and after the vowes to enquire 3. It is a great favour of God to his Church to reveal to them his will concerning both their own short punishment and the long affliction of their enemies For themselves they shall see in this revelation that God wil not give then over utterly and affliction doth never shew intolerable when we can look beyond it and see faire weather after it This had need be preached to the Church of God to keep them from fainting in their patience from falling into sin David confest Ps 27.13 I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnes of the Lord in the Land of the living The Prophet having given us his own example doth also give us his good counsell Wait on the Lord the of good courage Ver. 14. and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. You see the use of this doctrine is to put mettle into us that we be not cast down with the present sense of Gods judgement but that we couragiously do beare them and patiently expect our deliverance from them Of this before 2. It is a comfort and joy to the Church to know that God will execute their judgements upon their enemies and passe the cup of his wrath from them to those that hate them 1. Because it stoppeth the way to an high and grievous sinne which is murmuring against God let every man suspect himself for this for Gods own Israel did often fall this way But when God revealeth to us his purpose we cannot find fault though we feel where judgment beginneth we know where it shall end 2. It allayeth all thoughts of revenge on them that trouble and persecute us for to what purpose should we fret our selves at the instruments of Gods vengeance when we know the end of these men how God hath set them in slippery places and that he will take the matter into his own hand to revenge it And this is a necessary Doctrine for us because the pursuit of private revenge is one of the crying sins of the time We have poore men that to molest a neighbour will swear the peace against them to put them in bonds when it is to be feared that it is rather revenge then feare that makes them sweare and this upon a little cooling of blood appears cleerly Just Laws are made to do men right against wrongs we must go to Judges as children to their Father to seeke Justice in charity not in the spirit of revenge God hath declared himselfe to be Deus ultionum a God of revenge and hath promised to judge our cause let us commit the matter to him and give our souls rest possessing them with patience Israel shall see their cup that they have but tasted drunk up and swallowed down of their enemies the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Mine eye shall see my desire upon mine enemies Ps 92.11 David maketh this use of this point By this I know that thou favourest me Ps 41.12 because mine enemy doth not triumph over me For it is a good signe of Gods love to his Church that he suffereth not the ungodly to insult over them And for the enemies of the Church they may have victory they cannot have a triumph for the cup of wrath is no sooner taken from the Church but it is presently given to her enemies to pledge them as the Prophet saith When thou hast done spoyling thou shalt be spoyled the drinke shall not pall in the cup. You see that David made that use of the fall and punishment of his enemy only to rejoyce in the Lord and his favour and not to insult over his enemy for the wise man adviseth Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth Prov. 24.17 18. and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth Lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him Thy patience doth heap coales of fire on the head of thine enemy and thy favourable forbearance of him in triumphing over him holdeth the cup still to his mouth We cannot do our enemy a greater pleasure then to be glad at his afflictions for God seeth it and abateth his displeasure against him but we may rejoyce safely and boldly in the love and favour of God to us VERSE 17. But upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and there shall be holines and the house of Jacob shall possesse their possessions The second part of the Prophecy containing the comfort of the Church against all her enemies ad finem Capitis to the end of the chapter 1. A promise of restitution of them to their own ver 17. 2. Of victory against their enemies ver 18 19 20. 3. The means ordained for this ver 21. 1. Of their restitution of their own Mount Sion literally doth signifie the seed of Jacob the whole Nation of the Jewes taking name from the most eminent part of their Kingdome as Mount Sion denoteth Esau and his issue this shall be delivered from the captivity of Babilon that is the deliverance here promised And the holines here mentioned is the renewing of the people by repentance and new obedience to the pure worship of God and then the house of Jacob shall recover the possessions which the army of the Chaldeans took from them Allegorically and typically this Prophecy doth foretell the deliverance of the Church from all the enemies thereof in the end of the world which shall be performed by the spirit of sanctification fitting them to the same That the Church shall not