THE SAINTS SACRED LAVER.  
By james Eglesfield, Master of Arts, Minister of God's Word at Knightsbridge.  
Preached at Paddington, September the first, 1645.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, 1646.   

To the Honourable Knight, Sir William Belfore.  
AS Christ himself said sometime to a multitude, the like may I, taking occasion from this my presumption, What came ye out to see? a Reed shaken with the wind? it may be so: but what came ye out for to see? a Prophet? here I must change the note, nay less than a Prophet, for as among the sons of women, there was not a greater than He of whom Christ spoke; so among the sons of women is there not a less than he whose pen now presents that service which his tongue ought, in its proper place, did not the cloud of a darkenned fortun● eclipse his apparition. Less in maturity and ripeness for so weighty a business, as touching myself; lesse in opinion of fitness, as touching the esteem of many who it may be have seen me sweeting in the pursuit of my Recreation, (fishing) but never in serving at the Altar of my God, Notwithstanding, oh my God, I am sent as a messenger before thy face, and shall prepare the way before thee.  
For by a fit Metaphor drawn from the art and practice of fishing, our Saviour Christ hath shadowed forth both the calling and employment, both of his first choice Apostles, and all other Apostolical succeeding Preachers, saying, I will make you fishers of men. Mat. 4, 19 Such you shall be, because such I will make you to be, & quorum pars parva fui, full twenty years exercising this holy function: who although with Peter may say, I have toiled all the night and caught nothing, (for myself) yet with john Baptist Luc. 3.10. I have some reason to believe that my labours have not been altogether unprofitable, among the Mennoes and meaner sort I fished for, which were the crowd of common people publicans and sinners, very slippery Eels, that had long lain in the mud of their misdoings, and sanguinary soldiers, the Pike and Water-wolves of the Ocean of this world, a people naturally diseased with the bloody issue. Encouraged therefore by that enabling spirit of grace which of Priscilla and Aquila, poor Tent makers, were able to pose that great Clerk Apollo's: with jeremy I presume to go to the great ones: and with Peter will once more let down my Evangelicall sweep-net, which was not composed by the wisdom of man, or woven with the deceitful words of Sophisters, but with the words of the Gospel, according to that of St: Paul, 1. Cor. 2.4. Neither is it any material net, like that in Suidas which one cast over another, while they were in single combat together, and when he had ensnared him, he slew him; nor such a cruel, barbarous, and bloody spiritual net, as the Prophet Micah speaketh of, Micah 7. All lie in wait for blood, every man bunteth his brother with a net. But it is that Sagena, that sweep net which our Saviour brought down from heaven, even the glorious Gospel of jesus Christ preached, that will drag and draw out all those that are plunged in the darksome holes of ignorance, and in the muddy cares of this World, to the light of Truth, and love of supernal things. Et faelices illi quos haec sagena de profundo criminum et errorum pertrahit ad lucem. Amb. Happy, oh thrice happy they, if this draw net fasten on them, and bring them from darkness to light from death to life; a faeculo, from the sea of this World, ad faecula saeculorum to the shore of a better life, even the land of the living, which as I wish to your Worship specially for my bounden duties sake, and to your virtuous Lady, the field of whose loving sincerity in the remaining course of your lives, being fully charged with deeds of charity, cannot but be accomplished with a Crest of Glory: So even from my soul I wish it to all that love to  in Innocency, and expect the coming of the Lord jesus.  
Sir, I am your humblest servant, JAMES EGLESFIELD.   

THE SAINTS SACRED LAVER.  Psal. 26. vers. 6. I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, and so will I go to thine Altar. 
THis verse contains a holy Preparation, a holy Presence, and a holy Place. The holy preparation is in these words, I will wash my hands in innocency. The holy presence in this word o Lord: And the holy place, in this word, Altar, and so will I go to thine Altar.  
In the holy preparation note two things:  
1 Quis praeparat, in this word, I, David.  
2 Quo modo, in this word, wash, I David ●ash.  
In the Quo modo, note two things, 1. The Bath, Innocence. 2. The parts bathed, Hands.  
In the holy presence note two things: 1. The Majesty Domine. 2. The Mirror in this particle, o!  
In the holy place note two things. 1. The Reverence of his Progress in this word, So, not presumptuously, but humbly, like his Servant.  
