loath to harpe twice on the same string and that the rather because I presume that whatsoeuer is wanting in the prosecution of this or any other point which I haue touch'd vpon may sufficiently be supplyed by your more priuate and retyred Meditations Well then you see what Pride must looke for euen to be stained what Glory and honour must expect euen to bee brought into contempt that painted Harlot shall be sure not onely to bee pull'd and hal'd out of her high throane but so violently hurl'd out of it that there shall bee no stay nor footing for her till shee come downe downe vnto the ground let her carry the matter neuer so fairely and sooth vp her selfe with neuer so many flatteries yet ende shee must in that which shee can least abide contempt Wherefore Beloued in the feare of God giue me leaue thus to bespeake you Yee Merchants of Tyre that are as so many Princes and yee her Chapmen the Honourable of the earth as you desire this place wherein you liue whose antiquity is of ancient dayes should yet long abide a ioyous City and a crowning Citie as you desire she may still flourish more and more heere at home to the admiration of Strangers and that her owne feet neuer carry her a far off to soiourne as you desire the continuance of your own plenty and prosperitie in her and that you may bee able to hold vp your heads with credit in the world as you desire to auoyd disgrace the staining of your glory and the bringing your honours into scorne and contempt shun pride arrogance embrace humility and meekenesse God hath blest you with riches and honours and friends and with what not and so hee did Tyre With riches She heaped vp Siluer as the dust and Gold as the mire of the streets Zech. 9. 3. With honours her Merchants were Princes and her Chapmen the honourable of the earth the words of my Text â—astly with friends she was confederate by reason of her Traffique almost with all Nations Eeck 27. But she had a quallity that spoild all and I could wish t were not found in you she waxed Proud God is exceedingly offended with Pride in whomsoeuer he findes it but especially it seemeth with Pride in Merchants and that may be because hee cannot endure they should so forget what they sometime were and from â—ow meane place most of them haue bene raisd One whose Family was poore in Manasses and he the least in his Fathers house came vp hither villing to labour for his liuing and began the world with a very little rose vp earely went to bed late and did eate the bread of carefulnesse now perhaps God hath giuen him a stately House and a Shop full of wares diuers Tenements and rich Reuenues many Men-seruants and Maid-seruants at his command so that the lot seemes fallen to him in a faire ground and he hath a goodly Heritage but shall hee therefore aduance his crest and growe proud Another was once in as ill a case as his Sauiour Christ though the Foxes haue holes and the Birds of the ayre haue nests yet he had not so much as a house to put his head in but since that time perhaps God hath enlarged his roome encreased his border giuen him a goodly habitation heere in the City and Lordly Mannors in the Countrey a Ship or two at Sea and rich commodities on the Land so that in peace and plenty he enioyeth whatsoeuer heart can wish with his staffe onely came hee ouer the Riuer as Iacob now God hath giuen him two Bands But shall hee therefore aduance his Crest and grow proud Nay rather as Agathocles who of a Potter was made a Prince stil remembred his former meane place so should you thinke of yours and with all humility thanke God for so bettering your states As the Wiseman bids you Remember your ende so doe I your beginning and you shall neuer doe amisse The Philosopher saith rich men are naturally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Louers of God fearing to displease because they haue somewhat to loose which Satan vnderstood well enough when hee said Iob feared not God for nought but because hee had made a hedge about him and blessed the workes of his hands and increased his substance in the Land Iob 1. 10. O then shake not off your Natures you that are rich and abound in wealth but be yee louers of God still Though you lye where you may sucke your fill at the sweet dugs of a fruitfull I le though you inhabite a second Paradise vpon earth yet swell not with Pride nor grow big be not high minded but feare and so the God of peace be with you all and so prosper you in the way of life that from this ioyous and crowning City below you may be made free Denizens of the new Ierusalem aboue and from being princely Merchants and Chapmen on earth you may be Kingly Saints sitting on throanes in Heauen To God the Father God the Sonne c. FINIS Tyres glory 1 Her Antiquity 2 Her present flour shing estate Aurum Tololosanum 2. Tyres iudgement 1 The forme and manner of it Potest poena dilata exigi exacta non potest reuocari 1. Degree Banishment 2. Degree Pouerty 3. Degree Remotenesse of place Praemcâ—â—â—…i Pramuniti 2 The causes of Tyres iudgement 1 Efficient Lord of hoasts Malum culpae Malum poena Autor Vltor Hailestones also fight against the fiue Kings in the same Chapter 2. Impulsiue Pride and glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fonteÌ„ frontem atque in flamina lumina vertit 3. Finall cause Fictilibus canâsse ferunt Agathoclea Regem Diuitusque sinum deliciisque larem
