might have seed time and harvest as seasonable their fields as fruitfull the Sea as open as their hearts could desire yet the very freedome of commerce and traffique whether with foraine Nations or with other members of the same Nation may bring in a greater inconvenience which no plenty can hold out then the enemy then unseasonable winde or weather could threaten Want of trade and want of victuals are plagues or punishments sent by God but the plague of pestilence which is oft times the companion of peace and plenty the usuall effect of free trading or traffique is more terrible then either of the former wants And thus may every part of the reasonlesse host accomplish what another had omitted Now with turbulent spirits or unruly men good lawes duely executed may take some order but against unseasonable weather against unruly or incommodious windes no law of man no act of Parliament can provide Against the plague or pestilence no councell of state or warre no host or army can secure themselves much lesse others Though they that besiege and are besieged doe keepe watch and sentinell day and night yet the arrowes of this dreadfull messenger flye more certainly to the marke whereto they are directed though at mid-night then their bullets doe at mid-day As there is no counsell against the Lord so there is no policy that can prevent the execution of Gods judgements upon mightiest kingdomes by the meanest of his creatures besides that policy which his lawes given to Israel did prescribe One speciall branch of that wisdome which Moses ascribes unto these lawes was they taught their observers not to trust in bow or shield not to put any part of their confidence in the strength or wit of man no not in their owne observation of these very lawes or reformation wrought by their rules as it was theirs but only in the Lord of hosts Hee was their wisdome and he was their strength whensoever any danger did approach whether from men or from other creatures their lawes did teach them that he was absolute Lord over all that the hearts of Kings and Governours were under his governance that he could dispose turne them as it seemed best to his heavenly wisdome And that alwaies seemes best to him which is for the good of such as repose their whole trust and confidence in him When Israels enemies displeased him more then Israel did he made them stronger then their enemies and when their waies did please him he made their enemies as Solomon speakes to be at peace with them Whilst they faithfully served this Lord of hosts they knew hee could command the whole host of the reasonlesse or livelesse creatures to doe them service From this knowledge of God and his lawes did Solomon gather these unerring rules of sacred policy whose observation at this time did and might for ever have preserved this kingdome There is no inconvenience of peace no mischeife of warre no kind of calamity which can befall any state or kingdome against which the fundamentall lawes of this Nation and the rules of policy gathered from them by Solomon did not sufficiently provide The soveraigne remedies for every particular disease or kind of calamity are set downe at large 2. Chron. 6. v. 22. to the 40. The remedy against the calamity of war v. 24. 25. against the calamity that may come by drought v. 26. 27. against famine pestilence and blasting of corne or other inconvenience from the host of reasonlesse creatures you have the remedy v. 29. 30. against captivity in a foraigne land v. 37. 38. The soveraigne remedy against all these and other like inconveniences and calamities is for substance one and the same with that which good King Hezekiah here used to feare the Lord and pray unto the Lord either in the Temple when they had opportunity to resort unto it or towards the Temple or the place wherein it stood when they soiourned 〈◊〉 were detained Captives in a foraigne land And who so would diligently peruse the sacred story from Solomons time untill this peoples returne from captivity and the building up of the second Temple shall finde a probatum of this Catholique and soveraigne medicine in respect of every branch of calamity mentioned by Solomon at the consecration of the first Temple I must hold to the instance of my Text. Another branch of that which was contained in the fundamentall lawes of this kingdome and which goes a great deale deeper than the fundamentall rules of any other policy was this that of all calamities which did or could befall them their sinnes and transgressions were the prime causes and whatsoever afflictions were laid upon them for their sinnes could not bee taken off without the humble supplication of the sinners Vnto a lower ebbe then King Ahaz did leave it at the kingdome of Iudah had not beene brought by any of his Predecessors or by any other in their dayes Now of all the miseries which at any time befell it by the famine by the enemies sword or by the pestilence the only cause which the rule of faith assignes was their forsaking of the Lord their God and the transgressing of his lawes But to prevent the perpetuity and continuance of such calamities as king Ahaz and his Adherents had by their foule transgressions involved this kingdome in no attempt or practice of Prince or people whether joyntly or severally did ever finde successe untill they put Solomons rules of sacred policy in practice as good king Hezekiah did Did hee not feare the Lord and prayed before the Lord c. The fruits of his prayer and the reformation of those corrupt times by giving life unto their fundamentall lawes were two First his prayers procured an healing of the wounds which by negligence of his Predecessors had beene given to the State Secondly he prevented the execution of those terrible Iudgments which in his owne dayes did hang over this land and people specially over their Heads and Rulers The kingdome of David had sometimes exceeded the most flourishing neighbour kingdomes as farre as the Cedars of Libanus did the ordinary trees of the forrest but was now brought low That height which was left her but as a decayed tree markt to the fall Hezekiah by zealous prayers removes the axe from the roote after it had made such deepe incision that it was scarce able to beare its stemme though dispoiled of his top or principall branches it nearely concerned every one which hoped for shelter under its shade to pray for gentle winds and comfortable weather that shee might recover root and branch againe But so Hezekiah's and his peoples Successors did not Manasses his sonne found a people not untoward as being in some tolerable sort reformed by Hezekiah but he himselfe a most untoward King able by his authority and bad example to undoe what his good father had well done to spoile and marre a greater people than he was Lord of though better reformed in Iosiah