alway be under the rod of correction we have formerly declared 1. The point now considerable is what our God requireth of us even holinesse 2. That God performeth his mercy of deliverance first that after he may sanctifie us to himself 1. That God requireth holinesse of us He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Mic. 6.8 surely to do justice and to love mercie and to humble thy selfe to walk with thy God this is holinesse This is no earthly wisdome which is carnall sensuall and devilish it is the wisdome which is from above and therefore He hath shewed thee O man Holinesse is not learned in the Schoole of nature nor to be seen by the light of reason it is the inward light of the spirit of God that enlightneth our darknesse which openeth to man the way of good life not morall and civill only but religious and spiritual which teacheth justice mingled with mercie both built upon a good foundation of humility and these not as before men but as in a walk with God himself For such as these God keepeth a book of remembrance as the Prophet saith Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall
A BRIEF Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecy of OBADIAH TOGETHER With usefull Notes delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-Hith LONDON By EDWARD MARBURY the then Pastor of the said Church Psal 101. Ver. 1. My song shall be of Mercy and Judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for George Calvert and are to be sold at the Signe of the Halfe-Moone in Watling-street neere Pauls-stump 1649. To my worthy friends the Citizens and Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Iames Garlickhith London all the blessings of this life and that which is to come I Have not without good cause inscribed this Commentary unto you First those Sermons were Preach'd amongst you Secondly some of you have heretofore often importuned the publication of this and some others of my Labours Thirdly you were my First fruits and therefore the First Commencement of my Labours in this kind doth properly belong to you As then it is justly Dedicated unto you so I desire it may have your favourable acceptance and passe under the Convoy of your worthy names I have by me an Exposition of three other of the the Small Prophets viz. Habakuk Zephanie and Haggai which together with this are Licensed and intended for the Presse but the charge of Printing being great and the number of Buyers of Bookes in these times if we may beleeve the Stationers very small I thought fit to send forth this as Joshua did the Spies to see what encouragement the rest may happily finde to follow after it I am of Saint Austins minde who accounted nothing his owne but what he did communicate and professed himselfe to be of that number qui scribunt proficiendo scribendo proficiunt that write what they have learn't and learne more by writing and if the graine be good it is fitter for the Market then for the Garner What entertainment this will finde there I know not for mine owne part I have taken the Councell of the Wise neither to praise nor dispraise my owne doings the one he saith is vanity the other folly others will be ready enough to save me that paines to whose uncertaine censure I submit my selfe to stand or fall before them Yet thus much I will make bold to say for my selfe that I have done little or nothing herein without consulting the best Authors both Ancient and Moderne to which I have added that light which God by his Spirit revealeth in my understanding to discerne what his will is and to suggest what I shall French in his Church as the Bee gathereth Hâ—ny and storeth her Hive out of severall sorts of Flowers for the Common-good so have I out of these Collected and Gathered sundry Honey-Combes of truth for the use and benefit of the Publick All my desire is to doe all the good I can and to that end my Tongâ—e being suspended for some time I have taken this opportunity to supply the defect thereof by my Pen. I am loth to lose our Crowne of rejoycing in the day of the Lord. Animae servatae the saving of Soules will procure us a better Garland at the coming of Christ then Cives servati the saving of Citizens did the Ancient Romanes That is the onely marke we aime at and if we be light and not smoake in the Church of Christ the onely Subject and Matter of all our Preaching and Writing And the saving of your Soules a part of that bounden duty and debt which by the just bond of thankfulnesse I owe unto you especially Testis est mihi Deus quomodo cupiam vos omnes in visceribus Jesu Christi God is my witnesse how much I have desired the good of you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ and if I have not been able to doe for you what I would yet that I have desired and endeavoured it what I could may deserve acceptance or at the least will satisfie my owne Conscience In a word to see the welfare and happinesse of you and yours how much will it revive his heart who professeth himselfe You affectionate Friend and Servant in the Lord EDW. MARBVRY A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the PROPHECY of Obadiah VERSE I. The Vision of OBADIAH THis short prophecie calleth to my remembrance the words of David concerning God with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward v. 