and yet wee which haue more reason are not mollified by the gifts of God or warned by our workes to him or pierced by his commandements but of this inough else where Because he hath exalted This is the reason why the Lord wil bring so sharpe a punishment vpon them because they haue beene so bold as to afflict his people But some may say vnto me did not the Lord sende these creatures to destroy and if he sent them why doth he punish them and if he sent them not how could they come in such swarmes to whom I answere that the Lord sent them and yet they exalted themselues to do it Whereby we may gather that men shall not alway escape vnpunished although they performe that which God commanded for God willed that Christ should be crucified but yet Iudas was neuerthelesse eternally plagued Act. 1. 18. if one man murther another God will haue it so or else it could not be yet shal the murtherer suffer death iustly God will haue good men in his church to be persecuted imprisoned and martyred by the enimies yet woe be to those men and hands that so handle and mangle their godly members The first reason because in these actions men serue not God but their owne will Act. 13. 27. God decreeth it for one cause but they doe it for another as God would haue Christ deliuered for the sinnes of the world but Iudas betrayed him for thirtie peeces of siluer God would haue Christ dye for redemption but the Iewes would put him to death for malice and thus one and the same thing done for diuers causes doth not excuse their malice as we may note in the storie of Ioseph and his brethren Againe as they do it for their owne pleasure so they attribute it to their owne power Isa 10. 13. so wee shall finde many boasting of their wickednes how they haue played the tall fellowes in wounding and killing and whooring and stealing and endicting and condemning and accusing other men when themselues are as guiltie of hell as the other were of death Oh fearefull spectacle of humane infirmitie that we may do that which God willeth to be done and yet we cannot will as God would haue it done No maruell if our life be so separated from God when our will cannot agree with our hand Seeing we may be transgressors in doing that which God commandeth especially when we haue to doe with the godly let vs follow the counsell of Pilates wife which was this that we haue nothing to doe against iust men for God will surely plague vs in the ende Matth. 27. 19. Speake not against them for it shall be rewarded fight not against them for thou shalt be conquered spoile them not for thou shalt be spoyled and accuse them not for thou shalt be condemned They are the eie of God pricke them not they are the Lordes annointed touch them not they are Christs members hurt them not for surely as Saul by striuing against Dauid did spoyle himselfe and as Pharaoh by tyrannizing ouer the Israelites did vndoe himselfe and all his countrey so shalt thou bring both nations and people thy selfe and all thy posteritie into euerlasting woe if thou oppresse the professors of religion Remember if thou chastise them thou art but the rod of God which when corrections be finished is throwne into the fire and euen as now Pilate wisheth though it be too late that he had obeyed his wifes counsell so shalt thou wish if not too late that thou haddest neuer medled against religion Againe let vs learne to frame our wils to God his will and then shall our handes without trespasse worke that which God commaundeth and therefore doe nothing of malice for that is of the diuel do nothing of enuie for that is of sedition do nothing rashly for that is folly but do all things with loue for there is God If thou canst do anything and not breake the bond of loue to God or to thy neighbour thou sinnest not yea although it seeme neuer so sinfull in the sight of man for loue is the fulfilling of the law so then so long as thou workest in loue so long thou doest not offend God and so long as thou doest not offend God so long thou doest not transgresse the law Feare not ô land but be glad and reioice for the Lord will do mightie things In this and in the verses following the Prophet giueth them verie manie exhortations grounded on the neuer failing promise of God First generally in this verse and then more specially in the verses following In this verse hee biddeth them not to feare some will thinke that this exhortation is needles for if they did not feare they could not beleeue his former threatnings To whome I answere that he meaneth they should not distrust the promises of God notwithstanding all the before named iudgements and therefore presently in this verse he telleth them that the Lord will doe for them mighty things By this then we gather that in all good men the promises of God must bee more powerfull then the feare of euill more plainly thus Art thou feared with sicknesse with pouertie with losse of children and such like dangers then remember the promise of God which saith that all shall worke to thy best and that I will not faile thee nor thy seede and such like and so let these promises more comfort thee then thy terrors doe dismay thee So our Sauiour comforted his disciples and in them all of vs Luc. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke it is your fathers will to giue you a kingdome and Dauid saide well to this purpose Though I walke in the valley of death I will not feare for thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me so let vs say with him though we liue in feare of warre and famine and pestilence and diuell and death and hell yet wee will not feare because God hath said they shall not hurt vs. Iosuah was neuer afraid to fight because God had said that he woulde fight for him so let not vs be afraide to fight with sinne to liue in danger to languish in prison and to pine away in famine seeing wee haue the Lords owne promise that none of these shall destroy vs but amend vs. The first reason because his euerlasting loue is the cause of his promise and therefore it will performe his mercie Ier. 31. 3 and if it be euerlasting then is the force thereof now as well as when it was first made and seeing it neuer was nor euer shal be repealed therfore it shall as well strengthen thy soule as the soule of Noah or Abraham or Moses or Dauid or Ieremie or any other Againe euil things are alway cōditionally threatned meaning if men repent not as we may see in Dauid Ahab Niniueh and many other and therefore repentant men neede not feare any danger for they are alway blessed hauing the angels to
shall be of the church triumphant Oh how can they looke euer to come into the heauens which in this life neuer come into the temples nor outwardly obey the Gospell Therefore if euer you will come into ioy and enter into euerlasting pleasures ascend vp to the house of God there dwelleth the Lord you may see him there soundeth his word you may heare it there is giuen the spirit you may receiue it there are gathered the godly you may be with them and there beginneth saluation you may obtaine it If you be high stoope downe to it if you be base arise vp to it if you be rich ride to it if you be strong walke to it if you be lame be carried to it if you be blinde be leade to it if you be sicke long to be in it and if you be old euen there desire to die Runne I beseech you with speed goe with ioy labour with pleasure and desire with zeale to be ioyned to your Sauiour They which forsake it God will forsake them they which despise it God will despise them they which embrace it God will receiue them Let not any thing I beseech you keepe you from the churches seeing you would haue nothing keepe you from heauen Liue with the church pray with the church suffer with the church and die with the church As all the angels appeare before God in heauen so must all the saints appeare before him in earth they which are missed are excluded they which are present shall be blessed Another vse which we must make of this doctrine may be this that it shall be good for vs not only to visite the church but to continue in the assemblies with all diligence Euerlasting is the commendation of Anna Luk. 2. 37. which continued in the temple seruing God day and night and so wee read Act. 20. 7. that the church continued hearing of Paul till midnight It is a thing most strange to see men not onely negligent to come to the church but also being present they are impudent to depart out of the church and who are these but those which come seldome there for by reason therof they haue least taste of spirituall hunger and so are soone wearie of spirituall foode Abide therefore in the congregation for there is alway something behinde woorth the learning when all is done yet tarrie for the blessing as the people did for Zacharie Luk. 1. 21. Come I say with a continued diligence and omit not one time especially vnto that church whereof thou art a member whensoeuer praier or preaching calleth for thee Be assured of this the oftner thou commest the more thou delightest and the more thou art absent the lesse shall be thy comfort If thou wouldest say with Dauid O Lord how sweete is thy word vnto my mouth thou must also first sing with him all the day long is my study therein If woe belong to the Pastor that preacheth not the word then also damnation belongeth to the people that heare not the worde By vse thou shalt thinke a day too little for a sermon and a yeere too little for a praier By continuance thy hard heart will be softened and thy wicked life conuerted A woman married to a stranger by familiar and daily conuersation groweth into great loue where was great dislike so shall thy soule being married to our assemblies which it abhorreth in time to come delight in them most cheerefully which it loathed most wickedly The priests the Lords ministers mourne The better to perswade the people to lamentation hee bringeth in the ministers to moane them shewing that their pastors and spirituall fathers were alreadie in teares for this calamity and therfore also they must follow them By this we may note that the ministers are alwaies the first that come into danger If there be afflictions they are first apprehended if there be famines they are first oppressed and if there be warres they are most spitefully handeled There were seuen thousand good men in Israel but the prophets they were slaine and Eliah being left aboue all other was most of all endangered 1. King 19. 10. 11. There were many faithfull soules in Iewrie at Christs passion but him alone and his Apostles did the Iewes persecute crucifie So that hereby we may appeare to be of all men most miserable The world doth much enuie our honor our liuing and our estimation and our names insomuch as there is not any which hath not beene either enriched by our demesnes or conuerted by our sermons but they holde vs in exceeding hatred Well in this wee will saie with Ieremie This is our portion and we will beare it By this then let them knowe which are entred into our calling or purpose to put on a preachers gowne that his life must be full of danger his danger full of crueltie and he alwaies the foremost in any trouble I will saide the Lord make you to be hated of all men for my names sake Wouldest thou bee a minister of the Gospell thou desirest a woorthie worke Knowe then if thou liue in peace thou shalt bee enuied if in warre thou shalt be derided if thou be rich the world will murmure at thee but if thou bee poore then it will tread vpon thee Thinkest thou to liue easilie thou deceiuest thy selfe thinkest thou to liue in mens fauour thou deceiuest thy soule hopest thou for maintenance beware of flatterie lookest thou for friendship thou shalt receiue enimitie Thou must bee a seruant to seruantes thou must bee a slaue to base mindes and an open marke for wicked toongs Thy owne shall be withholden thy doctrine vpbraided and thy life liue thou neuer so warilie shal be endited Wilt thou please men thou shalt displease God wilt thou please God thou must displease men if thou speake thou shalt bee controuled if thou bee silent thou must be reproched if the worlde laugh on thee the Lord will laugh at thee if it frowne then thou art first in danger The reasons why this should be so are these first bicause in them the Lorde doth punish the whole people Zech. 13. 7. I will strike the shepherd and the sheepe shall be scattered If the pastors be good they are troubled for their people if they bee euill they are troubled for themselues A good man was woont to say that of all creatures a good minister was the best and a bad minister the woorst Therefore they are sometime troubled for the peoples cause yea sometime by the people as Christ died for the people and yet was put to death by the people And the cause is good for if the pastor let any people perish their soules must bee required at his hande so if a good pastor be molested of a bad people not his worde but his bloude shall be reuenged on them So then we are not alway sued for our own debts imprisoned for our owne obligations but being pledges hostages or rather sureties
before the Lord when wee euer meete againe about the like occasion and this I would haue practised both in priuate and publike humiliation The reasons that may mooue vs vnto this dutie to be throughly humbled are these first because the Lorde will not looke on our aduersitie without this perfect and absolute contrition Isa 58. 3. for he then especially looketh to the inwarde disposition of euery soule to see who they be which tremble at his word and iudgements and they which then will not nor cannot there is little hope of grace and goodnesse in them The heathen king of Niniueh and all his subiects had that conscience when the Lord sounded their destruction by the prophet Ionah Ahab mourned when he heard the words of Elijah the prophet and when God speaketh to the Assyrians and Moabites he biddeth them come downe into the dust and ashes to lament their miseries Alas why doe I rehearse either precepts or examples to mooue men vnto this which they would not doe for if their owne liues and bloud and soules will not prouoke them hereunto other mens waies will not perswade them yet let them thus consider that it will greeue them more to loose this their counterfeite humilitie as the Iewes doe in the forenamed place when they shall say we fasted we praied we trauelled and we desired to iustifie our soules and yet their fast shall be as vanitie their praier abhomination and their comming into the Lords presence like his which had no wedding garment and therefore was hee and so shall they bee cast into vtter darknesse Another reason is this because that those iudgements which call for this humiliation must teach vs righteousnesse Esa 26. 9. and so we encrease in righteousnesse as we exceede in humilitie and for this cause we must know that the more religion a man hath the more humble he is and the more hee saith hee encreaseth in goodnesse the more he must studie to shew it outwardly As for those which thinke they serue God well enough when they neither pray with their toongs nor bende with their knees nor vncouer their heads nor mooue out of their houses I leaue them to their fancies let euery beast bird of the aire confute their fancies for the Lord which hath assigned euery member his office will haue euery one to execute it himselfe The vses which offer themselues by the consideration of this point are these seeing we must bee throughly humbled therefore let vs auoide all manner of idlenesse in this worship of God Iam. 2. 