their cruelty the valour of the patients the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and belief bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers These were those lion-like men of the tribe of Judah that took the kingdom by violence Judah which signifieth the Confessour had the kingdom as Levi had the Priest-hood both forfeited by Reuben who was weak as water Gen. 49. and I will save the house of Joseph that is Ephraim but for the ten tribes whom God here promiseth to save not to bring back saith the Geneva-Note on Ver. 9. But others there are that gather from these words and these that follow that God will not onely preserve them but reduce and resettle them in their own countrey yea and multiply them so abundantly as that their countrey shall not be able to hold them Verse 10. Whence cometh Ashurs and Egypts subjection to Christ that is all the tract of the East and of the South verse 1. and their perpetual establishment in the faith Verse 12 And I will bring them again to place them I will place them in their houses as Hos 11.11 The Sept. render it I will cause them to dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compos The Caldee I will gather together their captivity Some special mercy is assured them by this special word of a mixt conjugation for I have mercy upon I them Here 's a double cause alledged of these so great and gracious promises and both excluding works First Gods mere mercy Secondly his Election of grace for I am the Lord their God This latter is the cause of the former for God chose his people for his love and then loveth them for his choice The effects of which love are here set down 1. That he heareth their prayers I will hear them 2. That he reaccepteth and restoreth them in Christ as if they had never offenced against him They shall be as though I had not cast them off That was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity Jer. 16.13 When God not onely threateneth to cast them out of their countrey into a strange land but that there he would slew them no favour Here he promiseth to pitty them and then they must needs think deliverance was at next door by and they shall be as though I had not cast them off And this the sooner and the rather because they called them out-casts saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how God regards them that have been so oft overcome viz. by Nehuchad-nezzar Pompey c. God therefore promiseth to provide for his own great name by being fully reconciled to his poor people whom the world looked upon abjects for I am the Lord their God And if I should not see to their safey Psal 119. it would much reflect upon me This David well knew and therefore prayes thu I am thine Lord save me and will hear them Or I will speak with them speak to their hearts It is no more saith One then if a man were in a fair dining-room with much good company and there is some speciall friend whom he loveth dearly that calleth him aside to speak in private of businesse that neerly concerneth him and though he go into a worse room yet he is well enough pleased So if God in losse of friends houses countrey comforts whatsoever will speak with us will answer us the losse will be easily made up Philip Lantgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles 5. was demanded what upheld him all that time He answered that he had felt the favour of God and the Divine consolations of the Martyrs There be Divine comforts that are felt onely under the crosse I will bring her into the wildernesse and there speak to her heart Hos 2.13 Israel was never so royally provided for with Manna Quails and other cates as when they were in the wildernesse The crosse is anointed with comfort which makes it not onely light but sweet not onely not troublesome and importable but desirable and delightful saith Bernard Thy presence O Lord made the very gridiron sweet to Laurence saith another How easily can God make up our losse and breaches Verse 7. And they of Ephraim shall be as a mighty man The same again and in the same words for more assurance because the return of the ten Tribes might seem a thing more incredible Erant enim quasi putridum cadaver saith Calvin here they were as rotten carkasses and they had obiter onely heard of these promises as if some grain of feed should be dropt by the high-way-side for they were now as aliens from the Common-wealty of Israel and their hert shall rejoyce as throught wine Which naturally exhilarateth Psal 104.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is called by Plato one of the Mitigaters of humane misery See Prov. 31.6 with the Note Some nations use to drink wine freely before they enter the battel to make them undaunted Some think here may be an allusion to such a custom I should rather understand it of that generous wine of the spirit Eph. 5.18 yea their children shall see it Therefore they were not to antedate the promises but to wait the accomplishment which should certainly be if not them yet to theirs after them even a full restauration in due season Verse 8. I will hisse for them and gather them As a shepheard hisseth or whistleth for his flock See Judg. 5.16 where it should not be translated the bleatings of the flocks but the hissings or whistlings of the shepheards to their flocks when they would get them together God who hath all creatures at his beck and check can easily bring back his hanished gather together his dispersed with a turn of a hand Zech. 13.7 with a blast of his mouth as here as if any offer to oppose him herein he can blow them to destruction Iob. 4.9 He can frown them to death Psal 80.16 He can crush them between his fingers as men do a moth Psal 39.11 and crumble them to crattle Psal 146.4 Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Psal 49.14 For I have redeemed them I have in part and that 's a pledge of the whole my hands also shall finish it as Chap 4.9 God doth not his work to the halves neither must we but if he shall be All in All unto us we must be altogether His Cant. 2.16 His is a covenant of mercy ours of obedience which must be therefore full and finall as Christ hath obtained for us an entire and everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 and they shall increase as they have increased By verue of that promise to Abraham Gen. 13.16 I will multiply thy seed as the dust of the earth and Gen 15.5 as the stars of
vobis erit damnosum Timeo itaquâ— damnum vestrum timeo damnationem meam Bern. de T. mp 99. mihi periculosum If I should not deale faithfully and freely with you it would be to your loss but to mine utter undoing Verse 10. Have we not all one Father Here begins a second contestation viz. with the people as the former was with the Priests for their unrighteous dealing where we have so many words so many arguments In brevitate verborum est luxuries verum How many Ones are here and all to perswade to unity See the like Eph. 4.3 4 5. Let those that take upon them to perswade others to equity and unanimity learn to marshall their matter handsomely and to fill their mouths with arguments such as may fall thick and prevail Iob 21.4 being seconded and set on with intimation of heartiest affection Oh that I could somewhere meet with you both together said Austin to Hierome and Ruffinus hearing of their differences I would fall down at your feet with much love and many teares I would beseech you for Gods sake for your own sakes Hei mihi qui vos alicubi invenire non possum c. for weak Christians sake c. not to suffer these dissentions to spread further So Mr. Bradford in a letter to a distressed Gentlewoman that was in a despairing condition I beseech you saith He I pray you I desire you I crave at your hands with all my very heart I ask of you with hand pen tongue and mind in Christ through Christ for Christ for his name blood mercy power and truths sake Act. and Mon. that you admit no doubting of Gods finall mercyes toward you howsoever you feel your self Oh that I could get words said Another holy man to his hearers to gore your very hearts with smarting pain that this doctrine might be written in your flesh By this One Father in the Text is meant Adam say the most Interpreters who was the common Parent of us all and the very stock and root from whence all mankind did spring It is therefore a sin against Nature it self and common humanity to deal treacherously against another or to hide thy self from thine own flesh Isa 58.7 This is to be more unreasonable then beasts birds and fishes which love their own kind and those that seed on flesh will not eat the flesh of their own kind But our Age over-aboundeth with unnaturall Man-eaters that not only fike a pickrell in a pond or shark in the sea devour the lesser fishes of another alloy but also eat up Gods people as they eat bread make no more conscience Psal 14.5 nay take as much content in undoing a poor brother as in eating a meals-meat when they are hungry they make but a breakfast of a whole representative Nation as those gun-powder-papists designed to do How oft are wicked Oppressours compared to hunters for their cruelty and fowlers for their craft to shew that they spare none that fall into their nets young old male female all go together into the bag This raised a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren those usurious Jews that had both robb'd and ravished them Psal 10.9 Nehem. 5.1 And what could they say for themselves but the same in effect with this in the text Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren our children as their children c have we not all one father hath not One God created us Here the Prophet riseth higher viz. from Adam to God out of whose mint when Man came first he shone most glorious for he was Gods own workmanship created unto love and good works Ephes 2.10 yea as iron put into fire seems to be nothing but fire so Adam come fresh out of Gods hands who is perfect love and goodnesse it self was no other then a very lump of love to God and kindnesse to his fellow-creatures But now alasse we may sit and sing O quantum haec Niobe c. how strangely are we altered and fallen from our first love and what great cause have we with those in Ezra to think of this Temple that was burnt and lament yea write Lamentations with Jeremy and say as He They ravished the women in Zion and the maids in the cities of Judah Princes are hanged up by the hand the faces of the Elders were not honoured c. Lam. 5. The wonder was the lesse because these that did all this were of a different reâ—â—ion â—â—â— for those that serve the same true God the Creatour of all to jarre and warre as we alasse do at this day this is lamentabile bellum and speaks a great decay and defect of the power of godlinesse true religion being of an uniting nature and the strongest tye Sanatior sane est copula cordis quam corporis This Iosephs brethren knew and therefore held it their best plea Gen. 50.17 And now we pray thee forgive the trespasse of the servants of thy fathers God They had one common father but as a better string to their bowe they had one common God The very Turks are found to be much braver souldiers upon the Christian Voyage into Leuant p. 89. then upon the Persian because they begin alate to be infected with Persianisme whom they acknowledge better Mahometans then themselves why do we deal treacherously Or fraudulently The Prophet puts himself into the number though innocent that his reproof might the better take with them That which he taxeth them for is their wrong-dealing in generall one with another whether it were by force or by fraud by violence or cunning contrivance which what is it else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but crimen stellionatus the very sinne of cousenage and hath God for an avenger 1 Thess 4.6 Now it is dangerous offending him whose displeasure and revenge is everlasting and who oft calls to reckoning after our discharges Take heed therefore of all sorts of injustice Curse not the deaf lay not a stumbling-block before the blind but fear the Lord Jehovah Lev. 19.14 And considering that to deal treacherously with another a brother especially is a sinne as hath been above-said both against nature and religion both against Race and Grace which teacheth righteousnesse as well as holinesse Tit. 2.12 and turning the leopard into the lamb c. causeth that none do hurt to or destroy another in all Gods holy mountain Esay 11.6 let us so carry our selves as that with blessed Paul we may glory and say We have wronged no man we have consumed no man we have defrauded no man c. 2 Cor. 7.2 by profaning the covenant of our fathers i. e. by degenerating from the promises and practises of our pious progenitours Of this see verse 8. A certain popish Prince said It is not amisse to make covenants but wo be to him that is necessitated to keep them He had learned belike of Machiavel fidem tamdiù servandam esse
