the Iewes for their prerogatiue nor Ierusalem for her goodly buildings From this vnpartialitie of God in his workes of iustice my proposition stands good Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Will you a reason hereof It is because the Lord takes impietie for impietie wheresoeuer he finds it and for such doth punish it And he finds it euery where For the eyes of the Lord Å¿ 2. Chrâ—n 16.9 runne to and fro throughout the whole earth and are in t Prâ—u 15.3 euery place to behold as well the euill as the good His eyes are u Iere. 16.17 vpon all our wayes he seeth x Iob 34.21 all our goings he y Iob 31.4 counteth all our steps no iniquitie is z Iere. 16.17 hid from him This doth the Prophet Ieremie Chap. 32.19 wall expresse Thine eyes O Lord are open vpon all the wayes of the sonnes of men to giue euery one acccording to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings This the very Ethnickes guided onely by Natures light haue acknowledged Sybilla in her Oracles could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Almightie and inuisible God he onely seeth all things Hesiod could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath an All-seeing eye Plautus could say a Capte ivi Est profecto Deus qui quae nos gerimus auditque videt Doubtlesse there is a God who both heareth and seeth whatsoeuer we doe And b Metamorph. lib. 13. Ovid could say Aspiciunt oculis superi mortalia iustâ—s There is a God aboue who hath iust eyes beholdeth all the doings of mortall men c Thales interregatus an furta â—â—mâ—â—um Deos fallerent Nec cogiâ—ata â—nqâ—it Valer. Mar. lib. 7 cap. 2. Dioge Laert. lib. 1. in Thal s. Thales of Miletum the wisest of the seauen being asked whether mens euill deeds could be kept close from God! No sayd he nor their euill thoughts The Hieroglyphicke the mysticall or aenigmaticall letter whereby the Egyptians would haue God to be vnderstood was an eye And why so But as d Hierâ—glyph lib. 33. Pierius saith because Deus ille optimus maximus the great God of Heauen is mundi oculus the eye of the world It may be such was the conceit of that auncient e Augustin Father who sayd of God that he was totus oculus wholy an eye He giues his reason quia omnia videt because hee seeth all things All things are to the eies of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naked and opened seene as well within as without So saith the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 4.13 All the impieties of man in deed word or thought are manifest vnto the Lord he seeth them all and for impieties will punish them Well saith f De constantiâ lib. 2. cap. 16. Lypsius Culpae comes iustissimè poena semper est Paine is alwayes the companion of a fault And g Jbid. cap. 14. againe Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium Euery wickednesse brings a punishment with it As the worke is so is the pay if the one be readie the other is present h Lipsius de constant lib. 2 c. 13. Neuer did any man foster within his breast a crime but vengeance was vpon his backe for it If there be impietie there cannot be impunitie Witnesse the blessed Apostle S. Iames chap. 1.15 Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death And S. Paul Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death Many are the texts of holy Scripture which I might alledge to this purpose I will for this present trouble you but with one It is Psal 34.16 The face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth From these now-touched considerations first that Almightie God in iudgement accepteth no persons then that his Al-seeing eye beholdeth whatsoeuer impietie is done not onely in our workes and words but also in our most retyred thoughts thirdly that in iustice euery impietie is to receiue a due punishment from these considerations my position stands firme and vnmoueable Whosoeuer doe imitate the Heathen in their impieties they are in the Lords account no better then the Heathen and shall be punished as the Heathen Here let all good Christians be admonished with their greatest carefulnesse to looke vnto their wayes that they walke not in the by-pathes of sinne to imitate the Heathen in their impieties Qui attrahit ad se culpam non potest effugere poenam sayth i Comment in Hebr. 12. Hugo Cardinalis Thinke not that thy prerogatiue of being a Christian can be a shield vnto thee Christianus k August enchir ad Laurent ca. 5. nomine non opere A Christian in name not in deed may be called a Christian but is no Christian l Bernard Sentent Christianus as he is haeres nominis Christi so must he be imitator sanctitatis A Christian is heire to the name of Christ and therefore must be a follower of Christ in holinesse A Christian sayth S. Austine if he be the Author of the Booke m Lib. 1. cap. 6. de vita Christianâ A Christian is a name of iustice of goodnesse of integritie of patience of chastitie of prudence of humilitie of courtesie of innocencie of pietie A Christian is he who is a follower of Christ who is holy innocent vndefiled vnspotted in whose brest there is no wickednesse who hurts no man but helpeth all He that can truely say I hate not mine enemies I doe good to them that hurt me I pray for them that persecute me I doe wrong to no body I liue iustly with all men hic Christianus est he is a Christian But if in the profession of Christianitie a man liues the life of a Heathen the name of a Christian shall doe him no pleasure If he take delight in the n Galat. 5.19 workes of the flesh in adulterie fornication vncleannesse laciuiousnesse drunkennesse hatred variance wrath strife or any like sinne God will forsake him the holy Angels will flie him the blessed Saints will detest him the Reprobate shall bee his companie the Deuils his fellowes hell his inheritance his soule a nest of scorpions his bodie a dungeon of foule spirits and at last both bodie and soule shal eternally burne in fire vnquencheable Wherefore dearely beloued suffer a word of exhortation o Ecclus. 21.1.2.3 Haue you sinned Doe so no more Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent For if you come too neere it it will bite you the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a Lyon slaying the soules of men So sayth Ecclus chap. 21.2 Flee from sinne as from the face of a Serpent Sinne It s like a leauen that will leauen the whole lumpe It s like a scab that will infect the whole flocke It s like
acknowledgeth It is expresly deliuered 1 Chron. 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressions they were carried away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy Commandements Captiuitie is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places seruing to this point my Text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three transgressions and for foure for their many sinnes for their sinne of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of Iron were to goe into Captiuity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a Land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuitie Into Captiuitie Into what kinde of captiuitie For there is a spirituall captiuitie and a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the minde and a captiuitie of the body Both are very grieuous but the first more The first which I call the spirituall captiuity and a captiuitie of the minde is a captiuity vnder the Deuill vnder the power of Hell vnder death vnder sin vnder the eternall malediction or curse of the Law propounded to euery one that doth not in all points and absolutely obey the Law This Captiuity is a heauie yoake to all mankinde considered without Christ Euery one male and female that hath no part in Christ euery vnbeleeuing and reprobate person is in this construction euen to this day a captiue And such also were we by the corruption of our nature vpon our first Father Adams default but now are we by the sacrifice of the immaculate Lambe the Lord Iesus ransomed and freed For to this purpose was he sent into the world as it is euident Esai 61.1 and Luk. 4.18 In both places hee professeth himselfe to bee sent into the world for this end euen to publish liberty and freedome to captiues and the imprisoned which his office he hath graciously performed By his Word of grace he hath so freed our consciences formerly oppressed with and captiue vnder sin that now there is no condemnation to vs to vs I say who are in Christ and doe walke after the spirit as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 8.1 This is it which our Sauiour foretold the Iewes Iohn 8.36 If the Sonne shall make you free you shall be free indeed Be it repeated againe to our eternall comforts If the Sonne shall make vs free we shall be free indeed But he hath made vs free for therefore was he sent to publish libertie and freedome to captiues he hath paid our ransome his innocent and most precious bloud by it are we throughly washed and cleansed from our sinnes Now there is no condemnation to vs. Thus freed from our spirituall captiuity bondage and slauery vnder Hell death and sin let vs with boldnesse looking vp to the throne of Grace whereon sitteth the Author and Finisher of our faith say with the blessed Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thankes be to God who hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. The Captiuity in my text is of the other kind a corporall captiuitie a captiuitie of the body which vsually is accompanied with two great miseries pointed at Psal 107.10 The first they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death the second they are bound in anguish and Iron First they dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death that is they are put into deep dungeons void of light whereby they are as it were at deaths doore Secondly they are bound in anguish and iron that is day and night they are loaden with fetters gyues or shackles of iron so loaden that they finde no rest vnto their bones Thus must it be with them who by sinfull liuing prouoke the Lord to high displeasure Thus is my doctrine confirmed For the sin of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuity Is it true beloued Doth God oftentimes for the sin of a land send away the inhabitants into captiuity Let vs make this Christian vse of it euen to powre out our selues in thankfulnesse before Almighty God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. The sins of such Nations as haue beene punished with captiuity were they more grieuous in Gods eyes than ours are It is not be imagined Our sins are as crimson-like and as scarlet-like as euer were theirs the sins of our land crying sins Atheisme Irreligion Oppression Extortion Couetousnesse Vsury Adultery Fornication Vncleannesse Drunkennesse and many like abominations of the old man in vs all our works of darknes they haue made head together and haue impudently and shamelesly pressed into the presence of Almighty God to vrge him to powre forth the vials of his wrath and indignation vpon vs. Yet our God good gracious mercifull long suffering and of great kindnes withholdeth and stayeth his reuengefull hand from laying vpon vs his great punishment of Captiuity and suffereth vs to possesse our habitations in peace and to eat the good things of the earth O let vs therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and declare before the sonnes of men the good things that he hath done for vs. Here dearely beloued let vs not presume vpon God his patience to lead our liues as we list We cannot but see that God is highly offended with vs already though yet he be not pleased to execute his sorest iudgements vpon vs. Gods high displeasure against vs appeareth in those many visitations by which he hath come neere vnto vs within our memories I may not stand to amplifie the Spanish sword shaken ouer vs and the great famine brought vpon vs in our late Queenes daies Our now gracious Soueraigne hath not long sate at the sterne of this kingdome But few yeares are passed and yet those few haue afforded manifest tokens of Gods sore displeasure at vs. Haue not many thousands of our brethren haply not so grieuous sinners as we beene taken away by the destroying Angell and yet the plague is not ceased Vnlesse we repent and amend our liues we may likewise perish Haue not many of our brethren too many if it might haue seemed otherwise to Almighty God haue they not partly perished themselues partly lost their cattell and substance in n An. Dom. 1607 this yeeres waters such waters as our fore-fathers haue scarcely obserued the like If we will not wash our selues from our euill doings we see God is able to wash vs extraordinarily The vnseasonable weather giuen vs from Heauen to the rotting of our sheepe is but Gods warning to vs of a greater misery to befall vs vnlesse we will returne from our euill waies Wherefore beloued let vs with one heart and mind resolue for hereafter to cast away all workes of darknesse and to put on the armour of light take we no further thought for our flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Walke we from henceforth honestly as in the day
corporall death there is a spirituall death and there is an eternall death Which of these deaths were the Moabites to dye The letter of my text is for the corporall death This corporall death is a separation of the soule from the bodie it is called corporall in respect of the spirituall it is also called a temporarie death in respect of the eternall This death corporall or temporarie is twofold either naturall or accidentall if accidentall it is subdiuided into a violent or a voluntarie death and is common as well to the godly as to the wicked inflicted vpon them by Gods iust iudgment for the sinne of Adam This is the wages of sin and this is the way of all sinfull flesh All must once dye We may a long time wrastle with the dangers of this world both by Land and Sea thousands may fall on our right hand and ten thousands on our left while we stande we may haue so good store of friends that we may well say with the Shunamite 2. King 4.13 I neede no speaking for me either to the King or to the Captaine of the Hoste I dwell among mine owne people where I can command we may walke in the light of the sunne that is our prosperitie may be waxen so great that we want nothing we may haue sailes and oares at pleasure as Antiochus seemed to haue who thought in his pride to make men saile vpon the dry land and to walke vpon the Sea 2. Mac. 5.21 we may thinke our selues to be in league with death and in couenant with the graue and so promise to our selues many a prosperous and pleasant day as many as are the sands of the Ocean yet a time shall come when all these things shall proue but vanitie and Moab shall dye All must once dye A great d Dr. King B. of London Lect. 20 vpon Ionas pag. 264. Prelate of this Land for this point hath well fitted this comparison As one that shooteth at a marke sometimes is gone and sometimes is short sometimes lighteth on the right hand sometimes on the left at length hitteth the marke so Death shootes at Noble men beyond vs at meane men short of vs at our friends on the right hand at our enemies on the left at length hitteth our selues The longer her hand is in practise the more certainely she striketh Looke into the fift of Genesis there shall you finde that Death was ayming at e vers 11. Enosh 905. yeares and at last smote him at f vers 14. Kenan 910. yeares at g vers 5. Adam 930. yeares at h vers 20. Iered 962. yeares at i vers 27. Methushelah 969. yeares but in the end ouerthrew them all Now shee strikes sooner within the compasse of fewer yeares within 60. yeares or 70. she seldome stayes 80. yeares And sometimes shee strikes vs in our youthfull dayes yea in the day of our natiuitie All must once dye Moab shall dye All must once dye Death It is of all miseries the last and the most terrible A holy k Apud Lud. Granatensem Exercit de Orat. Medit. Father hath made against it this exclamation O Death how bitter is the remembance of thee How quickly and suddainely stealest thou vpon vs How secret are thy paths and wayes How doubtfull is thy houre How vniuersall is thy signiorie and deminion The mighty cannot escape thee the wise cannot hide themselues from thee the strong loose their strength before thee the rich with their money shall not corrupt thee Thou art the hammer that alwayes striketh Thou art the sword that neuer blunteth thou art the snare wherein all must be taken thou art the prison wherein all must lye thou art the Sea wherein all must perish thou art the paine that all must suffer thou art the tribute that all must pay In a word thou art such a one as Almighty God washeth his hands of thee and cleareth himselfe in plaine words by the mouth of the Wiseman saying Wisd 1.13 that he neuer made thee Surely thou hast thine entry into the world by the very enuie and craft of the Deuill This exclamation against Death is very iust in some sense for Death may be considered in a double respect one way as it is in its owne nature another way as it is changed and qualified by the death of Christ. Death in its owne nature is a punishment of sin a plague a curse or fore-runner of condemnation the very gates and suburbs of Hell it selfe and in this respect the forecited exclamation hath due place But on the other side death being changed and qualified by Christ his death it is no more such it is no more a punishment of sinne it is no more a plague it is no more a curse For it is become a blessing it brings an end to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance to all our miseries it giues full deliuerance from all dangers it is made vnto vs a passage a way an entrance into euerlasting life it is like a portall or litle gate by which we passe from out this litle prison of our bodies into the kingdome of Heauen The graue meane while is but a resting chamber sweetly perfumed by the Death of Christ for our bodies from whence at the sound of the last trumpet our bodies shall awake and rise and be receiued into the paradise of heauen to enioy the most comfortable presence of Almighty God there If death now changed and qualified by Christ his death be a blessing if it be but a passage from this wretched life to that happiest estate in heauen why should death be feared This is a Case of Conscience and may be resolued There are two sorts of men in the world the one of them who liue in their sinnes and dye without repentance the other of them who with vnfeigned repentance and faith in Christ doe leaue this world The first haue great reason to feare Death Death being vnto them the very gate and introduction into the Hell of the damned of whom we may well say as Christ said of Iudas Math. 26.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had bin good for them had they neuer bin borne The second haue no reason to feare Death Death being vnto them as the gate of Heauen To such Optimum est nasci its best that they are borne and the next best for them is mature mori to dye in a good houre Their birth is to them a preparation to eternall happinesse whereof their Death giues them full possession The consideration whereof made King Salomon the wisest of Kings or men praferre diem mortis diei ortûs it made him preferre the day of death before the day of birth his words are Eccles. 7.3 Better is the day of death then the day that one is borne Hence is it that most righteous Iob chap. 17.14 calls Corruption his father for as chilren haue fathers for their comfort so had Iob death and rottennesse
