greedinesse violently tooke what they pleased of the flesh of the offerings while it was raw to roast it were punished not onely in themselves by dying both and shortly after and in one day 1 Sam. 2 34. but in their posterity also For thus saith God to Eli There shall not be an old man in thine house v. 31. which threat is repeated v. 33. with this augmentation for ever as if God himselfe tooke this for a great punishment would have him take notice how greatly he had offended by the greatnesse of his punishment A short life hath beene alwayes counted among the Jewes for a very great punishment from God and therefore it is that to this day they have a custome when they come to 60 yeares of age to hold a Feast because at that time they say old age begins the number of 60 being contained in the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Job ch 5 26. where it is reckoned for a peculiar blessing of the godly to come to his grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a full age like as a shock of corne cometh in his season 7 Vntimely death Job's sons and daughters thus suffered While he was yet speaking there came also another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house And behold there came a whirlewind from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead Job 1. 18 19. If they were not gluttons then they who are gluttons have the more cause to feare the like punishment No sooner had the rich man said to his soule Eate drinke and be merry Luk. 12. 19 but God said to him Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee v. 20. It is said of the Israelites before mentioned Numb 11. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great slaughter Whether they died of a disease contracted by eating too much of the flesh or whether it were by a more immediate hand of God it is not expressed but the former seemes to be more likely from those words before mentioned vers 19 20. That gluttonous lust of the Israelites was so odious to God that as if there were no other or as if it were the worst lust of all his spirit hath set it downe under the generall name onely of lust They lusted a lust v. 4. And so to make the sin the more odious to men also the place where they buried the men that were punished with death for this lusting was called Kebroth-hattavah i. e. the graves of lust because saith the text there they buried the people that lusted v. 34. Among the Jewes the Son that was to be stoned to death upon the complaint of his parents the only vices to be mētioned in the complaint besides stubbornesse were gluttony and drunkennesse which is a kind of gluttony or as they call it intemperantia circa humidum Deut 21. 20 21. 8 Surprisall by the day of judgment or The worse usage when they are surprised Take heed to your selves least at any time your heart be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34 see Mat 24. 39. But especially have Gluttons cause to fear God's wrath if they are such in times of mourning and publique calamities for then they are sure to be punished without hope of pardon In that day did the Lord God of hoasts and yet they were not afraid to disregard him call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eate and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of hoasts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of hoasts Isa 22. 12 13 14. God Speaking ungodly for him Shall have no thankes but anger and punishment also unlesse the anger be appeased For thus God spake to Eliphaz one of Job's friends who unjustly accused him in the defence of God's justice My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the tbing that is right as my servant Job hath Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and goe to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right as my Servant Job hath Job 42. 7 8. Seven Bullocks and seven Rams A great offering and therfore doubtlesse they had Sinned greatly Folly There is much of this foolish hypocriticall Zeal amongst professours both doing and speaking more then they should in defence of religion In that ye have not God repeats the fault and therefore certainly he was much offended with it Observe how sharply Job took up his freinds for their uncharitable Zeal c 13. Will ye speake wickedly for God and talke deceitfully for him verse 7. Gospel Such as oppose it They are in the same condition with Selfemuderers For Paul said to the Jewes that opposed him at Corinth Your blood be upon your heads I am clean c. Act 18. 6. Nay with fighters against God who are sure not only to have the worst but to be beaten also for fighting Gamaliel told the councell of the Jewes when he disswaded them from medling with the Apostles If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest happily yee be found to fight against God Act 5. 39. They are punished 1. With corporall blindnesse Elymas Barjesus the sorcerer resisting Paul and Barnabas and disswading Sergius Paulus the Deputy of Paphos from hearkning to them was imediatly stricken with blindnesse Act 13. 11. What fearfull expressions did Paul use when he denounced this judgment against them O full of all subtilty and all mischeife thou child of the Divell thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord vers 10. He that would keep the light from another was justly punisht not to see the light himselfe Spirituall darkenesse both by the removall of the light of the Gospel as in the place afore quoted From hence forth I will goe unto the Gentiles Act 18. 6 and by utter rejection of the men themselves for so much seemes to be implyed in Paul's shaking his raiment to the Jewes of Corinth that opposed him in the same place As if he had said with all So God shake off you and every one that withstand the truth even thus let him be shaken out and emptied For such words Nehemiah used
I may make you more seriously then usually we do to think of these two things one as great an evill as we can be delivered from viz. Temptation and the other as necessary a duty as we can practise viz prayer against it which I never heard practised since the disuse of the Lord's Prayer 1 In the 40. v. of this ch it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be otherwise translated then it is viz. without a point after Pray Pray that yee enter not into temptation 2 In the 31. v. our Saviour saith that Satan had desired yea and obtained liberty to tempt them 3 In the 32 v. he saith that hee had prayed for Peter that in that temptation his faith might not faile 4 He had told them all the day before what danger they should be in that night of being offended at him through temptation and he had absolutely told Peter being confident to the contrary that he should deny him 5 He himselfe had prayed for the same in effect viz. That the cup might passe from him v. 39. And I must confesse I doe not think that by the preposition in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant as some say their being delivered up to temptation but only their coming into that temptation in which our Saviour already was viz. of being put to it either to depart from God or to part with life 6. There was not any thing which they had so much need to pray against at such a time as that was viz. when the shepheard himselfe should be smitten then that the sheep might not scattered from him and forsake him 7. It was that which the shepheard had long before prescribed to them especially to pray for viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would not LEAD or BRING them into temptation Matth. 6. 13. an expression to which this answers that ye may not enter into temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas it is there presently added And deliver us from evill so in this chapter it is said that Satan that evill one had begged them to winnow them therefore now if ever they had cause to pray to be delivered from him 8 The words added immediately after these Mat 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake seeme to make much for it For I doe not thinke as some doe that they are spoken in a favourable manner to excuse their drowzinesse because the contrary appeares by the verse next before where there is a reason mentioned why they were not to bee excused viz because Christ had as yet watched but one houre which was urged by our Saviour very sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What or is it possible could yee not watch with mee one houre But rather in a friendly monitory manner to minde them of their weaknesse especially because hee saw how confident they were of their strength to hold out in temptation as if hee had spoken the whole thus Doe yee sleep as if you were secure against and as if you would expose your selves to temptation you had more need watch and pray that you may not be tempted and all litle enough I deny not but according to your profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will may be present with you and you may be resolv'd in the spirit to hold it out with me even to die with mee But know this your flesh is weak So that unlesse my father doe extraordinarily strengthen you when it comes to you will not tell how to finde in your heart to perform what you would therfore by all means pray that ye may not be brought to temptation So that If to be free from Temptation it be needfull not only to pray but to pray against it you have no cause to wonder if They who doe not pray do meet with it Preaching of the VVord threatened to be removed Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Am 8. 11 12. A famine of bread or A hunger for bread So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the threat is not only of a want or scarcity but of an hunger earnest desire proceeding from that want as is plaine by the 12 verse by the word for of hearing which signifies literally To heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which aggravates the punishment very much for they shall have paine and griefe whiles they hunger and in the end shal be starv'd to death for want of what they would have And yet as we render it famine it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull because it implies a necessity of this food for the life of the Soule For we doe not call it a famine although other things be never so scarce and deare unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne or bread which we cannot be without Such as Hinder it have cause to feare 1 Removall of good preachers and havinâ— bad in their stead which is a worse punishment then if they had none Prophecy yâ— not say they to them that prophecie They shâ— not prophecie to them that they shall not taâ—â— shame Mic 2. 6. And it follows vers 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lyâ— saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine 〈◊〉 of strong drinke he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉 this people If you translate this verse witâ— the vulgar thus I could wish I were not man that had the spirit that which I speak were not true but yet I will prophecy to you 〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with winâ— even a full cup of judgments which I shall denounce unto you it will amount to thus much viz that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word from preaching the truth God will punish them with fearefull judgements and make even those very Ministers in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy In the originall it is drop in both verses And it is not unlike the people did indeed use this very word in a jeere because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek 20. 46. ch 21 2. Even as they did the words Line upoâ— Line Isa 28 10. The burden â—f the Lord Jer 23 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word c. 2 Death and ruine of their families That Amaziah but now mentioned who was a Priest of Bethel in Jeroboam's time is thus threatened by Amos Thou sayest Prophesie not and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack Therefore thus saith the Lord thy wife
