forget your place God hath made you subiects and not gouernours to be gouerned and not to rule enter not therfore neither intermedle you with princes matters but enter into your selues looke y t your sinns wickednes do not cause an error to be in the gouernment for if there be any at any time it proceedeth frō you your sinns are the cause as it appeareth plainly in this exāple The sinnes of Israel prouoked the Lord to wrath and then Dauids heart is moued to number the people From whence proceede ill humors which trouble the head and cause it to ake out of the head no they ascende out of the bodie into the heade and so causeth the heade to ake and then the aking of the head is y e disquietnes of all the body and yet the cause is not in the heade but in the il humors which proceede from the bodie Take heed therfore that ye minister no ill humors out of the body into the heade and the head shall be well inough able to gouerne the bodie Looke therefore to y e purging of the bodie from sinne and wickednesse that no distemperature thereby doe rise into the heade and doubt you not but the Lorde God as he hath alwaies hitherto so he will frō hence foorth direct the heade to your singuler benefite quietnes and commoditie And in this behalfe wee haue earnestly to pray to the Lorde for the preseruation of our soueraigne considering howe greatly wee haue prouoked his wrath and giuen him iust cause to withdrawe his bountifull graces frō her which hithert to it hath pleased him moste plenteously to bestowe vppon her highnes to our singuler benefites and comfort and likewise we haue to praise and magnifie the Lorde for his infinite mercie declared in his longe suffering and patience toward vs who notwithstāding we haue so often and so much prouoked him to indignatiō through our manifolde transgressions contempt of his worde and vnthankefulnes yet hath he so blessed her estate and gouernement and that for so long time ouer vs that searching all monumentes of stories from the beginning the like examples of prosperous and peaceable regement shall neuer bee founde I say the like happie and quiet gouernement in all godlinesse and honesty for so many yeres together is not to bee shewed in this Iland out of any recordes of antiquitie Turne ouer the booke hardly and spare not and bring me foorth no small examples but onlie such as our moste soueraigne Ladie may vouchsafe to excel if euer the like prosperous godly estat can be shewed of so long continuance Let vs therfore yeeld glorie vnto his maiestie frō whose onely goodnes this as all other goods gifts haue proceeded thankfull obedience vnto her highnes whō he hath vsed as a meane and instrumēt to procure all this happines vnto vs. And as wee haue thus longe enioyed this blessed gouernmēt so that we may enioye it twise as many yeares or more if it be his will let vs become humble sutors to our heauenly father that hee will blesse her maiestie with longe life to the glorie of his name and the benefite of his Church but especially considering wee haue prouoked the Lordes wrath to bee kindled againste vs let vs make hast to bee reconciled vnto him by vnfayned and heartie repentaunce and amendement of life for when the Lorde shall see vs turned truely vnto him hee will turne from the fearcenesse of his wrath and turning awaye from vs all such plagues and punishmentes as wee moste righteously haue deserued hee will turne vnto vs the cheerefull light of hys countenance in Iesus Christ in whom and for whome hee is well pleased with vs. And thus muche touching the righteousnesse of God which is the first part The seconde poynte wee haue to consider is the malice of Sathan whiche is noted to vs in the 21. Chapter of the first booke of Chronicles where it is saide that Sathan stoode vppe againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid to number the people Althoughe the malice of Sathan bee manifold and almost infinite yet I will note it in two pointes onelie out of this texte Firste in the person with whome he dealeth and secondly in the sinne wherevnto hee prouoketh him Concerning the first it is said that Sathan stoode vp againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid For when Gods wrath was kindled agaynste Israel Sathan was Gods minister to execute his iuste iudgemente not of obedience to God but of malice to Israel Therfore howe doth he execute it he goeth streight to Dauid For Sathan findinge himselfe loosed of that chaine by which he is restrayned from assaulting the people of God whome he defendeth with his grace and boyling in malice againste the Church of GOD whose prosperitie hee enuieth and seeketh her destruction imediately he setteth vppon the chiefe gouernour thereof All his malice is against the Church of God and therfore it is said Sathan stoode vp againste Israel but he knowing wher to do most mischiefe beginneth to shew his malice against Dauid he seeketh to infect the heade that he might destroye the whole