simplicity as intending to beguile God which he cannot and man which he fain would and oft doth to further his worldly and wicked designes as Judas Herod Matth. 2.8 Pharisees Mat. 23.14 2. Falshoud opposite to truth as onely acting religion playing devotion compassiong God with deceit as the house of Israel here deceiving him not by impotency onely and in the event but by imposture and so in purpose contenting themselves with a shew with a semblance Luke 8.18 with a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 rather â—eeming to be good then seeking to be so These are hells free-holders and other sinners are said but to have their part with them There are that thus interpret this Text Ephraim compasseth me the Prophet preaching mercy and promising good things they beset me and gather close about me as desirous of my doctrine but it is in mendacio in hatâ—full hypocrysic see Ezek. 33.31 32. and when I crosse them never so little they craftily conspire to prejudice my Ministery to asperse my person c. To preach saith One is nothing else but to derive the rage of the whole world upon a mans self to become the But-mark yea the Center ad quod omnes lineae dolorum tendunt Meisner in loc to which all the lines of lies and falsehoods do tend but Judah yet ruleth with God To serve God is to rule with him as Livia said she ruled her husband Augustus by obeying him It is the greatest liberty Rom. 6.18 22. 1 Pet. 2.16 Abraham was a prince of God Jacob prevailed with God and had power as a Prince Gen. 32.28 Moses as if he had been Chancellour of heaven over-ruled the businesse and God is fain to bespeak his own freedom Exod. 32.10 Judah also is here said to rule with God to be potent with him because God was sincerely served amongst them and they held fast their first integrity the true religion was openly professed and the true worship of God incorruptly maintained in the Temple at Jerusalem This made Abijah though none of the best so boldly to boast and he prevailed so that there fell down of Israel slain four hundred thousand 2 Chron. 14.10 17. and yet the men of Judah that slew them were but four hundred thousand ina ll verse 3. Israels Apostacy is here aggravated by Judah's integrity they were not under the temptation of evil example Judah was the worse for them and not they for Judah and is faithfull with the Saints Or with the most Holy he keepeth the faith to God those Holy Ones the Father Son and Holy Spirit so some sence it as Josh 24.19 Prov. 9.10 he is far from those false and fraudulent dealings wherewith the ten Tribes seek to circumvent and beguile god Or thus Jâ—xlah is faithfull with the saints of former ages he holds to his old principles to the good old way wherein Abraham and the other Ancients went before him He is also faithfull with such as are sanctified the true priests of God consecrated to himself and set apart for holy use In opposition to the ten Tribes who went after those leaden priests made by Ieroboam of the lower sort of the people and well fitted to golden deities Lastly he is faithfull with the people of God those good souls that left the ten Tribes and went to Judah to the true worship of God With these Judah was faithfull courteous and communicative embracing and encouraging them all that might be This was a singular commendaton CHAP. XII Verse 1. EPhraim feedeth on wind Slender feeding unlesse Ephraim were of the Chamaeleon-kind quippe nec cor auro satiatur nec corpus aura Wind fills Esay 55.10 2 Cor. 9.10 but feeds not Ephraim had sowed the wind chap. 8.7 but to what profit Hee that ministreth seed to the sower and bread to the eater would here surely neither give bread for food nor multiply their seed sown but send them to the gods that they had chosen and to their confederates whom they so relied upon from whom they should reap the whirlwind See the Note on chap. 8.7 Wind we know bloweth up storms and tempests so doth idolatry and creature-confidence the tempest of Gods wrath that will never be blown over and followeth after the East-wind Which if he catch a great catch he is like to have of it Eurus est ventus urens exsiccans The East-wind is noted in Scripture for pernicious and hurtfull to fruits and herbs Gen. 41.6 Ezek. 7.10 and 29.17 Hos 13.15 violent it is also and spareth not men Ion. 4.8 The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a burning blast as they do the former words Ephraim is an evil spirit by a mistake of the points Iob speaketh of some that fill their bellies with the East-wind they think to do so but it proves otherwise they snuff up the wind with the wild-asse but it tumours them onely and proves pestilentiall It is very dangerous for men to follow after their own conceits and counsels It may be worse to them upon their death-beds when they are lanching into the main of Immortality Euroaquilo then any rough East-wind or then any Euroclydon that wind mentioned Acts 27.14 Vna erusque uotusque ruunt Virg. that hath its name from stirring up stormes and is by Pliny called Navigantium pestis the Mariners misery An empty body meeting with tempests will have much ado to bear up If Ephraim first seed upon wind and then fall under the East-wind it must needs go hard with him The godly man who is filled with all the fulnesse of God Ephes 3.19 shall have him for a refuge from the storme a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storme against the wall Esay 25.4 His prayer is that of Ieremy chap. 17. vers 17. Be not thou a terrour unto me O Lord thou art my hope in the day of evil If the wind be not got into the earth and stir not there storms and tempests abroad cannot make an earthquake no more can afflictions or death an heart-quake where there is peace with God Such a mans mind immota manet is as mount Zion which cannot be removed He daily increaseth lies and desolation This being the fruit and consequent of those for flagitium flagellum sicut acus filum sinne and punishment are inseparable companions Wo unto them for they have fled from me destruction unto them because they have transgressed against me Hos 7.13 See the Note there To heap up lies is to hasten desolation A false witnesse shall not be unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish Prov. 19.9 They tell us of a threefold lie i. e. A merry lie an officious lie and a pernicious lie But the truth is every lie is pernicious and a man should rather die then lie He that lieth in jest may go to hell for it in earnest Iacob told his father an officious three-foldlie
that he would set up his own kingdome here more and more amongst us then should were be more happy then the Israelites were under the raigne of king Solomon or the Spaniards under their Ferdinand the third who reigned 35. years in all which time there was neither famine nor pestilence in the land Lopez Gloss in prolog par 1 Vers 13. Your words have been stout against me Or reenforced or strongly confirmed Superant me verba vestra so some have rendred it By your hard and hatefull words you have been too hard for me as it were And it is as if God should say I have given you my best advice o break off your sinnes and to bring me my tythes that I might blesse you both with store and honour But I have lost my labour I see well my sweet words are worse then spilt upon you who are so hardened in your errour and blasphemy Prov. 23.8 Verba quid incassum non proficientia perdo Mal. 2.17 that you are still clamouring and casting out odious words against me Once before you had set your foul mouthes against me and like so many wolves that were wood you held up your heads and howl'd out these ugly words Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them c. was it possible that the wit of malice could devise so high a slander And now you are at it again creaking like doors that move upon rusty hinges nay clattering and blustering out such hellish and hideous blasphemies as at the hearing whereof it is great wonder if the heavens sweat not earth gape not sea roar not all creatures conspire not to be avenged upon you as the very stones in the wall of Aphek turned executioners of those blasphemous Aramites when as being but ignorant Pagans their tongues might seem no slander Your words have been stout against me Yea stouter and stouter your wickednesse frets like a canker and encreaseth still to more ungodlinesse 2 Tim. 2.17 Evil men and deceivers grow worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 as being given up by God Rom. 1.28 acted and agitated by the devil Ephes 2.2 serving diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 which to satisfie is an endlesse piece of businesse Neither let any here say they were but words that these are charged with and words are but wind c. for words have their weight and are marvellous provoking Leviter volant sed non leviter violant You shall find some saith Erasmus that if death be threatned can despise it but to be belied they cannot brook nor from revenge contain themselves As a murthering-weapon in my bones saith David mine enemies reproach me Psal 42.10 Desperate speeches and blasphemies that impose upon the Lord any thing unbeseeming his Majesty a thing common among the Jews even at this day he can by no means away with See how God stomacketh such proud contumelious language Psal 73.11 and 94.4 5 6 7 c. Zeph. 1.12 Ezech. 9.9 See how he punished it in him that bored thorough his great Name Lev. 24.11 Ludovike commonly called St. Lewis caused the lips of blasphemers to be seared with an hot iron Philip the French King punished this sin with death yea though it were committed in a Tavern The very Turks have the Christians blaspheming of Christ in execration and will punish their prisoners sorely when as through impatience or desperatenesse they wound the ears of heaven Yea the Jews in their speculations of the causes of the strange successe of the affairs of the world Specul Europae assigne the reason of the Turks prevailing so against the Christians to be their blasphemies and among other scandals and lets of their conversion are all those stout words darted with hellish mouthes against God in their hearing so ordinarily and openly by the Italians especially who blaspheme oftner then swear and murther oftner then revile or slander Andrew Musculus in his discourse intituled The devil of blasphemy hath a memorable story of a desperate dice-player in Helvetia Anno 1553. at a town three miles distant from Lucerna Where on a Lords-day three wretched fellows were playing at dice under the town-wall One of them named Vlricus Schraeterus having lost a great deal of money swore that if he lost the next cast he would fling his dagger at the sace of God He lost it and in a rage threw up his dagger with all his might toward heaven The dagger vanished in the air and was seen no more five drops of blood fell down upon the table where they were playing which could never be washed out part of it is still kept in that town for a monument the blasphemer to say the best of him was fetcht away presently body and soul by the devil with such an horrible noise as affrighted the whole town The other two came to a miserable end shortly after The truth of this relation is further attested by Job Fincelius and Philip Lonicerus Theat histor pag. 142. yet ye say What have we spoken so much against thee Chald What have we multiplied to speak before thee As if they should say â—t is not so much that we have spoken that thou shouldest make such a businesse of it Nothing more ordinary with gracelesse men then to elevate and extenuate great sins with them are small sins and small sins no sins when as every sinne should swell like a toad in their eyes and the abundant hatred thereof in their hearts should make them say all that can be said for the aggravation and detestation of it sith there is as much treason in coyning pence as bigger pieces because the supreme authority is as much violated in the one as in the other But this sin of theirs was no peccadillo as appeareth by the following instance Verse 14. Ye have said It is vain to serve God Vulg. He is vain that serves God Ye are idle ye are idle said Pharaoh to the Israelites when they would needs go sacrifice and to Moses and Aaron Ye let the people from their works Any thing seems due work to a carnall mind saving Gods service that 's labour lost time cast away they think But this is their want of spirituall judgement they see not the beauty of holinesse they taste not how good the Lord is they discern not things that are excellent they measure all by present sight sense and taste as do children swine and other bruit creatures And therefore they themselves are vani vanissimi as an Expositor here speaketh vain and most vain and that for two reasons and in two respects First for that they take themselves to be servers of God Secondly they stick in the bark serve him with the out-side onely honour him with their lips and not with their hearts to bring him vein oblations empty performances serve him wih shews and formalities which he delights not in nay he rejects them with infinite scorn as he did the Pharisees devotions
assembling of our selves together as the Apostle speaketh is not farr from inward or outward Apostacy z ib Heb 3.12 13 Against which woefull evâ—ll txhortation is there fitly prescribed as a precious preservative For indeed and that 's a second settlement he that hath exhorted another to duty hath after a sort ingag'd himself to the performance thereof and laid a new tye upon his own conscience to perseverance therein lest haply he hear Physitian heal thy self a Luc. 4 23 or Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self b Rom 2 Besides thirdly the promise of increase made to this spirituall no lesse then to that other corporall almes that he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully c 2 Cor. 9.6 And the liberall man deviseth liberall things and by liberall things he shall stand d Isa 32 8 And to him that hath namely for use and increase shall be given and he shall abound e Mat. 25 29 Whereas from him that hath not in manner aforesaid shall be taken away even that he seemed to have with the slothfull servant he shall surely come to poverty for withholding that which was meet with Solomons sluggard when he that scatterâ—th increaseth f Prov 11 24 He shall have his arme clean dryed up and his eyes uâ—terly darkened with those Idol-shepheards g Zach. 11.17 in Zachary that had eyes and saw not hands and handled not the law I mean which they ought to have seen into and hanaled h Ier. 2 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dividing it aright as St. Paul speaketh i 2 Tim 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as good sâ—ewards of the manisold grace of God received distributing to every man his just measure of sit mâ—at in due season k Luc. 12 42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Servi inquit Donatus quaternos modios frumenti accipiebant in mensem id demensum dicebatur So that it is a high point of spi â—ituall thirst to be much in holy confâ—rence and calling upon others to duty which they that do often are as gardens whose spices slow out l Cant 4.16 a liberall house keepers the dores of whose lips are a wayes open to the feeding of of many m Pro 10.21 their path is as the morning light that shines more and more to the perfect day n Pro 4.18 they shall never be of thoâ—e that draw back to perdition but of them that beleeve to the salvation of the soule o Heb. 10. ult Reas 5. And that 's a second reason drawn from our selves The third followeth respecting others and Fiâ—st the better sort shall be hereby 1. curb'd and cal'd back from sin 2. quickened and confirm'd in duty Next the worser sort of people shall be hereby partly consutâ—d paâ—tly defeated For the first of these This mutuall encouragement in well doing this christian confere◠〈◊〉 and grave advise this turning of a sinner from the errour of his way may if God be so pleas'd save a soule from death aâ—â— hander or cover a multitude of sins p Iam. 5. ult Now sin is an evill so mischievous so murtherous to mankinde that all sorts should set against it and do thâ—â—r utmost to club it down where ever they meete with it As grace o' tother side is so amiable so profitable that every one should strive by word or dâ—â—d to propagate and further it wheresoever and whereinsoever he is able A maine help to both which is godly conference and christian exhortation And 2. for recovering others out of their revolts and relapses who can tell how far David would have run on in the revenge of a private injury had he not been timely taken off and disarm'd by a discreet Abigail Doâ—h he not soone after blesse God for her blesse her for her counsell and her counsell for his restraint from that bloody designe q 1 Sa. 25.23 And another time when he had grâ—flâ—ly and grievously over-shot himself in the matter of Vriah did not the Prophet Natâ—an joynt and restore him againe r Gal 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a long relapse by a private admonition Å¿ 2 Sa. 12.13 So forcible are right words t Job 6.25 saith lob And a word upon his wheelâ—s saith Solomon is like apples of Gold with pictures of Silver u Prov. 25 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his circumferences 1. circumstances Nathans private discourse so God would have it to shew his liberty of working by what ordinances he best pleaseth was at that time more effectuall with David then any or all the lectures of the law or dayly services of the Temple And the words of Naamans servants greater in operation then the words of that great Prophet Elisha x 2 King 5 13 In vita Iunius professeth of himself that being strongly tempted to Atheiâ—me and prevail'd with the very first thing that helped him out was the talking with a country-man of his not far from Florence B. Ridly was converted by Bertrams book of the Sacrament and confirâ—md by conference with Cranmer Pet. Martyr Act. an I Mon of the church Ib. and his manner of expressing himself And I was an obstinate papist saith Latimer as any was in England Insomuch that when I should be made Batchelour of Divinity my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon and his opinions Bilney afterwards Martyr heard me at that time and perceived that I was zealous without knowledge and came to me afterwards into my study and desired me for Gods sake to hear his confession I did so and to say the truth I learn'd more by his confession then afore in many yeers So from that time forward I began to smell the word of God and forsake the schoole-doctours and such like fopperies I need not repeat here how those two godly bishops Ridly and Farrar were both taken off from their evill purposes and promises the one of going to masse and the other of receiving the Eucharist in one kinde only by the sweet and seasonable disswasion of blessed Bradford their fellow-prisoner Neither is this christian conference more availeable for the curbing of some from committing of sin then for quickening of others to the doing of duty The words of the wise are not only like nailes y Eccl. 12.11 or shepheards-pinns whereby they used to fasten their sheep-folds to the ground to rectifie and restrain from sin to hold up the hands that hang down and the seeble knees lest that which is lame be turned out of the way z Heb. 12.13 but also like goads to prick forward those that are slow of heart a Luc. 24.25 like whetstones to edge and encager them that be dull of hearing b Heb. 5.11 for as iron shar peneth iron so doth the face of a man his friend c Prov. 27.17 like cordials to fetch againe those that are fooeble minded d 1 Thes
A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon The XII Minor Prophets Wherein the Text is explained some Controversies are discussed sundry Cases of Conscience are cleared and many remarkable matters hinted that had by former Interpreters been pretermitted Hereunto is added a Treatise called The Righteous Mans Recompence Or A true Christian characterized and encouraged out of Malachi Chap. 3. Vers 16 17 18. In all which diverse other Texts of Scripture which occasionally occurre are fully opened and the whole so intermixed with pertinent Histories as will yeeld both pleasure and profit to the judicious Reader By Iohn Trapp M. A. once of Christ-Church in Oxford now Pastor of Weston upon Avon in Gloucester-shire Acts 7.42 As it is written in the Book of the Prophets The XII Minor Prophets were conjoyned in one Volume or Book lest by their littlenesse they should be scattered or perish Rivet March 1 th 1652. Imprimatur Edm Calamy LONDON Printed by R N for Philemon Stephens at the Gilded Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard 1654. Viro Eruditione juxtâ ac Pietate praestantissimo IOANNI OWENO SS Th D. Aedis Christi Decano dignissimo Academiae Oxoniensis jam secundùm Procancellario vigilantissimo Lucubrationes hasce suas quales quales in animi devotissimi testimonium ac monumentum L.M.Q.D.D.D. IOANNES TRAPPVS Ejusdem Aedis Christi annis abhinc triginta Alumnus The Preface to the Reader TRuly Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne O but much more pleasant for the eye of faith to see the Sun of righteousnesse that light of life Blessed may we say are our eyes which see this Sun shine so gloriously from the Gospell and though through glasses yet such as are and will be kept from breaking by that presence of Christ promised his Ministers of the Gospel to the end of the World whom he calls the light of the world Happy art thou O England where it hath been day-light these hundred years and God-forbid that wee should expose our selves to that the condemnation in loving darknesse rather then light If we shorten this our day certainly it will be our death An evil generation therefore is that whose hellish principles prompt them utterly to extinguish all our burning and shining Lamps by draining out all their oil and so are those children of the night whose hellish practises attempt the blowing out of these lights that do discover their deeds of darknesse and because they cannot no more then becken the Sunne from the skie their breath is spent in cursing them as freely and fiercely as the Ethiopians do the Sun for scorching them If this continue sad are our fears lest our Sun be not far from setting and we take up that lamentation with Jeremy Wo unto us for the day goeth away for the shadows of the evening are stretched out Neither are the Symptomes of this onely in the professed disavowing of the Ministery by men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith and who have put away a good conscience but also in the dark lives of many of those who seem to affect Gospel-light and yet walk not honestly as in the day rejoyce in the light yet walk not as children of the light Nay amongst the best are not notions prosecuted more then practise and our light like the Moon 's without heat yea and whereas the Father of lights hath set up his Candlestick amongst us that we might do his work we rather do our own making our selves and not him our end The good Lord in mercy make all his to face about towards himself â—o face one another as the Cherubims over the Mercy-seat Reader our advice to thee is to do thy duty though many others neglect theirs Blesse God there are so many windows to let in light unto thee pray that they may be yet clearer to give in dayly new light thou knowest we speake not in a fanatick Dialect we mean fresh and fuller discoveries of Gospel-mysteries whereunto thou wilt finde this Authour hath made no small contribution by these his Annotations upon the small Prophets from before which few have drawn the curtain so far as he open therefore the Casement in reading and much light may be let into thy mind to understand things that have been hid from thine eyes or seen but dimly We need not commend the Authour all his works speak him to be a workman that needeth not to be ashamed an Interpreter one among a thousand we may say of him as Cyprian to Cald. Adeo exercitatus in Scripturis peritus ut cautè omnia consultò gerat Origen speaking of the Prophets calls them Bees and their Prophesies honey-combes this Expositor God hath made skilfull both in hiving and expressing This friend of the Spouse presents her here with more new borders of gold enameld and set out with spangles of silver wrought upon a precious part of holy Writ which he hath beautified with variety of humane Learning And lest thy heart should rise against this expression give us leave to tell thee that though many in these last and worst and wofull dayes scoffe at the learned Languages and Arts and Sciences as the Fox in the Greek Epigram disparag'd the fair and ripe grapes because they were out of his reach yet there is a necessity of them for the right dividing the word of truth which is evinced by a man approved Dr. Featly tree of sav kn who between derogating from the al-sufficiency of Scripture which is sacriledge and blasphemy on the one side and detracting from the worth of University Learning which is an Anabaptistical frenzy on the other side layes down the truth in the middle in this Aphorisme Scripture is of it self abundantly sufficient for us but we are not sufficient for it without the help of Arts and Liberall Sciences we cannot sufficiently conceive or declare the works of God without naturall Philosophy nor Law of God without morall nor his Attributes without Metaphysicks nor the dimensions of the Ark and Temple without the Mathematicks nor the songs of Sion without Musick and Poetry wee cannot Interpret the text without Grammer analize it without Logick presse and apply it without Rhetorick These it hath seemed good to the holy Ghost to use in the Penning of Scriptures to shew their usefulnesse in their opening and who can understand or expound Prophesies already fulfilled and to be accomplish't without insight into prophane History As for knowledge in the Tongues he deserves to have his tongue cut out that dares but mutter a word against it dulcius ex ipso fonte There are indeed divers Cautions and Directions given by the ancient holy Fathers in the use of humane Learning which this learned godly Writer hath exactly observed For he hath purg'd and cleans'd it cut off the bond-womans hair pared her nayles and washed her with Sope his chief care being not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is not only
