about by it.  
I should want time rather than matter, to speak on a subject so high, and excellent, we should never have done if we should propound, and resolve the infinite number of arguments, and opinions moved upon this question of our sight of God.  
But for us, let us hold as the Mathematicians do, linea recta est brev●ssima, that the straite●● line is the shortest, and in this the shortest way is the surest: let us turn neither to the right hand, nor to the lef●, from the certain way of truth, taught unto us by the truth itself, to wit, by jesus Christ, in our Text, saying,  
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  
Let us then purify our hearts, and cleanse our souls, from the filthiness of sin, and from the spots of iniquity; let our consciences be white as snow, and clean as washed wool; let us take the firm and inviolable oath of Allegiance to our God, and let us not suffer Satan our mortal enemy to take possession of the fort of our souls, of the hill of Syo●, that is of our consciences: let us not suffer him to make a breach in that vow, that we vowed to his obedience at our first reception into the Church by Baptism, and so we shall be washed seven times in the jordan of repentance, and of contrition for our faults; when we have put on the white robes of holiness, justice, and innocence, we shall be invited to the Lamb's wedding, we shall sit down at table with the King's son, we shall be abundantly filled with the dainties of his house, and shall drink in the river of his delights.  
In a word, when like the high Priest we have left off the habits of our natural corruption, and put on the white and clean garment of sanctification for ourselves, of love for our God, of charity for our neighbour; then, even then, the gate of the most holy place, which is heaven shall be opened unto u●, we shall see God's Majesty, not darkly, and as in a cloud, as it hath long appeared to our fore fathers, but rather as a bright shining Sun, whose virtue shall enlighten us, whose love shall warm us, and ●hose compassions shall animate us, at whose sight we shall be vivified, consolated, and glorified.  
For he will enrol us among his Angels, will make us Citizens of heaven, and impatriate us to be absolute possessors of the rich treasures of eternal life, where it is far easier to know what is not there, then to discourse what is.  
There, there is no death, no weariness, no infirmity, no hunger, no thirst, no hea●, no cold, no corruption, no want, no mourning, nor sorrow.  
We have told you what there is not there, but what there is there, eye hath not s●ene, ●are hath not heard, neither is it entered into the heart of man, what God hath prepared for them that love him: now because these joys and felicities have not entered into the heart of man, therefore man must strive to enter into them.  
God speaks thus by his Prophet Isaiah, chap. 32. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitatoin, and in sure ●w●llings, and in quiet resting places. In this blessed life there is a certain assurance, a sure tranquillity, a happy eternity, an eternal happiness, a perfect charit●, a perpetual day, ● quick motion; in a word, all shall be there led, and governed by the same Spirit.  
Here let us burn with zeal to ascend to those fair places; let us be inflamed with extreme desire of possessing so goodly an inheritance, and if our bodies cannot as yet go thither, yet let our hearts ascend up, if our soul be as yet bound and fastened within this mortal prison; at the least, let our faith fly up to those delicious places, and there rest and stay until our souls be perfectly pure, clean, and white, that one day both in body and soul, we may contemplate Gods divine Majesty, and sing eternally with the holy Angels, Holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts for evermore. AMEN.  
O Most bountiful God, and most merciful King, we thy servants and children here prostrate and humbled before the high and holy tribunal of thy sacred and sovereign Majesty, do ingenuously confess, that we are not worthy to lift up our eyes, or our hands towards heaven, to call upon thee in our necessities, for our sins are raised over our heads like terrible mountains, which seem to threaten and defy thy judgements, from the top of their presumptuous impudency: Iniquity hath made our souls as black as firebrands, and the transgression of thy divine commandments hath made our consciences more red than scarlet; in a word, forgetting thee, we have forgotten ourselves, and remember but as a dream our beginning derived from heaven: Wherefore, O good jesus, O sweet Saviour of our bodies and souls, kindle in our hearts the fire of thy divine love, and let it be a candle to our feet, and a light unto our paths, that we may safely escape out of these terrible downfalls, which threaten unto us death and condemnation: wash our souls in the precious blood issuing from thy wounds, make them by thy favour whiter than snow, and then washed wool; we cannot ente● into thy Tabernacle, before we be cleansed of our faults: grant then unto us by thy mercy one only drop of this large, and vast ocean of thy great compassions; wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb, that we may be made worthy to follow him, whither soever he goeth.  
Change our eyes into two lively fountains of penitent tears, which may become a jordane of grief, and displeasure, for having been so wicked before thy face, within the which we may dip ourselves seven times, yea seaventy times seven times, that we may be delivered of the spiritual leprosy of sin, which makes us so ●oule and ugly in thy sight and presence.  
And after thou hast pulled off from us the old man, and clothed us with the new, which is with justice and holiness, when thou hast given us the wedding garment, than we shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, at the delicate feast which thou hast prepared for us; and the which must be kept upon the mountain of the heavenly Zion, where we shall see thee face to face, where we shall be ravished in this contemplation, and shall be quite exchanged and transformed into the ecstasy of this ravishment. Amen.   

The third way to Zion.  
THE CROWN OF PEACE AND CONCORD.  MATH. 5.9. 
Blessed are the Peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  
WHen two Kings to decide some quarrel, are ready to take Arms, they first of all ●nkindle the fire of war in their subjects hearts, through all their Dominions, than all is in trouble, combustion, and disorder, and all news are sorrowful and lamentable; on the one side you may see desolate Parents, poor old men, leaning on the brim of their graves, considering, with eyes overflowing with tears, their dear children, whom for the greatness and multiplicity of their cruel wounds they can scarcely know. On the other side, you are frighted by the lamentable complaints, by the loud cries, and pitiful lamentations, of the bewailing widows, over the dead bodies of their dear beloved husbands: In a word, there is nothing but fire, blood, and slaughter to be seen, so that one may properly say, That War (the mother of all mischief) is as it were a feast celebrated to the honour of death, to whom are continually offered up many pitiful and bloody sacrifices, which she exactly keeps in the grave.  
But when some great Prince or earthly Monarch undertaketh to agree them, his Ambassadors are every where received with open arms, bonfires, and triumphal arches, erected in token of that joy and contentment which they receive, by their mediation for peace, according to that saying of the Lord, Blessed are the fe●te of those that bring tidings of peace, Rom. 10.16.  
jesus Christ here continueth his Sermon to his Disciples, where in a continued order he showeth them the perfection of blessedness, he maketh them scale the heavens by eight degrees, which they must ascend here on earth. And having spoken formerly of six, he cometh now to the seaventh, saying, Blessed are the Peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  
Which words by God's assistance, we will divide into two principal parts; 1. the proposition: 2. the reason of it; the proposition concerneth the Peacemakers, and their felicity: the reason of this beatitude, is, to be called the children of God.  
Now for our better understanding of these words, let us handle them all severally, and let us for a while leave this concrete word Peacemaker, and so come to his abstract, to wit, peace, the which is diversely defined according to the several sorts and degrees of it.  
For there is the peace of the body, which is a just temperature of the parts.  
There is a peace of the irreasonable soul, which is an inordinate rest of the appetite.  
There is a peace of the reasonable soul, which is a moderated consent of the action, and understanding.  
There is a peace of the soul and body, which is a well governed life▪ and the health of the living creature.  
There is a peace of mortal man, which is a well ordered obedience in faith, under the government of the eternal, and divine law.  
There is a peace of the house, which consists in a just concord of the domestical, both in commanding, and obeying.  
The●e is a peace of the City, which is a concord among the Citizens.  
There is a peace of the heavenly City, which is a well governed Society, wholly and eternally to enjoy God.  
There is a peace of men, which is a mutual concord. And again, there is a peace of all things, which is a perfect tranquillity of order: now order is nothing else but a true disposition, giving to every thing his true rank and place.  
The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shalom, representeth unto us exceeding well her Essence; for it signifieth a happy success of all things in God.  
Where we may note that every word hath his weight, and inestimable value.  
For first it is a success, and not a hazard, which is happy and not unlucky, of all, and not of something only, in God, and not in the world.  
The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, quiet, sweet, gracious, as deserving that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by excellency, because there is nothing in the world to be compared to the excellency of a public and particular rest, and tranquillity.  
The Latins call it 〈◊〉, quasi paecata, because it is peaceable, and no way moved by the winds of seditions, nor of desperate passions; She is like the Sea when it is calm and quiet, there is nothing fairer to behold, than the humid and serene plains of it, all seeming to be an entire piece of Crystal.  
And to prove that peace is nothing else but gentleness, and courtesy, let us hear the Apostle St. Paul, Heb. 11.31.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
By faith Rahab the harlot perished not, with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace, which is gently, and courteously, so that she did them no harm, nor suffered any to be done unto them, any way at all.  
So we read that Christ after his resurrection came among his Disciples, saying unto them, Peace be unto you.  
We read also in the 2. Chap. of Saint Luke, ver. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, that is, thou sufferest him to depart with happiness, and felicity, since he hath seen thy face.  
And in the 10. Chap. of Saint Math. ver. 13. If the house be worthy to receive you, let your peace come upon it: but if the house be not worthy, let your peace return to you. Where all interpreters agree, that by this word peace, christ understandeth all things good and favourable, all blessings, and all graces.  
Now that we may the more delight in the description of this garden of peace, let us therein imitate these Painters, who intending to represent unto us some very excellent beauty, use to draw and place close by it some black, and ghastly picture, that by the opposition of that deformity, our eyes may take the more pleasure and delight, in beholding that fair and beautiful face opposite to it, according to the truth of the Latin Proverb, Contraria contrarijs opposita magis elucescunt. One contrary appeareth better by the opposition of his contrary: so the darkness of the night makes us find the Sun's light more pleasant, the thorns embellish the Roses, and the roughness of the black briers seem to add excellency to the soft whiteness of the Lilies: Even so if we speak a little of the mischiefs of war, we shall find the sweetness of peace far the more excellent, and without staying, let us here say with Plutarch in the life of Fabius Maximus, That war is a time when neither right nor reason can find place: Caesar said, that the time of war, and that of laws were two; It is a time when justice is trodden under feet, when the time of ill doing is in season, when unfaithfulness is taken for virtue: O time pitifully miserable, since force trampleth justice under foot, when nothing is to be seen but fire, slaughters, treasons, robberies, cruelties, tortures; in a word, all that fearfulness which hell can afford, there you may see virgins ravished, children hanging on their mother's breast slain, honest women mocked and abused by the insolent soldier, Churches robbed, houses pillaged; there is nothing to be seen but burning, but slaughtered bodies, but blood; nothing is to be heard but lamentable sighs, cries, and groans; in a word, all humanity is banished from thence, so that we say, that war est bonorum mors, omnium vero malorum fons & scaturigo: War is the death of goodness, and the life and beginning of all evil.  
Now is not this face at the first sight capable to make us abhor it, even before we perceive the least lineament, or the least draught or shadow of beauty, which appears in the face of his contrary, that is of peace.  
But let us see the effects of war in the hearts where it is predominant, certainly ex malo coruo, malum ovum, ex malo ovo, malum omen, Of an ill Raven, an ill egg, of an ill egg, an ill presage; for as the Philosophers say, Qualis ca● sa talis effectus, as is the cause, so is the effect, Eagles do not bring forth Doves, nor war this horrible and fearful monster, any thing else bu● cruelty, rigour, and fierceness.  
When man is possessed by any of these foolish passions, (daughters of disaster, an● mothers of misfortune) than his reason is all disfigured by it, the use of it is lost, Denigrata est super carbones faci●s ejus, The functions of his mind are turned upside down, they are like a broken clock, wherein all is in disorder, and to which there is no trusting: The royal Prophet David showeth us the effects of it, in few words, In mine anger (saith he) mine eye was troubled, my soul, and my belly were moved.  
and indeed in that case man is quite perverted, his functions depraved, he foams at the mouth, his eyes glister, he shaketh, and sweateth all over his body, 
Ora tument ira, nigrescunt sanguine venae,  
Lumina gorgoneo saevius ignemicant.   
As in the clouds are form all the meteors, all the storms, thunders, hails, mists, reins, fogs, that trouble the air, make the earth dirty, and cause a thousand incommodities to the world, even so in the microcosm, or little world, wrath confoundeth all, and overthroweth all order.  
But when that powerful planet, the sun of reason hath dispelled and scattered the mists of those confusions, the clouds of so many disorders, than his light pierceth and passeth through all those obscure darknesses, to shine on the actions, and to put the mind in her first station and temper.  
A choleric man maketh me remember the Bee, that being troubled, stingeth him that angereth her, but in stinging, leaveth her sting in the wound, and with it her life, Animasque in vulnere ●onunt: So the choleric man thinking to wound others, killeth his own soul, and murthereth it with his own weapons, patitur teli● v●lnera facta suis.  
Solomon that wi●e King saith, That the King's wrath is like the roaring of a Lion, and against which who can subsist, and that his mildness is like the morning dew.  
When the Sun passeth through the Zodiac, and is entered into the sign of Leo, we endure unsufferable heat, so when wrath is joined with power, and some likelihood of reason, it produceth strange effects.  
The Lion is a beast of an exceeding hot complexion, which causeth in his mouth so strong an infection, and stink, that when he hath devoured the half of his prey, that which he leaveth is suddenly putrified, and corrupted, this eternal fire is so violent in this beast, that it is commonly the cause of his death, happening by the corruption of his bowels.  
Is not this a lively Emblem and representation of the choleric man, whose slandering tongue is so venomous, and stinking, that it corrupteth, and infecteth his neighbours good name, if he touch it never so little, in a word, wrath is a black and burned humour, that not only corrupteth the body, but also killeth the soul.  
