The Happiness of the Church, Biblical commentary 2
THE WORLDS GREAT RIDERS: OR, The rage of Oppression.
PSALME. 66. 12.
Thou hast caused men to ride ouer our heads: wee went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest vsus out into a wealthy place.
THIS verse is like that Sea, Math. 8. 24. So tempestuous at first, that the vessell was couer'd with waues: but Christs rebuke quieted all, and there followed a great calme. Heere are cruell Nimrods riding ouer innocent heads, as they would ouer fallow lands; and dangerous passages through fire and water: but the storme is soone ended, or rather the passengers are landed. Thou broughtest vsus out into a wealthy place.
So that this straine of Dauids musicke or Psalmodie consists of two notes; one mournefull, the other mirthfull: the one a touch of distresse, the other of redresse: which directs our course to an obseruation of Mise…e, MercieMercy; of grieuous misery, of gracious Mercy. There is desolation, and Consolation in one verse: a deepe deiection, as laid vnderunder the feete of beasts; a high erection, brought out into a wealthy place.
In both these straines God hath his stroke: he is a principall in this Consort. He is brought in for an Actor, Author; an Actor in the Persecution, an Author in the deliuerance. Thou causest, &c. Thou broughtest &c. In the one he is a causing worker, in the other a sole-working cause. In the one he is ioyned with company, in the other he workes alone. He hath a finger in the former; his whole hand in the latter.
We must begin with the Miserie, before wee come to the MercieMercy. If there were no trouble, wee should not know the worth of a deliuerance. The passion of the Saints is giuen by the hearty and ponderous description, for very grieuous: yet it is written in the forehead of the Text, The Lord caused it. Thou causedst men to ride, &c.
Heereupon some wicked Libertine may offer to rubbe his filthinesse vponupon Gods purity; and to plead an authenticall deriuation of all his villany against the Saints from the Lords warrant: He caused it. Wee answere to the iustification of Truth it selfe, that God doth ordaine and order eueryevery persecution, that striketh his children; without any allowance to the instrument that giues the blow. God workes in the same action with others, not after the same manner. In the affliction of Iob were three Agents: God, Satan, and the Sabeans. The Diuell works on his body, the Sabeans on his goods: yet Iob confesseth a third party. The Lord giues, and the Lord takes away. Here Oppressors trample on the godly, and God is said to cause it. He causeth affliction for triall: (so ver. 10. and 11. Thou hast tried vsus, &c.) they vvorke it for malice: neither can God be accused, nor they excused.
In a sinfull action there be two things: the Materiall, and the Formall part: which we commonly distinguish into the act and defect. The Materiall part is of GOD; from whom is all Motion: the Formall is from the prauitie of the agent. Persecutors could not accuse vsus maliciously, if GOD gaue not motion to their tongues; nor strike vsus wrongfully, if he denied strength to their hands. Thought, sight, desire, speech, strength, motion are Gods good gifts: to turne all these to his dishonour, is the wicked persons fault.
God hath another intent, then man hath, euen in mans worke. The Chaldeans steale Iobs wealth, to enrich themselues: the Diuell afflicts his body, in his hatred to mankind: God suffers all this for the triall of his patience. Man for couetousnesse, the diuell for malice, God for probation of the afflicted's constancie, and aduancing his owne glory. In the giuing of Christ to death, as Augustine obserues; the Father gaue the Sonne, the Sonne gaue Epist. 48.himselfe, Iudas betrayed him, and the Iewes crucified him. In one and the same tradition, God is to be blessed, and man condemned. Quia in re vna quam fecerunt, causa non vna ob quam fecerunt. Because in that same thing they all did, there vvas not the same cause vvhy they all did it. Gods end was louelove, Iudas his auarice, the Ievves malice.
The couetous Extortioner taketh away the goods of his neighbour; that robber spoyleth. He could hauehave no tongue to plead, nor wit to circumuent, nor hands to carry away, without God: from him hee hath those creatures, that notion and motion. But to peruert all these to damnifie others, and to damne himselfe, ariseth from his owne auarous and rancorous prauity. His intent is wicked; yet not without Gods wisedom to raise profit from it. Perhaps the oppressed had too good a liking to the World, and beganne to admit a little confidence in their wealth: the Lord hath benefited them, in taking away these snares, to saue their soules.