he basely recalled into France whence they had been banished and admitted them into his bosom making Father Cotton his Confessour et sic probrose se gessit et rem confusione dignam admisit as here He both shamed and undid himself For she hath said I will go after my lovers Amasios meos My sweet-hearts Marbeck Act. Mon. those that have drawn away my heart from my husband But if that persecutour could say to the Martyr What a devil made thee to meddle with the Scriptures how much better might it be said to the Synagogue and so to all Apostates What a devill meant you to go a whoring from such an husband who is totus Cant. 5.16 totus desiderabilis altogether lovely even the chief of ten thousand after dumb idols and false Prophets who are their brokers proxenetae et proci and spokesmen Athenaeus brings in Plato bewailing himself and his own condition that he was taken so much with a filthy whore Adultery is filthinesse in the abstract Gelulim Ezek. 22.3 1 Pet. 4.3 so is also idolatry and therefore idols are called by a word that signifieth the very excrements that come out of a man a tearm too good for those dunghill-deities those abominable idolatries as Saint Peter expresseth it Mention is made in histories of a certain heathen people that punish adultery with death and with such a death as is suitable to the sin For they thrust the adulterers or adulteresses head into the paunch of a beast where lieth all the filth and garbage of it there to be stifled to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Sodom and Gomorrha had fire from heaven for their burning lust and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishnesse They are also thrown out as St. Jude phraseth it for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire And in the like pickle are the Beast and the false Prophet those Arch-idolaters for these both are cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 And worthily Esay 3.9 sith they declared their sins as Sodom they hid it not And as this huswife in the text who said I will go after my lovers she did of wickedness forethought upon deliberation de industria ex consilio wilfully and of purpose impudently and without all shame of sin say I will go after This was shameles indeed They should rather have gone after her Deut. 23.18 then she after them Moses fitly compareth a whore to a salt-bitch that is followed after by all the dogs in a town And am I dogs-head said Abner to Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 3.8 that is Am I so given to lust lasciviousnes as dogs are that run after every salt-bitch But this harlot verified that saying in Ezekiel The contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms whereas none followed thee to commit whoredoms thou followest them and gloriest in thy so doing as Lots daughters did in their detestable incest naming their children Moab that is a birth by my father and Benammi that is begotten by one of my near kindred These all might have held their tongues with shame enough But such kinde of sinners are singularly impudent Jer. 3.3 infatuated Hos 4.11 and past feeling Ephes 4.19 And so are Idolaters wickedly wilfull and irreclaimable for most part See Jer. 44.16 17. 2.10 Esay 44.19 20. A seduced heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand How stiffe are Papists to this day in defence of their Image-worship how severe against such as deface or but disgrace them Murther is not so hainous a sin c. That give me my bread and my water c. What can be more like to the doings of the Papists then this saith Danaeus Who knows not what suit they make and what thanks they return to their He-Saints and She-Saints and how they sacrilegiously transfer the glory due to God alone to the creature The Lord rightly resolveth the genealogy of corn wine and oil into himself verse 22. of this chapter And the Aposte tells us that it is He that filleth mens hearts with food and gladnesse Act. 14.17 Et cum charissima semper Munera sint Author quae preciosa facit This should make us lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to God well content if we may have offam et aquam bread and water and the gospel and vowing with Jacob Gen. 28.20 that if God will give us bread to eat and raiment to put on then shall he be our God and we will honour him with the best of our substance As for other gods whether Pagan or Papagan say we as that Heathen did Contemno minutulos istos deos modò Jovem mihi propitium habeam I care not for these petty-deities I trust in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy All things I say both ad esum et ad usum for back and belly besides better things which is all that carnall people care for There be many too many that say and can skill of no other language Who will shew us any good who will give us bread Psal 4. water wooll oil c they look no higher know no heaven but plenty hell but penury God but their belly whereunto they offer sacrifice with Poliphemus and care for no more quam ut ventri bene sit ut lateri then that their bellies may be filled Epicur ap Hor. their backs fitted Let them have but plenty of victuals and the Queen of heaven shall be their good Lady Jer. 44.17 Base spirits look onely after low things gain and credit carry them any way They work for their peny a day and are like little children which will not say their prayers unlesse they may be promised their breakfast Whereas a true worshipper of God soareth aloft hath his feet at least where other mens heads are trades for higher commodities cannot be put off with mean matters When great gifts were sent to Luther he refused them with this brave speech Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari Melch. Adam I deeply protested that I would not be put off by God with these low things The Papists offered to make him a Cardinall if he would be quiet He replied No not if I might be Pope They sent Vergerius the Popes Nuncio to tempt him with preferment and to tell him of Eneas Sylvius who following his own opinions Hist of Counc of Trent p. 73. with much slavery and labour could get no further preferment then to be Canon of Trent but being changed to the better became Bishop Cardinall and finally Pope Pius 2. The same Vergerius also minded him of Bessarion of Nice who of a poor Collier of Trapezond became a great renowned Cardinall and wanted not much of being Pope But what said Luther to all this Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et
spake right there was trembling and none durst budge against him but when he offended in Baal he died Hos 13.1 then every paltry adversary trampled upon him as a dead man Sanet in Zech. 8.13 Heyl. Georg. 370. then every scurrilous Poet could insult over him and cry Credat Judaeus Appela Non ego then every common Turk could by way of execration say Judaeus sim si fallo and in detestation of a thing I would I might die a Jew then a dispersed and despised people they are none more under the cope of heaven partly for their former Idolatry but principally for their rejecting of Christ crucified whom they cannot but in their consciences know to be the Shiloh that should come sith the scepter is so longe since departed from Judah and a Law-giver from between his feet Gen. 49.10 That for their sins which are many say the Talmudists he yet hides himself in the caverns and secret places of the earth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a simple pretence or rather a subtlety of Satan to hold them still in blindnesse till God unseale their eyes till when things that are never so clere will not be beleeved Verse 5. Afterward shall the children of Israel return They shall come out of the furnace more refined then ever By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away her sin when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk-stones that are beaten in sunder the groves and images shall not stand up Esay 27.9 then indeed hath Jacob the right fruit of his sufferings when he makes all the stones of the Alter as chalk-stones crumbling them to crattle when he puls down the groves and images those Balaams-blocks that lay in his way to God and now resolves to return and seek the Lord from whom they had deeply revolted to seek his face and favour to seek his ordinances true worship lastly to seek to know do what is well-pleasing in his sight Their hearts shall rejoyce that thus seek the Lord these are true converts indeed these are those sekers Psal 24.6 yea this is Jacob as there Jsraelites indeed such as cannot be whereever they are cast without God in the world without Christ Jer. 30.9 Ezek. 34.24 1 King 12.6 who is here called David by a Patronymick as also elso where no without allusion to the Apostasy of the ten tribes from the house of David so from the true God which now also they shall bewail as the root of their sin ruine and David their King Call'd by Daniel Messiah the Prince Dan. 9. Act. 3. and by Peter Christ the Lord. See Luk. 1.32 Some think he is here called the goodnesse of God They shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse which also is his glory Pavehunt ad Dominum Exod. 33.19 The Hebrew is they shall feare to the Lord trepidabunt that is trembling they shall make hast to him as frighted doves do to their columbaries See Hos 11.11 they shall kiss the Son with a kiss of homage and with reverentiall feare submit to he kingdome CHAP. IV. Verse 1. Heare the word of the Lord This is the beginning of a new Sermon or judiciall act of God against the ten tribes which are here convented convinced sentenced It begins with an Oyes like that of St. Paul Act. 13.16 Men of Israel and ye that feare God if any such be in so generall a defection give audience Ye have heard Gods mind before parabolically delivered and in types now heare it in plaine tearmes Heb. 12.25 that you may see and understand and be converted and I may heale you Heare and your souls shall live Heare him that speaketh from heaven even that excellent speaker as he is calld Dan. 10. that Arch-prophet whom ye are bound to heare Deut. 18.18 Mat. 17.5 upon paine of death Heb. 12.25 the Lord Christ I mean who speaketh with Authority and is mighty in word and deed Act. 10. He it was whom Isaiah saw upon his throne and heard speaking Job 12.41 And it is a Rule in Divinity that where the old Testament bringeth in God appearing and speaking to the Patriarches Jer. 13.18 Prophets and people it is to be understood of the second person Hear therefore and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken it Am. 3.7 The Lion hath roared who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but hear and fear humble and tremble ye children of Israel But oh how altogether unlike your father Even as unlike Ezek. 34.27 as Jehoachim that degenerate plant was to his father Josiah that plant of renown His heart melted when he heard the law 2 Chron. 34. but Jehoiachim cut it with a penknife and cast into the fire Jer. 35.23 These were Israels children and named the house of Jacob as those in Micah chap. 2.7 but an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at last Is the spirit of the Lord straitened saith the Prophet there were these Jacobs doings Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly were you Israelites indeed I should not thus lose my sweet words upon you but you would incline your ears and come unto me Esay 55.3 1 King 14.6 hear as for life it self especially since I am sent unto you as once Ahâ—jah was to Jeroboams wife with heavy tidings with such a Citation or processe from heaven as may well be unto you as Samuâ—ls message was to Eli that made both his ears to tingle or as the hand writing was to Balthasar that made his knees knock together For the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land The former title children of Israel was too good for them they had disgraced their fathers family and were therefore Reuben-like fallen from their dignity They shall henceforth be called the inhabitants of the Land as the wicked are called Revelation 12.12 in opposition to the heavens and those that dwell therein the Burgesses of the new Jerusalem Abraham had seed of two sorts some were as the dust of the earth Gen. 13.16 others as the Stars of heaven Gen. 15â—5 And all are not Israel that are of Israel Rom. 9.6 Multi sacerdotes et pauci sacerdotes saith Chrysostome There are many Ministers and yet but few many in name but few indeed workmen that need not be ashamed Nomen inane crimen immane It was cold comfort to Dives in flames that Abraham called him Son or to Judas that Christ called him Friend or to these rebellious Jewes that God sometimes called them his people and had rooted out the cursed Canaanites to make room for them when as they lived in Gods good Land but not by Gods good Lawâ—â— for which cause the Lord hath here a controversie with them a suit at law and being himself both plaintiffe and Judge Mals fidei possessores he is sure to cast them yea
will be but as a drop of wrath forerunning the great storm as a crack forerunning the ruine of the whole building That is a known text If you will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more and seven times more and seven to that Levit. 26.18 28. Three severall times God raiseth his note and he raiseth it by sevens and those are discords in Musick Such saying will be heavy songs and their execution heavy pangs to the wicked Verse 15. I will go and return to my place To my palace of Heaven so the Chaldee rendereth it I will withdraw my Majestie and return into the habitation of my holinesse which is in heaven I will go from them that they may come to themselves with the Prodigal I will forget them that they may remember themselves I will trouble my self no further with them when God comes against sinners he is said to come out of his place and so to disease himself Esay 26.21 with Lam. 3.33 that they may be afflicted and weep and mourn after me Jam. 4.9 I will take my rest and I will consider in my dwelling place as Esay 18.4 I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very froward generation c. Deut. 32.20 and they shall see that I will be as froward as they for the hearts of them Ps 18.26 I will gather them in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave them there Ezek. 22.20 that they may know the worth of my gracious presence which they have not prized by the want of it and be pricked on thereby to pray Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy c. Psal 90.13 14. Thus mothers use to leave their children or at least turn their backs upon them till they mourn and make moane after them Thus the Lion seems to leave her yong ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling but at last gasp she relieves them whereby they become the more couragious God also will return to his people when they once turn short again upon themselves and see their sin-guiltinesse and seek his favour This is Gods end 1 Cor. 11.32 and the happy effect of affliction sanctified 1 King 8.47 Till they acknowledge their offence Heb. Till they become guiltie till they plead guiltie and carry themselves accordingly blushing and bleeding in my presence Thus Saint James Be afflicted or be miserable Chap. 4.9 ye are so but see your selves to be so tremble and humble at Gods feet for mercy give glory to God my Son and confesse thy sin Josh 7.19 The viper beaten casts up her poison The traytour on the rack confesseth all He that in affliction acknowledgeth not his offence and seeketh Gods face is more hard-hearted then a Jew as is to be seen here and Psal 78.34 and 1 Sam. 7.6 In the year of Grace 1556. at Weissenston in Germany a Jew for theft was in this cruell manner to be executed He was hang'd by the feet with his head downward betwixt two dogs which constantly snatcht bit at him The strangenes of the torment moved Jacob Andreas a grave Divine to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poor wretch as he hung repeating verses out of the Hebrewes Psalms wherein he cried out to God for mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsell him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of mankind Melch. Adam in vit Jac. Andreae the Jew embracing the Christian faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken down and baptized though presently after he were hanged again but by the neck as Christian malefactours suffered which was accordingly granted him Lat. Serm. Latimer reports a like story of one in his time who being executed at Oxford was cut down but not quite dead And means being used to recover him he came again to himself and then confessed all his villany which before he would not be drawn to do In the life of Master Perkins also mention is made of a lusty fellow at Cambridge who being upon the ladder and affrighted with the forethought of hell-torments was called down a gain by Master Perkins who prayed with him and for him so effectually as that the beholders could not but see a blessed change thereby wrought in the prisoner Master Fuller and Mr. Clark in Mr. Perk. his life who took his death with such patience and alacritie as if he actually saw himself delivered from the hell which he feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul to the great rejoycing of the beholders How well might these men say with Themistocles Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone David was brought home by the weeping-crosse Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod lib. 1. Alsted Cbroni pag. 325. 119.67 Affliction was a better Schoolmaster to Queen Elizabeth then Master Ascham Nocumenta documenta said Craesus when he was in the hands of his enemies The Burgundians well beaten by the Hunnes fled to Christ the God of the Christians and embraced his Religion and seek my face Out of a deep sense of their sin-guiltinesse This is the work of Faith as the former of Repentance God was not so gone from his people nor so far out of their call but that if they could find a praying heart he would find a pittying heart if they would acknowledge their offence he would forgive the iniquity of their sin Psal 32.5 If they would set their Faith a work as she in the Gospel did of whom it is said that when Christ would have hid himself it could not be for a certain woman whose daughter was diseased came and fell at his feet fetcht him out of his retiring-room Mark 7.24.25 he would break the heavens and come down from his place Isai 64.1 2. he would come leaping over all lets and impediments those mountains of Bether or of division to the relief of his people See this set forth Cant. 5. with the Notes there Provided that they seek not so much their own ease and ends as his face and favour the sense of his presence and light of his countenance the fear of his name and comforts of his spirit Thus David Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren Land Carnall prayers in time of misery are but such as the dry earth or the hungry raven make They are the prayers of nature for ease not of the spirit for grace such as was that of Pharaoh when the rack made him roar the rod slatter See Zach. 7.5 6. with the Notes In their affliction they will seek me early Manicabunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. They will morning me so the Orginall hath it They will do it saith God
