RECUSANTS' CONVERSION: A SERMON PREACHED AT St. JAMES, before the PRINCE on the 25. of February. 1608. BY DANIEL PRICE Master of Arts, of Exeter College in Oxford. At Oxford, Printed by joseph Barnes. 1608. TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE HENRY, PRINCE OF Great Britain and DUKE of CORNWAYL, the glory of grace in this life and the grace of glory in the future. REligious & most Gracious Prince, let me crave pardon for my presumption, in offering that unto the eye of the world, which I lately preached in the ear of your Highness. The unde served & unexpected attention, and former acception of these labours, have drawn this little gift, in representation of my remembrance therein: With this, I present myself and service, being ever ready with all my power to do your Highness the humblest duty, thinking myself happy, when I may perform any thing which may testify my true, zealous, and dutiful affection. Your highness hath already cunning Aholiab, and Bezaleel, sweet singing David, Parable speaking Ecclesiastes, Sin smiting Micaiah, jonas powerful for Contrition, Peter potent for compunction, Barnabas singular for Consolation. These all have dedicated and consecrated their labours to the building of God's temple in you: For my own part I confess I am not able with these, to bring taches, or rings, or earrings, or bracelets, or jewels of gold, or Onyx stones, or Sittim wood, or ointments, or spices, or perfumes, but the little oil which I have, I desire to present for the light of the Temple. Your Grace is the comfort of the old, the hope of the young, and the joy of all, tanquam ad clarum & beneficum sidus certatim ad volant, they strive to flock to your Highness as to the comfortable star of their happiness, wishes, prayers, presents, be their offerings. With me it is worse than with many, I have nothing to present, unless as Eschines did to Socrates, I should present myself, and ah 'las in myself I find that there is such a disproportion between a presents worthiness▪ and my weakness, that even in this, I had been disanimated, had I not been by your gracious favour encouraged. It now remaineth, that in the humblest manner I can devise, I wholly resign myself, studies, labours, endeavours, & course of life to your highness protection and disposition, craving pardon for my boldness, and ever praying for your highness blessedness, that you may be truly gracious in this life, and truly glorious in the life to come. Your highness most humbly devoted in all service DANIEL PRICE. Esay. 2.3. Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of jacob. WHen the Lord, for many years together had manifested himself, to be the God of Israel & expected that his people would become the Israel of God, it proved at the length, that Israel's sins, made them to become Ismaels' sons, & of a chosen generation a royal Priesthood, a peculiar people, a holy nation, they became an unwise and foolish generation, a disobedient and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their hearts aright, & whose spirit was not confident in their God, dishonouring God's Majesty, despising God's mercy, abusing his goodness, abasing his glory, profaning the King's holiday the Sabbath of the Lord, polluting the Sanctuary the Chamber of Presence of the Lord, neglecting his precepts the Acts of Parliament of the Lord, contemning his holy-ones the Privy Counsel of the Lord, not regarding him as a father who had adopted them his sons, or as a Master who had hired them his servants, or as a husband who had espoused them as his wife, or as a Lord who had delivered them as his people, out of the fie●y furnace of the land of Egypt of the house of bondage. Hereupon the Lord sent forth his heavenly heralds the Prophets, with their celestial proclamations, to signify his anger conceived against their sins, and yet his mercy if it were received by sinners, that so he might invi●e those that did rebel, incite those that did neglect, hasten those that did linger, and recall those that did wander, to sue out their pardons and to recover those places that they had lost in the house of his Courts. Etym. nom. Prophetarum. Thus sent he forth Esay his health to heal their sickness, jeremy his exaltation to bring them to humiliation, Esekiell his strength to help their weakness, Daniel his judgement to manifest his mercy & by these 4. as by 4. trumpets or by the 4. winds or by the 4. rivers of Paradise or by the 4. Evangelists he doth send out his spiritual Pursuivants with their celestial proclamations. Our Prophet Esay is one of these four who having sounded a Parley in the former Chapter and having contested with this people, Summa totius primi capitis. proveth that they are a sinful nation, a people full of iniquity, seed of the wicked, corrupt children, their whole head sick and their whole heart bevy so that from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head nothing but wounds and sores & swelling & corruption, the land waist, the cities burned Zion like a beseedged City, the faithful City become a harlot, the silver dross, the wine water, the Prince's rebellious: and that therefore the Lord would consume them and utterly overthrow them. Yet not withstanding all this their misery, in this Chapter, he prophesieth of God's great mercy, that there shallbe a time of the restoration of the Church, of the erection of the Temple, of the election of the Gentiles, the house of the Lord shallbe prepared upon the mountain and the mountain of the house of the Lord shallbe prepared on the top of the mountains & shallbe exalted above all the hills and the people shall resort thereunto, and shall mutually and reciprocally, excite, and solicit, each others with these words of my Text. Come & let us go up to the house of the Lord to the mountain of the God of Jacob. Which words emblematicallie do describe Ecclesia militantis symbolum, triumphantis exercitium the true sign of the Church militant on earth, and the holy exercise of the Church triumphing in heaven. Wherein if devotion, compunction, conversion, ascension, or religion may move, let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith unto the Church, or rather what the Church speaketh with the spirit, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob. If unity; amity, or unamitie may move, if the prophet who was a noble courtier or the people who were worthy Converts, or the place they go to, to the house of God, or the God of that house Deus jacobi may draw attention from you. O then come, & see, and hear, & taste, the gracious goodness of the Lord in the society of his Saints, with one mind & one mouth inviting one another with these words come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob: Come here is the mutual invitation, let us, here is the loving conjunction, Go up here is the spiritual ascension to the mountain of the Lord. here is the place for heavenly devotion▪ to the house of the God of jacob here is the Lord of host's habitation. Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of jacob. Without any further descant, observe with me these particulars. 