whatsoever is done with doubt or scruple is not of faith are oftner wrested sometimes to abette presumption in respect of God sometimes disobedience towards his vice-gerents than any other maximes in sacred writ besides For this present the limitation of them is briefly this Whensoever the doubt or controversy stands betwixt a mans belly or purse and his soule or conscience the Apostles rule whatsoever is not of faith is sinne is universally true whosoever doth any thing for his belly or purse or matters of such temporall consequence which he probably doubts may wound his soule or conscience his action or choice is not of faith is truly sinfull In other cases he that intends to doe much good must resolve to doe many things whereof hee cannot but doubt whereof hee cannot bee resolved but by the event or successe yet not sinne Thus these Ninevites were uncertaine or doubtfull whether the Lord would repent or no of the evill threatned against them and yet notwithstanding this doubt they did well exceeding well to fast and pray that hee might repent and in thus doubting and thus doing they declare not their workes only but their divinity to have beene much better than theirs who condemne the like actions of heathen men for sinfull because their persons were not sanctified by saving faith As for these Ninevites they had a true notion of that truth which the scripture teacheth to wit that as God is often said to repent so some speciall cases there be in which hee doth not in which hee wil not upon any termes repent and of which the Prophets saying is most true He is not as man or the sonne of man that hee should repent And such for instance was the case of Saul the first King of Israel in the issue though not from the beginning of his raigne or from that point of time wherein God revealed that branch of his will to Samuel 1. Sam. 15. It repenteth me that I have set Saul up to be King for he is turned backward from following me and hath not performed my commandements And he that turnes his backe from Gods commandements shall be sure to meet his judgements in the face But this heavy sentence against Saul as it there followeth grieved Samuel and hee cryed unto the Lord all night but his cryes were not heard for so it followes v. 35. that Samuel came no more to see Saul untill the day of his death neverthelesse he mourned for Saul and in the 1. v. of the 19. chap. Samuel is expressely forbidden to mourne for Saul and if hee might not mourne for him hee might not pray for him A lamentable case that so great a Prophet so good a man as Samuel was might not pray might not mourne for his soveraigne Lord whom by Gods speciall command he had anointed but the cause is intimated v. 28. 29. For when Saul by seeking to hold the Prophet from departing from him had rent his coate he returnes this heavy message unto him The Lord hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou and also the strength of Israel will not repent for he is not as man that he should repent And Samuel had no reason to mourne for him or to pray to God for reversing this sentence after he knew the Lord would not bee intreated to recall it But here the Aliens from the common weale of Israel or men of Iultans disposition would object is the God of Israel no otherwise affected towards his people towards Kings of his own making then the Gods of the heathen whom ye despise were towards kingdomes or Monarchies which served them Doth hee give his people iust cause to complaine of him as the heathen Poet did of his Gods when he saw Rome so rent and torne with civill warres that it could not long stand Heu faciles dare summa Deos eademque tueri Difficiles Will the strength of Israel advance a man to a kingdome which never sought it but had it put upon him whilst hee was seeking his fathers Asses And will he not be intreated to keepe him in it after long possession after many adventures of his body and effusion of his blood for supporting it Will he repent of the good which he had purposed to doe for Saul and will he not repent of the evill which he had denounced against him Thus uncatechised flesh and blood or men not instructed in the waies of God would repine Now it were an easie answer to say that God did thus peremptorily deale with Saul because it was his absolute will to depose him and to chuse David in his place But this or the like answere would make a foolish heathen starke mad and move a man that hovered betwixt heathenisme and Christianity to fall quite from us whereas we are bound by the Apostles rule to give no offence not only to the Church of God but neither to the Iew nor to the Gentile whereas this answer gives just occasion of offence to them all For sure the scripture is plaine and I thinke no Christian will in the generall deny that Saul did at this time much better deserve to be deposed than either hee or David did to bee elected King his sinnes were the meritorious cause of his rejection but what sinnes in particular is not so apparent Saul as some ancient interpreters observe was once little in his owne eyes and then he was a great man in Gods sight but hee grew great exceeding great in his owne eyes and the greater he thus grew the more hee waned in Gods favour whose eternall will and pleasure is to give grace unto the meeke and humble and to resist and bring downe the proud All this is true but too generall to give satisfaction to the doubt proposed For God doth never so peremptorily reject any lawfull Prince as hee did Saul without hope of repentance or reversing the sentence denounced against him unlesse it be for some excessive multitude or full measure of sinne or for some ominous or prodigious sinnes We read only of two remarkeable sinnes committed by Saul before his rejection the one was for offering a burnt offring and for his intendment to offer a peace offring before Samuel came unto him 1 Sam. 13. 19. 20. And for this transgression Samuel saith unto him v. 30. Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee For now would the Lord have established the kingdome upon Israel for ever Saul then had Gods promise before for the continuance of his kingdome But of this good truely intended to him the Lord from this time repents as it followes verse 14. But now the kingdome shall not continue Yet upon this fact it is not said that the Lord would not repent of the sentence denounced against him But what was Sauls folly in all this or was it any for as it is