THE BVRTHEN OF TYRE A Sermon Preach'd at Pauls Crosse By IOHN GRENT then Fellow of New-Colledge in Oxford ISAI 28. 1. Woe to the Crowne of Pride LONDON Printed for RICHARD ROYSTON 1627. TO HIS MVCH HONOVRED PATRON SIR THOMAS HOLT Knight and Baronet the comforts of Grace here and a Crowne of glory hereafter SIR THis discourse presumeth now it aduentureth the Presse on the Patronage it had when it passed the Pen. The Author of it well knoweth and euer will acknowledge his deepe engagements for your many fauours one principall a comfort to your soule that conferr'd it as to his that receiu'd it the faire and free entrance to the exercise of his Ministery VVhich one and the rest hee can no way answere but by his Prayers to God and hearty desires for the encrease of all happinesse and honour to you and yours and this he will not cease to doe while hee remembreth himselfe to be Your much bounden IOHN GRENT THE BVRTHEN of TYRE ISAI 23. 7. 8. 9. 7. Is this your ioyous Citie whose Antiquitie is of ancient dayes Her owne feete shall carry her a farre off to soiourne 8. Who hath taken this counsell against Tyre the crowning City whose Merchants are Princes whose Traffiquers are the Honorable of the earth 9. The Lord of Hoasts hath purposed it to staine the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the Honourable of the Earth THe sound of Warre in a time of peace is like a showre of raine when the Sunne shineth mention of Feare in the height of fauour as the cursings of Mount Ebal among the blessings of mount Gerizim Best suteable vnto these Halcyonian dayes would bee the Oliue leafe of peace in the Doues mouth and to men lull'd asleepe in Securities lapp welcome soft Pillowes sewen vnder their elbowes But while Mercy is thus our desire Misery may be our desert and when we looke for a Barnabas a son of consolation we may meete with a Boanerges a sonne of Thunder As we receiue good things at Gods hands so we must euill the acts of his Iustice should no more discontent vs then of his Mercy for he is aequally glorified in them both and therefore if this be the Burthen of Tyre for ought I know there 's no remedy but Tyre must heare it Tyre must beare it Is this your ioyous Citie whose Antiquity is of ancient dayes her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to ioiourne c. Loe heere 1 Tyres glory and 2 Her Iudgement Her glory lyeth First in her Antiquity which was of auncient dayes Secondly in her present flourishing estate a ioyous Citie a crowning City grac'd not onely with her owne but also with Forraiue dignity Chapmen as well as Merchants her Merchants at home Princes her Chapmen from abroad The honorable of the earth Her iudgement is set forth First by the forme and manner of it Secondly by its causes The forme and manner of it in these words Her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne Wherein three degrees 1 Banishment she should be carried to soiourne 2 Pouertie her owne feet should carry her 3 Remotenesse of place a farre off The causes of this iudgement are three 1 The efficient cause 2 The impulsiue cause 3 The finall cause First the efficient or Author of it The Lord of Hoasts Hee tooke this counsell against Tyre Hee it was that purposed it Secondly the impulsiue or that that mooued him to it Pride and Glory Thirdly the finall or ende wherefore he did it to staine the pride of that glory and then a degree farther to bring into contempt all the Honorable of the earth These branches and in this order with Gods gracious assistance implore my paines and your patience and in the first place the former part of Tyres glory her Antiquity which was saith my Prophet of ancient dayes So past the Records of memory was this Cities Original that eitherlike Fame Caput inter nubila condit it seemes muffled and wrapt in the clouds and you may as well find the head of Nilus fountaine as of Tyres foundation or els you must needs make her one of the eldest daughters of the new World euen the structure and worke of Tyras laphets sonne For whereas Iosephus seemeth to giue her birth but 240. yeeres before Solomons Temple to wit in Gedeons time and Iustin only before the sacke of Troy about Iepthas time both making Sidon the faire mother of Tyre a farre fairer daughter they are rather to be vnderstood of her reaedifying and repayring then of her first founding for sure her Antiquity was of more ancient dayes But though it were yet it ill became her proudly to vaunt of it and thereupon to contemne her bordering neighbours as it would ill beseeme this Famous Citie vainely to brag of her Antiquitie or of her Founder Brute father of Britany who t is thought in olde Eli's time was King in England before there was any King in Israel Indeed Antiquity in some mens eyes carries a very faire shew and like a Perspectiue maketh the obiect seeme bigger then truly it is hauing that to bragge off they care for no more If they can but say Tyre the ancient City Tyre Rome the ancient City Rome they thinke that must presently sweepe all away before it as did Kishon that ancient Riuer Kishon Iudg. 5. 21. But in true iudgement it little skils how olde how ancient a Citie is rather how holy how honest how vpright how iust how pleasing to God and how profitable to men Therefore as Apollo being demanded by the Athenians which Religion was the best Answered the ancientest and a second time which was the ancientest replyed that that was best So say I of Cities which is the best the Ancientest Which is the ancientest the best For antiquity is to be measured by goodnesse not goodnesse by antiquity else might youthinke well of the Deuill he can pleadage an olde Serpent a Lier from the beginning T is true very ancient was Tyre and long was it ere she came to the height of her glory but here was her misery her sinne grew vp as fast as her selfe she was no elder in age then in euill and therefore the longer shee had setled with Moab on the lecs of wickednesse the more need to be powred out from vessell to vessell the longer the blade of her iniquitie had beene growing the riper and the readier to bee cut downe with the sickle of vengeance The haruest of whose Woe when our Prophet foresawe he laughs and scoffes at her by way of derision Is this your ioyous City not so much wondring at her ruine or pitying her misery as indeed insulting ouer her calamity and vpbrayding her pride the cause of her fall Is this your tryumphing glorying flaunting flourishine Citie that so drew the worlds eyes to looke on her that was so much admir'd by them that vsed Traffique with her that so vaunted of her Antiquitie as if
