of him Much rather if we come to those spirituall graces that are promised here In spirituall graces we may then assure our selves that in the Church or kingdome of Christ they are in so great and plentifull manner that every where they doe abound and that the meanest Churches or persons therein doe more abound in these matters then else-where any others of what estate experience or learning so ever they be As also when he commeth to shewe how this land that he doth speake of is watered as he telleth us that the rivers shall be ful of water and of a fountaine that should water the vallie of Cedars so he addeth withall that they are but the rivers of Iudah that he doth speak of and that the fountaine did likewise proceede from the House of the Lorde and in truth the faithfull have such sufficiency and fulnes and most plentifull abundance in Iesus Christ in his holy word and continually are so refreshed so replenished with that fountaine proceeding from the house of the Lord that not onely all the rivers of Iudah are ever full of water even to the brinkes but even those great and mighty Cedars also of that rich and fruitfull vallie are all watered even to the full Otherwise with our enemies But on the other side if we cast our eyes to any of our unneighbourly Aegypts or Edoms such countries or states as take part with Aegypt in their idolatries and superstitions or with Edom in continuall hostilitie to the people of God though we may finde them for a time to flourish and sometimes to getunder the people of God for a season yet is it sure and sealed up in the irrevocable judgements of God that they shall be made wast and become inhabitable or as a wildernes without any to dwell therein in comparison of that which otherwise they might attaine unto with the residue of those that in spirit and truth do call upon God And howsoever they may seeme to flourish for the time and thereby to hinder the course of the Gospell yet may they be sure that it shall not be só with theÌ„ still but that needes they must come to judgement for with-holding the Truth â—n unrighteousnes so long as alreadie they have done For áll flesh is grasse and the glorie thereof but even as the flower of the field and though now they flourish as greene as the bay-tree yet he that now passing by theÌ„ in that case doth leave theÌ„ may at his returne not be able to finde the place where they were though he make good hast and doe not tarrie For in them is found innocent blood and iniurie done to the people of GOD beyonde all measure Wherein though others also have their parts yet of all others that Whore of Babylon that long since hath beene drunken with the bloode of Saints must needes beare the bell wheresoever she cometh WheÌ„ théy are wasted Ierusalem standeth in good case And as these must be laid wast so Ierusalem and all Iudah must stand for ever that when the enemies have doone what they can to overlay them to put all to the swoorde and to abolish the very name or memoriall of them from the face of the earth yet must they finde in the ende that they were in no wise able to performe their desire and that the more they have sought to bring them downe the more hath God opposed himself against their attempts set theÌ„ up Of which his goodnes because we have had so large pleÌ„tiful experieÌ„ce in these daies of ours so many waies in so great matters as we have had so much the more may we assure our selves that these are the daies wherin we shal see by the goodnes of God the ful performance of these his mercies unto his people We are our selves I graunt unworthy and that may be denied by none but he telleth us also that hé will clense the blood of those that are his By which his clensing it may well come to passe that we may be so highly in the favour of God by him that clenseth us Iesus Christ that he may well even in his justice after that once he hath affoorded us that way to his mercy vouchsafe to establish and to uphold us as here is promised especially when as he telleth us further that himselfe will dwell among us Exod. 32-34 For as on a time when the children of Israell had greevously sinned against the Lord he withdrewe himselfe from their company till upon their repentance their sinne was done away but when they repented and the Lord by the intercession of Moses had forgiven their sinne he then adjoined himself unto their tents againe and was content to keepe company with them in all their journeies untill they came to the land of promise so in this case likewise how so ever the Lord hath heretofore estraunged himself from us because of our sinne yet if it so be that now we repeÌ„t us of those our sins we may be sure that by the intercession of our Moses Iesus Christ the onely Mediatour of the New and last covenant he also will so for give us our sinnes and so circumcise our hearts withall or clense our blood that the lover of men will not account it unseemely his honour to dwell among us And because that his dwelling or continuall aboade requireth likewise a dwelling-house and that the same be ever mainteined therefore so soone as it doth appeare that the holy Ghost hath built is upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the Head-corner-stone and so hath made us Temples to him we also may assure our selves that he wil not suffer us to miscarry Houses are sometimes overthrowne by outward force sometimes againe they decay of themselves but this House or Temple of his wil he both defend against the force of all his enemies and uphold likewise against such decayes An exhortation unto such repentance as herein is required