forget your place God hath made you subiects and not gouernours to be gouerned and not to rule enter not therfore neither intermedle you with princes matters but enter into your selues looke y t your sinns wickednes do not cause an error to be in the gouernment for if there be any at any time it proceedeth frō you your sinns are the cause as it appeareth plainly in this exāple The sinnes of Israel prouoked the Lord to wrath and then Dauids heart is moued to number the people From whence proceede ill humors which trouble the head and cause it to ake out of the head no they ascende out of the bodie into the heade and so causeth the heade to ake and then the aking of the head is y e disquietnes of all the body and yet the cause is not in the heade but in the il humors which proceede from the bodie Take heed therfore that ye minister no ill humors out of the body into the heade and the head shall be well inough able to gouerne the bodie Looke therefore to y e purging of the bodie from sinne and wickednesse that no distemperature thereby doe rise into the heade and doubt you not but the Lorde God as he hath alwaies hitherto so he will frō hence foorth direct the heade to your singuler benefite quietnes and commoditie And in this behalfe wee haue earnestly to pray to the Lorde for the preseruation of our soueraigne considering howe greatly wee haue prouoked his wrath and giuen him iust cause to withdrawe his bountifull graces frō her which hithert to it hath pleased him moste plenteously to bestowe vppon her highnes to our singuler benefites and comfort and likewise we haue to praise and magnifie the Lorde for his infinite mercie declared in his longe suffering and patience toward vs who notwithstāding we haue so often and so much prouoked him to indignatiō through our manifolde transgressions contempt of his worde and vnthankefulnes yet hath he so blessed her estate and gouernement and that for so long time ouer vs that searching all monumentes of stories from the beginning the like examples of prosperous and peaceable regement shall neuer bee founde I say the like happie and quiet gouernement in all godlinesse and honesty for so many yeres together is not to bee shewed in this Iland out of any recordes of antiquitie Turne ouer the booke hardly and spare not and bring me foorth no small examples but onlie such as our moste soueraigne Ladie may vouchsafe to excel if euer the like prosperous godly estat can be shewed of so long continuance Let vs therfore yeeld glorie vnto his maiestie frō whose onely goodnes this as all other goods gifts haue proceeded thankfull obedience vnto her highnes whō he hath vsed as a meane and instrumēt to procure all this happines vnto vs. And as wee haue thus longe enioyed this blessed gouernmēt so that we may enioye it twise as many yeares or more if it be his will let vs become humble sutors to our heauenly father that hee will blesse her maiestie with longe life to the glorie of his name and the benefite of his Church but especially considering wee haue prouoked the Lordes wrath to bee kindled againste vs let vs make hast to bee reconciled vnto him by vnfayned and heartie repentaunce and amendement of life for when the Lorde shall see vs turned truely vnto him hee will turne from the fearcenesse of his wrath and turning awaye from vs all such plagues and punishmentes as wee moste righteously haue deserued hee will turne vnto vs the cheerefull light of hys countenance in Iesus Christ in whom and for whome hee is well pleased with vs. And thus muche touching the righteousnesse of God which is the first part The seconde poynte wee haue to consider is the malice of Sathan whiche is noted to vs in the 21. Chapter of the first booke of Chronicles where it is saide that Sathan stoode vppe againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid to number the people Althoughe the malice of Sathan bee manifold and almost infinite yet I will note it in two pointes onelie out of this texte Firste in the person with whome he dealeth and secondly in the sinne wherevnto hee prouoketh him Concerning the first it is said that Sathan stoode vp againste Israel and moued the hearte of Dauid For when Gods wrath was kindled agaynste Israel Sathan was Gods minister to execute his iuste iudgemente not of obedience to God but of malice to Israel Therfore howe doth he execute it he goeth streight to Dauid For Sathan findinge himselfe loosed of that chaine by which he is restrayned from assaulting the people of God whome he defendeth with his grace and boyling in malice againste the Church of GOD whose prosperitie hee enuieth and seeketh her destruction imediately he setteth vppon the chiefe gouernour thereof All his malice is against the Church of God and therfore it is said Sathan stoode vp againste Israel but he knowing wher to do most mischiefe beginneth to shew his malice against Dauid he seeketh to infect the heade that he might destroye the whole body He knoweth that a godly and vertuous prince is the principal instrument that God vseth amongst men to procure y e wealth of his Church and chosen people and therefore of hatred against y e church rankor against gods people he seeketh by al meanes to corrupt a good