In the law of Moses▪ those birds that had crooked claws, an● lived by prey, were not to be eaten, nor sacrificed; under the shadow of this figure let us light this torch of truth, that all that suffer themselves to be carried away by wrath, that gape after revenge and hatred, are unclean before god, and unworthy to be offered to him in sacrifice: If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee: Leave there thy gift before the Altar, and go thy way, be reconciled to thy brother, saith our Saviour, Math. 5.23. And the royal Prophet says, Bloody men are abomination to the Lord, Psal. 5.7.  
Hitherto we have seen the horror, and mischiefs of war, with some of the fruits she commonly beareth, to wit, cruelty, eldest daughter of this terrible monster: now let us contemplate a while the picture of peace her contrary, and let us taste with delectation the sweetness, and excellency of the inestimable fruits which she beareth, & propagates in the hearts of peacemakers, which are so great, that St. August. saith, Tantum est pacis bonum, ut in rebus terrenis nihil gratius soleat audiri, nihil desiderabilius concupisci, nihil postremo possit melius inveniri. Peace is so great a good upon the earth, that no pleasanter thing can be heard, nothing more delightful desired, and nothing better found.  
Saint Bernard in the 9 Serm. on the Lord's Supper speaketh thus of it, The peace of this world is in the which whilst we dwell, we vanquish our enemies, we love one another, and judge not of those things that are hidden from us, that peace which shall be in the world to come, shall be when we shall reign without enemies, where one shall not be of contrary advice to the other; in a word, where all things shall be known, and open to every one, and endeth thus, jesus Christ is this true peace, because he hath reconciled us to God his Father, by the inestimable price of his blood.  
Saint Augustine in the Sermon of the word of the Lord speaketh thus of it, Pax est serenitas mentis, tranquillitas animi, simplicitas cordis, vinculum amoris, consortium charitatis, baec est quae simultates tollit, bella compes●it, iras comprimit, superbos calcat, humiles amat, discords cedat, inimicos concordat, cunctis est placida, nescit extolli, nescit inflari, hanc qui acceperit teneat, qui perdiderit repetat, qui amiserit exquirat, quoniam qui in cadem non ●rit inventus, a patre abdicatur, a Filio exhaer●datur, à Spiritu Sancto alienus efficitur, necad haereditatem. Domini poterit venire, qui testimonium pacis noluerit observare. These be golden words deserving well to be known, and to be exactly observed.  
Peace, saith he, is a calmness of the understanding, a tranquillity of the mind, simplicity of the heart, the bond of peace, the practice of charity; it is peace that taketh away quarrels, endeth wars, appeaseth wrath, treadeth the proud under foot, loves the humble, paci fi the quarrelsome, agreeth the enemies, which is gracious to all, which is not high minded, nor proud, which whosoever hath received, let him conserve it, who so hath lost it, let him seek and recover it, for he that shall not be found in it, is disclaimed by the Father, disinherited by the Son, alienated from the Holy Ghost, nor shall he ever attain to the Lords inheritance, that would not observe the bonds and testimony of peace.  
Now we have heard these two pillars of the Church of God; let us hearken to himself, speaking by the mouth of his chosen vessel, Coloss. 3.15. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called, in one body, and be ye thankful. And Philip. 4.7. The peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds, through jesus Christ.  
And that which should most bind us to love this Peace, is the soaring or head fountain from whence it sloweth; for as the war of sin proceedeth from the wicked one, so the peace of our consciences cometh from the Father of eternity, from the King of mercy, as we read 1. Thessal. 5.23. The very God of peac●, sancti●ie you wholly.  
This peace of conscience is a mark, and an effect of our justification by faith, as we read Rom. 5.1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through ●●r Lord jesus Christ.  
All these places should induce and incite us to the practice of peace, since the recompense promised to it is so excellent; In a word▪ let us shut the gate of peace, with that saying of Xenophon, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Peace is the greatest good can happen to men, and war the greatest hurt.  
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  
This word peacemaker is diversely interpreted by Author's, for some hold that those are they which live justly, and who by their actions never provoke the divine justice..  
Others as August. hold, that those are meant, which possess a very peaceable conscience, that is, that are not agitated by the troubles of sin.  
Others believe, that those are they that are not Authors of quarrels, and dissensions.  
Others understand it of those that forgive freely the injuries, and wrongs done unto them, as Hilarius.  
The last, and most likely to be the best opinion, of the which number are Chrysostome, Euthymius, and Theophylacte, is, that the true peacemakers are those that are themselves, and in themselves peaceable, and pacified, and that beside, that try their uttermost endeavours and power, to compound differences, and to introduce peace where dessention & disorder reign: And this interpretation cometh nearer to the Greek word of our Text, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Quasi pacemfacientes, aut conciliantes, Those that compound quarrels; and this interpretation is also very convenient to the charge and duty which was enjoined the Apostles, to whom jesus Christ spoke these words, who were to keep maxims altogether contrary to those which the world practiseth, who doth esteem far more those that fight valiantly, and that continue obstinately in combat, than those that make peace, and pacify all things; now this maxim was to be practised by the Apostles, as being to fight and overcome the world, not by force of Arms, but by gentleness and mildness, as we read Saint Luke 10. chap. ver. 5. Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.  
Besides, the Apostles were to imitate the Prince of the Apostles, jesus Christ▪ the true and perfect representation of meekness, humility, and mildness, as we may understand and know, if we run over all the actions of his life, until his ascension up to heaven: now this meekness proceeded from him, both by inclination, for he was the Lamb of God, and by imitation, for he was like his Father, that is not a God of confusion, but a God of peace, as the Apostle saith, in the 1. to the Cor. 14.33. And Rom. 16.20. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. And 2. Cor. 11. Brethren live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you: It was needful, I say, that these good Disciples should be like their Master, whose duty and charge it was to reconcile men unto God, as we read Rom. 5.10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by hi● life. And 2. Cor. 5.18.20. God hath reconciled us to himself by jesus Chri●t, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation. For God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them.  
And Coloss. 1.20. It pleased the Father to reconcile all things to himself, through the blood of his cross.  
O what praise deserve those souls, that seeing so many dissensions and quarrels kindled, run presently, and make haste, to bring the wholesome water of peace and quietness, lest the continuation should cause a total ruin, or some irreparable hurt; those, I say, are doubtless, and without comparison to be preferred to the valiantest Champions; that come into the field, for those overcome the bodies, these vanquish and tame the minds, those fight for a crown that will wither, these eternally carry away a green crown of benedictions and blessings; those tear and break their bodies, these beautify and strengthen their souls; In a word, the issue of the combat of those is recompensed, but by a little weak renown, in the unconstant & different minds of men, but the end o● these is an exceeding excellent glory, an eternal triumph, and trophies that never die, in the blessed remembrance of God and the Angels.  
God commanded Noah to build an Ark of polished wood, covered with pitch, so must all faithful▪ Christians be inseparably united the one to the other, by chains of love, and bonds of concord and amity, that so they may escape from the deluge of unreconcilable ha●red, and quarrels.  
A ship split, and that takes in water every where, gives fear of an infallible shipwreck, for every Kingdom divided shall fall into desolation, saith jesus Christ, right so rough and unsociable spirits, that will never consent to an agreement, are thereby nearer their grave.  
In the Ark of Noah, the Lion was with the Hart, the Wolf with the Lamb, the Eagle with ●he Pigeon, the Hawk with the Partridge; so the peacemaker must procure peace, not only among his neighbours, when they are fallen out, but he must also receive into the Ar●e of his heart friends and foes, without distinction or difference of person's, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, saith the law of Moses; but the law of grace goes farther, and sayeth, Love your enemies, pray for them that persecute you, Matthew 5.  
and blessing which he gave, was, Peace be to this house, showing unto us by that, that the greatest good and blessing that can happen to man, confist in peace.  
When he was ready to depart out of this world, he said to his Apostles, I give you my peace, I leave you my peace, as being the rarest gift after salvation, which he could give unto them, Gen. 14.27.  
Saint Augustine is very witty in these points, Sicut spiritus humanus nunquam vivisicat membra nisi fuerint unita: sic spiritus sanctus nunquam nos vivificat nisi paece unitos. As (saith he) the soul of man doth not quicken or vivify our members unless they be joined together: so the holy Ghost doth never vivify or quicken us, but when we are united by the bond of peace.  
Ignatius saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. ' There is nothing better than peace.  
And Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There is nothing more proper and natural to a Christian, then to reconcile and pacify.  
Let us say with an ancient Author, that peace is the salt of this life, without which it is unsavoury, and without relish.  
When salt is put into the water, it melteth, and insensibly becomes liquid, but when it is ●h●owne into the fire, it cracketh, until it be quite consumed; Even so is the peacemaker, for he conformeth and fashioneth himself so quietly to peace and tranquillity, that he liveth therein as in his own element, out of the which he cannot subsist, but when either by chance, or misfortune, he finds himself in the midst of noise, in the fire of disorder, and among the flames of contentions & riots, than he crieth, runneth, and tormenteth himself, until by his agitation and diligence, he have quenched and repressed all, holding this indubitable maxim, that 
Candida pax homines, trux decet ira seras.  In a word, to end this discourse of politic peace, we say, that if war be a thorn, p●ace is a Rose; if that be bitterness, this is sweetness; if that be a storm, this is a calm weather; if that be full of mifchiefes, this is full of goodness; if that causeth poverty, this brings and gives riches; In a word, if that killeth, this giveth life; and to end with the Poet, let us say, 
Nulla salus bello, pacem te poscimus omnes.   
But let us after the example of the high Priest, enter into the most holy place of the Temple of Solomon, and there visit that sac●ed ark of our consciences, within the which God will keep his sessions: let us contemplate that inestimable peace, immediately proceeding from the remission of our sins, and most particular and perfect assistance of the holy Ghost, dwelling in our souls; for it is impossible that any other, but the just should possess that peace of conscience, seeing that between sin (the devil's child, and the father of trouble) and peace, and quietness, there is so great an antipathy, that if sin can set the least footing in any place, he driveth away presently from thence peace and rest, and in their room introduceth and breedeth therein quarrels and contentions, which like tormentors, do miserably torture, and cruelly handle the miserable hearts where they lodge; and therefore the ancient Fathers of the Church openly pronounce, that the greatest felicity wherein Adam the first model of mankind was created, was peace of the heart, that rest of conscience, which he possessed absolutely within Paradise, having no other care or thought, but to love his Creator, to honour his Conseruator, and to adore his God.  
But after that he was fallen from that state of innocence, by the greatness of his fault, after that sin by disobedience had driven away pe●ce from his heart, than you see him in trouble, he flieth, he hideth himself, he is afraid of himself, he covereth his nakedness with fig leaves, he trembleth, and dareth not answer to that terrible and fearful voice, which he heard walking in the Garden, behold the first effects which his sin brought forth.  
The Royal Prophet David, Psalm. 85.10. saith, Righteousness and peace have kissed each other, upon which Saint Augustine discourseth thus;  
Duae sunt amicae, justitia & pax, tu forte unam vis, & alteram nonfacis, nemo enim est qui non velit pacem, sed non omnes volunt operari justitiam, si amicam pacis non amaveris, neque te amabit pax ipsa.  
Righteousness and Peace be two friends, thou it may be desirest the one, and wilt not practise the other; there be none but wish for peace, but all will not do righteousness; if thou love not the friend of peace, peace also will not love thee.  
justice with reason is called the mother of peace, because it goeth always before, and is immediately followed by it, Peace is the work of justice, saith the Prophet Isaiah, chap. 32.17 And the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm. ver. 7. In those day's righteousness shall flourish, and abundance of peace. And Psalm. 119. ver. 165. Great peac● have they which love thy law.  
From which propositions, we draw this conclusion, that to have this peace of conscience it is needful for us to be just, to fear God, and to walk exactly in the observation of his sacred commandments.  
So contrarily the wicked can have no peace, because of the worm of sin, that gnaweth continually their souls, as we read Psalm. 28.3. Ill luck and unhappiness is in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known. There is no peace for the wicked, saith the Lord; they think nevertheless that they have this peace, when they enjoy their pleasures; but this peace lasteth but a moment, and like their pleasure is presently followed by an extreme grief, it is lethargic sleep, very dangerous; it is a security, but it is carnal, it is a sleep, but that representeth unto them a thousand apparitions, and a thousand strange visions. The wicked man's peace is like those fires which by night appear burning in hills and meadows, the which if a man follow, they will insensibly lead him into terrible downfalls, but the true peace of a good conscience, as saith an ancient Author, is the title of Religion, ●he Temple of Solomon, the field of blessing, the garden of delights, the Angel's joy, the Ark of the covenant, the treasure of the great King, the Court of God, the Tabernacle of his Son, the tent of his Spirit, the tower of Zion, the book with seven seals, which is to be opened upon that great and fearful day of judgement.  
Saint Augustine (in his City of God) speaketh thus of it, Pax nostra propria, hic est, cum Deo per fidem, & in aeternum erit cum illo per speciem, talis est paxut solatium miseriae sit potius quam beatitudinis gaudium. Our own peace (that is the peace of our hearts) is here with God by faith, and in eternal life shall it be with him by vision: that peace which now we enjoy, is but a spark in respect of that great fire, here it su●sisteth but by faith, than it shall be effected.  
In a word let us say, that the peace of conscience is a particular feeling and knowledge that God is pacified with us, that he hath blotted out our misdeeds, that he hath cast away our iniquities from before his face, like a cloud, that we are no longer under the Kingdom of Satan, nor of the flesh, but are received in our heavenly Father's favour, like the prodigal child, that we shall dwell in his house all the days of our life, and there receive those goods, joys, and delights which he hath reseru●d for his children.  