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 18.26 but wilt bring down high looks For in the former part of this prophecie God thundereth with the terrours of his judgements in the latter part we hear the whisper and still voice of his mercy 2 Things set consideration a work at First 1. The title which sheweth 1. Whose 2. What. 2. The Prophecie it self 1. Whose Obadiah Whether this were the proper name of a man or a notation onely to expresse the calling of him that wrote this prophecie we may doubt for Abad servus a servant and Jah Dominus a Lord may denote this prophet in his function a servant of the Lord and so are all the ministers of the word in a speciall service concerning the building up of the house of God That which Lyranus saith to be the judgement of most Ecclesiasticall writers that this was the same Obadiah that was steward of king Ahabs house 1 Reg. 18.4 and hid the prophets in the cave and fed them with bread and water and was contemporary with Elias that how great authours soever it hath is so clearly confuted in the words of this prophecie that we resolve against it For the prophecit it mentioneth the taking of Jerusalem was 800 yeers after Ahab It is likely that it was the proper name of the prophet and Dorotheus thinketh him the same that lived in Ahabs time which cannot be as I have shewed It must suffice us that we know this prophecie to have been ever received in the Canon of the Church Melitâ— in his epistle to Onesimus Euseb 4.25 naming the books of Canonicall Scripture doth name one book of the twelve prophets whereof this is one And I never read the authority of this prophecie doubted of in any age of the church he was one of those holy men 2 Pet. 2. who wrote and spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The maid that came to the door when Peter knockt Act. 2.14 knew him by his voice and surely the Majesty and weight that is in the Canonicall Scriptures doth declare them to be the voice of God which wanteth in all the Apocryphall Assuments as a reader diligently exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern These holy writings addressed to the perpetuall light of the Church are spare in their inscriptions Who wrote the books of Joshua Iudges Ruth Samuel Kings Chronicles Ester They are written they are ours the wisdom of God is seen in them the grace of God is confirmed by them the church of
Schisme of Private men Such as they are discovered so are they restrained and separated from the rest to Room then Parcius ista viris tamen objicionda memento Personall oppositions do not fasten imputation upon any entire Church of God And we say to the Roman Church Novimus et qui to c. For we have good evidence even from their own wrightings that the Church of Rome hath in later times dissented from those Tenets which in former times it hath maintained not in matters of light moment but in the main points of Christian Religion 1. For the books of Canonicall Scripture the learned of former times did refuse all those books which we call Apocryphall as well as we yet the Counsell of Trent hath since placed them in the Canon and given them equall authority with the Canonicall Scriptures 2. For the sufficiencie their own best learned have heretofore acknowledged the same as much as we 3. The vulgar translation hath been by their learned refused the originall preserved 4. For the conception of the Virgin Mary without sin it is not yet determined in the Church but contradictories are allowed 5. The distinction of Mortall and Veniall sins 6. The Doctrines of merite of super-erogation of the seven Sacraments of Transubstantiation of Purgatory of praying to Saints worshipping of images Indulgencies Popes supremacie all refused Therefore let them no longer charge us with differences our Church doth maintain one Truth in all these things with the former Church of Rome against this that now is Therefore let us observe the setled doctrine of the Church in which we live and receive that against the perverse oppositions of all schismaticall coiners of new Doctrines and that is the safest way for us to walk in for this rumor Domini is no rumour of the Lord. Doctr. 2 2. Because it is auditus a Domino heard from the Lord whence we are taught to distinguish between the rumours which we hear from men and those rumours which we hear from the Lord let us judge them by the word of God and let us learn of the Church the Spouse of Christ who best discerneth these spirituall things because they are deposited with it and the Spirit of God is with it and abideth with it for ever How holy Scriptures must be interpreted Let every man put his own particular fancies and humours to silence and as the Apostle saith let us receive with meeknesse the word of God and let it be graffed in us For the word of the Lord endureth for ever that is like him that gave it without variablenesse there is in it no shadow of change It was Davids rest Audiam quid loquatur Deus I will hear what the Lord speaketh And that we may hear this rumour of the Lord profitably The word is