Yet without toleration, countenance, or helpe to the wicked. The Vsurer hath done thee good: by making thee poore in purse, helped thee to the riches of grace; yet he goes to hell for his labour. They that doe GOD seruice against their wills, shall hauehave but shrewd wages. It cannot be denied, but the diuell did God seruice; in trying Iob, winnowing Peter, buffetting Paul, executing Iudas: yet shall not all this ease the least torment of his damnation. For triall here, are these oppressors suffred to ride ouer the godly's heads, and to driue them through fire and vvater: when these hauehave like furnaces, purged them from drosse & corruption, themselues shall be burnt. For it is vsuall with God, when he hath done beating his children, to throw the rodde into the fire. Babylon a long time shall be the Lords Hammer to bruise the Nations, at last it selfe shal be bruised. Iudas did an act, that redounds to Gods eternal honour, and our blessed saluation, yet was his wages the gallhouse. All these hammers, axes, rods, sawes, swords, instruments, when they hauehave done those offices they neuer meant, shall for those they hauehave meant, be throwne to confusion.
I will now leaue Gods iustice to himselfe; and come to the iniustice of these Oppressors, and the passion of the sufferers. And because the qualitie of these latter shal adde some aggrauation to the cruell malice of the former; I will first set before your eyes the Martyrs. The Psalme beeing written by Dauid, and the suffrers spoken of in the first person plurall; We, VsUs, and Our: it followes, that it was both Dauid, and such as Dauid was; beloued of God, holy, Saints.
And whom doth the vvorld thinke to ride ouer, but Saints? Psal. 44. 22. Who should be appointed to the slaughter, but Sheepe? The Wolfe will not prey on the Fox, he's too crafty: nor on the Elephant, he's too mighty: nor on a dogge, he's too equall: but on the silly Lambe, that can neither run to scape, nor fight to conquer. They write of a Bird, that is the Crocodiles toothpicker, and feedes on the fragments left in his teeth whiles the serpent lyes a sunning: vvhichwhich when the vnthankfull Crocodile would deuoure, God hath set so sharpe a prick on the top of the Birds head, that he dares not shut his iawes till it be gone. And they speake of a little Fish, that goes bristling by the Pike, or any other rauenous water-creature, and they dare not for his pricks & thornes, touch him. Those whom Nature or Art, strength or sleight, hauehave made inexposable to easie ruine, may passe vnmolested. The wicked will not grapple vponupon equall termes: they must hauehave either locall or ceremoniall aduantage. But the godly are weake and poore; and it is not hard to prey vponupon prostrate fortunes. A lowe hedge is soone troden downe; and ouer a vvretch deiected on the base earth, an insulting enemy may easily stride. Whiles Dauid is downe, (or rather in him figured the Church) the plowers may plow vponupon Psal. 129. 3.his backe, and make long their furrowes.
But what if they ride ouer our heads, and wound our flesh, let them not wound our patience. Though we seale the bond of conscience vvith the bloud of innocence; though we lose our liues, let vsus not lose our patience. Lactantius De falsa Sapient. lib. 4.sayes of the Philosophers, that they had a sword, and wanted a buckler: but a buckler doth better become a Christian, then a sword. Let vsus know, Non nunc honoris nostri tempus esse; sed doloris, sed passionis; that this is not the time of our ioy and honour, but of our passion and sorow. Therfore, let vsus with patience runne the race, &c.Heb. 12. 2.
But leaue vvee our selues thus suffring; and come to speake of that we must be content to feele, the oppression of our enemies. Wherein we will consider
the
Agents,
Actions.
The Agents
Are Men. Thou hast caused men to ride, &c. Man is a sociable liuing creature, and should conuerse with man in louelove and tranquillity. Man should be a supporter of man, is he become an ouerthrower? He should help and keep him vp, doth he ride ouer him, and tread him vnderunder foot? O Apostacie, not onelyonly from diuinitie, but euen from humanitie. Quid homini inimicissimum? Homo. The greatest Sen.danger that befalls man, comes whence it should least come; from man himselfe. Caetera animantia, saith Plinie, in suo genere, probe degunt, &c. Lyons fight not vvith Lions: Serpents spend not their venims on serpents: but Man is the maine suborner of mischiefe to his ovvne kind.
