auoided by euery good Christian and those that would be the faithfull children of the most high God of heauen But on the former of thē I will not now stand partly because all do confesse that to be a most hainous offence and partly because we are somewhat cleare and innocent from it but I will stand onely vpon the latter as vpon a thing more doubtfull and wherein we are intangled most The which to be a most grieuous sin in the sight of the Almighty howsoeuer man doth iudge lightly of it appeareth euidently by three things First by his often condemning of it in his word Secondly by his branding of them with a note of great infamie or reprobation who were subiect vnto it And thirdly by his seuere punishing of them who were guilty in it If we peruse the word we shall finde many places condemning the same but I will presse two or three alone Do all things saith Paul in Phil. 2.14 without murmuring and reasonings And againe writing to the Corinthians in 1. Cor. 10.10 he saith Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured making mention there of the Israelites and were destroyed of the destroyer Likewise Peter well agreeing with him saith in 1. Pet. 4.9 Be ye harborous one to another without murmuring If we search the Scriptures we shall finde againe that murmurers therein are brought in as the leawdest and vilest people that be Iude in his Epistle speaking of vngodly persons who are a staine vnto true religion euen of such as were ordained of old vnto eternall condemnation as appeareth in the 4. Vers of that Epistle doth amongst other things set them out by this marke that they are murmures and complainers walking after their owne lusts as it is in the 16. verse thereof Whereby we see that God doth brand them with the note of reprobation as I said before In like manner as Kain is recorded to be a murtherer a runnagate a vagabond and a damned wretch who was a murmurer and one that did repine and grudge that God should respect his brother Abel aboue himselfe Gen. 4.5 c. So are all the Israelites who did so often murmure and grudge against the Lord and Moses his seruant in the wildernesse reputed for most vile and notorious sinners and that by God himselfe in these words Forty yeares haue I contended with this generation and said They are a people that erre in heart for they haue not knowne my waies Wherefore I sware in my wrath saying suerly they shall not enter into my rest Psal 95.10.11 Lastly if we carefully obserue the story of sacred Oracles we shall find that most heauy plagues iudgements haue bene excuted vpon offenders in this respect But to touch one or two it is not vnknowne that though Miriam were an excellent woman and one of great account amongst all the people of God yet the Lord did not spare her but did strike her with the Leprosie a cursed an odious disease for her murmuring against Moses Numb 12.10 Againe it is apparant that though God made choise of Israel to be his people before all the nations of the world and did carry them as it were in his bosome as a mother doth carry her child in her bosome yet he did destroy many thousands of them by the Amalekites the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountaine of their wandring for their murmuring and repining yea and more then that hee debarred them all from entring into Caanan that came out of Aegypt except two viz. Iosuah and Caleh as we may see at large in the 14. Chap. of Numbers But yet his hand staid not there For besides all that he cast most of them downe to hell and would not suffer them to come to heauen which is the plague of all plagues and the heauiest iudgement that can be as the Apostle doth obserue in the 3. and 4. Chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrewes As thus you heare that murmuring is a sinne Reason so peraduenture you would gladly vnderstand the cause why it is a sinne In few words it is a sinne for two causes The one is because it hath an errour in it whereby we iudge amisse of the Lord and his wayes whether workes or words For whensoeuer we murmure for any matter we iudge and thinke that that matter is out of order and that it might be better disposed of then it is As for example when the maister of the vineyard gaue vnto euery one a penny at night that laboured in his vineyard the enuious man grumbled at this because he thought here was no iustice and equity obserued in that all of them were made equall in their wages who were vnequal in their labours So when we murmure against God we do dislike with something in God and so we do controll him and preferre our selues who are foolish and wicked before him who is most wise and holy as though we our selues in the like case could do better then God hath done then which blasphemy what can almost be more hainous The other cause is because it hath some rebellion in it as a cursed effect arising from the wickednesse of that former cause whereof we haue already spoken For when the soule is thus corrupted with a wrong iudgement the heart that begins to boyle and rise against God in many angry and foolish passions and the tongue oftentimes is loosed with most vile and reprochfull words that I may not speake of the hands and the rest of the members all which are much out of order by this meanes and carried ouer to