The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 48
CHAP. XLVIII. Of the Hope of the Conquered.
FOurthly the conquered with this patience muſt ioyne hope: for that is the ſheet-Anchor by which a man may ride, be the ſtorme never ſo great. Without this, patience is cold, almoſt in the fourth degree, and that is but a little from poyſon. The hopes of the godly indeed may be exceeding low, and their patience may be much weakened; yet on better reſolution, they re inforce themſelues to endure the worſt and to hope the beſt. David ſaid in his feare, every man is a lrar, even the Prophet that had promiſed the Kingdom; Pſ. l. 116.11 & …1.2….1. Sam. 27.1.yea likewiſe, that he was cut downe, or as the Greeke tranſiateth it, caſt a way; yea he ſaid in his heart, one day he ſhould periſh by the hand of Saul: but this was his frayle feare as he confeſſeth, and appeareth by the ſequell of his flying to the Philiſtins, which he ſhould not hauehave done: but for all this, he reareth up his hope, Pſal. 31.23and continueth his prayer; yet certainly thou heardeſt the voyce of my ſupplication. You may ſee hope and patience commonly ioyned together; the one being the fruit of the other: Rom. 5.3.patience bringeth experience, and experience hope. Ieremy commending the carriage of a patient man, ſheweth us what is the ſtay of his patience, Lam. 3.29.namely, Hope; he putteth his mouth in the dust if there may be hope. To ſumme up the common place of hope as I hauehave done of patience, it ſhall not be ſo expedient: for he that hath patience ſhall know what hope is. I come therefore to ply it to the particular object, (for I deſire to make an end.)
As hope is the anchor of the ſoul; Heb. 6. Applicatiōſo (diſtreſſed Princes) I deſire you and yours to come to this Anchor, which in the greateſt ſtorme and tempeſt will never come home. foreign.By this you may all ride when windes blow and waues rage; if heaven and earth be ſhaken this will hold. But becauſe groundleſſe hope is no better then an Anchor without ground groundleſſe hope, ſaith the Poet, for the moſt part deceiveth,) I wil point out the grounds of your hope in this great bufineſſe, and but briefly point at them; becauſe I may hauehave occaſion to handle them more at large. Firſt conſider the goodneſſe of your cauſe, of which I neede not much diſpute, for it will maintayne it ſelfe in the end. A better cauſe there can not be then Gods right, and mans right. All Gods people (that have ſcanned it) are perſwaded of the equitie of it, which ſhall one day manifeſt it ſelfe as cleere as the Sunne ſhine at noon day. This was it that maintayned Davids hope; for as he often commends the goodneſs of his cauſe to God; ſo he bringeth in his hope much depending on the goodneſſe thereof; Iudge me o God, and plead my cauſe against an ungodly nation and unmercifull: Pſal. 43.1.In conſideration whereof he checkes his drouping ſoule, and awaketh it up to waite upon God; waite hopefully for God; for yet I ſhall confeſſe him. verſ. 5.Where obſerve, as he maketh hope his Anchor; ſo the goodneſſe of his cauſe is the cable that he rideth by. Bernard hath a pretty ſaying to this effect; if the cauſe of the warre be good (ſaith he) the end of the warre can never be evill; Si boun fuerit cauſa pugnae, exitus malus eſſe non poterit: neo bonus iudicabitur finis, ubi cauſa non eſt bona. Serm. ad milites Templi. cap. 1.howſoever for many cauſes it may be long firſt, and may be much at under in the meane time; neither can a good end (ſaith he) come of an evill cauſe.
