Gods Seers they appeared for a space like greene Bay-trees All such greenesse and greatnesse is but in thinges earthly as health wealth houour and preferment But because they are not rooted in the heavens the earth is not able to furnish substance for the vpholding of such things and thereforâ— like grasse vpon the house tops they wither before they grow vp I have seene said Eliphaz the foolish taking roote but tooke hee root for to continue No not Suddainlie said hee I cursed his habitation incontinent his children for whose standing and preferment hee solde himselfe to wickednesse were crushed in the gate neither was there any to deliver them As for their harvest and expected crop others did devoure it not leaving them the miserable stalkes which grew among the thornes * Thus God doth with the wicked as he did with the Amorite Thogh in appearance hee high like a Cedar and strong like an Oke yet hee destroyeth his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath The folie of sin is like a foolish tale which as men commonly say hath neither toppe nor root The Iesson is this all sinners are but fooles a wicked man were he never so wise in the world â—is but a foole before God the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God wisedome in evill is nothing but guile and craftinesse guile guilded with wisedome like a tombe covered with the foile of gold having nothing within but a contagious corruption The vse let all men that would be wise indeede studie to an innocent life This is our wisedome that denying vngodlinesse and worldlie lusts wâ—e liue soberly righteously and godly in this prâ—sent world soberlie for our selves righteouslie for our neighbours and godly for our good God What is beyond that is no thing but foolishnesse hee that exceeds the square of that rule in Scripture language is a foole Obiection Heere some may obiect and say how is this that Scripture speaketh thus doth not Scripture forbid vs to speake so Christ speaketh plainly whosoeuer is angrie with his brother without a cause shall bee in danger of iudgment And whosoeuer shall say to his brother Racha shall bee in danger of the Counsell but whoseouer shall say thou foole shall bee in danger of hell fire Behold their three iniuries which the Iewes thought to bee veniall sinnes of the Papists the least is a motion of anger keept close within the breast which I may call a warded wrath for such a fault Christ sayeth that a man is in danger of iudgment that is as though wee should saye in danger to bee brought before the Commissionar an inferiour Judge for the least sinne is the least punishment The second iniurie is Racha that is wrath broken out of warde into wordes the word is a worde of iniurie which signifieth vacuus a man as wee say that hath not harnes or braine a toome headed man Beza out of Chrysostome maketh it as the French word Tutoyer which we call to Thou a man This greater iniurie came before the Sanhedrin which were the Counsell of seventie and two The third and last iniurie is greatest viz. when a man not onelie Thou's his brother but saith Thou foole Some distinguish these three iniuries after this manner The first say they is ira restricti animi that is a warded wrath within the heart The second is ira effervescens an anger breaking foorth The third they call ira erumpens in apertum convitium that is scoffing or rayling for this word saith Christ a man shall bee in danger of hell fire how is it then that in the first part of my Text sinners are called fooles The answere I answere that to call a man foole is not simply forbidden for Christ called two of his Disciples fooles S. Paul called the Galatians foolish That threatning then is against them that out of wrath and malice bring this worde of rayling against their brother It is in this sense said that the Archangell while hee disputed against Satan about the body of Moses durst not bring against him arayling accusation that is hee durst not in anger call him a foole knave or lowne as one by way of rayling will call his brother Their is no rayling in my Text my Text is rather a teaching wherby fooles may learne to bee wise The doctrine I gather heere is this If hee that calleth his brother a foole deserves Hell what shall hee deserve that is a foole indeeede A man may call his brother a foole and yet not bee a foole the one is but a simple act the other is an habite purchased by custome the greater the sinne bee the greater must bee the punishment If God scourged his people for eating swines flesh the abomination and the Mouse what shall hee doe to these that eate vp the poore and the widowes house great sinnes and great iudgments The vse Let vs beware to be that indeed whereof the simple naming of another to bee putteth the Soule in danger of hell fire The Apostle his precept is that fornication and all vncleannesse or covetousnesse bee not once named among vs as becommeth Saints seeing to name such thinges with a filthie tongue is forbidden howe much more should wee bee carefull for to avoide to bee that which is not to bee named 2. What is the cause of the affliction of fooles