19. when we are once perswaded of this point we shall not onely lende an eare to this businesse but thinke all time too little that we spend not herein The poore saintes of God in that forenamed place crie in the night watches as these priestes which lay all night in lamentation and so when the feare of the Lords wrath and the conscience of our owne dangers doe once meete together then there is not any thing that will bee so acceptable to vs as praier This feare will driue from vs our sleepe as the windes driue away the cloudes the sicke man will sit vp the olde man will holde vp his hands the weake man will stand for his life the woman will weepe without ceasing and euery one so touched will auoide all worldly actions then will or rather then must the rich man forsake his counting house the farmer leaue his plough the seruant auoide his rest the labourer neglect his meate and the drowsie person hold vp his eies All the Apostles slept till the high priestes seruants came to take our Sauiour but then they awaked fled for their liues but why did they not wake before in praier that thē they might haue slept without danger oh let vs therefore come both great small to appeere in the Lords presence with al diligence let not any long iourney any lack of prouision any loue of ease any losse of health make vs idle Rise early to praier watch late to lament sleepe little that thou maist spende the more time to gaine thy soules health In the day we labour for our bodies in the night let vs labour for our soules My soule saith Dauid thinketh on thee in the night watches and so let our soules thinke on the Lord when other thinke on their rest and their pleasure Another vse which commeth by this consideration is this that seeing we must be throughly humbled or not at all let vs take for our example the paterne of them that mourne for the dead as the prophet exhorteth Ierem. 6. 26. How many are the teares of them which loose their louing husbands their tender children and their loyal friendes Iacob for feare of this said before hand it woulde make his hoare head goe downe into the graue But so slight is the mourning of many among vs that they neither wette their cheekes for their sinnes nor yet would willingly depart with this life for the enioying of the life to come Surely this is woorthy to be noted in them which earnestly lament the dead that they desire to be with them so let vs desire to be free of this feare of death and sinne with the death of our sinnes and liues let vs so bitterly bewaile our time as we may be most willing to change our life for no other cause then to cease from sinne The Israelites bewailed Moses thirtie daies together and let vs with great and long continuance mourne not for Moses who is in heauen but for our selues who would be in heauen When Naomy bid her daughters Ruth and Orpah goe backe into Moab they wept at her words if they were so vnwilling to liue in Moab and to depart with Naomi why are not wee as vnwilling to liue in this world and to depart with Christ seeing he is our head and we his members we must goe to him and he may not come to vs let vs therefore by his example endure many sorrowes and great dangers that we may be more willing to leaue this life The theefe inclosed in the prison ceaseth from stealing and when wee are closed in iaile of many griefes and clogged with the irons of many crosses then let vs know that we cease from many externall and internall abhominations Yee ministers of my God In this that hee calleth the priestes which serued at the altar the ministers of God he thereby giueth vs to vnderstand whose possession are the ministers namely and onely the Lords Num. 3. 12. The Lord challengeth the tribe of Leui to himselfe to be his peculiar and royall priesthood and the Apostle willeth the Corinthians that they should so thinke of him as of the minister of God and disposer of the secrets of his kingdome and therefore writing to the Galathians hee telleth them hee is not by man nor by the will of man but of God Once in steede of the appointed ministerie were the first borne of euery familie
these drunkards when they were awaked what they should do not go to their feastes againe or to the vomits againe or to the tauerns or to the ale-houses or to their mirth but he biddeth them go to the house of mourning Weepe saith the prophet and howle that is as if he had said lay away your pleasures and banish all euill companions drinke vp your teares as wine and eate your sorrowes as bread for a sudden calamitie is come vpon you the meate that is in your hand shall not come into your belly and your mouths shall be weaned from sucking and swilling in of strong drinke From hence when the prophet biddeth them to weepe I might note vnto you the nature or rather an inseparable companion of true repentance which is a mournfull heart and a weeping countenance which doth not onely sorrow for the fault but as it were wash away the sinnes of the soule for the teares which we weepe in this life do shew our vncleannes which if they were able they would cleanse away Teares are said to be the blood of the soule because they proceede of a wounded and sorrowfull spirit and therefore let not desperate ruffians and carnall persons thinke that the sighes and groanes and wishes of their hard hearts can goe for payment in the Lords presence or that the bare misliking and leauing of their old sinnes is true repentance for as the wound cannot be healed but the partie shall be payned so the life cannot be amended except teares or true sorrow be expressed But I will come nearer to my purpose for I cannot stande on euery worde and therefore I will onely note that which is fittest and of greatest necessitie The seuenth Sermon IN the next place he biddeth them to howle which is an action properly belonging to wolues and is metaphorically applied vnto these drunkards for they are both deuourers the one of lambes the other of corne both are beastes the one in nature the other in likenes and seeing they haue reioised like beasts now also he biddeth them to lament like beasts And therefore seeing I seldome find this word Howle but it is applied vnto beasts or wicked men I therefore note hereby that the vngodly comming into aduersitie are like to the brutish and vnreasonable creatures They sorrow without hope they weepe without comfort they howle without praier and they haue their wits and their ease taken away at once if they be merry it is for their wealth if they be heauy it is for their want So that then we may say iustly of them as Paule said of some Ephesians they are beasts in the likenes of men the prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 49. 20. That man being in honour continueth not but becommeth like beastes that perish The wicked being in honour are inconstantly seated that serueth for their glorie but they are like the beasts that perish that sheweth their miserie in prosperitie they are vncertaine in their aduersitie they are vnhappie when they are lifted vp they will be more then men but when they are thrust downe they are founde equall to beasts The prophet Isay cap. 16. ver 7. prophesying the destruction of Moab because of their pride arrogancie indignation and lyes telleth them as this Ioell doth that Moab shall howle vnto Moab and euery one shall howle for the foundation of Kirhareseth shall yee morne and yet they shall be striken Will a man spare a woulfe although he cry bitterly No no for he knoweth he will rauen againe so God will not spare the wicked although they howle mournfully for he knoweth they will sinne againe Looke vpon this you desperate wicked persons and wretched bondslaues of Sathan heere may you see what you will do when the Lords hand is vpon you will you then turne vnto him when hee is turned from you or will you then remember him when your owne memorie is remooued thinke you then to haue power to praie or any hearts to hope in Christ when your reason and heart is taken from you thinke vpon it I beseech you before hande for else you vndoe your owne soules insomuch as when the water floudes of trouble come vpon you as the iust vengeance for your liues then you be filled with easelesse yelling beastly howling vnmercifull suffering intollerable complaining and no manner of relieuing then shall you finde that they which refuse knowledge instruction and correction in mercy shall feele the same in iudgement and you shall wish that you had endured any torment to be released of your present desperation The reasons heere of are plaine first because they cannot vnderstande iudgement Prou. 28. 5. If they bee crossed in their affaires and cast downe in their liues they know not that then they are arraigned before the iudgement seate of God which maketh them as farre without all naturall reason as they were before without all spirituall religion Dauid saide of them that the Lordes iudgements are farre aboue the sight of the wicked and therefore saith hee doe they defie all their enimies alas seelie soules they thinke that other mens harmes doe not warne them and that the Lord will neuer call them to account for their follies They imagine if they please themselues they displease not God and thinke if the hardest fall vpon them that euer can come yet their estate is better then other mens But my beloued saue your soules I beseech you out of Sathans clawes he draweth you on with deceitfull perswasions telling you that in aduersitie you shall be like other men in the meane season your eies are blinded that you cannot see howe heauie the iudgements of God lie vpon you purposing to take you at aduantage in extremitie that in sicknes he will make you raging in famine he will bring you to blasphemie in warres he will make your desperation that which is worst of al in death hee will bring you to endlesse condemnation Therefore thinke I beseech you with your selues and reioice not like beastes and then shal you mourne like beastes learne the course and causes of the Lordes iudgements that you may neuer feele the want of a peaceable and bolde conscience Another reason is this bicause this is onely the prerogatiue of the Lordes children in aduersitie to keepe their soules by patience Luk. 21. 19. Rom. 5. 3. and therefore the Lord will not giue his childrens meate vnto dogges nor yet cast such a pearle before such swine Where there is a dissimilitude of ioy there is also a dissimilitude of sorrow but betwixt the good and bad there is no likenes of their mirth and therefore there shall be no likenes of their woe they are proud when we are poore they are many when we are fewe they are merrie when we are sorrie they are glorious when we seeme comfortlesse and therefore when we are relecued they are distressed God is our comfort but it is their comfort if there were no God the diuell is our enimie but their
we are not admonished by once or twise wee regarde not till we bee chastened and then like wretches murmur at our paines enuie at our sufferings and rebell at his iudgements wee open that which he would couer that is our pride and we destroy that he would saue that is our soules then shall his weakest instruments worke our greatest calamitie To make my vine waste and to pill off the barke of my figge tree to make it bare and to cast it downe that the branches thereof be made white Now the Prophet telleth them where this nation should conquere that is among the vines and figge trees which were very common in Iudea being the sustentation of the poore and the delight of the wealthie and these should all be broken all bee barren and all bee withered and left fruitlesse From hence we may obserue this doctrine that the fruites of the earth are destroied for the sinne of man what had these vines offended that they should be wasted or what had the figge trees sinned that they should be broken downe Surely nothing but the men that vsed or rather abused them were the onely cause that the iuice was dried and their sweetenesse denied them For this cause said the spirite of God by Dauid Psal 107 34. A fruitfull land maketh he barren for the sinnes of them that dwell therein This is a iudgement worth the noting that we might knowe how to amende our land when it cannot yeelde her increase which is to compasse it with our sorrowfull harts and water it with the teares of our eies And this may serue for euidence in our times against them that thinke all is in good order and there needeth no farther reformation Yes verily the earth it selfe crieth out for a reformation for she may say as Naomi saide to her friends I went out full but I returned emptie or as Iacob saide to his sonnes You haue robbed me of my children it is wee that haue inclosed great fruit in a little storehouse for our sinnes haue blasted it and the earth is made barren The reasons of this doctrine are these because there is nothing that will so mooue vs as want will and therefore we are punished with that which goeth neerest vnto vs. Nehem. 5. 3. 4. The want of corne made the people to sell away their houses and their lands yea their owne children they solde to buy them bread what woulde haue made them thus seruile but famine or what would haue greeued them so farre as this And this selfesame complaint haue many among vs taken vp being ready if any would giue them any money to sell their owne children May not this admonish vs that our land aboundeth with iniquitie that is thus filled with the miserie of the poore yes verily and if it bee not speedily preuented the richest and wealthiest shall feele it as well as the basest The prouerbe is almost verified in famine which was woont to be in warre that the great men make the warres and the poore men beare the blowes so the rich mens sinnes haue made the dearth but the poore men liues abide the death Another reason hereof may be this because by this meanes the best and the greatest come into miserie as well as the smallest not so soone I graunt but in continuance of time it is effected Iere. 14. 3. The noblest send their seruants for water but alas they returne emptie and couer their maisters heads with shame Therefore let vs learne what shall bee the pinching estate of the poore when the noblest men thus wring and how are the seruants plagued when the maisters are thus famished Looke vpon it my deere brethren for not one of you shall escape it if this calamitie continue your iewels shall bee woorth nothing your pearle shall perish with you your money which you haue gotten by oppressing the poore shall rather afflict you then comfort you You haue as it were in sport began to make a dearth and it maketh you laugh inwardly to see the coine come so fast into your cofers beware least the Lord turne it into good earnest and laugh as hartily at you to see the soules goe out of your bodies The vses which we must make of this doctrine are these the first is the same which the prophet exhorteth vnto Hag. 1. 5. That euery one of vs consider our waies since the continuance of this famine came vpon vs. Consider you rich men whether you haue not scored vp many sins that might cause this miserie consider O yee poorer sort whether you haue not added many vnthankfulnesses that thus are reuenged with want Consider O you drunkardes and belly gods whether your appetites haue not brought this scarcitie and your fulnesse this emptinesse thinke with your selues O yoong men if it be not likely that your costly pleasures and chargeable pastimes haue cried for a penurie on the earth and a deere reckoning on the Lords benefites If you finde these things then begin a new consideration and thinke with your selues whether the earth crie not for vengeance and the Lords ministers for repentance Take vp a lamentation and say with our selues O Lord it is we and our fathers house that haue caused thy heauie hand to be powred vpon vs for our sakes haue many poore men laboured many women sorrowed and many children perished we haue their blood vpon vs and thou maist iustly require it at our hands but pardon thou our sinnes increase thou our repentance remooue thou thy iudgements and multiplie the fruites of the earth So shall you not satisfie the iniuries done but the expectation of your brethren and the crie of the poore that are yet liuing For assuredly if you helpe not to beare this burden in your bodies you shall weare it in your soules and if you fast not with vs in this life you shall famish without vs in the life to come Cōsider I beseech you your waies auoide that enimie that by your often sinning would destroy both body and soule Oh our dearth may be perpetuall our griefe is immortall your paines shall be eternall your liberalitie but temporall your want if any want but externall but your and our ioyes shall be continuall therefore consider how long we haue sinned how little we haue amended how much we haue transgressed and how soone wee may bee confounded Amende euery man one then shall families be saued amend families and then shall villages bee blessed amende villages then shall cities be cleansed amende cities then shall countries bee sanctified amende countries and then shall the whole world be conuerted For the world consisteth of countries countries of cities cities of villages villages of families families of seuerall persons therefore if seuerall persons will amende then all the worlde shall be amended Another vse which we may make heereof shall be this to imitate the example of the godly Iewes Ezr. 10. 9. that is that we weepe and tremble for the raines and