they regard not iniquity in their heart there is no way of wickednesse found in them Of the spirit of whoredomes see the Note on Chap. 4.11 And they have not known the Lord He knowes them well enough verse 3. and they shall know it Jer. 16.21 to their cost but they know not the Lord sc savingly and effectually for if they did they could not be so vile and vitious so loose and licentious A man is properly said to know no more of Gods minde then he practiteth like as of our Saviour it is said that he knew no sin that is 2 Cor. 5.21 he did none with an intellectuall knowledge he knew it how else could he reprove it but not with a practical and as it is said of Elies two sons that they knew not God because they obey'd him not Lo such was the ignorance of this people assected and acquired and this is peccatorum omnium fons et fomes the mother of all mischief and misery as hath been oft set forth in the Notes upon the former chapter Verse 5. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face Pride is the great master-pock of the soul it will bud and cannot be hid Ezek. 7.10 It is the grandiabolo that filthy spirit that is gotten into the midst of men into the very heart of the country as it were It is the leprosie of the soul that breakes forth in the very forehead and so testifieth to his face It proceeds from ignorance of God and his will of a mans self and his duty hence that connexion of this verse and the former They know not the Lord And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face The Laodiceans were therefore proud because ignorant thou knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor c. So those question-sick phantasticks in Saint Paul were proud knowing nothing 1 Tim. 6.4 And I would not have you ignorant of this mystery saith he to his Romans Chap. 11.25 lest ye should be puffed up in your own conceits Humble Agur though full of heavenly light yet vilifies and nullifies himself to the utmost Prov. 30.2 and so exemplifies that Proverb of Solomen with the lowly is wisdom Prov. 11.2 And as wisdom maketh the face to shine and humility rendreth a man lovely so pride on the contrary sitteth in the face and deformeth it The proud man flattereth himself in his own lies till his iniquity be found to be hatefull Psal 36.2 till his swelling break forth in loathsome ulcers Thus Miriams pride testified to her face and Vzziah's and Sodoms Esay 3.9 The shew of their countenance witnessing against them Pride is a foolish sinne it cannot keep in it will be above-board and discover it self by lofty looks big-swoln-words proud gate ridiculous gestures garish attire that nest of pride but especially by stoutnesse and stubbornnesse against God and his wayes as here in this Text it is to be taken When men commit sin with an high hand and as it were in despite of God and on purpose to crosse him Hence it is that God so hateth this sinne above other for whereas all other sins flee from God pride le ts flye at him nay flees in his face saying Who is the Lord that I should obey him Hence he will be a swift witnesse against such and a severe Judge Learned Mr. Leveley reads this Text thus The excellency of Israel that is God as Amos 8.7 2 Sam. 1.19 will testifie to Ephraims face give in evidence against them He will indeed be Index Judex Vindex to such for he resisteth the proud and delighteth to stain their glory to cast dirt in those faces of theirs that are so hatcht with impudence as to face the very heavens and to contest with Omnipotency Hence their fall with a violence with a vengeance Therefore shall Ephraim and Israel fall in their iniquity Corruet they shall fall with a push with a powther as we say and in their iniquity that 's worse then all the rest Ye shall die in your sinnes saith Christ to those rebellious Jews Ioh. 8.21 that was a great deal worse then to die in prison to die in a ditch or in the worlds disfavour Or in their iniquity that is for their iniquity which is indeed the cause of calamities At the losse of Calice when a proud French-man demanded of an English Captain When will you fetch Calice again he gravely replied Quando peccata vestra erunt nostris graviora When you sinnes shall weigh down ours Tarnov in loc If any man ask saith Tarnovius upon this 〈◊〉 Vnde hodiâ—â—anta passim in Germania vastitas efficit hanc peccatorum atrâ—â—itaâ— Whence so great desolations in Germany It is for the grievousnesse of our â—â—iquity 〈◊〉 â—his was better yet then the result of that consultation held once at Hambo◠〈◊〉 â—â— sâ—me of his Latheran fellow-Ministers Vol. 1. p. 465. concerning the cause and cure 〈◊〉 manies calamities They concluded saith Mr. Borougâ—â—â— on Hosea from the mouth of a Minister there who told it him with grief that it was because their 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 not adorned enough which therefore they 〈…〉 A sad husinesse Solomon would have told them that it is a mans pride that brings him low Prov. 29.23 And that before destruction the heart of a man is haughty â—ov 18.12 And that pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit 〈…〉 fall Prov. 16.18 If the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face the next news we â—â—â—all hear of him is that Israel and Ephraim are fallen in their iniquity A bulging wall cannot stand a swelling sore will shortly break This shall they have for their pride because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hoasts The Lord will be terrible unto them for he will famish all the gods of the earth c. Zeph. 2.10 11. all those deunculi those pretty pictures that men so much dote upon which should not be suffered if for nothing else yet for the distraction they may cause in Divine worship In the Councel-chamber of the Lacedemonians no picture or image was suffered lest in consultation of weighty matters their mindes thereby might be distracted Irenaeus reproveth the Gnosticks for their pictures of Christ though made in Pilates time after his own proportion Austin denieth that images can be set up in Churches sine praesentissimo idololatriae periculo without exceeding great danger of idolatry In Psal 114. Epiphanius saith it is an abomination of desolation to set up pictures in the Churches of Christians Plutarch an Heathen saith Paul Jovius lib. 4. it is sacriledge And Solyman the great Turk when he had taken Buda in Hungary would not enter into the great Church there to give God thanks for the victory till all the images were cast out But this by the way onely Let us take heed by those mistaken Lutherans Esay 44.20 whom a deceived heart hath turned aside that we likewise
we are dayly and hourly delivered It is good to keep a catalogue of Gods providences and to transmit them to posteritie such as was that of the Gun-powder-plot and before that of the Reformation begun by Henry the eight and carried on by his son to the ridding of the land of those popish Locusts Which Reformation how imperfect soever to be done by so weak and simple meanes yea by casual and cross meanes against the force of so puissant and politick and adversary is that miracle which we are in these times to look for An out-lander speaketh thus of it Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformationem desperasset aetas praeterita admiratur praesens obstupescet futura This was the Lords own work Sculiet det 2. d Ep. dediâ— and it is marvelous in our eyes Oh that the same Lord would be both Author and Fmisher and as he hath in good part cut off the names of the idols out of the land so that they shall be no more remembred so he would cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the land that he would send all false doctrine and heresy packing to hell from whence they came Fiat Fiat and will drive him into a land barren and desolate Or dry and forlorn where he shall perish for want of food The body of this Army shall be driven into the wildernesse the vantagard into the lake of Sodom toward the East and the rereward into the Mediterranean Sea toward the West for the Western Ocean was hardly known to the Hebrewes as neither was it to the Romanes till the dayes of Julius Cesar and his stink shall come up and his ill savour c. sc by reason of their dead carcasses covering the earth and infecting the ayre The old Hebrewes understood this text concerning the destruction of the devill in the dayes of the Messias Oh that God would once destroy that first-born of the devill that King of Locusts Abaddon the Pope and dung his vineyard with the dead carcasses of his incurable complices that their stink might ascend and their ill savour come up into all mens nostrills Matthew Paris an ingenuous Papift speaking of the court of Rome long since said Hujus faetor usque an nubes fumum teterrimum exhalabat Her filthinesse hath sent up a most noysome stench to the very clouds of heaven as Sodoms did And Theodorcus Vrias another of her good sons in Germany complained Anno 1414. that the Church of Rome was become ex aurea argenteuÌ„ ex argentea ferream ex ferrea terream superesse ut in stercus abiret of gold silver of silver iron of iron earth and that she would next become of earth dung c. She is so already and stinks alive worse then any carrion rotting in its slime Oh that God would once put into the hearts of the kings of the earth to loath her and burn her for an old stinking baud as is prophecyed they shall Rev. 17.16 because he hath done great things Heb. he hath magnified to do he hath made great spoil and havock he hath revelled in the ruines of Gods poor people and so hath hastened his own destruction and their deliverance The Saints are many times more beholden to their enemies outrages then to their own deserts or duties for deliverance Some Interpreters as Castalio Leveley c. understand the Text of God and render it Quia magnisicè aget for the Lord shall do great things as it is also in the following verse there being here the same anomaly or change of person as is Esay 22.19 And I will drive thee from thy station from thy state shall he pull thee down Verse 21. â— tellus culta Fear not O land O red earth or O tilled land that hast layen bedridden as it were under the heavy curse of God ever since the fall of Adam and wast never beautifull or cheerfull since that time Gen. 3.17 Thou that hast lately been under that great and very terrible day of the Lord Ioel 2.11 who hath made bloody wails upon thy back and laid thee as a desolate wildernesse verse 3. to thy great grief and terrour Cheer up now and fear not Thine inhabitants are Poenitents and Repentance hath turned their crosses into comforts as scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent as wine draweth a nourishing vertue from the flesh of vipers as the Philosophers-stone they say turns all into gold See 1 Pet. 1.7 God will turn all thy sadnesse into gladnesse neither shalt thou any more lye to those that manure thee as the Scripture phrase is Habak 3.17 that is disappoint and frustrate their expectation but thine enemies shall be found liaers unto thee Deut. 33.29 for the Lord will do great things Spem mentita seges Virg. Victum seges aegra negabat Horat. Magnificentiùs aget Deus far greater things God will do for thee then the Locust hath done against thee so that thou shalt gain by thy losses and say Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone Wherefore be glad and rejoyce with inward and outward joy And because Fear is a passion opposite to Joy for fear hath torment 1 Joh. 4.18 and that was a rare mixture in those good women that returned from our Saviours sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 See Psal 2.11 therefore Fear not O land quit thine heart of that cowardly passion and be as merry as mirth can make thee for the Lord hath done great things for thee whereof thou hast good cause to be glad Faith in Gods Power quelleth and killeth distrustfull fears filling the heart with unspeakable joyes 1 Pct. 1.8 and full of glory Verse 22. Be not afraid ye beasts of the field q. d. Ye shall have no cause to fear for the future though hitherto ye have suffered hardship Chap. 1.18 Beasts and birds do in diem vivere as Quintilian saith of them and take no further thought then for present sustenance But by a prosopopoeia as before the land so here the beasts that till it are forbidden to fear want for God the great House-keeper of the world will provide them their meat in due season Psal 104.27.28 and severall meats according to their severall appetites He will hear the heaven the heaven shall hear the earth the earth shall hear all kinde of fruits both naturall as herbs of the field and grasse of the wildernesse and such as are sowen and planted as wine oyl figs so that neither man nor beast shall want any thing ad esum vel ad usum but have plenty without penury c. It shall be said of Judea as Solinus saith of Spain In Hispania nihil infructuosâ—m nibil sterile that there is no unfruitfulnesse in any part of it or as it is said of Campania in Italy that it is the most fruitfull Plat of earth that is in the Universe the fig-tree and the vine that before had been barked and wasted chap. 1.7
upon you and the people not be afraid or run together to make resistance Jer. 5.22 Psal 114.7 Will ye not then tremble at my threats saith the Lord Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob. Fear is an affection of the soul shrinking in it self from some imminent evil God is the proper object of it whence hee is called Fear in the abstract Psal 76.11 and those that come on his errand should bee received with reverence yea with fear â—and trembling as was Titus 2 Cor. 7.15 and before him Samuel by those Elders of Bethlehem 1 Sam. 16.4 as suspecting it was the purpose of some judgement that brought him thither Commest thou peaceably said they It is a good thing to stand in awe of Gods Messengers and to tremble at his judgements whilest they yet hang in the threatnings It appeareth by this Prophet that carnall security was grown epid emicall and had over-spread the land chap. 6.2 3. Some there were that said God had not sent the Prophets to denounce those evils but that they had done it of their own heads as we say Others doubted of the certainty of those evils denounced chap. 6.3 against whom He here disputeth by these fore-going similitudes and in the next words plainly asserteth the Divine providence and the authority of the Prophets Gods privy-Counsellours Shall there be evil in a city Understand it of the evil of punishment See Lam. 3.37 Esay 45.7 Mic. 1.12 Eccles 7.14 1 King 9.9 and 21.29 See my Treatise called Gods love-tokens pag. 3 4. c. and the Lord hath not done it Although God doth it not but onely as it is bonum Justitiae good in order to his glory That which we are here advertised is that it is not Luck and Fortune that doth tosse and tumble things here below but that God sits at the stern and steers the affairs of the world The Gentiles indeed held Fortune as a goddesse representing her by a Woman sitting upon a Ball as if the whole world were at her command having with her a razor as if she could at her pleasure cut off and end mans happinesse bearing in her right hand the stern of a ship as if she could turn about all things at her pleasure and in her left hand the horn of abundance as though all plenty came from her This was abominable idolatry to be shunned by Christians yea the very name of Luck or Fortune is to be spet out of their mouthes with utmost detestation It repented Austin that ever he had used that wicked word Fortuna Aug. Retract Verse 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing i. e. Hardly any thing He lo-veth to foresignifie to warn before he wound and this meerly out of his Philanthropie Howbeit sometimes and in some cases he is more sudden and still in his revenges that he may thereby First maintain his honour and glory the eyes whereof are by some sinnes extraordinarily provoked as Acts 12.23 And secondly to teach men not to continue in sinne no not for a moment sith they may bee presently cut off from all further time of repentance acceptation and grace for ever This made Austin say that he would not be an Atheist no not one half hour to gain all the world See Luke 17.32 and 12.20 Pharaoh had warning of the first and second plagues not so of the third and again of the fourth and fifth but not of the sixth and yet again of the seventh and eight but not of the ninth And when neither warning nor no-warning would do good then came that sweeping plague Tandem prototocos ultima plaga necat But