a sea of corruptions as we may see in those murmurers and many others who were mentioned before Wherefore when Moses went about to draw the people from their murmuring he wils them to rebell no more as though to murmure to rebell were all one Numb 14.9 And when God doth reproue them he doth demand How long they will prouoke him and how long it will be yer they doe beleeue him in the 11. verse of the same Chapter as though there were no difference betweene murmuring and prouoking of God or not beleeuing in him So that then if it be an abhomination before the Lord to condemne the innocent in our thoughts and to rebell against the gouernours of the land it is apparant and euident that murmuring must needes be a great sinne seeing it hath these two great euils in it the one of iudging amisse of the Lord the other of rebelling against his maiesty But to passe the causes let vs come to the vses They are in number two The first of them sheweth the great impiety of our land Vse 1 for seeing that murmuring is a great euill and we haue murmurers in euery place and amongst all estates we may see that our land is wicked and naught In it reigne many sinnes as swearing lying whoring theeuing quaffing gormandizing contempt of the word and the faithfull embassadours thereof with many other notoriousvices such as couetousnesse
with vs both his hand that is vpon vs shall be remoued away and those iudgements that do hang ouer vs shall be staied and neuer fall downe vpon vs. Neuer forget we that comfortable saying which is in 2. Chro. 7.14 and is vttered by God himselfe in these words If my people saith he among whom my name is called vpon do humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land Downe then at night and downe in the morning before your God send vp vnto him the true sighes of an humble heart and of a broken soule for all your transgressions and assure your selues as you liue and breathe he will respect them with a sauing grace For he hath a most melting heart towards his poore people that when the rod is euen vp and he ready to smite then euen then he stayeth his hand oftentimes of himselfe and is loath to strike yea he breaketh out into compassionate words such as are in Hosea 11.8 when he saith How shall I giue thee vp O Ephraim how shall I deliuer thee O Israel How shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim My hart is turned within me my repentings are rolled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath c. as it is there in that place Could euer any father speake more compassionately ouer his child when he were about to beate him Surely no tongue can expresse the Lords goodnesse and pitty towards vs. And therefore settle with your selues this comfort that if you returne from your sinnes and once leaue your transgressions he will not punish you nor execute those iudgements vpon you which you haue deserued Obiect But we are in no danger may you say Obiect and so need not to repent for that cause For we liue in the dayes of peace and no peril doth hang ouer our heads Ans Ans Let no man deceiue himselfe For we all haue sinned and trespassed against the Lord and his Annointed as well as these Kings and Iudges had done who are here called vpon to repentance and amendment of life and looke what danger they stood in through their sinnes and trespasses the same do we now stand in through our sinnes and trespasses and therefore we haue as great need to repent as they had Will you that I speake all in one word Then thus it is Euery person of vs haue deserued to be cast into hell forasmuch as we do daily breake the commandements of God and all the iudgements that are there do of right belong vnto vs and we are liable vnto them euery houre yea euery minute of an houre and therefore I say we haue great need to repent to auoide them Questionlesse the more we stand out the worse it will be for vs. We our selues dislike haughtie pride in others towards vs but especially in such as owe vs duty and obedience and humble and meeke spirits we take pleasure in He that yeeldeth when we chide and stoopeth to vs when we are angry we quickly obserue and readily receiue to fauour againe How much more thinke you are these things due to God from dust and ashes Follow then what to him you know is pleasing and to your selues euer profitable An army of souldiers shall not sooner repell our enimies from vs then true repentance shall the Lords wrath that hangeth ouer vs. That is the onely thing that can make vp the hedge and stand in the gap before the Lord for vs that he should not destroy vs. For the Lord cannot strike vs when we hold vp our hands for mercy and looke vpon him with watery eyes humbled in the dust before him and for Christ begging pardon at his hands And therefore euer make vp this wall of defence by true prayer and hearty repentance against him and stand your selues in the gap thus crying vnto him in his Sonne against your sinnes and be assured you shall preuaile But alas men do faile much in the performance of this dutie It may grieue a good heart and soule to thinke how wretchlesse and carelesse they are therein Though iudgements lie heauy vpon some of them already yet they repent not nor returne to the Lord. The sicknesse that is vpon them the vexation of spirit