worldly tortures to bring vs to death therewith he would bee contented but it is yet a more fearefull thing when we are subiect to all these and more also to leade an endlesse and easelesse life in the euer burning and neuer dying flames of hell The vses which wee must make of this doctrine are these first that wee learne to feare none of them that kill the body but onely him that is able to cast both bodie and soule into the fire of hell Mat. 10. 28. But I know euerie one will subscribe vnto me and say that they feare him aboue all when as this feare is such a weake dampe that it putteth not foorth any sinnes and it holdeth as much godlinesse in their harts as a sieue will holde water in the open aire Moses was afraide of a serpent and it made him run away what feare is this that possesseth our gospellers mindes that will not cause them to be as much afraide of the sting of sinne as Moses was of the sting of the serpent Ioseph saide for the feare of God he could not commit follie with his lady and if the feare of God had any rooting in your harts you could not leade such licentious liues as you doe The Israelites were afraide to sacrifice a sheepe in Egypt because it was abhomination to the Egyptians but you are not afraide to offer your filthy deadly and abhominable lustes to the Lord although they be abhomination to his maiestie yea although there bee an vnmeasurable iudgement hanging ouer your heads Therefore feare the Lord that must rule you and the iudge that must trie you and the sauiour that must keepe you or else you shall feele the deadly paine that shall torment you The poore woman that came before Salomon would rather depart with her childe to her neighbour then suffer it to be diuided in sunder but how much more deere it is to haue your soules cut in sunder feare you not this Therefore with all speede looke vnto the Lorde as humbly as petitioners pray vnto him as mournfully as prisoners tremble at him as fearfully as the hill of Sinai fall downe before him as lowe as Daniel melt at his anger as the waxe before the sunne Another vse is that we alway keepe our confidence in the Lord for if his wrath be but a little kindled then are they blessed that put their trust in him Psal 2. 11. Balaam feared God yet because his faith and confidence was not in the Lord he was slaine among the other enimies of God therefore let me now take occasion to exhort all your harts to a sure confidence in the Lorde because his wrath shall neuer touch those which put their trust in him It is saide Psal 99. 4. that Moses and Aaron and Samuel put their trust in God and he deliuered them This was such a trust as was exercised with all Christian vertues the which you must ioyne with them or else you cannot enioy it Forsake your selues imbrace the Lord loue not the worlde and desire Christes kingdome and then you trust in the Lorde confirme your harts with patience beautifie your minds with knowledge reforme your affections by repentance and amende your liues by the whole Gospell of God and then shall the Lord say you haue trusted in him Oh then blessed shall you be for although the world be drowned you shall bee saued although the citie be burned you shall bee deliuered although the people be captiuated you shall be enlarged and although the earth be cursed yet you shall be blessed If sicknesse weare thy body and anguish vexe thy soule and trouble oppresse thy life and losses catch away thy goodes and enimies spoile thy children and death doe ende thy daies yet shall not the wrath of God consume thy ioyes What wouldest thou haue more if God hate thee not hee loueth thee if hee loue thee he will keepe thee if he keepe thee danger shall not oppresse thee if thou be not oppressed then art thou blessed and if thou be blessed be sure thou shalt be saued The xiiij Sermon Vers 16. And ioy and gladnesse is cut off from the house of our God COncerning the former words of this verse we haue spoken in the verse before and now to the next following where the prophet telleth them or rather the Lord that now men could take no delight nor ioy in the outward seruice of his maiestie which was a most lamentable thing when one should come into the house of God where was woont to be most sweete melodie in the harts and voices of men like vnto another paradise now he should finde it full of teares and cries and yelling and sorrowes and euery one ashamed to shewe his face for griefe this doth the prophet offer to the consideration of God Whereby we will note this that the seruice of God must be performed with ioy and delight Deut. 16. 11. I meane the ordinarie seruice and worship of God But in our daies we may almost complaine as this prophet doth that ioy is parted from the house of our God men come almost as willingly to the churches as some goe to execution and tarrie as ioyfully before the preacher to heare the sermon as other doe before the iudge to heare the sentence When we are at our praier they are at their books when we are at our preaching they are at their sleepe when we are at our psalmes they are in the tauernes Maruell you not to see the ioy of these men in the worship of God vnto whome the church is a iaile the minister is a keeper the Lord is a iudge themselues are the prisoners and their zeales are as ioyfull to them as little ease yet for all this we will reioice in the Lorde our God and account one day spent in his courtes better then a thousande spent else where And as Dauid reioyced to see other men goe so will we reioice when our number is increased when our voices are aduaunced and our Lord Iesus magnified The reasons of this doctrine are these first because this ioy in the seruice of God is a token of the presence of God his spirite in the harts of men Rom. 14. 17. so on the other side when men are lumpish and heauie in this worship and heauenly businesse it is a token they like not the matter but are hindered and blinded by the spirit of malice Shall we then say that they are all giuen to the diuell who haue not beene baptised into the Lords spirit and possessed with a delight in the Lordes seruice then must wee say that all hard harted misers wicked minded ruffians fickle brained yoonglings and wind-wauering women which had rather be playing with their loues or their children or else be disporting in brauerie and wantonnesse or bee mumbling a few Paternosters of old angels or new stuffed barnes then yeeld their eares their hart their soule their minde and their whole man to the Lordes most
charge his communing is for peace and not for wrath and his call is more for thy good then for his bee not discomforted because thou hast a guiltie crying conscience for thou seest that the Lorde is as vnwilling to strike as thou art to beare But thou wilt say that hee hath alreadie witnessed thy destruction yea but I say hee will repent him of the euill seeing thou repentest of thy sinnes his iudgements are conditionall hee which gaue the worde can recall it and who can saie he doth not his word Feare not I say though thou be as neere to death as Isaac was to be sacrificed for the Lorde hath an angell in heauen to saue thy life the godly shall come out of trouble but the wicked shall come in his steade Seeing the Lorde is vnwilling to take vengeance of our sinnes let vs bee as vnwilling to grieue him with our sinnes that so wee may bee the children of the most high For it cannot bee but that hee is mightily grieued when wee fall into newe follies in that hee is enforced to open once againe to vs the woundes of Christ and let more bloude issue foorth out of the side of his mercy Iacob was much offended with his two sonnes Simeon and Leui Gen. 34. when they slewe the Sichemites for saide he you haue made my presence to stinke in the sight of this people much more must the Lorde be offended with vs his sonnes being a more tender father then euer was Iacob when we grieue him with our sins for we bring his glorious name into contempt and religion into hatred Once bee thus affected and assured that thou art the childe of God then take part of the godly nature loue all as hee doth doe good to all as hee doth repent of euill as he doth and be as much afraide to sinne as hee is vnwilling to punish thee He euer thinketh on thee doe thou so on him he euer watcheth for thy sake do thou so for his he euer worketh for thy profite doe thou euer liue for his praise He woulde forgiue thee if thou offend and therefore although thou canst offende yet do not he endureth griefe to saue thy health and do thou endure tentation to saue his truth hee coulde reuenge yet doth not that thou mightest learne not to followe what thy hart suggesteth and thy flesh allureth The xxiij Sermon Vers 14. Who knoweth whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him euen a meate offring and a drinke offering vnto the Lord your God THis vers containeth another reason taken from the works of God to mooue them to repentance which is this that God will spare them and leaue something for his owne seruice although it be but a little For I take not this question for a simple affirmation as in other places but rather if it please him he may leaue an offring and for any thing they knew to the contrarie hee woulde From hence wee learne that God concealeth from vs the issue of our sorrowes and the ende of our liues that we may be kept in a continuall practise of repentance as appeareth by Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 23. Some are desperate in their miseries bicause they know not howe or by what meanes they shall be deliuered from it But good men and good mindes must take another course seeing they cannot know in these thinges the minde of the Lorde nor as Salomon saith who shall bee after them therefore their watch and care ouer their liues must bee more continuall This is a good lesson for vs to marke bicause our case is the verie same with the case of the Iewes wee are threatened as they were and we knowe no more then they did Let vs therefore watch in repentance that if our calamitie encrease we may bee readie for the graue and if it be reuersed we may be readie for praise Art thou desirous to make profite of the thing thou knowest not then be repentant for death and life ioy and sorrowe paine and ease riches and pouertie freedome and danger are both alike to a repentant man The first reason bicause by this meanes we are taught humilitie Rom. 9. 20. bicause wee are not able to reason with God or to plead against him for we are in his hande as clay in the hande of the potter Where are all our gallant youthes and lustie minded persons whose heades are so full of knowledge that they are able to teach the Apostles and no maruaile for it appeereth by their liues bearing themselues like Gods in the worlde But looke on your mindes againe you shall finde them stuffed with vanitie and not filled with knowledge if you knowe one thing you are ignorant of a thousande Therefore let this teach you that your mindes are carnall your liues bee sensuall and your soules endangered except you thinke better of others and baser of your selues Learne humility of thy selfe thy body is earth thy glory is earth thy brauery is earth and no maruaile for gold is but earth Why shouldest thou be lifted so high canst thou number thy sinnes or saue thy life or tell when or what death shall take thee away cast thy minde to the earth for then it will looke vpwarde for as yet it looketh downward and deceiueth it selfe Another reason No man can tell things to come Eccl. 7. 2. no not so much as the worke of an howre hence therefore seeing we are assured of nothing but death let death be our life that is let the death of our sins be the life of our soules But we can neuer slay them but by repentance and therefore euerie hower of our life to come calleth for it at our hands we know not when therefore now is the time we know not how therefore this is the meane we know not where therefore this is the place Youth biddeth vs repent age biddeth vs repent sickenes biddeth vs repent and all that is to come calleth vs to amendment because we know not what is to come From hence let vs learne to be contented with that ordinarie and certaine knowledge which the Lord hath shewed vs in his worde I meane to make vs repentant Paul telleth of himselfe that he regarded to know nothing saue Iesus Christ him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. the which hee learned from the Lord himselfe This was certaine that Christ was crucified therefore oughtwe to learne the same This is heauenly this is comfortable and this is glorious heauenly for God did it comfortable for it was for our sinnes and glorious for neither man nor angell could do the like and in this short sentence the Apostle hath lapped vp all religion Wouldest thou knowe how to be saued looke to the death of Christ Wouldest thou know how to liue looke on the crosse of Christ and wouldest thou know what to professe then consider the sorrowes of Christ This is heauenly wisedome not knowen of the angels this is