put thee in minde of the maker Because thou art forgetfull let thine inheritance remember thee of heauen let thy purchase remember thee of regeneration let thy fruites remember thee of thy life let thy haruest remember thee of thy death let thy store remember thy soule and let all remember thy poore brother The reasons of this doctrine are these first because the most prophane and wicked idolaters Iere. 4. 17 18 19. thinke that the onely cause of multiplying the fruites of the earth is for the worship of God and therefore who but Atheists can denie the same vnto him for he onely it is that maketh them to growe and blesseth all our stores and therefore most vnthankfull wretches are wee if for all we should render him none againe And this is much to be feared that the little regard which is had hereof in our land is the onely cause why our former yeeres haue brought forth no greater plentie for if we generally regarde the multitude we shall finde that those which haue the greatest fieldes the largest barnes the widest patrimonies and most store of riches haue and do make most bolde with the Lord and come least into his presence Another reason of this doctrine may be this because these benefites are the promised blessings to them that loue him Deut. 28. 1 2 3. which ought euermore to put vs in minde of our loue to God that we might loue him more and more and so receiue of him more and more abundantly let vs I beseech you consider our estate and not fall away from our first loue for seeing we haue had in former times greater plentie then now we haue let vs knowe for certaintie that our store is lesse because our loue is lesse When the Gospell came first among vs how ioyfully did we followe it and how diligently heare it in so much as the preachers being but few we would haue giuen them our owne eies if it had beene possible to doe them good but now we are as wearie of them as the Israelites were of Moses when they would haue stoned him and therefore then were we filled with loue and with plentie but now we are emptied of godly care and plagued with mortall want The vses which arise from the consideration of this point are these first that we desire of the Lorde to haue pitie and care for our lande which is wasted and to cast his eies to our poore and penurious time offamine and dearth Deut. 11. 12. For alas our miserie groweth so great and incurable euery day more more that we haue great cause to feare least his long suffering turne into wrath and our pinching famine into death Who hath beene cast downe throughly not for a day but for a yeere in this occasion surely few or none and therefore is the Lorde as a stranger among vs and as one that tarrieth but for a night O my deere brethren let vs at the length yet learne the true and right way to remedie our euill and to encrease againe the fruites of the earth how haue our pastures beene drowned our medowes ouerflowed our corne blasted and our tilled lande made barren insomuch as we may see or might not long since haue seene how the hils and mountaines wept foorth whole streames of water for their barrennesse Let vs followe their example and be ruled by their line to doe the like for it as it hath done for vs. It is not we see in the planter or in the waterer but in the Lorde that giueth encrease of him let vs entreate this blessing that his hande may bee staied in time before all bee left destitute and the face of our countrey like the lande of Sodom let vs labour in praier as we haue done in tillage let vs bestowe as much cost in supplication to pacifie our glorious God as we haue done in husbandrie to amende our barren lande if he say but the worde all shall bee remedied Oh let vs powre foorth wordes and liues and harts and soules that this may bee remooued Another vse heereof seeing these creatures as great crops of corne large fieldes and other things must onely serue vs that wee may serue God then how fearefull a thing is it to abuse any of these whereby both the worship and workmanship of God are defaced therfore the holy Ghost admonisheth Rom. 14. 20. that we destroy not the work of God for meates sake Some surfet in their abundance to their death other disfigure the good shape of their bodies through pride and vanitie such as are yoong gallants and gentlewomen and the more they haue receiued the more they haue abused some in their ease and idlenes are growne like tunnes in compasse being vnfit for labour vnprofitable to any goodnes and vnwoorthy of any blessinges The labouring mans estate is much to be commended though it be poore yet it is happie he is an image of Adam created to worke he is an image of God created in righteousnes and the image of Christ created for calamitie his health is maintained by labour his bodie is refreshed with rest his minde is renewed with religion and his life is studious of the Lordes worship his hungry morsels make him more thankefull to God then the great delicates of the rich his bare bread and water or small drinke giue him more healthie nourishment then the fowles and dainties of the other his life is wearied with labour his minde is prepared for God and his soule is readie for rest Let vs all liue in this trauaile that we may die in this manner let vs keepe vnder our bodies and lustes as we refraine a yoong colte and let moe bridles of abstinencie and sinceritie curbe shorter all our pleasure and vanitie Another doctrine which we may gather out of this verse may be this that seeing the creatures of God do call vpon vs to worship him and therefore they be helpers vnto vs therein wee gather that our worship of God in this life cannot possiblie bee absolute and perfect that wee shoulde bee alway like affected and obserue time place order and zeale in our religion for heere wee see that the worship of God was violated bicause the fruites of the earth ceased our knowledge is obscured by naturall ignorance our time is omitted through sorrow sickenes care and worldly busines our harts are hindered through feare loue ioy pleasure vanitie and temptation and a thousand other waies shall wee finde that all we can doe in the Lordes seruice is but in part as Paul prooueth 1. Cor. 13. 9 10. How wicked are the bragges of them that boast of their vprightnes whereby they serue the Lorde thinking that there is nothing but of themselues they bee able to performe it But wee must know that the greatest doctor the learnedest preacher and the painfullest hearer cannot comprehende or teach or learne whatsoeuer is requisite to our saluation no not the whole church of God togither so
by outward shewes and the giftes of the spirite by worldly professions so that if men liue neuer so vprightly and yet be poore or teach neuer so diligently and yet be not famous and pray neuer so feruently and yet be not a flatterer or write neuer so excellently and yet reprooue sinne he is no more accounted then a base and common professour Men will not studie religion because they say the doctors can neuer knowe all things and therefore they will knowe nothing but if none should studie phisicke but he that would cure all diseases sicknesse would quickly ouerthrowe vs and if men follow not religion because they cannot know euerie mysterie the diuell will speedily ouercome their soules Be ye ashamed O ye husbandmen howle O ye vine dressers for the wheate and for the barly because the haruest of the field is perished Now he commeth to the particular persons that dresseth the earth and the fruites thereof bidding them to bee ashamed to see their cunning faile their labour lost their price receiued in vaine because all was destroied whereabout they were imploied From hence we may note that seeing the prophet calleth to these husbandmen it is our dutie that are of the ministerie to speake the word and rebuke sinne and exhort euery kinde of profession vnto religion The princes the nobles the rich the poore the husbandmen the artificers and the seruingmen and the gentlemen must all be exhorted and rebuked by the voice of a preacher And this was the most singular comfort that Paul receiued by his labour Actes 20. 31. That they all coulde beare him witnesse that hee had not ceased daye nor night to admonish euery man of life eternall wherein wee see that the paines of a minister are infinite that must not feare any mans person nor spare any mans profession nor loue any mans sinnes nor bee silent at any mans iniuries nor bee controuled for any iust offence by him rebuked Looke I say to the labours of watchmen in the Lordes house hee warneth them by chiding saith Aug. he instructeth them by preaching he prepareth them by admonition he hath a calling from God to warrant him from the word to enconrage him from the spirit to inflame him and from his conscience to comfort him He must rebuke the rage of great men the folly of old men the vanitie of yoong men the deceit of crafts men the trade of husbandmen the idlenes of seruingmen the wantonnes of women and the sinnes of all men that by wounding them with the word of God both they and he might escape the iudgement of God The reasons of this doctrine may bee these First because as Paul saith in the forenamed place ver 26. 27. that by this means they are free from the blood of all men And we know that the blood of a poore husbandman will staine as much as the blood of the greatest prince in the world But euermore when I haue occasion to talke of the bloode of men which is committed to the preachers and shall bee againe required at our hands me thinkes that the blood and life and hearts and soules should tremble hereat the minister for his charge the people for their danger The captaine doth answere for the body of a man the factor for his masters wealth the scholler for his learning the man for his seruice and the noble man for his princes affaires but the minister must answere for the peoples sinnes Againe what is the danger to keepe thy soule is it not committed to a man hath it not all the diuels in hell to lay siege vnto it and yet wil not men come to their pastors to haue their soules fed being hungrie nor yet cured being sicke nor yet salued being wounded nor yet defended being besieged nor yet to be saued although they be like to bee damned Another reason of this is because our commission must stretch it selfe as far as Christes redemption who is an aduocate for all men that is for all sorts of men and therefore it is most requisite that we speake to all kinds of men that so they may come to the knowledge of redemption Wouldest thou then be exempted from comming to sermons then thou must also be exempted from comming to saluation Is it hard vnto thee and intolerable that the word of God shall restraine thy pleasures then shall it be harder for thee to haue the blood of Christ to annoint thy soule from hell Would not all men come to the kingdom of heauen then wil I open vnto them the gate of the Lord and tell you that obedience to the ministerie is the way and the righteous will enter therein The vses which come of this doctrine are these First seeing that all men must receiue the word of the minister that the ministers flatter not the people and conceale not the iudgements of God from their sinnes Prou. 24. 24. 25. The Lord promised pleasure to them that rebuked the sinne of the wicked and the blessing of goodnes shall bee vpon them What is the hope of the Lords workman we haue already declared But now let me exhort and be exhorted vnto this necessarie doctrine I know that since the world grew to a multitude and the church to a monarchie the great men haue euer enuied the rebukers of sinne I meane the ministerie bicause they liued in greater sinnes themselues and this is the cause why reproofes are so hardly endured that although we speake but generally against a particular sinne yet some or other who is gauled with the conscience thereof will accuse vs for ayming at him and peraduenture threaten vs mortall hatred this was not so in the primitiue church 1. Cor. 14. 24. 25. but rather men obeyed gladly then threatned maliciously but so it is in our church and therefore are the ministery afraid in many places to preach the word least they should offend But harken my deere brethren feare them not for it shal come on vs that the Lord threatned Ieremie If we spare his word he will confounde vs in their presence What is there in them that we should feare they are but men in nature so are we they are many in number so are we they haue the world we haue the word they touch but our names or our bodies our soules are the Lords they cannot accuse vs iustly of sinne but themselues they cannot worke their will but the Lords will their wrath is nothing to the Lordes wrath shall we silence the word because they loue it not Beloued haue not mens persons in admiration the word of God is not bound though we be imprisoned that cannot be hurt though we be blamed our soules cannot be touched though our bodies be martyred Let vs wish with Luther that God would make vs woorthie to die for his word Another vse of this doctrine is that the people of all sorts must heare the worde of the minister let them take heed that they beare the
reason hereofmay be this because no man can haue a perfect faith without the totall conuersion of the hart Rom. 10. 9. and men can neuer liue well that beleeue not well saith Augustine If thou haue one part of thy heart with the Lord bicause thou knowest the truth thou hast another part with the world in louing thy life so in part thou beleeuest God and beleeuest the diuell Canst thou brag of faith when thy heart is distracted louing and liking two contrarie maisters no verily thou deceiuest thy selfe thou canst not loue gold and beleeue in God thou canst not haunt thy pleasures and yet delight in the Gospell Therefore if thou wouldest haue a sound faith thou must first haue a sound hart conuert thy hart and then thy faith will follow if it bee thoroughly thou shalt haue a perfect faith but if thou doe it in part then is it but a painted bodie which can neither goe nor see Another reason because regeneration maketh the heart to bee one Ierem. 32. 39. Indeede they which wander in wickednes haue a hart and a hart but when we come to the Lord we must haue but one hart for the hart is the man wherein are treasured all kind of vnderstanding and knowledge therefore it must not be halfe of flesh and halfe of stone Ezech. 11. 19. but either all flesh or all stone for he that is in part prophane and in part a christian in very deede is no man And for this cause is hypocrisie of all sinnes most abhominable which maketh a man no man dissembling with God the world and himselfe with God in his hart with the world in his life and with himselfe in that he dissembleth Of all sinners fewest hypocrites are conuerted and of all persons are they most odious and therefore hell is called the lake burning with fire and brimstone prepared for hypocrites vnlesse then we will liue as they liue and die as they die we must turne our whole hearts to the Lord. The vses are these First that we draw neere vnto the Lord with a pure hart Heb. 10. 22. Puritie is ioyned with integritie therefore when our hearts be purest then are they fittest for the Lord. In olde time there straite steps to our feete least that which is halting be turned out of the way Heb. 12. 12. 13. we are in great danger by prolonging our amendment to haue all marred and turned out of the way therefore let vs awake ouer our soules that wee may saue those parts which are vnsound for there is not any man but hee hath some woundes and maymes in his soule which must bee speedilie cured or else the longer they runne the more miserable they growe It is a lamentable thing to see men to deferre their conuersion saying one yeere they will doe it next yeere and the next season they will plowe their harts and sowe it with the worde It is also a thing dangerous to lodge but one night in a knowne sinne and therefore as the Apostle saide of anger so we must of euerie other transgression Let not the Sunne goe downe thereon Make speede I beseech you to amende your liues to reclaime your hearts to forsake your vanities to renounce your errours and to put away your pleasures for if your hart delight in any thing beside God it denieth God if it keepe hir naturall corruption and cast it not foorth it blasphemeth God if it delay to returne it abuseth his mercie it despiseth his grace and condemneth it selfe Say not saith Salomon I will giue thee to morrowe when thou maiest to day The whole time of this life is a time of repentance and therefore looke howe much thereof wee spende not in repentance so much we shall want to doe it in which must euery day make vs neerer to the Lorde or neerer to hell The xx Sermon HAuing handled the exhortation vnto repentance nowe let vs proceede to the manner thereof With weepings fastings and mournings the which wordes require a seuerall treatise And first in that they are commanded to weepe we may obserue that with inwarde repentance there must be ioyned outwarde signes thereof and in occasion of greater and more forcible feeling of our sinnes wee shall wring out sorrowes more abundantly This thing is taught by the prophet Hos 14. 