a fourefold speciall reference and relation 1. To himselfe permitting 2. To his seruants sinning 3. To his Saints that yet stand 4. To the wicked that stumble All which being considered first wee shall with more caution looke to our selues secondly with more charity censure our brethren thirdly with lesse carnality reioice in their infirmities fourthly with more deuotion glorifie God First I say the Lord in the sinnes of the elect hath a speciall reference to his owne glory that glory of his to which as to a center euery thing tends * Ioshuah 7.19 Psal 12.1 Mat. 6.9 Iohn 9.24 Acts 3.12 12.23 1 Cor. 6.20 10.31 Philip. 1.20 c. in heauen earth and hell shines as the bright starres in the darkest night yea as the Sunne through the clouds of the sinnes of his Saints he brings good out of euill light out of darknes and this as I said is the glory of his mercy in pardoning vpon their repentance oh this mercy of his which is his chiefe attribute in which he most delighteth * De hac diuina misericordia lege fusius apud Gregor Moral lib. 2. Bernard Ser. 88. that shines amongst the rest as the Sunne amongst the Planets that is eleuate aboue his truth as the heauens aboue the clouds (u) Psal 103.11 12. that triumpheth and reioyceth ouer Iustice Euen this Mercy that is ouer all the Lords workes is most resplendent in the sinnes of his Saints in pardoning vpon their humiliation sinnes great for quantity hainous for qualitie many for number crying for nature crimson and bloody in hue and colour x Esa 1.16 17 18. Ezek. 18.21 Mic. 7.18 Ioel 2.13 Exod. 34.6 Psal 86.111.112.145 as many of these formerly enumerated oh not onely the skill but the good will of our blest Physitian is wondrously magnified the vertue of his Balmes of Gilead the vigour of his mercies mithridate deseruedly extolled that is able and willing euen with application of his owne blood as the Pellican y Alciat in Emblem for her young to cure great gastly and vlcerous wounds to pacifie and settle distressed consciences yea euen to reuiue those that were seemingly dead in sinnes and trespasses And sure if there were no sinners on earth where should be the chiefe exercise of the Lords mercie Yea if his Saints should not sinne for we know the Reprobates neuer taste of his sealing assuring sauing sanctifying mercie vnlesse with the out-lip or the tip of a finger they neuer drinke of the fountaines of Shiloh those are onely open for Iudah z Zachar. 13.1 and Ierusalem if there were none wounded what need were there of any skilfull Surgeon and if there were none sicke and diseased what occasion were there either of the practice or praise of the most exquisite Physitian What should we regard either the knowledge or vse of the most excellent drugs and simples in nature What reckoning should we make of the most exquisite extractions the most vigorous quintessence of herbs plants mineralls c. And if there were no sinners no sinnes committed by the Saints the Lord should want the greatest power and praise of his mercy which is chiefly exercised where sinning misery is the obiect and therefore as the Lord hath daily exercise of his prouidence euen to this day and of his wisedome in the gubernation and gouernment of the world in disposing of all actions euents causes effects contraries contrarieties euils good creatures animate inanimate reasonable vnreasonable to excellent ends and vses as hee doth still inuisibly in the soules and consciences visibly vpon the bodies goods good names and families of Atheists swearers drunkards riotous and profane persons exercise his iustice so in pardoning couering concealing passing by the sinnes and culpabilities of his seruants vpon their confessing godly sorrowing returning conditions to which grace is annexed he doth daily exercise his mercy and will to the end of the world SECT 2. The Saints much bettered by their sinnes SEcondly euen the Saints themselues are bettered by their sinnes for if all things according to the Apostles consolation a Rom. 8.28 worke together for the good of those that loue God as all the Planets worke together by their influence euen the malignant as well as good and benigne for the benefit of these sublunaries b Couper in loc as all the simples in some compounded Physicke euen bitter Aloes as well as Honey worke together for the health of the Patient then why not sinne Sure as an exquisite Physitian or Apothecary that out of venomous Toads Aspes Nutes Cicutaes c. * He that reads Gesner de quadrupedibus de Serpentibus c. Dioscorides and Dodonius Herbals shall see there is some medicinable extractions from the worst of Animals or Vegitables extracts an Antidote against poyson and out of stinking despicable foot-trodden weedes drawes some