father hell is our bondslaue but their hangman We reioice as if we reioiced not but they reioice as if they were borne for nothing else we sorrowe as if we wept not but they haue their eies weeping in life their harts weeping in death and their soules weeping in hell Thinke nowe my beloued that this is our time of lamentation and this is our lamentation of time to see men weeping that should reioice men reioicing that should lament Woe be vnto them for they haue their consolation Therefore if once the worlde turne with the wicked then shall happines be like ise their pleasure like a sommer dewe their friends shall forsake them their feare shall possesse them and their miserie shall ouercome them Seeing therefore this is the case of the wicked that know not nor feare not God hence ariseth this most assured and fearefull and yet comfortable vse to be knowne that such as is the life of the wicked such shal be their end Amo 4. 1 2 3. The prophet in the saide place calling vpon the heads and rich men of Israell by the name of the kine of Bashan that fedde in the mountaine of Samaria telleth them that the Lorde hath sworne that seeing they behaued themselues like beastes he woulde also vse them like beastes for the thornes should stifle them and their posteritie shoulde be taken with fish-hookes and they shoulde go out of the gaps and breaches forwarde like kine and they shal be cast headlong out of the pallaces And these kinde of beastes are the oppressors of the poore the deuourers of meate and drinke the neglecters and despisers of the Lords worship and such as prophane the Lordes sacrifices with their owne inuentions vers 1. 4. 5. Consider nowe if euer there were mo beastes in Israell then are in England O lamentable world wilt thou euer proceed to prouoke the Lordes wrath to oppresse thy owne flesh to spill the life of thy owne brother and to shed the bloud of thy owne soule dost thou not yet knowe that if thou delight in cursing thou shalt receiue cursing and bicause thou louest not blessing it shall be farre from thee Yea I will adde this also thinkest thou not that thy cruell life shall haue a cruell death and thy mercilesse hart shall receiue a mercilesse plague doth not the scripture say That the same measure shal be heaped on thee that thou didst powre vpon other Hast thou lead all thy life in swearing and dost thou thinke thou shalt die with blessing hast thou walked wantonly passed the time pleasantly pampered vp thy owne bodie delicately consumed thy strength lecherously wasted thy wealth prodigally despised the ministerie wickedly frequented euill companie ioyfully vsed all maner of gaming greedily and wilt thou hope for all this to die the death of the righteous and to make a blessed latter ende Then is it not true which is most true that such as men sowe such shall they reape and if their life be the season their death is the haruest Oh that I coulde perswade you to liue well as you perswade your selues to die well then shoulde your times bee happie your liues be godly and all our endes bee blessed Therefore on the other side wee that are in league with the Lorde of glorie howe happie is our case seeing as wee liue so shall wee die our wearied bodies shall rest in his kingdome our sorrowfull soules shall bee refreshed in his kingdome our wounds shall be healed in heauen our teares shall be wiped from our eies our liues shall be disburdened of slaunders and to conclude seeing we being aliue are buried with Christ by our profession wee shall also at our death be raised vp with Christ to his euerlasting possession Secondly another vse which doth arise from this point is this that seeing the wicked are so beastly in their sorrowes and so desperate in their afflictions that sometimes wickednesse is rewarded in this life though not alwaies for their comfortlesse estate is the iust punishment of their wretchlesse behauiour We haue manifold examples hereof in the sacred worde of God who was more cruell then Adoni-bezek who cut off the thumbes and toes of seuentie kings and afterward by the Lords commandement he was so serued himselfe Iudg. 1. 6 7. Who was more proud then Nabuchadnezzar yet in this life was his vnderstanding taken from him and he driuen to eate his meate with brute beastes Tzedechias which burned the booke of God was taken by his enimies had his children slaine before his face and afterward had his owne eies put out and died at Babylon Herod that wicked wretch was eaten of wormes Ananias and Saphira were slaine by the Lord himselfe with a great many of like terrible iudgements of God of which you may read both in the scriptures and in the writings of other There are a viperous broode among vs which are not ashamed openly to professe that they care not so much for the pains in another life if they may escape the plagues of this life that is present and notwithstanding they feare the punishment of their sinnes shoulde bee executed on them in this life to their open shame and in the life to come to their vtter destruction yet they will neuer bee amended by Gospel or iudgemen t let such persons thinke what shall be their danger if they continue in this wicked opinion and wretched life For assuredly as Dauid once saide so will we euer say that the same which the wicked feareth shall come vpon them why shouldest thou bee more ashamed to be punished before a few of thy friends in this life then to bee laide open to the full vnto all the world at the latter day Learne therefore to purge thy hands and hart from sinnes wherein thou dwellest and when they shall bee burned thou shalt bee saued thinke that thou art not better then those which are already named and therefore thou maist be hanged with Absolon be stoned with Achan be cursed with Canaan be brained with Abimelech bee eaten with dogs as Iezabel was bee slaine with the sword as Adoniah was and finally fall from the top of honour to the bottome of ignominie as Haman did Because of the newe wine This is the cause why hee biddeth the drunkards and drinkers to awake because they should loose that which they best loued your newe wine that is so sweete to your mouthes wherein you dwell day and night shall bee taken from you And in this the prophet noteth vnto vs the whole corruption of carnall and wicked men that if they be ioyfull or if they be sorrowfull it is onely for the things of this life present when their barnes and storehouses are filled their fieldes clad with cattell their names exalted with worldly honour then they strike vp the ioyfullest musicke to their harts that they can inuent but when their wealth decreaseth or sicknesse taketh them or the famine vexeth them or the rumors of bloodie and
vnseasonable showers which haue brought vpon vs this lamentable and miserable dearth for our wet and waterie weeping times are most like vnto them They were in danger of the enimie who watched but the opportunitie to ouerrun them so may we also feare that our enimies which are many within vs and mightie without vs in other countries by these times of opportunity shal likewise aduenture to ouercome vs. They were in danger to haue their raines continued and their dearth increased and so also are we for as yet we haue noted and found the waters sometimes at the bankes sometimes ouer the shoares somtimes in the plaine fields and sometimes beating downe the goodly planted corne turning the wheat into dirt and making dung of that which should be bread Therefore lament I beseech you and tremble euery soule among vs in our houses talking in our streetes walking in our congregations praying and in our meates eating and drinking Let vs make our hearts sorrowfull our teares plentifull our liues pitifull that the Lord may be mercifull Let vs weepe that the heauens may reioice let vs plough our hearts that our fieldes may be fruitfull let vs cast away our sinnes that wee may carrie in our stores let vs weed our liues that we may reap our corne finally in vs it lieth to recouer our plenty therefore pray with Dauid Psal 144. 12 13. that our oxen may be strong our sheepe may encrease thousands our children may be godly our garners may be filled our streetes may be ioyfull and our whole nation may be thankefull The nienth Sermon Vers 8. Mourne like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth THis is the second exhortation wherein the prophet teacheth them by a familiar example how they ought to weepe euen as a virgin lately married or contracted mourneth for her husband who dieth before they haue filled their hearts with loue so the words are an exhortation groūded on a similitude of mourning in sackcloth for the dead for so it appeareth was the auncient custome of lamentation From this similitude we may obserue first in this allegorie this doctrine that our affections in heauenly things must be as passionate and at the least be as earnest as they are in earthly things For thus the prophet calleth vnto them mourne now as bitterly and humble your soules as vnfeinedly as a yoong woman doth for the death of her first loue This our Sauiour prooueth Luk. 16. to vers 13. in the parable of the false and vniust steward how he dischargeth his office and prouideth for hereafter willing vs to be so wise in the heauenly matters as we are in the earthly So that hast thou rode long iourneys for thy profit then thou must do the like for the Lord hast thou spent liberally on thy wife children haukes hounds and other vanities then thou must doe the like for the Lord hast thou watched many nights at cardes dice dauncing and dalliance thou must do as much in prayer hast thou fasted many houres for phisick thou must do as much for deuotion hast thou wept bitterly and wouldest not be comforted for many daies and nights togither for thy wife thy children thy parents thy brothers or any other thou must doe as much for thy sinnes or else as thou hast lost thy friends so shalt thou loose thy soule and to conclude thou must as zealously thirst after the bloode of Christ as euer thou lustedst after thy meate and drinke for thy body or as a chased hart for the water or else thou canst hardly be saued The reasons of this doctrine may easily be rendered although in truth it needeth no reason First if we be not as earnest in heauenly as we are in earthly things then may we be well said to bee those cursed wretches which were prophesied of long agoe 2. Tim. 3. 