not pray but prophecie And his prophecie was fullfilled for the Canaanites being the posterity of Cham which came of Canaan who alone is mentioned of Cham's sonnes and the ejection of whose posterity by the Israelites Moses his maine designe was to relate so that there is some ground to thinke that Canaan the grandchild had a hand in the sinne as I have said before those that were used best I meane the Gibeonites were used as servants the rest as servants of servants and worse too by the Israelites who were of the posterity of Seth and their brethren or kinred for so the word is used in Scripture by whom they were utterly destroyed Whether Noah prayed or prophecied this is certaine The prayers of Parents both for and against their children are very powerfull and many times come to passe like prophecies Augustine speakes of ten children that being cursed by their mother went about quaking and trembling from one place to another like vagabonds In that manner as some conceive Cain did because the Septuagint in Gen 4. 12. for fugitive and vagabond translate groaning and trembling And there might be many other instances given Insomuch that as Ambrose saith Children should honour their parents if it were for nothing but for feare honoretpius patrem propter gratiam ingratus propter timorem 2 With a most fearefull Judgement what ever it be The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out the young Eagles shall eat it Prov 30. 17. The eye the same thing I believe that is meant by Lamp in c. 20 and so it is expounded alike viz of the Soule And accordingly it is thought that by the Ravens of the valley and the young Eagles are meant the black Divels of the lowest Hell and the Spirits subject to that Prince of the ayre who shall make a prey of such a mans Soule as soone as 't is got out of the Cage If these words be meant onely of blindnesse as the Sept. seeme to have taken the other ch 20 yet is the Punishment sad fearefull The EIE that mocketh though he say nothing but doe it so closely that his father shall not know it And despiseth to obey or despiseth the wrinkles for so one saith the Hebrew word * also signifies and the Septuagint render it Old age that is the markes of her old age hastened with paines and care in bearing and bringing him up so that herein he is both unreasonable in despising that which himselfe occasioned and unnaturall also and worse then the beasts for some of them will pay their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great deale better then many Christians in feeding their old ones So that understand you by Ravens and Eagles what you will such a wretch as will mock his parents may well feare that the birds and beasts will rise up against him to punish him in this world and their naturall affection come against him in judgement co condemne him in the world to come Such as Set light by them threatned With a Curse Cursed be hee that setteth light by his father or mother Deut. 27. 16. Seteth light Doth not honour saith the Paraph. and the vulgar translation This sinne is ranked with very hainous sinnes in that Catalogue Ezek. 22. 7. after which follows a fearfull threat v. 13 14 15. Such as are Disobedient to them and Incorrigible With Stoning to death If a man have a stubborne and rebellious sonne which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have chastned him will not harken unto them Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the Elders of his city and unto the gate of his place And they shall say unto the Elders of this city This our sonne is stubborne and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard Being rebellious is the maine crime and being a glutton and a drunkard are brought in as evidences though crimes too And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he die So shalt thou put â—ill away froÌ„ among you all Israel shall hear and feare Deut. 21. 18 19. 20 21. Certainly rebellious children are grievous sinners in God's account and he will accordingly punish them because he aggravates the disobedience of the Israelites to his own self by it Isa 1. 2. I have nourished brought up childreÌ„ they have rebelled against mee And accordingly threatens them with grievous threats c 30. 1. c. Woe to the rebellious children Such as doe not Honour them Have cause to feare Shortnesse of life Because it is said Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Ex 20. 12. I say shortnesse of life simply because it is usually so expounded otherwise I should say short injoyment of their inheritances which is no reason they should enjoy who will not honour those from whom they have them Indeed I rather thinke that in these words is promised that which is promised also in other places to other things upon the keeping of the command not so much living long as living long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee In that good good Land for so the Septuagint translate and so it is otherwise called out of which on the contrary they are every where threatned to be cast out and carried away by captivity if they kept not the coÌ„mandments As for living long only a promise of that is annexed only to Letting the damme goe when they rob'd a bird's nest ch 22. 7. And Dying in a polluted land though they lived never so long was a punishment Amos 7. 17. I placed Not-Honouring after not-Obeying because I take it to be lesse as I take Honouring to be more then Obeying So farre am I from taking it for no more then it is commonly made to be viz honouring with Cap and Knee forsooth which they think to be enough without doing any thing when they are bid viz yeelding them help and support and indeavoring to reward them with acts of piety Reward them I say for so the word in the Hebrew for honour will signifie as well as to honour according to the use of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tim. 5. 3. and v. 17. Act 28. 10. The Jewes have a saying What honour is to bee given to parents To give them meat and drinke to cloath them and cover them Peace breaking see Discord Persecution Threats of it and for it All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim 3. 12. All from the Divell and most from men even for so living All that will but live honestly suffer by so living but not for
from thy Statutes for their deceit is a lie or falshood Ps 119 118. 6 Shortnesse of life Bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes Ps 5 6. By bloudy men is usually ment in Scripture not somuch downright murderers who take away the life of another as any other wrongfull or unconscionable and unjust dealers who take away that which is many times called their life viz their livelihood in Deut 24 6. he that taketh a milstone is said to take a mans life to pledge Thus oppressours unjust judges are said to have their hands full of blood Isa 1 15 with v. 17. See what butcherly actions are ascribed to them Mic 3 2 3 4. There are very many places to this purpose in the Prophets 7 Punishment by the hand of God not to be prevented in most dreadfull expressions for the Prophet Amos having complained of some that asked When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Ephah small and the Shekel great and falsifying the ballances with deceit Ch 8 verse 5. in the seventh verse he adds The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of these workes So in Micah chap 6 11 12 13. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitfull weights For the rich men thereof are full of violence and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee in making thee desolate because of this sin Notwithstanding all these threats and which it grieves my heart to see this sin of deceitfull dealling is swallowed with ease and lookt upon as a small sinne by those that straine at violence and abhore to commit it contrary to the judgment even of an heathen man who sayes he lookt upon it as the woâ—se crime of the two fraus quasi vulpeculae vis leonis utrumque alienissimum sed fraus odio digna majore Couzening is for a fox and violence for a Lion both are very inhuman things but of the two couzening is the more odious Cicero lib. 1. de Off. Delight in Sinne see Sinne. Desertion 1 Spirituall desertion I goe my way and yee shall seeke mee and shall die in your sins saith our Saviour to the Pharisees Joh 8 21. 2 Either spirituall or temporall or both for the expressions are very dreadfull I have forsaken my house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of her enimies Jer. 12 7. the Prophet had a little before spoken of their Hypocrisie towards God viz. vers 2. as well as towards himselfe vers 6. and therefore that sin is to be thought the main cause at least why this punishment was threatned I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercies Jer. 16 5. my peace so that I will be their enemy if it had beene but their peace that is peace among themselves or with men or their prosperity it had not deserv'd the name of a threat in comparison of this loving kindnesse and mercyes or goodnesse and bowels or pity so the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as proper expression of desertion and anger as may be if God had remov'd onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his goodnesse or beneficence by not doing them good yea if he had afflicted them with never so great judgments yet if he had retain'd his bowels to pity them in their misery and such mercy is properly meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowels their conditioÌ„ had been hopefull Oh t is a sad thing when God strikes a man and goes away and leaves him when he shews his back and not his face in his calamity And yet thus are the same people threatned against whom the former threat was denounced c. 18 17. And both these threats were for the same sinne viz Idolatry as you may see verse the 15 of this chapter and chap. 16 11. In Hosea also you have the like threat of Desertion and for the same sinne For the wickednesse of their doings I will drive them out of my house I will love them no more ch 9 15. now this wickednesse was Idolatry as is to be seen by those wordes in the same verse All their wickednesse is in Gilgal as if their other wickednesse were no wickednesse compared with Idolatry which they committed in Gilgal c. 12 11. I will forsake them I will hide my face from them Deut 31 17 for the same sinne verse 16. Despising Despisers punished Hagar Abraham's maid despising her mistresse Sarah because she had conceived by her master when her mistresse had not was by her master delivered up to the will of her mistresse who used her so hardly that shee was faine to runne away Gen 16. 5 6. Gaal despising Abimelech saying to the Schechemites whom he had caused to rebell against Abimelech and to be in subjection to himselfe Who is Abimelech that we should serve him Judg 9 28. when Abimelech came against the towne his army was overthrowne and himselfe by Zebul Abimelech's deputy governour of the place expelled the city vers 39 41. Nabal despising David when he sent to him for provision saying Who is David and Who is the son of Jesse this question it seemes was usuall in way of Contempt for otherwise you may see he knew well enough who he was had not his wife appeased this son of Jesse as contemptible as he made him with a present both himselfe and all his family had been put to the sword 1 Sam. 25 10 34. Sheba who drew away the ten tribes into rebellion against David in the same manner despised him calling him in contempt The sonne of Jesse but marke his end for God used a farre more contemptible instrument to destroy him then the sonne of Jesse and it was done in a very contemptuous manner for being besieged in Abel by the advise of a woman his head was cut off and throwne over the wall to Joab now whereas this fellow when hee stirred up the people to revolt cryed to them Every man to his tents jeering as if they might goe every one to his home and take no more notice of the sonne of Jesse when this was done it is said as if the Scripture meant to shew how it pleased God to fulfill those words one way which he intended in another that they retired every man to his tent 2 Sam. 20 1 compared with v. 22. Goliah the Champion of the Philistins despising David and threatning him as we say to make hawkes meat of him 1 Sam. 17 42 44. was slaine by him in a very contemptuous manner viz onely with a little stone flung out of a sling and afterward beheaded by him with his owne sword vers 49 50. Benhadad the King of Syria
