Earth raining upon Heaven. A SERMON PREACHED at the Assizes holden at Nottingham, August 5. 1614 BY WILLIAM WORSHIP, Doctor in DIVINITY. LONDON: Printed for Thomas Panier, and are to be sold at his shop in juy-lane. 1614 TO MY GOOD Friend, Mr. Doctor Hall. SYR: the combination of Zeal and Learning, wherewith GOD hath honoured you: together with your Love, imparted kindly to me by Letter, have been the Allectives to this small Remembrance. Wherein I covet to show my Thankfulness, and the great Respect I deservedly bear you. I know mine insufficiency to perform much on the best terms; much less, at this time, being worn with tedious Sickness, by the means of a gross and cruel Air. Yet, it pleased the Lord to prosper this poor Endeavour at the Delivery; and who can tell, if hereafter He will bless it, to the winning of some Soul? O, if He do, what a sweet Addition shall it be to his former mercies. This gracious GOD assist us by his Spirit, encourage us daily in the course of our ministery; that spending ourselves for the good of his Elect, we may one day shine like Stars, for ever and ever. Amen. Your unfeigned Friend WILLIAM WORSHIP. THE TEXT. LUKE 7. 37. 38. 37 And behold, a Woman in the City, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at Table in the Pharisees house, she brought an Alabaster-Boxe of Ointment: 38 And she stood at his feet, behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the Ointment. Our Saviour Christ was invited by a Pharisee to eat. He went. For meat and drink? No: Yes: It was his meat and drink to do john. 4. 34. his Father's will, to convert and comfort Sinners, as he doth in this Story. Where is a Watchword [Behold,] and a Devout Party, largely described: by her Sex [a woman] by her Place [in the City,] by her Reputation, [a Sinner,] by her Faith, [when she knew that jesus sat at Table in the Pharisees house, She went to him,] by her liberal Intent, [she brought an Alabaster-Boxe of Ointment,] by her Humility, [she stood at his feet,] by her Modeslie, [behind him,] by her godly Sorrow, [weeping,] by her Increase of that sorrow [she began to wash his feet with her tears,] by the Neglect of herself, [and did wipe them with the hairs of her head] by her Love [and kissed his feet,] by her Bounty, [and anointed them with the Ointment. Thus am I embarked for a long Voyage, and am to pass the Magellan Straits: but my comfort is, I sail in the DESIRE, where the Word is my Compass, and the Lord my Pilot. [Behold.] This particle, Behold, is sometime in Scripture Repletive, but in this place Demonstrative, importing Attention and Admiration. The People must at one time attend two Preachers; the Man in the black gown, that delivers the Meditations of his heart, and the mighty GOD, whose Chair and Pulpit is in Heaven. About the Heart (saith De Re Anat. lib. 7. c. 1. Columbus) are two Ears, a Right one, and a Left, both thin-skined, and anfractuous: whose use, in Reason, is to preserve the Hollow and Arterial veins from bursting; in Divinity, to teach us to draw up our Hearts to our Ears, that the word may pierce both at once. The end of all our Senses, is to bring us to Christ, but of Hearing chief, as being the sense of Discipline. The Gospel for the ear, the ear for the Gospel, and both for the Conscience. So that to attend, is to hear, meditate, practice. For as Art without Nature is lame, Nature without Art, Plut. Mor. 1. blind, and both without Experience fruitless: so Hearing without Meditation, is windy, Meditation without Hearing erroneous, and both without practice, uneffectual. Beloved, not I, but th' Evangelist, not He, but GOD enjoins you to attend: if I thought you would not, I would call upon the dead Element to hearken, and cry out with the Prophet jeremy, O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear jerem. 22. 19 the word of the Lord. Further, this, Behold, implieth Admiration. Things are wondered at, either for their greatness, or rareness: both these are conspicuous in this Example. Behold an huge Whale, a living Mountain of sin, a mighty Sea-monster caught in the silly Draw-net of the Gospel, and the Cords unbroke, and the Mashes whole, because the Fisher's name is WONDERFUL. Behold a Blacke-Moore Isaiah. 