them another while vpon his mercy Consider not only what hee threateneth but consider withall why hee threatneth it is that you may repent and withall how hee threatneth it is vnlesse you repent Hee threatneth to cast downe indeed but vnto humiliation not into despaire Hee shooteth out his arrowes euen bitter words but as b 1 Sam. 20.20.21 Ionathans arrowes for warning not for destruction Thinke not hee aymeth so much at thy punishment when he threatneth alas if that were the thing he sought hee could lay on loade enough c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Gen. hom 25. Nemo punire desiderans quod facturus est comminatur Hieronym in Ion. 3. without words No it is thy amendment hee aimeth at and seeketh therein and hee therefore holdeth not his tongue that if thou wilt take it for a warning hee may hold his hand If the Father doe but threaten the childe when the rod lyeth by him it is very likely hee meaneth not to correct him for that time but only to make him the more carefull to obey and the more fearefull to offend for the time to come Canst thou thus gather hope from the chiding of thy earthly father and wilt thou finde no comfort in the chidings and threatnings of thy heauenly Father whose bowels of tender compassion to vs-ward are so much larger than any earthly Parents can be by how much himselfe the d Heb. 12.9 Father of spirits is greater than those fathers of our flesh Yea but who am I will some disconsolate soule say that I should make Gods threatnings voide or what my repentance that it should cancell the Oracles of Truth or reuerse the sentence of the eternall Iudge Poore distressed soule that thus disputest against thine owne peace but seest not the while the vnfathomed depth of Gods mercy and the wonderfull dispensations of his Truth Know that his threatnings are not made voide or of none effect when thou by thy repentance stayest the execution of them yea rather then are they of all other times most effectuall for then doe they most of all accomplish their proper end and the thing for which they were intended in thy amendment Neither let his truth make thee despaire but remember that the tenor of all his most peremptory threatnings runneth with an implicite reseruation and conditionall exception of Repentance which condition if thou on thy part faithfully performe the iudgement shall bee turned away and yet Gods Truth no whit impaired This for the Distressed §. 15. 2. of Terrour to the secure Now for the Secure Moses in Deut. 29. speaketh of a certaine a Deut. 29.18.19 roote that beareth gall and wormewood that blesseth it selfe when God curseth and standeth vnmoued when God threatneth Here is an Axe for that roote to hew it in pieces and vnlesse it b Math. 7.19 bring forth better fruite to cleane it out for the fire If there be any spriggs or spurnes of that roote here let them also consider what hath beene said and tremble Consider this I say and tremble all you that make a mocke at God and at his word and imagine that all his threatnings are but Bruta fulmina empty cracks and Powder without shot because sundry of them haue fallen to the ground and not done the hurt they made shew of But know who so euer thou art that thus abusest the Mercy and despisest the Truth of God that as his Mercy neuer did so his Truth shall neuer faile Thou saiest some of his threatnings haue done no harme I say as much too and his mercy be blessed for it but what is that to secure thee If any where Gods threatnings did no harme and wrought no destruction it was there only where they did good and wrought repentance If they haue turned thee from thy sinnes as they haue done some others there is hope thou maist turne them away from thee as some others haue done But if they haue done no good vpon thee in working thy repentance certainly they hang ouer thee to doe thee harme and to worke thy destruction Gods threatnings are in this respect as all other his words are sure and stedfast and such as c Esay 55.11 shall neuer returne voide but accomplish that for which they were sent if not the one way then without all doubt the other If they doe not humble thee they must ouerwhelme thee if they worke not thy conuersion they will thy ruine As some strong Physicke that either mendeth or endeth the Patient so are these And therefore when iudgements are denounced resolue quickly off or on Here is all the choyce that is left thee either Repent or Suffer There is a generation of men that as Moses complaineth d Deut. 29.19 when they heare the words of Gods curse blesse themselues in their hearts and say they shall haue peace though they walke in the imagination of their owne hearts that as S. Paul complaineth e Rom. 2.4 despise the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not taking knowledge that the goodnesse of God would lead them to repentance that as S. Peter complaineth f 2 Pet. 3.3.4 walke after their owne lusts and scoffingly iest at Gods iudgements saying where is the promise of his comming But let such