enough in Scripture-account to make it so many dayes but yet because he did not that which doubtles he knew was the Prophet's meaning viz tarry out the full seven dayes it argues he cared little to obey his command or follow his councell and therefore he must suffer accordinly So againe chap 15 23 he tels him thus Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity * and Idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee frō being King Rejected or Slighted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said thus Thou wouldest be thought to hate Witchraft and Idolatry as most abominable crimes But I tell thee in Disobeying God's expresse command thou doest Slight and Reject God as much as he that doth worship an Idol or goe to a witch and therfore God hath also Slighted thee thought thee unworthy to be King any longer Here we read of no other fault but Disobedience neither viz in sparing Agag the King of the Amalekites and the best of the spoile vers 9 whereas he was cōmanded to destroy every thing without exception v. 3. Yet perhaps he thought to do God better service in reserving some for sacrifice therefore some observeupon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished Idolatry verse 23. but signifying Images which they used to divine and know things by and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished stubbornesse but as they say signifying to sinne by adding to God's command and serving him another way then he commands that in the verse before mentioned Saul was told thus much viz That by serving God one way wben he commanded another as if he knew better himselfe what way was best to serve him he was as bad as they that neglecting to seek to God sought to their Images or Teraphim But his serving of God in his owne way when God commanded another was but will-worship and I may say of obedience as God himselfe saies of mercy Hos 6. 6 God desireth obedience and not sacrifice even knowledge only as it is in the same place he desireth MORE then burnt offerings but he desireth obedience and mercy and NOT sacrifice If you have no knowledge I shall accept your offerings the worse but if you doe not performe obedience to me I will not accept of your sacrifices or your prayers at all And therefore as Solomon sayes Eccles 5 1 Be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles you will but play the foole and loose your labour in offering sacrifices so long as you refuse to heare and obey 5 In whole nations Conquest and Captivity The King of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria 2 Kings 18 11 and it followes v. the 12. Because they OBEYED not the voice of the Lord their God They were DISOBEDIENT and rebelled against thee c. Therefore thou deliveredst thē into the hand of their enimies c. thus said the Levites in their praier at the time of the fast after the returne to Jerusalem Neh 9. 26 speaking concerning the old Israelites 6 Cutting off from the congregation by the Leviticall Law Whosoever eateth that which is leavened even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of the Israel Ex 12 19. surely it must be only for Disobedience to a strict command for otherwise doubtlesse such an action was in it selfe indifferent 7 Destruction and death God told the Israelites by Moses before they went into Canaan As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face so shall yee perish because you would not be obedient to voyce of the Lord your God Deut 8 20. and he told the same people by Jeremy after their returne from captivity If they will not OBEY I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation Jer 12 17. Saul's one Disobedience in sparing Agag and the spoile is mentioned for the chiefe cause of his death So Saul died for his trangression as if it were said that his grand transgression of Disobedience which he committed against the Lord even against the word of Lord which he kept not 1 Chr 10 13. against the Lord even against the word of the Lord. for if it had not been against the word of the Lord that is if the Lord had not commanded him to doe what he did not it had not been against the Lord. What fault was there but Disobedience in the Prophet of Judah in eating and drinking with the old prophet of Bethel 1 Kin 13 21. and yet it is there said that while they sate at table the word of the Lord came to the man of God that came from Judah saying For as much as thou hast DISOBEYED the mouth of the Lord c. thy carcasse shall not come unto the Sepulchres of thy Fathers verse 20 21 22. and accordingly a Lion met him and killed him v 24. but he was not suffered to eate him v. 28. belike lest such an example of Gods anger against Disobedience might be too soone forgotten What other fault could there be in him who refused to smite the Prophet when the Prophet himselfe bad him 1 King 20 35 and yet that Prophet because he bad him in the name of the Lord told him Because thou hast not OBEYED the voyce of the Lord behold as soon as thou art departed from me a Lion shall teare thee which accordingly came to passe vers 36. Even of the righteous when God hath made use of affliction to open their eares to discipline Job saies If they OBEY NOT they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge Job 36 12. without knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because being instructed they would not learne or were Disobedient Lot's wife was to blame indeed for her curiosity but there is no fault of hers mentioned besides Disobedience to the Angel's command of not looking backe Gen. 19 17. and yet shee was turned into a pillar of salt verse 26. Jonah for refusing to goe to Nineveh when God commanded him was made to lie for it no lesse then three daies in the belly of hell Jon. 2 2. Lastly Those who were destroyed by the Flood it seemes Disobedience had a great part of the cause of their punishment for the terme that S. Peter gives them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes were Disobedient 1 Epist 3 20. Disobedience to God's command in some cases is threatned worse then in others according to the quality of the person by whom it was delivered c. If the command were delivered by the mouth of a Priest it is threatned with Death The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest c. evē that man shall die Deut. 17 12. If it were delivered but by the letter of an Apostle with Excommunioation If any man OBEY NOT our word by this Epistle note that man and have no fellowship
but see more to this purpose in the chapter of Discord Or at least Suspending their malice against those whom they persecute When the Scribes and Pharisees fell out upon occasion of Paul's mentioning the Resurrection the Scribes who held the resurrection which the Pharisees deny spake to have him acquitted Acts 23 7. Secondly A strange Pertinacie in prosecuting their malice and with this they are punished that they may be punished the more So the Canaanites were punished There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon all other they tooke in battle For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israell in battle that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favour for favour they were to shew them if they had made them answers of peace when they were summoned Deut. 20 11. but that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses Josh 11 19 20. In like manner was the King of Egypt punished that he might be punished the more as God professed it was his intention before hand Exod. 10 1. againe and againe but especially at the red Sea when he resolved to pursue the Israelites For certainly he could not thinke that he who was for them was for him too and if he were not it was strange he would not thinke that having made the water to stand on a heap against nature to preserve his friends he could and would make them returne to their naturall course to destroy his Enemies Thirdly A strange Feare when they come to act their designes even of those whom before they esteemed contemptible whereof they can give no reason It was Moses his Prophecy concerning the Canaanites FEARE and DREAD shall fall upon them by the greatnesse of thine arme for the greatnesse of Gods arme or power appeares most in his working upon the heart as by sudden passions or otherwise They shall be as still as a stone till thy people passe over O Lord till the people passe over which thou hast purchased Exod. 15 16. FEARE and DREAD so Deut 2 25. The FEARE of thee and the DREAD of Thee and chap. 11 25. The FEARE of you and the DREAD of you to shew it should be a meere feare whereof they could give no cause being greater in number strength Therefore it is said it should fall upon them that is come upon them they knew not from whence nor wherefore See Josh 2 9. and Esth 9 3. It was God's Promise I will send my Feare before thee Ex. 23 27. repeated Deut. 2 25. and chap. 11 25. This Prophesie and Promise were fulfilled and performed according to Rahab's confession to the spies I know that the Lord hath given you the Land and that your terrour is fallen upon us and that all the Inhabitants of the Land faint because of you Josh 2 9. The like had God done for their Fathers before them viz Jacob and his sonnes when they journeyed from Shechem to Bethel For although they had lately killed the Shechemites and so had more cause to be afraid themselves of revenge and although they were flying from Esau yet it is said that the Terrour of God was upon the cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sonnes of Jacob Gen. 35 5. The terrour of God the Feare of the Israelites but the terrour of God or a terrour from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. A Consternation sent from him Indeed it might be rendred a Great Consternation or terrour Such as could come from no lesse power then God's it was so great or such as could come frō none but God there being no cause of feare from man such as this was because the power of man was so small It is usuall you know in Scripture when the intention is to expresse the greatnesse or strength of a thing to adde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of God as you may see Gen 30 8. 1 Sam 14 15. Psalm 36 7. Jon 3. 3. c. There are other very notable examples of this terrour as 1 The Philistins for though they knew that unlesse it were with Saul and Jonathan there was neither sword nor speare found in the hand of the people 1 Sam 13 22. which was because they would not suffer them to have any Smiths that might make them yet it is said of them chap. 14 15 that assoone as Jonathan his Armour-bearer had made an assault upon the garison there was trembling in the Host and in the field and among all the people the garrison the spoylers they also trembled and the earth quaked so it was a very great trembling And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah looked and behold they melted away and they went on beating downe one another perhaps not knowing what they did out of extreme feare 2 Saul who was afraid of David before ever he went from the court or had any with him to helpe him For it is said 1 Samuel 18 12. Saul was AFRAID of David because the Lord was with him and was departed from Saul This is also an example of the like feare without cause for I take the reason which is added viz. Because the Lord c. to be given by him that wrote this booke and not as Saul's reason for had it beene so it is likely it would have beene said Was departed from HIM sibi reciprocally and not FROM SAUL 3 The Assyrians For it is said of the Jewes when Ahasuerus had given them leave to kill those who would have murdered thē in comparison of whom doubtles they were of a very contemptible number And no man could withstand them for the FEARE of them fell upon all the people Esth 9. 2. But that which is more strange yet it is said verse 3. of the same chapter that the FEARE of Mordecai of one single Jew whom even now they had appointed to be hang'd fell upon all the Rulers of the Provinces and the Lievtenants and the Deputies and Officers of the King Lastly Judas and his company of souldiers who when they came to apprehend our Saviour Assoone as he said unto them I am Hee went backward and fell to the ground John 18 6. I may say of all these in the words of David There were they in great feare where no feare was Psal 53 5. no feare that is no cause of feare A cause of feare there was indeed for as he sayes Psal 14 5. God is in the generation of the righteous but none in their account I might produce many places out of the Prophets and elsewhere which speake largely of God's way of punishing his Enemies with fearfulnesse but I will onely referre you to these three which you may read at your leasure viz. Isa 19 17. Mic. 17 17. Zach. 12 2. 2 Chr. 14 14. Fourthly Strange Sottishnesse and