body He knoweth that a godly and vertuous prince is the principal instrument that God vseth amongst men to procure y e wealth of his Church and chosen people and therefore of hatred against y e church rankor against gods people he seeketh by al meanes to corrupt a good prince to cause a godly gouernour to bee vnprofitable to thē see therefore how great cause we haue with earnest and daily praiers to commend vnto the gratious protection of our God the preseruation of our godly Prince and Souereigne Bicause we see the malice of Satan to be so great y t whensoeuer he is let loose to stand vp against Israel he will begin his assault where he knoweth he may doe most hurt to the Church of GOD. And therefore not without cause the Apostle so vehemētly exhorteth that prayers supplications intercessions and thankesgiuings be made specially for Kings and all that be in authoritie bicause Sathans malice which he beareth against Gods Church he seeketh specially to execute by them whose power is greatest and whose example carieth the multitude after them For euē as the Lorde in wisedome and iustice vseth to punish the people by their Princes euen so Sathan of hatred and malice seeketh the ouerthrowe of the Church by the same persons The second point wherein the malice of Sathan is to be considered is the vice or sinne wherevnto he moued the heart of Dauid The text saith he moued Dauid to number the people For a prince to nūber muster his people of it self it is no sin but a thing indifferēt of his owne nature which at sometime is not only lawfull to do but also necessarie and therefore it is no hard matter to gather what sinne Dauid committed in numbring the people namely his heart by Sathan contrarie to his former faith and humble trust in Gods
A GODLY and learned Sermon preached before an honourable auditorie the 26 day of Februarie 1580. ¶ Imprinted by Henrie Middleton for Thomas Man A GODLY AND learned Sermon Preached in Lent last 1580. THE place of scripture moste honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Christ which I haue chosen to entreate of is written in the 24. Chapter of the second booke of Samuel in these words Vers`l ' And the wrath of the Lorde was yet more kindled against Israel and he moued Dauid against them in that he saide goe number Israel and Iuda c. The whole Scripture of God as the holy Apostle S. Iames teacheth is cōpared to a glasse wherein al estats and degrees may see what to imbrace and what to eschew and it is cōmonly said of al histories that they are y e looking glasses of mans life Therefore this text beeing both a story and parcel of holy Scripture must needes be a most cleare glasse in which are represented vnto vs diuers things worthie to bee seene looked vpon Among which I haue thought good to shew vnto you three especiall and most notable images The first is the iustice and righteousnes of God the second is the malice of Sathan the thirde is the frailtie of man not meaning to describe them all at large which would require much longer time then is graūted to this exercise but onely to shewe euerie one of them so farre foorth as it is set forth with in y e compasse of this text which I haue read vnto you Concerning the firste therefore which is the iustice of God it is described in these wordes And the wrath of the Lord was yet more kindled against Israel c. By the wrath of the Lorde is here ment the iustice of God prouoked to punish sinnes as in an hūdreth places of scripture besides By the wrath of the Lorde therefore wee must not vnderstand any passion or disordered affection such as is the wrath of man of which the Apostle saith that it worketh not y e righteousnes of God but is often prouoked with small causes or with no worthie causes at all and yet boileth immoderately in the hart of man whereby he is vnmeasurablie desirous of reuengement but the iustice of God which is figuratiuely called his wrath is neuer stirred vp to reuengement but vppon great and waightie causes neither rageth with blinde furie but keepeth a most perfect moderation in all things And there are two reasons which may be yeelded of this figuratiue speache wherefore Gods righteousnes is called his wrath the first is to strike through our heartes with terrour of his iustice for the name of wrath is more terrible then the name of iustice and our nature is more familierly acquainted with the one thē with the other y e wrath of a mā if he be of power to hurt is greatly feared The wrath of a Prince saith Salomon in the 16. chapter of the prouerbs is the messenger of death howe much more y e wrath of y e Lord of hosts in cōparison of whose power glorie al earthly princes are but dust ashes The second reasō why y e iustice of god is called the wrath of God is that we may learne and vnderstand that as the wrath of mā wherwith we are acquainted is not pacified but by two meanes either by reconciliatiō or reuengemēt so it is with the iustice of God Therefore when soeuer