4. Louers of pleasures more then louers of God What canst thou or darest thousay O wicked man that thou louest God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe for this say the ignorant sort is as much as all the preachers in the world can tell them when thou wilt do more for thy earthly master and go farther for thy whoore and deale more liberally amongst drunkards and labour more painefully for a worldly trade and humane arte or science then thou wilt for God for the gospell for the poore and for religiō so thou maist perswade thy selfe but neuer any wise man will beleeue thee Secōdly if we giue not as much zeale to our soules as we do greedines to our bodies then as Paule saith Rom. 7. 5. wee are still in the flesh and the motions of sinne shall bring foorth fruit vnto death Now if you accompt no disgrace to haue your flesh for your God your motions of sinne for your profession and the condemnation of your soules for your reward then go on still and fill vp your measure to the brim and dare the Lorde to his face not caring for his maiestie No my beloued I will not suffer you to go this way to heauen as God would not suffer the Israelites to go the easiest way into Canaan but you must go another way farther about and safer for your passage Although you would raze your names out of the booke of life as Moses would though not for zeale but for pleasure yet you must not be suffered but rather say with Peter 1. Pet. 4. 23. Hence forward as much time as we shall liue in the flesh let vs liue after the will of God and not after the lustes of men for it is sufficient for vs that we haue spēt the time past of our liues walking in the lusts of the Gentiles in wantonnes drunkennes lustes gluttony drinkings and abhominable idolatries From hence we first learne that which Paul hath taught vs Rom. 6. 19. that as we haue giuen our members to be the seruants of sin vnto vnrighteousnes so now we must giue them to be the seruants of holines vnto righteousnes Now let vs stir vp all the parts of our soules and bodies vnto Christian conuersion our feet must run in it our hands must worke in it our eies must see in it our eares must hear it our taste must delight in it our affections must meditate in it our hearts must conceiue it our memories must remember it our whole man must be spent in it we must walke soberly we must worke righteously we must behold chastely we must heare diligently we must sauour it pleasantly we must thinke on it holily we must receiue it reuerently and we must remember it perpetually Giue vp your members I beseech you vnto righteousnes Was thy mouth made for eating and drinking and not to speake the Lords praise was thy heart made for the world and thy witte to make good and thriftie bargaines or rather for the embracing of heauenly Christ were thy handes made to play at tables to write well to fight for the defence of
7. where it is saide that when the worlde shall beholde Christ comming to iudgement all the kindreds of the earth shal waile before him The reasons are First bicause it is the reward of obstinacie Ierem. 15. 8. A guiltie conscience quaketh at the wagging of a leafe and euery little danger doth amaze him Againe it is a most wicked thing to reioice at the hurt of other men either in worde or thought Ezec. 26. 2. Therefore although wee finde ourselues cleere yet wee cannot chuse but sorrowe when it approcheth to other Therfore let vs obserue the times to kensof euill Matt. 24. 33. that wee may alway liue in mourning but especially knowing ourfeare wee may then sorrowe most when danger is neerest that so wee may bee readie to ende our sinnes by repentance and to goe to heauen by affiictions Againe when wee see wicked men taken away and going to destruction let vs feare the searching iustice of God Psalm 52. 6. and say Beholde the man that woulde not beleeue the Gospell nor bee ioyned to our congregation nor forsake his pleasures but persecute good men and flatter euill men and therefore nowe hath hee receiued his recompence Oh let the death of so manie traitours so many theeues and murtherers so many swearers and drunkardes teach vs to feare as a little birde flying from the sparrow-hauke and rather let vs couer our selues in weedes and grasse or in some thinne and open tabernacle then to take the ayre of the sunne or sinne and to abide in the carued and walled cities of the multitude Like the noise of chariots in the tops of the mountaines so shall they leape like the noise of a flame of fire that deuoureth the stubble and as a mighty people prepared to the battle Now he proceedeth to other similitudes wherein I will be short bicause they all touch one thing and the generall is alreadie deliuered In this verse he compareth the voice of their comming to the noise of chariots in the mountaines which keepe a mightie ratling in time of warre for chariots were vsed for great men going to warre as wee may see in the historie of Sisera Ahab and Iehu Againe hee saith They are like the flame that deuoureth the stubble which maketh a kinde of sodaine hollowe and fearefull noise Againe like a people prepared for warre which come with all kinde of warlike instruments and wofull acclamations the which I leaue to euerie mans seuerall consideration whereby they may note howe the Lord can cloth his smallest and basest creatures with infinite power and terror to discomfort euery people in the worlde Oh how much more are the angels of wrath terrible seeing the wormes of the earth are so fearfull wherfore let vs not onely feare the inuasion of Spaniardes or other enimies nor yet serpents lions wolues or wilde dogs but also the seely flies and grashoppers and filthie lice which in time of God his wrath shall haue power to destroy vs Exod. 10. 11. Before his face shall the people tremble all faces shall gather blacknes The meaning ofthese wordes are that in the presence of these beastes shall bee much trembling and feare yea they shall bee verie neere death for blacknes betokeneth death From hence wee may obserue howe God maketh men at their wits ende before destruction Ezech. 26. 16. They goe not to their ruines like sheepe but like swine not like lambes but like lions not peaceablie but furiously The reasons are bicause the feare of the wicked shall come vpon them Prou. 10. 24. Secondly God by this feare and trembling calleth them to repentance Deut. 32. 21. So that if then they coulde bee as angrie with their sinnes as they are with their enimies and fight as christianly with the diuell as they doe manfullie against men although they loose the life of the bodie yet they may keepe the life of the soule Learne therefore to feare God and so thou shalt neuer feare euill Psal 112. 1 6. but thy minde shall bee peaceable in death and not distracted Againe vse thy selfe to mourning before hande Ezechiel 21. 12. that when they come thou maiest more easilie endure them and more happilie auoide them Secondly when he saith all faces shall gather blackenes we may not onely see that the greatest and strongest man in the world can do nothing against the iudgement of God but offer himselfe to death and his heart dieth within him as a stone but we may also see how wicked men in aduersitie become altogither desperate Isa 2. 19. they cry to the hils to saue them to the mountaines to couer them and to the rockes to hide them And this will be then the boldnes and courage of our gallant youthes who in their pride threaten to fight with the diuell and with their oaths will teare the Lord out of heauen who thinke by their worshipfull pedegrees to shame the kirks of Christ and by their golden and silken brauery to dazle the glory of God then then will these things little comfort them But as all the Midianites ran away for the dreame of a barley-cake so shall these runne if they knew whither and take if they knew what and trust if they wist in whom and flie from the great wrath of God if there were any refuge but seeing none they shall fall to the earth as the snow commeth from the cloudes Oh cannot you think of this to put away your sinnes for if you beare them with you they will serue you as Iael serued Sisera and strike into your braines and hart the nailes of deadly poyson there can be no resisting for they haue woon the fort Yet in time craue the helpe of some other to besiege them and to regaine a quiet conscience or else whensoeuer any danger commeth they will do with you as the citizens of Samaria did with Achabs children deliuer you to your enimies and with their owne hands be your butchers and so commend you to the diuels custodie The reasons of this doctrine are these bicause then they haue no hearts to remember what God hath done for them Deut. 7. 18 19. but thinke euermore this is for the sinne this for such an adulterie this is for my pride this for my couetousnes this for my swearing this for my contempt of preaching and all shall be for my damnation Againe then shall they be ouerwhelmed with destruction 1. Sam. 31. 4 5. as Saul was for knowing that his sinne had made God depart from him he slew himselfe in the battle If he had gone to a prophet when hee went to a witch or had beleeued Samuel as wel being aliue as he did the diuel when Samuel was dead his life had then beene spared or if he had put off his sinnes when hee put on his armour to goe to the battle or then fell to prayer when hee fell vpon his sword then had Saul escaped that day But what could the