any place be of sufficient secrecie to conceale the vices of Kings Now if Kings secrets done in Court if their secret vices be made knowne much more shall it be knowne that is proclaimed in Court And therefore is the Proclamation here enioyned to be made in the Palaces of Palaestina and Aegypt in their Princes Courts that the same thereof flying abroad into all the coasts of those dominions the rest of the people might vnderstand thereof and beare witnesse to the iudgements of God which he executeth vpon his people for their sinnes that they are very iust By this iniunction for the Proclamation now expounded you see that Heathens the Philistines and Aegyptians aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and vtter enemies to that State are inuited to be spectators of the euils which God in iudgement was to bring vpon that his people the Israelitish Nation And this was to make the euils which the Israelites were to suffer the more grieuous vnto them Hence ariseth this obseruation The calamities or miseries which the Lord in iustice layeth vpon vs for our euill deeds will be the more grieuous vnto vs if our enemies be made priuie vnto them This is it the Lord saith to Ierusalem Ezech. 5.8 Behold I euen I will execute iudgement in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations thine enemies In the sight of thine enemies will I doe it It could not be but an exceeding great griefe to the Virgin daughter of Zion that the Lord had caused her enemie to reioyce ouer her and had set vp the horne of her aduersaries Lament 2.17 The reproach and ignominie that commeth from an enemie in time of misery is to some farre more grieuous than death it selfe who rather choose to die though it be by their owne hands or the hands of a friend than they will endure dishonour from an enemie Examples of such a resolution there are many in prophane Histories as in Plutarch of a Tom. 3. vit in Catone Catâ— Minor b In Antonio Antonius and Cleopatra in c Annal. lib. 16. Tacitus of Thraseas These of the Heathen killed themselues through impatiencie as not being able to endure the reproach and shame which they feared the one from Caesar two of them from Augustus the fourth from Nero. Nor is the Sacred story void of examples of this kinde Abimelech sonne of d Ierubesheth 2 Sam. 11.21 Ierubbaal he whom the Sichemites e Iudg. 9.6 made their King when at an assault of his giuen to the tower of Theber he had his scull broken by a peece of a Milstone which a certaine woman had cast vpon his head he called hastily vnto a young man his armour-bearer and said vnto him Draw my sword and slay me that men say not of me A woman slew him And his young-man thrust him thorow and he died Iudg. 9.54 Such was the end of that ambitious and cruell tyrant He is slaine of a woman and when he sees he is to die hee is desirous to blot out that infamie he will not haue it said of him that a woman slew him That a woman of the enemies side slew him he will not by any meanes haue it said of him Kill him rather than it should be said A woman slew him Such was the impatience of Saul Saul he that was the first King of the Israelites when the Philistines had gotten the day against him 1 Sam. 31.2 1 Chron. 10.2 had slaine three of his sonnes Ionathan Abinadab and Malchishua and himselfe was wounded by their archers he thus spake vnto his Armour-bearer Draw thy sword and thrust me thorow therewith lest these vncircumcised come and thrust me thorow and mocke me Which vile act his Armour-bearer refusing Saul became his owne executioner took his owne sword and slew himselfe 1 Sam. 31.4 He takes his own sword and slayes himselfe And why so Lest saith he these vncircumcised Philistines come and thrust me thorow and mocke me See he will die that he may not die he will be thrust thorow that he may not be thrust thorow he will kill himselfe that the Philistines may not kill him Hee will not endure to come within the power of his enemies I commend not Saul for his valour in killing himselfe nor Abimelech for his in causing his Armour-bearer to thrust him thorow It was not valour in them but cowardise or impatiencie For if they could with patience haue borne and endured their troubles they would not haue hastened their owne death Selfe-killing is a sinne so grieuous that scarce there is any more hainous before the Lord. Many reasons may be alleaged to shew the vnlawfulnesse of this fact and I hold it not amisse to bring a few especially in the iniquitie of these times wherein wretchednesse hath so fearefully preuailed in some persons and almost daily doth preuaile that they dare plunge themselues into this pit of terrible destruction My first reason shall be because it is forbidden in that Commandement Thou shalt not kill Exod. 20.13 In that Commandement is forbidden the killing of any man without lawfull authority But no man hath authority ouer himselfe because no man is superiour to himselfe and therefore no man may kill himselfe Out of S. Augustine lib. 1. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 20. I thus frame the reason Thou shalt not kill that is the Law The Law is not Exod. 20.13 thou shalt not kill thy neighbour limiting it as it were to some but indefinitly Thou shalt not kill extending it largely to all and therefore a man may not kill himselfe My second reason I take from that other Law Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe It is giuen in the Old Leuit. 19.18 Matth. 5.43 22.39 Rom. 13.9 Galat. 5.14 Iames 2.8 and is oft repeated in the New Testament Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Where the loue of our selues is made measure for the loue of our neighbours Thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour but as thou louest thy selfe The example of thy charity is drawne from thy selfe at home Thy soule thy preseruation the good wished to thy selfe should be the true direction of thy deeds vnto thy neighbour But it is vnlawfull for thee to lay bloudy or murthering hands vpon thy neighbour and therefore thou mayest not make away thy selfe It is more vnnaturall for thee to shed thine owne bloud than thy neighbours Thy neighbours thou mayest not shed much lesse mayest thou shed thine owne Thirdly for a man to kill himselfe it is an iniury to the Common-wealth wherein he liueth for thereby he maimeth the Common-wealth and cutteth off one of her members The King thereby shall want a man when he hath vse of him This is an iniury to the State therfore a man may not kill himself Fourthly our life is giuen vs of God God hath placed vs in this world as in a watch or standing from whence we may not stirre a foot till God call vs
euident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue and would haue the societie fellowship and company of your sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Know this you cannot be right worshippers of God in priuate if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assembly the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoeuer doe for none or for small occasions absent your selues from this plâ—ce this house of God at appointed times where and when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouncing of all sects and society with idolatry and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare auouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing S. Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these dayes finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will be ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this sore I know somewhat and you know more than I how backward many of you haue been from doing God due seruice in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreuerence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you inuite your neighbour to sup with you but once and he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almighty the mighty creator of Heauen of Earth and of all you that heare me this day inuite you many times to come and sup at the table of his blessed Son and you refuse it Beleeue it he cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoeuer therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grieuously as a learned b Butanus Iâ—c 48. Diuine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a diuine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloued lay vp these things in your hearts let this day be the beginning of your reformation resolue from henceforth to performe your due obedience to God in this place to powre forth your prayers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table where by faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenesse of your sins your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of Sion and Ierusalem the place from whence God will speake vnto you exhorted euery one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Seruants For old and young should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel 2.15 16. Call a solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children and seruants to your neighbours and also strangers if they come in your way This we may learn out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zachary First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and wee will walke in his paths for the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of thâ— Lâ—rd to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachaâ—y chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall goe vnto another saying vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord and seeke thâ— Lord of hosts I will goe also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE Fifth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither OF the speaker and place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spoken Now proceed wee to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time be the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall and Hebrew copy we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepherds haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepherds did vse in the wildernesse neare vnto such fields and pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might be at hand to defend their harmlesse sheep from sauage and rauenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places The dwelling places of the shepherds In my first lecture vpon this prophecy I told you there were two sorts of shepherds In the first ranke I placed sheepmasters in the second their seruants Among the first sort of shepherds was Mesa King of Moab who 2 King 3.4 is called a shepherd and there registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambes and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The
Though Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and done to death the Lord of life our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage and bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the Lord Iesus they had regard vnto the hand of God Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the Iewes they knew were but instruments For thus make they their confession before the Lord of heauen and earth verse the 28. Doubtlesse both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together against thine holy Son Iesus to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined to be done To good purpose then is that question propounded by Amos chap. 3.6 Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it It may serue for an anchor to keepe vs that we be not carried away with the waues of tribulation and affliction It assureth vs that God who bad Shimei curse Dauid who sent the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse to spoile and make an end of Iobs substance and his children who determined that Herod Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the Israelites should put to death the Lord of life that the same God hath his finger yea and his whole hand too in all our crosses and tribulations Is there any euill in the city and the Lord hath not done it Here beloued in the Lord must we be taxed for a vanity at least I had almost said a blasphemie deeply rooted too well setled among vs. Vpon the accesse of any calamity we cry out bad lucke bad fortue If the strong man come into our house and take from vs the flower of our riches our siluer and gold then we cry What lucke What fortune If our sheepe and cattell faile vs then also we cry What lucke What fortune Whatsoeuer crosse befalleth vs lucke and fortune is still in our mouths Quasi Deus otium coloret in coelo non curaret res humanas as if we were to hold it for an article of our beleefe that God liueth idly in heauen and hath no regard of mans affaires Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this question shall there be any euill in the city and tâ—â— Lord hath not done it and the holy Apostles in acknowledging Gods hand in the death of Christ and holy Iob in blessing the name of the Lord for all his losses and holy Dauid in patiently taking Shimeis curses as an affliction sent him from the Lord doe all plainly shew this that the empire of this world is administred by Almighty God that nothing happeneth vnto vs but by Gods hand and appointment Learne we then more patience towards the instruments of our calamities miseries crosses and afflictions let vs not belike the dogge that snatcheth at a stone cast at him without regard vnto the thrower Here we learne a better propertie euen to turne our eies from the instrumentes to the hand that smiteth by them Thus farre of my second circumstance How God punisheth My third was whom he punisheth Hazael and Benhadad the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad If you will know who this Hazael was you must haue recourse to the sacret storie 2. Kings 8. There shall you find him sent by Benhadad King of Syria with a present vnto Elizeus to know concerning his sicknesse whether he should recouer of it and after his returne from Elizeus with a thicke wet cloath to haue strangled and murdered his Lord and Master King Benhadad This was he whom Elizeus foretold of his hard vsage of the Israelites that he should set on fire their strong cities should slay their young men with the sword should dash their infants against the stones and should rent in peeces their women great with child This was he who 2. Kings 13.7 so destroyed the children of Israel that hee made them like dust beaten to powder This was he of whose death we read verse the 24. The house of Hazael either the familie stocke and posterity of Hazael as Arias Montanus Mercer Drusius expound or some materiall house which Hazael had proudly and stately built for himselfe and his posteritie This later exposition is added to the former by Mercer and Drusius because of that which followeth the palaces of Benhadad Benhadad In writing this name I find three errours One of the Greeks who write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were in the Hebrew Benader The second of the Latines who write it Benhadad The third of Ionathan the Chaldee paraphrast who writes it Barhadad whereas the right name is Benhadad Benhadad saith Mercer vpon this place was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria as was first Pharaoh and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt and Caesar to the Roman Emperours From this opinion of Mercer Drusius in obseruat sacr 11.14 varieth affirming that albeit diuerse Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad yet doth it not thereupon follow that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syriae In holy Scripture we reade of three Benhadads Of the first 1. Kings 15.18 who was King of Syria at what time Asa raigned in Iudah and Baasha in Israel Of the second 2 King 8.7 who in his sicknesse sent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God to counsaile Of the third 2 Kings 13.3 who was Hazaels sonne and his successour in the throne Now the Benhadad in my text is either Benhadad Hazaels predecessour slaine by Hazael or Benhadad Hazaels son and successour The Palaces of Benhadad to bee deuoured by fire from the Lord. These palaces of Benhadad are the goodly sumptuous proud and stately edifices made or enlarged by either of the Benhadads or by both Hazaels predecessour and successour Thus haue you the exposition of my third circumstance which was concerning the parties punished no meane parties parties of no lower ranke then Kings Hazael and Benhadad The Lord punisheth hee punisheth by fire hee punisheth by fire Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced I can but point at them 1 In that the Lord sendeth a fire into tho house of Hazael against his family and posterity we are put in minde of a truth expressed in the second commandement this God will visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation Dearely beloued sore is that anger the flame of whose punishment casteth out smoake so farre yet the meaning thereof is as Ezechiel sheweth chap. 18. If the children doe follow the fathers wickednesse and not otherwise To visit then is not to punish the children for the fathers offences but to take notice and apprehend them in the same faults by reason they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers transgressions that