wee haue prouoked y e wrath of God against vs by our sins and wickednes which we doe daily and hourely we must either seeke to be recōciled to him by true repentāce or else looke for sharpe punishment we must either humbly submit our selues acknowledge our offences hūbly desire pardon or els we must assure our selues y t the wrath of the Lord being once kindled against vs there is no way to escape vengeance We see now wherefore the iustice of God is called the wrath of God Now must we looke for what cause the wrath of God was kindled against Israel how the Israelites had prouoked the iustice of god to punish them The cause in deede is not set downe in expresse wordes but it is easie to gather by the effect for it is manifest y t when the iustice of God is kindled against Israel it is for none other cause but for their sinnes it is needles to inquire what particuler sins were the cause for it was not one or two but all kind of sinnes especially their vnthankefulnes for the Lord had giuen them Dauid a most excellent gouernour who both had established the puritie sinceritie of Gods true religion and also had kept them in peace trāquillity for many yeres together But as it vsually cōmeth to passe through the corrupt nature of man which is made insolēt with prosperitie y e people not considering those gret benefits of God were not onely vnthankful to him for so happy a gouernmēt but fol lowed euery one the lustes of his owne hart not fearing to trāsgresse y e cōmandements of the Lord but yet retaining an outward forme of Godlines by external exercise of religion the vertue power whereof they denied in life cōuersation and so prouoked y e wrath of the Lord of hoastes to be kindled against thē but we must consider wherfore y e scripture saith The wrath of the lord proceded or was yet more kindled you must vnderstād as we read in y e 21. cha of this booke y t the wrath of the Lorde was kindled before this time against y e people so y t he plagued thē with three yeares famin for the crueltie that Saul to gratifie them committed gainst the Gibeonites whō he had slain sought to root our cōtrarie to a couenant whiche their auncetors had made confirmed with a solemne oath in y c days of Iosua These three yeeres of hunger were now past this was the fourth yeere in which God after he had auenged the bloud of the Gibeonites vpon the posterite of Saul had restored plētie and aboundance of al things for the maintenance of mans life with externall peace prosperitie for which benefits blessings of God bestowed vpō thē they were boūd to haue serued God in holines and righteousnes before him all y e dayes of their life like as by the former plague they were admonished to forsake their sinnes which were the cause thereof and truly to turne to him But they cleane cōtrariwise abusing his mercy tooke occasion to prouoke his iustice euen as the froward nature of man is so long as they are plagued and the hande of the Lord is heauie on them they humble them selues before him or at least pretend so to doe but when the plague is seaced and they find them selues relieued they returne againe to their former wickednesse So was it with the Israelites they had bene punished with famine but they were not thereby reformed and therefore the wrath of the Lord is still kindled
against them By which example we ought to be admonished that we deceiue not our selues after the maner of the world to thinke that the wrath of the Lord shall be turned from vs before we turne from our sinnes wherefore let vs not flatter our selues as the reprobate doe when they haue escaped some particular punishment this daunger is ouercome this brunt is past this storme is blowen ouer c. For so long as we continue in our sinnes and seeke not ro be reconciled vnto the Lorde the wrath of the Lorde will be still kindled against vs yea more and more prouoked to punish vs and if one plague be ceased an other shall beginne when famine is stayed the pestilence shall rage and if that will not reforme vs some other plague shall be sent vpon vs. The Lord can want no whippes so long as his wrath is bent to scourge vs therefore let vs not obstinately set our selues against him to trye whether he will be soner wearied in striking or we in bearing his stripes but let vs humbly and at once cast downe ourselues acknowledge our sinnes be sorie for them and forsake them and then the way to reconciliation shall be opened by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe in whome the Lorde shall be pleased with vs and his wrath pacified towards vs. We haue further to note the reason of the metaphor when the holy Ghost saith The wrath of the Lord was kindled which kinde of speach is very often vsed in the Scripture to compare the wrath of God to fire whose force when it hath taken strength can not easily be stayed and whose propertie is to consume all things that ministreth matter vnto it and for that cause the Lord him selfe in respect of his iustice is called a consuming fire To the end therefore that we should stand in feare of Gods iustice and that we should be as carefull not to prouoke his wrath against vs as we are carefull not to minister matter vnto fire which will be readie to consume our selues and all that euer we haue our GOD is saide to be a consuming fire and the wrath of the Lord is saide to be kindled against vs. Therefore as there is no dallying with fire when any light substance is neare which is readie to take flame so there is no dissembling before God the fire of whose wrath and iustice is kindled with our sinnes wickednes for as y e Lord hateth abhorreth all sinnes and vngodlines so his iustice is kindled like fire against y e same to purge and cleanse the world of all vnrighteousnesse Let not sinners therfore thinke to stande in his presence which is a consuming fire before whō they shall melt euen as waxe and vanish away as smoake before whome they shall be as stubble and chaffe that is set on fire and can not be quenched And let vs which trust in his mercy not be high minded but stande in awe of his iustice and prouoke not his wrath to bekindled against vs through our manifold sinnes and wickednesse whose wrath if it be but a little kindled as the prophet saith no man is able to stand in the presence of his iustice but it will appeare howe happie they are which put their trust in his mercy And if the wrath of God being but a little kindled hath so notable effect what is to be looked for when it is wholy inflamed in furie against vs for grosse manifest contempt of his glorious maiestie For as contempt in men is the chiefest cause in prouoking them to anger and the greatest contempt prouoketh the greatest anger so it is with the Lorde whose iustice is despised in all sinne and disobedience of his lawe but chiefly in that prophane and professed contempt which we see to beare the sway among great numbers of the wicked which openly and without all feare of his iustice haue solde them selues like Achab to commit all manner of sinne with greedinesse Thus we see what the spirite of God meaneth when he saith The wrath of God was yet more kindled against Israel Nowe we haue to consider howe it standeth with the iustice righteousnesse of God that Israel hauing prouoked the wrath of God the heart of Dauid is moued to number the people that the wrath of the Lord being kindled against Israel he stirred vp Dauid against them For it seemeth contrarie to reason that the people hauing deserued punishment the Lorde should deale with the Prince for them But for so much as the Prince is as it were an helme or sterne by which the Lord gouerneth the whole comminaltie of people which the Lord hath committed to their charge it standeth well with his iustice and wisedome also to moue and stirre vp the Prince against them when so euer their transgressions shall prouoke his righteousnesse to chasten them And euen so saith Salomon Prouer. 21. As the streames of waters or as it is nowe translated as a vessell in the streams of waters so is the kings hart in the hand of the Lord whethersoeuer he will he inclmeth and moueth it eyther to the hauen of prosperitie if the people serue him or to the shoare of danger and aduersitie if they prouoke his wrath against them Therefore as the stirring of a shippe by the master directeth the shippe whither he thinketh good euen so the Lord moueth the heartes of all Princes which are as the sterne of the shippe of the common wealth in his hand that they are not carried at all aduentures whither the stream of waters will driue them but whither so euer it pleaseth him either to the great and singular benefite of that people which feareth the Lord or for the correction and punishment of them which transgresse his lawes and contemne his iustice Ye heare nowe howe well it agreeth not onely with the iustice but also with the wisedome of God that he should moue the heart of the king according to the disposition of the people Besides this we must also vnderstand that as Princes are publique persons in respect of their gouernemēt of whole nations committed to their charge so also before the Lord they are priuate persons to be called to account not only for such things as they do in their publique gouernement but also for such offences as they commit priuatly as the sonnes of Adam Among which there is none found so righteous but that in many things they transgresse the lawe of God and therefore the iustice of God is not to be accused of any vnrighteousnesse when the people haue prouoked his wrath and Dauid can not iustifie him selfe before him if he stirre vp Dauids heart againste the people for their punishment and take occasion of the peoples sinnes to punish Dauid him selfe For although here is no transgression of Dauid expressed wherby he might seeme to haue brought this punishment vpon him yet Dauid him selfe will confesse that there was alwayes sufficient cause in him why the Lorde might