English Paradise.  
DISCOVERED in the Latin prospect of JACOBS' Blessing.  GEN. 27.27. 
Ecce odor filii mei sicut odor agri à domino benedicti.  
PREACHED AT S. BUTTOLPH'S without Aldersgate at London, on the holy Sabbath commonly called Trinity Sunday, in that joyful season of the festival solemnities for the blessed creation of the most gracious Prince of WALES.  
LONDON Printed by WILLIAM HALL. for Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at the Star at the west end of Paul's. 1612.   

TO THE MOST Worthy Knight Sir John Hollise, controller to the Prince his highness household, prosperity with eternity.  
SIR, it is long since you did first look on me with your helpful favour. I have for twenty years after those times stood below in the common place of the Church: yet sometimes I have been drawn up above the obscure shades of the Country, and by forcible entreaty, risen higher then is ordinary for such an heavy lump of refuse metal. 
Pistillo retusius.  And being in London at a festival triumph, I was a partner of the common joy for the joyful prosperity of our most hopeful Prince of Walls. Then and there I was pressed forth (aere amicabili) with a friendly motion, to become an actor in that great assembly. I must confess. I was willing on my way, which made my labour more light, so that I hallowed that holy Sabbath with two Sermons, as a pair of Pigeons, or two young Turtles. 
Luk. 2.24.  I did wish richer offerings to bestow in such a solemn sacrifice of Vows, but I brought my best, to testify for my heart. What though I am unworthy of respect, as the least Bell in the Temple (imo ne tintinnabuli in fi●bria vestimenti Araonici) not worth a little Bell upon the skirt of Aaron's Ephod. 
Exo. 28.33.34  Yet I thought it my duty without any entreaty to ring my Bells that day in the holy place. When I had comfortably ended my days work, it came to pass beyond my thoughts, that one of my auditors and I exchanged thoughts. He as it seemed a frank Popeling, of his charity offered me his thought, that I was too officious. I for a present reward bestowed my thought on him, that I was excusable, as the man which being requested to go a mile with his friend would go twain. 
Matth. 5.41  I was willing to be warned and to take better heed to double diligence, abundans cautela non notet. Hear I resolved never to perach up to the press, among the learned sages and holy writers: 
Vitiligatores tantum extimescens.  therefore did I seriously resist all loving importunities enticing me to venture lose copies of this and other my weak labours into the hands of my chief friends.  
My reason for my denial was, quia nescit vox missa reverti: a man may shoot forth two arrows with more ease and speed, then fetch one back again. Yet now at the length I have yielded myself, and presumed to send my first fruit to my first friend living, in your acceptance to live or die. I must confess my desire is that you would accept it as a welcome present of my humble thanks (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) and think my thanks as hearty as I meant them. You have heard the cause wherefore I stayed these twins at home so long after their birth, with a century of their naked brothers. 
Agrippo steri●or.  I do willingly acknowledge mine own poverty, by which I thought myself unable to clothe them with decent apparel. And I was jealous of their rude education, lest I should hear worse of them abroad then at home. If I have been too slow, I crave pardon with my fear to be too hasty. 
Ne incalciatus in montes.  Let it be said of me, that I am too like to many of Adam's kindred and mine own: that I have learned more good rules than I can observe, as that of Columella: Matura satio saepe decipit, sera semper mala est. Yet I rest in hope of your love which I have chiefly loved. I might add some expert extenuation of this service which spark of Art may better become my betters. Namque si Scotista Rhetoricetur, he is easily espied, ut Graculus inter musas. It is enough for me in this illustrious age of high Science, and rich Art, Craesi pecuniae teruncium addere. Therefore to prevent many needless words, in these few I yield myself to owe so much unto you, that I must remain your debtor for ever, and  
yours Ih. Wh.   

ENGLISH PARADISE.  GEN. 17.17. 
Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.  
IT may be, that some among you, do no more need a Seer, to show you the mysteries of this Text, than Eagles want spies for the space of their flight: 
Job. 39.32.  Their eyes behold afar off. Yet I must make bold to tell you, that which some of you can scarce believe: That this Text is Paradise. And it is more likely so, because the head of it is Ecce, and Christ is Ecce, the head of Paradise, of the Church, as the husband is the wives head. 
Eph. 5.23.  Christus est fidelium domicilium aeternale, ut Paradisus erat innocentum temporale. The rivers of this Paradise, are these four; Odour, Filius, Ager, Benedictus, all issuing out of Ecce; as those four rivers which did run out of the head fountain of Eden. And out of Eden went a river to water the garden; and from thence it was divided, and became into four heads. Christ is Ecce, the head fountain of Eden, propter eminentiam, continentiam, influentiam, for beauty, plenty, and bounty: a fountain opened to the house of David, Zach. 13.1. The riches of Paradise are excellent, for in the floods of one river is Gold, & Bdelium, and the Onyx stone. In the Gold is truth, glory, and incorruption: 
Gen. 2.12.  in Bdelium, mercy, sweetness, and medicine: and in the Onyx, faith, advantage for the sight of the eyes, the glass of the soul. 
1. Cor. 11.  Come forth ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the Ecce. He shall give you drink out of the river of his pleasures. 
Psal. 36.8.   
In the Ecce of my Text, Mercy and truth are met together, 
Psal. 85.10.  righteousness and peace have kissed each other: all holy streams of Paradise. Holy streams indeed, for every one of them is a river of this Garden, 
Numb. 20.11.  running out from Ecce, for the relief of thirsty souls, as the waters which gushed out of the rock abundantly.  
1 Odour is mercy, all sweet smell of mercy, life to the Church, life in Christ, 
Ludolphus. Psal. 141.2.  apes praeciquè flores quaeritant, ita sancti misericordias dei. Caietan. Arbour sufficiens & resiciens ut mortui resurgant or resumpti vivant in aeternum. joh. 14.6. 1. Cor. 1.20. Psal. 42.12.  in whom all our prayers are as incense, and the lifting up of our hands, as the evening sacrifice, all sweet.  
2 Filius is truth, the word of eternal life, and standeth here, in the midst of this little garden, dropping dews of heaven to water it; as the tree of life in the midst of Paradise. In caeteris erat alimentum, in isto etiam Sacramentum: By other trees the body had sustenance, by this the Soul instruction. Therefore was it called, Arbour vitarum: Christ is the tree of lives. Behold the tree of life in the midst of the garden, on whom the lives of all the Saints do depend for ever. Christ is the truth, and the life of the Church, all sure.  
3 Ager, is righteousness: O invaluable righteousness of Christ, where we gather all our righteousness: for Christ is made unto us righteousness. Iste est regula, nos regulati: He is our guide, and we his followers, as lives are guided by their soul. Thus are we made to flourish like the Palm tree, and to grow like the Cedars of Lybanus, all fair.  
4 Benedictus is peace, our healthful peace in our dear peace offering, our redeemer, whence we receive our heavenly requiem, and rest from all our labours, all blessed.  
Thus we receive our lot of inheritance, 
Coloss. 1.12. S. Cassianus. joh. 20.  among the Saints in light, unitatem socialem cum angelis in vinculo pacis, The legacy of the Prince of peace. Irrequietum est cor nostrum, O bone jesu donec quiescat in te: O sweet jesus, how our hearts do pant till they rest in thy peace, that we never pant any more. Here you may perceive a comely Quadrant of the Sovereign Ecce, like that beautiful type of the Temple, whose borders were four square. 
3 Reg. 7.31.   
The Church is also resembled by the Quadras: a precious stone four square, 
S. Ambrose.  of despected colour, yet of respected virtue. Quadratura significat stabilitatem Ecclesiae: the quadrant imports sound resolution. But it is likely that some will ask, where is Dominus, the great Master of the household, he which is Lord of the smell, the Son, the Shield, and the blessing: In whom, by whom, for whom, & from whom, mercy, and truth, and righteousness, and peace, and all things are. 
Rom. 11.36.  (In all things, let me understand what I say, and tell you what I do understand: 
S. Augustine.  Omnes utique naturas intelligere debemus quae naturaliter sunt, neque enim ab ipso sunt peccata quae naturam non servant sed vitiant: We must mean all natures which are pure issues in natures for from him are not any faults which do not conform nature, but deform it.) Now then, to that question I answer, that I cannot show him, when he goeth by one, I see him not. 
job. 9.11.  If I go to the North where he worketh, yet I cannot see him: 
job. 23.9.  he will hide himself in the South, and I cannot behold him. Enoch is said to walk with God, but he was taken up into the Eagles ned, and no more seen: 
Gen. 5.24. 4. Reg. 2.11.  Elias went to walk with God, but he was rapt up in fiery chariots, and no more seen here, till the transfiguration for a fit. Man here cannot see so far, as to see what God is. Therefore Moses, when he was on the lower Mount, did hide his face at this excellens obiectum, 
Exod. 3.6.  which doth dazzle man's presumptuous intelligence, more than the Sun doth his piercing eye: the Sun is a creature, God is the Creator, finitiad infinitum.  
Some say, that Isaias was therefore slain, 
S. Hierome.  for saying that he did see God; yet (without peradventure) he did see him, juxta possibilitatem humanam, non uti est, sed ut voluit se videri: so far as man could see, who cannot see God, as his desire is to see, but as God's pleasure is to be seen.  
You may remember, when the Lord was asked for his name, his answer was, I am: wonderful and past understanding. 
Exod. 3.  We grant in good meaning, that there is meridiana visio, when we shall see face to face, when we shall know that wholly, 
1. Cor. 13.12.  which we know now but in part. But that meridian sight cannot see God fully, to comprehend or measure him: Deus ad plenum non cognoscitur in via, neque in patria: 
Isichius.  The sharpest sight, either at home, or abroad, cannot discern the fullness of God. We shall know him to the full, 
S. Augustine.  for the sufficiency of our felicity, which shall be perfect, and to the capacity of our glorified conceit, which shall be great, but not infinite, as God is: and so is nothing else. When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy Image. 
Psal. 17.15.  Many millions of painful considerations have been enrolled in the monuments of the Church, of the Secrets of God; which are all, but as all the nations, 
Esa. 40.15. Alcuinus.  as the drop of a bucket in comparison, or as a drop to the Ocean. Some have desired to tell us what God is of himself, and what he is to us. That of himself he is all length, id est, eternity; all breadth, 
Deus est Sphaera incomparabilis, cuius centrum est ubique, circumferentia nusquam.  charity; all height, majesty, all depth, wisdom. That he is to us, our possessor, he abideth within us, and is not contained; our guard, he remaineth without us, and is not debarred; our king, he continueth above us, and is not moved; our rock, he supporteth us for ever and is not confined. I might point out unto you, many glosses of fair show, and all short of that which the Apostle in few words attempteth to this purpose. 
1. Tim. 6.16.  He only hath immortality, and dwelleth in the light which none can attain unto, whom never man saw, neither can see. Yet in all our walk through this garden, we shall see his beams shining upon it, and with faith, hope, and love, admire his presence, whose seat is in the pillar of the cloud. 
Eccles. 24.  Now then let us proceed to consider, first, the head of this Text, with the antecedents; and then the four quarters, with their correspondence.  
In every part we find three consutes.  

1 First, historical narration pleasant, in jacob.  
2 Secondly, mystical signification splendent, in Christ.  
3 Thirdly, congruent application honourable, in the Prince.   
In the head, Behold, I must crave favour to walk a long procession.  
The Lord had promised a blessing to Abraham, in the number and honour of his issues: count the stars, if thou canst; so shall thy seed be: numberless as stars for exceeding plenty, glorious as stars for heavenly beauty. This promise was sure, yet it came on with leaden feet; Abraham was long without a child, and Abraham was longer without the child of Promise: 
Artopaus.  quanta maiora, tanta longius protracta Dei beneficia, ut sint chariora ut Isaac, Christus & vita aeterna; The greatest blessings seem many times a great way off, that we may more desire them, and bid them better welcome. At the length, that Ecce, and wonder of the world was borne (for none of the Lords words shall fall to the ground) one living fruit of two dead stocks; 
1. Sam. 3.19.  his father an hundred, 
Gen. 17 19  and his mother ninety years old. Ask his name, it was Isaac, all laughter; 
Gen. 21.6.  well may he laugh which wins, well did he win, which did win Christ, in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed. Isaac praeludium Christi de quo fideles rident, 
Guil. Lugdunensis.  & ex quo omnia Dei dona in fidelibus rident: Isaac was Christ his prologue, for whom all true hearts have pleasant thoughts, and all fair gifts of God in his Saints, are through him very delectable. But yet the blessing resteth, ad arras, as if God had every day a consultation with himself for the progress of this blessing. Isaac was not directed to his wife, till he was forty years old, 
Gen. 25.20  and Rebecca was barren till twenty years after. What is Gods promise come utterly to an end? no: all this stay was the whetting of Abraham's faith, and the exercise of isaack's patience, longing for Ecce. Quamuis in Isaac promissa esset successio, tamen implenda erat precibus Dei praefinitio: Albeit the Lord had given assurance of succession in Isaac, yet the performance was so ordained, by zealous petitions it should be obtained. The prayers of them both in good time prevail with God though sorrow continue for a night, 
Psal. 30.  yet joy cometh in the morning, after prayer. They and their assistants pray for a blessing, and the blessing falls double on the ground. 
Cant. 7. Gen. 25.  Rebecca's two sons are like two young Ro●os that are twins; for Isaac's wife conceived, and she bore two nations in her womb. She for a while went weeping, 
1. Sam. 1.8. Psal. 126.  as Hannah did (albeit she had an husband better than ten sons) and carried precious seed, yet she did return with joy, and brought her sheaves double. 
Vita humana plus aloes quam mellis habet. Gen. 26.  I shall not need to fill this Ecce with the various and perisous temptations, which came to Isaac. If I might show them all, you all might marvel that ever he could reach this Ecce. Let this one instance suffice, which was a lamentable distress upon him, 
Wallensis.  that he had not so much as sweet waters to nourish him: Fidelium profectus impij non ferunt aequanimiter: 
Auicetus.  The wicked pine away at the prosperity of the godly. All his enemies labour utterly to subvert him, and every neighbour seemed to him an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Aristotle.  labouring to subvert him, that he might be utterly ruinated: but the Lord was his deliverance, as he hath been ours in an oppression much like, or worse than this. For what portions of truth we have found in the word of truth, as wells of living waters, to nourish us and our children, the Popelings vitiate them. 
De caudis vulpes cognoscas & de fimbrijs texturas.  They either equivocate upon them (this their double dealings) or hide them by the ingruences of their multiplied Index expurgatorius (fall should in fellowship) or stop them up with glosses and earthly traditions (this their pack of knacks) lest our Church should thrive too fast. But some will say, why say you so of the Papists, they are our neighbours? It is true, as the Philistims were neighbours to Isaac: Envied welleth at the next door: 
Quotvicinos habemuo totidem hosts.  and a man doth often bring his worst companion from home. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, our kinsmen are our inbred vipers; as Parsons, & eiusdemfa rinae millenarij: and thousands of the same unpurged leaven.  
Here is the cause why we have so much a do to keep clear waters in the wells which our fathers have digged: 
Hi sunt qui Ecclesiam in vagientem extinguere & adultam conati sunt haretics. Gen. 26.15.  they for very spite have filled with mud, and stopped them up with earth, which they have digged out of their infernal pits to this purpose. Thus the Philistims had envy at him, and filled up with earth all the wells which his father's servants digged in his father Abraham's time. See then how unlikely it is for us to hold in the breath of divine knowledge, as for Isaac to abide in the spirit of life, if God were not with us. Sed à Deo adiuti refodimus puteos paternos ab invidis palestinis obturatos: but in the name of the Lord we discovered our father's fountains, which Philistinian envy had hidden from us. Thus the Lord was on isaack's side: Fear not Isaac, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and will multiply thy seed.  
Now then to go on with Ecce, behold on thing more strange: Rebecca's two children were at strife in the mother's womb, like the two Hebrews at strife in the field. Potuit esse naturalis causa, sed accessit mystica & supernaturalis: for that wonder, there be reasons rendered in nature, but there was a supernatural respect above reason. The two younglings are both wrestlers, 
Hippolytus.  both wrestling for a wonderful prize, for a blessing, a birthright, a crown: O blessed crown of immortal glory. 
1. Pet 5.4. Rupertus.  Collidebantur paruuli eodem Dei nutupermoti, quo irrationalia pecora & inanimata elementa futurorum praesagio permoveri solent: The tender younglings were stirred to their conflict, by the same motion, in which we sometimes see, both beasts without reason, and elements without life to stir, that their stirs might be Calendars of afterclaps. 
Luc. 21.  So shall there be signs in the Sun, and Moon, and Stars. Surely the guerdon was greater than the wrestlers thought of, yet their thoughts seem to contend for the prize, which the weaker wins by grace. The Weasel doth raise his force against the Basilisk for sovereignty in that place where they meet, and she being armed with Rue, 
Succus rutae palet contra serpents, ut gratia Dei ●ontra Diabo●os. Rupertus. ●. Hierome. Septuagine. Symmachus.  prevaileth in the combat. Thus the younger sapling jaacob being armed with the herb of grace, vincit fratrem Basiliscum, he puts his brother to the foil. The strife is diversly described in the variety of translations: some, conquassare to shatter, irruere to rush one on another: some, confringebantur, collidebantur, they did offer mutual violence one to another: some, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ludebant & calcitrabant, they did kick one the other: some, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in similitudinem navis in superficie ferebantur, they seemed to swim in their mother's belly. But here a scholars brains may swim in superficial observation to little purpose. We yield to that which we read with approved judgement: Fratrum divortium portendit ebrionum collisio. 
●ucherius. ●aietane.  Sed non omnino est certus modus commotionis infantum: The mutual violence breathing on those tenderlings unborn, did presage their separation after their birth.  
The good woman perceiving a strife in her womb, as of contentious inmates in the Beehive, she went to ask the Lord for the meaning of that strife; 
Gen. 25.22.  Seeing it is so, why am I thus? I may not trouble you with the bundles of opinions how she was answered, or by whom. It is needless to argue, whether it was Sem or Melchizedeck, or they both at once; or it was Heber, or (as some think) it was Abraham, as it is most like, for circumstance of time, place, and person. His person (above the rest) was of nearest acquaintance, of surest faith, and evident grace of revelation, for he was a Prophet. 
Gen. 20.7.  The opinion of the most learned is, that she went to ask the Lord, in the Science of some famous Patriarch, at that time as Abraham was. Whosoever resolved her, the Lord sent her word by him what should betide her, and the Church word by her, what should befall the Church.  