Hitherto we have spoken of peace in general, and in particular of politic peace, and of the care must be used to bring it to pass, of peace of conscience, or with God, of the worlds, or wicked man's peace, that troubleth all them that live not like him: now let us speak of that peace which is in ourselves, and of the virtue of it.  
Among all the perfections wherewith our first Father Adam was adorned, during the state of his innocence, mildness was one, at the sent whereof all living creatures ran to him, to do him homage, and yield him obedience.  
Moses in the book of Numbers, is called the debonnaire, or gracious, for which quality, God loved him dear, and for a testimonial of his love, called him to that honourable charge of deliverer, Prince and law giver of his people.  
The King and Prophet David had this virtue in great measure in him, for which cause God changing his Shepherd's crook into a Royal Sceptre, gave him victory over a world of enemies, that rose up continually against him, which maketh him to cry out in one of his Psalms, Lord remember David and his mansuetude or clemency. I● the book of Leviticus, God commandeth the Priests to offer him a Lam●e without blemish for a peace offering; a Lamb is the symbol of mildness, then according to that command, he that will receive the peacemakers recompense from God, must offer him his soul full of gentleness and mildness.  
The Lamb in the Revelation of all living creatures, was only found worthy to open the book sealed with seven seals; so among all men the faithful only, and among the faithful the meek, shall be able to open the book of life, there to behold his name written before the foundation of the world.  
The Bridegroom in the Canticles, calleth thu● his beloved, Come my Dove, that a●t in the clefts of the rock, thy eyes are like Doves eyes, and thy cheeks like Turtles, my Dove is alone, and perfect.  
Now it is familiar and common enough, that of all creatures Doves ar● the symbols of mildness, and meekness, for it is noted that they have no gall. And here to apply these places to our designs, let us know that the Bridegroom in this epithalamium or marriage song, is jesus Christ himself, speaking to his Church, setting her forth by her lively colours, by the pencil of his love, showing us in this comparison of the Dove, the perfections wherewith she is adorned, where if we weigh and consider diligently the force of every word, we shall find them all emphatical, and deserving a more particular search and observation.  
He saith first Veni Columba mea, come my Dove, he doth not call her my Eagle, or my Hawk, for those are creatures too cruel, loving nothing but blood, and slaughter, and their humour is incompatible with the Bridegroom's bounty, who desireth that the Church (his well beloved Spouse) be altogether like him, and therefore he calleth her my Dove, as having no gall, nor bitterness in her soul.  
When that sweet JESUS was baptised by john in jordane, the three divine persons of the glorious Trinity were clearly manifested, for the majestuous voice of the Father was heard speaking from heaven thus, This is my well beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3.17.  
jesus Christ was in jordane, and the holy Ghost descended from heaven like a Dove, and lighted upon him, from which place we may draw this instruction, that if we desire to be called the children of God, if we wish to hear from heaven that gracious voice, speaking to our souls, Thou art my well beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  
If we aspire to that great happiness to receive the spirit of grace, mildness, and meekness in our consciences.  
Let us remember that we must be like unto sweet JESUS our example, he was naked, so must we put off cruelty, malice, and hatred: he was in the water, even so to enjoy so great a favour, we must plunge ourselves in the riv●rs of our tears, in the jordane of a holy and true repentance, which may open our hearts, and continually touch them with grief, for our forepast offence.  
It was God's ordinance under the law of Moses, that when a man was unclean, he should for his purification resort to the Temple, and there offer two Turtle Doves.  
That we may light the to●ch of truth within the shadow of Moses law, let us say, that there is nothing that more infecteth and soileth the soul, then cruel●y, debates, and hatred; It is a Gangrene that gnaweth and undermineth her, until it seeth her absolutely possessed by wicked spirits; but the only remedy to this obstinate disease, is, to ruane to the sacred Temple of God's divine me●cy, there to offer him the gift of a mild, meek, and peaceable conscience.  
When Noah would know if the waters were withdrawn from upon the face of the earth, he sent forth a Dove, which came to him in the evening with an Olive branch in her mouth; also he sent forth a Raven, which returned not, because he stayed on the dead bodies, and stinking carcases of those which died in this inundation.  
God (in this example) is represented unto us by Noah, our soul by the Dove, peace by the Olive branch, it is God that staying in the Ark of heaven, sends our souls to visit the inundations of this world, which message faithfully to perform, they do not sit on the highest and loftiest tops of Cedars, and Pinetrees, for they love not vanity, nor the glory of this world, they do not perch upon the juniper, nor thorns of quarrels and contentions, but upon the Olive tree of mildness, and meekness, wherewith they adorn themselves, and so prepare themselves to return into their heavenly Country, there to give a true account of their journey.  
But the Ravens that stayed upon the carcases drowned by the flood, are those black and infected souls, that delight in nothing but quarrels and contentions, and who so excessively love the corrupt●ons of this world, that they never return to heaven, from whence they took their first ●light.  
The excellency of this particular peace cannot be sufficiently known, without we consider the privation of it, that is contemplate her contrary; let us judge it by ourselves, for there is no man that sinneth not, there is nothing more extravagant in the world than a seared conscience, nothing more tossed up and down then a soul troubled and vexed by the unquietness of sin, for example do we se●ke the means to revenge some injury? presently our mind runneth and rangeth all about, to obtain a sufficient satisfaction, Our eyes dart and cast forth burning flames of wrath, and rage; our mouth proffereth nothing by injuries, and blasphemies; our feet cannot stand still; our hands itch; our hearts vomit revenge, and our brains are so preoccupated by this damnable passion, that there is nothing but confusion to be seen, as in a clock out of order, whose wheels are dismounted; these be the effects of sin, that never gives rest to a soul, never so little touched by the venom of his passion.  
Consider ● pray, a malefactor how bold and secret soever his crime be, he thinks nevertheless that all know it, the least look altereth his face, and for his countenance, If he think that to keep off be good for him, when he is in the fields, he thinketh every bush a Sergeant, to lay hold on him, every t●ee a Hangman, that stays for him, and every leaf that stirreth, a witness to testify his wickedness.  
Now contrariwise, let us see the sweet rest and tranquillity of a soul that hath made her peace with her God, whom she loves with all her strength, and that cherisheth her neighbour as much as herself, who is not puffed up with the wind of ambition, and that is not infected with covetousness, who laugheth at wrongs, and careth not for revenge, who goeth boldly every where, and feareth nothing, for he that is deeply in God's favour, should be afraid of nothing; in a word, a quiet and peaceable soul studieth and busieth herself about nothing, but to love, serve, and honour her God, she is always between love and fear, love to please him, fear of offending him, a fear, I say filial, but not servile.  
When I think upon this peace and tranquillity of the mind and soul, I am like the needle of a Compass, that always turns towards the North of my desires, towards my jesus, my Saviour, and my God; which is the excellentest and perfectest pattern of peace and mildness that I am able to choose, or propose in this behalf and matter: I am (saith he by the mouth of the Prophet Isai●h) the meek Lamb, he is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a dumb Sheep before her shearers, and he opened not his mouth, Isaiah 53.7.  
It is a thing very frequently, and commonly known, that the Panther sm●lleth so sweet, that all other beasts come to smell to her: Our sweet jesus is represented by her, both by her name and effects, for in Gre●ke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth all, as God was defined by Plato.  
jesus Christ breathes forth so sweet and fragrant a smell, that it embalmeth the faithfuls souls, so speaketh the Spouse in the Canticles, The name of my beloved is like oil shed, therefore have the young maidens lov●d thee so dear: by these maidens we must understand the virgins of fin, those that have not known iniquity, that love peace, and seek after it; after he goeth on, Chap 4.11. Thy lips, O my Spouse! drop as the honey comb: honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.  
We should pass ●oo often over the same steps and path, if we should here again speak of the admirable and inimitable mildness, and tranquillity of our good Master and Saviour jesus Christ, whose birth preacheth unto us humility, his life peace, and his death compassion.  
Let us then strive to imitate him as much as we can possible, in our youth, being very humble: in our viril age, peaceable, and in our old age pitiful; and in all the course of our life mild, bountiful, and loving, following David's counsel, Love peace and seek it, for God with a favourable and gracious eye, beholds him that is studious of peace, and he heareth his most humble prayers, in the ti●e of his affliction, Psalm. 34.16. Behold great and divine profits, fair a●d admirable rewards and recompenses, that the faithful get, by seeking after peace with God, and by having procured all the means of agreement with their neighbours, both in things that concern them, and in things needful to the union and concord of all our brethren.  
Let us now hear that gracious and favourable voice, showing unto us the profit and recompense which we must without doubt expect, for having been peacemakers, it is jesus Christ himself, who is not a man, that he should lie, nor the Son of man, that he should repent, when he saith in our text,  
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called ●h● children of God.  
He doth not only say they shall be blessed, after their death, but they are so already▪ because that he makes them know in their souls, the delight he takes in it, and the goods which they shall receive, which is eternal peace, Blessed then are the feet of those that bring tidings of peace, Isaiah 52.7.  
This particle, For, showeth the reason of their blessedness, and not the cause, for if all the peacemakers wer● the children of God, by consequence many Turks and Pagans should be such, because they are peacemakers.  
But the tree must be first good, before it can bear good fruit, so we must first be the children of God, before we can be true peacemakers, for those that are peacemakers not being the children of God, have already received their reward, that is, they have received the praise and applause of the world, which they were peacemakers ●o obtain, but all that is nothing but a mask and false apparition of that true peace, which God recommendeth unto us.  
In this reason of Christ's, why the peacemakers shall be called the children of God, we must note and observe a double Hebraisme, the one in the word Children, the other in the verb, they shall be called, vocabuntur.  
The first Hebraisme is in the word Filij, Children, which in the holy tongue signifieth comform●e, and like, as Math. 5.44.45. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may ●e the children that is like to your Father which is in heaven.  
The other Hebraisme is in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kara, that is erunt, or vocabuntur, they shall be called, which is turned erunt, they ●hall be, where of we have an example, Genes. 21.12. God speaking to Abraham, saith, I● Isaac shall thy se●de be called, that is shall thy seed be.  
Of which words Saint ●aul is an irreprehensible interpr●●er, Rom. 9.7.8. Neither because they are the seed● of Abraham, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed● be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise ar● counted for the seed.  
The Prophet Isaiah 36.7. useth the same phrase, My house shall be called an house of ●rayer for all people. And Saint Luke interpreting these words, chap. 19.46. saith, It is written, My house is the hous● of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thiefs; and indeed this word shall be called, seemeth to me● much more emphatical, and comprehending mor● then the word to be only, because this to be called, est in rerum natura, is in the nature of the things, and beside, that it is known and published of every man: therefore Blessed ●re the peacemakers, ●or they shall not only be the children of God, but also shall be known, a●d acknowledged for such, even by their greatest enemies, who be●ore thought them to be foolish and pusillanimous, but then they sh●ll be forced to confess that they are the true children of God, and to speak like the wicked, Wisedome●he ●he 5. Chap. Then saith she, shall the just appear in safe●y before the face of them that have tormented him, and that shall have rejected his labour's, who s●eing him ●hall be seized with horrible fear, and shall ●ee frighted to see him beyond their expectation saved; then changing their opinions, & sighing for grief shall be in their hearts, they will say among themselves, Behold this is he of whom sometimes we laughed, and made proverbs of dishonour; We fools thought his life madness, and his death infamy, and how is he counted among the children of God, and hath his portion among the Saints?  
Blessed then are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  
This word child of God, is diversely taken in Scripture, and according to the Hebrew phrase, this word Son signifieth him that is vowed and ordained to any thing: so we read Saint Math. 9.15. The children of the Bride-chamber, that is, those that are ordained for the wedding, cannot mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them. And Saint john 17. 1●. While I wa● with them in the world, I kept them in thy name, those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the Son of perdition, that is, he that was or dained to destruction: but this kind of speech toucheth not our text.  
But let us say that this word Son of God, is commonly attributed in Scripture either to jesus Christ, as being the natural Son of God, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, consubstantial, and coeternal with his Father, of the same will, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and same power with him, being both true God, and true man, the divine nature neither confounding nor destroying the humane, and the humanity not being mingled and changed into the Godhead, both natures remaining entire and perfect, make but one person; He I say is called the Son of God, by the acknowledgement and confession of the Father himself, Math. 17.5. When jesus Christ took with him Peter, james, and john, and brought them up into an high mountain, and being transfigured before them, they heard a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him. We read also the same words in the 3. Chap. 17. ver. of the same Evangelist.  
The Father and the Son sunt relata, say the Philosophers, are relatives, that is, are referred the one to the other; for there is no Father, but there must likewise be a Son, whence I draw this conclusion, That God the Father being such, that is, having that title and quality before the Creation of the world, consequently jesus Christ was before it, also his generation then is immediately from the Father, as being begotten of him from all eternity, by a way incomprehensible to us; for, In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word ●as God, th● same was in the beginning with God, john 1.1. And in the 1. Chap. to the Heb. ver. 5. unto which of the Angels saith he at any time, Thou art my Son, t●is day have I begotten thee: And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
He is not then called Son by adoption, or for respects of love, or for any consideration, but only because he is begotten of ●he Father before the Creation of all things, as we read Coloss. 1.15. He is the Image of the invisible God, the first borne of every creature: which is proved again out of the 1. Chap. of Saint john, ver. 18. No man ●ath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.  