to a Surgeon he will binde up That which the Poets fable concerning Telephus his Spear is here onely verified Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque ferat Initium poenitentiae est sensus clementiae Dei The same holy hand that tare us must cure us and the sound perswasion of his readinesse to do it for us will soonest of any thing bring us into his presence Iudas confesseth his wound and despaireth of the cure But Peter is constrained by the love of Christ to weep bitterly and beleeve A stroak from guilt broak Iudas his heart into despair but a look from Christ brake Peters heart into tears There is no mention of Israels lamenting after the Lord while he was gone but when he was returned and setled in Kiriath-jearim then they poured forth water c. 1 Sam. 7. then they gather about him and will do any thing that he commandeth them Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 11.22 Deijcit ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet Enecat ut possit vivificare Deus Verse 2. Jer. 18.12 After two dayes will he revive us Whereas some of those that were called upon to Come and return unto the Lord might say with those in Ieremy Nay for there is no hope Psal 88.5 God hath mortally wounded us so that we are already in the jawes of death free among the dead as the Psalmist hath it free of that company The better sort of them fullest of faith answer Dead though we be yet God will revive us and long though it seem yet after two dayes or such a matter in a very short space so soon as ever it shall be convenient and for our greatest good He that shall come to our comfort Heb. 10.37 will come and will not tarry And for the certainty of it as sure as the third day followeth the second so sure shall deliverance come in due season fear ye not In the third day he will raise us up He will he will never doubt of it O the Rhetorick of God! O the certainty of the promises See the like expressions Esay 26.20 10.25 Hagg. 2.7 Habak 2.3 Heb. 10.37 and have patience Gods help seems long becauser we are short Nec quia dura sed quia molles patimur We should draw forth hope as a line Senecal Joh. 13.7 and think we hear Christ saying as he did to Peter What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Verse 3. Sciemus sectabimur que Vatabl. Then shall we know Heb. And we shall know we shall follow on to know i. e. We shall experimentally know the Lord if we turn unto him wee shall tast and see that the Lord is good We shall not onely be raised out of the dust of deaeth that is of deep afflictions wherein we lay as among the pots and live in his sight Psal 22.15 Psal 68.13 that is comfortably but we shall know him which is life eternall yea we shall prosecute knowledge follow on to know as unsatisfiable and not content with any measures already required yea we shall proceed therein and make progresse as the morning light doth to the perfect day Those that turn from their iniquities shall understand Gods truth Dan. 9.13 shall be of his Councel Psal 25.14 shall have the minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 the wisdom of God in a mystery verse 7. such as the great Rabbies of the world can no more understand then the Philistins could Sampsons riddle verse 8. yea these pure in heart shall see God Matth. 5.8 see him and live see him and eat and drink being much acheared and refreshed as those Nobles of Israel Exod. 24.10 11. Provided that being onâ—â— enlightned and having tasted of the heavenly gift they be not slothfull but shew the same diligence Heb. 6.4 11 12. in the use of means to get more knowledge till they all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13 or as the words may be read of that age wherein Christ filleth all in all Ephes 3.19 so as to be able to comprehend with all Saints the severall dimensions and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Lo this is indeed to follow on to know the Lord when we are still adding to our vertue knowledge till with those famous Romans we be full of goodnesse Rom. 15.14 filled brim-full with all knowledge able also to admonish one another saying Come and let us returne to the Lord c. Come ye and let us walk in the light of the Lord Esay 2.5 walk in that light we have and we shall have more for to him that hath sc for use and practise shall be given Mar. 4.25 He that first begs and then digs for knowledge searching for her as for hid treasure Prov. 2.3 4. He shall be sure of some daily comings in from Christ he shall understand the fear of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God verse 5. Christ will say unto him as once he did to Nathaneel Thou shalt see greater things then these Iohn 1.50 even great and mighty things which thou knowest not Ier. 33.3 His going forth is prepared as the morning That is as sure as the morning followeth the night and shineth more and more unto the perfect day so sure shall God appear for our comfort and shall dispell the night of our calamity Psal 30. Mourning lasteth but till morning and as before the morning-light is the thickest darknesse so before deliverance our afflictions are usually increased upon us God appeareth on the sudden and beyond expectation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as out of a cloud or as out of an engine and shews himself then usually when things are at worst Hence that of Iob Post tenebras spero lucem and that of the Church in Micah Though I fall Mich. 7.8 I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me Vatablus applieth this Text to the comming of Christ that day-star from on high Orietur Christus ut aurora qua adâ—entu suo depellit tenebras that Sun of righteousnesse to whom all the Prophets point Gods people when they would comfort them indeed for he is the Consolation of Israel the Desire of all Nations for whom their souls waited more then they that watch for the morning wait for the morning Psal 130.6 But because Gods going forth is opposed to his departure when he retired to his place Chap. 5.10 therefore his setled going forth here is by most interpreted of his manifestations of his mercy to his poor prisoners of hope those disconsolate captives whom he not onely brought back from Babylon but also shined into some of their hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 by the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
are wickednesse with a witnesse because they do wickedly against the covenant Dan. 11.32 Prov. 2.17 these treacherous dealers deal treacherously yea these treacherous dealers deal very treacherously Isay 24.16 And this they have done against Me who have stooped so low as to strike a covenant with them and such a covenant 2 Sam. 23.5 and have never failed or falsified See Deut. 29.24 25. Vers 8. Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity Another Poeniropolis such a city there was in Greece and so called by king Philip for the naughtinesse of the Inhabitants This Gilead was one of those ten cities of refuge beyond Jordaen given to the Priests for a possession Josh 21.36 c. and probably the chief city which therefore bare the name of the whole countrey as Athens was called the Greece of Greece The inhabitants thereof though Levites were the worst of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 workers of iniquity such as did wickedly with both hands earnestly wearying themselves in the Devils drudgery and then sitting down to rest them in the chair of pestilence There is not a worse creature upon earth or so fit for hell as a profane Priest a debauched Minister Mat. 5.13 Corruptio optimi pessima as the sweetest wine makes the sowrest vinegar as the finest flesh is resolved into the vilest earth and as the whitest ivory burnt becomes the blackest coal Who would have looked for so much wickednesse at Gilead at Shiloh at Anathoth at Jerusalem where the Priests and Scribes bare sway and did dominari in suggestis And yet that once faithful city was become an harlot it was full of judgement righteousnesse lodged in it Isay 1.21 but now murderers In our Savours time it was Prophetarum macellum the slaughter-house house of the Saints as now Rome is and once London was in bloody Bonners dayes Act. Mon. whom a certain good woman once told in a letter that he was deservedly called the common cut-throat and general flaughter-slave to all the Bishops of England At his death he boasted as Stokesley had done before him how many heretikes he had burned seven hundred saints in four or five yeers space those bloody and deceitful men sent to heaven in fiery charets There are none so cruel to the lives of men as wicked Clergy Gilead was polluted with blood Ezek. 33.7 3.18 not onely with the blood of souls by their default drowned in perdition and destruction but of bodies too destroyed by their hands or means The Priests of these times may seem by what is said of them in the next verse to have been men of their hands the sworn sword-men of the devil such as was Timotheus Herulus Bishop of Alexandria Anno 467. Pope Innocent who threw Peters keyes into the river Tiber and took up Pauls sword as he called it and that Philip Bishop of Beau-vieu in France taken in a skirmish by our Richard the first who sent his armour to the Pope with these words engraved on it Vide num filii tui tunica sit vel non See whether this be the coat of thy son or of a son of Mars These and their like in their several generations were non Pastores sed Impostores non Doctores sed Seductores non Episcopi sed Aposcopi as an Ancient hath it And indeed the Church hath ever been so pestered with leud and lazy Ministers those dehonestamenta Cleri that Chrysostome thought there were scarce any of that order in his time that could be saved Hierome saith that the paucity of such as were good had made them very precious And Campian cries out not altogether without cause Malice may be a good informer though an ill Judge Ministris eorum nihil vilius Now this is here instanced as an odious transgression of the covenant when such as made such a shew of sacrifice to God should exercise so little mercy to men when such as should be Teachers were turned Tyrants and blood-suckers Verse 9. And as troops of robbers wait for a man This verse hath much of the former in it saith an Interpreter The sum of it is saith Wigandus to shew that all the forementioned wickednesses were committed instinctu doctorum by the instinct of their Priests who were now turned Tories or Mosse-troopers Hierome asked his Jew-doctour the meaning of this text and received this answer that at the time of the Passeover and the Pentecost the people used to come to Jerusalem and as they were going in their journey these Priests would stand in the way and slay them Others think that these corrupt priests took into their city of refuge divers thieves and murtherers who not having whereupon otherwise to subsist turned hiwaymen as they call them and returning again into the city divided the spoyle with the Priests who had their share and are therefore called companions of robbers and are said to murder in the way by consent or with one shoulder or as Simeon and Levi did at Shechem q. d. Sichemicc crastily and cruelly for so many wayes these words are rendred all this they did of malice forethought Ex destinatae malitia inito consilio of prepensed mischief called here committing leudnesse Even as they thought in their hearts so they acted saith King David They executed the counsel of the wicked saith the Chaldee Paraphrast Non tam ovum ovo simile Faciunt quicquid cognitant They machinated mischief and then practised what they had plotted with a deliberate will and as it were with an high hand Look now upon the Popish Monkes saith Tarnonius and compare them with these Priests whom Hosea reproveth And Luther saith that they had a proverb in Germany that there was nothing so bad which the Monkes could think of but they would dare to do it Non audet Stygius Pluto tentare quod audet Effrenis Monachus Vers 10. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel Now a very den of theeves as vers 9. a Panthion of all sorts of idols a chamber of imagery an Egyptian Temple gay and goodly without but within an oxe or calfe with women weeping for Tammuz Ezek. 8.12.14 that is for Osyris King of Egypt whose image under the shape of an oxe his wife Isis had advanced to be idolatrously there adored Cap. 6. This kind of abomination Ieroboam had learned in Egypt whither he fled from Solomon his master and brought into the house of Israel And whereas those Idolaters said The Lord seeth us not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Ezek. 8.12 I have seen it saith God and been sore troubled at it and even affrighted so as a man is quando horripilatur when his hairs stand an end as when the devil appeareth to him like an hairy Satyr See Lev. 17.7 with the Note Certain it is that God hateth sin but especially Idolatry that abominable thing as he calleth it Jer. 44 4. worse then he hateth the devil himself
for he hateth the devil for sins sake and not sin for the devils sake Idolatry must needs be so much the more odious to him because therein the devil sets up himself in the place of God and requires men as once he did Christ himself to fall down and worship him See Deut. 32.17 1 Cor. 10.20 Rev. 9.20 So he dealeth by the poor Indians at this day compelling them to worship him with bodily worship and tormenting them if they do not worse if worse may be then the cruel Spaniards Sir Francis Drake World encomp 53. who suppose they shew the wretches favour when they do not for their pleasure whip them with cords and day by day drop their naked bodies with burning bacon The Hebrew word here used hath some letters more then ordinary in it to encrease the signification and to shew what a very horrible thing Idolatry is It is spurca pollutio Tremel in loc as Jer. 23.14 and worse See Jer. 2.11 12. and 18.13 and know that God doth not use to aggravate things beyond truth as men do witnesse Nebuchadnezzar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 3.14 Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Or is it of set purpose so Buxtorf rendreth it Is it for the nonce to provoke me Num de industria Or Nunquid desolatio so Arias Moutanus As if he should say What you to oppose the command of a king If this be suffered what desolation must needs follow But this is not Gods way he layes no more words upon a thing then the matter amounteth to if he call Idolatry filth fornication abomination an horrible thing such as a man would start or stand agast at we may be sure it is so The Septuagint here render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things to be trembled at or shreeked at In Barbary 't is death for the Xeriffs wife when she seeth a man though but thorow a casement not suddenly to shriek out God is a jealous God and allows not his to look toward an Idol If they do he will soon see it and visit for it I have seen c. There is the whoredome of Ephraim Thus God looketh upon it as filthinesse and nastinesse which the people beheld as finenesse and neatnesse And the same do all that have the minde of God and senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evil judge of all the Popish pomp and palterment wherewith they bewitch the deluded vulgar as the serpent Scytale doth the fleeing passenger whom when she cannot overtake yet with her beautifull colours she doth so astonish and amaze him Plin. that he hath no power to passe away till stung to death Verse 11. Also O Judah he hath set an harvest for thee This is a very difficult Text and much vexed by Interpreters Et hic nisi Lyra lyrasset nos omnes delirassemus Lyra sets this sence upon the Text and I accord him Though thou Judah art also to be carried captive yet God hath set or provided for thee an harvest in thine own land when I shall have returned the captivity of my people viz. under the conduct of Zorobabel by the Decree of Cyrus Here then is a promise of a joyfull harvest to Judah who is not to be punished with like severity as Israel Chap. 1.7 and for the change of person when I returned for he shall have returned See Esay 29.19 Ier. 31.23 Zeph. 3. ult Psal 14. ult Simul Judae captivitas reditus praedicitur significanter admodum saith Hierom here Both the captivity and return of Judah is here very significantly foretold It is a very good Note that One giveth here sc that God in his chastisements ever sheweth himself mindfull of his Covenant after a long barrennesse Rive◠he setteth for his people a plentifull harvest and turneth again their captivity after that for a time he hath tried them His mercy also and faithfulnesse herein appeareth that he mingleth promises with threatnings and whiles he utterly destroyeth the kingdome of the ten Tribes he preserveth the Common-wealth of Judah wherein the Messias was to come and whereof there was not by the ancient prophesies to be a dissolution till Shiloh came Hence it is that promises of the restauration of Judah are ever intermingled lest any should doubt of the manifestation of the Messiah in the fulnesse of time CHAP. VII Verse 1. WHen I would have healed Israel c. Whereas Israel hearing of an happy harvest promised to Judah Chap. 6.11 and themselves excluded unus might complain of hard dealing God shews them here that Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger facit the fault was meerly in themselves God came with his healing medicines to have cured them but they hated to be healed and like mad-men railed and raged against the Physician spilt the potions would none of those slibber-sauses as they accounted them yea as if on purpose to crosse God then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and the wickednesses malitia multiplex of Samaria Of so perverse a spirit were they and therefore in Solomons judgement Prov. 12.8 worthy to have been despised and let alone to perish in their corruptions In Hippocrates his time the Physicians were bound by oath to leave such under their wounds to perish by them as were unruly and would not be ordered We would have healed Babylon saith the Church but she would not be healed forsake her therefore saith God Jer. 51.9 Let them alone saith Christ Matth. 15.14 That that will die let it die A fearfull sentence Let them swelter and pine away in their iniquities Levit. 26.39 In their silthinesse is leudnesse their disease is complicate it is the leprosie in the head it breaketh forth in their forehead and my people love to have it so Jer. 5.31 but what will they do in the end thereof Ephraim here discovereth a headstrong wilfulnesse that was uncounsellable uncureable He runs away after conviction with the bit between his teeth as it were he runs I say upon the rock Am. 6.12 where he first breaketh his hoofes and then his neck Some grow desperately sinfull like those Italian Senatours that despairing of their lives when upon submission they had been promised their lives yet being conscious of their villany made a curious banquet and at the end thereof every man drank up his glasse of poyson and killed himself So men feeling such horrible hard hearts and privie to such notorious sins they cast away souls and all for lust and perish wofully because they lived desperately and so securely It is a fearfull signe of reprobation when Gods means and medicines do men no good but hurt rather when Physick which should remove the disease doth cooperate with it then death comes with the more pain and speed The stronger the conviction of sin is the deeper will be the wrath against it if it be not by repentance avoided for they commit falsehood They do not the truth 1 Joh. 1.6 but deal
by the primitive Christians which caused those many Apologies made for them by Tertullian Athenagoras and others If a Ruler hearken to lies and that 's a common fault among them Prov. 29.12 as David tells Saul 1 Sam. 24.9 all his servants will be wicked he shall have his Aiones and Nigones that will say as he sayes and fit his humour to an hair he shall have plenty of such as will slander the Saints and cast an odium upon the consciencious I once saw saith Melancthon an old coyn on the one side whereof was Zopyrus on the other Zoilus he adds fuit imago aulae comitantur calumniae bene merentes It was a picture of Princes courts where are store of such as by flattery dawb white upon black and by calumny sprinkle black upon white Vers 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are all adulterers Adulterio calescunt so Pagnine scalded in their base lusts as those Rom. 1.27 all for the most part were such but especially the Courtiers and clawback-Informers as vers 3. God in his just judgement giving them up to those vile affections or passions of dishonour and punishing their impieties with impurities as He did also in those Heathens Rom. 1.24 as an oven heated by the baker An apt similitude setting forth the intense heat of filthy lust better marry then burn 1 Cor. 7.9 and of long continuance as the heat of an oven yea of Nebuchadnezzars oven yea of hell it self whence it was enkindled and where it shall be perpetually punished The holy Angels at the last day will be most active against such to bring them to condign punishment 2 Pet. 2.10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse Note the word chiefly and consider the example of the Sodomites and God most severe against them Heb. 13.4 How much they have lived deliciously and drenched themselves in fleshly delights so much torments and sorrow shall they have proportionably Rev. 18.7 As their hearts have ben as an hot oven or furnace so they shall be bound up in bundles and cast into a furnace of fire where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 13.42 Vers 5. In the day of our King Our good king on whom they so doted that they forgat God and his sincerer service Quaecunque á regibus dicuntur aut fiunt Gallis minificè solet placere Epit. Hist Gallor 134. It is reported of the French by their own Chronicle◠that they are wonderful well pleased with whatsoever is said or done by their king so that they affect to speak like him to be arraied like him to imitate him in every thing Their song is Mihi placet quicquid Regi placet But is not this to idolize the creature and have not many otherwise well-minded men amongst us been by this means miscarried to their cost in our late combustions This day of their king was either his Birth-day so Pagnine rendreth it here or his Coronation-day so the Chaldee Paraphrast carrieth it which also is the Birth-day of a king as he is king Die natalis ejus Sam. 13.1 unlesse haply he have the happinesse to be crowned not in his cradle onely as Europus king of Macedony and the late king James were but in his mothers womb as Misdatus king of Persia was the crown being set upon his mothers great belly before he was born Now in this solemn day of the king when they should have been better busied The princes have made him sick or the princes were sick they drank themselves sick drowning their bodies and souls as Richard the third did his brother Clarence in a Butt of Malmesey How many importunate and impudent drinkers are there that by drinking other mens health destroy their own See Master Prinnes Healths-sicknesse and accord him that said Vna salus sanis nullam potare salutem Non est in pota vera salute salus But what beastly bedlams or rather incarnate devils were those three drunkards mentioned by Jo. Manlius in his common places pag. 244. who drank so long till one of them fell down stark dead and yet the other two nothing terrified with such a dreadful example of divine vengeance went on to drink and powred the dead mans part into him as he lay by them Oh horrible Drunkennesse is a detestable vice in any but especially in men of place and power Prov. 31.4 Wo be to those drunken vice-gods as I may in the worst sense best call them woe to the very crown of their Pride in drinking down many Esay 28.1 as Marcus Antonius wrote or rather spued out a book concerning his own abilities to bear strong drink Darius also boasted of the same faculty in his very Epitaph a poor praise Drunkennesse in a king is a capital sin and makes the land reel Hence those feast-dayes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were like the Rom. Saturnalia Hic pendet Amphorae witnesse Belshazzar carowsing in the bowles of the Sanctuary to the honour of Shar his drunken god Alexander the great drinking himself to death and killing fourty one more with excessive drinking to get that crown of one hundred eighty pound weight which he had provided for him that drank most Bonosus the Emperour that beastly drunkard called therefore a Tankard and Tiberius sirnamed Biberius for his tipling like as Erasmus called Eccius Jeccius for the same cause And well he might for as he lived a shameful drunkard so being nonplust at Ratisbon by Melanchthon in a publique disputation and drinking more then was fit that night at the Bishop of Mundina's lodgings who had of the best Italians wines he fell into a fever whereof he died Jah Manl. loc com p. 89. Drunkennesse is a flattering evil a sweet poison a cunning Circe that besots the soul destroyes the body dolores gignit in capite in stomacho in toto corpore acerrimos Mercer in Prov. 23.32 grievous diseases and dolours in the head stomack whole man At the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder Prov. 23.32 The drunkard saith as the vine in Jothams parable Non possum relinquere vinum meum Take away my liquour you take away my life But it proves to him in the issue like that wine mentioned by Moses Deut. 32.33 Their wine is the poison of Dragons and cruel venom of Aspes which makes the spirits warm and the body sick to death with bottles of wine Or with heat through wine as Esay 5.11 and so Jarchi expoundeth it The same word signifieth the poyson of a Serpent Psal 58.4 which inflameth and killeth confer Prov. 23.32 and think of that cup of fire and brimstone Psal 11.6 to be one day turned down the wide gullets of intemperate drinkers which will be much worse to them then was that ladle-full of boyling lead which the Turkish Bashaw caused to be poured down the throat of a drunken wretch without giving him any respite