These are the rare blossoms of Ecce. Behold two manner of people shall be divided out of thy bowels, faithful and unfaithful out of one stock, pure and impure fruit of one tree, true worshippers and heretics in one Church, sincere holy servants, and profane counterfeit observants, as a grape and a brier-berrie both of one vine, a lamb and a wolf both of one dam. 
Beda.  In Ecclesia sunt ficus & una Christus, tribulus & spina Diabolus; In the Church are both figs and grapes, for Christ is both figs and grapes; and in the Church are both briars and thorns, for the devil is both briars to catch, & thorns to hurt. 
job. 1.  And on a day the sons of God came and stood before the Lord, and Satan was also among them. Abraham's sons are compared to stars and sands. Stars are the heavenly sons of jerusalem, as jaacob: Sands are filii terrae, sons of the flesh, earthly proud inhabitants of Babylon, as Esau. Behold it was then posterior dies, melior avis, the latter day, the better bird. The elder shall serve the younger. jaacob did excel his brother, 1 iure primogeniturae: 2 haereditate terrare sanctae: 3 praerogativa faederis & Ecclesiae: In the right of the best birthright, inheritance, and covenant. In three fair pre-eminences. In the first is signified the spirit of adoption, by which we are sealed. In the second, our heavenly country, 
Ezech. 37. Tacita. Object.  to which we are called. In the third, the life of the Church, out of which there is no life. Here our dry bones are quickened. But let this be true, that thus the elder prerogative was fastened to the younger: yet (non obstante) it could not be true in their specialties, because still the elder did preoccupate jurisdiction over his brother. Yes; 
Respons.  howsoever Esau for a time made a more potent show for priority then the younger, yet was the Prophecy true, both in the letter and the mystery. In the letter true, for the Idumaeans which were of Esau's issues were tributary to David which was of Jacob's generations. Some do understand it, 
Comestor.  and ingeniously also, that Esau did serve jaacob, whilst he did persecute him, as the file doth service to the iron, to make it more bright, the fan service to the corn to cleanse it, and the furnace service to the gold to purify it. The truth is, that Esau did jaacob more good than he meant him, as Jacob's sons by selling of joseph to vilify him, did promote him to honour. Deus aliquandiu impiorum indulget petulantiae, sed modum statuit & Ecclesiae tandem fontes dilatat, 
Infideles Ecclesiae ruinas in discinctis vinculis intendunt ut Q. Fabius naves dividendo aquis immersit. Sed Ecclesia ut tyrrhenus lapis integer enatat.  ut impiorum furores nihil ei incommodasse appareat quin idem propagasse; God doth sometime wink at the injurious attempts of the presumptuous, but at his will he doth restrain them and enlarge his Church, that her health may shine out of the bond of adversity, and her enemies blows end in her advantage. Here I might rejoice, to handle the right hand of God's provident power, but I must contain myself within the limits of Ecce in this place. See then the truth in the mystery, above the letter. jacob came last, but did overfly his brother Esau. First, that which is carnal; then that which is spiritual: the old Adam came first, and the new Adam came after: O melior avis! The Eagle bird had Eagles wings, and did mount on high above his brother. Such is his magnificence, That the Lord said to my Lord, Sat thou at my right hand, etc. Such is the superiority of the second Adam, that in his exaltation he had a name given him above every name. The elder must serve they younger: and glad may Adam be, that he and his may do service to Christ; as the sheaves which did reverence joseph's sheaf: for in Adam all die, but in Christ are all made alive. The Scholars of Pyrene, 
Mystae gentiles.  and the wanton heads of the Temple, infamous at Corinth, did object that Christ died as did Adam, the younger brother as the elder. The Apostle granteth this for truth, that both died, yet the difference of their death is notable. Both died and paid the wages of sin: Sed mors Adae poenae peccati mors Christi hostia peccati, The death of Adam was the penalty of sin, the death of Christ the redemption of the sinner. This prepotencie was worth an Ecce, Behold in Christ all things are become new, for with his wounds are we healed. 
Fidelis medicus is est qui pro infirmo mortiferum ebibit remedium ut sanetur infirmus.  And in the review of jacob and Esau here is Ecce again, Behold white and black, good and evil, light and darkness, life and death in two sons; as if Rebecca's breasts did yield two kinds of milk, wholesome milk for jacob, as the Hebrew mother; corrupt milk for Esau, as the Egyptian nurse. And now Rebecca's breasts are not like the Equivocators text, both true and false, they are both of one wholesome taste, one hallowed kind of milk. The second testaments are both one sincere milk of the word of God, they are both of one truth, and spirit of life: as there is but one Lord, faith, baptism, hope, and salvation. Christus est veritas aeternalis, & verbum est veritas normalis, Christ is the eternal essential truth, and his word is our rule for truth. There is but one God, and one word. unus veritatis fons est Deus, & verbum una veritas in omnes filios saliens; God is the only fountain of truth, and his word is the living water flowing into his children's hearts, as the pure river of water of life, clear as Crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb. Rebecca's breasts are one holy Scripture, and all holy Scripture, as one heavenly Canaan, which floweth with milk and honey, of one savour and power of life. But whence then is the difference of these two brethren? shall I climb up into God's throne, and sit with him among the secrets of his incircumscriptible predestination? no, I will reverence the Ark of his secret treasures, but I will not search it without warrant. Here is abyssius imperuestigabilis, which S. Paul calleth deepness, 
Rom. 11.33.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all immense, beyond weight and measure.  
Here Pride may busy herself to do much hurt, as some Epicures, 
Nigidius figulus. Eudoxus. Auerrois. Esa. 28. 1. Sam. 6. Eccl. 40. Electos & reprobos certo consilio discrevit Deus, illos ad vitam gratis destinando hos ad poenaem justè ordinando. Eph. 1.4. Rom. 96.13  and other Philosophers, and other Schoolmen have done. But woe to the crown of Pride, her latter end is worse than the beginning; as the Bethshemites were stricken in their hinder parts. None can comprehend those secrets, more than a man can hold the seas in his fist, or measure heaven, or count the sands, or weigh the mountains. If any bold bayard shall say, there is no pre-ordination, because he cannot fathom it, it were as if the blind should say there is no Sun, because he cannot see it. Let this suffice, that God hath chosen his in Christ, before the foundations of the world were laid. If any ask, how? let the Apostle answer: of his mere good will, forestanding all causes in our own worthiness. God calleth all to the Church, and in eternal and indissoluble prescience espying vessels of honour, and wrath; the one sort is chosen, the other left, as light ware at the balance: Thou art weighed in the balance, and found too light. Unto this point is annexed, the recogitable odds betwixt the elections of God & man. Those things which man chooseth, are therefore chosen, because they are weight, but the gold of god's choice, is therefore weight because it is chosen.  
Thus did God love and choose Israel, not because they were better people than other, but they were better, because God did choose them: The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people to himself, & All Popish Atheism, and other blasphemous insuitations against God, for election and rejection of jacob and Esau, were easily dashed, if I should prefer God's prerogative above the Popes. We are certified long since, 
Distinct. 40. Si Papa.  that if the Pope do carry many thousand with him into hell, no man may be so bold as to control him quia cuntos iudicaturus à nemine est iudicandus, etc. Because the Pope may judge all men, and may not be judged of any. But I have no pleasure to idle out my precious time with such trifles. One thing I have to speak out of lowly and revealed knowledge, in the discussions of the learned, concerning the Bee and the Spider, to manifest the work of grace received. Whatsoever of the word of God jacob sucks, the sup is honey, 
Esa. 55. 2. Cor. 2.16.  or wine, or milk, more worth than money, or money worth, all sanctified, the savour of life unto life. But whatsoever Esau sucks, it turneth to humour, corrupt, & accursed, the savour of death unto death. 
joh. 10. joh. 6. Prou. 9  It is not given to all to know the voice of the shepherd, to taste the bread of life, or to savour the wine of wisdom; as many in the same garden pass many wholseome herbs and flowers in ignorance, or insensibility, which others gather in knowledge for smell and taste. 
Meierus.  judicia Dei credentibus mella sapiunt, sed incredulis etiam mellitissimae promissiones sunt fellis plenae: The judgements of God are an honey comb to the believers, but to the unbeliever the sweetest promises of God are bitterness. If any call to me, to know why I call this bane, humour; in promptu causa est, for the word is of the same fashion with those evil thoughts, affections, words, and deeds, which our countrymen commonly call humours. Sunt impij ut venenatae quaedam bestiae & sues bonos odores non ferentes: The wicked are like some venomous and fulsome beasts, which are sick with the breath of wholesome smells. 
Deut. 32.  Their vine is of Sodom, the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of Asps. But since the wicked ones do thus wilfully foreshow their own ruin, let thee elect be still gathering more joy to their consciences, and rejoice that their names are written in heaven.  
Now then to pass on, 
Luk. 10.20.  lest I should lose mine Ecce in the plain field. Behold, the two twins were at strife for the blessing, which was a dignity annexed to the birthright, as an excellency united to the crown: whosoever holdeth one for ever, must have both. They strove for the birthright before their birth, and in the very inslant the strife continued, for jacob had Esau by the heel. Signum retardantis eum qui prior erat, 
Gen. 25.26 L●o●orus.  & fatigantis eum qui fortior & praevalentis in certamine pietatis; It was a sign that the better should overtake his elder, that the weaker should overcome the stronger, & true piety win the mastery of false sanctity. What was their contention ended with their birth? 
Gen 25.31. Hemingius. Inaequacior quam Glauci & Diomedis permutatio.  no, the strife continued still for the birthright: Sel me even now thy birthright, and Esau swore unto him, and sold his birth right unto jacob. Esau as the fool selleth heaven for earth: jacob as the wise merchant buyeth the pearl. Now jacob is become son and heir to the crown of God's blessings.  
The blessing is not yet declared upon him, but he is as sure of the blessing as of the birthright. Thus was the pre-eminence of blessing upon Ephraim, before jaacob laid his right hand on him, 
Psal. 139.16  (for in the volume of thy book were all things written, before there was any of them,) but it was not manifest till then.  
A Doctrine of comfort is this to all which have received that saving grace which is sufficient. They are as sure of glory as they are of grace, 
2 Cor. 12  because glory belongs to grace, as the inheritance to the heir, and the blessing to the birthright; yet so, as birthright, blessing, grace, and glory, and all are of God's gift, 
Rom. 6.14 Mercedem opibus delitam negamus, gratuitum fatemur, nemo dicat deum debere. 4. talentae quia duo dedit, vel bominibus deberi gloriam quia impartitus est gratiam. Mar. 14.25 Levit. 23.39 Gwerricus Abbas.  not of man's merit or worthiness by the Law, for ye are not under the Law, but under grace. The time of glory is next to the time of grace, in the surety of succession, as the time of the feast was next to the time of the vintage. This is now the time of the vintage, the sweet wines of the Scripture and Sacraments of Christ and the holy Ghost are pressed out, that after we may drink anew of the fruit of the vine in the kingdom of God. When ye have gathered the fruit of the Land, ye shall keep an holy feast unto the Lord. This life is the season of gathering sweet grapes of grace, next is the feast, the time of glory. But I must remember where I am and bind short all other circumstantial tidings together. Esau proud, Esau contemns his brother (ut Diobolarem) as the ireful Wolf the little Kid. He sold the title but he purposeth perforce to hold the inheritance. In which example were may take a view of the common Centaurs and Cyclopes of the world, which hold all per fas et nefas, all by strong hand: he will have all lawful which is unlawful, and will be as the Lion was, his own carver. Neither was that fraus vulpeculae wanting in Esau's designs; for to strengthen himself that he might be able to bear down his brother, he maketh matches with two wives, without liking, consent, or knowledge of his parents. He was as the Scrpent, which was more subtle than any beast of the field, clandestinas aucupatur consultationes contra justitiam et pacem, 
Brunus.  he putteth the snare of the hunter, to overthrow all righteous peace with noisome pestilence. This is the man which will be more wise than God, his meaning is otherwise then God meant. He will match especially, 
Genes. 12.7 26.3  with the Prince's daughters of the Philistines, whom the Lord did purpose to root out. In these coherences he pretendeth peace with all men. A peaceable man is Esau, he will have peace with all the world. It was then with him, as it was long after with the Arrians and other succeeding Hererikes, in their subtle contrivements: just as it is now with the Romanists, when their show is best, their intent is worst. But all this great haste to be great, 
Ose 1.7  was without good speed; and all his confidence in the flesh of man's arm is vain: for he cannot hold that inheritance by bow, or sword, or battle, or horses, horsemen, or kinsmen; whose tenure was not of the willer not runner, 
Rom 9.16  but of the mercy of God. Much like to this was salomon's seducement miscarried with worldly wisdom, to confidence in carnal power. He concludeth matches with his Egyptian neighbours, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon, and Heth; and yet his great son and heir for all his father's cunning, 
3 Reg. 11  lost ten Tribes at once of his own kingdom. What saith Roboam after the extinction of his father? 
3 Reg. 12  what? My little finger shall be greater than my father's loins. O Roboam by me Kings reign, but the arms of the wicked shall be broken. 
Psalm. 37.17  Afterward when Solomon slept with his fathers, Roboam had a smarting feeling of God's power in the proof of Ahijah his prophesy. 
3 Reg. 11  For as the Prophet caught hold on the new garment on jeroboams back or his own, and rend it off in twelve pieces; so Roboam's new kingdom was rend from his Sceptre, and none followed the house of David, but the Tribe of judah only. Had not he cause to cry out as he fled to jerusalem for fear, crucior bolum tantum mihi esse, ereptum tam subito è faucibus; I am troubled out of measure, 
Psal. 119.137  to see my meat in spite of my teeth to fall out of my mouth, and myself unable to withhold it: but just art thou O God, and just are thy judgements. And thus it doth often prove with them which make their reckoning without God as Mauritius did; the cast of their anchor is prevented, their treasures are but coals, and their nuts but shells, 
Psalm. 146  both their pleasures and profits are cut short of their accounts. Therefore trust not in Princes, nor in any son of man, for there is no help in him. Think then (if it be thus) that those malapert confederacies of surly Esau with Infidels, (both against faith and good manners) were as pricking thorns to Isaac and Rebekah, 
Goe 26.34.35  But Isaac after many tedious days of his wearisome pilgrimage (his eyes being dim) expecteth his end, and to set his house in order before he die, he disposeth himself to his last will and testament. He knowing also that Esau was numerous in children, 
Zeno.  and cunning in his plots; and that jacob was both childless, and wifeless, and plain: he doth fully purpose to bequeath the great predominancy to the elder brother. Make me savoury meat such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, 
Gen. 27.4  and that my soul may bless thee before I die.  
By these thoughts of Isaac we may perceive, that God seethe not as man seethe (ante pedes) only, for man purposeth and God disposeth. All is Gods to dispose or transpose at his pleasure, as he tranlsated the Egyptian riches to the Israelites hands, 
I. Osorius.  that they might handle them better. You know that when jaacob was to bless his son joseph's two sons, so that his right hand was upon the younger son, and his left hand on the elder: incongrua videbatur illa manuum impositio Iosepho ignaro providentiae Dei, that imposition of hands which was orderred by God's providence, looked like an injurious fact to joseph, not being at that time acquainted with God's purpose: joseph did think his aged father was in feebleness and error, 
Gen. 48.17 junilius.  and would have changed his hands. Surely a good man was joseph and a Prophet, but not always enlightened alike with the spirit of prophesy, nor for all things; therefore his father being better guided with a superior degree of light at that time, continueth his blessing, and createth Ephraim the son of his right hand: 
Gen. 48.19  So that as then the primacy was given to the younger brother, 
Providentia Dei est ordinatio aptorum mediorum ad finem.  contrary to the father's desire (the Lord ruling the lots) thus must it now be, by the disposition of the same power. And now it is plain, that Esau hath met with his match; he is wily for himself, but God is of counsel with jaacob. Look upon the contrivement; Esau is sent on hunting while jaacob taketh the prey (coruum delusit hiantem) and is instauled into the blessing.  
Hear let Esau complain that he hath waried himself in the ways of wickedness, drawing out the cords of vanity, 
Quid nisi victis dolour. Esay 59.5 Luke 5.5  and weaving the Spider's web, and at length is become as the fishers, which laboured all night and caught nothing. In a word, these words of my text lap in the reason of inducement to Isaac to do that which he meant not to have done. The Lord is such a considerate and powerful agent in the business, that Isaac doth cheerful bestow that good turn on jaacob which he reserved for Esau. Why so? 
S. Bernard. Odour Christi sentitur antequam videatur, ut corpus aromaticum ante patres, et post filios emittit odores.  because he did not smell of the rankness of the sheepcoate, but of the pleasures of the field.  
The blessing doth consist of two respects, as a garden of pleasant fruit, and delicious smell. Hear are prayers for jaccob in prophecies, and promises of his sweet and wholesome fruits: And here is the praise of jaccob for his delightful smell.  
Isaac his motive, whereby he was invited to bless jaccob, is plain in these words: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.  
Now after all this inference of Ecce, it may be said to me as once it was to the Citizens of Myndus: viri Myndij claudite portas, shut your gates lest your City run out at your mouth, and your little corporation vanish through your great heat. Indeed a great gate may be too wide for a little pingle; but albeit I cannot now cut my door less, yet I may well enlarge this garden plot to make it greater, so may the proportion be more equal.  
First then to fit and finish up this portal, Ecce behold: The word is very specious in the original Ree, and in the translation vide, but commonly Ecce, as if the meaning were to call all the world to come and see, 
joh. 1.46.  as Philip called Nathanael to Christ, come and see. The word is sometime of ostension, sometime of admiration, and sometime of both. Ostension is again two fold, by their counterfeit shadow, or true exhibition. Of counterfeit shadow; as behold here is Christ, and there is Christ, 
Mat. 24.  a counterfeit shadow: of true exhibition: as behold the Lamb of God, 
John 1.  O true exhibition. Sometime Ecce is of admiration and stands at a gaze, and doth gaze at a wonder: behold a Virgin shall bear a son, miraculum mirabiliter mirabile; a virgin's child and God and man, both one, a light of all marvels. A man so weak that he must die, 
Psal. 76.3.  a God so strong that he could conquer death: behold, there broke he the arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the battle. Selah Behold a wonder. In some places this Aduereb Ecce is of admiration and demonstration both together, and diversly of divers strangers, either difficult, or new, or sudden.  