2. The reference of the place, in these words, Thine Altar, And so will I go to thine Altar.  
This is the resolution of the Text, which I mean by God's goodness to treat of: and first, Quis, that is David, a King by place, a Prophet in Spirit, and a Saint by calling. I will wash. A King by place: as the image of God is more expressed in Kings, then in Grooms and vassals, their power being a resemblance of his divine power, and their Majesty a Character of his divine Majesty; so ought the flames of this Image to be more conspicuous in them, then in the inferior or darker sons of God.  
It is not the beauty of his Throne, the riches of his Diadem, the guard of his person, or any the like Dalilah can cut the hair of David, or blow him big with a Tympany of self righteousness, he being fully bend for his own salvation, and his people's instruction to bathe in the Laver of Holiness. In Innocency will I wash myself says he, I, a God by name will do it for so the Scriptures title Kings, that when I come before the God of nature my sacrifice may be well accepted.  
What David doth here in person must be the precedent of Magistracy, or rather of Magistrates, than any of mean or perfunctory calling; such a level hath the shaft of Iniquity, against the breast of the great Ones, so many are their pit falls, so dangerous their examples, so contractive of Sin their consciences; Therefore whisper not in their ears the Magnificency of their places, it is a temptation; nor the solemnity of their worships, it is a Temptation, for David knew by woeful experience, that all the power of worldly dignity was temptation, for he abused his power in the murder of Vriah: 2 Sam. 11. he stained his beauty in the deffowry of Bethsheba, he wronged his Throne, in the numbering his people; And flatter not, than the Great Ones with telling them of their Greatness, puff them not up, with the power of their places, they are all but baits for their Innocency. So the higher men be in place, the more frequent they ought to be at Prayer: so slippery is the condition of greatness. For who sooner fell than Lucifer, who more debased than Nebuchadnezar? Dan. 4.24. Who offend God oftener than great Ones? A Lecture to the Vermilion robes of Magistracy; that their souls be not of the colour of their scarlet, their consciences of the same grain with their Copes, is to wash in Innocency. Take heed ye great Ones, Authority is a glewy & pitchey adjunct, maivelously contractive of Sin, and therefore should ever be necrest the pool of Bethesda, when the Angel 〈◊〉 it, so quickly doth it take the soil, so easily doth it catch the stain.  
Wherefore as ye are eminent in place, so must you be righteous in person. You must be as Christ himself, Cant. 8. not only Rubicundi but Candidi, as white per innocentiam cordis, as you are ruddy per ruttlatio, nem vestis the brightness of your garments. Your hairs must be like the Ancient of days, or like wool, or like Snow, to signify your wisdom; your eyes like a flame of fire, to signify your search and might, your feet like fine brass, to signify the perfectness of your ways; and your voice like the sound of many waters, fearful and terrible. You must put on the glorious apparel of Innocency, and trans figure yourselves, like Christ himself upon the mount, that your righteousness may break forth as the light, and the beauty of it, as the burning lamp: for so saith, holy David I will wash my hands in innocency, a King by place.  
Now followeth I will wash my hands in Innocency, a Prophet in Spirit.  
As I rang in the ears of Magistracy, in the former point, so ring I now in the ears of Priesthood, arraigning mine own spirit, in the presence of God, and with mine the Spirit of every Levite in this Temple, the Soul of every Prophet in this house, acknowledging the required innocency of our Condition. We are the Cherubims and Seraphims of the lower house of God. We of the Ministry are Gods by a more peculiar sequestration, than the ordinary Sons of men; Wherefore we must wash our hands in Innocency, who are Prophets in Spirit: I will saith David, a King, then must we, if we will follow the example of the righteous, I will saith he, a Prophet in Spirit, a party conversant with the religious service of God. This is a preface unto us, this teacheth us who are of the Tribe of Levi, to gird our loins straight with the girdle of Innocency when we enter into the Sanctuary of God. For we serve at the Altar, we preach the Law, we keep the book of Covenant, we are of God's privy chamber as it were, we lodge with Moses in the Mount, we peruse the Tables of Stone, we bear the Ark, we bow at the Mercy seat, we are dedicated to God, we are consecrated to the Temple, we are tied to have Vrim and Thummim upon our hearts, we wear the white linen Ephod, in which should shine the Sardin, Topaz, and Carbuncle, A ga●e and Amethyst, of a holy conversation. Exod. 28.17. The Signet engraven upon Aaron's forehead, is holiness to the Lord, Exod. 28.36. so that the Bill of our report, must be pure mettle, no tinkling or hollow Cymbal: in a word we are forbidden any, the least blemish; for faith the Scripture, cleanse the Levites, purify, fetch the Laver of brass for the Levite, All their  must smell of Myrrh, Allows, and Cass●●a, of a good conscience, out of the Ivory palaces, their Innocent and spotless hearts whereby they should make themselves glad. Let my Priests be clothed with righteousness saith the Spirit of God; It is the Livery of Aaron, the cloth of Levi, the mark of distinction, the seal of our vocation, the Ensign of the Prophets of God; which holy David held out as a Banner of defiance against the Devil, though the snails of our times pull in these horns of salvation, we being lights which shine not, salt which season not clouds which drop not, tapers which burn not, unsanctified vessels which purify not, Censors which perfume not, Ethiopes which wash not, this was not David's security, this was not his unhallowed precipitation: No, I will wash, a King by place, there's a Caution for great Ones, I will wash, a Prophet in Spirit, there's a caution for Prophets.  