prince to cause a godly gouernour to bee vnprofitable to thē see therefore how great cause we haue with earnest and daily praiers to commend vnto the gratious protection of our God the preseruation of our godly Prince and Souereigne Bicause we see the malice of Satan to be so great y t whensoeuer he is let loose to stand vp against Israel he will begin his assault where he knoweth he may doe most hurt to the Church of GOD. And therefore not without cause the Apostle so vehemētly exhorteth that prayers supplications intercessions and thankesgiuings be made specially for Kings and all that be in authoritie bicause Sathans malice which he beareth against Gods Church he seeketh specially to execute by them whose power is greatest and whose example carieth the multitude after them For euē as the Lorde in wisedome and iustice vseth to punish the people by their Princes euen so Sathan of hatred and malice seeketh the ouerthrowe of the Church by the same persons The second point wherein the malice of Sathan is to be considered is the vice or sinne wherevnto he moued the heart of Dauid The text saith he moued Dauid to number the people For a prince to nūber muster his people of it self it is no sin but a thing indifferēt of his owne nature which at sometime is not only lawfull to do but also necessarie and therefore it is no hard matter to gather what sinne Dauid committed in numbring the people namely his heart by Sathan contrarie to his former faith and humble trust in Gods
A GODLY and learned Sermon preached before an honourable auditorie the 26 day of Februarie 1580. ¶ Imprinted by Henrie Middleton for Thomas Man A GODLY AND learned Sermon Preached in Lent last 1580. THE place of scripture moste honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Christ which I haue chosen to entreate of is written in the 24. Chapter of the second booke of Samuel in these words Vers`l ' And the wrath of the Lorde was yet more kindled against Israel and he moued Dauid against them in that he saide goe number Israel and Iuda c. The whole Scripture of God as the holy Apostle S. Iames teacheth is cōpared to a glasse wherein al estats and degrees may see what to imbrace and what to eschew and it is cōmonly said of al histories that they are y e looking glasses of mans life Therefore this text beeing both a story and parcel of holy Scripture must needes be a most cleare glasse in which are represented vnto vs diuers things worthie to bee seene looked vpon Among which I haue thought good to shew vnto you three especiall and most notable images The first is the iustice and righteousnes of God the second is the malice of Sathan the thirde is the frailtie of man not meaning to describe them all at large which would require much longer time then is graūted to this exercise but onely to shewe euerie one of them so farre foorth as it is set forth with in y e compasse of this text which I haue read vnto you Concerning the firste therefore which is the iustice of God it is described in these wordes And the wrath of the Lord was yet more kindled against Israel c. By the wrath of the Lorde is here ment the iustice of God prouoked to punish sinnes as in an hūdreth places of scripture besides By the wrath of the Lorde therefore wee must not vnderstand any passion or disordered affection such as is the wrath of man of which the Apostle saith that it worketh not y e righteousnes of God but is often prouoked with small causes or with no worthie causes at all and yet boileth immoderately in the hart of man whereby he is vnmeasurablie desirous of reuengement but the iustice of God which is figuratiuely called his wrath is neuer stirred vp to reuengement but vppon great and waightie causes neither rageth with blinde furie but keepeth a most perfect moderation in all things And there are two reasons which may be yeelded of this figuratiue speache wherefore Gods righteousnes is called his wrath the first is to strike through our heartes with terrour of his iustice for the name of wrath is more terrible then the name of iustice and our nature is more familierly acquainted with the one thē with the other y e wrath of a mā if he be of power to hurt is greatly feared The wrath of a Prince saith Salomon in the 16. chapter of the prouerbs is the messenger of death howe much more y e wrath of y e Lord of hosts in cōparison of whose power glorie al earthly princes are but dust ashes The second reasō why y e iustice of god is called the wrath of God is that we may learne and vnderstand that as the wrath of mā wherwith we are acquainted is not pacified but by two meanes either by reconciliatiō or reuengemēt so it is with the iustice of God Therefore when soeuer wee haue prouoked y e wrath of God against vs by our sins and wickednes which we doe daily and hourely we must either seeke to be recōciled to him by true repentāce or else looke for sharpe punishment we must either humbly submit our selues acknowledge our offences hūbly desire pardon or els we must assure our selues y t the wrath of the Lord being once kindled against vs there is no way to escape vengeance We see now wherefore the iustice of God is called the wrath of God Now must we looke for what cause the wrath