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A73391 Five sermons, preached upon several texts by that learned and worthy divine, Thomas Wetherel, B.D. sometimes fellow of Gonevile and Caius Colledge in Cambridge, and parson of Newton in Suffolke. Wetherel, Thomas, 1586-1630. 1635 (1635) STC 25292.3; ESTC S125573 76,283 292

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well that is naught and to doe with a good intention an evill thing that is naught likewise Now then here is in the ground laid downe the command of God a good rule he that doth that cannot misse of the right but where is principium operandi the principle out of which man worketh Surely that is oft-times two-faced with Ianus conformable to the command in doing the thing commanded but Aq. 2. 2. q. 104. a. 2. 3. yet hath aliquid de suo some proprium volitum of his owne never commanded whereby it becommeth disobedient Man doth oftentimes what God commandeth him not because hee commandeth it but for the satisfying of his owne humour and so though therein be the Instrument of Gods will yet is he also the cause of his owne punishment because many things are good quatenus and quousque Deus vult as farre forth as God wills them which when men take in hand to doe severed from and without respect of his will are evill and deserving judgement Now man severeth Gods command from his will two wayes 1. In his disposition to the action when he standeth not so affected in doing Gods command as God would have him doe 2. In his disposition to the end of the action when God aymeth at one thing he at another 1. In his disposition to the Action Some men being made the executioners of Gods commands become proud thereof and forgetting that they are set on worke as the saw in the hand of the mover the Axe in the hand of the hewer make themselves the principall agents and independant This was the fault of the King of Assyria recorded most excellently by the Prophet Esay chap. 10. 5. God made him the rod of his wrath and the staffe in the hand of his indignation giving him a charge against Ierusalem But he thought not so neither did his heart esteeme it so but be fell to dreaming of destroying cutting off Nations saying Are not my Princes altogether Kings Is not Calno as Carchemis● Is not Hamath like Arpad Is not Samaria as Damascus Like as mine hand hath found the kingdomes of the Idols seeing their Idols were above Ierusalem and Samaria shall not I as I have done to Samaria and the Idols thereof doe also to Ierusalem and the Idols thereof Behold a right Pyrgopolynices when he was set a worke by God exalting himselfe both above God and man It followeth therefore in the 12. verse that although God accomplished his worke upon Sion and Ierusalem by Ashurs meanes yet when hee had done that hee threatneth to visit the proud hart of the King of Assyria his glorious and proud looks Pride made the fulfilling of Gods command a snare to Ashur wherein hee was intrapped Some againe in the execution of Gods Commands become cruell so wee see in Shimei 2 Sam 16. 10. God biddeth him let David know those foule faults for which now he smarted Shimei prepareth to doe it but hee bringeth an heart fraught with bitternesse against his Soveraigne then distressed which made him curse and curse againe throw stones and curse cast dust and curse Come forth come forth thou murtherer and man of Belial David remembred this horrible curse and gave a charge to Solomon that he should not bee guiltlesse for it 1 King 2. 9. This dogged quality made the fulfilling of Gods Command a snare to Shimei wherein he was intrapped I might be infinite in this kind but these examples may shew that men doing what God bids them faile sometime in their disposition to the action and are therefore punished 2. They faile sometime in their disposition to the end of their a●●ion Thus was Ieroboam commanded by God to take ten pieces of the rent garment the government of the ten Tribes of Israel upon him that so the Idolatry of Solomon might be punished the people hereupon cleave to Ieroboam but not because God would have it so their end was to vex Rehoboam who had given them rough speeches and so they made themselves right Traytors God had no hand in their revolt as himselfe professed Hosea 8. 4. They have se● up a King but not by mee therefore shall they be destroyed If any man aske how God was just in commanding the translation of the kingdome and yet the people unjust in translating it I answer him as Saint Augustine answered one who demanded how God could be pious in delivering up Christ to be crucified and Iudas impious in betraying him In re una quam fecerunt causa non una est ob quam Aug●sl ad Vin ep 48. fecerunt Both intended the same action but they had divers ends in that action the fact was good with Gods end but bad with the peoples end they did what God would but would not what God would therefore did God condemne what they did it being his manner to respect non quid fecerint homines Ibid. sed quid voluerint the wil not the deed as the same Father speaketh You see then the ground demonstrated to you that a man may doe the Command of God and yet by his defect in working charge himselfe with guilt in the effecting of it For the second that this was the fault of Jehu it will appeare if we weigh aright the carriage of the businesse by him which God commanded It is true hee did to the house of Ahab all that was in the heart of God and for that received prayse and the transitory reward of a temporall kingdome but yet his heart it was not right either in regard of the action or the end thereof 1. Not in regard of the Action Two things there are which declare his aberration in this kinde his cruelty and his hypocrisie 1. His cruelty that appeareth in two things 1. In rejoycing at the fall of these great personages whom he had slaine When Iezabel though a wretch yet a Queene was throwne out of a window and lay weltering in her blood he was so farre from pity that hee sate him downe to eat drinke and to be merry contrary to the tender heart of Titus who seeing Ios the misery of Ierusalem by his conquest wept and protested himselfe not to have wished those great evils 2. In extending his slaughter beyond his Commission he had authority given him over none but the house of Ahab and yet must he needs stretch it to Ahaziab King of Iudah smite him also a King 9. 27. 2. His Hypocrisie hee covered his thirsty desire of reigning with the cloake of zeale which hee had for the Lord it was indeed a faire pretence that the Prophet set him on work but Saint Augustine calleth his forwardnesse Aug lib. cont mendas ad consent Nonnullam obedientiam qua eupiditatem suae dominationis exhibuit A sparke of Obedience proceeding from an hot fire of ambition within him 2. Not in regard of the end of the Action Gods intend was Vt sublatis idolatricis Zanch. in loc tolleretur idololatria