And as I have hitherto spurred on the Magistrate and the Minister, to a provident and watchful superintendency, whiles they stand in the gates of Zion; So come I now to the meanest and shallowest proselyte in this assembly. I will wash my hands in Innoncency, not only as I am a King, and so may be dangerously disposed to do evil; neither as I am a Prophet, and so strictly tied to do well, but also as I am a Saint by calling, an Israelite, a professor, within the Ark, within the Covenant, within the Church: for without are none but unhallowed Caitiffs, profane adulterers, outcasts from Heaven. As I am therefore thine, & through thy mercy admitted into the family of Saints, enrowled in the parchment of heaven, registered among the blessed ones, as I am thus regenerated by the spirit, adopted by grace, confirmed by the Sacraments, united to the Church, and out of thy mercy made a lively member of the same (as every person under this holy roof, in all seeming appearance, is) why, even for this, will I wash my hands in Innocency, says David, seeing my Calling is holy, my God, his Altar, my vow holy, my inheritance holy, I therefore thus inhabited thus adopted, though my Sceptre had licked the dust, and so I had been no King, though the gift of prediction had failed me, and so I had been no Prophet, yet for the grace shown me in the benefit of my calling as being called to serve for the greater praise of thy Name, I who am thus sequestered from the world, and sanctified from my infancy to thy service, will wash my hands in Innocency. And in this respect the poorest person in this Congregation, is tied to an holy preparation: for though we be not all Kings by place, nor Prophets in Spirit with David, yet we are all Saints by calling with David. I therefore when I come into the house of God, will wash my hands in Innocency, must be the general resolution of all men. For Innocency is aswell the Sacrifice of Tradesmen as Prophets, if they once be inaugurated to the name of Christians, baptised to the death of Sinne. For then as punishable shall Alexander the coppersmith be, for opposing the spirit of God, as Balaam for taking the wages of iniquity. So then, we sons of Aaron, must not so urge David's holy preparation, as he is a King by place, as that we neglect it, as he is a Prophet in Spirit, neither must you Mechanics so press our Innocency who are of the Priesthood, and so Prophets by spirit, as that you neglect your own, who are of the Church, and so Saints by calling. The bright sun of our righteousness must not quite eclipse the Star of yours, but we are all to shine, though one exceed another in glory.  
Wherefore to conclude this point, when David saith I will wash my hands in Innocency, as I am a King he satisfies the Magistrate, as he is a prophet, he sanctifies the Minister, as a Saint by calling, he sanctifies the people. Thus you see he speaks to all sorts of people, all trades of life, to every condition of persons, to every Mammonist, none are exempted from holiness, whether Demetrius the silver-smith, Act. 19.24. or Andrew the fisherman, Matth. 4.24. or Gamaliel the Lawyer, Act. 22.3. or Lydia the purple seller, 16.14. or Dorcas the Sempster, 9.36. or Simon the Tanner, 6.43.20.9. or to be short, the meanest of all, the Congregation is mixed, and therefore I pray & request you all, to leave your dissimulation, and to wash your hands in Innocency.  
Thus much for Quis, now followeth Quo modo praeparat, and that is by washing, I David Wash.  