he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets Gods Prophets then are his meniall servants not his underlings or inferiour hinds but of noblest employment about him Every faithfull Minister is servant to the king of heaven Act. 27.23 whose I am and whom I serve this the Devil denied not Act. 16.16 17. yea his Steward Embassadour Herald as here by whom he proclaims warre but first proffers pardon and proposes conditions of peace A practise usuall not onely among the people of God by his appointment Deut. 20.10 but also among the Heathens as Histories informe us The Romans had their Lex Facialis by their Heralds they sent to such as had wronged them Caduceum Hastam as Ensignes of peace and warre that within thirty dayes they might take their choice within which time if they did them not right the Herald presently denounced warre against them casting forth a dart in token thereof Alexanders course was when he sat down before a city to set up a torch to shew that if they would come in and submit before that torch were burnt out they should have hearing Tamerlan hang'd out first a white flag then a red and lastly a black And the Turks at this day Turk hist. 344. first make to their enemies some offer of peace how unreasonable soever it matters not Gods offers in this kinde are all of grace and for our good If it were otherwise what need he give warning and why doth he not as Absalom did when intending to murther Amnon hee spake neither good nor evil to him Well might the Lord say Fury is not in me O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self As I live I desire not the death of a sinner c. If he did why might he not rush suddenly upon such and confound them at once as he did the reprobate Angels even in the very act and first moment of their sinne Why comes he first in a soft still voyce when he might justly thunder-strike us and why sendeth hee his Heralds to proclaime warre but yet with articles of peace and reconciliation open in their hands Chrysost Why was He but six dayes in making the world and yet seven dayes in unmaking and destroying one city Jericho Was it not to shew that the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and of great kindnesse And this he hath commanded his Prophets to make known Psal 103.8 that the goodnesse of God may lead men to repentance As if they turn his grace into wantonnesse and pervert his patience to presumption Rom. 2.4 their commission is to declaim against such practises with all authority Tit. 2.15 and to proclaim hell-fire in case men amend not Necessity is laid upon them so to do and wo be to them if they preach not law as well as Gospel that when they return up their commission they may report the matter saying Behold we have done as thou hast commanded us Ezek. 9.11 True it is that perverse people question the Prophets and quarrell them for this plain-dealing as Ahab did Eliah for a troubler of Israel and Amaziah our Prophet Amos for a trumpetter of rebellion But this is as great folly as if some fond people should accuse the herald or the trumpet as the cause of their warre or as if
Fiat without toole or toyle Esay 40.28 This the blind Heathens saw Plutarch de Iside Oâ—yr and thus hieroglyphically set forth In Thebe a town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortall And how painted they him In the likenesse of a man blowing an egge out of his mouth to signify that he made the round world by his word and createth the wind The worlds beesome as Rupertus calleth it wherewith God sweepeth his great house and whereby he setteth forth his inexpressible power See for this Psal 18.11 and 148.8 Iob. 28.25 Ier. 10.12 Senec lib. 5. Nat quaest cap. 18. And although we cannot tell whence it commeth or whither it goeth Iob. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet can we with Cruciger contemplate the footsteps of God in this and other creatures saying with Paul that God is so neer unto us that he may be almost felt with our hands and declareth unto man what is his thought what language he hath in his heart quid sermocinetur quidve cogitet Drus what he talketh within himself as the rich fool did Luk. 12.17 Jesus knew the Pharisees thoughts yea thou understandest my thoughts afarr off saith David Psal 139.2 even before I conceive them Hierom and Theodotion referre the affix to God Eloquium suum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy reade thus Who declareth unto man his Christ sensu pio et egregio saith Mercer sed alieno for Ma-sicho they reade Meshichio perperam that maketh the morning darknesse As he did at Sodome whereon the Sun shon bright in the morning but ere night there was a dismall change So in Egypt Exod. 10.22 so in Jury at Christs death Mat. 27.45 Let this learne us to blesse God for the light both naturall Gen. 1.4 and supernaturall 2 Cor. 4.4.5 and to pray that our Gospell-sun may not set at noon-tide nor our light be put out in obscure darknesse but rather that he would make our darknesse morning for so the words may be read here by clearing up those truthes to us that yet lye in part undiscovered Oh cry after Christ as the poor man in the Gospell Lord that mine eyes might be opened Oh that thou wouldest give me sight and light Sun of righteousness shine upon my dark soule and treadeth upon the high places of the earth As being Higher then the highest Excelsus super Excelsos Eccles 5.8 terrible to all the kings of the 〈◊〉 those dread soveraignes Psal 76.12 the most high God Gen. 14.18 and 22. that hath heaven for his throne and earth for his foot-stoole yea those highest places of the earth the tops of mountains and rocks inaccessible But who is this King of glory The Lord the God of Hosts is his name Give therefore unto the Lord O yee mighty give unto the Lord Psal 29.1 glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse c. Exalt yee the Lord our God Psal 99.5 and worship at his footstool for he is holy CHAP. V. Verse 1. HEar ye this word A new sermon as appeareth by this new Oyer not unlike that of S. Paul Act. 13.16 Men of Israel and ye that fear God give audience or rather that of Diogenes who cried out at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O ye men And when as thereupon a great sort of people resorted to him expecting some great matter he looked about him and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I called men and not varlets They were no better surely that our Prophet had to deal with Isai 1.4 Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil-doers children that were corrupters they had forsaken the Lord provoked the Holy One of Israel they had increased revolt Hence this onerosa prophetia this word this weighty word this burdensome prophecy which I take up against you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onus Heb. lift up being scarce able to stand under the burden of it See the Note on Mal. 1.1 And it is against you not for you but that 's your own fault for do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Mic. 2.7 Excellently Austin Adversarius est nobis quandiu sumus ipsi nobis c. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves neither doth it condemne any but those that shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord except they repent But we have in a readinesse to revenge all disobedience saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.6 and if any man will hurt Gods faithfull witnesses for discharging their duties fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed Rev 11.5 for Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19.17 And when Elisha unsheatheth and brandisheth his sword it is a fair warning that the sword of Jehu and Hazael are at hand See Hos 6.5 Jer. 1.18 even a lamentation Heb. a very bitter lamentation Ezek. 19.14 like those of Jeremy for Judah or of the mourners in Jerusalem Ezech. 9.4 or of Christ weeping over that city Luke 19.41 42. Or of Paul bewailing his wretched countreymen Rom. 9.3 and 10.1 or of the two witnesses clothed in sackloth Rev. 11.3 the habit of mourners or of Athanasius who by his tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine sought to cure the leprosie and prevent the misery of that tainted age Heu heu Domine Deus was the cry of the ancient Christians Flete nefas magnum nam toto flebitis orbe Their books are like that in Ezekiel written on both sides Cardan and there was written therein lamentations and mourning and wo Ezek. 2.10 This of Amos was a sad song a dolefull ditty a lamentable prophesie of Israels utter destruction as it followeth in the second verse where Prophet-like hee speaketh of it as already done notwithstanding their present prosperity and tranquillity And have not Englands Turtles groaned out for a great while the sad and lamentable tunes of wo and misery to this sinfull nation and plainly foretold what we have felt already and have yet cause enough to fear Ah! great be the plagues that hang over England Act. Mon. 1667. said Mr. Philpot Martyr long since Happy shall that person be whom the Lord shall take out of this world not to see them c. And the like said Rogers our prâ—to-martyr Bradford Ridley Lever c. besides the concurrent predictions of Gods faithfull servants a-late whose hearts and tongues he hath so guided as that they all as one man have denounced heavie judgements and taken up loud lamentations against us Now as before great stormes cocks crow loud and thick so is it here and so it should be Exod. 32.31 32. Jer. 18.20 Ioel 2.17 else God will be displeased Ezech. 13.5
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 14.18 This severing of night from day and day from night this mutuall and orderly succession and course of the night after the day and the day after the night the lengthening and shortening of the dayes in summer and winter the wonderfull eclipses and other occurrents of that nature are works of Gods power and providence not to be slighted but improved to true repentance We are to mark the countenance of the skie and to discerne the face of heaven that every day and night winketh at us and beckneth to us to remember the wisdome power justice and mercy of God lined out unto us in the browes of the firmament The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal 19.1 The creatures are Regij professores saith One Catholike preachers saith Another real Postills of the Divinity saith a third Clemens Alexandrinus saith that the World is Dei scriptura the first Bible that God made for the instruction of man Antonius Eremita told a Philosopher who objected to him his want of bookes that the Universe was to him instead of a well-furnisht library Aug. de doct christ l. 1. Niceph. l. 8. cap. 40. Lib. 2. de Arca cap. 3. every where ready at hand Hugo affirmeth that every thing uttereth these three words Accipe Redde Fuge Receive mercy Return duty Shun sin together with that hell that it hales at the heeles of it Much a man may learn out of the book of Nature with its three leaves Heaven Earth and Sea but there he must not rest For as where the Naturalist ends the Physician begins so where Nature failes and can go no further there Scripture succeeds and gives more grace Iam. 4.6 Psal 19.1 2 7 8. The Caldee Paraphrast takes this text allegorically as if the sense were God changeth his hand towards the sons of men at his pleasure prospering them one while crossing them another so that they walk in darknesse and have no light Esay 50.10 yea they walk through the vale of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 Not through a dark entry or church-yard in the night time but a vally a large long vast place not of darknesse onely but of death and not bare death but the shadow of death that is the darkest and most dismall side of death in its most hideous and horrid representations And yet if God be with his Davids in this sad condition no hurt shall befall them butmuch good Flebile principium melior fortuna sequetur That calleth for the waters of the sea that is for great armyes saith the Chaldee But better take it litterally of the generation of raine the chief author whereof is God the materiall cause is the sea sending up vapours The Instrumentall cause is the Sun by the beames whereof God drawes the vapours upwards sends for them as it were into the middle region of the ayre there thickeneth them into clouds and then resolveth them into raine This Kimchi illustrateth by the simile of a boyling pot whereout vapours and fumes ascending to the colder pot-lid are turned into drops of water See Gen. 2.6 The waters of the sea 1 King 18.44 A little cloud arose out of the sea like a mans hand And presently the Prophet said to Ahab Prepare thy charet and get thee down that the raine stop thee not And it came to passe in the meane while that the heaven was black with cloudes c. Humorem magnâ— tollunt aequore ponti Nubes qui in toto terrarum spargitur orbe Lucret. lib. 6. Cum pluit in terris The Naturalists observe that it snowes not in the sea because it sends up hot vapours which presently dissolve the snow the Lord is his name His memoriall Hos 12.5 See the Note there He is not an idol to be dallied with and deluded Verse 9. That strengtheneth the spoyled against the strong Victorem à victo superari saepe videmus God can quickly change the scene turn the scales Ier. 37.10 though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn this city with fire In a bloody fight between Amurath the third King of Turks and Lazarus Despot of Servia many thousands fell on both sides In conclusion the Turks had the victory and Lazarus was slaine Amurath after that great victory with some few of his chief captaines taking view of the dead bodyes which without number lay on heapes in the field like mountaines a Christian souldier sore wounded and all blood seeing him in staggering manner arose as if it had been from death out of an heape of slaine men and making toward him for want of strength fell down diverse times by the way as he came as if he had been a drunken man At length drawing nigh unto him when they which guarded the kings person would have stayed him he was by Amurath himself commanded to come neerer supposing that he would have craved his life of him Thus this half-dead Christian pressing neerer unto him as if he would for honour sake have kissed his feet suddenly stabbed him in the bottome of his belly with a short dagger which he had under his coat of which wound that great king and conqueror presently died The name of this man was Miles Cobelite who Turk hist fol. 200. before sore wounded was shortly after in the presence of Bajazet Amuraths son cut into small peeces So in that memorable fight between the Swissers and the Dolphâ—n neare to Basile when Burcardus monk a noble-man and a great souldier Lavat in Prov. 27.14 grew proud of the victory and put up his helmet that he might behold what a â—laughter they had made one of the half-dead Swissers rising up upon his knees threw a stone at him which hitting right gave him his deaths-wound At the battle of Agincourt where our Henry 5. won the day Speed 795. ex hypod Nerstr the French were so confident of a victory that they sent to king Henry to know what ransome he would give and c. Henry comforting his army with a speech resolved to open his way over the enemies bosome or else to die After which such was the courage of the English notwithstanding their great wants as he that ere while could scarcely bend his bow is able now to draw his yard-long arrow to the very head so that the spoyled or spoyle shall come against the fortresse And take it by assault Deus loca quantumvis valida vasta facit Prov. 21.30 There is no strength against the Lord. Verse 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate In domo judicij saith the Chalde for the gate was the place of judgement verse 12.15 Deut. 17.5 12 15. Those then that did not approve and applaud the oppressions and wrong-dealings of the Judges and rich bribers but cryed out