A ſecond ground may be taken from the nature of hope it ſelfe, which is to maintayne a man when all other things faile; this ſweeteneth and repleniſheth the labour of the huſbandman, it conforteth the marriner, when he ſeeth no land, releeveth the patient, when the phiſition hath giuen him over, and inlargeth the heart of the captive, in the darkeſt priſon. This ſuſtained David in all his troubles: David acknowledged that he had fainted if this had not beene: Pſil. 27.…3.I had fainted except I had beleeved to ſee the goodneſse of God in the land of the living. Where, by the land of the living, he meant even this world wherein men liue, and in particular that land of Canaan, the ſeate of Gods Church. This ſo ſupported Iob, that he would truſt in God though he would kill him. This was all that Alexander reſerved to himſelfe. This is pictured like a beautifull virgin, for the continuall beautie and vigor that is in it. It is compared to braſſe by the learned, for the durable and impenetrable nature of it. This is it that caryeth us aboue hope; namely, of carnall reaſon; This is both ſtaffe & lanthorne, when all ſight and ſence of all ſecondary means faile; yea this is never higher elevated, De divinia m…ſeratione tum ampltus ſp…rā dum, cum …eſid… humana … fecerint. Hexam.then when our State in all mens eyes is at the loweſt; yea ſo low that the blaſphemous wicked will not ſticke to ſay, God cannot reſtore him; or at leaſt God will not reſtore him. Ambroſe giveth a good direction from the nature of hope manifeſting it ſelfe in greateſt extremitie, wee ſhould moſt of all hope (ſaith he) in divine helpe, whē humane and ſecundary meanes fayle us: ſo long as there is life, there is ‘Dū ſp…es ſ…a.hope; yea if it goe ſo hard with us that, as Seneca ſaith; Wee can hope ”Qui nū …il po…eſt ſ…e r…ed d…ſperet n…bil.nothing, yet let us deſpayre nothing.
The third ground is from the ſuccefle of hope in moſt deſperate caſes; therefore it is ſaid of hope, that hope maketh? not a ſhamed. Which phraſe is a Hebraiſme, denoting unto us the certainty or things hoped for, to be accompliſhed. Where firſt hee putteth a difference between hope in God, and hope in man, or humane things; the latter proveth no better then a broken reed, by which when a man is deceived, he bluſheth at the folly of his confidence: but it is not ſo with that hope that is in God. It likewiſe meeteth with the worlds miſconſtruction of Gods cauſe in diſtreſſe, and the miſerable caſe of his people, when they ſee them deprived of their ſtate, their liues hunted like a Partridg, how they are forſaken of their friends, and made the object of the enemies wrath; then the world flouts them, Gods enemies whet their teeth on them, drunkards ſing ſongs of them, vile Varlets bring them upon the Stage, expoſing their names and perſons to all manner of contumelies, and open mockery. Is not this ſhame enough? No, ſaith the Apoſtle, all this is nothing: where hope is, all the devils in hell cannot make a man aſhamed: for the things hoped for ſhall not deceiue him.
It is true, that in temporall deliverances, and vindicating his cauſe from the calumny of the enemy, he hath not promiſed by this or that particular man; yet it is enough to every particular man ſet a work, that hee will doe it by him or another: and why not by him as well as by another? Let him waite on therefore, it is enough that the Lord will doe his work. Gen. 48.21Iſrael ſaid to Ioſeph; Behold I dye, but God ſhall be with you, and bring you againe to the land of your fathers. Was not Davids caſe deſperate in all mens eyes, and in his own; his hope almoſt forlorne, his heart ſunck in his belly? Yet the object of his hope was made good. Iſraels hope was very low for comming into the promiſed land; and yet the Lord did not fayle them in any good thing they hoped for. I might inſtance this in Ioſeph, Iob, Mordecai, and others. But to bee ſhort, Let us come to our own times. How hauehave many worthy men out of the ſparkes of hope raked up in the aſhes, made a braue fire! how hauehave they been lifted up out of the duſt; and their horn exalted on a ſuddain! I will inſtance but in two or three. Antonius Grimanius, by noble proweſſe and vertue, riſing from one degree to another till hee came to be Procurator for S. Marke in Venice; but being defeated by the Turke in that Sea-fight at the Sporades, through the fault of the Gally-maſters, that came not up to the fight: hee was falſly accuſed to the Senate, brought in chaines to his anſwer, condemned to baniſhment, and his greateſt enemy Melchior Triviſan ſet up in his place: but having lived in baniſhment till envy was extinct, by the Senate hee was called back with a publique decree, Integritatis & virtutis ergo.intimating his integrity and vertue to be the cauſe of his reſtitution; and being made one of the Senate, and Procurator, as he was before, he went in a great Embaſſie to Francis of France; and laſtly, Iovinian. in elog. illustrvir.after the death of Lauderanus the Prince, hee was choſen by ſway of conſent, in his place.
