LORDS annointed 2. Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezer king of Soba against David Their successe is recorded in the same place David slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them al likewise perish who make heâ—d 〈◊〉 themseluâ—s togâ—ther against the LORDS annointed 1. Chron. 〈…〉 which is by in◠〈…〉 lying betweene the 〈…〉 commonly knowne by the name of b Bertram Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praefat. Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against David and were partakers in their overthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriach Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choise of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 do make this Padan-Aram to be a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolemee Ancobaâ—â— Thus doth the holy Spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the couÌ„try of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehâ—b Aram Ishâ—â—b Aram Maacah Aram of Damascuâ— Arâ—m Nâ—â—araiâ— and Padan Aram. Here Aram put without any adiuncâ— to 〈…〉 oâ—e region may 〈…〉 all Syria devided by our Prâ—phet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three 〈◊〉 of Damascus â—ikâ—â—th 〈◊〉 and â—â—th 〈◊〉 as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstaÌ„ding by Damascâ—â— the couÌ„try adioining the whole coast of Dâ—â—â—polis by Râ—kâ—â—th-Aneâ— the couÌ„try called Châ—â—â—â—thâ— which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Dâ—sâ—râ— by Beth-edâ—n the whole couÌ„try of Coelesyria wherein stood the citie Eden The people that is 〈◊〉 of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the â—â—ble also 〈◊〉 word is generall and conteineth all Shall go into captivity They shal be carryed away from their natiue couÌ„try into a strange lâ—nd in slâ—very and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrâ—â—â— c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pâ—â—â—apoliâ— the â—â—tiue couÌ„try of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eâ—â—â—â—st hâ—â—es the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan Syâ—â—â—châ—â— and S. Hierome do seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman do expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes best approued expositors doe avouch Tremellius Iunius vpon the 2. Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captivitie was called Syromedia it was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hill Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captivitie of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fiftie yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and carried a way captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly delivered 2. King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captivitie shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the LORD true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shal goe into captivitie vnto Kir saith the LORD Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the LORD by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captivitie This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captivitie bondage and slaverie was to be in an vnknown strange and farre countrey Kir in MEDIA From the first 〈…〉 of the punisher the LORD of hoasts imploying in his 〈◊〉 the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Arâ—â—iâ—â—â— or Syriâ—â—s into captivitie wee are put in mind of a well knowne truth in divinitie Almighty God in his government of the world worketh ordinarily by mâ—anes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily hee worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily hee worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessitie produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or nor to doe In this rancke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Israelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessitie they might haue done otherwise In this rancke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King David 2. Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and rayling vpon him was not of necessitie hee might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captivitie this people of Aram not of necessitie hee might haue left vnto them their natiue countrie lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessarie or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his governement of the world worketh ordinarily God laid wast Sodom Gomorah and their sisâ—er cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed every thing that was vpoÌ„ the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the foule of the heaven only was Noah saved and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water Gen. 7.23 God sent Ioseph into Egypt to preserue his fathers posteritie and to saue them aliue by a great deliverance as Ioseph himselfe confesseth Gen. 45.7 This was Gods doing but hee did it by Iosephs owne brethren who you knowe sold him to the Ismaelites God sent an affliction vpon David for his good by cursed speaking throwing of stones where in David acknowledgeth Gods speciall singer 2. Sam. 16.11 The thing was Gods doing He did it by Shimei the sonne of Iemini God spake the word concerning the people of Aram that they should goe into captivitie as appeareth in my text God spake the word it was done God therefore sent the people of Aram into captivitie but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria All these though I said it before I say it againe All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or