lift vs vp Iames 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 2 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence to tremble at Gods iudgements to feare them to stand in awe of them to quake and quiuer at them For as God is so are his iudgements God is terrible and his iudgements are terrible God is terrible in the assembly of his Saints Psal 89.8 terrible in his works Psal 66.3 terrible in his doings toward the sons of men Psal 66.5 terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.13 To passe ouer with silence many places of holy Scripture in which God is termed a terrible God let vs confesse with the Psalmist Psal 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to be feared who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry Here are they worthily to be taxed and censured who are so far from fearing Gods iugdements as that they plainly scoffe and iest at them Such a one was he of Cambridge-shire who o This Sermon was preached Febr. 8. 1606. some 14. yeares since in the yeare 1592. made a mocke of the Lords glorious voice the Thunder The story is deliuered by Perkins in his p Printed at Cambridâ—e in 4o. 1596. p. 36. Alsted Theolog. Catechet Sect. 2. pag. 180. exposition of the Creed in these words One being with his companion in a house drinking on the Lords day when he was ready to depart thence there was great lightning and thunder whereupon his fellow requested him to stay but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning said as report was it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubs come what would he would goe and so went on his iourney but before he came halfe a mile from the house the same hand of the Lord which before he had mocked in a cracke of thunder strucke him about the girdle steed that he fell downe starke dead A memorable example brought home as it were to our doores to put vs in minde of Gods heauy wrath against those which scorne his iudgements Let vs beloued be wise vpon it and at euery iudgement of God tremble and feare and confesse as before out of Psal 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to be feared who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry 3 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Here is matter enough to vphold and stablish our faith in Gods promises to the abolishing of all wauering and doubting touching our saluation Thus No thing nor creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe he will doe whatsoeuer he hath promised to doe he hath promised to giue eternall life to all that beleeue in Iesus Christ How then can I who doe beleeue or any other who doth beleeue in Iesus Christ doubt of mine or their saluation Vpon this rocke of Gods omnipotency Abrahams faith stood vnshaken as appeareth Rom. 4. Abraham he doubted not of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith And how Because he was fully assured that the same God who had promised was able also to doe it This ablenesse of God Abraham opposed to his owne weaknesse And so aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spoken to him so shall thy seed be This promise Abraham laid hold of not considering his owne body euen now dead being almost a hundred yeares old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe he had laid hold of the promise How By faith Which was increased and confirmed to him by the consideration of the power of God And why is all this written of Abraham S. Paul saies why ver 23. Now it is not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse if we beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sins and is risen againe for our iustification Wherefore to all our sins infirmities and impotencies from whence may arise diffidence infidelity or vnbeleefe we must euer oppose Gods omnipotency and thereby support our faith in his promises I shut vp this point and my whole lecture with S. Austines discourse Serm. 123. de tempore Nemo dicat non potest mihi dimittere peccata Let no man say vnto me God cannot forgiue me my sinnes Quomodo non potest omnipotens How is it possible that the Almighty should not be able to forgiue thee thy sinnes But thou wilt say I am a great sinner and I say Sedille omnipotens est But God is Almighty Thou repliest and saiest My sins are such as from which I cannot be deliuered and cleansed and I answer Sed ille omnipotens est But God is Almighty Almighty able to doe all things greater or lesser celestiall or terrestriall immortall or mortall spirituall or corporall inuisible or visible Magnus in magnis neque paruus in minimis great in great businesses and not little in the least No thing or creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose THE Tenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir NOw proceed we to the other clauses of the last part of this prophecie against the Syrians The second clause is I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen The third is and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden The fourth is and the people of Aram c. In each of these I doe obserue as before I did three circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord either immediately by himselfe or mediately by his instruments 2 The punishment to be vnderstood in those phrases of cutting off and going into captiuitie 3 The punished the Syrians noted in these names Bikeath-Auen Beth-eden Aram. Let vs examine the words of the text as they lie in order I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen I the Lord Iehouah a See lect 9. who remoue mountaines and they feele not when I ouerthrow them who remoue the earth out of her place and make her pillars to shake who my selfe alone spread out the heauens and walke vpon the height of the sea I the Lord Iehouah who doe great things and vnsearchable maruellous things and without number I the Lord Iehouah who haue resolued to send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad and haue resolued to breake the barres of Damascus I will also cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden c. I will cut off To cut off is in sundry places of holy Scripture a Metaphor drawne ab excisione
the Aegyptians The Aegyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith he afflicted his people they were Gods weapons were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull ouerthrow in the red sea at large set downe in the booke of Exodus from the seuenth Chapter to the end of the fourteenth This was it which God said vnto Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. Know for a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them and they shall intreat them euill notwithstanding the Nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and Vineyard Ahab and Iezebel were Gods instruments Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse both their ends the end of Ahab recorded 1 King 22 38. In the place where dogges licked the bloud of Naboth did dogges licke the bloud of Ahab also and the end of Iezabel 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 Lions His accusers vnto Darius were the instruments 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 and children were cast into the den of Lions the Lions had the mastery of them and brake all their bones in peeces ere euer they came to the ground of the den The time will not suffer me to recall to your remembrances all the iudgements of God of this qualitie written downe in the Register of Gods workes his holy Word how and what he rendred to g Ester 7.10 Haman to h 2 Kings 19.35 37. Sennacherib to i Ierem. 36.29 Ioachim to the k Ierem. 49.2 Ammonites 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 children though they were therein his owne instruments The afore-mentioned instances of the Aegyptians of Ahab and his wife Iezebel and of Daniel his accusers may serue for the declaration of my propounded doctrine Though the Lord doe vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne seruants and children yet will he in his due time ouerthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements The reason hereof is because Gods iustice cannot let them escape vnpunished Saint Paul expresseth it 2 Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you Let this be our comfort whensoeuer the wicked shall rage against vs. For hereby are we assured when the Lord shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angells in flaming fire that then to the wicked whose behauiour towards the godly is proud and despiteous he will render vengeance and punish them with euerlasting perdition Saint 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 carnall 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 Sauiours words Luk. 23.31 doe containe a like argument If they doe these things to a greene tree what shall he 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 and shall you goe free Yee shall not goe free Hitherto I referre also one other text Esai 10.12 where it is said that God when he hath done and dispatched all his worke vpon Mount Sion will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the King of Assyria the meaning of the place is that God when he hath sufficiently chastised and corrected those of his owne house his beloued children will turne his sword against the scorners of his Maiestie When God hath serued his owne turne by the wicked then comes their turne also howsoeuer 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 off from them the heauier 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 cup to passe from vs to our aduersaries But say he will not Yet neuerthelesse are we to possesse our soules in patience reioycing and giuing thankes to God who hath made vs worthy not only to beleeue 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 reuiled and scourged but also beheaded cut in peeces drowned in water consumed in fire by other tyrannicall deuices cruelly put to death they all by this way receiued the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate and entred into the kingdome of God And we vndoubtedly know 2 Cor. 5.1 Tâ—at if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 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 Israelites are here themselues punished My doctrine was Though the Lord doe vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne seruants and children yet will be in due time ouerthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements The third circumstance is the punishment a going into captiuity amplified by the place This captiuitie bondage and slauery was to be in an vnknowne strange and a farre countrey Kir in Media The people of Aram shall goe into captiuitie vnto Kir The doctrine is For the sinne of a Land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captiuitie Captiuitie to be an effect or punishment of sinne King Salomon in his prayer made to the Lord at his consecration or dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.46
not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue ye him not outwardly in shew only but inwardly in heart in deed in truth Loue him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate but in his greatest need and be ye assured that the speciall loue and fauour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that doe reioyce God saith Ecclesiasticus Chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a man and his wife agreeing together The first which is the vnity of brethren according to my former construction compriseth the other two All Christians are brethren in Christ a neighbour to a neighbour a husband to his wife a wife to her husband For as I said in Christ there is no difference of sex there is neither male nor female all are brethren in Christ and therefore that neighbour that loueth not his neighbour the husband that is at ods with his wife the wife that agreeth not with her husband they are guilty of the breach of brotherly loue That exhortation made by S. Paul to the Romans Chap. 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be yee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue I conclude this point with the same Apostles words 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the first branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded thereupon The doctrine was It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues It was grounded vpon these words He did pursue his brother with the sword It followeth And did cast off all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneua translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reades it otherwise Hee destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it Et violauerit vterū and violated or abused the mothers wombe both doe allude to the Greeke edition of the Septuagent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did violate the mothers wombe which reading may haue reference to the natiuity of Iacob and Esau borne at one birth of their mother Rebekah And then the meaning is that the Edomites Esau's posterity neglecting that bond and knot of brotherhood and consanguinity did exercise rigour and cruelty against the Israelites Iacobs posterity or it may haue reference to a sauage and outragious cruelty as if the Edomites were here noted for ripping vp mothers wombes or women with childe in Israel That such cruelty was vsed by the Ammonites it is plaine by the 13. verse of this Chapter But this Text in the originall doth not fasten this blame vpon the Edomites and I loue not to force my Text. I will not trouble you with other expositions The originall is He did corrupt his compassions The sense and meaning is well rendred and deliuered in our receiued English Bibles He did east off all pity Is Edom here condemned for corrupting his compassions for casting off all pitie The lesson hence to bee commended to your Christian considerations is this Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God I could bring you many places out of holy Writ for the confirmation of this doctrine But two only or three and they but touched shall serue for this present In Iob 6.14 the vnmercifull are noted to haue forsaken the feare of the Almighty In Rom. 1.31 among such as God hath giuen vp to a reprobate minde to commit things worthy of death the vnmercifull are named In Iames 2.13 a punishment is denounced to the vnmercifull There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy These few Texts of Scripture doe plentifully establish my doctrine Vnmercifulnesse is a sinne hatefull vnto God If any will aske me What is this vnmercifulnesse whereof I now speake my answer shall be out of the learned Out of o Apud A shia 22. qu. 118.8.3 Isidore that it is one of the nine daughters of couetousnesse Out of p 22. qu. 159.1.2.2 Aquinas that it is the withholding of a deed of charity and an q 22. qu. 118.8.3 obduration or the hardning of the heart against mercy Out of r Comment in hunc locum Mercer that it is a breach of natures law and an abolishing of all kindnesse And so I come to make some vse of this doctrine The vse is to stirre vs vp to the exercises of humanity and mercy I will not now make any long declamation against inhumanity and vnmercifulnesse yet my Text requireth that I speake somewhat to it There was a time when righteousnesse seemed to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to be void of it It was in the daies of the Prophet Esay He then cryed out Chap. 45.8 O ye heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe righteousnesse The time is now when loue seemeth to be taken vp into the clouds and the earth to bee void of it Now may we cry out O ye Heauens send the dew from aboue and let the clouds drop downe loue that the vncourteous and churlish Nabals of this present generation may now at length know that they are not borne for themselues only but for their poore neighbours also Your poore neighbours who stand in need of you by very prerogatiue of mankinde haue an interest in your succour and seruice But it may be that some are so farre from all humanity that this prerogatiue of mankind will not moue them to doe any worke of charity Such hard hearts let them heare what the Law is Deut. 15.7 If one of thy brethren with thee be poore within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his need I know flesh and bloud will oblect Shall I lend my neighbour sufficient for his need So may I soone exhaust my substance and liue in want my selfe I reply O thou of little saith why fearest thou Looke backe vpon the blessing of God rely vpon it he through his benediction will make thee large recompence Of this thou maist be assured if thou wilt haue recourse to the fore-cited Chapter Deut. 15.10 There art thou infallibly promised for thy almes deeds done to the needy that the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou putiest thine hand to My exhortation is no other than that of the Prophet Esay Chap. 58 7. Deale thy bread to the hungry bring the poore
vs e Vers 28. turne away from all the transgressions that we haue committed so shall we surely liue we shall not die And this we will the sooner endeuour to doe if we imprint in our hearts my propounded doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Thus much of the first vse which was to lesson vs to looke heedfully to our feet that we walke not in the way of sinners to partake with them in their sinnes I proceed Is it true Is it proper to God to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the second place we are admonished not to intermeddle in the Lords office It is his office to execute vengeance We therefore may not interpose our selues If a brother a neighbour or a stranger hath done vs any wrong we must forgiue him and must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth We must leaue reuengement to God to whom it appertaineth and forgiue our enemies What Forgiue our enemies How can flesh and bloud endure it Well it should be endured and many reasons there are to induce vs to so Christian an office The first is The forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes Whereof thus saith our Sauiour Luk. 6.37 Forgiue and you shall be forgiuen f Pet. de Palu serm aestiu en nr in Dom. 22. Trin. Ideo libenter debemus dimittere paruum vt Deus dimittat nobis magnum we ought willingly to forgiue vnto our neighbour a small matter that God may forgiue vs our great offences Looke what grace and indulgence we shew vnto our neighbours the like will God shew vnto vs. What else is said Luk. 6.38 With what measure you mete with the same shall it be measured to you againe Whereof I cannot giue a plainer exposition than in our Sauiours words Matth. 6.14 15. If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your Father forgiue you your trespasses A second reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that when we make our prayers vnto God we our selues may be heard For God heareth not the prayers of such as doe abide in rancour and will not forgiue their enemies It is well said of an g Augustin Ancient Qui non vult dimittere fratri suo non speret orationis effectum Whosoeuer he be that will not forgiue his brother let him not hope for any good successe in his prayer h Ambros Another saith Si iniuriam non dimittis quae tibi facta est orationem pro te non facis sed maledictionem super te inducis If thou forgiue not the iniury which thy neighbour hath done thee when thou prayest thou makest not any prayer for thy selfe but doest bring a malediction or curse vpon thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that euer was made and is by the maker thereof our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our daily vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fifth petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eyes of grace and mercy from heauen without any fraud or hollownesse or dissimulation in the Lord so are we taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truly so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiuing euer as we may boldly say So Lord doe thou to mee as I to others Now if these hearts of ours be so sturdy and strong in their corruption as that they will not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our prayers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man euery day doe as many good workes as there are Stars in Heauen yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enemie God will not accept any one of them Munus non acceptatur nisi antè discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregory thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumuent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i August serm 5. de S. Stephino Whosoeuer hateth but one man in the whole world whaâ—soeuer he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned and haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God wee must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ so aduiseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enemies is that our soules may liue for by hatred and rancour wee slay our soules Saint Iohn Epist 1. Chap. 3. vers 15. auoweth it that he whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer Homicida est scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore he that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. Chap. 3. vers 14. Hee that loueth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule than of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proued by our Sauiours question Mark 8.36 What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enemies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enemies is an infallible signe of our conuersion Now wee know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heauen for one sinner that conuerteth and vers the 10. That there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that conuerteth Thus whether we respect the reioycing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good workes or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sins wee must loue our enemies after S. Stephen his example Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge after S. Paul his example 1 Cor. 4.12 13. We are reuiled and yet we blesse we are persecuted and suffer it we are euill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Adde hereto Christs Commandement Mat. 5.44 Loue your enemies