Upon this place Hilarius li. 6. saith, that Hoc nomine vnige●iti adoptio de trinitate excluditur, & natura magis asseritur. By this word only begotten, adoption is excluded from the Trinity, and nature the more confirmed.  
And Saint Chrysostome very subtly, Christ●m non eodem modo quo caeteri homines unigenitum dici, nam caeteros quidem quod soli ex parentibus nati sint unigenitos dici, Christum non solum quod solus ex patre, sed etiam quod singulari & ineffabili modo natus est unigenitum appellari. Christ is not called the only Son after the sort of other men, who are called such, because they are borne alone to their Parents; now Christ is no● called the only Son in that respect alone, that he is the only natural Son of his Father, but also because he hath been begotten by a special and ineffable way.  
But whither doth the wind of our discourse carry us, why do we touch this divine subject, more worthy of admiration then capable of description; we shall more lively describe it by our silence, then by our obscure representations. Nevertheless for satisfaction to our curiosity, which is never contented with reason, and that will not be contained within the limits of civility, and modesty; let us bring one only comparison, to give us some spark of knowledge of this ineffable generation of the Son of God. When a man seeth himself in a well polished glass, he presently seeth his image, and the figure of himself, having the same marks, and motions with his, which is caused by the reflection of the species within the eye, and there is so great a relation between the species, and the image, that one cannot be taken away without annihilating the other; and although both the sight and reason make us ●ee, that they are several things, truth also and experience makes us know that those two things subsist by one only Essence, and that both have but one and the same subsistence, to wit, that of the species opposite to the glass.  
So God from all Eternity, contemplating his divine Essence, made such a reflection upon his person, that of this reflection he produced and begot that eternal Wisdom, which is the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls; the sooner we can go from this matter is our best, for we should be like them that will paint and represent the Sun with a coal.  
And indeed how should it be possible, that we that are poor Owls and Bats, should behold so great a light; how should we that are poor Pismires stir so great mountains? We shall sooner put the whole sea in the palm of our hands, than we can any way comprehend this large and spacious ocean of the divine generation, within the little compass of our understanding.  
Since than that we cannot ascend so high, let us stop and stay our contemplation upon ourselves, where we shall have a more free access; and continuing our first discourse, let us remember, that we may be called the children of God three ways, 1. First, the Scripture maketh mention of the natural generation of Christ, individual, and incommunicable to any other, but to him only.  
There is a filiation, or (not to speak barbarously with the Schoolmen) the Scripture giveth this title of Son of God, to the Angels and Princes of the earth, which is a title of honour and affection, as we read job 1.6. Now there was a day when the sons of God (that is the Angels) came to present themselves before the Lord; and Satan came also among them. And Genes. 6.4. When the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men; The seaventy Interpreters by the sons of God here understand the Angels: but Saints Augustine in the City of God by the sons of God, understandeth the children of Seth, which was a blessed family, which came in unto the daughters of Cain.  
Among the children of God, in affection and honour are first placed, the Princes and Potentates of the earth, as we read Psalm. 82.6. I have said ye are Gods, and all of you are children of the most high.  
And jerem. 31.9. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a strait way, wherein they shall not stumble, for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first borne.  
The third sort of the children of God, is of them that are such by adoption and by grace, as we read Ephes. 1.5. God hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will. And Galath. 4.5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And james 1.18. Of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.  
And 1. Epist. of Saint john, Chap. 3.1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.  
Athanasius ●rat. 2. that which is naturally begotten of another, must be esteemed his true progeniture: but those that receive the title of Son only by grace, and by virtue, receive not the right of Sons by nature, but only by grace:  
Quod secundum naturam ex aliquo gignitur, id vera ejus progenies censendum es●, qui vero ex virtute, & gratia nomen filiorum solum modo obtinent, non natura, sed gratia jus filiorum obtinent.  
Ambros. lib. 1. de fide cap. 9 We are called Sons by adoption, but he (speaking of Christ) is such by the truth of his nature, per adoptionem nos filij dicimur, ille per veritatem naturae est.  
Augustin. Epist. 120. cap. 4. We were something before we were Sons, and we have received that benefit to be made what we were not, as he that is adopted was not the son of him that adopteth him; nevertheless he was, since he hath been adopted, and from that gracious generation is distinguished; he that being the Son of God, came down to be made the Son of man, that he might make us that were the sons of men, the children of God, Eramus aliquid antequam essemus filij, & accepimus beneficium, ut fieremus quod non eramus, sicut qui adoptatur, antequam adoptaretur nondum erat ejus filius à quo adoptatur, erat jam tamen, qui adoptaretur, & ab hac generatione gratiae discernitur ille filius, qui cum esset filius Dei, venit ut fieret filius hominis, donare●que nobis qui eramus filij hominum, filios Dei fieri.  
Many of the Fathers do daintily describe this free adoption & filiation, for so the greeks interpret this word Adoption, having no other to express his signification, but this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiation or adoption, but that we may remember, that when our first Father Adam fell from the state of grace in which he was created, he became the enemy of God, for sin by his gluttony having seized the dungeon of his soul, inciteth and provoketh him continually to war against God by disobedience to his divine commandments, and by the same sin he made God his enemy, so that his revenging justice instantly took from him that fair Robe of justice, holiness, and innocence, in which he was created.  
But his mercy being not able to suffer that man, that masterpiece of his hands, should be for ever banished & confined within the ●aines and torments of hell, to satisfy his justice, hath left some in their Reprobation, to endure and suffer the punishment due to their faults, and hath chosen and elected some to testify in them the effect of his compassions, breaking the chains wherewith Satan kept them bound, and that by sending into the world his only and well beloved Son, who hath paid their ransom by the inestimable price of his precious blood; and moreover, having given them liberty, he hath beside bestowed on them the gift to be made the children of God, and coheirs with his Son of eternal and most blessed life: And thus it is, that we are called the children of God in our text, children by adoption, by favour and by grace. This custom of adopting is common and familiar among men, for we see many that having cast their affection upon strange children, receive them into their houses, love them dear, bring them up with great care, and at their life's end appoint unto ●hem either all, or part of their best inheritance.  
Let us now draw some instructions from all this discourse, and let us say, That since God hath so much honoured us, as to adopt us for his children, that we mu●t not bear unworthily that title, to the end that we may ●eceive the effect of his invariable promises, to wit, the inheritance of heaven, and life eternal.  
Good children strive to tread upon the holy steps of their Parents, imitating in all things their good and laudable actions; so must we with all our power follow the steps, a●d imitate the actions of our heavenly Father, whose name is the great God of peace.  
Let us also imitate o●r eldest brother jesus Christ our Saviour, who is the true image of the Father, who exhorteth us by the mouth of the vessel of his election, to fly quarrels and contentions, saying, 2. Cor. 13.11. Brethren live in peace, and the GOD of love and peace shall be with you.  
Let us live a blameless and innocent life both before God and before men, before God in holiness, before men in justice, that so God may be appeased with us, and that our souls may be void of those fears which sin conceiveth in the hearts of the wicked, who continually representeth, and setteth before his eyes the deposition of the witnesses, the mortal sentence of the judges, and the intolerable cruelty of the hangman, although oftentimes no man have any knowledge of his crime.  
This peace is for ourselves, for the rest and tranquillity of our consciences, and for the salvation of our souls.  
Let us also seek to have peace with all the world, as much as in us lieth, let us hate noise, and fly from riots and contentions, that so our conversation may be pleasing to all the world, and this is the true politic or civil peace.  
Let us be like Lamps and Torches lighted in the midst of darkness; let us be that water of pacification and rest, to quench the fire of quarrels and contentions, that are among our brethren, lest that fire consume them to ashes: And in so doing, we shall be true imitators of our heavenly Father, who justly styles and calls himself the God of peace, and then with a great deal of right and equity, we shall b●are the blessed and glorious title of his children.  
And after we have quenched and put out the trouble of our hearts, & vexation of our souls, caused by the fire of sin, when we shall have scattered those flames that destroy and devour that union and concord, which God hath so strictly commanded us to keep, then shall we be called to that heavenly jerusalem, which is ●he City of peace, and there shall we enter into the possession of the inheritance promised to adopted children in jesus Christ our Lord, we shall partake with him eternal blessedness, he shall be our head, in those divine sessions, and we shall be his members, we shall shine as the Sun, the holy Ghost shall enlighten us, and the God of peace shall be for ever with us. Amen.  
O Sovereign Monarch of heaven and earth, that governest all things by thy providence, which to us is altogether incomprehensible, we thy most humble Subjects, calling unto thee from the bottom of our souls, beseech thee by the greatness of thy compassions, that it may please thee to plant in our hearts a holy and perfect justice, which taking deep roots therein, may bring forth fruits of peace, and concord, which thou straightly recommendest unto us in thy holy word. Make us perfectly just, that we may love peace perfectly, as being the daughter of justice; enkindle (O good God) the fire of thy love in our hearts and souls, that we may love our brethren even as thou hast loved us: give us a spirit of gentleness & meekness, that we may fly & eschew quarrels & contentions, not only in our s●lues, but also when we shall see them kindled among our brothers; make us know (O good Saviour) that those enmities and dissensions are the devils daughters, who loves nothing but noise and disorder, and that peace and mildness are the daughters of divine justice, which thou lovest dear, which we must embrace and practise, if we will be honoured with the title of thy children; and not only be called so, but also to be indeed children of God, and heirs of eternal and blessed life, to the which, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost bring us. Amen.   

The fourth way to Zion.  1. PETER. 2.17. 
Fear God, and honour the King.  
AS rays (or Sunbeams) follow and bear observance to the Sun; As all rivers run to the Sea, and as many lines end and terminate in their centre; so there are many ways to bring us to the Paradise of God, to Ierus●lem above, which is our heavenly and happy Country; Nevertheless, we must herein u●e the Maxim of the Mathematicians, who hold, that the shortest line ●s still the rightest; also in all th●se different ways of new Zion, the shortest is the best and surest.  
When God gave his Law to Moses upon the Mountain of Sinai, he divided it into ●en commandments, which are so many perfect ways to conduct and bring us to heaven; for JESUS CHRIST (the sweet Saviour of our souls) being himself descended from Heaven, to show and point us out this way; he drew a short Compendium and Abridgement of all these Ten Commandments of the Law, and reduced them to two, as we shall find it written in the 22. Chapter of St. Matthew, where we see him disputing against a Doctor of the Law, who demanded of him which was the first and greatest Commandment; and jesus answered him, Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, which is the first and greatest commandment; and the second is like unto it; which is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; and of these two Commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets, as our Apostle Saint Peter (in the imitation of his blessed Master Christ) after he had instructed and admonished his faithful flock, in all their duties, in the precedent verses of our Text; he draws an abridgement of all which concerned their salvation, when he said, 
Fear God, and honour the King.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   
In these words, we have all the instructions which we must practise in our souls and bodies concerning those divine and humane duties; which we must convert, and reduce into practice; which words (naturally divide themselves) into two several branches, or heads, (to wit) 1. the fear which we ought to bear unto God: and 2. The honour which we must observe and give to the King.  
The sweetest, and most pleasingst sacrifice which we can offer up unto the Lord Almighty, is a heart replenished and fraughted with the fear of his holy name, a mind trembling before his sacred Majesty, and a soul terrified with the sublimity and greatness of his fearful judgements, as the royal Prophet affirmeth in Psal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling; And again Psal. 2.7. I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple.  
We can offer up no sacrifice so pleasing, nor perform no action or duty so acceptable to God, as when we adore him in all fear, and reverence him in all astonishment & trembling, which lively depaynteth and prefigureth his Greatness and Magnificence, perfectly demonstrateth us our Duties, and witnesseth our humility and obedience, which is exceeding delightful, and pleasing to him.  
That Roman Emperor perspicuously expressed and deciphered the excellent power and effects of this fear, when he carried for his Motto and Devise, Oderint dum metuant, Let those hate me that will, so they fear me; showing thereby what small account and esteem he made of the hatred, and how dear he prised and respected the fear which he would have given and borne to him.  
Moral Philosophers affirm and say, That Love and fear are two sister germans, because the one is conjoined to the other, and both linked together produce one & the same effects; for still the Lover is in care and fear of the thing beloved; whereas we never fear to lose that which we hate, but that which we love dear, and cherish tenderly, and both of these together produce the conservation of their object. But this distinction takes no place, but here on earth among crea●ures, and doth neither regard nor look up towards Heaven to God the Creator; For God is all Love, but he can never be capable of alteration or defect, as is that fear which he hath left and given unto man for his portion and inheritance.  
So he which is possessed with a perfect fear, to offend his God, or to lose his favour, he is linked and joined to God with the Gordian knots of his love, which are then wholly made indivisible and inseparable; and the Love of God conjoined with the fear of man, cau●e the conservation of the soul; and this it is, where the Apostle Saint Peter tells us in our text, Fear God, By which word fear we must not understand, a cowardice, a pusillanimity, or any irregular passion, which freezeth our blood in our veins, which causeth our hearts to pant and beat with an incessant motion, which calls and attracts our blood from all parts of our bodies; to come to assist and succour our heart, which shuts and hood winks our eyes against reason, and imagineth, that all objects whatsoever presented to us, have all together conjured and conspired our ruin; as those who fly from a battle, fear every bush which they see or meet with to be their enemies, who purposely pursue them, and run every where to kill them: Or else as those who are led to their executions and deaths, whom fear doth so powerfully seize and surprise, that by these passions and effects, it in a manner deprives them of life, before they think thereof, the which we can testify and approve by many irrevocable precedents and examples.  
