5. They sell them for bread and for olde shooes And so wee may see the rich man in the Gospell that esteemed more of his dogs then of Lazarus and so Nehe. 5. 3 4 5. the poore were driuen to sell their children to slauerie for to buie them bread Such hard hearted men were and shall be for euer which make not any account of their poore brethren The reasons are First because they are vnmercifull Pro. 21. 10. and therefore howe can they be mercifull to them whom they hate seeing they are not mercifull to them whom they loue Another reason is because they do not thinke good men woorthy to liue Ioh. 19. 15. and therefore they care not howe they abuse them The vses which wee are to make heereof are briefly these First that wee giue not to wicked men any commendations Prouerb 24. 24. What is there in any vngodly man woorth the noting except it bee sinne and shall wee commend any bodie for their sinne But I thinke that in our times either euery man is righteous and none are euill or else many men are beside the exhortation of the wise man For there is not anie Vsurer nor anie briber nor any tyrant nor any Atheist nor any papist nor any rich man but they are all commended by one or other No landlord so hard no gentleman so leud no minister so ignorant no whoremonger so filthie although he die of the French disease but wee haue some epitaphes of his commendation although they liued without praise and died without repentance Whereunto will the worlde come and who will desire to liue therein if thou commend euill men how canst thou dispraise euill for euill doth not make the man but the man maketh the euill Yea we haue of our noble and royall preachers that will in a funerall sermon tell of the good deedes of manie blasphemers and misers and couetous and filthie and ignorant and gamsters and I thinke for money of witches and coniurers and rebels pronounce in the pulpet that they are in heauen but beware and bee as wise in saying that a man is saued as thou wilt be warie in affirming that any is damned Another vse which we may make of this doctrine is the same that God asked of sathan Iob 1. 8. Whether hee had considered his seruant Iob Insinuating vnto vs that we ought to weigh measure the dignitie of a godly man howe there is none like vnto him in all the worlde And truely if wee did often call to our mindes the blessings that righteous men do bring vnto the world we should account them as happie that liue with them as the Queene of Saba did those which liued with Salomon but since no man considereth either their life or their death as the Prophet speaketh men grow to so peruerse corrupt a iudgment concerning the world that they thinke there is no difference betwixt the iust and the wicked Sodom neuer knewe what a good man was till the fire came and the worlde will not knowe the benefite of a christian till Christ come to iudgement But do not men consider what righteous men are yes verilie for they trie them as the diuell did Iob they vexe them with many troubles load them with many euils and offende them with manie outrages and grieue them with many slanders you shal heare in the open streetes open reuiling of God his deere children and now adaies there is not a plaie or an enterlude but there are som scoffes at religion many scornes at good christians and infinite abuses offered to the preachers What considering is this but grieuing of the righteous spirite of the Lorde that dwelleth in them and studying howe to improoue their sinnes to the vttermost But it shall bee sufficient for vs to know that the Lorde of glorie will not doe so vnto vs. And therefore be not discouraged my beloued brethren golde is golde although it lie in the dirt and pearle is pearle although it bee buried in a dunghill so a christian is a christian although he be trode vnder the feete of helhoundes and be buried aliue in the companie of serpents Consider them that feare God to honour them not to vexe them to helpe them not to hurt them to loue them not to tempt them to liue after them not to accuse them Thinke they are the starres that giue light in the night they are captaines that are formost in seruice they are the soules that shield others from danger Nowe if there be no starres and no captaines and no shieldes howe shall we walke in the night of this worlde or fight in the battle of Christ or be saued from the fierie darts of sathan The xxxvj Sermon Vers 4. Yea and what haue you to do with me ô Tyrus and Zidon and all the coasts of Palestina will yee render me a recompence and if yee recompence me swiftly and speedily will I render your recompence vpon your head THis verse containeth a question of the Lord vnto the neerest enimies of the church namely the marchants of Tyrus and Zidon insinuating that they did all the before named villanie to the Iewes as it were to wrecke their malice vpon God and therefore he asketh them whether they wil recompence him and if they do but once thinke so to do then will he fully repay them home againe And first of all wee may heere note that it is in vaine to be angrie with God for he saith what haue you to do with me c and so the Lord chastiseth Ionah Ion. 4. 9. that he might learne not to repine against his creator The world now adaies as they care little to please God so they care lesse to offend God and like mad people if their dooings be but a little crossed they sweare stare against God himselfe they like not his gouernment sometime he sendeth too much drought another time too much raine another time they are angrie for the losse of their cattle and most times for the reproofe of their sinnes So that thus they lye tossed like an vnquiet sea fretting and foaming against God and heauen but what haue they gayned by their repining or what are they eased by their swearing Surely nothing but their wound is greater and their sore is made more incurable learne therfore to be more quiet and open not thy mouth against thy creator If thy sores be as thy haires and thy paines be as thy thoughts and thy wounds be as thy daies and thy losses be as thy life yet be not angrie with God he is more inclined to our patience then to our wrath for the patient spirit shall inherit the land The reasons hereof are these First because sinne will slay vs as the Lord told Cain Gen. 4. 7. Again we cannot possibly be angrie or repine against God be it but the least motion but we shall sinne against him And therefore in all extremities let euerie good christian say with