VVE haue alreadie heard who is afflicted viz. fooles Now followeth into the order of my Text the cause of their afflictions the cause is sinne and iniquitie Fooles because of their transgressions because of their iniquities are afflicted It is an ordinarie question made by the most part while they see any in affliction what coulde bee the cause of such a iudgment wherefore hath GOD thus wise done God told this to Ierusalem when hee threatned to destroy Many nations said hee shall passe by this citie and they shall say every one to his neighbour wherefore hath the Lord done this vnto this great Citie See howe of nations of passers by there is not one but hee saith wherefore Every man saith vnto his neighbour where fore Now what is the answere that God makes to their wherefore It is into the verse following Then they shall answere because they haue forsaken the covenant of the Lord God that is as my text saith because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities The lesson is this Our sinnes are the cause of all our plagues so long as rebellious Ionah was in the Shippe the tempest increased It is saide that the Sea wrought and was tempestuous what could be the cause of such tempestuous working The rebellion of Ionah flying from the presence of the Lord Take mee vp said hee and cast mee into the Sea for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you VVhen Ioshua saw Israel
beaten before the men of Ai hee put dust vpon his head crying Oh Lord what shall I say seeing Israel hath turned their backe before their enemies now what could bee the cause of that flight Israel hath sinned and haue also transgressed saide the Lord therefore they could not stand before their enemies There must ever bee a wherefore of sinne before the therefore of affliction Can the rush grow vp without myre can the flagge grow without water no more can affliction grow without sinne Sin to affliction is like myre to the rush and like water to the flagge it maketh a division betweene our God our Soule God cannot shine vpon the Counsell of the wicked So soone as men beginne to sinne the clowds of his glowmes beginne to gather then thou markest mee and thou wilt not acquite mee from mine iniquitie if I be wicked woe vnto mee As a man soweth so shall hee reape Even as I haue seene said Eliphaz they that plow iniquitie and sowe wickednesse reape the same Who ever hee bee that takes pleasure in sinne shall possesse moneths of Vanitie wearisome nights are appointed for him The vse of all this is that wee studie to sinceritie of life if wee would bee free of afflictions The wicked while they are afflicted are bound with afflictions like a murtherer cast in the stockes but godly Ioseph in the stockes is a free man The sakelesse Soule is ever in libettie their is no such buckler for holding off afflictions as innocencie of life If because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities bee away the words following are afflicted should bee as scraped out Let a man keepe himselfe from sinne vnspotted of this World and hardlie shall affliction come neere him Doe what Balaam could doe hee could not curse Israel though hee was waged for the same The reason thereof is declared by himselfe God hath not beheld iniquitie in Iacob neither hath hee seene perversnesse in Israel the Lord God is with him and the shout of a King is among them So long as God beholdeth not iniquitie into a man a house or a nation the Lord God is there and they shout as Kings that is they triumph over all their enemies If afflictions come for to trye their forces they likewise shout as Kings triumphing over Death it selfe and the grave whome they boast with doubled interrogations O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victorie What wonder that fooles bee afflicted for their follie seeing other innocent creatures smart for the same Doth not Scripture record that senselesse creatures sicken for our sinnes Thus wee see the walls of an house became leper of a freting leprosie a wonderfull thing to think how hard stones of the house wall where the sinner dwelt could become sick Because of the transgressions and iniquities of fooles in an house the dead stones in the wall were afflicted Yea which is more for the sins of man the whole creation groneth travelleth in paine together as if it were a Woman in her shewers their sicknesse is vanitie caused by our iniquitie * Seeing then other creatures that cannot sinne are afflicted because of mans sins what wonder if fooles because of their transgressions yea and also because of their iniquitie hee afflâ—cted Observe heere howe the worde because is doubled First because of their transgressions and againe because of their iniquities Is not this all one what neede was it then that hee should have thus doubled the worde Because and againe because I answere that this forme of speach is as were the dreames of Pharaoh of the kine and of the corne of one thing hee had two dreames The dreame of Pharaoh is one said Ioseph But wherefore was it doubled Joseph â—aith that it was to shew Pharaoh what hee was about to doe that is for to