it to be a little sin because ther is little said in the Scriptures against it for the greatest sinnes there are least spoken of Glory Those that give it to themselves are threatned 1 With God's great displeasure and severe punishment marke his angry expressions to the King of Egypt Son of man set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt and prophecy against him and against all Egypt speake and say Thus saith the Lod God Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the middest of his rivers which hath said My river is mine owne and I have made it for my selfe But I will put hookes in thy Jawes and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales c. Ezek 29 2 3. Those Hookes as it is likely were the Chaldeans by whom the King of Egypt was taken and all his Subjects like fish destroyed together with him 2 Severe punishment and the taking away of their glory I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high lookes for he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisedome for I am prudent c. Isa 10. 12 13. and it followes vers 16 under his glory he shall kindle a burning c. The Jewes say that the Angel smote his army with a secret fire which burnt their bodies without hurting their cloathes or their armes and that there were not ten men that escaped alive Hierom See Jer. 50 29 30. 3 Discovery of their weaknesse and frailty by suffering from others Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God but thou shalt be a man and not a God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Ezek. 28 9. Those that take it when it is given them by other men and do not turne it off to God Have cause to feare severe punishment for it is said of Herod when the people gave a shout after he had made an Oration to them and said It was the voyce of a God and not of a man that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up of wormes and died Act. 12 23. Gave not God the Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Glory viz. which the people gave him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not-giving THE Glory or not refusing Glory already made and given must not looke to be unpunished being wilfull sinne and neerer to sacriledge then receiving stolne goods is to theft if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not-giving glory to God or not-bringing Glory to God of our owne making have beene so severely threatned and punished For so it was First in the Israelite priests with Cursing of their blessings If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart Mal. 2 2. 2 In Belshazzar with The losse of his Kingdome at least it had a great hand in that punishment for Daniel when he told him of his sinnes whereby he had provoked Gods anger against him assoone as he had said The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes thou hast not glorified presently added THEN was the part of the hand sent from him and this writing was written Dan. 5 23 24. Gluttony Gluttons are punished or threatened 1 With Inconsiderate and selfe-hurtfull actions Esau was so greedy of and so gluttonously taken with the curious red red pottage which his brother had made that he sold him his birthright for a messe of it Gen. 25 30. whence he was afterward called Edom i. e. Red and his posterity Edomites 2 Loathing of that which they loved The full soule loatheth the hony-comb Prov 27. 7. 3 Sicknesse The Israelites wherein their God was their belly for they chose to serve that before God although they had no worse fare then the Angels Ps 78. 25 like so many swâ—ne snuffed at the pearle and as if they had been in such a lamentable case ready to starve for want of meat fell a weeping and crying who shall give us flesh to eat Num 11. 4. But how did God answer theÌ„ 't is true he gave them their owne desire but as the Sabines did Tarpeia who when she had desired of theÌ„ what thâ—y had in their left hands meaning no more then their rings put upon her rings and shields and all and pressed her to death with the weight For thus was Moses bid to answer them Seeing ye are so earnest for flesh ye shall have flesh but you shall have it with a vengeance for ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five daies nor ten days nor twenty dayes but even a whole month untill it come out at your nostrills and it be loathsome unto you v. 18. 19. 20. I believe this punishment was inflicted upon them in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an unsatisfied craving of the stomack in eating It is often threatned to the wicked in Scriptures perhaps sometimes in another sense in these words ye shall eate and not be satisfied as Levit 26 26. Isa 9. 20. Mic 6. 14. as on the contrary it is promised as a blesing to the Godly to eate and be satisfied Deut 14. 29. Ps 22. 26. and the reason is because they have other food to eate with it heavenly food with which a man may be satisfied if he have no other without which nor food nor any thing else will satisfie a man 4 Taking away or Marring of those creatures which they have abused When the Israelites gathered Manna if any were so greedy as to gather more then they could eate that which was left till the next morning bred wormes and stank Exod 16. 20. 5 Hunger and want For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23. 21 The Prophet Isaiah having told the Jewes of their Feasts which they kept in honour to their Idols chap 65. verse 11. in the 13 verse thus threatens them Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my servants shall eate but ye shall he hungry behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Our Saviour saith Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Luk 6. 25. and so it came to passe in the Prodigall Son who wasted his substance in riotous living Luk 15. 13. for afterward it is said v. 16. he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eate and no man gave unto him 6 Shortnesse of life Ordinarily by their owne intemperance breeding diseases in their bodies and this every man sees and knows See Ecclus 37. 30 31. Extraordinarily by the hand of God thus Hophni and Phinehas who out of gluttony and
revenge of God shall be both upon the power and policie of that man of sin his power shall be abated and utterly weakened by the breath of the mouth of God and his craft and policy shall at the last end in disappointment and confusion But Grotius a most sagacious Oedipus and one that had a Lyncean sight himselfe only his endeavour was to make the Prophets look as little way as possibly he could though I know not whether he deserve somuch blame here makes it to be spoken of Manasses who left Jerusalem and went and set up a Temple at Garizim saying that his arme was then dried up when the Souldiers of his father in law Sanballat by whose assistance he did his work were all carried away captive by Alexander the Great into Egypt and that by his right eye is meant the Knowledge of Divine things which in short time was very much darkened and made almost quite blind 7 For Not judging the Fatherles the Widow c. with Removall from their places c In abundance of anger They judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the cause of the Widow come unto them Isa 1. 23 which was no sooner mentioned but the threat could be no lonber kept in for it presently follows Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of Hoasts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine enemies the enemies of God's people are his enemies and those that oppresse them oppresse him I will ease mee And I will turne my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne And I will restore thy Judges as at the first c. verse 24 25 26. Nay 8 For Ignorance when insteed of being Sheepheards they are SHEEP themselves bruitish and sottish especially in things concerning the worship of God Not prosperity and losse of their Subjects For the Pastors are become brutish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered Jer 10. 21. Law righteousnesse Such as trust to it are thus threatened Christ is become of none effect to you Whosoever of you are juistified by the law ye are fallen from Grace Gal 5. 4. Are justified It is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza says or it is a Hebraisme viz for SAY you are justified for justified indeed the Jewes or any other could not be otherwise it had been no threat as the Apostle delivers it ver 3. to be a Debtour to doe the whole Law and yet they both thought they could boasted that they were able which opinion and boasting of theirs was as false and vaine as the present opinion of the Rabbines that whosoever professeth Judaisme let him live how he will shall have a portion in the world to come Leaving of men by God threatned I will teare and goe away Hos 5. 14. and v. 14. I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence c. Then is a punishment of the Sense of affliction truely deplorable when it is aggravated with the Losse of God's presence God himselfe who best knowes both our happinesse and our misery hath said Woe also unto them when I depart from them Ch. 9. 12. Libertinisme The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished But chiefly thē that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanesse and despise government Presumptuous are they self-willed c. 2. Pet. 2. 9 10. It follows likewise v. 12. But these as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed speake evill of the things that they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption Love The want of it is punished with Non-acceptance of Not being the better by any thing we doe though it be never so specious Though I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball 1. Cor. 13. 1. or I am nothing ver 2. or It profiteth me nothing vers 3. Lovers of Life more then Christ threatned With the Losse of it Whosoever will save his life shall loose it saith Matthew c. 6. 25. Whosoever shall seek to save his life saith Luke ch 17. 33. though he have not what he seeks for nay further yet according to the title he that LOVETH his life shall loose it saith John though he never sought to save it Ch. 12. 2. If thou doest but in thine heart where I might have left out the but because that which is least with men is most almost all with God preferre this life before thy Saviour with what sense canst thou presume to have him thy Saviour or with what face canst thou expect to have that life which thou hast by overmuch affection to this sleighted and rejected Lovers of the world They are thus spoken to by James Ye◠adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a freind of the world is the enemie of God c. 4. 4. God's anger against such men as against adulterers is Jealousy and he will not spare in the day of vengeance If a wife should have many husbands and yet commit adultery who can excuse her God is to us as good as many husbands In Isaiah Ch. 54. 5. where it is said thy maker is thine husband in the originall 't is husbands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew what an excellent husband he is Lukewarmnesse The Angel of Laodicea was thus threatned Because thou art lukewarme and neither hot nor cold I will spew thee out of my mouth Rev. 3. 16. God does loath a halting religion as much as a stomack doth lukewarme water Lying threatned and punished 1. With not prevailing at the least as in false witnesse and slander when men speak one thing and know the contrary A false witnesse or a witnesse of lyes shall perish but the man that heareth speaketh constantly or speaketh to prevaile conquer in his cause Prov. 21. 28. 2 Discovery in a little time The Lip of truth shall be established for ever but a lying tongue is but for a moment Prov. 12. 19. 3 Being put to silence at the lest Let the lying lips be put to silence Ps 31. 18. Perhaps it is meant by putting them inter silentes or causing them to be silent in the grave by death as in the verse next before 3 Gods Hatred as in flattery when men speak one thing and doe the contrary Lying lips are abomination to the Lord but they that deale truly are his delight Prov 12. 22. 4 The Hatred of Men refusing to admit such as are guilty of it either into their service or societie He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house he that telleth LIES shall not tarry in my sight Ps 101. 7. 5 A Curse
them are threatned 1 In generall with Woe For thus our Saviour threatned Chorazin and Bethsaida for not repenting notwithstanding he had done most of his mightie workes in them Mat. 11. 20. 21. 2 Removall of those meanes For thus our Saviour threatned the Priests Elders of the Jewes after he had told them a parable of husbandmen who returned their master no fruit of his Vineyard notwithstanding he had sent so many servants nay and his own Son and heire to receive them The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Mat. 21. 43. Now the justice of this punishment they themselves had before in the parable unwittingly acknowledged eveÌ„ as David did the justice of his in the parable of Nathan 2. Sam 12. 5. For being asked what they thought the Master would doe to those husbandmen when he came himselfe they made answer with indignation He will miserably destroy those wicked men will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their season vers 40. 41. 3 Condemnation by others who profited by lesse shall rise up in judgement against them as witnesses to testifie that lesse means then they have had are sufficient meanes for coÌ„version For thus our Saviour told the Scribes and Pharisees they should be condemned by the Ninevites and the Queen of the South viz because they repented not at his preaching and refused to heare him whereas the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas for so litle while and the Queen of the South came so farre even from the utmost parts of the earth and only to heare the wisdome of Solomon who were both farre inferiour to him Mat. 12 41. 42. 4 Greater condemnation then others Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shal be much required c. Luk 12. 48. They shall have many stripes vers 47. This is the condition of all men to whoÌ„ the Gospell is preached because they have no excuse at all to plead If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sinne but now they have no cloak for their sinne Joh. 15. 22. at least no cloak that is great enough to cover it Men-pleasers threatned 1 With Being disowned by Christ For if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. 