excellent and soueraigne waters from their leaues and roots for very vsefull cures in inward and outward diseases so the wise God euen out of the worst the vilest the most scandalous transgessions of his seruants can effect his owne gracious ends can both heale them of all their present sores preuent their future diseases and make them more healthfull and stronger then euer yea as experience shewes in some and as the Apostle plainly delineates in the renewed repentance of the Corinthians c 2 Cor. 7.11 the Saints come out of the bed of their sinnes as Ezekiah out of his sicke bed d 2 King 20. Esay 38. more humble more holy more pious more penitent as the Eagle that is wearied comes out of the water into which she dips her wings e Plin. with a stronger flight with a more surging ascent towards heauen then euer with greater care to please God to walke before him as a wrong wandring Traueller with a more heedfull attention stronger desires to runne the right the strait the straight way to Sion once returning right from his bemoned wandring with a greater hatred and indignation against sinne as a man against an impostor or deceiuer that hath deceiued him as Sampson against Dalilah or any other penitent person against a harlot that hath betrayed him with greater feare to offend for hereafter like the burnt child that dreads the fire or feares the water out of which it hath beene extract and saued from drowning Yea more zealous then euer for God desirous to restore that glory againe to God by all meanes by priuate or publike confessing f Iosh 7.19 as the nature of the offence shall require that was taken away by scandalous sinning and thus are the Saints bettered by their sinnes God perhaps suffering them once foully to fall that they may rise for euer * Periissemus nisi periissemus O amici inquit olim Themostocles post exilium As those that are Bell-founders deale with their old iarring Bels the Lord breakes them in pieces by contrition and godly sorrow melts them anew in
both towards God and man withall setting downe the mother and originall of this and other her hell-bred daughters that which as Augustine said of concupiscence is a sinne it selfe and the cause and root of other sinnes euen that sinne which as God first punished in Angells i Iude ver 6. and Man k Gen. 3.5.23 he still abhominates and abhorres into that sinne Ezekiah falls with that sinne he is leauened and his other Graces in part and for a time poysoned and that is pride of heart the bane of vertue the mother nurse and midwife of vice l In superbiam lege Patres invehentes praecipue Bernardum ser 3. de resurr Augustin serm 19. serm 31. in Psal 19. Hieron in Marcum Gregor in Morral Hugo lib. 2. de anima Isodor lib. 3. de summo bono Cassiod in Psal 18. et in Psal 147. ver 25. the Colioquintida in the best broth the soiler of the best Iewels the most lustrous perfections of men eminent in the Magistracy or Ministery the most preiudiciall to Gods glory the best agent and factor for Satan the greatest Enemy and opposite to God the greatest curbe and crosse for doing good to those whose Talents might otherwayes gainfully be imployed euen this pearle grew on Ezekias eye this leprosie like Gehezies cleaues to his flesh nay like poyson it was infixed in his marrow and bones nay it had searched all his veines and got to his very heart for the Text saith further his heart was lifted vp and this pride of heart as fruirfull in other sinnes daily generate as from a fruitfull wombe like a liuer or lungs inwardly corrupted breakes out as into other blaines and biles and vlcerous sores so into this great swelling grieuous plague-sore or Carbuncle of Ingratitude Thirdly in the same verse vshering my Text as very neare a kinred closely combined euen hanging together as Burrs or Bells which ring all one peale wee haue as Ezekiahs sinne so his sorrow as his fault so his whipp or rod as his transgression so his castigation as that wherein he deficiently sinned so that which he deseruedly suffered nay his suffering like Iacob comes after this Esau of his sinne takes close hold on it as it were by the heele * Hosea 12.3 Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. Amos 1. Psal 11. Mal. 4. Apoc. 28. ver 25. to ouerthrow and supplant it for it is said therefore euen because of his pride of heart and her proud daughter Ingratitude euen therefore as the meritorious or deseruing cause there was wrath vpon him and vpon the Inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem Plainely demonstrating the Lord the Author of the euill of punishment as man the Author of the euill of sinning Fourthly here in my Text we haue the clearing again of Ezekiahs Sun the dissipating of the congealed and