It is reported of the Bees, that …grotante vna, lament…ntur omnes: when one is sicke, they all mourne. And of Sheepe, that if one of them be faint, the rest of the flocke will stand betweene it and the Sunne, till it be reuiued, onelyonly man to man is most pernicious. Wee knowe that a bird, yea a bird of rapine, once fed a man in the Wildernesse: 1. King. 17. 6. Dan. 6. 22.that a beast, yea a beast of fierce cruelty, spared a man in his denne. Whereupon saith a learned Father, Ferae parcunt, aues pascunt, hommes saeuiunt. The birds feed Cypr. Ser. 6.man, and the beasts spare him; but man rageth against him. Wherefore, I may well conclude with Salomon, Prou. 17. Let a Bearerobbed of her whelps meet a man, rather Prou. 17. 12.then a foole in his folly.
God hath hewne vsus all out of one rock, temperd all our bodies of one clay, and spirited our soules of one breath. Therefore saith Augustine, Sith we proceed all out of one stock, let vsus all be of one mind. Beasts molest not their owne kind; and birds of a feather flie louingly together. Not onelyonly the blessed Angels of heauen agree in a mutuall harmonie; but euen the very diuells of hell are not diuided, lest they ruine their kingdome. We hauehave one greater reason of vnitie and louelove obserued, then all the rest. For whereas God made not all Angels of one Angell: nor all beasts of the great Behemoth: nor all fishes of the huge Leuiathan: nor all birds of the maiesticall Eagle: yet hee made all men of one Man. Let vsus then not iarre in the dispensation of our mindes, that so agree in the composition of our natures. You see how inhumane and vnnaturall it is, for man to wrong man; of his owne kinde, and as it were, of his owne kinne. Thus for the Agents.
The Action
Is amplified in diuers circumstances; climbing vp by rough staires to a high transcendency of Oppression. It ariseth thus;
In
Riding.
Riding ouer vsus.
Riding ouer our Heads.
Driuing vsus through fire and water.
1. They ride. What need they mount themselues vponupon beasts, that hauehave feete malicious enough to trample on vsus? They hauehave a Foote of Pride, Psalm. 36. from which Psal. 36. 11.Dauid prayed to bee deliuered. A presumptuous heele, which they dare lift vp against God; and therefore a tyrannous toe, to spurne deiected man. They need not horses and mules, that can kicke with the foote of a reuengefull Psal. 32. 9.malice.
2. Ouer vsus. The way is broad enough wherein they trauell, for it is the Deuils roade; they might well misse the poore: there is roome enough besides, they need not ride Ouer vsus. It were more braue for them to iustle with champions, that will not giuegive them the way: wee neuer contend for their path: they hauehave it without our enuie, not without our pitie: why should they ride Ouer vsus?
3. Ouer our heads. Is it not contentment enough to their pride to ride? to their malice, to ride ouer vsus? but must they delight in bloudinesse, to ride ouer our heads? will not the breaking of our armes and legges, and such inferiour limbes, satisfie their indignation? Is it not enough to wracke our strength, to mocke our innocence, to prey on our estates; but must they thirst after our blouds and liues? Quò tendit saua libido? whither will their madnesse runne?
But we must not tie our selues to the latter. Heere is a mysticall or metaphoricall gradation of their cruelty.
Their Riding Ouer vsus Ouer our heads is Proud Malicious Bloudy Oppression.
They Ride.
This phrase describes a vice compounded of two damnable ingredients; Pride, and Tyrannie. It was a part of Gods fearefull curse to rebellious recidiuation, Deut. 28. that their enemies should ride and triumph ouer them; and they should come downe very low, vnderunder their feet. It is deliuered for a notorious marke of the great Whore of Reuel. 17. 4.Babylons pride, that she rides vponupon a scarlet-colou'rd Beast. Saint Paul seemes to apply the same word to oppression. 1. Thes. 4. That no man oppresse his brother. The originall 1. Thes. 4. 6.foreign; to goe vponupon him, climbe on him, or tread him vnderunder foote.