that is within them the vntowardnesse of their children and seruants that are neare vnto them and the losse of their goods which do decay each day more and more round about them cannot rouze them vp from their sinnes nor conuert them soundly vnto the Lood but they continue still in their transgressions and grow rather worse then better therein adding drunkennesse vnto thirst and one sinne vnto another God amend them if it be his pleasure and giue vnto them better hearts Others there are amongst them who yet are spared ouer whom notwithstanding the iudgements of the Lord do hang in a most fearefull and cuident manner For they are likely euery houre to haue some plague fall vpon them and to be carried away body and soule to hell their sinnes and abhominations are so vile and filthy before the Lord. But yet alas they perseuere on still in their euill wayes and take not this holy course of repentance to stop the Lords iudgements from falling downe vpon them and to saue themselues from that sulphurian and euer-tormenting place It is noted of the wise man in the Prouerbes chapter 23.3 that he seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but the foolish on the the contrary side goe on still and are punished Deale we as this wise man and not as the foole Looke we vpon our dangers and labour we by a sound conuersion vnto the Lord to preuent them otherwise the Lord himselfe will say of vs as he did of Ephraim when he sayd The sorrowes of a trauelling woman shall come vpon him he is an vnwise sonne else would he not stand still at the time euen at the breaking forth of the children Hosea 12.13 Great stirre doth euery man almost make when his aduersarie commeth to take the possession of his house and liuing ouer his head and that by force and violence or when the Shrieffes men do approach neare to take him and to carry him to the gaole where he knowes he shall lie in wofull miserie some time and in the end leese his life by a shamefull death Oh what ado then is there what shiftings then do enter into mans heart No stone then as we say is left vnmoued but euery course that may be thought vpon is taken to preuent that perill and danger And yet shall men lie still and do nothing to preuēt the danger of hel which is 10000. times worse thē any prison or death in this world brings with it more troubles by millions then euer the losse of any house or liuing can do here Awake we awake we and if euer men will bestirre their stumpes as it
that God is a patient God not willing the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue So much doth Paul teach vs of him in Rom. 2.4 saying Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance So much doth Peter teach vs of him in 2. Pet. 3.9 saying The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient towards vs and would haue no man to perish but would all men to come to repentance So much doth Ioel teach vs of him in Ioel. 2.13 saying And rent your hearts and not your garments and turne vnto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the euill So much finally doth God himselfe teach vs of himselfe in Ezech. 33.11 saying As I liue saith the Lord God I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue But what is the reason of this Reason Is not God a iust God and are not his eies pure eies not abiding to behold sin and iniquity Yes Why then doth he not strike Because his mercies are ouer all his workes and his compassions faile not according to Dauids words in Psalme 145.9 and the Prophet Ieremies in Lament 3.2 For as the one of them doth extoll the mercies of God aboue all things so the other of them doth declare that they are the cause why hee doth not consume vs accordingly as our sins do deserue Wherefore learne out of this Vse first to put a difference betwixt God and man for they are very much vnlike For my thoughts saith God are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord For as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts Esay 55.8.9 If treason and insurrection bee once made against the chiefe gouernour of any land the parties offending therein are apprehended and according to law they are executed as traytors and rebels and all this is but well and according to iustice and equity without which no common-wealth can stand or flourish But yet with God it is not so though that we do dayly make insurrection against him and commit high treason against his person by blaspheming his holy name and by trampling his diuine statutes and ordinances vnder our feet yet he doth spare vs and not consume vs according to our wicked deserts and as one most desirous to haue vs saued to become blessed he doth cry vnto vs for a turning and amendment of life Oh who can extoll this goodnesse of the Lord sufficiently shall we rebell against him prouoke him to his face and yet will he come and intreate vs to be reconciled vnto him Doubtlesse if one doth but offēd vs some two or three times in some matters that do concerne our credite and profite so that we grow infamous or poore thereby we can neuer soundly and throughly endure that partie againe as we ought to do and though he should come vnto vs himselfe to aske vs forgiuenesse yet we should hardly euer receiue him to loue and fauour againe within our hearts so