the Rocke on which she had long stood could neuer be moued See see whither her glorying is now come Her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne T is not her ancientnes that can Patronize her from heauens vengeance no nor yet her present flourishing estate though a ioyous City a crowning City whose Merchants are Princes and her Chapmen the Honourable of the Earth the second part of Tyres glory and in the second place saluteth your attention 2 Very excellent things are spoken of this renowned City and yet no more then her pompe and glory might sometime iustly challenge they that dwelt in her and that dealt in Traffique with her were so enrich'd saith my Prophet by her Merchandise that they came not behind the greatest Personages of the earth Kings Princes Nobles Famous may be the Merchants of Venice Florence Antwerpe but these of Tyre surpast them all the admiration of whose wealth and glory brought forth the word Tyrant King then noting Maiesty not cruelty so that Cyneas Pyrrhus his Embassadour might farre better haue call'd Tyre then Rome Ciuitatem regum A City of Kings What place in the world could show such a Shop of Wares as shee doth Ezek. 27 Which the City that so had the harnest of the Riuer for her reuenewe and was her selfe a Mart of Nations vers 3. of this Chap Where since the Deluge but in her and Sodom could you see an Eden and garden of God as shee is called Ezek. 28. 13 Whose Prince but hers was stiled The annointed Cherub that couereth that was vpon the holy Mountaine of God and walked vp and downe in the midst of the stones of fire Ezek. 28 14. What City but this Tyre could haue so dazled the eyes of the Easterne World as to put her owne name on a whole Region Tyria or Syria Once what place besides her could haue stood in aemulation with that Queene of Nations and Lady of Kingdomes the perfection of beauty and ioy of the whole earth Ierusalem and make her selfe as much frequented for wealth as Ierusalem for religion and yet all this and more too is true of that crowning Citie whose Merchants were Princes and her Chapmen the honorable of the earth Which gay trimming of Tyre with so specious priuiledges makes a man thinke her a peerelesse Princesse Paragon of beauty faire Ester but loe a Harlot drest in strange apparell by a flattering glasse painted Iezabel outward ornament enough wealth and glory and pompe and maiestie like the rayment of Needle worke the Kings Daughter wore and like the Vesture of gold wrought about with diuers colours but none of that which should make her all glorious within and cause his Maiestie take pleasure in her beauty pure Religion holines of life practise of vertuous actions Which Pearle of price the one thing necessary when our Prophet seeth neglected and yet other seeming Iewels of little or no value much set by he can tell Tyre that her temporall blessings without blessings spirituall are but a faire preface to foule ruine and therefore if hee can finde nothing else to commend her by but that her Antiquity is of ancient dayes that she is a ioyous City a crowning City whose Merchants are Princes and her Chapmen the Honourable of the earth he will giue her anone a most heauie doome her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne O consider this and lay it to heart all ye that inhabite the like ioyous Citie for who in this point of flourishing Estate sees not Londons face in Tyres looking glasse Flatter not your selues with your wealth and pompe like her Merchants as if you forsooth were Gods onely Fauourits and your Fleece alone like Gedeons wet with the dew of heauen and all the ground drie round about Dreame not of secure possessing the Fortunate Islands nor of being begirt with the Sea and hemmd in with watry walles from all danger Think not by heaping togeather thicke clay and therewith building your nest on high you shall escape wrath and iudgement to come Know rather that the Christian Armour Faith and Rightcousnes and the Churches Weapons Prayers and Teares must be your best bulwarke against destruction If you would bee couered with the defence of the most high and be safe vnder the shadow of the Almighty be sure such shelter is not procur'd by your glorious pompe and ruffling pride but by your fearing God keeping his Cōmandements Strangers eyes can witnes a daily increase of your outward glory ô that wee could see in you the like growth of inward grace we walk about your Siō go round about her we tel the towers therof note her Temples we mark wel her bulwarks and set vp her houses that wee may acquaint them that shall come hereafter and the children that are yet vnborne but wee had farre rather take notice of your piety charity sobriety toward God your Neighbours and your selues without which all your pomp in the ende will proue but vanitie and vexation of spirit You haue lately extended your Cities wings as if you ment to make her fly ouer a good part of this