9 6. washed white, a Leopard made spotless, a merry Lark turned to a groaning Culuer: Behold a modest boldness, a joyful sadness, an acting passion, a speaking silence. Behold one weeping. Is't such a matter to see one weep? A great matter to see one weep for sin. This of the Watchword. The Devout Party followeth, who is first described by her Sex [a woman.] If you ask What woman? Austen, Gregory, Beda, tell you Mary Magdalen: others doubt: here godly Ignorance is safest. The Lord, for just causes Matth. 15. hath concealed her Name, as he did the Syrophaenicians, her Parallel. Suffice it us, that a woman must read us a Lecture of Repentance. Do we scorn it? But Apollo's disdained not to be Catechized by a woman, and Super Cant. Ser. 75. jerem. 8. 7. Prover. 6. 6. women (saith Bernard) were at Christ's Resurrection, The Apostles of the Apostles. As proud as we are, we are sent to the Crane, and Swallow for Instruction, and (by your leaves) to that little, lean, creeping Thing, the Pismire. What beauteous flower, what medicinal herb, but may be found in the Woman's garden? May we not learn Meekness of Sarah, Fortitude of Deborah, Patience of Naomi, Humbleness of Hanna, Wisdom of Abigail, Zeal of Elizabeth, and all these Graces of the Virgin Mary? O that our women would tread in these steps! No: they will not, they care not, they degenerate, they go like men; and some fear they will shortly ride after that ill-favoured fashion, used in this Realm, before Richard the seconds Queen The Annals of England. came from Bohemia. Hark, ye Grammarians; Hic mulier, ere long, will be good Latin. Well, since they will not few by those Samples, I will send them Latimers' Handkerchiefs, Ezech. 16. 23. and work woes in Chayne-stitch, as the Prophet Ezechiell hath taught me. The second branch, is this good woman's Place of abode. She was a Citizen. Of what City? Some say Nain, some jerusalem: we cannot point down on any one. It is like her worst stains were Citie-sinnes, for, the Country (usually) sins more bungerly than Corporations. Mightiness of state, frequency of strangers, multitude of people, curiousness of Arts, heaps of riches, sumptuousness of buildings, store of provision, strength of munition, make Cities settle upon their Lees; and yet not they, but their abuse. O harlot jerusalem! O bloody Niniveh! Ezech. 16. 33. Nahum 3. 1. they be the words of the Prophet Ezechiel, and Nahum. Diana at Ephesus, Lais at Corinth, Mahumet at Constantinople, Antichrist at Rome, at Venice nothing but Pride, because Venice is nothing but Riches, but at London, Omnia benè. far be it from me to be blown up with such a Gunne-pouderzeale, as to forget the honour of that Place: yet this I must tell them, that as the great sickness, so the great sins, ordinarily, are from them derived to the Country. The Reputation of this woman comes next to be scanned. She was counted mercenary, a notorious sinner, a whipster. Yet, lo, she is now become an honest woman. upbraid her not then with her former lewdness, but give God thanks for her present goodness. The Lord hath forgot, & shall we remember? The Angels rejoice, and shall we be sullen? A graceless woman (saith a Father) Ambros. that had long in snared a young man, now converted, speaks to him familiarly, as he goes by. He regards her not. She replies, Ego sum; Its I. He answers, At ego non sum ego, But I am not myself: I am not as I was, I was not as I am. There were some of the Corinthians, Idolaters, Adulterers, and (which I tremble to utter) Buggers: and yet they 1 Cor. 6. 11. were washed, yet they were sanctified, yet In fest. Mar. Magdal. they were justified. Who would despair (saith Bernard) when such great sinners obtain not mercy only, but glory? Did not Rahab, the Harlot, recover herself? I dare say more, (and S. Matthew will bear me out) Christ himself descended from her, and from Thamar too: to secure ignoble birth, saith Chrisostome, to comfort distressed souls, saith Jerome. Here let us pause, and sigh, In Math. and joy: sigh at our sins, joy at the wondrous love of our Saviour, who for our sakes became a worm, and no man, the very Psal. 22. 