loueth not euery one that hee chasteneth Christ his best beloued was crucified and yet beloued but Herod was eaten with worms yet hated shal we think that the estate of Herod was any whit better in another life bicause his miserie was begun in this life no verilie no more may wee extoll or accuse those which liue long or miserable daies in this life Iosiah a good king of whom God pronounceth that he shoulde be gathered to his fathers in peace but yet hee was slaine in warres and Ahab an euill king died also in warres was his estate the better bicause he ended his life as a good man did no no it had bin better for him he had neuer bin Yet despaire not in thy afflictions and presume not to aduance worldly sorrow into the place of godly sorrowe and make not thy calamities thy Christ to lift thee vp to heauen Hauing learned that our calamities will not cōmend vs to God let vs do as the prophet here exhorteth Turne vnto the Lord our God Ier. 3. 1. Bloud cannot pacifie him but water can death cannot satisfie him yet teares can bodily plagues will not mooue him but spiritual sorrowes wil vengeance staieth him not but repentance will alter him Therefore turne vnto the Lorde Shall not wee thinke my deere brethren that all these iudgements which wee for these many yeeres haue endured haue wrought mightily in them and on them which were taken by them and is there yet an ende of them either in sight or in hope Haue not many souldiers fighting dying in their owne blood cried alowde in the eares of God Haue not many houses beene suddenly swept away with the pestilence Did not the Lord see it and if hee sawe it why did hee not pitie it and if hee pitied it why did hee not stay it haue not many hundreds in the first yeere of famine perished most miserably for want of bread whose cries must needs pearse the heauens and whose last gaspes might mooue him to pitie yet it hath continued some yeeres since Then may wee see and say if sufferings coulde haue satisfied the Lorde the blood of souldiers the liues of citizens the crie of poore men and the feare of all men might already long agoe haue pleased him but he will neuer be altered till we bee altered Therefore now let me remember you with Ioel Turne vnto me saith the Lord c. Alas alas our health is turned into sicknesse our liues into death our plentie into famine our peace into warres our mirth into mourning our store into want our people into perishing and our poore are turned into their graues and yet we haue not turned vnto the Lorde oh let vs turne before all be ouerturned Let vs fill our chambers with mourning rather then all our land be filled with howling let vs pray for repentance let vs sue for repentance let vs worke for repentance and bestowe all that we haue vpon repentance or else vengeance will come and take all away Another vse is this Rom. 8. 18. seeing God regardeth not our miseries then it followeth that all our sufferings are not woorthie of the life to come Art thou good then despise these worldly sorowes and hope for heauenly ioyes art thou an euill man then repent with speede least thy intolerable euils be turned into intolerable woe Wouldest thou by paine seeke aduauncement they deserue it not wouldest thou by paine bee amended then pray for repentance Oh how are we punished in this life nay rather how shall we be blessed in another life Couldest thou which liest in some strange torments bee content to end thy life in sorrowe to spende thy good for ease or to become any base seruant that thou mightest be released are thy paines so great so comfortlesse and so continuall yet for all this be not disquieted be not discouraged for anon thy ioyes may be farre more pleasant and continuall But why doe I spend time in vaine fearest thou any of those euils which happen in the world for thou canst not but feare all wherefore a Father said it is better to suffer one death and so to die then by liuing to feare all manner of deathes Then I say consider with thy selfe whether is greater thy sorrowes or thy comforts thy body or the heauens thy sufferings or the ioyes of the world to come there shall famine be banished warres shall be conquered sicknesse shall bee cured labour shall be ceased pouertie be forgotten enmitie shall be cooled paines shall be remooued teares shall be dried vp and death it selfe be euerlastingly destroied therefore suffer much to liue so labour much to die so and die in despite of death to raigne so All the miseries of this life are not worthie of this blessednesse but there is not any man liuing that can endure the one halfe of them therefore precious is the bountie of God who giueth vs this glorie for his promise not for our crosses nor yet for our vertues for our crosses are the deserts of sinnes and our vertues are imperfect goodnesse Thirdly in these words we may obserue the definition of repentance namely that it is a turning vnto the Lord so that so long as we are vnrepentant so long we goe from the Lord. I might also make many words on the metaphor turne and not without profit to shew you how our life is a iourney our faith the legs whereon we walke the scripture our guide the church our companion and heauen our waies end seeing all is done elsewhere I will not now stand vpon it Onely in these words I will vrge this that there is no repentance except the whole hart be changed it is not in good words nor yet in an outwarde good practise but in the motions and affections of the hart 1. King 8. 47 48. for this cause our Sauiour biddeth first cleanse that which is within and then that which is without As men doe first cleanse the inside of a vessell not the outside and then put goodnesse therein so must the hart which is a vessell be first cleansed or else all is vaine which the hande doth the mouth speaketh and the minde beleeueth Thy memorie must bee turned thy vnderstanding will and affections must bee changed thy memorie by remembring God and his truth thy vnderstanding by knowing God and his Gospell thy will by beleeuing God and his promises and thy affections by louing desiring meditating and reioycing in and on heauenly things and then is thy whole hart conuerted Some haue knowledge and vnderstanding but no sounde faith or sweete loue some againe loue but they want knowledge and so some haue a good will to the Gospell but they want memorie For the amending of all this follow my direction conferre and you shall haue memorie read and you shall haue knowledge heare and you shall haue faith pray often and you shal haue al good affections all which must be done before you can be saued The first
thee a broome to sweepe thy passage that nothing hinder thee it is the key that openeth the gate of Christes mercie and a sure friende to sue out thy pardon Another reason is because Christ will not come but to such spirits Luc. 19. 10. so that if thou wouldst goe vp to Christ thy sorrow will lende thee wings if thou wouldest haue Christ to descend to thee thy sorrowe will perswade him Christ is the phisition of the minde and he will not come till thy minde be sicke As in winter the most raine falleth so in distresse of conscience most comforts come downe this doctrine bringeth great ioy of glad tidings which shal be to all harts where godly sorrow dwelleth But let vs not alway lament these sorrowes or rest in the graues of our easelesse cares but let our praiers be multiplied as our dangers are increased so doe the godly Hos 6. 1. Flie therefore to the Lord when thou feelest any smart in thy soule and let not musicall delights or pleasant companions entise with conceites to banish this greefe but let thy greefe be thy meate and drinke and the meanes to stirre thee vp to praier It is to be feared that many haue beene either vtterly condemned or desperately endangered by vsing worldly medicines for these heauenly sores for so soone as their harts waxe heauie by reason of their sinne they call for worldly delights which either driue them to desperation or harden them to condemnation Drinke is good to the thirstie but it is dangerous to them that are sicke of burning feauers in like sort vnto them that haue eaten poison so mirth is good but vse it not to driue away godly sorrow but abide it patiently with praier and fasting As thou seest thy sinnes so let the Lord heare thy praiers and as thy greefe for them is increased so let thy cries against them be multiplied Thinke whome thou hast offended wherewithall thou art greeued and how thou canst be pacified If thou be rich let thy closet bee thy sanctuarie if thou be poore let the woods and secret places be thy temple if thou haue little knowledge resort to them that haue more if thou be heauie and feelest no comfort yet pray still and giue not ouer for the ende shall bee blessed although the beginning bee desolate Againe as Hoseah teacheth chap. 14. 5. let vs in our mourning take with vs the hope of pardon or else a Christian soule shoulde haue no more feeling then a desperate wretch for we may lawfully perswade our selues how sharpe soeuer we feele our pangs and soule-fits yet there is neuer taken from vs the hope of pardon yea if faith bee not vtterly couered we may bee bolde to assure ourselues of victorie What then how if hope and faith be buried and we yeeld vnto death denying the sweete promises of Christ is not this desperation no verily for as there may bee life in the body although men cannot perceiue it so there may be in the soule although none discerne it for although Dauid said This is my death yet he recouered both life and peace of conscience Therefore a contrite spirit is alway regarded of God and if he euermore loue it in other hee doth also like it in thee Be patient the same hand which made the wounde shall heale the greefe and if thou feele a decay of grace stirre vp thy selfe more earnestly by calling on God and hold fast till the Lord come Receiue good comfort in the middest of thy sorrowes as a watchman espying the dawning long before it bee light although it be bitter in thy mouth it shall bee sweete after digestion and say I will abide the Lords leisure I will drinke his potion it is a cup but not of deadly wine I will receiue it for the purgation of my sinne although it make me sicke The xxj Sermon Vers 13. And rent your harts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repenteth him of the euill THese words are another part of the Prophets exhortation vnto repentance wherein hee noteth the greatest measure of Repentance vnder this metaphor Rent your harts Meaning the most extreme and comfortlesse paines in the action thereof not that indeed men should rip vp their breasts and rend in twaine their harts no more then when our Sauiour biddeth vs cut off the arme or plucke out the eie that offendeth vs wee should dismember our bodies for euery fall or ouersight But by the rending of the hearts wee are taught that the paines of true repentance exceede all other paines death excepted neither whipping of the body as the Iesuites do nor launcing it with kniues as the priests of Baal did or pricking it with bodkins or sickenes or famine or trauaile are comparable to repentance for these may bee quickly eased by man but the other cannot bee redressed but by God Vpon this the godly Israelites pray Iudg. 10. 15. that God would deliuer them meaning from the terrours of their sinne and lay whatsoeuer pleased him vpon them besides The insufferable wounds of a tormented minde are the onely paines which are like to the paines of hell so that neither brimstone nor fire commeth any thing so neer vnto it as this doth Wherupon it was said that good men haue their hell in this life meaning that the paines of repentance are so smart vnto them that it differeth many times verie little from the plagues of the other life Now I beseech you that are godly that haue long rested in this restles harbour to acknowledge with me the truth hereof and you that haue perswaded your selues that not onely teares but easie sighing grones doe goe for payment of your sinnes Learne of me this one lesson that your minds must be more perplexed and your hearts more inwardly vexed not onely for a day but for a longer time yea peraduenture a whole life that you may sing with all the godly The paines of hell came about me The first reason bicause that repentance is the dressing of the soules wound so that as the soule is more dangerous than the bodie so the wound therein must needs be more painfull then a wound in the flesh And for this cause are the ministers charged with the soules of men Heb. 13. 17. because they dresse not their woundes and shew not their sinnes that lie secret in their soules The which account is now a daies little regarded of many ministers ' and lesse of many people one careth not for their sinne and the other regardeth not their soule but the more they be the more is the pitie or rather the more shall be their iudgement Neither let vs be amazed to heare of these vnspeakable gripes of minde for they crie continually in the eares of God for mercie as a wound calleth for a salue Another reason because in repentance men feele the wrath of God against