given to profit withall let me shew you who they be that receive the word of God profitably these namely who 1. Receive it in their understanding 2. in their judgement 1. In their understanding knowing what the Lord speaketh in his Word for the Word is the revelation of the good will of God To this is necessary 1. A preparation to this understanding 2. An use of the means For the preparation of our understanding two things are necessary as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Be not conformed to this world this world is our enemy Rom. 11.1 we must shake off all acquaintance with it it is the serpents fair fruit wherewith he tempteth us he setteth the eye and the heart a lusting and filleth us with the pride of life Christ first separated his disciples from the world then he fitted them to his service They deceive themselves that think they may embrace true religion and the world too following the vanities of fashion and surfetting in the pleasures of life for Godlinesse and vanity cannot dwell together and the god of this world blindeth the eye of the understanding that they which love the world cannot love God and the secrets of the Lord are revealed to none but such as love and fear God 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of the minde that is be ye new Creatures casting off the old man which is corrupt for this new wine must be put in new casks We must sing a new song Canticum novum novus homo a new man none else can sing it therefore David desired Cor novum a new heart and spiritum rectum a right spirit it is the only new fashion as in many of ours to renew the old fashion the image of God stamped in us in our Creation which is decayed repaired anew by the image of the new Adam who came to restore us 2. A use of the means which are 1. Delight in reading of the word give attendance to reading 1 Tim. 4.15 what though thou understand not what thou readest no more did the Eunuch but God sent Philip to him he was in the way of illumination Idle and wanton books take up too much of our time from the reading of Gods book rumor populi a rumour of the people takes us from reading this rumor Domim this rumour of the Lord. Yet these things are written for our use and onely these things make the man of God wise to salvation 2. Meditation for that helpeth the understanding and layeth up what we read in the memory that we may know where to have it again when we have need of it It is said of Mary Luâ—k 251 that she kept all these sayings in her heart The wise son of Sirach saith well The inner parts of a fool are like a broken vessel Ecclus. 21 14. and he will hold no knowledge as long as he liveth Truly the cause of all our sins and frailties is want of meditation in the Word want of keeping it in our heart we see in our selves how we are affected here in hearing of the Word of God if we did meditate on it we should have the same affections still 3. Hear the Word preached for this is Gods ordinance for the saving of souls Nehem. 8. Ezra had a pulpit of wood made him he stood up be read the law and gave the sense and all the people wept when they heard the wonderfull things of the Law But it is said All the people were attentive both man women yet he preached not by the glasse but from morning till mid-day And Paul preached from evening till midnight for it pleaseth God by the foolishnes of preaching to save those that beleeve Be swift to heaâ— 4. Meditation is necessary also after hearing the word in the publike Ministery for the Minister speaking to a mixt auditory if he divideth the word aright he hath a portion for every hearer milk for some stronger meat for others some have need of information in things unknown some of comfort some of resolution in doubes some of confutation of errours some of chiding some have need to have their dulnesse spurred others their deadnesse quickened
be mine saith the Lord in that day when I make up my jewels or speciall treasure and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Ver. 17. What can a man desire more of God then to be esteemed amongst his jewels and precious treasure such are the holy and what trouble can it be to them to be despised of the world and cast out of them when God shall take them in as his jewels and treasure God himself giveth holinesse in precept and giveth the reason in that injunction Be ye holy for I am holy And Saint John saith that every man that hath hope of eternall life 1 Pet 1.16 ex Lev. 21.44 1 Joh. 3.3 purifieth himself even as he is pure So that Gods holinesse is the motive that must induce us and the president and pattern that must conduce us to holinesse 1. The motive because he being holy nothing ungodly and unclean may approach him therefore all the legall purifications and sanctifyings of the poople before any speciall worship and service of God were types of that holinesse which must fit us for Gods service because without holinesse no man shall see God Again because the favours which we desire from God be holy and Christ saith Nolite dare quod sanctum est canibus give not that which is holy to dogs surely he will not do so himself 2. It must be our pattern and example because holines is never