6. scorn of men, and contempt of the People. But let us now weigh this woman's Faith, so highly commended afterward by our Saviour. Thus she reasons: Christ jesus disdains not to eat with the Pharisees, (to whom, of his goodness, he prefers us Harlots,) therefore will I to him, and importune him for mercy. I know these haughty Sectaries will mock me, and all the Town and Country will ring of me; but I am so sick of Sin, and feel such Convulsions, that I die, alas, unless I repair to him. And in truth, she had perished, had she not embraced him: for, no other Name was Acts 4. 12. there under Heaven, by which she could possibly be saved. If a King be displeased, (though his Wrath be like the Roaring of a Prou. 19 12. Lion) yet, Force may encounter him, or Friends entreat him, or Music still him, or Eloquence persuade him, or Promises win him, or Riches tempt him, or something prevail with him: but when fire is kindled in the wrath of The Lord of Hosts, that consumes the Earth, and burns unto the bottom of Hell, what Creature dare step forth to look him in the face, much less to parley with him, and least of all, to grapple with him? Dare Man? Like enough; for he is a proud Worm, and will lift up his Neb, but the Lord can soon tread him into slime. But (perhaps) he will offer him heaps of Coin, and think to buy out his Sin with Silver. No: Gold and Silver are corruptible things, and the Samuel of Heaven will take no Bribes. Now how rare this Faith is (howsoever the World thinks nothing more common) the Christian in his Combat, finds by experience. Before he commit sin, the Serpent tells him, he shall not die at all; and, come what will come, it is but Believing in Christ: but when he hath yielded to the temptation, than he shows him Halters, and Knives, and Poisons. And thus (no doubt) the Devil insulted over David, when he was in penning the one and fifteeths Psalm. Why, how now David, are you fallen to a Psalm of Mercy? Are you at last come to whining and puling for your sins? O, Sir, you should have looked better about you: it is now too late to call again yesterday. Thou arrant Hypocrite, how darest thou lift up those eyes, those adulterous eyes to Heaven? How darest thou spread those hands, those murderous hands before the Lord? What? the King? the King of Israel? a Prophet? and play the Beast? Is your Zeal and Dancing before the Ark come to this? And would no less sin serve thy turn than Adultery? Can not thine own wife, nay wives suffice thee? Is the breach of holy Matrimony nothing? No, no, it was nothing, and therefore to make it something, thou lashest into murder, and chainest thy sins together. But, if thou wilt needs kill, I hope it shall be some Philistine. Call'st thou Vriah a Philistine? Thou Tyrant, thine own Conscience tells thee, it was thy Subject, thy faithful, honest, and valiant Subject, whom craftily thou calld'st home, and all to hatch thy Cuckowes-egg, by 2 Sam. 11. 13. same token thou mad'st him drunk, and thou never the better, and he much the worse. Ah Sir, who would have thought that David could play such pranks? Thy other sins I have upon Record, and they be forthcoming, but these will I write in a paper by themselves in Text-letters, and pin them on the Curtain at thy Beds-feet, when thou liest a dying. And so farewell for a season. I proceed to this Woman's liberal Intent. She goes not empty-handed, but takes with her a Box of Ointment, with full purpose to bestow it on Christ. The Box is Alabaster, so called of A, the privative particle, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as hard to be held for the slippirinesse. A fit Vessel for such piercing aerial matter. The Ointment was not gross and sophisticate, but pure and costly, being (to speak in the Schoole-mens phrase) Refrigerativum, Delinitivum, Confortativum, Cooling, Suppling, Refreshing, chief with the odour, which was like the sweet sent of Musk, Civet, ambergris. This was her Present resolved upon for Christ, not in opinion of Merit (for that were to proffer him the Nard, and to throw the Alabaster at his head) but in token