1. a motive Come 2. the persons mutually moving and moved let us. 3. Division. the subject of the moutie go up 4. the place whether they go to the mountain of the Lord. etc. These be the gests of these Gentiles progress, and the points in the progress, 1. Obs. Illir. clascript. that I am to point at And first let the motive move you to attention Come. Illiricus noteth that the word in the original signifieth, as much as hasten or dispatch and Montanus on the same word observeth Hoc verbum studiorum excitationem, magis quam corporis metum explicat. In hos c. 6.1 That this word signifieth not so much a motion of the body as a devotion of the mind, and yet sometimes may signify both, as Aquinas on the like place noteth by these words. Venite add●mum Dei, venite ad doctrinam huius domus, 1 Doctrine. venite ad obedientiam huius doctrinae. The word Come in this place administereth this doctrine that it is the duty of God's children, not only to be forward themselves in godliness but also as much as they may to draw on others as St Hierome observeth. Non sunt propria salute contenti sed se mutuo provocant. Reason. Hier. in Hoseam 6.1. Reason of doct. The reason of this doctrine is this every Christian must work by faith to apprehend his own salvation, and also by love to comprehend as many as he may, within the compass of the promise: Now faith worketh by love, and mutual love is so especially required as without this faith is dead, hope a vain presuming, holiness hypocrisy, zeal, fury, love being the mother of grace, the daughter of sanctity the glass of religion, the marriage garment & the key of Paradise, and seeing that faith worketh by love, what greater love can there be, of one to another then for Christians to bring their brethren from the snares of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, Grego. Hom. 10. in Ezech. Gregory in his Homiles upon Ezethiel observeth this, Quid est quod haec pennata animalia vicissim alas alteram ad alieram feriunt etc. What doth the joint moving of these Cherubins signify but that all the Saints of God do by their virtues incite one another to the performance of holy duties? Aquinas. Aquinas upon the 12. of Esay, urgeth that as sinners do incite others, to wickedness by drawing cords of vanity with the cart-ropes of iniquity, how much more should the Godly seek to draw others to the affection of religious piety. For seeing that the wicked cry Come & let us lay wait for blood Prov. 1: 11. How much more should the godly excite each others, with o come and let us sing unto the Lord. Psal. 95.1. seeing that the wicked cry Come to Bethel and transgress, to Gilgal and multiply transgressions. Prov. 1.11, ●sal, 95.1. Amos, 4.4. Hosea, 6.1. ●us. in Chro. Epiph. ●●rs. 78. Orig, lib. ● in Gen, aside, de rit ●anct, Eus. l. 3.1. Chro. 12 Hom. 2. to say Come & let us return unto the Lord? Hosea. 6. This hath been the practice of the godly in all ages being themselves called and reclaimed & converted to convert, and to reclaim others. So did the Apostles the blessed servants of our Lord and Saviour being called from fishermen to be fishers of men, they converted many nations, as Ecclesiastical histories testify a Peter converting Antiochia, b john Asia, c Andrew Scythia, d Philip Gallia, e Thomas Parthia, f Bartholomew Armenia, g Hier. in epis. ad Gal Fact Chro Baronius & all. Simon Zelotes Mesapotamia, and joseph of Arimathea our Britannia. Yea not only the instructions but also the actions of very heathens have been potent motives to the wisest & worthiest of the world drawing many to the imitation of their virtues. The speech of Alexander his Trophies and Victories was the cause of Caesar's affecting and obtaining that renowned glory as Suetonius recordeth: Sue in julio Plut in The mistocle. And the cause of Themistocles glory was the following of Miltiades steps of dignity, as Plutarch testifieth. And so those many examples, of Hercules' fortitude, Marcus Aurelius wisdom, Antonius Pius, care of the Common wealth, Aristoteles learning, Cato's severity, Scipio his continency, Loelius amity, Fabritius integrity, Philip of macedon his policy, made them to be as precedents of these virtues to all succeeding ages, Aug. lib. 5 de civitate Dei c. 15.16 in so much that St Austin proveth that they have been honoured in all nations, not only bringing other nations in subjection to their Country, but also in drawing them to the imitation of their excellency by their precepts and counsels, and instructions, and actions. Much more is the power and force, & much more shall be the honour of those that lead others, to Godliness, surely they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, & they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever more Dan. 12.3. Dan. 12.3 And therefore the Lord in Ezech. Commands every one to cause on another to return Ezec. 18.32. Exod. 18 3 Exhorting one another, and provoking one another, and edifying one another as the Apostle counseleth. 1. The. s 5. ● 1. Thess. 5.11. every man concluding as the Psalmist lo here am I and the servant and the subject and the people, & the children that thou hast given me. A doctrine serving first for this use, to encouradge all true and faithful Christians to take every opportunity to bring others unto the Lord, Vsus and to use all means for their brethren's salvation, but especially concerning those that are in place of eminency and authority, because the actions of the leaders are as spurs to the followers & their exemplary provocations more forcible than their mandatory proclamations. For how did all in the time of Alexander affect chivalry because he was a soldier, and Poetry in Augustus' time because he was a Poet & fencing in Commodus time because he loved sencing. How forwards were all in Christianity in the time of Constantine because he was a Christian, Lact. divin. instit. lib 5. How backward in the time of Julian when he fell to Apostasy, Lactantius could say that to imitate the manners yea the vices of Princes was held an obedience. The example of the Prince is the greatest provocation to do good or evil. A Prince is as the highest Sphere, the lower Spheres have their action, motion, imitation from him. There is such a Concatenation in government that where there is a good king there is also a good kingdom, a good Counsel, a good Clergy, and a good Commonwealth, the axiom ever true, Rex velit honesta nemo non eadem velit. If the heart of a Prince be set upon honest things the hearts of all others will be set upon the same things with him. The virtues of private men, be only their own, of Princes and great men all the worlds, dicta edicta, facta exempla. Their actions breed axioms, their words examples. If they once do that which is preposterous, their scholars will be many. The disease of the head, is the head of all diseases. O how ought great men to be advised then, in their actions, not only for their own sake, but for the avail of others, that by virtue they may breed virtue, that their goodness may not only be immanent but also transient, especially seeing their names, places, offices, powers, and honour be worth no estimation unless