second causes definite or indefinite necessarie or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his governement of the world ordinarily worketh This doctrine of Almightie God working ordinarily by meanes may serue to our vse sundry waies 1 It may moue vs to a due consideration of that absolute right and power which God holdeth over all is creatures This truth I haue heretofore delivered vnto you in my eighth Lecture vpon this Prophecie in this proposition As is the fire so are all other creatures at the LORDS commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked 2 It may teach vs that God hath a loving regard and respect to our infirmities as well knowing for hee knoweth all things that in doubtfull matters we vse often to looke backe and to haue recourse to meanes or second causes 3 It may moue vs to obedience and thankefulnesse that we contemne not the meanes or second causes by which God worketh for this were to tempt God but that we thankefully imbrace them and commit their issue event and successe to God that worketh by them 4 It meeteth with a perverse opinion of such as doe hold that all second causes are needlesse and vnprofitable because God by his particular providence directeth and bringeth to passe all things in the world Thus wil these â—en 〈…〉 determined by Gods providence that I shall 〈…〉 there is no need that I vse Physicke aâ—d â—f 〈…〉 determined that I shall not recouer in 〈◊〉 shall I vse the helpe of Physicke Againe if it be determined that theeues shall haue no power over mee I shall escape from out the middest of many but if it bee otherwise determined that I shall be spoiled by them I shall not escape them no though I be in mine owne house Great is the iniurie which these disputers doe offer vnto God For answer to them I must grant that God hath a very speciall care over vs to defend vs and that we are no time safe but by his providence but meane while to make vs well assured of his good will towards vs hee hath ordained second causes and meanes for vs at all opportunities times convenient to vse in which and by which it pleaseth his heauenly Maiestie to worke effectually The rule in divinitie is good Positâ providentiâ particulari non tâ—â—â—â—tâ—r 〈◊〉 omnes causa secunda It is not necessarie that the first and principall cause being put the second and instrumentall cause should be remoued and taken away The sun doth not in vaine daily rise set though God createth light and darknesse the fields are not in vaine sowed watred with raine though God bringeth forth the come out of the earth our bodies are not in vaine with food refreshed though God be the life length of our daies Neither are wee in vaine taught to beleeue in Christ to heare the preaching of the Gospell to detest sinne to loue righteousnesse to conforme our liues vnto sound doctrine though our saluation and life eternall bee the free gift of God For God hath from everlasting decreed as the ends so the meanes also which hee hath prescribed vnto vs by them to bring vs to the ends This the great Father of this age Zanchius de attributis Dei lib. 5. cap. 2. qu. 5. expresly avoweth His Thesis is concerning life eternall Whosoever are predestinated to the end they are also predestinated to the meanes without which the end cannot possibly be obtained For example whosoever are predestinated to eternall life as all we this day assembled hope we are they are also predestinated to the â—eâ—â—es by which life eternall may bee obtained These meanes vnto eternall life are of two sorts 1. Some are necessarie vnto all of whatsoever age or sexe and they are Christ as our mediatour and high Priest his obedience and righteousnesse our effectuall vocation vnto Christ by the holy Ghost our iustification our glorification These are so necessarie vnto all that without them none can bee saued And therefore all elect infants are inwardly and after a secret manner by the holy Ghost called iustified that they may be glorified 2. Some annexed vnto these are necessary too but not to all Not to infants because they are not capable of them yet to all that are growne to yeares of vnderstanding and these are Actuall faith the hearing of the word a hatred of sinne the loue of righteousnesse patience in adversitie a desire of doing good workes All these meanes we that are growne to years of vnderstanding must embrace and take hold of every one according to our capacities or else wee shall never enter into everlasting life but our portion shall bee in that lake which is provided for the Devill and his Angels from which God Almightie keepe vs all Thus farre occasioned by my first circumstance the circumstance of the punisher God by the King of Assyria sent into captivitie the people of Aram. My doctrine was Almightie God in his governement of the world worketh ordinarily by meanes or second causes The second circumstance is of the punished the Aramites of all sorts the ruder and the noble The people of Aram. To grouÌ„d some doctrine hereon you must note with me the qualitie condition of these Aramites They were professed enimies to the people of God This appeareth before in the third verse where they are noted to haue exercised most barbarous crueltie against the Gileadites a parcell of Israel to haue threshed them with threshing instruments of yron These Aramites or Syrians for so highly offending God sendeth into captivitie The doctrine is Though the LORD 〈◊〉 vse his enimies aâ— instruments to correct his owne servants and children yet will hee in his due times overthrow those his enimies with a large measure of his iudgements Gods holy practise in this kind specially registred in sundry places of his eternal word most evidently declareth this truth The Israelites were kept in the al dome bondage many years by the Egyptians The Egyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith he afflicted his people they were Gods weapons were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull overthrow in the red sea at large set downe in the booke of Exodus froÌ„ the 7. chapter to the end of the 14. This was it which God said vnto Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. Knowe for a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirâ— foure hundred yeares shall serue them and they shall intreat them evill notwithstanding the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and vineyard Ahab and Iezebel were Gods instruments Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse
peeces like potters vessels Wherefore dearely beloved in the Lord while God is pleased to withhold from vs his one hand of Iustice and to strech over vs his other of Mercy to the blessing of vs in our fields in our cattle in our stoare let vs not be wedded to the hardnesse of our owne heâ—rts let vs not dwell in our old sinnes nor heap new vpon them least so wee treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Let vs rather even now while it is now cast away al workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let vs take no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lustes of it Let vs walke no more as formerly we haue done in gluttony in drunkennes in chambering in wantennesse in strife in envying in deceit in falshood in vanitie but let vs walke honestly as in the day and put we on the Lord Iesus Whatsoever things are true honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there be any vertue or praise thinke wee on these things Thinke we on these things to doe them and we shall not need to feare any desolation to our houses or barrennesse to our grounds our dwelling houses shall not mourne or perish the top of our Carmel shall not wither our fields shall bring forth increase vnto vs. For God even our owne God shall giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs to passe the time of our pilgrimage here in peace and plentie and when the day of our separation shall be that we must leaue the earth a vale of teares and miserie he will translate vs to Ierusalem aboue the place of eternall ioy and felicitie where this corruptible shal put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE SIXTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.3 4 5. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron Therefore will I send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal devoure the palaces of Benhadad I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir saith the LORD THough in this prophecie there be mention made of Iudah yet was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the ten revolted Tribes the kingdome of Israel The mention that is made of Iudah is made but incidently and by the way The scope of the prophecie is Israel as I shewed in my * Pag. 7. first Lecture If Israel bee the scope of this prophecie how commeth it to passe that the Prophet bestoweth the residue of this chapter and a part of the next in making rehersall of forraine nations their transgressions and punishments Why doth he acquaint Israel with his burdensome prophecies against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites why doth he not rather discharge his function and duty laid vpon him and checke the Israelites and terrifie them reproue them for their evill deeds The reasour◠〈…〉 seâ—â— of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth â—â—â—st prophecie against the Syrians other forraine nations are 〈◊〉 1 That he might be the more patiently heard of his country-men the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enimies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against theÌ„ also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enimy in distresse likewise 2 That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against theÌ„ in vengeance seeing that God would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbour Countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3 That they might the more feare at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other nations afflicted and tormented accordingly Here might they thus haue argued Will not God spare our neighbours the Syrians and the rest Then out of doubt he wil not spare vs. They seely people never knewe the holy will of God and yet shall they be so severely punished How then shal we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it From the reasons why Amos first prophecieth against forraine nations then against the Lords people Israel I come now to treate particularly of his prophecy against the Syrians vers 3 4 5. Wherein I commend to your christian considerations three parts 1 A preface proeme or entrance vers 3. Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecie In the 3 4 5. verses For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure c. 3 A conclusion In the end of the 5. verse Saith the LORD The preface and the conclusion do make for the authoritie of the prophecie vers 3. and 5. In the prophecie these parts may be observed 1 A generall accusation of the Syrians verse the 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 A protestation of Almighty God against them I will not turne to it 3 The great sinne by which they so offended God their extreame cruelty verse 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron 4 The punishments to bee laide vpon them for such cruelty These punishmentes are here set downe generally and speciallie Generally vers the 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will break also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Thus saith the LORD It is a very vsuall thing with the Prophets so to begin their special Prophecies to let the world vnderstand that they feigne nothing out of their owne braines but that whatsoever they speak they haue received it from the spirit of the LORD Thus saith not Amos but in Amos the LORD The LORD the powerfull IEHOVAH of whom you heard at large out of my third lecture vpon this chapter Thus saith the Lord the powerfull IEHOVAH * See Lect 3. who made the heavens and a Psal 104.2 spread them out like a curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a garment can againe b Esai 50.3 cloath the heavens with darknesse and make a sacke their covering who made the sea to c Psal 104.3 lay the beames of his chamber therein d Ierem. 5.22 placed the sands for bounds vnto it never to be passed over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke e Esai 50.2