2 God's hatred Yee are they which justify your selves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteem'd amongst men is Abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. Christ thus spake to the Pharisees who were altogether Men-pleasers in every thing that they did it was their maine fault and it was all they car'd for Paul was one of them and therefore in the place before quoted he saies if I YET please Mercies Not being bettered by them SeeVnthankefulnesse Security and Prosperity Ministers their Duty Ministers if naught have cause to feare these ensuing punishments Such as are Scandalous and Corrupters of the word Contempt For thus were the Priests among the Jewes threatned But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partiall in the law Mal. 2. 8. 9. In Samuel it is said even of the servant of the Priests of Belial Wherefore the sinne of the young man was very great before the Lord viz because it was scandalous for by this means men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 1. Sam. 2. 17. See Ezek. 22. 26. Such as Teach false doctrine whereby they cause the wicked to presume and the godly to despaire a practise very much to be lamented amongst us Being by some severe punishment or other made to leave their function Wiâ— yee pollute mee among my people for handfulls of barley and for peeces of bread to slay the soules that should not die and to save the soules alive that should not live by your lying to my people that heare your lies Ezek. 13. 19. so ver 22. you have the same complaint but it followes vers 23. Therefore yee shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations for I will deliver my people out of your hand and yee shall know that I am the Lord. For handfuls of barly for pieces of bread Hierom saies this is most properly applied to Teachers of hereticall doctrines who as we have frequent experience in these dayes doe not take whole places of Scripture but broken pieces here there for the confirmation of their errors His words are these Non propter chorum hemichoruÌ„ hordei ut in Hosea legimus c. 5. sed propter pugillum hordei quo bruta vescuntur animantia fragmentum panis non panem integrum nec solida testimonia scripturarum sed quae haereticâ pravitate fracta decurtata atque imminuta sunt sanctos quosque decipiant ad mortem trahant peccatores vanis promissionibus vivificare contendant See the chapter of False-teachers Such as are covetous daubers and Men-pleasers 1 Ignorance and Shame Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my pâ—ople to erre that bite with their teeeh cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare warre against hjm. therefore night shall be unto you that yee shall not divine and the Sun shall goe down over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them then shall the Seers be ashamed and the diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Mic. 3. 5 6 7. That bite with their teeth and cry peace Chald. Par. He that offereth them a feast of flesh to him they prophecy peace I am ashamed to remember how much it hath been the practise of many to preach for entertainment and preferment They even prepare warre the Hebrew word will import sanctifie warre and though I know it be usuall in this sense yet it puts me in minde of the Popish pretended holinesse in denouncing warres and excommunications against such as doe not stop their mouthes by feeding them with gifts They shall all cover their lips The Sept. translate they shall all of them curse for so I chuse to translate their translation rather then as others do all shal curse them because of the Hebrew word for all with an affixe after it signifying all of them reciprocally because of that which follows viz insteed of because there is no answer because there is none to heare them Which puts me in minde of what we have known of later daies especially both by false teachers amongst themselves and by Papists from abroad who having endeavour'd to seduce the people with their false doctrines when they see it is in vaine how doe they bite their lips for vexation If you
and would have also slaine Elijah 1 Kings 19. 14 was throwne out at window by her servants and troden under foot by her enemies and eaten up by the dogs 2 King 9. 36. according to Elijahs prophecy 1 King 21. 13. 2. Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist Mat. 14. 10 was banished into France and there murdered as he was a hunting You may marke the end also of Herod Agrippa who imprison'd Peter and James although his death be by Luke attributed to another cause Act 12. 33. The Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the ghost 3 Nero who caus'd Paul to be put to death he call's him the Lyon 2 Tim. 4. 17 had been drawn through the city and whipped to death according to the sentence of the Senate but that he cut his own throat before Lastly Domitian called also Nero by the people who banished John the Evangelist into the Island Patmos was conspired against and murdered by his own wife and some of his friends and after his death both his name and all his Acts were eras'd and abolished by the decree of the Senate But what doe I talke of persecuting by offering violence when as Such as Mocke at them are punished 1 With Wrath unappeaseable But they mocked the messengers of God and dispised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2 Chron 36. 17. Against his people c. whom he was loath to be so angry with bâ—t being thus provoked he could not forbeare 2 Severe punishment both on them and theirs The Jewes because the Prophets had told them so many prophecies of God's judgements for their sinnes and of nothing else and because they saw none of those prophecies yet fulfilled at length began to mock at them when they met them and to aske them in derision because with those words usually they began their prophecie especially of Gods judgements What is the burden of the Lord and their false Prophets and Priests would doe the like But they are thus threatened by Jeremy And as for the Prophet and the Priests and the people that shall say the burden of the Lord I will even punish that man and his house Jer. 23. 34. So v. 36. Every man's word shall be his burden viz. either because God would burden them with heavie judgements for thus speaking or because it should lye as a burden upon their consciences hereafter when those prophecies should be fulfilled to have thus derided them 3 Reproach for their reproach And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon them and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten Jer. 23. 40. We all know the proofe of this The very name of a Jew is to use the Scripture language a reproach a by-word and a curse to this day though I believe these words are rather meant of their unhappinesse then of their wickednesse 4 Violent death by wild beasts As Elisha was going up to Bethel There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him Goe up thou bald head Goe up thou bald head And he turned backe and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two shee beares out of the wood and tare forty and two children of them 2 Kings 2. 23 24. Children what must the elder sort expect then Some make this Allegory which I mention because what is said is not impertinent to the subject in hand Christ a Crucifying was Elisha the Jewes mocking him and saying If thou be that Christ the Sonne of God come down from the Crosse were the children and Titus and Vespasian who shortly after destroyed both them and their City the two bears though in the masculinâ— gender because they were so fierce that they had better have met with a beare robbed * of her whelps then them Such as Despise them or sleight them Shall be punished as despisers of Christ himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Just as Moses told the Israelites Exod. 17. 2. Why chide you with me wherefore doe ye tempt the Lord. And ch 16. 7. he heareth your murmurings against the Lord. For what are wee that you murmure against us Let them put it off how they will viz that they despise not God but the men their distinction will not serve For he that truly respects me will respect any one that comes from mee for my sake Further Such as Believe them not have been punished and threatned 1 With violent death That Lord that would not believe Elisha who when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians even in the extremity of the famine prophecied that the next day a measure of fine flowre should be sold for a shekle c. was by him threatned that he should see it indeed with his own eyes to his conviction but he should but see it to his griefe for he should not eat of it which fell out accordingly for the next day hee was troden to death by the hungry greedy people as they pressed out at the gate to take the spoile of their enemies camp to satisfie their hunger 2 Kings 7. 2. 17. 2 Being worse dealt with at the day of Judgement then Sodome and Gomorrah and how bad is that like to be Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words when yee depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for that city Mat. 10 14 15. Further Such as will not suffer them to reap their carnall things One may conjecture their Condition is not safe by the strictnesse of the charge given to the Israelites concerning the Levites Take heed to thy selfe for thou wilt hurt thy selfe most that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upoÌ„ the earth Deu. 12. 19 as long as thou livest upon the earth Come what will poverty or any condition yet be sure to remember him and that as long aâ— thou art upon the earth though thou art led captive out of thine own countrey See the charge repeated Deut. 14. 27. after which it is added vers 29. That the Lord may blesse themin all the worke of thine hand which thou doest Which seemes to be spoken as if otherwise hee would not in this manner blesse them Nay further yet Such as doe not stand by them in persecution Have cause to to feare as may be gathered by what Paul saies of those who deserted him At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16 See the ch of Not-helping the godly at the end Ministery Such
sinne it must expect a great punishment Give me leave to produce what a heathen speakes in commendation of the practise under the golden age When although men had no other law besides that of nature yet he saies they counted it a capital crime if a young man did not rise up as the phrase is here used likewise in the Hebrew to an Old man though a poorman Credebant hoc grande nefas morte piandum Si Juvenis vetulo non assurrexerit si Barbato cuicunque puer licet ipse videret Plura domi farra majores glandis acervos Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor annis But the present age is of another mettall Wherein the disrespect commonly shewed not only to old men but to old parents and such especially for then doe we slight them most when we should most respect them makes this report concerning those times almost incredible so that I may use the words of the Historian speaking of an army how the younger bands gave place to the elder Vix ut verisimile sit parentum quoque hoc saeculo vilis levisque apud liberos autoritas Of the respect given and commanded to be given to old men in Scriptures See Job 29. 8. Chr 32. 4 6 7. Rom 16. 3. 1 Tim 5. 1 2. Opportunities of Grace such as neglect them threatned 1 With Hardening Exhort one another while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. See Ps 32. 6. Isa 55 6. 2 Cor 6 2 2 Removall of the meanes afforded them Yet a litle while the light is with you walke while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh 12. 35. 3 Not being suffered to have any more though they desire it Our Saviour told his Disciples The day will come when yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the son of man and shall not see it Luk 17. 22. See c. 13 24. 4 Being suffered to dye in their sinnes I goe my waies and yee shall seek me and shall dye in your sinnes whither I goe yee cannot come Joh 8. 21. Because it is not your desire to seek me when I may be found it shall bee your punishment to seek me when I may not Now seeing it is thus I will exhort you in the words of Jeremy to the Jewes Give glory to the Lord your God by repenting and believing before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the darke mountaines and while yee look for light he turne it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse Jer 13. 16. And if you will not heare it I am sure I shall have cause to mourne as hee had saying it with confidence as if the punishment were already inflicted Because the Lord's flock is carried away captive vers 17. because through your inward darknesse in the midst of so much light you are led captive by Satan into outer darknesse whence there is no returning to all eternity Oppression Oppressours of the Poore threatned 1 In generall with Punishment great and sure enough For God goes solemnly about it as if he made it his businesse to keep an assize of purpose for them The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancient of his people and the Princes thereof for yee have eaten up the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses Isa 3. 14. The spoile of the poore c. which is like the gold of Toloze for none can prosper that have it Nay he is so earnest at it that he riseth off his seat to execute it For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12. 5. 2 Poverty and losse of their estates which they have gotten by oppression Solomon hath a Proverb for it He that oppresseth the poore to encrease his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to a want Prov. 22. 16. Hee that oppresseth in the Septuagint the Paraphrase and the Vulgar he that falsly accuseth onely Amos hath a prophecie for it Forasmuch therfore as your treading is upon the poore and yee take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stone but yee shall not dwell in them yee have planted pleasant vineyards but yee shall not drinke of them ch 5. 11. This is a great punishment and matter of much vexation much more then if the houses or vineyards had been bought or given It is a punishment often mentioned in the Scripture viz. not dwelling in an house that a man hath built not eating or gathering of the grapes of the vineyard which a manhath planted See Deut. 28. 30. ch 20. 6. 3 Destruction 1 Of their persons Hee shall judge the poore of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour Ps 72. 4. Break in pieces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he expresses that which he often uses and the Scripture intimates as much in allusion by using the same words as I have often said his retaliating or doing to them as they have done to others for it is said of these oppressours Is 3 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they beat or break in pieces my people grinde the faces of the poore 2 Of their countrey for the Prophet Amos cha 8. after complaint made of some that swallowed up the needy v. 4. and that bought the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes v. 6. thus threatens Judea The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Judah Surely I will never forget any of their workes Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourne that dwelleth therein c. vers 7. 8. Shall not c. as if he had said If the land have cause to tremble at any time it hath now under the weight of such heavy Oppressours Or I cannot chuse but make it tremble now unlesse I will be God no longer Oppressors of the Fatherlesse Widdows Strangers and Servants Are threatned with speedy punishment perhaps the more speedy because their oppressours put it so farre away for these were the words of the Jewes Where is the God of judgement Mal 2. 17. But in the following Chapter you have this threat And I will come neere to you in judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers c. and against these that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the fatherlesse and that turne aside the stranger from his right feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts vers 5. And feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts or feare not me who am the Lord of hosts and therefore able nay who am a father of the fatherlesse and a judge of the widowes Ps 68. 5. a preserver of the stranger Ps 146. 9. and
prosperity we are apt to say we will not heare The threat presently followes vers 22. The wind shall eate a up all thy pastours thy lovers shall goe into captivitie c. So likewise vers 23. it is said O inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars thinking thy selfe as secure as the eagle in his nest Jer. 49. 16. But it is presently added in the same verse How gratious shalt thou be now when pangs come upon thee Or if you will How shalt thou be gracious and obtaine favour and mercy when adversity cometh having beene thus lifted up with prosperitie See the like complaint Hos 10. 1. where Israel is compared to a vine that bringeth forth fruit only for it selfe perhaps only leaves for it 's own covert not for the use of the owner 3 Most severe punishments without mercy According to their pasture so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten mee Therefore will I be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will will I observe them I will meet them as a beare robbed of her whelps and will rent the cawle of their heart and there will I devoure them like a lyon the wild beast shall teare them It is spoken of the Israelites Hos 13. 6 7 8. As a Lyon Seeing they have beene like idle beasts to mee onely growing fatt with my blessings as beasts doe with pasture till they kick against their master I will be like a cruell beast to them even like a Lyon and punish them without mercy as a ravenous beast will I observe them and chuse out the fattest of them for my prey I will destroy the fat and the strong Ezek. 34. 16. Full and high fed horses and such as have layen long idle breake and grow unruly but they are sure to be hampered for it And there will I devoure them There that is saith one in the heart as if the threat were thus As the Lyon when he kils a beast falls upon the HEART chiefly and the blood and the fat that is about it and leaves the rest of the body to be devoured by other beasts So I will first punish the Israelites in their hearts with sorowes and feares and afterward deliver them to the Assyrians to punish them in their bodies with oppression and violence In the places hitherto cited you have had God's punishments for abused prosperity upon the Israelites his owne people for Judgement usually beginneth at the house of God Now I shall shew you how he threatened and punished the heathen as 1 The Moabites who for trusting in their treasures Jer 48 7 their Idols v. 13 for their ease* obstinacy in their wickednesse in Keeping their Sent like wine setled upon the lees because they had no Changes and because no enemy molested them vers 11 in the 12 vers are thus threatned I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander and shall empty his vessels break their bottels 2 Chaldea who for being overjoyâ—d with successe upon her enemies growing fatt with the spoyle of Gods people Jer 50 11 is threatned to be dealt with her selfe as she had dealt with others Chaldea shall be a spoyle all that spoyle her shal be satisfied vers 10. 3 Sodome the maine occasion if not the cause of whose fearefull punishments was her idle security and her proud confidence for her fulnes of bread Ezek. 16 49 50. Idlenes as well as ful feeding will breed dsieases in mens bodyes draw down judgement upon their persons Security confidence if they be not the causes why men suffer punishments are the occasions why they doe not escape them for like hypnotick potions they bring men asleep with the doores open upon them so tâ—at misery and all sorts of misery may come upon them and take them napping in one day as it is said of Babylon Whose threat because it is so pat to my purpose I will produce How much shee hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queene and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine for she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rev 18. 7 8. Worldly men as they abuse prosperity so they are abused by it and deceived viz by becomming so proud as to think they can never be removed But see how Edom is threatned for his pride thus occasioned Jer 49. 16. Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart c. Be more afraid in and of prosperity then adversity They who are too much taken with it will be quickly taken by it and ensnared For it is no better to worldly men then a baited snare Proud men Have cause to feare 1 God's slighting and neglecting of them for however some translate yet the place is most easily thus interpreted the context seemes to require it Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth a farre off Psal 138. 6. He knoweth them well enough and that they shall know one day but he doth not acknowledge nor respect them Thinke it not strange The higher men are the further from heaven See more in sect 4. 2 God's anger and resolution to punish them for it is said even of Hezekiah though he were onely too glad or as we say proud of a mercy the recovery of his health His heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. This wrath was executed after his death and it had beene executed before had he not humbled himselfe for having exalted himself Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart c. So the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the daies of Hezekiah verse 26. 3 God's hatred Both when it is expressed in behaviour These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look c. Prov 6. 17. And when it is only in the heart as there are too many proud hearts with dejected looks Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord c 16. 5. And no wonder for God knoweth whereof he is made and that he is but dust Ps 103 14. How doe our stomacks rise when we see a man proud whom we know to come of a very meane descent 4 God's setting himselfe against them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble I believe this was an ordinary saying in the times of the Apostles like a proverb Both Peter and James have it in their Epistles 1 Pet. 5. 5. James 4. 6. It was one of Solomon's proverbs long before Surely he scorneth the scorners but giveth grace to the lowly Prov. 3. 34. It is a fearfull thing
to assure you for God cannot suffer it As a cage is full of birds so are their houses full of deceit therefore they are become great and waxen rich They are waxen fatt they shine yea they overpasse the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause of the fatherlesse yet they prosper and the right of the needy doe they not judge Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Jer. 5. 27. 28. 29. Such as trust in them punished 1 With a Fall for they leane upon that which cannot support them He that trusteth in riches shall fall but the righteous shall flourish as a branch Prov 11 28. 2 Death the sooner when they have most wealth most Confidence to shew the vanity of their confidence I will say to my soul quoth the rich man in our Saviour's parable Luk. 12 soule thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee then whose shall these things which thou hast provided Luk. 12 20. Death temporall is the least that is here meant and of this we have frequent experience 3 Exclusion out of heaven It is easier for a Camel to goe through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heaven Mark. 10 25. It is meant of him that trusts in his riches for our Saviour himselfe expounds it so vers 24. Not only him that trusts in them therefore keeps them such a one as seems to be meant in that place of the proverbs but now cited but him that trusts in them and therefore bestowes them and so even the the righteous man or the charitable man for so it is often meant let him be never so righteous shall fall as well as the other Doubtlesse trusting in riches will be punished punished with much rigour For thus speakes Job If I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold Thou art my confidence chap 31 24. and afterward addes This were also an iniquity to be punished by the Judge v 28 or as the Hebrew is an iniquity of the judges As if hee had said I should answer for such a sin not before a mercifull God but a just Judge It is not a sin of the Preists like a sin of ignorance for which the Preists may make mine atonement with an offering No it is scelus gladii a sin which I must be certainly punished for by the judge And the reason which he adds is For I should have denied the God that is above I have applyed these words to the 24 vers because I met with no answer to his IF betwitx this and that and because the reason agrees as well with this sin mentioned in that verse as with the other mentioned in the 27 viz. the sinne of Idolatry Now as Job joynes the sin of trusting in riches with Idolatry so the Apostle gives Covetousnesse the very name of Idolatry Coloss 3 5. which name it cannot have for any reason so well as because of this sinne which covetous men are usually guilty of See in the chapter of covetousnesse Such as love them too much though they came lawfully to them They are alwaies punished with Want of satisfaction He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Eccels 5. 10. He that hath it and doth not love it though he cannot be satisfied BY it as he cannot by any thing besides God yet he may be satisfied with it that is have so much as to desire no more or have what hee hath with rest and content which he that loves it never will This punishment of not-being satisfied is a sore punishment and it is very usuall with God to punish wicked men with it as I have hinted elsewhere See also Ezek. 7. 