virtuous and not virtuous, unless exemplary to move and draw and excite others unto piety and Christianity, they being the watch men, and rulers, and heads, and shepherds of the people as Homer calleth Agamemnon, Hom. Ill 10 — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: Which Caesar truly showed himself to be, Polycrat. never using the word Ite, 2. Use. but the word of my Text, Venite, Come. Secondly this may serve to the reproach of those that come not at all unto the Lord, who being withheld by their riches, or withdrawn by their pleasures, or detained by their profits, or bewitched by their senseless and lifeless cogitations they defer & procrastinate their coming unto the Lord, not vouchsafing to come to join with the congregation of his Saints. Laert. in vita Diog Against whom Diogenes shall be witness, who was so diligent in coming to Antisthenes that he told him, he should not find a staff strong enough to beat him from him, whilst he had any thing to teach him: And Scipio shall rise in judgement against them, ● ivy. who was so devout in daily frequenting the Capitol to perform divine offices, that he was had in great honour among the Romans for his devotion. But alas Epicurism, Atheism. Paganism, Anabaptisme, Barowisme and Papisme, have so enchanted many amongst us, that they will not come unto our Church, Charm the Charmer never so wisely. Especially our malicious enemies the Edomites, & Ammonites, the Papists who by their doctrinal contradictions and personal maledictions, do disgorge the impostumes of their poisonful stomachs against our faith, truth, religion, King, and God, & framing to themselves a religion out of the fragments, and remnants, of the ancient heresies, they are become heirs apparent to all those monsters of Satan's kingdom, the Montanists, and Manichees, and Eustathians, Hull, in Polytick Atheist, Orm erod in picture, of Pap. & multi a●ij. and Pellagians, and Collyridians, and Carpocratians: and Marc●onits. and Valentinians, despising the truth, which was delivered by Angels, preached by Prophets, testified by Apostles, witnessed by Martyrs, sealed by the blood of many thousand Saints, and the worlds Saviour, and do so far condemn and contemn us and our religion, as that they think it most meritorious, if they could abolish us & our service of God out of the land of the living. Such are these, seed of the Serpent, Sons of Beliall, workmen of Babel, Pioneers of Hell: so much are they incensed against us, as that they are become bloodthirsty Crocodiles, hart-gnawing Vultures, dilaniating Lions, poisonful Asps, in laying snares more subtle than Doeg, for wicked Counsel worse than Achitophel, for blasphemous impiety far above Rabshakah, for devilish hunting more truculent than Nimrod for murder and massacre more savage than Herod, for betraying of their God, and King, and religion, and land, and Nation, more devilish than ever any of the tribe of judas. O that they had removed their blindfolded ignorance, and ignorant Idolatry, or that they were removed out of the land: that so we might all go together, as sheep of one shepherd, sons of one father, inheritors of one kingdom, Inhabiters of one Country, and so might travel together to that eternal jerusalem where the spirit and the bride say Come, and let him that is a thirst Come, Revel. and let whosoever will, Come and drink freely of the water of life, that so with mutual minds all of us might move each others as they hear do, Come, and let us. And so let us Come from the word Come to the words let us the persons moving and moved. And here first behold the greatest Change, 2. Obser. mutation, alteration, metamorphosis that ever was: foes received as friends, aliens as citizens, enemies as servants, the rejected as elected, the Sons of the bond woman made free, strangers to the promise made heirs. The Gentiles who had no covenant in hope, no hope in God no God in the world, are now converted, accepted, approved. On the other side behold with terror and trembling, the right Olive tree made a wild branch, the Citizens made aliens, the heirs made strangers, jacob a supplanter, supplanted, Esau rejected, received, Israel, made Ishmael, Ishmael made Israel and the Israelites to whom appertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and the giving of law, and the service of God, and the promise, are now become a froward generation. Doctrine. The jews perverted, and the Gentiles converted. The doctrine that hence I gather, is this, they that turn from God, he will turn from them, and they that turn to the Lord, he will turn to them. Reason. 1. Sam. 2.13 The reason and proof of this doctrine, is that of God himself. In Sam. They that honour me I will honour them, and they that despise me I will despise them. Though the Jews were the people, whose fathers he had loved, whose seed he had chosen, whom he brought out of the land of Egypt, for whom he showed so many miracles, and to whom he manifested so many mercies, a people as dear to him as the apple of his eye, as near as the signet on his right hand, yet, if they forsake him they shall be fettered, famished, scattered, consumed, & utterly rejected, and on the other side, though the Gentiles were a people odious in the sight of God and men, an adulterous and Idolatrous generation, yea though their sins were as red as scarlet, he can make them as white as snow, though as red as crimson, if they will turn, he can make them as white as wool: A strange mutation, an unheard of Metamorphosis. Shall I tell you of Samson so strong, that proved so weak, of Solomon so wise, that proved so foolish, of Peter a Pastor, that prove an impostor, of judas a preacher, that proved a traitor, of Paul a persecutor, that proved a preacher: what is all this to this? The jews that were received are rejected, & the Gentiles that were rejected, are received. Shall I tell you? that all the world was destroyed, & a little ark delivered, that all Sodom was burned, and little Soar defended, that all Egypt was plagued, & little Goshen preserved: behold these with trembling, and add unto these; this, that the jews that were received, are rejected, and the Gentiles that were rejected, are received. Shall I in one word, tell you of the consumption, destruction, subversion, desolation of the worthiest structures, and Piles, that ever the sun looked upon: how Noah that was full of people, and Babylon that sat as a Queen, & jericho that was the city of Palm trees, and Tirus rich with the seed of Nilus, and jerusalem the joy of the whole earth, were overthrown, and all utterly consumed. Yet none of these are Parallel to this Cataclisme, and Inundation of desolation, that the jews, the first, and best, and one, & only beloved people, who had Abraham for their father, Israel for their name, Moses their Prophet, Aaron their Priest, Manna their meat, Canaan their Country, Kings their Captives, David their king, yea Christ himself their kinsman, and yet these Jews rejected, and Gentiles received. Vsus. O consider this all ye that forget God, howl ye Fir trees that these Cedars have fallen, the Olive tree hath lost her fatness, the Vine