One more of Matthias Hunniades, the thundering ſon of a lightening father againſt the Turke: who being caſt in priſon by Viadiſlaus King of Hungary and Bohemia, was ſent into Bohemia to be executed: Vladiſlaus dyed of a poyſoned apple (as it was thought) wherupon by the Hungarians, partly affected with the merite of his father, and hopes of his own valour againſt the Turke, and partly by the labourious ſolliciting of his friends, he was choſen King of Hungary; whereof to giuegive notice they ſent meſſengers with letters, to Pog…brachius, King of Bohemia, with whom Matthias was priſoner, which hee receiving at ſupper, preſently raiſed Matthias from below where he ſate, and ſet him aboue himſelfe; willing him not to be diſmayed, for hee had glad and happy tydings for him, which after ſupper hee would reveale; and ſo hee did, ſaluting him King of Hungary, and he gaue him Katherine his daughter to wife.
Where firſt obſerue by the way, how abſolutely free, an electiue power the Hungarians and Bohemians hauehave in the choyce of their King, which the ſaid Matthias in a great battell, made Frederick the Emperour to know. Secondly, it ſheweth how ſtrangely it pleaſeth God to exalt from the very graue to the thron: for when he looked for nothing, but every houre when he ſhould hauehave loſt his head, he was made head of the people, and had a Crown ſet on his head: ſo that the ſaying of the Wiſe-man is made good: out of the priſon he commeth to raign; Eccleſ 4.14 … carcere hic ad aurea decore multo culmina tranſcendit.wheras alſo he that is born in his. Kingdom becommeth poore.
From priſon ſome to golden State,
with glory great aſcends.
If we look back upon the Romanes, men without hope; yet under ſuch hope as they had, did raiſe their ſtates from hopeleſſe ruines to the higheſt pitch of worldly glory. What ſtrayt was Maſsiniſſa, King of Numidia put to? Who for his own right, with ſore wounds upon him, was forced to ſwim a river, having no followers but foure, wherof two were drowned. He lived in a Caue, till his wounds were healed by hearbs; and ſetting to his work again, ſome forces being gathered to him, he was encountred again by Siphax; and by him overthrown, ſo that of 6000 there eſcaped but 70: but at length, by the help of the Romanes, under the conduct of Scipio Africanus, he was not onelyonly reſtored to his own Kingdom, but poſſeſſed alſo the Kingdom of S…phax, Valer. Max.for his fidelity to the Romanes, who after, lived in great proſperity and Maieſty; having 50 ſonnes, he dyed of a good age, namely 100 yeares.
After the battle of Cannas, the hearts of the Romans were ſo ſhaken, that deſpairing of recovery, they conſulted of the forſaking of Italy: whereupon Publius Scipio a braue yong Noble, drew his ſword, and ſware he would kill the firſt man that refuſed to take the oath, which he himſelfe would take; namely, not to forſake the Commonwealth: So that the reſt for fear, and partly for ſhame, following him in the oath, ſtood to it, Front. lib. …. cap. 6.till they had rayſed their State to incomparable greatneſſe. It was a deſperate part in Lucius Paulus, the Conſul, at the battell of Cannas, to reject a horſe by Lentulus whereon he might hauehave eſcaped; but he ſcorning to ſurviue victory, ſate him down (being wounded) on a ſtone, till the enemy came upon him and ſlew him. But Varro his Colleague was of another heart, and ſhewed greater conſtancie of hope, in reſerving his life to further ſervice for his Country, Idem.for which the Senate thanked him much, that he did not deſpaire of the Commonwealth.
