their cruelty the valour of the patients the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and belief bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers These were those lion-like men of the tribe of Judah that took the kingdom by violence Judah which signifieth the Confessour had the kingdom as Levi had the Priest-hood both forfeited by Reuben who was weak as water Gen. 49. and I will save the house of Joseph that is Ephraim but for the ten tribes whom God here promiseth to save not to bring back saith the Geneva-Note on Ver. 9. But others there are that gather from these words and these that follow that God will not onely preserve them but reduce and resettle them in their own countrey yea and multiply them so abundantly as that their countrey shall not be able to hold them Verse 10. Whence cometh Ashurs and Egypts subjection to Christ that is all the tract of the East and of the South verse 1. and their perpetual establishment in the faith Verse 12 And I will bring them again to place them I will place them in their houses as Hos 11.11 The Sept. render it I will cause them to dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compos The Caldee I will gather together their captivity Some special mercy is assured them by this special word of a mixt conjugation for I have mercy upon I them Here 's a double cause alledged of these so great and gracious promises and both excluding works First Gods mere mercy Secondly his Election of grace for I am the Lord their God This latter is the cause of the former for God chose his people for his love and then loveth them for his choice The effects of which love are here set down 1. That he heareth their prayers I will hear them 2. That he reaccepteth and restoreth them in Christ as if they had never offenced against him They shall be as though I had not cast them off That was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity Jer. 16.13 When God not onely threateneth to cast them out of their countrey into a strange land but that there he would slew them no favour Here he promiseth to pitty them and then they must needs think deliverance was at next door by and they shall be as though I had not cast them off And this the sooner and the rather because they called them out-casts saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how God regards them that have been so oft overcome viz. by Nehuchad-nezzar Pompey c. God therefore promiseth to provide for his own great name by being fully reconciled to his poor people whom the world looked upon abjects for I am the Lord their God And if I should not see to their safey Psal 119. it would much reflect upon me This David well knew and therefore prayes thu I am thine Lord save me and will hear them Or I will speak with them speak to their hearts It is no more saith One then if a man were in a fair dining-room with much good company and there is some speciall friend whom he loveth dearly that calleth him aside to speak in private of businesse that neerly concerneth him and though he go into a worse room yet he is well enough pleased So if God in losse of friends houses countrey comforts whatsoever will speak with us will answer us the losse will be easily made up Philip Lantgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles 5. was demanded what upheld him all that time He answered that he had felt the favour of God and the Divine consolations of the Martyrs There be Divine comforts that are felt onely under the crosse I will bring her into the wildernesse and there speak to her heart Hos 2.13 Israel was never so royally provided for with Manna Quails and other cates as when they were in the wildernesse The crosse is anointed with comfort which makes it not onely light but sweet not onely not troublesome and importable but desirable and delightful saith Bernard Thy presence O Lord made the very gridiron sweet to Laurence saith another How easily can God make up our losse and breaches Verse 7. And they of Ephraim shall be as a mighty man The same again and in the same words for more assurance because the return of the ten Tribes might seem a thing more incredible Erant enim quasi putridum cadaver saith Calvin here they were as rotten carkasses and they had obiter onely heard of these promises as if some grain of feed should be dropt by the high-way-side for they were now as aliens from the Common-wealty of Israel and their hert shall rejoyce as throught wine Which naturally exhilarateth Psal 104.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is called by Plato one of the Mitigaters of humane misery See Prov. 31.6 with the Note Some nations use to drink wine freely before they enter the battel to make them undaunted Some think here may be an allusion to such a custom I should rather understand it of that generous wine of the spirit Eph. 5.18 yea their children shall see it Therefore they were not to antedate the promises but to wait the accomplishment which should certainly be if not them yet to theirs after them even a full restauration in due season Verse 8. I will hisse for them and gather them As a shepheard hisseth or whistleth for his flock See Judg. 5.16 where it should not be translated the bleatings of the flocks but the hissings or whistlings of the shepheards to their flocks when they would get them together God who hath all creatures at his beck and check can easily bring back his hanished gather together his dispersed with a turn of a hand Zech. 13.7 with a blast of his mouth as here as if any offer to oppose him herein he can blow them to destruction Iob. 4.9 He can frown them to death Psal 80.16 He can crush them between his fingers as men do a moth Psal 39.11 and crumble them to crattle Psal 146.4 Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Psal 49.14 For I have redeemed them I have in part and that 's a pledge of the whole my hands also shall finish it as Chap 4.9 God doth not his work to the halves neither must we but if he shall be All in All unto us we must be altogether His Cant. 2.16 His is a covenant of mercy ours of obedience which must be therefore full and finall as Christ hath obtained for us an entire and everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 and they shall increase as they have increased By verue of that promise to Abraham Gen. 13.16 I will multiply thy seed as the dust of the earth and Gen 15.5 as the stars of
heritage Not of all but of those poor few that confesse and forsake their sins Pro. 28.13 and in whose spirit there is no guile Psa 32.2 that are mortified persons Rom. 11.26 with Esay 59.20 It is a priviledge proper to the Communion of Saints he retaineth not his anger for ever Angry he may be and smite in his anger Esay 57.17 yea he may take vengeance of the inventions of those whom he hath pardoned Psal 99.8 temporall vengeance I mean but it soon repenteth him concerning his servants and a little punishment serveth turn for a great offence Jer. 31.19 20 21. David no sooner said I have sinned but he heard The Lord hath taken away thy sin 2 Sam. 12. because he delighteth in mercy And hence he pardoneth iniquity of free-grace ex mero motu out of his pure and unexcited love out of his Philanthropy and undeserved favour the sole impulsive cause of pardon What a man delighteth to do he will do howsoever If the Sun delight to run his race who shall stop him If God so delight in mercy that he will save for his Names sake and come in with his Non obstante as he doth Psal 106.8 who or what shall hinder him Verse 19. He will turne again he will have compassion upon us Here 's the pith and power of faith particularly applying promises to a mans self Say that sin hath separated betwixt us and our God Esay 59.2 and made him send us farre away into captivity yet he will turn again and yern toward us he will turn again our captivity as the streams in the South His compassions are more then fatherly Psal 103.13 motherly Esay 49.15 brotherly Heb. 2.12 This the Church knows and therefore cries after him Cant. 8.14 Make hast my beloved and be thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart which when it fleeth looketh behind it saith the Chaldee Paraphrast there And this that he will do she is bold to beleeve He will he will and that to us saith the Prophet here Lo this is that work of faith to wrap it self in the promises as made to us in particular 1 Tim. 1.15 and unlesse faith be on this sort actuated it is as to comfort as good as no faith Compare Mat. 8.26 with Mark 4.40 He will subdue our iniquities By force and violence as the word signifieth subjugabit pessundabit conculcabit Sin is sturdy and will rebell where it cannot reigne It hath a strong heart and will not easily yeeld But yeeld it shall for God will subdue it And this is a further favour as every former is a pledge of a future To pardon of sinne God will adde power against sinne to justification by Christs merit sanctification by his Spirit he will let out the life-blood of sin and lay it adying at our feet he will tread Satan with all his black train under our feet shortly Rom. 16.20 He will not onely turn us againe but turne his hand upon us and purely purge away our drosse and take away all our tinne Esay 1.25 In fine hee will so mortifie the deeds of the body by his Spirit that sinne shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6.14 shall not play Rex in us the traveller shall not become the man of the house as Nathans parable speaketh And thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the bottom of the sea Where-hence they shall never be boyed up again This the Prophet by an insinuating Apostrophe turneth himself to God and speaketh with much confidence Such is the nature of true faith sc to grow upon God and as I may so say to encroach as Moses did Exod. 33.12 13 c. to chap. 34.10 and as David did 1 Chron. 17.23 c. See how he improves Gods promise and works upon it ver 24 25. he goes it over again and yet still encroacheth and the effect was good chap. 18. We hinder our selves of much happinesse by a sinfull shamefacednesse Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4. ult so shall we see our sins as Israel did the Egyptians dead on the shore Verse 20. Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham Heb. Thou wilt give for all is of free gift His love moved God to promise his truth binds him to performe 2 Sam. 7.18 21. For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these things Having made himself a voluntary debter to his people he will come off fairly with them and not bee worse then his word but better Hence Rev. 10.1 Christ is said to have a rainbowe upon his head to shew that he is faithfull and constant in his promises and that tempests should blow over the skie be cleared For this is as the waters of Noah unto mee saith the Lord for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart c. Esay 54.9 10. God hath hitherto kept promise with nights and dayes Jer. 33.20 25. that one shall succeed the other therefore much more will he keep promise with his people which thou hast sworn unto our fathers And in them to us by vertue of the covenant So he spake with us when he spake with Jacob at Bethel Hos 12.4 and that the promises sworn to the Fathers of the old Testament belong also to us of the New See Luke 1.55 73 74. Now that God swore at any time to them or us hee did it for our sakes doubtlesse that by two iâ—â—â—â—table things in which it was impossible for God to lie wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6.17 18. See the Note there Gloria Deo in Excelsis A COMMENT OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophesie of NAHUM CHAP. I. Verse 1. THE burden of Nineveh i. e. The burdenous prophesie See the Note on Malac. 1.1 It is a burden to wicked men to be told of their sinnes and foretold of their punishments To whom we may not unfitly apply that of the Civilian Perquà m durum est Vlpian sed ita lex scripta est If it be so tedious to hear of it what will they do to bear it Nineveh had fair warning before by Jonah and for present the unclean spirit seemed to be cast out of her but he returned soon after with seven worse as appears by this Prophesie and so their last state was worse then the former Mat. 12.45 Their bile half-healed breaking out again proved to be the plague of leprosie Lev. 13.18 19 20. such as shut them out of heaven God will do good to those that are good and continue so But as for those that turn aside unto their crooked wayes as all Apostates do the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity as cattle are led to the slaughter or malefactours to
Christo Calvin in loc He looks upon such as serve him in sincerity as upon sons and daughters 2. That he will surely shew like mercies and mildnesse to his children in their faults and failings in their wants and weaknesses as the kindest father would do to his dearest son that serveth him For the former point The promise of pardon is here fitly made sub patris parabola saith Gualther under the similitude of a father Figuier in loc And the sense is thus much saith another Interpreter although I seem for a time to the blinde moles of the world to be negligent of those that are diligent about me of my best and busiest servants yet I think upon them still as my dearest children and when I may be thought most carelesse and cruel towards them then am I a most propitious and sin-pardoning father fully reconciled unto them in Christ for there comes in the kinred according to that of our Saviour in his message by Mary to his distressed disciples after his resurrection I ascend unto your father Iohn 20.17 and my father mine and yours and therefore yours because mine For as many as received him saith St. Iohn to them he gave priviledge to become the sons of God Ioh. 1.12 And again when the fulnesse of time was come saith another Apostle God sent forth his son his natural onely begotten son made of a woman and so by personal union of the two natures in one Christ his son by a new relation Gal. 4.4 according to that This day have I begotten thee and all to the end that we may receive the adoption of sons That we which by nature were children of wrath and by practise children of the devil might by divine acceptation and grace be made the children of God who had predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Ephe. 1.4 5. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved One. SECT I. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes IN which heavenly Text Reas 1 we have the first and chief ground of this doctrine drawn from the causes of our spiritual sonship 1. The fundamental and original cause Gods decree of election by grace we have an act for it in Gods eternal counsel According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the soundation of the world c. For which cause also the predestinate are called the Church of the first-born who are written in heaven Heb. 12.23 And whom he did foreknow saith Saint Paul them he did predestinate also to be conformed to the image of his son like him in glory as well as in sufferings like in being sons as he is a son that he might be even according to his humanity the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 2. The meritorious and procuring or working cause of our adoption is here set forth to be the Lord Christ in whom he as a father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephe. 1.3 but all in Christ and all in this order A christian by the Gospel is made a beleever Now faith afteran unspeakable manner engrafteth him into the body of Christ the natural son and hence we become the adopted sons of God it being the property of faith to adopt as well as to justifie ratione objecti by means of the object Christ up whom faith layeth hold For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 Children I say not by creation as Adam is called the son of God Luk. 3. because he was produced in the similitude of God but by marriage and mystical union with Christ the fecond Adam the heir of all who hath 1. Laid down the price of that great priviledge Heb. 9.15 even his own most precious blood redeeming us thereby that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 45. 2. He hath sealed it up to us by his spirit that earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 called therefore the spirit of adoption and the spirit of Gods son as springing out of his death Rom. 8.15 Joh. 16.14 Gal 4.6 and procured by his intercession For because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father 3. Here is the motive and impulsive cause and that is the good pleasure of his will Joh. 1.12 1 John 3.1 2 Tim. 1. vlt. his absolute independent grace and mercy was the sole inductive He giveth us this dignity saith St Iohn in his Gospel And what more free then gift he sheweth us this love saith he in his epistle because it was the time of love that we should be called the sons of God So that our Adoption is not a priviledge purchased by contract of justice Rom. 8.23 Prov. 16.4 but an inheritance cast upon us of free grace and goodnesse The Lord shew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day when our adoption shal be crowned with its ful accomplishment Lastly here we have the final cause of our adoption â—heprâ—â—ise of the glory of his grace This is the end God propounds to himself in this as in all other his works as having none higher then himself to whom to have respect for he is the most highest God hath made all things for himself yea the wicked also for the day of evil viz. for the glory of his Justice and power as he told Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 but especially of his grace sith all that his justice doth in the Reprobation of some tendeth to this ultimate end of all that the riches of his grace may be the more displayed in the election of others SECT II. Reasons from the effects of his father-hood A Second reason followeth from the effects and those are no lesse demonstrative of the point then the causes Reas 2 These are 1. Gods fatherly affections 2. His expressions both which speake him a father to all his For his affection first to his people Albeit they be but his Adopted children yet he loves them more then any naturall father doth his own bowels Jam. 1. ult Hence he is called the father by an eminency as if there were no father to him none like him none besides him as indeed there is not originally and properly Called he is the father of all mercies Eph. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paternitas paerentela Math. 23.9 the fountaine of all that mercy that is found in any father all is but a spark of his flame a drop of his ocean Yea he is stiled the father of all the fatherhoods in heaven and earth Whence also our Saviour Call no man saith He your father on earth for one is your father even God To enter comparison in some few particulars First a father loves freely not so much for that his child is witty or wealthy Patriam amat quisque nonquia
several Kings reigns as did likewise Athanasius and Latimer Jeroboams especially the second of that name and here only named when six other Kings of Israel in whose time Hosea prophesied are not once mentioned but lie wrapt up in the sheet of shame because wicked idolaters such as God took no delight in and hath therefore written them in the earth And in the dayes of Jeroboam the son of Joash Not the son of Nebat that ringleader of the ten Tribes revolt from the house of Dauid but another little better and yet very prosperous and victorious 2 King 14.25 28. He reigned also fourty one years and did great exploits yet is Hosea sent to contest with him to declaim against his sin and wickednesse and to proclaim heavy judgements against him and his people This the Prophet did for a long while together with all fidelity and fortitude when the King was triumphing over his enemies and the people were not only drunk but even mad again by reason of their extraordinary prosperity as Calvin expresseth it Non tantum temulenti erant sed etiam prorsus insani Calvin Now that so young a Prophet should so sharply contend with so fierce a people in the ruffe of their pride and jollity that he should so rouse and repple up these drunkards of Ephraim with their crown of pride Esay 28.1 this shews him to have been of an heroical spirit Jonah his contemporary flinched when sent against Nineveh Micah the Morasthite another of Hosea's contemporaries prophesied in the dayes of Hezekiah King of Judah and spake to all the people of Judah saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Zion shall be ploughed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house the high places of a forest Yet did not Hezekiah King of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death c. Jer. 26.18 19. He and Hosea though they prevailed little with the people they preached to yet they were better dealt with then the Prophet Esay their contemporary too of whom Hierom tels us out of the Rabbines that he was sawn asunder because he said he had seen the Lord and secondly because he called the great ones of Judah Hieron in Isa 1. Princes of Sodom and rulers of Gomorrah Isaiah 1.10 Verse 2. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea Heb. In Hosea to note that the Lord was both in his mind and mouth in his spirit and speech God spake in him before he spake out to the people His prophesie must therefore needs be divine and deep That 's the best discourse that 's digged out of a mans own breast that comes a corde ad cor from the heart to the heart And blessed are the pleople saith one that have such Ministers that shall speak nothing to them but what hath been first spoken by God in them saying with David and Paul We believe therefore have we spoken we also believe 2 Cor. 4.13 and therefore speak we have experimented what we deliver we believe and are sure that God is in us of a truth and that we preach cum gratia privilegio The beginning Hence some gather that Hosea was the first Prophet Hoseas videtur tempore majestate aliis prior saith O Ecolampadius Certain it is he began before Esay because he prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam who was before Vzziah whether before Amos or no is not so certain Di praep Evang l. 20 â—ulut Eusebius tels us there was no Greek History extant before Hosea's time Well therefore might that ancient priest of Egypt say to Solon You Grecians are all boyes and babies in matters of Antiquity neither is there one old man amongst you Samuel is counted the first Prophet Acts 3.24 Plato in Timâ—o but Hosea was the first of those that lived in these Kings dayes and likely held out longest see the Note on Verse 1. as did father Latimer preaching twice every sabbath day Act. Mon. though of a very great age and rising to his study winter and summer at two of the clock in the morning Others read the words thus At the beginning when the Lord spake by Hosea he said to Hosea himself Go take unto thee c. An uncouth precept and a rough beginning for a young preacher whose youth might be despised and whose sharpnesse might be disgusted But truth must be spoken however it be taken and a preacher should take the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit sin Esay 58.1 Hierom was called fulmen Ecclesiasticum the Church thunderbolt And our Mr Perkins applied the word so close to the consciences of his hearers that he was able to make their hearts fall down Mr Fullers Holy State and their hairs almost to stand upright But in old age he was more milde and delighted much to preach mercy as did also our Prophet Hosea whose prophesie is comminatory in the fore-part consolatory in the latter part And the Lord said to Hosea This is now the third time inculcated for more authority sake which the people so rubb'd and menaced would be apt enough to question He therefore shews them his commission and that he hath good ground for what he saith that they may have no cause to cavil Melch. Ad. but reply as that good Dutch Divine did if God would give them a heart so to do Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus ei sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let the word of the Lord come yea let it come and we will submit there unto though we had six hundred lives to lose for so doing Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms An arrant whore a stinking strumpet Calvin scortum obsoletum a known and trite harlot such as were Thais Lais Phryne c. yea and such a one as after marriage with a former husband at least went astray after other sweet-hearts for so the application of the figure to the subject Chap. 2. requireth it to be understood Whereby it appears saith Diodate that all this was done in a vision Others infer as much from that phrase in this verse The beginning of the word of the Lord in Hosea that is saith Polanus appearing and speaking to him by an inward vision as it were in an extasie Besides in the third chapter and three first verses the Prophet is bidden to marry another harlot to buy her for his own use and to keep her at his house for a time Now scimus hoc non fuisse completum saith Calvin we know that this was never really done It follows therefore that this figure was only proposed to the people that they might perpceive in the looking-glasse of this allegory first their duty toward God second their disloyalty thirdly their penalty for the same It is not an historical narration but a Prophetical vision Children of fornication a bastardly brood such as this evil and adulterous generation is
12.1 yet was not smitten with leprosy as she for the honour of the Priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys lest such a foule disease on his person should redound to the disgrace of his office But I rather think he escaped by his true and timely repentance whereby he disarmed Gods indignation and redeemed his own sorrow and shame For God is an impartiall judge neither is there with him respect of persons Priest and people shall all be carried captive one with another the priests for the people according to that of Esay I am a man of poullted lips for why I live among a people of polluted lips and have learned their language Esay 6. and especially the people for the priests Jer. 23.10.14.15 from the prophets there goes profanenesse quite through the land so they shall fare the worse one for another they shall all be involved in the same punishment Onely it shall be more grievous to the priest by how much higher thoughts he had of himself looking on the people as his underlings as they did Joh. 7.49 and I will punish them for their wayes Heb. visit them So Exod. 32.34 In the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them God hath his visitation-dayes wherein to visit those visitours the priests and his articles will be as strict and as criticall saith one as ever was the inquisition of Spain or Lambeth It was therefore good counsel that a Martyr gave his wife in a letter Among all other prisoners visit your own soul and set all to rights there for else what will you do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what will you answer him Job 31 14â— And that which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan persecutor Si nobis non parcis tibi parce si non tibi Carthagini God will surely make inquisition for our blood therefore if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy countrey which must be responsible when God comes to visit and reward them for their deed Heb. I will make to return your doings Hence this is well observed by a good interpreter Sin passeth away in the act of it with much sweetnesse but God will make it return back againe in the guilt of it with much bitternesse Verse 10. For they shall eat and not have enough Onely they shall be filled with their own wayes Prov. 14.14 but that is but to feed upon the wind with Ephraim Hos 12.1 which breedeth nothing but troublesome belching or a doglike appetite as they call it that cannot be satisfied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appetitus caninus These greedy dogs the Priests that did eat up the sins of Gods people and thought to have full gorged themselves therewith they met with that sore plague of unsatisfiablenesse for the present a man may assoon fill a chest with wind as a soul with wealth See Eccles 5.10 Non plus satiatur cor auro quam corpus cura Ang. with the note and for the future they coveted an evill covetousnesse to themselves for they gat Gods curse along with their evill gotten goods which will bring them to a morsel of bread they have not onely suckt in the ayre but pestilentiall ayre that not onely not fills them but kills them too See the note on Hagg. 1.6 they shall commit whordome and shall not increase The Chaldee renders it They shall take wives but shall not beget sons Aristot. Sol homo generant hominem saith the Philosopher but unlesse God the first agent concurr that cannot be neither Loe Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward Psal 1â—7 3 saith David to his son Solomon who found it true by experience for by all his wives and concubines no lesse then a thousand he had but one son that wee read of and he was none of the wisest nothing like Edward the sixt whom alone Henry the eight left with his two sisters to succeed him though he had so many wives and concubines Wantonnesse is a sin commonly punished with want of posterity especially when it is accompanied with obstinacy in evill courses as in Ahab who to crosse Gods threat of rooting out him and his posterity took many wives 2 King 10.1 and so bestir'd him that he begat of them seventy sons but with evill successe for they were all cut off in one day Wicked men must not think to carry it against God and to have their wils al disputo di Dio as that prophane Pope said and as that gracelesse Ahaziah who sent a third captaine after that the former two had been consumed with fire as if he would despitfully spit in the face of heaven and wrestle a fall with the almighty Let no man expect to prosper in unlawfull practises to encrease by whoredome as these profane priests sought to do that they might be full of children any how and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 But fertility is not from the meanes right or wrong but from the Authour many a poore man hath a house-full of children by one wife whilest Solomon hath but one son by many house-fuls of wives and Job could tell that whoredome is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would root out all his increase Chap. 31.12 because they have left off to take heed to the Lord God is not bound to render a reason of his proceedings yet doth it oft as here that he may be justified and every mouth stopped Their Apostasy is here shew'd to be the cause of their calamity Time was when they took some heed to God and his wayes they kept close to him and observed his commandements to do them as the word here importeth but now they had left off to be wise and to do good Psal 36.3 untill their iniquity was found to be hatefull and themselves altogether filthy Psal 53.3 wicked doers against the covenant Dan 11.30.32 Apostates cannot chuse unto themselves a worse condition 2 Pet. 2.20.22 Mat. 12.43.45 Job 9.4 let them look to it Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered even of late my people is risen up against me as an enemy Mic. 2.8 but what will they do in the end thereof Verse 11. Whoredome and wine and new wine have taken away the heart i. e. have robbed my people of themselves and laid a beast in their roome Any lust allowed and wallowed in will eate out the heart of grace and at length all grace out of the heart Hence temporizers grow in time so saplesse heatelesse and heartlesse to any good some unmortified lust or other there is that as a worme lieth grubbing at the root and makes all to wither that like a drone in a hive proves a great waster that as a moth in fine cloth consumes all or as the light of the Sun puts out the light of the fire so here But above all
bee wise and to do good hee setteth himself in a way that is not good hec abhorreth not evil Psal 36.3 4. The words may be read thus The good God hath rejected Israel the enemy shall pursue him according to that in the Psalme God hath forsaken him persecute and take him for there is none to deliver him Psal 71.11 Sure it is that the Lord is with us while we are with him and if we seek him he will be found of us But if we forsake him he will forsake us And if he forsake us wo be to us chap. 9.12 we are in danger to be caught up by every paltry enemy as young Lapwings are to be snatcht up by every buzzard If Israel cast away the thing that is good ◠Chron. 15.2 what marvell if evil hunt him to overthrow him Psal 140.11 and if he find himself in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and the assembly Prov. 5.14 Hence Cains fear when cast out by God and Sauls complaint that the Philistines were upon him and God had forsaken him Verse 4. They have set up kings but not by me c. The Septuagint and vulgar Latine render it They have reigned to themselves like as St. Paul telleth the haughty Corinthians who carried aloft by their waxen wings domineered and despised others ye have reigned as kings without us c. 1 Cor. 4.8 But our reading is according to the Originall and so they are charged with a double defection the one Civil from the house of David they have set up kings c. the other Ecclesiasticall from the sincere service of God they had made them idols For the first it was not their fault to set up kings but to do it without God without his licence and approbation They took counsel but not of God they covered with a covering but not of his spirit that they might adde sin to sin Esay 30.1 They went headlong to work in setting up Jeroboam the son of Nebat For although the thing were done by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God as was likewise Christs crucifixion Acts 2.23 See 1 King 11.31 17. and Chap. 12.15 24. yet because the people were led by their own pride and ambition to chuse a new king without either asking Gods consent or eyeing his decree they did it rashly and seditiously neithey aimed they at any thing else but at the easing of their burdens and drawing to themselves the wealth of the kingdome As for Jeroboam it is before noted that although he had it cleared to him that Gods will was he should be king over the ten Tribes yet because it was a will of Gods decree not of his command as of a duty to be done by him and because he did not as David who when he had the promise of the kingdome yea was anointed king yet invaded not the kingdom but waited till he was lawfully exalted thereunto by God therefore passeth he for an usurper And the people are here worthily reprehended sith whatsoever is not of faith is sin and it is obedience when men obey a Divine precept but not ever when they follow a Divine instinct they have made princes c. Some render it They have removed Princes R. Sal. Jark as if in the word Hasiru Sin were put for Samech they have taken liberty to make and unmake Princes at their pleasure as the Roman Army did Emperours and as that potent Earl of Warwick in Henry the sixths time who is said to have carried a king in his pocket But because the former reading is confirmed by the Chaldee Paraphrase and the sence is agreeable to what went before neither read we of any kings of Israel deposed by the people we retain it as the better Of their silver and their gold have they made them idols Of the guts and garbage of the earth had they made them terricula fray-bugs or molestations Gnatsabim terrorem enim tristitiam duntaxat afferunt suis cultoribus for they cause terrour and heavinesse onely to those that worship them Polan Their sorrow shall be multiplied that hasten after another God Psal 16.4 The Greek Churches for instance so set upon Image-worship and therefore now subjected to the Turkish tyranny a type whereof were these ten Tribes carried captive by the Assyrian without any return Idols are called griefs or sorrows saith Peter Martyr because they torment the minde and trouble the conscience neither can they quiet or pacifie it Com. in 1 Sam. 31.9 so that Idolaters must needs be alwayes in doubt and despair as Papists are whose whole religion is a doctrine of desperation Their penances and pilgrimages to such or such an Idoll might still their consciences for a while but this was a truce rather then a peace a palliate cure which would not hold long a corrupting of the sergeant but not compounding with the Creditour that they may be cut off Not their silver and gold the matter of their idols as some sence it but the whole nation Princes and people together Idolatry is a God-provoking and a land-desolating sinne as in this Prophecy Often it is not so much the enemies sword as the sin of idolatry that destroyeth cities and kingdoms through the justice and jealousie of Almighty God Verse 5. Thy calf O Samaria hath cast thee off That is it can do thee no stead nor deliver thee from the destroyer Be not afraid of such mawmets saith Jeremy for they cannot do evil neither also is it in them to do good 〈…〉 chap. 10.5 they can neither hurt nor help for an idoll is nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8.4 nothing but a meer fiction it hath no god-head or power divine in it self as the following words shew that there is none other God but one How then can help be reasonably expected from it Israel had cast off the thing that is good for calf-worship ver 3. therefore is he worthily cast off by his calf called here Samaria's calf or calves because that was the chief City the Palace of the King and is therefore put for the whole Province and their idols called a calf by way of contempt as the brazen-serpent is called Nehushtan or a piece of brasse when once it was Idolized See how Rabshakeh insults over those Heathen-deities 2 King 18.33 34 35. and blasphemously applieth it to the God of Israel who never casteth off his faithfull servants but is with them in trouble to deliver them and honour them Psal 91.15 Surely the Lord will not cast off his faithfull people neither will he forsake his inheritance Psal 94.14 Behold God will not cast away a perfect man Job 8.20 But though he cause grief yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Lam. 3.31 32. some reads it thus Thy calf O Samaria hath been carried away into a far countrey namely into Assyria as the idols of the nations which were overcome were carried away captive
once said Judg. 9.29 Vbi est Rex tuus ubinam nunc servit te c. Where is the king where is he let him now save thee in all thy cities so Polanus rendreth it Can they save thee who cannot save themselves It is a Sarcasticall concession See the like Deut. 32.37 38. Judg. 10.4 Am. 4.4 And observe that Gods to deride and insult over men in their carnall confidence and his people are licenced to do so too so it be out of pure zeal Psal 52.6 7. and not out of private revenge and thy judges Or chief Officers Princes that are necessary to a King and are called his Comites cousins and counsellours whereof thou saidst and wast set upon it thou wouldst needs have them contra gentes as they say and hadst soon enough of them Strong affections bring strong afflictions Give me a king and princes It was partly their ambition and partly discontent with the present government as the present is alwayes grievous that prompted them to this request 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thucyd. and they had it but for a mischief It is not alwayes in mercy that prayers are answered for Deus saepe dat iratus quod negat propitius God oft throwes that to his enemies when they are over-importunate which he denies to his friends in great mercy to their souls They do best that acknowledging him the onely wise God pray Not our but thy will be done c. Verse 11. I gave thee a king in mine anger As once before he gave them Quails to choak them A king that is all those kings they had since they fell off from the house of David These were Gods gifts but giftlesse-gifts which hee cast upon them in his anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a punishment both of the sinnes of Davids ho use and likewise of the peoples rebellion It was ab irato potius quam ab exorato Deo Take him saith He sith you will needs have him with all that shall follow after The hypocrite shall raigne that the people may ensnared Job 34.30 Set thou a wicked man over him saith the Psalmist and let Satan stand at his right hand Psal 109.6 See Dan. 8.23 Saul was an hypocrite Jeroboam a wicked man so were all his successours in that Throne Levit. 26.17 it is written as an heavy curse of God If you still trespasse against me I will set Princes over you that shall hate you mischievous odious princes odious to God malignant to the people and took him away in my wrath Heb. In mine immoderate wrath that passed the bounds This is spoken of God after the manner of men for he cannot exceed or over-do fury is not in him Esay 27.4 but here he threateneth to take away king and kingdome together as he did Hosea by the Assyrian that carried them all captive Observe here that better a bad Magistrate then none for this latter is the fruit of Gods utter indignation Those Anabaptists that from this Text inferred that no Christian can with a good conscience take upon him kingly dignity should have observed that as an evil king is reckoned as a plague to a people so a good king is to be held a speciall blessing to them Verse 12. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up sc in a bundle or fardle or fagot as the French hath it And like as all fardles are opened on a Fair-day so shall Ephraims iniquities be brought to light and punished at the last day As the housholder bindeth up the tares in bundles at harvest and burneth them so shall it be in the end of the world The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire c. Matth. 13.30 41 42. As the Clark of Assizes bindes up the inditements of malefactours in bundles or seals them up in a bag for more surety and at the Assizes brings his bag takes them out and reads them so will it be at that last and great day My transgression is sealed up in a bag saith Iob and thou sowest up mine iniquity viz. as the writings or informations of a processe which is ready to be sentenced See Deut. 32.34 Ier. 17.1 Hos 9.9 Sinners shall one day know that Gods for bearance is no quittance Job 14. ◠that however he is silent for a season and thereupon they are apt fondly to conceit him to be such another as themselves yet He will confute them and set their sins in order before their eyes Psal 50.21 Their actions are already in print in heaven and God will one day read them aloud in the ears of all the world And then though their sinne be hid for present all shall out to their utter shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 that last light of the day of wrath shall reveal all Rom. 2.5 punish all Hos 9.9 Whatever God hath threatned shall then be inflicted whatever arrowes are in the bow-string shall then flee and hit and stick deep And the longer the Lord is in drawing the heavier they will light Morae dispendium foenoris duplo pensabitur the longer He forbeareth the heavier He punisheth So that there shall be no cause why sinners should say Where is the God of judgement Mal. 2.17 See the Note God will enquire after their iniquity and search after their sin Iob 10.6 Verse 13. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him This Common-wealth was before compared to a mother chap. 1. 3. And as a woman that hath conceived is not for a while discerned to be with child till she biggen and burnish and grow near her time so is it with sinners see it elegantly set forth by S. Iames chap. 1.14 15. The sorrows of a travailing woman are known to be unexpected exquisite and inevitable so shall Gods judgements be upon the workers of iniquity such as they shall never be able to avert to avoid or to abide This is set forth by an apt similitude ordinary in holy Scripture Mic. 4.9 10. Psal 48.7 Ier. 49.29 and 50.43 c. And whereas some might say A travailing woman is soon delivered her pain is sharp but short she hath hope not onely of an end but of a birth the joy whereof maketh her remember her anguish no more Ioh. 16.21 The Prophet replieth that it is otherwise with Ephraim he is an unwise sonne that will be the death both of his mother and of himself He hath no list to help himself and to get free of the straights and petils of the birth by passing thorow the narrow womb of Repentance and being born anew God stands over him stretching out his hands all the day long to do a midwives office to take him out of the womb as Psal 22.9 to cut his navell and wash off his blood to salt him and swaddle him as Ezek. 16.4 but he hath no minde
we are dayly and hourly delivered It is good to keep a catalogue of Gods providences and to transmit them to posteritie such as was that of the Gun-powder-plot and before that of the Reformation begun by Henry the eight and carried on by his son to the ridding of the land of those popish Locusts Which Reformation how imperfect soever to be done by so weak and simple meanes yea by casual and cross meanes against the force of so puissant and politick and adversary is that miracle which we are in these times to look for An out-lander speaketh thus of it Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformationem desperasset aetas praeterita admiratur praesens obstupescet futura This was the Lords own work Sculiet det 2. d Ep. dediâ— and it is marvelous in our eyes Oh that the same Lord would be both Author and Fmisher and as he hath in good part cut off the names of the idols out of the land so that they shall be no more remembred so he would cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the land that he would send all false doctrine and heresy packing to hell from whence they came Fiat Fiat and will drive him into a land barren and desolate Or dry and forlorn where he shall perish for want of food The body of this Army shall be driven into the wildernesse the vantagard into the lake of Sodom toward the East and the rereward into the Mediterranean Sea toward the West for the Western Ocean was hardly known to the Hebrewes as neither was it to the Romanes till the dayes of Julius Cesar and his stink shall come up and his ill savour c. sc by reason of their dead carcasses covering the earth and infecting the ayre The old Hebrewes understood this text concerning the destruction of the devill in the dayes of the Messias Oh that God would once destroy that first-born of the devill that King of Locusts Abaddon the Pope and dung his vineyard with the dead carcasses of his incurable complices that their stink might ascend and their ill savour come up into all mens nostrills Matthew Paris an ingenuous Papift speaking of the court of Rome long since said Hujus faetor usque an nubes fumum teterrimum exhalabat Her filthinesse hath sent up a most noysome stench to the very clouds of heaven as Sodoms did And Theodorcus Vrias another of her good sons in Germany complained Anno 1414. that the Church of Rome was become ex aurea argenteuÌ„ ex argentea ferream ex ferrea terream superesse ut in stercus abiret of gold silver of silver iron of iron earth and that she would next become of earth dung c. She is so already and stinks alive worse then any carrion rotting in its slime Oh that God would once put into the hearts of the kings of the earth to loath her and burn her for an old stinking baud as is prophecyed they shall Rev. 17.16 because he hath done great things Heb. he hath magnified to do he hath made great spoil and havock he hath revelled in the ruines of Gods poor people and so hath hastened his own destruction and their deliverance The Saints are many times more beholden to their enemies outrages then to their own deserts or duties for deliverance Some Interpreters as Castalio Leveley c. understand the Text of God and render it Quia magnisicè aget for the Lord shall do great things as it is also in the following verse there being here the same anomaly or change of person as is Esay 22.19 And I will drive thee from thy station from thy state shall he pull thee down Verse 21. â— tellus culta Fear not O land O red earth or O tilled land that hast layen bedridden as it were under the heavy curse of God ever since the fall of Adam and wast never beautifull or cheerfull since that time Gen. 3.17 Thou that hast lately been under that great and very terrible day of the Lord Ioel 2.11 who hath made bloody wails upon thy back and laid thee as a desolate wildernesse verse 3. to thy great grief and terrour Cheer up now and fear not Thine inhabitants are Poenitents and Repentance hath turned their crosses into comforts as scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent as wine draweth a nourishing vertue from the flesh of vipers as the Philosophers-stone they say turns all into gold See 1 Pet. 1.7 God will turn all thy sadnesse into gladnesse neither shalt thou any more lye to those that manure thee as the Scripture phrase is Habak 3.17 that is disappoint and frustrate their expectation but thine enemies shall be found liaers unto thee Deut. 33.29 for the Lord will do great things Spem mentita seges Virg. Victum seges aegra negabat Horat. Magnificentiùs aget Deus far greater things God will do for thee then the Locust hath done against thee so that thou shalt gain by thy losses and say Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone Wherefore be glad and rejoyce with inward and outward joy And because Fear is a passion opposite to Joy for fear hath torment 1 Joh. 4.18 and that was a rare mixture in those good women that returned from our Saviours sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 See Psal 2.11 therefore Fear not O land quit thine heart of that cowardly passion and be as merry as mirth can make thee for the Lord hath done great things for thee whereof thou hast good cause to be glad Faith in Gods Power quelleth and killeth distrustfull fears filling the heart with unspeakable joyes 1 Pct. 1.8 and full of glory Verse 22. Be not afraid ye beasts of the field q. d. Ye shall have no cause to fear for the future though hitherto ye have suffered hardship Chap. 1.18 Beasts and birds do in diem vivere as Quintilian saith of them and take no further thought then for present sustenance But by a prosopopoeia as before the land so here the beasts that till it are forbidden to fear want for God the great House-keeper of the world will provide them their meat in due season Psal 104.27.28 and severall meats according to their severall appetites He will hear the heaven the heaven shall hear the earth the earth shall hear all kinde of fruits both naturall as herbs of the field and grasse of the wildernesse and such as are sowen and planted as wine oyl figs so that neither man nor beast shall want any thing ad esum vel ad usum but have plenty without penury c. It shall be said of Judea as Solinus saith of Spain In Hispania nihil infructuosâ—m nibil sterile that there is no unfruitfulnesse in any part of it or as it is said of Campania in Italy that it is the most fruitfull Plat of earth that is in the Universe the fig-tree and the vine that before had been barked and wasted chap. 1.7
