Propheticall Bookes is true also of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall what he affirmeth of the old testament is true also of the new The new and the old differ not in substance In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris So saith St Austin lib. de Catechizandis rudibus cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is trid and in the new the olde is manifested The like the same good Father hath Qu. 37. super Exodum In vetere novum latet in novo vetus patet in the old the new is couered and in the new the old is opened Old and new both doe agree in substance Now make we our collection The whole Scripture conteining both Testaments olde and new is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word to it we must take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and this we must know that no Scripture in eyther of the Testaments old or new is of any priuate motion and that neither old nor new Testament came to vs by the will of man but that holy men of God haue conueyed them vnto vs as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And yet must this holy Scripture be noted for a great Booke of Heresie for conteining erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of Heresie The first pillars of the Primitiue Church the auncient Fathers thought much otherwise Because I cannot stand long vpon this poynt one shall serue for all Sweete Saint Chrysostome in his ninth Sermon vpon the Epistle to the Colossians thus speaketh to his hearers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee my secular and lay auditors heare me I beseech you Get you Bibles your soules physicke if you be vnwilling to be at charge for the whole yet at least buy the new Testament the Euangelists and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers If any griefe befall you make your repaire hither as to an Apothecaries shop here shall you haue varietie of medicines fit to cure you If any damage if losse of friends if death come here may you finde comfort In a word the cause of all euill is not to know the Scripture You see how far this good Father is from calling the Bible a Booke of heresies as some late Papists haue done He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath and thinkes it for you very expedient to haue one of them in your houses that at euery opportunitie you may be reading in it If any shall here obiect I am towards the Law I am employed about publike affaires I am a tradesman I am a marryed man I haue children to maintaine I haue a Familie to care for I haue worldly businesses to looke vnto it is not my part to read the Scriptures this office belongs to them rather who haue bidden the world farewell to such St Chrysostome shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro Quid aâ— homo What sayst thou man Is it not a part of thy businesse to turne ouer the Scriptures because thou art distracted with many cares Immo tuum est magis quam illâ—rum Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee rather then to them who haue bidden the world farewell because they need not so much the helpe of Scripture as you doe who are as it were tossed in the waues of troubles To conclude this poynt Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures let them debase vilifie and disgrace them to their owne vtter confusion and perdition wee through Gods goodnesse haue learned a better lesson that the word of God which we call Scripture is o Chrysost hom 7. de poenitentia a hauen free from raging surges a well fortified bulwarke a toâ—re not staggering an aduancement not to bee taken from vs by violence no not any way to bee diminished a stable blissefulnesse at no time languishing a neuer-failing pleasure whatsoeuer good a man can speake of Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ he shall finde it in the Holy Scripture So saith sweet Chrysostome Homil. 7. De poenitentia In my first Sermon before you vpon this chapter I deliuered vnto you the same effect thus The word of God which we call Scripture it is his most royall and Celestiall Testament it is the Oracle of his heauenly Sanctuary it is the onely Key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is Milke from his sacred brests the Earnest and Pledge of his fauour to the Church the Light of our feet the Ioy of our hearts the Breath of our nostrils the Pillar of our faith the Anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the Euidence of our future blessednesse Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome frequent this place to heare it read and expounded vnto you and at home teach and admonish your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs My exhortation is the same that S. Paul made vnto the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Thus much of the preface The prophesie followeth The first part thereof is a generall accusation of Iudah For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused in the name Iudah Secondly whereof they are accused For three trasgressions and for foure First of the accused The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah The Kingdome of Iudah is taken sometimes latè sometimes strictè sometimes in a large sometimes in a strict sense In the large it betokeneth all the twelue tribes of Israel in the strict sense it betokeneth onely two tribes Iudah and Beniamin Iudah and Israel at first were but one kingdome which afteward was diuided into two the Kingdome of Iudah and the kingdome of Israel When and how this was done it is expressely deliuered in 1 Kings 12. in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Salomon and thus Rehoboam King Salomons sonne censured by Ecclesiasticus chap. 47 23. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foolishnesse of the people and one that had no vnderstanding succeeding in his fathers throne did vpon aduise giuen him by his young counsellours promise sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people My least part my little finger shall be bigger then my fathers loynes whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke I will make it heauier my father hath chastized you with rods but I will correct you with scourges This his vnkinde and euill entreating of a people which of late in King Salomons time saw good and peaceable daies did cause a rebellion and reuolt Ten of the twelue tribes much discontented brake forth into speeches of impatiency What portion haue we in Dauid We haue no inheritance in the sonne of Ischai to your tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord and set vp
and I cannot but feare The Lord God hath spoken and I must prophesie Thus haue you the scope and drift of our Prophet in the words I haue now read vnto you Wherein for my easier proceeding may it please you to obserue with me first a Similitude secondly the application thereof The Similitude it from a Lion the Application is to God The Similitude in these words The Lion hath roared who will not feare The Application in these The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie First of the Similitude The Lion hath roared who will not feare Of all foure footed beasts the Lion doth beare away the chiefe price Hee is saith Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strongest of wild beasts This wild beast the Lion the King of beasts excelling all others in courage and strength full of fiercenesse and violence giuen to destroy and deuoure is in holy Writ called by sundry names according to his effects and properties Sometime he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labi that is hearty or couragious Ioel 1.6 Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kephir that is lurking or couchant abiding in couert places Ezech. 19.3 Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schachal that is ramping and fierce of nature Iob 10.16 Sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lajisch that is subduing his prey Esay 30.6 Here he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arieh that is a plucker a renter a tearer and so was he called in the fourth verse of this Chapter So many names haue the Hebrewes to call the Lion by according to his seuerall properties The Lions voice is his roaring The Lion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schagg hath roared The word as Dones sonne of Labratus hath noted is proper to the Lion whose roaring is very shrill dreadfull and full of ire No maruell then is it if at his roaring all the beasts of the forest doe tremble That they doe so it s acknowledged by Saint Basil in his ninth Homily vpon the Hexameron where be saith that Nature hath bestowed vpon the Lion such organs or instruments for his voice that oftentimes beasts farre swifter than the Lion are taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely by the roaring of the Lion The like hath Saint Ambrose in his Hexaemeron lib. 6. cap. 3. Naturally there is in the Lions voice such a terrour that many beasts which might by their swiftnesse escape the Lions assault doe faint and fall downe before the Lion astonied and stricken as it were with the hideousnesse of his roaring The like hath Saint Cyril the like R. Dauid Lyra and Carthusian the like as I shewed in my fourth Lecture vpon this Chapter The Lion hath roared He roareth before he hath his prey when he hath it in pursuit and after he hath gotten it Before he hath his prey he roareth Psal 104.21 The Lions the young and lusty Lions roare after their prey and seeke their meat from God 1 Pet. 5.8 there is a Lion that roareth seeking whom he may deuoure When he hath his prey in pursuit he roareth So roareth the rauening Lion Rugientibus praeparatis ad escan Psal 22.14 and so roare those Lions ready to deuoure Ecclus. 51 4. Afâ—er he hath gotten his prey he roareth Esay 31.4 The young Lion roareth on his prey And aboue in this Chapter vers 4. Will a Lion roare in the forest when he hath no prey So the Lion roareth before he hath his prey when hee hath it in pursuit and after he hath gotten it But of all his roaring is most terrible when he is hungry and in the pursuit of his prey 〈◊〉 albeit when he is deuouring his prey he roareth very terribly as Bolducus in his Comment vpon Iob cap. 4. hath out of Aristotle Plinie and Aelian obserued making the Lion so roaring to be the expresse image of rauenous rich men and mighty oppressors Pierius Hieroglysh lib. 1. From this fearefull roaring of the Lion one of the foure Euangelists Saint Marke is hieroglyphically figured by the image of a Lion because as a Lion in the wildernesse sends forth a terrible voice so Saint Marke in the beginning of his Gospell mightily thundereth out vocem clamantis in deserto the voice of one crying in the wildernesse It is the obseruation of Saint Ambrose vpon Luke of Remigius vpon Marke and of Eucherius The Lion hath roared who will not feare Frequent and familiar are the comparisons drawne from the Lion in holy Scripture The Lion for his good properties is a symbole of good men yea of Christ himselfe but for his bad of bad men yea of the Deuill Habet Leo virtutem habet saeuitiam saiâ—h Gregory Moral 5. cap. 17. The Lion hath courage and he hath cruelty For his courage he betokeneth Christ for his cruelty the Deuill So Augustine Serm. 46. de diuersis Christus Leo propter fortitudinem Diabolus propter feritatem Christ and the Deuill may both be called Lions Christ for his fortitude the Deuill for his fiercenesse Christ may be called a Lion not onely for his inuincible courage and fortitude but also for his great might and power in defending his flocke from bodily and spirituall enemies so is he the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda Reuel 5.5 that same victorious Lion our true Shilo and Messias who is Non minus belluo animarum ad illas saluandas quà m Diabolus ad perdendas as Salmeron speaketh in his eighth Disput vpon the first Epistle of Peter Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda doth no lesse greedily hunt after soules to saue them than the Deuill doth to destroy them Christ's a Lion So are Kings and mighty Princes that rule ouer others called Lions Iudah is a Lions whelpe He stooped downe he couched as a Lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him vp Gen. 49.9 where Dauid Salomon and other Kings that were lineally descended from the Tribe of Iudah are compared to the roaring Lion because through the fame of their Empire they were a terrour to many of their neighbour Nations Kings and Princes are Lions Euery godly person is a Lion So saith the Holy Ghost Prou. 28.1 The righteous are bold as a Lion They are bold in all their afflictions how great soeuer they be and their boldnesse is not from any trust in themselues but by the faith they haue in God and they are bold as a Lion fearing nothing For as a Lion feareth no other beasts so the righteous feare not whatsoeuer crosses may befall them They know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God Rom. 8.28 they know that without the will of God no ill can betide them they know if they lose this life they shall finde a better and for this cause in their greatest extremities are they quiet in minde euer giuing a fiat to the will of God Gods will be done The righteous man for his boldnesse is a Lion The wicked man euery tyrant and violent oppressor is a Lion A