Corruption it selfe as a father made Iob fit for his graue and death which of him was more wished then life as Origen and Olympiodor haue well obserued And hence it is that blessed Paul liuing in this world and vsing it as if he vsed it not for he had his conuersation in heauen and had a true and liuely taste of the ioyes of the world to come desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ and this hee was well assured was best of all for him Phil. 1.23 Thus farre beloued haue I ledde you by occasion of these words Moab shall dye vpon which I grounded this generall doctrine All must once dye In the illustration whereof I signified that of euils death was the most terrible To arme your Christian soules against the terrour or feare of death I told you that death is to be considered in a double respect either as it is in its owne nature or as it is changed qualified by the death of Christ in the first respect it is very fearefull to the naturall man in the latter it is very welcome to the resolued Christian I further added that there are two sorts of men obnoxious vnto death the one sort doe liue in sinne and dye without repentance the other with vnfained repentance and true faith in Christ doe leaue this world to the first sort death is very terrible to the latter it is a very welcome guest Now proceed we to examine the manner of Moabs death Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet In tumultu with a tumult so some do reade Vatablus Caluin Mercer Gualter in strepitu with a noyse so Iunius and Drusius in sonitu with a sound so Brentius and the author of the vulgar Latine The 70. haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moab shall dye through imbecillity or weakenes The word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifieth a sound a tumult an inundation or multitude of waters which ouerrunne their bankes with violence and roaring The meaning of the world is that Moab should die a death strange and extraordinary which is more specified in the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With shouting This very word we met with within the 14. verse of the first Chapter where it is brought to set forth the terrour of that iudgement which God would bring vpon the Ammonites The word I expounded in my 20. Sermon on the first Chapter and shewed out of diuers Authorss that it signifieth a sound a cry a great cry a vociferation a shoute such as Souldiers doe make when on a suddaine they surprize a City To make good this exposition it is added With the sound of a trumpet The vse of trumpets in warre hath beene very ancient The vse of them is commanded to the children of Israel Num. 10.9 When ye goe to warre against the enemie yee shall blow a larme with the trumpets After they were vsed in the battle against Iericho Iosh 6.5 Ioshua saith to the people When yee heare the sound of the trumpet ye shall all shout with a great shout and the wall of Iericho shall fall downe flat To this vse Ezechiel alludeth Chap. 7.14 They haue blowne the trumpet and prepared all but none goeth to the battell And S. Paul speaks of it 1. Corinth 14.8 If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who shall prepare himselfe to battle The Prophet Zephanie also hath respect vnto it Chap. 2.16 where he calls the great day of the Lord a day of the trumpet and a larme against the strong Cities and against the high towers From this ancient vse of trumpets we may gather the meaning of our Prophet in this place Moab shall dye with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet Moab that is the Moabites the people of Moab shall dye shall depart this life and leaue this world not quietly and peaceably in their beds but with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a trumpet euen in warre or as the phrase is in the 14. verse of the 1. chapter in the day of battaile The doctrine arising hence is this Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people That warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance its plaine in Ezech. 14.21 There God himself makes it one of his foure sore iudgements The foure are the sword famine the noysome beast and the pestilence the first is the sword an instrument for warre for warre it selfe These foure are likewise couched togither in Ezech. 5.17 where thus saith the Lord against Ierusalem I will send vpon you famine and euill beasts and they shall spoyle thee and pestilence and bloud shall through thee and I will bring thee sword vpon thee I the Lord haue spoken it I will bring the sword vpon thee the sword that is warre an instrument of warre for warre it selfe as in the former place These two places of Ezechiel to omit many other as pregnant here and there dispersed throughout the sacred Volumes of Gods eternall word these two doe speake plainely that warre is one of the executioners of Gods vengeance That it is sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people I made it plaine vnto you by like euidence of holy Writ in my 20. Sermon vpon the former chapter My proofes were taken from Levit. 26.25 Deut. 28.49 Ierem. 5.15 Whence I inferred that warre and all the euills of warre are from the Lord that warre is one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements that warre is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people So goeth my doctrine Warre one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is euermore sent vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people The Vse of this Doctrine is to raise vs vp to the admiration of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God We grieue the Holy Spirit of that sacred Maiestie with our manifold and daily sinnes our sinnes of omission our sins of infirmitie and our sinnes of presumption our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our strife variance and debate our vsurie oppression and cruelty our vncleannesse wantonnes and drunkennes our sins multiply as the sands of the Sea they haue pressed into Gods presence to fetch downe his vengeance vpon vs. Behold looke about you and admire his exceeding great patience The loud crying of our sinnes hath not yet vrged the Lord so farre as to make him come against vs with his sorest iudgement of warre He hath out of his fatherly loue ouer vs mildely chastized vs. Not long since hee brake the staffe of our bread and sent among vs a dearth and scarcitie yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not long since he commanded his armies of waters to issue from out their channell and to ouer runne man and beast for many miles within this land yet haue we not returned vnto him Not long since he
Propheticall Bookes is true also of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall what he affirmeth of the old testament is true also of the new The new and the old differ not in substance In veteri Testamento est occultatio novi in novo Testamento est manifestatio veteris So saith St Austin lib. de Catechizandis rudibus cap. 4. In the old Testament the new is trid and in the new the olde is manifested The like the same good Father hath Qu. 37. super Exodum In vetere novum latet in novo vetus patet in the old the new is couered and in the new the old is opened Old and new both doe agree in substance Now make we our collection The whole Scripture conteining both Testaments olde and new is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most sure word to it we must take heed as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and this we must know that no Scripture in eyther of the Testaments old or new is of any priuate motion and that neither old nor new Testament came to vs by the will of man but that holy men of God haue conueyed them vnto vs as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And yet must this holy Scripture be noted for a great Booke of Heresie for conteining erronious and damnable opinions and conclusions of Heresie The first pillars of the Primitiue Church the auncient Fathers thought much otherwise Because I cannot stand long vpon this poynt one shall serue for all Sweete Saint Chrysostome in his ninth Sermon vpon the Epistle to the Colossians thus speaketh to his hearers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee my secular and lay auditors heare me I beseech you Get you Bibles your soules physicke if you be vnwilling to be at charge for the whole yet at least buy the new Testament the Euangelists and Apostles will be your daily and diligent teachers If any griefe befall you make your repaire hither as to an Apothecaries shop here shall you haue varietie of medicines fit to cure you If any damage if losse of friends if death come here may you finde comfort In a word the cause of all euill is not to know the Scripture You see how far this good Father is from calling the Bible a Booke of heresies as some late Papists haue done He holds it to be the greatest treasure this world hath and thinkes it for you very expedient to haue one of them in your houses that at euery opportunitie you may be reading in it If any shall here obiect I am towards the Law I am employed about publike affaires I am a tradesman I am a marryed man I haue children to maintaine I haue a Familie to care for I haue worldly businesses to looke vnto it is not my part to read the Scriptures this office belongs to them rather who haue bidden the world farewell to such St Chrysostome shall answer Homil. 3. de Lazaro Quid aâ— homo What sayst thou man Is it not a part of thy businesse to turne ouer the Scriptures because thou art distracted with many cares Immo tuum est magis quam illâ—rum Yea the reading of the Scripture belongeth to thee rather then to them who haue bidden the world farewell because they need not so much the helpe of Scripture as you doe who are as it were tossed in the waues of troubles To conclude this poynt Let Papists set light by the Sacred Scriptures let them debase vilifie and disgrace them to their owne vtter confusion and perdition wee through Gods goodnesse haue learned a better lesson that the word of God which we call Scripture is o Chrysost hom 7. de poenitentia a hauen free from raging surges a well fortified bulwarke a toâ—re not staggering an aduancement not to bee taken from vs by violence no not any way to bee diminished a stable blissefulnesse at no time languishing a neuer-failing pleasure whatsoeuer good a man can speake of Sacrâ comperiet in Scripturâ he shall finde it in the Holy Scripture So saith sweet Chrysostome Homil. 7. De poenitentia In my first Sermon before you vpon this chapter I deliuered vnto you the same effect thus The word of God which we call Scripture it is his most royall and Celestiall Testament it is the Oracle of his heauenly Sanctuary it is the onely Key vnto vs of his reuealed counsels it is Milke from his sacred brests the Earnest and Pledge of his fauour to the Church the Light of our feet the Ioy of our hearts the Breath of our nostrils the Pillar of our faith the Anchor of our hope the ground of our loue the Euidence of our future blessednesse Now therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued let this word of God dwell plenteously in you in all wisdome frequent this place to heare it read and expounded vnto you and at home teach and admonish your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs My exhortation is the same that S. Paul made vnto the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Thus much of the preface The prophesie followeth The first part thereof is a generall accusation of Iudah For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Wherein we are first to consider who are the accused in the name Iudah Secondly whereof they are accused For three trasgressions and for foure First of the accused The accused are the inhabitants of the Kingdome of Iudah The Kingdome of Iudah is taken sometimes latè sometimes strictè sometimes in a large sometimes in a strict sense In the large it betokeneth all the twelue tribes of Israel in the strict sense it betokeneth onely two tribes Iudah and Beniamin Iudah and Israel at first were but one kingdome which afteward was diuided into two the Kingdome of Iudah and the kingdome of Israel When and how this was done it is expressely deliuered in 1 Kings 12. in 2 Chro. 10. It was after the death of King Salomon and thus Rehoboam King Salomons sonne censured by Ecclesiasticus chap. 47 23. to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the foolishnesse of the people and one that had no vnderstanding succeeding in his fathers throne did vpon aduise giuen him by his young counsellours promise sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people My least part my little finger shall be bigger then my fathers loynes whereas my father did burden you with a grieuous yoke I will make it heauier my father hath chastized you with rods but I will correct you with scourges This his vnkinde and euill entreating of a people which of late in King Salomons time saw good and peaceable daies did cause a rebellion and reuolt Ten of the twelue tribes much discontented brake forth into speeches of impatiency What portion haue we in Dauid We haue no inheritance in the sonne of Ischai to your tents O Israel now see to thine owne house Dauid So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord and set vp
32.41 that hee will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sinne His soule hateth and abhorreth sinne his law curseth and condemneth sinne his hand smiteth and scourgeth sinne Sinne was his motiue to cast Angels out of Heauen to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne Cities into ashes to ruinate Nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Sinne made him heretofore to drowne the olde world and sinne will make him hereafter to burne this So true is my doctrine Many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs. Let vs now make some vse of this doctrine Doe many sinnes cause Almighty God to punish vs First we are hence taught at what time soeuer God shall lay his rod vpon vs to seeke the true cause thereof in our selues Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est saith S. Austin Serm. 139. de Tempore The cause of all euill is within vs it is sinne within vs. It is impiety to imagine that God will punish vs without a cause Non pateremur nisi mereremur saith that good Father We should not vndergoe any crosse or disturbance vnlesse wee deserued it Wherefore let vs euery one of vs in particular when God commeth neere to vs in iudgement to touch either our estates with want or our callings with disgrace or our bodies with sicknes or our soules with heauines let vs haue recourse to the sinnes within vs which haue deserued this and turne we to the Lord our God Water teares sorrow repentance will better satisfie him pacifie him mooue him alter him then whatsoeuer vengeance or plagues or bloud or death Let vs enter into a due consideration of our corruptions our transgressions our sinnes wherewith as with a heauy burden wee are laden and returne wee to the Lord our God adulterers murtherers idolaters the sacrilegious the ambitious the couetous drunkards railers lyars the blasphemous swearers forswearers all who by any their euill wayes prouoke God to the execution of his iustice must take part in this conuersion Let no man draw backe let not the heinousnesse of our fore-passed sinnes deterre vs or keepe vs from so holy a course I dare affirme with S. Austin Serm. 181. de Tempore Non nocent peccata praeterita si non placent praesentia Sinnes past hurt not if sins present please not Let vs euen now at this present in detestation of sinne resolue to sinne willingly no more and our sinnes past shall neuer hurt vs. O let not this vse slip out of our minds When God his heauy hand is vpon vs in any crosse or tribulation seeke wee out the cause of it in our selues in our sinnes A second vse followeth and it is to stirre vs vp to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did so graciously forbeare those inhabitants of Iudah till by their three transgressions and by their foure they had prouoked God vnto displeasure The holy Scriptures are frequent in proclaiming God to be mercifull and gracious and long-suffering and of great goodnesse Hee cryeth to the foolish Prou. 1.22 O ye foolish how long will ye loue foolishnesse He cryeth to the faithlesse Math. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth to Ierusalem Matth. 23.37 O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often What could the Lord haue done more vnto his vineyard then he had done vnto it He dressed it with the best and kindliest husbandry that his heart could inuent as appeareth Esa 5.2 Such carefull dressing could not but deserue fruit This fruit he required not at the first houre but tarried for it the full time euen till the autumne and time of vintage if then it failed did it not deserue to be eaten vp Looke into the 13. of Luke vers 6. There shall you see the Lord wayting three yeeres for the fruit of his fig-tree yea and content that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeere may bee bestowed vpon it Doubtlesse God is mercifull and gracious and long suffering and of great goodnesse Heereof Beloued we haue great experience We haue our three transgressions and our foure too as Iudah had Our manifold sinnes our sins of omission and our sinnes of commission our sinnes of ignorance and our sinnes of wilfulnesse our sinnes of infirmity and our sinnes of presumption doe they not day by day impudently and sawcily presse into the presence of Gods Maiesty to procure his vengeance against vs And yet wee must needes confesse it God is good and patient towards vs. Beloued let vs not abuse so great goodnes and patience of our God Though some fall seauen times a day and rise againe though to some sinners it pleaseth God to iterate his sufferance as vpon vs hither to he hath done yet should not we herevpon presume to iterate our misdoings For we well know that Almighty God punished his p Ioh. 8.44 Iâ—d 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 Angels in heauen for one breach q Gen. 3.17 Adam for one morsell r Num. 12.10 Miriam for one slander Å¿ Deut. 32.52 Moses for one angry word t Iosh 7.24 25. Achan for one sacrilege u Esai 35.2 Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadors of Babel x 2. ChroÌ„ 35.22 Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the Lord and y Act. 5.5 c. Ananias and Saphira for once lying to the Holy Ghost God is now as able as euer he was euen for one transgression to cut vs of but if he patiently forbeare vs till by three and foure transgressions by our many sinnes we grieue the Holy Spirit of that Sacred Maiestie shall we thinke as some impiously doe that God takes no notice of the sinnes which we commit or cares not for them Far let all such conceit be from any Christian heart Let vs rather confesse the truth that God by such his forbearance doth lead vs to repentance for as much as it is impossible that God should be and not see should see and not regard should regard and not punish should punish and not proportion his punishments to our sinnes I grant that the iustice of God goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slowly and in order but for the most part it recompenseth the slacknes of iudgement with the heauinesse thereof It keepes the rule full well to render for ripe sinnes ripe plagues for great sinnes great plagues for grieuous sins grieuous plagues The rule in the Scholes is thus deliuered Culpam poena sequitur euery sinne hath a due punishment attending it God is without exception iust and therefore Grauitas supplicij grauitatem peccati denotat grieuous punishments wheresoeuer God shall lay them doe argue grieuous sins of those places and persons Let no man then that groaneth vnder any crosse affliction or tribulation complaine of his hard hap or ill fortune all such visitations are from God and for our