No, no: It is not of this defect of judgement, or of this cowardly apprehension and fear, which our Apostle tells us of; but it a holy, just, and commendable fear, which we ought to have and retain, in bearing a● admirable respect, and honour to the Creator and conserver of our bodies and souls; As to fear and tremble before the terrible throne of his divine justice, and by not rashly abusing of his favours and mercies, so liberally, so bountifully extended to us, because his presence is a consuming fire, which devours and consumes to ashes, all those who unreverently approach his sacred Throne, his most holy hill; as heretofore he forbade the children of Israel, not to approach mouth Sinai, because he was there purposely to sp●ake with his s●rvant Moses: But not to stay any longer on this point, let us say with the Philosophers and Theologians, that there is generally two sorts of flare (that is to say) Divine and Humane, which again subdivide themselves every one into three several parts ●nd branches;  
The Humane fear compriseth and comprehendeth:  
1. The Natural, which hath wholly buried in her, the senses, all Philosophy, and the strongest and most assured courage cannot hinder him from shutting his eyes at the sudden surprise of a flash of lightning, or at the feignednesse of a hand, which unexpectedly approacheth our face; or that we withdraw not, or turn not our head from the sight of a fearful precipice; or that a sudden crack or noise do not at first hearing terrify or astonish us: 
Primi illi motus non sunt hominis,  
The first motions (or terrors) are not in our power.   
2. Corporal, whereby we naturally abhor Death, and fear to expose and cast ourselves into danger.  
3. Mundane, (or worldly) whereby we fear to lose our wealth, honours, and dignities, but it is of neither of these sorts of fears, which our Apostles speaks unto us, but only of Divine fear, which likewise streams forth in three rivulets:  
1. Servile; whereby we fear God, for the apprehension we have of the infernal tortures and torments of Hell, and this degree and sort of fear is not good of itself, because it hath no good object, nor is made or form to a good end; nevertheless, it is held and termed good, because it conduceth to good.  
2. Initiant, which looks two ways: 1. towards the torments we fear: 2. towards the glory we desire, and it is also termed, enterwoven, or mixed, because it is composed both of a good and bad fear.  
3. Filial, which is the last and best sort of divine fear, whereby we love God not only for our own glory, or for the apprehension of torment's, but for his goodness, excellency, perfection, and in a word, for and in regard of himself.  
Saint Bernard lively describes, and pertinently represents those three sorts of fear: 1. Ne cruciemur à gehenna: 2. Ne exclusi à visione tam inestimabili gloria privem●r: 3. Replet animum sollicitudine ne deseratur à gratia.  
Which is to say: The first fear apprehends torments; The second, the privation of glory; and the third wholly possesseth our hearts and ●indes with care and anxiety, as fearing not to lose God's grace and favour.  
The servile fear is attributed to the wicked.  
The filial, to the good, I mean to those who are the children of God.  
The Initiant (or intermixed) is proper as well to the good, as the bad, and also it is the most frequent and general.  
Those three sorts of fear are so many wing●, which conduct, elevate, & soar us up to heaven; The Servile begins first, which denounceth to sinners eternal death and damnation, and that sharp and sensible apprehension to be devoured with the flames of hell fire. It opens him the gate to be sorrowful for his offences, which threaten to precipitate him in that unquenchable fire, and afterwards entering into a firm and lively repentance for his former sins, he begins to conceive the future felicity and glory of Heaven, for the love whereof he partly resolves to forsake and abandon sin: as Solomon saith, By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil, Prov. 16.6. Although nevertheless that he do it, partly for fear of punishment which will infallibly follow him; and af●er that, it again leads him into this perfect filial fear, whereby he so infinitely loves God, that he had rather dye, then offend him in the least thing of the world; so nearly he loves him, so dearly he honoureth and adores him.  
St. Augustine makes only two sorts of fear, (to wit) Filial, and Servile, and makes them different in this, That the Servile hath for object malum poenae, the evil of punishment, and the filial malum culpae, the evil of guiltiness; Illo timet●r ne incid●tur in tormentum s●pplicij, isto ne amittatur gratia beneficij: By the first, we fear the torments of hell fire; By the second, we fear to lose the grace and favour of God.  
It is this fair, this sweet spiritual virtue, which gives us admittance and entrance into the closet of God; which openeth unto us the treasures of his favour and mercy, and which makes us enter into the possession ●f life eternal; For those who fear the Lord shall behold his face, shall have prosperity, and see good days, saith the royal Prophet King David, Psalm. 34.11. It is this fear of the Lord, which makes men prosper on earth, as saith Solomon the Prince of wise men, and the wisest of Princes, The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked sha●● be shortened, Prov. 10.27. This wise King, in all his afflictions and troubles, had still his recourse to the flare of the Lord, which was his fortress, his Sanctuary, his comfort and consolation, as we shall read in the 14. Chap. of Proverbs, In the fe●re of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge, The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death: He again teacheth us, that wealth is unprofitable, yea prejudicial to us without this salubrious, this sacred fear of God, & that poverty is to be preferred before fading and perishable riches: Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, then great treasure and trouble therewith.  
This fear of the Lord, is (as it were) Jacob's Ladder, whereby the Angels (of divine consolations) descend upon us on earth, and our holy prayers, and religious thoughts and meditations ascend unto Heaven. This Ladder hath three principal steps; As the fear of the Lord makes us ascend unto jesus Christ, which is our wisdom: for through and by God he hath made us wisdom, 1. Cor. 1.30. Ies●s Christ leads us to God his Father, and God receives and lodgeth us in Heaven, and therefore we first fear him, if ever we hope or think to enter into his favour.  
This fear of God, is the head spring and fountain, from whence we● draw and exhaust the sacred mysteries of our salvation; and D●vid tells us in formal and express terms, That the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psal. III. 10. Thereby to teach us, ●hat all this knowledge and learning whereof men vaunt and glory, is nothing else but pure folly, if it derive not his Origen, or beginning from the fear of the Lord. This fear is here taken for the principle of wisdom, and Ie●us Christ himself (in many places of Scripture) hath assumed and taken the title of Wisdom, because he is the wisdom of the Father, as we read in the former alleged Chapter of 1. Cor. 1.30. But in the book of Genes. Chap. 31.42. He himself is by Moses called the fear of Isaac; Except th● God of my Father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaa● had been with me, thou hadst sent me away empty.  
But here the best Interpreters, by this fear of Isaac, do understand the second person of the Trinity, jesus Christ our Saviour, who had not yet assumed and clothed our humane nature, and of whom Isaac was the true type and figure, ●t is an excellent question of Saint Augustine (in his City of God) that is, If this filial fear after the death of the faithful Children of the Lord remain with them in Heaven yea or no: Those who maintain the contrary, fortify themselves from the Apostle Saint john, Chap. 4. ver. 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts o●● fear, because fear hath torment, and ●ee that feareth is not made perfect in love, from whence they argue,  
Where there is perfect Love, there is no fear.  
But among the Saints in Heaven there is perfect Love.  
Therefore among the Saints in Heaven there is no fear.  
And from the same ●lace and passage of Saint john, they derive and draw another Argument thu●:  
All fear is accompanied with torment.  
But in Heaven there is no torment.  
Therefore in Heaven there i● no fear.  
They say (moreover) That this fear should then deprive them of their rest and repose, and consequently that they could not enjoy a perfect felicity, whiles they were troubled and tormented with any apprehension or fear. Others answer, That the Apostle Saint john understands not to speak there of a chaste and filial, but of a servile fear, and to fortify and support their opinion they allege, the Psal. 19▪ 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.  
And Saint Augu●tine expounding this sort of fear, saith, Non enim est timor exterrens à malo quod accidere pot●st, sed tenens in b●no, quod amitti non potest; This kind of fear makes us not apprehend any evil which can befall us, but makes us so to keep fast good, that we may not lose it; And afterwards he again addeth, Timori● Casti nomine, ea vol●ntas, significate est, quo nos necesse erit nolle Peccare, non solicitudine necessit●tis, sed tranquillitate c●aritatis, He says, that by this name of chaste fear, is signified, the will whereby it is necessary, that we will not sin, not for the care of necessity, but for the tranquillity of Charity. He than concludes, that indeed Servile fear cannot enter into Heaven but only the filial, and yet (notwithstanding) it must be after it hath lost the effects which it produceth in this present life, (to wit) this natural apprehension, whereby she fears that the soul falls from the State of Grace: No, no, this fear in Heaven shall be but a perfect reverence, honour, and piety, and a full and absolute devotion, which we shall bear to the service of GOD; whereby every one seeing the divine Majesty, shall profoundly and perfectly study to serve and honour him in all reverence: And for this cause it is why the 70. Interpreters have turned Timorem Dei, the fear of God, into this Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (to wit) Dei pietatem, the piety which we bear to God, and so it remains true, which the Prophet David had said long before, The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever.  
In this Elementary world, the fear of God is the most assured way to go to celestial Jerusalem; Those who have not been to a place, if they foolishly & rashly run athwart fields, they then run a great hazard to go astray, and to lose themselves among woods or briars, or peradventure to fall into the hands of cruel and merciless thiefs: So those who will ascend to the top of the holy Mountain of sacred Zion; If they ar● not kerbed and retained by the golden bridle of the fear of God; If without wisdom or judgement they run over craggy rocks full of thorns and briars (for such are the ways to Si●n & Heave●) without doubt they will fall into the error of precipi●es, or else they will serve for prey, or fuel to eternal flames.  
The fear of God, is the pledge and seal of his love and favour, the which h●e placeth and planteth in the midst of our hearts, when he will call us to him, and conserve us to his service; For he hath united and tied us to hi● with the links and chains of his love in his own house; He for ever makes us his domestical servants, yea, his heirs and adoptive children, and in this quality he makes us to enter into the inheritance of eternal life above in Heaven with jesus Christ his only well-beloved Son, who is our eldest Brother; Neither are they fantastic imaginations, or light presumptions, which must make us believe these things, for it is God himself which hath pronounced ●hem by his Prophet jeremy, Chap. 22.39.40. I will give them on● hear● and one way, that they may fear ●e for ever, and I will make an everlasting cov●nant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear into their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.  
The fear of the Lord takes place among the rarest presents, and richest jewels which the Holy Ghost discovereth to his Elect, and it is the entry to the greatest, which is wisdom it self; for as Solomon saith truth, The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God: For when the Holy Ghost will operate in the heart of any man, he than stamps and marks him with his seal, which is the fear of God, and then conducts him by degrees ●nto the very last point of perfection which is wisdom, or the perfect knowledge of sacred mysteries, as we read in the Prophet Iere●y, Chap. 11.2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord.  
The old proverb ●aith truly, That fear and diffidence is the mother of security, for when we fear our enemy, and are vigilant over his actions, than we prevent his ambushes, & avoid his power. Let us remember that Satan (the deadly enemy of our souls) watcheth still at the door of our hearts, as a roaring Lion attending to devour his prey, so that if we have not still the fear of God before our eyes, to avoid the nets and gins which he lays in the way for us, we shall become his prey and food. But if we stand upon our guards, and no way fear his assaults or threatening; then he will infallibly f●y from us both with haste and sha●e; For God commonly bestoweth his graces and favours, to those who fear to offend him, and he distributeth and imparteth his richest treasures to those that serve him with reverence, fear, and trembling: We read Acts 2. That when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were prey to that old Serpent the devil.  
The ancient Pagans have perfectly and truly depaynted fear, when they said it was all environed with fire and flames, as Love; and so they understood of corporal and Mundane (or worldly fear) and likewise of divine fear, concerning their false imaginary Gods. Here we will do as N●●h did; We will make use of sinners to build the Ark of our salvation, or as Salom●n did of the timber & stones of King Hiram, to build the temple of the Eternal, 1. Reg. 5. That which Pagans have spoken without knowledge, we will speak with reason and knowledge, That all sorts of fear, is a fire in our souls, which scorcheth and consumes us as long as it remains there: B●t let us h●re endeavour particularly, to consider the Analogies and resemblances, that there is between fire, and the fear of God▪ which is the subject of our text.  
Fire is a furious, hasty, and active Element, and ●o li●kewise are the points of apprehension and fear; Fire is the cleanest, the purest, the wholsomest of all Elements; I● cleanseth, it purifieth, it drives out all filthiness and corruption; as being neither able no●●apable to suffer in itself any impurity, for it either consumes, or expels it; And all this agrees well with the fear of God, which is the most wholsomest Physic that we can take to purge ourselves of sin, and to purify our heart● of all uncleanness; for there is no vi●e but it will purge and reject; Fire is an Element which consumes and devours all that is presented to it, and the fear of God is a coal and flame, which devoureth all our concupiscences.  
To make strait a crooked piece of wood or timber, we use fire, thereby to make it become more soft and flexible. So to replace souls in the way of life, when they are either crooked, or gone astray, in the by paths of vice, than the fear of God, of all other remedies i●●he best and most sovereign.  
Fire (by Antiperistase) as it heate● those who are cold, so it refresheth and comforteth those who are ●ot; The fear of God heats and inflames those souls to do well, who are most frozen in piety; and chose, it cooleth those who are most inflamed with their burning sensualities and concupiscences.  
To venomous Apostumes, mortal Gangrenes and desperate diseases, we for the last remedy apply Irons and fire to cure it.  
To sinners inveterated in their wickedness, and as it were despairing of their salvation, we must apply the Iron and fire of the fear of God, to make them apprehend and know his divine judgements if they remain impenitent, and unrepentant.  
Historians report, that the Arabian Phoenix (the only bird of his race) is accustomed every five hundred years, to build an Artificial nest, whereunto the rays of the Sun reflecting and darting, it at one time reduceth to ashes both the work and the workman: So if we desire to revive to the love of immortal beatitude and celestial felicity, we must set fire to our vices, by the art and flame of a true and lively repentance, and burn them all together in the fear of God.  