doe not alway mooue him and shall we then tempt him to our and others euerlasting destruction in his wrath hee is an vnquenchable fire an vnresistable flood an vnpacifiable iudge and a destroyer of all that come in his way But alas with teares we may lament to see him prouoked euery day who is so sicke that sinneth not against him who is so weake that striueth not with him who is so vnwise that pleadeth not with him Looke with teares ouer all sorts of men the poore despise him the lame run from him the blinde come not at him the dumbe speake against him the rich will not feare him and the dead will not confesse him By all meanes we prouoke his wrath by tempting by murmuring by denying by abusing and abasing his glorie We tempt him in thinking he will pardon whatsoeuer we commit we murmur when wee haue not all our desires we denie him when we esteeme not his gospell we abuse him vsing our wealth to luxurie and our meate to gluttonie and wee abase him when wee more feare a mortall mans displeasure then the wrath of the highest When we see the Lord being angrie and so hardly pacified let vs vse all meanes to please him againe although it bee with the hazard of our owne liues as Moses did Deut. 9. 18 19. perceiuing the Lord to be mooued to wrath he fell downe on his face to entreate him for his people tarrying with him fortie daies and fortie nights neither eating nor drinking yea he desired God to be pacified with his people although he rased his name out of the booke of life What coulde bee done with greater zeale or more earnest affection the Lorde was angrie who coulde appease him but Moses and how could he be satisfied but with offering his body to death through fasting and his soule vnto condemnation Marke it I beseech you that we al learne with more zeale to entreate the Lord to be turned towarde vs. Offer we must our bodies to pining our members to tortures our health to sicknesse our wealth to pouertic our pleasure to paine and our life to death rather then the wrath of God shoulde proceede vpon vs. Oh let vs come vnto the Lord and offer him his whole man to satisfie his mercies neither be afraide to doe so but put it in speedie practise Come to him though thou be lame run to him though thou be blinde pray to him though thou be sicke and trust in him though thou be poore Abide not one miserie but all miseries that thou maist dwell with him neither care for the rage of man the want of maintenance the loue of friends or the feare of death for if thou loue these more then him thou art not woorthy of him Hauing willed the sucking babes to come to mourning he also inuiteth the new married folkes bridegroomes and brides to leaue of their vsuall dalliance and come among their neighbours to this sorrowfull banket From whence we obserue that wee must not in any thing be it neuer so lawfull hinder true repentance or the profession of godlinesse For there is nothing more honaurable then marriage more lawfull then a wedding feast more vsuall then pleasant mirth and more commendable then a ioyfull marriage day but all these being hinderances vnto repentance must bee laide aside as a mourner doth his daily attire Wee may reade Luc. 14. 21. how they were cursed that came not to the Lords feast among whome there was one that had married a wife it shall be no excuse before the Lord that they did but the course of the world in vsing these things it were better for vs to forsake our wiues then to loose our soules to renounce our mirth then to relinquish our liues to deferre our pleasure then to depart from the Lord. Let this I beseech you be your care in the Lord that you offend him not in the vse of his creatures neither let those comforts which you receiue in wedlocke in feasting in riches in beautie and the like worke your euerlasting discomfort in another worlde Liue not in mirth for then thou canst not repent reioice not in youth for it is but vanitie distrust thy ioyes for they are deceitfull be not alway mourning for thou canst not be thankfull bee euer repentant that thou maiest bee faithfull One reason heere of is giuen by the Lorde himselfe Ierem. 7. 34 bicause a desolation shall come and of all reasons there is none more forcible then the rod of vengeance and desolation so that in this sort might Ieremy and Ioel and other the Lordes ministers reason with the worlde Laie away your mirth let not the voice of musicke the day of marriage the means of ioyfulnesse or the comfort of pleasure bee had or heard among you for a desolation shall come Drawe the childe from the breast the elders from their ease the married from their loue and the people from their vanitie for a desolation commeth Houses shall be desolate without inhabitants parents shall be desolate without children cities shall be desolate without citizens and whole kingdomes shall bee desolate without professors Therefore put away this ioy like an vnlawfull wife come againe to the Lord with much weeping and reioice not in thy youth or thy age or thy wealth or thy friends or thy marriage Another reason bicause by this kinde of mirth we growe to hardnes of hart and neglect the wrath of God Amos 6. 1 5. It is much that men esteeme not the faire promises and sweete blessings of God but yet it is more fearefull when they make light account of his heauy iudgements Now if you marke who they be that care not for iudgement you shall see that they are those who eate in abundance liue in pleasure enioying wealth and children at their will and want is not knowne vnto them Againe poore people liuing in continuall scarsitie and are content with simple allowance hauing learned the feare of God a shower of raine and a cloudie day humbleth their knees to the earth and lifteth their praiers to heauen Let vs learne not to reioice in any vnlawfull manner all the time that the church of God is in aduersitie Psal 137. 2 3 4. Good men in captiuitie commanded by their enimies to sing one of the songs of Sion refused it bicause they were in a strange lande and so if we hope for mirth and ioy in another worlde let vs refuse it as much as may be in this life present for we be but strangers and pilgrims on the earth And verily if wee consider the matter well we haue as many causes to lament olde and yoong married and vnmarried as these people had to whom Ioell preached Famine was threatned to them but felt of vs they were vnder the Babylonian gouernment and we are subiect to the tyrannie of sathan they had abused manie benefites and prophets of God and so haue we they had reioiced in many worldly pleasures and
grace he giueth more also as Salomon asking for wisedome obtained wisedome and riches or as Ruth desiring to gleane after the reapers Boaz gaue hir leaue to gather among the sheaues and at length made hir ladie and mistresse of all hee had Seeke therefore the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all other thinges as godly children obedient families plentie of victuals peace of life length of daies and glorie euerlasting shall be heaped on thee Againe if abundance followe the profession of religion then it is manifest that when plentie faileth religion also faileth Ierem. 9. 12 13. For as there can bee no preaching when there is no minister so there can be no plentie when there is no professing Oh this cutteth our nation to the quicke for the Lorde by this dearth doth auouch to our faces that there is among vs as great decay of his church as of corne and the seede of the worde hath beene as much choaked and drowned in the hearts of men as the seede of the earth hath beene choaked and drowned in the fieldes of men and what remaineth but as the Prophet saith that the Lorde feede vs with wormewoode and giue vs the bitternesse of gall to drinke I feare greatly if our miserie continue our religion will be cleane abolished and if our want be now redressed we shall be shortly cast into a bed of comfortles troubles for as yet I cannot see any generall or continuall repentance in lamentation Thirdly when the Lorde promiseth them to deliuer them from the reproch of the heathen we may note that it is a great blessing of God to be deliuered from slander Iob 5. 21. To liue without slander it is impossible except wee coulde liue without sinne And therefore if at any time thou bee suspected and defamed praie vnto the Lorde to bee deliuered from it The reasons First bicause life and death are in the power of the toong Prouer. 28. 21. So then who can continue life or bring death but God alone Secondly slanderous toongs doe hate them that are in affliction that is they will then more greeue them and belie them bicause they thinke then will euery body beleeue them Marke this thing well and you shall see that it is the common practise of this age Let vs not open our eares to euerie tale or take heede or aske what other men saie of vs Eccle. 7. 23. for that will hurt vs. And let vs refraine our toongs frō slander or else we haue no religion Iam. 1. 26. The xxvij Sermon Verse 20. But I will remooue farre off from you the northren armie and I will driue him into a lande barren and desolate with his face toward the east sea and his ende to the vtmost sea and his stinke shall come vp and his corruption shall ascende because he hath exalted him selfe to do this AFter the promise of plentie followeth the remoouing away of the Northren armie which are the Locusts palmers and the other noisome beastes who came by a northren winde and therefore are called the Northren armie whom hee will driue away into the wildernesse where they shall all starue and neuer come againe with their face or forefront to the east sea that is the dead sea which lay eastwarde so called bicause neuer any fish coulde liue therein And this is that sea which now couereth all the lande of Sodom and Gomorhe called the lake Asphaltite And his end to the vtmost sea That is the great sea which is called the Mediterranean sea And his stinke shall ascende Meaning there they shoulde lie vnburied and their filthines ascend and remaine odious to God and men From hence when he saith that he wil driue away wee must note that it is onely the Lorde that must take away from vs all noisome and hurtfull things Deut. 32. 39. We haue touched this doctrine alreadie when we shewed in the former chapter that no iudgement can bee remooued by naturall meanes The first reason bicause by this meanes hee is knowne to be the God of the world Exod. 7. 17. Againe as his hand sendeth euill Amos 3. 7. so his hande must remooue euill Esay 49. 9. Let vs therefore learne howsoeuer wee bee annoied to seeke for helpe of God and as we haue beene often admonished let the afflictions of the body wring foorth the teares and praiers of the soule Againe seeing God will driue from vs all hurtfull thinges let vs not feare the sting of death nor the power of the graue Hos 13. 14. And if we beleeue that God shall raise vs vp from death to life why shoulde we thinke that beastes or birdes or afflictions shall euer preuaile against vs It is the better for vs that God alone doth this thing and not our selues for our power is often weakned but his hande and strength is alway mightie Secondlie when he bringeth in the wildernes and dead sea to receiue these deuouring beastes Hee teacheth vs that there is as good vse of the barren as of the plowed lande and of the sea where nothing liueth as of the sea where all engender for these are made to destroy as the other are made to builde vp Whereby we may see that all the creatures of the worlde doe helpe God against his enimies to performe his wrath Ios 10. 12. The cloudes throwe downe stones and the Sunne stoode still a whole day till Iosuah had discomfited all his enimies The first reason bicause they wil not helpe them that God persecuteth Esay 15. 6. Dauid woulde not spare the men that slew Ishboseth his enimie and much more will not the creatures spare or helpe them that are enimies to God Againe the day of wrath is a day of affliction Esay 22. 5. and therefore the creaatures are afraide of iudgement themselues And as Iezabels messengers followed and turned after Iehu hir enimie so all the creatures of God turne after him when he is in war to destroy sinners Let vs therefore learne to look vpon our creator Esay 17. 7. that in this time when time of repentance may be had For as the inhabitants of Ceilah woulde haue betraied Dauid to Saul that hee might slaie him so woulde all the creatures of the Lorde deliuer and betraie vs vnto him though more iustly that he may make an ende of vs. God is almost forgotten among men to be their creator for they giue more reuerence to their parents then to him therefore will the creatures forget vs and deliuer vs vp for spies and enimies as Ioseph gaue Simeon his brother into prison Againe let this generall obedience of the creatures cause vs to walke more righteouslie Esay 33. 15. 16. or else they will one day be reuenged bicause wee haue caused them to bee subiected vnto vanitie What a greeuous thing is it that these dumbe creatures shoulde receiue when God giueth and giue when God asketh and obey when God commaundeth