of actuall sinne Sometimes it s so Then it is so when a man for some particular offence is more and more blinded and depriued of the knowledge of God and his truth So God punished the Gentiles with ignorance Rom. 1.24 Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God therefore God gaue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues So they became vaine in their imaginations and professing themselues wise they became fooles And so God punished the wicked among the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.10 Because they receiued not the truth that they might be saued therefore God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies Thus is ignorance the punishment also of actuall sin And now is the first branch of my position cleare Ignorance is a punishment of sinne euermore of Originall and sometimes of Actuall sinne The next branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is a cause of sinne Aquin. 1. 2. q. 76. art 1. Ignorance is a cause of sinne For whosoeuer knoweth not God he cannot worship God he cannot but serue strange Gods We see that in the Galatians chap. 4.8 who therefore did seruice to them who by nature were not Gods because they knew not the true God Rom. 3.11 The like collection is made from some words in the fourteenth Psalme that therefore men seeke not God because they know him not There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God In both places Saint Paul makes Ignorance to be the mother of superstition and idolatry Men know not God therefore they seeke not God â—quin 1. 2. qu. 84. art 1. 2. but serue strange Gods Thus is ignorance a cause of sinne I say a cause of sinne as one sinne may bee a cause of another And one sinne may be a cause of another diuers waies 1 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for a sinne committed the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit leaueth and forsaketh vs. It being departed we cannot but runne into foule and filthy sinnes If our stay by which alone we are supported in the way of godlinesse be taken from vs how shall we stand 2 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as God punisheth sinne with sinne as when God gaue vp the Gentiles to their owne hearts lusts to vncleannesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues Rom. 1.24 as euen now you heard 3 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as by committing of any sinne we are drawne on againe to doe the like and to ingeminate and double action vpon action vntill at length we make the sinne habituall vnto vs. 4 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as it cannot be that a sinne should be committed without attendants In which sense the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that Couetousnesse or the loue of money is the root of all euill They that will be rich saith he fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which draw men into perdition and destruction for the loue of money is the root of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes 5 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for one the other is committed Pilat for ambition condemned Christ Iudas for money betrayed his Master and Balaam for a like reward cursed Gods people So many waies may one sinne be said to be the cause of another Now our ignorance of God is a cause of sinne the fourth way namely as it is not without attendants You heard euen now that Paul makes it to be the mother of superstition and idolatry I may say it is the mother of all heresies and errors To this purpose Saint Hierome in a proeme of his to the Virgin Eustochium before his Commentaries vpon Esay saith that the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ If 1 Cor. 1.24 saith he according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the power of God and the wisdome of God and hee that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God nor his wisdome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi est the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ It is so worthy a saying that it is put into the body of the Canon Law Dist 38. C. Si iuxta Thus much for the second branch of my position wherein I affirmed that Ignorance is a cause of sinne The third branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is in it selfe sinne Here the Schoolemen doe distinguish Aquin. 1. 2. qu. 76. Art 2. Lombard Sent. lib. 2. dist 22. c. est autem There is one kinde of ignorance in such men as may know and will not another in such as may know and care not a third in such as would know but cannot The first is an ignorance by wilfulnesse the second by negligence the third by necessity The first and second they hold for sinnes the third they excuse yea they deny it to be a sinne To their iudgement concerning the two former kinds we giue our assent It is a malicious sinne a sinne of commission a very heynous sinne when men may know and will not It is a negligent sinne a sinne of omission yet a grieuous sinne when men may know and care not But their opinion touching the third kinde we allow not What if a man would know and cannot is he therefore simply and absolutely excused No he is not It s a truth and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to preuaile against it whosoeuer knoweth not what he ought to know by the Law of God he is holden in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he transgresseth the Law of God And euery transgression of the Law of God is sinne This truth is sealed by the holy Spirit in the mouth of Saint Iohn 1 Epist chap. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery transgression of the Law is sin The Text of Scripture which they alleage for their opinion is Ioh. 15.22 There saith Christ If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne My answer is These words make nothing for them For Christ by saying so doth not absolutely excuse the Iewes from sinne vpon the condition that they had not beene able to haue heard Christ The excuse which Christ fitteth to them serues onely to excuse them from the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of sinne as if he had thus said If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sin sin that is so grieuous sinne as now they haue since they haue heard me and yet doe continue in their obstinacy refusing to giue assent to the truth which I haue told them from my
against the day of wrath Let vs rather euen now while it is now cast away all workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let vs take no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Let vs walke no more as formerly we haue done in gluttony in drunkennes in chambering in wantonnesse in strife in enuying in deceit in falshood in vanitie but let vs walke honestly as in the day and put we on the Lord Iesus Whatsoeuer things are true honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise thinke we on these things Thinke we on these things to doe them and we shal not need to feare any de olation to our houses or barrennesse to our grounds our dwelling houses shall not mourne or perish the top of our Carmel shall not wither our fields shall bring forth increase vnto vs. For God euen our owne God shall giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs to passe the time of our pilgrimage here in peace and plentie and when the day of our separation shall be that we must leaue the earth a vale of teares and miseriâ— he will translate vs to Jerusalem aboue the place of eternal 〈◊〉 and felicitie where this corrupâ—ible shal put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE Sixth Lecture AMOS 1.3 4 5. Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuitie vnto Kir saith the Lord. THough in this prophecie there be mention made of Iudah yet was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the ten reuolted Tribes the kingdome of Israel The mention that is made of Iudah is made but incidently and by the way The scope of the prophecie is Israel as I shewed in my * Pag. 7. first Lecture If Israel be the scope of this prophecie how commeth it to passe that the Prophet bestoweth the residue of this chapter and a part of the next in making rehearsall of foraine nations their transgressions and punishments Why doth he acquaint Israel with his burdensome prophecies against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites why doth he not rather discharge his function and duty laid vpon him and checke the Israelites terrifie them and reproue them for their euill deeds The reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians other forraine nations are three 1 That he might be the more patiently heard of his country-men the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophesie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemy in distresse likewise 2 That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that God would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbour Countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3 That they might the more feare at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other nations afflicted and tormented accordingly Here might they thus haue argued Wil not God spare our neighbours the Syrians the rest Then out of doubt he wil not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet shal they be so seuerely punished How then shal we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it From the reasons why Amos first prophecieth against forraine nations then against the Lords people Israel I come now to treat particularly of his prophecy against the Syrians vers 3 4 5. Wherein I commend to your christian considerations three parts 1 A preface proeme or entrance vers 3. Thus saith the Lord. 2 A Prophecie in the 3 4 5. verses For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure c. 3 A conclusion in the end of the 5. verse Saith the Lord. The preface and the conclusion do make for the authoritie of the prophecie verse 3. and 5. In the prophesie these parts may be obserued 1 A generall accusation of the Syrians verse the 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 A protestation of almighty God against them I will not turne to it 3 The great sinne by which they so offended God their extreme cruelty verse 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron 4 The punishments to bee laid vpon them for such cruelty These punishments are here set downe generally and specially Generally vers â—he 4. I wil send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I wil break also the barres of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-auen him that holdeth the scâ—pter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuitie vnto Kir Thus saith the Lord It is a very vsuall thing with the Prophets so to begin their special Prophecies to let the world vnderstand that they feigne nothing out of their owne braines but that whatsoeuer they speake they haue receiued it from the spirit of the Lord. Thus saith not Amos but in Amos the Lord. The Lord the powerfull Iehouah of whom you heard at large out of my third lecture vpon this chapter Thus saith the Lord the powerfull Iehouah * See Zect 3. who made the heauens and a Psal 104 2. spread them out like a curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment can againe b Esai 50.3 cloath the heauens with darknesse and make a sacke their couering who made the sea to c Psal 1â— 4.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein d Jerem. 5.22 placed the sands for bounds vnto it neuer to be passed ouer howsoeuer the waues thereof shall rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke e Esay 50.2 the flouds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall be dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who mad the dry land and so f Psal 10 4.5 set it vpon foundations that it should neuer moue and can g Pâ—al 104.6 couer her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Psal 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro
Gen. 7.23 God sent Ioseph into Aegypt to preserue his fathers posterity and to saue them aliue by a great deliuerance as Ioseph himselfe confesseth Gen. 45.7 This was Gods doing but he did it by Iosephs owne brethren who you know sold him to the Ismaelites God sent an affliction vpon Dauid for his good by cursed speaking and throwing of stones wherein Dauid acknowledgeth Gods speciall finger 2 Sam. 16.11 The thing was Gods doing He did it by Shimei the sonne of Iemini God spake the word concerning the people of Aram that they should go into captiuity as appeareth in my text God spake the word and it was done God therefore sent the people of Aram into captiuity but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria All these though I said it before I say it againe All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoeuer else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessary or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his gouernment of the world ordinarily worketh This doctrine of Almightie God working ordinarily by meanes may serue to our vse sundry wayes 1 It may moue vs to a due consideration of that absolute right and power which God holdeth ouer all his creatures This truth I haue heretofore deliuered vnto you in my eighth Lecture vpon this Prophecie in this proposition At is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked 2 It may teach vs that God hath a louing regard and respect to our infirmities as well knowing for he knoweth all things that in doubtfull matters we vse often to looke backe and to haue recourse to meanes or second causes 3 It may moue vs to obedience and thankfulnesse that we contemne not the meanes or second causes by which God worketh for this were to tempt God but that we thankfully embrace them and commit their issue euent and successe to God that worketh by them 4 It meeteth with a peruerse opinion of such as doe hold that all second causes are needlesse and vnprofitable because God by his particular prouidence directeth and bringeth to passe all things in the world Thus will these men reason If it be determined by Gods prouidence that I shall recouer my health there is no need that I vse Physick and if it be otherwise determined that I shall not recouer in vaine also shall I vse the helpe of Physick Againe if it be determined that theeues shall haue no power ouer me I shall escape from out the middest of many but if it be otherwise determined that I shall be spoiled by them I shall not escape them no though I be in mine owne house Great is the iniury which these disputers doe offer vnto God For answer to them I must grant that God hath a very speciall care ouer vs to defend vs and that we are no time safe but by his prouidence but meane while to make vs well assured of his good will towards vs he hath ordained second causes and meanes for vs at all opportunities and times conuenient to vse in which and by which it pleaseth his heauenly Maiestie to worke effectually The rule in diuinity is good Posit â prouidentiâ particulari non tolluntur de medio omnes causae secundae It is not necessarie that the first and principall cause being put the second and instrumentall cause should be remoued and taken away The Sun doth not in vaine daily rise and set though God createth light and darknesse the fields are not in vaine sowed and watred with raine though God bringeth forth the corne out of the earth our bodies are not in vaine with food refreshed though God be the life and length of our dayes Neither are we in vaine taught to beleeue in Christ to heare the preaching of the Gospell to detest sinne to loue righteousnesse to conforme our liues vnto sound doctrine though our saluation and life eternall be the free gift of God For God hath from euerlasting decreed as the ends so the meanes also which he hath prescribed vnto vs by them to bring vs to the ends This the great Father of this age Pag. 480. Zanchius de attributis Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. qu. 5. expresly auoweth His Thesis is concerning life eternall Whosoeuer are predestinated to the end they are also predestinated to the meanes without which the end cannot possibly be obtained For example whosoeuer are predestinated to eternall life as all we this day assembled hope we are they are also predestinated to the meanes by which life eternall may be obtained These meanes vnto eternall life are of two sorts 1. Some are necessary vnto all of whatsoeuer age or sex and they are Christ as our Mediatour and high Priest his obedience and righteousnesse our effectuall vocation vnto Christ by the holy Ghost our iustification our glorification These are so necessary vnto all that without them none can be saued And therefore all elect infants are inwardly and after a secret manner by the holy Ghost called and iustified that they may be glorified 2. Some annexed vnto these are necessary too but not to all Not to Infants because they are not capable of them yet to all that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding and these are Actuall faith the hearing of the Word a hatred of sinne the loue of righteousnesse patience in aduersitie a desire of doing good workes All these meanes we that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding must embrace and take hold of euery one according to our capacities or else we shall neuer enter into euerlasting life but our portion shall be in that lake which is prouided for the Dâ—uill and his Angells from which God Almighty keepe vs all Thus farre occasioned by my first circumstance the circumstance of the punisher God by the King of Assyria sent into captiuitie the people of Aram. My doctrine was Almightie God in his gouernment of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes The second circumstance is of the punished the Aramites of all sorts the ruder the noble The people of Aram. To ground some doctrine hereon you must note with me the quality and condition of these Aramites They were professed enemies to the people of God This appeareth before in the third verse where they are noted to haue exercised most barbarous crueltie against the Gileadites a parcell of Israel to haue threshed them with threshing instruments of Iron These Aramites or Syrians for so highly offending God sendeth into captiuity The doctrine is Though the Lord doe vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne seruants and children yet will he in his due time ouerthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements Gods holy practice in this kinde specially registred in sundry places of his eternall Word most euidently declareth this truth The Israelites were kept in thraldome and bondage many yeares by