three her sweetness, the Cedar her fairness, the Fig three her fruitfulness. O what then remaineth for the brambles and briars, thorns, and thistles, but the fire of wrath, and the wrath of fury! O did the world, and the pomp, & the glory thereof consider this, did those places that now in joy enjoy the pleasures of the world duly regard this. Did Venice so blessed with riches, Bononia with fruits, Naples with Nobility, Milan with beauty Ravenna so honoured for antiquity, Foreign Countries. or Florence for policy, did these I say in the height of their pride, cast down their eyes upon the dust and ashes and double of the world's more ancient monuments, they would now, Our own Land. even now, in the days of their peace, think upon the time of their visitation. Did our own land endowed as gloriously, as graciously with the blessings of peace & plenty, & prosperity as ever Caanan was. Did our Land meditate upon this, it would not so far put from her the day of desolation. The City London. Did the City proud of her walls and bulwarks, puffed up in the wealthiness of her inhabitants, glorying in the goodliness of her building, vaunting herself to be the mother city of the land, the Metropolis of the Country, the seat of the kingdom, and the Chamber of the King, did this City remember this, than her graves would not be so full, her houses often so empty, her howl so many, her plagues so mighty. Yea to come nearer: St james Did this Court wherein I speak, and you the stars of this Zodiac consider this, it would serve to let you blood in the swelling veins of pride, to lance the impostumes of greedy desires, to purge your ambitious, malicious, voluptuous thoughts, to cure wantonness, & to curb the lest thought of wickedness. Wherefore, let every man make particular use of this doctrine, that seeing the jews have fallen, they take heed to that counsel of S. Paul, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 1. Cor. 10.12. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall. Be not deceived, flatter not thyself, equivocate not with thy soul, though thou seem to be the dear child of God, presume not there upon, thou mayest fall, thou art not more sober than Noah, more strong than Samson, more wise than Solomon, more chaste than David, more secure than Peter. Cecidere duces, the Columns, Arches, Pillars, Pyramids have fallen Israel's strong men have fallen, yea Israel the very first, and best, & chiefest of God's people have fallen, their strength hath been weakened, their beauty blemished, their blossoms blasted, their honour obscured, their glory eclipsed, men have fallen, the best of men, more glorious than the best of men, Patriarches have fallen, Prophets have fallen, Apostles have fallen, Stars have fallen, Angels have fallen. A second lesson that we learn in these Gentiles, 2 da. 2dae. is their unity, and mutual society in their conversion, exhorting one another: They were not divided in their wills, not separated in their actions, not disjoind in their affections, but in a heavenly harmony they all join together, mutually inciting, Come and let us. The one and only God and father of us all, who is God for everlasting, blessed world without end, he, in the riches of his wisdom, & knowledge, hath appointed, that not only the world in things natural, but that his Church also in things spiritual, should begin, increase, continue, Aristotle. and be perpetuated by unity. The Naturalist looking through the windows of Nature beheld the one & found Unity to be the apeasement of all Contraries, of contrary Elements in the world, of contrary humours in the body, of contrary affections in the mind, of contrary factions in the Common wealth: and in things spiritual, it is so heavenvly, as that it is truly esteemed to be the bond of the patriarchs, the Chariot of the Prophets, the refuge of the Apostles, the Comfort of Confessors, and the salve of the Saints. And therefore God himself hath made his faithful people to be all as one, his a Cant. 6.8. Church he hath made one. He hath given them b Mat 25.34 one kingdom, and c joh. 17 21 one will, d Ier 32.29 one heart, & one way, e Eze. 1.16. one mind and one spirit. So like in love as that with the f Esec. 1 16. Cherubins in Ezechiels' vision, they seem to have but one face. So loving in quality and condition, as that with all g judg. 20.1 Israel they are gathered together as one man, so constant in faith and affection as that they h Acts 2 46. continue with one accord in the Temple. So did these Converts, they conjoin themselves together as the true members of Christ's body, one thought, one wish, one desire, one heart, one tongue, with all which they join, Come and let us. So that the doctrine which hence ariseth is this, Doctrine. that it is a sure sign of Christianity in the Children of God to be at one in the unity of the spirit. The reason of the doctrine is, that seeing there is but one God, one Father, one Redeemer, one Comforter, one milk of the word, one food of the Sacraments, Reason. seeing there is but one faith, one Lord, one baptism, seeing we all inhabit one vale of misery, and valley of tears, seeing we all fight against one enemy, the old serpent, seeing we all run for one goal, all wrestle for one garland, all strive for one crown, all partake in one body, and one spirit, we might all be one in the Lord jesus. And so might enjoy the blessing of unity, and amity and unanimity, more pleasant than the pools of Heshbon, more glorious than the Towers of Lebanon, more redolent than the oil of Aaron, more fructifiing, than the dew of Hermon, That so we may be all knit together without any disjunction, that whether we be supplicants to the throne of grace, we may all of us come together, as joint petitioners, or whether we be the singers of thanksgiving in the house of the Lord, we may all sing in the harmony of the spirit, or whether we be as the company of an army to stand in the gap to entreat for Conditions of peace, we may all cry together, Spare us good Lord, spare thy people, & be not angry with thine inheritance: so all of us, being as so many beams, issuing from the Sun of righteousness, all as brooks coming, from the fountain of goodness, all of us as nerves proceeding from the head of wisdom, all of us as arteries springing from the heart of love, all of us as veins derived from the liver of life, all of us as lines drawn from the centre of grace: All of us going one way through truth unto life, through light unto truth, through love unto light, having one hope, one faith, and grace of God, in Christ Jesus, the one & only means of our salvation. The use hereof is to exhort all the Saints, Use. & servants of God, to an uniformity in Christianity, and the profession thereof, that so there may be no division in the body, for seeing a body, a house, a kingdom cannot stand if once divided, Alas how shall the Church of Christ, the body of Christ, the household of the faithful, the kingdom of heaven upon earth stand if there be so many Scissors and Concisers, & Cutters & Carvers of her members? Livy Rome in that civil or rather uncivil discord between Crassus, and Caesar, and