against for hee trafiques altogether by exchange He will not goe emptie and if hee deliuer any thing vnto you it shall be on condition to receiue something from you As hee telleth you secrets so he will blaze your secrets And who can trust him Prou. 20.19 The reasons The slanderer is true to Satan who is false to mankinde and his worke they doe whose worke they cannot doe and doe well Secondly that that moueth the slanderer to relate other mens affaires to thee cannot but induce him to discouer thine to others which is want of loue and a desire that he hath to serue the Market of an itching eare Thirdly the slanderer is Satans Gun-powder and if Satan put fire vnto him he cannot chuse but take it Iam. 3.6 But Satan will not faile to giue fire where he is sure it will burne seeing he is a continuall make-bate betweene God and man and man and man and a friend and his neerest friend Vses This sheweth how vnnaturall the sin of slander is which maketh a man cruell against his owne kinde vide Man and the nighest in dwelling to him his Neighbour I may adde the neerest of all his Mothers Sonne Psal. 50.20 The Lion rageth not against his fellow Lions but maketh his prey of beasts of another kinde The venemous Serpent spetteth not his poison at wormes of his owne shell but at the enemies of his life But a man teareth a man in pieces with words of crueltie Men at Man the brother at his brother spetteth the venome of a Dragons tongue and destroyeth those by falshood whom he should preserue by grace in his lips An instruction not to hang any thing vpon the report of a deprauing tongue For hee that is false to one will betray another And who will trust him that is false to all Slanderers are such They will speake faire and protest as friends but their sweet counsels are as an infusion of Wormewood and their delicacies more bitter then the bitternesse of death Therefore when such shall offer friendship to vs and the sweet bait of good will Let not their Balmes breake our heads Psal. 141.4.5 Insteede of opening their mouthes let vs shut our owne eares and the doores of our lips against them be they our friends or counsellours or yoake-fellowes For their commoning is not for peace and either they haue alreadie betrayed vs or are about to doe it Surgeons heale when they inflict paine and cause smart but flatterers that is flatterers of vs and slanderers of their neighbour kill when they pretend to please and offer to delight So much for the slanderers offence his punishment followeth I will destroy THE punishment threatned to the slanderer is destruction or cutting off if the case so require as Deut. 19.19 And where the Prophet thus minaceth the slanderer his meaning is that he will prosecute him with all the extreamitie he can shew though it be vnto death if the qualitie of the offence deserue it And he will not so doe onely when himselfe shall be slandered or it shall be his friend or neere kinsman who is slaundered but if any Neighbour or Subiect kinsman or other man friend or not friend be so slandered hee will cut off the slanderer The point to be learned is Gods Magistrates must indifferently administer punishments and rewards As men sin so they must be punished and as they doe well so they must haue praise for well doing This the Lord commanded by Moses Deut. 25.2.3 Where he that deserued chastisement was to be beaten according to his trespasse for according to the qualitie of his offence he was to receiue moe or fewer stripes From the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunders Apoc. 4.5 So from earthly thrones should come lightnings that is warnings and thunders that is strokes and claps and sometimes and for some faults the bolt it selfe which is present death In Rome-heathen the Magistrates had caried before them a bundle of roddes and an Axe the roddes for lesser faults the Axe for greater And this equitie should be obserued by all those to whom is committed the power of life and death The reasons As in the last iudgement euery one shall receiue the things that he hath done in his bodie according to that which he hath done good or euill 2 Corinth 5.10 so in mans iudgement the qualitie must be considered of that good or euill that shall be rewarded or must be corrected by him Secondly as the Lord iudgeth according to right Gen. 18 so ought they also who are his Ministers Now it is right that euery one should beare his sinne that is haue the punishment that it deserueth and that he who soweth iniquitie should reape the same Ioh. 5.29 Thirdly iudgement is to be giuen in respect of matter without respect of persons Deuter. 1.17 Magistrates must not further the euill cause of a good man nor hinder the good cause of an euill man Though hee be a good man if his cause be naught they must iudge it and though he be an euill man if his cause be iust they must heare it In a stranger they must consider iustice which is the friend and in a friend proceede against wrong which is the stranger Vses An admonition to Magistrates to be men of such courage in their iudgements and of such experience in matters that they may discerne what is right knowing what is iust no consideration mortall may draw them from it But more was spoken to this purpose before vpon the first verse So much for the first kinde of euill persons the second followeth Him that hath a high looke and large heart c. THe Prophet now speaketh of a proud person whom he describeth by the signe a high looke and the thing signified a large heart For pride properly is in the heart manifestly in the eyes and externall behauiour The eyes that is the eyes life vp are the windowes out at which pride looketh and the heart the large heart for so it is in the owne tongue is that highly exalted Chaire of estate in which pride sitteth So that proud persons haue bigge lookes and a large heart or are large in heart that is aspire to great matters swell with ouer-weenings And though the heart be vnsearchable yet it may be found and iudged of by the pulse and beating of it in a disdainefull countenance according to the Phisiognome of the holy Ghost in this place In the words themselues the Prophet sheweth what a proud person is and how hee will proceede against him he will not abide him where hee immitateth the Highest who resisteth the proud 1 Pet. 5.5 For the first hee sayth that for the most part a proud heart may be seene in the Glasse of a proud countenance at least where there is a loftie countenance there must needes be a proud heart The doctrine heere taught is A bigge looke and a large heart are inseperable Mâ—tes and where a haughtie face lookes
such want or is the Lord prouoked for these onely to bring great necessitie vpon a Land Surely though these be great Wormes of the wealth of a Nation yet there are moe consumers then these For haue not the Prodigall Sonnes of our Countrey some of them vvasted their goods and flesh with Harlots who rising vp full haue neighed after their neighbours wiues as a fed Horse after his Mateâ— Ier. 5.8 Haue not some laid but all vpon vaine and chargeable brauery from their Hat-string to their shooe-strings Haue not some hid their Talent and Patrimonie in gorgeous and costly buildings desiring to dwell in larger houses then their fathers builded without all desire and care to keepe the good houses their fathers long maintayned Haue not some turned all into smoake by making that to passe through their mouth and nosthrils in townes and Cities which should in good and charitable Hospitalitie haue gone through the chimnies of their fayre Houses in the Country whereof some like a Plague-house stand euer shut vp Haue not some hauing turned all to destruction with the riots of Dice and Gaming turned beggars who were Gentlemen well descended and left And how great is the number of those who hauing filled their mouths with the smoke that hath beene spoken of call in for their pottels and gallons to quench it with large drunkennesse When wee consider such generall abuse of Gods blessings and mens vnthankefulnesse for them what maruell if God punish vs with scarcitie of fruits and pouertie of estate For this cause the Lord wrought fearefully in our eyes the last Summer and the beginning of this Let vs not forget his worke his great worke worthy to be remembred The last Summer there was little grasse to make into hay this Summer and yeere a great yeere of grasse the ground neuer in mans memorie better clad with that commoditie Yet how was her faire cloathing with grasse soyled with dirt in many flouded Medowes within the Land this yeere The last Summer the Sunne in his open chariot this Summer or the beginning of this in his chariot couered with clouds The last Summer glorious the beginning of this wading in water The Heauens the last Summer as brasse ouer our heads this Summer or beginning of this as a Spring or Conduit The last Summer bright and shining this Summer blacke like a Hayre-cloath ouer-cast vvith darknesse The earth the last Summer as an Iron-earth the beginning of this as a marish-earth The last Summer gaping with thirst the beginning of this drowned in raine and waters Doth the Lord worke so strangely and contrarily in two yeeres so neare together and in two Summers immediately following one another to leaue no impression and to get no audience Is it not to shew what power he hath both in his right and left arme that the carelesse in our Land may feare and be humbled before his great glory Is it not to make them to call their sinne to remembrance and their hearts to repentance This is the end of the Lords smiting a Land with sore diseases and long dearth that that Land by such visitation and humblings might mourne girded with sacke-cloath like a virgin for the husband of her youth Ioel 1.8 But if for all this it laugh and reioyce with sinners the Lord hath not lost that correction for hee will loose nothing by any that is hardened desperately in his sinne but hath left it as his witnessâ— among vs of a smarter if the easier cannot preuaile or of our most certaine destruction if he shall say why should ye be smitten any more Esa. 1.5 A reproofe of those who in a matter of such punishment as this Land hath beene lately vnder by two vnseasonable Sommers looke not into their sinnes as causes but altogether into the face of the skie and the distempers there blaming them Wee set our sinnes against God and hee setteth his creatures for sinne against vs. Wee refuse to serue God they grudge as much to serue vs. A wise man considereth this and considering findeth in his Christian search the true cause of all such distempers in the skie and alterations on earth to be in that ill vveather that commeth from the corrupt Ayre and mud of the age and times in which wickednes so aboundeth Hee that gathereth other wayes is vnwise or as one that is blinde and can not see a farre off 2. Pet. 1.9 It is so then that God did thunder maruailously with his voyce this yeere Iob 37.5 and in these parts on the Sabbath What maruaile when on the Sabbath vvee drumme against God hee on the Sabbath also should thunder against vs two or three Moones haue changed but vvith small change of the weather from euill to better and what maruaile if the weather bee not changed when our hearts are not changed and vvhen we looke into the change of the Moone and not to the change of our wayes If we would set the signe of the weather not in the Moone or Starres but in our good conuersation in Christ we should haue better signes of better seasons then haue lately appeared But some when there is any ill weather vp talke and complaine of some Coniurings abroad To such I may say if they would driue out of themselues Satans great host of lusts and those more then seuen or seuen-times seuen Deuils which haue so possessed them by customary and familiar sinnefulnesse they shall see a present calme and end in all stormes Iob sayth Miserie commeth not foorth of the dust Iob 5.6 his meaning is these miseries that so many complaine ofâ— come from sinne not from the dust of the earth but from these bodies of dust and the bodie of sinne God is able to giue vs raine in season and the appointed weekes of the Haruest Ier. 5.24 The raine we haue had hath beene vnseasonable and the weekes vve haue seene haue proued vncomfortable Commeth this from the Earth and altogether from a troubled skie no but our iniquities haue turned away these things and our sinnes haue hindred good things from vs Ier. 5.25 When the childe beginneth to play vvith his meat a wise Father will take it from him vvee haue abused our plentie and doe still abuse it and what can vve looke for from so wise a Father as our Father in Heauen but penury and dearth after fulnesse so abused So farre of the punishment which was by occasion and generall vpon the Countrie that which was particular vpon this lost Sonne followeth And hee began to bee in necessitie The Countrie being punished with a great dearth the lost Sonne is here sayd to haue had his part in the generall affliction for hee also began to be in necessitie that is the generall want extended to him as his sinne was in it and hee tasted of the cup of the common calamitie Hee was in want and as appeareth by the 16. verse in great want which want and great want was layd vpon him iustly
And where he saith hee will know no euill his meaning is that hee will not allow it with any knowledge of approbation as God knoweth the way of the righteous Psa. 1.6 that is alloweth of it but with a knowledge of much dislike abhorre it as God knoweth the wicked afarre off that is greatly contemneth them for we must not thinke that hee would be grosely ignorant of the euill wayes of his people and not obserue them vnto punishment as hee would note the good to reward them but in that he saith hee would chase away a froward heart and know no euill it is manifest that he would looke into matters with his owne eyes marke what is done by his owne knowledge So we haue the meaning of this verse From whence and because the Prophet could not thus abandon the froward heart nor dislike the euill except he had so set his watch of sight and hearing that the knowledge and report of things might come directly to himselfe and truely as they were done and past for what man knoweth the heart of man but by the outward wayes of it and by obseruing those wayes vve learne that it is the dutie of a good Ruler to restrayne offenders vvith his owne eye Pro. 20.8 His lookes must be terrible to them and vvith his eyes hee must follow them to cut them off or to cast them off if they vvill not be amended Therefore Salomon speaking to Ouer-seers saith Be diligent to know the estate of thy Flocke and take heede to thy Heards Pro. 27.23 The speech is taken by similitude from vvatchfull Shepheards vvho looke to their Flocke and to euery head in it in their owne persons and not by Deputies And thus Dauid himselfe walked in the simplicitie of his heart Psal. 78.72 Iob carryed so resident an eye oâ—er Vagabonds and vile persons in his time that he compelled them to flye into the darke desolate and waste Wildernes Iob. 30.3 Hee made them to hide their heads so that they dwelt in the clefs of Riuers and in the holes of the earth vers 6. Neither did he thus proceede onely against those that were young and wanted experience or beggaâ—lie and lacked power but he brake the iawes of the vnrighteous of what estate or time soeuer and pluckt the prey out of his teeth Iob. 29.17 Great men therefore must thinke themselues to be set vp of the Lord in places of power to gouerne such places vvith their owne eye and not to set ouer the charge to Cuzaâ—s vvith the carelesse Minister of soules The Reasons They that preuent not euill in others hauing the Sword committed to them for that worke make themselues guiltie before the Lord of that euil vnredressed as if themselues had done it 1 King 20.42 All sinnes not punished by them vvhere they may and should punish are their owne sinnes and sinnes which they put vpon their owne account to reckon for Secondly from vvhence commeth this huge hoast of sinne that hath ouer runne the land as a Conquerer but from hence that Magistrates haue multiplyed offenders by cruell impunitie and by not looking into matters for as Iustice exalteth a Nation Pro. 14.34 so lacke of Iustice must needes bring it low Thirdlie good Rulers are for the praise of the righteous and punishment of euill doers 1 Pet. 2.14 but how can they reward the good and punish the euill defend the innocencie of the meanest and censure the wickednes of the mightiest if they know not neyther care vnpartially to know who be good and who euill who innocent and who offenders Vses A reproofe to those who eye the best and most harmeles in malice to picke quarrells to them and set an eye vpon the worst in way of liking to giue countenance to them A thing commonly seene and much to be lamented in many great Families and Courts of Iustice where they that should driue out of the Countrey Drunkards Blasphemers and such like notorious offenders suffer them to roost and make their nests in their owne houses feede them at their owne Tables and because they can play iest game and make fooles of themselues and others vse them as their familiar companions and from hence doe such heards of euill doers and droues of beastâ— multiply in the Kingdome Besides the Magistrates eares oftentimes are so inchaunted with flatterie and their eyes dazled with the brightnes of some golden gift that they cannot see neyther are willing to heare of those foule matters that the whole Countrey doth vphold and cry out of An instruction to all inferiours if they would stand before their Gouernours with credit good acceptation to stand against the corruption that is in themselues and the common vices that are in others for so shall they finde Christian Magistracie comfortable and not terrible vnto them and Christian Gouernours like milde showers of raine to refresh them and not as raging tempests to quell them and the powers ordayned of God as shields for their defence and not as swords prepared for their destruction O then wouldest thou be without feare of the power doe well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same Rom. 13.3 Wouldest thou haue defence from the Magistrate be innocent that he may defend thee Wouldest thou liue with good Subiects be no malefactor to death that thou mayst liue Giue not thy selfe to Riot and quaffing and garishnes and sinfulnes and Whoredome and execrable Swearing and impious Sabbath-breaking and other enormities so little feared and so much committed if thou wouldest haue the reward of good and auoyd the punishment of euil For the Magistrate is bound in the chayne of his high calling to be vnpartiall in his iudgement as God is no respecter of persons in iudgement and to giue to euery one according to the equitie of his cause and not the qualitie of his estate and for this he is armed with Gods authoritie that the Maiestie of his glory might shine forth in the execution of Iustice which is Gods delight Iustice and iust men doe helpe to aduance a Nation and therefore iust men and Iustice must be made of in the Nation So on the contrary sinners and sinne bring great shame to a people and therefore sinne and sinners should be disgraced among the people If then thou wilt cut thy selfe off from God by dangerous Poperie and rebellious wickednes hoâ— can the Magistrate do lesse then cut thee off from men by the Sword which he must not beare in vaine A Cananite may not be spared if then thou be a Popish Cananite the Magistrate may not spare thee A murtherer must not liue if then thou shed mans bloud by man that is by the Magistrate must thy bloud be shed againe The wicked must be rooted out if then thou dost wickedly thy roote must wither Swearing that is cursed and odious Swearing and Drunkennes and Whoredome must be punished and God will require the sparing of such at his Magistrates hands if they be
publike persons who euen tempt vnto sinne by giuing countenance and matter to notorious offenders and when they should imitate the Highest whose soule delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that he may turne and be saued put on corrupt affections eyther of soothing men in their sinnes or of winking at faults in pernitious sinners Also heere we haue a confutation of that speech which seemeth to giue commendation of sufficiencie to publike persons because they are good priuate men though naughty Common-wealths men and Church-men liuing as a body diuided from the publike body and publike good for wee shall many times heare such speeches as these concerning the Magistrate as that he is a good gentle man and one that keepeth a good house and concerning the Ministerâ— that he is an honest man and liueth wellâ— and yet the one punisheth no faults as a Magistrate neither doth the other teach diligently or at all as a Minister But as it will not discharge him that hath the charge of the Chamber Kitchin or Stable in a Noble-mans house to busie himselfe in other matters and to neglect the duties of his proper place So to shew some zeale in the common duties of our Christian places will not aquite vs before God if wee be not sufficient or be carelesse if wee be sufficient in the discharge of our particular callings We must know no euill or if wee know any the Minister must reprooue it and the Magistrate punish it and hee that hath charge in a familie proceede against it A fault then in Ministers who dawbe the sinnes of a Parish with the vntempred morter of flattery and of saying all is well where nothing is well Ezech. 13.10 A fault in doting Fathers and cockering Mothers who are not displeased with sinne in their tender children whom they carnally loue that is honour aboue God A fault in Magistrates and Ouerseers who rather by vngodly indulgence giue men authoritie to doe euill then restraine euill with timely discipline And a fault in all Men who instead of reprouing sinne in their Neighbours and brother set them on by an vncharitable delight to see them to doe euill For as Cham saw his Fathers nakednes with pleasure Gen. 9.22 so they behold their their brethrens naughtinesse with ioy yea they are so pleased with sinne in others that they laugh till they be sore with laughing to perceiue men to break the Commaundements of God to discourse filthily in common talke and to runne ryot into all manner sinne with greadynesse foaming out their owne-shame Iude. 13. which what is it else but to professe that they are glad to see and helpe forward the perdition of their brother to whom they should wish saluation in Christ But the Prophet will know no euill in himselfe as he will not alow any euill in others And so as he vowed in the verse before to doe no euill so in this he protesteth with an affection answereable to his outward practise that his heart should like no euill From whence the doctrine is As we outwardly leaue sinne so 〈◊〉 heart we must abhorre it if we will be innocent Many outwardly forbeare a thing who inwardly affect and loue that thing In such sinne is rather restrained then mortified as in the faithfull Rom. 8.13 For hope of benefit or feare of punishment may make men to leaue some enormitie without true mortification or some by-respect may restraine it Aâ—imelechs adulterie was kept in of God but not vanquished Gen. 20.6 And Hamâ—n full of wrath without conscience of being wroth refrayned himselfe in a policie Hest. 5.10 And many haue abstayned from euill when their heart hath beene set vpon mischiefe The Reasons As in good things the will is taken for the deede and what we would be that we are by acceptation so in euill not somuch what we doe as what wee haue a minde to doe is respected by God Secondly he that is restrayned from euill â—s not innocent but hee that will not offend though he might may be accounâ—ed righteous for the mind is the trespasser the tongue and hands are but instruments Thirdly the veryest hypocrite may outwardly leaue that sinne which in heart he is commanded of and there is nothing more ordinary what if I had sayd generall then to seeme religious and to be a worldling and to professe Religion and to minde earthly things Vses An admonition in leauing of sinne not onely to take the euill of it out of our hands but the loue of it out of our hearts for what wee loue not to doe that we will doe vnwillingly though we doe it necessarily If we loue goodnesse we will doe good gladly and euill against our willes but if we loue to doe euill we may forbeare it for purposes but vvill not forgoe it for any thing The children of God finde such a strife in them betweene regeneration and vnregeneration as was betweene Iacob and Esau in their Mothers wombe Gen. 25.22 And why such a strife but because the good which they would doe they cannot doe and because they doe the euill which they would not Rom. 7.19 For they commit euill vnwillingly and though when it is conceiued they bring it forth necessarily yet they beare such an enemies heart vnto it that they would smoother it if they could while it is yet young in thought and conception or because they cannot so doe destroy it in the birth and before it be growne by custome of sinning to a habite of wickednes The cause is the will so farre forth as it is regenerate resisteth and draweth backe yea when the naturall man is thrust forward vnto euill by the sinne dwelling in him the spirituall man reuiued by the holy Ghost in part meetes with diuers contrary windes against that Barke of his vnder sayle striuing in him to destroy the good worke of regenerate conscience And from hence commeth that warre of lust that the Apostle speaketh of Gal. 5.17 which hee calleth the lusting of the flesh against the spirit and the like lusting of the spirit against it They that meete with no such spirituall throwes in the trauell of new birth are still in their filthynes as it were olde nature and doe still loue sinne though sometime and for some causes they do not practise it by open sinfulnes A comfort to those who dislike the euill which they doe for they are neerer to innocencie then they who eyther would sinne but cannot or can would but dare not lest they should suffer discredit or punishment And which is better to sinne greedily and willingly or of infirmitie and partly against our will Gods children mislike sinne as it is sinne yea though by nature they be inclined to it and because sinne displeaseth God it displeaseth them though it be their owne sinne and not any sinne in a stranger or enemie But the wicked mislike some sinne eyther because they are past it by course of yeeres or because they feare