I deliuer in this position The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value I neede not be long in the proofe of this truth you already giue your assent vnto it The word of God it s a Iewell then which nothing is more precious vnto which any thing else compared is but drosse by which any thing else tryed is found lighter then vanitie it s a trumpet wherby we are called from the slippery paths of sinne into the way of Godlinesse It s a lampe vnto our feete it s a light vnto our paths Psal 119.105 It s the g Matth. 4.4 Luk. 4.4 Ierem. 15.16 Ezech. 3.3 Revel 10.9 Ezech. 2.8 Wisd 16.26 foode of our soules by it our soules do liue Deut. 8.3 It s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seede Seede committed to the earth taketh roote groweth vp blossometh and beareth fruit So is it with the word of God If it be sowen in your hearts and there take roote it will grow vp blossome and beare fruit vnto eternall life In which respect S. Iames chap. 1.21 calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an engrafted word engrafted in your hearts able to saue your soules Sith the word of God is such doth it not follow of necessitie that the ministerie of it freely exercised in any Nation will be to that Nation a blessing of an inestimable value Can it be denyed The Prophet Esay chap. 52.7 with admiration auoucheth it How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the h Nahum 1.15 feete of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth saluation that saith vnto Zion Thy God reigneth S. Paul is so resolued vpon the certainty of this truth that Rom. 10.15 he resumeth the words of the Prophet How beautifull are the feete of them that preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Conferre we these two places one with the other that of Esay with this of Paul and we shall behold a heape of blessings showring downe vpon them to whom God sendeth the ministers of his Gospell for they bring with them the word of saluation the doctrine of peace the doctrine of good things and the doctrine of the kingdome Such is the Gospell of Christ First it is the word of saluation The Gospell of Christ is called the word of saluation first because it is the power of God vnto saluation as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God vnto saluation that is it is the instrument of the power of God or it is the powerfull instrument of God which he vseth to bring men vnto saluation And secondly because it teacheth vs concerning the author of our Saluation euen Christ Iesus An Angell of the Lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame and saith vnto him Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the Holy Ghost And she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name i Luk 1.31 Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes Matth. 1.21 He shall saue his people that is he shall be their Sauiour Iesus he is the Sauiour of his people merito efficacia by merit and by efficacie By merit because he hath by his death purchased for his people for all the elect the remission of their sinnes and the donation of the holy Spirit and life eternall And by efficacie because by the Holy Spirit and by the preaching of the Gospell he worketh in the elect true faith by which they doe not onely lay hold on the merit of Christ in the promise of the Gospell but also they studie to serue God according to his holy commandements An Angell of the Lord relating the natiuitie of Christ vnto the Shepheards Luk 2.10 11. saith vnto them Feare not For I bring you glad tidings of great ioy which shall be to all people For vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Vnto you is borne a Sauiour where you haue what you are to beleeue of the Natiuitie of Christ He is borne a Sauiour vnto you Vnto you not onely to those shepheards to whom this Angell of the Lord speakes the words but vnto you Vnto you not only to Peter and Paul and some other of Christs Apostles and Disciples of old but vnto you vnto you vnto euery one of you in particular and vnto me When I heare the Angels words Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto you I apply them vnto my selfe and say Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me In this perswasion and confidence I rest and say with S. Paul Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me and that life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Christ is borne a Sauiour vnto me Peter filled with the Holy Ghost seales this truth Act. 4.12 There is no Saluation in any other then in the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth There is no other name vnder Heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued then the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth Againe Act. 15.11 he professeth it We beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ we shall be saued It must be our beleefe too if we will be saued We we in particular must beleeue that through the grace of the Lord Iesus we shall be saued We shall be saued What 's that It is in S. Pauls phrase we shall be made aliue 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made aliue St Austine Ep. 157. which is to Optatus doth thus illustrate it Sicut in regno mortis nemo sine Adam ita in regno vitae nemo sine Christo As in the kingdome of death there is no man without Adam so in the kingdome of life there is no man without Christ as by Adam all men were made vnrighteous so by Christ are all men made righteous sicut per Adam omnes mortales in poenâ facti sunt filij seculi ita per Christum omnes immortales in gratiâ fiunt filij Dei As by Adam all men mortall in punishment were made the sonnes of this world so by Christ all men immortall in grace are made the sonnes of God Thus haue I prooued vnto you that the Gospell of Christ is the word of Saluation as well because it is the power of God vnto Saluation as also because it teacheth vs of the author of our Saluation Secondly it is the doctrine of Peace The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of peace because the ministers of the Gospell do publish and preach Peace This Peace which they publish and preach is threefold Betweene God and man Man and man Man and himselfe First they preach Peace
betweene God and man that Peace which Christ hath procured vs by the blood of his Crosse Coloss 1.20 In which respect he is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 For in him hath God reconciled vs vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5.18 Secondly they preach Peace betweene man and man They exhort you with the Apostle Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lyeth in you haue peace with all men and 2. Cor. 13.11 Be of one minde liue in Peace Liue in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you Thirdly they preach peace betweene man and himselfe betweene man and his owne conscience It is that Peace whereof we read Psal 119.165 Great Peace haue they which loue thy Law O Lord and nothing shall offend them they shall haue no stumbling blocke laid in their wayes though outwardly they be assaulted by aduersitie crosses and troubles yet within they are quiet they haue the Peace of conscience they are at Peace with themselues From this threefold peace published and preached by the ministers of the Gospell of Christ the Gospell of Christ may well be called the doctrine of Peace Thirdly it is the doctrine of good things The Gospell of Christ is called the doctrine of good things Of good things The name of Gospell in the Greeke tongue imports as much The Greekes call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth a good message that is a happy and a ioyfull message of good things What else I pray you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which you call the Gospell but a celestiall doctrine which God first reuealed in Paradice afterward published by the Patriarches and Prophets shadowed out in sacrifices and ceremonies and last of all accomplished by his only begotten Sonne God who is onely good yea is goodnes it selfe is the author of the Gospell and therefore the Gospell must needs bring with it a message of good things The message it bringeth is this that mankinde is redeemed by the death of Christ the only begotten Sonne of God our Messias and Sauiour in whom is promised and preached to all that truly beleeue in him perfect deliuerance from sinne death and the euerlasting curse Could there be any more happy or welcom tidings to mankinde then this was Out of doubt the Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of good things Fourthly it is the doctrine of the Kingdome The Gospell of Christ is the doctrine of the Kingdome It s so called Luk. 4.43 where Christ saith of himselfe I must preach the kingdome of God to other Cities also So is it Mark 1.14 there the Euangelist saith of Christ that he preached the kingdom of God in Galilee This Kingdome is twofold of Grace and of Glory of Grace here on earth and of glory hereafter in Heauen Of grace here here Christ reigneth in the soules of the faithfull by his word and holy Spirit Of glory hereafter when Christ shall haue deliuered vp the Kingdome to God the Father as Saint Paul speaketh 1. Cor. 15.24 If so it be if the Gospell of Christ be the word of Saluation if it be the doctrine of Peace of Peace betweene God and man betweene man and man betweene man and himselfe if it be the doctrine of good things of our deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law if it be the doctrine of the Kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the Kingdome of glory then must it be granted that the Ministers of the Gospell do bring with them blessings of an inestimable value And such is my doctrine The ministerie of the word of God freely exercised in any nation is to that nation a blessing of an inestimable value The vse hereof concerneth the Ministers of the Gospell and their auditors First the Ministers of the Gospell They may here be put in minde of their dutie which is willingly and cheerefully to preach the Gospell This their dutie may be called a debt S. Paul calls it so Rom. 1.14 15. I am debtor both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and to the vnwise Therefore as much as in me is I am ready to preach the Gospell to you also that are at Rome S. Paul you see acknowledgeth a debt and makes a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby he was made a debter was his Apostolicall calling his debt was to preach the Gospell the persons to whom he was indebted were Greekes and Barbarians the wise and the vnwise His good conscience to discharge his debt appeareth in his readinesse to doe it I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell S. Paul may be vnto vs a patterne of imitation We also must acknowledge a debt and must make a conscience of discharging it The obligation or bond whereby we are made debtors is our ministeriall calling Our debt is to preach the Gospell The persons to whom we are indebted are our owne flocke our owne people the people ouer whom the Lord hath made vs ouer-seers Our good conscience to discharge our debt will appeare in our readinesse to doe it I and euery other minister of the Gospell must say as S. Paul doth I am ready as much as in me is to preach the Gospell to you So farre forth as God shall permit and make way for discharge I am ready to preach the Gospell to you Nothing hath hitherto or shall hereafter with hold me from paying you this debt but onely the impediments which the Lord obiecteth Secondly the vse of my doctrine concerneth you who are the hearers of the word You also may here be put in minde of your dutie which is patiently and attentiuely to heare the word preached Of your readinesse in this behalfe I should not doubt if you would but remember what an vnvaluable treasure it is which we bring vnto you Is it not the word of Saluation the Saluation of your soules Is it not your peace inward and outward your peace with God your peace with man your peace with your owne consciences Is it not the doctrine of good things your deliuerance from sinne from death and from the curse of the Law Is it not the publication of the Kingdome of God his kingdome of graâ—e wherein you now may liue tha hereafter you may liue in the Kingdome of glory Is it not euen thus Can it be denyed Beloued in the Lord the Lord who raised vp vnto the ten Tribes of Israel of their sonnes for Prophets and of their yong men for Nazarites he raiseth vp vnto you of your sonnes Ministers Prophets and Teachers and of your yong men such as may be trayned vp and fitted in the Scholes of the Prophets in our Naioths in our Vniuersities for a present supply when God shall be pleased to remoue from you those which haue laboured among you and are ouer you in the Lord. It s an admirable and a gracious dispensation from God to speake vnto man not in his owne person and by the
as the manner of men is to speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Athanasius Disput contra Ariam in Niceno concilio for our imbecillitie God thus speaketh he descends to our capacities and that men may in some measure know him he will bee knowne as man by passions or affections by complaining by repenting by grieuing by fainting By these he signifies not what he is indeed but what is needfull for vs to know of him For we well acquainted with the vse of these naturall passions in our selues may the better guesse at the knowledge of that God to whom we heare them ascribed by translation By translation not properly or as one well sayth per figuram non naturam by a figure not by nature or as the Schooles speake quoad effectum non quoad affectum in the effect not in the affection So Aquinas Par. 1a. qu. 21. art 3. C. But hauing intreated else where of this question Whether there be any affection or passion in God in my 17. Sermon vpon Hoseah chap. 10. I now say no more of it Onely I conclude it affirming with Gregorie Moral lib. 20. cap. 23. that God is Sine Zelo Zâ—lans sine irâ irascens sine dolore poenitentiâ poenitens sine misero corde misericors sine praevisionibus praesciâ—ns that God is zealous without zeale angry without anger grieuing without sorrow repenting without penitencie pitifull without pitie foreknowing without foresight There is no passion at all in God Thus haue you my answere to the question euen now propounded The question was How God may be sayd to complaine of our sinnes to be burdened with them or to be grieued at them sith in himselfe he hath all pleasure and content My answere is He cannot be said so to doe in a proper sense and vnderstanding because God is not obnoxious to any passion but improperly in a figure abusiuely metaphorically by an Anthropopathic and metonymically he may well be sayd so to doe he may well be sayd to complaine of our sinnes to be burdened with them and to be grieued at them So he complaineth against Israel here in my text I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Hitherto haue I stood vpon the first Interpretation of these words depending vpon the intransitiue or newtrall signification of the Hebrew verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am pressed The other Interpretation growing vpon the transitiue signification of the same verbe is put in the Margent of our newest English translation and thus it is I will presse your place as a Cart full of sheaues presseth It is the very reading of Tremellius and Iunius Ionathan doth not much varie from it nor R. Abraham and other Hebrew Doctors nor the wise men of Spaine as Pagnine hath obserued Our new expositors for the most part doe mention it Calvin and Danaeus Brentius and Winclelman Mercerus and Quadratus Christopherus à Castro and Petrus à Figuiero I will presse you In an old English Bible It may be Taverners translation I find this place thus Interpreted I will crashe you in sunder like as a wayne crasheth that is full of sheaues I will crash you or I will presse you the meaning is the same and thus I paraphrase it I the Lord Iehovah your Lord God will presse your place wheresoeuer it shall be But how Either as a cart full loaden with sheaues presseth the earth and whatsoeuer else it passeth ouer or as a cart full loaden presseth the sheaues in the threshing floare or as a cart full loaden with sheaues is it selfe pressed I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed By this second Interpretation of my text my text is Comminatorie The Lord threatneth to punish Israel for their sinnes to punish them non levi manu aut viribus languidis not with a light hand or languishing force sed magno nisu acrobore but with great endeuour and strength I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed God euer iust and immutable assigneth to like sinnes like punishments We for sinning come not short of the Israelites May we not then well expect their punishments Yes doubtlesse we may and this Commination may be aswell to vs as to them I will presse you as a cart full of sheaues presseth or is pressed From this Commination we may take this lesson God will neuer suffer sinne to escape altogether vnpunished He will not His commination of punishment giuen in Paradise to the transgressor of his law iâ— a proofe of this truth The Commination is Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt dye the death Adam transgressed the Law it was his sinne the punishment of it in him and his whole posteritie is death Hitherto belongeth that malediction Deut. 27.26 which is repeated Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them Now God is euer true in his sayings and he euer performeth what he saith If thou then faile in the performance gf any one Commandement of his Law or of any braunch thereof the Curse layeth hold on thee and obligeth thee to punishment In the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Rom. vers 32. we know it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of God his righteous and iust Law his Law of Nature that they which doe such things as are there rehearsed are worthie of death Art thou filled with vnrighteousnesse with fornication with wickednesse with couetousnesse with maliciousnesse Thou art worthie of death Art thou full of enuie of murther of debate of deceit of malignitie Thou art worthie of death Art thou a whisperer a backbiter a hater of God Thou art worthy of death Art thou despiteful or proud or a boaster or an inuentor of euil or disobedient to thy parents thou art worthy of death Art thou without vnderstanding or without naturall affection Art thou a couenant breaker or implacable or vnmercifull Thou art worthie of death It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law of God his righteous and iust Law his Law of Nature that they which commit such things are worthie of death They are worthie of death and death must be their wages It must be so So true is my Doctrine God will neuer suffer sinne to escape altogether vnpunished For the further illustration of this truth I might produce the suffrages of the auncient of Austine and of Gregorie But hauing elsewhere done that in my 18. Sermon vpon the 10. of Hoseah I will not now againe doe it and what need I draw from the Riuers when I am full of the fountaine Yet may I not end without making some vse hereof My first vse shall be to reprooue such as teach otherwise as Socinus Osterodius Gittichius and other the enemies of Christs satisfaction They will thus argue if God will neuer