Pompey had almost lost (by this threefold discord) the threefold cord of their concord, and many other Common wealths have been much wasted and impaired by the monster dissension. Tacitus in vita Agrico lae. Tacitus in the life of Agricola describing the figure, fashion, complexion, chivalry and resolution of the Britaines in that time, observeth this also, that they were then drawn into petty partialities and factions, Britan, gens vali dissima. Tacit. and the greatest help that the Romans had adversus validissimas gentes as he calleth our nation, was that they had no common council together, but each city fought against their neighbours, Et ita dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur, whilst one by one fighteth, all are subdued. The Romans are again entering our land, they expect an advantageous success, by our homebred factions, and schisms, & dissensions. But Lord let it never come to pass, let our Commonwealth and Church be as jerusalem a City at unity, safe as Mount Zion that shall never be removed. Let thy Church here be for ever the house of peace! O let not her Peacemakers be her Peacebreakers, let not her fathers be foster-fathers' of dissension, but let patrons be patterns of unity, let her Precedents be the precedents of unity, her Ancients bear the standards of unity, let her be begirt with the walls of unity, let her and her servants, & her sons be guided by thee O God, the God of unity, till the coming of thy Son Christ jesus to judgement! I know I speak to an intelligent and ingenious auditory, I need not expatiat in this of the profit, pleasure, blessing, felicity of unity. You all know that she is the greatest gift of God, chiefest joy of Angels, highest happiness of men, fearfullest terror of devils, holiest harmony of Saints, heavenlyest Anthem of Celestial Cherubins, The Empress of the world, whose privy Counsel be the virtues, whose Ladies of honour be the Muses, whose nearest attendants be the Graces, whose Guard be the Angels, whose Court is prosperity, whose state is felicity, whose statutes verity, whose continuance eternity, David his Ecce, as the royal usher of this Empress bids you behold how good & gracious, and happy, and holy, and heavenly a thing it is to dwell together in unity. Hold it, and behold it, entertain her, & retain her, that you may all say as these converts Come & let us go up. And so I end this point and follow them in their going up. Come and let us go up The life of a Christian is not the life of speculation, 2 Obs. not a professing life, but a practising, not a talking life, but a walking, they must not only Come together but go together, they must walk, & go, & clime, & go up. Go repent go up, perseverance. 1. Repent. This ditty their duty, Come and let us go up. In the word go we may note their repentance; in their going up their perseverance. For the first they had long lain upon the lees of ungodliness unstird, unmoved, they sat in the seat of the scornful, or if they stood up, they stood but in the way of sinners, or if they walked they walked but in the counsel of the wicked, gressus digressus; but now they take a new journey in hand, they choose new living ways; they go, egressus regressus, they go, & go out, and go on, and go up and turn from the way of their wickedness and from the wickedness of their ways. Doctrine. The doctrine gathered from the word go is this, that it is a certain sign of salvation in a penitent sinner, upon the first knowledge & acknowledgement of his sins, to go to the throne of grace. Austin. Reason. St Austin giveth the reason of this doctrine, Man by his going from God is deformed and polluted and altogether void of all spiritual blessings, and by his return and going back to God he obtaineth all those blessings he formerly lost. Excedendo frigescit, ascendendo fervescit, Recedendo tenebrescit, revertendo clarescit, & therefore these converts resolve here as those did of whom St Austin speaketh. In 70. Psal. Conferamus nos ad te & bene erit nobis de nobis, malum est nobis de nobis, & quia commisimus malum, dimisisti nos nobis. The state of Christians in their conversion is undoubtedly most heavenly, that though Satan hath assaulted them and sin hath wounded them, and the world tempted them, and the flesh betrayed them, and temptation entrapped them, yet all these enemies remove their beeseedg when the soul is desirous to turn to his God. O how happy is the Christian then when he hath the father calling, the son moving, the holy spirit persuading, the word directing, the reward inviting, Saints conversing, Angels rejoicing, and he himself singing that sweet & holy Hymn Nunc dimittis, Lord now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace from the wicked ways of the world, the flesh, the devil, and from the company of all infernal complices, lo I come, I walk, I go, I run, I climb, I go up to the house of the Lord, I repent my sins past. video meliora proboque I follow hard to the mark for the high price of my salvation! Thus when they return and for sins sake leave sin, and leaving sins, repent of sins, though the lees thereof remain in them, & if for righteousness sake, they labour for righteousness, though an essential righteousness be not inherent in them, though they do not all the good they love, but in love, desire to do it, though they leave not all the sins they hate, but in hatred labour to resist them, by this returning the good we do is accepted, the good we desire to do is imputed, the evil we leave is discharged, the evil we desire to leave, shall not be imputed. But alas, how many put from them the thought of repentance? When notwithstanding that they have their conscience accusing them, their sins oppressing them, God's judgement threatening them. God's spirit warning them, God's mercy exciting them, And yet alas yet, they are so lulled in security, as that they think not of their return before the Lord quite turn them of. Strabo in Geog. l. 13, These be like those of whom Strabo writeth in his Geography, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they defer till it be to late, like to Hannibal in surprising Rome, Quando potui non habui voluntatem, & quando volui non habui potestatem. They have vocem corvinam, to cry Cras, to procrastinate their return, but have not vocem columbinam mox mox. They remember not that God hath left but 2 Tenses to man praesens & prateritum, and hath taken the future into his own hands, to dispose thereof himself: and if they have been deceived of the time past, and are deceived of the time present, how much more may they be of the time future. The Saints and servants of God, are careful upon the first knowledge of their sins, and errors to return unto the Lord. So did a Act. 9.6. Paul from Gentilism, in persecuting the Jews, b Mat. 26.75. Peter from judaisme, in denying his Master, c 2. Sam. 12. David from his adultery, d Eccls, 1.1. Solomon from his Jdolatry, e 2. Chro, 32.26. Hesekias the father, f 2, Chro. 33, 12. Manasses his son. g Act. 8.37. The Ennuch, h Act. 10, 1. Cornelius, the i jud. 2.5. Israelites, k joan. 3 6. Ninivits, l jud. 7.19. Bethulians, m Act, 