that thou shalt haue litle pleasure to stay with me So wheÌ„ God seeth that we more esteeme the dung husks and trash of this world then we doe him he forsaketh his dwelling and departeth being so iniuriously vsed To vse this familiar example If thou being maried to a beautifull honest and louing wife descended of honourable parentage shouldest fixe thy loue vpon a fowle deformed and filthy Neger place her by thee at the higher end of the table compell thy wife to serue her as a vile handmaide may she not iustly complaine of thee and willingly forsake thy companie In like manner when we esteeme more our owne lusts and appetites preferre them before the loue of God following whoredome enuie malice blasphemies oppression c. Should God take any delight to dwell in our hearts and when God departeth from vs it is the most greeuous and incomparable euill that possible may happen vnto vs and greatest lost that may be imagined For as we see many to insult vpon the Widowes and fatherlesse because for the most part they are destitute of friends to succour and defend their cause and therefore exposed to all iniurie and oppression so the soule that is destitute of Gods aide and protection lyeth naked and open to the malice and fury of the vncleane spirit This Dauids enemies well knew when they sayd Psa 71. God hath forsaken him let vs persecatâ— and take him for there is none to deliuer him And therefore this princely Prophet wisely prayed Psal 51. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me For euen as when the court remoueth all the attendants and courteors departe also so when God departeth from the soule all blessings goodnesse and graces goe away with him O consider this yee that forget God and with a feeling heart consider now whether there be any thing so vnprofitable to man as is sinne which depriueth him of the fountaine of all goodnesse and ouerwhelmeth him with such a deluge of cuils O my brethren is it not to be wondred at that any reasonable creature knowing this as reason it selfe teacheth vs should be so easily drawne by the enemie of mankind to commit and that without any remorse of conscience all wickednes and vncleanesse O then let vs take heede and be carefully carefull how we fall from God for if we depart from the mildnesse of his mercie we must of necessitie fall into the rigor of his iustice Euen as a trauailer the farther he goeth from the East the nearer hee approacheth to the West and the farther hee goeth from the South the nearer he commeth to the North so the sinner the farther he departeth from Gods mercy the sooner hee falleth into the hands of Gods iustice 2 Sinne is also opposite to honestie and therefore a vile vnhonest and shamefull euill For it alwayes brandeth the sinner with a note of infamie which is the cause that the wicked doer hideth himselfe and would be seene of none for he knoweth if his euill deeds be espied he hath lost his honest reputation and credite among good men and with shame and ignomine is pointed at of all men Qui malè agit edit lucem he that euill doth hateth the light Io. 3. vers 20. 3 It is opposed bono delectabilâ— to the pleasant and delightsome good and therefore it is an euill full of sadnesse greefe and vexation of minde and bringeth not only eternall death but also maketh this present life bitter and vnpleasant for God will not suffer sinne to escape his vengeance it hath euer Gods reuenging hand following it Knowe therefore and behold that it is an euill and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Iere. 2. vers 19. I will not heere speake of the eternall punishmeÌ„t which shall tormeÌ„t the wicked but of the horror secret stripes wherewith their conscience in this life tormenteth them Sinne hath euer an euill end and leaueth behind it certaine stinges and prickes which are stil whipping wicked men and drawing them to desperation It is like poysonedwine the force whereof is found in the end Sinne is like a strong wine which inebriateth a man and bereaueth him of his sences so that he may be compared vnto a brute beast Psa 40.12 It layeth before the eyes a false colour and shewe of pleasure as honour riches worldly delight c. But when sinne is accomplished it leaueth a kind of bitternesse which will not suffer the heart to bee at rest and the repining conscience is inwardly gnawing biting And euen as Iob. 1. in the midst of his calamities neuer wanted a messenger which brought him euill newes so his Alastor is neuer wanting to the wicked after the accomplishment of sinne which layeth before his eyes the good he hath lost when he offendeth God and the wretched estate into which he is fallen and euill conscience is an odious companion a turbulent tempest a scourge which inwardly whippeth the wicked and counterpoyzeth their pleasures with bitter Aloes and still casteth Colloquintida into their sauces and scarse is the garlicke of Aegypt tasted but it bringeth teares from the eyes So that this of Eliphas is true Iob. 