DIVERSE SERMONS WITH A SHORT TREATISE BEFITTING THESE PRESENT TIMES Now first published BY THOMAS IACKSON Dr in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie and President of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford For the contents with the severall places of Scriptures expounded or illustrated in them see page following the Epistle OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD An. Dom. 1637. TO THE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES DVKE OF CORNWALL c. All the blessings of this life and of the life to come WOuld your Excellence vouchsafe if not at your best conveniences to read yet for the present to accept these Treatises following with the like favourable patience as your royall Father and my most gracious Soveraigne Lord and master did heare the most of them I should thinke my paines in publishing and offering this mite as well bestowed and as well recompenced as any other part of my labours in the ministry That you may long exhibite to this present and future ages a live expression of your most royall Fathers Princely vertues especially of his devotion in Gods service and his zeale to his house the Church that by continuance in thus doing you may continue in like favour with the King of kings and Lord of lords as Iehosephat Ezekiah and other best Princes of Iudah were is and shall be the daily prayer of Your highnesse most humbly devoted Servant THOMAS IACKSON TWO Sermons vpon 2. Chron. Cap. 6. vers 39. 40. Containing a Paraphrase on Solomons petition vnto God at the Consecration of the first Temple with the grant and successe of it ERRATA Pag. 9. line 21. her read his p. 10. l. 2. him r. them and l. 3. of r. or p. 16. l. vlt. that r. then that p. 40. l. 1. certaine r. certainty THREE Sermons vpon IER 26. vers 29. MICAH 3. v. 10. 11. 12. Errata Pag. 26. l. 11. dele their p. 30. l. 24. time r. our times p. 31. l. 30 labour r. labourer p. 30. l. 11. af r. after p. 32. l. 8. dele that p. 41. l. 8. or r and p. 70. l. 13. his r. its A Treatise concerning the signes of the times containing a Paraphrase or exposition vpon LVKE 13. vers 1. to the 11. and from vers 23. to 27. Errata Pag. 18. l. 1. tradii r. tradidi p. 37. l. 3. now r. nor p. 53. l. 8. for then r. or that A Sermon vpon the second Sunday in Advent containing a Paraphrase or Comment vpon LVKE 21. vers 1. to the 28. MATT. 24. vers 1. to 32. MARKE 13. vers 1. to 27. 2. CHRON. 6. 39. 40. 39. Then heare thou from Heavens even from thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications and maintaine their cause and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee 40. Now my God let I beseech thee thine eyes be open and let thine eares be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place 1 IT was the saying of a Roman Senator who thought himselfe well seene in matters of State Parvi sunt arma foris nisi sit consilium domi Armes are of little availe abroad without a wise Councell at home to give them instructions but the wise King part of whose words these of my text are saw a great way farther and layes his foundation much deeper parvi sunt arma foris parvi consilium domi nisi sint preces in Templo Councell of State or Councell of warre armes at home or armies sent abroad by their directions with their best instructions adde little to the security and safety of State and Kingdome without prayers in the Church or house of God And for this reason although he had now erected a goodly Temple with as Princely and cheerfull a heart as his Father David had built an Altar unto the name and honour of the God of Israel yet he thought it no Sacrilege no robbery at all to intend a publique and perpetuall benifite to the State and Kingdome from this glorious worke So compatible are Royall intentions of Gods honour with desires of Gods blessings temporall upon the people committed to their charge that this wise King even whilst he dedicates this great house unto his God for a peculiar habitation wherein he would be pleased to place his name yet consecrated withall as a Sanctuary for every afflicted soule to be more then an Arsenall for warre as a Magazine of medicines and remedies for all manner of wounds or diseases incident to the body publique 2 God had given this young King a large talent of Princely wisdome and the spirit of government in an extraordinarie manner and of this extraordinarie wisdome and spirit one speciall part it was to know that it was not in the power of man not within the compasse of any wisdome though participated from aboue to direct his owne wayes much lesse the wayes of others aright least of all to give successe to their best directions As the skill of Pylots is best knowne in a storme or dangerous passage so is the wisdome of Rulers best tried in perplexity or distresse The best proofe or triall which Solomon could give of his wisdome in this case was the knowledge to frame his petitions aright to the God of wisdome and Lord of Hosts This whole Chapter is no other then an Anatomy Lecture of the diseases and wounds of Kingdomes and Common-weales publiquely read by Solomon for the instruction of Princes and Rulers that should come after him It is the glory of a King as this King elsewhere obserues to finde out a secret and to punish iniquity when it is found out though committed in secret and to render to every man according to the equity of his cause being made knowne is the duty of a Iudge but in as much as many controversies of right and wrong must be determined by oath if men will be so destitute of the feare of God as to sweare falsly or to contrive their owne gaine and others harmes by perjury what Iudge can help what Prince can remedy men by this meanes distressed Yet Solomon begins at this inward sore or secret corruption the remedy he seekes from the searcher of mens thoughts and hearts So he prayes 2. Chron. 6. 22. 23. If a man Sinne against his Neighbour and an oath be layed upon him to make him sweare and the oath come before thine Altar in this house Then heare thou from Heaven and doe and Iudge thy servants by requiting the wicked by recompensing his way upon his owne head and by iustifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousnes To recompense the wayes of this wicked man upon his owne head is one of the mercies which in conclusion he beseeches the Lord to shew unto his people for crudele est hîc misericordem esse Though mercy be alwaies good yet the better it is the worse it is placed upon such pestilent members As great a cruelty to shew pitty upon the perjur'd as to pamper or cherish any
joynt or member of the body wherein the Gangrene or other deadly spreading sore hath got possession or roote From this internall imbred corruption he proceeds unto more publique and grievous wounds or diseases usually made by causes externall as when Israel shal be overthrowne before their enemies v. 25. When the heavens shall be shut up and the earth be without raine v. 26. When there shal be Famine Pestilence mildew Grashoppers or Caterpillers When the enemy shall besiege thee in the Cities When they shal be afflicted by any Plague or sicknesse v. 28. The soveraigne remedy for all and every one of these and the like is the very same and it is this v. 20. 21. Then heare thou from heaven from thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications and maintaine their cause and forgive thy people which haue sinned against thee v. 29. But what if this people should be led captive into a foraigne land not permitted to repaire unto this house where the Lord had placed his name This Solomon foresaw as a matter not impossible how ample soever his promises unto his father David and his seed might in ordinary construction seeme to be is there any possible salve for this possible fore or can this house which he had consecrated to be an house of prayer afford them in this case any remedy when they could not come to pray in it yes the remedy is prescrib'd v. 38. 39. If they returne to thee with all their heart and with all their soule in the land of their captivity whither they haue caryed them captives and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers and towards the city which thou hast chosen and towards the house which I have built for thy name Then heare thou from heaven c. Soe then both Prince and people were to pray in this house whilst they possest this land and city wherein it stood to pray towards it when they soiourned in forraigne Coasts or were detained in the land of their captivity to pray towards the place wherein it had stood in case it should be demolished So did Daniel after this house which Solomon built was burnt to the ground 3 The prerogatives which he petitions might be bestowed upon this house of prayer were you see exceeding great Was it then any part of his intention in the suite or of Gods purpose in the grant to have this house endowed with such ample priviledges for the use or benefit of Israel only or of Abrahams seede according to the flesh surely Solomon did conceive his prayers out of a perfect and speciall faith yet the specialty of his faith in Gods promises made unto Israell or to Abrahams seede did no way extinguish his charity or abate his good affectiō towards others for he expressely consecrates his house to be an house of prayer for the use benefit of all the nations under heaven though in the first place for Israel Moreover as touching the stranger which is not of thy people Israel but is come from a farre country for thy great names sake and thy mighty hand and thy streched out arme if they come and pray in this house then heare thou from heaven even from thy dwelling place and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for that all people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as doth thy people Israell and may know that this house which I haue built is called by thy name 32. 33. He knew the gracious goodnesse of his God to be in it selfe so great so truly infinite that it could not be a whit lessoned towards Israell how farre soever it were extended towards others as it is extended to all men without exception insensu divise though not in sensu composito it is thus far extended unto all to the end that they might come to the knowledge of the truth but not extended not communicated to such as love darknesse better then light and falshood then truth It was then well with Israell when their charity towards others was like their heavenly fathers love without factious partiality or respect of persons It was their seeking to ingrosse Gods promised blessings unto mankind which twice brought that greivous curse upon them under which at this day they sigh and groane Now if all the nations on earth had this interest in Solomons Temple shall we deny any one of what Nation soever the like interest in Abrahams seed concerning whom the Lord had sworne that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed Thus much of the generall scope or view of this Chap to retire my selfe unto my text which is as the center or fittest Angle for taking the exact survey of this long and fruitfull field 4 To give you then a briefe comprehension of the principallest and most fundamentall truths either directly incident into or naturall emergent out of it First it is taken as granted by Solomon and it is to us a point of faith that as well the Calamities as the Prosperities of states and kingdomes are from the Lord It is he that giveth life as well to bodyes politique as to naturall It is he that woundeth and it is he that maketh whole Secondly no Calamity or wounds of state are in their nature incurable if this remedy be sought in time they grow incurable only by neglect of the medicines in Gods word prescribed Thirdly the only Soveraigne remedy for restoring states and kingdomes diseased and wounded by the hand of God unto their perfect health is prayer and Supplications to the King of Kings The last must be the conditions of the prayers or qualification of the Supplicants by whom such prayers as may prevaile with God must be made Vpon this point Solomon often toucheth in severall passages of this Chapter Such of the heathens as were alwayes ready to sacrifice unto their owne right armes for victory inbattle and unto their owne wit in policy for the sweet fruits of peace did often observe certaine surplusses of successe good or bad which they could not account to be the naturall issue either of their industry or contrivance and whatsoever fell without the mould of their hopes or feares was attributed to fates if it were disastrous to fortune or chance if it were good now whatsoever the heathens did ascribe to fortune to chance or fate or to any other supposed guide of nature or intermedling power in humane affaires all these the wise king ascribes wholy unto his God he is the God of peace and yet the God that maketh warre the Lord of hostes the God of plenty and yet the God that sendeth scarcity The God of our health and life and yet it is he which punisheth with plague and sicknesses Nor are we bound only to derive all extraordinary successe which the heathen gave to fortune and fate but ever even the usuall successe of ordinary endeavours be it good or bad from his providence That the