8, 12, Samaritans, n Thessalonians, and infinite more. The use of this doctrine is that we confess that we have all gone astray and done wickedly, every one of us hath wandered out of the way, and therefore that we seek to the throne of grace there to seek this conversion, this especial gift of God, this joy of Angels, this salve of sins, this haven of sinners, denied to Angels, and therefore they became devils, denied to devils, and therefore they remain damned, and only a gift bestowed on the sons of God. O how oft hath repentance and conversion been preached, and yet how little hath it been affected! It hath been preached by Naoh to the old world, by lot to Sodom, by Moses to Egypt, by the Prophets to Israel, by john Baptist to Christ, by Christ before the Apostles, and by many thousands of the Saints and servants of God since in many places, and how often it hath been preached in this place and to this presence, the very wood and stones, and seats, and senclesse creatures cambear witness. O it willbe to late to return Corpus cum causa, when the sentence of condemnation is come from the King's bench. Come therefore let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture, to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts, and now even now while it is time and day, remember to return unto the Lord: whatsoever thou art that hast strayed from the Lord by pride, return by the holy way of humility, or by hard hearted cruelty, return by the blessed way of mercy, or if by envy, return by charity, or if by covetousness, return by liberality, or if by drunkenness, return by sobriety, or if by filthiness, return by chastity. In a word I end this point with the words of our prophet in the 5. verse of this chapter. O house of jacob come ye & let us walk in the light of the Lord! Esay. 2.5. And so I come to step a step higher from the going to their going up, Come and let us go up. They go, and walk, and climb, and go up. They continue, 2. Perseverance Go up. they persevere, with Hannibal's soldiers they proceed forwards in their journey, notwithstanding the rough rocks, and craggy clefts of the Alps. God cannot abide halting in his service, delaying in religion, loitering in profession, limits in Christian procession, he cannot but distaste any snail-like withdrawing, any peece-like recoilling, any Hypocritical feigning, any wearisome fainting, any Dial-like staying, any poole-like standing, any Ephraimite starting, any foolish virgin neglecting, any drowsey Apostle sleeping. The profession of a Christian must not be like to Fabia in Quintilian, Quint. which for, 30. years together would not confess she was a year elder, or like to the sun in joshua's time that stood still, or rather the sun in Hesekiah his time, which went backward, or like to that Mounke who in his quotidian devotions, St Thom● Moor. was wont to say the 1 day Gloria Patri, the 2 & filio, the third & spiritui sancto and in the end it was sicut erat in principio, juc. in dialog. Eras in chuy●…ds. Ho●. de a● Pot. doubling over his orisons, or like to Mandrabulus in Lucian, who the first year offered a sheep of gold, the second a sheep of silver, & the third a sheep of brass; or in a word like to the picture in the Poet, definite in piscem, mulier formosa superné. Many there be who make good entrance but weak continuance, they run well at the first but they either tire or retire, they begin in the spirit & end in the flesh, the blossoms be fair, but when their fruit should be ripe it is rotten, their beginning is good & laudable, but the end is lewd and damnable. The Lord hateth these, and therefore as the especial thing he requireth in a Christian is to be faithful, so the most especial thing in the faithful is to be perfect, even to be faithful to the death. The Doctrine that I hence gather from the words go up, Doctrine. is this, that the Christian that hath entered into paths of righteousness, Reason. must resolve to walk therein all the days of his life. The reason of this doctrine is the position of Christ himself, he that putteth his hand to the plough & draweth it back, is unfit for the kingdom of heaven. A Christian therefore must remember that as God is α, and ω, so he will have his servants to run from α, to ω, from the beginning to the ending in the constant profession of the faith: they must remember they that were marked to be preserved in Jerusalem, they were marked with the Character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the last of all the Hebrew letters, teaching them that they must run their race even to the last. Their profession must be Sacramentum militare, to hold until death, like to the covenant in our Liturgy of matrimony, to be kept till death us departed, like to that in the Poet of Megara to her Hercules: Seneca. Non vincet fidem vis ulla nostram, Moriar Alcide tua— They must with the a Cant. 3.4. Spouse in the Canticles, take hold and not leave the hold. With b Io. 20 21. Mary Magdalen stand, and wait, and stay at the sepulchre, they must with the c Mat. 15.22 woman of Canaan, cry & continue in crying & calling, e Heb 12.4 d Phil. 4.1. They must continue in the Lord, they must be steadfast, and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the lord f Ps. 126.6. They must go, and go on, yea they must go, and go up with these Israelites: Non est ad astra mollis è terris via, They must go on, go up, clime and ascend, if they will be truly upright, they must go right up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of jacob. The use hereof is to exhort those that are matriculated in the book of Christ, Use. that they prove proficients in his School, that they may walk from strength to strength, from faith to faith, from virtue to virtue, from grace to grace, Ps. 84. Rom 1.17 2. Cor. 3: 18 and so may at length pass from glory to glory. That so there be no evil, or unfaithful heart in us at any time to fall from the living God, not starting aside as Ephraim, not backsliding with Demis, not gainsaying with Ecebolius, not repugning with julian, not turning from the truth with Phygellus, and Hermogenes, not making shipwreck of a good conscience with Hymeneus and Alexander, but that for ever, and ever we consecrate our bodies to his name, our ears to hear his word, our tongue to sound his praises, our hands to be lifted up, 4 obseru. our cheeks to be bedewed, our knees to be bowed, & our feet to approach his Courts: and so I come to the place whether they go, to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of jacob. The Church of God in Scripture is compared to many & several things, Cant. 2.10 Elek. 17.6 for her loveliness to a a Dove, for her fruitfulness to a b Vine, for her holynesseto a c Pet. 2.9. Priecthood for her royalnesse to a d Psa. 45.10 Queen, for her brightness to the e Cant. 6.9 Morning, for her fairness fair as the fairest of f Cant. 5.9 women, and here for her safeness to mount Zion: not for her visibleness, as the Papists out of this, & other places affirm, but for her steadfastness and safeness she is as Mount Zion, that standeth fast fore ermore. For visibility we hold as it hath been often answered them, that it is an external ornament, no necessary argument of Christ's Church, we know that of St. Austen to be true, that the Church is well compared to the Moon, In Psal, 10. for as the Moon receiveth the light from the Sun, so doth the true Church receive her light from Jesus Christ the Sun of righteousness. And as the Moon so the Church is sometimes in the full, & shineth in full brightness, as in the Apostles times, and divers hundred years after. Some times she is in the wain and eclipsed, as for many hundred years last passed, it hath been, in which that Apostasy from the faith is come, which S. Paul by the spirit of God foreshowed. That there should come a departing and the man of sin should be disclosed, even the son of perdition. 