people as they partake of the Divine nature so they live the life of God Ephes 4. and have the same both sympathies and antipathies as I may so speak abhorring that which is evil cleaving to that which is good Rom. 12.9 God they know hateth evil worse then he hateth the devil for he hateth the devil for sinnes sake and not sinne for the devils sake so do they looking upon sinne as the most loathsome thing in the world the very vomit of the devil which so farre as they are regenerate they do infinitely loath to lick up And for that which is good whether things or persons these they heartily love not onely with a love of Desire as Psal 42.1 2. but also of Complacencie as Psal 73.25 26. herein resembling Almighty God not as an image doth a man in outward lineaments onely but as a sonne doth his father in nature and disposition being daily more and more conformed to the heavenly pattern and transformed into the same image from glory to glory by his Spirit and establish judgement in the gate which hitherto ye have not done vers 10 12. Perform the duties of your own particular places be good Justicers as well as good men It is said of Galba and of our Rich. 3. that they were bad men but good Princes but I hardly think it Some good parts they might have and some good acts they might do but good Princes they could not be unlesse they did hate the evil and love the good but so doth not any bad man for want of better principles Make the tree good and the fruits will be good and the contrary Evil men may be some way usefull to the Publike and do good offices for the Church and yet perish because not in a good manner upon a good motive and for a good end Rev. 12.16 the earth helped the Woman and yet chap. 16.1 the vials of Gods wrath were poured out upon the earth A good Magistrate as he sits in Gods place the judgement-seat is called the Holy place Eccles 8.10 so hee loving what God loveth and hating where God hateth can boldly write over it that Distich that is said to bee written over the Tribunall in Zant in letters of gold Hic locus odit amat punit conservat honorat Nequitiam pacem crimina jura bonos It may be that the Lord. Or out of doubt the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious c. He is surely ready were men but ripe and right for mercy it sticks onely on their part and not on his he waiteth to be gracious Esay 30.18 Oh unworthy we that cause him so to do Currat poenitentia ne praecurrat sententia They are but a remnant that shall have mercy Chrysolog a few that shall finde favour Oh labour to be of those few that shall enter into life Luke 13.24 Verse 16. Therefore the Lord God of Hosts the Lord saith thus Therefore wherefore because neither promises of mercy nor menaces of misery will work upon you stand forth and hear your doom your sentence of condemnation and it beginneth Acts Mon. as is usuall In nomine Dei neither can you say as that Martyr did when wrongfully sentenced ye begin in a wrong name To assure the matter the Prophet here heapeth up three Majesticall names of God that they might tremble and turn considering the greatnesse of Him with whom they here have to do being glorious in holinesse fearefull in prayses doing wonders Exod. 15.11 wailing shall be in all streets c. A generall outcry as once in Egypt when in every house there was a dead corps or as at the taking and sacking of Troy there was Luctus ubique pavor plurima mortis imago Virg. And they shall say in all the high-wayes Alas Alas Man is a creature apt to over-grieve for crosses and to fill the ayre with moanes and complaints of his misery The latine word Aeger for a sick person is judged to come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dolefull expression of his grief The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not ever We are soon weary of suffering and would faine see an end of it and therefore cry out for help The Hebrew word here used Ho Ho is the same with our Oh Oh it is dolentis particula it is ejulantis the broken speech of one in great dolour and durance Nature need not to be taught to tell her own tale when in distresse then men are apt to be eloquent even beyond truth they add they multiply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoph 1 Cor. 10.13 they rise in their discourse like him in the Poet I am thrice miserable nay ten times nay an hundred ten hundred times whereas they should correct their excessive complaint with that other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alas Alas but why Alas Nothing hath befaln us but what is humane common to men and our betters and they shall call the husbandman to mourning For the marring of his corn by the enemy or by the vermine Others read it thus Jarchi Livelejus The husbandmen shall send for those that are skilfull in lamentation to mourning and wayling and such as are skilfull of lamentation An ordinary practise in those Easterne parts as now also in Jreland to hire artificiall mourners at funerals to sing dolefull ditties Vt qui conducti plorant in funere See Jer. 9.17 Mat. 9.23 Horat. de arte Poet. Sic Homer de Hectore sepulte Gellius lib. 2. cap. 20. with the Note Of the lawfulnesse of this custome the Prophet speaketh not Many things are mentioned in scripture and made use of but not approved as Usury Mat. 25.27 dancing Mat. 11.17 Theft 1 Thess 5.2 injustice Luk. 16.1 the Isthmian games 1 Cor. 9.24 c. Verse 17. And in all vineyards shall be wayling where used to be great jollity and revell-riot in time of vintage Psal 4.8 The calamity shall be common the scourge over-flowing and all sorts shall have their share See Ioel. 1.5 11 13. for I will pass through thee saith the Lord as a fire in a thick wood Iam. 3.5 or dry stubble Ioel. 2.5 Nah. 1.10 I will go thorough them I will burn them together Esay 27.4 make a short work with them Rom. 9.28 So fearefull a thing it is to fall into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 to stand in his way when his sword is in commission and He saith to it Sword go thorough the land cut off man and beast from it Ezek. 14.17 Let this be thought on by those secure ones that live as if they were out of the reach of Gods rod Ezech. 21.13 for what if the sword contemne even the rod and be drenched in the gall of these sturdy rebels what then Verse 18. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord The day of his visitation when he will go thorough us as you Prophets would
that are farre off This Atheisticall conceit accelerates the judgement vers 28. Therefore say unto them Thus saith the Lord God there shall none of my words be prolonged any more but the word which I have spoken shall be done saith the Lord God Val. Ma◠Tarditatemque supplicij gravitate compensabo and cause the seat of violence to come near Amotâ Justitiae sellâ setting aside the care of justice together with the fear of God for whom yee ought to have reserved the chief room in all your publike meetings as the Ethiopian Judges are said to do Atque vi an geritur res might overcomes right and robberies are daily done by authority See Psal 94.20 The throne of iniquity shall not have fellowship with God neither will he take the wicked by the hand whatever those corrupt Vice-gods do 2 Pet. 2.3 as we may in the worst sence best terme them whose judgement now of a long-time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not The evil day that they put farre away will suddenly surprize them and then what will they do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what will they answer him Job 31.14 Sed quam caecus inest vitijs amor omne faturum Claudian l. 2. in Eutrop. Despicitur suadentque brevem praesentia fructum c. Verse 4. That lie upon beds of ivory which was a commodity far fet even out of India and dear bought Ezek. 27.15 precious and sumptuous The wealthier sort used to deck their houses with such kind of beds deckt with ivory lectis eburatis as Plautus phraseth it as Esth 1.6 with gold and silver hence their houses are called houses of ivory chap. 3.15 and 1 King 22.39 See Plin. lib. 33. cap. 11. Herat. l. 2. Sat. 6. Here then is condemned their luxury and abuse of Gods good gifts with neglect of the weal-publike and contempt of judgements threatned and stretch themselves upon their couches Pandiculantur in suis cubilibus so Rabbi Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others render it redundantibus ac diffluentibus Wo to them that delight in over-long and large coverlets curtains c superfluously hanging down on all sides upon the very ground so Kimchi The Seventy and Vulgar render it Wo to those that wantonnize upon their couches melting in sensuall pleasures Compare 1 Tim. 5.6 Jam. 5.5 God grudgeth not his people an honest affluence Psal 23.4 Lascivientes Deliciantes but granteth them all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 Howbeit he requireth them to be sober and watch not making provision for the flesh to live after the lusts thereof but walking decently as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse c. Rom. 13.13 14. and eat the lambs out of the flock E grege id est egregios ac optimos the very best and fattest morsels pampering their paunches swinish belly-gods and the calves out of the middest of the stall The French call them high-grasseveals Veaux de haute graisse Nothing would down with them but tid bits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dainty and goodly Rev. 18.9 Those Abbey-lubbers of the Romish Synagogue are compared to fed horses pampered in their cloysters as war-horses in their stalls or stables and prepared unto battell Rev. 9.7 Lawfull it is I grant at some times to eat of the fat and drink of the sweet and to please the appetite Neh. 8.10 Deut. 4.26 to gratifie it with what it liketh and lusteth after But yet it must still be remembred that it is a finne to feed without fear and a shame for a servant of God to be a slave to his palate Eat such things as are set before you saith Christ to his disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be it never so homely if wholesome Luke 10.8 And Gen. 9.3 after Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you it is added even as the green herb have I given you all things that is soberly and without curiosity to take and make use of such meats as are at hand as Dr. Willet interprets it And this Nature seems to teach man in giving him so narrow a mouth throat and belly Hexap in loc whereas to swine she hath given a wide mouth a very thick neck a large belly and but a very little brains that they might the sooner grow fat Chrysost Theatr. natu 354. and take no other thought but for the belly saith Bodine Verse 5. That chant or quaver to the sound of the viol That sing division with much variation of their voyces and many distinctions of diverse tones Particularizant they sing their parts in consort modulations fractions The Hebrew root-word signifieth the single grains of grapes that remain after the vintage or the particular berries Lev. 19.10 Our word parting answereth to the Hebrew peret It is their wanton and unseasonable musick emasculating dissolving and drawing out their spirits that they are here threatned for This abuse of Musick given to men for better purposes is elsewhere condemned chap. 5.23 Esay 5.12 Exod. 32.18 Eccles 2.8 God made not man more avium minurire to sport on earth as Leviathan doth in the sea to spend his whole time as the people of Tombutum in Africk are said to do in singing and dancing and when he is cast out of one paradise to make himself another It is charged as a foul fault upon those sensualists in St. James that they had lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton Jam 5.5 and invent to themselves instruments of musick like David Whose example likely they pleaded to patronize their fidlings and chaunting of ribald songs But his musick and theirs agreed like harp and harrow as the proverb is Two may do the same thing and yet it not be the same because not from the same principles and for the same purposes as we see in Cain and Abel the Pharisee and the Publican David and these singsters who did nothing lesse then help forward their devotion by Musick as did David and as did our late holy Esty who when he sat and heard a sweet consort of Musick D. Halls Art of div Medit. seemed upon this occasion carried up for the time before-hand to the place of his rest saying very passionately What musick may we think there is in heaven Verse 6. That drink wine in bowles Non in scyphis cyathis aut calicibus not in cups pots or chalices but in vessels of price and of largest receipt that they may bee counted and called as young Cicero was Tricongii such as can drink whole-ones and no small-ones neither The Seventy and the Chaldee render it In phials others in goblets Diotimus of Athens for his excellive drinking was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tun-dish Ailian lib. 2. cop 41. Alexander the Great gloried that he could drink down any man and one time inviting many to supper he provided a crown of 180 pound to be given
the rebellious Iewes that God stileth them his people Doth he not elsewhere disclaim them and call them a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity the people of his wrath and of his curse May not all Formalists fear Jacobs fear Gen. 27.12 My father peradventure will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Our heavenly Father will surely feel us in our addresses and if he find us but complementing and contenting our selves to be called the house of Jacob he will confute our vain confidences and cut us out of the roll as he did Dan and Ephraim who were named the house of Jacob and yet for their wickednesse are passed by in the reckoning up of the twelve tribes Rev. 7. as if they were souldiers put out of pay and cashiered Is the spirit of the Lord straitned or shortned Is he a penny-father hath he but one blessing Mal. 2.15 Is there not with him the residue of the spirit plenteous redemption an exceeding abundant goodnesse even to a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.14 Where then is the fault that you are no more Jacob-like plain-hearted and perswasible that ye refuse to be reformed hate to be healed saying to me Depart and to my Prophets Drop not c. Neither curse ye nor blesse ye as he said to Balaam wherein if they should hearken to you and be ruled by you yea should you straitly threaten them with bonds to speak henceforth to no man in my name as Act. 4.17 yet my word is not bound 2 Thess 3.1 2 Tim. 2.9 but runs and is glorified my spirit is not straitned but is free and not fettered I tell you that if these Prophets should hold their peace Luk. 19.40 and not drop the stones would immediatly cry out which against change of weather do stand with great drops of water to confute your unyeeldingnesse Turn ye therefore now at my reproof behold I will turn out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1.23 I will do it howsoever yea in despite of you I will do it as some sense the foregoing verse reading it thus and the original will bear it Drop ye not but they shall drop Are these his doings i.e. Such as God doth approve of or rather are these Jacobs doings tread you in the steps of your father Jacob did he ever silence the Prophets and withstand those that were sent unto him Did he not rather lie low put his mouth in the dust and crie out speak Lord for thy servant heareth Good is the word of the Lord which ye have spoken c. And whereas ye will be apt enough to replie that Iacob had no other cause for the Prophets never spake but good and comfortable things to him it is answered in the next words Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Heb. upright that pondereth his paths by the weights of my word and turneth not to the right hand nor to the left Pro. 4.26 27. but walketh exactly accurately and precisely Eph. 5.15 keeping within my precincts c. Do not my words do good to such and speak they not peace to him David felt it as sweet as honey Ps 119.103 But as honey causeth pain to exulcerate parts though of it self it be sweet and medicinal so doth the word of God to exulcerate consciences Children though they love to lick in honey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al. Aphrod Probl. yet they will not endure to have it come neer their lips when they have sore mouths so is it here Excellently saith Saint Austin Adversarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis c. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are their own greatest adversaries c. It may well be compared to Moses rod which whiles he held it in his hand it flourished and brought forth almonds but being cast on the ground it turned into a serpent Did it not take hold of those refractaries Zech. 1.6 that would not take hold of Gods covenant and chuse the things that pleased him Esay 56.4 Doth it not still sting wicked people with unquestionable conviction and horrour when as great peace have they which love Gods law Psal 119.165 and nothing shall offend them Vers 8. Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy Heb. yesterday no longer ago to all their former flagitious practises they have now newly added this of execrable rapine and robbery which is still fresh and as it were flagrant in mine eyes Although the truth is that God looketh upon former sins as presently committed for as there is no beginning of eternity so neither is there any succession But let men take heed how they heap up sin lest they heap up wrath for although God may bear with people for one or two out-strayes yet when once it comes to three transgressions and to four he will not turn away the punishment Am. 1.2 and one new sin may set many old awork in the conscience making it like Ezekiels scroul Ezek. 2.12 wherein was written lamentations and mourning and woe Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons saith the Lord 2 Kin. 9.26 The word signifieth last night though it were done some while before See the word yesterday so used by the Apostle Hebraizing with his Hebrews Chap. 15.8 Some read the text thus He that was yesterday my people is risen up on the other side as against an enemy viz. raging against God and ranging against all men biting all they come aneer as mad dogs See Esay 9.21 1 Thess 2.15 they please not God but rise up in rebellion against him and are contrary to all men being rather Ismaelites then Israelites Gen. 16.12 and therefore not rightly named the house of Jacob that plain man Gen. 25.27 without welt or gard guile or gall nor could the word of the Lord do good unto them so long as their deeds were evil and they loved darknesse rather then light Joh. 3.19 Ye pull off the robe with the garment Robbing and pillaging passengers with greatest inhumanity not leaving them a rag to cover them or a crosse to blesse them with as the proverb is This was common in Scotland and Africa saith Daâ—â—â— here It was in England also till the dayes of king Alfred who first divided the land into shires and then the subjects into tenths or Tithings every of which severally should give bond for the good a bearing of each other c. Heyl. Geog. 474. By this course men were not careful onely of their own actions but had an eye to all the nine for which they stood bound as the nine had over each Insomuch that a poor girle might travel safely with a bag of gold in her hand and none durst meddle with her from men that passe by securely as
teeth and fed them with the bread of affliction and water of affliction with prisoners pittance as they call it which will neither keep them alive 1 King 22.27 nor suffer them to die Then shall they cry and whine as hogs when hungry as dogs when tied up from their meate but God will not hear them He will even cast out their prayers with contempt as beeing the prayers of the flesh for ease and not of the spirit for grace They cry unto the Lord aloud but it is only to be rid of his rod they roare when upon the wrack but 't is only to get off they look rufully as the fox doth when taken in a gin but it is only to be set at liberty they chatter out a charme when Gods chastening is upon them yea they may be with child as it were of a prayer and yet bring forth nothing but wind Esa 26.16 17 18. For either God answereth them not at all which was Sauls case curse 1 Sam. 28.15 Moabs Isa 16.12 and Davids enemies Psal 18.41 Or else he gives them bitter answers Ezek. 14.4 Judg. 10.13 14. Or if better it is but for a further mischief that he may curse their blessings and consume them after that he hath done them good Iosh 24.20 Their preservation from one evill is but a reservation to seven worse as we see in Phaoh Senacherih Ahab and others Lo this is the portion of a wicked man with God and the heritage of oppressours which they shall receive of the almighty Iob 27 13 14 15. c. See the place Remedilesse misery shall befall them calamities that shall wring from them clamours but to no purpose or profit See Prov. 1.28 he will even hide his face from them that is withdraw his savour care providence help presence and benefits of all which the face is the symbol that like as they have turned upon God the back and not the face and have been mercilesse to men Esa 58.7 hiding their eyes from their own flesh so shall it be done to them in the day of their distresse God will award them judgement without mercy who shewed no mercy Iam. 2.13 He will set off all hearts from them as he did from wicked Haman See Prov. 21.13 with the Note when the king frowned upon him Lastly he will turn their own consciences loose upon them as once he did upon Iosephs brethren Gen. 42.21 to ring that dolefull knell in their eares Isa 3â— 1. Woe to thee that spoilist c. when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled c. Talionis lege mulctabere as Adonibezek Phocas Charles 9. c. Verse 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets False prophets who pretended divine authority when as God never sent them but expresly declareth here against them and threateneth them Those prophane Princes had their flesh-flies those court-parasites to sooth and smooth them up in their sins to promise thâ—m peace albeit they walked in the imagination of their own hearts to add drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 28.19 Bucholcer and to live as they listed Mirifica est sympathia inter Magnates parasitos saith One. There is a strange sympathy betwixt Great men and claw-backs nothing so troublesome to such as truth nothing so toothsome as flattery this is the fruit of 〈◊〉 self-love and the end thereof are the wayes of death Prov. 16.25 that make my people to erre That 〈◊〉 them and carry them out of the right way into by paths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20.30 and blind thickets 〈◊〉 â—rrour where they are lost for ever Deut. 13.13 Seducers are said to draw 〈◊〉 violently or to thrust them onward Jeroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord and the false Apostles to drag disciples after them Act. 20. compelling them by their perswasions to embrace those distorted doctrines that cause convulsions of conscience that bite with their teeth The dogs of Congo bite through they bark not saith Mr. Purchas Pilgr of Religion Christs Polititian by Tho. Scot. there are a sort of cuâ—-dogs saith Another that suck a mans blood only with licking Seducers are such Beware of false Prophets for they come to you in sheeps cloâ—thing but inwardly they are ravening wolves And in this sense Hierome and Theodoret take this text they devoure those they make prize of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word signifieth Colos 2.8 Others think their covetousnesse and gormandise is noted O Monachi Vestri stomachi sunt amphora Bacchi Vos estis Decis est testis certissima pestis As hungry dogs they snap at a crust and make cleane work such is their voracity and unsatisfiablenesse Ingluvies tempestas barathrumque macelii And cry Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All shall be as well as heart can wish or need require Let these Cerberusses but be morselled and you shall heare no worse of them Like they are to the ravens of Arabia that full gorged have a tuneable sweet record but empty screech horribly Si ventri benè si lateri as Epicurus saith in Horace Let their bellyes be filled and their backs fitted and they will prophecy all good to you as those false Prophets nourished by Iezebel did to Ahab as the Pharisees cryed up the Centurion who had built them a synagogue Luk. 7. as the Popish Clergy canonize their benefactours and extoll them to the skies Wvlsin Bishop of Sherborn displaced secular Priests and put in Monks Hence the Monkish writers make him a very holy man and report of him that when he lay a dying he cryed out suddenly I see the heavens open Godw. Cataloc 335. and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God and so died Yea they had a trick to make their Images speak their minds this way As the rode of grace here in England had a man within it inclosed with an hundred wires to make the image goggle with the eyes nod with the head hang the lip move and shake his lawes according as the value was of the gift that was offered If it were a small peece of silver he would hang a frowning lip if a peece of gold then should his jawes go merrily This idolatrous forgery was at last by Cromwels meanes disclosed Act. Mon. fol. 1034. and the image with all his engines shewed openly at Pauls crosse and there torn in peeces by the people who had been so seduced and he that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare warr against him Heb. sanctifie a warr id est excomunicatis aquâ igni interdicunt Gualth crucem adversus eos praedicant c. they thunder against them and throw them out of the Church publish their Croysades as they did against the Waldenses in France the Hussites in Bohemia and Luther in Germany whom the pope excommunicated the Emperour proscribed diverse divines wrot against the reason whereof when Erasmus was asked by