heart according to the good pleasure of his will he loved them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. and 10.14 in the wildernesse especially where they grieved him fourty years together and tempted him ten times Num. 14.22 But God had said of Israel He is my sonne even my first-born Exod. 4.22 and so higher then the kings of the earth Psal 89.27 He had chosen him for his love and now loved him for his choice This sonne of his he called out of Egypt to keep a feast to the Lord in the wildernesse Exod. 5.1 that is to serve him Exod. 4.23 to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 to set up his pure worship according to his own prescript in the Mount Exod. 25.40 This was altogether as delightfull to God as grapes in the wildernesse are to a wearied parched traveller And this the rather because it was the kindnesse of their youth Vno anno septies fructus sufficit the love of their espousals which was as the first ripe of the figs in the first time at the first bearing for the fig-tree bears twice a year and the Egyptian fig-tree seven times a year saith Solinus Now the first-ripe-fruits are Ladies-meat we say or longing-meat Gods soul doth even long after the first-ripe-fruits Mich. 7.1 as we prize even Nettle-buds when they bud out first If the Vine do but flourish the Pomgranates bud the tender grapes appear Cant. 6.11 7.12 he will pour his spirit upon the seed and his blessing upon the buds Esay 44.3 Hee liketh not those arbores autumnales Jude 12. that bud at latter end of harvest he made choice of the Almond-tree Ier. 1.11 because it blossometh first So he called for first-fruits of the trees and of the earth in the sheaf in the threshing-floor in the dough in the loaves yea for ears of corn dried by the fire and wheat beaten out of the green ears Lev. 2.14 to signifie how pleasant unto him is the primrose of our age but they went to Baal-peor See Num. 25.3 with the Note Heb. they went in to him which obscoenum quid turpe denotat as Gen. 16.2 so Psal 106.28 They joyned themselves also to Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead that is sacrifices offered to the infernall Gods or to Pluto the Devil whom the Phoenicians called Moth or Death in the behalf of the dead and separated themselves Heb. Nazarited themselves ad religiosè colendum they became Votaries to that shame i.e. to that shamefull and abominable Idoll that blushfull Priapus Tarnâ—â— qui referebat viri pudendi speciem and whose worshippers are brought in saying Nos pudore pulso stamus sub Iove coleis apertis c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we rake a dunghill as Cyril speaks in like case in discoursing of such dunghill-deities Isidor interpreteth Baal-peor simulachrum ignominiae an image of ignominy and most sure it is that idolaters left off their Idols in deepest dangers shall be ashamed of their expectation of help from them Jer. 3.19 and 11.13 and their abominations were according as thâ— loved Or according as they listed so some interpret it or according as they loved the Moabitish women more or lesse so they worshipped their Idols Solomon did the same Or they became as detestable as their very Idols which they loved and worshipped Or I abominate them as much now as ever I loved them before and how much that was he had shewed in the beginning of the Verse Now there is nothing that goeth more to Gods heart then the losse of his love upon an unthankfull people He had healed their back-slidings in Egypt where they had worshipped Idols Ezek. 16. hee had loved them freely and immensely Now therefore that they should so slight such a love to go after such a shame and so to undo themselves for ever this was monstrous ingratitude this was an unsufferable injury Verse 11. As for Ephraim their glory shall flee away as a bird Heb. Ephraim by a Nominative absolute Or O Ephraim as with a sigh or a shriek for grief and horrour of their ensuing calamity exilium excidium exitium The Lord afflicts not willingly nor grieves the children of men Lam. 3.33 It goes as much against the heart with him as against the hair with us witnesse this patheticall expression See also chap. 11.8 Their glory that is their God as in the next verse Or Hier. Epist 7. their children as in the next words They worshipped Baal-peor for fruitfulnesse but it shall not do For either they shall be punished with barrennesse or else with a luctuosa foecunditas as Hierom saith of Loeta who buried many children a dolefull fruitfulnesse their glory shall flee away as a bird Suddenly swiftly irrecoverably shall their numerous posterity which they looked upon as themselves multiplied and eternized be cut off be snatcht away by the hand of death so that Rachel like they shall refuse to be comforted because her children were not or as Cratisiclea in Plutarch Plut. in viâ— Cleom. who seeing her dear children slain before her and her self ready to be served in like sort uttered onely this word Quò pueri estis profecti Poor children what 's become of you From the birth and from the womb and from the conception In all these states shall the curse follow them close Either they shall not conceive or die in the womb or be stifled in the birth they shall all prove Icabods It is God that gives strength to conceive as he did to Sarah Hannah Elizabeth c. It is he that formeth us in the womb and that by the book Psal 139.15 16. and preserveth us there Job 10.8 when neither we can shift for our selves nor our parents provide for us It is he that taketh us thence Psal 22.9 10. as a nurse or midwife doth the new-born babe It is he that keepeth us in the cradle and in childhood when we are subject to a thousand deaths and dangers for puerilitas est periculorum pelagus it is a just wonder that any childe attains to maturity But if wicked mens children do so as oft they do for they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 yet it follows Verse 12 Though they bring up children yet will I bereave them If his children be multiplied it is for the sword and his off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread Iob 27.14 This was fulfilled in Ahabs seventy sonnes beheaded together 2 King 10.6 in whom he had vainly promised himself the establishment of his house which God had threatned to root out In Iehu and his posterity after the fourth generation Those Romans that went out against the enemy at the Porta scelerata as it was thereupon called and never returned again and that Eckins Raschachius a German Captain at the siege of Buda Anno 1541. whose sonne a valiant young Gentleman being got out of the army without his fathers knowledge bare
shall find some saith Erasmus that if death be threatened can despise it but to be belied or reproached they cannot brook nor from revenge contain Gods people can bear wrongs best of any compell them to go a mile thei 'le be content if it may do good to go two yea as farr as the shooes of the preparation of the Gospell of peace will carry them But if wrong be offered to God if he be any way dishonored or his Name bored through by blasphemies O what a stomack they have presently and how blessedly blown up are they with a zeale of Gods glory which even eateth them up Verse 18. Then will the Lord be jealous or Zealous for his land Then dicto citiùs straight upon 't no sooner shall you repent as is prescribed but the Lord will be jealous c. Of Gods jealousie for his people see the Note on Zech. 1.14 and 8 2. And of the happy effect of fasting turned to feasting see the Note on Zach. 8.19 See also Judg. 20.23 Ezra 9.6 Dan. 9.20 2 Chron. 20. Bacah turned into Berachah besides the constant experience of these and former times of the happy successe and unmiscarrying returns of holy fasting and prayer no instance to the contrary God usually answers his humbling people as here according to the desire of their hearts neither so only but according to the request of their lips also Aug. Confess l. 5. c. 8. Psal 21.2 he fits his mercy ad cardinem desiderii and lets it be to his even as they will They say Spare thy people and accordingly he will pitty or spare his people saith the Prophet They would not have God to give his heritage to reproach by inflicting famine upon them as if they served an hard master that would affamish them To this God gives a full answer in the next verse Behold I will send you corn c. Again they desire God to take care of his own great name and to vindicate it I will saith God by doing greatest things for you Verse 20. and by causing the blasphemers to return and discern that their Rock is not as your Rock themselves being judges and that to ask where is now their God Deut. 32. is as great folly as if one should say betwixt the space of the new and old moon Where is now the Moon when as it is never neerer the Sun then at that time There are some Interpreters of good note that read this verse not in the Future but in the Preter tense thus Then was the Lord zealous for his land and pittied his people Mercer Leveleus sc when once he saw them seriously to repent he did all this that followeth for them Neither maketh it any thing against this interpretation that the repentance of this people their assembling and fasting c. is not recorded For no more is it that Moses went to Pharaoh according to Gods command to threaten those swarmes of flies Exod. 8.20 or that Esay took his son Shear-iashub and went to Ahaz to confirme and comfort him as God had commanded Esay 7. which yet we doubt not but the Prophet did This is an ordinary Aposiopesis and pitty his people Or spare them pardon them The word signifies to shew mercy to him whom by all right thou mayest justly destroy Ezek. 5.11 1 Sam. 15.3 Oh the divine Rhetorick and omnipotent efficacy of Repentance This is the rainbow which if God seeth shining in our hearts he will never drown our soules Fulgent Dat poenitentiam poste à indulgentiam He gives his people to repent and then spareth them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him But it is otherwise with those that partake not of the divine nature Mal. 3.17 they are fierce and implacable as is the devill who workes effectually in them as a smith doth in his forge Henry the fourth Emperour of Germany came in the middest of a sore winter upon his bare feet to the gates of the castle of Canusium and stood there fasting from morning to night for three dayes together waiting for the judiciall sentence of the Pope and craving pardon of him which yet he could not obtaine by his own or others tears or by the intercession of any Saint save only of a certain harlot with whom the Pope was then taking his filthy pleasure The Emperour mistooke who thought that the Pope could be pacified by fasting and prayer This God required another kind of sacrifice then these Verse 19. Yea the Lord will answer and say unto his people He will say it in answer to their prayers see the Note on verse 18. Fear not my people that ye shall be a reproach among the Heathen for Behold I will send you as a token of my love and a pledge of better blessings Corn and wine and oyle all that heart can wish or need require a sufficiency of outward comforts and if not a superfluity yet an honest affluence as Psal 23.5 6. and boldnesse to conclude from temporals to spirituals as there David doth because bestowed in mercy and as an answer to prayer for God never said to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain he scorns that whether it be for Bona throni or Bona scabelli as Austin distinguisheth Good things of this life or a better upper springs or nether springs though we ask but the one as here yet we shall have both Nay take two saith He as once Naaman did to Gehezi take thy back-burthen take even as much as thou canst bring faith to bear away God deales with his servants as the Prophet did with the Shunamite when He bad her ask what she needed and she found not what to ask he sent for her againe and makes her a free promise of that she most wanted and desired a son 2 King 4.16 So oft God is pleased to do for his servants exceeding abundantly above all that they ask or think David asked but life of God and He gave him length of dayes for ever and ever Psal 21.4 This people prayed that God would not for that turn give his heritage a reproach among the heathen and He gratiously promiseth that he will never any more make them a reproach c. so they continue penitent for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifies perpetuity as Mercer noteth and not for a time only as Lyra would have it Verse 20. But I will remove farr off from you the Northen army sc of vermine of those destroying creatures that came from to the North. Ab Aquilone nihil boni was a Proverb amongst this people God promiseth here to free them of that mischief and to disimpester the country of those noysome Insects Gratiae privativae plures sunt quam positivae saith Gerson Gods privative favours to us are more then his positive hence mans happinesse is usually called salvation which properly betokeneth the privative part thereof Little do we consider or understand from how many deaths and dangers
make beleeve Where is the promise of his comming Let him make speed and hasten his work Esay 5.19 Jer. 17.15 that we may see it Let him increase his army and come down Judg. 9.29 Such jearing and daring spirits there are still abroad But do they provoke the Lord to anger are they stronger then he The great and terrible day of the Lord will come time enough to their cost they need not accelerate it Can they stand to his triall Job 26.14 or abide the thunder of his power to what end is it for you when God shall answer you as he did a far better man out of the whirlewind and say Job 38.2 3. 1 Pet. 4.18 Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Gird up now thy loynes like a man c. Where then shall the ungodly and the wicked appeare what hils will they call upon to fall on them when the elements shall fall upon them like scalding lead or burning bell-mettall and yet all this be but the beginning of their sorrowes Now therefore be not ye mockers lest your bands be made strong Esay 28.22 God can easily hamper you if he once take you in hand the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light No interchange of light an evill an onely evill without mixture of mercy Ezech. 7.5 a black and dismal day of one mischief upon another in a continued series Affliction shall not rise up the second time Nah. 1.9 but ye shall totally and finally be destroyed wrath shall come upon you to the utmost 2 Thes 2. This is illustrated in the next verse by an apt Similitude Verse 19. As if a man did sly from a lion c. And so by running from his death should run to it by seeking to shun the shelves should split against a rock Incidit in Scyllam c. Alsted Chronol pag. 480. as Nicodemus Frischline that famous Poet Orator and Philosopher endevouring to escape out of close prison by casting himself out at a window the rope broke and he perished by falling headlong upon a rock So fareth it with those that feare not God Aliud ex alio malum One mischief treadeth on the heeles of another as Iobs messengers The clouds returne after the raine Eccle. 12.2 as in April-weather one showre is unburthened another is brewed and deep calleth upon deep at the noise of the water-spouts Psal 42.7 Evill shall hunt the violent man to destroy him Psal 140.11 your sins shall find out out as a blood-hound Num. 32.23 as it did that Popish Priest in London who having escaped the fall of Black-friers Anno. 1623. where Drury had his braines knockt out of his head together with his sermon and taking water with a purpose to saile into Flanders was cast away together with some others under London-bridge Jac. Revius de vit Pontif. 312. the boat being overturned And as Philip the second King of Spaine who going from the Low-countries into Spaine by sea fell into a storme in which almost all the Fleet was wracked his housholdstuff of very great valve lost and himself hardly escaped Hist of Counc of Trent 417. He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranisme which he presently began to do But the hand of God was upon him in an extraordinary manner Caros Scribonde inflit Princ. cap. 20. for beside the invincible Armado here defeated to his great heart-break for his pretended patience was but as the fever called Epialis wherein men are cold without but hot as fire within he fell into that most lothsome lowsy disease called Phthiriasis whereof at length he dyed and a Beare met him A Beare robbed of her whelpes which she licketh into forme and loveth above measure is a very fierce and fell creature To meet her in such a rage is to meet death in the very face and yet that danger may be sooner shifted and shunned then the heavy wrath of God avoyded or averted without true and timely repentance there is no way to run from him but by running penitently to him as in a tempest at Sea it is very dangerous to strike to the shore the safest way is to have sea-room and to keep in the Maine still or went into the house To shelter himself from the Beare as every creature in danger runneth to its harbour Prov. 30.26 Psal 104.18 and leaned his hand on the walles As being breathlesse in running and glad to stay himself on what he can next lay hold on Man like the vine must have somewhat to leane on if it be but a broken reed or bulging wall Psal 62.3 he shifts and sharks in every by-corner for comfort as the Papists stung by the Friers sermons do by pardons and pennances Prov. 23.32 which are but palliate cures for a serpent bites them the guilt of sin abiding biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder Verse 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse c. q. d. How say ye now when thus beset with mischief on all hands such as ye can neither avoyd nor abide must ye not needes subscribe to the truth of what I said verse 18. and do here againe repeate that you may the better observe it with greater emphasis and earnestnesse you shall not have the least glimmering of comfort ease direction or good counsel To what end then should you desire this dreadfull day of the Lord Are you in hast to be undone Verse 21. I hate I despise your feast-dayes wherewith ye think to stop my mouth and to make me your debter saying as that Romane Emperour when his enemy came against him Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret we have not so served the Gods that they should serve us no better then to give the enemy the better of us The feast-dayes Antonin Philosoph refer Vulcat Gallic in Avidio Cassio Jer. 32.35 and solemne assemblies you so much bind upon are yours and not mine I never commanded them viz as you now use them neither came they ever into my mind So farr am I therefore from accepting your sacrifices as that I hate I despise I will not smell an elegant Asyndeton importing Gods utter distaste of what they did The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21.27 and assuring a sudden vengeance as in that quick and smart passage Go preach baptise He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 Will-worship and out-sidenesse in religion is very odious to the Almighty and stinks worse in his nostrils then any ill vapour from the vilest dunghill doth in ours or as those poisonous smels that ascended up once from the five cities of the plaine and brought down from him a counterpoyson of fire and brimstone Rome also that spirituall Sodom shall be destroyed in like sort with a terrible fire Rev. 17.16 and 18 8 9. for her