25. â—2 The wicked man is continually as one that trauaileth with child a sound of feare in his eares c. O the greeuous and intollerable yoake of sathan O the slauish condition of the seruants of sinne with how great labour doe the wicked seeke the things they desire with what feare doe they possesse them with what sorrowe doe they lose them as they that worship the beast shall haue no rest day nor night Apo. 14. No more shall they which adore their beastly appetites Sinne it selfe is a greeuous torment and punishment of the sinner as the light of nature tolde Seneca when he saide sceleris in scelere supplicium est The punishment of sinne is in sinne All things to a wicked man are seasoned with gall wormewood if they be in prosperitie they are vexed with continuall feare of loosing their felicitie if they be in aduersitie in what care and sorrowe doe they liue which neuer suffereth them to be at rest O the vnhappie and wretched life that is a seruant of sinne and a slaue to his owne lusts But marke nowe the importunitie of sinne If a wicked man be litle iniured of any see how mad and discontented in minde he getteth him home he abstaineth from meate and drinke he cannot sleepe nor take rest hee armeth himselfe and seeketh to reuenge him How much more pleasure ioy and tranquillitie of minde doe the seruants of God inioy which hauing receaued many iniuries are not moued to wrath they breake not their sleepe they are ioyfull they seeke not reuenge they giue place vnto wrath they commit their cause into Gods hands who hath saide Vengeance is mine and I will repay Rom. 12. For as the diuell and the world miserably afflicteth their followers in this life so Christ
Accaron or Ekron 2. Rog. 1.3 with whom Ahaziah contrarie to the word of the Lord consulted Baal was a common name of all the Idols which were worshipped of the infidell nations that bordered vpon Palestina or Iurie the Caldeans called it Bece adding for difference sake some other name as Beelphegor the Idoll of the Moabite â—â—alpear the Idoll of the Amonite c. This Idoll was called Beelzebub because of the multitude of flies that swarmed about the Temple of this Idoll because of the many sacrifices which there were slaine The Iewes in contempt did call the Diuell by this name the prince of the Dinels because he is the prince that ruleth in the ayre the Prince of the darknesse of this world Ephes 2. 6. and had sub Vexillo suo exercitum diabolorum like flies swarming in the ayre 3. verse 16. In others which tempted him seeking a signe from heauen and these were of the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 12 which were not ashamed by extenuating to calumniate this notable myracle collatione imparium crauing a more excellent myracle to be shewed in the skie either that he should raise vp thunder as in the time of Samuell 1. Sam. 12. or to call for fire from heauen as Eliah did 1. Reg. 18. or to make the Sunne to stand still Ios 10. or the Sunne to goe backward 2 Reg. 20. or to raine downe Manna from heauen as in the Desart but this they craued to a peruerse end that they might take occasion hereby to blaspheme and the more quarrell with him and therfore Christ called them an euil and adulterous generation Mat. 12. And these are the effects of this myracle per accidens proceeding from the peruerse malice and hatred of the Scribes and Pharisies Obser Doct. HEere obscrue out of the 15. chap. 16. vers that nothing can bee safe from the viperous teeth of the Sycophaut as we may see in the diuers iudgements which the beholders of this myracle had of Christ The same chaunced to Iohn Baptist Mat. 11. to Steuen Act. 7. to Paul whom for preaching of Christ they sought to kill Act. 9. and at this day this is too common in the world for there are not wanting certaine peruerse criticall and malicious maleuolent ceÌ„surers which are readie to giue their peruerse iudgements of good men and to traduce whatsoeuer they speake or doe well imitating Xoilus heerein who being asked why hee spake euill of all men answered quoniam malefacere Cum velim non possim Aelian vaâ—hist lib. 11. but as long as thou doest well feare nothing the bitings of viperous tongues thinke that the same measure was offered vnto Christ the seruant is not greater then his Maister if they haue called the Maister of the house c. Mat. 10. imitate Plato heerein who when it was tolde him that many rayled vpon him answered At ego sic viuam vt illis fideâ— non habeatur 2 Note here the nature of the wicked there is no vertue so excellent nothing so well done nothing so worthily commended and extolled by the voice of all good-men which the wicked do not carp at dispraise euen as if he put a staffe or a peece of timber halfe way into the water that part which is in the water seemeth crooked and broken and the other straite when indeede it is all alike straite so the same action which to an vpright iudgement seemeth well done and praise worthy to the wicked it seemeth crooked