and many more they are much bound vnto the Almightie and in regard of them it is their part and duty to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their liues they being euermore seruent in the spirit and most zealous of all good workes For the more kind and bountifull that any is vnto vs the more louing and obedient should we be againe vnto him But through their corruptions it is farre otherwise with them For these things make them the worse and not the better and like a violent floud they carrie them to all kind of abhominations First because they make them proud and arrogant in their hearts for pride is the roote of all euill as it cast the Angels out of heauen Adam out of paradise Nabuchadnezzar out of his kingdome so it doth still deceiue men and make them rebell against the Almightie The wicked man saith Dauid is so proud that he seeketh not for God he thinketh alwayes there is no God Psal 10.4 And the Lord saith to Edom who was a bitter enimie to him and his people The pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rockes whose habitation is high that saith in his heart Who shall bring me downe to the ground Obadiah verse 3. Secondly because they make them riotous and licentious in their liues For intemperancy of body and abundance of fleshly pleasures do cause them to forget the Lord and to spurne against him that made them But he saith God that should haue bene vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele thou art fat speaking to Israel thou art grosse thou art laden with fatnesse therefore he forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Deut. 32.15 Againe you know it is said of the voluptuous man in the parable that though others made their excuses for not coming vnto the feast whereunto they were bidden yet he made none but said peremptorily I haue maried a wife and therefore I cannot come Luk. 14.20 declaring there by that the pleasures of this life are most forcible meanes to withdraw vs from the Lord and from all such duries as do belong vnto him as also from our owne eternall happinesse which is in the heauens aboue Thirdly because they make them most stiffe and obstinate against the most holy and powerfull ministery of the word For the contempt of the word is the very leprosie of the soule and the killing plague of the body Wherewith saith Dauid shall a young man redresse his way In taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 And the wise men as Ieremy saith are ashamed they are afraid and taken Loe they haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ier. 8.9 So that without the word there is no goodnesse in men Yet they say when faithfull messengers come to them as Moses came vnto Pharaoh Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce and let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Exod. 5.2 What say they shall these command vs and shall we do according to their sayings No no but downe with them downe with them let them not liue but die or as it is in Ieremy chap. 18.18 Come and let vs imagine some deuice against them for the law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet come and let vs smite them with the tongue and let vs not giue heed to any of their words Fourthly because they make them to prosper and to carry out all matters for this world according to their owne hearts desire For prosperitie and good successe in our wayes doth harden mans heart exceedingly against the Lord and all holy proceedings His wayes saith Dauid speaking of the wicked vnto God alway prosper thy iudgements are high ouer his sight therefore defieth he all his enimies Psal 10.5 And we find in Mal. 3.14.15 that many did refuse to serue the Lord and to keepe his commandements and chose rather to be lewd and wicked because as they said the proud were blessed and they which wrought wickednesse were set vp and such as tempted God were deliuered Fiftly because they make them to haue a false opinion of themselues as if they were in good case and were in the high fauour of God when it is nothing so For this false perswasion of theirs doth rocke them fast asleepe in their sinnes so bind the cords of their iniquity that they can hardly euer be brokē againe Surely as they say in their harts they shal neuer be moued nor be in danger as it is in Ps 10.6 or as it is in Ps 49.11 They thinke their houses and their habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their lands by their names So this doth cause them not to returne vnto the Lord but to go on stil in their sinnes against him as we may see in Ieremy chap. 5.12 in these words They haue denied the Lord and said It is not he neither shall the plague come vpon vs neither shall we see sword or famine and as it may also be collected out of Chapter 7. ver 4. where the Lord saith vnto Israel who thought themselues deare vnto the Almightie and free from all plagues in that respect Trust not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. Lastly because they make them to be attended vpon by many flatterers who will smooth them on in their sinnes and to be accompanied by such as will giue vnto them wicked counsell as the young men did vnto Rehoboam when he caused ten tribes to reuolt from him For flattery and euill counsell are the bane of all good manners and forcible spurres to driue men forward to all wickednesse For as Paul doth say Euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15.33 so the Lord doth testifie that flattering teachers and euill counsellors do strengthen the hands of the wicked that they cannot returne from their wickednesse in ser 23.14 Thus you haue sixe reasons in particular of their rebellion and conspiracie The first is the pride of their hearts who are puft vp with their estate and swolne like a blowne bladder with the vaine wind of their outward pompe The second is the intemperancie of their liues who liue in all kind of excesse for diet apparell and other worldly pleasures most sweete and delightfull vnto the flesh The third is the contempt of the word who meditate but seldome vpon the law of God and come but now and then to the place where it is soundly and vnpartially diuided The fourth is the prosperity of their wayes who flourish like the Bay tree and are not in trouble as other men or plagued as they be but do liue at ease are strong and lustie and haue more then heart can wish The fift is the false