of God was kindled against Israel how the Israelites had prouoked the iustice of god to punish them The cause in deede is not set downe in expresse wordes but it is easie to gather by the effect for it is manifest y t when the iustice of God is kindled against Israel it is for none other cause but for their sinnes it is needles to inquire what particuler sins were the cause for it was not one or two but all kind of sinnes especially their vnthankefulnes for the Lord had giuen them Dauid a most excellent gouernour who both had established the puritie sinceritie of Gods true religion and also had kept them in peace trāquillity for many yeres together But as it vsually cōmeth to passe through the corrupt nature of man which is made insolēt with prosperitie y e people not considering those gret benefits of God were not onely vnthankful to him for so happy a gouernmēt but fol lowed euery one the lustes of his owne hart not fearing to trāsgresse y e cōmandements of the Lord but yet retaining an outward forme of Godlines by external exercise of religion the vertue power whereof they denied in life cōuersation and so prouoked y e wrath of the Lord of hoastes to be kindled against thē but we must consider wherfore y e scripture saith The wrath of the lord proceded or was yet more kindled you must vnderstād as we read in y e 21. cha of this booke y t the wrath of the Lorde was kindled before this time against y e people so y t he plagued thē with three yeares famin for the crueltie that Saul to gratifie them committed gainst the Gibeonites whō he had slain sought to root our cōtrarie to a couenant whiche their auncetors had made confirmed with a solemne oath in y c days of Iosua These three yeeres of hunger were now past this was the fourth yeere in which God after he had auenged the bloud of the Gibeonites vpon the posterite of Saul had restored plētie and aboundance of al things for the maintenance of mans life with externall peace prosperitie for which benefits blessings of God bestowed vpō thē they were boūd to haue serued God in holines and righteousnes before him all y e dayes of their life like as by the former plague they were admonished to forsake their sinnes which were the cause thereof and truly to turne to him But they cleane cōtrariwise abusing his mercy tooke occasion to prouoke his iustice euen as the froward nature of man is so long as they are plagued and the hande of the Lord is heauie on them they humble them selues before him or at least pretend so to doe but when the plague is seaced and they find them selues relieued they returne againe to their former wickednesse So was it with the Israelites they had bene punished with famine but they were not thereby reformed and therefore the wrath of the Lord is still kindled
no lesse then the authoritie of Gods word written in the scriptures and the law of nature written in the hearts of all nations is most contrarie and repugnant to their most folish and damnable persuasion The Lord deliuer vs from the deuices practises and doings of the Atheistes as for their witt learning wisedome and reason in which they please them selues aboue other men we are nothing afraide of it they durst take vppon them the defence of their diuelish persuasion and let them assure them selues that the iustice of God which nowe they contemne they shall hereafter feale and howe soeuer they woulde flye from it it shall finde them at the length wherof a restimonie also remaineth stil in their conscience which the prophet in the Psalme forgetteth not to note where he saith There haue they feared where there is no cause to feare For of all other these prophane Atheistes that can so boldlie lustily despise God and his righteousnes in any appearāce of daunger yea where no daunger at all is are most fearefull cowardes and trembling dastards and no meruaile for what good courage can there be where there is no hope but in this life nor comforte of helpe but in men which are not able to helpe themselues But I am to blame to vse to much speach against thē who either heare it not or though thei herd it wold make no accompt of it saying that it is not vnprofitable for the godly and religious to haue the madnesse of these men made manifest that they maye the more deteste them and better beware of them Thus haue you heard the iustice of God deliuered frō the malice of the gretest enemies therof God graunt that as manie of them as be recouerable maye in time see against whome they haue beene bold to oppose them selues and vnderstanding howe little it is possible for them to preuaile they may no more kick against the pricke nor striue againste the streame but in all humilitie and submission acknowledging their haynous rebellion they may desire rather to bee releeued by his mercie then by contending anye longer to trie the rigor of his iustice One other thinge more to bee noted in this example of Gods iustice which the scripture testifieth that the Lorde in his wrath remembreth his mercie towardes his elect and that appeareth in this history For when the people had prouoked the wrath of the Lorde to bee kindled againste them and that hee in iustice was to procure a punishmet and correction for their amendement