Island and by sumptuous buildings haue perfected her beautie you haue enlarg'd your roome encreas'd your border ioynd house to house at home procur'd goodly Colonies abroad you first get the riches of the Kingdome then her honors long may you enioy both if you be firme friends to God and goodnes Your course of Trading is pleasing to the Lord and your Merchandise blest if you make not shipwracke of a good Conscience Not onely the Kingdome of heauen is like a Merchant man seeking goodly pearles Mat. 13. But euen the Church is a Ship of Merchants fetching her food from far Pro. 31. Buying and selling are the nerues and sinewes of a Kingdome exercises not misbeseeming the Saints of God Ioseph was a Merchant of Corne Lydia a seller of Purple Dauid bought a floore and Ieremy a field But yet amids your great dealing traffique in the world let me put you in mind of two sorts of Merchāts most odious among you Merchants of Time and merchants of the Tēple of Time Vsurers of the Temple Church-robbers Time Tēple are both Gods wares therefore take heed ô man of setting to sale what is none of thine own Wilt thou that canst not with all thy wealth purchase an houres additiō vnto thy life yet offer to sel a yere to thy neighbor for ten in the hūdred wilt thou whose own soule must be saued by the constant exercise of a painful Ministry sel thousāds of souls to the deuil by putting a hireling ouer the flock of Ch Princes Nobles either should not be such broking merchants or I am sure such broking merchāts are not Princes Nobles but base degenerate persons that haue not the least sparke of true nobility in thē He that is wise wil beware of such trading for feare of the gold of Tolouse that will
one day bring ruine to him and to his family From these sacrilegious Merchants t is but stepping a little aside into the Shops of deceit and a man meets with many others almost as pernicious who sucke suh sweetnes of gaine by vsing scant measure which is abominable and wicked ballances with the bag of false weights Micah 6. as also by vttering wares with oily words and sometime intermixing oathes and lyes and aequiuocation about the prizes that they will not be drawne from it though in most bargaines they make they venture the wofull end of Ananias and Zaphira Acts 5. the first example of iudgement in the New Testament I can scarse repeat it without trembling Tell me sold you the Land for so much Yea for so much Doth your ware stand you in so much Yea in so much How is it that you haue conceiued this thing in your heart you haue not lied vnto men but vnto God and you know what follow'd both husband and wife fell straight way downe to the ground and gaue vp the ghost T is to be hoped there are not many Merchants that deale in such deceitfull manner let those that doe take heede they with their money perish not together Howeuer let the best in the feare of God examine their Trading and in all bargaines they make bee sure to take Conscience along with them Let both Buyers and Sellers consider the ende of their commerce should bee the vpholding one another not the vndoing therefore let these beware how and by what meanes of Merchants they make themselues Princes and those how and by what meanes of Chapmen they become the Honourable of the Earth The riches of the Countrey wee see take the wings of the morning and fly into the Citie the whole Land emptieth her treasure into your lapps as all the Riuers doe their waters into the Sea Looke therefore you vse your abundance to Gods glory and the aduancing of goodnesse The Metropolitan City is vsually the spleene of the Kingdome the bigger the spleene the lesse and leaner all the body beside for the ones fulnesse draweth the other to emptinesse which if it still swell and swell and purge not foorth by good workes and almes-deedes there must be some other remedy sought Leeches must be applied You are but Stewards of the Riches you possesse improue them therfore for your Masters commodity not for your owne pompe and brauery Traffique hath brought you foorth Wealth take heede Wealth bring not foorth Luxury Luxury Pride and Pride Vengeance Poore Tyre payeth for it who though when she did wel was accepted yet afterward when she did ill found iudgement lying at the doore Her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne 2 As while the Prophet continued piping Tyre was content to daunce so now hee beginns his mourning shee may frame her selfe to weepe It was sweet Musick in her eares to heare tell of her glory it will be a sharpe corasiue to her heart to heare mention of her iudgement That distill'd downe like the hony and the hony Combe a ioyons City a crowning City whose Merchants are Princes and her Chapmen the Honourable of the earth this goes downe like gall and bitter Aloes Her owne feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne A sharpe sentence and yet in its time seuerely put in execution Twise was this Mother Citie in the power of the enemie once layd wast by Nebuchadnezzar another time by Alezander T is the former blow that is here threatned for Ezekiel who nameth Nebuchadnezzar Ezekiel 26. Prophecieth there of the same thing as heere doth Esay So it was that that mighty Monarch hauing newly sackt Ierusalē the crowning Citie of Iudea soon set vpó her riual Tyre of the Tribe of Asher where after three yeares Siege and ten months when Ithobalus was her King at length killing and carrying captiue Prince and people hee aequall'd her to the ground and so quite disfigured the face of a City that for seuenty yeares together she was but a plaine for Fishermen to dry their Netts on Till that time as Venice a Virgine City because neuer ouercome euer after a Harlot when her owne feete had once carried her a farre off to soiourne And so iustly had shee deserued such her calamity that God gaue Nebuchadnezzar a reward for inflicting it on her Sonne of man saith he Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon caused his Army to serue a great seruice against Tyrus yet had he no wages nor his Army for Tyrus for the seruice that hee had serued against it therefore saith the Lord God behold I will giue the Land of Egypt vnto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and hee shall take her multitude and take her spoyle and take her prey and it shall be the wages for his army Eze. 29. 