2. Thes. 2.3. and more plainly, the spirit speaketh evidently, that in the latter times some shall departed from the faith, and shall give heed unto spirits of error, and doctrine of devils, which speak lies through hypocrisy, and have their Consciences burnt with a hot iron. 1. Tim. 4.1. For the visibility of the Church the argument would as well befit Bethel where jeroboam his calves had more concourse than the Temple at jerusalem, and might justify the Ephesians clamour, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, whom all the world worshippeth, and is as available to prove the Arrians to be of the Church, Naziane. who measured their Church by multitude, not quality; and the Turk may in this contest with the Pope, his Church being as apparent in show, as ceremonious for rites, as superstitious in devotion, as glorious in Temples, as ancient almost for succession. Our adversaries in this remember not how in the sacred stories, the Church is hieroglyphically depainted, by Noah's ark, by Abraham's progeny, jobs family, Eliahs' complaint, Nebuchadne sors furnace, the Apostles latent, the Christians Couchant. That the Church is like a a Cant. 2.2. Lylie among the Thorns, like a Lylie of the valleys. Like a b Esay. 1.8. Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers. Like a c Cant. 2.14 Dove in the holes of the rocks, and in the secret places of the stairs, d Rev. 12.6. like a woman flying into the desert, e Eze. 16.5. yea cast out into the open field, to the contempt of her person. Thus hath she been seen and scorned, acknowledged, but detested, visible, but miserable. Where now is the magnificent pomp, and glory, and speciositie, & eminency, and perspicuity of this Church? I follow these visible heretics no farther about their visibility. The Church is here named by the name of a mountain, That God, who among all the fowls chose the Dove, among all the flowers the Lylie, among all trees the Cedar, among all nations judaea, among all days the Sabbath, among all turrets, the tower of David among all Cities jerusalem, among all other mountains hath chosen Zion for himself. It is not Babylon that mountain. jer. 51.25. nor Horeb that smoking mountain Exod. 19.18. nor Eball that cursing mountain Deut 27. ●3. nor Sinai that trembling mountain Deut 4.1. where there was fire to the midst of heaven, and darkness, and mists, and clouds, and thundering, and lightning, the Trumpet sounding, and the earth quaking. But it is that prepared mountain. Mich. 4.1. it is that high mountain Esec. 20.40. It is that holy mountain. Ps. 2.6. It is the mountain of his name. Esay 18.7 it is the mountain of his Temple▪ Mich. 3.12. the mountain of his testament. Esay 14.13. the mountain of the house of the lord Mons supra montes, mons in vertice montium. Some take these words to be spoken of the general Church, some of the particular Temple. Some that the Prophet here alludeth by the particular to the general, Zion was the place where he appointed his Temple to be built, this therefore is called the mountain of his house. So that the meaning of the words is this, that they that had been recusants from the Church, aliens from the Congregation of Israel, should at the length be written in God's book, incorporated into Christ's body, clothed with Christ's righteousness, admitted to be scholars in Christ's Church, Esay. 18.7. and received to be inheritors of Christ's Kingdom: and as this our Prophet speaketh in his 18. Chap. vers. 7. At that time a present shallbe brought unto the Lord of hosts, (a people that is scattered abroad and spoiled, and of a terrible people from their beginning hitherto, a nation even by little and little trodden under foot, whose Land the rivers have spoiled) to the place of the Lord of hosts to the mount Zion. These be the people, these the present, these be they that come, that go, that go on, that go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of jacob. The doctrine that I gather from this place is this, that every one have an especial regard and care to know whether he be a true member of the Church, Doct whether he be truly one of the society of all Christian souls. The reason of this doctrine is this they that be not of this Church they cannot assure themselves of any true joy, Reason any true peace, any true comfort in this life or in that to come. I might prove this by many places, but I know not how I may be dispensed with in this congregation for prolixity of speech and therefore will draw unto an end. Psal. 15.1. David in the 15. Psalm asketh this question who be the true members of the Church, Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle, or who shall rest upon thy holy mountain? I refer you to the answer, view it, observe it, read it, then remember. The truest argument that we have to prove these Converts to be of the Church, is this, their earnest desire to come to present themselves before the Lord in his house. So that leaving all other marks, I dare be bold to aver out of this place; That they that come to present themselves unto God in his house, with true, faithful, lowly, penitent, and obedient souls, they are the true Saints and servants of God. O how should this move us to earnest and unfeigned devotion, how should this move us to sing with David, O how pleasant are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts! Indeed they were pleasant and amiable to him, he could have wished himself a very Potter, a dorekeeper in the house of his God, yea when he was absent from the Tabernacle, he lamented that his happiness was not so much as the very Sparrow, and Swallow, that sound a nest and building place in the Temple, s 84.4. concluding in that Psalm, O blessed are they that dwell in thy house! I need not to tell you of the magnificent structure of the Temple, how gloriously erected, how beautifully franed how past all imaginations furnished, how finished, dedicated, blessed, admired, honoured, frequented, how esteemed by God himself as a holy mansion, the very joy of the earth, the beauty of the world, the glory of all nations, the palace of the great king, the delight & paradise of the highest, where was the Ark & covenant, the tables of the Testimony, the Seraphins, Cherubins, and mercy seat, all being strange things of much excellency, but the summity of all happiness, was the residence of God's eternal favour there. I need