lurking-holes as he did Adam out of the thicket 2 Chro. 33.11 Manasseh from among the thornes Jonah from the sides of the ship the Duke of Buckingham in Rich. the thirds time c. Be sure saith Moses your sinne will finde you out Speed Num. 32.23 and Gods hand will hale you to punishment Though they climb up to heaven That is by an hyperbole to high and strong places as the Babel-builders the Benjamites that fled to the Rock Rimmon and there abode four moneths Judg. 20 47. the gibing Jebusites that were so confident of their strong-hold of Zion that they flouted David and his forces 2 Sam. 5.8 the proud Prince of Tyre and others thence will I bring them down From their loftiest tops of Pride and creature-confidence which God loves to confute and defeat as I might instance in Nebuchadnezzars Xerxes Haman Sejanus Bajaezet that terrour of the world and as he thought superior to fortune yet in an instant with his state in one battle overthrown into the bottome of misery and despaire Turk hist 287. and that in the middest of his great strength The same end awaits the Pope and his hierarchy ruet alto à culmine Roma that Jupiter Capitolinus shall be one day unroosted by him who casteth the wicked down to the ground Psal 147.6 Verse 3. And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel In densis sylvis inter spelaea ferarum Lawfull enough it is in some cases to hides David did oft and Elias and Christ and Paul 2 Cor. 11.32 and Athanasius and diverse other Saints Tertullian was too rigid in condemning all kind of hiding in evill times Lib. de suga on persecution But to hide from God who searcheth Jerusalem with lights and to whom the darknesse and the light are both alike Psal 139.12 to whom obscura clarent muta respondent silentium confitetur this is base and bootlesse Carmel shall not cover them nor any other starting-hole secure them from divine justice The poore Jewes were pulled by the Romanes out of privyes and other under-ground places where they had hid themselvss as Josephus writeth and so were those Samaritans served by the Assyrians who ferreted them out and slaughtered them and though they be hid from my sight as they think but that cannot be for He like the Optick vertue in the eye sees all and is seen of none in the bottome of the sea which how deep and troublesome soever is to God a Sea of glasse like unto Chrystal corpus diaphanum a pervious clear Rev. 4. transparent body such as he sees thorow and hath the sole command of thence will I command the serpent For there is that crooked serpent Leviathan there are also creeping things innumerable Esay 27.1 Psal 104.26 to arrest wicked men as rebels and traitors to the highest Majestie and to drag them down to the bottom of hell All elements and creatures shall draw upon them as servants will do upon such as assault their Lord. Rebellisque facta est quia homo numini creatura homini as Austin truely and trimly avoucheth Verse 4 And though they goe into captivity c. And so may hope the worst is over Surely the bitternesse of death is past yet it shall prove otherwise The hypocrites hope is as the giving up the ghost saith Iob and that 's but cold comfort 1 Sam. 15.32 Or as the spiders web spun out of her own bowels and when the beesome comes swept to the muck-hill before their enemies whose custome was to drrive their captives before them Lam. 1.5 young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered Esay 20.4 Or before their enemies that is before they are taken captive by the enemies by a voluntary yeeldance in hope of quarter for their lives The Jewes indeed had a promise from the Prophet Jeremy chap. 21.9 That if they went out and fell to the Chaldeans that besieged them they should have their lives for a prey but the ten tribes had no such promise made them They were strangers from the covenants Ephes 2.12 and therefore could look for no mercy Loammi and therefore Lo-ruhamah Hos 1. the Ark and the Mercy-seat were never sundred thence will I command the sword See Esay 13.15 16. Jer. 9.10 and 43.11 Ezek. 14.17 and I will set mine eyes upon them Emphaticoteâ—on est qâ—am si dixiâ—set Oculos pluraliter Mercer Heb. eye viz. the eye of my providence that oculus irretortus whereby I will look them to death and take course that nothing shall go well with them see a little below vers 8. Jer. 21.10 Psal 34.16 In Tamerlanes eyes sat such a Majesty as a man could hardly endure to behold and many in talking with him became dumb He held the East in such awe as that he was commonly called Turk hist 211.236 The wrath of God and terrour of the world Augustus Cesar frowned to death Cornelius Gallus and so did Queen Elizabeth Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellour Gods enemies are sure to perish at the rebuke of his countenance Psal 80.16 and if he but set his eyes upon them for evil and not for good all occurrences shall certainly work together for the worst unto them Verse 5. And the Lord God of Hosts is he c. Here the Prophet proveth what he had said in the foregoing verses by an argument drawn from the wonderfull power of God which profane persons are apt to question that they may harden their hearts against his fear Consider saith He first that He is the Lord God of Hosts and as the Rabbines well observe he hath the upper and lower troops ready prest as his horse and foot to march against his enemies Next that he toucheth the land as it were with his little finger and it shall melt like the fat of lambs before the fire it shall crumble to crattle moulder away and be moved because he is wroth Psal 18.7 and shall men be unmoved shall they bee more insensible then the senselesse earth The people of Antioch though many of them gave their hands for Chrysostoms banishment yet terrified by an earthquake which wrought in them an heart-quake as it had done in the Gaoler Acts 16. they immediately sent for him again But thirdly the tremend power of God appears in this that The land shall rise up wholly like a flood and it shall be drowned as by the flood of Egypt God can flote it and flood it at his pleasure See chap. 8.8 Water is naturally above the earth as the garment above the body saith David and would but for the power and providence of God prove as the shirt made for the murdering of Agamemnon where the head had no issue out Let God be seen herein and mens hearts possessed with his holy fear who can so easily pull up the sluces let in the Sea upon them and bury them all in one universall grave of waters Fear ye not me
then what the Scripture reporteth of them The Chaldees cut off abundance of them together with the Moabites Ammonites and other neighbour nations After that Iudas Macchabeus and his nephew Hircanus slew a great sort of them and then lastly the Romans and other Princes rooted them utterly out See Ioseph Lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 10. 1 Maccab. 5.65 2 Mac. 10.16 32. Verse 17. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance God will turne againe their captivity as the streames in the South He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to send them home he restored unto them both Religion and Liberty he did all that could be done for them by sending his Son amongst them in the fulnesse of time made of a woman c. made also unto all his people wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Jesus hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Neither is there any other Name whereby heaven is to be had but onely by the Name of Jesus and there shall be holinesse Holinesse to the Lord as Zach. 14.20 See the Notes there All the Lords people shall be an holy nation 1 Pet. 2.9 Every inhabitant of the city of God shall be partaker of holinesse both imputed and imparted that for justification being inherent in Christ imputed to us this for sanctification imparted by Christ inherent in us and the house of Jacob shall possesse ' their possessions They returning from Babylon shall not onely recover their own possessions out of the hands of the Edomites Samaritans and Syrians by vertue of an Edict from king Darius but they shall also possesse the Edomites themselves and their territories when converted to the faith of Christ they shall bring their wealth unto the Church and as it is faid of Tyrus Esay 23.18 feed and clothe therewith the Saints of God Verse 18. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire c. The house of Jacob are the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin the house of Joseph are the ten tribes of Israel whereof Ephraim was the head The sence is this those two tribes together with such of the ten as joyned themselves to them either before or after the captivity shall invade Idumea burn it and subdue it as fire doth stubble fully drie This was done by Hircanus and Judas Macchabeus who compelled the Edomites to bee circumcised and so wholly possessed those parts Joseph 13. Ant. 17. that there were not any reliques of them remaining no not so much as one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint render it or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read them any to carry corn after the camp or fire before it according to the custome of the Greeks and Easterlings which torch-bearer might as little bee violated as an Embassadour but here hee should bee cut off with the rest and not so much as a messenger left to relate the overthrow The Edomites were so utterly rooted out by Hircanus Alex. ab Alex. l. 5. c. 3. that they thenceforth ceased to bee Edomites and became Jews Those of them that were converted by the preaching of the Gospel ceased to be either Edomites or Jewes and became Christians The Apostles burning with the zeal of Gods glory and love to mens souls devoured and wasted the infidelity idols and vices of the Gentiles where-ever they came preaching Hence Chrysostom saith Peter was a man made all of fire walking among stubble Paul was insatiabilis Dei cuâ—tor an insatiable servant of Christ And to the like purpose it was that to one that desired to know what kind of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dream a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Such an one is Basil And old Latimer when he was demanded the reason why so little powerfull preaching answered Deest ignis the spark of the spirit is wanting Howbeit this Prophecy as it began to be fulfilled at first by the Apostles and the Apostolicall persons that came after them so it is daily and shall be continually to the worlds end fulfilled by the faithfull preachers of Gods holy word who are clothed with a spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4 4. and out of whose mouth proceedeth fire Rev. 11.5 to purge the gold and to consume the stubble Verse 19. And they of the South shall possesse the mount of Esau Those of the South that is the tribe of Judah For Iudaea was divided into five parts Josh 15. whereof one was Southward toward the coast of Edom ver 21. Another was in the vale or plain near unto the Philistines ver 33. Here then Obadiah sheweth that the Jews shall not onely recover their ancient inheritances but also much enlarge the same whereby he signifieth that the Church of Christ shall grow so very great that Jewry shall be too narrow for them see Zach. 10.10 the ancient bounders shall not receive them See Num. 24.17 Esay 11.14 The Gospel was soon spread not onely to the neighbour nations but to all the ends of the earth the Edomites Philistines c. are onely mentioned as being better known and more adverse to the Jews then other nations were and they of the plain the Philistines i.e. those five Lordships Gath Gaza Ascalon Ekron and Azotus all which countrey called Sarona Acts 9. Augustus gave to Herod the Ascalonite and after his death to his sons dividing it into Tetrarchies Luke 3.1 and they shall possesse the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria All which Hircanus subdued and destroyed their Temple built in mount Garizim and Benjamin shall possesse Gilead that is shall propagate and extend his habitation beyond Iordan and in respect of his exceeding great multitude shall be compelled to hold and possesse Gilead all the countrey betwixt Iordan and mount Libanus Thus Hierom with the Hebrew Scholiasts and many others who do also note that under these earthly felicities heavenly are described and that all this is chiefly accomplished under Christ when as the faithfull are made heirs and lords of all things by Him who is their Head See Ezek. 37.16 c. Verse 20. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel c. i.e. the multitude of the Jews carried captive to Babylon returning at length into their own countrey shall possesse all the places of the Canaanites all the Maritine cities all the tract of ground as farre as Sarepta which is betwixt Tyre and Zidon therefore called Sarepta of Zidon 1 King 17.19 Here dwelt the Canaanites whom Asher could not expell Judg. 1.31 32. See Mat. 15.22 and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad that is either in some citie of Assyria or in the utmost bounds of the Babylonish dominion as some interpret the word Sepharad by taking it asunder or as farre as Apharad so the Septuagint that is Euphrates The Hebrew Doctors as by Canaanites here they understand the Dutch and by Zarephath France so by Sepharad they will needs
not be subject to Gods command is now liable to the censures conviction and condemnation of rude barbarous men which being humbled in the sense of his sinne hee doth patiently endure without grudging Danaeus his Note here is that concerning themselves and their own sinnes against God these good fellowes spake nothing what ever they think but demand of the Prophet why hast thou done this as if he were the onely misdoer because he had told them As willing now to give glory to God and take shame to himself this is the property of a true penitentiary See Psal 52. Title where David stands to do penance in a white sheet as it were and Augustines Confessions Hypocrites deal with their souls as some do with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so do they their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses But as the prisoner on the rack tells all and as things written with the juice of limmons when held to the fire are made legible so when God brings men into straits when he roasteth them in the fire of his wrath then if ever they will confesse against themselves and so give glory to God Josh 7.19 by putting themselves into the hand of justice in hope of mercy Verse 11. Then said they unto him What shall we do unto thee q. d. Thou art a Prophet of the Lord and knowest how he may be pacified Thou art also the party whom He pursueth say what we shall do to thee to save our selves from thy death that even gapeth for us from this Sea which else will soon swallow us up for the Sea worketh and is tempestuous so Kimchi readeth the Text making these last also to be the words of the Marriners Thou seest that there is no hope if thine angry God be not appeased Wo unto us who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty Gods 1 Sam. 4.8 If the Sea be thus ragefull and dreadfull as verse 15. if it thus work and swell more and more as we see it doth thereby testifying that it can now no longer defer to execute Gods anger tell us what we shall do in this case and strait What Verse 12. And he said unto them More by Gods inward revelation then by discourse of reason not as rashly offering himself to death but as freely submiting to the mind of God signified by the Lot that fell upon him calling for him to punishment Take me up and cast me forth into the Sea Eximia sides saith Mercer Before we had his repentance testified by his confession with aggravation Here we have his faith whereby he triumpheth over death in his most dreadfull representations Take me up saith he with a present minde and good courage as also his charity whereby he chose rather to die as a piacular person then to cause the death of so many men for his fault Like unto this was that of Nazianzen who desired Jonah-like to be cast into the Sea himself so be it all might be calme in the Publike that of Athanasius who by his sweat and tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine cured the leprosie of that tainted age that of Ambrose who was farre more sollicitous of the Churches welfare then of his own that of Chrysostome In 1 Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to seek the publick good of the Church and to preferre the salvation of others before a mans private profit is the most perfect Canon of Christianisme the very top-gallant of Religion the highest point and pitch of Piety so shall the Sea be calme unto you Not else for I have forfeited my life by my disobedience and my repentance though true and so to salvation never to be repented of comes too late in regard of temporall punishments 2 Cor. 7.10 as did likewise that of Moses Deut. 3.26 and of David 2 Sam. 12.10 such is the venemous nature of sinne in the saints 't is treachery because against covenant and such is the displeasure of God upon it that he chastiseth his here more then any other sinners Lam. 4.6 Dan. 9.12 and whoever else scape they shall be sure of it Amos 3.2 The word here rendred calme signifieth silent for the Sea when troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est maris agitatio Eâ—â— stach in Hom. Hiad H. roareth hideously so that the roaring of the devils at the painfull preconceit of their last doom of damnation is set forth by a word that is taken from the tossing of the Sea and the noise thereupon Iam. 2.19 The devils beleeve and tremble or shiver and shudder with horrible yellings for I know that for my sake this tempest is upon you If Jonah were a type of Christ in that being cast into the Sea a calme followed yet herein hee differed that Christ suffered not for his own offences 1 Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 but bore our sinnes in his own body on the tree and died the just for the unjust Verse 13. Neverthelesse the men rowed Heb. digged for so they that row seem to do with their oars Virg. Aeneid Vastum sulcavimus aequor as with spades Hence also the Latine Poets say that Boat-men cut plow furrow the waters Infindunt pariter sulcos The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did their utmost indeavour with violence to bring the ship to shore and to save Jonah and not as those bloody Emperours Tiberius Caligula and Claudius who took delight in the punishment of offenders and used to come early in the morning into the market-place to behold their executions Non nisâ— coactus Vtinam literas nescirem said that better Emperour when he was to subscribe a sentence of death and Oh that I could not write mine own name said Another upon the like occasion but they could not They did but strive against the stream for the Lord had otherwise determined it and Voluntas Dei necessitas reâ— who hath resisted his will for the Sea wrought and was tempestuous against them As verse 11. Praesentemque vires intentant omnia mortem Verse 14. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord Not unto their false gods but unto the true Jehovah of whom they had learned something by what they had seen and heard from Jonah Vaetorpori nostro We beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee A most ardent and affectionate prayer A naturall man may pray from the bottome of his heart out of a deep sense of his wants but he cannot give thanks from the bottom of his heart because void of the love of God and joy of faith Danaeus noteth from these words that Iudges ought to pray before they passe sentence of death upon any Let us not perish for this mans life which we take away but full sore against our wills Wilfull murther was ever accounted an heinous crime among the Heathens also
incompleat it was an imperfect thing the better part of it was yet wanting Next that till that chare were done he could not be at peace within himself he could not be quiet for vowes are debts and debts till they be payed are a burden to an honest minde and do much disease it Salvation is of the Lord. Salus omnimoda as the Hebrew word having one letter more then ordinary in it importeth Jeshugnathah all manner of salvation full and plentifull deliverance is of the Lord who is therefore called the God of salvation unto whom belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 A quo vera salus non aliunde venit This Ionah speaketh as he doth all else in this holy Canticle not by reading or by rote but out of his own feeling and good experience his whole discourse was digg'd out of his own breast as it is said of that most excellent 119. Psalme that it is made up altogether of experiments and it therefore hath verba non legenda sed vivenda words not so much to be read as lived as One said once of it Dives thought that if one went from the dead to warne his wicked brethren they would never be able to resist such powerfull Rhetorick Behold here is Ionah raised from the dead as it were and warning people to arise and stand up from dead courses and companies that Christ may give them light why do they not then get up and be doing at it that the Lord may be with them Shall not the men of Nineveh rise up in judgement with this evil generation and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Jonas Mat. 12.41 but these do not though they have many Jonas's that both preach and practise non verbis solum praedicantes sed exemplis as Eusebius saith Origen did that live sermons and not teach them onely Verse 10. Dci dicere est facere Aug. And the Lord spake unto the fish He spake the word and it was done He is the great Centurion of the world that saith to his creature Do this and hee doth it Yea he is the great great Induperator to whom every thing saith Iussa sequi tam velle mihi quà m posse necesse esse Lucan I am wholly at thy beck and check Jonah spake to God and God to the fish It may be said of faithfull prayer that it can do whatsoever God himself can do sith he is pleased to yeeld himself overcome by the prayers of his people and to say unto them cordially as Zedekiah did to his Courtiers colloguingly The king is not he that can deny you any thing Prayer is of that power that it can open the doors of Leviathan as wee see here which yet is reckoned as a thing not feisible Iob 41.14 yea of the all-devouring grave Heb. 11.35 If the Lord pricked on by the prayers of his people set in hand to save them and shall say to the North Give up and to the South Keep not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Esay 43.6 they shall come amain and none shall be able to hinder them Come therefore with those good souls in Hosea who had smarted for their folly as well as Ionah and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn Hos 6.1 2. and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight A time we must have to be in the fire in the fishes belly as in Gods Nurturing-house but hee will take care that wee be not there overlong what 's two or three dayes to eternity Hold out faith and patience Yet a very little little while Heb. 10. and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry and it vomited up Ionah upon the dry land And here Death was defeated and wiped it was much more so when it had swallowed up Christ Quantum in devoratione mors laetata est tantum luxit in vomitu Hieron and little dreamt that it self should have been thereby swallowed up in victory But then was fulfilled that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death And as there so here in a proportion and as a type omnia jam inversa saith Mercer all things are turned t'other way Before the fish was an instrument of death now of life and serves Jonah for a ship to bring him to dry land This fish useth not to come neer the shore but to sport in the great waters howbeit now he must by speciall command vomit up Ionah upon the dry land Why then should it be thought a thing incredible with any that God should raise the dead The Sea shall surely give up the dead that were in it and death and hell deliver up the dead that were in them Acts 26. S. Sen. Nat. quaest l. 3. c. 26 27 28 29 30. and they shall be judged every man according to his works Rev. 20.13 This some of the Heathens beleeved as Zoroastres Theopompus and Plato And the Stoikes opinion was that the world should one day be dissolved by fire or water and all things brought to a better state or to the first golden age again But we have a more sure word of Prophesie and this that is here recorded may serve as an image and type of our preservation in the grave and our resurrection from the dead by one and the same Almighty power of God CHAP. III. Verse 1. AND the word of the Lord came unto Ionah the second time Ionah is a sinner but not a cast-away God layes him not by as a broken vessel treads him not to the dung-hill as unsavoury salt but receives him upon his return by repentance and restores him to his former employment gives him yet a name and a nail in his house yea sends him a second time on his message to Nineveh and counting him faithfull puts him again into the ministery who was before a runagate a rebel c. But he obtained mercy c. 1 Tim. 1.13 as did likewise the Apostles after that they had basely deserted our Saviour at his passion and Peter after he had denied him See Ioh. 20.22 23. and 21.15 16 17. Quem poenite peccasse poenè est innocens Sen Agam. The poenitent are as good as innocent Return ye back-sliding children saith the Father of mercies and I will heal your back-slidings Ier. 3.22 The Shulamite returning is as lovely in Christs eye as before and all is as well as ever betwixt them Cant. 6.4 There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostasie and falling after repentance But had they known the gift of God and who it is that saith to them Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee they would have conceived strong consolation Verse