Now me thinks I hear a voice which tells me we are all, a leprous generation, a viperous and infectious brood, full of sores, ulcers and botches, scarlet souls, crimson consciences, ramish unsavoury loathsome sins: if so; then let us see the remedy and that induceth two things, the Bath, and the Parts bathed: and first of the Bath, Innocency.  
See but the ingredients, and you shall easily see the virtue.  
This Bath is made of Holiness, righteousness, charity, hope, faith, joy, humility, peace, prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, vigilancy, equity, sanctity, chastity, contrition, repentance, perseverance, with many other heautious ornaments of the house of God. All holiness of mind, righteousness of soul, charity towards thy neighbour, hope in thy Jesus, Faith in his merits, Joy in the Holy Ghost, peace of conscience, humility of carriage, serventnesse of prayer, meditation of God's mercies, delight in his word, vigilancy over our affections, sanctity of heart, equity towards all men, chastity of thought, repentance for sin, heat of devotion; and perseverance, the Crown of holy and virtuous actions.  
Lo here's a holy water for the Church of Rome to wash in, here's a Jordan for all leprous naaman's to cleanse in, 'tis no river of Damascus, but of Israel, here's a pool of Bethesda, for our lame and cripple conditions, here's a river of life, as clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb, in midst of which; groweth the tree of life. Revel. ult.  
Who so enters into the Temple of God without these, who so offers to set foot within the porch which is called Beautiful without these, doth but only peep through a craney of the mount Horeb, but shall never with Moses ascend up his holy hill: they only sound forth harsh melody into the ears of God; through the untuneablenesse of their spirits, which should sing Gorapically as the Coristers of heaven, for holiness becometh thy house for ever.  
Nazianzen is so religiously scrupulous, and conscionably timorous of his unworthy approach into the house of prayer, that it hath often affrighted me (saith he) from the Mercy feat of God; not that I shunned the beauty of his Altar, but that I feared mine own unhallowed presence; and so consequently the sudden vengeance of Heaven: I am ashamed (saith he) of those that come with unwashen hands, and unsanctified hearts, to such holy mysteries as these are; I feared to draw near, said he, and yet my hands were innocent, mine eyes clear, my heart single, mine ear erect, and attentive, my speech savoury, and my members were weapons of righteousness, and like so many Instruments to tune forth the praise of my Creator. Here was an innocent and virtuous Churchman, well known, squared and cut out of a spiritual building, of a holy and heavenly tincture; and yet he fears his own weakness. But is there the like devotion found among us?  
No, For were it, as it is not, it would draw many a brinish tear from the eyes of these marble and Stone witnesses, to see our irreverent and hallowed approaches: for we come with our hands filthy, our feet polluted, with sleepy eyes, with drowsy heads, with full stomaches, with quails in our mouths, and our bellies full of bread. Some sleep with Euticus, Act. 20.9. some are offended with the Scribes & Pharisees Joh. 7.48. some are angry with Herod, Mat. 2.16. some seoffe with Ahab, 1 Reg. 22.8. some glance laciviously with jesabel, some are only lukewarm with Agrippa, Act. 26.28 and some make bargains with judas, Matth. 26.15.  
Few here with a chaste and dovelike simplicity, few with patience, few with Faith, scarce one, with a good conscience. No, our eyes are playing the harlots, our hearts are gone a whoring, our ears are stopped with the adder, our tongues broaching vanity, our hands in our counting-houses, our feet pricked with thorns, never at ease, ever straight at the instep, till we can whip forth of the holy congregation and make it the house of folly: So that it is Gods great goodness we are not stricken dead with Nadah and Abihu, Numb, 3.4. for offering strange fire upon his Altar. It is his infinite mercy that we are not burnt down with the men of Sodom. Leu. 10.1.2. or swallowed up quick with Corah, Dathan and Abyram, Numb. 16.1. for coming thus rashly and unprepared into his holy Sanctuary, our hearts being full of evil intentions, which is to play the hypocrite. But David saith I will wash, and so must it be with all those that approach the face of God. Thou must arise oh Zion, thou must put on the garments of thy beauty oh jerusalem thou must shake the dust of thy feet and unloose the yoke from thy neck, when thou drawest near unto the presence of the most high: Nay, ye ought to use all reverence with fervency of Prayer, with fire of devotion, with sanctity of life, with purity of Spirit, with contrition of heart, and the like acceptable offices in the eye of heaven. Then shall thy righteousness break forth before God, as the light, and thy just dealing as the noonday. Therefore bathe thy heart often in sorrow full sighs, and desire the Lord, saying; O Lord grant, I beseech thee, an equity towards all men; piety towards thee my God, honesty of mind, and a heart seasoned with the leaven of Religion, that is, a Soul ever prepared to come into the house of my God and visit towards his holy Temple.  