as otherwise of it selfe would grow upon it 26 Now therefore to draw to an end whereas it is cleare that we also may find our selves to be touched with the self same hande of God that was cast upon them though not in so large plentifull measure what were more seemely or meeter for us then sensibly to be touched therewith and to acknowledge it as in deed it is can be none other the speciall hand of God upon us Let the Heathen thinke that knowe not God that such thinges come by chaunce or fortune Because we may see this to be the haÌ„d of God let us acknowledge and undoubtedly perswade our selves that it is of the Lord that he for some speciall cause hath sent it unto us And if it be his doing or come froÌ„ hÃm may wé make so light of it as not to suffer the same to take any holde of us Or may we so easily passe it over as not so much as in
many were sore distressed herewith and cannot be ignorant but that our sinnes that had prouoked his wrath against us are many and great howe may wee account it any other then our bounden duety and plaine debt that this our fasting bee very throughly and kindely steeped in weeping and mourning and that wee stirre up our selves unto so unfeined and earnest sorrowe in both these respectes aforesaide that even our heartes might in some measure bee ready to rent or cleaue in sunder for the sorrowe that they conceave as not able to contein the same And this so much the rather as that we nów knowe much better then the Israelites could thén both what wrath is due unto sin in the justice of God and especially the great mercies of God and how ready he is to receave all such as do come unto him For we now see both those so plainly besides all other meanes which are infinite onely in the death and passion of Christ that as in respect of our offences and the judgements of God that are due vnto them which in the death of Christ the onely begotten Son of God we may see to be great we are strongly urged in most humble wise to seeke to him so in respect of his great mercies and his most prompt readines to be intreated of us which also we may see in the death of Christ a great deale more clearely then the light of the Sun when it shineth the clearest of all we may come with good hearts unto him and in full assurance for to obteine his gracious favor How beit we must know therwith all that the matter is very hard hard I say but yet not doubtfull So that although we may not doubt it yet must we make sure that we labour it earnestly with all our power all our strength even to the uttermost that we are able And so doing wé also may hope that notwithstanding this the Lorde will much rather leave us such meat-offring and drinke-offring as shall be needefull as also our selves shoulde take good heede that wee neuer withdrawe that from those to whome it is due no not in our owne distresse as h Deut. 2◠14 we may finde our selves directed in the lawe of the Lord. And whereas the Prophet requireth that both old yong sucklings also those that are but new-married shoulde come forth to this exercise we also might learn that it were needefull for us likewise to withdraw our selves for a time from our wonted delights worldly affaires and with one heart to assemble our selves together to seeke the Lord. Wherein as al are to stir up themselves to a godly an harty sorrow of what estate sexe or age soeuer they be so are the Ministers of the Lord especially to take so good a course therein as best may serve to stir vp themselves and others also soundly and thoroughly to doe what they haue in hand well to remember that being as they are the salt of the earth they make the same now to appeare especially in this But wheras that late scarcitie of ours the sicknes that now is the troubles that are doubted by diuers might well bee greevous unto us not onely in respect of our selves but much more for that the glory of God might be touched therby and our holy profession ill spoken of likewise although we may very well be touched with the sēse of our own necessities yet are we in any wise chiefly to respect the glory of God for that cause especially to desire the Lord to be favourable therein unto us that whereas hee hath vouchsafed us to be his people himself to be our God we may in such sort have his gracious help in al these matters that it may be seene that we haue a good a gracious God that he accounteth no otherwise of us though in our selves we can nothing deserve it but as of his peculiar entirely beloued people He that i Mat. 22 32. said that God is not a God of the dead but of the liuing upon our hearty repentance would soone procure that though our estate were so hard yet should it be so altred from worse to better from want to plēty frō sicknes to health frō troubles to godly peace that in our owne experiēce soone we should find that the father him self would accoūt it dishonorable to him that we his people shuld stil be miserable How to finde out what those sins were of which they had to repent them now as it were swallowed up with distresse 13 Those sins in particular that the people thē wer infected withal although this our Prophet doth not name thē as it semeth upō such reasō as before is declaerd yet both they may be easily gathred out of the historie of that time and it is good that we herein haue some eye unto them that so we may the more to our aedifying apply this call of the Prophet unto our selves And the historie of this praesent time is set foorth unto us sufficiently at least to this purpose both in the historie of the kings of Iudah and in certaine of the Prophets besides Out of the