assure him that the matter should surely come to passe God of one thing doubled Pharaohs dreames for that the dreame was doubled vnto Pharaoh twise it is because the thing is established by GOD and God will shortly bring it to passe So for to assure vs heere that sinne is the cause of all our afflictions it is saide that men are afflicted because of their transgressions and againe because of their iniquities The word doubled is lyke two witnesses for to confirme the trueth The first lesson I observe heere is of the great stupiditie of man that very hardlie can rightly take vp the cause of his troubles It must bee told him againe and againe line after line commandement after commandement because after because The first bell ringes to the preaching and yet wee slumber The second ringes yet we are not ready The third must ring also with a doubled sound and yet we come behind Either preface or prayer is past before wee come to our place Wee come to the Lords house as to a place of girth or as to a city of refuge for to saue the the lyfe of our soules yet beholde how sluggish wee are like Lot who would not leaue his house till hee was pressed out by the Angel So heere behold thy senslese nature that can not take vp the cause of thy troubles till it be told againe and againe Because of transgressions will not waken the sleeping sinner till it be doubled into an other word because of iniquities lyke the doubled crowe of the Cock to Peter Let all men learne heere the cause of all their woes Now O man would thou knowe the cause of thy afflictions it is because of thy transgressions Hast thou not hard that Was thou sleeping while I said it Heare me againe it is bâ—cause of thy iniquities If the because of thy transgressions hath not weakned thee let the because of thy iniquities rouse thee vp GOD cryed once Samuel but hee made no answere to GOD hee cryed againe Samuel but yet hee answered not to God The third tyme hee cryed Samuel neither as yet could hee answere vnto God Last of all the Lord doubled his cry Samuel Samuel Then Samuel said Speake Lord forthy servant heareth Many preachings haue many heard and yet haue not learned the cause of their afflictons Many strokes haue many gotten and as yet never could take vp the cause of their stroakes and so they continue into their sinnes like the drunkard in his drinking who though in his drunknesse he hath gotten many a sore fall many a sore stroake yet can not refraine They haue stricken me will he say and I was not sicke they haue beaten me and I felt it not when I shall awake yet will I till it againe Woe to him that is not sensible to his afflictions for to seeke out the cause thereof that it may bee removed If a sinner hath beene stricken and hath not beene sicke if
also he hath beene beaten with the drunkard and hath not felt it it is a sure token that he will yet to it againe Let all men learne heere in their afflictions to seeke out the cause of their trouble When the Philistims sawe them selues miserably plagued with a filthie and shamefull disease they tooke counsell how it might bee tryed wherefrom their affliction came They had the Arke of God a prisoner among them This was the summe of all the counsell Now therefore make a new cart and take two milk kine on which there hath come no yoke and tie the kine to the Cart and bring the calves home from them And take the Arke of the Lord and lay it vpon the cart and send it away that it may gee And see if it goeth vp by the way of his owne coast to Beth-Shemesh if that bee then he hath done vs this great evill but if not then wee shall know that it is not his hand that smote vs but a chance that happened vnto vs. There be many Christians in their afflictions worse then these Philistims though they see things more than two kine drawing a cart by his owne coast yet can not say that it is God that hath done it lesse can they tell that their sinnes haue beene the cause of it but such a thing fell foorth such a thing hath chanced to be it happened so vnto me such was my fortune This is Philistimes language worthy to be banished with buffets as Nehemiah buffeted the little children of the Israelites and pluckt off their haire when he heard them speaking the language of Ashdod It so happened Such was my chance It was my fortune is not Christian but Ashdodian language This is Gods question Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull This is also Gods answere Man suffereth for his sins They are worthy to be scourged and buffeted who while they are afflicted speake of fortun or chance Sathan in his words may teach many Christians to speake when he desired God to scourge Iob he said not God send him an hard weird an evill fortoun or God send him a sudden chance or ill must hee happen But Streach out thy hand touch all that hee hath And againe the second tyme Put furth thyne hand now and touch his bone and his flâ—sh The Magicians of Egypt called the plague the finger of God or Gods send What a shame then should this be for Christians to speake of fortune or chance or hap seeing the divell and his magicians can call afflictions the hand of