proposition The whole world with all things therein is wholly and alone subiect to the soueraigntie dominion and rule of Almightie God by whose prouidence all things are preserued all things are ruled and things are ordered These were the three degrees by which I told you you might discerne and take notice of the act of diuine prouidence The first was gradus conseruationis the second gradus gubernationis the third was gradus ordinationis the first degree was the degree of maintenance or preseruation the second degree was the degree of rule or gouernment the third degree was the degree of ordination or direction The first implieth thus much that All things in generall and euery thing in particular are by Almightie God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created The second thus much that Almightie God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth all to his chiefly intended end all doe make for his glory In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing Secondly he disposeth the meanes vnto the end Thirdly he directeth the meanes so disposed From these points thus summarily rehearsed I inferre my propounded doctrine No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neuer be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamitie or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazzard by chance by fortune The Epicure in Iob Chap. 22.13 was in a grosse and soule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot thorow the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Farre be it from vs beloued so to be conceited We may not thinke our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God vpon the Mountaines and not in the Valleyes a God in the greater and noâ— in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke beloued We haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ier. 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God The least moments and tittles in the world that you can imagine God his care and prouidence reacheth vnto to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the â—â—ing of sparrowes to the ground to the cloathing of the grasse of the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of â—indes to the numbring of the haires of our heads and of the teares that trickle downe our cheekes Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde fortune but looke we rather to the hand that striketh vs. He who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon he it is that for our sinnes bringeth vpon vs calamiti s and miseries Whatsoeuer calamities or miseries doe molest or trouble vs be wee assured that they are Gods visitatio vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues What remaineth then but that in time of misery and heauinesse wee louingly embrace Gods hand and kisse the rod wherewith he smiteth vs If hee smite vs with any kinde of crosse or tribulation our best way is to turne vnto him as with a spirit of contentment and gladnesse because so louing a Father doth chastise vs so with a sorrowfull and contrite heart because we haue offended so gracious a Father and thus shall wee finde comfort to our soules THE Fourteenth Lecture AMOS 1.8 And turne mine hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord God THe last time I began to expound the 8. verse then I passed ouer two branches thereof And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon whence considering the cutting off of king and subiect from Ashdod and Ashkelon to be the proper worke of the Lord I tooke this lesson No calamity or misery befalleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture Now let vs proceed to the remainder of that verse And turne my hand to Ekron and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the Lord. Is not God a spirit How then hath he hands The letter killeth but the spirit giueth life saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 An ancient a Augustin de Doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 5. Father vpon those words aduiseth vs to beware that we take not a figuratiue speech according to the letter for saith he Anshel in 2 Cor. 3. Echard Compend Theol patrum 〈◊〉 1 ap 6. pag. 157. when we take that which is spoken in a figure as if it were spoken properly it is a carnall sense Neque vlla mors anima congruentius â—ppeâ—â—atur neither is there any thing more rightly called the death of the soule If a figuratiue speech be properly taken or if the letter be vrged against the spirituall meaning that which was spoken to giue life to the inward man may subuert the faith and endanger the soule A trope vpon good reason to be admitted not admitted is a cause of errour It caused the Iewes to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching his owne body Iob. 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe It caused Nicodemus to erre Hee tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching mans regeneration Iob. 3.3 Except a man bee borne againâ— he cannot see the Kingdome of God It caused the Dis ples of Christ to erre They tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching the execution of his Fathers will Ioh. 4.32 I haue meat to eat that ye know not of I hold it to be an errour of Nicephorus and others to take it after the letter as if Paul had indeed fought vpon a theatre with Lions at Ephesius because he saith 1 Cor. 15.32 that he fought with b
vnto him all laud and praise for suffring vs notwithstanding our manifold sins euery man to dwell d 1 King 4.25 vnder his vine and vnder his fig-tree to liue in our owne land in peace free from all feare of being led into captiuity Thus much of my first vse A second followeth My Doctrine was When God punisheth a nation with captiuity for their sinnes he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King Will you haue a reason hereof Heare then what Elihu saith Iob 34.19 God accepteth not the persons of Princes he regardeth not the rich more than the poore Hee accepteth no mans person saith S. Paul Gal. 2.6 No mans person Then neither the person of the Priest nor of the King If these sinne like others of the people these shall be punished as well as others and if others bee carried into captiuity these must into captiuity also The vse of this Doctrine is to admonish the great and mighty ones of this world that they presume not to sinne against the Lord as if they were priuiledged by their greatnesse and might No priuiledge can serue their turnes when they must e Iob 21.20 drinke of the wrath of the Almighty Then shall they be as f Iob 21.18 stubble before the wind and as the chaffe that the storme carrieth away Consider this all yee who take your selues to bee mighty among your neighbours ye whom God hath blessed with this worlds good aboue your neighbours Thinke not your wealth or authority can protect you when Gods sore displeasure shall breake out against you for your sinnes but rather let it euer be written in your hearts what is written Wisd 6.6 The mighty shall be mightily tormented And remember what is added in that place He that is Lord ouer all will spare no person neither shall he feare any greatnesse for hee hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike But for the mighty abideth the sorer triall And hence ariseth a third vse It is to minister a word of comfort to the inferiour and poorer sort of people If the mighty shall g Amos 2.6 sell the righteous among you for siluer and the poore for shooes if they h Amos 2.7 gape ouer your heads in the dust of the earth if they i Esa 3.15 grinde your faces if by violence and oppression they k Habak 1.4 compasse you about yet be ye of good comfort God the Iudge of all accepteth no persons He in his good time will auenge your causes be your oppressors neuer so mighty for when he punisheth a land for the sinnes of a people he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King There is a fourth vse of this Doctrine It is to warne vs not to set our hearts vpon the outward things of this world for as much as God will not respect vs for them Neither Priest nor Prince nor King can stand before the displeasure of Almighty God And shall a mighty man shall a rich man stand No. l Psal 68.2 As the smoke vanisheth so shall he be driuen away and as the wax melteth before the fire so shal he perish at the presence of God Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord let vs onely and earnestly seeke after such things as may make vs accepted with God as righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost For whosoeuer in these things serueth Christ hee is acceptable to God saith Saint Paul Rom. 14.18 Thus farre by occasion of my first doctrine which was When God punisheth a nation with captiuity for their sinnes he spareth neither priest nor prince nor king And it was grounded vpon the first reading of the words of my text â—fter the Hebrew thus Their King shall go into captiuity he and his princes together after the Septuagint thus Their King shall goe into captiuity their priests and Princes likewise I commended vnto you another reading out of the Vulgar Latine Melchom shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together and I told you in the beginning of this exercise what Melchom was I said it was the same with Milchom or Molech or Moloch an abomination of the Ammonites their Idoll their God to whom they yeelded diuine worship and consecrated their children through fire All this I made plaine vnto you out of the sacred Scriptures The Doctrine Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them First they cannot saue themselues Secondly nor them that put their trust in them They cannot saue themselues For what is become of Succoth-benoth the God of Babel of Nergal the God of Cuth of Ashima the God of Hamath of Nibhaz and Tartack the God of the Auins of Adrammelech and Anammelech the God of Sepharvaim Their names indeed remaine vpon record 2 King 17.30 31. but themselues are vanished they are come to nought Hezekiah King of Iudah he who brake in peeces the brazen Serpent which Moses made because his people offered incense to it he put downe those Idoll Gods he tooke away their high places hee brake their images hee cut downe their groues 2 King 18.4 What is become of Ashtoreth the Idoll of the Zidonians of Chemosh the Idoll of the Moabites of Milchom the abomination of the children of Ammon Their names indeed remaine vpon record 2 King 23.13 but themselues are vanished they are come to nought Iosiah King of Iudah that good King he put downe those Idoll Gods he brake their images in peeces he cut downe their groues and filled their places with the bones of men 2 King 23.14 I could here repeat vnto you many other Idols and Idoll Gods whose names are particularly recorded in the register of Gods holy Word which also are vanished and come to nought But the time will not suffer me Let it suffice what is spoken in a generality of the Kings of Assyria 2 King 19.18 that they did set on fire the Gods of the Nations Gods And yet set on fire True But they were but Idoll Gods and therefore could not helpe themselues Not helpe themselues Why not The reason is giuen in the same place For they were no Gods an Idoll God is no God they were no Gods but the worke of mans hands euen wood and stone therefore the Kings of Assyria destroyed them The very same reason is deliuered in the very same words by the Prophet Esay Chap. 37.19 They were no Gods but the worke of mens hands euen wood and stone therefore the Kings of Assyria destroyed them The holy Prophets are very zealous in Gods cause against those Idols Esay Chap. 41.29 saith They are all vanity their worke is of nothing they are wind they are confusion Ier. Chap. 10.15 saith They are vanity they are the worke of errors in the time of their visitation they shall perish I should weary my selfe and your attention would
Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Phil. 3.19 Many doe walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloued you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs and how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabas and Paul to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the liuing God Thus farre of my second Doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my Text Melchom shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together Now followeth the third generall part of this prophecy against the children of Ammâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the Lord. This is the conclusion of this Prophecie and it redoubleth its authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the Lord. It is here redoubled Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heauen and earth shal passe before one iot or one tittle of Gods Word shall scape vnfulfilled Iehouah the Lord saith whatsoeuer our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the Lord that saith it Amos is but the Lords Minister the Words are the Lords Whence we may take this Doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any otber creature how excellent soeuer but only the liuing and immortall God This truth may likewise be grounded vpon the Preface to the ensuing Prophecy And therefore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention well nigh tired I put off the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath beene deliuered vnto you Non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first Chapter 1 Tim. 1.17 Vnto the King eternall immortall inuisible the only wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE SECOND Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS Deliuered In XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocesse of GLOCESTER BY Sebastian Benefield Doctor of Diuinitie and Professor for the Lady MARGARET in the Uniuersitie of OXFORD IAMES 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for IOHN PARKER and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1629. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God and my very good Lord IOHN by the diuine prouidence L. Bishop of London Right Reuerend Honourable ONce more I make bold to present vnto your HONOR a testimonie of my most humble observance It is an Exposition of the second Chapter of the Prophecie of Amos. My labours vpon the first it pleased your Lordship heretofore fauourably to accept and patronize If these vpon the second may find the like entertainement they haue their end The beames of that splendour of goodnesse in you which long since haue shined vpon many in this Vniuersitie and me among the rest methinkes J still behold How can J then but in memorie thereof offer vp to your Honourable Name some Sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is the best I haue at this time Receiue it my good Lord such as it is the sincere token of a thankefull heart God Almightie who hath made you an eminent and an honourable pillar here in his Church militant for the comfort of his people giue you herein many dayes full of honour and comfort and reward you with a Crowne of neuer-fading glory in his Church triumphant From my studie in Christ Church in Oxford Februarie 14. 1619. Your Lordships in all dutie and seruice SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD A COMMENTARIE VPON THE SECOND Chapter of AMOS deliuered in XXI Lectures THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime 2. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 3. And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. HOw grieuous a burden sinne is you may well perceiue by the heauy punishments which God layeth vpon the committers of sinne Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecie hath yeelded vnto you The Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites and the Ammonites haue for their sinnes bin seuerally repayed with vengeance from Heauen the fire of the wrath of God hath seized vpon them and deuoured them their Cities are become desolate their memorie is perished from off the earth As it is befallen them so it befalleth the Moabites also against whom Amos in the beginning of this second chapter directeth his prophecie and to the same purpose whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed The a See my sixth Lecture vpon Amos 1. reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians the Philistins the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all forreine nations are three 1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici Some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemie in distresse likewise 2. That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that he would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbor countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other Nations afflâ—cted and tormented according to the heinousnes of their iniqâ—ities Here might the Israelites
thus haue argued Will not God spare the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Then out of doubt he will not spare vs. They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God and yet shall they be so seuerely punished How then shall we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it You see now why Amos sent with a message to the Ten Tribes of Israel doth first prophecie against foreine Nations In the last place are the Moabites This prophecie against the Moabites Tremellius and Iunius in their translation of the Bible do add to the first Chapter as a part of it But sith the Hebrew text so diuides it not I will not follow them but will expound it as belonging to the second Chapter The words then which I haue read vnto you are the burden of Moab a heauy prophecie against Moab And doe conteine three generall parts 1. A preface vers the 1. Thus saith the Lord. 2. A prophecie vers the 1. For three transgressions of Moab c. 3. A conclusion vers the 5. Saith the Lord. The preface and conclusion doe giue authoritie to the prophecie whereby we learne that the words here spoken by Amos are not the words of Amos but the words of the euerliuing GOD. The prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1. The generall accusation of Moab For three transgressions of Moab and for foure 2. The Lords protestation against them I will not turne to it 3. The declaration of that grieuous sinne whereby they so highly offended God Because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime vers 1. 4. A commination or denuntiation of such punishment as should be laid vpon them for their sins vers 2. 3. This punishment is set downe 1. In a generalitie Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall deuoure the pallaces of Kirioth 2. More especially Where I obserue 1. The manner of the punishment as that it should come vpon them with feare trouble and astonishment And Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 2. The extent of it None might escape it neither Prince nor King For thus saith the Lord vers the 3. I will cut off the Iudge the King out of the middest thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him Thus haue you the Analysis resolution or diuision of my Text. Returne we now to the Preface Thus saith the Lord whose name in my Text is Iehovah Sundry are the Names of God in holy Scripture by which albeit the substance of God cannot aptly and clearely be defined yet they serue vs thus farre to bring vs to some further knowledge of God then otherwise we should haue These Names of God are obserued by ancient Diuines to be of two sorts Negatiue and Affirmatiue The negatiue Names of God are Vncreated Incorporeall Invisible Incorruptible Infinite and such like and these describe not what God is but what he is not and doe euidently declare vnto vs that he is bonum quoddam excellentissimum some most excellent Good free from all imperfection of any creature The affirmatiue Names of God are ascribed vnto him either essentially or by way of relation or by a Metaphor The Names of God ascribed vnto him essentially are either proper to him alone or common to others also Among the essentiall Names of God proper to him alone is Iehovah the Name of God in my Text. His other essentiall Names communicable vnto others as to men doe yet belong vnto God either modo excellentiae by an excellencie or modo causa independentis as he is the primarie cause of all things By an excellencie God is said to bee Good Iust Wise Mighty Holy Mercifull and as he is the primarie cause of all things so is he called a Creator a Redeemer and hath other like appellations Now the affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by way of relation are the Names of the Trinitie in which there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no coÌ„meation no vnion each person hath his proper name Father Son Holy Ghost The other affirmatiue Names of God ascribed vnto him by a metaphor are affirmed of him either per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery man may vnderstand what they meane as when God is said to be Angrie or per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by analogie or similitude as when God is called a Lyon a Stone a Riuer Of these many Names of God now repeated vnto you his most proper Name is his Name in my Text his Name Iehouah a Name that cannot be attributed to any creature in the world no not by an analogie or similitude It is the honourablest Name belonging to the great God of Heauen I might spend much time about it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of the b See my third Lecture vpon Amos 1. Cabalists and Rabbins They say it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to be pronounced not to be taken within polluted lips they call it nomen tetragrammaton a name of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellency for as much as the Name of God * Abrah Broviê° in festo Circumc Dom. Conc. 3 Dei nomen significat quaternarius ea ratione quia fere omnibus nomen Dei QuadriliteruÌ„ Latinis Deus Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Italis Idio Germanis Goth Polonis Illyrijs Bogh Gallis Dieu Hispanis Dios Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. Garhard lor. Theol. Tom. 1. de Natura Dei §. 26. Obseruant nonnulli appellationem Dei esse omnibus fere populis quadriliterum Sic Hebraeis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Assyrijs Adad Aethiopibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aegyptis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabibus Alla Illyricis Bogi Graecis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Turcis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hetruscis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latinis Deus Hispanis Dios Italis Idio Gallis Dieu Germanis Gott Polulis novi orbis Zimi Vide P. Gregor lib. 6. Synt. art mirab c. 2. in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters and they obserue these foure letters in Hebrew to bee letters of rest to signifie vnto vs that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the Creatures in the world is in God alone they teach that it is a powerfull name for the working of miracles and that by it Christ and Moses haue done great wonders But these their braine-sicke superstitious and blasphemous inventions my tongue shall not enlarge Yet thus much I say of this Name that there is a secret in it It is plaine Exod. 6.3 There thus saith the Lord vnto Moses I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and all-sufficient God but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them This secret I haue heretofore vnfolded vnto you after this manner This great name
let flye his arrowes of pestilence and yet they flye abroad to the killing of many round about vs yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not returned vnto him What Can no medicine that God applyeth mollifie our hard hearts Can none of his corrections amend vs Will we needs try whether he will send a sword vpon vs He shaked his sword ouer vs many of vs may well remember it when the great Spanish Armada floated on our Seas but then as S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.13 Super exaltauit misericordia iudicio mercy exalted it selfe aboue iudgement and we were spared Were we spared What shall we render to the Lord for so great mercy We will with Dauid Ps 116.13 We will take the cup of saluation we wil call vpon the name of the Lord and will offer vnto him the sacrifice of prayse Which sacrifice of ours that it may be acceptable to the Lord let vs cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and with a new heart and a new spirit returne we to the Lord our God But if we will persist with delight and goe on in our old wayes our crooked peruerse and froward wayes our wayes of wickednesse and will not bee turned out of them by any of God his milder chastisements and corrections what can we expect but the portion of these Moabites euen fire a sword from the Lord and with them to die with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a Trumpet Thus farre de modo poenae of the manner of this punishment to be inflicted vpon the Moabites The extent followeth I will cut the iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him I the Lord the Lord Iehovah yesterday and to day and the same for euer I am not changed all my words yea all the titles of all my words are Yea and Amen Exscindam I will cut off I will root out and destroy Iudicem the Iudge the chiefest gouernour and ruler in Moab the King Nam Reges quoque populum iudicabant For Kings also did iudge the people and it is euident by sundry places of holy Scripture that the state of the Moabites was swayed by Kings I will cut off root out and vtterly destroy the iudge the King out of the midst thereof Out of the midst of what Of Moab of Kerioth Both are mentioned vers 2. Dauid Camius and some other say of Kerioth which was Sedes Regum the cittie of the Kings habitation The meaning is there was no cittie in the Kingdome of Moab so strong but that from out the midst of it God would fetch the King and cut him off I will cut off roote out or destroy the iudge the King out of the middest of the strongest cittie of the Kingdome of Moab be it Moab Kerioth or any other I will slay all the Princes thereof with him together with the King I will root out all the Princes of the land None shall escape my iudgements neither Prince nor King You see the extent of this iudgement here denounced against Moab Not onely the meaner sort of people but the Princes also yea and King himselfe were to haue their portion in it and that as certainely as if they had alreadie had it For Iehovah the Lord hath spoken it For it s added for a conclusion to this Prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord. The Lord hath said it that neither Prince nor King shall be exempt from his iudgements but shall as well as the lowest of the people be cut off and come to nought The doctrine to be obserued from hence is this God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low and base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon princes and Kings This truth I haue heretofore confirmed vnto you in my 21. Lecture on the former Chapter handling those words Chap. 1. vers 15. Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together I proued vnto you this doctrine When God punisheth a nation with captiuitie for their sinnes he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King My now-doctrine for substance is the same but more generall God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon Princes Kings The vses One is to admonish the great and mightie ones of this world that they presume not to sinne against the Lord as if they were priuiledged by their greatnes and might There is no such priuiledge He that is Lord ouer all will spare no person Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A second vse is to minister comfort to such as are of low and base estate If the mightie by violence and oppression grind your faces and compasse you about yet be not yee discouraged God the iudge of all accepteth no persons He in his good time will auenge your causes be your oppressours neuer so mightie For Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A third vse is a warning for our selues that we set not our hearts vpon the outward things of this world for as much as God the Creator of all will not respect vs for them Dost thou glory in this that thou art a mightie man or a rich man For both might and riches Princes and Kings are far beyond thee yet must Princes and Kings feele the smart of Gods iudgements Let vs make a fourth vse of this doctrine euen to poure out our soules in thankefulnesse before almightie God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. Our sinnes are as impudent as euer were the sinnes of the Moabites Our three and foure transgressions our many sinnes doe cry aloud to Heauen against vs as the sins of the Moabites cryed against them For their sinnes God sent a sword vpon them and did cut them off from being a nation Gods wrath against our sinnes hath not yet proceeded so farre We yet enioy our happie peace Euery man dwels vnder his owne vine and vnder his owne figtree and liues in the habitations of his forefathers in peace free from all feare of the enemies sword Such is our condition through the neuer-too-much admired patience of Almightie God O let vs not despise the riches of the bountifulnesse patience and long sufferance of our God St Paul tells vs. Rom. 2.4 That these doe lead vs to Repentance These doe lead vs shall we not follow Beloued while we haue time let vs betake our selues to Repentance It was good counsaile which Iudith gaue to Ozias Chabris and Charmis the ancients of the cittie Beâ—hulia Iudith 8.12 Quia patiens Dominus est in hoc ipso paeniteamus indulgentiam eius fusis lachrymis postulemus The counsaile is as good for vs. Beloued because the Lord is patient therefore let vs repent and with shedding of teares beg of him indulgence and pardon for our sinnes past It s no wisedome for vs any