keepeth life in vs who is able to shewe the cause heereof but the Lorde who knoweth all and if this one blessing shoulde faile vs although our possessions were as great as Salomons yet they woulde not serue vs. Againe let euery man in his place gather this meate and comfort for his life Esay 62. 3. that so we may perfourme the olde commandement of God to Adam that wee eate our meate in the sweate of our faces The Bees will not suffer one drone among them and so let not vs suffer them that are carelesse to prouide some thing whereby their dutie may be discharged to God and their liues preserued in the worlde Secondly he telleth them with what affection they should receiue their meat With praise and thankesgiuing to God Whereby wee may see one principall token of a temperate receiuer in that hee can giue thankes to God for his meate 1. Cor. 10. 25. but gluttons and belli-gods take their meate as Swine doe although with more manners yet with as little reuerence sitting downe to fill their bellies and rising vp to fulfill their pleasures and through immeasurable fulnes their teeth put their mouth to silence and sleepe falleth on them that their harts doe not onely forget their feeder but their maintainer also The first reason bicause it is a token they loue God Deut. 12. 11. and they that loue neuer offend for loue is the fulfilling of the lawe Againe meate is onely blessed vnto them that ioine thankesgiuing with it 1. Sam. 9. 13. So that whatsoeuer is not thankfully receiued must needes be accursed And surely if Paul saide he had rather neuer eate meate as long as hee liued then eate to the offence of his brother wee may more lawfully pine in famine starue in want and perish in distresse of meate rather then God shoulde bee offended Theeues which steale for meate coseners that deceiue for meate beggers that counterfaite for meate idle persons that worke not for meate and rich men that praie not for meate can neuer bee thankefull for that which they eate but all is accursed vnto them Let vs therefore for feare of the curse and especiallie for conscience of death liue soberly in praier in our eating and drinking working and resting sleeping and waking bicause wee knowe not whether wee eate our last morsell as the Israelites which died with meate in their mouthes or worke our last day-worke as the poore man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbaoth or sleepe our last sleepe neuer wake againe Surely as Iacob ended his life when he had blessed his children so shall we be happy if wee ende our liues when we haue praised God Againe let vs not tempt God for meate whatsoeuer distresse wee liue in but seeke it humblie in praier Psal 104. 27. that wee may eate more cheerefully and bee assured that God will continue his blessings for what shall it profite to feede our bodies to the full and let our soules goe starue and pine away to death That the Lord hath This clause is added vnto their praises at meate because then they ought to remember the Lordes benefits the which thing ought to driue away all vaine and foolish table-talke wherein men silence the mercie of God and praise the taste of their meate or the liberalitie of the feast-maker alway thanking him and neuer thinking on God whereas they are bound to do both We may note in these words that God doth not onely vse his ordinarie power in the deliuerie of his church but also his extraordinarie whereby he worketh maruels and woonders 1. Pet. 1. 5. for by the woonderfull power of God are we continued in our profession contained in the church and preserued to life eternall God told Dauid 2. Sam. 12. that if he had not done ynough for him yet he would haue done much more for him so that he hath not limited his power nor his mercie toward the faithfull The reasons first because we should knowe that we are saued through grace and the great power of God 1. Cor. 1. 18. as it is not a light matter to enioy a kingdome so is it not a small matter to climbe vp into heauen but the vnspeakable power of God must be vsed therein Againe the more power he vseth in his church the more must be his glorie Mark 7. 17. and this is the cause why all good men thinke they can neuer praise God ynough although euery day they renewe their thankesgiuing in heauen is the power of God most of all seene and therefore there the angels and saintes doe nothing but praise the power of God And therefore we may hereby learne that all miracles which God doth in the world doe call vs to bee partakers of his kingdome Matt. 12. 28. and if we refuse them and doe not come the same power shall be vsed in our condemnation that is promised in our saluation Neither let vs euer forget the works which God doth for vs Psal 106. 21 22. but remember them in our meate in our beds in our labour in our ease in our watching and in our reioicing that our God may still continue to doe them as we doe still perseuere to remember them Lastly in this verse hee promiseth that they should neuer be more ashamed of any reproches Whereby we may note that religion doth not commit any thing that either we may be ashamed of or repent 1. Cor. 15. 58. for our labour in religion is not in vaine If any thorough the feare or commaundement of God should slay their children as Abraham would or deceiue their maisters as Iacob did or beguile their husbands as Rebecca did or disobey their princes as Moses did or murther their enimies as Sampson did or loose their liues as Christ did yet shall they neuer neede to repent any of them Oh what a maruellous benefite hath a man by religion which he cannot haue by any other thing in the world There is nothing in all the life of man but wee may repent except it bee the feare of God We repent our words our works our expences our gettings our wanderings our negligence our diligence our sleepe meate and money and all We are ashamed of our thoughts our to yes trifles plaies childishnesse wantonnesse loue hatred lust pouertie nakednesse and the very parts of our body but of no part of religion Thou shalt neuer repent that thou forsookest the worlde beleeuedst in the Lord mournedst for thy sinnes studiedst in the scriptures heardest the preachers was obedient to the gospell praiedst many howers watched many nights fasted many daies endured many troubles and shalt die any death for the Lords sake seeing heauen is thy rest Nay rather we see many men in their death-beds wish with teares that they had hawked and hunted and plaied and laboured and loued and hated much lesse for now in their sicknesse their sinnes come on them as the Philistines came on Sampson when
and the posteritie of the righteous much happier and godlier if more often with Moses wee remember him to take awaie his wrath by continuing his church Another vse are wee taught Ier. 32. 39. which is that wee likewise pray that our posteritie may haue one and a single hart that they may dwell for euer in the presence of God We can no way so much benefite our posteritie as by praying for them for then wee lay vp their treasure in heauen before the Lord making him the ouerseer of our willes and his kingdome their inheritance So that as hee promised Dauid that he should neuer want a man to sit on his throne if they would continue in his couenant so may euery righteous man assure himselfe that they shall neuer want posteritie if they continue in the Lords worship As there is but one God so men should haue but one hart and as there is but one heauen so men shoulde haue but one soule now the hart is one when it abideth in the worship of God but when it wauereth and is distracted into as many follies as affections there is no hart at all as it is all one to make mo gods and to denie God so is it all one to haue many harts and no hart Therefore pray for thy children whom thou hast nourished in the worlde that they may bee single harted and remaine before the Lorde for euer and euer for surely if they multiply their harts God wil remooue their graces For as Ahab by seeking to winne Ramoth-Gilead lost his owne life because he woulde encrease his territories so shall wee loose our owne soules if wee enlarge our harts for more vanitie Remember that Ierusalem was so built as it was at vnitie in it selfe and so must euery member of Ierusalem that is of the church haue one hart in himselfe that his hart may fit the Lorde and his soule may serue for heauen Secondly wee may obserue in this verse that the policie of wicked men cannot alway preuaile against the good Psal 124. 1 2 3. It was one of the wonders of the world that euer the counsell of Achitophel was so soone confounded that hee tooke against Dauid but the Lords hand was in it for seeing he had promised that Dauid shoulde raigne was not wise Achitophel a foole that woulde assay to breake the couenant and so were these gentiles in taking counsell against the Iewes to keepe them from euer returning to their countrie againe The first reason the Lord will purge iniquitie from his sanctuarie Dan. 8. 13 14. and therefore he will not suffer iniquitie to ouerthrowe his sanctuarie For the policie of wicked men in the destruction of the godly is not so much against mankinde as it is to burie for euer the worship and worshippers of God Would God that this reason might be well waighed of them who are euermore corrupting the sanctuarie of God who broach all the deuises of the world to corrupt the gospell But as the Romaine Image standing in the holy place was called the abhomination of desolation in like manner shall the imaginations of hereticall and proud men standing in the church be called the abhominable desolation of religion Another reason because good men might not fall from God by enduring their iniuries Psal 125. 