19. They have cause to feare other punishments by the hand of God For Job in the place last quoted immediately after those words If I made gold my hope as indeed love of riches and confidence in them more or lesse usually goe together though we doe not perceive it added also If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because mine hand had gotten much vers 25. See for this also in Covetousnesse Rich and wicked The Scripture speaks against them thus 1 That they cannot prosper The sunne is no sooner risen with a burning heat but it withereth the grasse and the flower thereof falleth and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth so also shall the rich man fade away in his waies Jam 1. 11. They spring as grasse Psal 92. 7. But it is but as grasse for like grasse they wither Psal 102. 11 and in litle time like the grasse upon the top of a house Psal 129. 6. They are fading every way What they have is fading and they doe nothing that will last and stand by them when what they have faileth All their treasure is on earth They have none in Heaven neither doe they care to lay up any there and therefore they must not think to be able to live there especially having no friends there neither to entertaine them Luk. 16. 9. They have nothing whereon to build any hope for they doe not lay up a good foundation for the time to come 1 Tim 6. 18 19. life's joy and pleasure content is all that wicked rich men look after And yet they misse of those too For even this life is never the better for riches or for having more then others in regard that a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth or a man's living upon his estate is not according to his having more then another Luk 12. 15. which was a reason our Saviour used to disswade his Disciples from greedinesse of having more wealth one then another Nay it is usually the worse as will appeare in the ensuing punishments 2 That they shall be nay that they are very miserable in regard of sundry evills and punishments some of which arise meerely from their wealth so that the preacher had very good cause to say There is a sore evill which I have seen under the sun riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Eccles 5. 13. Kept FOR them as who would ay kept by God as a scourge to punish them not kept BY. for wicked men are not masters but slaves of their wealth which they doe not so much use as they are abused by it Now those evills or punishments are 1 Want of sleep either through intemperate use or immoderate love of what they have The sleep of a labouring man is sweet whether he eat litle or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep Eccles 5. 12. 2 Trouble In the house of the righteous is much treasure and that is all without any
laying judgment to the line and spoken after the same manner viz in answer to the peoples opinion that there was no divine providence to take notice of mens actions that things should continue as they were without alteration But saith God they shall know the contrary for I will not only punish them but I will doe it very exactly so that not only not all but none shall escape Josephus saith that the Romane Souldiers under Titus when he tooke Jerusalem searched the very sinks and graves and dens for men and put to death those that they found That say in their heart you have had the expression twice before in this chapter of Security And indeed it is proper to all Secure men so to say and the best of us are guilty of it oftner then we take notice of In their heart That is enough with God to provoke him and we dare not say otherwise then in our hearts for feare of provoking men 3 Death by the sword All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword which say the evill shall not overtake nor prevent us Amos 9. 10. 4 Sudden unavoidable destruction For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thess 5. 3. 5 All the curses written in the booke of the Covenant And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Deut 29. 19 20. No wonder then that the Prophet Amos should say Woe to them that are at ease in Sion Amos 6. 1. Seducers and seduced See False teachers Selfe conceited men punished 1 By their own sin deceiving them For if a man think himselfe to be something when he is nothing he deciveth himselfe Gal 6. 3. 2 By God detaining from them that which they think they have Whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have Luk 8. 18. Selfe-destruction Threatned to Sinners In generall as for the prime and remote cause any sins whatsoever are mens owne snares and stumbling blocks so that you may say to a man of any of them as Moses does of serving Idols It will surely be a snare unto thee Ex 23. 33. Sinners will run themselves fast enough in and hang themselves sure enough with the Cords of their owne sins of their own accord although or rather indeed If God let them alone His own iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins Prov 5. 22. Wickednesse is the fire and they are the briars and thornes Isa 9. 18. Punishment by God is but their own way brought back again upon their own head The Scripture useth this expression for it 1 Kings 8. 32. as likewise that of eating the fruit of their own waies Pr. 1. 31. David prayed that the way of his enemies might be dark and slippery Psal 35. 6. Jeremy threatned that the way of the false Prophets should be so chap 23. 12. I make no doubt but I may say that the way of every sinner is so Which if it be there needs none to throw him downe for hee will fall soone himselfe and fall most dangerously as a man must needs doe in such waies Many are the places of Scripture which speake to this purpose especially in the Psalmes and the Proverbs You may see at your leasure Psal 64. 8. 140. 9. 141. 10 * Prov. 11. 5 6 19. ch 13. 6 14. 14. 21. 7. 29. 6. I say that every sinner will punish himselfe with his own courses when once God leaves him or gives him leave to take those courses and so to punish himselfe Now the main cause of God's leaving him in this manner is his leaving God first and refusing to hearken to the counsell of his word So that still the sinners destruction is from himselfe and he is his own greatest enemy They would none of my Councell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their owne devises Prov 1 30 31. If hee will not take God's Counsell he must needs take his owne and his own is never good Such as will not follow advice though it bee but man's advice we see but few of them prosper See more to this purpose in the Chapter of God's Leaving men to sin in the Title Sin Now by any sin as I told you before men do hurt theÌ„selves remotely in the end by just desert But there are some sins by which they are more immediatly their own executioners And of such sins and the manner of being punished by them mention is made in severall places of this book And therefore I will instance onely in two or three that are more noted and these are 1 An unruly tongue A fooles mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare of his soule Prov 18. 7. 2 Anger and Envy For wrath killeth the foolish man and Envy slayeth the silly one Job 5. 2. 3 Frowardnesse The integritie of the upright shall guide them hut the perversnesse of transgressours shall destroy them Prov 11. 3. 4 Confidence and wantonnesse in prosperity The turning away of the simple shall sâ—ay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov 1. 32. Of these you may see more in their severall Chapters This way of punishing men by themselves is a way that God uses very much whether it be by giving them up to such sins as are most hurtfull to the parties that commit them Or by causing them to be whâ—pt by those scourges which they made themselves and intended for the backs of others Insomuch that if you see men punished this way you have very good cause to think that God hath a speciall hand in it and that he is very angry As David saith The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Ps 9. 16. Selfe-Feare See Feare and Enemies of Gods people Selling deceitfully See deceitfull dealing Sinne. I meane to give you two or three of the more remarkable texts of Scripture which speak of Sin in generall as Sin Now we find in the Scriptures First that by Sin there comes no good no not in this world every thing considered What fruit had yee then then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Rom 6 21 and therefore sinnes are called the unfruitfull workes of darknesse Eph. Secondly that for Sin there will be certain punishment It was so
Which puts me in mind of a saying among the Jewes The doore that is not opened to the poore shall be opened to the Physicians Vnfruitfullnesse God punisheth men for it 1 With leaving them to the wide world What could I have done more to my vinyard that I have not done in it wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes and now goe to I will tell you what I will doe to my vinyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe Isa 5. 4 5. 2 Taking away the means of making them fruitfull It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briars and thornes I will also command the cloudes that they raine no raine upon it ib. v. 6. 3 Taking away the power and meanes of being fruitfull gifts and talents Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him that hath ten talents Mat. 25. 28. So that for unfruitfullnesse the sinne they have unfruitfullnesse the punishment When he saw a fig-tree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat. 21 19. 4 Cutting downe as trees that have left bearing It was John the Baptist's doctrine every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Mat. 3. 10. And it was our Saviours too in in the same wordes chap. 7. 19. Luk 13. 7. He that had hid his talent in the ground had his doome to be cast into outer darknesse Mat. 25. 30. Vnthankfull sinning I meane sinning against more then ordinary mercy For otherwise all sinning hath Vnthankefulnes in it It hath been threatned 1 With God's anger although the party were one that God loved exceeding well Hezekiah rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. 2 God 's not pardoning them or forbearing to punish them How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forâ—aken me sworne by them that are no Gods When I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses Jer 5. 7. 3 God's punishing them severely You only have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Am. 3. 2. How tenderly does God take it to have hatred thus returned him for his good will even as a father does to be hated by his children whom he hath not onely begotten but bred up with a great deale of love and paines and care One may plainly see it in the manner of his expressions Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons of his daughters Deu 32. 18 19. Because of the provoking of his sons and his daughters If they had been strangers their Provoking had not been so odious nor their Sins so provoking Deu 32. 18 19. Heare O heavens and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Isa 1. 2 3. Heare O Heavens As if creatures onely naturall would be sensible of such an unnaturall thing viz for children to forget him that nourished and fed them In that place of Deuteron last quoted where we translate formed the Sept. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nourished thee So in Hos 11. 3. in the Latine translation the words are I as Ephraim's nursing father bare them in my armes And indeed these expressions viz of nourishing and a nursing father doe aggravate ingratitude much more then making or begetting or being a father For many fathers doe hate their children and many cause them to be made away as soone as they are borne Being a father is not so much a matter of love At least there is no love in so being but only from unlesse it be by adoption so as God is a father in Jesus Christ For they to whom he is so may well say Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 Joh 3. 1. He did not love us as fathers love their naturall children which is usually by force of nature so that they cannot help it But he bestowed his love upon us freely To have been indeed the sons of God had not been matter of love but being not the sons of God but the children if wrath yet to be called the sons of God here was love It may be seen likewise viz how tenderly God takes sinning against his love in another comparison which God often useth viz of a wife forsaking her husband Among other places I refer you especially to Ezek. 16. 32. For in that Chapt. the Prophet seems to have made it his businesse to set forth the greatnesse of the peoples ingratitude recounting first Gods mercies from vers 4. to 14. and after that their sins notwithstanding those mercies See the complaint concerning Ephraim Hos 7. 13. 15. and the threat pronounced against them vers 16 See also Ch. 11. 3. 4 Deniall of mercy under punishment which is a very sad thing When the Israelites cried ro the Lord for help being invaded by the Ammonites his answer was this Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and yee cryed unto mee and I delivered you out of their hand Yet yee have forsaken mee and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more Judg 10 11 12 13. It hath been punished and threatned 1 With many sorts of judgements Such as the Jewes at severall times met with before theiâ— captivity The Levites in their confession at the time of the fast after the peoples returne to Jerusalem relating the manner of God's dealing with their ancestors by mercies and punishments and their behaviour towards him still made the cause of their punishments to be their sinnes after the receit of mercies as you may see in Nehemiah c. 9. Not once nor twice nor twenty times in the Old Testament when there is either an exhortation to the Jewes to remember or a reproofe for forgetting the Lord their God their deliverance out of the land of Egypt is presently mentioned in these words Which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt See 2 King 17. 6 7. Deut. 13. 5 10. c. The mention of this mercy alone God knew