Now may you stand upon the top of Ecce as upon a mount, and behold all the pleasures of this text, as the plain of jordan watered eveiy where. First the difficulty of this Ecce is note worthy that ever jacob could rise to this blessing, Christ ascend to his glory, and the Prince of Wales attain to his Principality.  
Where was the Ecce of jacob when his father Isaac was in offering for sacrifice, 
Genes. 22. Gen. 27.41.  or whilst his brother Esau's Vow stood on foot to sacrifice his brother's blood to his father's funerals: The days will come shortly of mourning for my father's 〈◊〉 where was the Ecce of Christ, the glory and riches of his Godhead, 
Difficultate partes periclitatur ecclesia, sed evincuntur hostes ut Gorgones a Persio, vel verius ut Draco a Michacle  when as the Serpent in the wilderness, he was lift up upon the cross, and one of the soldiers with a spear piersed his side?  
Where was the Ecce of the Prince, when the Lion and the Lion's Whelp were vowed to the massacre, inconspiratione plusquam Catilinaria in the gun powder-treason. We do read of Catiline that firebrand of old, that to fasten his confederates in their merciless intent, he did mingle man's blood with wine, as Pilate mingled the blood of the Galileans with their own sacrifice. This drink thus prepared, he carried up and down, to his partners, as the Priests of Rome do now bear their host and consecrated wedges, here and there to their abetters. When he came to place and company fit to his purpose, he did in this drink carouse and swallow up his impious vow: In this draft all his associates must follow him, to make their sword drunk with the blood of their Country, and wholly to subvert the present glory of Rome.  
But this monstrous Catiline's brood among us, 
job. 31.33.  was more monstrous in eating and drinking, (as they supposed) the blood of Christ, to ratify their vows, concealing iniquity in their bosoms. Thus they did bind themselves in an holy league, like Roman Saints of these days, to rejoice together for the final expiration of King and Prince, and the mournful desolation of Church & common wealth. So every man may see, how our Ecce hath escaped fire and sword (by God mercy) for the honour and joy of England.  
But is it difficulty alone? no, it is noucltie also. There are novelties passed in the holy Testament, novelties present in the new children of regeneration, and novelties to come in the stole of glory. The new Testament was a novelty: the Lord had written the old law in tables of stone, but that the pen of the Writer should indite a law in the inward parts of man's heart, this was worth an Ecce. Novitas amaena, full of delicate and healthful pleasure. Behold the days come, 
jer. 31.31.  that I will make a new covenant, etc. The wise man said in his time, there was nothing new under the sun, yet every regenerate man, young or old, 
Eccles. 1.10.  is a new creature. Both these are true, because our new birth is not of earth, but of heaven, not of mortal seed, but of immortal, 
1. Pet. 1.23.  above the Sun. All the adopted sons of God, are borne, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man; but of the will of God, our new birth is above the Sun.  
Thus is jacob a new man, a new creature in Christ: O Christ jesus; 
Gal. 8. Psal. 65.11.  ignus fortis forti flatu fortius inflammatur minutatim.  all my fresh springs shall be in thee, for thy steps drop fatness. Thus is the Prince, a Prince of God, Abner his father's candle lightened with fire from the Altar, whose sweet conditions, tempered with the oil of grace, bear witness, that he is not only borne of an earthly king below, but borne again of an heavenly King above; that the King above, and the king below, may both rejoice in their son: Behold the small of my son, etc.  
But Ecce again, behold a sudden joy: sometimes wonderful things break out of their closerts, as lightning out of the clouds, when there is not any expectation or hope attending; and sometimes when desire more or less is waiting for their appearance. Of the first sort was the sudden light which came down from heaven, outward, before the face of Saul to astonish him; 
Act 9  inward, into the heart of Saul, to convert him; that of him it is rightly said, Tamsubito Cygnus qui modo consonus erat: Who could persuade himself, that a crow in a trice could be turned into a swan. Of the second sort, was that light of angels, and the spirit of God. 
Luc. 24.4. Act 1.10.  There were some looking for Christ, and behold two men stood suddenly before them in shining vestures. There were some looking on Christ, and behold a light did shine suddenly from heaven. 
Act. 2.  There were some gathered in daily expectation of the comforter (whom Christ promised to send) and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, 
Nescit tarda molimma, gralia. S. S.  as of a rushing and a mighty wind. What then, came those illustrious messages without hope, or no? Indeed hope was much weakened, as one travailing long is weary; but it did but seem weak, they hoped still for that vigorous resurrection, they looked still for that glorious ascension, they longed still for the gladsome coming of the holy Ghost. 
Beda.  Yet all those marvelous, virtuous, famous works were sudden. As we all look for that hopeful appearing of the judge of quick and dead (and how long soever his stay may be, with whom a thousand years are but as a day) hope maketh not to be ashamed, 
Spes est sanctorum baculus, de quo sustinentur, ne cadant, & sustentantur ne deficiant. Matth. 24.27.  yet for all our serious vigilancy commanded, it shall be sudden: As the lightning which flieth from the East to the West, so shall the coming of the son of man be.  
O blessed jacob, thy long promised blessing is come suddenly, in a day thou thoughtest not: our blessed Saviour anointed with the oil of grace above his fellows, was long and often foretold, yet is his coming exceeding sudden: Therefore call his name, make haste, make speed, 
Esay 8.  speed to the pray, and haste to the spoil. Our gracious Prince his honour hath stated long in the glowing ears of ten thousand, whose eyes burned with zealous desire to behold it. And behold of a sudden the smell of my son. This is the stem of honour for which great Britain did sacrifice their daily prayers, our bounteous Queen did breath out her just desires, our renowned king did yield his sacred promise; and now of a sudden is that joyful day come, the day of playing of Organs, of singing of birds and sounding of Trumpets. Now is the day come, in which king james doth pay his vows, his vows to God, his right to the Prince, his honour to the Land, his favour to the subject, his word to the Queen, assuredly thy son Solomon shall reign after me. 
3. Reg. 3.30.  O King live for ever. Vita hominis sabillum animae, The life of man is but a small point, and hath slippery hold on earth. Lex mortis firma non abrogatur, mutatur, 
Bosquier.  dispensatur, etc. Death's doom is bound up so fast that it cannot be loosed. It is set down that every man must die once: Seriùs antony's citius mortem properamus ad unam: I am persuaded, 
Serniamus regi precibus, qui seruit Deo legibus.  that neither Queen, nor Prince, nor any Imp royal, that none truly noble or gentle, or true Christian, desireth to see thy last day. Yet is man's life but a span long, and now here is a pawn for the state, a nursery for grace, the standard to religion, a beauty to the crown, the peace, health, and wealth of the land; this is Solomon the King's son. Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.  
Thus much for Ecce, the head of the Text, and head of the springs: Behold.  
Now to the Smell, the first river of the head. Here might I show you many delightsome turnings to many wholesome walks in this word. There is odor merus & metaphoricus. Again, odor metaphoricus est Christiaut Christianorum. But I must necessarily pass by these paths, till I find other opportunity, and more leisure. The common partition of Odour is into good and evil; but what have we to do with evil? Quid argijs cum sacrificijs, quid canibus cum sanctis: There is no communion betwixt God and Belial: without shallbe dogs and idolaters, 
Apoc. 21.  all their smell is of the sulphur of Sodom. Et si doctores illi scientissimi & ductores aulici porcos obscaene defaedatos ne uno digitorum ostendant aut verbulo corripiant, quid ego miser homuncio aut Balaami asinus. I know that books and sermons, which are admonitions of other men's faults, as the black bill, are exceeding necessary in these times of darkness; but they are all out of my way. All our labour here should be spent in searching out the good Odours of jacob, Christ, and the Prince: and thrice happy both they, which have Christ the savour of life betwixt them. All their sweet smell is of the savour of his ointments. O blessed Saviour, 
Cant. 2.3. Cant. 1.2.  these are the virgins which delight in thy savour: Thy name is as an ointment powered out, therefore the virgins love thee. But it is high time to distinguish of good Odours.  
There is a good odour of piety, a sweet sacrifice, 
Phil. 4.18. 2. Cor. 2.15. 2. Cor. 2.14.  a good odour of good report: so Saint Paul his name had a good smell, a good odour of the Gospel: so is it a garland all of sweet flowers, a good odour of zealous prayer: so is it as the perfume of the Censor. 
Apoc. 8.4.   
Shall I tell you more, what a savour is there where all these meet in one soul, as the incense of one altar; pure religion, sweet conversation, true faith, and holy love, they are altogether as the offering of Noah's Altar. And Noah built an Altar to the Lord, and took of every clean beast and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. 
Genes. 8  How them? what was the issue? Read further: and the Lord smelled a savour of rest. Such is the smell of all faithful hearts as the smell of Noah's Altar to the Lord: Jacob's heart is as Noah's Altar. Behold the smell of my son. But I have more in my way of my poor readings, in which I find good odours of many distributions. There is one smell of the flower of the Vine, 
S. Gregory.  another of the Olive, of the Rose, of the Lily, of the Violet, and of the Corne-eare; and all sweet.  
The Vine is Faith, the Olive is Victory, the Rose is Charity, the Lily is Chastity, the Violet is Humility, the Corne-eare is many corns, good works in their ripeness all in one odour. Such Vines, and Olives, and Roses, and Lilies, and Violets, and Corne-eares were the Philippians, 
Phil. 4.18  an odour that smelleth sweet, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God. Such as Israel whilst the dew was upon him, he shall grow as the Lily, 
Ose. 14.6.7  and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon: his beauty shall be as the Olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.  
jaacob had the Vine, true faith in his heart, his father Abraham's faith: not an agnus Dei about his neck, or hanging in a tablet at his breast, 
Fides purificans cor, est una, integra, vera, viva. joh. 12.3  as some abused Saint john's Gospel; but a sound faith growing within and without his heart, all his affections as the branches of a vine, for his Saviour all the vine as a bower to rest in, and all the bower as the house filled with sweet savour: what a smell is the smell of this vine.  
jacob had the Olive victory in his faith, 
Colos. 1.13  against all Principalities, and powers of darkness: he was short of Christ in respect of circumstance of time, but he had the substance which cheered his heart at all times, with thoughts of his Captain the Siloe, the Conqueror, the Lion, 
Gen. 49  whose paw should be in the neck of his enemies. By this power jaacob wan the victory of the world, so sweet is the smell of this Oil.  
jacob had the Rose-love in his faith, 
Ezek. 47  whose leaves did not fade, invincible love as appeareth by his wrestling. Let me be gone (saith the Angel) for the morning appeareth. 
Genes. 32  What? let thee go, my life and my glory; I will not let thee go unless thou bless me. Lord let me love the smell of this Rose.  
jacob had a Lily chastity, in his faith a fair Lily, within the borders of his paradise, 
Eccles. 50.8  as the Lilies by the springs of waters; white as the light, and fair without spot. His brother hastened to his Cananitish women, and sent an ill sent into the souls of his parents; yet jacob kept his vessel in holiness. O honour, let me counsel you all to keep the smell of this Lilly. 
1 Thess. 4 4   
jacob had the Violet, humble devotion, in his faith the Violet groweth low by the ground, so doth humble devotion to daily prayers, 
bartholoma's Gen. 17.3 1 Sam. 1.13  as Abraham fell upon his face, and Hannah was humbled before the Lord. Shall I stay you a while, to hear Jacob's daily prayers. All ye which live in plenty or scarcity, remember Jacob's Vow. We are all in our journey as jaacob was, and desirous as he to come to our father's house, our father which is in heaven. jaacob vowed a Vow, saying, 
Gen. 28.20  If God will be with me, and will keep me in my journey which I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothes to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in safety, then shall the Lord be my God. Here was sweet contentment in a lowly estate: humble contentation was jacobs' staff, which did flourish all with Violets, as Aaron's Rod did but with flowers and almonds; with this staff came I over jordane. Surely there is an wholesome breath in the smell of this Violet.  
jaacob had the corn ear the fruits of faith, 
Nomb 17.8 Gen. 32.10 Gal. 5 Gen. 41.5  those praiseworthy fruits of the spirit, Love, joy, Peace, Long Suffering, Meekness, Temperance, Goodness, all specious upon one faith; as those seven ears of corn rank and goodly all upon one stalk. Shall I make bold to invite you all to taste this corn, for the smell of this corn ear.  
Now Prince of Wales, where is thy smell? Hast thou neither Vine, Olive, Rose, Lilly, Violet, nor Corne-eare? Surely then thou art a poor Prince, and they are poor whom God hateth: Behold here, the smell of the favour of God to the Prince. The Prince hath them all as jacob had them, he is all Suckoth, Suckoth as the Tabernacles of God, his eyes, ears, lips, heart, all Suckoth; Tents of godliness, pitched in Rephidim the mansion of the medicines of God's blessings. The Philosophers describe an house of desire: non quidem, opulentam et ambitiosam, stuffed with the pelf of the world, and faced with proud ambition: No, sed cui nihil testit in se supellectilis, with works not any thing of necessary use, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Behold, here is that house as that happy little world all furnished with necessaries. And here is one thing more than all those necessaries and more worth, 
Luke 10.42 John 13.1  that one thing which is necessary and cannot be taken from him. For whom God loveth he loveth to the end. This the smell of my son.  
The Prince hath the Vine, the Gospel in his faith: it is the fountain in which he doth daily refresh his soul; it is the lavour through which he doth daily wash himself. This is his Basin and Ewer of honour, the Gospel is the Ewer, his heart the Basin.  
This is a Princely Bath, the King's Bath all perfumed with health, all with saving health. Let young and old, and all wash themselves in this Bath. Knights of the Bath, all the which are soldiers in this militant life, under the banner of jesus Christ. Christ is the Prince, who gave himself, 
Eph. 5.26.  that he might sanctify you and cleanse you, by the washing of water, through the word. The Prince is knight of the order of the comely order of King Solomon, 
Cant. 4.15.  washed in the springs of Lebanon, perfumed with Spikenard, Saffron, Calamus, Cinnamon, and all sweet spices. 
Cant. 4 2.  Knights of the Bath, come forth like a flock of sheep, in good order, which go up from the washing: come forth, as the daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown, in the day of the gladness of his heart. Knights of the Bath, come forth, and behold your Prince, let him be your looking glass, as the ruiers of waters are to the fair doves washed with milk. The Prince is bathed and washed in lordan seven times, the leprosy and luxury which doth commonly cleave to the youth of our age, even to the sides of their house, is washed away.  
It is written of Otho, 
Suetonius.  one of the Emperors, that he repaired often to his glass to see his face, that he might keep it clean. The Prince (as report telleth us) goeth often to his glass, the streams of the waters of life, 
Psal. 23.  the still streams where David walked. Indeed David calleth them waters of comforts, right worthy of that title, where he perceived himself saved, by the washing of the new birth, in the blood of the vine.  
Thus is the Prince washed, 
Tit. 3.5.  his heart cleansed, his affections purified, his delights sanctified, 
Nobilitas morum plus ornot quam genitorun  all like clusters of the vine: who would not smell at the smell of this vine?  
The Prince hath the Olive victory in his faith, victorious holiness. It was told us long, our eyes were blessed with the sight of our most prudent King, that he hath the print of a Lion upon him: I do believe it, though I did never see it, that the Lion of the tribe of judah is printed upon him; he hath put on Christ. And lo, here is a lion again, the print of a lion, the son of his father; the rpint of a lion, the image of Christ, which the most gracious Saints do rejoice to be. But where is the lions victory? where but in the conquest of the Lion of judah? Thanks be unto God, who hath given us victory in jesus Christ our Lord: mastery against the sins of the world, suggestions of Satan, buffets of the flesh, blasphemy, intemperancy, scorn, ire, revenge, all common serpent's brood, yet all killed in shell; all common, as worms in the fruit, yet all cast away in the bud; the serpents are quelled, the sweet bud remaineth: who will not try the smell of this Olive?  
The Prince hath the Rose love in his faith, a blessed rose, a fair complexion, the complexion of the fairest, the beauty of the Church, the colours of Christ, the white rose and the red: My beloved is white and red, the chiefest of ten thousand. There are divers kinds of love, as the love of nature, so love birds one another; love of consanguinity, so love kinsmen; love of reason, so love heathens; love of grace, so love Christians, which both love God, and one another. The Prince's rose is Christian love, the cheerful love of Christ.  
It is said, that love maketh a man strong, rich, and wise, and here it is proved; for the Prince his love hath done marvelous things for him, whereof we rejoice. His love is so strong, that with no strength of the old Satan's, he can be pulled from the truth: Omnia vincit amor. His light so light, it cannot be turned into darkness. His love so rich, set with the pearls of God's favours, and beset with the hearts of the thousands of Israel, that he himself is as the chiefest of the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 1.  who in all things were made rich, and they all rejoice to think on all places whereon the soles of his feet do tread. His love so wise, that he needeth not any man to teach him, his anointing teacheth him all things.  
It is written of Alexander, that he had a precious stone, which so long as he kept it, did preserve him from poison. I pass the credit of that story, and am well pleased to behold the Prince's rose, which the rose of roses hath given him for a preservative against poison. No enchanted tokens of Egyptian women can deceive him, no mincing, equiuncating pursenets of those Priests can catch him. Schaenobitae were of old Sophistical old women, which to seem fair, painted all their spots, and filled up the wrinkles with smooth oil. And now are the Schaenobitae a live again, jesuits in their fashion, to put all out of good fashion, Romish, Spanish, French, Flemish, English Schaenobitae, yet here they lose their lanterns. Pavones sunt, some say they are Peacocks, because they have colours of an angel, the pace of a thief, and the voice of a devil.  
These birds have sit so long in such ease on their nests, in the dark places of the kingdom, that they have hatched here many birds of their own feather. What are they? Gentlemen, and Ladies, and their followers, peacocks birds, begot with child with many children, sins, and errors, treacheries of that Peacock of Rome. Thus are there among us many wives and children of fornication. O say these of their dams, 
Ose 1.2.  who cannot be taken, their lips drop honey combs. 
Prou. 5.3. vers. 4.  O say we, who dare be taken, their end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two edged sword. These are Lamiaes, witches, which kill those which suck their milk, Lamiaes translated dragons; the dragons draw out their breasts: 
Lam. 4.3.  many in Campions' time here in England, 
Amos 3.  did fly to him, as birds to the fowler, and are taken: Can a bird be taken in the snare if there be no fowler? Let me speak to all our skilful women, which have turned after Baal, and made Baalberith their God. I would ask this question, what are your Priests? and say you, you Clergy men in England are vultures and cormorants, but our holy Priests are harmless gnats. It is true dear Ladies, for our part, that in some things we sin all, as yours do, and we arrogate no super-arrogant perfections as yours do: when we have done all, we are unprofitable servants, we are all compassed with our infirmities, as the Priests were of old, which were better than your priests: and for the sins sake, we are bound to offer for sins, as well for our own part, as for the people. 