God or the finger of God Let the lyars of Ephraim say they are not Ephramits but Shibboleth shal proue then to bee Ephramits Let the vngodly deny that they are wicked and giue thanks with the Pharisee that they are not lyke other men but by their very language incontinent yee shall know Some filthie words or bloody oathes for toun hap chance or such words will bewray them By their accent yee shall know that they are of Galile that is of this world Surely said one to Peter thou also art a Galilean and thy speach agreeth thereto The tongue betweene man and man is lyke an interpreter betweene two strangers The heart of every man is a stranger to every other man But out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh bee it good bee it evill The words are the interpretation of the heart If Words beguile works dummy can not lie Againe in the doubling of the name of finne before affliction I obserue that God is loath to afflict till he bee provoked by transgressions by iniquities in the plural number that is againe and againe Till sinnes be multiplyed God scourgeth not the foole Gods wrath commeth not out vpon man till hee bee pressed with mens sinnes as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The doctrine then is this God is slowe and loath to come to stroakes till he be provoked againe and againe yea and againe also This is well set downe by the Prophet Amos who declaring Gods iudgments against divers peoples setteth downe first men sinning againe and againe once twise thrise yea foure tymes before that God began to afflict The first is Gaza Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Gaza and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The second is Tyrus Thus saith the Lord for three tarnsgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turne away the punishment thereof The third is Edom Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fourth is Ammon Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Ammon and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The fifth is Moab Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The sixt is Judah Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The seventh is Israel Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof The eight is Britans Thus saith the Lord for thirtie transgressions of Britane and for fourtie I will not turne away the punishment thereof Our transgressions are thirtie for three fourtie for foure See how God delighteth to afflict One man sinneth and God forgiveth againe man sinneth and God forgiveth againe yet man sinneth and God forgiveth But at last when men multiplie their transgressions God punisheth saying I will not turne away the punishment thereof The vse is let men beware of doubling and tripling of sinnes If iniquities come after transgressions it is to be feared that God say for three transgressions and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof They are but fooles that say Let vs sinne that grace may abound Though while men sinne God seemes to them to bee inclosed vp into the heavens yet hee sees men into their sinnes Though he come to iudgement softly with foote of wooll when he is come he striketh with armes of yron The longer the stroake be in comming it commeth downe the sadder A sudden or hasty blowe is not of such force as a stroake fetcht from necke to heele Let no man therefore sooth him selfe vp in his sinnes thinking that there is nothing in God but mercie no not As hee is mercifull and gratious long suffering abundant in goodnesse and trueth Hee is also a righteous Lord a God of iustice who will in no wayes cleare the guiltie Bee what men will bee if they be fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they shall bee afflicted Otherwise where should bee the GOD of iustice Objection Heere some man may object that this seemeth not ever to
another for leprosie to another for barrennesse to another for sicke horse to another for sicke kine to another for their swine I neede not goe farre Beholde into the same house where J preach that place of S. 〈◊〉 mooles in my time J sawe a deepe hole at the side of that stone where the miserable ignoraÌ„ts of this land had digged for to get the dust of that pretended Saint as if it had had power for to give health Mercifull God what blindnesse of ignorance was that What could be the cause of this This was the cause The poore people could not find the worde Gods messenger for health The Bible was a clasped booke then the Antichristian seales were as yet not loosed they heard nothing but mumbling of Masses wordes that they vnderstood not wordes that could not heale their hearts sicke of sinne and what wonder that like hennes they came seraping and scarting among the graves seeking if they could find any pickle of comfort to their comfortlesse soules Blessed bee our God that hath sent his word to this place for healing of sicke sinners whereas of before they were wont to bee sent to seeke comfort from the dead that had no comfort for themselves Gods word is a salve for all sorts of sores To come to my doctrine there is no disease vncurable to the