to time that sinne should not go vncontrolled but be iustly punished according to the nature of it either more or lesse as it did deserue In consideration whereof you perceiue malefactors must not be spared but be duly punished for their faults and offences And the reasons hereof are foure First Reasons that the malefactors themselues who do offend may be brought to the sight of their sinnes and to the leauing of them if it be possble for as Salomon doth say in Prou. 20.30 The blewnesse of the woundserueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly or else if they will not amend that they may be taken away by death to sinne to more against their owne soules or to pollute the land any longer wherein they dwell And this was the cause wherefore God would haue idolaters to be stoned to death as we may gather from his words in Deut. 17.7 when he saith So thou shalt take the wicked away from among you Secondly that others may learne by their examples to take heed of the like offences lest they be made partakers of the same punishments with them For punishments executed vpon some are oftentimes great terrors vnto others and do bridle them from their licentious wayes as daily experience and all Chronicles of the world do shew But at this time remember one example alone and that is of the third Captaine with his fiftie men spoken of in the first Chapter of the second booke of the Kings for he so profited by the iudgements that came vpon the two former Captaines with their fiftie men apeece when fire came downe from heauen and consumed them all that he submitted himselfe to the Prophet Elijah and fell to intreate him for the safetie of his life as it is in the 14. verse of the same Chapter And this was the cause wherefore God would haue the Iudge to do vnto euery man as euery man thought to do vnto his brother as we may see by his words in Deut. 19.20 when he saith And the rest shall heare this and feare and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickednesse among you Thirdly that the good and innocent may not be corrupted by their company and bad example For as euill words do corrupt good manners so much more do euill deeds and bad conuersation The life and example of one incestuous man was sufficient to corrupt all Corinth And this was the cause wherefore Paul would haue the Corinthians to excommunicate that incestuous person out of their holy fellowship as we may well collect out of his words in 1. Corinth 5.9 when he saith Purge out therefore the old leauen that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are vnleauened For Christ our passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Lastly that the Lords anger who is offended with their sinnes and transgressions may be appeased and not breake out against all for the same For as the sinne of man doth pollute the whole land as the story of the Cananites do shew Leui. 18.24 c. and set all things out of order as we may see by the sinne of Ahab that troubled Israel 1. Kings 18.18 and by the sinne of false apostles that troubled the Galathians Gal. 5.10 as also by the sinne of the prodigall sonne which put him besides himselfe for he repenting of his sinne is sayd to haue come to himselfe Luke 15.17 So it doth driue the Lord away from him and from others for his sake vntill he be duly punished for his sinne as he ought to be as we may see most excellently in the seuenth chapter of Iosuah For there we find that God did leaue Israel for a time for Achans sinne but after he was put to death for the same he did helpe them againe and gaue them a notable victory ouer their enimies And this is the cause wherefore the Lord would haue Moses to put the adulterers to death as we may perceiue by his words in Numb 25.4 when he sayd vnto him Take all the heads of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the Sunne that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel Out of these things thus layd downe Vse we may obserue many profitable things for our instruction For first thereby we may see that seeing malefactors must be punished that we must not storme nor chafe if the Magistrate and superiour powers inflict vpon vs punishment after that we haue sinned against the lawes of the Lord our God and haue transgressed the good and lawfull statutes of the land Then then I say we must take all things patiently and acknowledge that we haue but our due and that our gouernours therein do but discharge an holy duty which the Almightie doth require at their hands Let children and seruants amongst others marke this well that so when they are corrected and chastised by their parents and maisters for their faults they may possesse their soules with patience and learne thereby to amend and not to fall to murmurings and discontentments as many vngracious children and seruants are wont to do What praise saith Peter to seruants in 1. Pet. 2.20 is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently but and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God Whereby he shewes vs that this is a necessary duty belonging to all that haue offended quietly and with patient soules to beare such punishments as are layd vpon them for their offences Secondly by it we may see what Magistrates and men of authority ought to do who beare the sword not in vaine as Paul doth speake in Rom. 13.4 but to take vengeance on him that doth euill They must not see offences committed in the land but they must draw out their swords for the punishment thereof A wise king saith Salomon in Prou 20.26 scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them His meaning is that good Princes and godly Magistrates cannot away in any hand with wicked persons but they must needs roote them out For vnder the word wheele he alludeth to the manner of threshing vsed among the Iewes in those times The saying is old and true Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri It is as great a vertue to keepe what is gotten as first to get it And euen so it is as good a duty in a Magistrate to see lawes executed and kept as at the first to make them And since they will not be kept of all without punishments therefore punishments are most necessary Ill then and wickedly deale they that haue authority in their hands to cut downe sinne and yet will let it grow and flourish still and neuer punish the offenders thereof The grieuousnesse of which sinne you may see notably in the examples of Ely the Prophet and Saul the King For the Lord had brought most terrible iudgmēts vpon thē both and vpon their posterity
not so much as think one good thought as Paul doth confesse of himselfe in 2. Cor. 3.5 Lastly you must often and seriously thinke on all the reasons before going as also deeply meditate with your selues vpon Gods fearefull iudgements which he hath executed vpon sinners from time to time For this will breed in your hearts a sense awe of his Maiestie as we may see by many stories in the Bible and namely by that which is written in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 5. verse 11. where you find that feare came on all the Church and on as many as heard what iudgement fell vpon Ananias and Sapphira his wife when both of them fell downe at Peters feete and yeelded vp the ghost before him Wherefore performe these things with care and conscience and no doubt but you shall haue the true feare of the Lord at the last within you Hitherto of the first point now followeth the second which is ioy Andreioyce saith the Prophet In the entrance of the Psalme it is euident that they were grieued against the Lord and that they did as it were loathe and abhorre him but now on the contrary side they are willed to reioyce in him and to be glad in his behalfe and there is good reason for it too not onely because he hath set such a good and bountifull king ouer them as his Sonne is but also because he himselfe is so sweete a God and his seruice so pleasant and beneficial as it is Then as men do desire to haue their seruants to reioyce in them and in their seruice and to doe whatsoeuer they doe with chearefull hearts so the Lord would haue them his seruants to reioyce in him in his seruice