Heb. 5.2, 3.  As for your priests, we grant that it is as true also, they are your gnats, which hum about your ears, with lullabies of Security to your consciences. They are gnats indeed, and so, if they be not bruised as they fall, or caught flying, they sing till they sting; and then as the Wasps, when they have thrust in their pikes, they fly away, when your rest is gone and your peace diseased. 
Thus said a Camaeleon lady of Campion.  Hear one of those Ostriges sound in your ears, O tongue of an Angel. You may call him Barachel, all blessing, and bowing the knee to God. His name may be Barionah, the son of a Dove, all spirit of meekness, servus servorum, he will lie like a straw at your foot till the blast come.  vipera curuando, sic iste humiliando ingreditur: As a viper enters his cranny by bowing, so these enter your hearts by crouching. But though he speak favourably, 
Prou. 26.2.5  believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. His name is minorum minimus, The least of the Apostles: O gentle heart: the minorite is minimus indeed, ut mus in panario, or as the mouse in the garner, which minisheth the finest flower, and leaveth the brans for them which maintain them. They love to live like mice and rats in many men's houses, always to their hurt, 
Luk. 22.31.  where they far best. These are Satan's sisters, and Peter, Satan hath desired to sift thee; and at length, this son of a Dove doth become an Harpy in the Church, Bar-Ionah is changed into Barnabas a thief and a murderer. Their brotherhood doth compass our gallant heads like a crown of rosebuds; but in the end it proveth a crown of thorns. Thus might ye all have reported, man, wife, and child, one to another, of their brotherhood, if their spirit had sped at Westminster. Ahohi my brother is my thistle and my thorn. These are your ghostly fathers, these Cymerij, they never see the sun, they will not departed from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. These make all their Proselytes Cimerios', they never see the sun, they cannot, 
job. 21.14.  they are carried hudwincked: a lamentable estate of ignorance, they shall never departed out of darkness. Yet these Cymerij, as we read of others, have as they think, images of the sun, and pictures which are their gods, of advantage, by tradition, upon-trust, only believe as the Church believeth. If these holy Catholics thus devoted to images, do by mischance lose their gods, alack good people, it fareth with them impatiently, as it was with Laban. He searched jacobs' tent, and Leahs, and that of the two handmaids, and last of all Rachel's. Wretched poor Laban, his daughter had a woman's excuse ready to disappoint him, that neither could he find his gods, nor his gods find him. Surely his gods were dead, or in Endimeons' sleep, or at the least in a slumber with Epimenides, that they could not hearken to their orators, no more than Baal to his priests. Yet for all those infirmities of their gods, these holy fathers proclaim openly to their children, omnia bene, all their parishioners are in good health, and they say privately to themselves, A ha, I have warmed myself: lo these are our Ladies precious gods.  
If I had skill in their tongue, I could call them peddlers in French, dicunt album & intendunt nigrum; they have an heart and an heart, 
Ose 10.2.  like those Partridges of Paphlagonia, neither one haunt, nor one way, for their haunt is divided. There is a question anciently descended, and easily answered: Why there are so many sheep, and so few wolves, since men and wolves do eat sheep. Indeed the love of man to man's profit, is a singular preservative to sheep. But now the question is cross, why the wolves in crease, and the sheep decrease? jamdiu inolevit quaerela de millibus ovium, & unitatibus hominum, sed nostra infertur de unitatibus ovium, inter mill hominum. Their complaint in the common wealth, is of the pluralities of sheep, and the nullities of men; but our moan which is made in the Puritan county of Northhampton (as it hath been nicknamed) is for our decayed flocks of sheep, and our multiplied herds of wolves. Shall I read the cause? Foelix qui potuit, I have no such skill; yet would I guess at two causes. The one is, of the adversary against man; the other, of man against himself. 
1. Pet. 5.8.  Satan our adversary hath more care, pains, watches, devices, for breeding and nourishing of Wolves, than ours is for the prosperity of the people of God's pasture, 
Psalm. 95.7  and sheep of his hands. And more than so, our connivency either to seem not to see, or to see only when we list, or to see some thing and do nothing, is to shake hands with Satan, in connubio malorum, that their combinations are daily stronger, and are christian connexion's more weak? Give the holy Prophet leave to speak in this case. 
Esay 26.10  Let mercy be showed to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness, no more than the Hog manners, with a chain of Pearls about his neck. I would willingly speak here, 
Rom. 3  what the Apostle hath spoken, both of Authores et fautores, how they are both guilty. 
Methodus confessionis.  Or if any angry Pope-ling should cavil, I would wipe of his blow with their own verdict, which witnesseth how many ways one man may be faulty in an other man's fault.  
Consulo, praecipio, consentio, provoco, laudo,  
Non retego culpam, non punio, non reprehendo:  
Participo, defendo: meum in caput ista redundant.  
All excuses of ancient acquaintance are but idle pretences in this business, miseratio effaeminata: and I think it hath been called foolish love, to nourish a Serpent in the bosom, or to suffer Wolves to breed in the Wood to waste Sheep. 
 iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones.  Our predecessor could say: odimus accipitrem qui semper vivit in armis, who can once love the Kite, which ever lives in spite? I pray you what are the lives of the Remish wolves? but fire and sword, war and bloodshed. Far and softly, Iesuitae faces Romanae: Surely, you English Clergy play the javelles with us, per hoc Ly. For those holy Votarists are goodly torches sent hither to enlighten our dark thoughts as john Baptist, who was a burning and a shining candle. 
joh. 5.35  Indeed good patients you answer well for your Physicians, propter hoc Ly. But there is great odds in these lights: john Baptist was to the Church as the candle in the woman's hand, to help her to find her lost groat: and the jesuits are as the fire which came out of the bramble, 
Graeta fide volantes. Esay 9.16  to consume the Cedars of Lebanon. Yea those mount-backes of Rome, put out many eyes, and give sight to none, ignes fatui, they walk wild in the dark, blindfold their followers, mislead them out of the true way, and are too often as wildfier, but touch and take. 
jud. 15.5  We read of Foxes tied by the tails with fierbrands, and sent into the corn fields to destroy them. It might have been said of England, 
john 4.35  look on the regions how all the field is white unto harvest. But out of question, our field is not so pleasant as it was, for the Fox's fire which hath wasted much corn. They are but tied by the tails, and so they run into Lady's chambers; it were good that they were tied by the necks, and laid to sleep in the midst of their own fierbrands.  
But shall I turn my thoughts from these witch-blasts, to the Rose of England, all sweet love to his Saviour, all, and all inviolable love to his saving word. No flatterer hath seduced him, no craft hath snared him, no canker-worm hath wasted him. Who should not love the smell of this Rose?  
The Prince hath a Lily chastity, in his faith a fair Lily, growing on a golden pillar, the pillar of honour, the honour of the Temple, the Temple of God: him that overcometh I will make a pillar in the Temple of my God. Look all on this Onichinus, this peerclesse Preatle, always clasped in white belts, fair silver girdles,; the chastity of his mind, body, gesture, conversation, with the aspect of his eyes, 
Prou 22.11  and the grace of his lips. This is he which loveth pureness of heart, and for the grace of his lips the King shall be his friend. We read of the Lily that which we know, that it beareth aureum semen within the flowers: the golden seed is sanctity the seed fell in good ground and hath brought forth an hundred fold. 
Luke 8. Ose 7. Ose 10.12  Many other have sown the wind and reaped the whirlwind, but he hath sown to himself in righteousness, and reaped after the measure of mercy.  
Let every true heart here, call his soul to prayer. The Lord grant when that time may happily come, that his spouse shall be chosen among the honourable women, that then the King's daughter may be brought to him, with joy and with gladness enter into the King's palace. So shall we then rejoice, and again I say rejoice in the smell of this Lily.  
The Prince hath the Violet humility, in his faith an elect valley all of beautiful prospect; so high a Prince, so lowly in his service to think so highly of God, and so truly of himself: Aquae descendunt ad valles, God giveth grace to the humble, to be frequent at prayers, sermons, holy quires; as if his chief desire were as David's was, to dwell in the courts of the Lord; to be a friend to the Church, and a stay to the Altar, as good josiah was. 
4 Reg. 23  Quanto magis arbor abundat fructibus tanto magis inclinatur: more any tree doth abound with fruit, more doth it bend itself to their commodity who are under it. Thus doth he increase in favour with God and man: Charilaus the people's joy, all his garments smell of the Sanctuary; his father's joy, as jacob was to Isaac. Who doth not joy in the smell of this Violet.  
The Prince hath the Corne-care, holy works in his faith, as if he had digested that counsel of the wiseman. All that thine hand shall find to do, 
Eccl. 9.8.10  do it with all thy power, for there is neither work, nor invention, nor knowledge, 
S. Augustine.  nor wisdom in the grave. Qui vult sine fine remunerari, debet sine fine bonum operari, he which would have endless reward, 
1 Pet. 2.15  must have endless perseverance: for so is the will of God, that by well doing you put to silence the ignorance of the foolish men; 
job. 29  as job did, who continued an e●e to the blind, and a foot to the lame. If any enemy think here, he can smell oleum peccatoris, I profess to hate it splendiduml, ubricum, dulce, damnosum: as ye for slipping, and the cup of a whore for poisoning. And I dare be bold to give in an instance for mine own defence, that of all others we poor despised Ministers have cause to bless the days of the Prince. Why so? for Christ his Mandrakes have sweetened his; and his Mandrakes have sweetened ours. O heavenly Mandrakes, graces of the spirit, which dispose to the conception of good works. The Church is Abigail, her father's joy, and Christ hath lodged with her; the Prince is a son and heir in the Church, and Christ hath lodged with him by spiration of his holy word, by inspiration of his holy Spirit; that the Prince may say, 
Cant. 5.4  as the Church hath said: My bowels were mnooved towards him. Hear is our true cause of joy without sophistically oppilations. Therefore seeing his inclination to good works by those spices of our Saviour, which have spiced him; we all consent in that consent of the Canticle of Christ: 
Cant. 7.13  Thy Mandrakes have given a smell, and in our gates are all sweet things. The Prince's words are often as the words of the seventh day; words of grace, apples of gold in pictures of silver; 
Prou. 2.11 Leu. 25  his works are as the works of the seventh year, works of grace; a goodly tree, full of fruits. You may know the tree by the fruits, 
Apoc. 2  and praise the fruits for the smell. This smell is as Smirna, all sweet myrrh; and we all are refreshed with the smell of this Corne-care.  
Now then let us compare jacob and jacob, Hebrew and English; uterinos fratres, two twins both in one womb of the Church, both as Castor and Pollux, 
Act 28.11.  the badge of our Ship. Castor is descended, and as the Sun gone under a cloud: he was gathered to his people, and is gone to sleep with his fathers. 
Gen. 49.33  What then? albeit he sleep he is alive, & shall rise again as the Sun in his fair horizon. 
Exod. 3.6  God is the God of the living, the God of Abraham, Isaac, & jaacob: But I say Castor is laid down in peace and Pollux is upon our Ship in daily adventures for the golden fleece. When I was of younger years, 
Apollonius Theocritus.  I did read of the famous Acts of Castor and Pollux, in that egregious voyage for the Golden Fleece. But what idle dreams were those, with all their resolutions, to the high resolutions of religious hearts, for the golden fleece, the fleece of the Lamb, the Lamb of God, the invaluable righteousness of the Lamb of God is the golden fleece. 
joh. 1.  jacob and jacob are both naked as Adam, before the Lord, without this fleece. Consider the amplitude of the honour and efficacy of this fleece, 
Rom. 4. Psal. 32.  wherewith all our sins are covered. Many, many thousands have yielded up their blood, for this fleece: hoc expeditionum Christianarum praetium & praemium: This hath been the fair payment for many Christian adventures.  
The holy lamb alloweth us his flesh to feed us, 
joh. 6.1. Tim. 6.8.  his fleece to cover us. Therefore when we have food and raiment, let us be therewith content. Such was jacobs' contentment in his new coat, when he got the blessing in his elder brother's coat. Christ is our elder brother, our first borne, a son to jacob, yet elder than jacobs' grandfather: before Abraham was I am. A lamb without spot was this Lamb, 
joh. 8  yet that he might lend his spotless coat to spotted jacob, he was slain, from the beginning of the world. 
Apoc. 13.8.  Behold then a world of wonders in these two, jacob the elder and the younger, notwithstanding sundry generations betwixt them, do both part stakes in Christ; either of them have all their riches of Christ, yet neither of them have all which is of Christ: either of them have all Christ, for Christ is not divided; 
1 Cor. 3. Rom. 11.  neither of them have all that which is Christ's, for Christ is not comprehended. Christ is the Owner of all in the ship, and of the ship and all, and they both are but party borrowers of all their parts. So that jacob above with Christ in glory, and jacob below with Christ in grace, may both sing with that sweet singer of Israel, 
Psal. 142.  The Lord is my portion in the land of the living.  
But now let us see the distance of perfection betwixt Christ & these two brothers: jacob hath the vine, and Christ is the vine; jacob possesseth all those pleasant riches in Christ, and Christ possesseth them all himself.  
Christ is the vine, the true vine, which runs all mercy and life to jacob, and all whither and perish which do not abide in this vine. 
joh. 15.   
Christ is the Olive, the true Olive stock, what branch soever abideth not in him, hath no life in it; for the branches bear not the root, 
Rom. 11.18.  but the root the branches: all fade and fall away which are not grafted into this Olive.  
Christ is the rose, 
1. Cor. 13.  of all flowers the rose is chiefest, and of all virtues love; the chiefest of those three is love: God is love, and he that dwelleth in him dwelleth in love: out of this habitation there is no health nor safety.  
Christ is the Lily, 
Cant. 2. Jsidor.  the most delightful Lily; for he which is the Rose is the Lily: I am the Rose and the Lily of the field: Multiplicis medicinae, to open dangerous passages, to soften hardness of heart, to heal wounds, 
Matth. 6.  and repel venomous infections. O consider this Lily of the field, for our chiefest comforts are in this Lily.  
Christ is the Violet, 
Matth. 11.  the sweetest Violet, which groweth low by the ground: Learn of me, for I myself am meek and lowly. This violet was removed from heaven to the earth, to raise us from the earth to heaven. Some Philosophers hold opinion, that the dew which falleth from the highest part of that Region of the air, worketh deepest upon the earth; for being more oily and rich matter, it doth more fatten the ground, and with gentle kisses entice forth the fruits thereof. Hosoever this be of that dew, it is most sure of the fattest dew lesus Christ. This is the dew of the morning, which cometh from the highest, and falleth lowest, even into the centre, into the heart of jacob. The dew of heaven is the cause of the fatness of the earth, else hath the earth no fatness: idest, the divinity of Christ is the fatness of our humanity. The Lord give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth. Here, here, is man's blessed abundance. This is Manna, 
Exod. 16.  sweet Manna, the bread of Angels, all about the Church, as the dew lay round about the host; sweet dew, sweet as the violet, and the smell of life was in it. Christ his humility is our glory, and his lowest step to death, was our high stair to life. Yea, in his humility we are exalted, 
Esa. 53.  as with his stripes we are healed. Behold the smell of this violet.  
But last of all, 
1. Cor. 15.  Christ is the corn ear, the right wheat corn which dieth and liveth again: 
joh. 10.18.  of itself it dieth and liveth again. I have power to lay down my life, and to take it up again, and all other live by this. The spirit of grace and the holy Scriptures are the flower of this wheat. The disciples of Christ gathered ears of corn on the sabbath day, and we here in England every Sabbath day, travail through the corn field: 
Jn●erlin. Rupertus.  Spicae Scripturarum Spiritum vivificantem habent: Sentences of Scripture have the spirit of life in them. Is any man hungry and can forbear gathering? Ambulant per Sata cum Domino qui in Scripturarum meditatione delectantur, 
Rabanus.  etc. They keep the Lord company in his corn field, which walk on in holy meditations of the Scriptures. jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, and his Disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and rub them in their hands, and to eat; common walkers sometimes pluck and rub, but eat not. These feel no necessity of eating, else would they eat for hunger, as the Disciples did. If we be Christians, we are far short of ourselves, to care only for necessaries to the body, as the Ant or Mouse make their provision, not caring if the soul pine and perish for want of Sabbath days co●ne. What shall we say then to the contentious oppositions of proud spirits, against the necessity of such sustenance? The Papists themselves, some of them will say, that the word of God, either read or preached, doth cleanse the unclean, enlighten the blind, heal the broken, and raise the dead. Yea sometimes overcome with the power of the word of God, they will confess a matter of truth, 
Rodolph. Francis.  Verbum Dei maioris efficaciae quàm medicinae vel reliquiae sanctorum: The word of God is the sick man's salve, more effectual than all the drugs of Traditions. Wherefore think you, did the Prophet Esaie deliver from God that Sermon of the excellent ability of the word of God, That as rain and snow maketh the earth to bring forth the bud, 
Esa. 55.  that it may give seed to the Sour, and bread to him that eateth: thus the word of God should hearten and relieve the needy. 
1. Cor. 9.16.  Wherefore did the Apostle so much prefer spiritual riches before carnal, and pronuounce a woe against himself, if he did not preach the Gospel, to minister the bread of life to the Church. The Lord had commanded him to this service, and therefore he knew he should be beaten with many stripes, 
Luc. 12.47.  if he did the work of the Lord negligently. Ad hoc Apostolus tenetur & quod debuit fecit etiamsi non potuit quantum debuit: The Apostle being bound by God's precept to his office, he ought to do as much as he could, albeit he could not as much as he ought. A learned man calleth this dispensation, Necessitas debiti & justitiae. 
Caietane.  It is indeed of justice and duty to distribute the children's bread to whom it is appointed. And this is the cause why it is called Necessity of obligation, & relief: of obligation, in respect of God's commandment: of relief, in lieu of the people's want. Thus to this purpose was it said, That the minister may ever find causes too many, to cause him to work propter populi indigentiam, where is more need to bestow more feed. This is the corn which we all need, for a remedy against ignorance, 
Gregory.  or error, or sin, or any unbelief: therefore come all and taste, and smell how sweet the Lord is, what varieties of recreations are in the smell of this corn ear.  