And thus much of the Bath, Innocency.  
Now for the parts bathed, Hands. I will wash my hands. etc.  
There is a glorious stipend set down in Scripture for such as have clean hands; who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Even he that hath clean hands, Ps. 24.4.18.20. Again, God shall recompense me according to the cleanness of my hands. So then we must know, that as innocency shown the virtue of the Bath, so Hands the wisdom of the party Bathing.  
Jezabel anointed her face when David washed his hands, and threw ashes upon his head, a great disfiguring to his person; yet was he cleaner in the sight of God than the slippery singing Queen of Israel. Ezekiah cleansed his hands, and Job made a covenant with his eyes, precious parts both; yet none so pure, so entire, so holy, as the bathing of our Hands in Innocency.  
I mean not that Pharisaical cleaning of the hands, for that is not comparable to the cleaning sincerity of the heart, if you parallel the parts: but I mean the hands, by way of a symbolical and figurative resemblance; the phrase not being so much to be ●●cand, as it is an external washing, and so ●roper to hypocrites, but as it is a symbol of internal purification, and so proper to the Saints.  
Now some washing their hands only will rashly salute the Altar of God, being coloured with seeming appearance: this is Hypocrisy. Others will wash their hands as a testimony of the purity of their hearts and so reverently approach the Mercy seat of God, being beautified with real integrity. This is Innocency.  
But why did David say his hands more than his feet, or any other part of his body: Because the principal Organs of all external Actions, are the hands, and so Symbolycally the truest resemblance of all hearty and spiritual ablution. When therefore it is said David washed his hands, etc. We must not understand only an outward and visible cleansing of his carnal body, but a general cleansing of his soul and Spirit; Hands being the Executioners of all external Actions, and so the Figure of a total and general, both exterior and interior Sanctification. Wherefore when thou lookest into the house of God, look to thine Eye lest that grow wanton, take heed to thy Tongue, that it speak no guile, look to thy feet, that they slip not, but especially wash thy Hands, that they miscarry not, let not those be rough like Esau's, but smooth as jacobs', set with gold, Cant. 5.14. Then mayest thou put thy finger in thing eye, if it trouble thee, then mayest thou nipp thyself by the Ear, to keep them from sleep in security, strike thyself on the feet, if they stumble or trip, beat thyself on the heart, if that prevaricate or play the whore, smite thyself on the mouth, if it talk idlesy, rub thyself on the Temples, if they grow dull, in a word, then mayest thou do all things decently as befitts the house of prayer. So that the washing of the hands in Innocency is the true resemblance of all Spiritual ablution.  
Now many will wash, but few in Innocency. Some with Pilate before blood publicly, Mat. 27.24. Some with the Pharisee before dinner hypocritically, and some with the Gentiles before an oath superstitiously. But let us with the religious Levite and Christian professor, purify and purge not only the visible flesh of our hands, but also the invisible taints of our Spirit. Fo● the former sanctification is but only a figur● of that which followeth, as you may read● Heb. 9 but the latter is a model of that true and lively sacrifice of Christ himself, who through the eternal Spirit of God, offered himself without spot to God, purging our consciences from dead works to serve the everliving God.  
Wherefore, O Lord, sprinkle with thine hyssop, the blood of thy Son, that the water of thy Spirit may never cease to purify our hands, till they be as white through Innocency, as thy Throne above is beautified with Ivery: Especially we of the seed of Aaron, that every action of ours may be acceptable: our hands with which we hold the Table of the Covenant, our hands with which we slay the Sacrifice, our hands with which we bless the Congregation, with which we gird about the linen Ephod of an holy conversation, with which we lift up the sacred Chalice, with which we distribute thy holy Body, our hands by the continual intention of which in our Prayers, we lift up the hinges of the everlasting doors, that the King of glory may receive us. Let all these be made clean and pure from all filthiness; let us wash our hands in all our Actions, that being thus prepared we may go to his Altar. Thus much for the Quo modo: now follows the holy presence, 〈◊〉 Lord.  