3 4. where hauing exhorted the Israelites to a newe life hee biddeth them to take the wordes of repentance and to make a publike profession thereof Peter repented and it was with teares for the Scripture saith hee wept bitterly The selfe same thing doe good men finde in themselues at this day for as where the bodie is wounded there issueth foorth some bloude so where repentance hath wounded the soule there will follow some bloud I meane the teares therof Carnall men thinke they haue repented if they say God forgiue me or I am sorrie for it although afterward they liue neuer so lewdly Looke vpon thy life and see what gutters the teares haue made in thy face which haue distilled from thy eies for thy sinnes looke also vpon the sacrifices of thy lips how lamentable thy praiers haue been before the Lord account with thy self where when thou diddest offer them for without praier thou couldest neuer be conuerted It may be thou hast not wept by reason of some natural infirmity but it must be that thou hast praied or else it cannot be that thou hast repented Therefore let not any man deceiue himselfe think that he hath repented till his life be turned from the world his minde from pleasure his face from ioye and his bodie from desire of sinning The first reason hereof may be this because the Lord hath redeemed vs Isa 44. 22. that is as the Lord hath shewed open tokens of his fauour toward vs so we must shewe open tokens of our repentance towarde him The which reason well considered will teach vs that there ought to bee as great loue in vs for our saluation as was in Christ for our redemption He cared not for his life that hee might saue vs why then should wee care for our owne liues and spare our sinnes he shed his blood and we sent our follies he gaue himselfe for our sinnes and yet we will not let him haue them There is none that is ignorant of this except he had repented hee must haue perished and therefore if thou repent not thou must be damned The Lord hath not beene carefull for thy soule that thou shouldest bee secure but his loue must be a patterne for thee to loue thy selfe All that he did was for thy soule he was reproched he was empouerished he was condemned and crucified for it that thou mightest endure all shame to repent them all pouertie to preuent them all iniuries to lament them and all deaths to mortifie them He walked many miles watched many nights fasted many daies and endured many afflictions that thou mightest labour much watch carefully abstaine continually and endure
thee a broome to sweepe thy passage that nothing hinder thee it is the key that openeth the gate of Christes mercie and a sure friende to sue out thy pardon Another reason is because Christ will not come but to such spirits Luc. 19. 10. so that if thou wouldst goe vp to Christ thy sorrow will lende thee wings if thou wouldest haue Christ to descend to thee thy sorrowe will perswade him Christ is the phisition of the minde and he will not come till thy minde be sicke As in winter the most raine falleth so in distresse of conscience most comforts come downe this doctrine bringeth great ioy of glad tidings which shal be to all harts where godly sorrow dwelleth But let vs not alway lament these sorrowes or rest in the graues of our easelesse cares but let our praiers be multiplied as our dangers are increased so doe the godly Hos 6. 1. Flie therefore to the Lord when thou feelest any smart in thy soule and let not musicall delights or pleasant companions entise with conceites to banish this greefe but let thy greefe be thy meate and drinke and the meanes to stirre thee vp to praier It is to be feared that many haue beene either vtterly condemned or desperately endangered by vsing worldly medicines for these heauenly sores for so soone as their harts waxe heauie by reason of their sinne they call for worldly delights which either driue them to desperation or harden them to condemnation Drinke is good to the thirstie but it is dangerous to them that are sicke of burning feauers in like sort vnto them that haue eaten poison so mirth is good but vse it not to driue away godly sorrow but abide it patiently with praier and fasting As thou seest thy sinnes so let the Lord heare thy praiers and as thy greefe for them is increased so let thy cries against them be multiplied Thinke whome thou hast offended wherewithall thou art greeued and how thou canst be pacified If thou be rich let thy closet bee thy sanctuarie if thou be poore let the woods and secret places be thy temple if thou haue little knowledge resort to them that haue more if thou be heauie and feelest no comfort yet pray still and giue not ouer for the ende shall bee blessed although the beginning bee desolate Againe as Hoseah teacheth chap. 14. 5. let vs in our mourning take with vs the hope of pardon or else a Christian soule shoulde haue no more feeling then a desperate wretch for we may lawfully perswade our selues how sharpe soeuer we feele our pangs and soule-fits yet there is neuer taken from vs the hope of pardon yea if faith bee not vtterly couered we may bee bolde to assure ourselues of victorie What then how if hope and faith be buried and we yeeld vnto death denying the sweete promises of Christ is not this desperation no verily for as there may bee life in the body although men cannot perceiue it so there may be in the soule although none discerne it for although Dauid said This is my death yet he recouered both life and peace of conscience Therefore a contrite spirit is alway regarded of God and if he euermore loue it in other hee doth also like it in thee Be patient the same hand which made the wounde shall heale the greefe and if thou feele a decay of grace stirre vp thy selfe more earnestly by calling on God and hold fast till the Lord come Receiue good comfort in the middest of thy sorrowes as a watchman espying the dawning long before it bee light although it be bitter in thy mouth it shall bee sweete after digestion and say I will abide the Lords leisure I will drinke his potion it is a cup but not of deadly wine I will receiue it for the purgation of my sinne although it make me sicke The xxj Sermon Vers 13. And rent your harts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repenteth him of the euill THese words are another part of the Prophets exhortation vnto repentance wherein hee noteth the greatest measure of Repentance vnder this metaphor Rent your harts Meaning the most extreme and comfortlesse paines in the action thereof not that indeed men should rip vp their breasts and rend in twaine their harts no more then when our Sauiour biddeth vs cut off the arme or plucke out the eie that offendeth vs wee should dismember our bodies for euery fall or ouersight But by the rending of the hearts wee are taught that the paines of true repentance exceede all other paines death excepted neither whipping of the body as the Iesuites do nor launcing it with kniues as the priests of Baal did or pricking it with bodkins or sickenes or famine or trauaile are comparable to repentance for these may bee quickly eased by man but the other cannot bee redressed but by God Vpon this the godly Israelites pray Iudg. 10. 15. that God would deliuer them meaning from the terrours of their sinne and lay whatsoeuer pleased him vpon them besides The insufferable wounds of a tormented minde are the onely paines which are like to the paines of hell so that neither brimstone nor fire commeth any thing so neer vnto it as this doth Wherupon it was said that good men haue their hell in this life meaning that the paines of repentance are so smart vnto them that it differeth many times verie little from the plagues of the other life Now I beseech you that are godly that haue long rested in this restles harbour to acknowledge with me the truth hereof and you that haue perswaded your selues that not onely teares but easie sighing grones doe goe for payment of your sinnes Learne of me this one lesson that your minds must be more perplexed and your hearts more inwardly vexed not onely for a day but for a longer time yea peraduenture a whole life that you may sing with all the godly The paines of hell came about me The first reason bicause that repentance is the dressing of the soules wound so that as the soule is more dangerous than the bodie so the wound therein must needs be more painfull then a wound in the flesh And for this cause are the ministers charged with the soules of men Heb. 13. 17. because they dresse not their woundes and shew not their sinnes that lie secret in their soules The which account is now a daies little regarded of many ministers ' and lesse of many people one careth not for their sinne and the other regardeth not their soule but the more they be the more is the pitie or rather the more shall be their iudgement Neither let vs be amazed to heare of these vnspeakable gripes of minde for they crie continually in the eares of God for mercie as a wound calleth for a salue Another reason because in repentance men feele the wrath of God against
sinne which they doe not in other corporall plagues Psal 74. 1. The wrath of God made our Sauiour to sweate water and blood which comming vpon men although they cannot sweate as he did because they cannot resist as he did yet they feele in themselues such terrible horrours as amaze the strong and confound the weake From hence it commeth that some in this extremitie thinke that all that they do is for their condemnation their meat drinke apparell health and libertie are vnto many weake minds tokens of the Lords wrath Indeed they which are burned with this iron thinke that euery house will ouerwhelme them and euerie leafe that falleth on the ground will hurt them the noyse of any thing doth trouble them and a sharpe worde almost killeth them Terrible is a life lead vnder such conflicts for euery howre threatneth a thousand deathes the hart euer accuseth the memorie witnesseth against it selfe his owne reason condemneth him and his continuall feare is his cruell tormentor The first vse Let vs not be discouraged in these woefull torments but take example by our Sauiour Christ who for the glorie that was set before him most patiently endured the greatest crosse A hell thou must needs haue thou canst not eschue it therefore chuse it in this world where thou shalt finde mercie with God comfort in his word and solace in his church in the world to come thou shalt haue none of these Make heere thy apprentiship vnto sorrows where thy friends may accompany thee thy praiers may quiet thee and thy ioyes may recompence thee Why art thou afraid that thou canst not abide such paines then looke vnto God the author and finisher of thy faith Art thou in doubt to suffer shippewracke and despaire then knowe that GOD tempteth none beyonde their power Are thy friendes against thee yet the Aungels are with thee Louest thou not sorrowes then shalt thou neuer gaine ioyes if thou wouldest haue learning thou must endure the rodde if thou wilt haue golde thou must crosse the seas if thou wilt bee famous thou must take much paines and if thou wilt haue heauen thou must winne it by repentance Art thou yet afraide of thy selfe and canst not willingly vndergoe it set before thee the paines of this life and the plagues of the other life these are temporall those are eternall these are sufferable those are intollerable these are among men those among diuels these come of loue those of wrath and to conclude God shall mittigate these but hee will augment and aggrauate them Howe canst thou auoide death no more canst thou auoide hell If thou wouldest neuer die thou must neuer be borne and if thou wouldest neuer repent thou must neuer liue Let repentance bee thy purgatorie sinnes thy paines sorrowes thy tormentors and saie with Elijah Poure on more water that God may the more be glorified in thy saluation The second vse is the same that Dauid maketh Psalm 31. 23. after hee had tolde of this great extremitie and howe the Lord did set him at libertie he calleth vpon al the godlie saying Loue yee the Lorde yee his saints for he preserueth the faithfull and rewardeth abundantly the euill dooers Hearken vnto this you sorrowfull doues of the Lord your cause is not wicked your case is not desperate and your hope shall not be frustrate for the Lorde will deliuer you Is it not as easie for him to free you from sinne as from hell and from sorrowe as from damnation Yes verily and therefore loue the Lorde if you bee his saints Loue him I saie and hee shall loue you nay hee loued you first and therefore loue him againe Hee loueth you for hee looketh still vpon you and doe you loue him by looking stil vnto him hee loueth you and watcheth for your safetie do you loue him watch in his praises Which of vs liuing that were born in his church cannot say that the Lord hath wrought wonders for his annointed Tell thy soule what the Lorde hath done for it howe hee cast out the diuell and planted his spirite howe hee freede it from wrath and gaue it grace how he gained it from vengeance gaue it repentance Repentance I say with waterie eies leane bodie mournefull minde and miserable wounded heart and now for all this thou liuest in greater peace Therfore loue yee the Lorde yee his saints loue him as your husbande you are his wife loue him as your father you are his children loue him as your God you are his creatures and loue him as your life you are his ofspring Labour for him you loue pray to him you loue thinke vpon him you loue reioice in him you loue and then die to liue with him you loue thinke it long till you see him thinke it little that you giue him count it woe to forsake him and count it blessednes to loue him After hee had told them what they shoulde doe nowe hee telleth them what they shoulde not doe namely Not cut their garments Wherein he rebuketh the follie raigning in their and our times when they vsed to rent their clothes what careth the Lorde for a newe garment agaie cloke or a costly pearle All these shall perish but he endureth for euer And therefore rent not your garments onely not meaning it to bee vnlawfull to shewe an outward token of sorrowe but hee blameth curiositie and hypocrisie without inwarde sinceritie such as was in the high priest when he heard Christ say hee was the sonne of God hee rent his garments From hence we may gather that outwarde holines is abhominable All such religion as is onely for fashion praying and receiuing the Sacraments hearing of sermons and such like for meere shewe and companie Esay 57. 3 4. And if it bee lawfull to say that men are onely cyphers in religion when they know little or nothing and practise euill then may wee saie that there are more cyphers then figures in our daies You shall knowe them bicause they come but nowe and then to church where they fetch many a fained sigh and speake many ignorant Amen thinking that the worship of the Sabbaoth lieth in putting on their best apparrell and yet simple soules they are perswaded they be as good christians as can be of flesh and bloud and so they bee as Christes disciples were when hee saide vnto them O yee of little faith how long shall I bee with you how long shall I suffer you and so wee may saie to them howe long shall this simplicitie bee called christianitie and howe long shall faith giue place to opinion and howe long shall euerie base person extoll vaine profession against true Religion Oh I woulde they coulde bee brought vnto vs that wee might cast out this diuell from them The reasons of this doctrine are these because the Lorde trying the secret disposition of euery hart pronounceth that he is wearie of such fained worship and that his soule abhorreth it Isai 12.