Since than it is evident, that there are such store of gentle contentments in our blessed Saviour, that he is all in all, the vine, olive, rose, lily, violet, and corn ear, I would beg an Office to bid a feast. 
Prou. 9  Let me this once take upon me, to invite guests for wisdom. Whosoever is simple, let him come hither, yea whosoever is wise, let him come hither. The King, Queen, Prince, and all the royal Progeny, the Nobles, Counsellors, judges, Rulers, Teachers, and all come taste, 
O dor Christi est Spiritus sempiternè recreatiws.  and feel, and smell the kindness of the Lord. He is all word of eternal life: here is our feeding, he is all mercy, and forgiveness of sins: here is our healing, he is all fullness of grace, here is our smelling. He is sweet in speaking, sweet in smelling: sweet in speaking, never man spoke like this man: 
John 7.46.  sweet in smelling, all merits and favours of sustentation, preservation, and of salvation. O bless Saviour, in the savour of thy ointments we will run after thee, that we may be as the King, 
Cant. 1.  and the King's son, sweet in thy sweetness. Thus we praise and bless the smell of the King's son, and pass here the first river of Paradise, all of the sweet smell of mercy. Mercies of God to the King, in his gift of this son: mercies of God to this son, in the gifts of his graces: and mercies of God to us all, in both these gifts; of the King, and the King's son: Behold the smell of my son.   

THE SECOND SERMON.  GEN. 27.27. 
Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath blessed.  
I Am returned to remeditate our joys in the manifold causes of our many joys. The son to whom I am next now in my text, doth display many joys; all causes of joy to us, all, if we all as birds of the day, be in love with this son.  
Now to the second river all of truth. My Son. Hear I might deal forth unto you many multiplicities of the sons of nature, grace, and glory, but here Laconismus is best welcome. There is a son of nature, and a son of grace, which both have interest in this river of the truth of God: One as the owner and Lord Pooramont, the other as tenant and inholder. The son of God by nature, is jesus Christ the truth itself, and God of truth, the son of divine generation, the only begotten son of God, 
Symbolum Nic● john 3.  begotten before all worlds. There is a son of grace, the son of regeneration, borne again of the spirit of God, borne unto glory in the celestial jerusalem among the company of innumerable Angels. 
Hebr. 12.22  Such a son is jaacob, a pleasant sonbne by the holy participation of the communicable graces of the natural son of God. Hear may we take a joyful view of our release from the post-fines of sin, both fear and shame. 
Frigius.  The superbious Stag cannot but fear the little Dog. Why so? because he is but nature: And albeit he be procerous in comparison, and beareth strong arms upon his head, yet doth he fly with shame. The true Israelite albeit he be but a young stripling, and the least of all his brethren as David was, yet he cannot fear the roaring Lion. Why so? because he hath grace, a privilege above nature, Why, 
john 17.12  what is jacob by nature? a son of the earth, of flesh, darkness, death, wrath, hell and perdition.  
I might show you all these flesh-brands in mine own nature to my shame; but my short time calls for better matter. What mends hath grace made? behold, how good and joyful a thing it is: jaacob is a son of heaven, earth abolished; a son of the spirit, flesh mortified; a son of light, darkness vanished; a son of delight, wrath abandoned; 
Mat. 9.15 1. Cor. 15.  a son of life, death is swallowed up in victory; a son of the bride grooms chamber, death is swallowed up in victory, and all dishonour is exiled for ever more. Such sons are jacob and jacob, Hebrew and English, King salomon's love betwixt them. King Solomon made himself a Palace of the trees of Lebanon, 
Cant. 3.9  all white and sweet as Frankincese of Lebanon. These two are trees of Lebanon, Suavitate & candore morum melliti, eburnei, saccarati & lactei; sweet and white as the trees of Lebanon. Lo here is the smell of my son. What is it think you, a small matter to become the King's son? jaacob is Isaac's son, and the Prince is the King's son, and they all are Gods sons, 
Eph. 1.14  elected, adopted, sanctified, justified, and sealed, unto the day of redemption. Thus are they all made wise sons: a wise son maketh a glad father: and he that begetteth a wise son shall have joy of him: 
Prou. 10 Prou. 13  as happily the King hath of the smell of his son.  
Shall I now beg a discourse?  
There have been evil sons of evil fathers, as the sons of Cain and Cham: evil sons of good fathers, as some sons of David: good sons of evil fathers, as Ezechiah the son of Achah, and josiah the son of Ammon: and good sons of good fathers, such were Isaac and jaacob.  
The first sort were a just recompense that they should be served themselves as they had served others. The second sort were ungrateful birds which stained their own nest, 
juda. 5 1. Sam. 2 17  and caused their fathers to smell ill before the uncircumcised, as Hely his sons did. He might justly complain against his sons, as the jews did injustly against Moses and Aaron, 
Exod. 5.21  ye have cause our savour to be loathsome before Pharaoh. The third sort were a blessed allowance, these snined as light in the midst of a crooked generation, 
Phil. 2.15  their fathers before and their sons after, being set upon evil. But the fourth sort is the chiefest honour and splendour of the Church; 
Firmamentu●● veritatu in Christo confirmatum. Apoc. 5.8 Prou. 27.9  good sons of good fathers, all in the Church, as the lights in the firmament. All these are as the golden Viols full of odours, odoriferous and delectable to their parents, as ointment and perfume rejoice the heart. You Nobles, Gentles, Merchants, and Fathers all, what are your sons? evil of evil, or evil of good, or good of evil, or good sons of good fathers, which is more to be desired then gold. Try the smell of your children, and prove whether your sons and daughters have been dedicated to devils, as many were among the children of Israel. 
4 Reg. 17.17  By evil example many give their children to the sorcery of Popery, and to all profaneness of opinion and malefaction. Through fire they pass to Priests and jesuits, to the orders and disorders of Rome. 
Ad bullatas nug as magu as● piciunt quam ad scripturas ut Asint stramina malunt quam aurum.  Many of your children are sent to Lypsius his Ladies to service, and to the Ignatian Friars to school. The sons of the Prophets were discriples and scholars of the Prophets, sons of good smell: many of yours are all enigenae, cuckoo birds, strangers to your own country Church and Prophets, and living sometimes even in the midst of all, love not the heart of any. The King is the head here in his dominions next under God, and the Prince is the heart under the head: your children love neither of them, no nor their parents neither, but to serve their own turn, and their great Mistress the Whore of Babylon. You may too many of you thank yourselves, you have yielded them to their course (as Daedalus did his son in the fiction) with wax upon their wings, bullis indulgentialibus linitas. 
H●nc p●rtinaci● papistica ut Eutichiana, in hac fide genitus sum etiam usque hody vixi et in ea opto mori.  Too many of you have set them in tune, or rather out of tune, to your own Roman instruments, your hearts. Thus your corrupt children are gone backward, they are strangers from the womb, even from the belly have they erred and speak lies, Mandrabuli more, worse and worse. If you think this reason given of your sons ruins be without reason, hearken to the Prophet. Thy father was an Ammorite, and thy mother an Hittite, and in thy nativity, when thou wast borne, thy navel was not cut, 
 è sinubus nubium e●aculantur fulmina et tonitrua, quibus coloni in aruis affliguntur, ita è co, dibus malorum parentum evoluuntur pssimi filii suis vicini● cruente infesti.  nor washed, nor saulted, etc. Good tutors and teachers should perform the offices of good midwives' to your children; these to help them in their generation, those to further them in their regeneration.  
This is the cause that there are among us so many young Amorites and Hittites for want of holy education. Amorites and Hittites a bitter people, cruel rebels, yet prattlers, which dare so vaunt themselves, that they are even an astonishment unto us.  
But may I be so bold here, to ask another question. What are such parents better than Tantalus, Cambyses, or Lysimachus. One of them killed his son of pride, another of fury, and the third of foolish love. The popish father is right as Lysimachus, who by the cursed persuasion of a cruel stepmother killed his son, his valiant son Agathocles. 
Haud ero securus, dum sit tibi tanta securis  O Noverca Roma, thou hast enticed many a father to murder his own child, and many children to revolt from God a tender hearted father, 
Papa caput est ecclesiae, ut caminus est Domi in se fumos Jesuiticos recipiens, et effundens ut enecet. Ier 39.3 Apoc. 18 Deut. 13 Deut. 18  and the true Church a most loving mother. Yes by thy instigations as the stings of the Hornet, thou hast set to work many a Ragmag and Neregall. These as a close covered candle have secretly kindled fire upon christian States, to melt and dissolve all holy government. Ah, thou hast employed Ragmag and Neregall, with all the rest of the Princes of the King of Babel, to tear off the life, or religion, or peace, or all, from jerusalem. O Noverca Roma, Queen mother, thou sayest thou art a Queen, but thou art a dreamer, a deceiver, a charmer, a regarder of times, a counsellor with evil spirits, a stepmother, as those Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Novercae, always tampering with poison for God's children. 
Menander.  Did not the Poet dream of thee in those words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. There is not a worse mischief than a wicked stepmother. 
Per ea quae sunt placida suadent foeda. 3 Reg. 18.4 4 Reg. 11.1 Quae dedit infidus mella venena puto.  Let thy sisters, either Phaedra or Medea be thy judges, how thou hast raged against King's children: or think of them of whom thou art more certain in holy writ, how thy sisters jesabel and Athaliah shall rise against he in the great day, for killing the Prophets and the King's lineage. Thus died the mild French King before, thus followed the puifant French King after, and both died of their mother's knife. If then the sun have revealed this way of a Serpent under a stone: is not Rome hasharsheol a Wolves house, 
Vbi cascus cascam duxit.  and your good mother a bloodsucker? You tell us daily that your father is holy, his name is holiness; but your mother is a murderer, 
De Papa quam plurims quod de hircosis dicunt, quo redolentioribus sese odoramentis fumigaverint eo tetrius olent hyrcum. Ita pater iste mendax quo sacratioris titul● laruam iudueril eo gra viorem expirat mephitim eius fallacitas.  and therefore we think your father's holiness is to blame. The Devil hath a wide circle compassing the earth, and that Strix of Rome is angry as the Boar, which whets his teeth because his circuit is not as large as the Devils. Who seethe not also, that Satan and his holiness are agreed to mark all with their black coal, and brand them for Heretics which bless themselves with God's blessing out of their reach. Therefore to requite the Pope's kindness, I dare presume to take a little more room to wrestle one fall with his holiness, for the wrong done to this name of holiness. I know well that the Pope's solicitors have much confidence in their Champion as the Philistines had in Goliath; yet must he needs fall which will stand on his tiptoes, vaunting himself against God's cause as he did, and more blasphemous than Rabshakeh arrogate to himself the Title which is proper to God.  
This name of God, the type of his incomparable perfection, 
Exod. 28.  was engraven only in gold, the golden letters being as the letters of a seal, to signify him, who only by himself, is of himself. It was his proper name, which being holiness itself, is able to make others holy. God is more able to make Aaron holy, than fire is able to make the metal hot, or the sun able to infuse his heat into the day: both these creatures may be restrained by God, but the Creator by none. God can with hold the natural powers from the strongest, 
Exod. 3. job. 40.4.  and the fairest; so that the fire shall not burn in the bush, nor the sun shine in Egypt. God can illuminate man with the light of life, and none can forbid it. Canst thou restrain the sweet influence of the Pleyades, or lose the bands of Orion? hath man an arm like God? Shall then challenge of equality with God, in his matchless name, be made by a weak and sinful man, whose foundation is dust, and his days vanity. Some of the learned think it was the ineffable name of God, which was engraven on the plate of gold; and so they writ of the opinion of some of the Rabbins, which being granted, than the name there written cannot be the Popes. What if Aaron did bear this name in the Mitre upon his forehead, yet was it borne not as Aaron's own name, but his Master his name, whom Aaron served, as it is written, Holiness to the Lord. Let me yield as much vantage as a wrestler may, and lend the Pope that hold of an ancient father, 
S. Hierom. Exod. 28.38.  Totam Pontificis pulchritudinem Dei vocabulum coronet & protegat: But why so? that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the offerings, etc. This is plain which was in special commanded for Aaron, and none other, wherein he was the singular type of Christ, and of none other; who only could take away the sins of the world, and none other, 
joh. 1: 2. Cor. 5.18. Ibidem.  to reconcile the people to God. We poor Ministers have the ministery of reconciliation given unto us, but none are reconciled to God, but by jesus Christ, for God was in Christ, & reconciled the world to himself. And he which hath the highest place in the ministration, must be holy, but he cannot be Holiness: he must be true, but he cannot be the Truth; these are Gods pre-eminences. Therefore is this name Gods only, and properly, Quarto modo, to signify that sovereignty which is above the Pope's capacity. But what needeth this attempt (will some say) to cast him down, who hath so often cast himself down, like a blind man, who cannot see, or a drunken man which cannot stand?  
How many of the Popes have been, as the beast, for want of heavenly light, 
Narthecophori multi, Baccbi vero pauci.  wanting eyes, among the infidels, as Samson did amidst the Philistims, having their cogitations darkened, and being strangers from the life of God. Therefore Papacy was called the kingdom of the beast. Lo, where is his holiness?  
How many of the Popes have been luxurious, with carnal and spiritual fornication, that thousands have walked that way in the twilight to the harlot's house. 
Prou. 7.19.  You may well think that warning piece doth reach to them. How should I spare them for this? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them which are no gods: though I fed them to the full, 
Ier 5.7:  yet they did commit adultery, and assembled themselves by companies in the harlot's house. Therefore was Papacy called the kingdom of the whore. Lo, where is his Holiness?  
How many of the Popes have been necromancers, Conjurers, Enchanters, Wizards, 
Krants.  (quimalis artibus adepti sunt Pontificatum) which entered with cruel effusions of blood, by falsehood, like a Fox, and passing on for a time lion-like, or like a Tiger, have at length been drowned like a dog in the same stream. Their despite was great against the precept of God: you shall not regard enchanters, themselves being such. There is no sorcery in jacob, nor soothsaying in Israel, much less is Aaron a sorcerer himself. For this sin, Papacy was called the Kingdom of the Dragon. 
Numb. 23.21.  Lo, where is his Holiness?  
How many of them have been wicked Extortioners, and pillars of many states, which have shifted their hands like jugglers, with all kinds of beggarly tricks, to scrape up the off all of kingdoms, and to empty them of provisions. Have not their lean kine eaten up the fat, their Monks, Friars, Seminaries, and Spawn of that monster Abaddon, have sucked as horseleeches, and devoured as Locusts. That prophesy of Hildegardis is worth reading, to make a show of these holy men, which for their greedy worm, is called the kingdom of Locusts. Lo, where is his Holiness?  
Thus these holy Fathers, taking pains to do evil, by wasting holiness, have striven for the title. But their slight counterfeits are now so conspicuous, that we dare to say, which they dare to prove, That they have too many of them, had no more holiness than the beasts love towards God, the Whore virginity, the Magician sincerity, or the Oppressor charity. It is now manifest, that all their fair shows were but gylden puppies, and your holy Fathers, Sentinamundi, the most loathsome puddles of all the world. And for further assurance, we appeal to the records of those writers, which have espied and lamented the blots of the Popes, as of common strumpets, & the stench of Rome, as the Stews of Babylon. One seemeth to compare hell and Popes together, because neither can be satisfied: Si tibi det sua, 
S. Bernard.  non repleat tua guttura Croesus. And to the same purpose, a better Monk then ordinary, giveth us all fair warning: Si Bursae parcas, 
job Monach  fuge Papas & Patriarchas: he that hath an honest care to keep something, let him fly the Pope and his Proctors, more than any thing. In those doleful considerations of Romish impieties, some of your own favourites have cried out, that Rome is Officina fraudum, 
F. Petrarch.  claustrum irarum nidus proditionum, commendations not worth Englishing: and a bird of your own feather did fly abroad, crying as a Screech-owl in your own streets, Exeat aula qui vult esse pius: 
Lucan.  Let no honest man trust himself in such unhonest company. Lo, where your holiness is laid on the ground. May not the Pope's favourites perceive the rank savour of falsehood, where was (as they thought in their deluded sense) the sweet smell of truth?  
Is not the Pope's impudent ambition easily espied in the unjust claim of the Pope's unlawful title? Hear an ancient speak, 
Innoc.  Ambitiosus statim ut est ad honorem promotus, in superbiam extollitur, iactantiam effraenatur, non curat prodesse, sed gloriatur praeesse: praesumit se meliorem, quia cernit se superiorem: An ambitious man promoted, is blown about with words, as the Mill-saile with wind, all his turnings are more for his own glory, then common profit. All his labour is to carry all others in his stream: 
Virg.  quae rapidus flammis ambit torrentibus amnis. Albeit pride be the sin of falsehood against the truth, of Lucifer against God; yet were it more tolerable, if it were but to show, and not to hurt. Pride loveth the fairest show: qua pulchrum est digito monstrari, & dicier hic est: It is a fair gloss with which the Pope shapes his own coat, that among men, he is as gold above all metals, and as far more excellent than Emperor, as Sun above Moon: this is the sun of the world. If this were all, it were more then enough; but an Heathen telleth us of a worse matter: 
Seneca.  
Colit hic reges calcet ut omnes:  
Tantum ut noceat cupit esse potens?  All his love to Kings, is like his love to his best morsels, that he may devour them all, and keep his foot on their necks.  
I have read this question in a friars Sermon, why there hath been peace so seldom in Westphalia? The answer is, propter malam constellationem martis plus ibi quam alibi se infundentis. If I might interpret that answer, I should deem the Pope to be Mars inter planetas, Manors among the Princes. Surely many countries are dangerously climated by the influence of his holiness, and have less rest by his predominancy in a bloody constellation of Cardinals. The signs of heaven were appointed for seasons; 
Gen. 1.14  but this is the sign which by force putteth all out of season. Where this wandering star hath rule, there peace may not inhabit in safety. How doth this appear? Shall I tell you how? Elisha wept at the sight of Hazael, and you would think by his name there is no cause. Hazael is, seeing God, as if none see God but he; but Elisha wept for the evil he should do to the children of Israel. It is said that Hazael was ashamed when the man of God wept, 
4. Reg. 8.12.  but he went on with his cruel purposes. O Hazael, his holiness is Hazael, seeing God, but who can count the evils he hath done, 
john de Parisijs.  the strong cities set on fire, the young men slain with his sword, the infants dashed against the stones, and women with child rend in pieces. I might go further to prove why this is not incredible, both by the Chronicles of the Pope's wars, and by a reason without reason, that none may punish the Pope for any fact. Thus impunitas ausum parit, ausus excessum: The Pope is as the wild ass, which for want of taming doth kick down every burden. One evil breeds another: but there is too much already in word and deed of this bad matter.  