yet hee so ordered the whole matter by his merciful deuine prouidence that in the end it turned to y e singuler benefit of his Church so that euen the rod by whiche he scourgeth thē was a demōstration of his mercie towardes them For as it appeareth in the 22. Chap. of the booke of Chronicles by occasion of the plague which God sent for the punishment of the peoples sins Dauid found out y e place which y e Lorde had appointed for y e building of his tēple Marueilous therfore is the prouidence of the Lorde which as the wise man saith extendeth it selfe from ende to ende mightelie and disposeth al things sweetlie and wonderfull is the louing kindnes and mercie of God towardes his electe which euen then when his wrath is kindled against them forgetteth not like a moste louing father in chastening of their faults to seeke their amendement and to change the verie correction and punishment it selfe into a singuler benefite and blessing For what a singuler benefite was it to all the Church of Israel when the Lorde had appointed his resting place in Sion and the building of his Temple in Hierusalē which place the Lord reueiled by occasion of this punishment and Dauid perceiued that the Lorde had hearde his prayer when he sacrificed in the threshing floure of Aranna the Iebusite so that the angell was cōmaunded to put vp his sword and the pestilence was stayed from raging any longer among the people Wherefore we see that although the iustice of god in his punishment bee terrible for the time yet in the ende he turneth all to the benefite of the faithfull By which we learne not to be faint harted or discouraged when the Lordes wrath is kindled against vs but with patience to beare his anger whē we haue sinned against him and with the eyes of faith to beholde his mercie which he neuer forgetteth towardes his chosen no not when hee dealeth moste sharply with them For not onely his rodd staffe as the Prophete saith shall cōforte vs as they are the tokens of his fatherly chastisement for our reformation but also the verie meanes whiche he prouideth for our punishment hee conuerteth oftentime to our benefite thus doth faith ouercome the terrour of Gods iustice when it assureth vs that it is so far off that the same should take any place againste vs for our destruction in as much as it is satisfied by the death of Iesus Christ that contrariewise his punishmentes are merciful and his chastisemēts are beneficial vnto vs. Onely let vs take heede that we despise not his long suffering in his fauourable correctiō least with y e wicked we procure his warth to be vpon vs vnto y e end An other lesson we haue to learne in this exāple of gods iustice as profitable in all ages so most necessarie in our time The wrath of y e Lord was here kindled against Israel for whose punishment Dauid is moued to number the people whence now proceedeth y e cause of this punishmēt not frō y e gouernmēt of Dauid but frō the sins of the people For while the people please God serue him according to his word he blessed Dauid for their benefit in all his consultations affaires but when y e people prouoke the wrath of God against thē then is Dauid made an instrument for their punishment It is not vnlike but the people in Dauids time among other their sinns by which they prouoked Gods punishmēt were also infected in this vice y t they tooke vpon them as it is vsuall with people that are vnthankful for the great trauel which princes bestow in their gouernment to enter into finding of faulte with y e state of regiment to remoue the cause of their punishments frō thē selues vnto him which had lesse deserued it Neuertheles the holy ghost testifieth plainly y t the cause of this plague was not the ill demeanor of Dauid but the sinnes of Israel Let Israel therfore walke in the ways of the Lord serue him with an vpright hart there shall be no error in y e gouernmēt of Dauid but he shal haue a prosperous raigne ouer them A lesson verie needfull for y e people of our dayes who were neuer so curious to enquire of princes causes and matters of the state of which for want of knowledg they are meet to be no Iudges although they had authoritie as they be in this time But sirs you
for the continuall mightie assistaunce of his holy spirite y t seeing our weaknes is so great we may alwayes finde his grace whose power is made perfect in infirmitie to bee sufficient for vs so that although of frailtie wee fall often yet by grace wee may alwayes rise againe so that wee neuer fall away Finally we haue need I say in respect of our infirmitie to pray for strength earnestly of God for if Dauid being a man after Gods owne heart did but trip surely we are readie to fall downe right yet we see y t Dauid did not only slide out of the way of humane slipprinesse but also did fall into some great and notorious offences Dauid therefore was a Saint but he was no Angell it is an Angellike perfection to doe the wil of God in al things The Saintes vpon earth must pray for the same and contend to come as neare it as they can and by their imperfection be instructed to humilitie vntill by the grace of God in Iesus Christ they be brought into the same estate of perfection with the Angels In the person of Ioab we