riches shall be made a spoil to the souldier Impius haec c. and thou shalt die in a polluted land i. e. In Assyria filled with the uncleannesse of the inhabitants from corner to corner as Canaan was Ezra 9.11 Lev. 26.38 Here thou shalt die for thine abominable idolatries to thy great regret Seldom do such escape the visible vengeance of God as by virulent tongues or violent hands persecute his true Prophets Whether Amos for his boldnesse was first scourged by Amaziah and then wounded to death by his son Vzziah as some will is uncertaine and Israel shall surely though thou wouldst not beleeve it verse 11. CHAP. VIII Verse 1. THus hath the Lord God shewed unto me viz. in this fourth vision whereby for better assurance and to shake them out of their desperate security Israels utter ruine is again foretold by a lively type which is here 1. propounded 2. expounded verse 3 5. that he may run that readeth it and none may fall but with open eyes Hab. 2.2 And behold a basket made up haply in the form of a dog as the word Calub seemeth to import of Summer-fruits Heb. of Summer that is of that which the summer affordeth toward the end of it especially when fruits ripen and even fall into the hand of the gatherer The summer it self hath its denomination from a root that signifieth to awaken Schindler Pagnin because then the fruits and flowers that seemed to be asleep all winter-long do awake as it were and shew themselves Verse 2. Amos what seest thou This the Lord asketh to stir up attention and affection in the Prophet who might haply need as much to be arroused as Zachary in like case did chap. 4.1 with whom it fared as with a drowsie person who though awaked and set to work is ready to sleep at it and I said A basket of Summer-fruit Apples saith Jerome figs say others and why not as well grapes ripened in the Summer-sun-shine Rev. 14.20 19.15 Whereby the Holy Ghost in the Revelation describeth such as are ready ripe for the wine-presse of Gods wrath Nahum compareth them to stubble laid out in the Sun a-drying that it may burn the better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nah. 1.10 The end is come upon my people An elegancy in the Originall beyond Englishing the Latine Interpreters have some of them assayed the like but they fall farre short of it The Old Testament is full of such Agnominations and God seemeth delighted with them See Jer. 1.11 12. 48.2 47.43 44. Lam. 3.47 Amos 5.5 Mic. 1.10 14. Zeph. 2.4 Exod. 2.10 Gen. 3.20 4.1 25. 5.29 17.5 21.5 6 c. There is a pedantique stile and a majestick an effeminate eloquence and a manly This latter is lawfull and may very well become the man of God who yet must not wit-wanton it in weightiest matters but shun those more gay and lighter flashes and flourishes wherewith the emptiest Celles affect to bee most fraught as they who for want of wares in their shops set up painted blocks to fill up vacant shelves as One well expresseth it The end is come upon my people Exitus exitium As the summer is the end of the yeer and the time of ripening fruits so now that this people are ripe for ruine An end is come is come is eome it watcheth for them behold it is come Ezek. 7.6 7. even the precise time and terme of their finall overthrow I will not again passe by them any more See chap. 7.8 God can passe by that is pardon his people better then any other Mic. 7.18 Ephes 6. like as they that are born of God and partake of the Divine nature can bear wrongs best of any compell them to go a mile they 'l be content if it may do good to go two yea as farre as the shoos of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry them But as the Saints of God may not be therefore injured which was Iulians jearing cruelty because they are meek so must not God be presumed upon and provoked because he is mercifull There is mercy with him that he may be feared saith the Psalmist for abused mercy turneth into fury and opportunities of grace are oft so headlong that if once past they are irrecoverable Wo be to that people or person to whom God shall say I will not again passe by you any more Verse 3. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings Heb. shall howle shall be turned into the black-santis as they call it cantus in planctum laetitia in lachrymas such as I hate chap. 5.23 and feel it grating mine ears as an harmonia discors there shall bee many dead bodies in every place Either through pestilence or sword Others read it thus In every place it shall bee said Proijce sile Out with them Make no words an earnest Aposiopesis See chap. 6.10 with the Note q. d. Patiently acquiesce in the just judgement of so mighty a God Or throw these dead bodies into pits and say nothing lest we be sequestred as unclean by the law It is no small misery to be under hard and heavy crosses and yet to be forced to dissemble and suppresse them to bite in pain and to disgest grief as horses do their choler by biting on the bridle I was dumb with silence saith David I held my peace even from good that is from just defence but my sorrow was stirred thereby my sore was exulcerate renewed as the Greek there saith and increased Psal 39.2 Give sorrow a vent and it will wear away Verse 4. Hear this ye that swallow up the needy that soop them up as drink our word soop seems to come of the Hebrew Shaaph that would make but a breakfast nay but a bit of them that would swallow them at once down their wide gullets and do for that purpose pant and even faint as well-nigh windlesse after them to devour them Hence they are called Man-eaters Cannibals Psal 14.4 See chap. 2.7 with the Note even to make the poor of the land to fail Heb. the meek of the land Poverty should meeken and tame mens spirits howbeit some are humbled but not humble low but not lowly Those that are both are oft oppressed by the Great Ones of the earth and even devoured as the lesser fish are by the bigger Ye have condemned and killed the just saith St. Iames to the wicked rich men of his time and he doth not resist you chap. 5.6 He onely committeth his cause to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2.23 and indeed he need do no more then so for God is the poor-mans king as James the fifth of Scotland was termed for his charity yea he is the worlds refuge Awlen Penaugh as the great Turk vaingloriously stileth himself and would have the world to take notice that such poor people as lament to him shall be relieved by him although his ministers fail them or
but a great deal of milk will not so soon allay one spoonfull of vineger Remove but one stone and the whole river will rush downward but you can hardly stop the stream again with a strong damme Touch pitch and you shall presently be defiled but touch sope and you shall not presently be made clean without much rubbing and rinsing Meâ—entius the tyrant Corpora corporibus jungebat mortua vivis tyed living men to dead carcasses but the dead did notrevive by the living Virgil. the living rather putrified by reason of the dead He that bore consecrated flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirt touched bread or pottage or wine or oyle or any meat he made it not thereby holy But if an unclean person touched any of these he made it unclean The Donatists abused this Text to prove that Baptisme was defiled and vacated if administrated by an unregenerate Minister But Augustine again against Fulgentius the Donatist vindicateth the Text from their false glosses and asserteth from it the contrary truth May not clean corn bee sowed with foul hands and grow neverthelesse Aqua baptismatis haptizatos ad regnum coelestis mittit ipsa postea in cloacam descendit Greg in Evang. hom 17. May not a trumpet be well sounded by an impure breath And is not the water in Baptisme that clenseth the childe cast afterwards into the draught saith Gregory so is this people and so is that nation before me and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer c. Note the order of the Induction First themselves were unclean both people and nation there was a generall defection and defilement ranne thorough all sorts and sexes as the woof runs thorow the warp so that they were all together but one continued web of wickednesse as it were spun out and made up by the hands of the devil and the flesh an evil spinner and a worse weaver both root and fruit were naught as Esay 5.4 both head heart and foot was out of order Esay 1.5 6. and they are barely and boldly told of it by the Prophets Secondly the works of their bands were unclean for not onely the praying but the plowing of the wicked is sinne Prov. 21.4 all their naturall and civil actions also are abominable Whether they plow or play or eat or sleep corruption is like copres which will turn wine or milk into ink or leaven which turns a very Passeover into pollution or as the Sanies of a plague sore which will render the richest robe infectious Thirdly that which they offer there their sacrifices and all their religious performances were likewise unclean not in respect of God who commanded them nor of the matter for they offered clean beasts but of the manner of offering which makes or marres the action and of the men who were unregenerate and rested in the work done and drew neer to God with their lips thinking to put God off with an externall worship onely Ludentes cum Deo tanquam pueri cum suis puppis as Calvin hath it that is playing with God as children do with their babies Calv. in loc The Poets declaimed against this foppery as Persius and Another Non benè coelestes impia dextra colit Verse 15. And now I pray you consider Heb. Lay it upon your heart as chap. 1.5 See the Note there The often repetition of this precept sets forth 1. The necessity of the duty pressed 2. Their singular stupidity that were no more affected with such manifest marks of Gods wrath upon them no though hee had even snatched the meat out of their mouthes and kept them hunger-starved which is the way of taming the most untameable creatures from this day and upward To the end that when I shall have blessed you with greater plenty as verf. 19 ye may recognize your sinnes the cause of your calamities and remembring as Jacob did his baculinam paupertatem Gen. 32.10 your former penury you may thankfully cry out with that Noble Iphicrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From how hungry to how plentifull an estate am I raised Let a profane Demetrius attribute such a change as this to blinde Fortune saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let all Saints sing with holy Hannah They that were full have hired themselves out for bread and they that were hungry ceased The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up c. 1 Sam. 2.5 7. from before a stone was laid upon a stone i.e. before there was any hand set to the work of rebuilding the Temple which was interrupted for many years after the return from Babylon See Ezr. 3.8 and 5.2 Vers 16. Since those dayes were Or as some read it Antequam essent in to opere Before they were about that work minding Gods house more then their own When one came to an heap of twenty measures that is where you expected twenty measures and experienced good-husbands can partly guesse at harvest how their corn will yeeld when threshed out there were but ten Gods hand was upon your increase not in the field onely but also in the floor so that you were defeated and your hopes frustrated and not in the barn onely but at the wine-presse too God hath cut you short This was that which was long before threatned but little regarded Deut. 28.20 Carnall men read the threats of Gods Law as they do the old stories of forraigne warres or as they behold the wounds and blood in a picture or piece of Arras which never makes them smart or fear This hasteneth their judgement and shews them ripe for wrath even then when they think themselves farre enough out of the reach of Gods rod. Vers 17. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail Pugnis pluvi colaphis grandinavi I have followed you close with one judgement upon another Perdidistis frucâ—um calamitatis c. Aug. and all to bring you back into mine own bosome that as ye had runne from me by your sinnes so ye might return to me by repentance but behold I have lost my labour and ye have lost the fruit of your sufferings which indeed is a very great losse were ye but soundly sensible of it These Jewes were sensible of their calamities and disasters abroad and at home but they did not wisely inquire into the cause thereof as David did into the cause of the famine that fell out in his dayes 2 Sam. 21.1 God had not hitherto give them an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear as it is Deut. 29.4 And as Esay 9.13 The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the Lord of hosts But after their hardnesse and impenitent heart treasured up wrath c. Rom. 2.5 They could not but see themâ—elves grievously crossed and cursed in all the labours of their hands Lib. 3. de nat deor Neither were they so blind