All the world is a field richly strewed and diapered with the miracles and wonders of God, whereof man is the principal Masterpiece, and the chiefest workmanship of his hands; and the sacred Scriptures are as it were the Epitome and Compendium thereof, wherein I every way see nothing but God's love (of his side) towards man; and read nothing but subjects of honour, and causes fear of man towards God; But among diverse other places, I find one exceedingly agreeable and concurring with our text, which is Daniel C●ap. 2.32. concerning the Statue which Nabuchad●nozer saw in his dream, The head of this I●ag● was of fine gold, his breast and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of brass, his legs of iron; his feet part of iron and part of clay, a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the Image upon his feet that were of iron, and broke them to pieces, and having br●ken the●, the Statue fell backwards, and was reduced to Summer dust. This Statue doth lively represent unto us a sinner; By his golden head, I understand Pride, Vanity, and Ambition, which fumes and swims in the Head of a sinner, who esteems himself as precious as gold, and as rare as Pearls; His breast and arms of silver, marks unto us his affection to covetousness, as having all his desires every way bend and leveled to rapine and extortion; His belly and thighs of brass, represents unto us his voluptuousness and insatiety; His legs of iron show us his cruelty; His feet of earth depaynts us his weakness and fragility; and this stone cut without hand from the mountain of Zion, is the fear of God, which God casts and rolls at our feet, to beat us to dust, and to make us consider the nothing from whence we came.  
The world, the flesh and the devil (the professed mortal enemies of our soul, who will never want subtlety or malice to make us stumble in the way to life) seeing that this fear of God is a sovereign Antidote against all the diseases of the soul, not being able to diminish its virtue, by their artifice and deceits, at least they will make us lose the relish thereof, by their insinuations and persuasions, figuring us out this fear of God to be so hard, sharp, and bitter, that it is impossible for us to enjoy any rest, or tranquillity of mind, as long as we are possessed of that passion; That the ways to heavenly Zion, are not so craggy and difficult, but that they are all paved with silk, with delights, and contentments; But the faithful man fearing God, aught to be as wise as a Serpent; He must stop his ears to this false Imposter, and Enchanter, who would surprise him to strangle him; He must remember the words which Christ jesus spoke and dictated to him by Saint Luke, Acts 14.22. We must thorough much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God. And again by Saint Mathe● 7.13. Enter ye in at the s●ra●t gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.  
No, no, let us not flatter ourselves, there a●e no Roses without prickles; we shall never obtain and carry away the incorruptible Crown of glory before we have first fought the good fight, we shall never put our foot in celestial Canaan, before we have first past the red sea of the afflictions of this life, and departed forth of the wilderness of our sins; and in a word, before we have fought with the infernal Giants and Devils, who strive and endeavour to prevent and hinder our entry thereinto.  
For it is absolutely impossible, ever to possess or enjoy the love of God, here below in Earth, or much less above in Heaven, before we have first sworn to him, a perfect fear, honour, and obedience, Amoris janua timor est; The fear of God, is the entry and gate to his love, as also Love is a fear intermixed with care and anxiety, Res est solliciti plena timoris amor.  
In the 19 Chap. verse 4. of the 1. Book of Kings, the Prophet Elijah flying the persecution of Queen jezabel, being weary of his way, he sat down & slept under a juniper Tree, where an Angel came and found him ou●, and carried him a Cake baked upon coals, which he pleasingly eat and relished, and so satisfied his heart and stomach for forty days and forty nights, after which they came to the mountain of Oreb, the pl●ce of his refuge and security. This jezabel is the devil, and this Prophet may lively represent unto us our soul, which of all sides is persecuted by this cruel and implacable enemy, who flying his assaults, if she come to repose herself under the sharp juniper of a truly holy and filial fear; Then without doubt the Angel of Divine consolations, will bring him the bread of Love, favour, and mercy, baked upon the coals of his affection, and the good will and clemency of God, which will then refresh and replenish our hearts and souls during all the pilgrimage of this our mortal life, until we are arrived to the mountain of Zion, which is the centre of our desires, the residence of our delights, and the impregnable Fort and Castle of our felicities.  
I find Saint Augustine's comparison to be very excellent and pretty, upon Fear and Love, and that we must pass thorough that, before we can arrive to this; He says, that fear is as a Needle, and Love as the silk which it draws after it; The Needle is sharp, hard, and piercing, but the silk is soft, fair, and pleasing; Fear is indeed a sharp and distasteful passion, but that which doth sweeten, lenify, and cure his prickings; it is love wh●ch immediately follows it, being fraughted with courtesy, goodness, and favour; We must not therefore apprehend the small stings of Bees, b●cause they afterwards promise to delight & satiate us with their honey, which distils and flows from the rock of our salvation; And it is the Enigme of Samson to the Philistines; from the bitter came sweet; from the rage and gall of the Lion, issued sweet honey to delight and refresh Samson; If jesus Christ (the true Lion of the tribe of juda) had not endured for us the bitter and cruel death of the Cross, than we had never tasted the excellent virtue of the honey of his resurrection: Indeed to flesh and blood the Fear of God, is as it were a kind of gall and bitterness, because it daunts, and outbraves his passion●, and it still keeps him waking, as we do to wild birds, thereby to tame him, and to make him quiet and docible; and so to instruct and civilise him to the service of God. It still shows him the eminent dangers wherein she will engulf & precipitate him, in offending his God, but still with an indulgent intent to prevent and hinder him from it, Pondus timoris est anchora c●rdis; The burden which fear caries with it, is the heart's anchor; to prevent that it ●ee not reversed, and overblowne by the waves, nor of all sides split and shipwrecked by the violence and impetuosity of tempestuous passions, which without intermission assail and beat upon it; But the mercy of the Lord (saith David) is from generation to generation upon all those who fear him.  
In a word, (and so to draw to the conclusion) of this part of the Text, the two principal pillars of Christian Doctrine, and the two firm and unremovable foundations thereof, is Fear and Love, which are the two proper means to contain the godly, and to retain the wicked in the observation of God's Commandments; The wicked by Fear, the godly by Love, as the Poet speaks, but morally, in a Christian sense and language: 
Oderunt pec●are mali formidine Poenae.  
Oderunt peccare boni, virtutis amore.   
The wicked abhor to offend for fear of punishment, and the Godly will not be drawn to sin, because of their love of virtue.  
But here fearing lest I should run astray, and so lose and engulf myself in this great and vast Ocean o● the fear of God, it makes me row aboard, thereby to gain the desired shore, and so to treat and discourse of the second part of the Text, which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Honour the King.  
The two noblest and most excellent offices, which the Angels, and blessed souls enjoy above in the triumphant Church, are the vision of God, and the ordinary action of glorifying and honouring God, about the which they are eternally employed, and therefore the holy Ghost to fashion and dispose us here below in the militant Church, to glorify in time his sacred Majesty in heaven, commandeth us in our text likewise, to Honour the King, as being the true Image and lively representation of that great King of glory, of the Father of Eternity, of the mighty God of Hosts, Fear God, saith he, a●d Honour the King.  
Divine, and altogether admirable words, as being the sum and abridgement of all the duties which we ought to practise in this world, both in body and soul, both for the moral and spiritual life, the performance whereof brings us to absolute perfection; for if we fear God, we serve him, and never offend him; and in honouring the King, besides the performance of our duty, we obey the Commandment of God.  
So these 2. commandments are so straightly linked and joined together, that the breach of the one, is the violation of ●he other; for we ca●not displease the King, without offending God, nor offend God, without violating the King's laws.  
Let us see what that chosen vessel saith, in very earnest and pressing words, Rom. 13.1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but from God, and all authority is given from the Lord; which is the reason of the commandment, followed presently with a threatening; wherefore who so resist●th the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and therefore incurs condemnation, for the Prince bears not the sword in vain, seeing he is the servant and minister of God, to punish evil doers, therefore must ye be subject not only for fear, but also for conscience s●ke; and therefore pay ye tribute, because they are the ministers of God ordained to that end, Give then unto every one his due, tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, and honour to whom honour.  
Before we ent●r into an exact and particular exposition of the words of our Text, we will examine the consequence of this commandment, and as those who desire to know the sweetness and goodness of water, ascend to fetch it from the spring, that we may esteem the more the excellency and greatness of this commandment; we must observe, that this ordinance is not made by men, either to flatter King●, for fear of their sovereign authority, but that it is Gods own ordinance, dictated unto our Apostle by the holy Ghost.  
Which brings great matter of consolation, to those who with zeal undertake the execution of it, knowing that God loves those that fear him, and blesseth those that are obedient to him.  
And contrarily, it must greatly terrify the disobedient, when they remember the infallible threatenings, and the irrevocable sentence, pronounced by Gods own sacred mouth, saying, Cursed is he that break●s the least of th●se commandments, Math. 5.19. Cursed is he that shall not be permanent in all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them, Deut. 27.26.  
We must again note, that the Commandments of God, are like the Sciences which are more or less esteemed, according to the nobility and excellency of their object, for as that affection and charity which we owe to our neighbour, without comparison gives place to that extreme and infinite love which we owe to our God, and heavenly Father; so the honour we are to bear to all men in general, is so much inferior to that we owe the King, as his dignity is elevated above that of other men; and therefore you see, that as soon as our Apostle commandeth us to fear God, h●e addeth presently, Honour the King.  
Showing by that order, that the honour and service due to the King, immediately follows that which we owe to God, and therefore a great servant of God of our times, expounding these words, saith after Tertullian, That in the performance of these two precepts, the Christian makes himself perfect, both for the religious and moral life, for in fearing God, he walks through the paths of justice, holiness, and innocence, which leads in the end to eternal felicity.  
And in honouring the King, he observes his laws, and by those means buildeth up for himself a delightful rest, and an incomparable felicity.  
But because it is to undertake to sail over a boundless and bottomless Ocean, if we should go about to allege here all the places which we might cite out of the Fathers, and many others; let us hearken to the holy Ghost, in the most common places of Scripture, and imitating the israelites, we will only take some few drops of water out of the land of Edo●, and show only the springs afar off; we will pass over quickly, like the dog of the river Nilus, lest some Crocodile, thirsting after our innocence, should open his stinking mouth to accuse us, a● though our intention were other, then tending to the service and glory of God, which is the only centre, unto the which all the lines of our intentions immediately tend and aim.  
We very easily learn the definition, or description of this word to Honour, in the 6. Chap of Esther, when Ahashuerosh asked Haman what should be done unto the man whom the King would honour; Haman thinking the King spoke so for him, invented all the ways and means he could, to enjoy and increase this honour; therefore he answered the King thus, As for the man whom the King will honour, let them bring for him royal apparel, which the King ●seth to wear, and the horse that the King rideth upon, and that the crown royal may be set upon his head, and that one of the greatest Princes should go before him, and proclaim, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the King will honour.  
In this ample description of Honour, we note the definition of it; to wit, to give glory, to do homage to any one, to seek all the means that may be to advance his credit, and increase his reputation through all the world, and thus that cursed Haman thought to be honoured.  
But this word to Honour the King, in that sense that our Apostle takes it, is like to that honour mentioned in the first Commandment of the second table, Honour thy Father and thy mother, which signifieth in general, to serve, reverence, obey, assist those whom we honour, and of that reverence, obedience, and assistance, Saint Paul speaketh expressly, 1. ●im. 5.17. The Elders that rule well, are worthy of a double honour, where observe and note, that by the first honour, he understandeth a civil and common honour, like that which is due to other honourable men; but by the second honour he understandeth a subvention, and reward of his labours, as it appeareth by the following words, Thou shalt not mussel the mouth of the Ox that tread●th out the co●ne, and the labourer i● worthy of his wages, Luk. 10.7.  
And of all these four duties which we are to practice, to honour the King, is spoken at large, 1. Sam. Chap. 8. When the Israelites did so earnestly desire him to give them a King, he doth lively set forth un●o them, how perfectly they must be subject to him, how they must reverence him, how they must obey him.  
But because commonly among good corn there be tares, or some other bad ●e●d, we will show by express words of Scripture, and by invincible reasons, That he that obeyeth not to the higher powers, offendeth directly God himself, who will destroy him.  
Saint Paul, Tit. 3.1. Put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities, and powers, and that they be obedient, and ready to every good work.  
And Rom. 13.4. The Prince is the Minister of of God for thy good, but if thou do evil, then fear, for he bears not the sword for nought, for he is the Minister of God, to execute justice on him that doth evil; therefore ye must be subject, not for fear only, but also for conscience sake▪ wherefore those that resi●t the power, resist the ordinance of God, and those that resist this ordinance, draws on themselves condemnation.  
But if these rules be not strong enough to convert those perverse men; at least let them be frighted by the fearful judgements which fell on so many wicked men, which anciently rebelled against Moses their Prince & Sovereign, who by God's command had delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh, the cruelest of men, and had led and conducted them with a wonderful wisdom into the wilderness; let ●o● them before ●heir eyes the example of Core, Dathan, and Ab●ram, who with two hundred and fifty Princes of the Israelites, Numb. 16.2. rebelled against their Prince; but God avenger of their folly, caused the earth to open her mouth, and to swallow them up alive with their families, Nad●●, and Abihu, his own Nephews, because they had not obeyed him, were consumed with their f●llowes by fire, that went out from the Altar, Levit. 10.2. and his own sister Marie, for speaking undiscreetly of him, was by the Lord infected wi●h leprosy, what shall we say of Abisha●, and Absalon, against King David, the History of whose destruction and confusion is so well known, that we need not insist upon it.  