of the soundness of her Faith, the truth of her conversion, and the dearness of her affection to him, who had already given her handsel of his abundant mercies. A notable Pattern and Platform of Christianity, declaring that good thoughts must be nourished by continuance, fortified by Prayer, and not justled out by roving cogitations. For a divine motion killed soon after the conception, is like an Embryo, unkindly perishing in the womb. But that we may build on a sure foundation, we must look that our purposes have substantial Originals, Directions, Ends, since Adverbs in Scripture, are more forcible than Nouns, and Benè better than Bonum. This churlish age admits no thought of spikenard for Christ. What, nothing to carry him? Nothing. What's the cause? Want. True, want of Devotion. For otherwise the poorest man hath two Mites to give him, his Soul and his Body. But pass we on to this Christian woman's Humility. She stood, that is, she remained at his feet, for so standing is taken in the seventh of the Acts, the 55. verse, and in other places. The Foot is the lowest part of the body, and is opposed to the Head, the principal member for Order, Perfection, Virtue. This silly wretch is here stooping to the ground; in abasement of herself for her grievous offences: for Humility thinks nothing more strange, and incredible, than the report or supposal of her own worthiness. A virtue so honourable, that Pride (her enemy) will strive to resemble her. The Virgin Mary (saith Bernard) was adorned with three flowers, the Violet, the Lily, the Rose, with Humility, Chastity, Charity. And, in truth, all Graces lose their gloss and brightness, go not Humility before them, beside them, after them. Down then, proud heart, that never yet feltst the weight of Sin, the wrath of GOD, the wound of Conscience: down on thy knees, this day, this night, lest thou be in thy winding-sheet, in thy grave, & in the fire of Hell by to morrow. Say unto the Lord, in the anguish of thy soul, Lord, I am a wretched, & woeful creature, I am nothing but sin. Sin in the womb, sin in the birth, sin in the cradle, sin in my youth, sin in my riper age; blind in judgement, dull in memory, stubborn in heart, wayward in affection, vain in words, perverse in manners; an outrageous Swearer, a damnable Mockpreacher, a cursed Sabbaoth-breaker, a Thief, a Barrabas, a Viper, a Carrion, ah Lord, so loathsome, and so full of poison, that I know not how to express my vileness. There followeth the Modesty of this Saint. She stood behind him. She dare not presume to behold his countenance, but (like the woman with the bloody Issue) comes stealing behind Mark 5. 27. him, with a trembling heart, and blushing hue (the colour of virtue.) And here (as every where) behold a wonderful alteration. She had been wild, and audacious, giving her members servants to uncleanness: Rom. 6. 19 dallying with her hands, mincing with her feet, smiling with her cheeks, glancing with her eyes, flaring with her hair, kissing with her lips, impudent in all, and all to make others impudent: but now she is ashamed of herself, and creeps at the back of this noble Guest, with eyes so demisse, & gesture so modestly composed, as if Bashfulness itself were confined to her person. Then, let us here cast our eyes on this Shamefastness: a passion, in youngmen commendable, in women admirable, which good men need not, but by accident, which old men would not have, which bad men cannot have. I will show you (if you please) her Picture, drawn by a cunning hand, above four hundred years ago, and the Table yet sound, and the colours fresh. She is the Sister Bernard. ad Mil. Temp. of Continency, the Discoverer of Simplicity, the Lamp of Chastity, the Defender of Purity, Consciences Glory, Fame's Keeper, Life's Honour, virtues Seat, Nature's Praise, Honesty's Cognisance. Yet as lovely as she is, she is little set by in this sensual age, which spending itself in brutish pleasure, hath a face of Brass, though Shame, by Nature, be entailed to Intemperance, as a vice most repugnant to human excellency. Time and Desire now hasten us forward to this woman's godly Sorrow, which she testifies