Jonah Vssit laesit Psal 121. So the Poet seriente cacumina Sole Chrysostome cannot but wonder that whereas all fire naturally tendeth upwards the Sun should shoot his beames downwards and affect these lower bodyes with his light and heat Whereby if he be troublesome to any Jonah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is because God will have it so for he is a servant as his name in Hebrew importeth without whom neither Sun shineth nor raine falleth Mat. 5.45 Mat. 13.6.21 Rev. 7.16 and 16.8.9 1 Pet. 4.12 and who by afflictions set forth in Scripture by the heate of the Sun bringeth back his straglers Psal 119.97 that he fainted Though the head of man bath a manisold guard upon it as being overlaid first with haire skin and flesh like the three-fold covering of the Tabernacle and then encompassed with a skull of bones like boards of Cedar and afterwards with diverse skins like silken curtaines Obtectue fuit maerore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. and lastly enclosed with the yellow skin which Solomon calleth the golden ewer Eccle. 12.6 yet Jonah fainted and wished in himself to die Ita ut ab animo suo peteret mori he required of his soule to go out of his body Egredere ô anima mea as Hilarion said but in a better sense he called for death as his due being belike of Seneca's mind that Nature hath bestowed this benefit on men that they may bereave themselves of life whensoever they please not considering that God is Lord of lise and death neither may any one lay down his life but when He calleth for it as a souldier may not leave his station but at the command of his captaine it is better for me to die then to live Not so Jonah unlessed you were in a better mind You should rather say as Martinus on his sick-bed did Sever. Epist 3. Bernard Domine si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius Lord if I may yet be serviceable to thee and usefull to thy people I refuse not life and labour Or as Mr. Bolton on his death-bed desirous to be dissolved when he was told by some standers by Mr. Bagshaw in the life of Mr. Bolton that though it was better for him to die then to live Yet the Church of God would miss him He thus sweetly replied with David 2 Sam. 15.25 26. If I shall find faevour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again c. but if otherwise loc here I am let him do what seemeth good in his eyes A good man is born for the benefit of many as Bucers Physitians said to him neither may he desire to die out of discontent Mel. Ad. Non sibisâ—sed multerum utilitati esse natum as Jonah did for a trifle wherein he was crossed and rather then which to have been deprived of Niniveh that great city by his consent should have been destroyed That he never after this would return to his own countrey but was so sick of the fret that he died of the sullens as some Hebrewes say I cannot beleeve See the Note on ver 3. Eneid lib. 1. Ver. 9. Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd What so soon blown up for a thing of nothing Tantaene animis coelestibusira Dijne hunc ardorem mentibus indunt Euriale Aeâ—neid lib. 1. an sua cuique deus fit dira libido Ibid. lib. 9. Knew not Jonah that to be angry without a cause was to be in danger of the judgement Mat. 5.22 that it was a mortall sin and not veniall as Papists falsly conclude from that text which sets not forth a different punishment of rash anger but a diverse degree of punishment that it is the murther of the heart as our Saviour there shewes and the sountaine of the murther both of the tongue and of the hand will he be like the foolish bee who loseth her life to get revenge See the Note on ver 4. and he said Before he said nothing when reproved for his rash anger ver 4. and that was best Now he chats against God laying the reines in the neck of his unruly passions and running riot Who can understand his erâ—ours and who can tell how oft a servant of God may fall into a foul sin if strongly inclined thereto by nature or violently tempted by satan and his instruments Of Judah indeed it is expresly noted that he knew his daughter-in law Tamar againe no more Gen. 38.26 But what shall we say to Lots double incest to Sampsons going down againe to Gaza Iudg. 16 to Abrahams twice denying his wife to Iohns twice adoring the Angell Rev. 19.10 and 22.8 Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall and let Gods people see that there be no way of wickednesse found in them that they allow not wallow not in this guzzle sith hereby they loose not their jus haereditarium but yet their jus aptitudinale not their title but yet their fitnesse to Gods kingdome and perhaps their fulnesse of reward there 2 Iohn 8. and he said I do well to be angry even unto death A fearefull out-burst resist passion at the first rising up else who knowes whither it may transport us Passions saith One like heavy bodies down steep hils once in motion move themselves and know no ground but the bottome Ionah saith Another upon this text slights admonition riseth up in an animosity against it to a desperate degree of anger such wild beasts are surious passions when we give them the reines Thus He Surely as the Lion beateth himself with his own taile and as sullen birds in a cage beate themselves to death so could Ionah in this rage find in his heart to do and he shames not to tell God as much It was therefore no ill wish of him that desired God to deliver him from that naughty man Himself Domine libera me à malo hemine meipso from headlong and headstrong passions which may not only dissweeten a mans life but shorten it The Emperor Nerva died of a sever contracted by anger Valentinian by an irruption of blood Wenceslaus King of Bohemia in a rage against his cup bearer fell presently into a palsey whereof he died What disease Ionah died of I know not but this I know that in his heat he did and said enough here in this text to have made Almighty God resolve as he did once against those muttering Mutineeres in the wildernesse As truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine eares so will I do to you Num. 14.28 Thou shalt surely dye Jonah out of thine own mouth will I judge thee c. But God chose rather to glorifie himself in Jonah's salvation then in his deserved destruction Dat igitur poenitentiam poste à indulgentiam as that father prayed He therefore first giveth him repentance and then pardon as appeareth partly by his recording of these passages and so shaming himself
faiths acting upon the promises and extracting nourishment from the same maintain life spirituall and thereby it was that Daniel stopped the mouthes of the Lions Heb. 11. How Habakkuk taketh out this his own lesson of living by faith and not by sense see chap. 3.17 Although the fig-tree shall not blossome c. See here the life of faith in the fail of outward comforts so true is that of Solomon Prov. 2.7 The Lord layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous When he is in greatest straits then he hath such quietnesse soundnesse and presence of minde as bears him up above all troubles like as blown bladders do the body aloft all waters Faith furnisheth him with strongest and most satisfying joyes such as the flames cannot dry up nor rivers of blood drown faith actuated upon the promises maketh the beleever walk above the middle region of the air as it were in a continuall serenity as Henoch did and sealeth him a double charter of privative and positive priviledges See it set down 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. Faith makes him live in the mouth of death by strengthening him against the horrours of it Psal 23.4 Rom. 8.38 Heb. 11.31 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. and by shewing him heaven beyond it Heb. 11.13 and therein freedome from all evil fruition of all good Verse 5. Yea also because he transgresseth by wine Or How Much more because he is a a wine-bibber perfidious proud neither keepeth at home c. These four faults the Prophet here layeth to the charge of the Babylonian and there-hence inferreth for the comfort of the distressed captives that his destruction cannot be farre off and therefore the just should mean-while live by faith and bear up under affliction For if those that beleeve not the promises but shift and shark for help and comfort elsewhere shall smart for their unbelief as vers 4. where shall those appear that are here described shall these bipedum nequissimi worst of men escape by iniquity Never think it First their drunkennesse alone would undo them as it did Amnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. l. 3. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aelian lib. 2. cap. 41. Elah Nabal Belshazzar Bonosus c. Aristotle saith that double punishments are due to drunkards first for their drunkennesse and then for other sinnes committed in and by their drunkennesse Nebuchadnezzar or as some will have it Belshazzar is here called wine or by an ordinary ellipsis a man of wine not onely Meribibulus but a deep and desperate drunkard a very tundish as Diotimus of Athens was called a hogshead as young Cicero No wonder therefore though he were all the rest that followeth 1. Perfidious to those that committed themselves to his trust or made leagues with him which he kept no longer then stood with his profit 2. Proud or Arrogant Prov. 21.24 See Dan. 4.30 how he spreads his peacocks tail and prides himself in it his great wealth tumoured him up with great swealth 3. He keepeth not at home Non habitabit his own countrey will not contain him but he encloseth all nations in his draw-net chap. 1.15 Sheol 4. He enlargeth his desire as hell which hath its name in Hebrew from its unsatiablenesse Prov. 30.15 16. and in Latine it is called Infernus ab inferendo say some from the devils continuall carrying in souls thither and yet it is not filled and is as death which is the end of all men Eccles 7.2 the way of all flesh 1 King 2.2 of all the earth Josh 23.14 the house appointed for all living the great Congregation-house Job 30.23 and cannot be satisfied Lust is unsatisfiable and whatsoever it getteth is but as fuell to the fire Ambition groweth as the Crocodile doth as long as he liveth It rideth without reins and there is no hoe with it but gathereth unto him all nations c. All that he could come at All Asia and a great part of Africa and could never have enough till his mouth was filled with a spade full of mould Therefore he shall not keep home so some read the words above in this verse Ideo non manebit in habitaculo His kingdome shall not long continue but after a few years be over-turned by the Persians this golden head as Daniel calleth the Babylonish Monarchy held not up above 170 years if we reckon from Merodach-Baladan the first founder to Belshazzar slain by cyrus who translated the kingdome to the Persians Dan. 5. Verse 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him Shall not the Babylonian who is now a terrour be ere long a scorn shall he not inherit with ignominis reproach and a taunting proverb against him Heb. An interpretation and riddles For example Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his that is both a proverb because in many mens mouthes and an interpretation because it is plain and perspicuous But that which followeth is a riddle That ladeth himself with thick clay This Nut must be broken up ere the kernell can be come at See Judg. 7.15 Woe to him that iâ—creaseth that which is not his Heb. Lo lo. Some render it Veshibhro Hoe he that multip lieth not for himself but fro another sc for the Medes and Persians not Woe but Hoe a note of insulting and upbraiding answerable to the Latine Vah Vah tune ille es c. Ah sirrah are you he that increaseth that which is not yours c. Euge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how long This is the common complaint of the oppressed nations groaning out their grievances and longing for deliverance from those troublers of the world Neither is this vsque quo in vain for God is gracious and may better stile himself then the great Turk Awlem Penawh that is The worlds refuge the poor mans King as James 4. of Scotland was called and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay With gold and silver that guts and garbage of the earth fitly called clay because of the clogging and polluting property and said to load people as a sumpter-horse laden with treasure all day but at night turned into a stinking stable with his back full of gauls and bruises He that first called Riches Bono Goods was mistaken the Scripture calleth them Thorns snares thick clay c. a great burden to the owner according to the proverb Magna navis magna cura A great ship is a great care and the lading oft proves no better then that which Captain Forbisher brought back with him after his Voyage to discover the Straits viz. a great quantity of stones which he thought to be Minerals from which Camd. Elisab 189. when there could be drawn neither gold nor silver nor any other mettall they were cast forth to mend the high-wayes This was labour in vain pressure to no purpose and no lesse is theirs that heap up riches without right Jer. 17.11 or if by right means yet set their hearts upon them Psal 62.10 still
manet may better be her Motto then Venice's She is surely invincible Zach. 12.5 6 7. as having a mighty Champion even the holy One of frael and this makes her though but a Virgin to laugh to scorn her proudest enemies yea to shake her head at them Esay 37.22 23 as rather to be pitied then envied There were they in great fear saith David of the Churches enemies for why God is in the generation of the righteous Psal 14. Hence those Philistims were so woe-begone 1 Sam. 4.7 And the Egyptians no lesse Exod. 14.25 Let us flee say they from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them What shall wee then say to these things saith Paul who had often heard when he was in the enemies hand Fear not I am with thee If God be for us who can be against us who dare be so fool-hardy so ambitious of his own destruction Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered Job 9.4 Where is Pharaoh Nero Nebuchadnezzar c Was it safe for these or any any other to provoke the Lord to anger were they stronger then he Oh that men would according to Solomons counsell meddle with their match and not contend with him that is mightier then they Esth 7.8 Can God be with his people and see them abused to his face Will they force the Queen also before him in the house Will they Giant-like fight against God will they needs touch the apple of his eye that tenderest piece of the tenderest part Will they invade his portion plunder him of his jewels pull the signet from his right hand Surely God is so with his people that as he taketh notice of the least courtesie done to them to reward it even to a cup of cold water so of the least affront or offence to revenge it be it but a frown or a frump Gen. 4.6 Num. 12.10 Better a milstone were hang'd c. Better anger all the witches in the countrey then one of Gods zealous witnesses Rev. 11.5 Death cannot hurt them Psal 23.3 Hell could no more hold them the pains of hell gat hold on David but he was delivered Psal 116.3 then the Whale could hold Jonas It must needs render them up again because God is with them Now I had rather be in hell said Luther with God then in heaven without him and it were far safer for mee Verse 14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel c. Here 's the Appendix of the foregoing sermon whereof we have heard but the brief Notes That one word I am with you seconded and set on by Gods holy Spirit set them all awork How forcible are right words Job 6.25 One seasonable truth falling on a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation sc when God is pleased to work with it and make it effectuall this man cannot do no more then the husband-man can make an harvest The weapons of our warfare are mighty 2 Cor. 10.4 through God to the pulling down of strong-holds Luther having heard Staupicius say that that is kindly repentance which begins from the love of God found from that time forward the practise of repentance far sweeter to him then before Galeacius Caracciolus an Italian Marquesse was converted by an apt similitude used by Peter Martyr reading on the first Epistle to the Corinthians Dr. Taylour Martyr blessed God that ever he became fellow-prisoner to that Angel of God as he called him John Bradford Senarclaeus in his Epistle to Bucer prefixed before the history of the death of Iohn Diarius slain by his own brother as Abel was for religions sake I remember saith He when he and I were together at Newburg the day before his slaughter he gave me a great deal of grave and gracious counsell Ego verò illius oratione sic incendebar ut cum eum disserentem audirem Spiritus Sancti verba me audire existimarem i. e. I was so stirred up with his discourse as if I had heard the Holy Ghost himself speaking unto me so fervent was he and full of life for he first felt what he spake and then spake what he felt So should all do that desire to speak to purpose and then pray to God as for a door of utterance so for a door of entrance to be opened unto them such as St. Paul had to the heart of Lydiae and as Bishop Ridley had to the heart of good King Edw. 6. whereof before and they came and did work The Governours also by overseeing others and ruling the businesse by their discretion Where Gods glory and the common good is concerned all sorts must set to their helping hand Verse 15. In the four and twentieth day See the Note on vers 13. The time is diligently noted to teach us to take good note of the moments of time wherein matters of moment have been by Gods help begun continued and perfected in the Church This will be of singular use both for the increase of faith and of good affection in our hearts CHAP. II. Verse 1. IN the seventh moneth in the one and twentieth day of the moneth This is the Preface to the fourth sermon as some reckon it noting the exact time when it was delivered See the Notes on chap. 1.1 and 15. came the word of the Lord This he often inculcateth to set forth the truth of his calling and validity of his commission See the Note on chap. 1. ver 5. by the Prophet Haggai Heb. by the hand of the Prophet See the Note on Mal. 1.1 Verse 2. Speak now to Zerubbabel c. The better to hearten them on in the work the Prophet is sent again to them with a like message as before Note here 1. That there are none so forward for God and his work but may stand in need of continuall quickening there being more snares and back biasses upon earth then there are starres in heaven and the good gift of God having so much need of righting up For like a dull sea-coal-fire if it be not now and then blown or stirred up though there be no want of fuell yet will of it self at length dye and go out Besides that every inch every artery of our bodies if it could would swell with hellish venome to the bignesse of the hugest Giant that it might make resistance to the work of Gods sanctifying Spirit Heb. 10.24 Let us therefore consider one another and study every man his brothers case to stirre up or whet on to love and good works God will not forget this our labour of love but abundantly both regard and reward it Mal. 3.16 See the Notes there 2. That continuall preaching makes men continue in well-doing Therefore it was that Barnabas was sent to Antioch Acts 11.22 23. who when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. And hence also it was that Paul and Barnabas
remarkable that God calleth the solemn feasts their solemn-feasts as if they had been none of his he would not own them So Ier. 7.21 in scorn he calles their sacrifices flesh ordinary flesh such as was bought and sold in the shambles And Hos 9.4 he calleth the same sacrifices their bread for their soule or for their naturall sustenance and saith it shall not come into his house And yet he speaks there of that meat-offering Lev. 2.5 appointed by God himself for a spirituall use which is neverthelesse called the bread for their life or livelyhood because God esteemed it no other then common meat In a like sense it was that after the people of Israel had set up the golden calf God would own them no longer but fathers them upon Moses Behold thy people saith He to Moses whom thou broughtest out of Egypt c. Exod. 32.7 David also when he had sinned in numbring the people was counted and called but plain David Go and say to David c. 2 Sam. 24.12 whereas before that when he purposed to build the Lord a Temple c. 2 Sam. 7. then it was Go tell my servant David c. The Saints themselves when they sin against God are in a sort suspended from the covenant Therefore it is usuall with them when they seek the Lord for any speciall mercy to begin with humbling themselves and taking pains with their own hearts as David Daniel Ezra c. Verse 4. And ye shall know that I have sent c. That is ye shall know by wofull experience your punishment shall advertise you the curse appendent to the commandement shall teach you as Gideon taught the men of Succoth so with thorns and and briers of the wildernesse Jud. 8.16 and as David taught the children of Ammon better behaviour by making them passe thorough the brick-kilne 2 Sam. 12.31 and as the Phrygians wax not wise unlesse they be beaten to it when Gods judgments are in the earth Judg. 3.20 the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse Isai 26.9 Smart makes wit and vexation giveth understanding Ehuds ponyard was a message from God who as he is said to hold his peace when he punisheth not Psal 50.21 Esay 42.14 so to preach and teach when he doth Esay 28.19 his scourges are mens school-masters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One calls them Gods free-school-masters curstand crabbed enough but such as whereby he openeth mens ears to discipline and commandeth them to return from iniquity Iob 36.8 9 10. Then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded that they have slighted the commandement which he had sent them and that now he would plead with them another way so with patience and with blood Ezek. 38.22 and so would cause them to passe under the rod that thereby he might bring them into the bond of the covenant purging out the rebels and them that transgress Ezek. 20.37 38. God should have no tribute from men as those Malignants suggested against the returned captives Ezra 4.13 if he did not make them know his breach of promise Num. 14.34 if he did not break covenant with them that first play false with him and keep no condition on their part required See 2 Chron. 15.2 and when thou art making a covenant with sin say to thy soul as Boaz said to his kinsman Ruth 4.4 At what time thou buyest it thom must have Ruth with it If thou wilt have the pleasure of sin the wages of wickednesse thou must also have the curse c. and let thy soul answer as he there doth No I may not do it I shall mar and spoil a better inheritance Polanus and others dislike the reading of this text in the future tense ye shall know that I haue sent this commandment and tell us that the scope of the Prophecy requires that it be read in the present tense thus Nam citis For ye do know that I have sent c. You know your dignity and duty as Priests Vos probe cognitum habetis c. Polan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet ye wilfully crosse your own knowledge and conscience Knowledge is a divine gift it is the great talent of all other there is a much set upon it Lak 12.48 there is a special dâ—pâ—suum in it as the word there used importeth To know heavenly things is to scend into heaven saith Agur Prov. 30.4 But as the devil that knowing creature that hath his name in Greek from the largnesse of his objective knowledge was once an Angel of light till he fell from his dignity Jud. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so those that corrupt themselves in that they know Jude 10. Rom. 1.18 that imprison the light they have as a prophet from God in unrighteousnesse that know the commandment sent from God as here and yet after that they have known the way of righteousnesse do turn from the holy commundement delivered unto them the latter end will be worse with those men then the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 21. they have but aspired to an higher pitch that their fall might be the more desperate Neronis illud Quantus artifex perco quadrabi tâ—in te peritum periturum saith One. Thou doest but carry Uri h's letters about thee to thine own utter destruction Thou maist go to hell with much knowledge in thy head as a bull with a coronet and garland goes to the slaughter Thou mayest also for this one fault meet with an hell aforehand in thine own conscience as Spira did crying out to those about him to learn of him to take heed of severing knowledge and practise What else was it that brought such â—o â—ring and troubles both inward and outward on those Esay 59.11 12. and that when salvation was looked for Our iniquities say they testifie to our faces and we know them All sins offend conscience but sins against knowledge waste and destroy it A dangerous degree drawing neer that sin to which sacrifice is denyed For sins against the law though against knowledge there was an attonement Levit. 6.1 to the 8. and he instanceth in perjury But to persecute the known truth with malice Heb. 19 26. for this ther 's no sacrifice that my covenant might be with Levi Levi did not thrust himself into the Priesthood but was taken by God into special covenant See Num. 8.13 14. 1 Sam. 2.28 Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Or if he do he shall smoke and smart for it as Saul Vzziah and others no man might come uncalled to the king of Persia upon pain of death much lesse to the King of heaven as Kore and his complices whom God hath hanged up in gibbets as it were for example to all bold intruders upon that tremend function of the Ministery Men out of office are not sent of God therefore they may