4. and therefore be assured if God will make one of his owne saints worth a thousand of his enimies then will hee rather destroy their counsels then want his worshippers The vse is let vs then knowe that not all the counsell of men nor all the policie of the diuell nor all the power of the angels shall euer cast downe the members of Christ Apoc. 7. 3. Oh sweete instruction for vs miserable deemed wretches when we neede not to feare all the engins and deuises of the diuell if hee stirre vp princes yet God is greater if wise men God is wiser if strong men Christ is stronger and if learned men yet God catcheth the learned What shall I say more all the diuels in hell cannot take away one soule from the Lord. They are bound they cannot roue they are muzled they cannot rore they are ruled they cannot rage and they are damned they cannot hurt vs. Nay they can neither hurt body nor soule for the same that redeemed soules redeemed bodies and preserueth both Therefore feare not death that hath lost his sting and feare not the diuell that hath lost his force Another vse let this confidence for our raising vp out of miserie into glorie out of iniquitie into holinesse out of death into life and quitteth vs from the wicked stirre vp euery mans soule and hart to cleaue to the Lorde for euermore for as Dinah was safe in her fathers house and none could touch her so shall we be safe in the Lords presence none can hurt vs. Thirdly by this verse when he laieth to their charge the selling of his people that they might neuer return againe which they coulde not bring to passe but yet hee telleth them he woulde punish them wee may note that God punisheth our deuises and thoughts of euill although they proceede no farther as if the thing had beene effected and the sinne perfected Genes 11. 4 8. The builders of Babell thought to builde a tower to reach to heauen but they coulde not preuaile and yet God punished their enterprise by confounding their language So that imagine with thy selfe howe often thou hast stollen by coueting howe often thou hast committed adulterie by lusting and how often thou hast deserued actuall punishment by mentall transgressing wee doe therefore all of vs most iustlie suffer the danger of all kinde of deathes because we liue in the danger of all kinde of sinne neither is there anie man liuing but at one time or other hee hath lusted after euerie sinne that he knewe for if we knewe not sinne we shoulde not sinne And indeede these builders and this building of Babel doth notablie describe and decypher vnto vs the nature of sinners and sinne for as Babell was built without God his consent so is sinne as the builders made the substance and frame thereof of themselues so do wee of sinne As they did it to continue their names that the floud shoulde no more ouerflowe them not trusting to the former promises of God so doe sinners forsake God his promise and for worldly causes fall into many follies Againe as they would build neuer cease building till they had brought it vp to heauen so is the measure of sin it woulde neuer cease till it ascended vp into the sight of God and filled all the space betweene heauen and earth And lastly as the building was not staied but by the confounding of their toongs so shall not sinne be staied but by confounding the soules of men The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause they which consent to sinne and goe no farther are woorthie of death Rom 1. 32. So that it
harts when they be ioyfull for as Herod was strooke with death while hee sate vpon his throne of maiestie so are we neuer neerer to our woe than when we are mounted to honour or seated in quietnesse The phisitions say that want of motion and loue of rest breedeth more diseases than all euill surfeits and so must we say that are the phisitions of mens soules that moe perish by ease than by labour by ioie than by sorrow by pleasure than by paine and by idle religion than by earnest and zealous profession The reasons the same that Isay taught chap. 65. 12. because God is refused in his word and good reason why it should be so for as already we haue shewed that the word must be a light for our pathes and a remembrancer to our soules which being forgotten no maruell if in our greatest securitie the Lords wrath ouertake vs. Therefore let the idle followers of the gospell perswade their soules with more zeale and diligence to bee informed by the Lord least the wrath take them sleeping or selling or drinking or playing or dicing or dauncing to their condemnation Secondly another reason because they loue pleasure more than God 2. Tim. 3. 4. therefore as Saneherib Isay 37. was slaine at that instant when hee was worshipping his idoll so shall their bane bee wrought when they are in their belly-worship following their pleasing delights Let vs therefore neuer put danger out of our mindes but then when wee are in most quiet comfort of soule and body let vs trouble our peace with one thought or other Mich. 3. 11. If thou haue children feare their death if thou haue parents feare their wrath if thou haue friends feare their hatred and if thou haue health feare thy sicknesse if thou be ioyfull at a feast thinke on the miserie of famine if at a pleasure thinke vpon the paine of the wounded if at libertie thinke vpon the irons of the imprisoned if in life thinke on the pangs of death Neuer exempt thy selfe from danger but in peace remember warre in youth remember age in play remember labour and in the heauen of the worldes delight thinke vpon the hell of another life Let sorrow be in thy sense mourning in thy soule danger in thy life feare in thy musicke trouble in thy sleepe paine in thy health want in thy plentie dislike in thy loue and distrust in thy desire so shalt thou neuer be called to sicknes but with lesse griefe or to danger but with lesse feare or to death but with lesse trouble or to iudgement but thou shalt be prouided for it Another vse seeing the wicked shall be drawen to iudgement in their greatest securitie then we may learne whether they feare wrath and euil or feare it not yet all is one it shall come vpon them Dauid said that the feare of the wicked shall fall on him and herewee see Ioel saith that though they sleepe yet shall they be awaked with and for their danger so that if wicked men feare their sorrowe is the more and if they feare not their danger is not the lesse Oh miserable captiuitie of wicked men which are hardened to feele more paine and softened to feare more wrath would not this bring vs out of loue with our sinne and make vs earnestly to lament our follies which giue vs no peace till we desire them and no rest after wee possesse them But of this often haue wee spoken before For there will I sit When he saith that he will sit in iudgement we may note that the Lord will with no labour condemne the wicked as it is Mal. 1. 4. euen as one that sitteth in al ease Againe in this that he sitteth in iudgement he alludeth to the iudgements of men which were most lawfull shewing that his proceedings against the wicked were not vniust or extraordinarie but according to equity But this is especially to be regarded when he nameth the persons whom he will iudge saying all the heathen rounde about meaning all those which dwelt neere vnto Israell Whereby we are taught that those which are our neighbours and see our worship and liue neere or among vs and yet be not of vs but are our enimies God will iudge them more seuerly Ierem. 12. 14. For if they which liue among vs and see euerie day the workes of God for vs and in vs will not be ruled by vs or turned to vs they may waite for the heauier iudgement And therefore was Philisthia more iudged then Arabia and Syria more vexed then Ethiopia because they were on the confines of Israell Then surely this may teach the loose Protestants and vaine professors among vs what great daunger they liue in all this while they haue heard the Gospell and not beleeued it the neerer they were to the truth the more is the Lordes wrath against them and the longer they haue liued in our peace and seene the glorious workes of God the more shall bee their heauie iudgement It were better for them that they liued in Rome or in Barbarie or in Tartarie where the gospell is not talked of for then should they be farther from danger but now they liue with vs eating at our tables treading on our Land standing in our churches cloathed with our garments and blessed by our God Oh how deere shall they pay for all these benefits for the Lord will iudge them that dwell neere vs much more them that dwel with vs he will condemne them that dwel about vs much more them that dwell among vs. The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause they should be subiect to the church Isa 60. 5. The members of the church are the true lawfull kings of the world all other ought to be their subiects therefore when the subiect rebelleth against his naturall prince he is more punished then a stranger so when the neerest neighbours of the church are most of all negligent they are more endangered then other are for when the Lord giueth most meanes of instruction such as is to liue among the godly then he rewardeth such neglect or contempt with more seuere punishment Another reason because they should succour thē in their necessitie Isa 21. 14. but if they will taste of their benefits and not beleeue their sayings or cōfort them in their sorrowes they are the more woorthie to be destroyed The vse let vs neuer meddle against good men Matth. 27. 19. for their iniuries will be rewarded double vpon our heads If thou liue with them honour them if thou heare of them goe visite them if they teach thee beleeue them if they want thee relieue them and neuer be an enimie vnto them The Lord saith that our treading on the earth is sufficient to make vs without excuse if we beleeue him not and then surely it is sufficient to condemne those that liue vnder the Gospell and receiue not the Gospell that they tread on our lande see our