to bee sufficient to keep any one from wondring at any punishment that should befall them in case they sinned against him And therefore in severall places where he shewes how severely he would punish them if they rebelled against him hee tells them withall how that when strangers should see how they were dealt with aud should aske the cause it should be answered that it was for forgetting the Lord their God who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt As you may see 2 Chron 7. 21 22. Deut 29. 24 25. 1 Kings 9. 8. c. 2 Captivity and by that meanes the enjoying of their labours by others which is a bitter punishment Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation and hast not been mindfull of the rock of thy strength therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants and shall set it with strange slips In the day shalt thou make the plant to grow and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish But the harvest shall be a heap in the day of greife and desperate sorrow Isa 17. 10 11. As you have given those things which you had of me to Idols whereof see Ezek. 16. 16 17 18 19. so shall your land give those things which it had of you to your enemies It is a sad thing when God makes a man very happy or setts him upon hopes and endevours to be very happy and in the meane time resolves to make him miserable 3 The totall and unavoidable destruction of a Nation For thus said Ezra in his prayer And after all this that is come upon us for our evill deeds and for our great trespasses seeing thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should we againe break thy commandement and joyne in affinity with the people of these abominations Wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping Ezr 9. 13 14. The Prophet Amos chap. 2 complaining first of the wickednesse of the Jewes afterwards to aggravate it begins to mention some of God's mercies toward them Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them c. vers 9. but having mentioned two or three not able to hold any longer he breaks forth into these words Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift c. vers 14. None of them shall escape and nothing shall stand them in steed Nay the Scripture speakes of punishing Vnthankfull sinners not only in their persons but in their posterity also For so was Jeroboam punished Forasmuch as I exalted thee c. says God to him by the Prophet Ahijah 1 Kings 14. 7 and thou hast not been as my servant David vers 8. Therefore I will bring evill upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off him that pisseth against the wall vers 10. In the 16 chapter vers 2 and 3 you shall find him speaking after the same manner to Baasha King of Israel by the mouth of Jehu How many strict charges may you meet with in the Scriptures against this sinne of ingratitude towards God! especially in the book of Deuteronomy where to shew what danger there is in it they usually begin with a Cavete Take heed or beware viz Lest thou forget the Lord c. See Deut 6. 10 11 12. chap 8 10 11 and read at your leasure these texts of scriptures Deut. 32. 6. Isa 51. 13. Ps 78. 42. 1 Kings 14. 7. Jer 2. 5 6. chap. 5. 24. Hos 2. 8 9. ch 7 15. See likewise Samuels reproofe of Saul 1 Sam 15. 17. Voluptuousnesse punished With poverty He that loveth pleasure shall be a poore man and he that loveth wine and oyle shall not be rich Prov. 21. 17. VVarre Nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kindome c. Mat. 24 7. VVatchfull Such who are not so 1 They are the more exposed to temptation and the sooner made a prey to the Divell Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Divell as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5. 8. 2 Thy are most in danger of being surprized and most dangerously surprized by Judgment It was threatened the Church of Sardis If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thiefe and thou shalt not know what houre I will come upon thee Rev. 3. 3 and perhaps here is an Aposiopesis of some heavie judgment to be understood though it be not expressed VVearinesse in well doing It hazards the reward Let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal 6. 9. VVhoremongers threatened 1 With certaine judgment Whoremongers and Adulterers because many times men cannot or do not God will judge Heb. 13 4. 2 Exclusion out of Heaven They are the first in the Apostles blacke roule Neither fornicators nor Idolaters c. shall inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. See Rev. 22. 15. punished With Death For when the Israelites committed whoredome with the Moabites God by a disease or fire or some other extraordinary plague slew no lesse then foure and twenty thousand of them Num. 25. 1 9. The usuall evills wherewith they punish themselves are 1 Losse of honour long life wealth and health and gaine of nothing but repentance and griefe Remove thy way farre from her speaking of the strange woman and come not nigh the doore of her house lest thou give thine honour unto others and thy yeares unto the cruell lest strangers be filled with thy wealth and thy labours be in the house of a stranger and thou mourne at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed Prov 5. 8 â—o the 12. 2 Death For she hath cast down many wounded many strong men have been slaine by her Her house is the way to hell going downe to the chambers of Death Prov. 7. 26 27. Her house is the way and chap. 2. 18. Her house enclineth unto death and none that goe unto her returne againe c. v. 19 as if the wiseman intended to intimate which is often seen that such as once enter into the practise of that sinne usually continue in it till it work their destruction The danger of falling in this way must needs be great and the fall very desperate because those that go in it are usually made blind with passion so that like blind metalsome horses they wil run wheÌ„ they know not where they goe He goeth after her straight way as an oxe goeth to the slaughterâ— or a foole to the correction of the stockes Prov. 7. 22. Wicked men When I read the Bible for the collection of these particular threats and punishments sometimes I thought it not uselesse to collect those places also which concerne wickednesse in generall and accordingly such as are more notable I did set them down as I met with them But yet againe sometimes I must confesse
Augustine theirs did who when our Saviour was risen out of the grave said His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept Matt. 28. 13. For saith he if they were asleepe how came they to know so much And in like manner the speech of those whom the same men viz the chief Priests suborned to witnesse against him to put him to death For that which is strange to observe considering what cunning men they had to teach them their tale though there were many of them and though they brought divers accusations yet were they not able to make any two testimonies agree together Mark 14. 56 59. Word of God Such as obey it not 1 They have no title to God's Covenant nor to any thing contained in the word But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50. 16 17. 2 They are sure to be punished especially if it be the word of the Gospel See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from Heaven Heb 12. 25. 3 Their punishments have been great and without remedy Because they rebelled against the word of God and contemned the Counsell of the most high Therefore he brought downe their heart with labour◠they fell downe and there was none to help Psalm 107. 11 12. See Jer 26. 4 5. 6. Let such heare the word never somuch nay declare it and preach it never somuch yet if they build upon this only and presume thereupon that the promises contained in the word are theirs and that Christ is their Saviour they are in no better condition then he that without a foundation built his house upon the sand for that is our Saviruo's comparison Mat. 7. 26. Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand Those that believe it not 1 They will not be profited by it nor be partakers of what it promiseth For unto us was the Gospel preached as it was unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. 2 They will without question be condemned For the word which they have sleighted shall judge them He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day John 12. 48 and all the Ministers whom they have heard and their writings which they have read shall accuse them Doe not thinke that I will accuse you to the Father there is no need of that though I have cause enough There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust chap. 5. 45 46. Mark how angrily God threatens the Jews for not believing the Prophet Jeremy They have belied the Lord and said it is not he neither shall evill come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine and the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them thus shall it be done unto them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hoasts because yee speake this word behold I will make my words in thy mouth fire and this people wood and it shall devoure them Jer 5. 12. 13 14. Such as will not heare it 1 God is exceeding angry with them They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare yea they made their heart as an adamant stone lest they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hoasts had sent by the former Prophets Therfore came a great wrath from the Lord of hoasts Zach 7. 12 13. So in Jeremy To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare Their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot harken behold the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord I am weary with holding in c. Ch 6. 10 11 See also vers 19. and ch 7. 13 14 15. 2 They shall be certainly punished God told Moses concerning the Prophet whom he would raise up in his roome And it shall come to passe that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18 19. The punishments which the Scripture mentions are 1 God's not hearing their prayers in their misery as in that place of Zachary last quoted Therefore it is come to passe that as hee cried and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hoasts v. 13. Nay insteed of hearing them abhorring of them He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abomination Prov 28 9. 2 Giving up to their lusts But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells Ps 81. 11 12 3 Greater condemnation then those have who never had the word to heare Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words When yee depart out of the house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrha in the day of judgement then for that city Mat 10 14 15. Our Saviour thus spake to the twelve Apostles when hee first sent them and he said the like to the seventy disciples Luk. 10 11 12. Such as despise it Their end shall be destruction Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall bee rewarded Prov 13. 13. Words idly spoken Our Saviour told the Jewes I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speake they shall give an account thereof Matt. 12. 36. Idle word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that which we usually meane by idle talke viz wicked and profane only but uselesse and needlesse and of which there comes or is intended no good Workes neglected No Salvation What doth it profit my brethren if a man say he hath faith and have no workes Can faith save him Jam. 2. 14. Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse saith David and put thy trust in the Lord Psalm 4. 5 or else thy trust is vaine That they might set their hope in God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements saith the same Prophet Psalm 87. 7 otherwise they might be one day ashamed of their hope faith without the observation of the Commandements being but a dead faith and not a lively ashamed The Jewes were told that unlesse they did thorowly amend their waies and their