But here are yet very express words. Exod. 22.28. Thou shalt not rail upon the judges, neither speak evil of the ruler of thy people. And Acts 23. Thou shalt not speak ill of thy Prince, of him that governeth thee.  
But because these laws and examples like waves of the Sea follow one another, we will insist on the consideration of the horror of this crime, which cannot take place in a soul never so little endued with heavenly graces; for that heart must be desperately wicked, and that soul possessed with a thousand furies, that suffereth the least thought of it to harbour in his will; that soul, I say, must not only be void of reason, but worse than bruit beasts, who without contradiction follow and obey their Kings: The birds yield to the Eagle, the fishes follow the Dolphin, and the beasts are pliant and humble before the Lion; and should man that is made after Go●s image, be worse than all other living creatures? This is to be neither man nor beast, but the offspring of those abominable spirits, which rebelled in heaven against God, and therefore received the punishment due to their foolish ambition in hell; but we will no longer stay our contemplation about these detestable men, hoping that our age is not so unhappy as to be corrupted by them.  
But we will now speak of the reward, profit, and recompense, which those shall certainly receive that obey this commandment of God, in honouring the King.  
All the Interpreters of the law of God, with one consent agree, that the first commandment of the second table, to wit, Honour thy Father and thy Mother, is to be understood of all them that have any power or dominion over us, and chiefly of Kings, and Princes, to whom we are subject, and to whom we owe both our lives and goods; and beside, that all the Fathers are of that opinion, yet we also see it proved in the 13. Chap. to the Romans, where the Apostle teaching the faithful all the laws which they must observe; he runs over all the Commandments of God, and yet speaks not of this word Father, because he comprehendeth it sufficiently under that of King, because the Father is King in his Family, and the King is the Father of his people.  
As for that objection, that th●re is no mention made of a King in the Decalogue, the reason is clear and manifest; first, the Israelites had no need of it, because God did every day appear visibly unto them, spoke to them at all times, and wrought continually so many miracles among them, that they could not be doubtful of his presence: secondly, there is no mention made neither of Governor, nor of Prince, and yet it is unlikely that God had forgotten Moses, who had delivered them, before God wrote the Law with his own finger on the mountain of Sinai; but the reason is, that by the word Father, God understandeth, as well Kings and Princes, as those that have begotten us; all the curses made against the rebellious, and disobedient to this commandment, are common both to the rebellious to their Prince, and to the disobedient to their Father; as on the contrary, those that are obedient to both, shall be equally rewarded with the same blessing, and the promise made to them by God, who do honour their parents, is also to be extended to those who honour their Kings, and Princes, which promise is happiness, and length of days upon the land.  
Which promise (though it often seem otherwise) is always fulfilled, for when an obedient son to his father, or a faithful subject to his Prince dieth young, and in the flower of his age, God nevertheless accomplisheth his word, and fulfilleth truly his promise; for if it be good for the faithful to remain in the land, GOD will make him abundantly to prosper therein; but if his admirable and incomprehensible providence, see that he should be sundry ways grievously afflicted, he of●en times putteth him in safety, and calleth him unto him in his mercy, and yet he is still as good as his word, as if a man promised me a hundred pounds, and should give me three hundred, he thereby breaks not his promise; so God having promised us here below the possession of this world, and seeing that our dwelling in it is not for our profit, bereaving us of this, he admitteth us into the incorruptible Kingdom of glory, more excellent without comparison than the first, and so whether he let us dwell here below, or whether he call us above to himself, we shall always be in a most happy condition, if we obey his commandment, in Honouring the King.  
This word, and dignity of a King is so known, and familiar to all kind of nations, that we should seem to light a candle at noon day▪ to see the light of the Sun, if we should exactly seek out the definitions, and Ethymologies of it.  
We will only say with Saint Augustine in the City of God, that the name of King is the ancientest title, given to the Governors, and Ruler's of people's, yea, when the earth devoid of all ambition, enjoyed the sweetness and felicity of an inestimable peace.  
For as Non minor est virtus, quam quaerere, parta t●eri, There is no less virtue in conserving then in purchasing; so you see that the peaceablest of the Ancients, have provided for their conservation in choosing Kings and Princes, under whose shadow they enjoyed quiet rest, for the Kingdom being as a body, the King must always be the head, which being seated on the top, and elevated over the rest of the members, he forseeth the dangers to avoid them, and con●idereth the advantages to embrace them.  
Now as in the head is seen the glory, and beauty of man, according to these ancient verses. 
Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera ●erram,  
Os homini sublime dedit, coelu●que tueri  
jussit, & erectos ad sydera tollere vultus.   
All living creatures always behold the earth, but God hath made and erected man's face, that he might behold the heaven, and the stars; even so must we consider the beauty of the subjects, in the King's face and Majesty, as being the head thereof.  
As you see that all the senses both internal and external are seated, and take their beginning from the head; so all the counsels, all the resolutions, justice, the laws, in a word, all that is necessary for the Kingdom's conservation, is all to be found in the King, as in his centre, and in the place whence they take their beginning.  
Let us then examine particularly, since we have a Royal subject in hand, all the circumstances, by which the King in comparison of his subjects, is just as the head is over the rest of the members, wherein reason holdeth her Assizes and Sessions, the better to govern this Microcosm, or little world.  
The two chiefest and noblest faculties of the soul, are the Understanding, and the Will▪ the same which we note in the soul, we may also mark to be in the King, which is as it were the soul of the people, for as from the understanding proceed the counsels, resolutions, and enterprises, needful for the conservation of man's body; even so from the King proceeds the means, and inventions for the right, and just government of his Realm▪ As by the Will, we see that man accepteth those things which are good, and rejecteth those that are hurtful; even so the King by his wonderful prudence, and wisdom seeketh what is good, profitable to his subjects, & contrarily rejecteth and preventeth whatsoever is hurtful and dangerous to them.  
In a word, as all the parts of the body, and all the appetites of the soul, stir according to the motion of the will; so the people should never have any other desire, thought or intention, but the desire, thought, and design of their King, who is the Lords anointed, sent by God to administer justice, and so govern his people in Equity, as the Psalmist speaketh. Psalm. 46.10.  
The hands of Kings are like that divine river, which compassed about the Garden of Ed●n, and being▪ divided into four branches, communicated to the herbs, and plants of that enclosure, a continual moisture, and which was altogether most wonderful and miraculous, in that those four brooks, besides the excellent sweetness of their water, were well stored, some with fine gold, and others with precious stones.  
With infinite right and reason, may we therefore compare the hands and actions of Kings, to this undraynable spring and river of the earthly Paradise, sinc● they are employed about nothing else, but lovingly to cherish and tender their Subjects by liberally distributing, and communicating to them th● means of their subsistence and prosperity.  
But lest we should be carried away, by the swift stream of the many several cogitations, which arise from so royal a subject, let us return to our fo●mer discourse, ●o wit, that the King being to his people, as the head is to the rest of the body, all the rare and admirable parts contained therein, as the internal and external senses, ought justly to be compared to him.  
And ●irst, that Sense by precedency and excellenc●e, which the Philosophers call Common, tha● is, that which receives all the objects of the external senses, to bring the species of them to the fantasy, and what is the King el●e but this common sense, since he is profitable to all, he receiveth the objects, that is the wishes, and petitions of all, to conv●y them to the fantasy, that is, to his imaginative and ma●ure deliberation, there to consult and resolve, what is good, ●sefull, honest, needful, and profitable for his suppliants and people.  
Le● us now behold that golden head, as 〈◊〉 expounding Nebuchadnezar's dream calleth him; Let us I say see how all the five external senses are very fitly and properly appliable to him.  
First, the King, the head of the people, hath in himself the Prince of the senses, the sight, he possesseth it in the highest degree of perfection; he is like the Lion that never s●utteth his eye lids; he seeth all his kingdom, he beholdeth all his subjects; in a word, he hath eyes, Eagles eyes, which though soaring and flying in the highest clouds, yet seeth clearly in the lowest places of the earth.  
His ears are always open, to hear the cries and complaints of his subjects, he delighteth in that pleasant harmony, in that sweet consort, and in those delightful tones and Diapasons, caused by the sweet union, an concord of all his Provinces and Subjects.  
He smelleth with an incredible content, the delectable odours, which embalm his spirits, he scenteth with delight the perfumes, proceeding from the vows, prayers, and obedience, which his faithful subjects swear to his service.  
He tasteth what is good or evil, what is sweet or bitter, for the good and ease of his people.  
H●e himself feeleth, he sets his hand to the work, he considereth what is hard and offensive, to cut it off, he chooseth what is soft and easy, to conserve it.  
In a word, the time would fail us sooner than our conceptions upon so royal a subject, full of admirable considerations, notwithstanding we will be contented only with this.  
As we see that all the members of the body take their nourishment, and receive their sustenance by the mouth, which sendeth the food into the stomach, as into a common storehouse, thence to be distributed according to every members need●, from whence are first sent to the head, by a very remarkable gratitude and acknowledgement, the best and most subtle, for the nourishment of the brain, the seat of the understanding, the spring of the senses, and the cause of his subsistence, so must the best and fairest of the Kingdom be reserved, and dedicated to the Prince, which is the head and first mover thereof.  
The examples of it are ye● now a days familiar, that Kings and Princes give their particular possessions to their Subjects, on condition of some yearly acknowledgement, which they are obliged to, according to their agreement and conventions.  
Again, there is no Kingdom in the world but hath been sometimes conquered, and consequently all the lands thereof are absolutely in the conquerors hand, to dispose of at his pleasure; now i● is the custom of a new and victorious Prince, to bestow them on whom he pleaseth, always reserving to himself some tribute, or homage for it, that the remembrance of his liberal favour may never be forgotten.  
Again, we read not that those which went to seek new habitations, did go confusedly, and disorderly, and in equal authority, but they went all under the colours and conduct of some chief, which afterwards became the King and Prince of that land, the which he distributed according to the deserts or affection which he bore to his soldiers.  
So we read Numb. 34▪ Chapter, that Eleazar and joshuah divided among the Israelites the land of Canaan, which they had conquered by the sword, and yet no mention is made that that valiant Captain joshuah, which had brought them into that land flowing with milk and honey, reserved any portion thereof for his share, for the which he had been questionless blamed by the Israelites, had they not sufficiently known, that seeing he had put them in possession of so large a territory, they were at his command.  
The Apostles had nothing, and yet possessed all the riches of the faithful, of whom they were as Kings and Princes, and therefore in sign of acknowledgement, all the new Christians brought their goods to their feet, Acts Chap. 5. for who would not despise all his wealth for love; if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, they would greatly contemn it, saith Solomon, Cantic. 8.7.  
But what horrible ingratitude would that be in him that should do otherwise, seeing that pains, care, and unquietness follow commonly the Sceptre, and that there is no burden so heavy as a Crown, and the reason hereof is manifest; to wit, that a private and particular man aimeth no further than to his household business, but the King must embrace all the affairs of his Kingdom, he must care for all, and provide for all, which maketh Sallust say, That a great Empire is always accompanied with great cares, and troublesome labours, and with much anxiety, and vexation of mind.  
Selcucus in Plutarch said, That if men knew how troublesome a thing it is to govern a Kingdom, they would scorn to reach and take up a Diadem from the ground; this was the cause why Numa at the first refu●ed the Kingdom offered unto him by the Romans, but in the end overcome by their importunity, he accepted it with grief, saying, That to reign was greatly to serve the gods, thinking to deserve much from them, by taking upon him so heavy a burden.  
In a word, let us say with Cassiodorus, that, Sub imperio boni principis, omnium fortunae moresque proficiunt. Under a good Prince's government, the goods of all increase, and their manners are augmented and enriched in civility.  
Now as in a fair meadow enameled, and beautified with a thousand different kinds of flowers, one may find Serpents, Vipers, and Toads, which defile, and infect by their mortal venom, the rich and natural Tapestry, the beauty, goodness and virtue of an infinite number of Simples, and wholesome herbs, wherewith it is richly diapered; So we see to our grief, that in the bosom and midst of the fairest, richest, and most illustrious Kingdoms, the corruption of the age, and the infection of vices, are produced and propagated. Some Ravens, which go about presaging and foretelling their sinister and lamentable predictions, who by their odious voice, (to them at least that have good souls, and generous hea●ts and affections) cry out aloud, That it is the facility & weakness of men, which hath brought in this ambition of mastering and governing the nations; That it is more by usurpation, then by election, or by divine ordinance, that they have take● the rule and Empire over Kingdoms, and they allege for proof of their saying, that the first King that ever was in the world, to wit, Nimrod, c●me to the Crown by force and violence, and not by the ordinance of God.  
That all Empires (for the most part) were gotten by the sword, by force of Arms, by deceit, by injustice, by a foolish and desperate ambition, that hath often covered the fields with slaughtered bodies, and made them overflowe with blood, when one Prince offended and angry with another, sought to revenge himself with the lives of his miserable subjects.  
That the establishing of Monarches is simply humane, alleging that of Saint Peter, 1. Epistle 2. Chap ver. 13. Submit yourselves un●o all manner of ordinance of man, for the Lords sake, whether it ●e unto the King as unto the Superior, or unto Governors, as unto them that are sent of him.  
But these both ignorant & malicious Loyolites and Anabaptists, stop for the nonce their ears, that they may not hear this loud resounding voice from heaven, which convinceth them of malice, and would recall them from their ignorance.  