had collected an elected Church 1 Epist 5.13 and thence he writeth his Epistle to the sojourning Jews scattered thorow those Eastern parts chap. 1.10 from whence also those kings of the East Rev. 16.12 the converted Jews as some expound it are expected And who can tell whether this land of Shinar be not the same with that land of Sinim Esay 49.12 Confer Esay 11.16 Zach. 10.11 Or by the land of Shinar here may be meant exilium totius orbis their generall rejection by all nations the whole world being to them a Shinar that is a land of excussion and it shall be established c. This denoteth the diuturnity or perpetuity of their punishment CHAP. VI. Verse 1. ANd I turned and lift up mine eyes i. e. I passed on to another vision and 1 lifted up the eyes of my mind higher to heaven saith Hierom to receive a further revelation from God And whereas he saith I turned he declareth that God from on every side giveth his Church clear testimonies of his care of her so that she will give heed unto them and lift up her eyes there came four chariots out i.e. four squadrons of Angels Gods Warriours and Ministers of his manifold decrees which are here set forth by the name of brazen mountains 2 King 2.11 2 King 6.17 So Hab. 3.8 See chap. 1.8 with the Note Chariots the Angels are called in many places but especially Psal 68.17 The chariots of God in the Hebrew it is chariot in the singular to note the joynt service of all the Angels are twenty thousand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even thousands of Angels of chearfull ones so the Septuagint of such as serve the Lord readily and freely with joy and tranquillity and so do quiet his spirit Deut. 33.26 God rideth upon the heavens for Isra els help i.e. upon the Angels Heb. as it is said here vorse 8 give him full satisfaction The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the holy place that is the Angels by their swiftnesse and warlike prowesse make Sion the Church as dreadfull to all her enemies did not one of them so to Sennacherib as those Angels made Sinai at the delivery of the Law which was given in fire Deut. 33.2 The word rendred Angels in the above-cited Psal 68.17 and so the Chaldee plainly expresseth it is by some who derive it of Shaan to sharpen referred to chariots to note a kinde of chariots armed with sharp hooks used in warres as many humane Writers record And so it maketh something to the confirmation of this Interpretation Statius Macrob. Vegetius concerning Angels rather then the four Monarchies But the Angel himself is our best Interpreter verse 5. where being asked by Zachary what these chariots were he answereth These are the four spirits of the heavens which go sorth from standing before the Lord of all the earth a plain Periphrasis of the Angels chap. 1.10 See the Note there from between two mountains tanquam è carceribus as designed by Gods all disposing providence and power and ready prest at his appointment and pleasure to run their race do their office execute Gods judgements which are both unsearchable and inevitable and this the Poets hammer'd at in their ineluctabile Fatum as they called it Gods decrees lie hid under mountains of brasse as it were till they come to execution they run as a river under ground till they break out and shew themselves When he hath once signified his will then we understand it which before lay hid from us that is when these chariots come out from between the mountains of brasse when the event declareth what was the immutable decrce of God Hence the Psalmist Thy right cousnesse is like the great mountains thy judgements are a great deep this for the decree And for the execution Thou preservest man and beast Psal 36.6 but by such means and in such manner as to thee seemeth best It is our part to say Amen to his Amen and to put our Fâ—at and Placet to his The will of the Lord be done said those primitive Christians Act. 21.14 Here am I send me Esay 6.8 Verse 2. In the first chariot were red horses c. These severall colours seem to set forth the diverse ministrations of the Angels deputed to severall employments The black colour betokeneth sorrowfull occurrences and revolutions The white joyfull The red bloody The grisled sundry and mixt matters partly joyfull and partly sorrowfull But I easily subscribe to Him that said We must be content to be ignorant of the full meaning of this vision Tanta est profunditas Christianarum literarum saith Austin so great is the depth of divine learning that there is no fathoming of it Prophecy is pictured like a Matrone with her eyes covered for the difficulty For which cause Paulinus Nolanus would never be drawn to write Commentaries and Psellus in Theodoret asketh pardon for expounding the Canticles of Solomon Verse 4. What are these my Lord Difficulty doth but whet desire in Heroick spirites the harder the vision the more earnest was the Prophets inquisition he was restlesse till better resolved and therefore applieth himself again to his Angel Tutour rather then Tutelar whom for honour sake he calleth My Lord. See the Note on chap. 4.5 and take notice of the truth of Saint Peters Assertion concerning the Prophetick scrutiny 1 Pet. 1.11 with greatest sagacity and sedulity Verse 5. These are the four spirits of the heavens Angels are spirits Heb. 1.7 14. and spirits of heaven Mat. 24.36 Gal. 1.8 resembling their Creatour as children do their Father both in their substance which is incorporeall Hence they are called sons of God Job 1.6 and 38.7 and in their excellent properties Life and Immortality Blessednesse and Glory a part whereof is their just Lordship and command over inferiour creatures For like as ministring spirits they stand before the Lord of the whole earth who sends them out at his pleasure to serve his providence so they have as his Agents and Instruments no small stroke in the ordering and managing of naturall and civill affairs as may be seen in the first of Ezechiel The wheels that is the events of things have eyes that is something that might shew the reason of their turnings if we could see it And they are stirred but as the living creatures that is the Angels stirred them And both the wheels and living creatures were acted and guided by Gods spirit as the principall and supream Cause of all the Lord of the whole earth as he is here called that stand before c. As waiting his commands and ready to runne on his errand Mat. 18 10. Dan. 7.10 Jacob at Bethel saw them 1. ascending sc to contemplate and praise God and to minister to him 2. descending sc to execute Gods will upon men for mercy or for judgement Psal 103.20 For which purpose Ezekiel tells us that they have four faces to look every way when as
hardest heart soundly soaked in the blood of Christ the true scape-goat cannot but relent and repent for such a horrid villany as one mourneth for his onely son for his first born sc with a funerall-sorrow such as was that of the Sunamite and of the widdow of Naim of Rachel who refused to be comforted c. There is an Ocean of love in a fathers heart as we see in Jacob toward Joseph in David towards Absolam in the father of the Prodigall c. Christ was Gods only son in respect of his divine nature he was also the first-born amongst many brethren And yet God so loved the world c. So how So as I cannot tell how for this is a Sic without a Sicut Even so should our sorrow be for having a wicked hand in his dolorous death The Prophet here seemes to be at a stand as it were whence to borrow comparisons to shaddow it out by Great is the grief of children for their deceased parents as of Joseph for Iacob Gen. 50.1 he fell upon his fathers face as willing to have wept him alive again if possible So our Edward the first returning from the warrs in Palestina rested himself in Sicily where the death of his son and heir comming first to his eare and afterwards of the king his father he much more sorrowed his fathers departure then his sons whereat King Charles of Sicily greatly marvelled Speed 646. and demanding the reason had of him this answer The losse of sons is but light because they are multiplyed every day but the death of parents is irremediable because they can never be had againe Thus He Howbeit love rather descendeth then ascendeth and Abraham could better part with his father Terah then with his son his only son Isaac whom he loved Gen. 22.2 Before he had him Lord God said Abraham what wilt thou give me so long as I gee childlesse Gen. 15.2 His mouth was so out of tast with the sense of his want that he could relish no comfort But now to be bereft of him and that in such a manner as he might conceive by that probatory precept Gen. 22.2 this must needs go to the very heart of him for though he had put on grace yet he had not put off nature Both Iacob and Iacobs father as Iunius understandeth that passage Gen. 37 35. wept savourly for Ioseph and would go down into the grave unto their sen mourning True it is that the losse of some wife may be greater then the losse of some son Abraham came from his own tent to Sarah's tent to mourn for her Gen. 22.2 and she was the first that we read of in scripture mourned for but the Prophet here speaketh of the mourning of husband and wife together and they can lose no greater outward blessing then their first-born if an onely-one especially Verse 11. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem Magnificabitur luctus so the Hebrew hath it their mourning shall be greatened their heavinesse heightened they shall rise in their repentance above all that is ordinary The Casuifts and Schoolmen affirme sorrow for sin to be the greatest of all sorrowes 1. In conatu the whole soule seemes to send springs into it out of every faculty 2. In extensione It is a spring which in this life more or lesse is continually dropping neither would God have the wounds of godly forrow to be so closed up at all as not to bleed afresh upon every good occasion 3. In appreciatione the true penitentiary doth ever judge that a good God offended a Saviour crucified should be the prime cause of greatest grief 4. In intensione for intension of displicence in the will there being no other things with which Adrian Scotus Soto or for which the will is more displeased with its self then for sinning against God There is more cause of grief say they for sinning then for the death of Christ because therein was aliquid placens but sin is simpliciter displicens But is it not godly mourning may some say unlesse it be so great I answer that other mourning may make more noise like a dashing shoure of rain or a land-flood that by a small shallow channel comes down from an hill When a man mourns for his onely son or the like this comes from God as a judgement it comes down hill as it were hath nature to work with it and nothing to hinder it but this mourning and melting over Christ is as a stream that goeth up hill and through many reeds and flagges M. Cotton as a Reverend man expresseth it as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon Where good Josiah was slain and where the people saw to their unspeakable grief and heart-break family Church and Common-wealth pluckt up by the roots in the losse of that one man who was the very breath of all their nostrils as Jeremiah sadly acknowledgeth in his Lamentations composed on that very occasion and when he died all their prosperity here died with him and themselves were no better then living Ghosts walking sepulchers of themselves a being they had but not a life those that before seemed to touch heaven with their finger fell down to the earth nunc humi de repente serpere siderates esse diceres as if they had been planet-struck as Budaeus speaketh of the French courtiers at the death of Lewes the twelfth When Augustus died orbis ruinam timueramus saith Paterculus we thought all had been lost and that the world would have fallen about our ears When our Edward the sixth that second Josiah was taken away Cardan sung this sorrowful Epicedion Flete nefas magnum sed toto flebitis orbe Mortales vestrûum corrit omnis honos Verse 12 13 14 And the land shall mourn Not the generality of the Jews unlesse it be at their last general conversion that resurrection from the dead as it is called Rom. 11.15 but the elect according to grace who are here called the land because more esteemed by God then all the other Jews besides for he reckoneth of men by their righteousnesse as he did of Lot at Sodom every family apart To shew the soundnesse of their sorrow the sincerity by the secrecy for Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet He grieves with a witnesse that grieves without a witnesse There is a worldly sorrow that hardeneth the heart and indisposeth it for repentance as did that of Nabal There is also an hellish sorrow a desperate grief for sin poenitentia Iscariotica as was that of Judas There is no birth without travel but some children die in the birth are killed with the pains of the labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7 Lastly there is a sorrow according to God whereby we weep kindly after God inquiring the way to Zion with our faces set thitherward and renewing our covenant Jer. 50.4 5. Against thee thee onely have I sinned
