the Prophets to their seueral peoples to whom they were sent And this duty is to be performed of all faithfull Ministers for they are Gods stewards and therefore they are not to suffer euery one to rush into the storehouse of Gods word and to take what pleaseth them but they must giue euery man his owne portion in season as it is Luke 12. 42. Luke 12. 42. They are the Churches Surgeons to cure their spirituall wounds and sores of sinne and therefore they must not onely make good plaisters but also they must apply them to their sores and wounds for otherwise many are so senselesse that they feele no paine and therefore desire no helpe many so wayward and impatient that they will rather let their spirituall wounds putrifie through securitie and presumption then abide the cure fearing the plaister more then the wound Secondly wee may obserue that the idolatry and other grieuous sinnes of the whole Church especially of the gouernours God punisheth the sins of gouernours in the people both ecclesiasticall and ciuill being not repented of do moue the Lord not onely to punish the whole body but also the particular members that is subiects and inferiours if not with spirituall as when they are not partakers with them in their sinnes yet at least with temporall punishments because being one body the sinne of superiours is not onely punished when the punishment is inflicted on themselues but also vpon the inferiours as being parts of them and members of the whole body But besides corporall afflictions they make them also obnoxious vnto Gods wrath and eternall punishments when as by their false doctrine authoritie and euill example they mooue and allure them to imbrace their idolatrie and other sinnes An example wherof we haue in the papacie where because the whole Church is idolatrous especially their Magistrates and Cleargie therefore priuate men being by their false doctrine authoritie and example nuzled and instructed in idolatrie are together with them diuorced from God and ouerwhelmed in the common destruction So that the first and more remote cause of this their punishment is in the whole Church and gouernours thereof the next and immediate cause is the idolatrie of euery particular man which himselfe committed being seduced by the false doctrine and euill example of their adulterous mother The consideration whereof should make superiours most carefull to acquaint themselues with Gods truth and to imbrace and professe his true religion to forsake and detest all manner of false worship and idolatrie and to auoid all other grieuous and open sinnes or if they haue fallen into them speedily to repent of them seeing hereby they do not only draw vpon themselues the heauiest measure of punishment for the mighty shal be mightily tormented but also by their sins not repented of do make their VVisd 6 7. subiects and inferiours which they should loue as their children and parts of their owne bodie guiltie of their sinnes and obnoxious to their punishments 2. Sam. 24. 17. 2. Sam 24. 17. That it is not sufficient to conforme our religion to the religion of superiours Thirdly subiects inferiors priuate men may here learne that in respect of their religion it is not sufficient to conforme themselues to the religion of their gouernours nor in respect of their faith to beleeue as the Church beleeueth nor in respect of their manners to liue according to the example of their superiours but euery one ought to informe himselfe of Gods true religion and to be assured out of Gods word that he worshippeth the true God after his reuealed will and to leade his life not according to the example of others but according to Gods precepts with which he is throughly to be acquainted for it will not excuse vs to say that we haue bin seduced by false teachers mislead by ill gouernours allured by the wicked example of superiours seeing euery man is to liue by their owne faith to bee directed by his owne knowledge and to be approoued or condemned by his owne life and actions And therfore the only priuiledge which he shall haue by the false religion idolatrie and wicked examples of his superiors is that hauing sinned with them for company they shall haue their company also in suffering punishment Lastly we may here obserue that the Lord will not reiect That former idolatrie repented of doth not cause God to reiect vs. vs because we haue bin the children of an adulterous mother in time past so that we hate and forsake her fornications and leauing her as an adulterous harlot do cleaue vnto our heauenly father for it is not said here that the Lord would exclude them from his mercie because they had been but also presently were the children of fornications that is not onelie borne of an adulterous harlot but also approouing and following her spirituall whoredomes The consideration whereof serueth for the comfort of those who hauing been borne and brought vp in poperie and idolatrie are conuerted vnto the truth for howsoeuer if they had continued with thir mother the great whore of Babylon and committed Apoc. 18. 4. with her spirituall whoredome they should haue been forsaken and so perished together with her yet being now come out from Babylon they shall not be partakers with her in her sinnes and punishments but being regenerate and borne anew vnto their heauenly father by the immortall seede of his word and Gospell they shall be exempted from her plagues admitted as legitimate and made capable of that heauenly inheritance which God rescrueth in store for all his children ANd so much concerning the diuorce between the Lord and the Church of Israel In the next place is the cause thereof expressed to wit the sinne of the people especiallie their idolatrie and vnthankfulnnsse and afterwards the punishments due vnto their sinnes are threatned The first is contained in these words Vers 5. For their mother hath Vers 5 plaied the harlot she that conceiued them hath done shamefully for she said I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water my wooll and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke In which words are contained first their idolatrie and spirituall Exposition whoredomes and secondly their ingratitude Their idolatrie is first plainely expressed and afterwards aggrauated It is expressed in these words For their mother hath plaied the harlot Where still he continueth the allegorie of marriage adulterie and diuorce shewing and proouing that there was iust cause why the mother was diuorced and the children reiected because the mother had plaied the harlot and so her children were an adulterous issue Neither had she only before or after committed whoredome but euen in the generation of these her children shee had conceiued them of the seede of fornication for otherwise howsoeuer shee was a harlot yet her children should haue been legitimate and therefore vnlawfully disinherited but they were not onelie borne of an harlot but also in
thankfulnesse of the faithfull Yea in truth so much our ioy and thankfulnesse should exceed theirs as the greatnes of the benefit of our spirituall deliuerance out of the miserable captiuitie of sin and Satan exceedeth the deliuerance of the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt We must then reioyce and be as thankfull as those ought to bee who haue passed from death to life from the greatest miserie to the highest happines and are exalted from being the firebrands of hell to be the sonnes of God and heires of heauen ANd so much cōcerning the second benefit In the third place the Lord promiseth that he will giue grace to his Church and people that they shall embrace his pure worship and seruice and abolish all idolatrie and superstition in these words Vers 16. And at that day saith the Lord you Vers 16. 17. shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their names In which words the Lord The exposition promiseth two things first that hee will restore his sincere worship secondly that he will roote out all idolatrie The former in these words And at that day saith the Lord shall you call me Ishi Where is set downe first the time when the Church should performe this dutie and secondly the dutie it selfe The time in these words And at that day that is when the Lord hath effectually called her spoken comfortablie vnto her and multiplied his benefits vpon her then should she in loue and thankfulnes shew her selfe zealous in offering vnto God his pure worship and in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie The dutie which the Lord promiseth she shall performe is that she shall call him Ishi that is my husband where the Lord alludeth to the couenant which is made betweene him and his Church wherein the Lord promiseth that she shall be his spouse and she promiseth that she will acknowledge the Lord alone to be her husband and performe all duties of a wife vnto him As though he should say Howsoeuer in former times thou hast run after thy louers yet when I haue called and conuerted thee thou shalt remember the couenant of mariage betweene vs made and so forsaking thy idols thou shalt acknowledge and professe that I alone am thy husband Now whereas he saith that she shall call him Ishi we are first hereby to vnderstand that the Church mindfull of her couenant shall embrace him as her only husband not verbally alone or with an idle shew but in deed and truth behauing her selfe towards him as it becommeth the Lords spouse that is first in generall she shall worship and serue him purely and sincerely according to his will more specially that she shall obserue coniugall fidelitie loue him aboue all depend vpon him alone with a true affiance for all blessings and call vpon his name the which dutie is implied in the text for it is not said she shall call me husband but Ishi O my husband namely inuocating his name by prayer Secondly he sheweth here that the Church shall not only internally worship the Lord as her only husband in Spirit and truth but also that she shall outwardly make profession hereof which is implied in that he saith shee shall call him husband and not onely acknowledge him so to bee in her heart and mind And this is the first dutie which the Lord promiseth that the Church shall performe The other is that as she should be carefull to aduance his pure worship so she should shew the like zeale in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie signified in these words And thou shalt call me no more Baali or O my Baal that is As I would not haue thee to ioine idols with me in my worship so I would not haue thee to worship and call vpon me in an idol or after an idolatrous maner but in spirit and truth purely sincerely Where the Lord sheweth first that the Church shall not only worship him but also that she should worship him alone and renounce all her idols and false gods Secondly that she shall not worship him after an idolatrous manner in images and idols as it was the manner of the Israelites who worshipped God in the idoll Baal as appeareth in this place but shall come vnto him immediatly and not by a substitute or inferiour patron and call vpon him who is a Spirit spiritually and not in an image But the image of Baal being abolished why would not the Lord be called vpon by the name of Baal seeing it signifieth a god lord or patron and sometime also a husband as well as Ish I answere the Lord would be called Ish rather then Baal first because Baal being a name of empire and dominion brought with it some seruile feare the other name Ish signifying properly a husband offereth nothing to our consideration but loue fidelitie grace and protection and therefore the Lord refuseth the former name in the time of the Gospell as being too austere sauouring only of authoritie and Lordship and will be called by the amiable name of Ish or husband to shew that he hath renewed his couenant is reconciled to his Church and is now become most louing and gratious vnto her The second cause which I take to be the more principall is that he might hereby shew his detestation of idolatrie in that hee would not endure to bee called by the name of an idoll though otherwise good in it owne signification And this his detestation he further sheweth when as he saith that they should bee so farre from worshipping idols or him in them that they should not so much as name them Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth c. Vers 17. Where is set downe who it is that thus purgeth the Church from all the relikes of idolatrie namely the Lord himselfe I will take away Secondly the manner or degree how it must be purged to wit from all the relikes of idolatrie and superstition so that it shall not be lawfull for the people of God so much as to name an idoll vnlesse it bee as they name the diuell with hatred and detestation The like places vnto this we haue Exod. 23. 13. Ye shall make no mention of the name of Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Deut. 12. 3. Ye shall vtterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possesse serued their gods vpon the high mountaines c. 3. Ye shall hew downe the grauen images of their gods and abolish their names out of that place An example whereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 16. 4. 5. Their offerings of blood will I not offer nor make mention of their names with my lips Psal 16. 4. 5. Thirdly hee expresseth the end why hee would not haue them so much
especially their magistrates superiors goueruours both ecclesiastical and ciuil so by the children we are to vnderstand the particular members of this Church especially subiects and inferiours For the Lord contenteth not himselfe with a generall denunciation of his heauy iudgements against the whole Church but he descendeth to particulars and specially applieth his threatnings to euery particular member of this body that so hee may bring the mother and the children the whole body and the seuerall parts superiours and inferiours vnto true repentance Superiours when as they consider that not onely they themselues shall haue the greatest measure of punishment inflicted on them because by their authority and example they haue bin the ringleaders vnto al wickednes but also that the poore people committed to their charge whom they ought as tenderly to loue as the kinde mother her deare children shal through their bad example and ill gouernment fall into the like sins so be made obnoxious to the like punishmēts So likewise inferiours may be drawne to repentance when as they consider that their following of the example of their superiours and obeying their authority in euil will not priuiledge them frō Gods iudgements but being partakers with thē in sin they shall also be partakers of their punishments And so much for the persons The punishment it selfe is that the Lord will haue no mercy or pittie vpon them not that the Lord will vtterly and absolutely exclude them from mercy but onely on this condition if they perseuered in their sinnes without repentance neither doth hee debarre them of all mercy in regard of their eternall saluation but in respect of their temporary reiection from being his people and children as may appeare by the latter part of the chapter The meaning therefore of these words is this that as he had denied to haue pitie vpon the mother and had diuorced her stripped her and made her like a wildernesse c. so neither would he haue any compassion of the children to to spare them but would bring vpon them the same punishments which he had denounced against their mother And this is the punishment here denounced The cause moouing the Lord to inflict it is expressed in these wordes For they bee the children of fornications In which words is contained a twofold cause of the childrens punishment the first because they are the children of fornications that is the issue of an adulterous mother or more plainely thus because they are members of an idolatrous Church who by their gouernours ciuill and ecclesiasticall are nuzled and nursed brought vp and instructed in idolatry and a false religion The first cause therefore why the Lord reiecteth the children is in the mother that is in the whole Church especially their gouernours and rulers both ecclesiasticall and ciuill because by the former they were taught not a true but a false and idolatrous religion and by the other were not restrained from idolatry and false worship and vrged to worship the true God after a true manner but rather by their example inticed and by their authority forced to forsake the true God and follow idols But here it may be demanded whether the sinne of the How God punisheth the sinnes of gouernours in the people gouernours is a iust cause to mooue the Lord to punish the subiects To which I answer that there are two sorts of punishments the first corporall and temporall the second spirituall and eternall In respect of temporall punishments it is iust with God to punish the sinnes of parents in children and of gouernours in the subiects because in respect of the whole body they are parts and members belonging vnto them as the chiefe and principall and therefore whilest the children and subiects suffer punishment the parents and gouernours are punished in them 2. Sam. 12. 14. 24. 12. 17. 2. Sam. 12. 14. 24. 12. 17. But in respect of spirituall and eternall punishments the Lord doth not inflict them vpon the children and subiects for the sinnes of the parents and gouernours positiuely vnlesse they likewise partake with them in their sinnes and follow their wicked example howsoeuer hee may iustly for Ezech. 18. their sins lay vpon them priuatiue punishments by withholding from them his grace and the gifts of his holy spirit which he is not bound to giue of which they being depriued runne into sinne and so make themselues obnoxious to positiue punishments Now these children of which the Prophet speaketh were not onely borne of an idolatrous mother but also they themselues liued and continued in that idolatry in which they were bred and instructed And this is the more principall cause why these children are punished because they liked and approued imbraced and liued in the idolatry of their mother for not simply to haue been the children and members of an idolatrous Church nor to haue been brought vp and instructed in her idolatries is a cause which moueth the Lord to reiect any if afterwards they hate and forsake the idolatry of their mother and loue and imbrace the pure and sincere worship of God The which was the state of many of Gods children in the common apostasie of the Israelites and is the state of many who haue come out of the spirituall Babylon being begotten vnto God by the immortall seede of his word But these of whom the Prophet speaketh had not onely in times past been but presently were the children of fornications they were not onely brought vp in idolatry but still they liked and liued in it and this he implieth when as he faith not that they had been but presently were the children of fornication And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines to be obserued out of them are these First wee may note that That particular application is necessary in the ministery of the word the Lord contenteth not himselfe with a generall denunciation of his iudgements against the whole Church of Israel but also applieth them specially to the particular members thereof The which example is to be imitated of Gods Ministers especially considering that such is the selfeloue pride hypocrisie and security of men that they will make no application of generall reprehensions and threatnings vnto themselues so long as they can shift them off and apply them vnto others An example hereof we haue in the secure Israelites Esa 28. 15. and in the Priests and Pharisies Matth. Esa 28. 15. Matth. 21. 41. 21. 41. yea Dauid himselfe made no vse of the generall parable for his humiliation till it was particularly applied 2. Sam. 12. 7. And therefore because that which is spoken to all is 2. Sam. 12. 7. spoken to none it hath been the custome of all Gods true Prophets and Ambassadours to make particular application of their general doctrines to the special vse of their own hearers so Nathan to Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 7. Peter to the Iewes 2. Sam. 12. 7. Acts 2. 23. Act. 2. 23. all
our browes Gen. 3. 19. Neither ought we to spend Gen. 3. 19. these gifts of God for the satisfying of our owne sinfull lusts seeing they are his Talents which he hath giuen vs to imploy for the aduancing of his owne glorie and the good of our fellow seruants The second thing to be obserued is that howsoeuer these Men respect their owne cause more then Gods Priests did easily remit Gods right so farre forth as it did not concerne their owne worldly profit and were so meale mouthed that they durst not speake against the peoples sinnes whereby his holy name was dishonoured yet they would loose none of their owne right in their sacrifices and oblations whence vve may discerne a notable corruption that is in vs which is our singular partiality in respecting our own cause more then the cause of God for when the matter concerneth him wee are verie remisse cold and easie to be intreated but when it concerneth our selues verie earnest hote and inexorable For example the Magistrate makes lawes for the maintenance of his owne right state and dignitie and being made doth most straightly execute them but either he maketh no lawes at all to represse those sins which immediately impeach Gods glory or if their be any made yet he is verie remisse in the execution many Ministers are very slacke and timerous in rebuking of sinne for feare of displeasing their parishioners but if any part of their owne right or duties be with-held from them they shew themselues bould and resolute for the recouerie of it though it be with the displeasure of the greatest many maisters suffer their seruants to vse swearing and blasphemie pretending they are so vnruly that they can beare no sway with them neither with their perswasions nor rebukes but if they offer vnto them any wrong or damage then they shew themselues men of absolute authoritie in inflicting vpon the offender sharp punishment so they can easilie dispence with their seruants for the breaking of the Sabbath and passe ouer the matter from themselues by pretending that they would willingly bring them to the Church and haue them to obserue a holy rest but they are so stubborne and wilfull that they cannot restraine them from their vaine and vnlawfull sports and yet these men who can beare no rule with their seruants on the Lord day haue authoritie and also vse it all the six dayes of the vveeke to keepe them from these vnlawfull pastimes and to make them to follow their worldly businesse and where is the cause of this great difference surely not in the seruant who might as easily be brought to sit in the Church on the Lords day as to work painefully in his trade all the vveeke but the fault lyeth vpon the maister who is so earnestly resolute for the dispatch of his owne businesse that he will admit of no deniall or excuse whereas contrariwise either he carelesly permitteth his seruants when the Lords day commeth to doe what they lift or dealeth so coldly and remisly on Gods behalfe as if though he doe speake he did not greatly care whether his speach be regarded or no so when men see Gods name dishonoured by any sin they are so bashfull and timerous that they are hardly moued to speak in Gods cause but if their owne name be traduced and their credit impeached in any company they shew themselues furiously violent in remouing the imputation The cause hereof is our coldnesse in the loue of God and our too much selfe loue which maketh men thinke all too much which they doe for Gods sake and all too little which they can doe for themselues for if there were not this exceeding partialitie in our affections wee would neuer shew our selues so partiall in our actions The vse hereof is that seeing our corruption we labour to reforme it and to this end we must continually endeauour to abate the inordinate loue of our selues and to increase in our harts that heauenly loue of God and so shall we grow more milde and moderate in our owne cause and more feruently zealous in the cause of God according to the example of Moses who in matters which concerned himselfe was Num. 12. 1. the meekest man vpon the earth and was easily inclined to put vp wrongs and to depart from his right but when he was to deale for God he tooke vpon him an holy obstinacy so as hee would not consent vnto Pharaoh that so much as a hoofe should remaine behinde them Exo. 10. 26. and shewed Exod. 10. 26. himselfe religiously cruell in slaying some of the Idolaters and causing others to drinke the ashes of the Idoll Exod. Exo. 32. 20. 27 32. 20. 27. The like mildnesse and patience shewed Samuel when his just gouernement was rejected by the inconstant people and the like feruent zeale and holy anger when hee was to deale in Gods cause against Agag the enimie of the Church and in reprouing Saul notwithstanding that he loued him for transgressing Gods commandement 1 Sam 15 1 Sam. 15. 23. 33. 23. 26. 28. 33. The third thing to be obserued is that the Prophet hauing Luxurious prodigâ—â—ity and greedy couetousnesse often goe together first accused them of liuing idlely in luxurious excesse vnder the phrase of eating the sinnes of the people doth in the next place condemne them of greedy couetousnesse and vnlawfull avarice whereby they desired to inrich themselues euen by the sinnes of the people that so they might maintaine their wastfull and profuse expences about their pleasures and belly-cheare And indeed fitly are these joyned together in the reproofe seeing they are seldome seuered in the offender for idlenesse and luxurious excesse is the mother which breedeth and bringeth forth vnlawfull couetousnesse and this wicked auarice is the nurse of this excesse and idlenesse When as men addict themselues vnto idlenes neglecting the duties of their callings and yet will maintaine their port aboue their pitch and wastfully spend in pride pleasure and belly-cheare aboue their meanes then must they of necessitie fall to plotting and deuising how they may haue extraordinary supply by wicked and vnlawful meanes when as those which are honest and approuable faile them then they begin to couet other mens goods and to plot meanes how they may compasse them then they fall to stealing purloyning bribing oppressing cousening deceiuing and what not that they may inrich themselues maintaine their excesse and pleasure Thus Magistrates consume their people with tributes and taxations that hereby they may maintaine their excesse and wastfull expences Thus Ministers heape liuing vpon liuing because they cannot be content to liue frugally within their compasse but must mainetaine a port and state aboue their lawfull meanes that by their profuse hospitality they may aduance their credit and so rush into forbidden pastures being not content to feed in the circuit of their own tether So Gentlemen that they may maintaine themselues their wiues and children in excessiue
deeds which are open and manifest And this is the meaning of the words the doctrines The doctrines Gods vnpertiall proceeding in the administration of his iudgements which arise out of them are these First wee may obserue Gods vpright and vnpartiall proceeding in the administation and execution of his judgements and punishments whereby without any respect or acceptation of persons callings or degree he rendreth vnto euerie one according to their deserts as in this place howsoeuer the Priests farre excelled the common people in place dignitie and authoritie yet because they were a like sinfull he putteth no difference between them in their punishments When the whole world rebelled against him without any respect of persons state or condition he ouer whelmed them all with a generall deluge When Pharaoh resisted his commaundement he found no more fauour then the basest of his people When Nebuchadnezzar would needs be his riuall in his glorie it was not his Monarchie could keepe him from feeding and lodging amongst the brute beasts All Ahabs royalty power and authoritie could not priuiledge neither him nor Iesabell from hauing their blood licked by the dogges In a word there was neuer any so great and mightie who had any fauour at Gods hand for their power and mightinesse but if they as grieuously sinned they also were as grieuously punished as the poorest and most abject The curse of the law is denounced indifferently against all who transgresse it Deut. 27. 26. Tophet is prepared of old not onely for poore Deut. 27. 26. Esay 30. 33. Ezech. 18. 20. wicked men but also for the wicked King Esay 30. 33. And without all respect of persons the soule that sinneth must dye Ezech. 18. 20. The reason is because they are all alike the workmanship of his hands and therefore as the potter is no more beholding to his pots which are more curiouslie wrought then to those which are made for the basest vse so the Lord is no more bound to men of greatest dignitie then to those of meanest condition seeing all are his creatures alike and what they haue they haue receiued from him This reason Elihu rendreth he accepteth not saith he the person of Princes and regardeth not the rich more then the poore for they be all the worke of his hands Iob. 34. 19. Againe in respect Iob. 34. 19. of Gods infinte Majestie all are alike and in respect of his soueraigne authoritie all are equally his poore vassals vnto whom he hath giuen his Law from the obedience whereof none are exempted more then other nor yet from the punishment therein denounced if they transgresse it Yea so far is God from sparing the great rich and mighty that these of all other shall receiue the greatest measure of punishment First because they haue more vnthankfully abused his rich mercies as meanes to further them in their sins which should haue serued as so many arguments to moue them to obedience then because being aduanced aboue others in place dignitie and authoritie their sinnes tend more to the dishonour of God and hurt of their neighbours then the sinnes of those who are in meane estate because they are examplary and scandalous inticing and drawing inferiours to imitate their wicked practises so that seldome do these high Cedars fall but they beate downe many of the lower shrubs that stand about them The vses of this doctrine eyther concerne all men in generall Gods vprightnesse should moue vs to mortifie our sinnes or more especially respect those who are of higher place and condition the vse which concernes all men is first that seeing the Lord who is to be their judge judgeth vprightly without respect of persons they be hereby moued to labour in the mortifying of their corruptions in the cleansing of their soules from sin that so they may appeare righteous before him and thereby escape the seueritie of his justice And this vse Moses maketh Deut. 10. 16. Circumcise Deu. 10. 16. therefore the foreskinne of your hearts and harden your necks no more 17. For the Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no persons nor taketh reward The second vse is that wee shake off securitie whereby Gods justice should make vs to shake off security men carelesly goe forward in their sinnes as though God would neuer call them to reckoning or though he did yet were so mercifull that no place will be left for his justice such are to know that as God is infinite in mercy so also hee is infinite in justice and therefore will execute his righteous judgements according to their workes good or euill without respect of any mans person so that it behoueth euery one carefully to watch ouer their owne wayes and to tremble with feare before Gods majestie when as they finde that they liue in any knowne sinne without repentance And this vse is made by the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 17. And if ye call him 1 Pet. 1. 17. father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euerie mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare The third generall vse is that we doe not offer wrongs God a just reuenger of wrongs and injuries against our neighbours for though we can carry the matter so cunningly that they can get no aduantage against vs before the judgement seate of men yet when God the vpright Iudge shall come in his visitation he will without respect of person reuenge the wrongs of the injured and pay euery one by that measure wherewith they haue measured vnto others And this vse also the Apostle maketh diswading men from behauing themselues injuriously to others because hee that doth wrong shall receiue for the wrong which hee hath done there being no respect of persons with GOD. Col. 3. 25. Col. 3. 25. The vse which concerneth Superiours first respecteth God punisheth the mighty as well as the weake those who excell others in power and riches that they bee not hereby enbouldened to bee insolent in offring injuryes or cruell in oppressing the poore and weake knowing that there is a superiour power vnto theirs who nought respecteth their wealth and might for hee regardeth not bribes nor feareth the face of the Prince more then the basest subject who one day will goe his circuit and visitation and summon all to appeare at his Assises and will haue the causes of the weake and needy without partialitie tryed before him For hee accepteth not the persons of Princes and regardeth not the rich more then the poore because they be all alike the work of his hands as it is Iob. 34. 19. Iob. 34. 19. Secondly it respecteth superiours in authoritie as Magistrates Magistrates must execute righteous judgement and maisters of families that they be hereby moued not to abuse their authoritie which God hath put into their hands to his dishonour and the hurt of their neighbour As first
contemne the word of the Lord and desperately resolue to continue in their idolatrie Iere. 44. 16. 17. 21. 22. The like may be said of Ieroboam Iere. 44. 16. 17. 21 22. Ahab and the rest of the idolatrous Kings who after they had ioyned themselues with idols could by no meanes be euer parted from them neither by Gods word nor by his miracles by his benefits nor by his punishments And euen in our owne daies doe wee not see that the idolatrous Papists hauing wedded themselues to their superstitions will by no meanes admit of any diuorce and separation but shutting their eyes against the light of Gods truth and hardening their hearts against all those holy precepts whereby idolatrie and superstition is forbidden and condemned impudently persist in their euill courses chusing rather to rase out that which was written by Gods owne finger and to mangle and maime the commandements of almighty God which prohibite the making and worshipping of images then to suffer their idolatrous superstitions to bee rooted out of their hearts or to admit of any diuision or separation betweene them and their idols The vse of this doctrine is that when any are suiters vnto We must preuent the beginnings of idolatrie vs in the behalfe of idols for our loue we giue them a speedie answere and forbid the banes when they are first published alleaging for our selues that wee are alreadie married to our husband Christ and therefore cannot entertaine their loue vnlesse wee would become notorious strumpets that we haue alreadie receiued Christ into our hearts and therefore there is no place there for idols seeing there can bee no communion betweene them that we are the temples of the holy Ghost which hath no agreement with idols as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 6. 16. Yea let vs not onely abhorre 2 Cor. 6. 16. this spirituall whoredom in the grossest kinds but also withstand all meanes and occasions thereof making with Iob in another kinde a couenant with our eyes that wee will not looke vpon these alluring harlots and stopping our eares against all those bewitching pandors who solicite for them and wooe our harts from God and his pure worship Otherwise such is the inclinablenesse of our hearts to idolatrie and superstition and in so neere a bond of loue is corrupted nature and our fleshly part vnited with idols that if wee giue way to the first motions and suffer our hearts and affections to be ioyned with them the knot betweene vs will prooue inseparable and no perswasions will withdraw vs from them Thirdly wee here learne from the name which the holie Idolatrie and superstition bringeth no true comfort but horror and anxietie Ghost giueth vnto idols that they doe not giue vnto those who are deuoted to their seruice any true comfort or sound ioy or peace of conscience but contrariwise horrour and scare disquietnes of minde and iust cause of griefe and sorrow in respect of the manifold miseries calamities which they bring to both soule bodie and state in this life and the life to come For whereas those who serue the Lord the Prince of peace and God of all consolation may certainly expect from him peace of conscience in the middest of all wordly garboyles and true comfort when they are compassed about with all calamities contrariwise they who worship idols serue Satan the prince of terror and feare who continually tormenteth his vassals with perplexed mindes and troubled consciences and draweth them to their deuotions by dreadfull apparitions and affrighting terrors hauing no ground to giue vnto them whereupon they may build any sound cōfort Wheras those who truly serue God according to his reuealed will may securely expect helpe in the time of trouble and protection and deliuerance in the time of danger because hee is omniscient and knoweth our estates omnipotent and can relieue vs most kind and gratious and will not withdraw his helping hand when we stand in need contrariwise these idols are blind and cannot see vs impotent and cannot helpe vs without any loue yea without reason sense and life and therefore regard vs not when we most implore their aide Of the former we haue an example in Elias who worshipping the true God in a true maner was heard of God magnified in the sight of the people by an admirable miracle and protected and deliuered in the middest of all dangers of the others in Baals Priests 1. King 18. who by worshipping their idoll got nothing but wounds to their bodies anguish and perplexitie to their minds and soules and vtter destruction to them both The like reward had Ieroboam Ahab and the rest of the idolatrous Kings for their zealous deuotions and painfull seruice which they performed to their idols The vse of this doctrine is that which the Apostle Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 5. 21. that we keepe our selues from idols 1. John 5. 21. and preserue our bodies and soules pure and vndefiled from the filthie spots of this spirituall vncleannesse And this wee shall do if we resist and withstand the first beginnings and degrees of idolatrie and in Gods worship and seruice submit our selues to be guided by the straight line of his holy word neither declining on the right hand nor on the left or if wee haue been alreadie seduced and ioyned with idols I meane in the worshipping of Saints Angels and Images vnto which kind of idolatrie the Papists allure vs both by their doctrine and example then let vs betimes breake off this fellowship whilest yet there remaineth some hope of separation For if when in our heart and affections we are first ioyned and glewed vnto them we pull our selues asunder with an holy violence we shall finde the separation almost as easily atchieued as attempted the vnion being greene and weake but if we be hardened and strengthened in this coniunction by long time and custome we shall find that the whole wood will as easilie breake in sunder as the ioynt and as soone will the bodie part with his members and the soule admit of a willing diuorce from the bodie as we being thus ioyned may be seuered from idols vnlesse we be plentifully watered with the dew of Gods word and be throughly warmed with the fire of his holy Spirit and so being suppled be made pliable to Gods will Lastly wee heere learne that when men haue long withstood We must giue ouer those who are past cure and not intermeddle with them the meanes of their saluation and are hardned in their sins so as there is no hope of doing them good by our holy admonitions instructions exhortations and reprehensions then are we to let them alone and not to intermeddle with them first because we shall expose Gods holy ordinances to pollution and subiect them to the proude contempt of rebellious and malicious men contrarie to the admonition of our Sauiour Matth. 7. 6. Giue yee not that which Matth. 7. 6. is holy to dogs