gathered cloud ready to fall on him and his people in a shower of vengeance the calming of the threatned Tempest that hung visibly ouer his head as the fruit of his Faith the honour of his humiliation the acceptable sacrifice of the stooping of his haughtie heart wrath came neither vpon him nor his subiects in his dayes verse 26. To giue to euery one of these premised parts a little more luster by amplification or a soule as it were to the bodies of them by explication ere we come to the speciall parts and particulars of Ezekiahs humiliation in which I intend chiefly and mainly to insist Euery one of these in which Ezekiah was either an Agent or a Patient afford vs speciall and principall matter of meditation and obseruable consideration For first in Ezekiahs sinne we haue a patterne of mans sinning misery Secondly in Ezekiahs castigation a demonstration of Gods iust and strict seuerity Thirdly in his humiliation the force and fruit of Gods all-sauing grace Fourthly in the remouall of his rod vpon his renued repentance a plaine and perspicuous argument of Gods all-sauing mercy To inlarge euery one of these a little more perspicuously CHAP. II. SECT 1. Of mans sinning misery FIrst I say in Ezekiah we haue a president of mans sinning misery euery man in his Glasse may see and perceiue himselfe his owne estate what he is what his power and ability is in himselfe from himselfe without a superior continuall eye of grace watching ouer him hand of grace corroborating and strengthning him alas what is the best man liuing if the Lord leaue him to himself neuer so little in a tryall of temptation from Satan as he did Dauid when in the pride of his heart hee numbred his people l 2 Sam. 14.1 1 Chr. 21.1.2 or in a tryall of probation from himselfe as he did Ezekiah when in the like pride in a vaine ostentation he shewed his Treasures to the Ambassadors of the King of Babell m 2 Chr. 32 3â— oh what can the best man doe though regenerated by the Spirit sanctified by grace renued according to the heauenly Image cast in a new mould made a new creature adorned with the best iewells of sanctified graces but in such spirituall desertions for a time left to Sathans winnowing and to the corruptions of his owne heart yeelding to his trecherous flesh that domestique enemy betraying but faile in that which is good fall into that which is euill our condition in that reference and relation wee haue vnto God being significantly expressed by that reference which the trauellers staffe hath vnto his hand the weanling child in his first footing to the hold of the mother or the Nurse the Vine or the Hop vnto his vpholding prop for if the Lord vphold vs by his preuenting grace and his assisting Spirit we stand like the house built vpon the rock Mat. 7.24.25.26 as the Castle built vpon the mynes of Marble not to bee vndermined as the cliffes and rockes in the maine Ocean or vpon the shore against all the surging waues and boisterous billowes and raging windes of sathanicall temptations and suggestions but if we bee left in any triall or temptation to our selues as was Peter Satan desiring to winnow vs n Luk. 22.31 v. 60. we fall like the house that is built vpon the sand or the ruinous tottering building in an earthquake euen Ezekiah himselfe here though adorned with many Graces though tyed and obliged to the Lord with the golden cords of many and manifold blessings priuiledges and prerogatiues aboue most of the sonnes of men in his time hauing receiued a peculiar and speciall mercy euen new and fresh bleeding in his memory his restauration and miraculous restitution to desired health in a great and daingerous sicknesse repriued for a long Lease of life euen after his summons yea sentence of expected death euen this Ezekiah forgets God his Sauiour too soone is not so mindfull of his mercy as he ought to bee nor so thankfull as the Lord desired or as the beneficence required SECT 2. The different effects of prosperity and aduersity SEcondly in Ezekiah see
for the children and stripes for the backes of fooles For these that are the Lords that haue the markes of their Election the signes of Sanctification and are sealed vp to the day of their Redemption here is an Anchor for them in the midst of their fluctuations here is some day-hole to be spied for them some glimpses of comfort breake out euen in the darkest night of their sinnes namely that though by their sinnes the Sunne of Gods fauour towards them seeme to be eclipsed the light of his countenance abated his wrath kindled as here against Ezekiah their soules wounded their spirits perplexed their consciences disquieted m Psal 32 4 5. Psal 28. their hearts oppressed with the guilt and griefe of sinne their inward peace