and defectiue not that it is so but by reason of their depraued and corrupt iudgement which deceiueth them because they looke into the actions of others through the water of enuie and malice If thou be humble and lowly they will iudge thee abiect and vile if patient white-liuered and a dastard if studious an hypocrite if frugall a nigard and couetous if silent they wil iudge thee a foole if talkatiue a babler if deuoute a dissembler if thou doe iustice they will count thee cruell if pittifull remisse and corrupt if milde they will contemne thee if liberall they will count thee prodigall if sparing a myzer c. And nothing may be so well done but that enuious and wicked men will take occasion thereby to backbite and slander thee euen as a great Riuer receiueth into it selfe all other Riuers that come and the fire conuerteth into it selfe all things it taketh the Serpent eateth the sweete flower and conuerteth it into poyson out of which the Bee sucketh honie so the wicked at the verie same thing take occasion to murmure and dishonour God by which the godly are incited to loue praise and serue the Lord. For when Christ did many myracles the high Priests and Pharisies consulted how they might put him to death Now if thou demand of the high Priests and Pharisies why they would kill Christ 1. they will answere for this man doth many miracles Io. 11. But if thou aske of Peter Iames Iohn and the rest of the Disciples why they beleeue in Christ forsake all that they haue and follow him they will also say because he doth many myracles which none but the Messias could doe therefore we beleeued in him followe and serue him If you aske why the people did praise extoll Christ they would say because the dumbe spake c. But if ye ask the Pharisies why they mocke and blaspheme Christ they will also say because the dumbe spake c. What is the cause why this one myracle bringeth forth such contrarie effects surely because the hearts of both are diuers and different Whereby it commeth to passe that what to the one is a medicine and present remedie to the other is a deadly poyson O that many also at this day were not like vnto these Pharisies which when they should bee conuerted by Christs myracles wonne with his benefits and their hearts mollified and euen melt with the loue of God they take occasion thereby to become worse and more obdurate in their sinne Is it not an inestimable benefite that when thou committest so many and great sinnes yet God patiently suffereth thee expecting thy conuersion this goodnes of God which should so enflame thy minde with his loue so binde thy affection vnto him that thou shouldest not dare to offend so louing and mercifull a God thou abusest to presume the more boldly to commit the greater sinne adding without any feare sinne vpon sinne and saiest God is mercifull hee is a good God he came into the world suffered death vpon the crosse to saue sinners Indeede he is infinitely mercifull else would he not suffer thee to make his mercie and goodnesse an occasion of sinne and a cause of thy further wickednesse and the crosse which he endured to destroy the Kingdome of the Diuell to take occasion thereby the more boldly to sinne and to vphold the Kingdome of the Diuell Knowest thou not O wrech that this bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after c. Rom.
be sufficient why doest thou not feare the wrath of God and perswade thy selfe rather that thou shalt die in thy sinnes which all thy life time thou hast frequented doest thou not knowe that repentance is the gift of God and that it is not in thine owne power why dost thou not repent betime whils the long sufferance of God inuiteth thee to repentance why doest thou lose the golden opportunitie of time that God of his mercie offereth thee and in vtramque aurem dormi heaping sinne vpon sinne as if one moments repentance which yet is not in thine owne power should make amends for all Incredible surely is thy madnesse What is this but to tempt God 1. What is this but to seeke a signe from heauen 2. Thinkest thou that God is tyed to thy pleasure to open to thee the doore of heauen which all thy life long didst rebell against him and hadst thy will alwaies crossing to his Pars tertia Christs Apologie FRom the 17. vers vsque ad 27. is described the Apologie of Christ against the calumniation of the Pharisies impiously ascribing this myracle vnto Beelzebub Christs generall theme is I doe not cast out Diuels through Beelzebub To the proofe whereof he vseth in order foure arguments The first whereof is taken ab effectu discordia consisting traiectione partium complicatione syltogismi ac porsyllogismi The principall Syllogisme is thus If through Beelzebub I cast out diuels Sathan is deuided against himselfe But Sathan is not deuided against himselfe therefore I cast not out Diuels through Beelzebub The Connex of the proposition is plaine by the nature of contraries which expell and kill one the other The assumption hee proueth