close would his wrong iniury cleaue vnto vs. We see that when the Samaritans refused to receiue Christ into one of their citties for a nights lodging Iames and Iohn two of his disciples were by and by inflamed with great choler wrath and they would needs haue their maister be reuenged vpon thē for it saying vnto him after this sort Lord wilt thou that we command that fire come down from heauen consume thē euen as Eliah did Luke 9.54 But as for our God we see here how patient he is in putting vp great rebellions and treasons and in calling vpon the rebels and traytors themselues for amendment of life that so they may be saued Learne we therefore in the next place that though we doe sin and offend yet there is mercy in the Lord to forgiue vs. For where sinne doth abound there grace doth more then abound saith the Apostle in Rom. 5.20 Dauid doth speake most excellently of this matter in Psalme 103. c. saying The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities for as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy towards them that feare him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath he remoued our sinnes from vs as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him And lest that any should doubt of the pardon of his sinnes marke what God himselfe doth say in Isay 1.18 Come now saith he and let vs reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes were as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And surely if God doth here call vpon these traitours and rebels to forsake their sinnes with an intent and purpose to saue them if they will so doe then may you not doubt but that he will receiue euery repenting sinner that doth come vnto him and forgiue him all his transgressions be they neuer so many when he doth aske pardon for them and heartily forsake them Wherefore though you haue sinned greatly against the Lord and haue trespassed euen against heauen and his Maiesty with the prodigall sonne yet despaire not but with the prodigall sonne returne vnto him and know that you shall finde mercy at his hands as he did and as Dauid did and as Salomon did and as Peter did and as Paul did and as many more besides them did whose sins were great and hainous For God hath said it who cannot lye Yea he hath sworne it and bound it with an oath that he doth not desire the death of the wicked but that he should turne and liue as you heard before out of Ezech. 33.11 Lastly from hence obserue this vse Vse that if any doe perish through his sinnes and transgressions he must not impute the fault thereof vnto God but vnto himselfe For God here doth call men from their euill waies that so they may not perish but be saued In all our plagues and iudgements and in all our woes and calamities whether in this world or in the world to come the Lord may alwaies say vnto vs as it is in Hosea 13.8 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thy helpe For the Lord doth take as it were great paines to make vs good What could I haue done more saith the Lord to my Vineyard that I haue not done vnto it Isay 5.4 Wherefore accuse God I beseech you at no time if any destruction doth happen vnto you but lay the whole blame thereof vpon
he purged the Temple and beganne to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and the seates of them that sold Doues and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessell through the Temple saying vnto them It is written Mine house is the house of prayer but yee haue made it a donne of theeues the high Priests and the Scribes and the chiefe of the people sought to destroy him Luke 19.47 When he had wrought another good worke and had raised from the dead Lazarus Maries and Marthaes brother who had now bene dead foure daies and began to stinke in the graue as his sister Martha said yet came foorth of the graue bound hand and foote with bands and his face was bound with a napkin then gathered the high Priests the Pharises a Councell consulted againe which way to bring him to his death Ioh. 11.47 c. Finally to passe ouer other particulars which happened in the whole course of his life when he had done them what good he could from time to time as appeareth by these his words Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings ye would not Math. 23.37 yet they notwithstanding the same tooke him apprehended him as their deadly enimie and as a malefactor that was not worthy to liue vpon the face of the earth amongst them any longer Iudas one of the twelue came vnto him and with him a great multitude with swords and staues from the high Priests and the Elders of the people and they tooke him and led him to Caiaphas the high Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled There he was examined by them accused and condemned to death likewise some of them there beganne to spit at him and to couer his face and to beate him with fists and to say vnto him Prophecy vnto vs ô Christ who is he that smote thee And the Sergeants smote him with their rods Math. 26.47 c. and Mar. 14.43 c. After this in the dawning of the day when the morning was come they led him away bound vnto Pilate and laid most grieuous things vnto his charge but when Pilate heard of Galile he asked whether the man were a Galilean and when he knew that he