Ioshua and the elders of Israel to testifie their griefe for the ouerthrow giuen them by the men of Ai rent their clothes fell to the earth vpon their faces and put dust vpon their heads They put dust vpon their heads So 1. Sam. 4.12 the Beniamite that brought the heauy newes of the Arke of the Lord taken by the Philistines and of the death of Hophni Phinehas the two sons of Eli in tokeÌ„ of his griefe came to Shiloh with his clothes rent and with earth vpon his head He came with earth vpon his head The like we read 2. Sam. 13.19 Tamar the sister of Absolon because she was hated of Amnon by whom shee had bin rauished to signifie her griefe she rent her garment and put ashes vpon her head Shee put ashes on her head Other like c Iob 2.12 Ezech. 27.30 Apoc. 18.19 places of holy writ I might produce yet further to shew that the aspersion or sprinkling of earth dust or ashes vpon the head was a ceremonie in vse with such as had in themselues iust cause of griefe heauinesse mourning or lamentation But this is by the places already alleaged sufficiently declared vnto you If to this ceremonie of besmering the head with earth dust or ashes our Prophet here alludeth then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them here taxed for their hard-heartednesse towards the poore for their couetousnes and cruelty whereby they oppressed the poore to this sense They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore They the rulers of Israel and the rich men there They pant after the dust of the earth they greedily desire to see the dust of the earth sprinckled on the head of the poore they make it their pleasure to giue the honest poore man iust cause of griefe and mourning They pant after the dust of the earth The dust sometime it betokeneth a low and base estate 1. Sam. 2.8 Hannah in her song of thankfulnes praising the Lord for his beneficence towards the humble despised saith He raiseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill So in so many words saith the Psalmist Ps 113.7 He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill In both places the latter phrase is a repetition or exposition of the former The Lord raiseth vp the poore out of the dust that is the Lord lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill The meaning is The Lord through his Almighty power and of his goodnes exalteth the poore and abiect amongst men from their vile contemptible estate to some degree of honour Hitherto may we adde that of Dauid Psal 7.5 Let him lay mine honor in the dust Let him lay mine honor in the dust What 's that If saith Dauid I haue rewarded euill to him that was at peace with me let the enemie lay mine honor in the dust that is let mine honor be so put out that there may be no more remembrance of it in the posteritie to come let me euer be held for a base vile and contemptible wretch If to this signification of Dust our Prophet here alludeth then are the rulers of Israel and the rich among them here censured for their cruell and vnsatiable desire to grind the faces of the poore Thus They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore That is though the poore doe already sit vpon the dust of the earth and are thereby in the eyes of the world base vile and contemptible yet do the rulers of Israel and the rich among them still pant after the dust of the earth vpon their heads their delight is to behold them euer wallowing in the dust of the earth to see them yet more base more vile more contemptible Yea they can bee contented that the dust whereof Dauid speaketh Psal 22.15 The dust of death be vpon their heads that the d Psal 49.15 graue haue power ouer them that the e Psal 69.15 pit shut her mouth vpon them Hitherto dearely beloued you haue had variety of interpretations Which will you admit You cannot chuse amisse They are all agreable to the analogie of faith They all checke Israel the heads of Israel the Magistrates Rulers and Gouernors of Israel the rich of Israel for their cruelty their couetousnes and their oppression of the poore of Israel and they yeeld vnto vs this lesson God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressors By the poore in this proposition I vnderstand all that be in any need necessitie or want widdowes also fatherlesse children that haue lost their head strangers likewise and exiles out of their country for religion and good causes All these if they behaue themselues meekly and seeke to liue peaceably with all men and put themselues wholy into the hands of God God receiueth into his protection and pleadeth their cause Concerning strangers the commandement is Exod. 2â— 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppresse him It is repeated Levit. 19.33 If a stranger sâ—iourne with thee ye shall not vexe him he shall be as one borne amongst you and thou shalt loue him as thy selfe Such is the commandement Doe men regard it Doe they not rather with their churlish and vnkinde words and deeds torment the a king heart of the stranger If they doe so the Lord is ready to auenge the strangers cause and to execute vengeance vpon his oppressors For so much the Lord vndertaketh Exod. 22.23 If thou afflict the stranger in any wise and he cry at all vnto me I will surely heare his cry and my wrath shall wax hot and I will kill you with the sword You see God pleadeth the strangers cause Againe God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and fatherlâ—sse children The commandement concerning them is Exod. 22.22 Yee shall not afflict any widow or fatherlesse childe It is repeated Zach. 7.10 Oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse Such is the commandment Do men regard it Doe they not rather adde affliction to the afflicted fatherlâ—sse and widow Doe they not oppresse wrong vexe and grieue them If they doe so God is ready to right their cause and to lay vengeance vpon their oppressors For so much God vndertaketh Exod. 22.23 If you afflict the widow or fatherlesse childe in any wise and they cry at all vnto me I will surely heare their cry my wrath shall waxe hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse This protection ouer the fatherlesse and widowes is also ascribed vnto the Lord Deut. 10 18. The Lord doth execute the iudgement of the fatherlesse and widow It is very comfortably deliuered Psal 68.5 God in his holy habitation is a father of the fatherlesse and a iudge of the widowes You see God pleadeth the cause of the widowes and the fatherlesse So also he pleadeth the cause of
the poore whatsoeuer he be The commandement concerning him is Levit. 25.35 If thy brother be waxen poore and fallen into decay with thee then thou shalt relieue him yea though he be a stranger or a soiourner It is repeated Deut. 15.7 If there be among you a poore man thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from him But f Deut. 15.11 Matth. 5.42 Luc. 6.34 thou shalt open thine hand wide vnto him and shalt lend him g vers 8. sufficient for his neede Such is the commandement Doe men regard it Doe they not rather harden their hearts and shut their hands against the poore Do they not h Prou. 22.22 rob them i Ezech. 22.29 vexe them k Amos 4.1 oppresse them crush them Doe they not euen now as bad as the Israeliâ—es in my text did Do they not sell the poore for siluer for shoes for a trifle Doe they not euen now pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore If they doe so the Lord is ready to doe them right and to punish such as oppresse them For so much God vndertaketh Amos 4.2 where to such as oppresse the poore and crush the needie the Lord God hath sworne by his holinesse that loe the dayes shall come vpon them wherein he will take them away with hookes and their posteritie with fish-hookes This Salomon by the spirit full well knew and therefore Prou. 22.22 aduising vs not to robbe the poore brings this for a motiue vers 23. The Lord will plead the cause of the poore and will spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them And chap. 23.11 disswading vs from wronging of the poore he brings the like motiue Their redeemer is mighty hee shall plead their cause with you You see now God pleadeth the cause of the poore whatsoeuer he be But against whom doth he plead it My doctrine saith the Cruell the Couetous and Oppressors These are they whom the holy Spirit in this place taxeth Their cruelty and couetousnes were touched vers the 6. They sold the righteous the poore This was Cruelty They sold them for siluer and for shoes this was Couetousnesse Those two Cruelty and Couetousnes ioyned togither make Oppression which is the sinne reproued in the beginning of this 7. verse They pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poore With these the Cruell the Couetous and Oppressors the Lord hath a l Hos 4.1 controuersie against these hee m Micah 6.2 pleadeth First He pleadeth against the Cruell Against the Chaldeans Esai 47.5 6. Sit thou silent and get thee into darknes O daughter of the Chaldeans thou shalt be no more called the Lady of kingdomes For thou didst shew my people no mercy thou hast very heauily laid the yoke vpon them Secondly He pleadeth against the Couetous Against the men of Iudah Esai 3.14 15. Yee haue eaten vp the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses What meane ye that ye beat my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poore Thirdly He pleadeth against the Oppressors Against the heads of Israel Micah 3.3 Ye eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them yee breake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot as flesh within the cauldron Thus far of the doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressors Now let vs see what benefit we may make hereof vnto our selues for our further instruction and the amendment of our liues First Doth God plead the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous oppressors This may serue to reproue the cruel the couetous the oppressors of this age With vs now it is as once it was with the state of Israel Cruelty and Couetousnesse much worse then nettles and brambles haue ouer-run our land These two Cruelty and Couetousnesse that boundlesse this vnsatiable like the two daughters of the horsleech Prov. 30.15 haue bin so long vsed to cry Giue Giue that they will neuer be brought to say It is enough The first borne of these two Cruelty and Couetousnes is Oppression that loud-crying sinne vnder which this our land in euery corner almost groneth and shee hath her mates too Vsurie and Extortion All these Crueltie Couetousnesse Oppression Vsurie and Extortion walke hand in hand and seeke about like that n 1. Pet. 5.8 roaring Lyon the Deuill of whom they are begotten whom they may deuoure Many God knowes they haue deuoured already but that contents them not Dearely beloued how shall I worke in you a loathing a detestation of these foule sins Can I do it better then by setting before your eyes the deformitie and vglines of the men in whom they raigne And who are they will you haue their character and picture It is drawne by Salomon Prou. 30.14 There is saith he a generation a generation of men whose teeth are as swords and their o Iob 29.17 iawes as kniues to deuoure the poore from off the earth and the needie from among men They are as Dauids Lyons Psal 57.4 Their teeth are speares and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword They are as the kine of Bashan Amos 4.1 Oppressors of the poore crushers of the needy See you not in the shape of men Monsters Kine Lyons with teeth like speares and arrowes with iawes like kniues with tongues like swords Will you yet conuerse with them will you haue any further fellowship any further acquaintance with them You will say How shall we shun them vnlesse we more particularly know who they are Behold therefore a Catalogue of them out of a p Râ—inold vpon Obadiah pag. 84. learned and iudicious Diuine They are such as eat and deuoure vs vp with Vsurie such as spoile vs by monopolies by engrossing by false wares by subtile bargainâ—s such as wrong vs by enclosing of Commons such as wring vs by enhaunsing of rents such as rob the Church in pulling away the maintenance of the Ministers thereof in possessing their right in appropriating or deteining their tithes such as thrust husbandmen out of their liuings in their steed place a shepheard with his dog such as ioyne q Esa 5.8 house to house land to land liuing to liuing as though they meant aloâ—e to liue vpon the earth These are they whose character and picture I but now shewed vnto you men will you call them men nay monsters of men kine of Bashan Lyons whose teeth iawes and tongues are as speares and arrowes and kniues and swords to eate deuoure the needy and the poore These are they whom you commonly call deuouring Caterpillers greedie Cormâ—rants cruell Cambals and not amisse So vnsatiable are they and such merci-lesse man-eaters hated of all good people and r Psal 5.6 abhorred of God What can be the end of these men Shall not the day come wherein dogs shall licke their bloud as once