not to tell you of the honour that the very heathens had in their reputing of this to be most holy, of Antiq. ib. 11.8. & 2.2. & 14.8. josephus in his Antiquities testifieth what observant regard was borne to this sanctuary by Alexander the great, by Ptolomaens Philadelphus, by Pompey the great, and many others, I omit the styles, titles, names attributes, and other encomiastics of this Temple. The use I make of the doctrine proposed is this, to exhort every man to comfortable remembrance of this benefit, that he is one of God's Church, and may be bold to present himself before the Lord in his Church, that whereas many dare not be bold to speak unto some others of the same mould and matter, dare not I say, come into the presence or enter the privy Chamber, yet they may be bold to enter Gods great Chamber of presence, the residence of his favour, the habitation of his honour, his Sanctuary, Temple, Tabernacle, mountain, house, Church. Ho wought this to move us? Seeing we may be bold to come to this mountain, yea more to the house of this mountain, nay more to the God of this house, of this house I may well say; for if ever he were God, he was Deus jacobi. And I from the inwards of my soul pray that this Court of St james may be as truly Domus jacobi, as he hath been Deus jacobi: who knoweth not that he is Deus jacobi, a God, a great & powerful God, whose Court is Celum, whose hall is expansum, whose star-chamber is firmamentum, whose exchequer is profundum, whose Kings bench is Empyraeum, whose throne is heaven, whose footstool is earth, whose washpott is the sea, whose attendants be Angels, whose horses be the winds, whose Chariots be the fire, whose word is his will, whose will is his command, whose command is his power, whose power is eternal, making him fearful to his enemies, merciful to his servants, just in his judgements, true in his promises, wonderful in his mercies, marvelous in his wonders: all this is comprehended in this he is Deus Jacobi I hope none of you are so stony hearted but will be moved by the mountain, or if not, by the house of this mountain, or if not, by the God of this house, or if not, yet sure by this title that he is Deus Jacobi, I shall exhort and by violence draw some conversion, or compunction, or devotion from you. Gracious Prince give me leave to speak to your Highness. I confess I am not Agapetus to give precepts to justinian, or a Pliny to give instructions to trajan, or an Aristotle to give Council to the young Prince Alexander: yet give me leave to remember your highness of one higher, the Lord of Lords, & the Prince of Princes, Remember his name, his fear, his service, his honour, his Church, let it for ever be your joy, and the Crown of your dignity, with the good Emperor Theodosius rather to be membrum Ecclesiae, then caput Imperij, let the example of David be ever before your Princely eyes, his profession; I & my house will serve the Lord, his protestation, It did me good, when they said we will go unto the house of the Lord, my feet shall stand in thy gates o Jerusalem. So shall the eyes that see you bless you, & the ears that hear you give witness to you, and the mouths that speak of you shall cry from the earth to the heavens, blessed be the womb that bore the, and the paps that gave thee suck, and God himself shall utter his voice from the heaven to the earth, Peace be within thy wales and plenteousness with in thy Palaces. Honourable springs of Nobility ye generous and in genius spirits, I have not the spirit of Paul to speak to the Noble men of Beraea, yet give me leave to remember you of your duty, which the Lord requireth, Kings cast their Crowns at his feet, and Nobles seek their honour in his service. Perform duty to him, and ye shall be more Noble than ye were borne, ye shall be partakers of a new birth in Christ Jesus: add unto the Nobility of your birth the Nobility of life, the Nobility of virtue is your own, of birth your predecessors: — Et quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco.— Remember your God, his service, & Religion, Remember his Temple, Remember that this place is the Spring-Garden of the Nobility, here ye grow up as plants, & here shall ye be preferred to be as the polished Corners of the Temple. O then remember the honour due unto the Temple! I hope you hope for the blessings of the eternal life, one of them is to be made Pillars in the Temple of my God. Are you to be pillars in the Temple of God? Revel. 2, O then remember the Love you ought to show unto this temple. What should I speak of the corners or pillars of the Temple? Templum est is viventis Dei, ye are the Temple of the living God, the Scripture speaketh it, I need not demonstrate it, your lips be the Organs of this Temple, your thanksgiving the hymns of this Temple, your unity the harmony of this Temple, your tongues the censors of this Temple, your prayers the incense of this Temple, your heart the Altar of this Temple, your repentance the sacrifice of this Temple, your zeal the fire of this Temple, which as the fire in the Temple, let it never go out. The time will come, when you will acknowledge this, & condemn yourselves for contemning this, when you will hate the pomp, and glory, and all the state of this world, when in true judgement you shall find your gold and silver to be but the earth's dregs, your silks but the excrements of worms, your Pearls but the double of the sea, the sweetest musk to be nature's avoidance, the most gorgeous apparel to be follies garnish and pride's ensign, the most fair houses, riots witnesses, oppressions monuments, the greatest cheer the body's stench and the bellies burden, the greatest offices favours butterflies, and moneys bondslaves. Authority envies object, and cares subject, & the chiefest Glory, statteries shadow, and popularities apprentice. Ah 'las what fruit, or joy, or comfort will ye then have of those things whereof ye will be ashamed? O then remember now even now in your tender years, to tender yourselves to your God, for they that honour him, he will honour them, and they that despise him, he will despise them. Al of you, worshipful & beloved, Remember what you have hard this day, if the Text I have chosen (the Conversion of the Gentiles) cannot move you to Conversion, yet let the time wherein I speak. It is Lent, a time of all others in the whole year appropriated for this holy work of Conversion. Devotion, coming to the Church, and performing of divine offices. It is the time wherein Christ in forty days did suffer more misery, then in all his life. It is the time in which he did hunger, fast, thirst, watch, pray, sweat, bleed, faint and die for thee. That so he might be the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the sinners of the world: Remember this weak, weary, bleeding, fainting, dying Lamb: worthy is this Lamb that was killed, to receive power, and riche●, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, & praise. And let all the Creatures which are in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that are in them, sing praise, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for evermore. Amen.