the Hebrew and had joyned their forces in translating the Prophets into the Dutch tongue But oh how few such as these and of that sort of people shall a man meet with now-adayes Copp indeed that Arch-Ranter Venereus ille furcifer Cleri dehonestamentum is said to have newly set forth his Recantation which I have not yet seen and therefore cannot tell what to say to it Onely I wish he deale not as Bernard Rotman that first Anabaptist and Islebius Agricola that first Antinomian did in Germany who both of them having condemned their own errours and recanted them in a publike Auditory printing their revocation Sleidan Horndorf yet afterwards they relapsed into the same errours and stoutly stood to them when Luther was dead and more Liberty was afforded So hard a thing it is to get poison out when once swallowed down and having once said yea to the devill though but in a little to say him nay again when a man pleaseth such a man especially quem puduit non fuisse impudentem Augustin 2 Thes 2.12 who hath gloried in his shame and taken pleasure in his unrighteousnesse qui noluit solita peccare as Seneca saith of some in his time that is none of the ordinary sort of sinners but hath sought to out-sin others as unhappy boyes strive who shall goe furthest in the dirt I will not say but such by the almighty power of God may be reclaimed and made to see that there is no fruit to be had of those errours and enormities whereof they are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 22 sith the end of those things in the desert of them is death But now being made free from sin and become servants to God they will have very great cause to be thankfull to God for the cure sith Jealousy Frensy and Heresy are held hardly curable the leprosy in the head concludes a man utterly uncleane and excludes him the camp Heresy is by the Apostle compared to a precipice vortex or whirle-poole that first turns a man round and then sucks him in And by others to the Syrens bankes covered with dead mens bones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.9 to Goodwins sands that swallow up all ships that come neare them or to the Harlots house whence few or none return alive Pro. 7.26 27. Verse 5. But he shall say I am no Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am no Monk no Clerk I am not book-learned was the ignorant mans plea in Chrysostomes time and so it is still to this day though it serves not his turne But here the like speech is taken up for a better purpose Hoc et enim principium est resipiscentiae saith Calvin here Here begins their repentance viz. in a free acknowledgement of their ignorance and utter unfiâ—nesse for the office they had usurped Si ventribene si lateri Horat. I am no prophet as for self respects that my belly might be filled and my back fitted I sinfully took upon me to be one but I am an husbandman and can better hold the plow then handle a text feed and follow a flock of sheep then feed the flock of God that have golden fleeces precious soules taking the oversight thereof not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth q.d. Shephardy and husbandry I have been ever trained up to and can better therefore skill of then of Preaching which is certainly Ars artium scientia scientiarum the Art of Arts the science of sciences as One said Whereunto Melancthon addeth that it is the misery of miseries And of the same minde was his Colleague Luther when he said An housholders pains is great a Magistrates greater but a Ministers greatest of all and afterward added that if it were lawfull for him to leave his calling he could with more ease and pleasure dig for his living or do any other hard labour then undergo a Pastorall charge The mystery thereof is not an idle-mans occupation an easie trade as some fondly conceit The sweat of the brow is nothing to that of the brain besides dangers on every hand for the works sake and armies of cares that give neither rest nor respit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11.25 agmen subinde irruens Illyr but are ready to overwhelme a man This made Luther affirme that a Minister labours more in a day many times then a husbandman doth in a moneth Let no man therefore in taking up the ministery dreame of a delicacy Neither let slow-bellies either invade it or hold it as popish asses and some impudent Alastores now-adayes do to pick a living out of it It was an honest complaint of a Popish writer we saith He handle the scripture tantum ut nos pascat vestiat only that it may feed us and cloath us And Cardinall Cajetan not without cause cryes out Com in Mat. 5. that those amongst them that should have been the salt of the earth had lost their savour and were good for little else but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church Now for such as these that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies that like body-lice live upon other mens sweat or like rats and mice do no more but devoure victuals and run squeaking up and down good is the counsell of the Apostle Let him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Eph. 4.28 let him earne it before he eate it 2 Thess 3.10 This is hard to perswade those Abby-lubbers that live at ease in cloysters feeding on the fat and drinking of the sweet and those Idoll-shepheards that feed themselves and not the flock O Monachi vestri stomachi Erasmus truely told the Electour of Saxony that Luther Scultet Anna. pag. 52. by medling with the Popes tripple crown and with the Monkes â—â—t paunches had procured himself so great ill will amongst them One of them brake out in a sermon into these angry words If I had Luther here I would teare out his throat with my teeth Act. and Mon. and then make no doubt with the same bloody teeth to eat my maker at the Eucharist How much better were it for such false prophets with quietnesse to work and eat their own bread 2 Thess 3.14 then to drink the blood of other men with their lives as David spake in another case yea with their soules which perish by their insufficiency and gastrimargy Sed venter non habet aures 1 Chr. 11.19 But the belly hath no eares Ease flayeth the foolish Non minus difficulter à deliciis abstrahimur quam canis ab uncto corio Among other scaudals and lets of the Jews conversion this is not the least that they must quit their Goods to the Christians Spec. Europ And the reason is for
had they considered Daniels weekes they might have known that besides their free election all blessings flowing therefrom as verse 3.4.5 for their seventy years captivity they had seven seventies of years granted them afterwards for the comfortable enjoyment of their own countrey Sed ingrato quod donatur deperditur saith Seneca And Amare non redamantem est amoris impendia perdere saith Hierome All 's lost that is laid out upon an unthankfull people who devoure Gods best blessings as bruit beasts their prey haunch them up and swallow them as swine do swil bury them as the barren earth doth the seed use them as homely as Râ—chel did her fathers gods which she laid among the litter and sat upon yea sighting against God with his own weapons mercies I meane as John did against Ichoram with his own messengers as David did against Goliath with his own sword as Benhadad against Ahab with that life that he had given him as iâ— God had hired them to be wicked c. was not Esau Jacobs brother Did they not both tumble in a belly Isay 51.1 were they not both digged out of the same pit hewen out of the same rock and yet as the great Turk and his brethren born of the same parents the eldest is destined to a diadem the rest to an halter so here Esau though the elder and heire was rejected at least he was lesse loved for so the word hated is to be taken Gen. 29.31 Luke 14.20 Mâ—â— 10.37 Jacob though the younger and weaker for Esau was born a manly childe born with a beard as some think and was therefore called Esau that is Factus persâ—â—â—us pilis a man already rather then a babe yet was Gods beloved one And so were his posterity too the people of Gods choyce above the Edomites who were now left in captivity at Babyloâ— when as the Jews were returned into their own countrey yea for the Jews sakes and as a testimony of Godslove to them were these Edomites still held captives and their land irreparably ruinated because they shewed themselves mercilesse and bloody in the day of Jerusalems calamity Obad. 10.11 Psal 137.7 God had charged the â—raelites saying Thou shalt not abhor an Edoâ—â—â—te for he is thy brother Deut. 23.7 But as Eâ—au began betime to persecute Jacob bristling at him and bruising him in their mothers womb Gen. 25.22 so his posterity were bitter enemies to the Church joying in her misery and joyning with her enemies wherefore thus saith the Lord God I will also stretch our mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from â—t c. Ezck. 25.13 14. yet I loved Jacob And preordained him to a crown that never fadeth as Paul expoundeth this text Rom. 9.13 of election to eternal life which is the sweetâ—st and surest seal of Gods love Let us secure our election and so Gods special love to our souls by those two infallible marks 2 Thes 2.13 First belief of the truth that particularity and propriety of assurance Secondly â—â—â—â—â—â—sication of the Spirit â—â—â—o the obedience of the truth And as God loved Iacobs person so he loved his posterity the Israelites above all other people not because they were more in number or better in disposition ex meliore luto c. But because the Lord loved you therefore be set his love upon you and chose you saith Moses Dâ—ut 7.7 8. the ground of his love was wholly in himself there being nothing in man nothing our of Gods self that can primarily move and incline the eternal immutable and omnipotent will of God The true original and first motive of his love to his creature is the good pleasure of his will See Eph. 1.5 where all the four causes of Election are shewed to be without us Verse 3. And I hated Esau i. e. I loved him not as I did Iâ—â—ob I passed him by and let him alone to perish in his corruption and for his sin And for his posterity whereas they were carried captives by Nebuchadnezâ—zar as Isreal also was I have not turned again their captivity but laid their land desolate rased and harased their cities and castles made them an habitation of dragons and devilâ—â— and all this as an argument of my deep hatred and utter detestation of them True it is that Judea lay utterly waste during the seventy yeers of their captivity the land kept her sabbaths resting from tillage Upon the slaughter of Gedalâ—ah all the Jews that were left in the land fled into Egypt and God kept the room empty and free from invasion of forreiners untill the return of the Natives out of Babylon Now it was far otherwise with Idumea the desolation whereof is here described to be both total and perpetual according to that foretold by Ezechiel Chap. 35. O mount Seir I will make thee to be most desolate Ezech. 35 3 7 15. or as the Hebrew hath it emphatically and eloquently wastnesse and wastnesse extreme and and irrecoverable A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or utter ruine befel that countrey being part of Arabia Petrea hence mention of their mountains and abounding naturally with with serpents or dragons it being in the wildernesse of this country of Edom where the Israelites were so stung with fiery serpents Num. 21.6 hence it became afterwards a very den of dragons lurking there Verse 4. Whereas Edom saith we are impoverished Or thrust out of house and home and reduced to extreme indigency yet we will return and build the desolate places We will do it all despito di Deo as that prophane Pope said if it be but to crosse Gods prediction and to withstand his power and providence Thus these earthen pots will be dashing themselves against the rocks against those mountains of brasse so Gods immutable decrees are called Zech. 6.1 Thus Lamech will have the oddes of God seventy to seven so Iunius interprets it Gen. 4.24 Thus when God had threatened to root out Ahab and his posterity he would try that and to prevent it took more wives and so followed the work of generation that he left seventy sons behinds him 2 Kin. 10.1 Thus Pharaoh that sturdy rebel holds out against God to the utmost and sends away his servant Moses threatning death to him even then when he was compassed on all hands with that palpable darknesse Thus the Philistin Princes while some plagued gather themselves together again against the humbling Israelites at Mizpch 1 Sam. 7. and so rum to meet their bane Thus the proud Ephraimites Isai 9.10 The bricks indeed say they are fallen down but we will build it again with hewen stones The The wilde sigtrees are cut down but we will change them into Cedars Thus the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7.30 yea would needs be found fighters against God Act. 5.39 as Gamaliel truly told them Thus those primitive persecutours would needs attempt to root our Christian religion the
fear at large 〈◊〉 in the wicked such as were those mongrell Samaritans who feared the Lord and worshipped their own Gods after the manner of the nations h 2 Kin. 17.33 but this is rather a fright then a fear a spirit of restraint a pâ—nick terrour falling eftsoons upon the foulest hearts for the saâ—egard of the saints curbing even the rebellious from outrage that the Lord God may dwâ—ll upon earth i Psal 68.18 in his servants and subjects Which else these hard-hearted Labans and rough-handed Esatâ—'s would never suffer did not Fear of their father Isaac k Gen. 31.53 Lupus venit ad ovile quaerit invadere jugulare devorare Vigilant pastores latrant canes c. Lupus venit fremens redit tremens lupus tamen est fremens tremens Augâ—de verb. Apost serm 21. bridle them did he not put his hook into their noses and his bit into their jaws turning them back by the way they came out l Esay 37.28 This is thought to have been that hornel mentioned by Moses wherewith the Lord drave out the Hivite the Canaanite and the Hittite before the Israelite m Exod. 23.27 28 causing them by the furies of their own evil consciences wherewith they were haunted to fear their own shadows and to slre at a shaken leaf n Lev. 26.36 as a sparrow out of Egypt and as a dove out of the land of Ashur o Hos 11.11 Thus Zebul was terrified with the shadow of the mountains p Judg. 9.36 the Midianites with their own dreams and fancies q Judg. 7.13 the Syrians with an imaginary noise of charrets and horses r 2 King 7.6 French History History of the Councel of Trent Catilina non mediocriter solebat pertimescere si quid crepuisset the Burgundians about to give their enemies battle with the sight of long thistles which they thought to be launces Cardinall Crâ—sâ—â—ntius at his own conceits and phantasies For as he was writing to Rome from the Councel of Trent against the Protestants he thought verily he had seen the devil like a black dog walking in his chamber and at last couching under his table which cast the man into such a melancholy dump that he died of it This was a terrour from the Lord but this was not that fear of the Lord here mentioned in the seâ—t and wherewith few are acquainted For even of those that professe to fear the true God how very few are there found that do fear him in truth which is our second accusation and action laid against most men and comes now to be proved And first for the wicked of the earth it is most certain that they have greatest cause to fear of any men if they knew all for the direfull and dreadfull threats of Gods mouth are against them Sinne lies sculking at the door Å¿ Gen. 4.7 of their consciences like a ban-dog ready to worry them the devil stands watching to lay claim to them and to devour them t 1 Pet. 5 8 the rage of all the creatures though they little think of it is ever arm'd and addrest to seize upon them as traytours and rebels to the highest majesty and to drag them down into the bottome of hell In all which respects the sinners in Sion should be afraid fearefulnesse should surprize the Hypocrites Cause enough they have to run away with those desperate words in their mouthes who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among vs shall dwell with everlasting burnings u Esay 33.14 Or rather which indeed were more to be wisht to grow to that conclusion of the Authour to the Hebrews Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For our God is a consuming fire w Heb. 12.28.29 But how little alasse of this reverent fear and so consequently of any other saving grace whatsoever * Timor Dei est virtus viâ—tutu n custos Bucholcer Ps 36.1 2 3 4 expounded there is in the hearts of wâ—cked and unregenerate persons appears in their practise and that the Psalmist maketh good both in respect of evill to be avoyded and of good to be performed Psal 36 1 2 3 4. For evill first my minde gives me saith the Prophet and I am verily perswaded that there 's nofear of God in such a mans heart ver 1. But what 's the ground of this perswasion may it not be a rash and uncharitable censure you passe upon him Ob. No saith he for first for evill thoughts he makes no scruple no conscionce of them for he holds that thought 's free and therefore layes the raines in the neck Sol. and lets them rove any way yea even then when his reines should teach him better things in the night season x Psal 16.7 He deviseth mischief saith he upon his bed Psâ—l 36.4 Secondly for his words as to God they are stout y Malac 3.13 so to men they are slippery so that ye cannot tell where to have him neither how to beleeve almost any thing that he speaks the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit ver 3. Thirdly for matter of deeds he abhorrs not any evill ver 3. well he may leave some sin but he loaths it not forbear it he may for some politick respects as fear of the law shame of the world and speech of people but 't is sure he hates it not in his heart A man may withdraw himself from some particular sin give it over seeme to be divorc'd from it yet have a monthes minde to it still As Ahashuerosh when the heat of his passion was over remembred Vashti and what was decreed against her z Esth 21. and could have wishe it otherwise Or as the husband of Michal who when she was taken from him yet he came weeping after her afar off a 2 Sam. 3.16 And this way a man may be as wicked in his fearfull abstaining from sin as in his furious committing of it But usually this generation of men that have not the fear of God before their eyes are so wedded to their wicked courses that they will at no hand depart from iniquity b Prov. 3.7 Malach. 