saith another by true faith by sincere affection by godly and deuout prayers Such are the feete such the paces of our hearts by which if we are contrite broken and sorrowfull in spirit for our sinnes already past and are carefull to preuent all occasion of sinne hereafter we draw nigh to God yea we haue accesse vnto him To haue accesse to God we are invited Psal 34.5 Accedite ad cum illuminamini facies vestrae non confundentur Let your accesse be to God and be lightned and your faces shall not be confounded And this accesse to God according to S. Austine vpon Psal 145.16 is to be animo non vehiculo affectibus non pedibus with the minde not with a chariot with our affections not with our feete So the same Father vpon the 59 Psalme Our accesse to God must be non gressu pedum non subvectione vehiculorum non celeritate animalium non elevatione pennarum not by running with our feete not by hurrying in a coach not by riding vpon the swiftest of horses not by mounting vp with feathered wings sed puritate affectuum probitate sanctorum morum but with puritie of affections and sanctitie of behauiour This our accesse vnto God is nothing else then our comming vnto God The invitation to come vnto him is generall Matth. 11.28 It is there made by our Lord Å¿ Rom. 1.3 7. Iesus Christ our t Matth. 1.21 Sauiour and u Galat. 3.13 Redeemer the x Revel 17.14 Lord of Lords and King of Kings the head of all principalitie and power the ioy and crowne of all Saints the assured trust and certaine y Colâ—ss 1.27 hope of all the faithfull and it s made vnto all Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauy laden and I will giue you rest Come Come vnto me Quibus gressibus ad semetipsam nos veritas vocat Christ the Truth calls vs but how shall we come vnto him Quibus gressibus by what steps or paces Gregorie frames the question Moral lib. 21. cap. 4. and there giues this answer Ad se quippe venire nos Dominus praecipit nimirùm non gressibus corporis sed profectibus cordis its true the Lord commands vs to come vnto him not with the motion of our bodies but with the proceedings of our hearts Thus I haue made plaine vnto you what it is Ad Deum fugere to flee to God It s nothing else then Deo appropinquare ad Deum accedere ad Deum venire to draw nigh to God to approch vnto him to come vnto him but whether we flee or draw nigh or approch or come vnto him the vnderstanding of all must be spirituall Our wings our charriots our coaches our feete wherewith we are to flie to draw nigh to approch to come to God are all spirituall And what are they They are contrition faith and obedience With these we approch we draw nigh we flie we come to God Vt miseri ad misericordiam vt nudi ad divitem vt famelici ad panem vt infirmi ad medicum vt serui ad dominum vt discipuli ad magistrum vt caeci ad lumen vt frigidi ad ignem as the wretched to the mercifull as the naked to the rich as the hunger-staruen to bread as the sicke to the Physition as the seruant to his Lord as the scholar to his Master as the blinde to the light as the cold to the fire so Hugo Cardinalis vpon the 4th of S. Iames. Now with these three Contrition Faith and Obedience the inseparable companions of true and vnfeigned Repentance let vs make haste to God and flie we with all speede from the wolfe to the shepheard from death to life from our sinnes to our Sauiour from the paths of Hell full of all darknesse and horror to the way of Heauen full of all true ioy and pleasure So will God draw nigh to vs Liberando ab angustijs gratiam dando de virtute ad virtutem promovendo saith the same Hugo he will free vs from distresse will giue vs of his grace and will promote vs from vertue to vertue Thus shall it be with vs if with the affection of the spouse in the Canticles we call vpon the Lord. Her affection is seene Chap. 1.4 Draw me saith she and we will runne after thee Say we with like affection Lord draw vs and we will runne after thee Draw vs and we will runne That we may begin zealously to runne after God we haue neede to be drawne and that with great force For vnlesse he draw vs we cannot z Joh. 6.44 come to him we cannot follow him But if he once draw Lo then we hasten then we runne then we wax hot Wherefore let the Lord draw vs let him pull vs out from the bondage of our sinnes let him deliuer vs from this wicked world let him powerfully incline our wills and affections towards him let him giue vs strength to cleaue vnto him and then we and all the faithfull will at once with speed and earnestnesse flie vnto him draw nigh vnto him haue our accesse vnto him and come vnto him Hitherto of the first branch of this fourteenth verse expressing the first of the seauen miseries here foretold to betide the Israelites that the flight should perish from the swift Now followeth the second and it concerneth their strong men And the strong shall not strengthen his force THE strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He in whom is strength strength not of minde but of bodie he shall not strengthen his force though he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very strong and Iustie yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall not reteine his force so daunted shall he be in heart and his courage so abated that he shall not dare for his owne defence to vse the strength he hath He shall be as if he had no strength at all The lesson to be taken hence is When God meanes to punish a mans strength will not helpe him It will not For as it is in the song of Hannah the mother of Samuel 1. Sam. 2.9 By strength shall no man preuaile No man against God For God is Almightie He remoueth the mountaines and they know not He ouercommeth them in his anger He shaketh the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble He commands the Sunne and it riseth not and sealeth vp the Starres He alone spreadeth out the Heauens and treadeth vpon the waues of the Sea He maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleâ—ades and the chambers of the South He doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number He is the Almightie Who euer hath hardned himselfe against him and hath prospered So deuout Iob chap. 9 4. It is as if he had thus briâ—fly argued God is Almighty and therefore there is no contending against him no withstanding him by any strength of man Here may the strong be admonished that they glory not in their strength
are likewise vanished But may he not be accounted of for somewhat that is about him for his riches for his munition and weapons of defence for his honour and the reputation he holdeth in the state wherein thou liuest No no. For what cares the Almightie for these The Psalmist was not ill aduised Psal 146.3 Where he thus aduiseth vs Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man in whom there is no helpe his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish See man here pictured and drawne forth in liuely colours Put not your trust in Princes not in Princes Why Is not their authoritie and pre-eminence here exceeding great Yes But they are sonnes of men Well Be it so The sonnes of men are creatures not farre inferiour to the Angels True But there is no helpe in them no helpe in them Why so Their breath goeth forth They dye What if they dye Is there no place for them in Heauen among the starres No they returne to their earth there to participate with rottennesse and corruption What if corruption be in their flesh may not their intendments and deuises be canonized and kept for eternitie No they may not For in that very day their thoughts perish their thoughts are as transitorie as their bodies and come to nought And therefore put not your trust in them not in Princes nor in any son of man Wherein then shall we put our trust Euen in the Lord our God To this trust in the Lord we are inuited Psal 118.8 9. It is botter to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in Princes Is one better then the other Why then both may be good and it may be good to put confidence in man Not so You may not take the word better in this place to be so spoken For if you put any confidence in man you rob God of his glory which to doe can neuer be good I therefore thus expound the words It is better by infinite degrees absolutely and simply better to trust in the Lord to trust stedfastly in him alone then to put any confidence any manner of trust or confidence in man of what estate or dignity soeuer he be though he be of the rancke of Princes who haue all the power and authoritie in the world It s euery way better to trust in the Lord then to trust in such euer good to trust in the Lord but neuer good to trust in man Trust we in the Lord and blessed shall we be but cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme the Lord himselfe hath said it Ierem. 17.5 Now therefore O Lord since thou hast from hence taught vs that from the ayd of man there is no safetie to be expected neither from him that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor from the strong man nor from the mightie man nor from the bow-man nor from the swift of foote nor from the horseman nor from the couragious among the mightie nor from any thing else that is in man or about him giue vs grace we beseech thee that in thee alone wee may place all our hope and confidence In thee alone our God and Father of mercies doe we trust and doe thou according to the multitude of thy compassions looke vpon vs. Heare the supplications of vs thy poore seruants liuing far as banished men in a sauage Countrey Protect wee beseech thee and keepe our soules among the many dangers of this mortall life and bring vs by the conduct of thy gracious fauour into that thy sacred habitation and seate of eternall glory Grant this vnto vs most deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ his sake FINIS A Table of such particulars as are contained in this Commentarie A Abraham his mild speech to Lot 29 Accesse to God 347 No accident in God 114 Adam 287. 360 Adulterie 148 Adulterers 148 Naturall Affection 28 Affliction 254 Alexander the sixth 157 An Altar of earth 169 of stone of Holocausts ibid. There was but one Altar 169 The Altar a tipe of Christ 170 Popish Altars 171 none such in the Primitiue Church ibid. Our Altar now not materiall 172 It is our heart 177 The Ammonites enemies to the people of God 18 Excluded from that Church 18 The Amorite 214 Destroied ibid. Amorites they were tale and strong 226 They were destroied 236 Amos. 307 Amos why he first prophecied against Forreine nations 2. 47 Antaeus 226 Antiochus 149 Antonius Caracalla ibid. Arias 344 Asaphel 343 Aspasia 149 Assurance of our faith 7. Atalanta 343 Atheists denying God and his truth 12 B Men of Base estate comforted 45 Beast worshipped for Gods 247 Beautie 229 Behold 322 Benefits the order of Gods Benefits Not obserued 242 We must remember Gods Benefits 252 The Bible the greatest treasure 54 The Bible must be had ibid. The Bible to be read ibid. Men Blaspheme God 152 Gods name Blasphemed 150 Our Bodies a sacrifice 174 The goods of our Bodies must be offered ibid. The Bond of bloud 28 of christianity ibid The greatest Bond betweene men ibid A Broken spirit 176 D. Bucknham 89 The Buriall of the dead 27 C Cain 360. 361 Camilla 343 A Calumniator 138 A Calumnie ibid. Carioth 33 Cedars 223 They grow high ibid. Cerijoth 33 We haue beene Chastised of God 42 Christ our altar 170 His benefits towards vs. ibid His death and passion ibid A Christian in name 106 A Christian who ibid The Church of God 253 A Citie not safe against God by munition c. 35 Consanguinitie 27 Contempt 64 Contempt of the law of the Lord. 67 Contempt may be a sinne and not 65 Couetousnesse 133 The causes of our Crosses is sinne 60 Crueltie 23. 133 Crueltie against the dead 25 Crueltie displeaseth God 23. 37 D Darius 98. 149 The naturall man in Darknesse 86 Dauid chosen king 230 Dauid George 89 The Day of the Lord. 134. 371 Crueltie towards the Dead 25 Buriall of the Dead 27 Death of 4. sorts 36 Death terrible 37 Death considered in a double respect 38 Death to be feared of whom 39 Death welcome to the penitent 38. 40 Of three things no Definition 112 The Denying of a contrary is somtime an affirmation 70 All must once Die 36. 37 Disobedience 74. 77. 289. 292 Dispensations Popish 155 Doggs thankfull 207 Draw nigh to God 347 A Drunkard 182. 286 described 182 Drunkennes the effects of it ibid c. Our Dwelling houses a blessing vnto vs. 35 E Eagle swifter then Eagles 224 The Edomites descended from Abraham 22 Egypt 345. 250 Where situate 245. The Egyptians superstitious 246 Their Gods ibid. Their crueltie 251 The Israelites brought vp from the land of Egypt 244. 245 Eliab Iesse his eldest sonne 228 liked by Samuell 229. 230 faire of countenance and of goodly stature 229 refused 230 No Escaping from God 342 Etham 255
No Euasion from God 342 The cause of Euill is sinne 60 Extortion 133 God wholy an Eye 105 The Eyes of the Lord behold all things 104 F Faith the power of it 260 Assurance of our Faith 7 Perseuerance in our Faith 8 Faithfull their stedfastnesse and stability 368 Our first parents Fall 10 The Famine of Ierusalem 100 Fathers 83 Our Father 's not simply to be followed in matters of religion 92 The Papists follow their Fathers in religion 93 Fire 34. 97 No Fleeing from God 342. 360 Flee to God 346 The father of a Foole reioyceth not 70 Fornication 149 152 abstaine from fornication 152 name not Fornication ibid. Fornication vnlawfull by the law of nature 153. Fornicators 149 Freedome 253 Fridericke the fourth 94 Fruite 237 G Gentiles their calling 254 Their Gods 247 Giants 234 Glorie only in the Lord. 231 God his counsells 238 all power is his 239 the honour of victories is his 239 is present euery where 344 seeth all things 104. 345 is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies 218 and in the vpholding his children 218. 219 faithfull in his promises 260 a present helpe 261 What God is 113 No accident in God 114. Gods attributes negatiue 113 Affirmatiue 114 God is vnpartiall 103 Goods externall we must offer vp in sacrifice 173 Goods of the body must be offered 174 Goods of the mind to be offered 176 Goods vnlawfully gotten not fit to be employed in Gods seruice 200 nor in the seruice of Idols ibid. The Gospell of Christ 272 it s the word of saluation ibid the doctrine of peace ibid the doctrine of good things 275 Great personages punished by God 44 Grubenheimer 88 H Haile 295 Hanani 308 Hearers of the word must be attentiue 16 50 A faithfull Heart 178 Our Hearts must not be set on the outward things of this world 45 Heauen 139 Hell 210 Hercules the print of his foot 227 A Horse a vaine thing 366 A Horse described 365 The Horseman 364 Hyperbole 224. 225 I K. Iames. 94 Idoles 80 Idolaters It s a blessing to be freed from them 249 Iehouah 5. 49. 112 Ieremie 307 Iewes their captiuitie 98 their returne from captiuitie ibid The Iewes a stifnecked people 83 The destruction of the Iewes foretold 97 Ierusalem ibid. 107 had faire appellations 99. 107 Afflicted with famine 100 The destruction of Ierusalem 101. 102 the desolation foretold 100 Impiety taken for Impiety by God wheresoeuer he findeth it 104 Like Impieties like punishment 105 Incest 148 Incestuous persons ibid Incestuous mariages 149. 155 Incestuous mariages among the heathen 149 Incontinen 153 Iohn of Leyden 88 Iohn the thirteenth 156 Iohn the three and twentieth 157 Iohannes de Casa ibid. Ionah 360. 362 Iphictus 343 Israel 150 their sinnes 161 their prerogatiues 150 Israels vnthankfulnesse 207. 209 The people of Israel their number when they went out of Egypt 254 Iudah 55 80. 111 The kingdome of Iudah 55. 97 Iudas 2â—â— Iudges admonished 19â— Iudgement beginneth with God children 108 The Iudgement of God exercised vpon great ones 44 The last Iudgement 296 Iulia. 149 Gods Iustice goeth on slowly 62 Iustices admonished 195 K Kerioth 33 Kinred 29 148 L The Law of the Lord. 66 The Law of the Lord not to be contemned 67 It surpasseth all other Lawes 66 A Lie in words 81 in manners ibid in things ibid Lies 81 in the worship of God ibid of two sorts ibid in commerce with men of three sorts ibid An exhortation to Loue. 30 The prayses of christian Loue. ibid Lying downe at meat 162 Lyons thankefull 208 stronger then Lyons 234 Carnall Lusts 159 Fleshly Lusts ibid M Magistrats 195 their dutie ibid Man should be curteous 24 Men of two sorts 39 Martirdome 174 in peace ibid. Martin of Polonia 171 Meanes vsed by God 238 Ministers of the Gospell 272 Their dutie 276. 286 The Ministerie of the word 271 Micaiah 308 Mirraim 246 Moab 18. 32. 36 The Moabites 22 there inhumanitie 19 their pride ibid their crueltie 22 A cruel Mother 101 Munition 35 N Naked 370 The Names of God 4. 114 how prophaned 146 how sanctified 147 Nazarene 268 Nazarites ibid their law 270 284 Nazirites 268 Nazirites 268 O Obedience 76 Obedience better then sacrifice 73. 74 Obedience to the commandements of the Lord. 73 Og K. of Bashan 226. 236 height and strength 226 his bedsteed 227 Oke strong as the Okes 225 Oppression 133 187. 188 vnlawfull ibid Oppressions of this age 187 188 Oppressours hated 194 Oppressors of the poore God seeth 197 One poore man may not oppresse another ibid The Order of Gods benefits inuerted 242 Orion 343 P Paine the companion of a fault 105 A Painter of Prussia 88 The Paradise of Heauen 139 The Patience of God 21 42 45 61 Paulus the third 157 Taking of Pannes 165 We enioy Peace 45 Perseuerance in faith 8 Persons 103 Persons not respected by God ibid Pharaoh 366 Pius the third 157 Pledges 165 A Poore mans Pledge not to be taken 166 Poore God pleadeth their cause 130. 135 doe good to them 138 they will cary thee to heauen 139 For the Poore oppressed consolation 135 The Poore not to be turned out of his way 138 The Poore that are wicked 136 Popes wicked 156 incestuous ibid Popes dispensations 155 Powder treason 219 Promises of God 260 Preachers must deliuer the word of God 15 50 God Present euery where Prophets 265 303 how instructed 266 True Prophets two sorts 306 False Prophets two sorts 305 Lying Prophets 303 Punishment followeth wickednes 103 R To Raise vp 264 Rechabites 76 Rehoboam 56 Repent 46 Repentance 46 78 202 Restitution 201 The Rider 364 Roote 235 S Sacrifices vnder the law 172 of two sorts 172 Propiciatorie Expiatorie or Satisfactorie 172 Eucharisticall or gratulatorie 172 Eucharisticall of three sorts 173 Euangelicall 177 The Sacrifices of God 176 Gods Sacrifice must be the fattest 175 Salmanasser 372 Saul 288 Saul a good man of person 228 reiected by the Lord. ibid. God the author of Holy Scriptures 14 50 Speaketh in the Scriptures 13 The holy Scriptures of no priuate motion 13 The Scriptures vilified by Papists 14 51. magnified 54. 55 Easie 90 had free passage in old time ibid diuersly resembled 91 In the Scriptures Christians generally had knowledge 94 The red Sea 255 Sheepe in England cruel 193 A Shouting 40 Shur 255 Sihon K. of the Amorites 236 Sinne a greiuous burden 1 punished by God in the Angels 21 The cause of our crosses 60 to be punished 104 resembled 106 the effects of it 124 Grieuous Sinnes haue grieuous punishments 62 Elee from Sinne 106 God will punish Sinne in his deerest children 107 s a part of Gods iustice to punish It sinne 108 The filthinesse of Sinne. 150 An exhortation against Sinne. 60 Our Sinnes presse into Gods presence 42 God punisheth for one Sinne. 62 Euery Sinne is to be punished ibid Our state of Sinne and death 10 Sinnes procure Gods wrath 20 Sinnes hated of God 20.