reward and the Priests therereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Now untill these greedy hopes of unlawfull gaine were abandoned they could not pray in faith The ministration of publique Iustice for private reward the Priests teaching for hire and the Prophets divination for money would respectively turne their very prayers into sinne Now what meanes could be more effectuall for abandoning these and the like sinnes then the iudgement which the Prophet there threatned from the Lord Therefore shall Sion for your sake be plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall become heapes and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forrest Micah 3. 12. If the heads of the house of Iudah and Princes of the house of Israel to whom this message is directed did sincerely and truly beleive him that sent it they could not but feare least without their speedy repentance the Lord would quickly accomplish whatsoever the Prophet in his name had threatned Now hearty and unfained feare that Sion should be plowed as a field that Ierusalem should become a heape would move all such as had not their habitation only but the very roote of their livelyhood in them to lay a better foundation of their owne and of their posterities welfare than bloud and violence It would incline the hearts of their Rulers and Magistrates to breake off their iniquity by sincere administration of Iustice by almes-deeds and workes of mercy Feare againe least the mountaine of the house that is the Temple or whose flourishing estate the livelyhood and welfare of Priests and Prophets did so depend as the Passengers life doth on the safety of the ship wherein hee sailes would worke their hearts to an observance of the properties or qualifications to the performance of all the conditions which are required to faithfull and effectuall praiers But of the conditions of successefull praiers and of the qualification of good Suppliants fitter occasion will offer it selfe hereafter Thus much towards this purpose wee have gotten from these generals that the hearts of men which have been long accustomed or hardened in perverse courses of grosser sinnes will hardly be new moulded or refashioned according or wrought unto the temper and modell of Hezekiah's heart until they be made to melt with feare of such Iudgements as Micah here theatened against Iudah Ierusalem and Sion For producing this melting or mollifying feare the considerations are specially three First the consciousnesse or apprehensions of such sinnes as specially provoke Gods anger or sollicite his Iudgments Secondly a faithfull recounting of divine forewarnings or monitions past especially if they have been grossely neglected or usually sleighted Thirdly the Inspection of the instrumentall causes or meanes in probability appointed for the execution of Iudgments threatened or a diligent observance of the signes of the time As these be the speciall meanes for begetting unfained feare so the best method for nurturing up such feare begotten that it neither grow slavish nor wilde that it end not in desperation is to know in what sence the Lord is said to repent For the sinnes which specially provoke Gods fearefull iudgement against any land or people wee cannot have a more distinct view of them in breife than from the Prophet Micah in the forecited place Bribery and corruption in the seates of Iustice oppressions and cruelty in the mighty and wealthy mercenary temporizings in the sonnes of Levi every one of these diseases is dangerous though alone but when they all meete in any state or kingdome they grow deadly Or if Micah may be no further allowed of than of a single witnesse we may adde unto him the like testimonies of the Prophet Isaiah who lived in the same time with him Corruption in the seate of Iustice did in his time taint the service of the Temple turned the prayers of the Rulers into sinne and made their sacrifices become abominable Esay 1. 14. The very aversnesse or unwillingnesse of such Rulers and oppressors as these were to have the law laid unto them by the Prophets was a prognostick of suddaine Iudgements approaching Isaiah 30. 13. Therefore this iniquity shall bee to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking comes at an instant Now if the Priests and Prophets whose office it is to discover and repaire such breaches doe but dawbe them with untempered mortar and so hide aud cover them from their sight whom it concernes to beware of them by this doing they draw the multitude within the reach of that ruine and destruction which like a trap or snare was ready to fall upon them Or least any should suspect that these prognosticks did serve only for Ierusalem and Iudah the same Prophet instructs us Isaiah 47. that it was oppression and cruelty towards such as shee had conquered which did draw Gods Iudgements upon Babel But that which made them to fall so suddainly and unexpectedly upon them was the popular and man-pleasing humors of her Soothsayers and Diviners Ierusalem and Iudah were at this time sicke of all those three diseases and therefore had iust cause to feare the iudgements threatned Quid quod hos morbos gravius symptoma sequatur There is a symptome mentioned by the Prophet Micah which was worse then the diseases themselves yet will they leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us None ill can come upon us v. 11. Elsewhere we reade this people taxed by Gods Prophets for trusting sometimes in lyes sometimes in oppression or violence oft times for putting confidence in their owne strength or in the strength of their confederates But of any branch of this fault they were not at this time guilty yet taxed no lesse as being no lesse taxe-worthy shall I say for trusting the Lord or rather as the Prophet saith for leaning on the Lord That is for presuming on his favour in the consciousnesse of such sinnes as they now stood charged with That to presume on Gods wonted favours or ordinary protection in the consciousnesse of extraordinary sinnes is a most grievous sinne against God best proportioned by his sinne against Gods Deputy who being infected with some dangerous disease should presume to rest himselfe upon the royall chaire is a truth unquestionable But why this people being thus dangerously infected should at this time specially leane upon the Lord and avouch his warrant upon their protection may well be questioned not unfitting to be inquired after The reason I take it is this These peoples fore-elders or these very men themselves in Ahaz time had usually beene indited of Idolatry and found guilty specially of worshipping in high places aud serving groves and Idols But Hezekiah in the very beginning of his raigne remooved the high places brake the Images cut downe the groves brake in peeces the brasen Serpent that Moses had made 2. Kings 18. v. 14. Nor was hee more zealous in repressing all worships of false Gods or Idolatry then
us For the unerring eye of his all-seeing providence and omnipotently stedfast hand by which he wields the scales of justice would not have suffered his consuming wrath to come any nearer to us then we were come unto the full measure of our iniquity 10 The first thing which then was or now is to be enquired after is what were the extraordinary and speciall sinnes which drew Gods iudgements so neare upon us These were not the cruelty of lawes enacted against professors of that religion which these traitors professed as they as foolishy as impiously alleadge nor was the negligence or connivence of such as were put in trust with the execution of these lawes the cause of the iudgement then threatned as some others out of misguided zeale suspect Of such negligence or omission or of whatsoever else may give any advantage to the adversaries of our peace and religion there were some positive causes in our selves God only knowes how many but of these we cannot but take notice which the Prophet Micah expresseth or some like unto them as sacriledge oppression and bribery in the layty Simony and time-serving in the Clergy luxury prophanenesse and hypocrisie in both Now when the professors of true religion shall give undoubted proofe of their constant and impartiall zeale against these foule enormities or for enquiring after the most enormous delinquents in all these kindes there will bee good hope that the lawes already enacted or projected against idolatry against superstition and false religion shall have their wished successe But suppose that upon the occasion or opportunity which these idolatrous miscreants had in a manner thrust into the hands of our law-makers the suppression of idolatry and superstition throughout this land had been more exact and more compleat then that which Hezekiah in the beginning of his raigne had wrought in Judah Was there any probability that those other diseases which Micah mentions would have beene one jot abated any likely-hood that the most amongst us would not have learned that song or ditty by heart is not the Lord now amongst us or the Antiphony unto it would have been no evill can come upon us Other grosse exorbitancies usually come within the stroake of the civill sword and lye open to the execution of wholesome lawes but for snipping this secret hypocrisie or presumptuous leaning upon the Lord though in the professors of true religion the severest execution of wholesome lawes or exercise of the civill sword hath no force or dint the cure of this disease properly belongs unto the Divine and the method to cure it is contrary to the ordinary course of law or physicke wee must breake a generall custome of this people and teach them not to rare their affections unto truth by their opposition unto false-hood not to measure their zeale and love to true religion by their hatred of false religion These be the very rootes of that hypocrisie or presumption which Micah so deeply taxeth in the state of Iudah the chiefe ingredient in the leaven of the Pharisees But lest more of this people should slide into an errour too common unto many as if such a reformation of religion as they affect would acquit or secure the state and kingdome from all danger of Gods threatned judgements let us here behold the severity and mercy of our gratious God Mercy I say towards us and severity towards our brethren professors of reformed religion in neighbour nations whom he hath of late subiected to the enemies sword and other calamities of warre for what transgression in particular hee only knowes but surely not for those transgressions which some out of discontented zeale conceive to be the only cause of his displeasure against this nation whensoever any crosse or calamity befals themselves for no man can suspect those foraine Churches which he hath visited of late were deepely guilty either of connivance to superstition or to much favouring Arminianisme However the righteous Lord by chastising them doth fore-warne us to examine and judge our selves and if we find no other causes or probable occasions to feare the approach of the like Iudgements upon our selves yet even this alone will in the day of visitation make a great addition to our generall accompt that we did not humble our selves with feare and trembling whilst the Lord did humble and correct them whilst his hand was heavy upon such of our nation as were sent abroad for their succour Our consciences will one day accuse us when wee shall have occasion to seeke the Lord that we have not for the yeares late past besought his goodnesse with greater feare and devotion to remoove the rod of his wrath from them But did the Lord in this interim direct no messengers of his wrath unto us within our own coasts Did mortality and famine only follow the campe abroad or townes besieged in other nations The famine Gods name be praised for it hath not for many yeares beene either universally spread throughout this land or extraordinary grievous upon any greater portion of it and yet hath left so deepe impression in some native members of this great body as may evidently convince the rest of great stupidity in not sympathizing more deepely with them And stupidity or dulnesse in any member whilst other suffer is an infallible Symptome of a dangerous disease oft-times a certaine prognosticke of death and hee were but an indocile Christian that could not by those knowne calamities which much people of this land have suffered from this messenger instruct himselfe how easie it is for the righteous Iudge to bring such calamity upon this kingdome by this messenger alone as would move even the most malicious and cruell enemies that we have had to bemoane our case although we were fully assured of a constant peace with all other neighbour-nations that have any power or ability to annoy us by the sword or any practice of hostility Rome in her growth in her height of greatnesse and in her declining dayes had received many grievous wounds was subiect in all estates to fearefull calamities and disasters yet never in such a lamentable and ruefull plight as the famine had brought her to if wee may iudge of her inward griefe either by her bitter outcries or by the deiected and gastly dresse in which one of her sonnes then living hath set her forth Si mea mansuris meruerunt moenia nasci Iupiter auguriis si stant immota Sibillae Carmina Tarpeias si nec dum despicis arces Advenio supplex non ut proculcet Oaxen Consul ovans nostraeve premant pharetrata secures Susa nec ut rubris aquilas figamus arenis Haec nobis haec antè dabas nunc pabula tantùm Poscimus ignoscas miserae pater optime genti Extremam defende famem satiavimus iram Siqua fuit lugenda Getis flenda Suëvis Hausimus ipsa meos horreret Parthia casus After a solemne resignation of all clayme title or interest to all former victories