19. Thus when God punisheth he punisheth to purpose and yet the same GOD before he punisheth vseth to warne Tyre shall downe because shee will not repent though hee hire Nebuchadnezzar to be the rod of his fury and yet Tyre shall be warned that she may repent many yeares before hand in the one see Gods hate against sinne in the other his loue vnto the Sinner The speciall obiect of your thoughts at this time must be the latter onely the warning the thunder before the showre the threatning before the stroke the shaking the rodd before the stripe Tyres feet shall carry her a farre off to soiourne shall carry haue not yet but shall if shee doe not repent Repentance is a necessary Euangelicall condition still to be supplied wheneuer God threatneth and giueth space for repentance Suppose Nebuchadnezzar were already entred into Phoenicia and euen now labouring to ioyne Tyre vnto the shore from which it was distant seuen hundred paces neuerthelesse three yeares siedge and ten moneths was one would thinke warning sufficient and yet Tyre had much more for the Prophet dealeth not so roundly with her as Ionas did with Niniue Yet forty dayes and Niniue shall be destroid but giueth her almost as much time to repent as Noah did the old world well nigh a hundred yeares O the patience and long suffering of the Almighty so bearing with sinners and so willing to spare that hee would euen be glad to see his plagues preuented by our conuersion Those hands of his that made the World are not of a destructiue nature desirous to bring it to nought again but stil labor to mend rather then to mar and his heart is so enuironed with the bowels of compassion that as farre forth as Iustice will giue leaue hee euer thinkes bloud better spard then spilt When the Lord proceeds to mercy he commeth forth merrily as a Bridegroome out of his chamber or as a Gyant that reioyceth to runne his course Comfort yee Comfort yee my people will your God say speake comfortably to Ierusalem Isai 40. 1. But when hee is forc't to take vengeance he hangs backe as vnwilling and his soule seemes troubled within
Sinne the true cause of Tyres sicknesse will perhaps tel you of the reuolutions of times and of fatall periods of states beyond which Kingdomes and Cities cannot stand As Physitians make the threescore and third yeere of mans life a dangerous Climactericall to the body naturall so will Statists make the fiue hundreth yeere of a Citie or Kingdome as dangerous to the body politique But I wonder who hath euer felt a Cities languishing pulse who hath discerned her fatall diseases found her Criticall dayes Doth she waxe weake and heauy and olde and shriueled and pine away with yeeres as the body of man No shee may flourish still and grow greene she may continue as the dayes of heauen and bee as the Sunne before the Almighty if his wrath be not prouoked by her wickednesse T is sinne sinne that is both the chiefe cause and the chiefe Symptome of a Cities sicknesse and that indeede soone brings her to a fearefull end and vtter desolation whereas Religion and honesty would preserue her flourishing estate beyond all fatall periods of time What brought the deluge on the olde world vvhat call'd for fire and brimstone on Sodome and Gomorrah What destroyed Ierusalem and her glorious Temple the vvonder of the earth What brought Niniue and other famous Cities to ruine Was it the power of numbers Was it Plato's multiplying the Sunnes retrograde motion by twelue Was it any dire aspect of the heauens any malignant coniunction of starres and planets No but the peoples loose manners and their vngracious liues and their enormous sinnes Which sinnes all Cities Cankerwormes if Tyre forewarned by the Prophet could haue shaken off she might haue stood in her glory vntill this day but seeing she chose rather to flatter and sooth vp her selfe in euill so blindfolding her eyes with the veile of her wealth that she could not perceiue what God intended against her words at last proceeded into workes and the Prophets threatning ended in performance no longer then menacing that God will ouerthrowe ouerthrowe ouerthrowe but he doth it indeed O thou that dwellest vpon many waters aboundant in treasures thine end is come and the measure of thy couetousnesse Alas alas the great City the mighty City for in one houre is her destruction come O therefore that my head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people For not onely her owne feete shall carry her a farre off to soiourne but at last her owne feet did carry her a farre off to soiourne T is not I hope expected that I should here apply this point t is a Prophecie and I am neither Prophet nor Prophets sonne therefore all I say vnto you is what Daniel said vnto Nebuchadnezzar The dreame be to them that hate you and the interpretation thereof to your enemies But if of your selues you would meditate on Tyres iudgement and that seriously if in her ruine you would