the Patient with the parties punished Now a word or two of the cause of their punishment which is the last circumstance in these words For all your iniquites I will punish you for all your iniquities for all your sins for all not onely originall but also actuall and for all actuall not onely of commission but also of omission not onely of knowledge but also of ignorance not onely of presumption but also of infirmity I will punish you for all your sinnes For all The obseruation is The Lord will not suffer any sinne to escape vnpunished Sinne It is causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the impulsiue cause of punishment It plucks downe vengeance from the Maiestie of Heauen It s true of euery sinne euen of the least sinne Cognatum immo innatum omni sceleri scelaris supplicium The wages of sinne is death As the worke is ready so the pay is present Nec aufertur nec differtur If impiety no impunity It s impossible any sinne should be without punishment Impossibl The reasons are two One is taken from the iustice of God It is a part of Gods iustice to punish sinne and therefore he cannot but punish it The other is taken from the truth of God God who is euer true hath threatned to punish sinne and therefore he will not leaue any sinne vnpunished The consideration of this point Beloued should be vnto vs a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure too presumptuous of our owne estate We cannot bee ignorant for we haue learned it out of Gods Word that wee haue whole armies of enemies to encounter withall not only out of vs in the world abroad but also within vs lurking within our owne flesh euen our sinnes These sinnes of ours are our cruelest enemies They are euer hurring vs on to punishment Wherefore let vs be at vtter defiance with them and vse wee all holy meanes to get the victory ouer them by the daily exercises of prayer and repentance and by a continuall practise of new obedience to Gods most holy Will according to that measure of grace which wee haue receiued So shall our sinnes all our sinnes lye drowned in the most precious bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ as in a bottomlesse Sea from which they shall neuer be able to rise vp against vs for our hurt THE Third Lecture AMOS 3.3 Can two walke together except they be agreed Will a Lion roare in the Forrest when hee hath no prey Will a young Lion cry out of his dâ—â— If he haue taken nothing Can a bird fall in a snaâ—e vpon the earth where no gin is for him Shall one take vp a snare from the earth and haue taken nothing at all Shall a Trumpet be blowne in the City and the people not be afraid Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it OF the three parts which heretofore I haue obserued in this third Chapter and second Sermon of Amos concerning the kingdome of the ten Tribes this is the third and is continued from this third verse to the end of this Chapter I termed it an Enarration a Declaration an Exposition an Expolition Call you it as you will Here shall you finde the Proposition whereof you heard in my last Lecture powerfully and elegantly made good The substance of the Proposition was God hauing beene good and gracious to a people if he be repaid with vnthankfulnesse will assuredly visit that people and punish them for all their iniquities For the polishing and adorning hereof we haue here diuers similitudes by diuers Interpreters diuersly expounded I finde among them fiue different expositions Some will haue all these similitudes all six to be brought to proue one and the same thing namely That no euill can befall any citie except the Lord command it Of this exposition Saint Hierome makes mention It is the exposition of Theodoret and Remigius and may runne thus As it cannot be that two should walke together except they be agreed or that a Lion should roare in the forrest when he hath no prey or that a Lions whelpe should cry out of his den if he haue gotten nothing or that a bird should fall in a snare vpon the earth where no gin is for him or that a Fowler should take vp his snare from the ground before he haue taken somewhat or that the Trumpet should sound an Alarum in the City and the people not feare so it cannot be that there should be any euill any euill of punishment any plague in a Citie except the Lord command it so to be Some there are that expound these similitudes of Gods agreement with his Prophets for the denouncing of some euill that is eminent and neare at hand Lyra Hugo and Dionysius doe so expound them Their exposition runnes thus As it cannot be that two should walke together for the dispatch of a businesse except they be first agreed or that a Lion should roare in the forrest when he hath no prey and so forth of the rest So it cannot be that Gods Prophets should forewarne vs of any iudgement that shall befall vs except they be first agreed with God and God speake in them This exposition Christophorus à Castro takes for good because it is said vers 7. of this Chapter Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets By his seruants the Prophets the Lord roareth as a Lion he layeth his snares as a Fowler he soundeth an alarum as with a trumpet and proclaimeth euill to a Citie Others there are that referre these similitudes to the disagreement that is betweene God and Israel Albertus Rupertus and Isidore doe so referre them Their exposition may runne thus as it cannot be that two should walke together except they be agreed so it cannot be that God should walke with Israel The time indeed was when God walked with his people Israel and Israel with God It was then when they of Israel were desirous to please God to doe his holy will and to depend vpon him But afterward when they forsooke God and betooke themselues to the seruice of strange gods Idoll-gods Deuils it could not be that God should walke any longer with them or they with God No maruell then if vpon this disagreement the Lord by his Prophets doe roare at Israel as a Lion roareth at his prey nor maruell if he lay a snare for them as a Fowler doth for birds no maruell if he sound an alarum as with a Trumpet and proclaime against them There is yet a fourth exposition the exposition of Arias Montanus He vnderstands these similitudes of the disagreement that was betweene the two peoples of Israel and Iudah Notorious was the reuolt of Israel from Iudah notorious the rent of the ten Tribes from the other two By this reuolt or rent of one kingdome were made two the kingdome of Israel and the kingdome of Iudah Here was much a
Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine The threatnings of God they are not vana dunt axat puerorum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula as Quadratus hath well noted they are not onely as scar-crowes or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne Neuer are they in vaine Of two sorts they are for either they concerne a spirituall and eternall punishment or a punishment that is temporary and corporall Of the first sort is that commination Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them The punishment there threatned is spirituall it is eternall Saint Paul so expounds it Gal. 3.10 where he saith As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them The curse there spoken of is no temporall no corporall matter it is spirituall it is eternall The reason is because the curse is opposed to the blessing Now to bee blessed with faithfull Abraham is to be iustified to bee absolued from sinne and death to be in fauour with God to obtaine eternall saluation and therefore to be accursed is to be condemned for sinne to be cast out from God to be adiudged to euerlasting death and Hell The blessing is spirituall and eternall and therefore must the curse also be spirituall and eternall Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obuious If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to doe his Commandements but will despight his statutes and abhorre his iudgements then will the Lord doe thus and thus vnto you In the 26. of Leuit. vers 16. he will visit you with vexations consumptions and burning agues that shall consume your eyes and cause you sorrow of heart Vers 17. he will set his face against you and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you Vers 19. Hee will breake the pride of your power and will make your Heauen as iron and your Earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine for neither shall your land yeeld her encrease nor your trees their fruits Vers 22. Hee will send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattell and make you few in number These and other like threatnings against the wilfull contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleaged 26. Chapter of Leuiticus and 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy and other places of holy Scripture than I can at this time stand vpon to relate them They are many they are fearefull Many and fearefull are the punishments though but temporary and corporall which the Lord threatneth to the wilfull contemners of his holy Will Thus you see Gods threatnings are of two sorts either of spirituall and eternall punishments or punishments that are temporary and corporall These threatnings of punishments corporall or spirituall temporary or eternall are by the Lord himselfe accomplished at times certaine and vnchangeable When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impiety and wickednesse the Lord appointed a certaine space the space of 120. yeeres for their repentance and conuersion Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he also is flesh yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres Though he saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was euill was onely euill was euill continually so that with great iustice he might forthwith haue swallowed them vp with a floud yet would hee not but would yet forbeare longer and looke for their amendment A hundred and twenty yeeres yet would he giue them to see if they would returne and auoid his wrath But they would not returne and therefore at the very end and terme of those hundred and twenty yeeres he brought the floud vpon them Then then and not before he brought the floud vpon them For compare we the particular circumstances of time noted Gen. 7.3 6 11. with that which Saint Peter writeth in his first Epistle chap. 3.20 we shall finde that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the Iewes Ierem. 25.11 Because you haue not heard my voice behold I will take from you the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the candle you shall be a desolation and an astonishment shall serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres The summe of the Commination is that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as those yeeres those seuenty yeeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophesie of Ieremie exactly setteth it downe Chap. 5.30 saying The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine the same night the very night wherein those seuenty yeeres came to their full period was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine To these fearefull examples of Noahs floud and the carrying away of the Iewes into Babylon may be added the burning of Sodome by fire and brimstone the destruction of the ten Tribes the ruine of Ierusalem and the Kingdome of Iudah the desolation of the seuen Churches of Asia all which besides many other calamities vpon many other places and persons accomplished and come to passe according to the threatnings of the Lord may well assure vs that whatsoeuer he hath threatned will certainly take effect And certainly if we by serious and true repentance doe not preuent the execution of his threats he will not faile to preuent vs and take vs away suddenly Thus is my obseruation made good If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine No it will not If God threaten and no repentance followeth then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe Hee threatens not in vaine hee terrifies not without cause no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey or the Lions whelpe cryeth out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing Is it thus Beloued Shall we finde that Gods threatnings will be effectuall and powerfull against vs if we by our sinnes goe on still to prouoke him to displeasure It seemes then that if we repent vs of our sinnes and cease any further to grieue Gods holy Spirit his threatnings will bee vaine and without
Word which I haue spoken vnto you You are cleane not for your Baptisme but for the Word So Saint Augustine Tract 80. in Iohannem Detrahe verbum quid est aqua nisi aqua Accedit verbum ad elementum sit sacramentum Take away the Word and what is the water but water the Word commeth to the element and it is made a Sacrament You are cleane then not by your Baptisme but by the Word And you are cleane by the Word Non quia dicitur sed quia creditur You are cleane by the Word not because the Word is preached vnto you but because you beleeue it when it is preached The Pharisees and other hypocrites did heare the Word of Christ yet were they not thereby made cleane because they did not beleeue the Word of Christ And so doth Rupertus expound these words You are cleane You are cleane because you beleeue that which I haue said vnto you concerning my death and resurrection how I must die for your sinnes and rise againe for your iustification and goe away to prouide a place for you You haue not only heard but also haue beleeued the Word which I haue spoken vnto you and therefore are yee cleane The fruit then and the profit that ariseth vnto vs from our reuerent hearing of the Word preached is by our faith It is faith that purifieth our hearts saith Peter Act. 15.9 Faith it is by which we apprehend the bloud of the Lambe of God and are thereby cleansed from all our sinnes But I may not hold you ouer-long with the prosecution of this point Let it please you to be remembred that wee haue hitherto beene moued to the performance of a holy dutie euen to the reuerent hearing of the word of God and this first for the honours sake of him that speaketh secondly for the danger sake of him that heareth negligently thirdly for the profits sake of him that heareth diligently and that wee vnderstand this profit to be three-fold that it softeneth our hard hearts that it sweâ—teneth them that it cleanseth them What now remaineth but that wee pray God to dismisse vs with a blessing Wee humbly beseech thee most gracious God so to open our hearts and to vnlocke the cares of our vnderstanding that now and euer hearing thy Word profitably we may obserue learne and embrace such passages therein as are necessary to the confirming of our weake faith and the Amendment of our sinfull liues Grant this deare Father for thy best beloued Sonne Iesus Christ AMEN THE Eighth Lecture AMOS 3.6 Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it THis short sentence you may call the Conclusion or the explication of the similitudes that went before The similitudes were six all taken from vulgar experience and such as is incident to a Shepherds walke The explication as it is giuen by Theodoret and Remigius stands thus As it cannot be that two should walke together except they bee agreed or that a Lion should roare in the forest when he hath no prey or that a lions whelpe should cry out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing or that a bird should fall in a snare vpon the earth where no ginne is for him or that a fowler should take vp his snare from the ground before he haue taken somewhat or that the Trumpet should sound an alarme in the City and the people not feare so it cannot be that there should bee any euill in a City except the Lord command it so to be This dependance of these words vpon the former is approued by Christophorus à Castro in his Paraphrase Conrad Pellican and others looke not so farre backe for the coherence of these words but confine them within this sixth verse thus As a trumpet is not blowne in a City but that the people thereof should be afraid and runne together so neither is there any euill sent by the Lord to any place city or country but that the people thereof should repent and amend their liues The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reddition suiting with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the proposition of the similitude here drawne from the sound of the trumpet should be thus Shall a Prophet in the name of the Lord foreshew any future euill and shall not the people bee afraid But because whatsoeuer euils a Prophet foretelleth he foretelleth from the Lord and the euils which he foretelleth fall not out but by the Lord therefore Amos here omitting the Antecedent sets downe the consequent Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it Shall there be euill c. Some yeeres haue passed away since I handled this Text in the chiefest assembly of this Diocesse My then endeuours were to arme my selfe and that deuout auditory with patience against the day of affliction And because that day is a day which euery child of God must looke for I was induced to publish what I then deliuered if it might be for the comfort of such as then heard me not and I did it vnder the title of the hauen of the afflicted What need then is there that I should at this time recommend the same Text vnto you What the wise sonne of Syrach in the eighteenth of his Ecclesiasticus vers 6. saith of such as search into the workes of God is true of vs whose office is to search into the words of God Cum consummauerit homo tunc incipiet When a man hath done what he can hee must beginne againe For as Saint Hierome hath well obserued in his Comment vpon the 90. Psalme Singula verba Scripturarum singula Sacramenta sunt euery word in Scripture is a Sacrament and containeth a mystery Euery word a Sacrament The Rabbins stay not here they say as much of euery letter Nullum est iota in Scripturâ à quo non pendeant mont es doctrinarum there is not an iota any the least letter in the Scriptures but thereon doe depend mountaines of doctrines Saint Hierome in the second booke of his Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians yet goes further Singuli apices singula puncta in diuinis Scripturis plena sunt sensibus there is not a tittle not a point in the diuine Scriptures but its full of spirituall meaning full of senses Not a word but it s a Sacrament not a letter but it yeelds mountaines of doctrines not a point but its full of senses Well then may the words which I haue now read vnto you yeeld variety of matter fit for our deepest meditations a second time and because they follow in course in this Chapter the exposit on whereof I haue for this place vndertaken I may not in silence passe them ouer but must take a reuiew of them and recommend them to your Christian and deuout attentions Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Herein obserue with me three circumstances Quis Quid Vbi Quis the