eares and hand and heart to theirs when they are humbled fall thou downe when they are praying praie with them when they are hearing heare with them when they are singing sing with them and when they are mourning lamenth with them If they ioine in petition to God oh account it happinesse for thee to subscribe thy name for they are blessed that are ioyned to the fellowship of the saints Another vse if wee must seate our selues in most conuenient place to heare then let vs also frequent the places of praier and religion When the church was compelled to a riuers side in steede of a cathedrall church Act. 16. 15. Lydia the purple woman resorted thither and once she had her hart opened and conuerted to the Lord In like manner let vs resort to the churches for at one time or other we may boldly assure our selues that we shall receiue the pledge of life eternall But in our daies men are so affected to this doctrine that the diuell laugheth at it and good men lament it for either they come not at all as the ghestes which were bid to a wedding or else they come without conscience as he did without a wedding garment or else they are present without attention as Eutyches that fell on sleepe at Paules preaching or else they depart out of our assemblies as Iudas did from Christ when hee went to betray him Standing times of praier in the church some say are of Poperie and in the house they are of other condemned for puritanisme so that godly praiers being the sword of the spirite are now growen rustie and dull that few mens sins or liues or harts are parted therewith But my deere brethren come to the times of praier and binde your selues not onely publikely but also priuately with seuere vowes and pay them to the Lord for so shall the fire of the spirite be kindled in you the holy Ghost shall raigne in you the saints shall be comforted by you and you shall trie that all things are possible to a Christian Spare thy people Now we are come to the praier which the prophet teacheth the priestes to make for the people which is thus much in effect Wee haue no refuge but to flie to thee O Lord we are guiltie of the punishment but yet thou maist stay thy hand and spare our liues Giue vs not ouer wee pray thee that our enemies reioice not ouer vs and blaspheme thy blessed name we are the fields of thine owne inheritance reuenge our cause from the handes of strangers oh spare vs that we may serue thee First out of the beginning of this praier we may note that petitioners and those which are suiters to the throne of grace must alway pleade guiltie in the presence of God Luc. 18. 12 13. The example of the Publican prooueth this that the Lord loueth vs better when we tell him of our follies then when we shew him our vertues The Lord which will seldome helpe till there be no helpe but in his mercie biddeth vs alway to condemne our selues so that when wee thinke most basely of our natures and speake most vilely yet truly of our liues and confesse most bitterly against our selues then are we most nigh to the end of our praiers For this cause let vs meditate before praier that we may sufficiently waigh our miseries and more lamentably bewaile our wants and more ardently pray for his mercie that we may more comfortably enioy his fauour The reasons hereof because there is not one man liuing that can bee iustified before God Psal 143. 1 2. but euery man is an vnprofitable seruant for which cause we must alway accuse our sins and call for pardon at the Lords hand This reason being knowen of the baser and wickeder sort they imagine that they haue gained a sufficient charter to continue in their euill why say they the most righteous are guiltie in the Lords sight and what are we more Doe what wee can yet we shall sinne and we can but craue pardon of him for many as well as for few but this is a wicked and an accursed reason For although the best fall into many enormities yet ought not you to sinne good men fall into sinne but you dwell in sinne they are sorrie for them but you delight in them Dauid sinned was therefore Absolom or Achitophel vnpunished because Peter denied his maister might therefore Iudas betray him or because one man falleth into debt by sicknesse may you therefore fall into debt through riot if a sound body doe now and then fall into sicknesse then hee which hath a crazie body had neede to looke to himselfe so if men of sound soules doe fall into euils you which haue sicke soules must bee much more carefull of your health Another reason our Sauiour giueth Luc. 18. 14. for the Lord resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble and meeke therefore ought wee to increase in the numbring of our sinnes that the Lord may aduance vs to the beholding of his mercie Let vs be assured if we pray without sorrow we doe but mocke the Lord but if we sorrow with earnest praier we prepare many ioyes for our soules First let vs learne that our praiers must bee ardent and continuall in the eares of the Lord as the Israelites were Iudg. 10. 3. to 13. for as we haue a continuall occasion of sinning so we must take continuall occasion of praying Who is he that hath beene but a little while in the practise of christianitie and hath not learned this lesson My sinnes are euer in my sight too heauie a burden for me to beare therefore as he which is vexed with a continuall want laboureth in a continuall worke and hee which hath a continuall sicknesse turneth on euery side to finde ease so must we which are euermore oppressed with sinne be euermore praying for helpe As the greatest burdens make the porters sweate the greatest drops so will our sinnes if we feele them make vs sweate drops of blood to be released of them therefore pray till thou be heard and take for thy example the poore widow which woulde neuer giue ouer till the iudge had righted her cause neither doe thou cease to pray til thy soule doe cease to sinne Many pray through want but not with want and for grace but not with grace they are cold and not continuall in their suites Who is so hard harted seeing a poore man with as many sores as his body can beare running after him a mile or twaine and begging but a penny that coulde denie him in like manner if wee shewe all our sores and sinnes and miseries vnto the Lord continually that when our voice is wearie our harts may speake and when our harts are sleepie our wounds may crie for mercie so that we may neither eate nor sleepe till we know our sinnes be pardoned Let vs neuer be afraide to come to the Lord notwithstanding we finde
tell them to our parents our wiues our children our seruants our friendes and our neighbours that they may bee signed by the same seale and saued by the same grace Thirdly God will haue none other to bee knowen in Israel but himselfe alone Whereby wee are taught not to stand in doubt whom where whē we ought to beleeue feare loue or worship but onely and perfectly to relie on the Lord. 1. King 18. 21. It is not good to halt betwixt two opinions but either we must bee constant professors or obstinate blasphemers I would they woulde consider this that say they know not whether to be papists or protestants for both liue alike and therefore both shall be saued alike But they must knowe that Cham escaped the flood as well as Sem but yet he escaped not damnation so easily and so wicked professors in this life doe many times as well as good but death and iudgement shall trie the cause The reasons first because the halting part is often turned out of the way Heb. 12 13. and indeede it is fearefull that alway euill doth surpasse goodnesse as weedes ouergrowe corne and sicknesse ouer commeth health Therefore let vs beware least when we doubt what is best we take the worst as Ieroboam did Moreouer while we doubt in religion wee are carried away by the craftie deceit of men Ephes 4. 14. For heretikes and euill men doe alway labour first to drawe vs into wauering and then to bring vs into condemnation Let vs then abide in that which we haue heard 1. Ioh. 2. 24. for that which is first is truth and that which is last is falshood Let vs not haue tickling and itching eares such as many in our daies haue which like not our doctrine our preachers our praiers our gouernment our sacraments our people and our prince and what will they doe shortly but fall in dislike with our God and all manner of religion Let vs also learne to bee constant 2. Tim. 3. 14. that we be not mooued from it but as Ioab would not come out of the temple but would die holding the altar by the hornes so let vs die holding fast by our altar Iesus Christ And that seeing we must die let vs die in his armes for his sake to his glorie and our owne saluation The xxx Sermon Vers. 28. And afterward I will powre out my spirite vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your yoong men shall see visions 29 And also vpon your seruants and your maidens in those daies will I powre our my spirite THese two verses containe the second part of the spirituall benefits to be powred on them namely the spirite and the graces thereof for when hee saith that he will powre foorth his spirite he meaneth not to diuide the holy Ghost into parcels but by a vsuall figure of the scripture hee putteth the spirite for the graces because wheresoeuer any one grace is there is the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 6 11. By this we may see that the olde fathers and the prophets had some knowledge of the Trinitie of persons in the Godhead for not onely here but in many other places is mention made of the Spirit and we knowe the name of sonne is and was very familiar in the scriptures Hee saith he will powre out his Spirite by a vsuall metaphor taken from water because the holy Ghost is resembled to water Heb. 10. 22. meaning also that hee woulde giue it abundantly in more plentifull manner then heeretofore so that all this pertaineth properly to the kingdome of Christ as Peter sheweth Act. 2. 17. and not to their returne from Babylon By the cohaerence of this verse with the former where is promised knowledge as is heere the holy Ghost wee may note that after God hath giuen vs knowledge hee also will giue vs the holy Ghost Act. 15. 8. so that there is not any one that can assure himselfe that he knoweth God by the word preached but he may also be assured that he is made the temple and dwelling house of the holy Ghost Ioh. 1. 12. this is the onely rewarde in this world of the obedience to the Gospell that we haue the spirit dwelling in vs and opening vnto vs the things of God If the affaires of Potiphar were blessed because he had Ioseph in his house much more blessed are the workes of a christian because he hath the holy Ghost in his hart Oh learne I beseech you to know the Lord by the scriptures for then shall you haue the Lord dwelling in you for then shall not sinne hurt you nor the diuell annoy you you shall not feare any danger nor any death for the spirit shal still comfort you and carrie your spirits into heauen The reasons First because we should euermore haue him in our soules Ioh. 14. 16. the Lord knoweth that wee haue a great deale of sorrow to suffer in the world and therefore he hath prouided for vs a comforter that may helpe vs to beare it and they which care not for their profession care not for the spirit and they which care not for the spirit care not for the Lord. By which we may see how fearefull a thing it is to forsake the profession of the Gospel for then the Lord forsaketh vs seeing vs giue ouer his spirit also the Spirit of the Lord is fire and if it purge vs not it will burne vs. Another reason bicause it may perswade vs that we are in the truth Ioh. 15. 26. for if our profession were but barely gathered out of the scriptures by men then might it be altered as the ministers thereof haue beene altered but the spirit abideth for euer and doth assure our hearts that this Gospell this faith this hope this obedience and this kingdome is the same that Christ taught the saints beleeued good men receiued the disciples liued and all the faithfull haue obtained So that if thou stand in faith and dost peaceably enioy the profession of religion and knowest by the infallible word of God thou art in the way of saluation then reioyce boldly because the holy Ghost is in thy heart as Simeon did when he had Christ in his armes But yet many haue peace in their harts thorough the diuel which are in errour in Poperie in Mahometisme and Idolatrie being perswaded they are in the truth but this perswasion is but counterfaite like as the miracles of the Magitians in Egypt were but counterfaite to the miracles of Moses and therefore not euerie one that is perswaded he is in the truth is to bee thought to haue the holy Ghost but onely they that are perswaded by the scriptures and relye vpon nothing in the world besides Let vs then trie whether as yet we haue had the holy Ghost giuen vnto vs or not for the Lord teacheth Iohn 16. 8. when the holy Ghost is come he will reprooue the
2. 8. Therefore as the olde fathers searched for saluation 1. Pet. 1. 19. so doe thou and as the woman did for her money which neuer gaue ouer sweeping and seeking till she had found it in like manner doe thou but follow saluation as Isaac followed Abraham vnto the place where he should be sacrificed Secondly when he saith that there shall bee deliuerance in Mount Sion wee may note that God will euermore haue some among the people of the Iewes that shall be saued Rom. 11. 15 16 26. so that notwithstanding their intolerable hardnesse of hart and great obstinacie against the Gospell yet there are some beleeuers among them and it may be that there shall be a day when they shall all beleeue in the Messiah and I thinke verily that this is the very cause why they are reserued aliue for else in consideration of that great villanie offered to our Sauiour Christ with their infidelitie and other notorious sinnes they had long agoe beene destroied man woman and childe Thirdly the prophet alleageth the proofe hereofwhen he saith as the Lord hath said whereby we may note that the promise of God shall preserue his church in what distresse soeuer it be Heb. 13. 5. yea when heauen and earth shall be burned they shall be preserued The reasons first because all the promises of God in him are Yea Amen 2. Cor. 1. 18. 20. they are not changeable but constant as it is already declared because he is mighty that doth his word Againe life eternall is giuen by promise Col. 3. 14. and if the promises neuer faile in that no more they can in this Therefore let vs through patience doe the will of God and waite for the promise Heb. 10. 26. and hauing once receiued it let vs feare no euill nor any death Gen. 32. 9 10. Fourthly when he saith that saluation shall be to a remnant and to as many as God shall call we may note that but a remant that is a very fewe shall bee saued Luc. 13. 23. The reasons because of the great hatred of God against sinne Rom. 5. 14. the which hatred shall cause the damnation of many thousands Secondly the Lord will make but a short account of all the earth Rom. 9. 28. Therefore let euery one studie to enter although he knowe there be but few to be saued that if it may be he may be one of those few Luc. 13. 24. Againe let vs knowe that except the Lord of his great mercie did keepe this remnant from the violence of sinne and sathan no not one should or coulde euer come to life eternall Isai 1. 9. Lastly when he saith to as many as God shall call wee may note that we must be called by the gospell before we can be saued in the kingdome Iude 5. But of these points I haue often already spoken in the former treatises and therefore I may the safer excuse my breuitie and the God of all mercie giue a blessing to all The xxxij Sermon Chap. 3. Verse 1. For beholde in those daies and in that time when I shall bring againe the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem THis thirde and last chapter of this Prophet Ioel containeth a most lamentable destruction of mankind namely of those which were the sworne enimies to the church of God which cannot choose but mooue a heart of stone to exceeding sorrowe and abundant teares to consider that so manie braue men stately kings warrelike souldiers honorable persons rich possessors beautiful women and innocent yoong children as it may seeme shoulde be violently driuen and drawen vnto the slaughter-house of woefull destruction Oh how may men forrowe that they were so borne to bee enimies to God and so liue that they hurt themselues and so shall die as they condemne their soules for their bloode is woorse then water their flesh is viler then dung their heart is baser then the earth and they were onely created that they might be destroied In the handling of this chapter we will obserue this method First the time when the enimies of the church shall be discussed and secondly the manner The time is set foorth in this vers to bee then when the Lorde shoulde bring againe the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem that is when he shoulde deliuer them from all manner of thraldome For beholde The prophet after the vsuall maner of the Scriptures beginneth the matter with wordes of demonstration and attention and so telleth them of this matter as if it were alreadie in action bidding them to beholde it as we may see the like Esay 24. 