by tears, the dew of Grace, the joy of Angels. The Compunction of the wicked is either Ceremonial or Desperate: from which this differs, both in the form, as being a true grief, allayed by the comforts of the Gospel: and in the effect, as coming to GOD, when the other flies from him. The Attendants of it are seven: Care, apology, Indignation, 2 Cor. 7. Fear, Vehement Desire, Zeal, Revenge. The Parts are three, Discussion, Collection, Detestation: by the first we make privie-search for our sins: by the second, we put them in hold: by the third, we censure them with bitterness and adjudge them to death. The Means of it are eight; The Knowledge of the Law, of the Sanctions of the Law, of the Contempt of both, of the Gild of sin, of the Judgement of God against it, of the Price of our Ransom, of the End of our Redemption, and of the Promise of Salvation. Now all this Knowledge, and (by sequel) this Sorrow, is from God, chief wrought by sharp (but discreet) Application of the word. This is that jesus whom Ye have crucified, Acts 2. 36. saith Peter to the jews: He sets the Accent in the right place, this ye, was it that pricked them to the hearts. Yet must we take heed we throw not stones at the head of innocency, nor vent our gall to the disgrace of Persons. But, Oh, for a Moses in these days, to fetch water from the Rock, and tears from the eyes of our hard-hearted drunkards, who swarm in every place, carousing mansbloud in Cans, and Flagons. The land, at this day, mourneth because of Oaths. jer. 23. 10. From the Nobleman to the Kitchin-boy, and from the Lady to the Inckle-begger, there is nothing but Swearing. They champ in their mouths the blood of GOD, as Paul calls it: that blood, that speaketh better things than that of Abel, the least drop whereof is Acts 20. 28. Hebr. 12. 24. more worth than Mines of precious metal, nay Gold, and Silver are but Tinker-mettall to it. Would you know the chief cause of this enormity? It's want of application: which once set on foot, would smite the consciences of these offenders, and sting the Magistrate for his cruel pity, and dangerous connivency. But now, since the Preacher acts the Parasites part (fearing the speech of Ahab to Michajah, the same, in effect, with Agamemnon's to Calchas, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Hom. Il. 1. Did I not tell you, he would not prophesy good, but evil? 1 Kin. 22. 18. since then hath Blasphemy ta'en head, and feeling the reins lie lose, hath laid God's honour in the dust. Ad to this evil, the laziness of our unlearned Ministers, who are all the six days merely secular, and so but read, if read on the seventh. The next point contiguous to this, is the Increase of this woman's godly sorrow. When the body receives a wound, at first you see nothing but a white line: forthwith comes out blood in great abundance. Deep grief for sin is a while intestate, at last it yields tears, more sparingly at first, but after plenteously. Thus Eliahs' Cloud was but like a 1 Kin. 18. man's hand at the rising, presently the heaven was black, and there was a great rain. The measure of this grief must be great, & serious; yet can it not possibly be proportional to the sin, as Scotus dreams: which Bellarmin qualifying by the distinction of Intensive, & Appreciative, though he gather up his feet more cleanly than the Schoolman, yet is he found to inter-fere in his pace. That we may conceive great grief, we must acknowledge ourselves great sinners, and beware of the Negation, Extenuation, justification of our offences: for though we never committed heinous crime to the worldward, yet many small sins clottered together, will make a sad lump: though in truth no sin be little in itself, but damnable. The Romanists make but seven Deadly sins, all which are couched in this word SALIGIA. mortem vites, semper SALIGIA vites. By S, is meant Superbia, by A, Avaritia, by L, Luxuria, by I, Ira, by G, Gula, by I, Invidia, by A, Accidia, or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Crafty Cubs; for they have left out Idolatry that Master-sinne. Four things declare the grievousness of sin; The Law; Punishment in ourselves and others; Terror of conscience; The death of Christ. There are four Crying sins, for which we must weep, like Rahel, that would not be comforted: Murder, Sodomitry, Oppression of Genes. 