haue to consider two thinges first the aduice which he giueth and secondly his execution of the Kinges commaundement Ioab was a man as his storie declareth indued with great courage and diuers other good qualities yet not simply to be commended for there were great faults in him He was a man in whō vertues vices were almost equal such a one as Alcibiades is discribed of y e Greciās Marius of the Romanes But his chiefest vertue was valiancie courage yet in his example he is noted by the holy ghost in giuing counsel to Dauid to be faint harted cowardlik For first y e holy ghost testifieth y t he vtterly misliked this interprise of Dauid and as a man wel acquainted with the affaires of y e realme and knowing there was not iust cause why the people should be mustred he did easily coniecture y t the kings commaundement proceaded of vaine prid and presumption therefore hee had no good will to execute it In so much that it is shewed in the booke of Chronicles that he did performe the Kings precept negligently for he not onely omitted to number the tribe of Leui for which he might haue some excuse because they were addicted to the seruice of religion but also he left out the tribe of Beniamin The reasō is alledged because the kinges cōmandement seemed abhominable vnto him and as he did abhorre and detest the kings commandement so he shewed diuerse reasōs of his misliking for after protestation of his goodwil desire of y e kings honour in y t he wished the Lord might increase the people an hundreth times as many as there were y t the king might not suspect him as one that refused to take paines in his seruice first he sheweth that there was no sufficient cause of this muster when hee saith wherefore doth my lord the king desire this thing And againe hee saith are not they all the seruauntes of my Lord the king For one cause of numbring the people was vsed euen of heathen princes that the sublectes thereby should professe their obedience but at this time there was neither suspition of war abrode nor rebellion at home Moreouer he did also insinuate that the kings transgression would be y e cause of Gods punishment to fall vppon the people where he saith and why shoulde this be an offence or guiltines vnto Israel by vsing these reasons to diswade the king from his euill purpose hee mght seeme to some men to haue discharged the dutie of a trustie and faithfull counsellour But the holy Ghoste noteth him of great frailtie and fainte hartednes when he saith neuertheles the kinges commaundement preuailed with Ioab and with the capitaines of the hoste The rest seeing the kings humour held their peace said nothing onely Ioab vseth some speach to alter the kinges minde but perceiuing with what affection the king was carried he thought it was not best for him in policie to set himselfe altogether against the kinges affection though hee bare the kinge good will and wished to haue him remoued from that vnprofitable attempt yet hee durst not aduenture to incurre the kings displeasure by doing his duetie throughly and discouering y e hidden wound which he thought was to sore to abide any sharp medicine for in such a case as this hee thoght it was not best to be to earnest vehement a persuader so followed Machiauils philosophie 2000. yeres and more before Machiauil was borne His cowardnes in this case is rather to be noted for that at other times he had shewed great courage and valiantnes and giuen such faithful aduise counsell that his example is worthie to bee followed of all good counsellours For in the I9 Chap. of this booke we read that when Dauid after the slaughter of Absalom yeelded so much to the naturall affection of a father in lamenting for the death of his vnnatural son that he forgot the duetie of a king whiche was to encourage and rewarde his good subiectes for their seruice in somuch that when y e people heard what lamentation hee made for Absalom they were clean discouraged and came by stealth into the Citie more like to men that had fled from the feelde thē such as had obtained so notable a victorie against the kings enimies Assone as Ioab heard thereof hee came boldly into the kings presence and with great courage he did the duetie of a faithfull counsellour for he tolde the Kinge of his fault plainely and shewed him the daunger throughly you haue discouraged saith he the hearts made ashamed the faces of all your faithfull seruauntes which haue deliuered your life and the liues of your wiues and of your sonnes and daughters and haue established the kingdome this daye in your hand you loue thē that hate you hate thē that loue you For you haue shewed this day that you make no accompte neither of your princes nor of your people For I perceiue if Absalom had liued and all wee had beene slaine this day you woulde haue beene well pleased with it But nowe I aduise you leaue your mourning and goeforth speake comfortably vnto the people or else I sweare vnto you by the Lord you will vtterly alienate the minds of your subiectes from you So that you shal not haue one man tarrie with you this night And this affliction shall bee greater then all the troubles and daungers you haue susteined euen frō your youth Wherevpon Dauid arose and went