storie of the Kings But in the storie of the kings of Iudah there are but two of those their kings on whom we may relie for this matter which are Vzziah and Iotham his sonne To the time of Vzziah we haue recourse because it is found to be the time whereunto his prophecie doth chiefly belong as before is declared Sect. 2. to Iotham likewise not only because he succeeded next and so belongeth very much to that time likewise but because that he k 2. Chho 26 19. bare the sway in his fathers dayes after that once his father was stroken with leprosie In both which that wee may the better finde out the estate of the people in their dayes and so consequently what it was wherein they chiefly offended we are to consider of what disposition they were thēselves so shall we find in some reasonable maner the wayes of the people that were gouerned by them For besides that the Scripture doth not otherwise set downe unto us what their wayes were but very litle in this storie we see that experience doth commonly teach that such as the Prince is such also are the people generally Insomuch that if the Prince be religious the people doe so much the more imbrace religion if otherwise himselfe regarde not religion the people also make light of it and so do we euer for the most part see it not only in religion but also in all other thinges besides Vzziah First therefore to beginne with Vzziah who also l 2. Kings 14 21. is called Aziriah we are to see in what sort he is described unto us first as touching his inclination to Religion and then as touching his disposition in such thinges as belonged to his ciuil estate In his inclination to religion likewise
on that course that before he had intended He may seeme to have respect unto the Prophet in that he saith m 3 12. Let them be wakened The Lord heareth and let all these nations come up into the vallie of Iehoshaphat for there will I sit to iudge all these nations round about or They shall be wakened and all these nations shall come up c but there will I sit c. For wheras the Prophet immediately before declared himselfe by that praier of his to be very carefull on behalfe of the people of God especially when as he heard that the Lord stirred up so many against theÌ„ and of the mightiest and willed them to be furnished also these words of the Lord are of that nature and doe so fitly answer the quaestion as that it may seeme that the Lord thereby did quiet and comfort the heart of the Prophet in that his carefulnes over the people letting him understand that he neede not to feare that they should so be gathered together for that it should be in the vallie of Iehoshaphat himself would there iudge them In the residue of his speach wherein he seemeth for to holde on his former course His iudgements against theÌ„ n 3 13-16 hed oâ—th not onely denounce his judgements against them but also o 3 17. foresheweth certaine speciall effectes that shoulde come thereby In denouncing his judgements against theÌ„ first p 3 13. he doth direct his speach to those that shall be the executioners of this his vengeance q 3 14 16. then he discourseth further thereof at large not directing his speach unto these specially but indifferently unto all In directing his speach unto those that were to execute his judgements first he willeth them so to doe then he giveth the reason why He willeth them to set in hand with the execution of those his judgements by a figurative speach compating the enemies first unto corn in the field theÌ„ unto grapes that are in the presse In respect that they are corn though many in number yet such as may be easily cut downe he willeth these his executioners r 3 13. to thrust in their sickles giveth a reason because that now the corne was ripe or the time of harvest was come In respect that they were as clusters of grapes in the presse f 3 13. he willeth those his executioners to come to their busines that is to tred these grapes the reasoÌ„ is because grapes did not only run nów of theÌ„ selves being so fully ripe but also ran forth in plentiful measure into the streetes The reason that he giveth why he would have such execution done upon them is because t 3 13. their wickednes was great In that part of his speach wherein he discourseth further of this matter not specially unto these but indifferently unto all v 3 14. first he speaketh of their slaughter in particular then x 3 15 16. of their great distresse generally Concerning their slaughter he sheweth that it shal be very great then doth note certaine circumstances of it He sheweth that it shall be very great both for that hee sheweth that there shall bee y 3 14. great multitudes of those that are slaine and for that hee thereupon calleth it the z 3 14. vallie of threshing or of chopping them in peeces The circumstances are two one of the time the other of the place For the time it is saide that then it shoulde bee when a 3 14. the day of the Lord which himselfe had appointed for this matter should be come For the place it is said likewise that it should be in the b 3 14. vallie of threshing or of chopping them in peeces Concerning their great distresse generally both the thing it selfe is described and a reason thereof is given In the description of it we have set downe unto us what it shall be and when it should come It should bee such as that unto them c 3 15. the Sun and the Moone should be darkened and the Stars should withdraw their light In the description of the time it is not onely declared d 3 16. that it should bee when the Lorde shoulde roare out of Zion c. but also they are taught whence that same distresse