for his great goodnesse We are so joyfull that I wish you part of my joy c. The posy of the city of Geneva stamped round about their mony was formerly out of Iob Ibid. Post tenebras spero lucem After darknesse I look for light But the Reformation once settled amongst them they changed it into Post tenebras lux Light after darknesse Scultet Aunal Like as the Saxon Princes before they became Christians gave for their armes a black horse Cranz in Saxon. but being once baptized a white Verse 9. I will beare the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him The Church had sinned and God was angry with her So Zech. 1.12 Esay 57.17 What meane then the Antinomians to tell us that God is never angry with his people for their foule and flagitious practises no not with a fatherly anger nor chastiseth them for the same no not so much as with a fatherly chastizement Virg. Aeneid Is not this contra Solem mingere Godlinesse is on target against affliction Blind Nature saw this nec te tua plurima Pentheu Labentem texit pietas Onely it helpes to patient the heart under affliction by considering 1. That it is the Lord. 2. That a man suffers for his sin as the penitent theef also confessed Luk. 24.41.3 That the rod of the wicked shall not lie long upon the lot of the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Say we then every one with David I know that thy judgements are right and thou hast afflicted me justly Psal 119.75 yea in very faithfulnesse hast thou done it that thou mightest be true to my soule And with that Noble Du-plessy who when he had lost his onely son a gentleman of great hopes which was the breaking of his mothers heart quieted himself with these words of David I was silent and said no word because thou Lord diddest it Psal 39. See my Love-tokens pag. 145.146 c. It shall be our wisdome in affliction to look to God and to reflect upon our sins taking his part against our selves as a Physician observes which way nature workes and helpes it until he plead my cause As a faithfull Patron and powerfull Avenger for though it be just in God that I suffer yet it is unjust in mine enemies who shall shortly be soundly paid for their insolencies and cruelties he will bring me forth to the light He will discloud these gloomy dayes and in his light I shall see light I shall behold his righteousnesse that is his faithfulnesse in fulfilling his Promise of deliverance in due time Meane-while I will live upon reversions live by faith and think to make a good living of it too All the wayes of God to his people are mercy and truth Psa 25.10 this is a soul-satisfying place of scripture indeed All the passages of his providence to them are not onely mercy but truth and righteousnesse they come to them in a way of a promise and by vertue of the Covenant wherein God hath made himself a voluntary debter to them 1 Joh. 1.9 Verse 10. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it c. Not onely shall I behold his righteousnesse as before but mine enemy shall see it and feel it too to her small comfort They shall see it when 't is too late to remedy it as they say the Mole never opens her eyes till pangs of death are upon her And shame shall cover her when she shall see that thou hast shewed me a token for good that thou hast holpen me and comforted me Psal 86.17 which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God So laying her religion in her dish whereby God became interested in her cause and concerned in point of honor to appear for her The Church is no lesse beholden to her enemies insolencies for help then to her own devotions for God will right himself and her together See Joel 2.17 with the Note Mine eyes shall behold her and feed upon her misery not as mine enemy but as Gods nor out of private revenge but out of zeal for his glory Now shall she be trodden down as the myre of the streets Erit infra omnes infimos she shall be as mean as may be Nineveh that great city is now a little town of small trade Babylon is nothing else but a sepulture of her self Those four Monarchies that so heavily oppressed the Church are now laid in the dust and live by fame onely so shall the Romish Hierarchie and Turkish Empire All Christs enemies shall shortly be in that place that is fittest for them sc under his feet as was before noted he will dung his Church with the carcasses of all those wilde boars and buls of Bashan that have trod it down Verse 11. In the day that thy walls are to be built In the type by Nehemiah chap. 3. who did the work with all his might and having a ready heart made riddance and good dispatch of it Mar. 16.15 In the truth and spiritually when the Gospel was to be preached to every creature and a Church collected of Jews and Gentiles The Church is in the Canticles said to be a garden enclosed such as hath a wall about it and a well within it Cant. 4.12 See the Note there God will be favourable in his good pleasure unto Zion Psal 51.18 and build the walls of Jerusalem His spirit also will set up a standard in his Saints against strong corruptions and temptations and make them more then conquerours even Triumphers Esay 59.19 Rom. 8.37 2 Cor. 2.14 In that day shall the decree be farre removed That decree of the Babylonians forbidding the building of the Temple and City shall be reversed and those statutes that were not good given them by Gods permission because they had despised his statutes Ezek. 20.24 25. shall be annulled and removed farre away Some read it In that day shall the decree go farre abroad and interpret it by Psal 2.7 8. of the doctrine of the Gospel Verse 12. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria To thee Ierusalem in the Type shall recourse be had from all parts as if thou wert the chief city of the world Pliny saith that in his time she was the most famous of all the cities of the East and Titus himself is said to have wept at the last destruction of it by his souldiers whom he could not restrain from firing the Temple To the new Jerusalem the Church of the New Testament in the Antitype from whence the Gospel was sent out to every creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 and whereunto people of all sorts flowed and many nations came Mic. 4.1 2. with highest acclamations most vigorous affections and utmost indeavours bestowing themselves upon the Lord Christ Act. 2.9 c. Jerusalem in the Hebrew tongue is of the duall number in regard of the two parts of the city the upper and the nether town Or
viz. towards Babylon whither they carry the booty they get and they shall gather the captivity as the sand So many shall be their captives and so little accounted of as the dust or sand they tread upon Thus the Turks carry out of Hungary and other Christian countries neer unto them innumerable booties and captives 15000. at a time And so the Spaniards when they had taken the Island Hispaniola in the Indies within a few moneths they rid it cleane of the inhabitants and natives whilest they gathered unto themselves captives and slaves Verse 10. And they shall scoff at the kings Heb. He shall scoff i. e. Nebuchadnezzar shall and that not once only but often shall make a practise of it Hithpael uotat assiduam illusionem as the Hebrew word signifieth Thus Adonibezek dealt by the kings he took the Philistines by Saul 1 Sam. 31. Nebuchadnezzar by Zedekiah Ier. 25. and 29. 2 King 25. as also by the kings of Egypt Tyre Arabia and others whom he had taken and used them haply as Tamerlan did Bajazet or those other captive kings whom he caused as horses to draw his charret How much better Evilmerodach who mindfull of the instability of all humane affaires lifted up the head and spake to the heart of his prisoner Jehojakin king of Judah Ier. 52.31 Cyrus who honoured his captive Craesus Herod and made him of his Councell neither was he lesse iuriched by the good counsell Craesus gave him then by all the wealth he had from him Our Edward the third who having the king of Scotland and the French king his prisoners here in England both together at one time Speed gave them stately entertainment and made them princely pastime by holding royall justs in Smithfield for their delight and the princes shall be a scorn unto them Through the just judgement of God who scorneth the scorners Pro. 3.34 that is saith Rabbi Levi facit ut aliis sint ludibrio he maketh others mock them in their misery who in prosperity scoffed at those that were better then they Now therefore be not ye mockers lest your bands be made strong c. Esa 28.22 they shall deride every strong-hold as that which cannot long hold out against their assaults how should they when God breaketh the barrs and setteth open the gates to them Am. 1.5 and 9.3 Pro. 21.30 for they shall heap dust and take it i. e. by casting up mounts and ramparts take it with as much ease Turk hist fol. 317. as if they were in sport The Turks have their Asapi or common souldiers of whom they make no great reckoning but to blunt the swords of their enemies and to fill up ditches with their dead bodyes that they may the better come at the town or fort which they would take Verse 11. Then shall his mind change For the worse in pejus proficiet his good and his blood shall rise together as the proverb hath it he shall be puft up with his victories Luxuriant animi rebus plerunque secundis Pride compasseth prosperous persons as a chain Psal 73.5 6. Iob 15.25 26 27. their hearts are lifted up with their successes as a boat that riseth with the rising of the water Evagrius noteth it for a speciall commendation of Mauricius the Emperour that notwithstanding his great prosperity he retained his ancient piety and he shall passe over Or transgresse all the bounds of modesty Pride was anciently pourtraited with three crownes on her head Upon the first was written Transcendo upon the second Non obedio upon the third Perturbo David calleth wicked men Effractores breach-makers and offend imputing this his power to his god Bel or Iupiter Belus This was a wickednesse with a witnesse thus to transferr the glory of victory due to God alone upon an Idol When Nebuchadnezzar offended in this sort God turned him a grasing till he had learned better Dan. 4.37 For be the gods of the heathen goodfellowes saith One the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another Esay 42.8 Verse 12. Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God Art thou not Jehovah the unchangable and shall we poor sons of Jacob be utterly consumed by these Chaldees Mal. 3.7 Art not thou my God my Judex Vindex who hast hitherto judged and revenged my cause and wilt thou now abandon me to the fary of such an enemy Art not thou mine Holy One whom I have hitherto sanctified in mine heart and life Esay 5.16 and whom I have avouched for mine Deut. 26.17 denoting my self wholy to thy feare and service Art thou not all this and more then this saith the Prophet in the name and behalf of the Church here Well then we shall not die I am confident and dare be bold to say it Loe here the triumph of faith and the top-gallant of it We shall not die saith she abruptly but sweetly that 's sure enough She drinkes to the disconsolate soule in a cup of Nepenthes and saith Courage my heart Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God If hee be everlasting so shalt thou If he be thy God and thine Holy One thine in an inviolable covenant in a league defensive and offensive shalt thou die Lo tamuth Thou shalt not die so some say this text was anciently read Lo Namuth We will not die So the Church promiseth her self upon the former promises and such an answer shee receiveth in her own heart to her former prayers And whereas it might be objected that they were likely to be little better then dead in the Babylonish captivity for Mortis habet vices quae trahitur vita gemitibus an afflicted life is a lifelesse life the Prophet answereth O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement i. e. the Chaldeans our oppressours for punishment for destruction to burn thy rod when thou hast therewith whipped thy children See Exod. 9.16 and O mighty God Heb. O rock thou hast established them for correction Heb. thou hast founded them sc thy people Israel thou hast thereunto appointed them 1 Thes 3.3 thou hast both founded and fitted them for thy fatherly chastisements who are therefore chastened of the Lord that they may not be condemned with the world See here the different kinds and ends of good and bad mens sufferings It hath been noted before that Almighty God as he is Piorum rupes a rock of refuge to the truely religious so he is Reorum scopulus a rock of revenge to dash in pieces the impenitent as Valer. Max. saith of L. Cassius his tribunall Verse 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil sc with patience and without punishing it This I am right sure of and therefore cannot but conclude that thou wilt take an order with our oppressours thou wilt one day pay them home for the new and the old though for a time they ruffle and revell in our ruines God as
money Demetrius Phalereus complaineth of these Alchymists long agone not without indignation quod certis consumptis incertorum gratiâ Athenaeus quae se capturos sperabant non ceperunt quod verò habebant abjecerint that they cast away certainties for uncertainties that they attained not what they hoped for but cast away what they had Julius Scaliger also Fornaculas ist as odi Ad Cardan exerc 83. p. 100. saith He odio plus quam Vatiniano Sunt enim noctuae ad aucupia crumenarum I cannot abide those fornaces indeed they are pick-purses c. know there is a true Alchymy called by some the Spagirick art being in great use in physick This I condemne not so it be warily and wisely dealt in But this by the way only It seemed to some an impossible thing that Babylon should so suddenly be destroyed as was foretold verse 7. It will be done certò citò penitùs suddenly surely severely saith the Prophet for the Lord of Hosts hath undertaken the doing of it Annon ecce à Domino exercituum so the Hebrew hath it by an emphaticall Aposiopesis Is it not look you of the Lord of Hosts The people shall labour in the very fire the nations also shall weary themselves for very vanity Viz. in seeking to save Babylon which by a divine decree is to be destroyed without remedy Psa 137.8 So is Rome that other Babylon Rev. 18.2 citò itidem casura De rem ut fort dial 118. si vos essetis viri said Petrarch long since It would soon be down would you but stand up as men Neither shall the Jesuites that ultimus diaboli crepitus be able to uphold it there is a cold sweat upon all the limbes of Antichrist already Verse 14. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord c. He shall make himself a glorious name among the nations of the earth by executing vengeance upon Babylon and so pleading the cause of his oppressed people whom he seemed during their captivity there to neglect that men shall have cause to say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 as the waters cover the sea the chanell of the sea that is plentifully and abundantly See a like promise Isay 11.9 but to another purpose That 's a famous promise of the comming and kingdome of Christ and so some Interpreters apply this Wherein though they seem to be mistaken considering the context yet the Ancients rightly here-hence argued that Christ would certainly come again to judgement because many wicked men escape in this world without condigne punishment which then they shall be sure of 2 Thes 1.6 9. Then all shall be set to right though now they may seem lesse equally carried and the reason of Gods proceedings with men shall be cleared up which now also we are bound to beleeve to be sometimes secret but ever just At the day of judgement we shall see an excellent harmony in this discord of things and all obscure passages shall bee made as plain to us as if they were written with the most glittering Sun-beam upon a wall of Chrystall Then shall this sweet promise have its full accomplishment The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea in greatest abundance and redundancy Verse 15. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink The Babylonians among other their flagitious practises afore-mentioned were much addicted to drunkennesse as is recorded by Herodotus Ctesias and others Their land was sick of drink and would therefore spew them out Themselves were men of wine verse 5. See the Note and should therefore drink deep of the wine of Gods fierce wrath They drank to their neighbours or companions not in a way either of curtesie or charity but purposely to intoxicate them to make them drunk that they might either deride them or abuse them to filthy pleasure or both they buckt them with drink and then laid them out to be sunn'd and scorned as Noah was by his graceâ—esse sonne Therefore as he cursed Ham though Scaliger excuse him and it stuck to his posterity for ever so doth God here denounce a woe to drunkards and so sets it on as no creature shall ever bee able to take it off that puttest thy bottle to him Not thy bowle onely but thy bottle that he may drink and be drunk and spew and fall c. Jer. 25.27 This is ordinarily practised by our Roaring-boyes as they will needs be called by a wofull prolepsis Here for hereafter in their Cyclopicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either by perswasions or threats the bottle is set to the mouth and must be emptied ere it come thence The civil sober and temperate man is urged and it may be forced to swallow down long and needlesse draughts as a horse doth a drench by domineering drunkards that they may see his nakednesse triumph over him as laid up or as the new terme is satisfied Their courses are here graphically and in lively colours described by the holy Ghost to set forth the hatefulnesse thereof and how wofull will be the issue There are that read the words thus That puttest thine anger to him thy fervour and thy fury viz. if he pledge thee not whole-ones and drink not all the Ou ts as they call them Domitius the father of Nero slew Liberius Sueton. an honest Roman because he refused to drink so much as he commanded him Others read it That puttest thy poyson to him and indeed Ebrietas est blandus daemon dulce venenum suave peccatum c. Drunkennesse is a fair-spoken devil a pleasant poison a sweet sinne which he that hath in him hath not himself and which he that runs into runs not into a single sinne but is wholly turned into sinne How often saith a grave Divine have I seen vermine sucking the drunkards blood as fast as he that of the grape or mault yet would he not leave his hold or lose his draught Gualther reads it Conjungens fervorem tuum Joyning thine heat inflaming thy self that thou mayest drink him under the board De sua bobacitate librum conscripsit seu potius evomuit â—erod This was great Alexanders sinne and ruine so it was M. Anthonies who wrote a book of his abilities to drink down others and before them both Darius's as Athenaeus hath left recorded How much better his successour Ahashuerosh who made a law at his great feast that every man should drink according to his pleasure Esth 1.8 So Minos king of Creet ordered that his subjects should not drink one to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto drunkennesse Quinetiam Spartae mos est laudabilis ille Vt bibat arbitrio pocula quisque suo Among the old Germans diem noctemque continuare potando nulli probrum saith Tacitus It was no disgrace to drink night and day together It
masters will Men are as loth to review their actions and read the blurr'd writings of their own hearts as School-boyes are to parse their lessons and false Latines they have made But as he who will not cast up his bookes his bookes will cast up him at length so those that will not consider their wayes and take themselves to task shall find that sparing a little paines at first will double it in the end and that the best that can come of this forlorne negligence is the bitter pangs of repentance Oh therefore that with Solomons wise man we had our eyes in our heads and not in the corners of the earth Eccles 2.14 1 King 6.4 And that our eyes were like the windowes in Solomons Temple broad inward that we might see our sins to confession so should we never see them to our confusion The Israelites confessed their murmuring and stubbornnesse when God sent evill Angels amongst them that is some messengers of his wrath and displeasure The Prophet Haggai here would have their posterity consider and better consider sith the hand of God was so heavy upon them and that he came against them as in were with a drawn sword how they might disarme his just indignation by a speedy reformation To which purpose he addeth Verse 8. Go up to the mountaine and bring wood .c Set upon the work and be serious build the Temple with like zeale as Baruc repaired the wall Neh. 3.20 acendit scipsum he burst out into an heat being angry with his own and others sloth and so finisht his task in a short time It must be an earnest upright and constant endeavour of reformation that must follow upon our sense of sin and feare of wrath or else all will be but moâ—us aliquis evanidus as Calvin on the text hath it a very slash It will be but as prints made on water assoon as finger is off all is out It was certainly therefore an excellent saying of Luther though condemned for hereticall by Pope Leo the tenth Optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita Amendment of life is the best repentance neither is there any wiser way to break off our sins then to practise the contrary duties He that repents with a contradiction saith Tertullian God will pardon him with a contradiction Thou repentest and yet continuest in thy sin God will pardon thee and yet send thee to hell Those that will have God to take pleasure in them as in his Temple to love them and come unto them and make his abode with them Ioh. 14.23 to dwell in them and walk in them as they did in Solomons porch and other walks and galleries about the Temple Zach. 3.7 to be glorified in them accounting himself to receive as it were a new being by those inward conceptions of his glory and those outward honours we do to his name they must go up to the Mountaine not of Lebanon though that was a pleasant and plentifull place Deut. 3.25 but of Heaven that Hill from whence comes their help and bring wood growing wood Cant. 1.17 living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 and build the house 1 Cor. 3.9 Eph. 2.22 laying faith for a foundation love for a covering having hope for a pinacle humility for a pavement c. washing it with teares sweeping it by repentance beautifying it with holinesse perfuming it with prayers hanging it with sincerity c. So shall Christ the King be held in the galleries Cant. 7.5 he shall covet their beauty Psal 45.12 and be held fast bound to them in the bands of pure affection and spirituall wedlock He will take pleasure in them as he did in those that prayed in or toward the Temple Deut. 12.11 1 King 8.29 as he did in Daniel that man of desires chap. 9.23 in David Gods corculum or darling 1 Sam. 13.14 in his Hephsibah or sweet-heart the Church Esay 62.4 called elsewhere the beloved of his soule or his beloved soule And he will be glorified in them by their spirituall sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.5 reasonable services Rom. 12.1 performed in spirit and in truth Ioh. 4.24 by some one of which God is more glorified then by all the actions of unreasonable or unregenerate creatures Verse 9. Ye looked for much and loe it came to little Spes in oculis luctus in manibus as Hierome here The hope of unjust men perisheth Prov. 11.7 etiam spes valentissima his likelyest hope as some render it he thinks himself sure as Esau did of the blessing but he only thinks so God cuts off the meate from his mouth Ioel 1.16 takes away his corn in the time thereof Hos 2.9 confutes him in his confidences which prove like the brookes of Tema Iob. 6.17 and serve him as Absaloms mule did her master his high hopes hop beadlesse as One phraseeh it It falleth out with him as with those perverse Israelites in the wildernesse made to tack about two and forty times after that they thought themselves sure of the promised land I did blow upon it i. e. I dispersed it with case By a like phrase for sense God is said Esa 25.11 to spread forth his hands in the middest of his enemies as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim and to bring down their pride together with the spoiles of their hands with greatest facility The motion in swimming is easy not strong for strong violent strokes in the water would rather sink then support In like sort God blasted their treasure or blew their hoards hither and thither he consumed their substance and cursed their blessings as Mal. 2.2 See the Note there why saith the Lord of hosts because of mine house that is wast c. Their sin of preferring their own private interests and self-respects before Gods work and service is here repeated and exaggerated as the ground and cause of all their calamities And all little enough to bring them to a sound and serious sight and hatred of their sins Such a deep kind of drowsinesse hath surprized us for most part that whereas every judgement of God should be a warning-peale to repent we be like the smiths dog who the harder the anvile is beaten on lyeth by and slecpeth the sounder Or like the silly hen which loseth her chickens one by one by the devouring kite and yet as altogether insensible of her losse continues to pick up what lieth before her This is to swelter and pine away in iniquity as if nothing could awaken men Lev. 26.39 and it is threatened last of all as worse then all their losses captivities c. A lethargy is no lesse deadly then the most tormenting disease Let ministers therefore by such forcible and quick questions as this in the Text and otherwise arrouse their hearers as they once did here their deare friends in the sweating sicknesse who if suffered to sleep dyed certainely that they may awake and recover themselves out of the snare of the devill c. It is