1. 42. 1. Ierem. 51. 1. Matth. 24. 25. By which wordes wee may note the worde of God in prophets and preachers must teach vs to consider as well the things that are to come as those that are present 2. Cor. 4. 18. Wee looke not saith the Apostle on the things that are seene but on the things that are not seene The voice of the Lordes worde must not be like the stroke of the musition which onely affecteth a man while hee heareth the sounde but it must bee like a Phisitions potion which worketh in the bodie many daies after it is taken But what doe I talke of daies as Ionathan loued Dauid when he neither saw him nor hearde him so must we loue the word of God and thinke thereon when we neither see it nor heare it The oxe careth for the pricke which presently goreth him but yet he neuer thinketh on the slaughter which is comming the childe feareth the rod which hee seeth but thinketh not on it when it is hidden the sheepe windeth from the storme when it bloweth but in calmer times it neuer remembreth but God which hath made vs more excellent then oxen and sheepe and willeth vs to be more wise then children hath giuen his worde that wee may know and feare the things that are to come So that in this sort thou must perswade thy selfe if thou heare the preacher tell of any plague then thinke with thy selfe that thou now beholdest it a far off therefore it will certainly come Beleeue the Lord and his prophets saide Iehoshaphat and you shall prosper but alas our dull hearted hearers will beleeue no more then they see will feare no more then they feele nor bee righteous any longer then they are in affliction Death is farre off they care not for it and the day of iudgement will be God knoweth when and therefore if their time be so long they thinke it will be neuer Oh wretches beholde presentlie before your eies how the Lorde commeth how the sword wasteth howe the bloude runneth howe vengeance encreaseth howe Christ condemneth and all thinges are ouerturned If thou canst so beholde the comming miseries and with teares lament them as if they were present thou shalt likewise by the worde of God so beholde the comming ioies of another life with hart reioice as if now thou
bodie eie for eie and life for life to him againe Shall bring againe the captiuitie The prophet vnder the name of captiuitie doth vnderstande all the miseries of the people of God for in captiuitie there is a concurrence or consent of all manner of euils For in truth if there be any estate lamentable in the world it is the estate of a captiue He shall liue a common slaue he shall euer be abridged of libertie he shall weare the coursest he shal eate the basest he shall lie the hardest he shall labour the sorest and he shall liue the vnhappiest His correction shall bee fitter for a beast then a man his pittie shall bee nothing if hee bee sicke hee shall haue no attendance and in this hee is woorse then any prisoner for hee must not begge for necessitie but either liue with little or else starue and the prisoner knoweth that the iudge onely hath authority to take away his life but a captiues life is in euery mans hande So that when wee reade of the captiuitie of Iudah and Ierusalem wee must vnderstande an intollerable mischiefe to be fallen vpon them For their countrie was all spoiled their goodly houses were razed to the earth their streetes ranne with blood of men their women wiues and virgins were most shamefully abused they were caried from their owne countrey kindred and acquaintance they were solde like beastes they were killed like sheepe they were kept like dogges and they liued to see their children solde away into other countries whose sweete faces they shoulde neuer see againe Oh that we in England could thinke with our selues what was the cause why God did so lamentablie giue ouer his people to bee racked and ruled by others which was the contempt of his worde and wee may greatly feare the like punishment for the same sinne among vs Oh my heart bleedeth to thinke what will be the estate of many if a captiuitie should come their goods which they woulde not giue to the poore shall bee taken by the enimie the fire shall consume their houses the sworde shall destroy their liues the lust of men shall defile their gallant proude dames and peraduenture their tender babes and gentle posteritie shall be solde to be some galli-slaues some kitchin-boies some to draw the plow instead of oxen with their backs bare for the scourge some to be slaine before their eies many to be committed to the beasts to the waters to the heathens to the infidels to be new nurtured in paganisme O Lorde keepe this day from England But he telleth them that the Lord would deliuer thē out of this captiuity before they were in it as God told Abraham of the deliuerie of his seede before hee had any seed By which we may obserue that God doth think vpon our deliuerance redemption before we be in miserie O vnspeakable mercie of God! which had so in his euerlasting decree appointed that his sonne should redeeme vs before the world was made yea before there was any to bee redeemed He doth not make thee sick but first he hath made thee a medicine he doth not take away thy children or thy goods but first he thinketh a way how to restore them againe he doth not stirre thee vp any enimie but he hath appointed thee another friend and as at the beginning he made euerie tree and plant and herbe and fruite before he made either man or beast which should eate them so he continually prouideth meat before hunger ease before danger light before darkenes and ioy before sorrow as Ioseph of Arimathea which made his toombe before he was dead The reasons hereof are these First because he wil not haue his church to be in desperation of deliuerance Isa 10. 30. for our afflictions are called our burdens now a burden is appointed to be taken off before it be layde on and so our miseries are appointed to be taken from vs before they be cast vpon vs for the rod of the wicked shal not alway rest vpon the backes of the righteous And therfore let none cast in our teeth the miserie of a christian which seemeth to be borne for miserie but rather christians are borne for immortalitie for our short enduring calamities are nothing woorthie the glorie which shall bee heaped vpon vs. Another reason is because that this is a token of the Lords iust iudgement 2. Thess 1. 6 7. The Lord which euerie way doth shew his mercie will also declare the same in the chastising of his children and therefore as in iustice he doth wound them for their sins so in iustice he first prouideth for their safetie whereby we may know a singular comfort for them which are troubled in conscience and let them not much trouble themselues to seeke for the meanes of their ease for as Abraham did binde Isaac to be sacrificed so he did vnbinde him againe and in like sort as God hath troubled thy soule so he will giue it ease againe The vses which wee may make of this doctrine are these First letvs neuer despaire for any miseries whatsoeuer but still hope Isa 40. 2. for the Lorde hath alreadie numbred the daies of thy life and of thy sorrow and of thy paine and of thy affliction therefore neuer care for it will one day be ended Oh but thou wilt say it will be ended but it will be long first therfore I feare I shall faint in suffering but how canst thou tell it will be long hath the Lord told thee so then abide his pleasure although it be to thy paine hath he not told thee so then make not thy affliction longer or greater God which made the okes subiect to the greatest windes hath giuen them the largest and deepest rootes to stay them vp withall And if God do tempt thee with long calamitie O happie man art thou for he tempteth none aboue their power and if God load thy daies with sickenes or pouertie or losses or paines or wounds or infamie or seruitude yet know thou shalt be able to abide it if God haue sent it Another vse is that vnder our afflictions wee reioyce in hope Rom. 12. 12. for what greater perswasion can wee haue to mooue vs hereunto then this that the Lord hath alreadie determined the continuance thereof Reioice therefore that thou art like vnto Christ though thou bee vnlike to thy selfe Know that there is no darkenes but it flieth from the sunne there is no poyson but it yeeldeth vnto medicine there is no winter but it is remooued by sommer and therefore there shall neuer come vnto thee any such miserie but it shall be taken from thee But some wil say we may endure our aduersitie but we cannot reioice in the companie thereof how shal we whet our hope and reioice vnder tribulation My deere brethren if you can beare it patiently you may easily reioice therein for there is not required laughter to this ioy but the inwarde peace of
and the posteritie of the righteous much happier and godlier if more often with Moses wee remember him to take awaie his wrath by continuing his church Another vse are wee taught Ier. 32. 39. which is that wee likewise pray that our posteritie may haue one and a single hart that they may dwell for euer in the presence of God We can no way so much benefite our posteritie as by praying for them for then wee lay vp their treasure in heauen before the Lord making him the ouerseer of our willes and his kingdome their inheritance So that as hee promised Dauid that he should neuer want a man to sit on his throne if they would continue in his couenant so may euery righteous man assure himselfe that they shall neuer want posteritie if they continue in the Lords worship As there is but one God so men should haue but one hart and as there is but one heauen so men shoulde haue but one soule now the hart is one when it abideth in the worship of God but when it wauereth and is distracted into as many follies as affections there is no hart at all as it is all one to make mo gods and to denie God so is it all one to haue many harts and no hart Therefore pray for thy children whom thou hast nourished in the worlde that they may bee single harted and remaine before the Lorde for euer and euer for surely if they multiply their harts God wil remooue their graces For as Ahab by seeking to winne Ramoth-Gilead lost his owne life because he woulde encrease his territories so shall wee loose our owne soules if wee enlarge our harts for more vanitie Remember that Ierusalem was so built as it was at vnitie in it selfe and so must euery member of Ierusalem that is of the church haue one hart in himselfe that his hart may fit the Lorde and his soule may serue for heauen Secondly wee may obserue in this verse that the policie of wicked men cannot alway preuaile against the good Psal 124. 1 2 3. It was one of the wonders of the world that euer the counsell of Achitophel was so soone confounded that hee tooke against Dauid but the Lords hand was in it for seeing he had promised that Dauid shoulde raigne was not wise Achitophel a foole that woulde assay to breake the couenant and so were these gentiles in taking counsell against the Iewes to keepe them from euer returning to their countrie againe The first reason the Lord will purge iniquitie from his sanctuarie Dan. 8. 13 14. and therefore he will not suffer iniquitie to ouerthrowe his sanctuarie For the policie of wicked men in the destruction of the godly is not so much against mankinde as it is to burie for euer the worship and worshippers of God Would God that this reason might be well waighed of them who are euermore corrupting the sanctuarie of God who broach all the deuises of the world to corrupt the gospell But as the Romaine Image standing in the holy place was called the abhomination of desolation in like manner shall the imaginations of hereticall and proud men standing in the church be called the abhominable desolation of religion Another reason because good men might not fall from God by enduring their iniuries Psal 125. 4. and therefore be assured if God will make one of his owne saints worth a thousand of his enimies then will hee rather destroy their counsels then want his worshippers The vse is let vs then knowe that not all the counsell of men nor all the policie of the diuell nor all the power of the angels shall euer cast downe the members of Christ Apoc. 7. 3. Oh sweete instruction for vs miserable deemed wretches when we neede not to feare all the engins and deuises of the diuell if hee stirre vp princes yet God is greater if wise men God is wiser if strong men Christ is stronger and if learned men yet God catcheth the learned What shall I say more all the diuels in hell cannot take away one soule from the Lord. They are bound they cannot roue they are muzled they cannot rore they are ruled they cannot rage and they are damned they cannot hurt vs. Nay they can neither hurt body nor soule for the same that redeemed soules redeemed bodies and preserueth both Therefore feare not death that hath lost his sting and feare not the diuell that hath lost his force Another vse let this confidence for our raising vp out of miserie into glorie out of iniquitie into holinesse out of death into life and quitteth vs from the wicked stirre vp euery mans soule and hart to cleaue to the Lorde for euermore for as Dinah was safe in her fathers house and none could touch her so shall we be safe in the Lords presence none can hurt vs. Thirdly by this verse when he laieth to their charge the selling of his people that they might neuer return againe which they coulde not bring to passe but yet hee telleth them he woulde punish them wee may note that God punisheth our deuises and thoughts of euill although they proceede no farther as if the thing had beene effected and the sinne perfected Genes 11. 4 8. The builders of Babell thought to builde a tower to reach to heauen but they coulde not preuaile and yet God punished their enterprise by confounding their language So that imagine with thy selfe howe often thou hast stollen by coueting howe often thou hast committed adulterie by lusting and how often thou hast deserued actuall punishment by mentall transgressing wee doe therefore all of vs most iustlie suffer the danger of all kinde of deathes because we liue in the danger of all kinde of sinne neither is there anie man liuing but at one time or other hee hath lusted after euerie sinne that he knewe for if we knewe not sinne we shoulde not sinne And indeede these builders and this building of Babel doth notablie describe and decypher vnto vs the nature of sinners and sinne for as Babell was built without God his consent so is sinne as the builders made the substance and frame thereof of themselues so do wee of sinne As they did it to continue their names that the floud shoulde no more ouerflowe them not trusting to the former promises of God so doe sinners forsake God his promise and for worldly causes fall into many follies Againe as they would build neuer cease building till they had brought it vp to heauen so is the measure of sin it woulde neuer cease till it ascended vp into the sight of God and filled all the space betweene heauen and earth And lastly as the building was not staied but by the confounding of their toongs so shall not sinne be staied but by confounding the soules of men The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause they which consent to sinne and goe no farther are woorthie of death Rom 1. 32. So that it