of theirs doth come that is from the roaring or displeasure of the Lord because that it is saide withall that e 3 16. the heavens and the earth are mooved by it The reason is because that f 3 16. the Lord is ever a refuge unto his people and the strength of the children of Israell The speciall effects that should come hereby are two g 3 17. one that they should know that he is the Lord their God dwelling in Zion his holy mountaine the other that Ierusalem shoulde bee holie and that strangers should passe through her no more 23 Out of which that our selves may take such instruction as to us apperteineth How litle we neede to feare them áll if we can repent and turne to the Lord. whereas first the Lord willeth that proclamation be made among the Gentiles to praepare them selves to the battaile and then to come and set in hand with their enterprise seeing that he doth so openly put them in mind of it and besides that doth so eg them unto it we neede not to doubt it to be so perillous and daungerous a matter if our enemies take up such a purpose amoÌ„g themselves nor though they be so bold as to attempt to bring to passe their wicked endevors On the other side rather if once they be known to beare an hostile mind against us for the Gospels sake and thereupon to lie in waite for some opportunitie to break in upon us to their best advantage out of this we may gather that we might well be so voide of all feare of them as that our selves might bid theÌ„ make hast and soone come foorth with the woorst that they could We ought to take heed that we never giue to the least of them al any just occasion of variance with us but if they maligne us for the Gospels sake which is all the quarrell that now they have with us and for that only cause do cast to annoy us we neede not doubt to care a fig for them all our selves may put theÌ„ in mind to be doing tell them we long sore to see the woorst they can doe In which respect it is not lightly to be passed over that the Lord so earnestly calleth on the best souldiers the most valiant warriors that were in the world and would have no fewer then áll of theÌ„ neither These would he have to incampe them selves about his people and to coÌ„passe them in on every side these would he have to be a document unto themselves and to al others that either then lived or where to come how litle able any power of man should
so sensibly touched with their present distresse and yet himselfe doth not recite any of those sinnes of theirs particularly belike for that he spake but of such as in those dayes were common among them and well inough knowen and such as the Prophets of that age had already sufficiently laide to their charge that we therefore may better be able to apply this instruction to óur use we are not onely to consider of those thinges that we haue in this our Prophet concerning that calamitie of theirs but also to enter into some farther knowledge of those sinnes of the people that wee may finde them to bee at that time infected withall Of their present calamitie whereof he would not haue them carelesse That which we haue in this our Prophet concerning that calamitie of theirs doth leade us no farther but onely to consider what it is whereunto he laboureth to bring them and then how earnestly he laboureth the same That whereunto he laboureth to bring them is that they would in no wise be careles concerning that hande of God uppon them but that they would stir up themselues unto so sensible a feeling thereof as that thereby they might growe to repentance and turne to the Lord. As touching which it shall be good more specially to consider how it may appear that the Prophet had that purpose wih him and then what it may seeme to be that did mooue him unto it That the Prophet had that purpose with him it is most euideÌ„t throughout the whole f 〈◊〉 2 â—â— first part of this his prophecie and almost in every member of whatsoeuer sentence or verse therein is contayned A thinge so euident euen at the first sight in the text it selfe that wee shall not neede to bestow any further labour about it That which may seeme to haue mooued him unto it I take to be partly that great security As by nature we al are that in all such cases by corruption of nature doth hang upon all and partly the carelesnesse that in this case of theirs hee founde in them at that present The security that in such cases by common corruption of nature doth hang upon all is so passing great and so many waies sheweth it selfe that it cannot be unknowne unto us Whereupon Salomon truely saith g Pro. 27 22 that the follie of the foolish is such as that although he were so beaten that hee might seeme to be brayed in a morter or beaten in peeces yet would his folly still remaine and he neuer grow to vnderstanding there by A speciall example of Dauid And Dauid his father a rare man for faith and godlinesse and many good graces that are of God yet notwithstanding in this point was farre ouerseene For h 2. Sam. 21 1 14. when on a time the Lord had sent a speciall famine upon that Land it had laine three yeeres thereon before that wee reade that euer he was so sensibly touched therewith as that he sought to the Lord about it But at length he sought him and thereby finding at the mouth of the Lord that it was for Saule and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites although he could not be ignorant but that this would be ill interpreted of diuers especially of those that were towards the house of Saule as though it were no more in him but a worldly pollicie by such a deuice to take away those that remained of