O blasphemous height of villany; not onelyonly by false slanders to betray a mans innocence, nor to lay violent hands vponupon his estate; but to trip vp his heels with frauds, or to lay him along with iniuries, and then to trample on him! And because the foote of man, for that should bee soft and fauouring, cannot dispatch him, to mount vponupon beasts, wilde and fauage affections, and to ride vponupon him.
Ouer vsus.
This argues their malice. It were a token of wilfull spight for a horseman, in a great rode, to refuse all way, and to ride ouer a poore traueller. Such is the implacable malice of these persecutors. Esa. 59. Wasting and destruction Esa. 59. 7.are in their paths: yea, wasting and destruction are their paths. They hauehave fierce lookes, and truculent hearts: their very breath is ruine, and eueryevery print of their foot vastation. They neyther reuerence the aged, nor pity the sucking infant: Virgins cannot auoid their rapes, nor women with childe their massacres. They goe, they run, thy stride, they ride ouer vsus.
The language of their lippes, is that which Babylon spake concerning Ierusalem: Downe with it, downe with it, Psal. 137. 7.euen to the ground. Rase it, rase it, euen to the foundation thereof. Desolation sits in their eyes, and shootes out through those fiery windowes, the burning glances of waste, hauocke, ruine: till they turne a land into solitude; into a Desart, and habitation for their fellow-beasts, and their worse selues. O vnmercifull men! that should be to men kinde as God; but are more ragingly noxious then wolues. They hauehave lost the nature, let them also lose the name of men.
Uix repperit vnum,
Talibus è multis, hominem consultus Apollo. But it is euer true: Optimi corruptio pessima. The fairest flowers putrified, stinke worse then weedes: euen an Angell falling became a Deuill: and man debauched, striues to come as neere this Deuill as he can. They should put their hands vnderunder our falling heads, and lift vsus vp: but they kicke vsus downe, and ride ouer vsus.
Ouer our heads.
This notes their bloudinesse, vnpacifiable but by our slaughters. The pressing, racking, or breaking of our inferiour limbes contents not their malice: they must wound the most sensible and vitall part, our heads. The Lord be blessed, that hath now freed vsus from these bloudie ridings; and sent vsus peace with Truth. Yet can wee not be forgetful of the past calamities in this Land; nor insensible of the present in other places. The time vvas when the Bonners and butchers rode ouer the faces of Gods Saints, and madefied the earth with their blouds; eueryevery drop whereof begot a new beleeuer. When they martyred the liuing with the dead; burnt the impotent wife with the husband; who is content to die with him, with whom she may not liue; yea, reioycing to go together to their Sauior. When they threw the new-born (yea scarce-borne) infant, dropping out of the mothers belly, into the mothers flames: whom, if they had been Christians, they would first hauehave Christned, if not cherished. This was a fiery zeale indeed; set on flame with the fire of hell. They louelove fire still: they were then for fagots, they are now for powder. If these be Catholikes, there are no Canibals. They were then mounted on horses of authority, now they ride on the wings of policy.
Our comfort is, that though all these, whether persecutors of our faith, or oppressors of our life, ride ouer our particular heads, yet we hauehave all one Head, whom they cannot touch. They may massacre this corporall life, and spoyle the locall seate of it, whether in head or heart: but our spirituall life, which lies and liues in our Head Iesus Christ, they cannot reach. No hellish stratagems, nor combined outrages; no humane powers, nor diuellish principalities can touch that life: for it is aColos. 3. 3.hid with Christ in God.
Indeed this Head doth not onelyonly take their blowes, as meant at him; but he euen suffers with vsus. bActs 9. 4.Saul, why persecutest thou me? Saul strikes on earth, Christ Iesus suffers in heauen. There is more liuely sense in the Head, then in other members of the body. Let but the toe ake, and the head manifests by the countenance a sensible greefe. The body of the Church cannot suffer, without the sense of our blessed Head. Thus saith Paul, c2. Cor. 1. 5.The sufferings of Christ abound in vsus. These afflictions are the showres that follow the great storme of his passion. dColos. 1. 24.Wee fill vp that which is behinde, of the affliction of Christ in our flesh. Wee must be content for him, as hee was for vsus, to weep, and groane, and bleed, and dye, that we may raigne. If wee ePsalm. 126. 5.sow not in teares, how shall we look to reape in ioy? how shall we shine like starres in heauen, if we go not through this fierie tryall? or land at the hauen of blisse, if wee passe not the waues of this troublesome water?