and not to go about his busines with murmuring and repining soules but with cheerfulnesse and alacritie of spirit Learne we then from hence this doctrine Doct. that we must reioyce and be glad in the Lord our God and in all that seruice which we do performe vnto him To this we are exhorted in many places of the word Be glad ye righteous saith Dauid in Psal 32.11 and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all ye that are vpright in heart Likewise Paul writing vnto the Philippians in the 4. Chap. and 4. verse thereof he doth stirre them vp vnto the same duty saying Reioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce But those places which are in Esay 54.1 and in Zophonie 3.14 c. are excellent for this purpose if they be well considered of and therefore I pray reade them at your leisure and marke them well But to leaue the doctrine Reasons which is cleare and cuident of it selfe and to come to the reasons of it to consider with our selues why we should do it they are in number these two First because he doth excell and passe all the creatures in the whole world for all good things whatsoeuer For we are wont to reioyce in such things as are singular and do go beyond others for goodnesse As for example if a man hath a faire beautifull woman to his wife passing other women for beautie or pulchritude Or if he hath a goodly child of admirable parts to his sonne excelling other children for learning and other rich endowments Or lastly if he hath a stately commodious house for his dwelling ouer-matching all other houses in the country about him for pompe and necessary vses how much doth he reioyce in these daily experience doth teach vs that they are the only ioy and delight of his soule And euen so should it be with vs in regard of our God for he doth passe and excell all others whatsoeuer as in wisedome in mercy in iustice in power in loue in goodnesse in glory and the rest And therefore we should reioyce in him and make him our sole delight and pleasure The other reason is this because he doth and also is most able to do vs most good and to blesse vs both here in this world and also in the world to come For it is an vsuall thing with vs euermore to reioyce in those things which are good and profitable vnto vs and the more commodious and beneficiall any thing is vnto vs the more commonly do we reioyce and delight therein I need not demonstrate this vnto you by any examples For you know it too well your selues Doubtlesse if any of vs haue but a friend who is alwayes kind and louing vnto vs as being ready still with his horse to lend it vs with his plough to labour for vs with his money to lay it out vpon vs and with his body to go and come at our desire for our profite and emolument we cannot but greatly reioyce in him and be exceeding glad that euer we met with such a good and faithfull friend But behold dearely beloued the Lord our God doth passe him by many and infinite degrees for all that we haue we haue from him he doth neuer faile vs but he doth helpe vs euery day and night and he is able to do vs good for euermore to blesse vs here and all that we haue and to crowne vs with glory hereafter in the heauens aboue where shall be ioy and no sorrow health and no sicknesse holinesse and no wickednesse glory and no shame riches and no pouerty life and no death and in one word happinesse and no misery And therefore there is great cause why we should reioyce and be glad in him Vse This then plainly reproueth such as take their delight and pleasure in worldly matters and in the vanities of this life but not in the Lord nor his wayes Some you shall find reioycing in their wisdome some in their riches some in their strength some in their parentage some in their honors some in their sports some in one thing and some in another but few in the Lord and his seruice But this is condemned you may see in Ieremy 9.23.24 where the Lord doth forbid the wise man to glory in his wisedome and the strong man to glory in his strength and the rich man to glory in his riches and doth command all to glory in him and his knowledge And therefore Paul doth say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 2. Cor. 10.17 Secondly as this doth controlle them who take no pleasure in the Lord but do go about his seruice with vnwilling and heauie hearts like vnto the Beare that is drawne to the stake so it doth teach vs that that is but a slaunder which is cast out against vs when men say that Religion breeds melancholy and cuts off all mirth and ioy For here you see we are called vpon to reioyce and this ioy also that is in vs is exceeding large and great For Peter doth shew that it is vnspeakable and glorious in 1. Pet. 1.8 when he saith that we do beleeue in Christ though we see him not and do reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And Esay
grant that this labour of mine may be accepted of the Saints and tend to Gods glorie And I heartily beseech the Lord the God of all grace and giuer of all blessings that he would so multiply his heauenly graces vpon you that you may alwaies walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things battering downe continually the kingdome of Sathan and setting vp the kingdome of Christ to the vttermost of your powers that so many soules may be saued by your meanes and you your selues haue the greater weight of glory bestowed vppon you at the day of iudgement when all persons shall be rewarded according to their workes And so crauing pardon for my boldnesse I ende and humbly take my leaue Rodborough the twentieth of August 1610. Your Worships to be commanded in the Lord Richard Web. To the Christian Reader all grace and peace CHristian Reader the whole care and burthen of the Ministery of the Lords word is or at the least ought to be how to bring men to the liuing God to pull them out of the kingdome of Satan that they might be planted in the Kingdome of Christ Euery one should helpe forward this worke which is the greatest and the most honorablest worke in all the world The miserable estate wherein they are who do remaine vnder Satan and his dominion as all men do by nature and the most blessed condition that they are in who are vnder Christ and his gouernment as none are but by grace should moue men sufficiently thereunto For mine owne part what I haue done this way these Sermons of mine in part will shew thee Reade thē at thy leasure marke them well begin not alone but make an end For haply as it is in S. Iohns Gospell the best wine is reserued till the last VVhen thou hast ended if thou receiuest any profite thereby blesse thou the name of thy God for it vnto whom all honour and praise do belong and pray also vnto the same God for me the instrument therein of thy good that so I may alwaies stand fast in the truth and increase daily in all heauenly graces to the honour of his name and the good of his Church Our daies thou knowest are corrupt and full of sinne and we our selues are very fraile and weake looke therefore to thy selfe and keepe thine heart with all diligence Run not with the world neither decline after vanity but cleaue fast vnto thy God come life or come death and be thou sure euermore to worke out thy saluation with feare and trembling and so fare thee well most heartily in the