was of Herods iurisdiction he sent him to Herod but Herod with his men of warre despised him and mocked him and arrayed him as if he were a foole in white and sent him againe to Pilate Luke 23.11 Then Pilate ouercome by his aduersaries did at the last giue sentence against him caused him to be scourged and to be sent away to the place of execution Mar. 15.15 But before he came thither see what the souldiers did They led him into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band and clad him with purple and platted a crowne of thornes and put it about his head and beganne to salute him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they smote him on the head with a reed and spat vpon him and bowed their knees and did reuerence And when they had mocked him they tooke the purple off him and put his owne clothes on him and led him out to crucifie him Mar. 15.16 c. Being come to the place of execution which was without the citty they crucified him and hanged him vpon a tree betweene two theeues And as he hanged there in that shamefull and opprobious manner The people stood by him and beheld him and they together with the rulers mocked him saying he saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Christ the chosen of God The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vinegar and said If thou be the king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Likewise they that went by railed on him wagging their heads saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe and come downe from the crosse Lastly one of the euill doers which were hanged with him railed one him saying If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Luke 23.35 c. and Mark 15.29 c. In regard of all which things we see that our Sauiour might iustly make his cōplaint here say Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine The kings of the earth band themselues the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. Here before we goe any further a question may be asked to wit why Christ was thus reiected by all sorts of persons For a man may iudge that euery one should haue loued him and haue reioyced greatly for him he was so gentle so meeke so humble so patient so wise so learned so holy so mercifull so louing and in one word so willing and so able to do euery man good as none in the whole world besides him either was or could be We know that the virgin Mary did sing and reioyce when she knew that she should beare him Luk. 1.46 c. And that the Angels did sing and reioyce when he was borne Luk. 2.13 c. And that Simeon did sing and reioyce when he was brought into the Temple Luke 2.27 c. And that Abrahams sonne which he had by old Sarah that was a type and figure of Christ was called Isaac which name signifieth laughter to shew what ioy and laughter there should be about Christ Gen. 21.3 In consideration whereof the question may rightly be moued why the world should thus oppose themselues against Christ But the answere to it is this They hated him without a cause as our Sauiour himselfe doth testifie of them in Ioh. 15.25 Some of them did persecute him through ignorance not knowing what he was as we may see by his prayer to his Father for them in Luk. 23.34 when he saith Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Also by the Apostles words in 1. Cor. 2.8 For had they knowne it saith he they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory Others of them did resist him of malice and of a cankered stomach they knowing well enough what he was as is apparant by the words of our Sauiour who doth accuse them for that cause of the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen in Mark 3.28 Some lastly did neglect him through feare and dread they knowing that if they did beleeue in him or confesse him they should be excommunicated out of their Synagogues according to the law of the Iewes as is apparant by Ioh. 9.22 where we find that the blind mans parents for that cause would not confesse that Christ had cured their son And as they did thus feare trouble at home yea some of the great ones as well as the small ones as we
to our selues in this case and performe that duty which the Lord doth require of vs. We must not alone bring our children and seruants to the knowledge of their sins and cause them to walke in the waies of the Lord but we our selues must go before them in these duties and by our examples leade them on to a carefull performance thereof First we our selues must turne to the Lord and become most dutifull and loyall vnto him and walke continually in his cōmandements Then when this is done we must be most earnest with thē see that they do the like that so all of vs may ioyne together in turning vnto him from whom we went astray and redeeme as it were the time that is past by an eager persuing after all those things as do belong to vs according to our roomes callings I pray thinke on these matters and I beseech God to giue a blessing vnto them that they may do you good But to to come to the chiefe point which is here to be stood vpon marke diligently vpon what consideration the Kings and Iudges and so all others in them are called vpon to repentance and amendment of life It is vpon the consideration of the great perill and danger wherein they