In which, note two things, first the Maesty, Domine. Secondly the Mirror in this article o!  
First of his Majesty, Domine.  
Some writers divide the Names which ●re common to the Trinity by a four fold difference, some only point at the Essence, 〈◊〉 jehovah, some at the distinction of per●●ns as Elohim, some at the essential proper●●●s of his Deity, as only wife, only just etc. ●●d some at the Relation which God hath 〈◊〉 his creatures, as Lord of Lords, King of ●●ngs: And of this last order is the name used in my Text. For power and authority ●●ve a certain habitude and respect unto the by which he is subjugated and tied to a● awful obedience: for we have as Aquina● sayeth, a certain real relation unto God, a● our Creator, without whom we had had n● Being, and God to us a Rational, because he did humble himself to exalt us. Where fore this name Domine, in my Text, is neither a Symbol of his infinite essence, neither of any personal distinction, but only o● a powerful, dreadful, and vindicatory relation he hath to Man; which ought to caus● a reverend and fearful approach, into hi● presence. Therefore if we refuse his Mercy as he is Deus, and so can crown us, yet le● us not despise his power as he is Dominus and so can crush us. For as he is Deus, he is a God of bowels and compassion, an● carrieth the rod and staff of comfort, P●● 23.4. but as he is Dominus, he is a God 〈◊〉 vengeance, that can scourge us with a rod 〈◊〉 iron, Ps. 2. for our iniquities.  
Wherefore when David in the awful resolution of his soul, and crystal sincerity 〈◊〉 his Spirit, commends the Sacrifice of his clevotion to heaven, he proposeth such a presence of God, as is most extimulatory of fear and reverence: I will wash my hands in Innocency O Lord. This Name showing the Majesty and power of God over man. By virtue of his name he punished the Sacrifice of Cain. Gen. 4.5. The rebellion of Corah, Numb. 16. The bleating and Hypocritical Sacrifice of Saul. By virtue of this he threatens the Israelites, I am the Lord, by virtue of this he bids battle to the Nations, I am the Lord, What shaken the Wilderness? The voice of the Lord. What broke the Cedars of Lebanon? The voice of the Lord: by virtue of this Name he ratifies his purposes, the voice of the Lord hath spoken it. By virtue of this Name he rides upon the heavens, the Chariots of the Lord. By virtue of this Name his wrath is published, how long wilt thou be angry O Lord? By virtue of this Name he summons the quarters of the earth, the day of the Lord. When shaken the Earth? at the presence of the Lord. When melted the Heavens? at the presence of the Lord. When were the waters dried up? At the presence of the mighty God of jacob: the least falme of this bush dashed Moses out of countenance. This fiery pillar burnt jobs goods and cattle. This burning heat made the children of Israel stand a fare off. Wherefore with St. Jeromes Marcelia, we are to desire the proper interpretation of all the Names of God; every one ministering occasion of spiritual growth; yet are we most to desire it, when we approach the Sanctuary of God, to prefix this Name before our eyes, the name of the Lord: It being the Ensign of his power, and the tempest going before his face, the Emblem of his Majesty, the thunder of Mount Sinai, where God's seat is, by virtue of which he breatheth hailstones and coals of fire.  
This holy meditation of his Majesty turned Abraham into dust & ashes: This stripped job of all humane and vain conceits, this clothed David in Sackcloth, this made him a worm and no man, a thing of nought. And I doubt not, but if we seriously entertained it, this would burn down the stubble of humane opinions in us, and lay us prostrate, yea, even breathless before the face of God, with the very thought of our wretched unworthiness.  
Wherefore (Beloved) let the reverend opinion of the presence of the Lord be evermore our curb when we come to the propitiatory of his Mercy seat. Let this calm the Sea of our affections, and work in us an awful and religious Obedience. Let us know the presence of God is not the presence of Dagon that hath no eyes, nor of Nisroch which hath no ears, but the glorious and present beauty of Zion, the all-seeing Eye of God, the discovery of Heaven. This Memento will cause us to wash, to cleanse our hearts, and search the very concavity of our spirits; This will beget not only an holy preparation before we come, but a cautelous and strong attention after we are come, and the expectation of an happy benediction, ere we go: fearing each moment the arrow of his displeasure, the merit of our own presumption, and the doom of Heaven.  