Lord. Thine for thy good euer in the Lord R. W. The principall matters which are handled in euery Sermon The Contents of the first Sermon THe Author Summe and Diuision of the whole Psalme It is proued that Dauid and Christ had many enimies according to the letter of the text The causes why Christ in the daies of his flesh was reiected by men albeit he was most worthy of loue and fauour which are in number 7. whereof 3. are intrinsecall or inward being inherent in men and 4. extrinsecall or outward being wickedly pickt from Christ himselfe It is shewed how the enimies of Dauid and Christ were oucrcome and came to fearefull ends The godly are vnlikely for foure causes to ouercome their enimies yet do they preuaile against them the reasons why and the vses thereof There are foure things in God for the which the victory doth alwaies go on his side and theirs whose part he doth take It is declared how the godly do ouercome euen then when they be put to death for the truths sake God is a patient God not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue the reasons why and the vses thereof The Contents of the second Sermon IT is proued that Christs enimies did rage and murmure against him in the daies of his flesh according to the letter of the text The multitude and common people of the world are enimies to the Lord and his truth the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are also foure Murmuring is a sin and to be auoided of Gods children the reasons why which are two and the vses thereof which are also two Eight preseruatiues or remedies against murmuring The diuers ends wherefore Questions are proposed The acts deeds of the vulgar sort are so foolish mad that wise discreet persons fearing the Lord may well wōder at thē with the vse therof The Contents of the third Sermon IT is proued that the States of the land did oppose themselues against Christ in the daies of his flesh according to the letter of the text Rich men and great persons haue foure chiefe reasons aboue others to serue the Lord yet they contemne him most the reasons why which are sixe and the vses thereof which are foure Councels and assemblies are as well against the Lord and his truth as for him the reasons why which are 2. and the vses thereof which are 3. The wicked haue their Comes and Exhortations vnto vngodlinesse with the vse thereof There are three causes why the lawes of God should be regarded by men yet the wicked do reiect them the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are two There are foure causes why the godly do delight in the law of God and desire to keepe the same By resisting Gods lawes men do resist God himselfe the reason why and the vses thereof which are two The Contents of the fourth Sermon GOd is in all places at all times three waies Two reasons why God is said to be in heauen rather then in any other place Gods laughing what it is at whom he doth laugh and the vse thereof No power or counsell can stand against the Lord but downe it must go the reasons why which are two and the vses thereof which are three Men like Giants fight against the Lord many waies but chiefly foure waies Gods anger what it is and the double way by the which he doth speake vnto man The enimies of Gods Church shall be ouerthrowne the reasons why and the vses thereof which are three The Church of God is like to an hill or mountaine in three respects with the vses thereof The Church of God is said to be holy for three causes with the vses thereof God the Father made Christ the King of his Church the reasons why respecting his Godhead and those eight notable-vertues which were in him most worthy of a King and the vses thereof which are three The Contents of the fifth Sermon Christs faithfulnes in opening his Fathers decree with the vse therof Three causes wherefore Christ published his Fathers decree touching himselfe and his calling Euery person must stand vpon his office and calling the reasons why which are foure and the vses thereof which are three An argument to proue that our Church in England is the true Church of God and
did eate he should not perish but haue life euerlasting Ioh. 6.41.60.61 As thus you haue heard what they did so now heare what was the euent of their doing All was in vaine but in vaine saith the Prophet by which word he doth signifie that all their indeauour was to no purpose For a thing is said to be in vaine which cannot be brought to passe but shall lacke his effect In Hebrew the word is in the singular number called Rijk and it doth import a vacuitie or emptinesse and such a vanity of things as haue no substance in them no more then a dry pit hath water or an empty house hath stuffe But in Greeke the word is of the plurall number termed Kena and in signification is all one with the former sauing onely that this doth shew more fully as it were by the plurality of it that all the things which they did meditate vpon in their hearts murmuringly mutter forth with their tongues were frustrated and brought to nothing being in this respect like vnto sicke mens dreames which haue no truth or verity in them Here might many things be obserued As first that raging in a tumultuous manner and murmuring though in a secret sort are diseases and sores euermore to be found among the common people and the meaner of the world Secondly that by raging and murmuring resistance is made against the Lord and his Annointed Thirdly that all attempts which are made against the Almighty those whom he doth set vp whether by the one of these meanes or by the other shall be broken and come to nought Fourthly that the multitude and vulgar sort are alwaies enimies to the wise and gracious gouernement of our God And lastly that raging and murmuring themselues are two notorious euils which are alwaies to be abandoned by the holy and blessed Saints of the most High who doe purpose truely to serue the Lord and to go to heauen But as a man entring into a shop where is great variety of wares will buy onely that which is necessary for himselfe and his vses let the rest alone Or as a man sitting at a table where are sundry dishes will in wisedome feede onely on them which will agree with his body best and doe him most good and not meddle of the rest So let vs stand vpon those points alone which are most commodious for vs and may turne to our greatest good and let passe the rest And they are in number the two last which also are intended most if not onely by the Spirit of God in the text it selfe vnlesse it be the third respecting the vanitie of all such attempts as shall be made against the Lord whereof wee haue spoken already in the generall view of the whole Psalme and so are not now againe to speake thereof at this time First then in that the heathen do thus rage the people do thus murmure against Christ and his kingdome as we haue heard we gather this doctrine Doct. that the multitude and the whole body of the Commons will euermore be enimies vnto the Lord and his truth If we peruse the writings of the Prophets or runne ouer the Acts of the Apostles or cast our eies vpon the conuersation of the whole race of mankind we shall easily finde this to be most true and certaine Noah found it so when for all his preaching in sixscore yeares together he could not conuert