Now let us with joy look again on the King's son, try his spirit hitherto unvanquished, smell the sweetness of his precious ointments, which the Pope's dead flies have not yet corrupted. Fathers, behold the King's son, and see of what fashion, opinion, and affection your sons should be: he smells as jacob did, jacob did smell of Christ, 
Psal. 12.1.  all of truth. I must confess my sorrow of heart, in that just complaint, for the faith and truth are diminished from among the children of men. There are many numbers of them, like idols of the heathen, which have eyes and see not; or in special like Harpocrates the dumb god, which did see (as they supposed) but could not, or would not speak. To all those, whatsoever they be, we may truly say, Quid igitur profuit te vidisse veritatem quam nec defensurus es, nec secuturus: As the nice dame which can look upon the table richly furnished with sumptuous provisions, and hath no stomach to put them up. It hath been urged against the Separatists long ago, that the perfection of the Church is above, and not below, in heaven, and not on earth. And to this purpose are instances pressed out of Pater noster, which was all hands without eyes; and our Father, which is all eyes with out few hands. But see here the true proportion of true religion, both hands to do, and eyes to see, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Prince, and the Princess, in mutual arms, embracing and feeding one the other: as Prou. 8 Exalt her and she shall exalt thee. This son is filius dextrae, the right son royal, the son of the right hand, compendium gratiarum, a treasure of the treasures of gladness. The eyes of the multitudes look on him, and the noblest of all the Nobles say of him, thou art worth ten thousand of one of us. 
2 Sam. 18.3  The true son and true heir to a true King. The son, the heir, the title, the inheritance, the creation, all savour of truth. Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field.  
Hear we must leave the second river, where mercy and truth are met together in the Prince, as the light and warmth of the sun to rejoice together as two rivers of Paradise to run one with an other: So that the Prince may happily say in the end; 
Psal. 119.32  I have run the way of thy commandments: and the Lord may say of the Prince; Behold, the smell of my son.  
Now are we come to the cordial waters of righteousness.  

There is among men, a Merchant's Righteousness.  
There is among men, a poor man's Righteousness.  
There is among men, a proud man's Righteousness.  
There is among men, a Christians Righteousness.   
The first is the righteousness of a profane Merchant, who sells all his righteousness for smoke of vain glory. 
Matth. 6.1  Take heed of this righteousness.  
The second is the righteousness of a proud Lady, a proud heart in a beggars purse. Thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, 
Apoc. 3 Matth. 5.  and poor. But except your righteousness do exceed the righteousness of Scribes, etc.  
The third is the righteousness of the man with a gold ring and goodly apparel, who must ever be the best of the company. What hath God commanded which he will not do? This man is as the fool, which hearing that God commanded man to walk straight, neither turning to the right hand nor the left, he would over hedge and ditch, hills and houses, till he fell and could pass no further. 
Eccle. 7.17.18  There is a just man that perisheth in his justice, but be not thou just overmuch.  
The fourth is Abraham's righteousness. He believed and it was counted to him for righteousness  
So understand this Scripture that good Christians may put off that slander of Solifidians. For the true Christian is not fire without heat, or day without light: No, the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. This is Jacob's righteousness glistering with his father Abraham's righteousness, both righteous in Christ. The ground in which we find this current of righteousness is called a field, where we have of field room good store.  
In the word of God we find diverse fields: the field of the fatherless, the field of beasts, 
Prou. 23.10 Psalm 8.7 Prou. 24  and the sluggards field. In the field of the fatherless the wild Boar doth often root, and the greedy Wolf doth make subtle entrance. In the field of beasts Nebuchadnezar lived, all in pride, blasphemy, rapine, lust, drunkenness, as too many in our times, 
Psalm. 104  live more like beasts than men; where all the beasts of the field do meet and the wild Asses quench their thirst. In the sluggards field are thistles and nettles, as a wicked man's life is all full of offensive transgressions, for want of Christian exercise. But I have thought to speak of other fields. 
Luke. 6.1 john 18.1  There is ager frumenti, the cornfield where Christ walked: hortorum, the field of gardens, where Christ prayed; the field of blood & the potter's field, bought with the price of blood; and ager Meridianus, the sunshine field, whither Christ is ascended. This Meridian field is the joyful Theatre for all true believers, whither jaacob and jaacob are risen with Christ: 
Colos. 3  the one spe, the other re; one initians, the other initiatus; one in via, the other in patria; one in possession, 
1. Joh. 3.14 joh. 5.24.  the other in infallible assurance: For we know that we are translated already from death to life.  
But what field is jaacob? a cornfield: so have we heard of him in the corne-eare, that his Corn, and Wine, and Oil increased; Faith, Hope, 
Cant. 4 16.  and love. jaacob is a field of gardens, all of vigent flowers, and pinguous herbs of grace; that of his own heart he may say with excellent desire: Let my beloved come into this garden and eat his pleasant things. Let come prosperity, adversity, or terror, or flattery, or what ill blast soever, 
jonah 4 7. job. 1 Cant. 4.16  as on jonahs' gourd, or jobs house, yet this field shall prosper, and the more it is blown, more sweet it smells. Arise O North, and come O South, and blow on my garden, that the spices thereof may flow.  
jacob is a field of blood; the undefiled blood of the Redeemer was sprinkled upon him, 
Apoc. 14.1  the blood of the Lamb of God which standeth on mount Zion. The blood of the Lamb was let out by his enemies in the field of blood, but it was shed upon his friends, as water on the thirsty ground to comfort it.  
This is the blood of the Testament which God hath appointed unto you. 
Hebr. 9.12  Yea this precious blood was powered out upon the rich fields of heaven and earth, that we might be all one flock, bought and paid for, and seized into possession by his precious bloodshedding: he hath set at peace through the blood of the Cross, both things in heaven, 
Col. 1 20  and things in earth.  
jaacob is a potter's field, Christ jesus was laid up in this field, 
2. Cor. 4.7  that jacob might die to sin and live to righteousness. jaacob hath heavenly treasure in an ear then vessel: 
Matth. 13.4  Christ is the hidden treasure in the potter's field, more worth than all the field.  
But shall I say that jaacob is a Meridian field? yes a goodly sunshine field of common joy, and profit to the Church.  
As the common court of the Tabernacle was upon the sunshine side, a fair and comely passing to the Church: 
Exod. 27.9  Thus was jacob a fair field of common passage for the Saints, for all must come by jaacob. This is the generation of them which seek him, 
Psalm. 24.6  of them which seek thy face O jaacob. Nostrum est rapere regnum coelorum per gratiam quod quis nequeat attingere per naturam: our nature being lame, 
Jerome. Chrisostome.  we must be strengthened in grace, to hold heaven by violence.  
So then, albeit jaacob be a common field, in whose fair paths and steps of faith, we repair daily towards the house of God. Yet is he but a figure of a fairer field; for Christ himself is for us: all our rich fair common field.  
He is ager frumenti, where we have all our bread of life. 
joh. 6.  He is ager hortorum, where all the Church hath all her spices. He is ager sanguinis, our mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace, being all died in his blood, who did tread the winepress alone. He was ager figuli, a man of earth, in all things like unto man sin only excepted: he bore the shape of a servant in our potter's field. Yet this was his privilege, that his vessel was not broken. He was pierced with thorns and scourges, and bored through with nails and spear, but he could not be broken among the spoils of death: Not a bone of him shall be broken. 
Esa. 12.46 Esa. 53.5  He was broken for our iniquities in the separation betwixt his body and soul; but his body could not be corrupt, because it was never attaint with sin; with which seal the stay of our field is put together. Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption. 
Psalm. 16.10  When all his enemies had done against him what they could, he won the mastery from them all, as the sun at none day doth win the victory of all the clouds of darkness, and is thus become our Meridian field. Hear stands our glorious son the King of glory, as the sun in Gibeon on the top of the hill, whilst the Lord doth fight for Israel. 
Josh. 10 Vers. 13.14 Apoc. 1  The sun abideth in the midst of our heaven, as the son of man in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, and there is no day like this. Christ jesus is our common field, 
1. Cor. 1.24  and there is neither jew nor Grecian, nor bond, nor free, shut out, which have any title in this field, as the righteousness of Christ for a wedding garment. 
Matt. 22.11  There are none secluded which making right use of their talents have right desire to enter into the Lord's joy, 
Matt. 25.21  as the wise virgins, which went in with the bridegroom into the wedding. Here we all gather plenteous redemption, as Ruth gathered plenty of relief in the field of Boaz: 
Ruth 2.15  Let her gather among the sheaves, and do not rebuke her. O blessed Boaz our Saviour, what strength is in thee for us all? what strong charity? what fair righteousness hast thou scattered for us all to gather? As Boaz scattered some of his sheaves of set purpose for Ruth; 
Vers. 16  so Christ himself let fall some of his sheaves for us, that we might gather without rebuke. 
Ecclesia militans est sancta imputatione, inchoatione, segregatione, sanctitate multimoda à sancto sanctorum imbuta.  Nay who can tell how many thousand more Christ hath done for us, that we may gather heavenly fruits, and after feed thereon for ever? It is said of Ruth that she gleaned in the field till evening. Hear until evening, till the day of this life be spent, we gather all our good conditions, comforts, profits, pleasures; all our mercies, sweet remissions, all our truth, true faith, all our righteousness, fair beauty, and all our peace; sweet rest until our everlasting sabbaths rest, in that blessed field of God's rest for ever.  
But all this while where is the Prince? hath he no place here, or doth he bear no Arms in this Field? Yes; now let all the worthies of the world look on him: the Prince is Hur all white; clean hands, and clean heart, and upholdeth the arms of his worthy father, as Hur did the hands of Moses, to the discomfiture of our enemies, 〈◊〉 he going down of the sun.  
The Prince is a field of Corn, 
Colos. 3. ●6 Nom. 24.6 Heb. 10.22. Psalm. 78.39  the Word of God doth plentifully dwell in him. A field of gardens, as the gardens by the rivers side. A field of blood, sprinkled in his heart from an evil conscience; and yet a potter's field. Let him remember that he is but flesh, and a wind that turneth not again.  
What then, are all those sanctities lost in him? no, now let my tongue touch my heart, and let my voice shout out for joy that the Prince is our English Paradise: Henricus campus meridianus magnae Britanniae: The Lord sent him out of the North into the South, and now is he become our meridian field, for the health and wealth of Christendom. The Lord hath brought again the captivity of Zion, 
Psalm 126.1  and here is the health and wealth of these dominions. Now shake thyself from the dust, arise, and sit down O jerusalem, lose the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter Zion. Shall I compare with that happy time of our blessed Queen Elizabeth? They which were banished in Queen Mary's time for sowing, were sent for again in Elizabeth's days to reap: a favourable recompense of God, 
Psal 126 5  that they which did sow in tears might reap in joy. In former time, the people went down into Egypt, and Ashur oppressed them without cause: but now how beautiful upon the mountains are the Watchmen, which see, & lift up their voice, and shout together. Now is our mouth filled with laughter, 
Vers. 2  and our tongue with joy, our joy renewed, new joy doubled, double joy multiplied, our manifold joys established in the King, and the King's son.  
Hear is cause enough for us all to confess the largesse of God's merciful, true, and righteous dealing, in the performance of his promise. 
Leu. 26.9.  I will have respect unto you, and make you increase, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. A most happy performance, that now we have hope for fear, truth for doubt, righteousness for injustice, peace for war, right heirs for wrong, as fir trees for thorns, 
Esay 55.13  and myrrh trees for nettles. Now are our fairest rivers in the South, the fair streams turned hither in righteousness, with joy and honour to themselves, and all just men. Lord thou hast turned our captivity, as rivers in the South. How did the joys of good subjects hearts sparkle out at their eyes, attending to the Kings coming, as the Angel of the Lord, to lead his people. The King came first, and his Angel came after, as the hawk doth fly by thy wisdom, 
job. 39.29.  stretching out his wings towards the South. It is written of the Southwinde, that his original is in the North; but when he passeth the coasts of the Zodiac towards the South, there to meet the sun, as the sole Lord of all those beautiful passages, then is he hot and moist, and yieldeth power to all the nurseries of Nature, to work, from the worm that creepeth, to the bird which flieth. If I do not mistake the likeness, this is a likely precedent of the fair arrival here of the King, and the King's son, to the gladness of Nature, and Art, and Grace, and to the common solace of poor and rich, both naked worms, and feathered fowls. Now all true subjects, eased of all their fears, may sing under their own vines. Lo how our clothes are warm, 
job. 37.17.  when he maketh the earth quiet, through the South wind. In what corners are those to be found, which do not rejoice in this joy? Henry Prince of Wales is our Meridian field, richly mantled with pleasant varieties of high honours. His Father Apollo, the King, hath watered him, his excellent father, his God, his high father, hath increased him in holy infusions of grace, and rich ornaments of the purest Discipline. Now is the Prince his Court more seemly to behold, than the banks of the Muses, all bright and famous, with fair fountains of knowledge, all garnished as a mellifluous garden, where many Bees do gather honey under the Master Be, Lord of the soil: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field.  
Some writ of the magnanimous adventures of the Holy Land, 
Mantuan Sotterus. Eusebius Faber.  some of the spacious propagation of the Gospel, through Ethiopia, Egypt, India, and Grecia, in the time of the Apostles: some of the wide spreading of the triumphant banner of jesus Christ, in these latter times, among the Arabians, Persians, and Indians: but who can write wherefore God hath given such judgements to the King, and such righteousness to the King's son; 
Psal. 72.  this were worth the Pen of a ready writer. This we all aught to do, to offer up our hands, and hearts, and all our aid to the King, and the King's son. The Gospel is yet in bondage in our neighbour countries and states remote, and there is no Prince in the world of more assurance for God's assistance, 
Psal. 144.1.  to teach his hands to war, and his fingers to fight. There is none more likely to help, by the smell of his field, all zealous piety, and resolute integrity, that every confident heart may say to him, who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time.  
In my weak meditations I have found, that God hath fowen his divers kinds of seeds in three sundry fields: in Paradise, in the wide World, and in the soul of man. In Paradise a pure man, in the world a pure word, and in the soul of man pure seeds of grace. In Paradise, the first man Adam was made a living soul, 
1. Cor. 15.45.  without hangs-by of original sin, or inbred hostilities of strong prevail. Therefore the complaint of man's fall is twofold, one against man's security, the other against the Serpent's envy: whilst Adam slept, the envious man sowed tars. 
Matth. 13.  Thus was man corrupt both within and without, in his body, and his soul, when the pure Adam received in the impure sting of sin, as Ishbosheth living, received in his sleep his death's wound. 
2. Sam. 4.6.  Man did not continue in honour, but became like unto the beasts which perish. 
Psal. 49.12.  In the second field, the Lord hath bestowed his lively word, of which the great sower saith himself, For this cause was I borne, 
joh. 18.37. Esay 1.9. Rom. 9.29.  and for this cause came I into the world. Therefore well may we say, Except the Lord had reserved seed for us, we had been as Sodom, and like to Gomorrha.  
Here then, among many indifferent questions of the Astrologers, I rejoice much in this one, to know where is the best influence of the heavens. Many men have many opinions, and if it may please you to accept mine among them all, I think the best is there where is a most plentiful prosemination of the word of God. This is the sacred aspersion, wherewith the most parts of our nation is copiously sprinkled: Therefore jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. 
Psalm 14.7  This was the pleasant meat and drink, wherewith the King of the Prophets did cheer up the hearts of his friends, and his own: he showed his word unto jacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with every nation, 
Psa. 147 19, 20  all people have not had such wholesome influence. This was Ecclesiae gloria circumfluens & ubertim mala superans, 
Pelican.  the satiable riches of the Church. Thus the mercy and kindness of the Lord doth follow us, he maketh our cup to overflow. Yea, this blessed influence filleth innumerable orchards full of fig-trees, Christian consciences full of the favours & delights of God. The word of God is a fig tree worth keeping, and tending, where we have our daily nutriment and comfort, 
Prou. 27.8.  For he which keepeth the figtree shall eat the fruit thereof. But shall I speak what I have heard from the clamours of the wisdom of the world, That this great allowance of the word of God, is abundant and superfluous. To such I have offered a bold (some will say a blind) answer. That their wisdom is the fool's babble, which hath said in his heart, There is no God. 
Psal. 14.1. Excellentia regiminis Christiani non est ex opinatione politica, sed ex ordinatione dominica dirigenda. Jac. de Valen. Aqua nobilis ex frigore saepe gelatur.  There are too many wise men of the West, which hold opinion of common preaching, as some Philosophers do of the light about the Southern pole; That as by the absence of the Sun there, the air is not hindered in his light; so by the want of ordinary preaching, religion is not darkened in her beauty. Circa polum Australem, per absentiam solis non defieit lumen conveniens ad vitam felicem. Indeed some to compare much preaching, and too much Sunshine together. Perpetua aestas omnia exurit: but the danger is more, ne perpetua hyeme omnia rigerent: lest cold religion should be closed up in frozen hearts, and in the want of the warmth of the word of God, this times devotion become cold, and dead as ice.  
When I remember this miscreant conceit, it seemeth to me like a fowl serpent, with a great belly, full of young ones, all devourers of faith.  
Thus may you more easily understand our saviours question, When the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? who knoweth not, that faith may be starved for want of the waters of comforts, and pined for want of food, and choked for want of spirit: if thou withdrawest thy breath, than we are gone. 
Psal. 146.4  Thus man's breath departeth, he returneth to the earth, and his thoughts perish. What then must we have nothing but reading of the most sure word of the Prophets, 
2. Pet. 1.19.  to take heed unto? Yes beloved, I would be loath to say that we should be acquainted with no other business, but reading, expounding, or hearing the word of God; as those Heretics erred, which would have nothing but praying. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  I grant there must be Ortus & occasus Solis, a time to speak, 
Eccles. 3.7.  and a time to keep silence, a time to sow, and a time to mow. Yet the word of God, as the Sun, may not be too long down, lest there be too much darkness, and cold ignorance, and indisposition to good manners. And for a parting blow, to those wise men (whose wisdom descendeth not from above, 
jam. 3.15.  but is earthly, sensual, and devilish) I would commend one answer more to them, more to the purpose. Their comparison is not well jointed, because of the odds betwixt Nature and Grace. 