3.5 but are wise and cunning to palliate and plead for that they doe Yea against all the terrours of the Lord casting handfulls of hell-fire into their faces in the ministry of his word which should make them tremble and sin not c Psal 4.4 they contrarily sin and tremble not Yea which is worst of all and sets them farthest off from mercy they please and blesse themselves d Deut. 29.19 20. in that iniquity of theirs which God and good men descry to be hateful Psal 36.2 not only not standing in awe of his judgements as they ought while they hang in the threatenings but fleshing and slattering themselves as if the bitternesse of death were past e 1 Sa. 15.32 because sentence
divino instructi diâ—untur sal Terrae c. Episcop Sariâ—b in Coloss that have a healing property in them above all filed phrases and humane expressions assuring us that if any speak not according to this word it because there is no light in them This David knew and therefore By the words of thy lips saith he which I have well disgested and by long practise made my proper language I have kept me from the path of the destroyer and am fully purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse e Psal 17.4 or passe the bounds to wit of Gods holy word which he had set up for a Directory of all his speeches both for matter end and measure So of the godly woman it is said in the Proverbs that the law of grace is upon her tongue f Prov 31.26 that is she was so well versed in the holy Scriptures that she had there-hence gathered and gotten an ability of speaking with profit and power in the things of Gods kingdome 2. Pray for the gift of utterance and beg the prayers of others for you as Paul doth often with greatest earnestnesse of intreaty g Ephes 6 19 Colosl 4.3 and yet hee was a man passing well-spoken and able to deliver himself in as good termes as another but what of that he saw sufficient cause to send to heaven for utterance and boldnesse of speech and to use all the help he could make for that purpose For who hath made mans mouth have not I the Lord h Exod 4.11 There may be such and such preparations in the heart of a man but when all 's done the answer of the tongue is from the Lord i Prov. 16.1 Let a man be as eloquent as Aaron as powerfull in the Scriptures as Apollos as full of matter as Elihu who was ready to burst for want of vent k Job 32.18 19. yet unlesse God open his lips his mouth can never speak to his praise This David came to see and acknowledge upon second thoughts Psal 51. For having promised that his tongue should sing of Gods righteousnesse he retracts as it were and corrects what he had spoken in the next verse Not as one that repented of his promise but as one that had promised more of himself then he was able to performe and therefore subjoyns Lord open thou my lips and then my mouth l Ps 51.14 15 c The reason we speak no better to men is because we speak no oftner to God to teach us to speak as we ought knowing how to answer every man m Colos 4.6 3. Lastly practise much this duty of holy conference run into the company of Gods people that speak the language of Canaan naturally and familiarly and there imitate such as are most expert and best gifted that way Accustome your selves also to speak there as you have occasion right words n Job 6.25 sober words o Acts 26.25 savoury words p Colos 4.6 seasonable words q Prov. 15.23 wholesome words r 2 Tim. 1.13 the words of grace and of wisdome Å¿ 1 Cor. 12.8 the words of eternall life t Joh. 6.68 finally all such words as issue from those inward graces that good treasure as our Saviour calls it of knowledge faith love joy zeal desire forrow for sin c. and advance those main ends Gods glory the salvation of others and our own safety Not barrelling and hoording up our gifts as rich cormorants do their corn nor yet so close and curious of our words as to say no more in company then what may breed applause and admiration of our worth and wisdome as proud self-seekers but as good house-keepers having that honey and milk of good matter under our lips u Cant. 5.15 that we may plentifully pour forth to the feeding of many * Not like a curst cow that will not give down her milk but opening our mouâ—hes for mutuall edification Certainly the gifts of such shall not perish in the use as temporall commodities do u Cant. 5.15 or be the worse for wearing but the better and brighter as the widows oyl or plow mans coulter It is use that makes masteries in any skill and so in this If your tongue shall ever be as the pen of a ready writer x Psal 45.1 inure it much to Christian communication * Let your speech bee with grace that ye may know how to answer c. Colos 4 6. so that by speaking well we learn to speak well It is practise and not precepts so much that makes a good scribe and although a man be at first but a bungler at it yet by use and exercise he will attain to write both fairly and swiftly too after a time So here I conclude this second direction with that of our Saviour Wherefore let every Scribe that is instructed to the kingdome of heaven be like unto a good housholder that bringeth forth out of his treasure as need requires both new and old y Mat. 13 52 Thirdly labour and learn the well-using and wise ordering that ability of discourse and utterance you have attain'd unto A work of no lesse pains then profit hard I confesse but highly concerning all that would give up a comfortable account of the talents they have been entrusted with And here that I may hasten precious and worthy of all acceptation * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 is that counsell of St. Paul Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how to answer every man z Colos 4.6 Non quòd semper loquendum sit est enim tempus tacendi sed quòd curn loquimur semper curandum ut loquamur prout oportet Daven In which text there is not a word but hath its weight not a syllable but its substance First Let your speech saith he be with grace and alway so Not that we must be alway speaking for in the multitude of words wanteth not sinne but hee that refraineth his lips is wise a Prov. 10.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Luciano Aristoph dicuntur stulti quòd aperto hianteq ore esse plerunque siultitiae sit argumentum Pasor in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lay on more words upon any businesse though never so good then the matter requires argues impotency of mind excesse of affection or pride in speaking Be not therefore ever speaking for an open mouth is a purgatory to the master but ever when ye do speak let your speech be with grace And so it is 1. When it proceeds from a habit of heavenly-mindednesse from a principle of grace a good treasure within b Mat. 12.35 2. When for manner it is delivered with a grace whiles we do not turn over these discourses lightly and profanely as news or table-talk but with such reverence and affection as may shew we are inwardly touched with the majesty of Gods truth and that
is diminished but he accounts himself damnified You know how dearly the proud Ammonites paid for the hair they shaved off from Davids servants 2 Sam. 10 Luke 18.7 1 Sam. 2 Psal 91 And shall not the son of David avenge his own elect though he beare long with them He keepeth the very feet of his Saints saith holy Hannah and chargeth his angels with them to beare them in their hands lest at any time they dash their feet against a stone If they stumble and fall yet they shall get up againe for the Lord puts under his hand Psal 37.24 Yea the everlasting armes are underneath Deut. 33.27 Am. 1â— They that swear by God and Malchom shall fall as old Eli did and never rise againe but the Saints of God though Ioseph-like they fall into a pit yet as prisoners of hope they shall come forth by the blood of the covenant Zach. 9.10 Good Mordecai a Jew may fall before a Persian and get up againe yea prevaile and prosper But if wicked Haman begin to fall before a Jew that is in covenant with God he can neither stay when he stumbles Esth 6.14 nor rise when he is down God himself is so far interested and ingaged in the quarrels of such as I was saying erewhile that who so toucheth them toucheth the ball of his Eye The eye is a tender part we know and a small matter offends it God is every whit as choice and as chary of his people What part is more sensible of the least touch then the eye or being hurt canseth greater smâ—rt and rage or if put out brings more deformity to the face God is as tender of us c Pemble on Zach. 2.8 as a man is of his eyes Now a good thump on the back is better borne then a light touch on the eye Take heed I advise you how you meddle with Gods Eye lest you heare of him to your cost For although we must turne t'other cheek also yet he will not take a blow on the eye for the proudest of them all No man will stand still while his eyes are pecked out much lesse will God Thou knowest saith dying David to his son Solomon what Ioab did to me He meaneth it of the slaugher of Abner and Amasa which David appropriats and makes it his own case The soveraigne is smitten in the subject neither is it other then just that the arraignement of mean Malefactours runs in the stile of wrong to to the Kings Crowne and dignity Gods people are his crowne let none presume to attempt against it his dignity his glory let none turne it into shame Psal 4.3 His pearles let no swine trample them his holy things let no dogs profane them by holding their lives madnesse and their ends without honour by speaking basely of their persons actions sufferings as if they were vile and inglorious It was an heavy indictment doubtlesse Psal 14.6 You have shamed the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his refuge Thus those miscreants that mocked and railed at Christ upon the crosse upbraided him not with any evill but only for the good he had done in saving others for his trust in God and prayers to God Thus also they deale with David they that render evill for good are mine adversaries or hate me like divels and why Psal 38.20 they satanically hate me Because I do the thing that good is And the very truth is that were wicked mens insides turned outward it would well appeare that when they disgrace those that make conscience of their waies under the infamous names of puritans singularitans zelots and the like termes of reproach it is for the good that is in them and for the true glory that God hath stamped upon their persons and performances This savours strongly of the Devill of hell Tertull. 1 Ioh. 3.12 Graecinum Julium virum egregium Caesar occidit ob hoc unum quod melior vir erat quam esse quemquam tyranno expediret Sen. l. 2. de benef c. 21. whose property it is to hate and persecute any footstep of Gods holy image where-ever he finds it as the Tigre if he see but the picture of a man he flies upon it and tears it to peeces And it proves men to be the posterity of Cain the devils Patriarch as one calls him who was of that wicked one of the serpents seed and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him but because his own works were evill and his brothers good That was all the quarrell then and is still All that viperous brood bear an aking tooth to the better sort they do maliciously and mortally hate all holy impressions of grace wrought upon any by the sanctifying spirit though they restrain sometimes the expression and exercise of this hatred for advantage and in policy by accident and for by-respects it may be SECT 8. 9. 10. Exhortation to honour them that fear the Lord and what great cause men have and shall have so to do LEt us that know and professe better things approve our selves to be of the family of heaven Use 3 and followers of God as dear children by contemning a vile person though never so glorious a magnifico in the worlds eye and esteem but honouring them that fear the Lord though never so much under-prized and vilipended by the wicked of the earth This is a note of Gods houshold-servant Psal 15.4 Nabal shall not be stiled Nadtb 1 Ioh. 4.17 1 Pet. 2.17 and of one that hath share in Christs kingdome wherein the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the churle bountifull Esay 32.5 Further would we have boldnesse in that last and great day and be able to lift up our faces before the son of man let love be perfect in us toward the brotherhood loving them in truth and for the truths sake and being ready to serve the saints in love to wash yea to kisse their very feet and to lay down our lives for the brethren if called thereunto And because this can never be done except men see more in them then ordinary to move them labour and learne to know the price of a saint and to esteem them very highly in love for their worths sake The Jews tell us and truly that those seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much worth as all the seventy Nations of the world besides It is not for nothing sure that the saints are called All things Coloss 1.20 and Every creature Mar. 16.15 Mat. 5. Is 6.11 statumen terrae Tren and the salt of the earth that keep the rest from putre fying the substance and support of the earth that keep the rest from shattering I bear up the pillars of it saith David and the Innocent delivereth the Island saith Eliphaz Iob. 22.30 For their sakes it is that God spares and prospers the wicked as he did Laban for Iacobs sake Potiphar for Iosephs Sodom for Lots when they were