Cruelty and Couetousnesse are amplified from two Topickes à genere à specie from the Genus thus They know not to doe right From the Species thus They store vp violence and robbery in their palaces That so it is God is produced for witnesse for Neum Iehouah The Lord hath said it These particulars yeelded materialls for my two former Sermons Now from the Accusation I proceed to the Commination vers 11. Therefore thus saith the Lord God An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled The words are a denunciation of punishment concerning which we may obserue The Cause The Author The Punishment it selfe The Cause is implied in the particle Therefore The Author is the Lord God The Punishment is a conquest by warre and is described 1 By the Siege 2 By the Victory 3 By the Spoile An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land there is the Siege the whole Land beset round about And he shall bring downe thy strength from thee there is the Victory the ouerthrow of their strong men And thy palaces shall be spoiled The Spoile is at the lust of the conquerour An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled I haue shewed you the limits and bounds of my future discourse I will handle them as they lye in order beginning with the cause of the punishment implied in this particle Therefore Therefore It is a particle befitting a Commination It hath relation to the former verses and pointeth to the sinnes there touched to the great tumults in the middest of Samaria and the oppressions there vers 9. to the ignorance of God and his will to their violence and robbery stored vp in their palaces vers 10. The relation that this particle hath to those sinnes sheweth that those sinnes are the cause of the punishment here denounced as if our Prophet had thus spoken Because you that are the Princes and Potentates of Samaria doe oppresse the poore and needie Therefore will I bring against you mightier than your selues that shall oppresse and spoile you Therefore The obseruation is Sin is the cause of all the euill that befalleth man in this life In this my Thesis by euill I vnderstand malum poenae the euill of punishment or the euill of affliction Affliction or punishment whereof sinne is the cause is two fold internall or externall either inward or outward The inward pertaineth to the minde the outward to the body For the punishment of sinne is to be measured and defined not only by the torments of the body or by the mortality of this life but also by the most grieuous affliction of the soule as by the crookednesse obliquitie and blemish of the soule by an euill conscience by the wrath of God which is importable by the guilt of sinne whereby wee are obliged to punishment by vitious habits whereby we are inclined to a multitude of sinnes Foecundum est peccatum non ibi definit vbi incipit Sin is fruitfull if it once begin it leaues not there the worst thing of it is behinde euen the extreme anguish and horrour of the soule Againe affliction or punishment whereof sinne is the cause is either publike or priuate Pubike afflictions I call such wherof many men at once haue a sense and feeling Such are the flouds of great waters the ruine of Cities by earth-quakes the waste done in them by fire warre euill beasts pestilence famine tyrannie persecution the death of good Princes heresie schisme euery common misery All these are publike Priuate afflictions are such as priuate men in their owne particular doe suffer as sicknesse griefe infamie pouerty imprisonment death Of all these afflictions or punishments whether publike or priuate or outward or inward sinne is the cause Sinne It is causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is efficiens impellenâ— it is the impulsiue cause of all afflictions or punishments it fetcheth downe vengeance from the Maiestie of Heauen It brought that same vniuersall deluge vpon the whole world Gen. 7.17 It brought downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 19.24 It caused the Land of Canaan to spue out her inhabitants Leuit. 18.25 It will make any Land sit mourning like a desolate widow or a distressed mother robbed of her children and spoiled of all her comforts It is auouched by the Psalmist Psal 107.34 A fruitfull Land God turneth into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein It is that whereof the Prophet Ieremie complaineth Chap. 12.4 How long shall the Land mourne and the herbes of euery field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Turne to the Prophecie of Micah Chap. 1.4 Behold there the mountaines melting as wax before the fire and as the waters that are powred downe a steepe place for no other cause but for the transgression of Iacob and for the sinnes of the house of Israel Thus farre for the confirmation of my doctrine Sinne is the cause of all the euill that befalleth man in this life Saint Augustine Serm. 139. de tempore thus deliuers it Malorum omnium nostrorum causa peccatum est Sinne is the cause of all our euills Non enim sine causâ homines mala ista patiuntur It is not to be imagined that men suffer affliction without cause God is iust he is omnipotent Nullo modo ista pateremur si non mereremur Surely no euill could befall vs if we deserued it not There is not a man that sinneth not and the least sinne that he committeth deserueth all the misery that can be laid vpon him This truth may teach vs First in time of affliction to acknowledge our sins to be the cause thereof and to profit thereby vnto amendment Secondly it may teach vs to iustifie God whensoeuer hee shall â—fflict vs and to beare his visitation with patience Wherefore doth a liuing man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Lament 3.39 A man for the punishment of his sinnes wherefore doth he complaine Let vs search and trie our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord we haue transgressed and rebelled against him and therefore he afflicteth vs. My resolution shall be in the words of Micah the Prophet Chap. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him And let this suffice to haue beene spoken of my first generall the cause of the punishment here denounced implied in this particle Therefore I proceed to my next generall the Author of this punishment the Lord God Therefore thus saith the Lord God Thus saith the Lord It is a note wherewith the Prophets for the most part doe begin their preachings and prophecyings to shew that they deliuer nothing but what is of diuine credit and authority Thus saith the Lord Dicit Dominus saith the Lord. Dicere with the
the children of Israel be taken out of the hands of Salmanassar The things compared are First a Lion and Salmanassar King of Assyria Secondly a Sheepe and the Children of Israel Thirdly some fragments of a deuoured sheepe two legs or a peece of an eare and the small number of the Israelites that should escape These Israelites are here described ab ipsorum securitate from their security or lacke of care They liue nicely aâ—d delicately in all pleasure and delight full of confidence that no euill shall at any time touch them They dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Samaria and Damascus Cities of strength and fortification were vnto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest They thought themselues safe and out of danger by the aid and succour of Ciâ—ies so well fenced but were deceiued For thus saith the Lord As the Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Such is the diuision of this Text. I now descend to a speciall handling of the parts The first is the Introduction to the Similitude Thus saith the Lord. This Introduction I heretofore copiously handled I met with it in the first Chapter of this booke fiue times Vers 3 6 9 11 13. Vers 1 4 6. in the second thrice and once before in this and therefore the lesse need is there that now I insist vpon it Yet may I not leaue it vnsaluted sith our Prophet here repeateth it And he repeateth it to iustifie his calling to shew that albeit he formerly liued the life of a Shepheard yet now he haâ—h his calling to be a Prophet from the Lord Iehouah Whence my obseruation is It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him ministeriall function in the Church without assurance of calling from God This truth is by the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 thus deliuered No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was Now that Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated to the Priests office by the authority and appointment of God it is plaine by the eighth Chapter of Leuiticus wherein are set downe the sacrifices and ceremonies vsed at the Consecration together with the place and time thereof Thereby it appeareth that the office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but God Almighty did first institute and ordaine it by his owne expresse commandement Then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great miracle of the budding of Aarons rod Num. 17.8 The rod of Aaron for the house of Leui brought forth buds and bloomed blossomes and yeelded Almonds Thus was the institution of holy Priesthood from God alone This honour the holy men of God of old time tooke not to themselues Nor Esay nor Ieremy nor Ezechiel nor any of the residue tooke this honour to themselues but were all called of God and in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his words which is intimated by those passages very obuious in the writings of the Prophets as a â—say 1.1 the vision of Esaiah b Cap. 1.1 the vision of Obadiah the burden of Nineueh in the booke of the vision of c Cap. 1.1 Nahum the burden which Habakkuk the Prophet did see the burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachy the word of the Lord which came to Hosea to Ioel to Ionah to Micah to Zephaniah to Haggai to Zachariah d Esay 1.2 The Lord hath spoken e Ierem. 10.1 Heare yee the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord Saith the Lord. By these and the like passages they shew their calling to haue beene from God Not one of them tooke this honour to himselfe Nor did Christ himselfe take this honour to himselfe but with warrant of his Fathers calling For so I reade Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he that said vnto him Thou art my Sonne to day haue I begotten thee He euen God the Father gaue him this honour And hereunto doth Christ himselfe beare witnesse in all those places of the holy Euangelists wherein he acknowledged himselfe to be * Matth. 10.40 Mark 9.37 Luk. 4.18 43. Ioh. 3.17 34 c. sent of God The holy Apostles of Christ whence had they their calling were they not all openly ordained by Christ himselfe Neuer did any of them execute that office but with protestation that they had their calling from God and therefore their writings beginne Rom. 1.1 Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Iames a seruant of God Gal. 1.1 and of the Lord Iesus Christ Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ Cap. 1.1 Iude the seruant of Iesus Christ the reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him to shew vnto his seruant Iohn Thus had Christs Apostles the assurance of their calling from God So had the blessed Euangelists So all those whom Christ gaue vnto his Church for the instruction thereof Ephes 4.11 He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers It is true that Christ himselfe is the chiefe builder for so he saith Matth. 16.18 Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam vpon this rocke will I build my Church and he builds it through his holy Spirit yet he doth vse Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists and Pastors and Teachers as vnderwork men for this building euen vnto the end of the world And all these haue the assurance of their calling from God Who so hath it not he is not to be vouchsafed the name of Prophet or Apostle or Euangelist or Pastor or Teacher for he is an Intruder And great is the danger of Intrusion Euery Intruder was to be put to death The Law for it is Num. 1.51 Euery stranger that commeth nigh vnto the Tabernacle shall be put to death The stranger any one that is not of the tribe and family of Leui that breaketh into the Leuites function and medleth with holy things beyond his calling he is to bee put to death An example hereof we haue in the Beth-shemites 1 Sam. 6.19 who because they had looked into the Arke of the Lord contrary to the Law were smitten with a great slaughter to the number of fifty thousand and threescore and ten men The like we haue in Vzzah sonne of Abinadab 2 Sam. 6.6 who because he touched the Arke of God contrary to the Law was punished with sudden death and stricken with the immediate hand of God that fell vpon him to the terrour of others and to worke reuerence in the hearts of all men toward the sacred things of his seruice Adde hereto the
a man of bloud Vers 7. and a man of Belial a murderer and a wicked man At so high a straine of insolencie Vers 9. how beares the King himselfe Doth he suffer the railers head to be cut off or makes he any shew of impatiencie No His eye is to him that is agens principalis or Primus motor euen to the Lord the Principall agent and first mouer in all this businesse Shimei he knowes is but the instrument to worke the will of the Lord. And therefore he saith to Abishai 2 Sam. 16.10 Let him curse because the Lord hath said vnto him Curse Dauid Who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Not vnlike was the carriage of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn and the rest Act. 4.27 Though Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and put to death the Lord of life our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage or bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the Lord Iesus there was vpon the hand of God They knew that Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles and the Iews were but instruments So their acknowledgement before the Lord vers 28. Of a truth both Herod and Pontius Pilat the Gentiles the People of Israel were gathered together against thine holy Childe Iesus for to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done Thus according to the examples of holy Iob King Dauid and the blessed Apostles we are in the miseries and calamities that doe befall vs in this life to looke not so much to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them And why so The reason is because all instruments are second causes Angels men or other creatures haue no power at all against vs but what is giuen them of God So Iesus told Pilat who had proudly said vnto him Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to release thee No saith Iesus thou couldst haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 froÌ„ aboue Io. 19.11 I will but touch the vses One is for the reproofe of such who are of opinion that God doth only suffer many things to be done If he be agens principalis the principall Agent in all actions and all other agents are but his instruments then is he not only a sufferer but also an orderer guider and gouernour of all actions The second is for the confutation of such as in their vaine thoughts imagine that the miseries and calamities which befall men in this life are but their mis-fortunes If God be agens principalis if he be the principall agent in all that is done vpon the earth then wretched man bleare not thine own eies to ascribe that to haphazzard wherein the strokes of Gods hand appeare The third is for the admonishing of vs all that in our miseries or calamities we behaue our selues with patience toward the instruments wherewith God smiteth vs. It will very ill beseeme a man to be like vnto the dogge that snatcheth at the stone throwne at him without regard vnto the thrower The fourth is for consolation It will be a comfort to vs in misery and distresse to remember that God is agens principalis that he hath a chiefe hand in all our troubles and that others of what ranke soeuer are but his instruments and therefore they can no further preuaile against vs than the hand and counsell of God giues them leaue This our comfort may rest vpon that of S. Paul 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are able to beare but will euen giue an issue with the temptation that we may be able to beare it Qui enim dat tentanti Diabolo licentiaÌ„ ipse dat tentatis misericordiaÌ„ Pet. Lomb. vpon the place For God who giues the deuill leaue to smite giues also his mercy to them that are smitten And thus from the Action the smiting which is the Lords we are come to the obiect of the Action to the thing to be smitten which doe belong to the Israelites The things to be smitten were their houses which are here described from their vse and precious matter whereof they were and state For vse they had their winter houses and summer houses For precious matter they had their houses of Iuory For state they had their great houses We will first take a view of their houses for vse their winter houses and their summer houses Of them it is here said in the first branch of this fifteenth verse Percutiam domum hyemalem cum domo aestiuâ I will smite the winter house with the summer house Princes and great Lords of the East of old time had their change of houses a house for winter and a house for summer The winter house was turned toward the South Hieron Rupeâ—t Cyrill and open to the heat of the Sunne for warmth The summer house was turned toward the North from the Sunne and lay open to the coole aire So for the variety of seasons they would be prouided either for cold or heat Iehoiakim King of Iudah had his winter house For so we reade Ier. 36.22 The King sate in the winter house in the ninth month and there was a fire on the hearth before him And it is likely he had his summer house Else why is this called his winter house His summer house may be that Ier. 22.14 where the King saith Aedificabo mihi domum latam coenacula spatiosa I will build me a wide house large chambers Those chaÌ„bers R. Dauid cals coenacula ventosa Iunius P scator windy chambers others perflabilia chambers with thorow aire chambers with windowes made of purpose to let in the aire Look the place and you will finde them sieled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion And this might wel be his summer house But if you will haue a summer house in precise termes turne yee to the booke of Iudges Chap. 3.20 There shall you finde Eglon King of Moah sitting alone in a summer Parlour Our English Bible in the margent calleth it a Parlour of cooling iust as Iunius doth coenaculum refrigerationis a chamber or parlour of refrigeration The old Latine calls it aestiuum coenaculum a summer chamber or parlour the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a summer garret in the highest part of the house Our Prophet here speaketh of both houses together the winter house and the summer house and threatneth the demolition or ruine of them both Tossarius thus deliuers it in his Paraphrase Demolibor domum hyemalem simul aestiuam in quibus rex cum suis lasciuire consueuit I will demolish both winter-house and summer house in which the King was wont with his minions to play the wanton I will ouerthrow them both It is not
to wisdom It should moue vs b Hereof I spake in a Sermon vpon Hebr. 10.30 to beware of those crying sinnes vsually committed against the first table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by Idolatrie in worshiping the creature aboue the creator blessed for euer by tempting God in making triall whether his word be true or not by murmuring against God in laying iniustice to his charge quod bonis male fit malis bene for afflicting the godly when the wicked liue at ease by rebellion and contumacie in taking counsell together against the Lord against his Christ by blasphemy in doing despite to the Spirit of grace It may moue vs also to beware of those other sins crying sins too vsually committed against the second table that we prouoke not Gods vengeance against vs by dishonouring our parents and such as God hath put in place of gouernment aboue vs by grieuing our children and such as are by vs to be gouerned by oppressing the fatherlesse and the poore by giuing our selues ouer vnto filthy lusts Beloued in the Lord let vs not forget this though God bee good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is hee also a iust God God the auenger and punisher Here we see he resolueth to send a fire into the house of Hazael which is the second thing to be considered How God punisheth By fire I will send a fire c. Albeit sometime God himselfe doth by himselfe immediately execute his vengeance vpon the wicked as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt Exod. 12.29 and Nabal 1. Sam. 25.38 and Vzzah 2. Sam 6.7 yet many times he doth it by his instruments c Wigand Syntagm Vet. Test Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei All the creatures of God are ready at his command to be the executioners of his vengeance Among the rest and in the first ranke is fire God sent a fire to lay wast Sodom and Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 to eate vp Nadab and Abihu Leuit 10.2 to cut of the two hundred and fifty men that were in the rebellion of Korah Num. 16.35 to deuoure two captaines twise fifty men 2. King 1.10 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this point My text telleth you that fire Gods creature becommeth Gods instrument executioner of his vengeance I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus Drusius Ar. Montanus Mercer Caluin Gualter expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quod libet genus consumptionis euery kind of consumptiō euery scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked and disobedient be it haile or thunder or sicknes or any other of Gods messengers So farre is the signification of fire though not in the naturall yet in the Metaphorical vnderstanding extended The doctrine which from hence I gather is As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked This truth well appeareth by that which I euen now repeated out of Eccles 39. whence you heard that some spirits are created for vengeance as also are fire and haile and famine and death and the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword yea that the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile cloathing are all for euill vnto the wicked If that proofe because the booke whence it is taken is Apocryphall like you not giue care I pray you while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture The doctrine to be proued is Fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the punishment of the wicked I proue it by the seruice of Angels and other creatures 2 King 19.35 we read of an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand in the camp of Ashur slaine by an Angell of the Lord. The thing is related also Esay 37.36 This ministerie of Gods Angels Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 35.5 6. where his prayer against his enemies is that the Angell of the Lord might scatter and persecute them 1. Sam. 7.10 we read that the Lord did thunder a great thunder vpon the Philistines Ezech. 14. wee read how the Lord punisheth a sinfull land with his e Ezech. 14.21 foure sore iudgements the sword pestilence famine and noysome beasts The story of Gods visitation vpon Pharaoh and the Egyptians in Exod. chap. 8 9. and 10. is fit for my purpose You shall there find that frogs lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botches sores did instrumentally auenge God vpon man and beast in Egypt Adde hereto what you read Psal 148.8 fire and haile and snow and vapours and stormy winds doe execute Gods commandement Thus is my doctrine proued As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them Here set we before our eyes holy King Dauid His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation When Shimei a man of the family of the house of Saul came out against him cast stones at him and railed vpon him calling him to his face a man of blood and a man of Belial a murtherer and a wicked man the good King did not as he was wished to doe he took not away the murtherers life but had respect to the primus motor euen Almighty God the first mouer of this his affliction Shimei he knew was but the instrument And therefore thus saith he to Abischai 2. Sam. 16.10 He curseth because the Lord had bidden him curse Dauid and who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Here also set we before our eies holy Iob. His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation The losse of all his substance his children by the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eies from the God of heauen to those second causes They he knew were but the instruments And therefore possessing his soule in patience he said Iob. 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. To these instances of Dauid and Iob adde one more that of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn the rest Act. 4.27