Psal. 58.5.  The truth is clear against all adders which stop their ears, that albeit there can be too much Sun, (it is pity that ever fair weather should do harm) too much prosperity, and blasts of wind; yet can there never be too much faith, love, 
Matth. 8.26.14 31.16.8.  obedience, never too much grace. Therefore are there so many complaints of too little & manifold prayers, that grace may be multiplied upon the Church.  
Now must I speak of the third field, 
1. Pet. 1, 2.  in which Gods seed is sown: This field is the soul of man, 
Ezech. 8.  this is God's field, All souls are mine. The Lord soweth seeds of grace purposely in our souls, that they may grow and out-growe our sins, as seeds are sown in their seasons to outgrow the weeds. Therefore every one which is borne of God, doth no sin, 
1. joh. 3.4 Psal. 47.1.  because his seed remaineth in him. Hear then let all English people clap their hands, & sing loud unto God with a cheerful voice, for this one instance of a Princely soul. In the troops of many miraculous conjunctions, and oppositions, you may all behold some strange ones here. Rare conjunctions of Majesty and Humility, of Youth and Wisdom, of Temperance and years of lust to sin. What? halcyons days in summer? It is reported that the Halcyon doth breed in winter, and then there are days of peace, than wars cease in all the world. In the days of winter, of old age, than sins cease in microcosmo, the force of carnal desires are not so fierce against the soul: When the Almond tree shall flourish, concupiscence shall be driven away. 
Eccles. 12.5.  But halcyons days in summer, in youth health, strength, and plenty, peace and so brietie, in the times of strong rebellion, insurrections and skirmage; a passing conjunction: This can come to pass but only one way, by which it is thus come to pass. The Prince is fastened to the head, 
Coloss. 2.19  knit with bands and joints, and increasing with the increasing of God. Without exception this is a singular example of joyful astonishment, as S. Peter's deliverance was to be exempt out of the chains of darkness, 
Acts 12.  when his friends thought his enemies were too strong against him. Is it not a wonder in our days (infidelitate epicurismis luxuriante ac saepius ad atheismum urgente) yet this incomparable Prince as a pillar of God's house to stand fast, and as a mount that cannot be removed. There are a thousand young plants in the Kingdom shaken as reeds, and daily wavering, are carried about with every wind, as clouds without water; 
Ephes. 4.14 Jude 12.  & yet still the Prince groweth as an heavenly plant, which cannot be plucked up. Look on him all ye prosapiae nobiles, all whosoever ye be of noble pedigree, generous progeny, or religious ancestors, are not his active virtues before you so many Heroes, all singing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Now stir and quit your forces well, 
Jste primus prodijt in Scenam ut vos sequamini.   
To cut out sin, and cast down hell.  
And now look on him again where you may perceive an opposition like rare, as is the conjunction: duellum perpetuum, a most martial combat betwixt opportunity and sin. These two are commonly in league, altar in alterius iactantes lumina vultus: soothing up one another as mutual flatterers. We shall seldom see these two to meet at any time without shaking of hands as friends; and hardly are they separated, if the bars of law be not strong, and of sound use against them. Such is the common greeting betwixt them, as betwixt Prosperity and Pride, which are seldom persuaded to part company. There is one grievous sorrow with which may parents are painted, that our youth do bear in their thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not virgins, but courtesans. Now the least evil word to young men takes fire: youth is, ut ignis ad torrem, as hasty to sin as the dry brand to be kindled. There is no need of unchaste songs and wanton plays to entice youth to wantonness, for they are apt to evil, Et quia facilè vulpes pirum comest, as wise to do wickedly, as the Fox for his prey. Mark then, 
Plautus. Luke 16.8.  here is an happy mark for you all worth your aim, peerless youth with prudence to fly from evil, when as at the same years others do basely fly to evil. Is not his praise and statue justly raised, who doth mortify his unruly affections, when with such strong enemies, many of the strong young men are slain. Many of the beautiful women & strong men have perished in the power of those enemies, that the Prophet may sigh and lament; O that mine head were full of water, 
jerem. 9.1.  and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. Verily this young Prince doth with great joy draw waters out of the wells of salvation; that though thousands fall on his right hand, 
Esay 1●. 3 Psal. 91.7  and ten thousand at his left hand, yet the plague cannot come nigh him. Say then this is the fairest white rock of all our Albion's white rocks to keep out the inundations of our enemies. 
 reg●lus apicularum i● temporibus estivis suaveolentes flosculos in prato delibans deliciosa condit m●lla suis colonis: Sic iste princeps in Ecclesiae Anglicavae mel lificio scripturas poenitissimè depascens, uberrima suis gaudia supeditat. Psalm. 124 4 Reg. 9 Hest. 1.5  In a word, this is the Phoenix bird (de thure vivens) which may teach you all when to make your flight from sin. Let not your flight be in winter, in the sorrows of old age, and the sorrows of the grey head. It is a pleasant song for young men to sing in the spring time of their lives: Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler. Who can but praise those birds which live in innocency (grana comedentes pura) and hate to do evil? Who can but smile at the prospect of those fields which yield plentiful increase to every green herb for the use of man, and will allow no room to harmful weeds? Lo here jaacob and jaacob are those birds, and those fields; birds feathered, and fields clothed with the righteousness of Christ.  
Now compare all gardens with this field: the gardens of the Kings of judah and Israel, or of Hashuerosh; all the delicate plots of the Egyptian, Thebans, Hesperines; the fields of Semiramis, Alcuines, or Spanish, or Italian gardens, of all the Roman devices. Some of these were, either fantastical conceits and never were, or corruptible vanity and are not, or momentary existence and shall not be. But these two fields jaacob and jaacob with their gardener Christ jesus betwixt them, are everlasting fields: their Cedars, their high enterprises; their hisope, their lowly endeavours of grace shall never perish. Their leaf shall not fall, and being placed by the water side jacob shall bring forth his fruit in due season, 
Psalm 1 Rom. 6.22  his fruit righteousness, and the end everlasting life. Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field. And here I take my leave of this field.  
Now let us lie down in peace: The field which the Lord hath blessed. 
Pacem te poscimus omnes.   
I am at the last to speak of blessing: this the fourth river that runneth softly, in valle benedictionis, in the fall of God's blessings. This the river of peace, which runneth softly as the waters of Siloe: I could wish you all well bathed in this water, and so commend you to the grace of our English Paradise.  
If I should begin this Treatise as Bonaventure for good speed hath taught me, 
Luk. 2 joh. 20 Prou. 3  I might commend the blessings of peace; that it is the language of heaven, the treasure of Christ, and the fair path of God. By the virtue of peace the warfare betwixt God and man is well ended, and betwixt man and man is well decided. He which knew how much the righteousness of God is in love with peace, would with all his heart desire peace, with this righteousness of God. This atonement betwixt God and man, which our peacemaker hath made for jaacob, is concluded in this blessed word blessed as a blessing of all blessings. The word is ambiguous in our English tongue, and therefore must be resolved into his proprieties. Sometime blessing is the means to happiness, and sometime happiness itself. When it is the means, it is benediction, as it is here; and when it is happiness, it is beatitude, as in other places. Beatitude est summus finis rationalis creaturae tantum. Benedictio est aliarum creaturarum. The reasonable creature only can be blessed with beatitude; 
Hine Diabolus est simia Dei et Papa Diaboli.  the other creatures also with benediction; as the field, garden, cattle, basket and store; or the day, as the sabbath, or the journey, as Jacob's was. This is short measure in respect of the other, for every beatitude is a benediction, but they cannot be converted equally. One of these is more common than the other, as there are many motions to one end. The motions are more common than the end, for they either few or more may be often hit, the end seldom, and never but at the last cast. A man may attain to some means, & to no end, to some benediction, and to no beatitude, as they which run and run short; or as the archer, which having the blessing of strength, shooteth many arrows at the mark, and all beside. In some places you may find him a blessed man whom the Lord hath enlarged with many gifts; as to increase and multiply in many children, riches, honours, dominions: 
Psalm. 144. ●●  Happy are the people which are in such a case, yea happy is the man which hath his quiver full of them. This happiness is translated beatitude, and yet is but temporary, extending to this present life only. But this blessing is commonly called benediction, 
Austen. Beda. Thomas.  as the Fathers and Schoolmen expound it. Benedictio Dei est donorum eius collatio, vel multiplicatio. In some places the blessed man is he whom God hath enriched with eternal blessings: that he is an happy man for the discharge of his debts, and the accomplishment of his duties. The discharge: 
Psalm 32.1  Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven. The accomplishment: 
Psalm. 1.1.2.3  Blessed is the man that doth not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. This man thus discharged and accomplished, is the blessed subject into which beatus and benedictus are united into one. As in the name of Ascher there is both blessing and happiness, benediction and beatitude, 
Gen. 30.13  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ah blessed am I for the daughters will bless me, and she called his name Ascher, blessedness. 
S. Ambros. Interliu. Gen. 49.20  Blessedness indeed if we consider the substance, for Ascher was a figure of Christ, who enriched us with his riches, that it is said of him excellently: His bread shall be fat, and he shall give pleasures for a King. To this purpose are here discussed both an history and a mystery. 
Cyirl. Colos. 2.3 Matth. 13.46  In the history divitiae mundi, in the mystery deliciae Christi: who can be better understood in the full accomplishment of all the Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures? He is the Pearl of great prize, which saith of himself: Riches and honour are with me, even durable riches and righteousness. Huius inopia ditat, fames satiat, mors vivificat. This is Ascher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall give pleasures for a King: 
Esay 25.6  Ipse est panis pinguis qui mentes fidelium impinguat. In this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make a feast of fat things, full of marrow and wines fined and purified to all his people. He giveth pleasures unto Kings pascit thronos, 
Cyril.  potestates, virtutes, angelos; who feedeth patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, and the Princes of believers.  
Thus may you perceive blessing and blessedness well met in him, who hath in himself such power of blessing, that he can make others blessed. This happiness is the high crown of immortality, which we all desire to reach, as Hester did the top of her husband's Sceptre. The means whereby this blessing is inclined to us, 
Hester.  and the stairs whereby we climb up to it, are mercies and graces gifts of God's blessing. In these the Lord beckneth to us, to come to him as Ahashuerosh held out the golden Sceptre to the Queen: So Hester drew near and touched the top of the Sceptre. Many natural men have troubled themselves in vain, with many examinations of this blessedness to prove what it is. I may not stand here to rip up the secrets of profound Philosophers, from whose curious eyes were hidden those treasures which they never found. Therefore they never had true peace: 
Psalm. 14.3  for the way of peace have they not known, they are all gone out of the way. Their highest point nearest to our truth is this; that man hath no true blessedness until he be joined to the first of all things that can be understood. This is an high flight, and far beyond the sublunary thoughts of base minds, yet far short of the mount of true Divinity. God is blessedness itself, and to be united unto God is the perfect blessedness of man in jesus Christ Emanuel, to know him, confess him, and delight in him. But God is the object of man's faith, not the subject of his intellect: the heart of man is too narrow a circumference to compass God in his understanding. Therefore is God's name incomparable, I am that I am, in the Present tense, whom no power can shift out. Some have translated more properly, I will be, who I will be: to show that God is able of himself to hold his being and happiness against all rebellion, Stabilisque manet daens cuncta moveri. To this purpose is that spoken of God; Dei esse est, 
Gregory.  dissimiliter nunquam esse; with God is no variableness. Here then let us acknowledge by faith, more than all those deep scholars could reach by reason that our blessedness is in our union with God, 
Phil. 4.7.  our peace which passeth all understanding.  
Among the secrets in the revealed word, these two are great. One the hypostatical union of two natures, that the word is made flesh. The other is our spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Nisi una persona esset Deus et homo, non rectè diceretur: Dominus gloriae crucifixus est.  our sure copulation with Christ without confusion. That is a mystery beyond natural capacity, only entertained by faith in the Church. This is also a great mystery resembled in short patterns of the head and members knit, of the husband and wife united. In this exact and present work, there are two bonds; one on God's part; & the other on ours. Ex part Christi Sp. S. ex part nostra fides nostra est unionis vinculum. Thus by the twist of God's holy spirit, and our hallowed faith, we are made one with Christ, and he is made unto us redemption, sanctification, wisdom and righteousness. 
1 Cor. 1.29  Wherefore are these wonders come to pass but for our happiness, which cannot be had any where but in God the fountain of blessedness. There do we daily tender unto God that payment of sovereignty which we may not yield to any other. God is sufficient; so is none but he sufficient of himself, so is none but himself sufficient for himself and for others; so is none other sufficient for himself and for all, and so are not all beside him, put all together: This is our God: (Lord who is like unto thee!) Qui sedet in coelo repletiue; that heaven and earth are full of the majesty of his glory. 
Psal. 71.19 Ephes. 1.23  This is our God (worship him all ye gods) who sits above, and holdeth blessedness a fair mark in his hand, for us all to run unto. 
1 Cor. 9  We must all run; this life is the course; heaven is the goal. Expectat nos Deus pater ut haeredes, filius ut fratres, Sp. sanctus ut unctos: And here we are made a spectacle to the world, to Angels, and to men. Will you behold two runners, jacob and jacob both running after the Roe? Christ is the Roe which runs before them both in the race of happiness, like a Roe on the mountains of Bether. So did jacob run, and hath obtained by faith: so doth jacob run that he may obtain by faith. 
Heb. 11.21  Lord let him so run that he may obtain.  
O all ye vacant triflers of the world: why stand you here idle as the men in the market place? What stand you for gazing one on another as joseph's brethren. We must all labour in the vine yard, that we may receive wages, all strive that we may be crowned, all be exercised that we may be in breath, non incipientibus sed proficientibus. We must be I organimous, that we may continue to the end & be blessed. Thus did the Apostle run and continue to his joy: I have finished my course: qui amat ardentius currit velocius: love and great reward makes labour light, the reward is blessedness.  
But it is high time to step out of this digression, from the mark to the means, from beatus to benedictus. There are apparent unto us in holy Scripture divers blessings of divers kinds. Some are of the Superior to the inferior, some of the inferior to the Superior, and some of the equal to the equal. All these have their special distinctions and use. When the underling doth acknowledge the goodness of the Superior, and sendeth up to him thanks and praise for his kindness, 
Psal. 103 1 Psalms. 148  this service is called the blessing of reverence. Thus the Prophet doth bless God. My soul bless thou the Lord. And such a sacrifice of praise is that in the melodious hymme of our prayer book: O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord. The other blessing betwixt equals is termed benedictio charitatis, when one good christian doth pray for an other, as Saint Peter's counsel is bless, and Saint Paul's, yea bless I say and curse not. But here I may but touch and go.  
The first blessing of the Superior to the inferior hath this branch also, as blessing of absolute power, and blessing of authority, committed more or less. Blessing of absolute power hath in himself his preferment above all blessings, as heaven which droppeth on the highest trees, hath his pre-eminence above all effusions and drops of trees or mountains. Every good and perfect gift descendeth down from above to the parts below; from heaven to earth, as the precious ointment went down from the top of Aaron's head to the beard, 
Psal. ●33. 2  & the skirts of his clothing. This blessing of absolute power is God's only to give, who at his pleasure can bestow temporal or eternal gifts. Sometimes temporal, upon the creatures for man, or upon man in the use of the creatures. 
Ephes. 1.3  Sometimes eternal upon the Saints, as he blessed the elect with all spiritual blessings in Christ, chosen before the foundations of the world. 
Aquinas.  This blessing hath no match and therefore it is said, benedicere Dei est causare bonitatem: there is none but God which can create goodness in man. The other Superior blessing is by commission to God's Deputies, which blessing is either more-common, or more rare. The common blessing is prayer, sent as an Angel to fetch the blessing of God from the top of the ladder in heaven, to the foot of the ladder on earth. Thus the superiors in the Church (for which cause we think superiority expedient) do pray for the blessing of God inward and outward, and ex officio, do show that God will bestow them which are necessary. This blessing is daily or aught to be, of Kings to their subjects, Pastors to their flock, and Parents to their children. The blessing of the King to his subjects, 
Iosh 22 1 Paralip. 16 3 Reg. 8  as joshuah blessed the Rubenites: as David blessed the people in the name of the Lord; or as Solomon blessed all the congregation of Israel. Thus shall the King prolong his days in the kingdom, and his sons in the midst of Jsrael. The blessing of the Pastor to the flock, 
Deut. 17.20 Nomb 6.23 Leu. 9.23. Hebr. 7.1  aught to be as Aaron blessed the people at God's appointment, as Moses and Aaron blessed the people when the glory of the Lord appeared, and as Melchisedec blessed Abraham, the Priest of the most high God met Abraham etc. & blessed him. This blessing when it is directed according to the prescript and allowance of the word of God, is then of great power by the power of God annexed by promise. The blessing of parents to their children is also of good use, and commendable among us in England, for the good speed commonly observed in these blessings. Apud Britannos inprimis sacra antiquitatis vestigia etiamnum hody clara in hac part sunt: 
Hyperius. Raedius Britannicarum claritatum speciosus.  The Britanes are most honourable above all Nations, for the continuance of this holy ordinance. This is without all doubt an holy order which the Lord ordained from the beginning, that children might be preserved within the compass of dutiful obedience to their parents, and might esteem greatly of their great office over them. Moreover this observation being a comely correspondence to the fifth commandment, doth thereby approve itself, that in our religion it should not be neglected or reputed a stranger. And this is more manifest by the reasons of the Wise man, in which he lappeth his counsels for the precious estimation of the parents blessing. 