sinnes he spareth neither priest nor prince nor king And it was grounded vpon the first reading of the words of my text after the Hebrew thus Their King shall goe into captivitie he his princes together after the Septuagint thus Their Kings shall goe into captivitie their priests and Princes likewise I commended vnto you another reading out of the Vulgar Latin Melchom shall goe into captivitie he and his princes together I told you in the beginning of this exercise what Melchom was I said it was the same with Milchom or Molech or Moloch an abomination of the Ammonites their Idol their God to whom they yeelded divine worship consecrated their children through fire All this I made plaine vnto you out of the sacred Scriptures The doctrine Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idol of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captivity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them worship them First they cannot saue themselues Secondly nor them that put their trust in them They cannot saue themselues For what is become of Succoth-benoth the God of Babel of Nergal the God of Cuth of Ashima the God of Hamath of Nibhaz and Tartack the God of the Avims of Adrammelach and Anammelech the God of Sepharvaim Their names indeed remaine vpon record 2. King 17.30 31. but theÌ„selues are vanished they are come to nought Hezekiah King of Iudah hee who brake in pieces the brasen serpent which Moses made because his people offered incense to it he put downe those Idol Gods hee tooke away their high places he brake their images he cut downe their groues 2. King 18.4 What is become of Ashtoreth the Idol of the Zidonians of Chemosh the Idol of the Moabites of Milchom the abomination of the children of Ammon Their names indeed remaine vpon record 2. King 23.13 but themselues are vanished they are come to nought Iosiah King of Iudah that good King hee put downe those Idol Gods he brake their images in pieces hee cut downe their groues and filled their places with the bones of men 2. King 23.14 I could here repeat vnto you many other Idols Idol Gods whose names are particularly recorded in the register of Gods holy word which also are vanished and come to nought But the time wil not suffer me Let it suffice what is spoken in a generalitie of the Kings of Assyria 2. Kings 19.18 that they did set on fire the Gods of the nations Gods And yet set on fire True But they were but Idol Gods and therefore could not helpe themselues Not helpe themselues Why not The reason is given in the same place for they were no Gods 〈◊〉 Idol God is no God they were no Gods but the worke of mans hands even wood and stone therefore the kings of Assyria destroyed them The very same reason is delivered in the very same wordes by the Prophet Esai chap. 37.19 They were no Gods but the worke of mens hands even wood and stone therefore the Kings of Assyria destroyed them The holy Prophets are very zealous in Gods cause against those Idols Esai chapter 41.29 saith they are all vanitie their worke is of nothing they are wind they are confusion Ierem. chap. 10.15 saith They are vanitie they are the worke of errours in the time of their visitation they shall perish I should wearie my selfe your attention would I produce whatsoever the Prophets of the LORD haue spoken to the viâ—ifying and debasing of Idols This which I haue already deliuered out of Esai Ieremie and from out the second booke of Kings doth make good the former part of my propounded doctrine namely that neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idol of any other people can saue themselues 〈◊〉 the day of captivitie Can they not saue themselues in the day of captivitie much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them which was the second part of my doctrine And it is pregnantly confirmed out of the 46. chapter of the prophecie of Esai vers 7. where the Prophet out of his zeale for the LORD of hoasts against Idols and Images assureth all people that though they cry vnto Idols and Images yet can they not answer them nor deliver them out of their tribulations Ieremie likewise chap. 11.12 le ts the cities of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to vnderstand that though they cry vnto their Idols and Images yet they shall not bee able to helpe them in time of their trouble Adde hereto what S. Austine saith in his soliloquies or heavenly meditations chap. 5. An Idol or an Image it 's m 1. Cor. 8.4 nothing it hath n Psal 135.16 17 Psal 115.5 6 7. eares and heareth not a nose and smelleth not eies and seeth not a mouth speaketh not hands and feeleth not feete walketh not and all the proportion of members and yet liveth not and what helpe can be expected from such an Idol such a Nothing My doctrine stands firme Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idol of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captivitie much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Now let vs see what vse wee may make hereof for our further instruction and benefit First this doctrine serueth to reproue all Papists for their blind superstition in worshipping their Idols and Images For what do they make of their Images but meere Idols while they fall downe before them and doe them reverence with capping with kneeling with knocking with creeping with crossing with kissing with lighting of candles and with other like beggarly trash and trumperie as is yet this day in vse in the Church of Rome with great observation The time was when this Church of England subiected it selfe to that of Rome and was drunken with the wine of her fornication Then were the people of this land defiled with Idols No Parish Church but was polluted with Images Then was Gods providence and due honour neglected For the cure of diseases not God but Saints were invocated and sought vnto For the plague o Rainold Idol 1 6 7. S. Sebastian for the pox p Homilies Tom. 2. Serm. 3. against perill of Idolatrie F. 8. b. S. Roch for the falling evil S. Cornelius for sore eies S. Raphael for the toothache S. Apolonia for other crosses and afflictions S. Hippolytus S. Christopher S. Catherine Every artificer and profession had a speciall Saint as a peculiar God Scholers had S. Nicbolas yea and S. Gregorie painters S. Luke shipmen S. Marie Souldiers wanted not their Mars nor lovers their Venus eveÌ„ among vs Christians Yea our beasts and cattle had their Gods too S. Loy was the horseleech and S. Antome the swineheard If sometimes we remembred God yet as if we doubted of his abilitie will to helpe wee vsed to ioine to him another helper The young scholer was