encouraged his souldiers so y e kingdom was established in his hands you se how roughly effectually Ioab dealt with the king in that case But at this time he is noted to haue dealt faint lie and timerously For although hee apposed some reason against the kings vnlawfull desire yet hee did it with a weake arme and so of frailtie fayled of his duetie Concerning the execution of the kinges commaundemente there is some controuersie Whether Ioab shoulde haue obeyed the kinges precept when he knewe it proceeded frō an euill affection The time will not serue me to discusse the reasōs on both the sides therfore I will speake of the case briefly and generally If the prince commaund any thing to be done whiche of it selfe is vnlawefull and against the commandement of God that commandement of any subiecte is not to be excuted for we are so boūd to obey earthly princes that we disobey not the God of heauen earth therfore Ioab shold haue suffered death rather then to haue obeyed Dauids cōmaundement in betraying murdering of Vrias with y e sword of y e Amonites which was a faithfull subiect a valiant captaine I say he should haue suffered death rather then to haue executed such a commandement because y e fact was altogether vngodly vnlawfull of his owne nature But in this case where the fact of his owne nature was indifferent and lawfull of it selfe as to number the people in some cases is not onely lawfull but also necessarie If Ioab had done his duetie throughly in admonishing the king of his corrupte affection and of the vengeance of GOD like to ensue if hee proceeded therein and that when hee had done all that he could ought to haue done to disswade him his aduice woulde take no place but the kinge would stil vrge his commandement enforce Ioabs obediēce I see no cause but y t he might haue executed y e kings cōmandemēt the conclusiō of y e whole matter because I see y e time is past I would be looth to abuse your honorable patience too long in few wordes is this The iustice of God is set foorth to this ende that wee might bee affraide by sinne to prouoke his wrath the malice of Sathan is described that we might be carefull to beware of it and by faith to withstande it the frailtie of man is shewed that seeing our weakenesse wee might bee humbled thereby and taught to seeke for strength only at the hands of GOD whose grace through our Lorde Iesus Christ shall bee sufficient for vs To whome with the holy Ghost one eternall and euerlasting God bee all honour and glory wolde without end Amen
against them By which example we ought to be admonished that we deceiue not our selues after the maner of the world to thinke that the wrath of the Lord shall be turned from vs before we turne from our sinnes wherefore let vs not flatter our selues as the reprobate doe when they haue escaped some particular punishment this daunger is ouercome this brunt is past this storme is blowen ouer c. For so long as we continue in our sinnes and seeke not ro be reconciled vnto the Lorde the wrath of the Lorde will be still kindled against vs yea more and more prouoked to punish vs and if one plague be ceased an other shall beginne when famine is stayed the pestilence shall rage and if that will not reforme vs some other plague shall be sent vpon vs. The Lord can want no whippes so long as his wrath is bent to scourge vs therefore let vs not obstinately set our selues against him to trye whether he will be soner wearied in striking or we in bearing his stripes but let vs humbly and at once cast downe ourselues acknowledge our sinnes be sorie for them and forsake them and then the way to reconciliation shall be opened by our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe in whome the Lorde shall be pleased with vs and his wrath pacified towards vs. We haue further to note the reason of the metaphor when the holy Ghost saith The wrath of the Lord was kindled which kinde of speach is very often vsed in the Scripture to compare the wrath of God to fire whose force when it hath taken strength can not easily be stayed and whose propertie is to consume all things that ministreth matter vnto it and for that cause the Lord him selfe in respect of his iustice is called a consuming fire To the end therefore that we should stand in feare of Gods iustice and that we should be as carefull not to prouoke his wrath against vs as we are carefull not to minister matter vnto fire which will be readie to consume our selues and all that euer we haue our GOD is saide to be a consuming fire and the wrath of the Lord is saide to be kindled against vs. Therefore as there is no dallying with fire when any light substance is neare which is readie to take flame so there is no dissembling before God the fire of whose wrath and iustice is kindled with our sinnes wickednes for as y e Lord hateth abhorreth all sinnes and vngodlines so his iustice is kindled like fire against y e same to purge and cleanse the world of all vnrighteousnesse Let not sinners therfore thinke to stande in his presence which is a consuming fire before whō they shall melt euen as waxe and vanish away as smoake before whome they shall be as stubble and chaffe that is set on fire and can not be quenched And let