Sauls family to establish the Crown so much the better to him selfe for the time and after him to his line likewise yet finding the same to proceed of God the execution in it selfe to be iust he caused it to be done accordingly And they in this case of theirs vvere so found the Lord to be appeased towards theÌ„ againe The other cause that might seeme to mooue this Prophet to call upon theÌ„ for this matter was as I said the carelesnes of them that in this case of theirs hee found in them at that praesent For seeing that the other Prophets that doe apappertain to this compasse of time as afterwarde wee are more fully to see did plainely lay their sinnes before them in particular and denounced many grieuous iudgements of God against them if they would not repent but still goe on in their wonted wayes and this Prophet of ours entereth not into any recitall of their sinnes as the others doe nor of the iudgements that others denounce hence is it that it may probably seeme that God stirred up this óur Prophet but onely to this ende especially I meane for the matter that now we are in that whereas the others and whosoeuer they were besides whom God had then stirred up to speake unto them were so litle or nothing regarded therefore should he so call upon them to be better advised of those mattérs and of the hand of God upon them being belike in the time of that famine and hauing himselfe experience of it that was somewhat before denounced by others The application of it 4 To come to our selues we also are in great security in all such cases and at all times generally and besides that very sensles and careles at this present also Wee haue much forgotten our selues here to fore when as notwithstanding it is most certain that the like hand of God hath bene of late and in some measure upon us likewise Wee haue bene long since reasonably well pounded in the morter and yet our follie I feare remaineth It neede not be yet out of our remembraunce how the enimie raged with fire and swoord when he had the law in his hands we cannot bee ignoraunt of our daily perill by diuers abroade and some at home As Dauid in like case for a time did not seeke unto the Lord and yet notwithstanding had the rod so laide upon the whole Land that he might easily haue espied him selfe to be very iustly prouoked unto it so it is to be doubted or out of doubt rather that as yet we haue not truely sought unto him how much soeuer we haue bene so deepely prouoked unto it as that in no wise wee can bee ignoraunt but that effectually he hath called us thereunto At the length he sought the Lord and so escaped much of the famin that otherwise had tarried on them and the sooner that wé also shal seeke the Lord the better wil it be for our selves the sooner shal he withdraw his hand from us Hé being admonished what the cause was addressed himselfe to take away the cause of that hand of God upon them although that he could not so doe but that he should run into suspition thereby that he had some courser meaning neither is any whom it coÌ„cerneth to forsake the course of iust execution in any respect of credit or honour that privately might come thereby God also himselfe though he had taken away i â— Sam. 31 2 3 4 6. Saule before and his three sonnes wherof
that the Priests had not f 1 9. where with to doe sacrifice unto the Lord nor Husbandmen g 1 12. wherewithall to relieve themselves That both these kinde of people were much strengthned with this famin it appeareth likewise in that which is to that purpose set down in either of them As touching the Priests how much théy were touched with it is set downe by h 1 9. these two things that the meate-offring and drink-offring was cut óf from the house of the Lord and that the Priests themselves the ministers of the Lord moorned to see the service of the Lord intermitted and them selves without reliefe As touching the Husbandmen both tillers of the ground and such as drest vines how much likewise they are streÌ„gthned with it is also set down both in the want that they haue of those things that shuld yeld theÌ„ reliefe in shewing how they are affected therwith The waÌ„t that they had in those things that shuld have yeelded theÌ„ reliefe is set down first as touching their fields then as touching their fruit-trees As touching i 1 10. â—â— their fields they are said to be wasted to moorn that corn wine oyle wheate barly the whole haruest is perished As touching their fruit-trees it is said that the k 1 12. vine the fig-tree the pomgranate the date the aple-tree al the trees of the field are withered How they were affected herewith is also declared because it is said first that they l 1 11. are confouÌ„ded and moorn then that all m 1 12. ioy such men as are woont to have at getting in their harvest or other fruits of the earth is withered away from the sons of men 8 And now to take out of this also How far we are toâ—ched with the like hand of God some part of the instruction unto our selves although first it cannot be denied but that the scarcity that of late we had and is not cleane finished yet is nothing like unto this other that the prophet here speaketh óf neither for the straungnes nor especially for the grievousnes of it yet notwithstanding was it not in either of those respects of so small importaunce but that we had and yet have good cause to enter into speciall consideration of it For although it came not in so strange maner as the other nor as some others that heretofore this land hath seene yet may wee finde it to bee such as sheweth it selfe to have come óf God proceeding as it did of so