from a blind understanding and carnall affection The Church in its infancy was inticed with shewes and shadowes but now God requires a reasonable service he calls for spirit and truth Verse 4. Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel c. Here he exhorteth all ranks first to good Affection Be strong or of a good courage Secondly to good Action Work or Be doing for affection without action is like Rachel beautifull but barren Charach unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valeo Sept. vertunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be strong so as to prevaile and carry on the service all discouragements notwithstanding Those that will serve God in the maintenance of good causes must be couragious and resolute 1 Cor. 16.13 For otherwise they shall never be able to withstand the opposition that will be made either from carnall reason within or the World and Devill without for want of this spirituall mettle this supernaturall strength this spirit of power of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 4.7 opposed to the spirit of feare that cowardly passion that unmans us and expectorateth and exposeth us to sundry both sins and snares when he that trusteth in the Lord shall be safe Prov. 29.25 Here then that we faulter not budge not betray not the cause of God nor come under his heavie displeasure who equally hateth the timerous and the treacherous let us 1. Be armed with true faith for Fides famem non formidat faith quelleth and killeth distrustfull feare 2. Get the heart fraught with the true feare of God for as one fire so one feare drives out another Mat. 10.28 1 Pet. 3.13 14. 1. Get and keep a clearing chearing conscience for that feareth no colours as we see in St. Paul Athanasius Luther Latimer and other holy Martyrs and Confessours 4. Think on Gods presence as here Be strong and be doing for I am with you Though David walk thorough the vale of the shadow of death that is of death in its most hideous and horrid representations he will not feare For why thou art with me saith He Psal 23.3 4. Dogs and other creatures will fight stoutly in their Masters presence 5. Consider your high and heavenly calling and say Et Turnum fugieutem haec terra videbit Virg. Shall such a man as I fly c Either change thy name or be valiant saith Alexander to a souldier of his that was of his own name but a coward Lastly look up as St. Steven did to the recompence of reward steale a look from glory as Moses Heb. 11.26 help your selves over the difficulty of suffering together with Christ by considering the happinesse of raigning together Thus be of good courage or deale couragiously and God shall be with the good 2 Chro. 19. vlt. as Iehosaphat told his Judges when to go their circuit and work Good affections must end in good actions else they are scarce sound but much to be suspected Num. 23.10 Ruth 1. Good wishes and no more may be found in hels mouth Num. 23. Orphah had good affections but they came to nothing God must be entreated to fix our quick-silver to ballast our lightnesse to work in us both to will and to doe that it may be said of us as of those Corinthians that as there was in them a readinesse to will so there followed the performance also 2 Cor. 8.12 Desire and Zeal are set together 2 Cor. 7.11 desire after the sincere milk and grouth in grace 1 Pet. 2.2 John Baptists hearers so desired after heaven that they offered violence to it Mat. 11. True affections are the breathings of a broken heart Acts 2.37 Rom. 7.23 But the desires of the slothful kill him Prov. 21.25 Virtutem exoptat contabescitque relictâ Good affections are ill bestowed upon the sluggard sith they boyl not up to the full heat and height of resolution for God or Pers at least of execution of his will The sailes of a ship are not ordained that shee should lie alwaies at rode but launch out into the deep God likes not qualmy Christians good by fits as Saul seemed to be when Davids innocency triumphed in his conscience or as Ephraim whose duties were dough-baked and whose goodnesse was as the morning-dew c. Be ye stedfast and unmoveable 1 Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 always abounding in the work of the Lord. Stick not at any part of it difficulty doth but whet on Heroick Spirits as a boule that runs down hill is not slugged but quickened by a rub in the way If this be to be vile I le be yet more vile 1 Sam. 6.22 who art thou O great mountain Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Zach. 4.7 And hee said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 For I am with you saith the Lord of hosts By a twofold presence 1. Of help and assistance 2. Of love and acceptance Of the first see chap. 1. verse 13. with the note there The second seems here intended The Jews were poore yet God assureth them they had his love So had the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2.9 I know thy poverty but that 's nothing thou art rich rich in reversion rich in bils and bonds yea rich in possession or All is theirs they hold all in capite they have 1. plenty 2. propriety in things of greatest price for they have God All-sufficient for their portion for their protection I am with you saith he and that 's enough that 's able to counterpoise any defect whatsoever as we see in David often but especially at the sack of Ziklag where when he had lost all and his life also was in suspence the Text saith he comforted or encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 whereas Saul in like case goes first to the witch and then to the swords point A godly man if any occasion of discontent befals him retires himselfe into his counting-house and there tells over his spiritual treasure he runs to his cordials he reviews his white stone his new name better then that of sonnes and of daughters Isay 56.5 Rev. 2.17 he hath meat to eat that the world knoweth not of the stranger meddleth not with his joy Virtus lecythos habet in malis Tua praeseutia Domine Laurentio ipsam craticulam dulcem fecit saith a Father Thy presence O Lord made the very gridiron sweet to the martyr Laurence It made the fiery furnace a gallery of pleasure to the three worthies the lions den an house of defence to Daniel the whales belly a lodging-chamber to Jonas Egypt an harbour a sanctuary to the child Jesus c. He goes with his into the fire and water as a tender father goeth with his child to the Surgeon Neverthelesse saith David I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory Again I am with you that
have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a deceitfull heart to destroy it for the old hatred Ezek. 25.15 17. and 26.2 Therefore I will execute great vengeances upon them with furious rebukes and they shall know that I am the Lord when I shall laymy vengeance upon them 2 Sam. 13.39 Joab never pleased David better then when he made intercession for banished Absolom for the soule of king David longed to go forth unto Absolom whom yet he had very just cause to be greatly displeased with God in a heat as it were against Israel offereth Moses a great fortune Exod. 32.10 but would have taken it very ill that Mosâ—s should have taken him at his word He is but a little angry with his people and soon repenteth him of the evill But woe be to those that help forward the indignation that deale by Gods afflicted as the Herd of Deer do which when any of the herd is shot the hest push him out of their company Camden It is said of Q. Elisabeth that she hated ho lesse then did Mithridates such as maliciously persecuted vertue forsaken of fortune Think the same of God He weareth his rod to the stumps and then throwes it into the fire He sets his horse-leeches to his people when he findes them sick of a plethory of pride when fulnesse hath bred forgetfulnesse saturity security and suffereth them to suck rill they burst and then treads them under his feet and puts them away as drosse Psal 119.118 119. Verse 16. Psal 42.7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Thus one deep calleth another the lower deep of our misery the higher deep of Gods mercy As Craesus his dumb son burst out into Kill not king Craesus so when enemies are ready to devoure the Church Gods bowels work he can hold no longer but cryes Save my child Handle the yong man gently for my sake See Ier. 31.20 Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before me c. when the child swoons in the whipping God let falls the rod and falls a kissing it to fetch life into it againe A Physitian in some cases purgeth his patient till nothing be lest almost but skin and bone or blooddeth him ad deliquium animae till he faint and sink but yet his care is still to maintain nature so this heavenly Father and Physitian is carefull to keep up the spirits of his suffering Saints by comforts and cordials as here I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies Miserationibus visceralibus with multitudes of tender mercies that flow from the inwards from the bowels from the bosom and bottom of the heart had that of a Parent nay of a mother toward her child in an extremity as 1 King 3.26 And here observes how fully and sweetly the Angels prayer verse 12. is answered even ad cardinem desiderij Aug. Confes lib. 5. c. 8. God not only grants him according to his own heart but fulfills all his counsell as it is Psal 20.4 Le ts it be to him even as he will nay gives him an enlarged answer presseth upon him as Naaman did upon Gehezi's two talents when he desired but one How long wilt thou not be mercifull to Jerusalem saith He behold I am returned to Jerusalem with many mercies saith God I went away and hid me from it in my anger Hos 5.15 but am come again with many comforts to relieve it As all light is from the Sun and all waters from the sea so is all comfort from God In thy light shall we see light but Thou diddest hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 as when the Sun is eclipsed all creatures here flag and hang the head there is a drooping in the whole frame or nature and as when the extracting force of the Sun leaves the vapours that are drawn up they fall down again to the earth So sares it with the Church If God withdraw she lyes all amort yea she lieth open to all sorts of evils and enemies for her shadow is departed from her But he cannot be long absent such is his love he will repent for his people when he seeth their power is gone Dent. 32.36 when there is a dignus vindice nodus an extremity fit for divine power to interpose when misery weighs down nothing but mercy turns the scale then at furthest in the very turning and criticall point He will return to Jerusalem with mercies He will return to her not as the winter sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little comfort and heat but with a Cornu-copia of all manner of blessings will he come my house shall be built in it saith the Lord of Hosts and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem that is both Church and State shall flourish God will both do good in his good pleasure unto Sion be will also build the walls of Jerusalem Psal 51.18 but mark that he saith in his good pleasure as here in tender mercies to teachus that all the good we enjoy is merely of mercy it is all of free grace for otherwise there should not be so much as any face of Church or common-wealth as we see in the Jewes at this day a miserable dissected people because Lo-ruhamah Hos 1. such as have not obtained mercy Then Ancestours acknowledged with all thankfulnesse for so undeserved a favour that Except the Lord of Hosts had left unto them a very small remnant Isay 1.9 they should have been as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah Had not the Angels laid hold upon Lots hand and the good Lord been mercifull unto him Gen. 19.16 he also had perished amongst those sinners against their own soules Jehoshua was a brand pluckt out of the fire Zech. 3.2 And when One said to Mr. Bradford the Martyr God hath done much for you since I first knew you and hath wrought wonderously in you to his glory he thus answered Truth it is for He hath dealt favourably with me Act. Mon. 1473. Ezra 9.13 in that he hath not punished me according to my sins but hath suffered me to live that I might seek repentance Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve saith Ezra And it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed saith the Church because his compassions faile not Lam. 3.22 Verse 17. Cry yet saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts my cities Here are foure Yets in this one verse and all very gracious ones to break their hard harts and to raise their faith in his promised mercies For it is as if God should say Though I was sore displeased with your Fathers and ye are risen up in their roomes a very rate of rebels so that I have had indignation against you full seventy yeers ver 12. yet I do you to know and by my Propher I proclaime with great earnestness and evidence of truth that I do
they read the predictions of an Almanack for wind and weather which they think may come to passe and it may be not but be confident of this very thing that God who hath denounced it will surely do it and that he will execute the judgement written in this roll Psal 149.9 yea every sicknesse and every plague which is not written in the book of this Law them will the Lord cause to descend upon the disobedient untill they be destroyed Deut. 28.61 Verse 3. This is the curse Or oath with execration and cursing Num. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Aâ— Graecè juramentum et execrationem significat Mercer Cursing men are cursed men and God hath sworn that swearers shall not enter into his rest that goeth forth yea flyeth verse 2. more swift then an eagle an arrow a flash of lightening Or if not yet Poena venit gravior quo magè sera venit over the face of the whole earth Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil but of the Jew sirst Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia who is therefore the worse because he ought 'to have been better and then Rom. 2.9 of the Gentile also Theodoret Lyra and Vatablus think that Iudaea is hinted in the measure of the book twenty cubites long and ten broad as being twice so long and somewhat more as it is broad witnesse Hierom in his Epistle to Dardanus Epist 129. But let the whole earth here be taken in its utmost latitude sith the Gentiles that sinne without the Law are yet liable to the punishments of the Law And some of them by the light of Nature saw the evil of swearing but all generally of stealing but especially of perjury and sacriledge here principally meant Confer Mal. 3.8 Neh. 13.10 for every one that stealeth shall be cut off By stealing understand all sins against the second Table as by swearing all against the first and so the sense is the same with that of the Apostle Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 Howbeit because these two sins were more frequently and more impudently committed in those dayes therefore are they by a specialty instanced The Jewes comming poor out of Babylon held it no great sin to steal for supply of their necessities and then to forswear themselves for the better hiding of their theft Give me not poverty said holy Agur lest being poore I steale and as one sin drawes on another I take the name of my God in vaine Prov. 30.9 See the Note there Hunger is an evill counsellour necessity an hard weapon a sore temptation when it comes to this Either I must steale or starve But then to this must be opposed that of the law Thou shalt in no case steals Thou must rather dye then do wickedly Aut faciendum aut patiendum Either obey the law or suffer the curse as on this side according to it i. e. According to the curse described in the rowle the thees shall be cut off as well as the swearer they shall speed alike The tares shall be bound up in bundles theeves with theeves and swearers with swearers and burnt in the fire Mat. 13.30 40. According to the prediction shall be the execution Whether on this side that is in Judea so some sense it or on that side in other parts of the world such persons appeare they shall have their payment and every one that sweareth Not only falsely as verse 4. but lightly vainely causelesly in jest and not in judgement whether by God or by creatures and qualities Judaeis Pharisaeis vulgare vitium saith Paraeus on Iam. 5.12 a common fault among the Jewes and Pharisees Mat. 5.34 35. and 23.16.18 See the Notes there Among the Christians in Chrysostomes time as appeares by his many sermons against it at Antioch And in these dayes if ever because of oaths the land mourneth God hath a controversie Hos 4.1 2. We have lived to see iniquity in the fulnesse of oaths and blasphemies unparaleled darted with hellish mouths against God and our Saviour so ordinarily and openly that some of them are become very interjections of speech to the vulgar and other some meer phrases of gallantry to the braver I knew a great swearer saith a great Divine who comming to his death-bed Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greedinesse after that most gainelesse Bolâ—on and pleasurelesse sin that though himself swore as fast and as furiously as he could yet as though he had bin already among the bannings and blasphemies of hell he desperatly desired the standers by to help him with oaths and to swear for him Verse 4. I will bring it forth sc out of my treasuries or store-houses of plagues and punishments Deut. 32.34 Or That which thou hast seen in vision I will put in action I will produce it into the open light into the theatre of the world their faults shall be written in their foreheads their sins shall go before to judgement my visible vengeance shall overtake them and it shall enter into the house of the theef which he calleth his castle and where he thinks himself most secure as out of the reach of Gods rod as iâ— he could mot up himself against Gods fire But what faith Bildad His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the king of terrours It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation Iob 18.14 15. so that if the fire of Gods wrath do but touch it all 's on a light flame A. Gell. He will unkennel these foxes and drag acus out of his denn to his deserved punishment Dioclesian the Persecutour one of those Latrones publici Eusub de vit Const lib. 5. as Cato called them giving over his Empire after that he had sufficiently feathered his nest decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he escaped not so for after that his house was wholy consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven he hiding himself for fear of the lightening died within a while after and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name Hence Ribera gathereth that by the whole earth in the former verse is meant Judaea only because none but Jewes swore by the name of the true God who is indeed the proper object of an oath Esay 65.16 Ier. 12.6 Howbeit in lawfull contracts with an Infidel or Idolater oaths by false gods may be admitted and are binding As for perjury it is a provoking sin as containing three great evils 1. The uttering or upholding of a lie 2. The calling upon God to testifie and justifie a lie 3. The praying for a curse upon a mans self and beseeching God
had they considered Daniels weekes they might have known that besides their free election all blessings flowing therefrom as verse 3.4.5 for their seventy years captivity they had seven seventies of years granted them afterwards for the comfortable enjoyment of their own countrey Sed ingrato quod donatur deperditur saith Seneca And Amare non redamantem est amoris impendia perdere saith Hierome All 's lost that is laid out upon an unthankfull people who devoure Gods best blessings as bruit beasts their prey haunch them up and swallow them as swine do swil bury them as the barren earth doth the seed use them as homely as Râ—chel did her fathers gods which she laid among the litter and sat upon yea sighting against God with his own weapons mercies I meane as John did against Ichoram with his own messengers as David did against Goliath with his own sword as Benhadad against Ahab with that life that he had given him as iâ— God had hired them to be wicked c. was not Esau Jacobs brother Did they not both tumble in a belly Isay 51.1 were they not both digged out of the same pit hewen out of the same rock and yet as the great Turk and his brethren born of the same parents the eldest is destined to a diadem the rest to an halter so here Esau though the elder and heire was rejected at least he was lesse loved for so the word hated is to be taken Gen. 29.31 Luke 14.20 Mâ—â— 10.37 Jacob though the younger and weaker for Esau was born a manly childe born with a beard as some think and was therefore called Esau that is Factus persâ—â—â—us pilis a man already rather then a babe yet was Gods beloved one And so were his posterity too the people of Gods choyce above the Edomites who were now left in captivity at Babyloâ— when as the Jews were returned into their own countrey yea for the Jews sakes and as a testimony of Godslove to them were these Edomites still held captives and their land irreparably ruinated because they shewed themselves mercilesse and bloody in the day of Jerusalems calamity Obad. 10.11 Psal 137.7 God had charged the â—raelites saying Thou shalt not abhor an Edoâ—â—â—te for he is thy brother Deut. 23.7 But as Eâ—au began betime to persecute Jacob bristling at him and bruising him in their mothers womb Gen. 25.22 so his posterity were bitter enemies to the Church joying in her misery and joyning with her enemies wherefore thus saith the Lord God I will also stretch our mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from â—t c. Ezck. 25.13 14. yet I loved Jacob And preordained him to a crown that never fadeth as Paul expoundeth this text Rom. 9.13 of election to eternal life which is the sweetâ—st and surest seal of Gods love Let us secure our election and so Gods special love to our souls by those two infallible marks 2 Thes 2.13 First belief of the truth that particularity and propriety of assurance Secondly â—â—â—â—â—â—sication of the Spirit â—â—â—o the obedience of the truth And as God loved Iacobs person so he loved his posterity the Israelites above all other people not because they were more in number or better in disposition ex meliore luto c. But because the Lord loved you therefore be set his love upon you and chose you saith Moses Dâ—ut 7.7 8. the ground of his love was wholly in himself there being nothing in man nothing our of Gods self that can primarily move and incline the eternal immutable and omnipotent will of God The true original and first motive of his love to his creature is the good pleasure of his will See Eph. 1.5 where all the four causes of Election are shewed to be without us Verse 3. And I hated Esau i. e. I loved him not as I did Iâ—â—ob I passed him by and let him alone to perish in his corruption and for his sin And for his posterity whereas they were carried captives by Nebuchadnezâ—zar as Isreal also was I have not turned again their captivity but laid their land desolate rased and harased their cities and castles made them an habitation of dragons and devilâ—â— and all this as an argument of my deep hatred and utter detestation of them True it is that Judea lay utterly waste during the seventy yeers of their captivity the land kept her sabbaths resting from tillage Upon the slaughter of Gedalâ—ah all the Jews that were left in the land fled into Egypt and God kept the room empty and free from invasion of forreiners untill the return of the Natives out of Babylon Now it was far otherwise with Idumea the desolation whereof is here described to be both total and perpetual according to that foretold by Ezechiel Chap. 35. O mount Seir I will make thee to be most desolate Ezech. 35 3 7 15. or as the Hebrew hath it emphatically and eloquently wastnesse and wastnesse extreme and and irrecoverable A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or utter ruine befel that countrey being part of Arabia Petrea hence mention of their mountains and abounding naturally with with serpents or dragons it being in the wildernesse of this country of Edom where the Israelites were so stung with fiery serpents Num. 21.6 hence it became afterwards a very den of dragons lurking there Verse 4. Whereas Edom saith we are impoverished Or thrust out of house and home and reduced to extreme indigency yet we will return and build the desolate places We will do it all despito di Deo as that prophane Pope said if it be but to crosse Gods prediction and to withstand his power and providence Thus these earthen pots will be dashing themselves against the rocks against those mountains of brasse so Gods immutable decrees are called Zech. 6.1 Thus Lamech will have the oddes of God seventy to seven so Iunius interprets it Gen. 4.24 Thus when God had threatened to root out Ahab and his posterity he would try that and to prevent it took more wives and so followed the work of generation that he left seventy sons behinds him 2 Kin. 10.1 Thus Pharaoh that sturdy rebel holds out against God to the utmost and sends away his servant Moses threatning death to him even then when he was compassed on all hands with that palpable darknesse Thus the Philistin Princes while some plagued gather themselves together again against the humbling Israelites at Mizpch 1 Sam. 7. and so rum to meet their bane Thus the proud Ephraimites Isai 9.10 The bricks indeed say they are fallen down but we will build it again with hewen stones The The wilde sigtrees are cut down but we will change them into Cedars Thus the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7.30 yea would needs be found fighters against God Act. 5.39 as Gamaliel truly told them Thus those primitive persecutours would needs attempt to root our Christian religion the