I will conclude the point with one inſtance not unworthy our memory; namely, of Robert le Bruiſe King of Scots, whoſe ſtrayts were as many, and caſe as deſperate, and calamities as great, as any I reade of; his wife led captiue; his foure brothers, all worthy men, put to death; his whole friends and family partly ſlain, and partly ſpoyled of all they had; and made the ſubject of calamity; himſelfe deprived of great inheritance; yea, of a Crown and Kingdom, and forced ſometimes with one, and ſometime by himſelfe, to liue like a wilde man in the Mountains amongſt the beaſts; and whatſoever he attempted for a long time miſcarryed; yet in all his miſery and penury he ſuſtayned himſelfe with hope, and as he did not doubt but one day he ſhould be King indeed: So in all his diſtreſſe, he did or ſpake nothing unworthy of a King. He put not hand to himſelfe with Marcus, Brutus, or Cato, he cryed not with Caſar when his Companies, and deareſt and neereſt were loſt. His happy ſucceſſe in the end did anſwer his noble and hopefull expectation: for he was not ſo low, but God exalted him as high. When once he roſe all went with him, victory and glory did ſtill attend him, he was happy in his Iſſue, in his friends, in his ſubjects, in the eſteem of all Nations, and moſt of all in his temperance, equity, and freedome from revenge. In the time of his proſperity, for his providence and care, in peace; and valorous magnanimitie in warre, he might well be called the father of the country; yea I thinke verilie and am able to maintaine it, that if he be compared with the beſt Kings, that wee read of in hiſtories, he ſhall cary the laurell from them all. The illuſtrious Hamilton enioyeth to this day the honour, and inheritance conferred upon his anceſtor (being an Engliſhman) by that mirror of Princes; the glorie of whoſe Majeſtie he maintained, both by word & ſword in the court of Edward the 2, where he killd one of the Spencers for his contumelious oppoſing of King Robert his due deſerved praiſe. As I deſire of God that Kings now living would pick a patterne out of him; ſo my ſoules deſire is, out of my louelove to that magnanimious Prince of the forefaid familie, that he would remember whence he is fallen, and return to doe his firſt works; yea, that he may never giuegive his ſoule reſt, till he waſh out with teares the ſtain of his unadviſed ſervice againſt Sion.
If all theſe will not ſerve to eſtabliſh; then take one for all from the booke of God: when good Mordecai was upon the verie pinnacle of Hamans contempt, juſt over the gulfe of imminent and inevitable death; his hope maintained him ſtill, and made him ſtay by it, at the Kings gate, in deſpite of Haman: the iſſue was anſwerable above expectation; for he was taken out of the loweſt pit, & carried on the wings of the higheſt honor; but Haman his cruell enemie was throwen from the cloudie ſphere of his ſwelling pride, into the bottomles pit of ſhame, and confuſion: ſo let all the enemies of God ſecret, or open, periſh, and let the horn of thoſe that love Sion be exalted.
The fourth ground of your hope is from the enemie with whom you hauehave to deale; namely, the beaſt, the Dragon, and the falſe Prophet, whoſe ruine the Lord of hoaſts hath vowed and determined. It is a great advantage to know our enemies, but a greater incouragment to know that our enemies are Gods enemies, and God their enemie; ſo that they cannot ſtand. What your enemies are, and what attempts they ſhall make, and how certainely, and ſuddenly they ſhall fall, it is cleare in the Revelations. It is true indeed, you hauehave monſtrous enemies unparaleld by any other; Sagitta disbolt. Hon. 3. in Pſal. 38. Imo peior Diabolo. Hom. 8. in Eſech.namely, the devill, the Imperiall force, giving the devill or Dragon for his Armes, and the Pope or Anti-Chriſt, whom Origen termeth truely; the arrow of the devill, yea and worſe, in a manner, then the devill himſelfe; whoſe chiefe inſtruments be theſe hellſh furies the Ieſuits, theſe ſhall gather together all the waters of the whore on which ſhee ſitteth: but the Sun-ſhine of the Lords wrath ſhall dry them up: her fleſh ſhall be given to be eaten, and ſhee ſhall be made naked; her wound ſhall not be cured; ſhee ſhall be burned with fire, ſhee goeth to utter deſtruction. And for the more certainty hereof, it is ſet downe as though it were already done; Rev. 16.17 & 18. cap.It is done, it is fallen, it is fallen, Babilon that great cittie. I might bring a world of proofes, both from the ancient fathers, from the Sybills, from their owne Prophets, and others, that fearfull and finall ſhall be the fall of Rome. That Roma, as the Sybills ſay, ſhalbe foreign a ruin indeed: but the thing is ſo cleere to thoſe that hauehave read any thing, whoſe eyes God hath not blinded, that to deny it, is both to contradict God and man.
It hath beene often to me matter of wonder, above all all other their oppoſitions of the truth, how they could deny this: but I am perſwaded the learned of them, withhold the trueth of God in vnrighteouſneſſe. Otto Friſingenſis an ancient Author, who lived 1161, ſpeaking of the ruine of Rome, as it hath been the head of all both for dominion and ſin; ſo in Gods juſt judgment it ſhalbe meaſured to, as it hath meaſured to others. I could cite Hildegard, Abbas, Ioachimus, Chriſoſtom, Bernard, and others; but I rather reſerve the larger handling of it to another treatiſe. Beda hath a prettie verſe to his purpoſe: Regna ruent Romae, ferro, flammaque, fameque, Romes Kingdome falls, by famine, fire, and ſword.
Which to referre to the Gothes and Vandalls were impudencie, ſince that was long before.
To apply it; Applicatiin,lovers of Rome, and lookers toward Rome, and all that louelove to be peddling with it, and under-propping it ſecretly, looke to it: for the day ſhall come that they ſhall cry alas for it, and ſhall periſh with it. As for thoſe that ſet their heart and hand againſt it by prayer or ſword, and hate all communion with it; yea, every patch of it, or garment ſpotted with the fleſh, let them go on and proſper, howſoever it may be, (nay it muſt be, through fire and water;) yet the day ſhalbe theirs.
There is a Spaniſhfied popiſh pamphleter, endeavouring to maligne the State of the Vnited Provinces (erected & maintayned by the finger of God) who diſſwadeth all men from the maintenance, protection, and partaking of, and with the Hollanders, and that by ſundrie calumnious idlements, rather then arguments. He draweth one from the fatall end of all ſuch as hauehave undertaken that buſineſſe, beginning with Monſieur de Lemmay, and ending with the late Queene Elizabeth of happy memory, aſperſing like a blacke mouthed Cur, as much he can, the life and death of a famous nurſing mother of vertue and religion; giving up alſo his virulent gorge upon that rightlie renoumed Prince of Orange. To which I anſwer; Firſt, that as unnaturall and violent death, doth not alwayes argue an evill life; ſo it doth not prejudice the goodnes of the action in hand, and therefore he is a greater calumniator then argumentator: againe if this without further limitation be a good argument, then all men hauehave reaſon to forſake the maintenance of Babel, whereof he is a brat: for who hauehave led ſuch monſtrous lives, and made ſuch prodigious ends, as the maintayners thereof? yea I ſhall be able to prove punctually, that never a man that hath put his hand to the maintenance of that Babiloniſh altar (carry it as cleanly as he could) but the Lord ſet Ieroboams marke upon him, in one kind or other: but that I refer to another treatiſe. To the partie himſelfe, I will ſay no more now, but that by way of retortion which he putteth upon Sir Ralfe Winwod; namely, if he had been as good an Engliſhman, as a Hollander; the Cautionarie Townes had not been releaſed: ſo, had he been as good an Engliſhman, as he is an arrant traytor, The affaires of Holland. pag. 71.and a ſpaniolized ſycophant he had never profaned with aſpertion the aſhes of his native Soveraigne; nor preſumed to ſuggeſt falſe matter of iealouſie againſt the King of Bohemia.