Latimer tells them they shall cough in hell the widow A calamitous name she is called in Hebrew from her dumbnesse Almanan because death having cut off her head she hath lost her tongue and hath none to speak for her A vine whose root is uncovered thrives not so a widow the covering of whose eyes is taken away joyes not God therefore pleads for such as his clients and takes special care for them the Deacons were anciently ordained specially for their sakes Act. 6.1 1 Tim 5.3 and Pharisees doomed to a deeper damnation for devouring widows houses Mat. 23.14 and Magistrates charged to plead for the widow Isai 1.17 as judge Job did Chap. 31.16 and all sorts to make much of her and communicate to her Deut. 24.19 20 â—â— and the fatherlesse We are Orphans and fatherlesse saith the Church Lam. 5.3 And we are all Orphans said Queen Elizabeth in her speech to the children of Christs Hospital let me have your prayers and you shall have my protection That Hospital was founded by her brother King Edward the sixth for the relief of father lesse children after the example of the ancient Church which had her Orphanotroph Orphan-breeders With God the fatherlesse findeth mercy Hos 14.3 and all his vice-gods are commanded the like Psal 82.1 2 3 4. unlesse they will consult shame and misery to their own houses and Joab-like leave the leprosy to their little ones for a legacy Better leave them a wallet to beg from door to door then a cursed hoard of Orphans goods and that turn aside the stranger The right of strangers is so holy saith Master Fox that there was never nation so barbarous that would violate the same When Steven Gardiner had in his power the renowned Peter Martyr then teaching at Oxford Act. and Mon. fol. 1783. he would not keep him to punish him but when he should go his way gave him wherewith to bear his charges and fear not me This is set last as the source of all the former evils See the like Rom. 3.18 and Psal 14.1 where Atheisme and irreligion is made the root of all the sin in the world Gods holy fear is to the soul as the banks are to the sea or the bridle to the horse it was so to Isaac who reigned in the reverend fear of God when he saw that he had done unwilling justice durst not reverse Jacobs blessing though prompted to it by natural affection and Esaus howlings Gen. 27.33 It was so to Job Joseph Nehemiah Daniel c. who could easily have born out their oppressions by their greatnesse And indeed whereas other men have other bits and restraints great men if they fear not God have nothing else to fear but dare obtrude and justifie to the world the most malepart misdemenours because it is facinus major is abollae Juvenal the fact of a great one who do many times as easily break through the lattice of the laws as the bigger flies do through a spider-web as Anacharsis was wont to say of his Scythians Exod. 18. Hence Jethro would have his Justice of peace to be a man fearing God And this qualification he fitly placeth in the midst of the other graces requisit to him as the heart in the body for conveying life to all the parts or as a dram of musk perfuming the whole box of oyntment Exod. 18.21 Nothing makes a man so good a patriot as the true fear of Gods blessed name and a zealous forwardnesse for his glory goodnesse and good causes This this alone is it that can truly beautifie and adorn all other personal sufficiencies and indeed sanctifie and blesse all publick imployments and services of state Whereas on the contrary sublat à pietate sides tollitur take away piety and fidelity is gone as we see in the unjust judge Luk. 18.2 in Abrahams judgement of the Philistines Gen. 20.11 and in Constantinus Chlorus his experiment of his Councellours and Courtiers whence that famous Maxime of his recorded by Eusebius He cannot be faithful to me that is unfaithful to God religion being the ground of all true fidelity and loyaltie to king and Countrey Hence that close connexion Fear God honour the king And that again of Solomon My son fear thou the Lord and the king and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24.21 Verse 6. For I am the Lord I change not I am Jehovah This is Gods proper and incommunicable name It imports three things 1. That God is of himself This Plato acknowledged calling God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julius Scaliger by a wonderful word calleth God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that hath his being or existence of himself before the world was Esay 44 6. 2. That he giveth being to all things else for in him they both are and consist He sustains all both in respect of being excellencies and operations Heb. 1.3 The greatest excellencies in us do as much depend upon God as the essigies in the giasse upon the presence of the face that causeth it 3. That he giveth being to his word effecting whatsoever he speaketh Hence when either some special mercy is promised or some extraordinary judgment threatened the name of Iehovah is affixed See Exod. 6.3 Esay 45.2 3. Ezek. 5.17 The Ancient Jew-Doctours make this distinction between Elohim and Iehovah By Elohim say they is signified Middath dir a quality or property of judgment By Iehovah middath Rachamim a quality or property of mercy And here unto they apply that text Psal 56.11 In God Elohim I will praise the word in Iehovah I will praise the word that is five â—ure agat mecum five ex aequo bono whether he deal strictly with me or graciously I will praise him howsoever But this distinction as it holds not alwayes so not here For to shew the certainty of the judgement denounced verse 5. is this subjoyned I am Iehovah c. And if Iehovah come of Hovah which signifies Contrition or destruction as Heronymus ab Oleastro will have it what can be more sutable to the Prophets purpose it is somewhat like that in Esay chap. 13.6 Shod shall come from Shaddai destruction from the Almighty or from the Destroyer as some interpret Gods Name Shaddai I change not I am neither false nor fickle to say and unsay to alter my minde or to eat my word Psalm 89.34 The eternity of Israel cannot he nor repent said Samuel to Saul and it was heavy tidings to him as Ahi ah said to Ieroboams wife 1 Sam. 15.29 I come unto thee with heavy tidings For he is not a man that he should repent Men are mutable and ther 's no hold to be taken of what they say Of many it may be said as Tertullian of the Peacock all in changeable colours as often changed as moved Italians all as Eneas Sylvius said of Italy Novitate quadam nihil habet stabile ther 's no taking their words Of
darknesse but reproove them rather s Eph. 5 11. with a number more that I might add with ease That one of Solomon for all My son saith he if sinners entive thee consent thou not If yet they say Come with us let us lay wait for blood c. Cast in thy lot amongst us let us all have one parse My son walk not thou in the way with them resrain thy foot from their path t Pro. 1 10 11 14 15. For their way in the issue of it is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death u Prov. 7.27 Even that second death as the scripture tearms it which though hand joyu in hand w Prov. 16.5 and they muster up and unite their forces as hoping haply to scape in the croud or to carry it away cleanly because a multitude yet they shall never be able to avoid or abide For the wicked be they never so many of them shall be turn'd into hell and whole nations that forget God x Psal 9.17 This the Patriarch Noah that I may shew you secondly the practise of the point in some particular examples of ancient and later times this I say Noah beleeved ere he saw and therefore lived to see what he had afore beleeved not whole Nations only but a world-full of wicked people swallowed up together in one universall grave of waters their spirits being now in prison 〈◊〉 in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day y 1 Pet. 3.19 The foresight whereof by a lively faith being warâ—â—â— of God of things not seen as yet z Heb. 11.7 made him walk uprightly with God evea in his geaeration a Gen. 6.9 Now for him to walk alone in a divers way to a worid of wicked people as Chrysoscome hath it b Solus ipse diversâ â—mbulavit viâ virtutem malitiae praeferens c. Chrysost Hom. 22. in cap. 6. Genef to keep himself unspotted in such a foul season as anotherspeakes of him c inter corruprissimos minere incorruptnÌ„ Pare in Gen 6 nay like a right orient and illustrious planet not only to hold out a constant counter-motion to that of the vulgar but also to shine so fair with a singularity of heavenly light spirituall goodnesse and Gods sincere service in that daâ—kâ—st midnight of damned impiety this was that whereby he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith e Heb. 11.7 The next in the Apostles roul there remembred and registred is Abraham that precious man pall'd as a brand out of Vr of the Chaldees from whence he went forth forsaking father f Iosh 24.2 house and friends who served other Gods beyond the slood not knowing whither he went saith the text g Hâ—b 11.8 nor much daring so long as he had God by the hand For whom also his first care was where ever he came setting up Altars to Jehovah h Gen. 12.6 7 8. 13.4 18. in the mid'st of those Idolaters and making open profession of his service before the people or the land which was a reall confutation of their heathenish fopperies Thus Aoraham then and thus after him Johua by his example which he therefore useth and urgeth in that parliament he called and held at Shechem a little afore his death I took your father Abraham saith he there in Gods behalf from the other side of the flood c. i Josh 24.2 whose children ye shall shall well approve your selves if ye walke in the sheps of his fâ—ith k Rom. 1.12 by putting away the â—trange gods from among you as he and serving the Lord l Josh 24.14 In which holy practue however you come off choose you this day whom you will serve though in evils of sin there be no choise whether the gods of your sathers leyond the slood Malorum non est electio Aâ—â—â—t or tke gods of the Amornes in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve Jehoveh The time would fail me to tell of Job who would not part with his Integrity to die for it m Job 27.5 6 though instigated thereunto by the wife of his bosome n Job 2 9 Chrysostom set on doubtlesse by the Devil who of all the parts of his body had leâ—t his conâ—ue onely free from blisters if haply he might be drawn to curse God therewith and die To tell you next of David who therefore loâ—ed Gods statutes exceed ngly because min had made void his Lâ—w o â—sal 119.126 127. and Psal 39 2 resolving first uqon filence among wicâ—ed company could not hold his spirit so burnt c. p 1 King 19.10 Rom. 11.3 Of Elias who though alone and singular continued therefore zealsus for the Lord of Hosls because they had argg'd down has Aâ—â—s c. Of Micaâ—ah who would not flatter the King though 400. false prophets had done it afore him q 1 King 22 Of Obadith that fea ca God 〈◊〉 in a common defection r 1 King 8.12 c. Look to the New Testament and there you have our Saviour eaten up with the zeal of his Fâ—â—â—ers house when by all sorts polluted s Joh. 2.17 his Apostles soon after his departure resolving to obey God even comora goutes against whatsoever opposition and not to swim down the stream of the times for any menaces of the Council t Act. 4. Pâ—â—ul that heavenly spark burning in spirit against a Church full of unbeleeving Jewes at Corinth u Act. 18.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intus apud se aestuabat prae zeli ardore and openly contesting with the Gentiles at Athens about their senselesse superstition w Act. 17. So he gave thanks afore meat in the midst of Infidels Act. 27.25 What should I stand longer to tell you of Timothy so abstemious and temperate among the luxurious Ephesians x A people so dehauched that they made a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there bee never an honest man amougst us And it is storied that they therefore cast our one Hermodorus as by an ostracisme because he was a good busband and a temperate man that Saint Paul was fain to prescribe him a â—â—le wine for hish alihs 〈◊〉 y 1 Tim. 5.23 Of Antipas who held forth the word of life even to the death where Savans â—hâ—one was z Rev. 2.13 Of Neâ—o's family to whom Saint Paul sends salutations a Philip. 4 22. Of Polyâ—â—â— that blessed Martyr of sâ—â—us Christ who being sollicited by the Tyrant to do sacrifice to the â—doll and so to provide for his own safety as diverse others had done before him Fourâ—core and â—dde yzers sud he have I served my Master Christ and â—e never deceived me an shill I now desem him God forbid me any such wickednesse I scorn to be delivered upon any such dishonourable termes b
a Psal 77.9 and that Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me b Esay 49.14 The Butler may forget Ioseph and Ioseph his former toyl and fathers house c Gen. 41.51 but God cannot forget his people whom he hath chosen d Rom. 11.1 Can a woman forget her sucking childe e Esay 49.15 possibly she may some tigresses have proved unnatural to their own birth and bowels f Rom. 1.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so cannot God He is not unjust to forget your labour of love g Heb. 6.10 or if he should as I abhor to imagine beold there is a book of remembrance written before him for them that fear the Lord and that think upon his name A borrowed speech for our better apprehension from kings and great personages who use for memories sake to keep a catalogue a calendar of such as whom they minde to reward for some special service as Ahasuerosh did Mordecai when he had read his name in the roll of those that had deserved well of the king h Est 6.3 So Tamerlane had alwayes by him a catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he daily pernsed Knol Tu r hist p. 227. Those stout rebels above my text were grown so bold and bedlam as to give out that Gods service was nothing worth and that it was a course of no profit to keep his ordinances i Mal. 3.13 14 15. The contrary whereunto is here vouched and the truth vindicated God saith our prophet both hearkened and heard the holy language of his people and so sealed up his dear respect unto them for present and also caused a book of remembrance to be written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and so setled it in his heart to requite them for the future That like as in the work of creation there went with Gods dixit his benedixit and with his ordinavit his ornavit so in the administration of all things especially in that which is special and proper to the elect with his remembrane there goes a recompence and with his regard a reward Note hence That God doth perfectly remember Doctr that he may plentifully requite all the good srvices done him by his saints and people SECT I. The truth confirmed by Scripture HE not only harkened and heard what good things passed between them here but registred up and ingrossed the same in his book of remembrance called elsewhere the book by a specialty k Dan. 12.1 the writing of the house of Israel l Ezek 13.9 the writing to life in Jerusalem m Isa 4.3 the book of life n Philip. 4.3 the book of life of the lamb o Rev. 21.27 wherein he records and where-out he will relate at last day all the good works of his children p Mat. 25. not once mentioning their sins and infirmties which he hath promised to remember no more q Heb. 8. Our labour of love he will not forget but be ever mindfull of his covenant r Psal 115.5 The Lord hath been mindfull of us saith the Church and as an effect thereof he will blesse us He will blesse the house o Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron He will blesse them that fear the Lord both small and great ſ Ps 115.11 12 Cornelius for instance he feared God winh all his bouseholde and he made good proof thereof for he gave much almes to the people and pray'd to God alway and therefore both his prayers and his almes came up for a memoriall before God t Act. 10.1 2 4 Thus God remembred his Noah u Gen. 8.1 Abraham x Gen. 19.20 Rachel y Gen. 30.22 Joseph z Psa 105.20 whose fetters he changed into a chain of gold his rags into fine linnen his stocks into a charret his goal into a palace Potiphars captive into his Masters Lord the noyse of his chains into Abrech and all because heremembred his Creatour in the dayes of his youth a Eccles 12.1 and thereby kept himself pure from the great Transgression b Psal 19.13 SECT II. The truth confirmed by six Reasons THe ground of which gracious dealing in God is first his incomprehensible wisdome Reas 1 and fore-knowledge The Lord hath the Idoea the perfect platforme and paern within himself of all persons and things together with the severall occurrences of either Hence it is that he knowes all things Simul semel together and at once not successively or by discourse collecting one thing from another as we do but in one simple and eternall act knowing and comprehending all things He need but reflect upon himself and there he seeth all things before him as in a glasse So that to speak properly there is neither foreknowledge nor remembrance in the Almighty all things both past and future being ever present with him Tine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them c Ps 139.16 In this fore-knowledge of God so we call it for teaching sake as in a book are recorded the persons birth quality and death of every man and woman together with their severall deeds and practises that they may receive according to what they have done in the flesh whether good or evill d 2 Gor. 5 And this is our first ground of this point Known to the Lord are all his works from the begining e Act. 15 18 The Lord knoweth them that be his f 2 Tim. 2.19 Yea he knowes the whole way of the righteous g Psal 1. ult And this his knowledge of them and their good works is a knowledge of singular apprbation yea of infinite delight and complacency which makes him wait to shew them mercy h Esay 30.18 Heremembreth saith the Psalmist when he writes up the people when he makes up his jewels i Mal 3.17 that such a man was born k Psal 87.5 6 there and that being born by a second birth and having followed him in the regeneration l Mat. 19.28 they shall not lose the things they have wrought but receive a full reward m 2 Ich. 8. Secondly Reas 2 God is just and faithfull hence his remembrances and remunerations of his peoples services Not of duty I must tell you but of mercy it being a mercy in God even to reward men according to their works n Psal 62.12 were they better then they be or can be To thee O Lord belongeth merey for thou rewardest every one according to his works n Psal 62.12 But this by the way We were drawing a second reason for the point from Gods justice and faithfulnesse And this we borrow fom the Apostle Heb. 6.10 God saith he is not unrighteous to forget your works and