or wonted triumphes shee takes upon her the beggers garbe and becomes an humble suppliant for bread and for that not in iust competency but in such a measure as might asswage or prevent extremity of hunger of which shee had suffered so much as shee thought would have given full satisfaction either to her ancient and inveterate foes or to the most malignant of her moderne enemies enough as shee thought to have drawne sighes from the barbarous Getes or to have wrung teares from the mercilesse Swab or to have cast Parthia her selfe into a swoon so shee might have beene a spectatour of her ruefull and tragicall plight yet all this evill came upon her not by observation it was not preventible by any forecast or policy besides that which Ezekiah here uses this would have sufficed so it had beene practised in time But it is not the representation of that which hath befallen others long since or may hereafter befall our selves which will so much affect us as the recognition of that which we our selves have formerly suffered It will not then I hope be unseasonable to put you in minde how in these later times whilst neighbour nations addresse their Embassadors to to this court either to condole the death of our Soveraignes or to congratulate our ioy for the happy continuance of royall succession there still hath come one unwelcome or unexpected Embassador either with them or before them to this people And however he seeme to plead for the grave yet his message is from heaven and for our peace though he find audience for the most part with needy sicke or dying men yet his instructions are principally directed to the living and potent amongst us and the tenure of them is in effect thus thinke you that those whom the Lord hath wounded with his poisonous arrowes were greater sinners then your selves or that they have suffered more then they have deserved I tell you nay but except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish unlesse you prepare your hearts to meet the Lord while hee is on the way a greater plague then the plague of pestilence is comming against you Yet hath that plague beene twice in our memory more fearefull then in the daies of our forefathers To omit that great mortality which was almost universall throughout this land about twenty seaven yeares agoe The calamities which followed upon the 2d arrivall or returne of this Embassadour about 5 yeares agoe did leave a live print or character of that feare by which the Prophet Amos describes the day of the Lord. Amos. 5. v. 18. 19. The day of the Lord saith he is darknesse and not light as if a man did flye from a Lion and a Beare met him and went into the house and leane his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him Many fled from the great city as a man would flye from a Lion and thought themselves safe if they could get into a ship for some other port but sped no better then if they had met with a Beare death being as ready as they were to imbarque it selfe as a passenger for every port authorized to execute his commission as well by sea as by land others comming to the shore were more harbourlesse in the wished for haven then if they had committed themselves to the mercilesse waves of the sea which way soever they tooke their case was like unto a stricken deare haeret lateri letalis arundo They could not shift aside from Gods arrow which still tooke up some vitall part for his marke Some after their arrivall in their native soyle wandred without companions to support them in their weaknesse and lastly dyed in the fresh and open aire without that comfort which the infected places from which they fled might have afforded them without consorts in their sighes and grones without such mutuall expressions of griefe as Sympathy of nature brings forth in the beastes of the field But amongst the wofull spectacles which the calamity of those times presented none me thinkes more apt to imprint the terrour of Gods iudgements deeper then to have seen men otherwise of undaunted spirits men whom no enemies lookes or braggs could afright afrayd to hold parley with their native countrey-men that came unto them with words of love and peace more agast to embrace their dearest friends or nearest kinsfolks then to graspe an adder or a snake The plague of pestilence is above all other diseases catching and such as have beene most observant of it's course tell us men of covetous mindes or unseasonably greedy of gaine are usually soonest caught by it though exposed to no greater or more apparent visible danger then others are The course which this messenger of death observes if these mens observation of it be true may leade our conjecture to one speciall cause why it was sent amongst us with such large commission surely if in the daies of health and peace it had not beene usuall for one neighbour to prey upon another and to verifie the saying homo homini lupus the neighbour-hood and presence of men of the same nation and profession would not have become more terrible unto others then if their habitations had beene amongst Wolves or Lions or other ravenous creatures But to what end soever this fearefull messenger was sent amongst us the tenor of his message either was not well understood or is not perfectly remembred And for this reason his commission hath beene renewed of late in the times of our hopes and joy for the continuance of royall succession in a straight line But Gods name be ever blessed who hath hitherto so tempered his judgements with mercy that we have more just cause of joy and thanksgiving for the birth of one then of sorrow for the death of many Yet let not this I beseech you abate our feare of future judgements or occasion us to thinke that the Lord either hath repented or will repent of the evill which hee hath so often threatned whereof he hath given this land and people so many warnings untill wee bring forth better fruites of our repentance then hitherto wee have done That thus we may doe let us pray continually to the Lord that hee would teach us to feare as Hezekias did that he would teach us to pray as Hezekias did As for him hee is the same Lord still the same loving Father to us that he was to Iudah and cannot forget to repent whensoever wee shall truly turne unto him Convert us O Lord we shall be converted IER 26. 19. And the Lord repented him of the evill which he had pronounced against them Thus might we procure great evill against our soules THIS is the resolution of a controversie debated from the beginning of this chapter vnto this place between the Priests the Prophets and the people and the Princes of the land whether the Prophet Ieremy were to be put to death for saying the Lord would make his temple like Shiloh and the