for a just description of a godly Christian that he truely feares the Lord. First you shall finde Gods true service and his holy fear go coupled and handfasted in sundry scriptures Some few for a tast Now therefore fear the Lord saith Joshua in his last farewell to the world and serve him in sincerty and truth m Iosh 24.14 intimating that there is no sincere service done to God where his fear is not found So the Psalmist Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with reverence n Psal 2.11 Fear then must be one thing in Gods works and reverence another whatsoever be the third Indeed it is the first second and third in Gods true service * As Demosthenes once said of Elocution in an Oratour Hence the Apostle Let us have grace saith he whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear o Heb. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae parit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As who should say A fearlesse heart is certainly a gracelesse heart neither let such a man think that he shall ever receive any wages at Gods hand for such unacceptable work sith displeasing â—â—rvice is a double dishonour But secondly as Gods true fear and service are in some places of scripture conjoyned so in other some they are confounded and indifferently taken the one for the other as tearmes convertible See for this Deut. 6.13 compared with Mat. 4.10 and again Mat. 15.9 with Esay 29.13 whereupon Solomon the wise makes this fear of God the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and last in Gods businesse The basis and beginning of all he sets it for in the beginning of his Proverbs p Prov. 1 7. the end and upshot of all he concludes it in the close of his Ecclesiastes Let us hear the end of all saith he Feare God and q Eccl. 12.15 Hoc est enim totus homo Ergo si hoc est omnis homo absque hoc nihil est homo Bern. super Cant ser 20. keep his commandements for this is the whole man r Act. 13.16 as Broughton after the vulgar reads that text Lastly to perswade this the scripture usually describes a godly person by this property sets him out by this periphrasis not only here in the text but a few verses below chap. 4.2 But unto you that fear my name set in opposition to the proud and wicked ver 1. as these here to those stout rebels ver 13.14 15. shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise c. So elsewhere up and down Gods booke Men of Israel saith the Apostle and ye that fear God give audience r Act. 13.16 A close connexion you see for All that are Israelites indeed Jews inwardly Å¿ Rom. 2 29. do fear God according to that of Solomon He that walketh in his uprightnesse feareth the Lord t Prov 14.2 Whence it is pinn'd as a badge upon the sleeve of every faithfull Christian as of Iob for instance in the old Testament u Iob 1.2 Act. 10.2 and Cornelius in the New that they fâ—ared God and eschewed evill u for by the fear of the Lord men depart from evill Pro. 16.6 The scripture then is expresse for us you see that every servant of the Lord feares the Lord Neither need we want Reasons for it whether we look upon this holy fear in its 1. Causes 2. Consequents 3. companions 4. contâ—aries the opposites I mean in either extreames SECT II. The Doctr. further confirmed by Arguments drawne from the 1. Causes 2. Consequences 3. Companions 4. Contraries to the true fear of God FOr the causes first Reas 1 the principall efficient cause and authour of this reverentiall fear is God in Christ by the hand and operation of the Holy Ghost whose sole work it is to spiritualize that natural affection of Fear common to all mankinde and by putting it into a right frame turning it into a new channel that it may thence forward run forth-right upon God to make it the fear of sons the fear of Gods elect partakers of the heavenly calling w Hob 3.1 that Covenant of grace one special claus whereof is this I will put my fear into their hearts 't is a fruit then of Gods own setting and taken off the tree of life for they shal never depart from me but I will rejoyce over them to do them good and will plant them in truth with my whole heart and with my whole soule x Ier. 32.40 'T is a blessing of Gods own right-hand I will put my sear c. I is emphaticall and exclusive q. .d I and only l. 2. And not a common blessing neither but such as he will bestow on his own alone with whom he is in speciall covenant Thirdly And this by way of infusion that all may be of grace for he will put his fear into their hearts Fourthly and for the best end all this is that they may never depart from him For this is a filiall fear out of ingenuity and the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever y Ioh. 8.35 saith the naturall Son of God that came out of the bosome of his father knew all his counfell and upon whom the spirit of the fear of the Lord rested for his members Some other subordinate and lesse principall causes also of this grace in speech I might here mention as making to ourpurpose such as are 1. a lively faith in all the glorious and gratious attributes of God especially his fatherly compassion and kindnesse a Hos 3. vlt. Psal 130.4 which is better then life b Psal 63.3 2. an aâ—dent child-like affection to God as a father whose displeasure we therefore fear and feel more bitter then death c Eccles 7.26 Neoffendamus quem diligamus ne ab eo separemur M. Sentent l. 3. dist 34. Reas 2. In via Dei à timore incipitur ut ad fortitudinem venia tur Non siâ—ut in via seculi timor debilitatem it a in via Dei timor forâ—itudinem gignit Greg. But these with some other graces that concur as principles to the constituting of the right fear of God â— passe for hast and come to the second Reason And that is taken from the effects and consequent of this holy fear and they also are such as suite only with Gods dear children and are found in none other besides To instance only in two of them till we come to the Application First Christian conrage and a confident reliance upon Gods fatherly love and affection for safety and salvation In the fear of the Lord saith Solomon is strong confidence and his children for such only sear God which is the point in proof have a place of resuge d Pro. 14 26. what even siorme be up they have God name to repair unto for shelter Now the Name of the Lord is a strong tower the
Aarons rod better then the rest that it alone should bud and the rest lye dry by it n Num. 17.8 every name was alike written in their rod there is nâ— difference in the letters nor in the wood it is Gods choise that made the distinction So what was the floore of a Jebusite to the Lord above all other soâ—les to build an Altar on after the raging plague in Davids time o 2 Sam 24.18 As in places so in persons God maketh men to differ p 1 Cor. 4.7 and that is ever worthiest that he pleaseth to accept Araunah a Jebusite by nature but made a Proselyte by grace giveth his freehold as a King to the King q 2 Sa. 24.23 This deed of his or rather this work of Gods free grace is long after remembred by the prophet as some not improbably interpret him Ekron shall be as the Iebusite r Zach. 9.7 That is say they the barbarous people of Palestina shall be as the famous Araunah by kindred indeed a Jeâ—usire but by Gods gracious acceptation and adoption an Israelite Like as elsewhere Jether that was by his country and Ismaelite Å¿ 1 Chro. 7.17 is for his faith and religion called an Israelite t 2 Sam. 17.25 So then to summ up this reason albeit by nature that 's never a better of us but all are in the same hatefull and wofull condition all cut out of the same cloth as it were the sheers only going between Yet when grace once comes and sets a difference when that divine nature u 2 Pet. 1.4 as St. Peter calleth it is transfused into a man and he begins to be like unto God in some truth of resemblance the Lord cannot chuse but love and delight in his own image where ever he meets with it Now the persons of such being once in acceptation through Christ Gods beloved one x Eph. 1 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their sacrifices cannot but be well accepted also Thus the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering to Noah and his burnt-sacrifice to Abraham and his intercession for Sodom to Iobs request for his friends to Davids for his people to Pauls for those in the ship Will you know a reason Abel was a righteous person y Heb. 11.4 Noah his favourite z Gen. 6.8 Abraham his friend Iob his servant a Iob 1.8 David his corculum b 1 Sam. 13 14 or darling Paul his elect vessell c Act. 9.15 Hence their high acceptance in the court of heaven and hence that singular delight and complacency that God took in their services For though the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord yet the prayer of the upright is his delight d Prov. 15.8 Psal 4.3 The blood of a swine is as well coloured and as fair to see to as the blood of a sheep but the former was an abhomination to the Almighty and present death to the party that brought it when the later might with good leave and liking be powred about his Altar and the sacrificer depart with the publican justified and accepted And that 's the second thing we were speaking to respecting the services of Gods people in all which there is something of Gods and something of their own This later God graciously overlooks taking notice only of his own part in that we do and hence our acceptance If this be not plain enough take it thus The Lord leadeth his people by his spirit into good works by governing the habits of grace infused and producing therehence acts of grace which though mixed with corruption as from us for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean e Iob 14.4 Denominatio fit à potiori saith Iob Yet are they good before God who winks at the imperfections and have a true goodnesse in them being therefore denominated and called from the better part good works f 2 Tim. 2.21 good fruites g Mat. 12.33 fruits of the Spirit h Gal. 5.22 who exerciseth our faith hope love zeal fear of God humility and other graces in producing them Whence it is that passing by infirmities in the manner God looks upon all our religious performances as fruits of the vine i Esay 5.4 whereupon he is pleased to feed heartily the Church her self as knowing like another Rebeccah such savoury meat as he best loved inviting him thereunto Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits k Cant. 4. ult which accordingly he did as followeth in the next chapter l Cant. 5.1 SECT IIII. Vse 1. It s otherwise with the wicked Their persons are hated their performances rejected and why FOr Use of this point God gives diligent heed to Use 1 and takes great pleasure in the religious performances of his faithfull people this as it must needs be marvelous comfortable to the saints so it cannot but be exceeding terrible to the wicked and unregenerate with whom alass it is farr otherwise if they mark it For they are all Cursed with a curse even with Cains curse the Lord had no respect to his sacrifice m Gen. 4.5 with Sauls curse whom the Lord would not answer neither by dreames nor by Urim nor by prophets n 1 Sam. 28.6 with Moabs curse he shall come to his Sanctuary to pray saith the Prophet but shall not prevail o Isa 16.12 with the curse of Davids enemies who cryed out but there was none to save them Yea to the Lord but he answered them not p Psal 18.41 Or if he do hear them as he did sometime that Non-such Ahab q 1 Kin. 21.29 nay the devill himself r Matt. 8 32 yet it is for no other end then that he may come upon them the more justly and consume them after he hath done them good Å¿ Iosh 24.20 their preservation is no better then a reservation to some further mischief But usually the Lord frownes upon such and turnes the deaf ear unto them and worthily for these three causes among many First they cannot present him with any service truly good and acceptable so long as they are out of Christ t Heb. 11.6 All their actions naturall civill recreative religious are abhomination Not the plowing u Prov. 21 4 onely but the prayer of the wicked is sinne x Prov. 15 8 saith Solomon Pray they cannot indeed to speak properly because they want the spirit of prayer that spirit of grace and of deprecation y Zach. 22.10 Say they may with those many in the Psalm Who will shew us any good but pray they cannot as there Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us z Psal 4.5 Wish they may with Balaam the Soothsayer O let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like unto his a Num. 23.10 But 't is a David onely that can pray in
he is above them 2 Pet. 3 9. Exod. 18.11 He hath an eye to follow them a goard to look to them and a goaler to bring them forth whensoever he shall call for them In case they should make escape as they cannot he hath armies above them armies below them armies about them armies upon them yea armies within them to bring them back to execution For a wicked person is not safe from his own tongue to peach him from his own hands to dispatch him from his own phantasy to disquiet him from his own conscience to affright him from his own friends to betray him from his own beasts to gore him from his own fire to burn him from his own house to brain him Thus it is with him whiles at home as if he look abroad to every creature he meets he may say as Ahab once said to the Prophet Hast thou found me O mine enemy For as every good souldier will fight for his Generall and as a Noble-mans servants will soon draw if their Lord be set upon so there is not a creature in all the world that is not ready prest to fight Gods battles and revenge his quarrell upon an ungodly person Gen 4.14 What Cain sometimes said he hath good cause to take up and second Job 18.15 Every thing that findeth me shall slay me Brimstone is strawed upn the house of the wicked saith Iob so that if the fire of Gods wrath do but lightly touch upon it Job 9 5 Eccles 6.13 Necesse est ut eum omnibus doctâ—orem agnoscam qui triginta habet legiones Phavorm de Adriano â—mp apud Spartian they are suddenly consumed they walk all day long upon a mine of Gunpowder either by force or stratageme they are sure to be surprised Had Zimri peace that slew his master Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered Oh that these gracelesse men would once learn to meddle with their match and according to the wise-mans counsell beware of contending with one that is mightier then they this Lord of Hosts I mean the Lord mighty in battle Psal 24.8 this man of warr as Moses calls him whose name is Jehovah sabaoth before whose dreadfull presence and unresistible puissance they are no more able to stand then is a glasse-bottle before a cannon-shot SECT IIII. Tremble before this mighty Lord of Hosts THirdly Use 3 Is he the Lord of Hosts with whom we have to deal be we all hence exhorted and excited to the pracise of divers duties And first to tremble before this mighty God who having so many millions at his beck and obedience can with as much ease and in as little time undo us as bid it be done So Caesar once threatened Metellus in a bravado but so God only and easily can do indeed to such as set against him If the breath of God blow men to destruction Iob 4.9 for we are but dust-heaps if he can frown us to death with the rebuke of his countenance Psal 80.16 what is the waight of his hand that mighty hand as James calls it wherewith he spans the heavens Jam 4 1â— Isay 40.22 and weigheth the earth in a ballance He sits upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants are as grashoppers he shakes them out of it at pleasure as it were by a canvass or as out of ones lap so much the Hebrew word imports Iob 38.13 Who would not therefore fear thee O King of Nations Jer. 10.6 7 Mat 22.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to thee doth it appertain forasmuch as thowart great and thy Name is great in might Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars saith Christ and unto God the things that are Gods Where it is remarkable that the Article in the Originall is twice repeated when he speaks of God more then when he speaks of Caesar to shew saith a Divine that our speciall care should be to give God his due Now shall we fâ—ar to break the penall lawes of a King Prov. 19 12 Prov. 16.14 Prov. 20.2 because his wrath is as the roaring of a lion and as the messengers of death so that whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul And shall we not fear this King of Nations who hath Armies of creatures to do us to death and after that legions of devils to torment us in hell shall we fear fire water lions leopards bulls bears and other common souldiers yea the wrath of a fool because it is heavier then the sand of the sea Prov. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 10.28 Philip. 3. ult 27.3 4. An shall we not fear the great Emperour of all these that hath them all at his beck and obeisance These may kill us but they cannot hurt us as he once told the tyrant destroy they may the body but neither keep the good soul from heavents nor the body from a glorious resurrection But God can do all this yea more then this and shall we not fear his heavy displeasure Especially since according to his fear so is his wrath Psal 90.11 That is according to some as any one doth more or less fear Gods indignation in the same degree and measure shal the feel it as he trembles at it he shall tast of it Or as others and perhaps better Let a man stand in never so great awe of thy wrath yet his fear shall not prove proportionall or ever be able to match it he shall never fear thee so much as thy wrath amounts to let him fear his utmost For there is a fire kindled in his anger and it burns unto the lowest hell Deut. 32.22 Now Bellarmine is of opinion that one glimps of hell were enough to make a man not only turn Christian and sober but Anchorite and Monke to live after the strictest rule that can be I conclude with the Apostle Wherefore let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. SECT V. Trust in his power for fulfilling his promises SEcondly is He the Lord of Hosts This should teach us to rest confidently upon his power for the fulfilling of his promises For what should hinder First God is not as Man that he should lie he payes not what he hath promised Plutarch as Sirtorius is said to do with fair words Secondly hee is not off and on with us he doth not say and unsay Mal. 3. he is Jehovah that changeth not Thirdly he is the Lord of Hosts and cannot be resisted or interrupted in his course Nature may be and was when the fire burnt not the water drown'd not the Lions devoured not c. Men may be withstood though never so mighty as the potent Prince of Persia was Daniel 10.20 And as Asa was who although he brought five hundred thousand men into the field yet was he encountred and overmatcht by an Army of a thousand thousand and upward
haec locutio Deo esse suam opportunitatem c. Calvin in locum Baiom in isto die Jom significat per Synechdoch tempus certum atque id praecipuè cum de juturo agitur Shindl. pentag 2 Thes 1 10. 1 Thes 5.2 2 Thes 2.2 2 Pet. 3.12 Rom 2 5.16 Guaâ—â—ber Figuter Alii 1 Tim. 5.24.25 This Lord of Hosts will not fail to finde a fit time for the making up of his jewels from the worlds misusages There is a day here specified in the text a set and solemn day a particular time a certain season wherein God will make himself glorious and to be admired in all them that beleeve in that day So speaks the Apostle of that last day called elsewhere the day of the Lord the day of Christ the day of God and the day of the declaration of the just judgement of God according to the Gospel And of this last and great day of general judgement the most interpreters understand this text And truly I beleeve it is partly if not principally intimated and mainly though I cannot think onely here intended Some mens sins are open afore-hand going before to judgement and some men they follow after Likewife also the good works of some are manifest before hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid Some sinners are here punished that we may acknowledge a providence and yet not all that we may expect a judgement But a day there will be as sure as day whether sooner or later I have not to determine wherein God will take out the precious from the vile the corn from the chaffe the sheep from the goats the good fish and good figs from the bad wherein he will set a price upon his pearls make up his jewels advante his favorites his darlings his peculiar people and put away all the wicked of the earth as drosse Psal 119.119 And albeit he delay haply to do it because his hour is not yet come yet his forbearance is no quittance to the bad Vide Calvin in loc nor deniance to the better sort God first writes things down in his book of remembrance and then afterwards executes them which requires some time between But a time he will finde and that must needs be so for these reasons some respecting God and some the saints themselves but both sorts grounded upon the text and there-hence borrowed SECT I Reason 1 From Gods providence Reas 1 FOr God Sic spectat universos quast singulos sic singulos quasi solos Aug. 1 Tim 4.10 Curiosus plenus negotij Deus Tull. de nat deor first there be many things in Him that may well infer the point in proof as his providence power Faithfulnesse Goodnesse and Justice First his good providence which like a well-drawn picture eyeth each one in the room Neither is he a bare spectatour onely but as chief Agent he wisely ordereth all the worlds disorders to the good of his children He saveth that is he preserveth all men but especially those that beleeve saith the Apostle he is curious and full of businesse saith the Heathen my father worketh hitherunto and I also work saith our Saviour And this is meant by those seven eyes of the Lord Zech. 4.10 That run to and fro thorow the whole earth causing that none shall have cause to despise the day of small things Gods jewels are little in bulk great in worth for as small as they are they shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubb bel with or by those seven And the eyes of the Lord saith another Prophet run to and fro thorow the earth to behold the evil and the good and not so only but to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him and to give them an expected end And this reason is secretly couched in that clause of our text There was a book of remembrance writâ— before him Est autem hic liber providentiae 2 Chron 16.9 Jer. 29.11 saith Polanus this is the book of Gods providence wherein as all our members are written which in continuance of time were fashioned had he left out an eye in his common-place book thou hadst wanted it so are all our services Polan in loc Psal 139.16 that they may be recompensed yea and all our sufferings too that they may be remedied and revenged when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Act. 3.19 Thou tellest my wandrings saith David put thou my tears into thy botile are they not in thy book And there-hence he rightly concludes the point in hand ver 9. Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call this I know that God will be for me Psal 56.8.9 or that God will be mine as the same phrase is rendered in this text SECT II. Reason 2. From Gods power NExt there is an almighty power in God called therefore Lord of Hosts in the text exerted and exercised for the relief and rescue of his poor people trampled on by those fat buls of Basan with the foule feet of contempt and cruelty whereby he taketh course that they be not over-trod or too long held under by the insolencies and insultations of their enemies But when they shall seem to themselves and others utterly forlorn and undone so that salvation it selfe cannot save them which was good Davids case Psal 3.2 then shall the Lord be a shield for them their glory their strong tower and the lifter up of their head Ver. 3. And this he shall do with a great deal of ease and expedition as being Lord of Hosts that is of all creatures by the hands of whom he shall send from heaven and save them from the reproach of him that would swallow them up Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth Psal 57.3 SECT III. Reason 3. from Gods Truth ANd that passage points us to two other reasons for the point God will send forth his mercy and truth And first his truth I meane his faithfulnesse intimated also in these words of our text Saith the Lord of Hosts These things saith he that is faithfull and true they shall be mine in the day c. I will have a time to make up my Jewels in much mercy Now hath God said it and shall he not accomplish it Is not his decree his facere shall he not fulfill with his hand what he hath promised with his mouth God is not as man that he should lye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mal. 3.6 neither is he unconstant as other friends that he should change no nor yet unmindfull that he should forget least of all is he unfaithfull that he should falsify God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. 1 Cor. 10. He will give patience under the temptation a good use of it and a good issue from out of it in the best time SECT IIII.