You see the Riders: but you wil say, What is this to vsus? we hauehave no such riders. Yes, many; too many; euen so many as we hauehave Oppressors, eyther by tongue or hand. Shall I name some of them?
The malicious slanderer is a perillous Rider; and hee rides like death vponupon a fReuel. 6. 8.pale horse, Enuie. Thus were the Pharises mounted, when they rode ouer Christ, euen the Head of our heads. If Iesus will not be a Pharise, they will naile him to the Crosse. These venemous Cantharides light vponupon Gods fairest flowers: and striue, either to blast them with their contumelious breaths, or to tread them vnderunder their malicious feete.
The griping Vsurer is a pestilent Rider; and hee is mounted on a heauy Iade, Mammon or louelove of money. EueryEvery step of this beast wounds to the heart, and quasheth out the life-bloud. O that this sordid beast of vsury, with all his ponderous and vnweldy trappings; bils, obligations, pawnes, morgages, were throwne into a fire temporall; that the riders conuerted soule might bee saued from the fire eternall. If any Alcibiades had authority and will, to kindle such a fire in England as was once at Athens, I beleeue that no teares would be shed to quench it: but the musike of our peace would sound merrily to it: and the rather, because there would be no more grones to mollifie it.
The destructiue depopulator is another pestiferous Rider. He is a light Horseman; he can leape hedges and ditches, and therefore makes them in the midst of plaine fields. He loues to ride in his owne ground; and for this purpose expelleth all neighbors. Though Salomon sayes, that the King is serued by the field that is tilled: ye hee, as if he were wiser then Salomon, promiseth to serue him better Eccl. 5. 9.with grasse. Hee posteth after the poore, and hunts them out of his Lordship. He rides from towne to town, from village to village, from land to land, from house to house; à doloso fur to ad publicum latrocinium, and neuer rests till he hath rid to the Deuill.
And there is a fourth Rider gallops after him amaine, as if hee had sworne not to be hindmost, the oppressing Landlord: and hee rides vponupon a horse that hath no pace but racking; for that is the Masters delight, racking of rents: and he hath two Lacquays or Pages run by him, Fines, and Carriages. Thus ascended, & attended, twice a yeare at least, he rides ouer the heads and hearts of the poore Tenants: that they can no more grow in wealth, then corne can that is scattered in the high way: for they as that, are continually ouer-ridden by their mercilesse Landlords. Let these riders take heede, lest the curses of the poore stumble their horses, and breake their neckes.
The churlish Cormorant is a mischicuous Rider: hee sits on a black Iade, Couetousnesse; and rides onelyonly from market to market, to buy vp graine, when hee hath store to sell: and so hatcheth vp dearth in a yere of plenty. Our Land is too full of these riders: they repine & complaine of the vnseasonablenesse of the weather, of the barrennesse of the earth: but they conceale the true cause, whereof their owne soules are conscious, their vncharitablenesse. The earth hath neuer been so frozen as their consciences: nor is the ground so fruitlesse of plenty, as they of pitie. This is not mala terra, bona gens; but mala gens, bona terra: vve hauehave bad minds, good materialls. The earth hath not scanted her fruits, but our concealings hauehave beene close, our enhancings rauenous, our transportations lauish. The Lord sends graine, and the diuell sends garners. The imprecations of the poore shall follow these …iders, and the eares of God shall attend their cries.
There is the proud Gallant, that comes foorth like a May-morning, decked with all the glory of Art; and his adorned Lady, in her owne imagination a second Flora: and these are Riders too, but closer riders: the world with them runnes vponupon wheeles; and they hastning to ouertake it, out-runne it. Their great reuenues will not hold out with the yeere: the furniture on their backs exceedes their rent-day. Hence they are faine to wring the poore spundges of the Country, to quench the burning heat of the City. Therefore say the Countrey-men, that their Carts are neuer worse employed, then when they do seruice to Coaches.