interrupted yea disioynted their former ioyes perished n Psal â—â—2 their feelings abated or quite lost their graces soiled decayed weakned in the luster power and exercise of them their faith infirme their assurance weake their hopes languishing their loue zeale cooled their prayers dull and heauie their spirits lumpish and drowsie yea euen in that relation that they haue to man though in respect of the world and her worldlings their sinnes chiefly if they bee publisht in Gath and Askalon expose them to the exprobration vituperation yea derision of the vncircumcised as Sampsom o Iudg. 16. was to the Philistines and in respect of the Church subiect them to her censure yea perhaps her greatest censure excommunication p Grounded on 1 Cor. 5.5 practized by the Primitiue times authorised by Councils vide decreta Gratiani 11. de concilio Arausicano apud Osiandrum Cent. 5. lib. 2.6.28 p. 300 and to the censure frownes and browbeatings of her strictest children till satisfaction be giuen yet neuerthelesse euen in this case as Dauid once in a great distresse they may comfort themselues in the Lord their God q 1 Sam. 30.6 that their stormes shall haue a calme their candle that seemes to bee put out shall be lighted againe their former ioyes shall be restored their Sunne shall shine Gods face and fauour shall bee towards them they shall haue the arguments of his loue the feelings of his spirit the liuely stirrings and motions of his Grace their vnquiet consciences shall bee appeased these blustring waues and winds of accusations temptations shall bee commanded their heauy hearts shall bee comforted their sadded soules shall be gladded their feelings shall come againe as a man out of a dead swound their peace with God shall be assured their assurance like a bone that is broke shall againe be knit their seemingly lost Charter shall be againe renewed their weakned decayed Graces shall bee strengthned their faith increased their dull and dead prayers quickned their credit and estimatioÌ„ with Gods people so far as it stands w th Gods glory their further good againe recouered and the mouthes of the wicked and blasphemous by their futuâ—e holy and inoffensiue life shall be iustly stopped yea all the breaches and ruines which the hostility of Satan hath made shal be made vp againe all the demolitions and deuastations that sinne hath made in the soule spirit conscience name c. of the sonnes of Sion shall at last bee reedifyed and repayred and euery detriment repayed in these spirituall buildings repentance in one word shall rightly knit ioynt againe what euer in the outward or the inward man sinne hath vnloosed and disioynted and the Lord from whom comes euery good gift r Iam. 1.17 as the light from the Sun which giues repentance vnto Israel Å¿ Act. 5.31 shall giue it vnto them they shal haue freely giuen them after their sinning at one time or other the grace of repentance and after serious repenting the after-grace of pardon and remission though they fall they shall not long lye wallowing in their sinnes as the drunkard in the streets disgorging his vomit or as the swine in the mire but they get vp againe stand on their feet like men wash rubbe and brush off the blots and myry spots which by their fall cleaue to the garment of their holy profession with many teares and much strictnesse and austeritie of life for the present and future take more heed to their wayes for euer afterward as the burnt child that dreads the fire they follow no more these pleasing baits these golden balls of sin which the world as he once before Atalanta throwes before them to turne them out of the way but loath detest all the causes and occasions of sin as the pained surcharged stomacke loathes that meat on which it hath daingerously surfetted yea though they fall as weakling children not able to rise by their owne power and strength the Lord himselfe as a louing mother or nurse lends them the helping hand of Grace pulls them vp and after their trickling teares and cryes for their hurt cheares and cherisheth them takes them in the armes of his mercy and puts them in the bosome of his loue t Read of this point M. Pryn his Booke of the perpetuity of a regenerate mans estate per totum though they bee wounded by sinne yet there is a balme in Gilead a Mithridate of mercy that heales them again as the beasts by an instinct of nature haue recourse to their healing physicke as the blinded Swallow to Celidine the Toad to Plantan the Hart to Dictanny u Of the Medicines which euery creature vseth by natures instinct read Pliny l. 8. c. 27 chiefly Greg. Tholosanus in Syntaxi artis Mirab. l. 28. c. 38 p. 541. c. So by the instinct of Grace they haue recourse to that all-saluing all-sauing