any vnto the Lord but they would notwithstanding his preaching continue in their sinnes till the floud came and drowned them all 1 Pet. 3.20 Lot found it so when he vexed his righteous soule from day to day with the vnlawfull deedes and vncleane conuersation of the Sodomities 2. Pet. 2.7.8 chiefly then when they compassed his house about from all the quarters of the citty both yong and old with murthering hearts to kill those men or rather Angels that came to lodge with him Gen. 19.4 c. Aaron found it so when all the Israelites fell to idolatry and compelled him to make them a golden calfe to worship it or as they termed it Gods to goe before them Exod. 32.1 Isay found it so when he said of the whole people of Israel that they were a sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children that they had forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel against them yea they were gone backeward and that there was nothing found in them from the sole of the foote vnto the top of the head but wounds swelling sores full of corruption Isay 1.4 c. Ieremy found it so when he said of the same people that they were a wicked people and that they did refuse to heare the word of God but would walke after the stubbornnesse of their owne heart and walke after other gods to serue them and to worship them Ier. 13.10 Dauid found it so when he said of all mankind that they were all of them gone out of the way that they were all corrupt and that there was wone that did good no not one Psalme 14.3 Finally to omit almost infinite examples Paul and Silas found it so when they were at Philippy a chiefe citty in Macedonia where all were set against them both people and gouernours and did not onely beate them sore with rods but they cast them also into prison and commanded the gaoler to keepe them surely there from all escaping away Acts 16.22.23 Hitherto you haue heard what the people do Reason euen rebell still against the Lord and his blessed word Now heare what are the reasons of this their so doing and marke what moues them thereunto There are many reasons of it but these foure are the chiefe and principall The first is there foolishnesse or ignorance For they not knowing the Lord nor vnderstanding his waies aright but being in this respect worser then the Oxe that knoweth his owner and the Asse that knoweth his maisters crib as the Lord doth complaine of them in Isay 1.3 they cannot but doe as Paul did in the time of his ignorance euen oppose themselues against the Almighty or those of whom Christ doth say that they shall thinke they do God good seruice in putting his Saints to death Ioh. 16.2 For this cause the Lord doth make his moane for the foolishnesse and ignorance of his people as of the wel-spring of all their rebellions against him in Ier. 4.22 in these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to do well they haue no knowledge The second is their impatiency or angry waywardnesse who cannot waite vpon the Lord with any patience or beare any crosse quietly For this doth cary them away to horrible rebellions as we may see by daily experience and by the example of the children of Israel in the wildernesse who being angry for their crosses and impatient of thirst of
auoided by euery good Christian and those that would be the faithfull children of the most high God of heauen But on the former of thē I will not now stand partly because all do confesse that to be a most hainous offence and partly because we are somewhat cleare and innocent from it but I will stand onely vpon the latter as vpon a thing more doubtfull and wherein we are intangled most The which to be a most grieuous sin in the sight of the Almighty howsoeuer man doth iudge lightly of it appeareth euidently by three things First by his often condemning of it in his word Secondly by his branding of them with a note of great infamie or reprobation who were subiect vnto it And thirdly by his seuere punishing of them who were guilty in it If we peruse the word we shall finde many places condemning the same but I will presse two or three alone Do all things saith Paul in Phil. 2.14 without murmuring and reasonings And againe writing to the Corinthians in 1. Cor. 10.10 he saith Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured making mention there of the Israelites and were destroyed of the destroyer Likewise Peter well agreeing with him saith in 1. Pet. 4.9 Be ye harborous one to another without murmuring If we search the Scriptures we shall finde againe that murmurers therein are brought in as the leawdest and vilest people that be Iude in his Epistle speaking of vngodly persons who are a staine vnto true religion euen of such as were ordained of old vnto eternall condemnation as appeareth in the 4. Vers of that Epistle doth amongst other things set them out by this marke that they are murmures and complainers walking after their owne lusts as it is in the 16. verse thereof Whereby we see that God doth brand them with the note of reprobation as I said before In like manner as Kain is recorded to be a murtherer a runnagate a vagabond and a damned wretch who was a murmurer and one that did repine and grudge that God should respect his brother Abel aboue himselfe Gen. 4.5 c. So are all the Israelites who did so often murmure and grudge against the Lord and Moses his seruant in the wildernesse reputed for most vile and notorious sinners and that by God himselfe in these words Forty yeares haue I contended with this generation and said They are a people that erre in heart for they haue not knowne my waies Wherefore I sware in my wrath saying suerly they shall not enter into my rest Psal 95.10.11 Lastly if we carefully obserue the story of sacred Oracles we shall find that most heauy plagues iudgements haue bene excuted vpon offenders in this respect But to touch one or two it is not vnknowne that though Miriam were an excellent woman and one of great account amongst all the people of God yet the Lord did not spare her but did strike her with the Leprosie a cursed an odious disease for her murmuring against Moses Numb 12.10 Againe it is apparant that though God made choise of Israel to be his people before all the nations of the world and did carry them as it were in his bosome as a mother doth carry her child in her bosome yet he did destroy many thousands of them by the Amalekites the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountaine of their wandring for their murmuring and repining yea and more then that hee debarred them all from entring into Caanan that came out of Aegypt except two viz. Iosuah and Caleh as we may see at large in the 14. Chap. of Numbers But yet his hand staid not there For besides all that he cast most of them downe to hell and would not suffer them to come to heauen which is the plague of all plagues and the heauiest iudgement that can be as the Apostle doth obserue in the 3. and 4. Chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrewes As thus you heare that murmuring is a sinne Reason so peraduenture you would gladly vnderstand the cause why it is a sinne In few words it is a sinne for two causes The one is because it hath an errour in it whereby we iudge amisse of the Lord and his wayes whether workes or words For whensoeuer we