unseasonable weather and especially the season being so very wet both in seed time and haruest two yeeres together And although it did not strengthen ús so much as the other did them yet must it needes touch us neere also when as not only our corne failed so much as it did but our cattle also great and smale and that in a maner generally throughout the whole and in all parts of the Land whatsoever The like sort of people among us also are to be quick ned up unto the coÌ„sideration of it The same sort of people likewise whom the Prophet called on thén might well be called on at this present those that have lived in some speciall excesse and others likewise that have lived in pleasure in that aboundance that God hath given them For if they have lived in some special excesse then have they good cause to sorrow not only on behalfe of them selves that now were strengthned so much the more and for that they did so grievously offend thereby but also because that excesse of theirs was so great a cause of that scarcity since So likewise if they did no more but only enjoy their owne aboundance yet therein also they have good cause to lament partly for that many of them at the least were since much streightned of that liberall allowaunce that before they tooke to them selves but especially for that hereby they may finde that seeing they would neuer take up of them selves but still take their pleasure so much as they did they have so brought to passe that to their further reproach since God himselfe was fain in this sort to teach them to gather theÌ„ selves unto some better course of sobrietie That both these sorts also are to take one and the selse same lesson together with those others out of the Prophet it needeth so much the lesse to be doubted as we may very plainly see that all such disposition of theirs is ever void of all such affections and yet notwithstanding much doth neede them For first as touching those that give them selves to so great excesse as they doe never acquaint them selves with any kinde of godly sorrow so by the reason of the excesse that they doe use they are not so much as able in any good measure to hold up their eyes or to awake and yet were it good and needfull for them not only to stir up themselves and to awake that so they might the better see what case they are in before it be too late to amend it but also to give them selves to earnest sorrow both in respect of the waste they haue made and for the vengeance that is due to the same Then also as touching those that have not made so great excesse but bicause they had wherewithall have alwaies framed their portion accordingly and taken their pleasure of the aboundance that God hath given them because that use of aboundance and wealth doth easily make men to forget them selves and unable to beare in good and orderly maner a straighter allowance therefore are théy also so much the rather to stir up them selves from that their drowsie forgetfulnesse and to be sorie that they have so far disabled them selves to take in good part quietly to beare an harder estate Our sorrow also ought to be sound And bicause that so many waies we have so far provoked the wrath of God against us and especially both these sorts aforesaid therefore it is meete likewise that we never content ourselves with a slender sorrowing but that ever wee seeke to bring it to the measure that of them is required as before we have heard especially when the reasons that the Prophet there doth use doe come in a maner as neere unto us as they did to them For first as touching the thing it self although the good blessings of the earth were not altogether so much cut óf from us especially from those that now we speak óf bicause that they wil lightly have them when others do need them as they were from thém yet were they so far cut óf from ús also that very many were much distressed some among us utterly lost and those also that among ús had before so exceeded or els had but lived in that aboundance could since in no wise holde on that course nor come any thing neere it but that needs they must streighten the meaner sort so farre that they should make
people and not to give his heritage over in reproach unto the heathen In reproach to the heathen they might easilie be given even by their famin only both because that in this case they might easily be over runne of their enimies and because it was reproachfull to them being by profession the people of God to be notwithstanding in such distresse wheÌ„ the heathen had all things needfull in plentifull maner Their pleading he would haue to relie on the honor of God teaching them to say Wherfore should they say among the people where is their God Concérning the place where it should be done he would have it not at home or wheresoever els but onely in the Temple where g 1. king 8.37 9 3. God in this kind of distresse also promised to heare even Betweene the Porch and the Temple 12 Out of which likewise wee may take to our selves many good lessons to our instruction If théy were so heauie much to be doubted that weare not alwais so verie readie And first if théy were so heauy that the Prophet needed to call on them so oft for this matter and the Prophet thereupon stook not to bestowe all this labour upon them neither may we thinke that wee are easilie woon to a godlie sorrow especially when wee are to testifie the same in publique maner neither may anie to whome it belongeth thinke much to call on those that should do it again and again We also have cause to sorrow If that also were a just cause for them to blow the truÌ„pet in Zion to