Panacea * Grineum in problematibus de Panacea Christianorum lege the blood of the Lamb of God effused in his passiue veines applyed to themselues by the hand of faith x Rom 4. Iohn 3.16 Gal. 2. â—0 Hab. 2. they seeke in their sicknesse to their Physician y Math. 9.12 or rather the Physician to them as that good Samaritan to him that was wounded z Luk. 10.33 34 trauelling to Ierico from Ierusalem from the vision of peace to the worlds vanity as euery sinner doth stung once with this fiery serpent sinne with the Eagles eye of all-penetrating all-preuailing faith they looke vp to him that was exalted on the crosse a Iohn 3.14 whom their sinnes haue pierced b Zach. 12.10 prefigured by the Brazen serpent c Num 21.9 In a word there is a seed of Grace in all the Elect the seed of God remaines in them saith Saint Iohn d 1 Iohn 3.9 that they cannot sinne to death wee may say of their sinnes as our Sauiour said of Lazarus his sicknesse e Iohn 11.4 they are not vnto death but that the Lord may be glorified euen in his power and mercie in raising vp againe their seeming dead soules euen out of the bed and graue of corruption yea though they seeme
Vipers cryes the voyce of that Cryer who hath fornewarned you to auoyd the wrath or the vengeance to come g Math. 3.7 Euery tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be cut downe and throwne into the fire Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance and amendment of life h ver 10. So S. Peter in his canonicall Epistle to the dispersed Iewes in Asia Bythiniae Capadocea i 1 Pet. 1.1 prescribing a humble and submisse cariage one towards another giuing his reason because God resists the proud and giues grace vnto the humble by an excellent climax and gradation goes from humility towards man to humiliation to wards God from the premises inferring this conclusion humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God k Ch. 5 6. and the Lord in due time will lift you vp The very same point of humiliation from the very same grounds euen in the same words is vrged by the Apostle Iames Ch. 4 v. 10. though pressed also in moe words in the verse precedent be afflicted and mourne and weepe let your laughter bee turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse l Iames 4.9 Consonant to this precept hath been from time to time the practice of the Saints of God not onely in a constant and conscionable course omitted now by too many humbling themselues for their daily slips transgressions but more peculiarly in extraordinary humiliations meeting the Lord as did here Ezekiah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem when his iudgements were but threatned when the brandished sword of his wrath was onely drawne and flourished as we may see in the example of the Niniuites at the threatning of Ionas Ion. 3.8 9. In the example of the Israelites terrified from the Lord by Samuel at Mizpah 1 Sam. 7.6 and affrighted of the Philistines ver 7 8. and menaced by the Angel or messenger of the Lord which came from Gilgal to Bochim Iudg. 2.3 4 5. but more especially when they haue either beene smit or wounded or more immediately in danger of wounding by this brandished sword whether weilded in the hand of God by plague or pestilence or in the hand of man in war or bloody persecutiō the striking hand hath beene assayed to be stayed by humiliation as many instances may bee giuen in holy writ as in Dauid whose pride of heart in numbring his people being curbed with the death of seuenty thousand of them swept away by the plague m 2 Sam. 24.16 as dust with a Beesome hee and the elders of Israel seeing the Angel of the Lord stand betwixt the earth and heauen with a drawne sword n 1 Chro. 21.16 fell vpon their faces cloathed with sackcloth and vpon Dauids humble prayer as once before when Phineas o Psal 106.30 prayed the plague ceased so Iehosophat being wonderfully straitned p 2 Chro. 20.3 when the children of Moab and Ammon with their mighty martiall troupes came against him from beyond the sea on this side Syria as our Ezekiah was in the like exigents when the strong and numerous powers of Senacherib besieged Ierusalem hee hauing no power nor strength to resist them betakes himself to the strong God the tower of the righteous the Lord of hosts and in the most serious humiliation that euer I read of he and all Iudah standing before the Lord with their wiues their children and their little ones q ver 13. crying weeping fasting and importuning the Lord with most feruent and effectuall prayers there was the most excellent effect in the discomfiture of their enemies in the most miraculous manner most glorious to God most aduantageous to Israel that euer was instanced in any age before or since so