accepted but where it hath three properties as it hath in God 1. That it be sincere and not in hypocrisie there is a sinne of hypocrites and there is a portion with hypocrites false holines is like â—â—â—â—â—erfeit gold it will not go for pay it is high treason agâ—â—â—â— God to counterfeit his Image and superscription for holinesse is the Image of our God stamped in us in our creation therefore hell is called the portion of hypocrites 2. That it be totall holinesse in the face and outward gesture proceeding from holinesse in the heart and inward affections holinesse of the tongue that it speak not lewdly falsely or prophanely holinesse of operation that we do nothing but what becometh the Saints of God Holinesse at Church and holines at home holinesse in our private conversations and in our private retirings that is in the whole man in the whole time of his life and in all places 3. That it be guided with knowledge for the ignorant holinesse of the Church of Rome which is implicit and knoweth not what it doth is the sacrifice of fools like the Athenians worship directed to an unknown God This is the way to come again to our own possessions and to cast out that strong man armed that hath led us into captivity this is the old way and the good way to the new Ierusalem Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping they be enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose belly is their god and whose delight is in their shame which mind earthly things But our conversation must be in heaven an holy conversation is an heavenly conversation and maketh heaven upon earth And if we be risen with Christ to this conversation then we seek those things which are above and not those things which are beneath It must therefore be our care to look to those things which hinder holinesse and to keep good watch upon our life that none of those things do corrupt us These are as the Apostle doth enumerate them 1. The lusts of the flesh 2. The lust of the eye 3. The pride of life 1. Carnall desires do make us unholy not only fornication and adultery which do make the members of Christ the members of an harlot of which sin the Apostle saith that adulterers and fornicators God will judge But carnality also in our affections labouring more for the body then for the soule for the flesh to ful-fill the lusts thereof studying meat and drink for the belly stuffe and fashions for the garments more then to please God in the exercise of Religion and duties of charity and piety carnality also in the very service of God of which the Apostle also speaketh for while one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall for the truth of God and the wisdome of God is valued not in it self but in respect of persons And so that those be the greatest pretenders to holinesse that pretend most of the spirit unawares do serve the flesh and are men in Religion carnall yet think they do God good service 2. The lust of the eye is another great enemy to holinesse for that coveteth an evill covetousnesse how easily is flesh and blood carried away from God with the wings of worldly desires I would I were as well housed as well placed as well landed as well friended as well monied as such and such are Who wisheth I would I were as holy as the Prophets and Apostles were when we must needs dye Balaam would wish his later end like theirs 3. The pride of life affecting place and Court above others trim and rich bravery beyond others power and authority over others these things do corrupt Religion and make us unholy and all these things do perish in the use of them There be two things which make the life of man proofe against these darts of Satan 1. Godlinesse that fixeth our hearts on God and fastneth our trust on him which giveth us assurance that we shall never want things sufficient for us and therefore fear not to lose by it if we bestow our time and strength and means in his service 2. Contentednesse which respecteth rather a supply of wants then a fulnesse to look upon considering that of all that we have in possession no more is truly ours then what serveth for use and that is little and seeing we brought nothing with us and we leave all but what our wants have spent behind us let a little content us lest much do distract us from the service of our God or corrupt our holinesse 2. This teacheth to embrace all the good meanes by which holinesse may be preserved and increased in us that is 1. Diligent hearing the Word of God upon which must attend 1. Private meditation 2. Conference This is not the service of God it selfe but a candle lighting us the way to the worship of God David saith Verbum tuum Lucerâ—a pedibus meis thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet And they are much deceived that think they have sanctified a Sabbath to the Lord if they have onely heard sermons and meditated and conferred on them That is neither opus dâ—ei nor opus loci the work of the day nor place all this is but receiving from God The worship of God must have somewhat from us to God to which preaching doth direct us therefore we must adde 2. Our worship of God which chiefly doth consist in 1 Thanksgiving 2 Prayer Thanks