stood For the exhortation which is here made is deduced out of the former words and the manner how it is drawne standeth thus All those that are in a most dangerous estate and are likely to be ouerthrowne with a shameful and perpetuall destruction they had neede to be wise and learned and turne to the Lord as it doth become them But such is your case o Kings and Iudges your are in a most dangerous estate and you are likely euery one of you to be ouerthrowne with a shamefull and perpetuall destruction Therefore it stands you vpon to be wise and learned and to turne to the Lord as it doth become you From hence we gather this doctrine Doct. that where there is any perill or danger hanging ouer mens heads for their sinnes and trespasses there they must repent and amend their liues and turne to the Lord whom they haue offended So did vncircumcised Nineueh For when the Prophet Ionah had cryed in their citty and said Yet fourty daies and Nineueh shall be ouerthrowne they fasted and prayed and did put on sackecloth from the greatest of them euen to the least of them and did turne from their euill waies and from the wickednesse that was in their hands as we may see at large in the third chapter of the Prophecy of Ionah So did wicked Ahab for when the Prophet Elijah had told him of his sinne and of Gods iudgements that did belong vnto him for the same and had shewed him how the Lord would bring euill vpon him and his posterity and make his house like the house of Iereboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the sonne of Ahijah for the prouocation wherewith he had prouoked and made Israel to sinne euen then when he heard those words He rent his cloathes and put sackecloth vpon him and fasted and lay in sackecloth and went softly as it is in 1. Kings 21.27 So did stifnecked Israel For when troubles did come vpon them and miseries were likely to weare them out and to consume them to nothing they cryed from time to time vnto the Lord and bewailed their sinnes and transgressions before him as may be seene at large in the bookes of Moses the Iudges the Kings and the hundreth and seuen Psalme So lastly did the prodigall sonne for when he saw all was spent and he was like to die for hunger as hauing nothing to eate no not so much as the huskes which the swinne did feed vpon he came to himselfe and resolued to returne home vnto his father and to confesse his fault vnto him and to craue fauour at his hands as it is in Luke 15.16 c. that so he might be made as one of his hired seruants if not to be accepted of him as a deare sonne and child againe Thus you see how perils and dangers should moue vs to repentance and amendment of life The reason is this Reason because by repentance and amendment of life all perils and dangers are preuented and wholly remoued away from vs as all the former recited examples do notably declare vnto vs. But to adde a testimony or two thereunto consider what the Lord himselfe doth say in Ieremy chapter 18. verse 8. touching this matter in these word But if this nation saith he against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them And do you neuer forget what he also said to Iosiah the king in 2. Chron. 34.27.28 Because saith he thine heart did melt and thou didst humble thy selfe before God when thou heardest his word against this place and against the inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy selfe before me and tarest thy clothes and weptest before me I haue also heard it saith the Lord. Behold I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace and thine eyes shall not se all the euill which I will bring vpon this place and vpon the inhabitants of the same Most acceptable therfore you see vnto the Lord is an humble casting downe of our selues before him and shall bring vnto our soules mercy and comfort when proud rebellion and stiffe standing out with Pharaoh and others shall procure plague vpon plague till we be destroyed out of the world Seeing then that repentance doth stay the iudgements of God from falling downe vpon vs and remoue them cleane away from vs that they may do vs no hurt there is cause sufficient why we should repent and amend when his iudgements do hang ouer our heads and are likely euery houre to fall downe vpon vs to our destruction and vtter vndoing By this then we are taught first Vse that they deale very foolishly and fondly who being in perill and danger do yet still perseuere on in their sinnes and transgressions Alas it is like as if a man should remaine in an house when the house is all one a fire ouer his head and likely euery minute of an houre to consume him either by burning or falling Or else it is like as if a man should be in the midst of a riuer where he is ready continually to be drowned and doth see no way to escape yet will not stretch out his hand to lay hold of that which may saue his life and minister vnto him a present succour and aide Secondly hereby we may learne what we our selues ought to do in all manner of distresses and calamities whatsoeuer Is the hand of the Lord already vpon vs or do we feare some iudgements to come Humble we our selues then before the Lord be we sory for our sinnes leaue we all our wicked wayes and turne we soundly vnto the Almightie and all shall be well