but seeme to read your owne that by others harmes you might learne to beware t would be the happiest application of a Text that euer was made You knowe that like sinnes draw down like punishmēts that they who imitate the wicked in their doings may iustly fear to be made partakers of their suffrings T is true you are yet at ease in Sion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria you lye vpon beds of luory and stretch your selues on your beds you eate the Lambes of the flocke and Calues out of the stall you sing to the sound of the Violl and inuent to your selues instruments of Musicke like Dauid you drinke Wine in bowles and annoint your selues with the chiefe oyntments Amos 6. But are you certain of the continuance of this your happinesse Can you secure your selues to abide a ioyous City still Alas you know not what may at this time be a prouiding for you you knowe not what a day may bring foorth you knowe not what may suddenly befall you vnlesse you breake off your sinnes by repentance I haue no commission to terrifiey ou with warrs nor rumors of wars but your selues haue heard the sound of the Trumpet and the alarum of the Battell A great part of the Christian World is already vp in Armes and the Sword hath already made many a mother childlesse many a wife a widdow the Lord euer keepe it from Ierusalem repell it from the gates of Sion the Lord guard her from his high heauen send his own pensioners the holy Angels to defend her Peace continue within her walles and plenteousnes within her Pallaces Of the three most deadly arrowes in Gods quiuer Famine Pestilence and the Sword he hath shot two at you already ôlet his mercy so hold his hād that he neuer shoot the third you remember when he gaue you cleannesse of teeth in all your Cities and scarcenesse of bread in all places when your children fainted and swooned and languisht away when your wiues and yong men failed for hunger and fell downe in the streets of the Citie and by the passages of the gates and ther was no strength in them You remember when after that once and againe the destroying Angell came among you and by a grieuous pestilence laid heapes vpon heapes when he plac'd Solitarinesse at your doores hauing slaine thousands and ten thousands in your streets O then the Lord drewe his Bow mightily and made his venemous shafts enter into your soules and though for all this you would not turne vnto him yet hath hee withheld his third arrowe in hope of your amendment and his mercy still perswades him you will yet take that warning which Tyre would not Whether your sinnes bee the sinnes of Sodome Pride Idlenesse and fulnesse of bread Ezek. 16. 49. or the sinnes of Samaria Pride and Drunkennesse Isai 28. 1. or the sinnes of Tyre Pride and insulting ouer Gods People Ezek. 26. 2. or all these put together yet may they be washt away with vnfained teares of repentance as Naaman the Syrians leprosie with the waters of Iordan O therefore in the feare of God bethinke your selues while you haue time and while the acceptable day of the Lord doth last yeeld while the white Flagge of Mercy hangs forth before the red be displaied of bloud or the blacke of death Minae sint Medicinae bee taught before you bee toucht take warning before the decree come forth for if it bee once enacted in the high Court of heauen t will bee like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians not to be repeal'd not to be altered It hath gone out heretofore against many famous Cities and accordingly it hath bene executed Where is now Tanis and Dumah and Babylon and Niniue and Moab and Ierusalem and Carthage and Corinth and No and Sydon they are all aequall'd to the ground and their honour lyeth in the dust Tyre her selfe that crowning Citie is now but onely a hauen vnder the Turks Her own
feet hath carried her a far off to soiourne But who tooke this counsell against Tyre and who purposed it euen the Lord of Hoasts to staine the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the Honourable of the earth And so from the forme and manner of Tyres iudgement I passe vnto the causes of it and they in number three 1 The Effficient or Autor of it the Lord of Hoasts Hee tooke this counsell against Tyre Hee it was that purposed it 2 The Impulsine or that that moued him to it Pride and glory 3 The Finall or end wherfore he did it first to staine the pride of that glory and then a degree further to bring into comtempt all the Honourable of the earth Tyres destruction was foretold a City because situate in the Sea on a Rocke therefore in her conceit and in the Worlds thought impregnable whereupon our Prophet doubting she would not so much feare the iudgement denounc'd as admire how it could be effected guideth her eye to see the hand that should giue the blowe as plainely as Belshazzar sawe the fingers that wrot his ruine on the wall Hee neuer mentions to her the arme of flesh she would haue sleighted that but tells her of the Lord of Hoasts The Lord of Hoasts A name of power yet not excluding prudence a name of might yet not excluding mercy for t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord of Hoasts hath decreed it did not headily and hastily rush vpon it but soberly consult and deliberat about it he whose word is all one with his work and that can with the same facility doe a thing as determine it yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decreed before he executed as he went downe to see whether Sodom had done according to the cry before he decreed Gen. 18. Now of all the sinnes that vrge him to decree vengeance and force down the Viols of his wrath Pride and glory seem the