4. 10. Genes. 19 13. Exo. 22. 23. james 3. 4. widows and Orphans, and Detaining of wages. Some of these sins are rife among us; therefore God calls us to baldness, and sackcloth: but behold joy and Gladness, slaying Oxen, and kill Sheep, eating Flesh, and drinking Isaiah 22. 12. Wine. Nay we have learned the Epicures Enthymeme, The Prophet Esay says, We must die tomorrow; Therefore let us eat and drink. In the next place let us view this woman's Neglect of herself: She wipes Christ's feet with the hairs of her head. Certainly she wanted not fine linen to have dried them, but now she will consecrate her dearest Ornament, which so oft, which so gently she had combed, and braided so cunningly against the Glass. The hair is but a poor Excretion, yet strange it is how some admire it. The Callant must have his fleece of Vanity, at least, one Lock effeminately twisted. For which pride, he is sometime so justly punished, that he's forced to fall to his Gregorian. Our Daughters of Zion, spend the Morning-time (the prime and freshest of the day, and fittest for Prayer) in crisping, curling, building Towers on their heads: changing the colour with liquors, powders: borrowing, and buying, of the living, of the dead. Nay, they counterfeit the great Seal of Nature, and walk with artificial Complexions, which GOD will one day wash off with fire and brimstone, fall they not in time to Deprecation. Thus wethreaten, but what care they? They will shriek, and squeale, at the leaping of a frog, but not shrink an inch for all the curses in the Bible. We are now to consider this woman's love: She kissed his feet. Five kinds of Kisses are found in Scripture. The first a whorish one: so she caught him, and kissed him, Prou. 7. 13. The second a chaste one: thus jacob kissed his cousin Rahel, Goe 29. 11. The third the Kiss of Courtesy: Thou gavest me no Kiss, Luke 7. 45. The fourth the Kiss of Treason: Thus joab kissed Amasa, 2. Sam. 20: and Iscariot our Saviour, Matth. 26. 49. The fift, the Symbol of Peace, and Brotherhood; Greet one another with an holy Kiss, 2 Corin. 13. 12. This Kiss was reverent, and argued the truth of Love, which Love (to use Scaligers definition) is an affection uniting the soul with Christ. It imports three things, an Inclination, wherewith she was affected: a Desire, wherewith she was ravished: a joy, wherewith she was quieted. The measure of this Love is without measure, saith Bernard. The Schoolmen give two acute Reasons. First, because Love is the utmost end of our affections. Now the End of Desire is without End. Therefore the Physician puts an end to his medicine, never to Ariss. Pol. 1. the health of his Patient. Secondly, a measure is found in Love, not as in the thing measured, but as in the measure, in which there can be no excess. Our Adversaries, that call themselves Catholics (as did the Arrians and Donatists) avouch with confidence, that they only love Christ. How prove they it? By an Argument drawn from Kissing: they Kiss his Picture, the Pax, the Altar. But stay: the Israelites, under jeroboam, might stand as much on such kissing as they: yet the Prophet Hosea Hosea 13. 2. tells them they kissed the Calves. Do our resolute, 1 Pet. 2. 17. dissolute Catholics love God? Then would they love our dread Sovereign, his Vicegerent. So they do: so they say. No, Bellarmine (their Pythagoras) reads them another Lesson, De Rom. Pont. lib. 5. c, 7. Non licet Christianis tolerare Regem Haereticum: It's not lawful for Christians to endure a King that's an Heretic. And what King counts he an Heretic? The Protestant. Witness his own words: regnant Constantino, florebat fides Christiana. When Constantine reigned, there was nothing but Christianisme: When Constantius reigned, there was nothing but Arrianisme: When julian reigned, there was nothing but Ethnicisme: When Henry of England, and Edward reigned, there was nothing but Lutherisme: When Elizabeth reigned, there was nothing but Caluinisme. Now when