churches reade our bookes and beleeue not our Sermons Now thinke with thy selfe that hast liued thus long in a strange place yet knowest not nor obeyest the Lord of that place art thou not in danger to be arraigned for rebellion Yes verily and so are all those that liue with good men and know them not that may haue the truth and labour not for it that might be saued and yet will be reprobated Be not therefore an enimie to godlines or to any member of the church for if thou heare them not their words will hurt thee if thou helpe them not their wants will witnesse against thee and if thou oppresse them the Lord himselfe will iudge thee The xl Sermon Vers 13. Put in your sithes for the haruest is ripe come get you downe for the wine-presse is full yea the wine-presse runneth ouer for their wickednesse is great 14. O multitude ô multitude come into the valley of threshing for the daie of the Lorde is neere in the valley of threshing AT the length by the assistance of God we are come to the last part of the execution contained vnder the allegorie of an haruest and threshing of corne In the haruest and wine-presse we must consider their death and vnder the threshing their condemnation For the first where hee compareth their destruction to a haruest he doth but as it is vsuall in the Scriptures both olde and newe to set foorth a massacre of men by cutting downe of corne the which is applied to the latter iudgement in the Reuelation onely heere is mention made of sithes but there the angels are saide to reape with sickles the matter is all one for as one saide Non multum refert an vno grandi fluctu an paulatim aqua subrepente nauis submergatur It commeth all to one thing to haue a shippe drowned either with one great waue or by a leake and it is no matter whether a mā be killed with a sword or a rapier so the iudgement is alike both with the sickle and with the sythe By the allegorie both of the haruest and of the wine-presse wherein there is not a stalke but it is cut nor a grape but it is pressed out we may note that not one shall escape the iudgement of God Amos 9. 2. The which thing the Lorde by this plaine similitude woulde haue vs obserue that euery day wee might see our miserie and learne to mitigate the wrath of God towarde vs. Neither is the estate of the wicked more tolerable bicause it seemeth they are heere compared to corne for it is but the woorst and basest corne such as is cut with the sythe not reaped with a sickle For although they are corne yet they are not for the Lordes spending Dauid saith they lie like sheepe in hell are they the better in hell bicause they are compared to sheepe no verily no more are they the happier bicause they are resembled to corn The reason of this vniuersall iudgement is because the Lorde will bring euery action whether it be good or bad vnto iudgement Eccl. 12. 14. If he will bring euery action then much more euerie man for euery man hath a thousand actions all which shall be so adiudged as we shall know the particular censure of God vpon euery one of them Seeing therefore there is not one man in the worlde but hee must come to iudgement as there is not one stalke in a corne-fielde but it must be cut downe and as the apostle saith 2. Cor. 5. 10. that wee must euery one appeere before the iudgement seate of God then let vs liue in the continuall expectation thereof A man that is wrongfully imprisoned thinketh it long till the iudge come who will set him at libertie because he knoweth his iniurie in like sort a man that is a christian is a prisoner in this worlde hauing his flesh for his gaole his sinnes for his irons the diuels for his keepers and Christ his Sauiour for his iudge thinketh long till his iudge come and set him at libertie and therefore desireth euery day to come into the presence of God A iudgement we must all vndergo therefore they are happy men that desire the same let not any be so wilfull as to wish there were none for they which cannot like iudgement doe denie iustice and they which denie iustice shall certainely feele it Appeere before the Lorde often with thy praiers that hee may knowe thee at the generall iudgement Be not as vnwilling to come before him as a theefe that careth not for the face of the iudge but as Ioseph thought long till hee sawe his father Iacob after he knew hee was aliue so doe thou thinke euerie daie manie yeeres till thou haue seene the Lorde in his kingdome Againe when in the second place he mentioneth the wine presse saying it runneth ouer and their wickednesse is great he thereby noteth the qualitie of sinne namely if God had not set a measure thereof it would growe immeasurable for as the measure of the wine presse neuer staieth till it bee full and when it is full it ceaseth not till it runne ouer so will the sinnes of men neuer cease til they exceede measure Ier. 9. 3. whereby we may see a wonderfull worke of God for there is not one man liuing but he hath in him the seede and spawne of all sinne now it is wonderfull that euery one groweth not and that any man liuing should haue in him any little drop of goodnesse We may also lament our corrupt and sinfull estate that during the time of our life we are subiect to all sinne for there is no subiect so true but if God let him fall he will become a traitor no woman so honest but she may become an adulteresse no man so righteous but he may become a theefe and to conclude there is not any so glorious but hee may be as infamous for as we are subiect to all sicknesses so are we to all sinnes O miserable men that wee are who shall deliuer vs from these bodies of sinne it is borne with vs it groweth with vs it liueth with vs and it dieth with vs it is the death of it selfe and the death of vs the death of it selfe by killing vs and the death of vs by exceeding measure for as the sonnes of Zeruiah were too strong for Dauid although he was king so our sinnes are too strong for vs although we shoulde rule them We were happy men if our sins were not or if they were not so immesurable They will com at the first to be our slaues as the Philistines but in the end they will be our lords as they would be to Israell Oh woulde God we might conquer them and driue them out of our soules as they expelled the Philistines out of Ierusalem The reason is because the power of sathan which is the efficient cause of sinne doth encrease to deceiue vs 2. Thess 2. 9 11. The diuell
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs
welth nor forsake your life but cast away vaine mirth idle talke wicked hope wretched behauiour leaue your sins to the diuel frō whence they came giue thy soule to the Lord frō whence it came Elisha did but require of Naaman to go into the riuer seuen times he shuld be clean which his seruants tolde him was but a small thing so we require you but to wash your souls with the water of your eies and you shal be as free from death as Naaman was from the leprosie But why should I need to instruct you are you not minded like Ieremie that of himselfe desired riuers of teares to weep for his people so be you not backward but of your own accord so that you may plese the lord desire that you were al teares to lamēt throughly the miseries of the world Oh lament with speed tarrie not or else it wil be too late whē you shal see before your eies the litle infants quartred the aged persons mangled the cruell heathens aduanced the poore christians dying the aire thundering the earth quaking vnder you and the cloudes rayning downe fire and vengeance Another vse is this that we be so minded at the hearing of the Lordes iudgements as if they were presently to be executed It was a great fault in the Israelites that whensoeuer the prophet spake any thing to them they presently thought and saide this shall not bee yet it will be a good while before it come to passe and we neede not care for wee may bee dead and gone out of the way ere this bee fulfilled Ezech. 12. 27. 28. but the Lorde rebuketh that follie and biddeth the prophet tell them that it shall bee shortly performed And so the like rage possesseth the heades and braines of many in our daies which although they knowe that it is true that is tolde them of a destruction yet euery one thinketh it shall not be this yeere nor in our Queenes daies nor so long as the Gospell remaineth and therefore they will possesse al their vanity rather then be humbled But this ought not to beso yea rather hasten out of this securitie as Lot out of Sodom and the Israelites out of Egypt that thou maiest escape it whensoeuer it commeth It is better with the wise virgines to be readie an houre or two or three too soone then with the foolish to tarrie a quarter of an howre too late Therefore admit the danger bee not as yet yet bicause wee are nowe warned let vs now be prepared shall we not make as great account of the Lords louing mercie as of our owne health yes yes my beloued and therefore let vs arise to lamentation bicause the Lord calleth for it although there were no danger following after But wee are like the disciples which coulde not watch but sleepe euen then when Christ was in most danger although our Sauiour did manie times awake them till at length the enimie came vpon them and they were all driuen to forsake Christ so I praie God our like securitie bee not with the like danger awakened for I feare if the mercifull voice of a Sauiour will not mooue vs the terrible crie and swordes of enimies will amaze vs. As a destruction In these wordes is the general cause of the lamentation described bicause the Lords wrath is kindled to make a destruction Wherein there is to bee noted that nothing doth so much feare and terrifie good men as the anger of God Deuter. 9. 17 18. When Moses perceiued that God was angrie hee fell downe flat on his face and besought God neither eating nor drinking for fortie daies and nights togither was not their feare great that made this good man to aduenture his life by so long fasting and his soule by desiring to bee razed out of the booke of life yes verily for the anger of the Lord mooued him more then if he had seene all the worlde on fire about his eares But carnall Gospellers and carelesse Atheists as they thinke it a farre more lesse matter to please God then to please man so they deeme it a lesse matter to haue God angry with them then the prince or some great rich men that may hinder their worldly estimation Alas alas if Saule were fearefull to a thousande Dauid was to tenne thousande and if worldly men may a little terrifie the flesh the God of the worlde may infinitelie plague the spirite Therefore put on this affection that we may knowe what to thinke of the wrath of God if the anger of a prince be the messenger of death much more is the wrath of God the herauld of condemnation When Assuerus was angrie presently Hamans face was couered and he carried to execution woulde not Haman giue all his possessions to haue retained the fauour of the king so likewise aduenture any thing rather then to stirre vp the coales of the Lordes wrath by which thou thy selfe and all thy neighbours shall be burned without mercy Oh therefore studie to knowe howe to auoide his displeasure and to retaine his louing countenance and let not the loue of any sinne so bewitch thee that thou procure his vengeance in working thy desire The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause none can bee an intercessour or a friende to God being angrie 1. Sam. 2. 25. that is there is not anie mortall man that can doe any such a pleasure as to staie the Lords wrath from falling on him or that may bee able to stande in the gap of the Lordes wrath The which consideration might most effectually admonish all our presumptuous companions which thinke that the Lord is pinned to their sleeues imagining him to be such a childe as might bee lost with an apple and wonne with a trifle againe but they shall finde it a farre more heauie matter when no offers of gold no intreaties offriends no teares of greefe no nor yet the fruit or blood of their bodies shal pacifie or recompence him for their sins This ought to make vs account highly of the mediation intercessiō of Christ and not to tread vnder our feete his glorious blood shedding after we be once reconciled Another reason is because it is a most fearefull thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. such a fearefull thing as passeth all vnderstanding and therefore who but mad men will run too farre into this danger Although Dauid chose rather to fall into the hands of God then men because he was well assured the iudgement was but a fatherly correction and not a reuenging punishment yet we must know that he knew that it would bee but a corporall or bodily death but we are not assured of halfe so much yea happie were we if the wrath of God did but reach to our bodies and that he would be satisfied for our sinnes if we lost our children and wealth and friendes and health and life or that if we could endure all