penalty of it But stop thy mouth whosoever intendest to dispute with God his judgements are often secret but alwayes just if he have done it that is warrant enough for thee to free it from injustice And yet because flesh and blood loves to be prying into the Arke to finde out the wayes of God and the reason of his doings he hath vouchsafed in Scripture to open his Iustice and to cleare himselfe from fond mens imputations For the understanding then of this course of Gods judgements wee are to know these two things 1. That God punisheth no man who is simply innocent and deserveth not punishment 2. That it is in his power to punish the nocent in what kind he himselfe pleaseth or to spare him 1. He punisheth none who is simply innocent and therefore justly findeth fault with that proverb taken up in Israel Ezek 18. 2. The fathers have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge whereby the Israelites complayned that whereas they were all holy and no spot in them yet did they beare the transgressions of their fathers that whole Chapter hath God affirming that he which sinneth not shall surely live It is true that God visiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the children but they are filii qui oderunt such as partake in their fathers sinnes for otherwise the sonne shal not beare the iniquity of the father God will absolve him from the punishment of sinne if hee be no way party in it When therefore the Par. ani in Bell. de amiss quae l. 4. c. 8 Iewes did beare the burthen of their fathers faults it was an evident signe that they were themselves a rebellious seed such as stood up in their fathers stead as heires of their land so of their wickednesse Thus it fared with Iehu's house of whom we may read in the book of Kings that they continued not his blood alone but his Idolatry also Every one of them did evill in the sight of the Lord and walked in the sinnes of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne as their father Iehu had done so did they This punishment was therefore just in respect of them they well deserved it 2. God may punish the nocent as hee pleaseth or spare him for he is the Lord of all and hath the reines of all things in his hands who shal controule him in exercifing either his Iustice or his Mercy according to his owne mind So that when the father committeth a fault and God hath threatned vengeance against him for it he may if he will let the father passe and take the sonne who hath share in guilt as well as the father had and no man say to him why dost thou so There are many reasons why God passeth over the father and there is one reason why he punisheth the children The reasons why he passeth over the father as I have observed them are foure 1. Sometime the feare of punishment hath humbled him and moved him to repentance this effect the speech of Elias had with Ahab which was the cause that God brought not evill upon his house in his daies 1. King 21. 29. 2. Sometime the father hath some good things in regard whereof God will forbeare to lay heavy temporall judgments upon him thus did Ieroboams sonne come to the grave in peace because there was found some good in him toward the God of Israel 1 King 14 13. 3. Sometime God will gratifie the faithfulnesse of his deceased servant by sparing his sonne after him so dealt hee with Solomon Thou shalt bee Prince all the dayes of thy life for my servant Davids sake 1 King 11. 33. 4. Sometime God hath promised temporall prosperity to a man in regard of some good service done by him so God suffered Iehu to hold the kingdome for his time to make good his promise wherewith formerly hee had bound himselfe unto him for these causes God oft-times freeth the father that sinneth from vengeance The reason why he punisheth Aq. q. disp de po●u pec Ori. q. 5. a. 4. the children is for that they are aliquid patris a part as it were of their fathers and therefore it is not inconvenient that they be punished for their father no more then it is for the back to be scourged for the pilfering of the hand especially themselves being guilty likewise But why is it then sayd God punisheth the sinne of the fathers upon the children and not the sinnes of the children in themselves In my opinion if ever Bellarmine spake rightly he doth it in this point Children saith he are punished for their fathers not because their owne sinnes doe not deserve punishment but because Nisi praecessissent peccata parentum Lib de aemiss qua 4. 6. 8 Deus eos fortasse non puniret in hoc mundo God maketh the fathers sinne an occasion of inflicting that judgement upon the child which else peradventure hee would not have layd upon him These things being considered it will appeare hat God is just in punishing the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu To conclude all the consideration of this point may teach us two things 1. It justifieth Lit. Aug. our ●iturgy in that prayer Remember not Lord the offences of our fore-fathers which though some mislike I know not upon what grounds yet seemeth to mee a fit prayer for every Christian for if God hath threatned that hee will avenge the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and hath frequently done so why may wee not pray against such an evill 2. It teacheth parents to have a care not to displease God if not for their owne sakes yet for their deare childrens cause whom they may by their disobedience bring into the same sea of misery into which they fall themselves Thou thinkest it thy duty to provide for their maintenance and lay up for them but take heed that thou fillest not the treasures of Gods wrath which though they misse thy head will fall upon the hairy scalpe of thy posterity and shall not then thy children have cause to curse their father that begat them their mother that bare them the time wherein they were conceived when they see themselves inherit the wickednesse of their Parents Labour to be of the number of those that love God and keepe his Commandements that he may shew mercy unto thousands of thy children that thy seed may stand fast in the Covenant that blessing may be upon thee and thine for ever And so I end God for his mercy sake grant that those few words which we have heard at this time with our outward eares may take deepe rooting in our hearts and bring forth in us the fruit of good living to the glory of his Name and the amendment of our sinfull lives through Iesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God bee ascribed all honour and glory prayse power and dominion