chiefe therefore he neuer leaueth till his reuenging hand hath atcheiued thus much euen the stayning the pride of all glory and the bringing into contempt all the Honourable of the earth More distinctly thus The three causes of Tyres iudgement yeeld vs three conclusions 1 The Efficient the Lord of hoasts this The inflicter of all punishments is the Lord of hoasts 2 The Impulsiue Pride and Glory this That which chiefely seemes to mooue him to inflict punishment is Pride and glory 3 The Finall the staining the bringing into contempt this His punishment beats not the ayre but workes for some ende and effects powerfully what it goes about T will staine the Pride of all glory and as if that were to little t will bring into contempt all the Honourable of the earth First The inflicter of all punishment is the Lord of Hoasts The prophane Atheist may dreame as the Epicure that God sits idle in the heauens carelesse of things belowe let ts men liue as they list and if vengeance at any time doe ouertake the wicked t is not long of him but of Chance or Fortune or the counsell and power of man or the like Kingdomes may bee ouerthrowne Cities ruined and hee neuer meddle with them But Can there bee euill in the Citie and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. 6. Is it not Hee that formeth light and createth darkenesse maketh peace and createth euill Isai 45. 7. Surely yes For t is not Chaunce that domineereth in this inferiour world nor are things whirld about on Fortunes Weeele but the Lord is hee that iudgeth the Earth His owne Heritage and His hand layeth the burthen on euery sinners backe Whether any euill befall a Priuate man euill I meane still of punishment of which GOD is Author not of fault of which he is auenger Whether I say any euill befall a Priuate man or a Publique person or a Family or a City or a Kingdome or the whole World He he it is euen the Lord of Hoasts that brings it on them 1 On a priuate man The arrowes of the Almighty saith Iob are in me the poyson of them drinke vp my Spirit they be the terrors of God that set themselues in array against me Iob 6. 4. 2 On a publike person Nebuchadnezzar must be driuen from men and his dwelling till seuen times passe ouer him must be with the beasts of the field and sayth Daniel O King T is the decree of the most high which is come vpon my Lord the King Dan. 4. 24. 3 On a Family I will bring euill on thee saith the Lord to Ahab and I will take away thy Posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth agaist the wall and I will makethy house like the house of Ieroboam the Sonne of Nebat and like the Sonne of Baasha the Sonne of Ahiiah 1 King 21. 21. 4 On a City T was the Lord that rained vpon Sodom and vpon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heauen and ouerthrewe those Cities and all the plaine and all the Inhabitants of the Cities and that which grewe vpon the ground Gen. 19. 24. 5 On a Kingdome T was the Lord sent a Pestilence in Israel from the morning euen to the time appointed and there dyed of the people from Dan euen to Beersheba 70000 men 2 Sam. 24. 15. 6 Lastly on the whole world And I saith the Lord Behold I will bring a flood of waters vpon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life vnder the heauen all that is in the earth shall perish Gen. 6. 17. Thus is it he who sits on High that punisheth all vs here below Therefore if there bean end period set to Tyres florishing estate you need not doubt but t was the Lord of Hoasts decreed it As by him Kings and Princes raigne so by him are their Scepters remoued he was the Alpha and beginning of all rule and likewife he will be the Omega and ending Hee changeeh times and seasous he taketh away Kings and he sets vp Kings Dan. 2. 21. The most high beareth rule ouer the Kingdomes of Men and giueth them to whomsoeuer he will Dan. 4. 25. Well may Salmanasar or Hazael or Nebuchadnezzar or some such put to their helping hands but neither of them is more then the Hammer or the scourge or the rod of the Almighty only doing that instrumentally which he himselfe doth principally O Ashur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation Isai 10. 5. But what Is God thus angry or can hee possibly execute iudgement Is he that I told you was so vnwilling to punish become now the author of punishment Is hee that shewd mercy to thousands content to see thousands destroyd Doth he that would not the death of a finner put his owne hands to the execution and he whose compasson flowed as the riuers of water delight to see streames of bloud In a word doth that Father of mercies please
nakednesse and keepe away colde as well as a gowne of Sattin or Veluet but yet the excesse of apparel euen in such great personages though it be farre more tolerable in them then in those of the lower sort is vnwarrantable and the Lord will visite them for it though Princes and Kings children Zeph. 18. But let mee farther question how commeth it that some women rest not so in gay and gorgeous cloathing but as being weary of their sexe are ready to step in to mans apparell a thing I dare say neuer heard of in Tyre and I am sure an abomination to the God of Israel Deut. 22. 