Let us see if Solomon (like them) believed that Kingdoms fall by chance into the hands of men, and that Kings are not expressly called and ordained of God to govern his people; Now then (saith he) O ye Kings, harken, learn ye that are judges of the earth, hear ye that govern the nations, for power is given unto you by the Lord, and principality by the most high.  
And as we have already observed, Rom. 13. the Apostle resolveth so perfectly this question, that it is impossible to say or add any thing after him, unless one be resolved to sin against the holy Ghost, in resisting the known truth, There is (saith he) no power but from God, and those powers that ar●, be ordained of God, therefore who so resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, ye must be subject to the Prince, not for wrath only, but also for conscience sake, Rom. 13.5.  
And as God sent such blindness on the Philistines, thi●king to overcome and destroy the Armies of Israel, that every one turned his sword against his fellow, and so flew one another, the people of God being a● the most but beholders of their deliverance; Even so our adversaries having marshaled a squadron of reasons against us, before we thought upon our own defence, to enter into combat with them, have cut one another's throat, and have left us their Arms to make trophies for this our victory; for ●hinking to make a buckler for their defence of that place of S. Peter, where he exhorteth us to bear the yoke, and to submit ourselves unto all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King or Supreme, 1. Pet. 2.13. This reason killeth them, for if it be for the Lords sake, that we must be subject, it argueth that God liketh it, delighteth in it; and this order is by his command and special ordinance.  
Although Nabuchadnezzer King of Babylon, were one of the most wicked and impious men of the earth, yet let us hear how the Prophet Daniel speaketh to him, in the second Chapter of his Prophecies, O King, thou art the King of Kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a Kingdom, power, strength, and glory.  
But I would have these disturbers of the public tranquillity; these Adders swelled and suffocated with the venom of sedition, and disorder, tell me, whether Moses the first Prince and Law giver of Israel (the names change not the things, for he was their King and Monarch, since he ruled them with an absolute power, depending only from God) whether, I say, he entered by force, by craft, or by art into the government of the people; and if it was not God himself that spoke to him out of the midst of the burning bush, and commanded him to go deliver his people from the hands of Pharaoh, Exod. 3.2.  
If Saul thought to adorn his head with a Crown, when he sought about the fields the Asses of ●is his father, if he made suit to Samuel to anoint him King over all Israel;  
If David when he fed his flock, meditated how he might change his Shepherd's crook into a regal Sceptre;  
If Solomon his son, the King of wise men, and the wisest of Kings, hath deceived or corrupted the people, to enter by the windows, or back gate into the kingly Palace.  
But rather is it not God himself, who by his sacred mouth commanded Samuel in the 9 Chapter of his book, as soon as he had seen Saul that went to inquire of him about his Father's Asses, at the same time God said unto him, This is the man of whom I spoke unto thee, he shall rule over my people.  
And in the 16. Chapter of the same book, God commanded him to go to Bethlehem, to anoint David, whom he chose among all his brethren, the Lord saying unto him, Arise and anoint him, for this is h●.  
In the same book, God promiseth Davi● to confirm his son upon his Throne.  
And in the 1. of Kings, Chap. 3. God appeared to Solomon in a dream in Gabaon, presently after his Coronation, and said unto him, Ask what thou wilt, that I give thee; A sufficient testimony, that God was well pleased with his ascending to the Royal throne, and Solomon ask of him only wisdom to govern his people, God said, Because thou hast not asked of me riches, glory, nor power, I will give thee what thou askest me, and other things beside.  
We read 2. Kings, Chapter 9 that Heliseus sendeth one of the children of the Prophets to jehu, one of ahab's Captains, to anoint him from the Lord King over Israel And Psal. 75.7. To come to preferment is neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the South, but God is the judge, he it is that humbleth and exalteth.  
And psalm. 113.7 The Lord raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth up the poor out of the dung, that he may set him with the Princes, even with the Princes of his people: We might allege many other examples, and proofs out of Scripture; but these are sufficient to prove our assertion.  
It is an erroneous and damnable opinion to hold, that Kings come to the Crown by fraud, force, or succession, without the Divine providence and sacred decree, 
Luk. 12.74.  for one hair of our head falleth not, without the providence of God, much more a thing of so great a consequence, as the establishing of a King over the Provinces of a Kingdom, and over so many millions of men, that are bound to swear obedience to him. I say not only, that his coming to the Crown is ordered by God's general providence; but moreover, that it is his special intention and design, that made him ascend the Throne.  
Let us hearken to the wisdom of GOD, Prov. Chapter 8. etc. after we shall see if it be fraud, force, or succession, which are the causes, and ways, by the which they ascend unto that dignity; By me (saith Christ, true God, coessential with his Father, under the name of that wisdom) Kings reign, and Princes decree justice, By me Princes rule, and the Nobles, and all the judges of the earth.  
The Prophet Isaiah speaketh very pertinently and manifestly upon this subject, Chap. 45.1. Thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus his anointed, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, therefore will I weaken the loins of Kings, and open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked ways straight, I will break the brazen doors, and burst the iron bars; I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.  
The Prophet jeremiah, Chap. 27. speaketh so openly, that he alone is sufficient to stop those profane and seditious mouths. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I have given all these lands into the hand of Nabuchadnezzar, the King of Babel, my servant, and all nations shall serve him, and his sonne●, and his son's son, and the nation▪ and Kingdom which will not serve the same Nabuchadnezzar King of Babel, and that put not their neck under the y●ake of the King of Babel, the same nation will I visit (saith the Lord) with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, therefore hear not your Prophets, nor your Soothsayers, nor your dreamers, nor your enchanters, nor your Sorcerers, which say unto you thus, Ye shall not serve the King of Babel, for they prophesy a lie unto you, to cause you to go far from your land, and that I should cast you out, and you should perish, but the nation that put their necks under the yoke of the King of Babel, and serve him; those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord, and they shall occupy it, and dwell therein.  
Words worthy of a great and profound consideration, and which totally desides, and cuts off that question, which we now have in hand, for it is God himself that speaketh to his people, that strictly chargeth them to obey the King of Babylon, into whose hands he had delivered them; and although he was an Idolatrous and unfaithful King, yet they will obey him, on pain of his curse and malediction; what judgements, what punishments should we much more cause to fall upon us, if the least thought of rebellion, or disobedience to the Lords anointed should enter into our minds, if we were not perfectly obedient to Kings, who are good, faithful, and zealous to further the glory of God, if our hearts and our mouths be not always filled with prayers, and vows dedicated to their service.  
But to the end that imitating Hercules, we may cleanse & sweep clean this Augean stable, we will answer to that objection propounded touching Nimrod, who hath been the first King of the earth, who (say they) hath attained to the crown by force, and by violence, words which we find not in the Scripture; but contrarily we read, Genes. 10.8. that C●sh begat Nimrod, who began to be mighty in the earth, he was a mighty Hunter before the Lord. These words will never oblige us to conclude, that he hath raised himself violently; but we may more truly expound the words, He was mighty before the Lord, that is, he was lifted up to greatness by the most High, he walked in his ways, and followed his ordinances; and when Moses saith, that he began to be mighty in the earth, he meaneth, that he was more feared than his predecessors, who were also Kings, Priests, and sovereign Princes of their families: For after the general deluge, which overflowed the whole earth, men lived commonly five or six hundred years, and so one of his posterity might see above a hundred thousand persons, over whom he was Prince, and sovereign Monarch, because there was then no other form of government in the earth; so we read Genes. 23. Chap. that the Hittites, of whom Abraham asked a Sepulchre to bury Sara, these I say called him a Prince of God, or a most excellent Prince, which he clearly manifested at the overthrow of the five Kings, which had beaten the King of Sodom, had pillaged the Town, and carried away his Nephew Lot prisoner, for at the rumour of these sorrowful news, he armed three hundred and eighteen of his servants borne in his house, and yet had no children, Gen. 14.  
It is then in vain to allege, that violence, craft, and hereditary succession, are the only means to attain to Crowns; for although some attain to it by humane means, and sometimes by dangerous ways, as Absalon, who caused himself to be anointed King by expelling his Father, as Abimelech by the death of 70 of his brethren upon the same stone; yet for all these ways to come to reign, are never brought to pass, without a manifest foresight, and providence of God, permitting it sometimes to punish those people's, and sometimes for a punishment to the Kings that reign over them; yet whatsoever they be, God commandeth us to obey, and perfectly to honour them: now cursed, cursed be he that shall resist the will of God, and that shall not obey his commandments.  
After we have heard both Scripture, and reason, manifestly evincing the truth, Let us now hear Saint Augustine's opinion in this matter, in his book De civet. Dei. The cause (saith he) of the greatness of Empires, is neither casual, nor fatal, it cometh neither by chance, nor by destiny; By chance I understand (saith he) the things that happen; we not being able to know the causes of them, or that happen without any premeditated order of reason, assisting their conception and birth: By fatal things I understand (as Pagan's esteem) what happeneth without the will of God, and men, by the necessity of some particular order; which opinion is greatly injurious to God's divine providence, but rather we must certainly believe, that Kingdoms are constituted, and established simply, and absolutely by the divine providence of God.  
And in another place, Let us not attribute the power of giving, or disposing of an Empire, but only to the true God, that giveth eternal happiness in heaven to his children only; but for earthly Kingdoms, he giveth them to good and bad, as it seemeth good to him, as it pleaseth him, who is delighted in no unjust thing; therefore this true and only God, that always provideth mankind, both with aid and counsel, when he would, and as long as he pleased, hath given the government, and Empire to the people of Rome; he is the giver of all felicity, that giveth earthly Kingdoms to whom he pleaseth, and yet always with justice and reason, though the means seem to us oftentimes manifestly contrary to both.  
I think we have employed too much time, and too many good weapons, to fight against this horrible monster, and monstrous Hydra, and therefore the shortest and surest way, is to follow the example of that valiant Hercules, and so to cut off this monster, for he that will not hear the Scripture, so manifestly showing unto us our duty to our Kings, that so expressly commandeth us to yield unto them all obedience, he that stoppeth his ears to those sweet and most gracious invitations of reason, and natural inclination, to honour and serve him, whom the bounty and will of GOD hath established over us; He who watcheth in labour, to make us sleep in rest; He who sits on the throne to do us right, that to ease us, beareth the burden of all ou● affairs; and in a word, He whose mind is always in trouble and anxiety, to preserve the quietness of his people, and to keep off the invasion and tyranny of Strangers; those Subjects, I say, are worthy of all the misfortunes, disasters, and calamities which can happen, through the privation of so good things.  
But we, who by the grace of GOD are brought up in his School, that together with our mother's milk have sucked the honour, service, and obedience which we owe to our Kings and Princes; Let us not suffer those wicked and dangerous plagues, to infect the purity of our hearts, and let not the whiteness of our souls be spotted and defiled, by so black and venomous a crime, assuring ourselves, that the least thought of disobedience and rebellion, which possesseth the mind; beside, that it is an evident token of an ungodly mind, is worthy of the most severe punishments that can be imagined.  
But let us show, that we are begotten among the children of GOD, and regenerated by the Spirit of his grace, let our ambition never fly higher than to the execution of his sacred commandments, wherein lieth the fullness and centre of all delights, and of all felicity both spiritual and temporal, and since particularly he desireth, that we should fear him, and honour the King, which he hath established over us, seeing that in the accomplishment, and fulfilling of these two commandments, we have as it were the sum of all his law; let us be careful to honour & serve him, and to yield unto him all sorts of duties, for he is the Lords anointed, assuring ourselves, that whilst we shall study to yield unto him due obedience, whilst we pray fervently for his long life, and prosperity, as we are in duty bound, God for his part will make good unto us his promises; to wit, to make us enjoy a delightful rest, and an admirable contentment, to bless the land wherein we dwell, to multiply our days upon it, in joy and felicity, and after we shall have served, obeyed, and and honoured the King, he will call us unto eternal felicity, to crown us with the incorruptible Crown of glory, that seated with the 24 Elders, in the Revelation, we may with them cast down our crowns before him, who is set on the Throne, to sing before him altogether: O Lord, thou art worthy to receive honour, blessing, and glory; to thee therefore, O eternal, immortal, admirable, to thee only wise God, Creator of all things, be ascribed all honour, glory, and magnificence, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen.  
O Almighty God, and sovereign Monarch of the whole world, who hast by thy incomprehensible virtue created all things, both in heaven and earth, that by thy foresight and wonderful providence, dost conduct and govern with so great wisdom, and with so beautiful, good, and just order, all thy creatures, that the contemplation thereof ravisheth us in admiration, and forceth the wicked and Atheists to confess, that the disposition so admirable of the stars, the swift motions of the heavens, the constant diversity of the seasons, happen not by chance, nor hazard, but that there must be some first and Sovereign mover, to turn those great Spheres, some great Captain, to set in order the whole host of heaven, and to make the seasons march in their order; this order I say so exactly observed, openeth thy children's mouths, and maketh them say with the Royal Prophet David, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work.  
Of God of peace, that hatest confusion, and disorder, grant us (if such be thy good pleasure) the grace to obey thy laws, and to follow in all things thy holy and divine ordinances, and since thou showest here unto us one of the ways, leading to the mountain of thy holiness, to the spiritual jerusalem, to wit, this commandment which thou makest here unto us, to Honour our King: give us the grace, O loving and gracious Father, that we may perfectly perform it, that our eyes may be always turned towards the Lords anointed, that our ears may be always open, to receive and obey his commandments, that our mouths may be always filled with his praises, that our hearts may be always inflamed with zeal, to his service, to testify unto him on all occasions our most humble obedience, that after we have here below been faithful subjects, we may be crowned above in heaven, with the incorruptible crown of glory. Amen.  
FINIS.