murmure for any matter we iudge and thinke that that matter is out of order and that it might be better disposed of then it is As for example when the maister of the vineyard gaue vnto euery one a penny at night that laboured in his vineyard the enuious man grumbled at this because he thought here was no iustice and equity obserued in that all of them were made equall in their wages who were vnequal in their labours So when we murmure against God we do dislike with something in God and so we do controll him and preferre our selues who are foolish and wicked before him who is most wise and holy as though we our selues in the like case could do better then God hath done then which blasphemy what can almost be more hainous The other cause is because it hath some rebellion in it as a cursed effect arising from the wickednesse of that former cause whereof we haue already spoken For when the soule is thus corrupted with a wrong iudgement the heart that begins to boyle and rise against God in many angry and foolish passions and the tongue oftentimes is loosed with most vile and reprochfull words that I may not speake of the hands and the rest of the members all which are much out of order by this meanes and carried ouer to a sea of corruptions as we may see in those murmurers and many others who were mentioned before Wherefore when Moses went about to draw the people from their murmuring he wils them to rebell no more as though to murmure to rebell were all one Numb 14.9 And when God doth reproue them he doth demand How long they will prouoke him and how long it will be yer they doe beleeue him in the 11. verse of the same Chapter as though there were no difference betweene murmuring and prouoking of God or not beleeuing in him So that then if it be an abhomination before the Lord to condemne the innocent in our thoughts and to rebell against the gouernours of the land it is apparant and euident that murmuring must needes be a great sinne seeing it hath these two great euils in it the one of iudging amisse of the Lord the other of rebelling against his maiesty But to passe the causes let vs come to the vses They are in number two The first of them sheweth the great impiety of our land Vse 1 for seeing that murmuring is a great euill and we haue murmurers in euery place and amongst all estates we may see that our land is wicked and naught In it reigne many sinnes as swearing lying whoring theeuing quaffing gormandizing contempt of the word and the faithfull embassadours thereof with many other notoriousvices such as couetousnesse
murmure against any of these is to murmure against God himselfe because all of them haue their calling from God and do supplie his roome and place nor against any worke or word of the Almightie whether you be in aduersity or in prosperity but be quiet waite vpon the Lord praying alwayes for the redresse of things that are amisse but neuer murmuring for any thing And so I passe from the acts of the people and come to the Prophets wondring at the same He doth demand and aske the question saying Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine And this he doth by way of admiration as wondring at them for this their so doing Sometimes we aske a question when we doubt of a matter or know it not So the Apostles asked of Christ why he did speake to the multitude in parables Matth. 13.10 Sometimes we aske a question when we know a thing our selues and would gladly teach it to another So one of the Elders whom Iohn saw standing about the throne of God asked of Iohn what they were and wherehence they came which stood before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Reuel 7.13 Sometimes we aske the question for neither of these ends but to tempt or to entrap So the Herodians asked Christ whether it were lawfull to giue tribute to Caesar or no. Math. 22.17 Sometimes we aske a question when we would checke or reproue one for some thing which is either spoken or done amisse So God asked of Caine where his brother Abel was Gen. 4.9 Sometimes we aske a question when we would expresse a thing with the greater force and vehemency So Paul asked of the Romanes how they that were dead to sinne should yet liue therein Rom. 6.2 Sometimes we aske a question when we would stop his mouth that doth propose vnnecessary or vnpleasing matters vnto vs. So Christ asked the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people whether the baptisme of Iohn were from heauen or from men Math. 21.25 Sometimes lastly we aske a question when we maruell or wonder at a matter So Dauid asked what man was that God did so regard him and extoll him aboue the rest of his creatures Psal 8.4 Thus you see that questions are proposed vpon sundrie considerations and for diuerse ends But the end why the Prophet here doth propose this question is for wondrings sake for he saw such madnesse and foolishnesse in the heathen and people for their raging and murmuring against the Lord that he could not but maruell and wonder at the same If a man should attempt a thing that is either vnpossible to be done as to cary a Church vpon his backe or else which being done will be altogether hurtfull vnto him as to kicke his heeles against sharpe needles we should wonder and maruell at him much for it thinke that he were mad and out of his wits So was it with the Prophet in this case he saw first that they went about a thing impossble that which could neuer be brought to passe for who can remoue the Lord out of his throne or displace him out of his kingdome none no not all the inhabitants of the world Againe he saw in the second place that as this was impossible so it was a thing altogether vnprofitable for them and most hurtfull in euery respect For whether we respect Dauid or Christ they could not haue the like king againe in all the world For as it is recorded of Dauid that he was a man according to Gods owne heart and that he executed iudgement and iustice vnto all his people as it is in 2. Sam. 8.15 so it is chronicled of Christ that he was the very ingraued forme of his Fathers person and that the scepter of his kingdome was ascepter of righteousnesse he louing righteousnesse and hating iniquitie Heb. 1.2.8.9 And as though this were not a commendations great enough of him that he should reigne as a king and prophet execute iudgement and iustice in the earth marke what the Lord doth adde further to this in Ier 23.6 when he saith In his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse that so thereby we might know that all those are in a most happie estate who are vnder him and his dominion In regard of both which things you may see that the Prophet might well wonder and maruell as here he doth at their rebelliō Whereout shortly obserue this doctrine Doct. That the acts of the world and the people thereof are such oftentimes that a wise and godly man such as the Prophet was may well wonder and maruell at them It is noted in Esay cap. 59. v. 16. that God himselfe did wonder at the dealing of the world that there was no man found in it that would offer himselfe to helpe the Church in these words And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himselfe But what may the reason of this be Reason that we may draw quickly to an end In few words it is this because