if in a whole lottery of thoughts he stumble haply upon God and his Name yet his heart is merely passive in it as was Sauls and Balaams it is only as a thorough-fair for such thoughts they give him a joy and away they salute him as he in the Comaedy did his fellow with good-morrow and farewell both in a breath Salve Vale. He is soon sated nay jaded and tired out at a sermon or so where he hath occasion of better thoughts then ordinary He savours not these things of God d Rom. 8 he finds no more relish in them then in the white of an egge or a dry chip Hence it comes that they soon pass away from him like Nebchadnezzars dream which himself could not remember by morning Nothing settles or ' bides with him of this nature They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickednesse e Hos 7.2 Some transient thoughts they may have that way in cold blood other whiles but to little or no purpose They turn not short again upon themselves with the prodigall f Luc. 15.17 they sit not alone g Lam. 3 28 with the Church in the Lamentations to entertain and nourish good motions they cal not themselves to a domesticall audit 't is death to them to do any thing that way they do not commune with their own hearts upon their beds h Psal 4.4 They summon not the sobriety of their senses before their own judgements to set themselves down by right reason to argue the case with their own consciences and to say every man to himself what have I done i Ier. 8.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. what do I mean what doth God think of me what will he do with me what 's my case here and what will be my condition a thousand yeers hence These savoury thoughts these wholesome considerations seldome or never enter into the confines of their hearts Or if they do as sometimes they do upon some sudden unexpected evill accident as the death of a dear friend some more remarkable losse in their estates the hearing of a powerfull sermon or the like oh what shift will these men make to rid their hearts of such unwelcome guests that they may be no longer rackt and diseased by them how do they bring their buckets to quench such a spark of the spirit kindled in their breasts how do they choak and throttle before it it draw breath such a motion made them by the holy ghost desperately saying to God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes k Iob 21.14 Casting Gods word behind them l Math. 24 39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the old world did Noahs preaching it was even more then spilt upon them whiles they would know nothing of all that was foretold them till the flood came and swept them away as vermine hating to be healed resusing to be reformed m Ps 50.17 drowning the noise of their clamorous consciences with the hurry and clutter of worldly businesses and imployments as the old Italians in time of thunder used to shoot off their greatest ordnances to ring their biggest bells Sigon and to make all the fragour they could to drown as far as they might the noyse of the heavens that it might not affright them And for that other faculty commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make all safe there they lay fast hold upon all the principles in their heads and imprison them n Rom. 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh tearing out their soules as much as may be those common notions * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of truth and falshood right and wrong good and evill whether left in mans nature at the fall or superinducted since I will not dispute There I am sure they are by a good providence of God for the conversation of civill society till razed and rooted out or lockt up at least in restraint by such as would sin securely without disturbance till at length they arive at that dead and dedolent disposition o Eph. 4.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the debauched Heathens little differing from that of the very devils and so wrath come upon them to the utmost p 1 Thes 2.16 SECT IV. Of those that think base and bald thoughts of God BUT secondly if the bare not thinking upon God and goodnesse shew a man to bee unsanctified what shall we say of such as think of God indeed but think basely of him and unworthily cast him as it were into a dishonourable mould by those bald conceits they take up of God They become vain in their imaginations q Bon. 1 23 Ann 403. quaestio quamvis stulta ridicula videatur An Deus corporeus sit id est An divina essentia sit corpus quoddam manus habens c tamen mazimas inter Monachos Aegypti turbas excitavit Rudiores enum ex ijs aliter non semiebant Func ius Chronol Alccranus trad ◠Deum habere essentiam corpoream c. Alsted Chron. about him as those Philosophers spoken of by the Apostle that changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible man So do many ignorant people now-adayes conceive of God and will not be beaten out of it as of an old man sitting in heaven with a crown on his head and a scepter in his hand administring his kingdome as an earthly Prince c. Others that are not altogether so grosle-witted but yeeld you that God is a spirit and not a bodily substance yet they set him not up for such a spirit as he stands desert bed in the holy Scriptures Holy pure just jealous omnipresent omniscient omnipotent recompencing the righteous and repaying the wicked to his face r Deut. 7.10 c. Of this sort of sinners were these above text that denied Gods speciall providence and care of his people c. And such amongst us are found not a few that conceive God either to be wicked altogether such an one themselves because he keeps silence at their sinnes ſ Psal 50.21 or else so made up of mercy that he will save them howsoever and not destroy the work of his own hands or lastly so ignorant and wretchlesse that although he reckon with them for other misdemeanours yet thought shall go free By beleeving and pleading of which most false proverb and pestilent principle what do they else but profane Gods spirituall nature making a meer mock and an idol of the Almighty as if he knew not mens thoughts and had no soveraignty over them But they shall find to their sorrow that God searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins t Jer. 11.20 17.10 those seats of lusts and most retired parts in all mans body Yea and kills men with death because they will not beleeve it u Rev. 2.23 That he knowes as the meaning of
but not given me up to death The plowers plowed upon my back but thou hast cut asunder their traces and provide liberally for them in the land of their captivitie as he did for Ezekiel Daniel and others he will be a little sanctuary unto them there and supplie the defect of all other comforts Or if he call them to higher sufferings he will give them an higher spirit if he free them not from the common destruction yet certainly from the common distraction If they resist unto blood yea unto losse of life yet in the midst of death they shall live conquer and raigne For blessed are they that dye in the Lord especially if withall they dye for the Lord for they shall rest from their labours rest in their beds each-one walking in his uprightnesse Esay 57.3 Heb. 4 There remaineth then a rest unto the people of God an eternall Sabbatisme such a day as knowes no evening or end or toile of travell that great Sabbath-day that comprehends and accomplishes all the Sabbaths of the law These were first the weekly Sabbaths wherein they rested from their week-day labours Secondly the seven-yeares-sabbath for every seventh yeare the ground also rested from tillage and manuring Thirdly the fifty-yeares-sabbath for every seventh seventh year was a year of Jubilee And then all debts were remitted all prisoners released and all mortgages restored to their right inheritours Heaven involves all these And that great day of the Resurrection when God shall chiefly make up his Jewels and redeeme Israel out of all her troubles called therefore the day of Redemption of the purchased possession for Gods peculiar Rom. 8.21 Psal 16.11 Rev. 3.21 2 Tim. 4.8 Rev. 2.26 2 Pet. 3.13 Heb. 12.22 Psal 16 9 10 11. 17. ult Rom. 8.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a bird out of a cage as longing for liberty or as a prisoner out of a grate looking for a pardon or as one out of a turret expecting his friends coming the people of his purchase This day I say shall set Gods people at rest from their labours and the creatures which now lye bed-ridden as it were waiting the good houre at rest from all their burdens and bondages into the glorious Jubilee of the children of God Who shall then have all their wrongs righted all their sins pardoned debts discharged bonds cancelled graces perfected desires satisfied and that heavenly inheritance mortgaged in paradise and long since forfeited shall be then restored Where they shall be possesed of all the pleasures at Gods right hand seated as Princes in thrones of Majesty crowned with diadems of immarcessible glory having power over all creatures and plenary possession of that now heaven and that new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Beholding and being filled with the vision and fruition of Gods glorious presence amidst a world of blessed angels and crowned saints even all the court of heaven who shall joyfully meet and welcome them Oh let the forethought of those unutterable varieties felicities eternities lighten our spirits smooth our countenances and chear up our hearts as it did Davids and doth all the servants of God who with stretcht out necks look up long after and even hasten that happy day crying all with one minde and with one mouth Come Lord Jesus come quickly and exhaling their broken spirits in continuall sallies and egressions of love affecting not only a union but a unity with Christ SECT X. Reproof of forwardnesse and saintheartednesse in affliction SEcondly will the Lord indeed finde a set time to free his poor people of all their sorrowes and sufferings this then serves sharply to reprove that impatiency and shortnesse of spirit found in not a few of Gods dearest Jewels who because they are vilipended and undervalued by the blind world who know not the price of a heavenly Jewel and for that they are trode under foot for a time by these swine and slurried with the mire of their contempt and cruelty are drawn thereupon one while to fret and another while to faint begin to be out of all heart and hope of a better condition and to make against themselves these or the like desperate conclusions Surely I shall never winde out of these disgraces and distresses Esay 38.15 I shall go softly all my yeers in the bitternesse of my soul My state is past recovery I never look to see joyfull day more Abraham had a spice of this disease when he could enjoy nothing because he wanted one thing Gen. 15. 1 2. But Iacob was farr over-gone with it when together with his wife Rachel he refused to be comforted Gen. 37.35 and would needs go down into the grave unto his son Ioseph mourning as if all his merry dayes were past So the children of Iacob in Egypt Exod. 6.9 that could not take comfort in the sweet words of Moses and Aaron for the greatnesse of their oppressions The eare that tryeth words as the mouth doth meat Psal 34. was so imbittered with their extreme bondage that they could not relish any thing nor tast how good and sweet the Lord was This was Iobs fault when he cursed his day and the consolations of God were small unto him Elias also wisht himself dead in a passion and wist not that he was to be carried up ere long in a fiery charret And what can we say for David when he repented him of his repentance Psal 73.13 and another time said I shall surely fall one day by the hand of this same Saul notwithstanding Gods promise to me of the kingdome 1 Sam. 27.1 Gen. 25.32 Were it not better for me to save one Behold I am going to dye and what profit shall this birth-right do to me and to shift for my self by flying to the Philistines 1 Sam. 27.1 Psal 116.11 then by ' biding longer here to hazard my life upon the hopes of a kingdome being a mere uncertainty sith all men are liars not the Prophets themselves excepted Thus he in hast And thus the whole Church upon as little good advice Lam. 3.18 19. I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall Lam. 3.18 19 Lam. 4.22 Fidei murus tentationem ariete durius aliquantò pulsatus concussus facilè nutare acruinam minari incipit nisi divinitus sustentetur Bucholc Psal 43.7 This made her desperately conclude the book But thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us And the very truth is the best faith long tried will something flag and hang the wing The best minds when troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions as water that is violently stirred sends up bubbles Adoò nihil est in nobis magni saith One quod non queat minui But for this we must take up our selves roundly and chide our hearts out of these distempers with Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Why
Christo Calvin in loc He looks upon such as serve him in sincerity as upon sons and daughters 2. That he will surely shew like mercies and mildnesse to his children in their faults and failings in their wants and weaknesses as the kindest father would do to his dearest son that serveth him For the former point The promise of pardon is here fitly made sub patris parabola saith Gualther under the similitude of a father Figuier in loc And the sense is thus much saith another Interpreter although I seem for a time to the blinde moles of the world to be negligent of those that are diligent about me of my best and busiest servants yet I think upon them still as my dearest children and when I may be thought most carelesse and cruel towards them then am I a most propitious and sin-pardoning father fully reconciled unto them in Christ for there comes in the kinred according to that of our Saviour in his message by Mary to his distressed disciples after his resurrection I ascend unto your father Iohn 20.17 and my father mine and yours and therefore yours because mine For as many as received him saith St. Iohn to them he gave priviledge to become the sons of God Ioh. 1.12 And again when the fulnesse of time was come saith another Apostle God sent forth his son his natural onely begotten son made of a woman and so by personal union of the two natures in one Christ his son by a new relation Gal. 4.4 according to that This day have I begotten thee and all to the end that we may receive the adoption of sons That we which by nature were children of wrath and by practise children of the devil might by divine acceptation and grace be made the children of God who had predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Ephe. 1.4 5. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved One. SECT I. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes IN which heavenly Text Reas 1 we have the first and chief ground of this doctrine drawn from the causes of our spiritual sonship 1. The fundamental and original cause Gods decree of election by grace we have an act for it in Gods eternal counsel According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the soundation of the world c. For which cause also the predestinate are called the Church of the first-born who are written in heaven Heb. 12.23 And whom he did foreknow saith Saint Paul them he did predestinate also to be conformed to the image of his son like him in glory as well as in sufferings like in being sons as he is a son that he might be even according to his humanity the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 2. The meritorious and procuring or working cause of our adoption is here set forth to be the Lord Christ in whom he as a father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephe. 1.3 but all in Christ and all in this order A christian by the Gospel is made a beleever Now faith afteran unspeakable manner engrafteth him into the body of Christ the natural son and hence we become the adopted sons of God it being the property of faith to adopt as well as to justifie ratione objecti by means of the object Christ up whom faith layeth hold For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 Children I say not by creation as Adam is called the son of God Luk. 3. because he was produced in the similitude of God but by marriage and mystical union with Christ the fecond Adam the heir of all who hath 1. Laid down the price of that great priviledge Heb. 9.15 even his own most precious blood redeeming us thereby that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 45. 2. He hath sealed it up to us by his spirit that earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 called therefore the spirit of adoption and the spirit of Gods son as springing out of his death Rom. 8.15 Joh. 16.14 Gal 4.6 and procured by his intercession For because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father 3. Here is the motive and impulsive cause and that is the good pleasure of his will Joh. 1.12 1 John 3.1 2 Tim. 1. vlt. his absolute independent grace and mercy was the sole inductive He giveth us this dignity saith St Iohn in his Gospel And what more free then gift he sheweth us this love saith he in his epistle because it was the time of love that we should be called the sons of God So that our Adoption is not a priviledge purchased by contract of justice Rom. 8.23 Prov. 16.4 but an inheritance cast upon us of free grace and goodnesse The Lord shew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day when our adoption shal be crowned with its ful accomplishment Lastly here we have the final cause of our adoption â—heprâ—â—ise of the glory of his grace This is the end God propounds to himself in this as in all other his works as having none higher then himself to whom to have respect for he is the most highest God hath made all things for himself yea the wicked also for the day of evil viz. for the glory of his Justice and power as he told Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 but especially of his grace sith all that his justice doth in the Reprobation of some tendeth to this ultimate end of all that the riches of his grace may be the more displayed in the election of others SECT II. Reasons from the effects of his father-hood A Second reason followeth from the effects and those are no lesse demonstrative of the point then the causes Reas 2 These are 1. Gods fatherly affections 2. His expressions both which speake him a father to all his For his affection first to his people Albeit they be but his Adopted children yet he loves them more then any naturall father doth his own bowels Jam. 1. ult Hence he is called the father by an eminency as if there were no father to him none like him none besides him as indeed there is not originally and properly Called he is the father of all mercies Eph. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paternitas paerentela Math. 23.9 the fountaine of all that mercy that is found in any father all is but a spark of his flame a drop of his ocean Yea he is stiled the father of all the fatherhoods in heaven and earth Whence also our Saviour Call no man saith He your father on earth for one is your father even God To enter comparison in some few particulars First a father loves freely not so much for that his child is witty or wealthy Patriam amat quisque nonquia
should and in good children doth ascend also It is but reason they should reciprocate and return their parents love for love do not publicans the same Mat. 5.46 Do not our clothes warmed by us warme us again That God loves all his with a love more then Fatherly hath been abundantly proved above God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son This is a sic without a sicut there is no sufficient similitude in nature to expresse it by Herein if ever he made naked unto us the bowels of his Fatherly affection as in an anatomy God so loved his Son as he gave him all the world for his possession Psal 2. but he so loved the world that he gave Son and all for its redemption Thus ô ye sinfull sonnes of men Gods bowels are open unto you his heart is enlarged Yee are not straitned in him but yee are straitned in your own bowels Now for a recompence in the same 2 Cor. 6.11 12 13 Conjungendo lumen suae aeternitatis limo tuae mortalitatis Bern. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 18.1 Psal 119.97 Psal 84.1 Pinkes Serm. of love he speaks unto you as unto his children be ye also enlarged Amate amorem illius saith St. Bernard Oh love that love of his who for love of thee coupled his love to thy love by abasing himself by advancing thee by uniting the light of his eternity to the mire of thy mortality Whom therefore having not seen ye love saith Peter 1 Epist 1.8 and My love was crucified said Ignatius And I love thee dearly O Lord my God saith David And again O how I love thy law O how amiable are thy Tabernacles he even wondereth at his own love and vents himself by an exclamation For Amor Dei est extaticus nec se sirit esse sui juris saith One. There is a two-fold love and both due to him in whom there is a concurrence of all attractives and retentives of our love 1. Of Desire this is an earnest longing after that which wee beleeve would do us much good if we could attain to it 2. Of Delight or complacency when having attained that which we desired we hugge and imbrace it and solace our selves in the fruition of it Now Christ the Everlasting Father Esay 9.6 must have both these and that in the highest degree For he is white and ruddy white in his life and ruddy in his death the chief of ten thousand or the standard-bearer of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For as the tallest and goodliest men use to carry the Ensigne to display the Banner or Standard such is Christ All excellency is invested in him all good is conveyed unto us by him all love is therefore due from us to him Non bene conveâ—unt nec in una sede morantur Majestas et Amor. Juvenal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet 2.21 We say that Majesty love cannot dwell together because love is the abasing of the soul to all services But its otherwise in Christ Majesty and love could cohabite in his heart hereof he gave us the best assurance when the Lord of life was crucified to death Love is most seen in suffering as it self is a passion so it is tried rather by passions then actions He sealed up his love both by doing and dying for us leaving us a Copie to write after as St. Peter hath it to do whatsoever he bids us to forbear whatsoever heforbids us and to lay down our dearest lives for his sake if called thereunto according to that For thy sake are we slain all the day long Acts Mon. fol. 14 â—8 Ib. 1430. we are in deaths often Ye were every haire of my head a man said Ardely the Martyr to bloody Bonner I would suffer death in the opinion and faith I am now in The heavens shall sooner fall then I will forsake my Christ said William Flower Ib. 805. My wife and my children are so dearly beloved unto me said George Carpenter burnt at Munken that they cannot be bought from me for all the riches and possessions of the Duke of Bavaria but for the love of my Lord Christ I will willingly forsake them He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Math. 10.37 If a man hold not the Lord Christ worthy of more love then his dearest friends he hath no part in him All our love must be bestowed upon him as most worthy there is not one particle of it to be bestowed on any other thing But then he gives us our love againe and then we may disperse it here and there and love other things but no otherwise then as they convey love to us from Christ and may be meanes of drawing up our affections to Christ Pinkes Serm of love p. 21 My love unto my Saviour saith one although it came occasionally and impulsively from my love of my self yet it is terminated principally in his glory though accessorily likewise as he is contented it should in mine own happinesse D. Sibbes Ser on 1 Cor 2.9 But it is a kind of miracle saith another in evill when we love other things besides God or better then God baser then our selves It is as much as if a river should turne backward What a base thing is it for a man to suffer such a sweet streame as love to run into such a sinke And a little after It was a miracle saith he that the three young men should be in the midst of the furnace and be there as if they were in another place no hotter And it is as much a miracle that men should be in the midst of all incouragements to love God and yet love any thing more then God He is absolutly good and so is to be loved absolutly and for himself Vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesum Aug. but all other things in him and for him as our friends are to be loved in the Lord and our foes for the Lord. This is child-like indeed SECT XIII Let them depend upon their Father both for prevention of evill and provision of good LAstly learn we to depend upon God as a father for both prevention of evill and provision of good Phil. 4.6 In nothing be carefull but in all things make your request known to God with thanksgiving saith Paul And marke that he bids us bring our thanks together with our request 2 Sam. 13.4 to have the one as ready as the other for we are sure to speed Why art thou then pale and leane from day to day with carking cares 1 Pet. 5.5 Psal 55.22 and disquieting feares of this or that danger Art not thou the Kings son and will he deny thee any thing thou askest Cast all thy care upon God for he cares for thee Roll both thy self upon him and thy Gift upon