word when it shall please God to send it I confesse that there bee diseases like devills some of a kinde that are more hardly driven away than others This sort of devils said Christ cannot bee cast out but by fasting and prayer to the worde of prayer fasting behoved to be ioyned Not that the word wanted force for to chase out these Devills but because of vs whose prayers are sluggish while the bellie is full A full bellie maketh the spirit lumpish fulnesse of food sends vp such thicke vapours which become clowdes betweene the face of God and our prayers so that they can not passe thorow Againe seeing Gods word is his appointed meane whereby hee not onlie giveth health to the body but also to the soules of his children let vs not wonder that Sathan the enemie of mans salvation bee a great enemie to this word to the teachers and to the hearers There is not a Sermon made to a people but Sathan is affraide to losse a soule for this cause especiallie hee beares a great ill will at Pastours because they carie the word of health Such men are the Lords Ensigne-bearers against whom Sathan shooteth his greatest peeces If they fall the men of health fall the sicke can no more get salve for his sore for this cause let no man wonder that Sathan raiseth slanders vpon Preachers This maketh that Dragon often to stretch out his taile that hereby hee may sweepe downe the lights of the World which shew vnto vs the way of salvation Jf once hee can make this word of God to bee ill spoken of and by the reeke of calumnie darken the light or make it to bee loathed hee thinkes that hee hath wonne a field As for you who take vpon you any profession of godlinesse by frequenting Sermons and often hearing of this word Beware that by a scandalous life yee make others to loath that which is Gods also appointed meanes for the healing of soules Woe to them that make the worde of God to bee ill spoken of Againe seeing the word is so poweâ—full a meane for to recover the health that is lost it must also bee a most powerfull preservative of health The vse seeing it is so let vs make meekle of Gods word in our health for it is the word of health the messenger of health the word of good tidings What better tidings would a sicke man have than that hee should bee healed * There was such a desire of health in Christs dayes that the people throâ—ged so about him that some not being able to enter in at the doore of the house where he was clambe vp vpon the house vncouered the roofe above his head and let downe the sicke into beds by the hole they had broken vp Jf wee knew the vertue of Gods word before that wee were debarred therefrom by a multitude wee should vncover the roofe of the house where it is preached that we might bee let downe by cords as wee loue our health wee should loue this word of health All men wish for health heere is the best preservative feare God and heare his word diligentlie If thou losse a preaching needlesly it is a wonder if thou contract not some disease If thou also be sluggish to come to Gods house or if thou come but yet heares carelesly and receiues not the word with greedinesse that is a spirituall lumpishnesse of heart a forerunner of some painefull disease Men ordinarly before some sicknes find a certain heauinesse with want of appetit There is no surer token of a fearfull disease to come then a lumpish loathing of Gods word It is of the word as of the Sacrament Jf the Sacrament of the supper be eaten vnworthily by the children of God though God after their repentance forgiue them the sinne yet he will chastise them with diuers diseases for this cause said the Apostle many are weake and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Euen so when the word is heard negligently without due preparation for this cause many are plagued with diuers diseases There is no such token that God will keepe the health of a people as when a people hath appetit of the word and heares it with greedinesse These delicate soules that are not content with the sincere word of God except that it be saused into the entising words of mans wisdome can not be but sickly soules Such men must be filled with some filthinesse within which bursteth out into scabs which scripture calleth the itching of the eare Thus as Solomon faith The full soule lotheth the honiâ— combe euen Gods word that is sweeter then the honie combe But to the hungrie soule euery bitter thing is sweet A morsell of drye bread is more pleasant to a hungry man then wild foule is to him that is Blewe burstex as we say This land let me be familiar is as it were Blewe bursten vvith abundance of Gods word We are well fed but it is not seene on vs Because we are filled we loth the honie combe J see no greater token of great diseases to come vpon this land then this Scotlands appetite of Gods word is lost Let vs heere also obserue the craft of Sathan who in all things goeth about to counterfeit God in his doings Heere in my Text it is said that God healeth the sicke with wordes he sent his Worde and healed them Sathan goeth about to make men beleiue that he can heale diseases also with words which wee