Christo Calvin in loc He looks upon such as serve him in sincerity as upon sons and daughters 2. That he will surely shew like mercies and mildnesse to his children in their faults and failings in their wants and weaknesses as the kindest father would do to his dearest son that serveth him For the former point The promise of pardon is here fitly made sub patris parabola saith Gualther under the similitude of a father Figuier in loc And the sense is thus much saith another Interpreter although I seem for a time to the blinde moles of the world to be negligent of those that are diligent about me of my best and busiest servants yet I think upon them still as my dearest children and when I may be thought most carelesse and cruel towards them then am I a most propitious and sin-pardoning father fully reconciled unto them in Christ for there comes in the kinred according to that of our Saviour in his message by Mary to his distressed disciples after his resurrection I ascend unto your father Iohn 20.17 and my father mine and yours and therefore yours because mine For as many as received him saith St. Iohn to them he gave priviledge to become the sons of God Ioh. 1.12 And again when the fulnesse of time was come saith another Apostle God sent forth his son his natural onely begotten son made of a woman and so by personal union of the two natures in one Christ his son by a new relation Gal. 4.4 according to that This day have I begotten thee and all to the end that we may receive the adoption of sons That we which by nature were children of wrath and by practise children of the devil might by divine acceptation and grace be made the children of God who had predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Ephe. 1.4 5. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved One. SECT I. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes IN which heavenly Text Reas 1 we have the first and chief ground of this doctrine drawn from the causes of our spiritual sonship 1. The fundamental and original cause Gods decree of election by grace we have an act for it in Gods eternal counsel According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the soundation of the world c. For which cause also the predestinate are called the Church of the first-born who are written in heaven Heb. 12.23 And whom he did foreknow saith Saint Paul them he did predestinate also to be conformed to the image of his son like him in glory as well as in sufferings like in being sons as he is a son that he might be even according to his humanity the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 2. The meritorious and procuring or working cause of our adoption is here set forth to be the Lord Christ in whom he as a father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephe. 1.3 but all in Christ and all in this order A christian by the Gospel is made a beleever Now faith afteran unspeakable manner engrafteth him into the body of Christ the natural son and hence we become the adopted sons of God it being the property of faith to adopt as well as to justifie ratione objecti by means of the object Christ up whom faith layeth hold For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 Children I say not by creation as Adam is called the son of God Luk. 3. because he was produced in the similitude of God but by marriage and mystical union with Christ the fecond Adam the heir of all who hath 1. Laid down the price of that great priviledge Heb. 9.15 even his own most precious blood redeeming us thereby that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 45. 2. He hath sealed it up to us by his spirit that earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 called therefore the spirit of adoption and the spirit of Gods son as springing out of his death Rom. 8.15 Joh. 16.14 Gal 4.6 and procured by his intercession For because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father 3. Here is the motive and impulsive cause and that is the good pleasure of his will Joh. 1.12 1 John 3.1 2 Tim. 1. vlt. his absolute independent grace and mercy was the sole inductive He giveth us this dignity saith St Iohn in his Gospel And what more free then gift he sheweth us this love saith he in his epistle because it was the time of love that we should be called the sons of God So that our Adoption is not a priviledge purchased by contract of justice Rom. 8.23 Prov. 16.4 but an inheritance cast upon us of free grace and goodnesse The Lord shew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day when our adoption shal be crowned with its ful accomplishment Lastly here we have the final cause of our adoption â—heprâ—â—ise of the glory of his grace This is the end God propounds to himself in this as in all other his works as having none higher then himself to whom to have respect for he is the most highest God hath made all things for himself yea the wicked also for the day of evil viz. for the glory of his Justice and power as he told Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 but especially of his grace sith all that his justice doth in the Reprobation of some tendeth to this ultimate end of all that the riches of his grace may be the more displayed in the election of others SECT II. Reasons from the effects of his father-hood A Second reason followeth from the effects and those are no lesse demonstrative of the point then the causes Reas 2 These are 1. Gods fatherly affections 2. His expressions both which speake him a father to all his For his affection first to his people Albeit they be but his Adopted children yet he loves them more then any naturall father doth his own bowels Jam. 1. ult Hence he is called the father by an eminency as if there were no father to him none like him none besides him as indeed there is not originally and properly Called he is the father of all mercies Eph. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paternitas paerentela Math. 23.9 the fountaine of all that mercy that is found in any father all is but a spark of his flame a drop of his ocean Yea he is stiled the father of all the fatherhoods in heaven and earth Whence also our Saviour Call no man saith He your father on earth for one is your father even God To enter comparison in some few particulars First a father loves freely not so much for that his child is witty or wealthy Patriam amat quisque nonquia
thinking on earthly things p. 863 Sect. 11. Directions to the Means of fruitfull thinking on Gods holy Name Where 4 Hinderances to be avoyded and 7 helps to be used p. 864 Sect. 12. The Conclusion p. 866 The Contents of the second Part of the Righteous Mans Recompence CHAP. I. The Text divided p. 866 Sect. 1. That God is Lord of Hosts What these Hosts are why called Hosts what it is to be Lord of Hosts 867 Sect. 2. The Pope will needs be Lord of Hosts p. 869 Sect. 3. Wo to rebels against the Lord of Hosts p. 870 Sect. 4. Tremble before this mighty Lord of Hosts p. 872 Sect. 5. Trust in his power for fulfilling his promises p. 873 Sect. 6. Stoop to his power and submit to his Soveraignty p. 874 Sect. 7. Set his power awork by prayer The power of prayer p. 875 Sect. 8. Be comforted in the consideration of his Power where divers objections of weaker Christians are answered p. 877 878 879 880 CHAP. II. The Lord will find a fit time to make up his jewels from the worlds misusages p. 881 Sect. 1 2 3 4 5. p. 882 883 Reasons from Gods Providence Power Truth Goodnesse and Justice ibid. Sect. 6. Reasons from the Saints themselves p. 884 Sect. 7. When God will make up his jewels p. 885 Sect. 8. Comfort under publike calamities p. 887 Sect. 9. Comfort under personall crosses and grievances p. 888 Sect. 10. Reproof of frowardnesse and faintheartednesse in affliction p. 890 Sect. 11. Exhortation to diligence in duty p. 891 Sect. 12. Exhortation to patience in misery p. 892 Sect. 13. Helps to patient waiting upon God for deliverance p. 893 CHAP. III. God will own and honour his Saints p. 895 Sect. 1 2 3 4 5. Reasons and grounds of this gracious dealing of his p. 896 897 Sect. 6. It shall be farre otherwise with the wicked p. 899 Sect. 7. Terrour to those that set themselves against the saints p. 900 Sect. 8 9 10. Exhortation to honour them that fear the Lord and what great cause men have and shall have so to do p. 902 903 904 c. Sect. 11 12. Exhortation to practise holinesse that hath so great honour put upon it and why p. 907 908 Sect. 13. Let the saints fee their dignity and be thankfull p. 909 Sect. 14. Let the saints see their duty and be carefull p. 910 CHAP. IV. God is a Father to all his faithfull servants p. 911 Sect. 1. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes p. 912 Sect. 2 3. Reasons taken from the effects of his Fatherhood p. 913 Sect. 4. God no Father to the wicked whatever they pretend to him p. 914 915 Sect. 5. Terrour to those that maligne or misuse Gods children p. 916 Sect. 6. Try your Title to God as a Father Marks p. 917 Sect. 7. Settle this that ye are Gods children and how p. 918 Sect. 8. Let all Gods children know their Father and how p. 918 Sect. 9. Let them thankfully acknowledge his free grace in their adoption and why p. 919 Sect. 10. Let them honour their Father and how p. 920 Sect. 11. Let them resemble their Father and wherein p. 922 Sect. 12. Let them love their Father and how to expresse their love p. 923 Sect. 13. Let them depend upon their Father both for prevention of evil and provision of good p. 924 Sect. 14. Comfort of Adoption where are shewed the priviledges of sonnes privative and positive p. 925 926 CHAP. V. God will pity and pardon his people their wants and weaknesses p. 927 Sect. 1 2 3 4. Reasons from God out of Micah 7.18 19. p. 927 Sect. 5 6. Reasons respecting the saints themselves who are 1 pure in heart 2 perfect in Christ p. 931 Sect. 7. Let none suck poyon out of this sweet point p. 932 Sect. 8. Reproof of such as censure hardly of God p. 934 Sect. 9. Reproof of such saints as censure hardly of themselves and their performatices p. 934 Sect. 10. Reproof of such as uncharitably censure others p. 936 Sect. 11. Exhortation to put your selves into Gods service p. 937 Sect. 12. Give God the glory of his Fatherly goodnesse p. 938 Sect. 13. Bear with others weaknesses and forbear harsh censures p. 939 Sect. 14. Take comfort and courage notwithstanding infirmities and failings in the manner p. 941. Errata Faults escaped in the Commentary PAge 2. line 30. read in the gall p. 7 l. 5. wall r valley ib l. 7. Tent r. â—eal p. 12 l. 32. spirituall r. spitefull p. 15. l. 53. required r. reserved p 18. l. 53. r. directly p. 24. l 49. Collier r. Caloier p. 35. l. 28. r. Non mea sunt p. 38. l. 18. lack r. like p. 41. l. 43. duties r. deities p. 44. l. 15. sutable r. suable p 55. l. 5. harts r. houses p. 56. l. 55 Edomites r. Sodomites p 60. l. 46. r. derided p. 62. l. 9. r. blind shall be darkned p. 73. l. 11. And r. a pull p. 77. l. 27. scribes r. stripes p. 78. l. 13 r. world p. 92. l. 43. r acquired p. 95. l. 42. taking r. talking p. 107. l. 1 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 128. l 2. r. observing ib. l. 4. priests day r. devils-day p. 137. l. 29. r. marred p. 141. l. 35 r. Deaster p 166. l. 38. r. Cyrils p. 189. l. 56. r. quieted p. 193. l. 39. r. mansit p. 194. l. 29. r. relieve p 242. l. 23 r. Zegedline p 261. l. 38. r. heatlesse p. 270. l. 29 r. others p. 290. l. 18. r. Cabbalists p. 291. l. 6. r. fat and. p. 295. l. 35. r. alive p. 296. l. 51. r. Zopyrus 55. Cyneas l. 56. r. Pyrrhus p. 299. l 38. r. Pyrgopolynices p. 310. l. 40. r. due p. 314. l. 30. r. thin p. 315. l. 48. r. promises p 316. l. 2. r. right hand p. 317. l. 3. r affatu p. 321 l 32. r. excused l. 34. r. sum 35. r. conceived p. 326 l. 23 r. becagna ib. l. 6. r. zeal p. 331. l. 6. r. quartaa p 334. l. 8. r. pour out p. 365 l. 33. r. eat p. 372. l. 7. r. theirs ib. 32. dele sin p 374 l. 53. r. dejected p. 384. l 45. r. well p. 400. l. 31. r. Poliorcetes ib. l. 35. r. Dissipatores p. 405. l. 6. r. Leb p. 420. l. 53. r. devoting p. 429. l. 47. r. angle p. 435. l. 6. r imposture p. 437. l. 34. r. that when p 438. l. 18. r. speciall p. 441. l. 29 r. grievous p. 455. l. 53. r. mawmets p 449. l. 54. r. nihil p. 452. l 14. r. Gaius p. 458. l. 26. r bare p 459. l 35. r. premises p. 465. l. 41. r. listlesnesse p. 471 l. 9. r. mad p 472 l. 19. r. certè non p. 486. l. 6 r acclamation p. 490. l. 40. r. e. rat p. 513 l. 51. r. crattle p. 527. l 33. r. unpassable ib. 58. r. somewhere p. 548. r. mors est p. 550. l. 49 r. few true and ponderous p 580. l. 43. r. can the waters flow p. 587 l 46. r. ministery therefore p. 589. l. 58. r. scattered and shattered p 610. l. 12. r. whilome p. 614. l. 5. r. Of one not at all ib. l. 16 r. glove p. 616 l. 48. r. they p. 634. l. 47. r. pestilenâ—e p. 635. l. 37. r. contrary to prevent p. 637. l. 8. r. falsifie p. 642. l. 19. after father Asa adde Manasseh degenerateth into Ahaz p. 648. l. 1 r. by Gods good laws p 650. l. 35. r. fletu p. 664 l 24. r. adulterium ib. l. 52. r. light p. 677. l. 24. r. a slurre p. 684. l. 16. r. inferiour bodies Faults escaped in the Righteous mans Recompence Pag. 695 l. 57 r. caring p. 708. l. 46. r. character p. 810 l. 54. r. set and serious p 823. l. 3 r. vice p. 824 l. 31. r. trading p 825. l. 33. r. he heard and took p 843. l. 44. r. we cannot better convince p. 849 l. 36. r. mock p. 851. l. 18. r. light p. 852 l. 0 r. fat abrood p. 854 l. 10. r. jog ib. 50. r. conservation p. 860 l. 10. r. teachers p. 801. l. 16. r. creatures p. 965. l. 12. r. extracting p. 871. l. 21. r. with them p. 876. l. 7. r. from the p. 879 l. 6. r. invisible p. 883 l. 14 r. dicere p. 890. l. 3. r. frowardnesse p. 897. l. 38 dele and such p. 899. l. 28. r. waxed p. 900. l. 40. r. Doegs p. 907. l. 39. r. coveting p. 911. l. 33. r. good p. 927. l 38. r. setling ib. l. 41. r. frailties p. 929. l. 24. r. David ib. 25 r. as rejoyceth ib. l. 41. r. quiets p. 936. l. 15. r. baffled p. 938. l 43. r. exhortation p. 939. l. 38. r. then remembred they that ib. l. 52. r induce p. 940. l. 47 r. flow of heart p. 943. l. 6. r betternesse ib. l. 53. r. slandered Gods house-keeping