vs which trust in his mercy not be high minded but stande in awe of his iustice and prouoke not his wrath to bekindled against vs through our manifold sinnes and wickednesse whose wrath if it be but a little kindled as the prophet saith no man is able to stand in the presence of his iustice but it will appeare howe happie they are which put their trust in his mercy And if the wrath of God being but a little kindled hath so notable effect what is to be looked for when it is wholy inflamed in furie against vs for grosse manifest contempt of his glorious maiestie For as contempt in men is the chiefest cause in prouoking them to anger and the greatest contempt prouoketh the greatest anger so it is with the Lorde whose iustice is despised in all sinne and disobedience of his lawe but chiefly in that prophane and professed contempt which we see to beare the sway among great numbers of the wicked which openly and without all feare of his iustice haue solde them selues like Achab to commit all manner of sinne with greedinesse Thus we see what the spirite of God meaneth when he saith The wrath of God was yet more kindled against Israel Nowe we haue to consider howe it standeth with the iustice righteousnesse of God that Israel hauing prouoked the wrath of God the heart of Dauid is moued to number the people that the wrath of the Lord being kindled against Israel he stirred vp Dauid against them For it seemeth contrarie to reason that the people hauing deserued punishment the Lorde should deale with the Prince for them But for so much as the Prince is as it were an helme or sterne by which the Lord gouerneth the whole comminaltie of people which the Lord hath committed to their charge it standeth well with his iustice and wisedome also to moue and stirre vp the Prince against them when so euer their transgressions shall prouoke his righteousnesse to chasten them And euen so saith Salomon Prouer. 21. As the streames of waters or as it is nowe translated as a vessell in the streams of waters so is the kings hart in the hand of the Lord whethersoeuer he will he inclmeth and moueth it eyther to the hauen of prosperitie if the people serue him or to the shoare of danger and aduersitie if they prouoke his wrath against them Therefore as the stirring of a shippe by the master directeth the shippe whither he thinketh good euen so the Lord moueth the heartes of all Princes which are as the sterne of the shippe of the common wealth in his hand that they are not carried at all aduentures whither the stream of waters will driue them but whither so euer it pleaseth him either to the great and singular benefite of that people which feareth the Lord or for the correction and punishment of them which transgresse his lawes and contemne his iustice Ye heare nowe howe well it agreeth not onely with the iustice but also with the wisedome of God that he should moue the heart of the king according to the disposition of the people Besides this we must also vnderstand that as Princes are publique persons in respect of their gouernemēt of whole nations committed to their charge so also before the Lord they are priuate persons to be called to account not only for such things as they do in their publique gouernement but also for such offences as they commit priuatly as the sonnes of Adam Among which there is none found so righteous but that in many things they transgresse the lawe of God and therefore the iustice of God is not to be accused of any vnrighteousnesse when the people haue prouoked his wrath and Dauid can not iustifie him selfe before him if he stirre vp Dauids heart againste the people for their punishment and take occasion of the peoples sinnes to punish Dauid him selfe For although here is no transgression of Dauid expressed wherby he might seeme to haue brought this punishment vpon him yet Dauid him selfe will confesse that there was alwayes sufficient cause in him why the Lorde might
ordreth disposeth al euil which is a per uerting of y t good which cōmeth from God proceedeth from Satan the corruptiō of mans nature so y t he conuerteth y e same alwayes in y e end to his glory the benefite of his elect as we see in y e persecution of y e wicked the infirmities of the godly yet is he by no meanes to be charged as the author cause of sinne euill If this wil not satisfie you but y t you will further vrge me with that questiō of the Maniches whence cōmeth euil seing nothing but good cōmeth from God yet you affirme y t God is the cause of all things I wil answer as I haue learned out of the anciēt writers who wer troubled with y t sect of y e Maniches which affirmed y t there were two beginnings When it pleased y e almightie to shew foorth his infinit power wisdom goodnes in y e creation of things visible and inuisible bodily spiritually it pleased him for y e illustratiō setting forth of y e glorie of his goodnes to ordeine for so they haue taught me to speake y t euil shuld proceed out of y e frewill of his reasonable creatures And this his ordinance is good For although euil be naught and cursed be he y t saith euill is good yet y t there shuld be euill which is Gods ordinance it is excellēt good If this seem strange to any man I wil make it