they haue no good groūd nor reason for that which they do but either haue or might haue many good reasons to the contrary The which thing we may see as in other things so in the conspiracy of our traytors whether against our former Queene of blessed memory or against our present King of holy reputation For I dare protest that none of them had euer any iust cause giuen vnto them whereby they might be moued to their treason or rebellion but they had many excellent reasons still to stay them from it as their peace their wealth their honor and the like which they did alwaies in great abundance enioy but chiefly the word of God which did charge them not to touch the Lords annointed no not though the had bin persecuted to the death as Dauid in a manner was by Saul daily experiences by the which they did see that all their plots frō time to time were euermore in vain did still turne to their own ruine destructiō Wherefore seeing the acts of the people are acts so farre voide of reason vnderstanding Vse that a good holy man may wonder at them do you neither approue of them your selues neither yet ioyne with them in any of their wayes that are of such a nature or qualitie but follow you that which is wel pleasing vnto the Lord remēbring alwayes what God said to the Prophet Esay in the like case when he tooke him by the hand taught him that he should not walke in the way of the people saying Say ye not a confederacy to al them to whom this people saith a confederacy neither feare you their feare nor be afraid of them but sanctifie the Lord of hosts let him be your feare and let him be your dread Esay 8.11.12.13
large be shewed if it were needfull But let the Example of Abraham suffise who thinking that the feare of God was not in Gerar vtterly despaired of any other vertue and therefore moued his wife to say that she was his sister Gen. 20.11 In this respect the feare of God is both by Dauid in Psal 111.10 and also by Salomon in Pro. 1.7 called the beginning of wisedome that is the roote and fountaine of all goodnesse and therefore of the whole worship and seruice of God spoken of here in this place So that there is good cause why the Prophet should require of vs to serue the Lord with feare Where-hence let vs collect this doctrine Doct. that as we must serue the Lord so we must feare the Lord and stand in great awe and reuerence of him Thou shalt feare saith Moses to Israel in Deut. 6.13 the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt sweare by his name Esay doth require the same duty of his people in chapter 8.13 when he saith vnto them Sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread But to passe other places marke what Salomon doth say of this in Eccles 12.13 Let vs heare saith he the end of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man There are diuerse reasons to moue vs hereunto Reasons As first the greatnesse of his power and might aboue vs. Secondly his authority and iurisdiction which he hath ouer vs. Thirdly his goodnesse and mercy which he doth shew vnto vs. Fourthly his Maiestie and glory which doth shine and glister round about vs. Fifthly his puritie and holinesse that is in his eyes beholding vs. And lastly the great blessings which the feare it selfe being had will bring vnto vs. For all these things may iustly worke a feare in men Meane men we find by experience do feare great men those that are too mighty for them and they dare not in any case displease them Children feare their parents and such as haue a ruling tuition ouer them Workemen feare their maisters by whom they liue and are maintained and looke who are most bountifull and prodigall vnto them to them againe do they become most obseruant and obsequious as being afraid to offend them in any thing Simple persons feare great states such as excel in glory maiestie aboue thēfelues though other wise they owe no homage or subiection vnto them Loose liuers and wantons feare graue religious persons and such as are zealous for Gods glory earnest for the saluation of mans soule as being ashamed to powre out their euil words or to cōmit their wicked facts before them in their presence Lastly euery one by nature is forward to apply himselfe to those things which he doth know will bring great profit and benefit vnto himselfe as being desirous to be out of misery and to liue in happinesse and prosperity all the dayes of his life Now to apply this to God to our selues first he is of power and might we are no body vnto him in that respect he is able to pay vs home if we do displease him This reason our Sauiour doth vrge in Math. 10.28 when he wils his Apostles not to feare men who can kil but the body but to feare the Lord who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell Secondly he hath authority iurisdiction ouer vs we are his he hath made vs and he may do with vs what he will as the potter doth with his vessell or as the master doth with his seruant This reason the Lord himselfe doth presse in Malach. 1.6 saying A son honoreth his father and aseruant his maister If then I be a father where is mine honor if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hosts vnto you ô Priests that despise my name Thirdly he is good and kind to vs his benefites which we do enioy from him are infinite we haue all that we haue from him euen our liues and all the rest This reason Dauid doth touch in Psal 130.4 when he saith vnto the Lord But mercy is with thee that thou mayest be feared Fourthly he is a God of infinite Maiesty and we are but poore simple creatures made of the dust and clay of the ground the heauen of heauens cannot containe him neither can the Angels themselues stand before him for his brightnesse vnlesse they couer their faces with two of their wings This reason doth Moses glance at in Exodus 20.20 when he shewes the end wherefore the Lord did publish his law in that glorious and maiesticall maner as he did in thunders lightnings and the like saying For God is come to proue you and that his feare may be before you that ye sinne not Fifthly he is holy and righteous his eyes are pure eyes and cannot abide to behold sinne and iniquity This reason is laid downe before the eyes of the Israelites oftentimes in the old Testament by the Spirit of God when he would draw them to the true feare and seruice of the Almighty from all such manners as were found among the Gentiles For then still his holinesse and puritie was enforced vpon them Finally the cōmodities which the feare of the Lord being once had wil bring vnto vs are exceeding large and great For first it will make vs holy and frameable vnto Gods will in auoiding those things which he hath condemned and in performing those things which he hath commanded The feare of the Lord saith Salomon in Prou. 8.13 is to hate euill as pride and arrogancie and the euill way Where he sheweth that in what measure any one feareth God in the same measure he doth loath and detest all euill yea not onely the open abhominable sinnes which the world doth condemne but the most secret and hidden For he saith not to hate euill as murther and adultery but pride arrogancy which lie in the heart and do not shew themselues to the world yet he that feareth God will hate them Secondly it wil make vs blessed and happy in all our wayes Blessed saith Dauid in Psal 128.1 is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes This reason the sweet Singer of Israel hath alleaged in Psal 34.9 when he saith Feare the Lord ye his Saints for nothing wanteth in them that feare him nothing he meanes which is good and wholesome for them as he speakes elsewhere saying The Lord will giue grace and glorie and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke vprightly Psal 84.17 So that the feare of the Lord brings with it alwayes a plentie of all good things comes laden with the blessings of God whersoeuer it comes For all these causes now rehearsed should we feare the Lord and in reuerence endeuor to please him The vse that we must make of this Vse is first to condemne those that haue not the true feare of the Lord