a visible model or character of his owne forme◠dealing with this stubborne people When wee read the sacred story 2. Chron. 26. or the lamentations of Ieremy concerning the miserable massacre of both Priests and people of young and old and the utter destruction of both city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar we cannot much wonder at such cruelty as was then practised by a barbarous and cruell tyrant alwaies willing to doe his worst against all that did oppose him But that these historicall expressions of Ierusalem's misery under Nebuchadnezzar a patterne of tyrants should become true prophecies that the miseries of this people at that time should be but as prodigious signes or portendment of farre greater miseries under the Roman Titus the flower of curtesy and mirrour of affability amongst Princes this points at somewhat extraordinary at somewhat worthy of admiration This visible type or shadow hath a body answerable unto it Titus is the type or shadow than whom no man that day living could have beene more unwilling either to practice cruelty upon any private man or to bring ruine upon any city or Nation And yet the Iewish Nation and Ierusalem the Queene of cities did suffer farre greater misery under him than any city or Nation of the world besides did ever suffer under the most bloudy tyrant into whose hands the Lord had given them But how unwilling soever he was to practice cruelty or suffer it to be practised by others under him yet he was bound to practice the discipline of warre not to staine either his owne worth or the majesty of the Roman empire by prostituting his native clemency unto desperate stubborne rebels That of the Prophet Hosea was never more truely verified never more exactly fulfilled in any generation of this people than it was in this last Perditio tua ex te ô Israel salus ex me That this city and Temple was spared so long that this people had so large a time for repentance this was altogether from God who willeth not the death of him that dyes and to testify this amor benevolentiae this good will of his unto them as they were men even unto the last end and after they had broken off amorem amicitiae the love of friendship he sends for a generall against them not a Vitellius but a Titus a man quoad haec or in this particular after his owne heart a man as it were composed of princely valour and clemency That in the issue the city the Temple and people perished after such a tragicall and unparallel'd a manner as they did this was their owne doing their owne seeking They themselves did give fire first unto the Temple and afterwards by their desperate stubbornesse provoked the Roman souldiers to accomplish the combustion so contrary unto Titus his will and command that nothing besides necessity would have excused them but thus they and their forefathers provoked God himselfe to punish and plague them so often as they were plagued hee being alwaies of his owne nature and goodnesse more compassionate towards them than any father can be towards his sonne than any mother towards the fruits of her wombe To conclude this point the blood of these few Galileans which Pilate mingled with the blood of their sacrifices and that disaster which befell those eighteene by the fall of the Tower in Siloe being compared with the nationall disaster of Ierusalem Galilee beare but the same proportion which the cloud that Elias servants saw arising out of the sea like a mans hand did unto that great inundation which immediatly followed upon it Now as none but a Prophet could have prognosticated such abundance of moisture from so litle an appearance so none but the Prince of Prophets could have discovered that unparallel'd destruction of Galilee Iudea and the Iewish Nation from such pettie and private disasters as these two mentioned in my text forty yeares before their accomplishment THE MORALL PART OF THIS TREATISE THE most vsefull consideration which these words discussed compared with the former chapter afford us are for the generall two First they teach us to beware of rash iudgment or censuring others as extraordinary sinners or more grieuous sinners then our selues though Gods visible iudgments vpon them which are alwayes most just be extraordinary Secondly they instruct us to lay Gods extraordinary judgements upon others or other unusuall signes of the times unto our own hearts For these are the usuall meanes whereby the spirit of God doth worke sinners to true repentance Wherein true repentance which is the duties whereunto our Saviour by these signes exhorts the people doth consist is the subject of other meditations consonant to these present To the first point that rash judgment or vnadvised censuring of others is a foule fault even in best men all men good and bad doe agree But not to censure or esteeme of others on whom God hath shewed notorious judgments as more notorious sinners then those which escape his judgments this may seeme for diverse reasons questionable First as all sober-minded men agree it cannot stand with the goodnesse of God to plague or punish any but for some sinne or other And if thus to deale with men be a branch of his goodnes it must be a branch of his justice to recompence extraordinary and grievous sinners with extraordinary and grievous punishments What fault is it then to judge of the cause by the effect why may we not censure them for notorious sinners or more grievous sinners than our selves whom the righteous Lord hath remarkably judged or grievously punished If to reward every man according to all his waies bee the irresistible rule of eternall and unchangeable justice what reason have wee to deny all those to bee most grievous sinners which he that cannot erre in judgment hath punished most severely Every part of these Quere's would sway much with any reasonable Christian if there were no punishment reserved by Gods eternall justice for the life to come All of them would bee unanswerable if the truth of that maxime or generall rule God rewards every man according to all his wayes or workes did determine or expire with our last mortall breaths But seeing we all expect or at least professe our expectation that Christ Iesus shall come to judge as well all those which are dead as those which he shal finde alive at his second comming we cannot by rule of faith or reason expect that every man should be rewarded according to all his waies before that last and finall judgment Wee may not presume that any man the least sinner that dyes in his sinnes should be punished according to all his deserts before that last and generall assize After that day or after the eternall and most righteous judge hath given finall sentence wee may safely say and pronounce that this man hath beene a more grievous sinner than that than we our selves were because we see him more grievously punished or sentenced to a more