shout in his holy mountain for all the inhabitants of the land to tremble truely this also was as iust occasioÌ„ to ús to doe the like in ratable maner or in such measure as theÌ„ the haÌ„d of God was on ús or yet is in much like maner as it was on them For this also was a discomfortable darknes wheÌ„ as the poorer sort were so very much streightned as then they were yet are wheÌ„ their eye waxed dim for want of needful susteinaÌ„ce wheÌ„ as this cloud of darknes was spread so generally ouer the poorer sort over many of the mountaines themselues that it darkned much the light of our wonted comfort ioy haÌ„ging on vs still so much as it doth bodeth I know not what further distresse to be towards us also Or if we cast our eyes to that armie that was so fierce sore upon them we have no great cause to coÌ„ceave our selves to be freed from it wheÌ„ we may see that oùr land also being in a maner as the gardeÌ„ of Eden before hath since been so far wasted by this that in many parts of it it hath beene in the yeeld of things needful not far unlike to a wildernes also and that the same that hitherto was woont to helpe many others with all maner of graine was since fame to seeke far óf that which we wanted to our needfull relief and yet could not get it with all wee could doe But howsoeuer it hath pleased God to take away the force of that army from us yet still doth he threaten us with certain others such as would gladly pray upon us kindly doe it if once they might attaine vnto it If we doe not it is our fault it boadeth not that we have no such reason Insomuch that if our faces also bee not abashed thereat it is but oúr fault it is no argument that we were not then streightened so far as we speake of or that yet it is not euideÌ„t that God doth shake his rod against us But wheÌ„ as so many faces were pale for waÌ„t of needfull relief yet are partly by it and partly by the sickenes that is among us and when as we may plainely perceaue that it is the hand of God that is on vs it is a foul shame for vs if our countnaÌ„ce be not somthing appauled thereat a very ill token besides if neither that distres of so many nor our own sins that haue brought such a wrath upon us can so far worke with us as to be in some good measure abashed thereat For surely that necessity of ours did also ruÌ„ very stroÌ„gly against us prÄ™pared to the battel with great speed in good aray so strengthned besides by the haÌ„d of God that in no wise we could avoyde it and so did it breake into our cities it climed up into our howses it both spoiled and rifled all I can not say that the Heavens and the Earth were astonished at it that the Sunne and the Moone were darkned nor that the stars tooke their light God be thanked wee were not there yet our distres or scarcitie was not so great that in these creatures it might be said to appeare so much as that other in that sense that the Prophet doth mean it Neverthelesse it can not be denied but that by that praesent scarcitie we were so streightned that the â—eaveÌ„s by unseasonable wether for those two yeares and the earth by the small increase of corn that it hath yeelded both together by the losse of our cattell withall did pregnantly witnes the hand of God to have bene upon us and our scarcitie being such as it was those that were distressed thereby could have so litle comfort by those other creatures that to thém the Sun Moone and Stars after a sort and in some measure were darkned also in that sense that the Prophet meaneth Our spiritual famin And if we go further to that spiritual famin that not only was but yet also is among us in all those places where the meat offring and drink-offring is taken from the house of the Lorde therein may we see though in another sense but yet verie pregnant of great importance that the heavens no doubt are astonished and that the earth might verie well tremble to see the Sunne the Moone and the Starres the Truth it self the Church among us in all such places and our verie leaders themselves to bee so darkned as they are partly by their owne former ignorance and error and partly by the negligence and carelesnes of those that now should either amend themselves That we also should give our selves to our most sorrow or at least make sure that others did it And now that wee are in this case that we are what is there more seemely or convenient for us then to turne to the Lorde and to doe that in so heartie maner that neither such fasting nor weeping nor moorning as the Prophet requireth be wanting from us For what else doe these things teach us but to turn unto him and seeing that this hand of God that was on us did in some measure lie upon all though some were much more sharplie touched therewith then were some others how could we do better then to have the profession of our repentance publike also and whereas we doe plainely and dayly see that