shall finde both Kings and Princes as well domesticall as forreine banding and assembling themselues against him it is apparant by the record of all the Euangelists that as the whole body and Commons of Israel were set against our Sauiour Iesus Christ so were the States of the land and the chiefe men of place therein most deadly foes and enimies vnto him As they banded themselues together to make their faction and side strong against him so they had their often assemblies and meetings for counsell and aduice which way to bring him vnto his death Herod and Pontius Pilate two kings as it were amongst them though they did iarre and disagree betwixt themselues yet now they could ioyne together against Christ and become friends as we may see in Luk. 23.12 in these words And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together for before they were enimies one vnto the other Here is the banding of the Kings of the earth together when these two agree in one like good friends who were before at ods and do assemble together at Ierusalem against our sweet Sauiour the Lords Annointed For now at this time both of them were at Ierusalem and so as well together in place as in heart as it is in the 7 verse of the same chapter of Luke But for their consulting together and the meeting of their Princes in assemblies for counsell and aduice against him there are many places in the Euangelists declaring the same but I will touch onely two at this time The one of them is in Iohn the 11 chapter and 47 verse with some others following For there we find that after Christ had raised vp Lazarus from the dead the high Priests and Pharisees who were the chiefe rulers of the people and as Princes among them gathered a Councell and assembled as it were in a Parliament against him plodding and deuising what were best to do vnto him and as it is in verse 53 of the same chapter from that day forth consulting together to put him to death The other of them is in Math. 26.30 where we reade that the chiefe Priests and the Scribes and the Elders of the people assembled together into the hall of the high Priest called Caiaphas and consulted how they might take him by subtiltie and kill him In regard of all which things now shortly touched you see that this is most true which is here recorded namely that the Kings of the earth banded themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed The which thing the faithfull that liued after Christ was ascended into heauen and were eye-witnesses of those things which were done vnto him do in their prayer to God acknowledge and confesse saying For doubtlesse against thine holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done Acts 4.27.28 Hauing thus shewed the meaning of the text and confirmed the truth thereof let vs now come to the vse and benefit which we may make of the same Out of it we may gather two principall doctrines One from the persons rebelling the other from the manner of their rebellion Out of the persons rebelling we collect this doctrine Doctr. That great States mighty men of this world are oftentimes enimies vnto the truth and deadly foes vnto holy and vpright courses This the Prophet Esay doth shew when he doth call the Princes of Iudah and of Ierusalem the Princes of Sodome Esay 1.10 for Sodome was a city so wicked and the Princes thereof so leude and filthie that God could not spare them but for their abhominations he brought downe fire and brimstone from heauen and consumed them all as we find in the 19 chapter of Genesis This Ieremie doth shew when he saith I will get me to the great men and will speake vnto them for they haue knowne the way of the Lord and the iudgement of their God but these haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Ier. 5.5 This Hosea doth shew when he saith They are all hot as an ouen and haue deuoured their Iudges all their kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth vnto me saith the Lord. Hos 7.7 This Amaziah though a wicked man doth shew when he said to Amos the Lords Prophet O thou Seer go flye thou away into the land of Iudah and there eate thy bread and prophesie there but prophesie no more at Bethel for it is the kings Chappell and it is the kings Court Amos 7.11.12 This the story of the Acts of the Apostles doth shew when they were apprehended cast into prison beaten and put to death by Herod by the high Priests and other officers and states men for gouernment as we may see in the 4.5.12 and other chapters of the same booke This the complaint of the Church doth shew when she doth say The watchmen that went about the citie found me they smote me and wounded me the watchmen of the wals tooke away my veile from me Cant. 5.7 for by watchmen here are meant the chiefe rulers of the Church who should watch ouer her for her good and not thus persecute her and wound her as they did This the storie of the ten persecutions doth shew when Nero Domitian Traian Antonie Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerian Aurelian and Dioclesian most bloudy Emperours of Rome did make hauocke of the Church of God and persecute to the death such as did call vpon his holy name This lastly the example of all ages doth shew and daily experience with men of our time when we with our owne eyes do see and with our owne eares do heare what bloudy things are decreed in the Church of Rome in Spaine and in other places against true Protestants and the sincere seruants of the Lord euen by them that are in the highest roomes and do beare the chiefest sway amongst men in those dominions But how may this come to passe Reason may some man say that the highest persons and the chiefest for wealth and authoritie do thus oppose themselues against the Lord and his most holy and blessed wayes For of all men in the word they are most beholding vnto God and haue greater causes as one should iudge to loue him and to worship him then the meaner and poorer people haue For first they are daintily educated and with great charges brought vp in all good literature and learning Secondly they haue abundance of riches and worldly wealth to supply their wants at all times Thirdly they haue great honor and reputation amongst the sonnes of men in all places for gouernment and the matters of this world Lastly they excell all others for the most part in their persons both for wit and other naturall qualities of the mind and also for pulchritude and other goodly properties of the body Surely for all these causes