The laſt ground of hope (or rather the firſt, though I put it in the laſt place) is the love of God in Chriſt Ieſus. This is the procatartick cauſe of hope; Spes bona praeſtat opē.this is the ground wheron the Anchor is caſt: where this is there muſt be hope, and where hope is, there is both helpe and aſſured good ſucceſſe. Rom. 5.5.Hope maketh not aſhamed, ſaith the Apoſtle: becauſe the louelove of God is ſhed abroad in our hearts. This is a good ground indeed, this will never let the Anchor come home: all the other grounds are made good to your Majeſties; your faith, and the ſpirit muſt make good this to your ſoules, which is the ground of grounds. Without this, all the other are nothing; as the Apoſtle ſaith; neyther circumciſion, Gal. 5.6.nor uncircumciſion prevayleth any thing, but the new creature in Chriſt Ieſus: ſo neyther a good cauſe, nor the nature of hope, nor experience of helpe, nor the wickedneſſe of their enemie, will doe any good without this main good, the aſſurance of Gods love.
So long as men walk (ſaith the Prophet Ieremy) after their own devices, and doe the imagination of their evill hearts; ſo long they ſay, and can ſay no other, that there is no hope: Ier. 18.12.What hope can theſe men hauehave of good ſucceſſe to their courſes, or to ſee the face of God with comfort, that croſſeth God, and themſelues, and his people, in all their courſes: God ſhowes what came of Zedechiah his hopes; Shall he ſcape (ſaith the Lord) that doth ſuch things? Ezech. 17.1….Or ſhall he break the covenant and be delivered? All Gods people this Summer hauehave refreſhed themſelues with the hope of the Engliſh Parliament; but except they make ſure Gods favour by the zeale of his glory, the amendment of life, and the removing of the plagues of the Common wealth, and expulſion of the Canaanites: I fear our Parliamentary hopes proue the failing of our hearts, or at the beſt, they be but like odors, they refreſh a little, but they doe not feed.
Therefore let me not be thought too bold in intreating your Maieſties, and all the ſonnes of hope, again and again, to make ſure this louelove unto you, and that not onelyonly for the eternall good of you and yours, but even for the glory of God; for the weale you wiſh to Zion, for the hatred you beare to Gods enemies, and for your deſire of Babels fall; get but the firſt and all the reſt will follow; a ſure evidence wherof is newneſſe of nature and life: If any man be in Chriſt he is a new creature; 2. Cor. 5.17then be renewed in the ſpirit of your mind, and get a new ſoule, new body, new apparell, new armour, new language, a new houſe, and all new; and without doubt, for old injuries and contumelies, you ſhall hauehave new words of courage, with meanes unlooked for to redreſſe your wrongs: For the rayling of the vile and wicked, you ſhall hauehave the new praiſes of the Saints: for your old fail-friends, you ſhall hauehave ſuch new ones as will never faile you: And laſtly, for your old defeats and overthrows, you ſhall triumph in new victories: ſo be you new, and all the old things ſhall paſſe away, yea all things ſhall become new. The Lord will not doe his own that good they deſire, untill hee make them good; becauſe if hee ſhould, they ſhould get no good but hurt by it. The Lord tels Iuda, that they ſhould bear the puniſhment of their iniquity; but why? That they may goe no more aſtray from me (ſaith the Lord) neither be polluted any more with their tranſgreſsions, but that they may be my people, Eze. 14.10 ….and I may be their God. I cite the place, becauſe it is worth your obſerving. I preſume to preſſe this petition upon your Majeſties; becauſe I take you to be of the generous mind of Augustus, who loved plainneſſe ſo well, Senec. lib. 6 de Benef. cap. 30.that he much lamented the death of his ſervant Barus, who would ever tell the Emperour his Maſter, the truth. A rare Iewell indeed, and a truely princely mind that made ſo much of him. It was a good ſaying of Hierome of Sicilie, that none that ſpake freely to him, did importune him, or was unſeaſonable to him. So I hope this free and plain ſpeech, concerning ſo good and neceſſary a duty, will not be unwelcome to your Highneſſes.