when Ioshua and the men of Israel fled before the men of Ai and turned their backs of the Canaanites to the losse of 36 mē Ioshua rent his clothes fell to the earth vpon his face before the Arke of the Lord Ioshua 7. vntill the euening he and the Elders of Israel and put dust vpon their heads Iosh 7 6 7. here was humiliation so when the rest of the Tribes in a good righteous cause in which victory was promised were twise put to the foyle with losse dammage by the insulting Beniamites the Israelites wondrously humbled themselues wept and fasted before the Lord a whole day vntill euening offring peace offrings and burnt offerings before the Lord and vpon that were victorious Iudg. 20. ver 23.26 So we know the practice of Mardocheus and Esther and the distressed Iewes at Sushan when their liues and bloods were sold by that wicked serpentine Hamman what Ezra and the Elders and people of Israel did r Ezra 10.1 2 when the Lord was prouoked and angred by their taking of strange wiues of the Canaanites what Nehemiah did when he heard of the great affliction reproach of them that were left of the captiuity and the breaking downe of the wall of Ierusalem and burning the Gates thereof with fire namely that in all these afflictions these feares these sinnes these sufferings they humbled their soules as here our Ezekiah vnder the mighty hand of God and had a blessed issue a gracious answer an excellent haruest vpon their deepe plowing and wet sowing I say briefly to all and euery one of vs contenting my selfe with these reasons at this time as our Sauiour to him in the Gospell vade tu fac similiter ſ Luke 10.37 Oh thou sinning soule who ere thou art that lyest open till thy humiliation haue made thy peace to all the gunshot Cannons of Gods iudgement the force and fury of all the creatures or thou that art threatned by the rod shaken at thee or the sword drawne as against Adam by the Cherubin and Balaam by the Angel or hast felt or dost feele the smarting rod of wrath vpō thy shoulders already goe thou and doe the like as did here Ezekiah Dauid those Nineuites those Israelites those Tribes Ioshua Iehosophat Ezra Nehemiah Esther Mardocheus humble thy selfe before the Lord cast down thy soule before his footstoole fast and pray and weepe and lament suffer affliction and sorrowes as St. Iames exhorts Iames 4.9 eate no pleasing meats as Daniel t Dan. 10.2 3. for many dayes let thy sighing come vnto thee before thy eating as it did to Iob cry mightily to the Lord as did Niniuie u Ionas 3.4 abhorre thy selfe in sackcloth and ashes x Iob 42 6. loath thy sinnes and thy selfe for thy sinne that the Lord may loue thee and may againe looke fauourably vpon thee and shew thee the light of his countenance and be mercifull vnto thee y Psal 87.1 that thy flesh may come vnto thee againe like the flesh of a childe that thy sad soule may be solaced that the teares may be wiped from thine eyes that thy deiected spirit may be comforted may reioyce in God thy Sauiour and be made ioyfull in the ioyes of
vide Maldonatum in Lucam cap. 19. Secondly by this meanes of humiliation all great personages shew their gratitude thankfulnesse vnto God in thus honouring him who hath honoured them yea they take the wisest and the safest course to continue and perpetuate their honours to themselues and their houses and posterity for as pride hath beene the ruine and demolition of many great families g Vide exempla supra allegata so humiliation hath beene their proppe and vpholder in withholding and diuerting from them such Iudgements as their sinnes or the sinnes of their predecessors haue deserued Thirdly as they by their humiliation bring glory vnto God and good to themselues so they bring much good to others much benefit accrewes to the soule of an inferiour by the humiliation of a superiour and that both by their example for imitation h Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis as also in Gods acceptation First for imitation the example of great ones as it is forceable in vtramque partem both towards the better towards the worse as their ill example confirmes the inferiours in sinne so their good example conformes them to good their example saith to the common people chiefly to their dependants their families obseruers as Abimelec i Iudg. 9.48 and Gideon in another case to their souldiers as yee see me doe so doe you or as S. Paul once to those he writes vnto Be ye followers of mee nay they will follow If Ioshua serue the Lord hee can giue that same testimony of his house l Ioshua 24.15 if the Centurion be a religious man one that feareth God his seruants and souldiers will bee obsequious and obedient both to God and him m Ma◠8.8.9 if Esther fast pray her handmaides will