There is the fraudulent Tradesman; that rides no further then betweene the Bursse and the shop, on the backe of a quick-spirited hobby call'd Cheating: and whereas greatnesse presseth the poore to death with their weight, this man trips vp their heels with his cunning. They hauehave one God at the Church, another at their shops: and they will fill their coffers, though they fester their consciences. This Rider laughes men in the face, whiles he treads on their hearts; his tongue knowes no other pace, but a false gallop.
The bribe-groping Officer, in what Court soeuer his dition lies, is an oppressing Rider: they that would hauehave their suites granted, must subiect their necks to his feete, and let him ride ouer them. He confutes the old allegory of Iustice, that is vsually drawne blind; for he will see to doe a Petitioner ease by the light of his angels. Nothing can vnlocke his lips but a golden key. This Riders horse, like that proud Emperors, must be shod with siluer: and the poore man must buy of him, and that at a deare rate, his owne treading on.
I come to him last, whom I hauehave not least cause to think vponupon, the Church-defrauder; that rides vponupon a vvinged horse, as if he would flie to the diuell, called Sacriledge. He may appeare in the shape of a Protestant, but he is the most absolute Recusant; for he refuseth to pay God his owne. He weares the Name of Christ, for the same purpose the Papists weare the Crosse; onelyonly for a charme. These are the Merchants of soules, the Pyrats of Gods Ship the Church, the vnderminers of Religion; that are still practising traines to blow it vp. They will not pay their Leuites, their Leuites must pay them. They will not part with their Cures, whereof they hauehave the donation, but vponupon purchase. But it is no wonder if they sell the Cures, that hauehave first sold their soules. The charitable man dreames of building Churches, but starts to thinke that these men will pull them downe againe.
There is yet one other Rid…r, though he spurres post, must not passe by me vn-noted: the Truth-hating Iesuite, that comes trotting into England on a redde horse, like Murder; dyp't and dy'd in the bloud of soules; and if he can reach it, in the bloud of bodies too. Neither doth he thirst so much after ordinary bloud, that runnes in common veines, as after the bloud-Royall. There is no discase, saith one, that may so properly be called the Kingseuill. He is the diuells make-bate, and his cheefe Officer to set Princes together by the eares. He sittes like the Rauen, on a dead bough; and when the Lyon and Leopard come forth to fight, he sounds out a poynt of wa…re; hoping which soeuer falls, his carkase shall serue him for a prey to feed on. His maine study is to fill the Schooles with clamours, the Church with errors, the Churchyard with corpses, and all Christan states with Tragedies. The Seminaries were once, like that strange weed, Tobaccho at the first comming vp; but here and there one entertain'd in some Great mans house; now you may find them smoking in eueryevery cottage. The hauehave deseruingly encreased the disgrace of that Religion: so that now in the common censure, A Papist is but a new word for a Traytor. They receiued their errand at Tyber, and they deliuer it at Tyburne.
There are many other Riders, so properly ranking thēselues in this number, and assuming this name; which for modesties sake, I bury in silence. Considering, that Quaedam vitia nominata d…centur: some sinnes are taught by reprouing their names.
But I perceiue a preuention: I hauehave not time enough to end our miserie, much lesse to enter the speech of our mercy. The iourney they make vsus take through fire and vvater, requires a more punctuall tractation, then your patience will now admit. Two short vses shall send away our Oppressors with feare; our selues with ioy.
1. For them; let all these tyrannous Riders know, that there is one rides after them; a great one, a iust one; euen he that rides on the vvings of the wind, and the cloudes are the dust of his feete. He that hath a bridle for these Senacheribs, and strikes a s…affle through their iawes; and turnes their violence with more ease, then the wind doth a fane on the house-top. Then a horse shall be but a vaine thing to saue a man, saith the Psalmist. Horse and Master shall fall together.
Then the couetous Nimrod, that rode on the blacke beast Oppression, shal be thundred down from his proud height; and the Iade that carried him shall dash out his braines, and lye heauier then a thousand talents of lead on his conscience. His oppression shall damne himselfe, as before it did damnifie others. It was to them a momentany vexation, it shall be to him an eternall pressure of torment.