plain by two manifest reasons the first is the excellencie of goodnes can not so well appeare be knowne as by y e comparison of the contrarie which is euill Therefore it is perfect good that euill should be for the manifestation of that which is good we see that in all y e creatures and workes of the world GOD hath ordained that his glorie should shine in contraries As to the intent y t the beutie and glory of light should be seene and knowne to be such as it is he hath ordained darkenesse For if he had created light to be perpetual without any change of darknes how had it ben possible for men although liuing in the light to haue knowne the excellencie of light so should God haue ben defrauded of y e glory of so beutifull profitable and cōfortable a creature Therfore euen as by darknes we learne how to esteeme light and by bitter that which is sweete and euery other thing by his contrarie euen so by the deformitie of euill we are taught howe great is the excellent comlines of that which is good therfore the ordinance of god that there should be euill is perfect good Althtugh this reason be plaine inough yet the second reason is more manifest euen to y e meanest capacities For y t the glorie of gods mercie might appeare in the saluation of his electe and his iustice in the condemnation of the reprobate it was necessarie that there should be euil and so necessary that otherwise there should haue bene no matter for the mercie and iustice of God to worke vppon For if there shoulde haue beene no sinne nor euill wherein shoulde the mercie of GOD in pardoning and forgiuing of sinnes haue bene seene if there should haue beene no transgression howe shoulde the glorie of Gods iustice haue shined in punishment Ye see therefore that God by no means may be compted the author of euill which he hath not created made or wrought but ordeined that it shoulde proceede from the freewil of his reasonable creatures for the illustration of his glorie Let vs therefore tremble at his righteous iudgementes who doth all thinges according to the good pleasure of hys will and hath made the wicked man for the daye of his wrath as Salomon testifieth and yet by no meanes is the cause of his wickednes If any man bee not satisfied with this answere he may enter further into y e vnmeasurable deapthe of Gods iudgement into which he may rather finde an entraunce thē a way out except it bee to his euerlasting destruction for his horrible presumption You haue heard nowe the iustice of God defended againste the Pelagians and Papistes it followeth that I speake some thing to the confutation of the second enemies thereof which are the Atheistes who because they will not bee troubled with such thornie doubtful questions as these are imagine that they haue founde an easie way vnto wisedome and a solutiō for all controuersies of religion when they say in their harts there is no God Against whose impietie madnes the time wil not serue me to spek so much as their wickednes deserueth yet if time wold permit neuer so large a discourse I could say in effect no more against thē then y e prophet Dauid writeth in the 14. Psalme Amar Hanabal The greatest and most doltish foole of all fooles hath said in heart there is no God But what meaneth the prophet so to befoole them when of all other men they are or woulde seeme to bee the finest witted the best learned and most full of all wisedome and knowledge euen because of all other they are most voide of all true wisedome which although they fansie to thē selues that they only haue found yet is there not one among an hundreth that dare acknowledge it A goodly wisedome that they are ashamed to professe and stand in defēce of it for although they nourish that monster in their hearts are bold sometimes to shew foorth the same where they thinke themselues to be the best learned yet is ther not one of them that dare encounter with a Christian Philosopher to mainetaine by reason that which they holde againste all reason they obiecte perhappes you will oppresse them with the authoritie of Gods worde and the holye Scriptures where vnto they giue no credit nay we wil lay the Bible aside and dispure with them out of the great booke euen out of the beutifull theater of the world in whose creation and preseruation if they can not reade written in great capitall letters the almightie power wisedome goodnes and the iustice and mercie of God in the gouernement thereof they are the most blind blockishe and vnsensible of all other creatures And yet they fancie in their frensie that they haue founde out the greatest and the deepest point of wisedome when they are fallen into the greatest absurditie or follie that can be For what can bee more contrary to reason thē to affirme an effect without a cause or to followe their dreames an eternall effect without an eternall cause Therefore the holy Ghost most aptlie exprobrateth vnto them extreme follie because by their monstruous position of denyinge God they take away the fountaine of all knowledge and wisedome that is the cause of all thinges But as the asse yeeldeth to no other reason but to a clubbe so they are more worthie to be knocked downe with a betle then to be confuted with anie reason which