The laſt point of the conquereds carriage, Action with all the former neceſſary.conſiſteth in action: patience without hope is apoplectick, and hope without action paralitick. Charles the wiſe, came rather to the ruines of an eſtate, then to the ſtate of a Kingdom; yet under hope he ſo laboured, and that with good and happy ſucceſſe, that he repaired his ruines, beyond all expectation, ſo that for his wiſedome and induſtry, hee might wel be called, the reſtorer of the Country. The like induſtry wee may ſee in Francis: In his captivity hee carryed himſelfe prince-like and patiently; yet he neglected not the working out of his deliverance, and that upon good terms, wherat that old Fox, the Chancellour of Spain, was much offended, inſomuch that he would not ſeale to the conditions. The like I might inſtance in David, who in the very depth of his troubles, never ceaſed with prayer, to uſe the ſecondary means, untill at laſt he ſaw, that which he hoped for; namely, the goodneſſe of God in the land of the living. Nothing is too hard for labour; for it overcommeth every thing, and without it we hauehave no promiſe of good ſucceſſe. One Induſtria… adjubat Deus. Spes bona abſque labore, nihil utile parit. Stob. S…. 119.One ſaith well, God helpeth induſtry. That which the Heathens fondly ſaid of fortune (becauſe they knew no better) may fitly be ſaid of God; when we pray to God, let us put to our hand. Socrates had wont to ſay; As a woman cannot conceiue without a man; ſo the beſt hope can bring forth no good, without labour. It is true indeed that the Pſalmiſt ſaith, If Iehovah build not the houſe, in vain doe the builders thereof labour therin; if Iehovah keep not the Citie, Iſ. 127.1.2in vain doth the keeper watch: But it is as true by the Text, that we muſt both watch, and build, elſe God will not watch over us, nor build for us. Democritus was asked by one, what an induſtrious man did differ from a ſluggard; he anſwered, as much as the godly differ from the ungodly, (namely) in hope, intimating thereby that Sluggards can hauehave no hope: becauſe they will not labour. Then once againe, gracious Sir, fix your hope; to hope add diligence; abandon ſloath, caſhier trifles and Triflers, as unworthy of your perſon; and unfit your eſtate and condition; be either doing or deviſing things worthy of a King, for you hauehave many lookers on: as induſtry is good for the body, and good for the ſoule; ſo negligence is naught for both: ſtanding water is quickly corrupt, eſpecially in an evill aire. In a word, as diligence overcommeth all, ſo lazineſſe undoeth all. As the ſweet Roſe groweth out of the ſharpe prickes; ſo ſhall ſweeteſt fruits grow out of your bitter labours. It was a good reſolution of that King, and a fit preſident for the wiſe to follow; If he overcame, he carryed himſelfe, as though the next day he might be overcome; but if hee were overcome, hee ſet himſelfe to it againe in hope for to overcome.
Is ſeu victor erat, tum craſtina bella timebat:
Is ſeu victus erat, tum crastina bella parabat.
Caſt your eyes upon the indefatigable labours of the Worthies, as on David, Ioſiah, Ioſua; and others, as Veſpaſitian, Charles the Great, Maximilian, together with their happy ſucceſſe, and they ſhall lead you on, both to the like labours, and like ſucceſſe. Feare not, nor faint not, but continue to the end, and without doubt you ſhall ſee your deſire upon your enemies, to your glory and their ſhame.