by a prosyllogisme thus If Sathan bee deuided against himselfe his kingdome cannot stand immoueable but the kingdome of Sathan standeth immoueable Ergo Sathan is not diuided against himselfe The proposition of this Prosyllogisme is proued A genere per compaerationem similium taken from kingdomes or houses which by mutuall diuision and dissention come to mine and destruction The 2. Arg. vers 19. Is taken ab exemplo pari of them which among the Iewes had the gift of casting out Diuels whom the Pharisies confessed to cast out Diuels by the power of God These were the Apostles and 70. Disciples hee calleth them their children because they were borne and bred among the Iewes to whom the Lord gaue power ouervncleane spirits Luc. 9. the argument is thus If I by Beelzebub cast out Diuels then your children also by him doe cast them out but your children doe not cast them out through Beelzebub Ergo neither doe I. The consequent of the proposition is not set downe in expresse words but yet is insinuated with a figuratiue interrogation by whom c. The assumption is omitted as granted by themselues for they themselues affirmed that by the power of God they cast out Diuells And therefore hee saith they shall be your Iudges That is by their owne confession and the confession of their children they be cōuinced in the iudgement that against their owne conscience they haue most maliciously ascribed this myracle to the Diuell By the same argument also he concludeth that he casteth out Diuells by the power of God in this manner If your children by the power of God cast out Diuells by the same power doe I cast them out but your children by the power of God cast out Diuels therefore I by the power of God cast them out Which conclusion hee amplifieth vers 20. But if I by the finger of God cast them out c. Where by the finger of God hee vnderstandeth the spirit of God as Mat. 12.28 Explaineth it By the kingdome of God is vnderstood the kingdome of the Messias He reasoneth from the immediate proper effects to shewe the cause from the benefits and myracles onely proper to the Messias he proueth himselfe to be the Messias so by their owne confession he inferreth because hee cast out Diuells by the finger of God They ought vndoubtedly to know that the kingdome of the Messias is come vnto them and is begunne among them The 3. argument is conceiued vers 21. 22. And is taken ab effectis similitudine bellica of a strong man armed which by a more stronger is expelled and cast out of his Pallace Where 1. by the strong man armed is meant the the Diuell 2. his Pallace are wicked men which he hath vnder his gouernment his armour wherein he trusted is the great power of the Diuell The argument may bee thus concluded in the 2. figure He that ouercōmeth and casteth out another by his owne power is stronger then he that is cast out and ouercome but I by my owne power doe ouercome and cast out Diuels Ergo I am stronger then the Diuels and by consequent I doe not cast out Diuels through Beelzebub The 4. argument is taken a contrariis rugnantium personarum studus effectis vers 23. He that is not with me c. It is a prouerbiall gnome or sentence which sllogisticè in 1. fig. may thus be inferred Whosoeuer in al things is against me and contrarie vnto me by his power I cannot cast out Diuels but Sathan in all things is contrarie to me Ergo c. Betwixt Christ and Sathan there is alwaies bellum hostile Christ is the God of truth the Deuill is the father of lies what Christ buildeth the Diuell laboureth to pull downe what fellowship then betweene Christ and Beliai c. 2. Cor. 6. This also he proueth by an allegoricall similitude adorned by a Prosopopaeia of an enemie which with an infatigable studie laboureth to inuade and take possession of his aduersary Ab adiuncto pertinaci studio diaboli et à causis adiuuantibus vers 24.25.26 When the vncleane spirit c. 1. By the vncleane spirit hee vnderstandeth the Diuell ' which is called vncleane 1. Ab abiunctis by reason of his naturall vncleannes 2. Exeffectis because he maketh them vncleane whom hee polluteth with finne 2. Exit iste he goeth forth when by the vertue of Christ and of his word through repentance hee is cast out 3 Hee walketh through drie places by drie places most interpreters vnderstand partly the Godly and partly the wicked and infidels for in neither of these he setteth his rest for when by repentance and the grace of Christ he is cast out of the heart of the penitent sinner hee incessantly walketh about hunting after his prey and catching after soules assaulteth the godly seeking to possesse and to enter into their hearts for the hearts of the godly are called saith one loca arida because nihil melle nihil dissolutum habent sed omnia solida firma quae arida solicita sunt saith Theophilact are warie and carefull of their soules seeking rest that is to batter downe and to winne the fort of their hearts and to make it a dwelling place of all wickednesse but findeth none they