be found ioyning with her n Ester 4.16 yea if the King of Niniuie humble himselfe then his nobles will be humbled too if his Nobles then the common people if the common people then the very beasts o Ionas 3.7 yea if as it is in my Text that Ezekiah the King bee humbled then not onely his Peeres and the Elders of his people who conioyned in such a case with Dauid but euen the inhabitants the vulgar sort the commons of Iudah and Ierusalem are humbled likewise Oh the Adamantine force of example the blessed president of great persons is as the first mouer in the heauens or as the first wheele in a clock after whose motion all the rest moue it is as the Captaine that precedes his following souldiers and giues the first onset as the bell-weather that goes before the flocke as the henne that clocks the chickens after her Secondly great good it brings in Gods acceptation for as the Lord visits the sinnes of great ones sometime euen vpon their seed as Sauls sonnes were hanged vp for the sinne of Saul and Ieroboams Idolatry as also Gideons moulten image were the ruines of their house p Propter parentum scelera grassantur poena publicae in totas familias in multis instant Simon Pauli Domin 2 post Trinit Strig in 2 Sam. 9. 1 Reg 20. 2 Reg 1◠in vno peccato periurij Jnslat Pencerus in Lect. Cron. die 6 Feb. an 1574. cum Aeliano lib. 14. Diodoro Siculo l. 6. antiq in posteritate Saulis Iasonis Zedechiae Senacharebi Philippi Macedonis aliorum somtimes vpon the whole land or nation as wrath came vpon Iudah c. both in the dayes of Dauid and in the daies of Ezekiah for the sins of their Kings so Ezekiah is no sooner humbled but wrath is remoued Dauid and the Elders of Israel no sooner fall downe before the Lord in sackcloth and ashes but the destroying Angel set a worke by God at the command of the Lord of Angels puts vp his sword the deuouring plague sweepes not a man away moe as indeed when we make an end of sinning God makes an end of smiting when the child is whipt cryes and asketh pardon and promiseth amendment the rod is throwne away or broken or burnt the child is taken vp in the fathers armes set on his knee and kist and the teares wiped away from his eyes Fourthly great ones vsually liue in great sinnes either as they haue greater temptations Sathan shooting euer at the fairest markes or moe allurements and prouocations for the pleasing of corrupted nature and delighting the flesh moe obiects of vanity greater meanes to effect their ends how euer sinister moe Sycophants and Parasites to charme and lull them a sleepe in security q That flattery hath euer been the bane of Kings read Camerar in oper Succisivis c. 90. p. 448. Patritium de regno l. 7. tit 8. pag. 458. l. 5. tit 5. p. 229. Instant in Caligula Galba Alexandro Tiberio Dionysio few by redargution or admonition that will or dare offer to shake them to awake them so they had need since their sinnes are also scored chalked vp as the rest of a greater measure of humiliation for sinne their salue had need answer their sore else they are like at last to smart Reu. 6.16 Lastly the example of Dauid is remarkable when the Lord in a mercifull Iustice or Iust mercie sends to Dauid after hee had numbred the people this option or choyce that he should chuse him whether he would fly before his enemies in warre or endure the famine for 3. three yeares or the plague and pestilence for 3. dayes he makes choyce of the last why so not onely for the maine cause as hee reueales because the mercies of God are great but as some note because as hee had beene an occasion of euill to the people by his sinne he would beare part of the burthen for in warre though his subiects had smarted it is likely he would haue escaped by flight or by strong holds in some castles or fortifications or in dearth and famine had there beene one pecke of corne in the land it is likely he should haue had part his part like the Lyons part in the Fable r Apud Aesopum in all probability shold haue been best but frō the plague there was no euasion the arrow of the Almightie might haue hit him as soon as the meanest in his Kingdome Besides in this choise he aimed also at the good of his people for had war come vpon them they would haue trusted in their sheild and target in their sword and bow and the strength of Israel had famine beene sent the poorer sort and Mechanickes perhaps had felt the chiefest smart the richer sort and monied men would either haue sent for corne into other Countryes as Iacob into Aegypt ſ Act. 7.12 or fled thither as Naomi into the Land of Moab t Ruth 1.6 they would haue changed their places as did Abraham u Gen. 12.10 and Isaac * Gen. 26.1 in the like cases but now in the plague and pestilence there is no euasion no