still the guise of godly persons Now should God in the mean-while be unrighteous to forget their work and labour of love that they have shewed toward his Name Heb. 6.10 which they have stoutly vindicated and toward his saints to whose souls they have ministred and do minister by wholsome admonition and Christian incouragement SECT VII When God will make up his Jewels BUt what is that time and when is that day Quest that the Lord mill make up his Jewels and shew himself propitious to his afflicted people 1. Generally and indefinitely at any time no one day excepted or exempted Answ God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 Thus God judg'd David that is he justified him and avenged his quaâ—rell when he was angry with Nabal the churle Nabal pamphagus and after ten dayes sicknesse struck him with death Blessed be the Lord saith he upon the news thereof that hath judged the cause of my rebuke at the hand of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.39 and so hath cleered his own glory and mine integrity There is no time wherein the righteous may not rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal 58.10 11 and wash his feet in the blood of the wicked So that he shall be able to say Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily He is a Goâ— that judgeth in the earth Particularly and for instance there are three more speciall dayes of deliverance to the people of God First in an exigence and utmost distresse when they know not what to do with Jehosaphat nor whither to turn them with David Cùm duplicentur lateres Venit Moses Capino when they are at a dead list with Ionah and at their wits end with the children of Israel under the Egyptian bondage and at the red sea when the children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth as in Hezekiah's dayes Senacherib had already in his hopes and conceit swallowed up the city Omnibus Judaeis perâ—â—de ac si unum jugulum haberem extremum ictum intentabat Bucholc Statuae Senache ihi inscriptum refert Herodot lib 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sa 23 26 27 Esay 37.7 9 Canes lingunt ulcera Lezari Turca mitigat edictum Augustanum SculAnnal and was fetching his deadly blow at all the people of God as if they had all had but one neck when God put a hook into the nostrills of that great Leviathan and turned him back yea sent sorth an Angel that destroyed his army to the terrour of other nations God delights to bring his people to the mount with Abraham yea to the very brow of the hill as the Nazarenes brought our Saviour Luk. 4. till their feet slip and then delivers them In the Mount will the Lord be seen for the saving of his Isaacs from the fatall stroke of his Peters from the destroying sword of his Daniels from the lions gripe of his whole Church from Hamans plots and Papists conspiracies When Saul had hemmed David in on every side to take him there came a messenger in the nick to Saul saying Hast thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land When Senacherib had taken all the defenced cities of Judah and was advancing toward Jerusalem God sent a blast upon him and made him hear a rumour that Tirhakab King of Ethiopia was come forth to make warr with him When Charles the fifth was mustering his forces to root out the Lutheran heresy out of Germany he was called off by God to fight with the Turk who at that very time made an irruption into Hungary and the cosine countries Secondly in a common calamity in an overflowing scourge a sweeping showre that takes all afore it Such as was that horrible devastation and destruction of Jerusalem first by Nebuchadnezzar when God manifestly made up his Jewels graciously provided for his Ieremies Baruchs Ebedmelechs Gedaliahs whose father Ahikam had formerly freed the prophet Ieremy out of danger chap. 39.24 and 48.5 and 26.24 As for those faithfull ones that went into captivity God had for their sakes sent the good figs Daniel with his three fellowes and others before them in a former captivity under Jeconiah Jer. 2.4 as so many Josephs to provide for them in a farre-countrey Next when the City was razed and harased by the Romans which calamity seems to be here principally and particularly pointed at as appeareth by the first second and third verses of the fourth Chapter For behold the day cometh that shall burn like an oven Repetit eorum verba non sine spe ie ironicae Calvin and all the proud and all that do wickedly which those blasphemers above had pronounced happy and high above others shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burne them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch that is neither sonne nor nephew as the Chaldee Paraphrast and after him Kimchi expounds it This was literally and punctually fulfilled upon the unbeleeving Jews thirty eight yeers after our Saviours Resurrection 1 Thes 2.15 16 Quodvis verbum exaggerat crimen Rolloc in loc Joseph de bell Jud lib 6. c 4. l. 7. c. 18 Who forasmuch as they would not know at the least in that their day the things that belong'd to their peace but both kil led the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and Apostles being displeasing to God and thwart to all men so filling up the measure of their sinnes therefore came wrath upon them to the utmost But what will God do for his Jewels in this common combustion in this utter desolation and dissolution of the Jewish Nation See what follows But unto you that fear my Name the proper badge and character of a true Christian shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings It is fair weather with Gods children mostly when it is foulest with the wicked At once the fire falls upon Sodom and the Sunne riseth upon Zoar Abraham stands upon the hill and sees the cities burning and ye shall go forth sc to Pella and other hiding places provided for you and there shall ye grow up as calves of the stall And ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes in reference to the burning oven above-mentioned under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this that is in the day when I thus make up my Jewels saith the Lord of Hosts Which second and third verses of the fourth Chapter for the first verse depends on Chap. 3.18 and explains it as they contain a just Comment upon my Text so do they acquaint us with diverse precious pledges and priviledges whereby God will seal up his dearest love to his most esteemed Jewels in most afflicted times of common calamitie These are â—1 Light that is joy by the arising of the Sunne of righteousnesse upon them See Esther 8.16 2. Health to
the Lord draweth nigh And to the same purpose St. Paul Philip. 4.5 Let your patient mind be known to all men Why the Lord is at hand to right your wrongs and plead your cause against an ungodly Nation Yea it may be God will look upon Davids affliction the sooner and do him good the rather for Shimei's cursing this day 2 Sam. 16.12 God gives over the wicked many times to exceed their commission that he may hasten deliverance to his chosen destruction to their enemies Gen. 15.16 their sinnes being once full See for this Psal 119.126 Jer. 51.33 34. Zach. 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease For I was but a little displeased with Israel my people but they helped forward the affliction that is they were excessively outragious above that they were bid to do I gave them an inch they took an ell Now therefore lest the righteous put beyond his patience should reach forth his hand to iniquity now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12.5 God seeth it but high-time to make us heavâ—e other-whiles with manifold afflictions But blessed is the man that endureth temptation for after hee hath suffered awhile he shall receive the crown of life For this light affliction which is but for a moment Jam. 1.12 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A levitate agilitate cervgrum nomen habet Chemnit Leve pondere â—â— pluma Cornel à Lapide Heb. 5.8 Luke 17 Psal 27.14 Eccles 3.1 11 Deut. 5 worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory An exceeding excessive eternall weight of glory is wrought out unto us by our short and light afflictions God will look upon us as those that have been judged already and account the present sufferings sufficient unto us 1 Pet. 4.13 Good therefore is the counsell of our Saviour who himself was perfected by sufferings In your patience possesse your souls And that of the Psalmist Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. He hath appointed a time for all and every thing is beautifull in its season The Israelites had their flesh at Even and bread in the Morning God will be waited on and give the consummation of his blessings at his leisure Their journey from Aegypt to Canaan might have been dispatcht in three dayes as Philo tells us but God led them up and down the wildernesse as if they had been treading a maze and held them sometimes a yeer together in a place to their grief no doubt but for their good that He might humble them and try them and do them good in their later end Water was not turned into wine till the wine failed Joseph was not set out of prison till the set time came The Israelites went not out of Egypt till the very last day of the four hundred yeers was well-nigh at an end Smyrna must be in prison ten dayes at least that she may be tried and that the trial of their faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though tried in the fire might be found to praise honour and glory The day of the churches restauration by Christ here promised was not performed of 400. yeers after yet when the fulnesse of time was come Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 1.7 Gal. 4. God sent his son made of a woman made under the law c. Say it had been 4000 years a thousand years is to God but as one day because in him there is no flux nor motion Our purblinde eyes see nothing but that which toucheth the lid as it were when Gods quick sight vieweth that as present that is a world off But now when all was at worst in Church and common-wealth and scarce a Ioseph or a Simeon left that looked for the consolation of Israel scarce a Mary or an Anna that waited for salvation in Ierusalem then came the desire of all nations Hag. 2 then the sun of righteous broke out with healing under his whings What shall I say more Christ himself the Captain of our salvation was fourty dayes and fourty nights tempted by the devil before the Angels ministred unto him his soul was heavy unto the death ere his heart was glad and his glory rejoyced Math. 4 Psal 16.9 Rom. 8.17 We also must suffer together ere we can be glorified together as two pieces of iron cannot be fastned till both hath passed the fire SECT XIII Helps to patient waiting upon God for deliverance VVHerefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees Heb. 12.12 and for suport consider First that life it self in its full length and latitude is but short the afflictions therefore of life cannot be long To live saith one is but to lie a dying Venire me oper tet praeterire ut horam Epist Multos often dunt terris bona fata ultrà esse sinunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad l. 12. Thetis de Achille Dego à de ago Ita degimus quum quia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minus fit nos unà Bèdman de Orig. Rev. 7.16 There is a time to be born and a time to die saith the wise-man He saith not There is a time to live for death borders upon life and a mans cradle stands in his grave Oh what a short cut hath the longest liver ab utro ad urnam from the womb to the tomb from the birth to the burial We chop into the earth before we are aware like a man that walking in a field covered with snow falls suddenly into a marle-pit Few and evil are the dayes of my pilgrimage saith old Iacob Evil they are but few and evil Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Troublesome his dayes are but soon determining sharp his sufferings but short withal as the paines of a travelling woman whereunto they are oft compared Every day we yeeld somewhat to death and death at utmost cures all diseases as that Martyr said Secondly this life once ended heaven begins and makes amends for all For they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more nor shall the sun light on them nor any heat but the lamb shall feed them and lead them to the waters of life and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes as a nurse doth from the eyes of her tender babe Now she is a sorry spouse saith one that cannot make shift with an uneasie horse while she rideth to see the consummation of her love with her betrothed husband I reckon saith that great Apostle that had seen as much of this and the other world as ever man saw that the afflictions of the present time are not worthy to be compared or are in no comparison worthy of the glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 For
is diminished but he accounts himself damnified You know how dearly the proud Ammonites paid for the hair they shaved off from Davids servants 2 Sam. 10 Luke 18.7 1 Sam. 2 Psal 91 And shall not the son of David avenge his own elect though he beare long with them He keepeth the very feet of his Saints saith holy Hannah and chargeth his angels with them to beare them in their hands lest at any time they dash their feet against a stone If they stumble and fall yet they shall get up againe for the Lord puts under his hand Psal 37.24 Yea the everlasting armes are underneath Deut. 33.27 Am. 1â— They that swear by God and Malchom shall fall as old Eli did and never rise againe but the Saints of God though Ioseph-like they fall into a pit yet as prisoners of hope they shall come forth by the blood of the covenant Zach. 9.10 Good Mordecai a Jew may fall before a Persian and get up againe yea prevaile and prosper But if wicked Haman begin to fall before a Jew that is in covenant with God he can neither stay when he stumbles Esth 6.14 nor rise when he is down God himself is so far interested and ingaged in the quarrels of such as I was saying erewhile that who so toucheth them toucheth the ball of his Eye The eye is a tender part we know and a small matter offends it God is every whit as choice and as chary of his people What part is more sensible of the least touch then the eye or being hurt canseth greater smâ—rt and rage or if put out brings more deformity to the face God is as tender of us c Pemble on Zach. 2.8 as a man is of his eyes Now a good thump on the back is better borne then a light touch on the eye Take heed I advise you how you meddle with Gods Eye lest you heare of him to your cost For although we must turne t'other cheek also yet he will not take a blow on the eye for the proudest of them all No man will stand still while his eyes are pecked out much lesse will God Thou knowest saith dying David to his son Solomon what Ioab did to me He meaneth it of the slaugher of Abner and Amasa which David appropriats and makes it his own case The soveraigne is smitten in the subject neither is it other then just that the arraignement of mean Malefactours runs in the stile of wrong to to the Kings Crowne and dignity Gods people are his crowne let none presume to attempt against it his dignity his glory let none turne it into shame Psal 4.3 His pearles let no swine trample them his holy things let no dogs profane them by holding their lives madnesse and their ends without honour by speaking basely of their persons actions sufferings as if they were vile and inglorious It was an heavy indictment doubtlesse Psal 14.6 You have shamed the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his refuge Thus those miscreants that mocked and railed at Christ upon the crosse upbraided him not with any evill but only for the good he had done in saving others for his trust in God and prayers to God Thus also they deale with David they that render evill for good are mine adversaries or hate me like divels and why Psal 38.20 they satanically hate me Because I do the thing that good is And the very truth is that were wicked mens insides turned outward it would well appeare that when they disgrace those that make conscience of their waies under the infamous names of puritans singularitans zelots and the like termes of reproach it is for the good that is in them and for the true glory that God hath stamped upon their persons and performances This savours strongly of the Devill of hell Tertull. 1 Ioh. 3.12 Graecinum Julium virum egregium Caesar occidit ob hoc unum quod melior vir erat quam esse quemquam tyranno expediret Sen. l. 2. de benef c. 21. whose property it is to hate and persecute any footstep of Gods holy image where-ever he finds it as the Tigre if he see but the picture of a man he flies upon it and tears it to peeces And it proves men to be the posterity of Cain the devils Patriarch as one calls him who was of that wicked one of the serpents seed and slew his brother And wherefore slew he him but because his own works were evill and his brothers good That was all the quarrell then and is still All that viperous brood bear an aking tooth to the better sort they do maliciously and mortally hate all holy impressions of grace wrought upon any by the sanctifying spirit though they restrain sometimes the expression and exercise of this hatred for advantage and in policy by accident and for by-respects it may be SECT 8. 9. 10. Exhortation to honour them that fear the Lord and what great cause men have and shall have so to do LEt us that know and professe better things approve our selves to be of the family of heaven Use 3 and followers of God as dear children by contemning a vile person though never so glorious a magnifico in the worlds eye and esteem but honouring them that fear the Lord though never so much under-prized and vilipended by the wicked of the earth This is a note of Gods houshold-servant Psal 15.4 Nabal shall not be stiled Nadtb 1 Ioh. 4.17 1 Pet. 2.17 and of one that hath share in Christs kingdome wherein the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the churle bountifull Esay 32.5 Further would we have boldnesse in that last and great day and be able to lift up our faces before the son of man let love be perfect in us toward the brotherhood loving them in truth and for the truths sake and being ready to serve the saints in love to wash yea to kisse their very feet and to lay down our lives for the brethren if called thereunto And because this can never be done except men see more in them then ordinary to move them labour and learne to know the price of a saint and to esteem them very highly in love for their worths sake The Jews tell us and truly that those seventy souls that went with Jacob into Egypt were as much worth as all the seventy Nations of the world besides It is not for nothing sure that the saints are called All things Coloss 1.20 and Every creature Mar. 16.15 Mat. 5. Is 6.11 statumen terrae Tren and the salt of the earth that keep the rest from putre fying the substance and support of the earth that keep the rest from shattering I bear up the pillars of it saith David and the Innocent delivereth the Island saith Eliphaz Iob. 22.30 For their sakes it is that God spares and prospers the wicked as he did Laban for Iacobs sake Potiphar for Iosephs Sodom for Lots when they were
seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel See he doth 't is true for he is all eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 1.6 and all things are naked and open before him Yea he seeth enough in the best to provoke the eyes of his glory For though the crow think her owne bird whitest and some parents can see nothing amisse in their children as David in his Adonijah Jeb 4.18.21 25.5 6. yet he charged his Angels with felly and the starrs are not pure in his sight How much less man that is a worme c. He is neither so blinde as not to behold nor so fond as not to mislike the least fault in his best childe For he is of more pure eyes then to behold evil in whomsoever Habuc 1.13 with approbation he cannot look on iniquity and not shew his displeasure All which notwithstanding the truth of this point is irrefragable and the text alledged is no lesse firm then plain for us God seeth no sin in his children For besides that he will never throw them to hell which is the just hire of the least sin it 's often seen Rom. 6.23 that he never so much as corrects them no not with the rods of men for innumerable faylings and infirmities But winking at smal faults as we say nay passing by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage like as a father pittieth his children and pardoneth them their childishnesse so the doth lord pitty them that fear him Lo he pittieth them not punisheth them Psal 103.13 14. Or if he do proceed to correction as he must other whiles such is our frowardnesse yet amidst all he knoweth our frame he remembreth we are but dust Esay 2.22 a peace of earth neately made up that we carry our souls as a light in a paper-lanthorne that our breath in our nostrils is every moment ready to puffe out and that therefore if he should alwayes chide the spirit would fail before him we should soon faint and swoon under his hands wherefore he deals not with us after our sins nor rewards us according to our iniquities But as a man chasteneth his son saith Moses and he would have us wisely to consider of it too so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Deut. 8.5 Break their stomackes he will but not their bones their hearts but not their heads And albeit they such is their peevishnesse under the rod give up all for lost and make desperate conclusions upon their corrections Judg 6.13 2 Tim. 2. as Gideon did yet the foundation of God remaineth sure The Lord knoweth who are his he knows their souls in adversity I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight Here was a poor prayer And yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer poor though it were when I cryed unto thee Psal 31.22 So Zion when under the lash sud The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Esay 49.15.16 Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget and some Tigresses have done it yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands c. Look how a natural mother turns her childe out of doors for dabbling himself or some other shrewd turn and with a thump on the back bids it be gone a begging yet when the childe begins once to make a lip whimper and set up his lure Jer. 31.20 she takes him in again and puts him in her bosom the very like dealing we may read of in God with Ephraim his dear son his pleasant childe Hos 13.1 2 3. c. Ephraim of trembling and tender conscienced became a flagicious offendour a desperate idolater Ver. 1.2 And was not it high time then to take him in hand therefore they shall be as the morning cloud as the early dew as the chaffe before the whirl-winde as the smoke out of the chimney No lesse then utter desolation is threatened against them But the Lord soon repents him concerning his servants witnesse the words following Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt I am thy sole saviour Here 's now mercy in the midst of judgement Oh but they abuse mercy forget their God and sin again Ver. 6. Why therefore God threateneth them again with a more terrible judgement Vers 7 8. Behold I will be unto them as a Lion and a leopard as a bear bereft I will rent the kell of their hearts and devour them Oh fearful condition who would ever think of such but as of deplored and desperate yet see the sequel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Ver. 9. Thou hast done thy utmost utterly to undoe thy self but yet I have thought of a way for thy help I will be thy king where is any other that would save thee as I do in all thy cities And albeit thou art an unwise son yet I will binde up thine iniquity as a cancelled bond and hide thy sin Ver. 12. And although the travels of a sorrowful woman be upon thee such is thy dulnesse in not coming off roundly with God work with those lively Israelitish women Exod. 1.19 but staying too long in the birth which might justly be thy death as it was Racâ—els yet I will ransome thee from the power of the grave I will redeem thee from death Ver. 14. Ey but for how long might they say I shall be likely breaking out again and then thou wilt undoe me after thou hast done me good No saith God repentance shall be hid from mine eyes He will not cast away a perfect man saith Bildad Iob 8.20 The Lord will not cast off for ever saith Ieremy but though he cause grief Lam. 3.31 32. yet will he have compassion according to the multitude or the magnitude of his mercies And this was that miracle that amused so and amased the Prophet Micah chap. 7.18 who is a God saith he like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever And will ye know a reason That text supplies us with two for failing and both from God 1. He delights in mercy 2. He provides for his own glory as occasioning hereby his pardoned people to praise him for present saying as here who is a God like unto thee c. and to trust him for future He will turn again he will have compassion upon us c. Thou wilt perform thy truth to Iacob c. ver 19.20 SECT II. The reasons are of two sorts First respecting God Reas 1 FIrst God will father-like pitty and pardon his poor people Psal 19.4 Eccles 7.25 Numb 14.8 2 Sam. 15.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 2.13 because he delights in mercy Now delight will do any thing as we say If the sun delight to run his race who