All that loues Zion, would gladly ſee our Parliament in this predicament of action; all predicaments without this are no better then bare predicables, or ſecundary notions: if men muſt be doing, even when they are almoſt undone; it is ſupine negligence for men not to doe, to keep themſelues and theirs; yea, and the whole State from being undone: It is eaſier indeed (as a father ſaith) to ſay, then to doe: Dicere quidem est ficde, agere autem difficile. Chriſoſt homil. 2 ad Theſſ. Sermo ab actione remotus, res imperfecta. N…zienſ. de Baſil. Magorat. 20. Ad agendiō nati. lib. … de fini….but (as another ſaith) ſaying without doing is but a lame; yea, a lost labour; and therfore he commends highly Baſil the Great, that hee was ever as furtherly with his work, as with his word. This is Princely indeed; for as we are all born (as Tully ſaith) to doe, ſo they eſpecially who are of high place and authority. To ſay much and doe nothing, doth not relliſh of the Engliſh wit nor worth; whoſe noble anceſtours for doing, hauehave been too plaguie fellowes, and enemies of State, terrible as an Army of Banners: It hath often been to me a matter of wonder how our Anceſtors, with ſo little or no light at all, diſpatched more work in a week, then we in a year; of which I conceiue (with ſubmiſſion of my iudgement) theſe to bee the reaſons. They preſumed of the work done; and made the honour of their houſe, and the glory of their name, the height of their ambition: but we in greater light, know that the work done wilnot ſerv; and as for the aſſurance of Gods louelove (which ſhould put confidence in our hearts, and courage in our actions) but a few labour for it, and this is the death of action: and they with whom Gods honour is not in the higheſt eſteem, never make a true account of their own honour: Beſides this, our anceſtors had not ſuch helliſh pates, and hollow hearts to deale with, as our Senate hath. I wiſh they may work while they hauehave light, for when the night commeth they cannot work if they would; as I hauehave often ſhewed occaſion to be the ſoule of action, ſo when action looſeth breath, the ſoule departs, and returns no more. They want no lawes for their warrant, nor patterns for their practiſe, nor wit to apply them: Let them up then and doe it, and God will be with them: Shall the fear of Forraigns freeze the waters of our counſell, and never a fire of zeale; nor even-down rain of courage, to thaw or diſſolue them? Shall the prophane oppoſe piety, and maintain ungodlineſſe, and never a Nehemiah to take an order with them? Shall Snakes eate out the belly of the Common-wealth, and ſtill be kept aliue in our boſoms? Shall the eye of our high and honourable Senate be dimmed, or dazeled with a white Rochet? Shall, by him the Scepter of Chriſt be trampled under foot, to the caſting away of ſoules, and his ſoule not pay for it? Let me ſpeak freely, let them take heed how they let Benhadad, (that is, men committed to their keeping) goe, leſt the liues of them and us, goe for their liues, whom the Lord hath appointed, either to deſtroy us, or to be deſtroyed. Shall a two faced Ianus, or a man with a heart and a heart, dance in a net, or goe masked, and no body ſee him, nor unmaske him. I hope they will pardon my freedom of ſpeech; for my boldneſſe is no more then my fidelity, louelove and ſervice bindes me to. The fire of ſinne flames through all the land; and the fire of judgement is kindled in every corner, except ſome beſtir themſelues to quench it, we ſhall all be conſumed. The Lord giuegive reſolution and action, to thoſe that are in place, to ariſe for Sion; for be they ſure if they ſit ſtill, deliverance ſhall come to Zion another way, but they and theirs ſhal pay for it. As for the Hollander, I hope he will be ſtill in action; but I would hauehave him to do as much for God, as he doth for himſelfe; and as much againſt ſin, as he doth againſt the enemy, for that is the way to undoe the enemy: It were better for them to be caſt in the mould by a plaine and round dealing ministery, then to be battered by the Popes foure corned Canoniers; or the Arminians ſacred minions, the Prelates: Theſe be Hawkes of prey, wherewith the Princeſſe of Parma and Granvil, thought to hauehave ſeazed upon them in the beginning of their troubles; and they hauehave ever and anone been threatned with them ſince: Let them leaue off provoking God, leſt they be plagued with them, as others of their neighbours be; and let them take heed of that Romiſh Dictatorſhip of conſtant Moderation; which is the next ſtep to Imperious Hierarchy.