churches reade our bookes and beleeue not our Sermons Now thinke with thy selfe that hast liued thus long in a strange place yet knowest not nor obeyest the Lord of that place art thou not in danger to be arraigned for rebellion Yes verily and so are all those that liue with good men and know them not that may haue the truth and labour not for it that might be saued and yet will be reprobated Be not therefore an enimie to godlines or to any member of the church for if thou heare them not their words will hurt thee if thou helpe them not their wants will witnesse against thee and if thou oppresse them the Lord himselfe will iudge thee The xl Sermon Vers 13. Put in your sithes for the haruest is ripe come get you downe for the wine-presse is full yea the wine-presse runneth ouer for their wickednesse is great 14. O multitude ô multitude come into the valley of threshing for the daie of the Lorde is neere in the valley of threshing AT the length by the assistance of God we are come to the last part of the execution contained vnder the allegorie of an haruest and threshing of corne In the haruest and wine-presse we must consider their death and vnder the threshing their condemnation For the first where hee compareth their destruction to a haruest he doth but as it is vsuall in the Scriptures both olde and newe to set foorth a massacre of men by cutting downe of corne the which is applied to the latter iudgement in the Reuelation onely heere is mention made of sithes but there the angels are saide to reape with sickles the matter is all one for as one saide Non multum refert an vno grandi fluctu an paulatim aqua subrepente nauis submergatur It commeth all to one thing to haue a shippe drowned either with one great waue or by a leake and it is no matter whether a mā be killed with a sword or a rapier so the iudgement is alike both with the sickle and with the sythe By the allegorie both of the haruest and of the wine-presse wherein there is not a stalke but it is cut nor a grape but it is pressed out we may note that not one shall escape the iudgement of God Amos 9. 2. The which thing the Lorde by this plaine similitude woulde haue vs obserue that euery day wee might see our miserie and learne to mitigate the wrath of God towarde vs. Neither is the estate of the wicked more tolerable bicause it seemeth they are heere compared to corne for it is but the woorst and basest corne such as is cut with the sythe not reaped with a sickle For although they are corne yet they are not for the Lordes spending Dauid saith they lie like sheepe in hell are they the better in hell bicause they are compared to sheepe no verily no more are they the happier bicause they are resembled to corn The reason of this vniuersall iudgement is because the Lorde will bring euery action whether it be good or bad vnto iudgement Eccl. 12. 14. If he will bring euery action then much more euerie man for euery man hath a thousand actions all which shall be so adiudged as we shall know the particular censure of God vpon euery one of them Seeing therefore there is not one man in the worlde but hee must come to iudgement as there is not one stalke in a corne-fielde but it must be cut downe and as the apostle saith 2. Cor. 5. 10. that wee must euery one appeere before the iudgement seate of God then let vs liue in the continuall expectation thereof A man that is wrongfully imprisoned thinketh it long till the iudge come who will set him at libertie because he knoweth his iniurie in like sort a man that is a christian is a prisoner in this worlde hauing his flesh for his gaole his sinnes for his irons the diuels for his keepers and Christ his Sauiour for his iudge thinketh long till his iudge come and set him at libertie and therefore desireth euery day to come into the presence of God A iudgement we must all vndergo therefore they are happy men that desire the same let not any be so wilfull as to wish there were none for they which cannot like iudgement doe denie iustice and they which denie iustice shall certainely feele it Appeere before the Lorde often with thy praiers that hee may knowe thee at the generall iudgement Be not as vnwilling to come before him as a theefe that careth not for the face of the iudge but as Ioseph thought long till hee sawe his father Iacob after he knew hee was aliue so doe thou thinke euerie daie manie yeeres till thou haue seene the Lorde in his kingdome Againe when in the second place he mentioneth the wine presse saying it runneth ouer and their wickednesse is great he thereby noteth the qualitie of sinne namely if God had not set a measure thereof it would growe immeasurable for as the measure of the wine presse neuer staieth till it bee full and when it is full it ceaseth not till it runne ouer so will the sinnes of men neuer cease til they exceede measure Ier. 9. 3. whereby we may see a wonderfull worke of God for there is not one man liuing but he hath in him the seede and spawne of all sinne now it is wonderfull that euery one groweth not and that any man liuing should haue in him any little drop of goodnesse We may also lament our corrupt and sinfull estate that during the time of our life we are subiect to all sinne for there is no subiect so true but if God let him fall he will become a traitor no woman so honest but she may become an adulteresse no man so righteous but he may become a theefe and to conclude there is not any so glorious but hee may be as infamous for as we are subiect to all sicknesses so are we to all sinnes O miserable men that wee are who shall deliuer vs from these bodies of sinne it is borne with vs it groweth with vs it liueth with vs and it dieth with vs it is the death of it selfe and the death of vs the death of it selfe by killing vs and the death of vs by exceeding measure for as the sonnes of Zeruiah were too strong for Dauid although he was king so our sinnes are too strong for vs although we shoulde rule them We were happy men if our sins were not or if they were not so immesurable They will com at the first to be our slaues as the Philistines but in the end they will be our lords as they would be to Israell Oh woulde God we might conquer them and driue them out of our soules as they expelled the Philistines out of Ierusalem The reason is because the power of sathan which is the efficient cause of sinne doth encrease to deceiue vs 2. Thess 2. 9 11. The diuell
deere people in the two first chapters and the other part concerneth their deadly enimies which is deliuered in the thirde chapter That part which concerneth the Iewes containeth most fearefull and forcible reasons to moue their rebellious harts as first a particular rehearsal of those iudgements that now were comming which is in the first chapter and vnto the eighteenth verse of the second Secondly most sweete promises of large liberalitie if yet though sentence of destruction were pronounced they would receiue the pardon before the iudgements is set the stile of the prophet or the inscription of the whole booke contained in the three first verses wherein he describeth the summe of the prophesie by calling it the word of the Lord First by shewing the ministering cause thereof namely The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel verse the first Secondly the subiect or persons whom it concerned in the two next verses by most excellent exhortatiōs first of hearing where he noteth the persons namely the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and then the thing it selfe whether they euer heard of the like in the second verse Heare ye this O elders and harken ye all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath beene in your daies or yet in the daies of your fathers c. The other exhortation is to perswade them not to silence the prophesie but to tell and declare it first to their children present Secondly that they shewe likewise the same to other ages following which the prophet expresseth in these words in the third verse saying Tell you your children of it and let your children shew to their children and their children to another generation Thus much for the diuision now to the wordes and exposition Ioel. verse 1. The word of the Lord which came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel These words of the prophet are thus much in effect This selfe same prophesie which hereafter followeth is the very word of God which he himselfe sent to the people by the ministerie of Ioel the sonne of Pethuel where we obserue these doctrines following First that the sermons of the prophets are the sermons of the Lorde himselfe for so saith this scripture that Ioels prophesie is the word of God In Nehemiah the ninth chapter and the thirtieth verse in that sweete confession which the Leuites made vnto God in the behalfe of that whole people thus they say Thou didst forbeare them many yeeres and protestedst among them by thy spirite euen by the hands of their prophets but they would not heare Euen thus they confesse their rebellion after they had been well whipped with seuentie yeeres captiuitie they had taken foorth this lesson that those despised sermons which once they spurned with their shooes and trod vpon with their feete were now manifestly declared to be the very word of God Wherein no doubt they shewe and testifie vnto vs that the truth of scriptures in the mouthes of Preachers will then be acknowledged when men haue been well nurtured in the schoole of aduersitie in so much that euen these wordes which now are but like the dreames of phrentick men will then become as deere vnto vs as the oracles of heauen Oh how stubborne is the conceite of our hard harts which will not be taught till they smart nor yet be instructed till they be corrected Shall the seruant say he hath no master except euery day he punish his faults or the sonne denie his owne father because in lenitie and fatherly pitie he beareth with his lewdnesse Yet our miserable times are such wherein men thinke preaching to be vaine except in persecution and reading to be needlesse except in calamitie and praier to be friuolous except in their sicknes But bid these wretches to the banket of afflictions wherein they may be throughly scourged with temporall miseries as the proud persons to shame the Atheists to death the swearer to the slaughter the drunkard to famine the gentleman to pouertie and the theefe to the halter then they will crie as lowde as hungrie lions that the scriptures which they neglected the prophets whom they reuiled the sermons which they contemned and the words of preachers which they disobeied are the actes of parliament made by God himselfe like these Iewes which now were humble after they had been in Babylon In the second Epistle of Peter cap. 1. vers 21. the holy Ghost also witnesseth that Holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost What is that but plainly to auerre that not the preachers but the spirit that speaketh in the preachers This also is confirmed by waightie and special arguments or reasons drawne from the very word it selfe First in Numbers the two and twentieth chapter and eighteenth verse where Balaam telleth the seruants of Balaack that if he would giue him his house full of golde he cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe more or lesse If then such sorcerers and diabolicall persons in the cause of God can speake nothing but what he suggesteth much more the prophets and heauenly preachers can vtter nothing but what the holy Ghost inspireth Againe the prophets and true ministers of God for the words sake only aduenture their states and hazard their liues 1. Kings cap. 22. vers 14. 27. which they would not nor could not except vpō sure ground of heauenly warrant Who would except desperate mad men vndoe themselues and suffer most intolerable torments for rebuking of sinne vnlesse they were caried by an ouerruling power euen as Ionah to Niniueth or Micheah to Ahab to eate the bread ofsorrow and drinke the cup of death that when they might ioyfully solace themselues among their friendes or quetly rest in their poore habitations they are sorowfully vexed by their cruell enimies hauing the stinking prison for their easelesse harbour I grant that heathen men haue for vaine deuises endured many torments Popish Iesuits neglecting their owne liues their princes mercy haue do daily imbrace the gallowes but their sufferings are for matters cleane contrary to the worde of truth and therefore with Tertullian it may better be saide to bee desperate presumption then Christian persecution and the diuels souldiers rather then the Lords martyrs Wherein let vs with teares of brine lament our humane miserie that thus casteth it selfe away from worldly comfort and heauenly ioyes vpon bare and weake groundes of vncertaine seruing of God Howe strong are the delusions of subtill Sathan which hath bewitched the mindes of men so farre that they haue also offered their yoong children and tender babes through violent flames for the diuels sacrifice could not their weeping eies and crying teares procure no pittie in their hard harted parents No no where superstition sitteth iudge neither nature nor reason may dare to pleade the cause This is the diuels cunning to bewitch his members imitating the true seruants of God to endure death Augustine said
well Mendacium ex veritate superstitio religionem imitatur Lies come of truth and superstition taketh Religion for a patterne yet for all this lies are not truth superstition is not religion nor the torments which desperate men for euill causes endure shall euer make good mens sufferings to be lesse regarded The sheepe must not leaue off her skin because somtimes the wolfe commeth in her likenesse nor we must lesse esteeme the martyrs paines bicause the diuels souldiers likewise die for his sake by these two reasons it is euident that the prophets sermons are the Lords sermons Nowe let vs make some godly vses of this doctrine The first generall exhortation which we make heereof is that sentence of the Apostle 1. Thess 5. 20. Despise not prophesying That is now it hath been cleerely prooued that the prophets speeches are the oracles of God be not so beastly as swine to tread those precious pearles of deuine wisedome in the filthie dregs and stinking myre of your vaine displeasures It being apparant that God his ministers speake no more without his spirit then the conduit runneth without his fountaines springs those disgracing words which many vse of the spirituall exercises some at their table others in their clossets many at the tauerns and most in their houses are nothing else but meere reuilings and spitefull raylings against the spirit of God Sometimes the preachers want eloquence to smooth the itching eares of gallant persons sometimes they want learning to feede the curious mindes of vaine religion bablers sometimes they want wealth to maintaine their countenance with outward brauerie and sometime they want manners to make them companions to the gentle sort And euerie one of these thinke his sermons and labours in God his church to be nothing worth where he spieth but one want which his vaine conceite desired I like not this sermon saith one bicause he wanted words it was a silly peece of worke saith another bicause it was not bombasted with the sayings of Fathers and he seldome or neuer confuted the papists another saith that the preacher was but a poore beggerly fellowe and therefore it is no matter what hee say none of the great men would haue saide so much and others saide he hath more learning then wit more zeale then behauiour and his confident wordes are impudent speeches vnto all these I say Despise not prophesying See you not howe the diuell driueth you to condemne all for want of one and to a generall neglect for a particular desire shall the spirite of God be blamed because euery mans humour is not satisfied God forbid that such iniquitie should lodge among the professours of religion that those sermons which displease some should be despised of so many there is no pearle which all men will praise there is no garden so pleasant but some will dislike it nor anie house so commodious but some will dispraise it shall wee cast away pearles plowe vp gardens and race downe houses bicause all men are not pleased No verily no more shall prophesying preaching praying and exhorting be reiected although euery mans idle disposition be not answered Oh miserable and lamentable daies wherein men come to the congregation like buyers to a faire and they all crie it is naught it is naught though the Lordes wares be freely solde yet who will buie them at his hands The more plentifully they are offered the more scornefully they are reiected for looke vpon those places where the ministerie hath beene of longest standing and greatest practise where pastors according to the Lords owne hart are planted where the voice of the worde soundeth at least euerie Sabbaoth day I say looke there euen as narrowly as Ezechiel looked ouer Ierusalem and you shal finde them more ignorant in knowledge more lewde in liuing more obstinate in wordes and more disobedient in deedes then other people are Euen thus the diuell laboureth painfully where the Lord speaketh abundantly that he may maliciously condemne where the Lord woulde mercifully saue insomuch that the Lord may say to the congregations of England as he once saide to the assembly of Israel Ierem. 