secure and carnall scoffers bee assured that howsoeuer others speed they shall neuer goe vnpunished Whatsoeuer becommeth of Gods threatnings against others certainely they shall fall heauy vpon them They that haue taught vs their conditions Moses and Paul and Peter haue taught vs also their punishments Moses telleth such a one how euer others are dealt with that yet g Deut. 29.20 the Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in Gods booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen S. Paul telleth such men that by despising the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance they doe but h Rom. 2.5 treasure vp vnto themselues wrath against the great day of wrath and of the reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God S. Peter telleth them howsoeuer they not only sleep but euen snort in deep security that yet i 2 Pet. 2.3 their iudgement of long time sleepeth not and their damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much as slumbereth Doe thou then take heed whosoeuer thou art whatsoeuer thou dost that thou abuse not the Mercy of God and to diuorce it from his Truth is to abuse it If when God threatneth thou layest aside his Truth presumest on his bare Mercy when he punisheth take heed he doe not cry quittance with thee by laying aside his Mercy and manifesting his bare Truth God is k Psal. 145.8 patient and mercifull Patience will beare much Mercy forbeare much but being scorned and prouoked dared l Furor sit laese saepius patientia Patience it selfe
depriued for otherwise than as the matter wherein they shew their contempt it is the c The practice of our Church sufficiently confirmeth this which censureth no man for the bare omission of some kinde of Rites and Ceremonies now and then where it may be presumed by the parties cheerefull and generall conformity otherwise that such omission proceedeth not either from an opinatiue dislike of the Ceremony imposed or from a timorous and obsequious humouring of such as doe dislike it Whosoeuer willingly and purposely doth openly breake c. Artic. 34. Contempt it selfe which formally and properly subiecteth them to iust Ecclesiasticall Censure of Suspension or Depriuation And contempt of authority though in the d In minimis quoque mandatis culpam facit non minimam conuertit in crimen gravis rebellionis navum satis levem simplicis transgressionis Bern. de praec dispens smallest matter deserueth no small punishment all authoritie hauing beene euer sollicitous as it hath good reason aboue all things to vindicate and preserue it selfe from Contempt by inflicting sharpe punishments vpon contemptuous persons in the smallest matters aboue all other sorts of offenders in any degree whatsoeuer Thus haue wee shewed and cleered the first and maine difference betwixt the Case of my Text and the Case of our Church in regard of the Matter the things whereabout they differed being euery way indifferent ours not so §. 22. II. In the Persons And as in the Matter so there is secondly much oddes in the condition of the Persons The refusers in the Case of my Text being truely weake in the Faith as being but lately conuerted to the Christian Faith and not sufficiently instructed by the Church in the doctrine and vse of Christian Liberty in things indifferent Whereas with our refusers it is much otherwise First they are not new Proselytes but men borne and bred and brought vp in the bosome of the Church yea many and the chiefest of them such as haue taken vpon them the Calling of the Ministerie and the Charge of Soules and the Office of teaching and instructing others And such men should not bee weakelings Secondly ours are such as take themselues to haue fame more knowledge and vnderstanding and insight in the Scriptures and all diuine learning than other men such as between pitie and scorne seeme most to wonder at the ignorance and simplicitie of the vulgar and to lament which is God knoweth lamentable enough though not comparable to what it was within not many yeeres since the want of knowledge and the vnsufficiency of some of the Clergie in the Land And with what reason should these men expect the priuiledge of weake ones Thirdly our Church hath sufficiently declared and published the innocencie of her purpose and meaning in enioyning the Ceremonies not so onely but hath been content to heare and receiue and admit the obiections and reasons of the refusers and hath taken paines to answer and satisfie to the full all that euer yet could be said in that behalfe And therefore it is vanitie for these men or their friends in their behalfe to alledge weakenesse where all good meanes haue been plentifully vsed for full information in the points in doubt Lastly vpon the premises it doth appeare that the weakenesse of one Brethren pretended by those that are willing to speak fauorably of them proceedeth for the most part not so much out of simple ignorance arising from the defect either of vnderstanding or meanes as out of an ignorance at the best in some degree of wilfulnesse and affectation is not seeking or not admitting such ingenuous satisfaction as they might haue by reason if not out of the poison of corrupt and carnall affections as they giue vs sometimes but too much cause to suspect of pride of singularitie of enuy of contention of factions admiring some mens persons By which and other liâ—e partiall affections mens iudgements become oftentimes so blinded that of vnwilling at the first they become at length vnable to discerne things with that freedome and ingenuity they should And so the Cases differ in regard of the Persons §. 