Then the bloud-drawing Vsurer, that rode so furiously on his Iade Extortion, shall (if timely deprecation and restitution stay him not) runne full butt against the gates of hell, and breake his necke. And hee that at the barres of temporall Iudgements, cryed out for nothing but Iustice, Iustice, and had it: shall now cry lowder for mercy, mercy, and goe without it.
And let the Cormorant, that rides euer on the back of Engrossing, whose soule is like Erisicthons bowels in the Poet,
Quodque vrbibus esse,
Quodque satis poterat populo, non sufficit vni.
that starues men to feed vermine; know, that there is a Pursuiuant flies after him; that shall giuegive him an eternall arrest, and make him leaue both Horreum and hordeum, his barne and his barley; to goe to a place, where is no food but fire and anguish.
And the lofty Gallant, that rides ouer the poore vvith his Coaches and Caroches, drawn by two wilde horses, Pride and Luxurie; let him take heed, lest he meet with a wind that shall take off his Charriot-wheeles, as Pharaoh was punished; & drowne horses, and chariots, & Riders; Exod. 14.not in the Red-Sea; but in that infernall Lake, vvhence there is no redemption.
Let all these Riders beware, lest hee that rides on the wings of vengeance, with a sword drawne in his hand, that will eate flesh, and drinke bloud; that will make such haste in the pursute of his enemies, that he will not bait or refresh himselfe by the way; lest this God before they hauehave repented ouertake them. gPsal. 45. 4. 5.Gird thy sword vponupon thy thigh, O most mighty; and in thy maiestie ride prosperously, &c. and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Then shall the hPsal. 137. 7. 8.Lord remember the children of Edom in the day of Ierusalem; and reward them, as they serued vsus. Loe now the end of these Riders: iPsal. 36. 11. Zach. 10. 5.There are the workers of iniquitie fallen: they are cast downe, and shall not be able to rise. Zach. 10. The riders on horses shall be confounded.
2. For vsus, though passion possesse our bodies, let patience possesse our soules. The law of our Profession bindes vsus to a warfare: patiendo vincimus our troubles shall end, our victory is eternall. Heare Dauids triumph, Psalm 18. I Psal. 18. 38, 39, 40.hauehave wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnderunder my feete. Thou hast subdued vnderunder mee, those that rose vp against mee. Thou hast also giuen me the neck of mine enemies, &c. They hauehave wounds for their woundes: and the treaders downe of the poore, are troden down by the poore. The Lord will subdue those to vsus, that would hauehave subdued vsus to themselues: and though for a short time they rode ouer our heads, yet now at last wee shall euerlastingly tread vponupon their necks. Loe then the reward of humble patience, and confident hope. Speramus et Superamus. kDeut. 32. 31 Psalm. 20. 7.Our God is not as their God, euen our enemies beeing iudges. Psal. 20. Some put their trust in Chariots, and some in horses. But no Chariot hath strength to oppose, nor horse swiftnesse to escape, when God pursues. They are brought downe, and fallen: we are risen, & stand vpright. Verse. 8.Their trust hath deceiued them; downe they fall, and neuer to rise. Our God hath helped vsus; wee are risen; not for a breathing space, but to stand vpright for euer.
Tentations, persecutions, oppressions, crosses, infamies, bondage, death; are but the way wherein our blessed Sauiour went before vsus; and many Saints followed him. Behold them with the eyes of faith, now mounted aboue the clowds, trampling all the vanities of this world vnderunder their glorified feet; standing on the battlements of heauen, and wafting vsus to them with the hands of encouragement. They bid vsus fight, and wee shall conquer; suffer, and we shall raigne. And as the Lord Iesus, that once suffered a reprochfull death at the hands of his enemies, now sits at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places, farre aboue all Principalities and Powers, Thrones and Dominations, till his enemies bee made his footestoole. So one day, they that in their haughty pride, & mercilesse oppressions, rode ouer our heads, shall then lie vnderunder our feete. Through thee will wee push downe our enemies: through thy Name will wee tread them vnderunder that rise vp against vsus. At what time yonder glorious skie, Coelum stellatum, which is now our seeling ouer our heads, shall be but a pauement vnderunder our feet. To which glory, he that made vsus by his Word, and bought vsus by the bloud of his Sonne, seale vsus vp by his blessed Spirit.
Amen.