Eccles. 3.11.  For the blessing of the father establisheth the house of the children, and the mother's curse rooteth out the foundations. I might here lift up some monuments, on which it hath been proved and written, how the blessings & curses of parents have kindled fire of heaven or hell, as if Gods will and the parents were all one. In this purpose an heathen speaketh as if he had been a Divine, in the skill of secrets: Si affirmabit pater adversus nos, pati nos oportet, quod ille faciat, cuius potestas plus potest. God doth justly effect that which man doth justly crave. But of all blessings by commission, that is the highest, and of most power which is called the patriarchal, or Prophetical blessing. With this blessing Isaac blessed jaacob and jaacob after blessed his sons. This is called a blessing of excellency, for that those holy men endued with the spirit of prophesy, did bless with the blessing of God, which could not be supplanted. I have blessed him and he shall be blessed. These blessings were as delectable nuts in the Church; because in them being words of men, there was delivered the blessing of God, 
Cant. 6.10  as the kernel in the nut: So that jaacob gone towards his blessing might say, I went down into the garden of nuts. The Lord had so enacted the covenant of grace with those gracious fathers, that it did rest in custody, ut sanctum depositum, as an holy pledge delivered in trust. They by their solemn blessing, might convey this treasure to their posterities, in whose families the Church and life of saith was to continue till Christ his coming. Thus Noah blessed his son Sem before, and Moses blessed the twelve Tribes after. Concerning Noah his blessing the question is asked, wherefore that largesse of patriarchal blessing was bestowed on Sem, when as japhets' favourable demeanour towards his father, was of equal reverence and care for his father's honour as Sems was. The answer to this question is plain; that the holy ghost did foresee how from Sem should spring Abraham, and all his holy followers, of whom the most blessed fruit that ever did grow was to come into the world. Therefore to Sem was that great patriarchal blessing conveyed: yet had Noah an other blessing for japhet, as Abraham had for Ishmael, and Isaac had for Esau. This secondary blessing was far short of the first, as the light of a star is short of the light of the sun. Yet this blessing might be enlarged to japhet, if he would light his star at the sun, and dwell within the light of the Church, within the tents of Sem, according to the condition of the blessing. God persuade japhet that he may dwell in the tents of Sem. And thus is it happily with us Gentiles, converted and persuaded to fetch our light at Christ, in the tents of Sem: our blessing is enlarged by him, and the Church with his blessing is enlarged by us.  
Now then let me show you how jaacob the Hebrew and our English jaacob are a blessed field. The superior blessing is upon them both, and their blessing is made manifest unto us in three most worthy allowances. The first is for situation, the second for plants, and the third for fruitful vantages of watering. In the first jaacob is a blessed field, scited in the sun, the fairest sun the Son of God which always shines. A blessed scite is Jacob's conscience, thus neighboured with the sun, his conscience is asweet lodging, sweetened with the joys of Christ, as his father Abraham's bosom. O blessed jacob thy father's blessing hath jodged thee in the bosom of Christ, as the spouse in the bosom of her husband. 
Cant. 2.4  He brought me into his wine-cellar, and love was his banner over me. God dwelling with jaacob and jaacob, is two ways. One in tabernaculo personali, in the flesh of man, the other in tabernaculo mistico, in the soul of man. Hear may you see the mysteries applied, which before we admired. In the manhood of Christ his body is become bone of our bone; here is our pleasant situation and our sweet neighbourhood. This lodging of Christ maketh all the faithful smell sweet, the majesty of his divinity being at rest with our humanity in his holy incarnation. For this favour jaacob and jaacob may either of them say: 
Cant. 1.11 4 Reg. 20 joh. 11 4 Reg. 2.21  Whilst the King was at his rest my Spicknard gave the smell thereof. Hear Hezechias his sick body recovered, and Lazarus his dead body revived, that before, and this after, in the same power. Hear our bitter waters are made sweet in our earthly current, that Christ may say to jacob: I have healed this water, death shall no more come thereof, nor barrenness to the ground. Christ as a kind physician did vouchsafe to lodge in the sick man's bed, that by the touch of his body the poor patient might be healed. Thus the sick are cured as the diseased woman was, by the touch of his garment when virtue went out of him. 
Luke 8.46 4 Reg. 13.21 Eucherius.  And the dead are restored, as the corpse recovered life by the touch of Elishaes' bones. Excellens recuperatio per excellentissimum recuperatorem, the vantage of the faithful. Man was much shaken, torn; and cast down in every joint of his building, no man's merits could fasten again one man's joints: Christus venit in carnem, God became man to repair man, and to make up all his breaches. In his incarnation he came to jacobs' house as the holy visitors into Abraham's tent, as a special friend which brought good provision with him, all his strength, skill, and goodness, to do for jaccob all kind of good. The second dwelling which Christ hath with jacob is in tabernaculo mistico, by his word, sacraments, graces, tokens of his love, by his spirit the bond of unity and comfortable seal of his sure habitation: thus is jaacob a blessed field. Behold, I am with you to the end of the world. 
Matt. 28.20  Deus accubuit in arca figuraliter, in jacobo realiter: here is a real and a royal presence, 
Gratia Dei nos iustificans inest Deo, subiectiuè nobis obiectiuè.  the power and victory of the life and death of Christ is upon all the borders of the Church. Hear is her pleasant situation, scited within the worthiness of her redeemer, within the court of honour of all his inestimable merits and mercies. The Church's gains by this proximity with Christ, is the communication of all his participle graces as courtiers gain many gifts (not figures only but actual rewards) at the King's hand by vicinity and near attendance unto him. 
Sancti fide illustrati, gratiam in Deo intuentur, ut oculi lumen in sole, eiusque effecta in cordibus sentiscunt. Cant. 1.13 Haimo. Psalm. 51  A faithful heart hath a singular delight to think how jaacob may raise his glory and pleasure in this royal presence, as the spouse doth. My beloved is as a cluster of Camphire unto me in the vines of Engaddi. Engaddi habet arbusculas, liquorem balsami desudantes, here are the most holy drops of most precious Balm trickling into our consciences, to refresh and ease them in their burning sores. Here is our clean heart and our right spirit; here we hear of joy and gladness that the bones which were broken may rejoice. Hear we have our happy benedictions out of this circumfluent spring, our blessing which are worthily decanted in Psalms, and joyfully published in Anthems of the giver and receivers. The giver is God only, and the receivers are Saints only. God is the giver only, a quo nil nisi bonum, ut a sole nil nisi pulchrum, who only giveth that only, which is good. The Saints are receivers only, and none other have any interest, or are capable. 
joh. 8.36.  The Saints only are free (if the Son have made you free then are you free) none other have any right in the liberties of christian liberty. Thus much for the situation of the Saints of Israel and England.  
The second blessing of jaacob and his brother, is in respect of plants, the most lovely plants, the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, both planted in jaacob. This is eternal life to know thee, etc. Here is the beauty of Paradise, 
joh. 17 joh. 17.1.22  God in jaacob, and jaacob in God. The glory that thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one as we are one: and thus jaacob and all the Saints are one Paradise. Here the Lord made to grow every tree pleasant to the sight and good for meat; 
Genes 2  the tree of life and the tree of knowledge in the midst of the garden; Christ jesus in the heart of jaacob in the midst of Paradise. This is the ancient stock in whom all plants consist, and from whom all the vigorous plants do grow and spread in the Church; 
Coloss. 1.17 2. Pet. 1.3 Rom. 8.32. Gal. 5.22 ut supra.  out of his godly power we have all things which pertain unto life and godliness. Therefore might it well be said, If ye have Christ how shall ye not with him have all things: Love, joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance. These are plants which our heavenly father hath planted, daily increasing with the increase of God in this garden, 
judah. 1 Sam. 23.23  that a little one shall become a thousand, all fair and strong as the thousands of judah, and the strong men of David.  
The third blessing of the field, is by the daily watering of the plants. All Jacob's heavenly gifts, which he hath received from the father of lights, are daily watered with showers from heaven. Showers from heaven of such holy waters, which which our Saviour watered his Disciples. 
john 15.3  Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. So long as we are clasped and bark bound in the unclean scurf of our corruption, we cannot prosper in religion; but in the washings of God we being cleansed and purified, are more prosperous and lovely before the lord 
1. Cor. 6.11  Thus were the Corinthians bound in their sinful pollutions, till they were cleansed and purified by the spirit of our God. And thus is God's garden daily watered and washed again with daily distillations of Christ his sweat, sweet satisfaction to the law for jaacob: 
Luke 22.44  his sweat like drops of blood trickling down to the ground. Down to the ground, to the Church the pillar and ground of truth: 
Psal. 133 3  his sweat did fall down upon it as the dew of Hermon which falleth on the mountains of Zion. The precious passion of our holy ransom as a welcome cloud to refresh and comfort our barren and dry ground, is daily melting upon the Church, in daily prayers, sermons, readings, and conferences. Thus is our field blessed: for there the Lord appointed the blessing to fall, and life for ever more It is easily perceived whence all these waterings proceed, ab hortulano Christo: the good woman supposed Christ to be a gardener, and he is a gardener indeed more truly than she supposed. This is the gardener which came by water and blood to nourish his garden. 
1. joh. 5.6 1. Cor. 10.2  Moses came by water, and so our fathers were baptised in the cloud and in the Sea. Christ came by water and blood, 
Ephes. 4.5  yet without imaginary difference of Baptism, for the fathers were baptised into the blood of Christ. There is but one Baptism. They were all baptised into the blood of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world. The Apostle affirmeth of the Israelites, 
1 Cor. 10.1 Act. 19  that they were baptised unto Moses: and the Disciples at Ephesus answered for themselves, that they were baptised unto john's Baptism. And with right understanding we may readily discern the unity of Baptism against all Idle suppositions: for Moses, john Baptist, and S. Paul were but Ministers of one Baptism unto the remission of sins in jesus Christ. 
1 Cor. 1.13.14  There was not any one baptised in any of their names (as it is argued that not any Corinthian was baptised in the name of Paul) that any should believe in him, or worship him. It might well be said, that those were baptised unto Paul's Baptism, viz. in the doctrine of Paul, as the Israelites were in the doctrine of Moses, and those Disciples in the doctrine of john. And thus may you unloose that knot, that the people believed the Lord and his servant Moses: 
Exod. 14.31  that is they believed in God by the doctrine or ministry of Moses. Now then let jaacob and jaacob confess, that they have all their waterings and washings of Christ. 
Cant. 6.1  Most happy gardens thus watered and washed by this gardener. Christ is come into his garden: in the midst of the garden is a fountain of living waters, 
joh. 4 Psalm. 36.9  this maketh the garden blessed. Christ is the well of living waters: O blessed fountain; with thee is the well of life: and this is the happiness of our Paradise, that both these brothers may joyfully rejoice with the Saints: 
Gal. 2.20  thus I live, yet not I now, but Christ jesus liveth in me.  
Hear might I show you triplicem Paradisum, the terrestrial, spiritual, and celestial paradise, all well met in Christ. The natural man in the beauty of his princely I mage built upright with his face prone to heaven, was our terren Paradise in Paradise before his fall. The spiritual man renewed and borne again of water and of the spirit, in oriente fidei constitutus, set with his face towards the day spring; he is the beautiful continent of God's manifold rich blessings to man; and this is our spiritual Paradise. The holy troops of Angels and Saints in heaven in their cheerful recreations & melodious pleasures, are that heavenly Paradise, 
2 Cor. 12  of which S. Paul doth so triumph, albeit his sight was but at a blush taken up he knew not how. Here might I discourse further of the earthly Paradise, how it is changed into a spiritual Paradise in the conversion of the sinner, and how the spiritual Paradise is translated by jesus Christ into the heavenly, one Paradise into an other. But the most exquisite Paradise of all is jesus Christ himself, qui est triplex Paradisus. Think of his body without spot, and of his spirit without stain, and of his divinity without mixtures of feebleness and mutability, O triplex Paradisus. Hear flourish (without thorns and thistles) all the fair flowers of Paradise. I would be glad to stay here, yet I must pass further from this fair contemplation, with an obiective question. What? is jacob a field without weeds? No, such a field is Christ; but neither jaacob before, nor jaacob after, nor any other man but God. 
Joh. 3  The envious man is daily sowing his tars, yet there is a wind (which bloweth where it listeth) daily sent of God to kill those seeds. He which well considereth this work, may well think that Raphael the Angel of God is sent of purpose to kill those seeds in the quickening, to keep jaacob, and kill his enemies. The adversary is daily breeding and feeding Giants, Atheism, 
Gen. 14 12 Marlorat.  Gentilism, Mahumetisme, and Papisme, and these are the ringleaders of all violence against the Church, as the 4. Kings which carried Lot away by force. These marshal their complices with strong hand, and lead after them neglect and contempt of God, Pride, Idolatry, Blasphemy, Malice, Covetousness, Prodigality, Drunkenness, & such an innumerous Army of Locusts, that we have cause to say as the Israelites said, we have seen monsters there. Happy is that man which taketh those Giants whilst they are young, 
Psalm. 137.  and dasheth their heads against the stones. Satan is always hatching these Serpents, fiery Serpents in our bosoms; but Christ is the great Physician, 
joh. 3 Nomb. 21 Ferus.  lift up as the brazen Serpent in the wilderness, to kill those Serpents and cure them which are bitten. So Moses made a Serpent of brass: Christ is the Physician, the Serpent without poison, as the brazen Serpent was. And as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lift up, that the wounded might be healed, and the sinner saved. Christ is the Angel of God, he is more than Raphael, both the Physician and the physic of God to heal our jacob of all his hurts, that he may confess of Christ as the other jacob did: 
Gen. 48.16  the Angel which hath delivered me from all evil.  
Now then shall I offer a challenge in the name of this Angel, to all the enemies of jacob? What Serpent, Dragon, Bear, Leopard, Fox, or Wolf, Tiger, wild Boar, Lion, Giant, or Devil himself, can root up this field, thus kept under the shadow of the almighty's wings. 
Psal. 57.5 Basil.  This vineyard thus fenced with God's blessings; election, vocation, regeneration, sanctification, justification, preservation, all sure stakes, and all preparatives to glorification, the crown of all God's blessings.  
Hear is a pleasant Mount to stand on for the upshot of this text. The providence of God is as an high Zodiac over Paradise, where the Lord is beholding in a pleasant prospect, 
Psal. 11 1 Multa sine voluntate Dei facta sunt, nulla sine providentia. Psalm. 46 2.5 Psalms. 76 6 Corda disponendo, casus commutando, successus ordinando, voluntates moderando, omnia intendondo ad finem mel●rem.  all the mirthful benedictions of this field. This providence hath a long reach, tam ad vermiculos in coeno quàm ad angelos in coelo. It is Lorica castrorum, the fort of defence for all the tents in this militant Church: a sure defence whither all celestial birds do fly for safety: fly to the mountain as a bird. This providence did direct jacob to his patriarchal blessing, and maintained him in it. What though all the earth be moved, and the mountains fall into the Sea, yet shall our Paradise be safe, for God is in the midst of it. What if all the world stand forth as senacharib's host, against the Church, yet shall it stand up: At thy rebuke O God of jacob, both the chariot & the horse are cast asleep: here are they fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. The Church of God is often represented to a ship, and the providence to a stern, which doth direct the Master & his mate, the King & the Prince, and all passengers in the ship to their several blessings, and guide them out of all their waiting dangers. Thus are they brought into peace, external, internal, eternal, into a wealthy place, a quiet conscience, all clothed as the virgin in wrought gold, all smelling sweet with God's promises, and shining with the beauty of the King's righteousness: 
Psalm. 37.6 Psalm. 76.4  he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgements as the noon day. Be the legions mustered against jacob as strong as the hills of the robbers, or be they stout & confident in themselves, 
Anno 1588. Mirabilis annus. Psalm. 37.20  as that Spanish Armado called the invincible Armado. Yet all their power shall vanish into smoke as that did. They all overmatched with the providence of God, even with the smoke did they consume away: 
Psal. 35.9. Faber quas secit compedes, ipse gestat.  therefore King David did solace himself in the meditation of this providence, rejoicing that God had so served a defesance upon the plots of Achitophel, that his subtlety fell on his own head. And so all the fury of Pharaoh, Sisera, and Amon was retorted upon themselves, 
Pape quid hoc est? Papam à Davide nostro interfectum, ut Goliah est proprio ipsius gladio interemtus.  as the books & libels of the Seminaries are their own snares, nails on their own heads, and swords in their own sides. Thus they perished at Endor in the well which they digged, and became dung for the earth. Hear then let us all clap our hands with the son of Amos, and say: If all people gather together on heaps and gird themselves, they shall be broken, for God is with jacob. How favourably did this providence guide the poor Christians into Pella that little harbour (when they should all have been eaten up) that they might sing unto the Lord their high tower, 
 Cadmaei fra tres sese mutuo iugulantes: Ita Midianitae, Moabitae, Ammonitae, et Papistae, hosts ecclesiae mutuis sese vulneribus confecerunt. Esa 8.9 Eusebius. 2. Sam. 22.3. Espine.  coelum or bes in suo circuitu omnes complectitur, ita in Dei omnipotentis amplexu, omnia circuuntur. Angl. Chron. redcunt Saturnia regna.  sure refuge, and horn of their salvation? How happily was that Carolus Martellus conducted out of all his hazards into the regency of France, according to salomon's sentence: for out of prison he cometh forth to reign, whenas he that is borne in his kingdom is made poor. What should I speak of that Hungarian great Matthius, how miraculously he was preserved and enthronized by this providence. I would willingly remember many (if time could permit) as well as that famous young Constantine, who prevailed against those conjured tyrants, Dioclesian, Maximinian, & others, and did win that peace to the Church which had no fellow. All those prevails were effected under this standard the providence of God. But once for all, with what an happy gale of wind was that reprised Earl of Richmond (after 10. years banishment) conveyed hither, to ascend up to the throne of Henry the seventh of England. O blessed providence which by special favour united Isaac & Rebecca for the leading of this blessed consecration unto jacob. Which by a dexterous care for jacob, hath united that Henry and Elizabeth his wife, the white Rose and the red, by whom this blessing is arrived to our Land for us all thus richly blessed. 
The beauty and bands of Great Britain Psal. 18.11 Psal. 68.17  Blessed with the blessing of our incomparable King, our matchless Prince, and all the King and Queen's royal progeny. A blessing brought upon the wings of the wind, millions of hearty prayers: a blessing brought with Gods own chariots the thousands of Angels, that we may all say and sing, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice. These are the fairest, sweetest, most wholesome and welcome blessings, temporal blessings of our field. Therefore let us all prey, that the father may be blessed more and more in his son, and the son every day more in his father, that they may both live for ever partners with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, coheirs with Christ, and dear sons to God our father, that of either of them he may say for ever. Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed. To which blessed God, Father, Son, and holy Ghost, one holy Unity in Trinity, and Trinity in blessed Unity; let us to our uttermost ascribe all honour, and praise, and thanks, for evermore Amen.  
FINIS.   

The Book to the Reader.  
I seem to myself as a man decayed in his senses, or if you will, as an house shaken in his building. I must confess my copy was of dim sight, & my hand-writing of ill scribbling, like rough timber, knotty, and unready. Therefore though I be pained in my heart, for my manifold maims, and look in the eye of my Reader, like one which cometh out of the house with a scratched face, yet I hope to obtain favour of thee gentle Reader, with desire to correct some errata, as followeth,  
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