23. III. In their practice They differ thirdly in the practice of the Persons There the strong did eate because hee was well assured he might do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Verse before my Text and the weake did no more but forbeare eating as indeed hee might doe no authoritie interposing to the contrary But here we conforme not only because we know we may lawfully doe it but for that we know we must of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.5 necessitie doe it as bound thereunto in obedience to lawfull authoritie and in the b Not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Ibid. conscience we ought to make of such obedience And the refusers doe not onely defacto not conforme to the contempt of authoritie and the scandall of others but they stand in it too and trouble the peace of the Church by their restlesse Petitions and Supplications and Admonitions and other publications of the reasons and grounds of their such refusall And verily this Country and Countie hath been not the least busie in these factious and tumultuous courses both in troubling our most gracious indicious and religious Soueraigne with their c Meditations on the Lords Prayer pag. 12 in the Margent petitions and also in publishing their reasons in a Booke called The Abridgement printed 1605. to their owne shame and the shame of their Countrey Hee who as I haue been informed was thought to haue had a chiefe hand in the collecting of those reasons and printing of that book was for his obstinate refusal of conformitie iustly depriued froÌ„ his Benefice in this Diocesse and therupon relinquished his Ministerie for a time betaking himselfe to another Calling so depriuing the Church and people of God of the fruit and benefit of those excellent gifts which were in him But since that time he hath vpon better and more aduised iudgement subscribed and conformed and the Church like an indulgent Mother hath not only receiued him into her bosome againe but hath restored him too though not to the same yet to a Benefice elsewhere of farre better value Lastly §. 24. IIII. In their behauiour there is difference in the faulty carriage of the persons and that on both parts especially on ours For though our Non-conforming Brethren condemne vs with much liberty of speech and spirit hauing yet lesse reason for it than the weake Romanes had for the Strong among them might haue forborne some things for the Weakes sake and it would well haue become them for the auoiding of scaâ—dall so to haue done which we cannot doe without greater scandall in the open contempt of lawfull Authoritie yet we doe not despise them I meane with allowance from the Church if particular mâ—n doe more than they should it is their priuate â—ault and ought not to be imputed
was threatned though not presently is yet e 4. Kin. 10.10 at last performed yet where is his Iustice the while being a f 1. Pet. 1.17 God that without respect of persons rendereth to euery man according to his own workes and will g Exod. 34.7 not acquite the guilty neither condemne the innocent thus to seuer the Guilt the Punishment and to lay the Iudgement which hee spareth from the Father vpon the Sonne from the more wicked Father vpon the lesse wicked Sonne §. 3 and Diuision of the Text. Thus God to magnifie the riches of his Mercy is content to put his Holinesse and his Truth and his Iustice to a kinde of venture That so his afflicted ones might know on what obiect especially to fasten the eies of their soules not on his Holinesse not on his Truth not on his Iustice not onely nor chiefly on these but on his Mercy Hee seeketh more generall glory in and would haue vs take more special knowledge of and affoordeth vs more singular comfort from his Mercy than any of the rest as if he desired we should esteeme him vnholy or vntrue or vniust or any thing rather than vnmercifull Yet is he neither vnholy nor vntrue nor vniust in any of his proceedings with the sons of men but a Psal 145.17 righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes and true in all his words And in this particular of his proceedings with King Ahab at this time I hope by his blessed assistance so to acquite his Holinesse and Truth and Iustice from all sinister imputations as that hee may be not onely magnified in his mercy but iustified also in the rest and b Psal 51.4 cleare when he is iudged as we shall be thereunto