to fear and addeth a reason that is more speciall but one part of it verie neere that is because the pastures even of the wildernes should be greene the other somewhat farther óf that is to say because the tree should beare her fruite the fig tree and vine should give their forcé Then comming to speake to the people themselves therein have we to consider who they are to whom he now speaketh so comfortably then what it is he saith unto thē Those to whom he speaketh so comfortably are a 2 23. the children of Zion or the repentant and faithful people That which he speaketh unto them doth most of all concerne his mercies towardes them for this praesent time but some part of it is of the extending foorth of the same to the time to come That which concerneth the praesent time resteth in two principall points first exhorting them to rejoice then shewing foorth divers good reasons why they shoulde so doe In that he exhorteth them to rejoice we are to note that he doth b 2 23. not onely will them to reioicé and be glad but also that hee praescribeth unto them the manner of it that is that it must be in the Lord. The reasons he addeth to tende to this ende to shewe howe notably he meaneth to refresh them first shewing that hee will give them victuals againe then also declaring in how plentifull manner he will doe it The better to confirme them in the former first he assureth them of seasonable weather then hee telleth them howe fruitfull those yeares shall bee thereby Concerning the weather he saith that he will give unto them c 2 23. raine and showers just in their season and so soone as ever neede requireth Concerning the other he sheweth that those yeres should be so fruitfull d 2 24. that their barnes shoulde be full of wheate and their presses runne over with wine and oile The better to shewe foorth in howe plentifull manner he will doe it hee telleth them that he will doe it so plentifully that them selves shall e 2 25. both be recompenced for the losse that they had by that great host of his of those noysome creatures and f 2 26. eating continually shall be satisfied and that in such sort that they shall praise the name of the Lord their God that dealt so marvelously with them In that which tendeth to shew how this his mercie is extended foorth to the time to come we are to consider first what it is that hee saith of that matter then how he repeateth some part of it againe That which he saith of that matter is g 2 26. first that his people shall never be ashamed then on the other side that h 2 27. they shall knowe that hee is in the middest of Israel that he is the Lord their God and that there is noné other That which he repeateth again is that i 2 27. his people shall never after be confounded again 17 Herein also to remember our selves The like affection of God towards ús first as touching that affection of God towards them it was in deede very great that he could put on the whole power of Ielousié on their behalfe and that in such sort as it doth apperteine unto his nature that is very fully or in the highest degree that can be Yet notwithstanding if we consider the great and singular blessinges that he hath alreadie in these daies of the Gospel bestowed upon us how many wais he hath already oft times declared his favour towards us both at home among ourselves and a broade a-against our enemies by sea and by land in peace and in warre in Religion and matters of State and how so ever else it ought no doubt to be so farre óf for any man to thinke it over bolde a part for us to account of the like favour of his towardes ús also if we truely turne unto him that rather we offende if wee doe it not and doe over much call into quaestion his goodnes towardes us when hee hath already so many waies so much declared the same And if he be so well inclined towards us we neede not doubt but that in these and al things els he wil be readie to deale with us accordingly Thē as touching the remooving of those evils that of late were or yet are hanging upon us as he did assure thém How likely it is that God will now deliver ús also from this hand of his upō us that so far as it concerned the releef of their bodies he would not only ease them of that extreame famine but also blesse them with great plenty so likewise we may cōceave that he may be induced in such sort to deale with us also upon our repentance not only because that he ever is very gracious to all that turne unto him but also because he hath already eased us of a good part of our scarcity for this yere that now cometh in he hath hitherto given his name be ever blessed therefore as great tokens of speciall plenty as at any time heretofore for these many yeres we have lightly had In like maner whereas he promised to deliver thém of that reproach for thát matter he is before-hand with us partly for that he hath holpen us so far alredy and our scarcity when it was at the worst yet was it not so extreme by any want that God hath sent us but only by the hardnes of greedy men as that any way it might turn us or our profession unto reproach and partly for that others of our neighbours that are about us and subject unto Popery yet from whom our reproach doth ever arise whēsoever they have any advantage against us were then yet are as it is said much more streightned by it thē we And as to the end that he might better lift up the harts of that people to the assurāce of these his promises he turneth his talk unto the earth to the creatures that are therin willing them no more to fear but to rejoice in respect of that plenty that now was towards them so may we see that already he hath in such sort spoken unto the earth on our behalf that wel it may rejoice our hearts now to behold it therby also doth so comfort cheere those creatures that ar therin that they also must needs be joiful to see the earth in that likelihood to be so well replenished with alsuch things as they do need But where as he promised them that he would make so clean a riddance of those noysome creatures that they should be scattred into all quarters far from them that their stinch should arise up unto heaven although we cannot see the same in this case of ours be cause our scarcitie did not come by such noysome creatures but onely by that immoderate moysture in seede time harvest yet may we see that in effect he