chap. 5.18 Be yee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse It is as if he had said Take heed of wine be not ouercome of it In vino luxus Consider the man that is giuen ouer to drunkennesse His life its profuse its dissolute its vncleane its luxurious its vnworthy a Christian Take heed of wine Salomon Prouerb 20.1 saith Wine is a mocker It is so wine taken immoderately deceiues him that takes it He takes it to be sweet and pleasant but will finde it in the effect exceeding bitter What more bitter then drunkennes and what causeth drunkennesse more then wine Aufert memoriam dissipat sensum confundit intellectum incitat libidinem omnia membra debilitat vitamque exterminat It is b Drusius Prou. Class 2. li. 1. 257. said to be S. Austines Drunkennesse it takes away the memorie it consumes the senses it confounds the vnderstanding it prouoketh lust it weakneth the bodie it driues life away The drunkard is notably deciphered by the same Father in his booke de poenitentiâ Quùm absorbet vinum absorbetur à vino the drunkard while he deuoureth his wine is deuoured of his wine abominatur à Deo despicitur ab Angelis deridetur ab hominibus destituitur virtutibus confunditur à daemonibus conculcatur ab omnibus God detesteth him the Angels despise him men deride him virtues forsake him the Diuels doe confound him all doe spurne him The ancient Fathers generally are eloquent in beating downe this sinne of drunkennesse c Hom. 14. in ebrietatem Basil calls it a voluntarie Diuell the mother of naughtinesse the enemie of vertue Chrysostome Homil. 57. ad populum Antiochenum saith where drunkennesse is there is the Deuill Drunkennesse it s a disease remedilesse a ruine without excuse the common reproch of mankinde The drunken man he is a voluntarie Diuell a dead-liuing man d Chrys st Hom. 58. in Math. worse then an Asse worse then a dogge worse then any brute beast The brute beast cannot be compelled to drinke when he hath no thirst but this drunkard is so intemperate that when he is replete euen to the mouth yet will he powre in more He will verifie the saying of the Prophet Esay 28.8 Your tables are full of filthy vomitings no place is cleane S. Ambrose in his booke de Elia Ieiunio cap. 17. to worke in vs a detestation of this sinne saith Ebrietas fomentum libidinis ebrietas incentivum insaniae ebrietas venenum insipientiae Drunkennesse it s a cherisher of lust a prouoker of madnesse the poyson of folly Hereby are men strangely affected Vocem amittunt colore variantur oculis ignescunt ore anhelant fremunt naribus in furore ardescunt sensu excidunt They loose their voyce their colour is changed their eyes are fiery at the mouth they fetch breath a pace in the nosthrils they snore aloud they are fierce in their furie they are depriued of their sense They haue for their attendants dangerous frensies grieuous paines of the stone deadly crudities frequent castings Mentior saith Ambrose I lye if the Lord hath not said as much by his Prophet Ieremie chap. 25.27 Drinke yee and be drunken and spew and fall and rise no more I may not passe by S. Hierome He in an Epistle of his which he wrote to that noble virgin Eustochium to perswade her still to continue a Virgin warneth and exhorteth her to flie from wine as from poyson He tels her the Diuels haue not a better weapon wherewith to conquer or corrupt youth Youth Couetousnesse may shake it pride may puffe it vp ambition may delight it but drunkennesse will ouerthrow it Other vices we may in time forsake hic hostis nobis inclusus est If this enemie once get possession of vs it will along with vs whither soeuer we goe Wine and youth ech of them is incendium voluptatis fit to set lust on fire yong men and yong women flie from wine Quid oleum flammae why cast we oyle vpon the flame Quid ardenti corpusculo fomenta ignium why bring we tinder why touchwood to a fire already kindled So discourseth that good Father to perswade the Virgin Eustachium to hate wine as poyson The discommodities of wine he briefly toucheth in his Comment vpon Galat. 5. Vino hominis sensus evertitur pedes corruunt mens vacillat libido succenditur by wine a mans sense and feeling is impaired his feete doe faile him his vnderstanding is abolished his lust is inflamed It were infinite to relate how e Super Genesin Homil. 6. cap. 19. super Levit. hom 7. cap. 0. Origen how f Pet. Rauennus in Serm. quodam Chrysologus how g De modo bene viuendi Ser 25. Bernard how h Hilarius in Psal 125. Hugo de S. Victore Clemens Alex. Paedag. l. 2. c. 2. others haue painted out this vice with the mischiefes which it bringeth But what neede any such relation Why heare we the Fathers speake when the Scripture is plaine Salomon Prou. 23. propoundeth a question It is verse 29. Who hath wee who hath sorrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without a cause who hath rednesse of eyes His answer is vers 30. They that tarry long at the wine You see a troupe of mischiefes at the heeles of a drunkard Salomon well weighing this in the next verse in the 31. he prescribeth a remedie against drunkennesse Looke not thou vpon the wine when it is red when it giueth his colour in the cup when it moueth it selfe aright Let not the pleasant colour of the wine glorious and faire to thine eye let it not deceiue thee If it do what then Then as it is vers 32. it will bite thee like a serpent it will sting thee like an adder like a cockatrice like a viper And as it is vers 33. Thine eyes shall behold strange women thou wilt become shamelesse and vnchast or Thine eyes shall behold strange visions Bina pro singulis putabis te videre Euery thing will seeme double to thee Thou wilt thinke thou seest two candles when there is but one in the roome And thine heart shall vtter peruerse things Out of the abundance of thine heart openly in the presence of others thou shalt speake things filthy and vnseemly out will thy greatest secrets Yea saith he vers 34. Thou shalt be as he that lyeth downe in the middest of the Sea or as he that lyeth vpon the top of a mast carelesse and secure in greatest danger It followeth vers 35. Though thou be striken though beaten grieuously yet wilt thou not feele it so dead thou art in the sleepe of thy drunkennesse and which is to be admired when thou awakest thou wilt to thy wine againe So excellently doth Salomon giue the picture of a Drunkard Beloued in the Lord I hope there is none of you that heareth me this day giuen ouer to this vile sinne If any one hath at any time through infirmitie bin ouertaken
spake I vnto them yet they prophecie and chap. 23.21 I sent them not yet they ranne I spake not to them yet they prophecied Of the second sort were those Prophets in Israel whom men chose but God called not Of such some would haue these words Hos 9.8 to be vnderstood The Prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his wayes and hatred in the house of his God In opposition to these there are of true Prophets two sorts also Both of them are lawfully called to their holy function some by God alone some by God and man The holy Prophets in the Old Testament and the blessed Apostles in the New had their calling from God alone but Timothie Titus and the seauen Deacons and the residue of religious and godly Doctors and Pastors of the Church had and haue their calling both from God and man This distinction thus giuen it is now easie to define who the Prophets are that are meant in my text They are true Prophets such as had their calling immediatly from God and from him alone euen those holy men of God who liued in the time of the old Testament some of which had the honour to be the blessed pen-men thereof Such were the Prophets whom the Israelites commanded saying Prophecie not Prophecie not Speake not any more vnto vs in the name of the Lord. What No more Can there be any one so execrably audacious as vtterly to forbid the passage of the word of God any forhead so brasen as simply and precisely to reiect it It s not to be imagined The most wicked dare not doe it Yet would they by their wills haue lesse libertie of speach permitted to Gods Prophets Ministers and seruants they would haue their tongues somewhat tied that they might not by their crying out against sins vex and gall their seared consciences Hitherto we haue taken a view of the words It followeth that we examine the matter conteined in them Yee commanded the Prophets saying Prophecie not Hoc nimirum erat saith Rupertus non solum loqui sed etiam agere contra Spiritum Sanctum qui loquebatur per os Prophetarum This indeed were not onely to speake against but also to doe against the holy Ghost who spake by the mouth of the Prophets He noteth the disordered and franticke humour that was in the people of Israel to vilitie and neglect those Prophets and teachers which the Lord out of the abundance of his mercie had sent vnto them to be their guides and directors in the way of true pietie and religion The lesson we are to take from hence I giue in this proposition The wicked are euermore in a readinesse to doe all the disgrace and despite they can to the true Prophets of the Lord and his Ministers This truth grounded vpon my text and thereby sufficiently warranted may further be illustrated by other places of this volume of the Booke of God In the seauenth Chapter of this Prophecie we see what course entertainment our Prophet Amos receiueth from Amaziah a Priest of Bethel He there forbids Amos to prophecie any more in the kingdome of the tenne Tribes and aduiseth him to get him away by flight to the kingdome of Iudah where the Lords prophets were better welcome and more regarded and tells him that in Israel they needed no such Prophets nor cared for them nor would suffer them to preach so plainely to their King Ieroboam Will you haue Amaziahâ— owne words vnto Amos They are in the twelfth and thirteenth verses O thou Seer for he that is now n 1. Sam 9 9. called a Prophet was before time called a Seer O thou Seer goe flee thee away into the land of Iudah and there eate bread and Prophecie there But Prophecie not againe any more at Bethel For it is the Kings Chappell and it is the kings Court Was the entertainement of the Prophet Ieremie found in Ierusalem any whit better Not a whit In the 18. chapter of his Prophecie vers 18 I find the men of Iudah plotting against him Come say they let vs deuise deuises against Ieremiah Come and let vs smite him with the tongue and let vs not giue heed to any of his words In the 30. Chapter ver 2. I find him smitten and put in the stockes by Pashur the chiefe gouernor of the Lords house In the 26. Chapter vers 8. I see him againe apprehended threatned with death and arraigned In the 33. chapter vers 1. I see him shut vp in the Court of the prison In the 38. Chapter vers 6. I find him let downe with cords into a miry and dirtie dungeon And all this befell him because he prophecied in the name of the Lord. The vsage of Micaiah the Prophet is likewise memorable King Ahab K. of Israell o 2. Chro. 18.7 hateth him 1. King 22.8 Zedekiah p Vers 23. smiteth him on the cheeke vers 24. and Amon the gouernour of the Citie is commanded to put him q Vers 26. in prison and to feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vers 27. There was a Seer a Prophet called r 2. Chro. 16.7 Anani He had a message from the Lord to Asa King of Iudah and did faithfully deliuer it But for so doing the King was in a rage with him and put him in a prison-house 2. Chron. 16.10 As ill affected to the Prophets of the Lord were the people of Iudah for the most part of them And therefore is Esay chapter 30.8 commanded to write it in a table and to note it in a Booke that it might be for the time to come for euer and euer an euidence against that people that they were a rebellious people lying children children that would not heare the Law of the Lord such as blushed not to say to the Seers See not and to the Prophets Prophecie not vnto vs right things but if you will needs be Seeing or Prophecying or Preaching or speaking vnto vs then speake vnto vs smooth things Prophecie deceits Get you out of the way turne aside out of the path cause the Holy one of Israel to cease from before vs. Strange that there should be in the people of the Lord such contempt such a detestation of the Prophets of the Lord But you see the lot of Gods Prophets vnder the old Testament Were they more regarded in the time of the New It seemes not For it could not but fall out with them according to that prediction of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 23.34 Behold saith he I send vnto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yee shall kill and Crucifie and some of them shall yee scourge in your Synagogues and persecute them from citie to citie According to this prediction it came to passe Some they killed They killed Å¿ Euseb Histor Eccles lib. 2. ca. 9 Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Act. 12.2 Some they crucified They crucified Christ himselfe the Lord of
wayne he is charged with hay Now for him Sub feni onere stridere to skreeke out vnder a load of hay it is nothing else but pondera iniquitates peccantium cum querelâ tolerare with complaint to tolerate the burdens and iniquities of sinfull men This his construction seemes probable to Ribera Probable to him but it is good with Brentius good with Gualter good with Drusius good with Winckelman good with others with Remigius with Albertus with Hugo with Lyra with Dionysius as Castrus hath obserued According to whom the true meaning of my text is as if the Lord should thus haue said Behold O yee Israelites a Aâ—â—s 3.2 you whom onely of all the families of the earth I haue knowne you whom I haue borne b Deut. 1.31 as a man doth beare his sonne you whom I haue carryed in my bosome c Num. 11.12 as a nursing father beareth the sucking Child You once my d Deâ—â— 9.26.29 people and mine inheritance whom I brought forth out of Egypt by my mightie power and by my stretched out arme Behold Behold such hath beene and is your e Deut. 9.29 stubbornnesse such your wickednesse such the multitude of your sinnes that I am f Isa 1.14 weary to beare them Behold I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues As many sheaues as much hay or stubble is vnto a cart so are you to me in regard of your sinnes you are so to me so troublesome so grieuous that I euen faint vnder you and am not able any longer to beare you It s a very grieuous complaint and may teach vs thus much that our sinnes are sometimes burdensome and grieuous vnto God It is my doctrine Our sinnes are sometimes burdensome and grieuous vnto God Such were the sinnes of the old world we know it by Gen. 6.5 6. For God saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely euill continually And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieued him at his heart It repented him and grieued him at his heart Such were the sinnes of Iudah We know it by the first Chapter of the Prophecie of Esai The complaints which God maketh there doe prooue it vers 21. How is the faithfull Citie become an Harlot It was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeues Euery one loueth gifts and followeth after rewards they iudge not the fatherlesse neither doth the cause of the widow come vnto them And verse 14. Your new moones and your appointed feasts my soule hateth they are a trouble vnto me I am weary to beare them You see the sins of Iudah were a trouble vnto God he was weary to beare them They were burdensome and grieuous vnto him Such were the sinnes of Israel we know it by the 43. chap. of Esai There verse 24. thus saith the Lord to Israel Thou hast made me to serue with thy sinnes thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities What! Was God made to serue with the sinnes of Israel Was he wearied with their iniquities It s more then euident the sonnes of Israel were burdensome and grieuous vnto God Are not the sinnes of the whole world such Are not our sinnes such Sweet Iesus thou knowest they are such The labours the troubles the miseries the griefes the torments which in the dayes of thy flesh from the first houre of thy Natiuitie to the last moment of thy suffering vpon the Crosse thou hast endured for vs are so many demonstrations that our sinnes are such that they are burdensome and grieuous vnto thee Dearely beloued behold we Christ Iesus in the g Phil. 2.7 forme of a seruant laid in a h Luk 2.7 manger exiled i Matth. 2.14 from his countrey k Mat. 13.55 reputed for a Carpenters sonne yea for a l Mark 6.3 carpenter m Mat. 4.2 hungering n Iâ—b 4.7 19.28 thirsting o Iâ—â— 8.23 c. reuiled rayled vpon p 〈◊〉 22.63 shamefully abused and in an agonie q â—eâ—s 44. sweating great drops of bloud we must confesse our sinnes to haue beene the cause of all Behold we his glorious head crowned r Mat. 27.29 with thornes behold we his sweete face Å¿ Mat. 26 67 Mark 14 65. buffetted and spit vpon behold we his harmelesse t Iâ—h 20.20 25 hands distilling forth goare bloud behold we his naked side u â—â—h 19 34 37 pearced through with a sharpe speare behold we his vndefiled feet which neuer stood in the way of sinners dented through with cruell nayles wee must confesse our sinnes to haue beene the cause of all Our sinnes the cause of all â— Esay confesseth it chap. 53.4 Surely He Christ Iesus hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes he was wounded x Esa 53.5 for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed S. Matthew repeats it chap. 8.17 Himselfe tooke our infirmities and bare our sicknesses So doth S Peter 1. Epist chap. 2.24 Christ his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne bodie on the tree by his stripes are we healed S. Paul speakes as plainely Rom. 4.25 Christ was deliuered for our offences and 1. Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sinnes Our sinnes are the cause of all Christs sufferings Our sinnes the cause of all Christs sufferings It s euen so S. Augustin Meditat. cap. 7. doth thus elegantly deliuer it The sinner offendeth the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth the innocent is beaten the wicked sinneth the godly is condemned that which the euill deserueth the good suffereth the seruant doth amisse the master maketh amends man committeth sinne and God beareth the punishment So true is my doctrine Our sinnes are sometimes burdensome and grieuous vnto God So burdensome so grieuous as that he is inforced to complaine as here he doth against Israel I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Stands it thus Beloued May our sins be burdensome and grieuous vnto God May they presse him as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Make we hereof this vse to hate sinne to detest it to flie from it as from the Deuill who is the Author of it Syracides in his Ecclesiasticus chap. 21. to incite vs to the hatred of sinne to the detestation of it and to flie from it compareth sinne to a Serpent to a Lyon to a two edged sword To a Serpent vers 2. Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent for it thou commest too neere it it will bite thee To a Lyon in the same verse Flee from sinne as from a Lyon the teeth thereof are as the teeth
of this scruple here respecteth the intention of the fowler not his labour nor the euent therof The fowler laies his snares sets his ginnes spreads his nets with an intent with a minde to catch somewhat though sometime it may fall out he catcheth nothing Petrus Lusitanus here obserueth it to bee the custome of fowlers non facilè laqueos amouere not willing to remoue their snares till they catch somewhat The like doth Mercerus Haud saue id moris est surely it s not the custome that a fowler should take vp his snares if hee haue taken nothing So doth Drusius Non tollitur A snare is not taken vp before somewhat be catched Non tollitur that is non tolls solet communiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly and for the most part a snare vseth nor to be taken vp till somewhat bee catched And so saith Carthusian A net spread to catch birds is not taken vp till some be catched Hoc communiter ita est so commonly it falls out It is now easie to giue answer to the interrogation The interrogation is Shall one a man a fowler take vp his snare from the ground and haue taken nothing at all The answer is Surely no. Commonly and for the most part he doth it not hee vseth not it s not his custome to take vp his snare from the ground if he haue taken nothing at all The reading is cleered the interrogation is answered and now let vs see whereto this similitude taken from this custome of the fowler is appliable It may serue as in my former Lecture I signified for the illustration of the certainty the stability and the efficacy of the iudgements of God which he threatneth to bring vpon the wicked for their sins thus A fowler vseth not to take vp his snares till he hath catched somewhat no more is it Gods vse when he maketh shew of his iudgements to withdraw his hand till he hath put them in execution God giues not forth his threats in vaine nor gathers he vp his nets nor takes he vp his snares till he hath taken what he would till he hath effected what he threatned by his Prophets The summe of all is Verbum Dei non cadere fine efficacia The word of God falleth not without its efficacy what he speaketh that he doth Such is the application of this present similitude Saint Hierome applies it aâ— he doth the former Hee applies it to such as liue in discord and variance Their punishment it is vt capiantur laqueo to be taken in a snare in a snare that is placed not in the aire but on the ground from which whosoeuer is deliuered good cause hath he to reioyce and to say as it is Psal 124.7 Our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and we are deliuered This is contritus ille laqueus that same broken snare whereof the Apostle speaketh Rom. 16.20 Deus conteret Satanam sub pedibus vestris velociter God shall bruise he shall breake Satan vnder your feet shortly And hitherto he bringeth that Psa 140.5 Iuxta simitam scandulum posuerunt mihi they haue spred a net for me by the way-side By the way side haue they done it For they are not able any other way to deceiue the simple then by propounding vnto them the name of Christ Vt dum putamus nos Christum inuenire pergamus ad Antichristum the while we thinke we are in the way to finde out Christ we goe on the high way to Antichrist Thus hath Saint Hierome applied this similitude and he is followed by Strabus Fuldensis the Author of the ordinary Glosse The doctrine which that good Father would from hence commend vnto vs is this Discordiae poena in laqueum incidere It is the punishment of discord to fall into a snare I thus explicate it The man that liues in discord and variance shall fall into such calamities out of which there is no escaping for him as there is no escaping for a bird out of a snare Must calamity bee the guerdon the recompence of the man that liueth in discord and variance It must needs be so The foulenesse the leprosie of this sinne will nor suffer it to be otherwise How foule and leprous this sinne is it may appeare first by the detestation wherein God holdeth it Six things there are which the Lord hateth yea the seuenth his soule abhorreth A proud looke a dissembling tongue hands that shed innocent bloud an heart that deuiseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that speaketh lies These are the six which the Lord hateth the seuenth which his soule abhorreth is Hee that soweth discord among brethren Prou. 6.16 And no maruell is it that hee should with his soule abhorre such a one Non enim est dissentionis Deus sed pacis as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 14.33 For God he is not a God of tumult of vnquietnesse of conjusion of dissention of discord but a God of peace Againe this sinne appeareth to be very foule and leprous in that it excludeth from the Kingdome of Heauen That it doth so Saint Paul proueth Gal. 5.19 because it is a worke of the flesh among which he numbreth hatred variance emulation wrath strife and seditions and concludeth that they which doe such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God A third way to finde out the foulnesse and leprosie of this sinne is to take a view of the appellations which in holy Scripture are giuen to this kinde of sinner He is carnall he is froward he is proud he is foolish First he is Carnall Saint Paul auoucheth it 1 Cor. 3.3 Ye are yet carnall For whereas there is among you enuying and strife and diuisions are ye not carnall and walke as men Are ye not carnall Deny it not For you are carnall and ye walke as men You are carnall you follow the force and prouocation of your flesh your sensuality your concupiscence and ye walke as men Ye walke not after God not after the Spirit 1 Pet. 4.6 Rom. 8.4 Gal. 5.16 Colos 1.10 not in the Spirit not worthy of the Lord not worthy of the Gospell as long as there is among you eâ—uying and strife and diuisions Secondly the sinner in this kinde is froward So doth Salomon stile him Pâ—ou 16.28 A froward man soweth strife This froward man in the Hebrew Vir peruersitatum A man of frowardnesses a man giuen altogether to frowardnesse soweth strife betweene man and man betweene neighbour and neighbour and is a very batemaker Wil you a fuller description of him you may haue it Prou. 6.12 There shall you find him to be a naughty person a wicked man one that waketh with a froward mouth that winketh with his eyes that speaketh with his feet that teacheth with his fingers that hath frowardnesse in his heart that continually deuiseth mischiefe that soweth discord Beleeue it it is a sure
goodnesse extends it selfe to all his creatures not onely to such as haue continued in that goodnesse wherein they were created but also to such as haue fallen away from their primigeniall goodnesse euen to euill Angels and to wicked men Of this goodnesse I vnderstand that Psal 33.5 The earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord. His speciall goodnesse I call that by which he doth good to the holy Angels confirmed in grace and to his elect children among the sonnes of men Such is that whereof wee reade Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel euen to such as are of a cleane heart He is good that is hee is gracious fauourable and full of compassion to Israel to his elect and holy people his holy Church yet militant vpon the earth deliuering her from euill and bestowing good vpon her Now if hony of its owne nature and essence sweet hath no bitternesse in it if the Sunne of its owne nature and essence light hath no darknesse in it then out of doubt it cannot be that our God the Lord Iehouah who is euer good good in se and good extra se good of his owne nature and essence and good towards all his creatures should haue any euill in him No Lord Wee confesse before thee with thy holy seruant Dauid Psal 5.4 Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee Thus you see Quis who this Agent is He is our God the Lord Iâ—houah He who is his owne being and giueth a reall being to all things else He who is absolutely good good of his owne essence and good to all his creatures He in whom there is no staine of euill This is He the Agent Now followeth his Action which seemeth to be a doing of euill and is my second circumstance For my Text is Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Mat. 7.18 It is an obseruation in Nature that a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit And there is an axiome in Philosophy Omne agens agit sibi simile Euery Agent produceth the like vnto it selfe God the Agent here being absolutely good good in se good extra se good in himselfe good to all his creatures cannot but produce a like action euen very good How then is it that here he is said to doe euill For the vntying of this knot I will produce a few distinctions from them I will gather some conclusions and the doubt will bee cleered My first distinction is Things may bee termed euill two manner of waies some are euill indeed and of their owne nature in this ranke we must place our sins some are euill not indeed and in their owne nature but in regard of our sense apprehension and estimation and in this ranke we must place whatsoeuer affliction God layeth vpon vs in this life for our sinnes This distinction is Saint Basils in his Homily wherein he proueth that God is not the Author of euils The next distinction is out of Saint Augustine chap. 26. against Adimantus the Manichee There are two sorts of euils there is malum quod facit homo and there is malum quod patitur There is an euill which the wicked man doth and there is an euill which he suffereth That is sinne this the punishment of sinne In that the wicked are Agents in this they are Patients that is done by them this is done vpon them They offend Gods Iustice and God in his Iustice offends them This is otherwise deliuered by the same Father De fide ad Petrum cap. 21. Geminum esse constat naturae rationalis malum vnum quo voluntariè ipsa deficit à summo Bono creatore suo Alterum quo iuuita punietur ignis aeterni supplicio illud passura iustè quia hoc admisit iniustè It is saith he manifest that there is a two-fold euill of the reasonable nature that is of man One whereby man voluntarily forsaketh the chiefest good God his Creator the other whereby he shall against his will be punished in the flames of euerlasting fire So shall he iustly suffer that vniustly offended In his first Disputation against Fortunatus the Manichee he speaketh yet more plainly Sith saith he there are two kinds of euill Peccatum poena peccati Sinne and the punishment of sinne the one namely sinne pertaines not vnto God the other the punishment of sinne belongs vnto him Tertullian lib. 2. contra Marcionem cap. 14. more than a hundred yeeres before Saint Augustines time deliuers this distinction with much perspicuity There is malum delicti and malum supplicij or there is malum culpae and malum poenae There is an euill of sinne and an euill of punishment and of each part he nominateth the Author Malorum quidem peccati culpae Diabolum malorum verò supplicij poenae Deum creatorem Of the euils of sinne or default the Deuill is the Author but of the euills of paine and punishment hee acknowledgeth the hand of God the Creator This second distinction of euills Rupertus well expresseth in other termes There is malum quod est iniquitas and there is malum quod est Afflictio propter iniquitatem There is an euill of Iniquity and an euill of Affliction So he agreeth with the ancient Fathers My third distinction is of the euills of punishment Of these there are two sorts Some are onely the punishments of sinne either eternall in Hell or temporall in this world and some are so the punishments of sinne that they are also sinnes and causes of sinnes My fourth distinction is De malo culpae it concernes the euill of sinne The euill of sinne may bee considered three manner of waies First as it is a sinne repugnant to the Law of God and so onely is it malum culpae the euill of sinne Secondly as it is a punishment of some precedent sinne for God vseth to punish sinne with sinne So did he punish it in the Gentiles when hee gaue them ouer to a reprobate minde Rom. 1.28 to vncleannesse to the lusts of their owne hearts to doe such things as were not conuenient because when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom. 1.12 Thirdly as it is a cause of some subsequent sinne such as was excoecatio in Iudaeis whereof we reade Esay 6.10 Excoeca cor populi huius Make thou the heart of this people blind or make it fat make their eares heauy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and conuert and be healed This same excoecation or blindnesse in the Iewes was the punishment of a prâ—cedent sinne namely of their infidelity towards Christ and it was a sinne because euery ignorance of God is a sinne and it was the cause of other sinnes so Saint Augustine teacheth lib. 5. cap. 3. contra Iulianum And this distinction is found in Saint Greg. Moral lib. 25.