5. Againe how commeth it that some painted Iezebels seeme discontent with Gods owne workmanship and being desirous to mend what he hath made put Art a plaister vpon Nature What doe they with their oyles and waters and complexions and colours and perfumes and powders and such like trumperies The very thought of which may set a greater blush and make more rosie cheekes in a modest face then all these vnnaturall dawbings can where the forehead is impudent O the intolerable pride of these times and of the age wherein wee liue And when I wonder will these painted walls thinke of repenting and sorrow for sinne when with Mary Magdalen will they make their eyes their basin their teares the water their haire the towell to wash and wipe their Sauiours feete They may not enter into such a mournfull exercise t will presently discolour their fresh varnisht countenance therefore in their repentance they forsooth will haue silkes for saceloath oyles for teares and sweet powders for ashes but if there be a God in heauen let them be sure he will visite for these things But perhaps you will say these all this while are the Chapmen of Tyre and their dainty minions t is farre otherwise with her Merchants and the Citie Matrons more humility is found in Citizens and in their wiues more modesty God forbid else and yet some of them haue their pride too and such as is not to be endured for are not some Merchants ready to kisse their owne hands and to sacrifice to their owne netts when for their happy returne from some dangerous voyage and for their prosperous encrease of wealth they should ascribe all vnto the Lord Againe are not some Merchants in such pompe and brauery as exceedes their place and so clad with riches as is beyond their ranke and calling Cannot we see pride peeping through their ruffes and setts through their iaggs and cutts as Diogenes sawe Aristippus vanity through a gash of his cloake Is there not pride in apparrell pride in gesture pride in gate pride in speech in almost all their actions pride And as for their wiues and daughters haue not some of them forgot to attire themselues as Sarah did and other holy women who trusted in God hauing the hidden man of the hart vncorrupt and a meeke and quiet Spirit which is before God a thing much set by 1 Pet. 3. 4. Nay haue they not forgot how that their owne mothers by being graue and stayd matrons soberly and modestly attired were once the ornament and renowne of this place whereas themselues by dawbing their faces dressing their heads as Iezebel did and then looking out of their windowes or sitting at their doores to entrap Solomons foole as he passeth by become a shame and dishonour vnto the famous Citie that bred them Yet so it is but if there be a God in heauen let them be sure hee will visit for these things And if he take the matter into his hand His punishment shall not beate the ayre but worke for some ende and effect throughly what it goeth about t will staine the Pride of all their glory and if that be too little t will bring all their honour into contempt The third and last conclusion arising from the finall cause of Tyres Iudgement the staining the bringing into contempt Gods punishment beateth not the ayre but c. T will staine that is prophane violate destroy the pride of all glory that is the Pride of all Tyres glory though shee be so proud as if shee had the pride of al the world in her and because the scorner must be paid in his own Coine bee also scorned this more t will not barely stain but bring into contempt that is make vile and despicable All the honourable of the earth that is all the Honourable of the Land of the Tyrians to wit their Princely Merchants and of the Land of her bordering neighbours too her proud Chap men if they imitate Tyre in her brauery T is very miserable to bee but degraded and throwne downe from a high conceit of ones owne excellency but ouer and aboue to haue scorne and derision and contempt added is intollerable yet thus and thus far proceedes God in punishing rather then his stroake shal fall light and seeme to be idle for when he once begins he will also make an ende though hee send plague vpon plague affliction vpon affliction as he dealt with Pharaoh and the Egyptians till they ctied out We dye all Exod. 12. He first warneth then threatneth threatneth then decreeth decreeth then punisheth punisheth at first lightly but afterward to purpose Is he thinke you as man that hee should lye or as the Son of man that he should goe backe Hath he said and will he not performe hath he determined and shal it not come to passe and when he brings it to passe will he do it imperfectly and to halfs No he goeth through with what hee enterpriseth not onely meetes with Prides perriwig and haleth it from her crowne but continueth tugging at her frizled Locks till hee bring her to the ground and to bee trampled vnder feete First he will Staine the Pride of all glory and then bring into contempt all the Honourable of the earth I might here fairely fall into a point which I touched vpon before to wit God so aptly fitting punishment vnto sinne For as I told you if Tyre taking vpon her to be a ioyous Citie a crowning City and therefore melting and dissoluing into pleasure yeelding her selfe wholly ouer vnto nicenesse and delicacy as those that are in Kings houses should for that her wantonnesse be fitted with paine and haue hardnesse enough prouided for her insomuch that her owne feete should carry her a farre off to soiourne then no maruell if when she groweth stately and proud scorning and contemning others the Lord fitt her here in like manner for that too euen Stayning the pride of all her glory and bringing into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both be honourable and all the honour â—… soiourne the dainty City shall be carried on her owne feete to soiourne the proud City shall haue the pride of all her glory stained and the contemning City shall haue all her honourable brought into contempt The medicine is rightly made for the malady the salue excellently fitted for the soare But I am