Subjects are thus jesuited (unless GOD restrain them) they study professedly the Art of King-killing. Shooting as dead as Maurevell, poisoning as sure as Brazuto, stabbing as right as the jacobin, goring as deep as Ravilack. When first I beheld the Quarters of the Pouder-traitors, my heart began to earn, and the tears stood in mine eyes: at last, I was sorry that I was sorry, and charged my soul not to enter into passion. O! but they will never do so more: Not till the next time: For at this hour (like Catilins) they note us with their eyes, and design us every one to Death. At last we are almost come ashore, ready to cast Anchor; for now remaineth only this woman's Bounty to be touched. She anointeth Christ's feet with Ointment. The anointing the head, was an act of kindness, much used then at Banquets, in the East-Countries: for us we must show from this Example, the life of our Faith, by Communicative goodness. And this must be performed sincerely, that the Neighbour-hand take not notice of the deed: cheerfully, that the eye be not clouded with disdain: seasonably, that the heart be not broken with delay: plenteously, that all may have some: discreetly, that some may not have all. Rich man; thou shalt perish soul and body, though thou never hurt the poor, if thou do not help them. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire (saith our Saviour:) for what? for Oppressing the Needy? and for sins Math. 25. 41. 24 of Commission? No, for not Succouring the Needy, and for sins of Omission. What then will become of the sacrilegious Patron, that Rob-God? (I'll not eat the word, for I had it from the Prophet Malachy:) he thinks the Tenth a golden Fleece, and a goodly Sheafe, but he shall find that the locks of the one, and the yawns of the other, shall choke him. Shortly will the Lord arise, lay himself fair in his Bow, and send the Arrows of Death singing into his bosom. And what will become of the Lord of the Town, that takes away the Commons, encloses whole fields, unpeoples the Country, racks, improves, undoes his Tenants, kills the Dam with the young-ones, the Mother with the Children? Let him restore, and do the works of Mercy quickly, or, as the Lord lives, he shall wring his hands, and rue the time that ever he was borne. And what will become of the braving Knight, that builds like Augustus, drinks like Tiberius, spends all, more than all, in Revils, in Licentiousness? His Chimneys shall cry vengeance against him, that breath out no relief to the Orphan, he shall sigh out a Tandem si, and grief shall break the kall of his heart. And what will become of the grim Usurer? O wretch! yet will he tell you, some Ministers approve him, yea, and join with him in the Trade. O Thief! O thieves! And what will become of the unconscionable Lawyer, that leads his Client into a Maze of trouble? A Motion to day, to morrow crossed, Execution suspended, and called in question by a Writ of Error. I hope, says the plodding weatherbeaten Soul, I shall have an end of my Suit the next Term. Nay, nor the next Term, nor the next; nay, nor the next year, nor the next. Behold, the Lord will be a Lion to these men, as he was to judah; or else a Moth, as he was to Israel: he will either destroy them suddenly, or consume them lingeringly. And what will become of the sly Undersheriff, who will take double fees, that Gryphin-like he may floor his Nest with Gold? Doubtless this sin is written with a Pen of Iron, and with the Claw of a Diamond. And what will become of our Lambbaylives, and Cheese-baylives, who to stock their ground, and cram their wallet, will let honest men alone, when the Sediment of the Country must be stirred up for jurors? Surely these things are in the ears of the Lord of Hosts, the Author, and Patron of justice. If now some Sycophant shall closely say, he's bold with others, but dare not come near the Scarlet-Robes: let him take this answer from him, who was never yet taxed for soothing greatness: This Circuit never saw The L. Chief justice of England, and I. Winch. so Reverend judges. For which mercy, and all other, to GOD, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. FINIS.