Father They should not haue had sinne Sinne in comparison they should not haue had Their sinne of ignorance should haue beene none in respect of their sinne which now they haue The place may receiue light from Christs owne mouth Luk. 12.47 Our Sauiour there affirmeth that the seruant which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes with more stripes than he shall that knoweth not his masters will and therefore doth it not Where we are put in minde of two sorts of sinners Some there are that know the will of their Lord and some that know it not Both are sinners and are to be beaten for their sinnes they with more stripes these with fewer And these to whom fewer stripes are assigned are of three sorts For either they know not their Lords will because they will not know it or they know it not because they care not to know it or they know it not because they cannot know it They which know not their Lords will because they will not know it their ignorance is as the Schoolemen call it Biel. Sent. 2. Dist 22. qu. 2. Ignorantia affectata an affected ignorance These shut their eares when God calleth and being housed in their security will not step to the doore to see if the Sunne shine This ignorance resideth rather in their will and affections than in their vnderstanding part These are wilfully ignorant saith Peter 2 Ep. 3.5 They know but will not know and they run with broad eyes vnto destruction They which know not their Lords will because they care not to know it their ignorance is Ignorantia crassa vel supina a grosse idle wretchlesse and negligent ignorance And they that are thus ignorant doe also trace the high way to the pit of destruction and there shall they be sure to be beaten with many stripes They which know not their Lords will because they cannot know it their ignorance is called Ignorantia inuincibilis an inuincible ignorance and it s called inuincible saith Biel Sent. 2. Dist 22. not because it is simply so but because it remaineth after a man hath done all he can to remoue it and this ignorance saith he doth simply excuse a man from sinne Non solùm in tanto Conclus 1. sed in toto it excuseth wholly from sinne So he and the rest of the schoole But by their leaues it is their errour and stands conuicted by that laying of our Sauiour already produced The seruant that doth not his Masters will by reason he knowes it not shall be beaten with stripes though fewer But say an ignorance is inuincible an ignorance of necessity an ignorance that a man would but cannot remoue shall not such an ignorance excuse No it shall not For all men are bound by the Commandement to know God That some men know him not nor can know him it is not Gods fault but the fault of their owne parents and consequently their owne fault Adam had the perfect knowledge of God imprinted in his nature but through his owne default he lost the same for himselfe and his posterity A man may not for this complaine against Gods iustice since that our first sinne hath deserued a greater punishment I say then that this inuincible ignorance cannot excuse à toto it may à tanto It may be some excuse for the degree and measure of the sinne but not for the sinne it selfe And this may serue for the illustration of the third part of my position wherein I affirmed that our ignorance of God and his truth is of it selfe sinne Now the whole together stands good Our ignorance of God and of the things reuealed in his holy word whether it be an affected and a wilfull ignorance or a negligent and carelesse ignorance or an inuincible and a necessary ignorance is an effect and punishment of sinne it is a cause of sinne and is in it selfe sinne It was bred by transgression it doth breed transgression and is no lesse than transgression of its owne nature So foule a thing is ignorance And therefore in this respect also its true that Ignorance of God and his reuealed will is a sinne that is damnable and to be auoided My obseruation thus established Let vs now see what profit may from hence redound vnto vs. First this may serue to warne all Ministers of the Word that they be carefull to root out ignorance out of the mindes of the people and to plant the knowledge of God among them The Minister that neglects his duty and either through insufficiency or idlenesse suffereth the people to goe on in the waies of darknesse to their perdition he becommeth accessary yea a principall cause of their destruction Secondly this may teach vs all to detest this ignorance of God and his reuealed will and to seeke by all meanes to know God They that content themselues to liue in their ignorance and voluntarily submit themselues to be led by blind guides such as cannot enforme them in the waies of the Lord their estate is lamentable Beloued it is euery mans duty to haue care of his owne soule though others should neglect it You shall do well to account this one thing necessary to be instructed in the knowledge of Gods truth and preferre it before your worldly affaires Should you want this precious pearle of Gods Word you would rather sell all you haue to purchase it than content your selues to be without it Now you haue it brought home vnto you will you not make the best of it Thirdly it may serue to reproue a Popish practise by which they endeuour by all meanes possible to keepe the people in blindnesse and ignorance by taking away from them the light of Gods Word both read and preached that so keeping them blind-folded they may doe with them at their pleasure and like carrion Crowes hauing picked out their eyes may make a prey of them What else meane they when they teach that Ignorance is the mother of deuotion Pag. 18. I know that N. D. in his Wardword denieth this to be taught by any Catholique Hee saith it is forged by some Minister of ours and laid vpon them But he seemeth to haue beene past shame in denying that which is so openly knowne A Deane of Pauls Doctor Cole by name one chosen not onely to maintaine the assertions of the Papists against the Protestants in a disputation at Westminster but appointed by the Bishops and other his Collegues to be the mouth for them all whose speech in the end they all being asked did auow to be the minde and saying of them all euen he in that honourable assembly of the Councell and Nobles and frequent concourse of the Commons did with great vehemency maintaine this position in these words I say Ignorance is the mother of deuotion See this Popish Doctor appointed by the consent of Popish Bishops and other his Collegues to be their mouth and auouched to haue spoken nothing but
Cruelty and Couetousnesse are amplified from two Topickes à genere à specie from the Genus thus They know not to doe right From the Species thus They store vp violence and robbery in their palaces That so it is God is produced for witnesse for Neum Iehouah The Lord hath said it These particulars yeelded materialls for my two former Sermons Now from the Accusation I proceed to the Commination vers 11. Therefore thus saith the Lord God An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled The words are a denunciation of punishment concerning which we may obserue The Cause The Author The Punishment it selfe The Cause is implied in the particle Therefore The Author is the Lord God The Punishment is a conquest by warre and is described 1 By the Siege 2 By the Victory 3 By the Spoile An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land there is the Siege the whole Land beset round about And he shall bring downe thy strength from thee there is the Victory the ouerthrow of their strong men And thy palaces shall be spoiled The Spoile is at the lust of the conquerour An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled I haue shewed you the limits and bounds of my future discourse I will handle them as they lye in order beginning with the cause of the punishment implied in this particle Therefore Therefore It is a particle befitting a Commination It hath relation to the former verses and pointeth to the sinnes there touched to the great tumults in the middest of Samaria and the oppressions there vers 9. to the ignorance of God and his will to their violence and robbery stored vp in their palaces vers 10. The relation that this particle hath to those sinnes sheweth that those sinnes are the cause of the punishment here denounced as if our Prophet had thus spoken Because you that are the Princes and Potentates of Samaria doe oppresse the poore and needie Therefore will I bring against you mightier than your selues that shall oppresse and spoile you Therefore The obseruation is Sin is the cause of all the euill that befalleth man in this life In this my Thesis by euill I vnderstand malum poenae the euill of punishment or the euill of affliction Affliction or punishment whereof sinne is the cause is two fold internall or externall either inward or outward The inward pertaineth to the minde the outward to the body For the punishment of sinne is to be measured and defined not only by the torments of the body or by the mortality of this life but also by the most grieuous affliction of the soule as by the crookednesse obliquitie and blemish of the soule by an euill conscience by the wrath of God which is importable by the guilt of sinne whereby wee are obliged to punishment by vitious habits whereby we are inclined to a multitude of sinnes Foecundum est peccatum non ibi definit vbi incipit Sin is fruitfull if it once begin it leaues not there the worst thing of it is behinde euen the extreme anguish and horrour of the soule Againe affliction or punishment whereof sinne is the cause is either publike or priuate Pubike afflictions I call such wherof many men at once haue a sense and feeling Such are the flouds of great waters the ruine of Cities by earth-quakes the waste done in them by fire warre euill beasts pestilence famine tyrannie persecution the death of good Princes heresie schisme euery common misery All these are publike Priuate afflictions are such as priuate men in their owne particular doe suffer as sicknesse griefe infamie pouerty imprisonment death Of all these afflictions or punishments whether publike or priuate or outward or inward sinne is the cause Sinne It is causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is efficiens impellenâ— it is the impulsiue cause of all afflictions or punishments it fetcheth downe vengeance from the Maiestie of Heauen It brought that same vniuersall deluge vpon the whole world Gen. 7.17 It brought downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 19.24 It caused the Land of Canaan to spue out her inhabitants Leuit. 18.25 It will make any Land sit mourning like a desolate widow or a distressed mother robbed of her children and spoiled of all her comforts It is auouched by the Psalmist Psal 107.34 A fruitfull Land God turneth into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein It is that whereof the Prophet Ieremie complaineth Chap. 12.4 How long shall the Land mourne and the herbes of euery field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Turne to the Prophecie of Micah Chap. 1.4 Behold there the mountaines melting as wax before the fire and as the waters that are powred downe a steepe place for no other cause but for the transgression of Iacob and for the sinnes of the house of Israel Thus farre for the confirmation of my doctrine Sinne is the cause of all the euill that befalleth man in this life Saint Augustine Serm. 139. de tempore thus deliuers it Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est Sinne is the cause of all our euills Non enim sine causâ homines mala ista patiuntur It is not to be imagined that men suffer affliction without cause God is iust he is omnipotent Nullo modo ista pateremur si non mereremur Surely no euill could befall vs if we deserued it not There is not a man that sinneth not and the least sinne that he committeth deserueth all the misery that can be laid vpon him This truth may teach vs First in time of affliction to acknowledge our sins to be the cause thereof and to profit thereby vnto amendment Secondly it may teach vs to iustifie God whensoeuer hee shall â—fflict vs and to beare his visitation with patience Wherefore doth a liuing man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Lament 3.39 A man for the punishment of his sinnes wherefore doth he complaine Let vs search and trie our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord we haue transgressed and rebelled against him and therefore he afflicteth vs. My resolution shall be in the words of Micah the Prophet Chap. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him And let this suffice to haue beene spoken of my first generall the cause of the punishment here denounced implied in this particle Therefore I proceed to my next generall the Author of this punishment the Lord God Therefore thus saith the Lord God Thus saith the Lord It is a note wherewith the Prophets for the most part doe begin their preachings and prophecyings to shew that they deliuer nothing but what is of diuine credit and authority Thus saith the Lord Dicit Dominus saith the Lord. Dicere with the