Thus much for the Majesty, now followeth the Mirror, O: And so will I go to thine Altar O Lord.  
This interjection howsoever smothered in the Latin and Greek Syntaxe, yet hath it in the English an Emphatical use, and speciality, it being the floodgate of man's ecstasy, and the dilatation of his Spirit, when he is transported with the high and sublime speculation of the presence of God. Neither is it only vented when we think of his presence, but when we speak of his Attributes, or any the extraordinary or transcendent works of his Deity: O the depth and riches of his Mercies! cries Paul in one place, O the inscrutabilitie of his Judgements! in another place. O his wonderful works in the deep! cries David in one place, O how amiable are thy dwellings! in another. Thus wonders Mortality, when it droops and hangs the wing, being struck with the Majesty of God.  
This should cause humble dejection in our spirits, a poor and lowly esteem in ourselves, when we enter into conference with God. Now there is nothing will sooner draw us to this practice, than the paralelling of our estate with Gods, our condition challenging the wonderment of Lamentation, and Gods of Praise and Exaltation. For in this, Gods O of Mercy, will answer to Man's O of misery: See it in the wrestling of Paul, O miserable man that I am! cries he when he took Survey of his flesh's rebellion, O the riches of the Mercies of God when he weighs the depth of Christ's Propitiation. See it likewise in the method o● David, O remember not my sins and offences; cries he, when he scanned the measure of his own misery; O call to mind thy loving kindness o Lord, when he recollects the Balm of God's mercy. O how short is my time! when he spanned the life of Man▪ O God thy seat endureth for ever, when he would fathom the Ancient of days. The like meditation will drive us to the same, to the same astonishment, when we shall conscionably think of our own unworthyness● with an O how inferior are we! by reason of our many pollutions, to stand before the face of God; and it will make us say as David doth here, I will wash my hands in Innocency etc. Thus much of the holy presence, I come now to the holy place, in this word, Altar.  
Where note two things first the Reverence of his Progress, So. Secondly the Reference of the place, Thine. And so will I go to thine Altar.  
So, not otherwise though the Devil upon the pinnacle, should promise me the Kingdom of the world, for why should we presume to come to the marriage of the Lamb without a wedding garment, or samuel's Ephod? So will I go saith David, adorned with these unto thine Altar. And if ever ●his So, was dedicated to the obtaining of Eternity, if ever to the joy of Angels, and comfort of the Elect, it was then done, when David renounced the whole body of Sin, & turned to his Creator that made him.  
Lastly if ever this So, did procure the Angels of Heaven to rejoice, then may it now ●●use us, to shed tears of gladness since the beauty of Holiness, the Lamb of God, Innocency, hath offered himself upon the Cross, and become an advocate to the father for our sins.  
Here was a So worthy to be remembered for ever; for he dying turned our death into Life, that is, our sins to righteousness. Thus much for the Reverence, now followeth the Reference, Thine:  
The Pronoune Thine, is a partition wall, twixt God and Dagon, and sanctifies the edifices of the Temple. For this separates all Idolatrous places of worship: Not any Altar, but the Altar of God, and not any place, but the place where his honour dwelleth. So that by this word, Thine, is meant the habitation of his Glory, & the holy Temple of the eternal and ever living God: To which whosoever comes thus washed and prepared, shall enjoy the mount of Zion, and the hill of the new jerusalem, Montem pinguem, being a fat mountain, in respect of the multitude of spiritual grace, Montem Dei, because God himself dwells there, and Montem coagmentatum, so strongly congealed and knit together, as that it is impossible it should ever be removed.  
Thus by God's assistance and your gentle patience I have cleared my hand of my Text.  
Now the God of mercy and compassion, which opened the heart of Lydia to conceive, opened the eyes of Elisha to see, and opened the lips of David to speak, say Ephata to your hearts, ears, and eyes, that you may ever hunger and thirst after righteousness, that you may ever seek the Lord, and serve him in faith, and in the revealed mysteries of his word, Washing your hearts and hands in Innocency, that so you may for ever obtain Grace here in this world, and eternal glory in the world to come; which God grant unto you all, Amen.  
Soli Dei Gloria.