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
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
manifest himselfe in his works so faire that they are without excuse And though the speech be for its forme indifferent or aequipendent yet the matter doth necessarily sway it from the former to this latter sense For if God had manifested himselfe unto them them to no other intent that they might be without excuse they had a better excuse in readinesse then any of the reprobate or damned shall finde at the day of Iudgement None of them shall be then able to deny either the receipt of a talent or the receipt of it to some better intent or end then to leave them without excuse They are therefore without excuse because they have hid their talents and doe not employ them to the use or end intended by their master But more particularly the calamities or plagues which befell the Iewish nation may seeme incurable from the words of our Saviour Mat. 23. 34. 35. Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucify and some of them ye shall scourgein the Synagogues and persecute from City to City That upon you may come all the righteous bloud shed upon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abell unto the bloud of Zacharias sonne of Barachias whom yee slew betweene the Temple and the Altar Did the wisdome of God then send Prophets and wisemen unto their forefathers or did he come to this generation in person himselfe to this intent or end that all the righteous bloud which had beene shed upon the earth might be required of them For thus interpreting this place the originall phrase affords a pretence somewhat fayrer then can be brought for the former Interpretation of S. Paul Vt super vos veniat yet every novice in Grammar knowes that the preposition ut or Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwaies denote the Finall cause it ofttimes imports the Course or issue not the end or intent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith our Saviour Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Vt te cognoscant this is no more then if he had said te cognoscere to know thee to be the only God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent is life eternall Give these words of our Saviour in the 7th of S. Iohn leave to interpret his forecited words Mat. 23. and their meaning will be in plaine English thus much and no more some of them you will crucify and some of them you will scourge and persecute so long untill the bloud of all the righteous shed upon the earth will come upon you The true reason why the bloud of Gods Prophets was to be required of this generation was because God had continually sent them unto them from time to time out of his mercy and compassion that they might be healed So saith the Scripture 2. Chron. 36. 15. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord rose against his people untill there was no remedy That which made their calamities remediles or as the originall hath it incurable was their continuall mocking or despising the messengers of their peace which God from time to time had sent to heale them So that all the calamity which ensued was not the end intended by God in sending his messengers unto them but the issue of their mocking despising both Physitions and Medicines They are the cause of their incurable wounds yet was it God that did inflict them for so it followeth v. 17. 18. Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldeans who slew their young men in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man maiden or old man or him that stooped for age He gave them all into his hand and all the vessels of the house of God great and small and the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the King and his Princes All these he brought to Babilon and they burnt the house of the Lord and brake downe the wals of Ierusalem and burnt all the pallaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof All this masse of misery fell upon the people of God for whose prosperity Solomon here prayes all the desolation here mentioned light on this house which he now consecrates to be the house of prayer All this and more became inevitable in the issue but so it was not from the time that Ieremy began to prophecy to foretell and forethreaten it by expresse revelation from the Lord of heaven One speciall meanes by which this misery became inevitable was that erroneous opinion or conceit wherewith most of this people were possessed to wit that their calamity or prosperity was fatall that all things were so predeterminated by God that nothing could fall out otherwise then it did that every thing was absolutely necessary in respect of Gods decree This was the symptome of their incurable disease for whose cure Ieremy was sent to the potters house there to receive that instruction from the Lord of which we read Chap. 18. The exact point of time wherein their disease whether in whole or part became incurable wee leave with all reverence unto him who hath reserv'd the knowledge of times and seasons as a speciall prerogative of his power unto himselfe Act. 1. 7. Yet thus much he hath revealed unto us that every part of this calamity did not become inevitable at one and the same time the state of prince and people became more dangerous then it had beene as it were a disease recovering strength from a relapse by their shuffling with God after they had made a covenant with him for freeing their servants according to the tenour of his law in that case provided This breach of covenant Ieremy foretels in thundring tearmes would prove the cause of greater calamity then he before had threatned And yee were now turned and had done right in my sight in proclaming liberty every one to his neighbour But yee turned and polluted my name and caused every man his servant and his handmaid whom yee had set at liberty at their pleasures to returne and brought them into subiection to be unto them for servants and handmaids Therefore saith the Lord because yee have not hearkned unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and to neighbour behold I proclaime a liberty to you saith the Lord to the sword pestilence and famine and I will make you to be removed unto all the kingdomes of the earth Ierem. 34. v. 15. 16. 17. and v. 21. 22. And Zedechiah King of Iudah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies and