cals vs now to obedience O the crookednes of our vile natures Our stiffe neckes will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answere like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but wee answere like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good LORD vnto thee and we shall be turned Good LORD open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against vs in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy we may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknes of trouble of vexation of anguish thou LORD wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darkenesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexatioÌ„ shall be no more a place of endlesse vnspeakable ioies where anguish shal be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Even so be it THE FOVRTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence he speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The LORD shall roare from Sion vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the top whereof was another mouÌ„taine e Drusius observ 14.21 Not. Iuniê° in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the LORD Before it was called the f 2. Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enimies Against these Iebusites King David came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of DAVID owne City as appeareth 2. Sam. 5.9 This is the city of David so much h 2. Sam. 5.7 1. King 8.1 1. Chron. 11 5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his own City mount Sion David accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2. Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the LORD with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harpes as is plaine by the storie 1. Chron. cap. 15. 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be observed in this city of David mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the LORD of hoasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description coÌ„mendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of David the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1. King 8.27 2. Chron. 6.18 Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken litterally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King over Sion the hill of his holynesse SioÌ„ there is not to bee vnderstood the terrestiall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it even the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniversall multitude of beleevers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obvious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149.2 Psalmes of David in n Cantic 3.11 Solomons song in the prophecies of o Esa 3.16.17 Esai 4.4 Esay and p Ioel 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heaven as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text observeth The like observation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the LORD is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ whereof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walles are salvation and gates praise or the Heaven of Heavens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyâ— in 2. Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iebus and SaleÌ„ supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distiche Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distiche 9 names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius Observat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diversly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of David the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of
the honour of this city they that were aliue wheÌ„ Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48 1â— numbred her towers to haue considered her walles to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarsly to haue beene beleeued This we knowe by Psal 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they marvelled they were astonied and suddainely driven backe Thus is Ierusalem taken literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heaven For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1 God did choose Ierusalem aboue al other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the companie of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2 Ierusalem is a city Å¿ Ps 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuarie the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserved till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 throne of David So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of CHRIST figured by the Kingdome of David 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Revel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudea the u Ps 46.4 City of God even the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heaven Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the LORD is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother city of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an exposition of Sion The LORD shall roare from Sion that is in other words The LORD shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloved in the LORD The LORD shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holines and hee shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatrie but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the puritie of Gods worship did gloriously shine Wee may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainely This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is served and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guid This guid is a King and leads you the way the blessed King David I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O LORD of hoasts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for thy courts Mark his loue Psa 26.8 O LORD I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnes of his zeale Psal 42.1.2 As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King David be that patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrumeÌ„t and meane to nourish and begâ—t you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else do gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is every mans duty the dutie of everyone that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the LORD Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond the free betweene the male and the female for our LORD who is LORD over all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your heartes it is repeated vnto you Mat. 21.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony changers doue-sellers whom he found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò devenit vt speluncam latronâ—m efficiat cam Whosoever vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer hee commeth thither to make it a denne of theeues Let vs take heed beloved in the Lord wheÌ„soever we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of thiâ— sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giuâ—â—â— a profitable caveat Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God intimating thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet iâ— Solomons caveat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where hee is chiefly to be
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. § At non At non tenentur Christiani immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion 4. x Ibid. § At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloved remēber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to bee recommended at this time vnto you is the LORD speaking The LORD shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉
both their ends the end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22.38 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also and the end of Iezebel registred the 2. Kings 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all sauing her skull her feet and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the den of Lyons His accusers vnto Darius were the instrumeÌ„ts of his affliction These his accusers were the LORDS instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues children were cast into the den of Lyons the Lyons had the mastery of them brake all their bones in pieces ere ever they came to the grouÌ„d of the den The time will not suffer me to recal to your remembrances all the iudgements of God of this quality written down in the register of Gods works his holy word how what he reÌ„dred to g Ester 7.10 Haman to h 2. Kings 19.35 37. Sennacherib to i IereÌ„ 36.29 Ioachim to the k Ierem. 49.2 Ammonits to the l Ierem. 49.9 51.20 Chaldeans to the m Ezech. 35.2 Idumeans and other wicked worldlings for their hard measure offered to his childreÌ„ though they were therein his own instrumeÌ„ts The afore-meÌ„tioned instaÌ„ces of the Egyptians of Ahab his wife Iezebel of Daniel his accusers may serue for the declaratioÌ„ of my propouÌ„ded doctrine Though the LORD do vse his enimies as instruments to correct his owne servants children yet will he in his due time overthrow those his enimies with a large measure of his iudgments The reason hereof is because Gods iustice cannot let them escape vnpunished St Paule expresseth it 2. Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recoÌ„pense tribulatioÌ„ to theÌ„ that trouble you Let this be our comfort whensoever the wicked shall rage against vs. For hereby are we assured when the LORD shal shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire that theÌ„ to the wicked whose behaviour towards the godly is proud and dispiteous he will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition St Peter to make vs stedfast in this comfort disputeth this point Ep. 1. chap. 4.17 The point he proueth by an argument drawne à minori inferring from a truth to carnal mens vnderstanding lesse probable a truth of greater probabilitie Iudgement saith he beginneth at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarsly be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Our Saviours words Luk. 23.31 do coÌ„taine a like argumeÌ„t If they doe these things to a greene tree what shal be done to the dry To like purpose in Ierem. 25.29 saith the LORD of hoasts Loe I begin to plague the city where my name is called vpon shall you goe free Yee shall not goe free Hitherto I refer also one other text Esai 10.12 where it is said that God when he hath done dispatched all his worke vpon mount Sion will visite the fruite of the proud heart of the King of Assyria the meaning of the place is that God when he hath sufficiently châ—stised and corrected those of his owne house his beloued children wil turne his sword against the skorners of his Maiestie When God hath serued his owne turne by the wicked then comes their turne also howsoever for a while they flourish in hope to escape Gods hand and to abide vnpunished yet will God in due time well enough finde them out to pay them double The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to admonish vs that we spite not any of the wicked who now doe liue in rest because their turne to be punished must come and faile not The further it is put of from them the heavier in the end it will fall vpon them A second vse is to teach vs patience in afflictions for as much as God will shortly cause the cuppe to passe from vs to our adversaries But say he wil not Yet neverthelesse are we to possesse our soules in patience reioicing and giving thankes to God who hath made vs worthy not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake For we haue learned Act. 14.22 That through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God c. The Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs which were not only reviled and scourged but also beheaded cut in pieces drowned in water consumed in fire by other tyrannicall devises cruelly put to death they all by this way received the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate and entred into the kingdome of God And we vndoubtedly know 2. Cor. 5.1 That if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed wee haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens Thus farre of my second circumstance the circumstance of the punished the Aramites professed enemies vnto God yet by him employed in the correction of his owne children the Israelits are here themselues punished My doctrine was Though the Lord do vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne servants and children yet will he in due time overthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements The third circumstance is the punishment a going into captivitie amplified by the place This captivity bondage and slavery was to be in an vnknowne strange a farre country Kir in Media The people of Aram shal goe into captivity vnto Kir The doctrine is For the sinne of a land God often times sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Captivity to be an effect or punishment of sin king Salomon in his praier made to the LORD at his consecration or dedication of the Temple 1. King 8.46 acknowledgeth It 's expreslie delivered 1. ChroÌ„ 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressioÌ„s they were carryed away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy commandements Captivity is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places serving to this point my text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three traÌ„sgressions and for foure for their many sins for their sin of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of yron were to goe into Captivity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Into Captivity Into what kinde of captivity For there is a spirituall captivity and a corporall captivity a captivity of the minde and a captivity of the body Both are very grievous but the first more The first wich I call the spirituall captivity and a captivitie of the minde is a captivity vnder the Devill vnder the power of
may easily be proved In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for evill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It 's made plaine out of Nehem. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to do him pleasure saith the king gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure the effects thereof may be proved as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the LORD was sore against theÌ„ Iudg. 2.15 the Lords haÌ„d that is his iudgement punishment and revengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the LORD was hote against them he delivered them into the the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to their enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the LORD was heavy vpon them 1. Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment revengement was heavy vpon them * Psal 78.64 65. The LORD awaked as one out of sleepe and like a gyant refreshed with wine he smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in Iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and favour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shephearde shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recover with my hand and preserue them for ever I will gather them together I will comfort them I wil defend them rursus ad pastorem et praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepheard and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it 's otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for evill This is averred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephani chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall bee rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries even desolate an astonishment a hâ—ssing a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall find in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1. Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a princes seate able at one time to giue entertainement to fiue princes Against both city dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I will turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to fly vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heaven no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captivity no place of any fecrecie any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets David and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in city or country from the haÌ„d of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoever afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I cal whatsoever is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Devill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches sclanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death every crosse passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud private or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs. All and every of these true Christians will patiently vndergoe For they with their sharp sighted eie of faith doe clearelie see the Hand of God in every of their molestations and in great contentment they take vp the words of patient Iob chap. 2.10 Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue evill Here let every afflicted soule examine it selfe how it is affected with the affliction vnder which iâ— groaneth If you esteem of your afflictions as of God his fatherly chastisements and so endure them blessed are yee Of this blessednes S. Iames chap. 1.12 doth assure you Blessed is the man that endureth tentatioÌ„ for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life which the LORD hath promised to them that loue him Againe is it true Is there no safe being in citie or country froÌ„ the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A second vse of this doctrine is to admonish vs that we labour aboue al things to obtaine Gods favour and to abide in it so shall we bee safe from the feare of evill Now for the obtaining of Gods favour wee must doe foure things We must 1. Humble our selues before God 2. Beleeue in Christ 3. Repent of our sinnes 4. Performe new obedience vnto God The time will not suffer me to enlarge these points Humiliation faith in Christ repentance and a new life these foure wil be vnto you as Iacobs ladder was vnto the Angels Of that ladder you may read Gen. 28.12 that it stood vpon the earth the top of it did reach to heaven and the Angels of God went vp it So may you by these foure Humiliation faith repentance and newnesse of life as it were by so many steps and rounds of a ladder clime vp to heaven Here you haue no continuing citie you are but strangers pilgrims on the earth your countrey is aboue the Celestiall Ierusalem there let your hearts be As for the afflictions vexations tribulations miseries and crosses wherewith this mortall life of your is seasoned let them be your ioy They are sure pledges of Gods loue vnto you Even so saith the Spirit Hebr. 12.6 Whom the LORD loueth he chastneth and he scourgeth every sonne that he receiueth Thirdly is it true Is there no safe being in city or