no other way to utter it vent himself by an exclamation Oh how excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! The clouds may commend thy faithfulnesse the mountaines thy righteousnesse the great deep thy judgements but who or what can set forth thy goodnesse Psal 36.5 6 7. It is beyond all that heart of man can conceive or tongue of Angels expresse Having therefore such a mercy to make use of such a father to do service unto how is it that we are so dull and disconsolate how is that we serve not the Lord with gladnesse and come before him with singing Psalm 100.2 A son feeling the love of his father creeps neerer under his wing or elbow and is welcom So here Yea but I am so weak and worthlesse Obj that I doubt much whether I am a childe or not How weak say thou be no stronger then a childe newly quickned in the womb Sol. the very first-springings in the womb of grace are precious before God Co. 2.13 And you hath he quickned to assure the weak saith One that though they be but as the childe that lies in the womb and have not so much as the strength of a babe new-born they are accepted with God Quickned I trust I am saith another and born anew to God Obj but it s so little I know and lesse that I can do that I have no great joy of my self for though God spareth some yet it is as a father spares his son that serveth him A childe Heb. 5.11 12 Fractu â—st or est 〈◊〉 liber orum sed injantra dulcior Sence 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lun 365. Pater libros non reijeit quod aegâ—oâ—i claudi debiles deformes sint sed chariores â—ibet mollius tractat c. Spin. de justi christi Ob. during his nonage is very infirm ignorant wayward does few chars in the house makes many So is it also in Gods house for he hath sons of all sizes Such children in grace were the Disciples during the bridegrooms abode with them such also were the contentious Corinthians 1 Epist 3.1 2 3. the dull and droanish Hebrews milk-sops and babies at first who yet afterwards came to be his proper men tall Christians The greatest giant hath been in swadling-clouts the learnedst Doctour hath been in his horn-book and he that now doth God best service time was when he did him little enough But parents delight as much in their younger children that play about the house as in those bigger that can earn their livings If we can but call Abba father or but name the name of the Lord in prayer and so depart from evil 2 Tim. 2.19 he is much taken with it His ears are open to their prayers saith David to their breathing saith Jeremy as a kinde mother watcheth and listeneth to the least whimping of her childe Yea because the soul is sick the service is twice welcome as if a sick childe reach us any thing we count it more then to send another on a laborious errand Oh but I do not onely not serve my heavenly father but disobey and displease him and that often Is any childe turned out of doors because dabbled Sol. No but if he be for a while yet afterwards he is whipt and taken in again I am so vile and froward Ob. I cannot take a whipping but am ready to fret at it or to faint under it What father will abandon his childe because being weak Sol. and wearyish he is therfore thwart and waspish and cryes himself out of breath it may be when corrected especially if he have been otherwise a good-natured childe and well-deeded Ey Ob. but I am none of those I am such a childe as no father would away with Thy father is God and not man and will do more then any earthly father or friend else will or can do Sol. Jer. 3.1 And when my father and my mother forsake me the Lord takes me up Ey but if the Lord should take me up yet it would not be long ere he turned me out again for my naughtinesse Ob. Not so for he hates putting away Besides the servant abideth not in the house but the son abideth Joh. Sol. 8.35 The servant if he cannot do his masters work to his minde is dismissed and packt away as that young man of Egypt that was servant to an Amalekite was cast off by his master because three dayes afore he fell sick and became unfit for service But a son 1 Sam. 30.13 albeit he be not able to do any thing to speak of is retained and cherished because a son If I were so good a childe as some I know and could do such service as they I should be very cheerful Ob. 1. They that have more grace have more to account for that which thou hast is thy fathers allowance Sol. be contented Imploy and improve thy stock and thou shalt have more 2. Omnis Christianus Cruci anus Luther Thou knowest not their pressures and grievances whom thou so admirest thou seest but the best of them they have also enough to do with themselves if you knew all little do others know where their shooe wringeth them Every Christian is a Crucian 3. I told you before that God requires no more then he gives and yet gives also as much as shall suffice to his acceptation In Eucharisticis licebat offerre panes fermentatos ut osienderetur deum ferre nestram infir mitatem Alsted Matth. 6.28 one may be a good servant though he be not the best in the countrey All the good grounds brought not forth a like quantity of fruit some not the third part as others did and yet that little they did was good and ripe fruit and themselves were grounds respected of God and blessed by him He calls our good works the fruit of the vine and loves to taste of them though they relish stil of the old stock The vine is the weakest plant vet very fruitful The lilies spin not and yet are gorgeously attired God wil greatly glorify himself in the branch of his planting in the work of his hands so that a little one shall be come a thousand and a small one a strong nation I the Lord will hasten it in his time Esay 60.21 4. You have more cause of comfort in that little you have then of discouragement in that more that you want sith it is a far greater work to beget grace where it is not then to increase it where it is Look therefore on others bitternesse for imitation and incitation but not for slavish dejection and self-blinding Disgrace not thine own graces because of other mens perfections and precedencies but be thankfull if Christ be formed in thee to any degree and that thou hast any thing to do about God Only whatsoever thy hand sindeth to do do it with all thy might And then he that followeth after righteousnes as a servant
easie p. 152. he is a thorough-Saviour 169. a dew to his 179. King of his Church 360. Abyssines emblem of his works 457. his Deity asserted 485. he pacifieth the heart 488. be shall reigne 492. his intercession answered 506. how he is sent of his Father 513. how anointed 522. his dolorous passion 523. his subjects have peace ib. why He is called the Branch 539. All prophecies are fulfilled in him 557. his poverty stumbled at ib. the Bath of his blood 583 660. benefites thereby 682. he is Gods shepherd 589. the Sun of righteousnesse 683. the souls physitian 683. his Intercession 943. A false Christ p. 689 Clouds p. 560 Comfort God comforteth the abject 503. comforts of the scripture and of the creature 423. Company evil is contagious p. 490 513 Conference benefit of it p. 680 700 824. Satan hindereth it 680. it is an indispensable duty 812. and why 813. barrennesse in and backwardnesse unto it reproved 818. be forward and free that way 820. means and helps thereunto 821 822 823 824. Conscience naturall stoopeth to the image of God p. 700 Consideration its necessity and utility p. 473. See thought meditation Constantinople covetousnesse was its ruine 403. 591. Conversion turn to God and how p. 197 498 600. because God is gracious 499. Cyprian converted by reaâ—ing Jâ—nah 351. Covenant breach a great sin p. 643. dangerous 647. New covenant sweet p. 44. see 594 Covetousnesse restlesse p. 340 341. unsatisfiable 405. accursed 428 Councell of Trent p. 16 Courage for Christ get it p. 482. and how ib. Cruelty inhumane p. 223 225 226 227. gloried in 429. Parisian Massacre 227 Curse of God lights heavy p. 626 D DEad digg'd up p. 228 Deliverance the times of it p. 885 866 527 903. Church shall be delivered 887 888 903. pray for it 888 Dependance upon God for all p. 925 Depopulation accursed p. 455 Desertion p. 89. what to do in it 836 Desolation fruit of sin p. 36 Desires seconded with endeavours p. 483 Digressions when they are lawfull p. 441 Diligence in well-doing p. 891 Disgrace a great judgement p. 633. more feared then sin is ib. Devils first sin what p. 899 Divorce for light matters not lawfull p. 654. 655 Doctrine like rain and how p. 246 Drowsinesse spirituall p. 476 Drunkennesse mischief of it p. 104. 't is the mother of mary sinnes 426. 't is a damning sin 432. gloried in by some 265. drunken-healthing 431. drunken soâ—s 187 Duty be much in it p. 834 835 891 shall be accepted 825. and why 827 828 829 E Earthquakes terrible ones p. 597 222 394 Eclipses portentous p. 210 211 Egypt fruitfull p. 604 converted ib. Q. Elisabeths clemency p. 309. her prayer 436 Enemies of Gods people open and secret p. 214. their cruelty 215 Gods heavy hand upon them 601. set 〈◊〉 against another 602. Woe unto them 870 871 916. who they be 871. see persecutours Church England our ancient mearenesse p. 165. our Reformation wonderfull 205. our destruction may be sudden 278. God warned us by John Friths Book in a fishes-belly 321 Englands Genge 395. 't is a blessed Countrey 674 675. Pererius his prophecy of our ruine 505 Enthusiâ—sts slight the scriptures p. 129 130. see 209 Exact walking required of saints p. 910 911 Self-Examination p. 452. do it or God will punish 453 475 F FAith an hard work p. 43. wherein it consisteth 45. aâ—â—â—opriate God by it 384. it quickeâ—â—th other graces 425. founded upon the power of God 546. live by faith 426 808 889. it maketh men couragious 602. do all in faith 662. beleeve the goodnesse of God 936 Famine a sore plague p. 632 245 Fasting the exercise of it p. 197 201 202. fruit of it 204 Father God is a Father to all his faithfull ones p. 911. whence and how 91 914 he is not a Father to the wicked 915. yet they claim kindred 916. his mercy is more then fatherly 927 928. Fear it causeth hast p. 157. Panick fears 412 577 602 805 Fear of God p. 614. every true Christian feareth the Lord 708 709. how and why 707 800 801 c causes effects companions and opposites of this holy fear 800 801 802 803. kinds of it 804 627 708. who they are that fear not God 804. or other things more then God 805. The best are defective in it 807. signes of Gods holy fear 807 809. moâ—ives to it 810. means 810 811 Few exalt God p. 154. few wise 182. few good 212 377 591 Scottish fire-crosse p. 217 Forgetting of God p. 121 Fortune how represented p. 237 Free-grace p. 179. all is of mercy 509. magnifie free-grace in our adoption 920 Friends are oft perfidious p. 383 Fruitfulnesse p. 180 G GAin of godlinesse p. 676 849. many look onely at wages â—77 Garments wherefore given p. 33 Geneva upheld by the hand of heaven p. 509 5â—0 Gentiles your calling p. 623. disgusted by Jews ib. Gifts once abused blasted p. 632 Glory give all to God p. 422. in case of victory 612 Glory of saints here and hereafter p. 898 God he is a great King p. 628. 629. his name is dreadfull 629. his patience abused turns to fury 655 656. his hatred of sin 22. his omniscience 78. his liberality in rewarding 145. seek him ib. his patience 233 238. his superabundant pardoning mercy 388 389 390. his subduing grace 390. he frowaeth the wicked to destruction 286. how he is a Rock 421. He seeth therefore take heed 421 652. how he hateth sinne 4â—1 his faithfulnesse 425. We see but little of Him 438. He is with his and for them 479. his anger against sinners 497. his jealousie for his people 506 507. he comforteth the abject 503. his tender mercies 508 513. he effecteth great matters by small means 529 he is immutable 666 667. how he is said to repent ib. wicked men have base and bald thoughts of him 855. He is Lord of Hosts 867 869. what his hosts are and why so called 867 868. his truth 883. his goodnesse ib. his justice ib. he is not an hard Master 934. he taketh small things in good part 935. let us beleeve his goodnesse 936. Gospels three-fold operation p. 486 Grace of God is the greatest blessing p. 621. get it rather then gold ib. seek it first 472. it is free p. 14 179 518. See free-grace Grace hath unspeakable comfort p. 909 Great mens sins do much hurt p. 322. they must be told of them 348 Grief causing death p. 133 Grow in grace p. 684 685 Gunpowder-treason p. 58 H HArdnesse of heart p. 544 Hear attentively p. 136. enhearing ear 501 Heavens rest and happinesse p. 889 Heavenly-mindednesse p. 605 Hell-fire terrible p. 591 592 681. torments thereof 601. not beleeved 681. History usefull p. 166 Holinesse is honourable p. 907. and therefore to be sought 907 908 Honour God in 1 thought 2 words 3 works p. 921. see glory and praise Hope p. 40 The horrible Sophister p. 419 Hosea when and how long he prophesied
445. 't is from God and how 549 Watch in prayer and meditation p. 524. the heart is to be watched 654 Wealth oft betrayeth the owner p. 403. it sinketh the soul 427 Whale a huge creature p. 313 Whoredome mischief of it p. 35. whores 75. impudent 230 Wicked grow worse and worse 675. above measure 131. wittily wicked 398. they shall be surely and severely punished 843. let them therefore repent and meet the Lord 844 845. They are Satans slaves and perish with him ib. disavowed by God 899. specially at the Resurrection 900. they are vile persons 944 Widdows and Orphanes are Gods Clients p. 665 Wilfulnesse is destructive p. 358 Will-worship rejected p. 81 261 Wisdome wherein it consists p. 183 Witches seek not to them p. 664 Wives why to be kindly dealt with p. 650 652 Women wicked boysterous p. 242 Word of God stumbled at p. 183 642. why things are repeated in scripture 189. famine of the Word 279 caused by contempt 280 477. Word wrested 291. word read converted Cyprian 351. A short bible 375. the word is is plain in necessaries 424. word and sword go together 470. It is of God 473. It is made operative by the spirit 478. Lay-men must read it 481. It will lay hold upon the wicked 502 Words look well to thy words p. 41 383. idle and evil words condemned 813 Works of God must be regarded p. 186 they instruct us 253. Sea is commanded by God alone 394 World its vanity p. 169. mutability 411 Worship of God externall onely is little worth 374 Wrongs done to the righteous reach to God Y Youth must be consecrated to God p. 381 Z ZEal of Gods people p. 699 703 706. FINIS The Contents of the Righteous Mans Recompence Or A True Christian characterized and encouraged Out of Malachy 3.16 17 18. CHAP. I. THe Text opened and Analysed Pag. 693 CHAP. II. Doct. 1. Saints must be Best in worst Times p. 695 Sect. 1. The point Confirmed by 1 Precept 2 Practise p. 695 Sect. 2. The point confirmed by Reasons from 1 God p. 697 2 Men. 1 Themselves p. 698 2 Others Good p. 699 Bad. p. 700 Sect. 3. Vse 1 A sharp Reproof of Luke-warme Laodiceans p. 701 Timorous Temporizers p. 702 Sect. 4. Vse 2 A forcible Exhortation to courage for Christ with 4 Helps thereunto p. 703 CHAP. III. Doct. 2. Of the severall sorts of fear and that every saithfull Christian feareth the Lord. p. 708 Sect. 1. The Doctrine cleared and confirmed by Scripture p. 708 Sect. 2. The Doctrine further confirmed by Arguments drawne from 1 The Causes 2 Consequents 3 Companions 4 Contraries to the true fear of God p. 709 c. Sect. 3. Objections and Quaere's touching the Fear of God cleared and answered p. 804 Sect. 4. Vse 1. Information They that fear not God are not His and who these are by their Character out of Psalm 36.1 2 3 4 c. p. 804 805 c. Sect. 5. Vse 2. Examination where Marks of the true Fear of God in respect of 1 Evil both in Judgement Practise 2 Good toward God Men Others Rich Poor Our selves in Prosperity Adversity p. 807 808 809 Sect. 6. Vse 3. Exhortation to get and grow in this holy Fear with 6 Motives and 2 Means tending thereto p. 809 810 811 CHAP. IV. Doct. 3. The Text expounded and the Duty of Christian conference propounded p. 812 Sect. 1. Christian Conference and mutuall confirmation confirmed by Scripture p. 812. 813. Sect. 2. Reasons of the point 1 From God commanding rewarding 2 From Men and 1 our selves shall be hereby sealed secured 2 Others 1 Good men shall be 1 curbed from sinne 2 quickened to duty 2 Bad men shall be 1 confuted 2. defeated p. 813 814 815 816 Sect. 3. Vse 1. Reproof of idle and evil speakers together p. 817 Sect. 4. Vse 2. Complaint against the better sort too too barren and backward to holy Conference p. 818 Sect. 5. Vse 3. Exhortation to be forward and free to godly Discoursâ— p. 820 Sect. 6. Helps to a holy dexterity this way How to 1 get it 2. Use it p. 821 822 823 824 CHAP. V. Doct. 4. The Text further expounded and withall the Doctrine of Gods gracious acceptance of our upright performances propounded p. 825 Sect. 1. The Doctrine confirmed by Scripture p. 825 Sect. 2. The Doctrine confirmed by reasons from God the Father â—onne holy Ghost p. 827 Sect. 3. The Doctrine further confirmed by reasons from the Saints p. 828 Sect. 4. Vse 1. It 's otherwise with the wicked Their persons are hated their performances rejected and why p. 829 Sect. 5. Vse 2. Admonition Let the wicked break off their sins that they lose not their services p. 831 Sect. 6. Vse 3. Exhortation to the best to be humbled for their 1 not prizing their priviledge 2 Not praising God for it 3 Not improving it to the utmost p. 833 Sect. 7. Vse 4. Exhortation to the saints 1 To admire this mercy Helps thereunto respecting God and themselves p. 834 Sect. 8. 2 To retain it and if lost to recover it and how with answer to some Quaeres and objections made by a miâ—giving heart p 835 CHAP. VI. Doct. 5. God perfectly remembreth and plentifully requiteth all our labours of love to him and His p. 838 Sect. 1. This truth confirmed by Scripture p. 839 Sect. 2. This truth confirmed by 6. Reasons p. 839 Sect. 3. Vse 1. Confutation of the contrary-minded that say or conceive at least that it 's in vain to serve the Lord p. 84â— Sect. 4. Vse 2. The wicked shall be surely and severely punished p. 84â— Sect. 5. Vse 3. Let them therefore hasten out of the Devils danger and get into Gods service How that may be done p. 844 Sect. 6. Vse 4. Exhortation to Saints to abide in Gods love and to abound in his work sith their labour of love is not in vain in the Lord p. 847 Sect. 7. pag. 847 Sect. 8. pag. 848 CHAP. VII Doct. 6. Such as fear the Lord will be thinking upon his Name What it is to do so p. 850 Sect. 1. The point proved by Scripture p. 851 Sect. 2. The point proved and enforced by 5. Reasons p. 851 Sect. 3. Vse 1. Those that habitually think not upon God fear not God p. 953 Sect. 4. Of those that think base and bald thoughts of God p. 855 Sect. 5. Against thoughts of Atheisme blasphemy infidelity and rebellion p. 855 Sect. 6. Vse 2. Examination where Trialls of the goodnesse of our best thoughts by their 1 Causes 2 Effects p. 856 Sect. 7. Vse 3. Exhortation Settle the soundnesse of your sanctification by the goodnesse of your thoughts Motives thereto p. 859 Sect. 8. Directions for 1 the matter of good Meditations p. 861 Sect. 9. Directions for 2 the manner of doing this duty well both for substance and circumstance p. 862 Sect. 10. Directions about the measure of divine Meditation where is shewed how men offend 5 wayes in
thinking on earthly things p. 863 Sect. 11. Directions to the Means of fruitfull thinking on Gods holy Name Where 4 Hinderances to be avoyded and 7 helps to be used p. 864 Sect. 12. The Conclusion p. 866 The Contents of the second Part of the Righteous Mans Recompence CHAP. I. The Text divided p. 866 Sect. 1. That God is Lord of Hosts What these Hosts are why called Hosts what it is to be Lord of Hosts 867 Sect. 2. The Pope will needs be Lord of Hosts p. 869 Sect. 3. Wo to rebels against the Lord of Hosts p. 870 Sect. 4. Tremble before this mighty Lord of Hosts p. 872 Sect. 5. Trust in his power for fulfilling his promises p. 873 Sect. 6. Stoop to his power and submit to his Soveraignty p. 874 Sect. 7. Set his power awork by prayer The power of prayer p. 875 Sect. 8. Be comforted in the consideration of his Power where divers objections of weaker Christians are answered p. 877 878 879 880 CHAP. II. The Lord will find a fit time to make up his jewels from the worlds misusages p. 881 Sect. 1 2 3 4 5. p. 882 883 Reasons from Gods Providence Power Truth Goodnesse and Justice ibid. Sect. 6. Reasons from the Saints themselves p. 884 Sect. 7. When God will make up his jewels p. 885 Sect. 8. Comfort under publike calamities p. 887 Sect. 9. Comfort under personall crosses and grievances p. 888 Sect. 10. Reproof of frowardnesse and faintheartednesse in affliction p. 890 Sect. 11. Exhortation to diligence in duty p. 891 Sect. 12. Exhortation to patience in misery p. 892 Sect. 13. Helps to patient waiting upon God for deliverance p. 893 CHAP. III. God will own and honour his Saints p. 895 Sect. 1 2 3 4 5. Reasons and grounds of this gracious dealing of his p. 896 897 Sect. 6. It shall be farre otherwise with the wicked p. 899 Sect. 7. Terrour to those that set themselves against the saints p. 900 Sect. 8 9 10. Exhortation to honour them that fear the Lord and what great cause men have and shall have so to do p. 902 903 904 c. Sect. 11 12. Exhortation to practise holinesse that hath so great honour put upon it and why p. 907 908 Sect. 13. Let the saints fee their dignity and be thankfull p. 909 Sect. 14. Let the saints see their duty and be carefull p. 910 CHAP. IV. God is a Father to all his faithfull servants p. 911 Sect. 1. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes p. 912 Sect. 2 3. Reasons taken from the effects of his Fatherhood p. 913 Sect. 4. God no Father to the wicked whatever they pretend to him p. 914 915 Sect. 5. Terrour to those that maligne or misuse Gods children p. 916 Sect. 6. Try your Title to God as a Father Marks p. 917 Sect. 7. Settle this that ye are Gods children and how p. 918 Sect. 8. Let all Gods children know their Father and how p. 918 Sect. 9. Let them thankfully acknowledge his free grace in their adoption and why p. 919 Sect. 10. Let them honour their Father and how p. 920 Sect. 11. Let them resemble their Father and wherein p. 922 Sect. 12. Let them love their Father and how to expresse their love p. 923 Sect. 13. Let them depend upon their Father both for prevention of evil and provision of good p. 924 Sect. 14. Comfort of Adoption where are shewed the priviledges of sonnes privative and positive p. 925 926 CHAP. V. God will pity and pardon his people their wants and weaknesses p. 927 Sect. 1 2 3 4. Reasons from God out of Micah 7.18 19. p. 927 Sect. 5 6. Reasons respecting the saints themselves who are 1 pure in heart 2 perfect in Christ p. 931 Sect. 7. Let none suck poyon out of this sweet point p. 932 Sect. 8. Reproof of such as censure hardly of God p. 934 Sect. 9. Reproof of such saints as censure hardly of themselves and their performatices p. 934 Sect. 10. Reproof of such as uncharitably censure others p. 936 Sect. 11. Exhortation to put your selves into Gods service p. 937 Sect. 12. Give God the glory of his Fatherly goodnesse p. 938 Sect. 13. Bear with others weaknesses and forbear harsh censures p. 939 Sect. 14. Take comfort and courage notwithstanding infirmities and failings in the manner p. 941. Errata Faults escaped in the Commentary PAge 2. line 30. read in the gall p. 7 l. 5. wall r valley ib l. 7. Tent r. â—eal p. 12 l. 32. spirituall r. spitefull p. 15. l. 53. required r. reserved p 18. l. 53. r. directly p. 24. l 49. Collier r. Caloier p. 35. l. 28. r. Non mea sunt p. 38. l. 18. lack r. like p. 41. l. 43. duties r. deities p. 44. l. 15. sutable r. suable p 55. l. 5. harts r. houses p. 56. l. 55 Edomites r. Sodomites p 60. l. 46. r. derided p. 62. l. 9. r. blind shall be darkned p. 73. l. 11. And r. a pull p. 77. l. 27. scribes r. stripes p. 78. l. 13 r. world p. 92. l. 43. r acquired p. 95. l. 42. taking r. talking p. 107. l. 1 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 128. l 2. r. observing ib. l. 4. priests day r. devils-day p. 137. l. 29. r. marred p. 141. l. 35 r. Deaster p 166. l. 38. r. Cyrils p. 189. l. 56. r. quieted p. 193. l. 39. r. mansit p. 194. l. 29. r. relieve p 242. l. 23 r. Zegedline p 261. l. 38. r. heatlesse p. 270. l. 29 r. others p. 290. l. 18. r. Cabbalists p. 291. l. 6. r. fat and. p. 295. l. 35. r. alive p. 296. l. 51. r. Zopyrus 55. Cyneas l. 56. r. Pyrrhus p. 299. l 38. r. Pyrgopolynices p. 310. l. 40. r. due p. 314. l. 30. r. thin p. 315. l. 48. r. promises p 316. l. 2. r. right hand p. 317. l. 3. r affatu p. 321 l 32. r. excused l. 34. r. sum 35. r. conceived p. 326 l. 23 r. becagna ib. l. 6. r. zeal p. 331. l. 6. r. quartaa p 334. l. 8. r. pour out p. 365 l. 33. r. eat p. 372. l. 7. r. theirs ib. 32. dele sin p 374 l. 53. r. dejected p. 384. l 45. r. well p. 400. l. 31. r. Poliorcetes ib. l. 35. r. Dissipatores p. 405. l. 6. r. Leb p. 420. l. 53. r. devoting p. 429. l. 47. r. angle p. 435. l. 6. r imposture p. 437. l. 34. r. that when p 438. l. 18. r. speciall p. 441. l. 29 r. grievous p. 455. l. 53. r. mawmets p 449. l. 54. r. nihil p. 452. l 14. r. Gaius p. 458. l. 26. r bare p 459. l 35. r. premises p. 465. l. 41. r. listlesnesse p. 471 l. 9. r. mad p 472 l. 19. r. certè non p. 486. l. 6 r acclamation p. 490. l. 40. r. e. rat p. 513 l. 51. r. crattle p. 527. l 33. r. unpassable ib. 58. r. somewhere p. 548. r. mors est p. 550. l. 49 r. few true and ponderous p 580. l. 43. r. can the waters flow p. 587 l 46. r. ministery therefore p. 589. l. 58. r. scattered and shattered p 610. l. 12. r. whilome p. 614. l. 5. r. Of one not at all ib. l. 16 r. glove p. 616 l. 48. r. they p. 634. l. 47. r. pestilenâ—e p. 635. l. 37. r. contrary to prevent p. 637. l. 8. r. falsifie p. 642. l. 19. after father Asa adde Manasseh degenerateth into Ahaz p. 648. l. 1 r. by Gods good laws p 650. l. 35. r. fletu p. 664 l 24. r. adulterium ib. l. 52. r. light p. 677. l. 24. r. a slurre p. 684. l. 16. r. inferiour bodies Faults escaped in the Righteous mans Recompence Pag. 695 l. 57 r. caring p. 708. l. 46. r. character p. 810 l. 54. r. set and serious p 823. l. 3 r. vice p. 824 l. 31. r. trading p 825. l. 33. r. he heard and took p 843. l. 44. r. we cannot better convince p. 849 l. 36. r. mock p. 851. l. 18. r. light p. 852 l. 0 r. fat abrood p. 854 l. 10. r. jog ib. 50. r. conservation p. 860 l. 10. r. teachers p. 801. l. 16. r. creatures p. 965. l. 12. r. extracting p. 871. l. 21. r. with them p. 876. l. 7. r. from the p. 879 l. 6. r. invisible p. 883 l. 14 r. dicere p. 890. l. 3. r. frowardnesse p. 897. l. 38 dele and such p. 899. l. 28. r. waxed p. 900. l. 40. r. Doegs p. 907. l. 39. r. coveting p. 911. l. 33. r. good p. 927. l 38. r. setling ib. l. 41. r. frailties p. 929. l. 24. r. David ib. 25 r. as rejoyceth ib. l. 41. r. quiets p. 936. l. 15. r. baffled p. 938. l 43. r. exhortation p. 939. l. 38. r. then remembred they that ib. l. 52. r induce p. 940. l. 47 r. flow of heart p. 943. l. 6. r betternesse ib. l. 53. r. slandered Gods house-keeping