6. vers 10 Vnto whom shall I speake and admonish that they may heare behold their eares are vncircumcised they cannot harken behold the worde of the Lorde is vnto them as a reproch And where the worde of the Lorde can haue no being the wrath of the Lord will take vp the lodging therefore we may say as the prophet speaketh Abak 1. 5. Behold yee despisers and woonder and vanish away for I worke a worke in your daies a worke which you will not beleeue though a man declare it Consider this yee scornefull hearers among vs that God shall punish your contempt with infidelitie and although myracles should be wrought to conuert you yet they shall not profite you euen the myracles of Egypt till yee be vtterly consumed you which with lesse deuotion serue the Lord then your pleasures with lesse diligence followe the Church then the tauerne with more delight exercise vanitie then religion with more labour occupie your trades of life then the words of life euen you I meane are the despisers of heauenly pearles for earthly trash which neuer are pleased with the seruants of Christ It is your condemnation that sleepeth not whose conscience can pretend no excuse at the day of all daies that either yee wanted preachers or leasure or abilitie or time or meanes to beleeue those heauenly oracles Behold this yee despisers and repent shewe your sorrowe by your amendement and redeeme the time by diligence heereafter If the Lorde vtter his voice the earth is mooued and the mountaines tremble Psal 29. Mooue therefore your harts you rebellious sort from the world to god from ignorance to knowledge and from disobedience to faith stirre vp your resty bodies and idle limmes and go from strength to strength till you come to the Lords mountaine let not feare of sicknesse dread of pouertie loue of pleasures desire of profit drawe you from heauen but draw neere vnto God and hee will draw neere vnto you The gates of heauen are open enter you therein Secondly another vse we may adde heereunto is that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 1. Aboue all other gifts desire prophesie what was more admirable then healing of sicke persons or more commendable then to speake strange toongs or more glorious then to worke myracles or more necessarie then to discerne spirits yet aboue all these saith Paul rather desire Prophesie Neither is it maruell that so great an honour is bestowed on so noble a gift because the Prophets speeches are the Lords sermons Then my beloued as for the merchandise of gold men endure the longest traficke the sharpest pains and greatest charges euen so for the obtaining of prophesie whether it be to preach or heare preachers sustaine my bowels in the Lord Iesus the roughest waies the longest studies the weariest iournies the coldest daies the hottest threats
soules by repentance for nature cannot helpe no more then Balaam coulde curse The reasons of this doctrine are these bicause nature it selfe as a creature of God is subiect to the curse of God as wee may see in all the storie of Egypt and also Isay 28. 22. where the Lorde threatneth to bring a consumption vpon the whole earth meaning the whole course of nature that hee can as easilie curse them as it were by sicknesse as men are vndone by consumption And verily I thinke when I looke into the specials I see as Dauid saith All thinges come to an ende but the lawe of God is exceeding large The heauens waxe olde the earth groweth barren the golde is but dust the pearles come to nothing and all creatures saith Paul are subiect to vanitie What is then the studie of nature but the studie of vanitie Yea how vainely are their daies spent which are alwaies in the bellie of Philosophie and Poetrie and humanitie not thinking diuinitie to bee woorthie of their fine wits which they say is the refuge of fooles but if their studie bee vaine then are their wits vaine and therefore of them it may bee saide in seeking to become wise they are made fooles Rom. 1. Another reason is bicause there is no other way to life but conuersion to the Lorde Hos 5. 15. Heere is the remedie for our landes to make the earth furitfull not in dunging and compassing it but if wee can turne our selues to God then let vs cast from vs our pleasant sinnes to rot in the earth and water our newe sowed corne with teares of our eies Then shall the earth yeelde hir increase and God euen our God shall giue vs his blessing Balaams asse woulde not goe for all his beating til Balaam had spoken with God and promised more obedience euen so the earth will not bee fruitefull for all our cutting of it and mending it and poking it vntill we be returned vn to the Lorde and confesse our follies and promise a newe life Oh let husbandmen heare this and learne to liue heereafter or else their worship is like to the sacrifice of Cain which the Lorde refused The vses which we must make of this doctrine are these First that we put no trust or confidence in any earthly or worldly things for seeing these cannot deliuer vs from any little iudgement then let vs learne to trust in the Lords powre Esay 31. 1. It is but follie to trust in kings for they are but men it is but sinne to trust in castles for they are but earth and stones it is but madnes to trust in multitudes for they are but flesh and it is but idolatrie to trust in wealth for it is but vanitie therefore it must needes bee best to trust in the Lord. Art thou afflicted praie vnto him art thou distressed runne vnto him art thou in danger looke vnto him and art thou a liuing soule let him bee thy strength and thy defender The heauens cannot bende to helpe the earth cannot rise to succour thee the waters cannot flowe to receiue and the cloudes cannot fall to couer thee But heere is thy helpe the Lorde can bowe the heauens and com to thee exalt the earth to rescue thee open the way for the waters to saue thee and let the cloudes come downe to take thee into heauen as once he did Christ and at the latter day shall doe all his elect Oh therefore cast not away the hope of your calling thy christian profession thy holie religion and thy hope of saluation for prince or magistrate friende or father heauen or earth man or angell much lesse be not terrified by any enimies which come with fire and sworde to worke thy desolation Craue not their helpe trust not in their strength feare not their rage and distrust not thy God but in warre let him fight for thee in sicknes let him heale thee in famine let him feede thee and in death he shall receiue thee for it is better to trust in God then to put confidence in princes Another vse is this seeing wee cannot auoide any of the Lordes iudgements by nature or naturall meanes then it also followeth that wee cannot escape out of that great iudgement of condemnation by any naturall vertue or worldly meanes but wee must all by nature remaine the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. Whereby wee must take occasion to lament not onely the weakenes but also the filthinesse of our nature which bringeth into the worlde that euill which it cannot auoide Oh how much are wee bounde to our blessed Sauiour that hath deliuered vs from the wrath to come I might also out of this verse note vnto you that God his wrath shall not onely extende to the liues of men or those thinges which concerne their necessarie maintenance in this worlde but also to euerie part of their possessions as this prophet speaketh euen their barns and houses as we may see Esay 6. 11. Luke 21. 4. 5. And good reason for as worldly men for their owne pleasures do pul down many times both houses barnes as we may see of the worldly man in the Gospell Luke 12. so may the Lorde for his pleasure doe the like Againe these thinges do make vs to be proude euen our buildings and aedifices as wee may see in Nebuchadnezzar and also Iehoijakim Ierem. 21. 16. And therefore let vs knowe that the Lord in his iust iudgement will cast downe all these as hee saith Amos 3. 14. 15. And if he left not one stone vpon another where the temple stoode much lesse will he suffer houses of extortion oppression and gaming and whooring and other filthines to haue any place to stande in Againe seeing we may heere see what are our worldly buildinges let vs learne to laie vp our treasures in heauen which shall neuer bee destroied and lay a good foundation against the worlde to come How did the beastes mourne the heardes of cattle pine away bicause they haue no pastures and the flockes of sheepe are destroied Nowe he commeth to the most pittifull out crie of other creatures for as the corne coulde not growe no more coulde the grasse and one misery doth not commonly come alone and if wee well looke vnto this matter wee shal finde great matter lie hid here in For it cannot be that beastes shoulde be faultie or sinfull before the Lorde why then although guiltles are they thus tormented why did not the people make a hand with them to eate them and so to saue their liues that waies Vvnto which I answere that the people would not kil all their tame beasts bicause some they must keepe for store other for their labour and manie for offering which although it now ceased by reason of the wante of corne yet they hoped would shortlie come to passe againe as appeereth by their tillage As for the other the beastes are punished for mans cause which is the doctrine
of this verse 1. Sam. 15. 3. Zep. 1. 3. euen for our sakes are they pined and fatted beaten and brused because of the sinnes which we haue committed All the men in the world could not beare their owne plague but the innocent and harmelesse beastes must helpe out with the matter The consideration of this may shew vnto vs the verie originall of the rebellion of some beastes For there was not alway eminitie betwixt man serpents and lyons and beares and wolfes and tygers and such like for at the first they were all subiect but now in reuenge of their miseries which for our sakes they endure they kill and spoile and teare vs in peeces where euer they meete vs yea the beare as we know will especially ayme at the woman with childe that they may rende the yoong babe out of the mothers wombe and so slay it before it be able to hurt and I would God we could vse the same wisedome in the slaughter of our sinnes to cut them off while they be yoong The reasons of this doctrine are these because they are subiect to vanitie Rom. 8. 20. vnder hope for the deliuerance for the which they all haue a certaine voice in their kinde knowen to the Lord whereby they desire a finall restitution And verily if this be a reason why they should desire a deliuerance because some of them shall remaine immortall it ought much more to stirre vp the minds of christians because not some but all of them shal for euer liue with God And surely if the children of tho bride chamber desire the marriage day much more ought the bridegroome and bride themselues Againe seeing beasts lament their vanitie because of corruption howe much more woorse then beasts are wicked and prophane men which will not lament their iniquitie because of condemnation and also how vily are some bewitched by the craft of the diuell which forget and call into question another life when as the verie bruit beasts by nature acknowledge the same Another reason is because this doth most notably aggrauate the sinne of man and might humble them throughly for the same Ios. 6. 17. 21. for would not I pray you this strike any man to the heart to heare all the beasts of the field togither as the buls bellowing the oxen lowing the calues bleating the lyons roaring the wolfes howling the dogs barking the horses neighing the Asses braying the beares crying and so all other in their kinde and out of kinde calling in the eares of God for vengeance against man This will surely amaze the strongest and dismay the mightiest and therefore it wil driue men to weigh their sinnes diligently for God knowing that our deafnes wuld be so great that the voice of mā should not be heard hath made euery beast and bird yea the very thunder to awake vs. The vses which come of this doctrine are these first that we fall into a particular cause why this mutinie of creatures and outcries of all beasts should be sent which the prophet teacheth vs Hose 4. 2. 3. to be swearing and lying and stealing and killing and whooring and such like for which things he saith shall come a generall mourning of man and beastes Surely wee haue as great cause to feare this hellish yelling and confusion as euer had any nation in the world for swearing is counted brauerie lying policy stealing honest shifting killing manhood and valour and whooring a pleasant pastime And thus blood toucheth blood for the poore haue mourned at home and abroade by famine and warre and the rich shall follow after when all the confusion shall follow them Againe let vs learne to pitie the poore creatures of God which for our sakes are thus endangered liuing vnder tedious labour and dying vnder the cruell butcher Ion. 4. 11. The Lord spared them and Niniueh for their sakes Mercie is a thing much loued of the Lord and surely we are to vse it not onely towards our beasts in their labour that we tire not them too much but also in their meate that we feede them sufficiently for in this place we see they will complaine Yea moreouer let vs not be too vnmercifull in their slaughter and kill not for wantonnes the old and yoong And also I cannot see how it should be lawfull to set them togither by the eares as beares and buls and dogs and such like seeing they rent one another for our sinnes and therefore none can make sport of their fighting but they also make sport of sinning Againe out of this verse where the cattle are saide to mourne we may note that famine is the greatest punishment of sinne in this life for other calamities they feele not and care not for and for this do the godly so confesse Lam. 4. 9. that better is the estate of them that die by the sword then of those that perish by famine and they giue reasons thereof First because all other punishments are not so tedious but they are dispatched in an instant onely famine is like hell where euery part is pained a man being alway dying and yet neuer dead Againe by famine God striketh and taketh away the fruits of the earth which hee doth not in other things although men and cattle perish yet who rageth against other creatures The vses which we might make of this if we would stand in it are these First that we learne how neere we are to a famine for the Lord threatneth Ezch. 4. 16. that he will bring a famine and make them eate their bread by weight and drinke their water by measure and do both in griefe and surely this is the verie case of the poore for they haue day by day had an ounce or two or three of bread and men remaine vnmercifull Againe let vs at the verie beginning of our dearth turne vnto the Lord or else the Lord shall withhold all things from vs Amos. 4. 6. Let him not complaine of vs as he did of that people that notwithstanding many iudgments yet they would not turne vnto him for if famine be so extreme that men and beastes and all creatures perish thereat oh turne thy soule vnto the Lord thy God for why should we work the death of men the destruction of beasts and the desolation of all the fruits of the earth The xv Sermon Vers 19. O Lord to thee will I crie for the fire hath deuoured the pastures of the wildernes and the flame hath burnt vp all the trees of the fields NOw the Prophet commeth to his particular complaint and praier grounded vpon good reasons and calling vpon the name of God for in the former verse we heard onely a complaint without mention of the Lords name and now seeing hee bringeth in a praier also we must note that we euer adde praiers to our complaints Ios 7. 7 8 9. Mich. 7. 6 7. art thou grieued for the sinnes of other men or for the miseries of