occasioned now and hereafter in the handling of this Scripture Wherein are three maine things considerable First the Ground or rather the Occasion of Gods dealing so fauourably with Ahab namely Ahabs humiliation Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me because hee humbleth himselfe before me I will not c. Secondly the great Fauour shewed to Ahab thereupon namely the suspension of a Iudgement denounced I will not bring the euill in his dayes Thirdly the Limitation of that fauour it is but a suspension for a time no vtter remoueall of the iudgement But in his sonnes dayes will I bring the euill vpon his house Wherein wee shall be occasioned to enquire how the first of these may stand with Gods Holinesse the second with his Truth the third with his Iustice. And first of Ahabs humiliation Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before mee This Ahab was King of Israel §. 4. Ahabs person considered that is King ouer those ten Tribes which reuolted from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon and claue to Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat Search the whole sacred storie in the bookes of Kings and Chronicles and vnlesse we will be so verie charitable as notwithstanding manie strong presumptions of his Hypocrisie to exempt Iehu the sonne of Nimshi and that is but one of twentie wee shall not finde in the whole List and Catalogue of the Kings of Israel one good one that claue vnto the Lord with an vpright heart Twentie Kings of Israel and not one or but one good and yet than this Ahab of the twentie not one worse It is said in the sixteenth Chapter of this booke that a 3. King 16.30 Ahab the sonne of Omri did euill in the sight of the Lord aboue all that were before him at verse 30 at verse 33. that b Ibid. 33. he did more to prouoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the Kings of Israel that were before him and at verse 25. of this Chapter that c vers 25. hîc there was none like vnto Ahab which did sell himself to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. An Oppressour hee was and a Murtherer and an Idolater and a Persecuter of that holy Truth which God had plentifully reuealed by his Prophets and powerfully confirmed by Miracles and mercifully declared by many gracious deliuerances euen to him in such manner as that hee could not but know it to be the Truth and therfore an Hypocrite and in all likelihoood an obstinate sinner against the holy Ghost and a Castaway §. 5. and his carriage with the Obseruations thence This is Ahab this the man But what is his carriage what doth hee hee humbleth himselfe before the Lord. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me The manner and occasion of his humbling is set downe a little before at verse 27. And it came to passe when Ahab heard those words the words of a vers 20. 24. hîc Eliah the Prophet dealing plainly and roundly with him for his hatefull Oppression and Murther that he rent his cloathes and put sack-cloth vpon his flesh and fasted and lay in sack-cloth and went softly And that is the humbling here spoken and allowed of and for which God here promiseth that hee will not bring the euill in his daies Lay all all this together the man and his ill conditions and his present carriage with the occasion and successe of it and it offereth three notable things to our consideration See first how farre an Hypocrite a Castaway may goe in the outward performance of holy duties and particularly in the practice of Repentance here is Ahab humbled such a man and yet so penitent See againe secondly how deepe Gods word though in the mouth but of weake instruments when he is pleased to giue strength vnto it pierceth into the consciences of obstinate sinners and bringeth the proudest of them vpon their knees in despight of their hearts here is Ahab quelled by Eliah such a great one by such a weake one See yet againe thirdly how prone God is to mercy and how ready to apprehend any aduantage as it were and occasion to shew compassion here is Ahab humbled and his iudgement adiourned such a reall substantiall fauour and yet vpon such an empty shadow of repentance Of these three at this time in their order and of the first first An Hypocrite may goe very farre in the outward performances of holy duties §. 6. Obseru 1. How far an Hypocrite may goe in the performance of holy duties For the right conceiuing of which assertion Note first that I speake not now of the common graces of Illumination and Edification and good dexterity for the practising of some particular Calling which gifts with sundrie other like are oftentimes found euen in such apparantly wicked and prophane men as haue not so much as a 2 Mim 3.5 the forme much lesse the power of godlinesse but I speake euen of those Graces which de totâ specie if they bee true and syncere are the vndoubted blessed fruites of Gods holy renewing Spirit of sanctification such as are Repentance Faith Hope Ioy Humility Patience Temperance Meekenesse Zeale Reformation c.