away the peace from the church take away all glory from God and all comfort from men Let vs which liue in these blessed times looke to our selues aboue all other for as God hath made our earthly estate better then other mens so will he doe our condition in the other life woorse then all mens for the abusing heereof Let me lament my countrey as Esaie lamented Israel cap 43. 22 23 24. saying Thou hast not called vpon me ó Englande but thou hast wearied mee Thou hast not brought mee the sheepe of thy burnt offeringes neither hast thou honoured mee with thy sacrifices I haue not caused thee to serue with an offering nor wearied thee with incense Thou hast not bought mee sweete sauour with thy money neither hast thou made me drunk with the fat of your sacrifices but thou hast made mee to serue with thy sinnes and wearied me with thine iniquities O my brethren thus may the Lorde complaine of vs. We haue had peace who hath beene honoured for it we haue had money who hath beene worshipped for it we haue had cattle and corne to whom haue wee sacrificed surely wee haue honoured our policie for our peace wee haue worshipped our goods and landes with our money and wee haue sacrificed our corne and flesh to our bellies What coulde the Lorde giue more then he hath or beare more then he doth or tarrie longer then he must or we receiue more then hath beene cast vpon vs Oh that I could now powre foorth my selfe in words to lament the estate of our times We haue much preaching but little religion for the prophets scant beleeue themselues wee haue much peace but little knowledge of God is reaped thereby we haue great plentie but verie small thankfulnesse our peace hath bred pride our pride hath bred want our want hath caused mourning our mourning hath brought foorth plentie and our plentie hath hatched pride againe Let the harts of men cleaue in sunder to consider this point that now we fall as fast to our former vomites as any ruffian to his former follies We haue beene humbled and God hath heard vs God hath heard vs and we regard it not for the rich men eate their flock in plentie lauish out their money in wantonnesse spende God his fruites in riote and neuer thinke of thankefulnesse This saith hee my friendes left me or I gained by such a bargaine or I wonne at such a game or got by such an office or I saued in my shop and nowe I will bee merrie with it And the Lorde hath no sweete sauour by their money nor any sacrifice by their flockes But to come to the point they beginne alreadie to forget that there was a famine and as the staruen kine in winter become wanton and wilde in the spring so they which of late coulde speake pitifully and mourne bitterly for want now they begin to forget their want and their God and all Oh my deere brethren we are nowe in more danger to perish by plentie then wee were to fall by famine for ease slaieth the foolish and the prosperitie of the wicked shall destroy them When the children of Israell went euery day poore and rich to gather Manna and to eate thereof they liued well but when the quailes came and they eate thereof the plague tooke them while the meate was in their mouthes so not want of foode but want of grace and thankefulnesse destroieth men Therefore now let the magistrates looke to the lawes let the ministers discharge their places let the fathers admonish their children and let all men gouerne themselues least our plentie of fruits cost the death of our soules Nowe be as diligent to render praise as you were woont to bee vigilant in praier let the teares burst foorth for ioy for our peace reioiceth both men and angels We are come to our first heauen I meane the peace of our church if we now waxe proud and grow insolent as the diuels were cast out of heauen aboue so shall we be out of heauen beneath Remember sicknesse followeth health death followeth sicknesse iudgement followeth death and damnation followeth iudgement nowe are our soules sicke let vs recouer thē for else they die if they die they will be iudged if they bee iudged they will be damned Secondly he promiseth that a fountaine shall goe foorth of the house of the Lord to water the valley of Setim meaning that the Gospell should be preached to the Gentiles for it began at Ierusalem as at the spring head and so flowed thorough the whole world of the which the Prophet Ezechiel saw a vision Ezech. 47. 3 4 5 c. whereby wee are taught first that God caused saluation to flow from the Iewes vnto the Gentiles they had both spring and streame and yet wanted grace to drinke thereof whereupon shee speaketh Cant. 1. 5. that they made her the keeper of the vines but she kept not her owne vine Secondly in that the Gospell is compared to a running water we may note that it neuer standeth still but goeth as it were a flood thorough the world and there is no power to resist it And this is the cause why all the kings and counsellers of the world could neuer stop the course thereof onely the Bishop of Rome is that starre called Wormewood Reuel 8. 10. 11. that fell from heauen and corrupted these fountaines of water whereby they beeing made bitter caused the death of many that dranke thereof Thirdly the valley of Setim was a very dry place and these waters made it fruitful so were al the Gentiles wherof we are a part if these waters of the Gospel had not come vnto vs we had remayned vnfruitfull lande verie neere vnto cursing and burning Lastly we may see that no other doctrine or profession whatsoeuer is to be receiued but this which is deriued from Ierusalem We must not fetch our water frō Rome or from Mecha or from any other place but take of these which flowed from the temple And it is verily thought that God would not suffer Ierusalem or the temple to stand nor conuert it into a Bishops-seate least the antiquitie or dignitie of the place should challenge authoritie to send forth what waters and what Gospell they pleased into the world Egypt shall be wasted and Edom shal be a desolate wildernes for the iniuries of the children of Iudah because they haue shed innocent blood in their land Once againe he mentioneth the destruction of their enimies for in their ouerthrowe standeth the felicitie of good men when they shall not be able to molest the church by their power nor to corrupt it by their euil example Hereby we see first of all noted vnto vs that the blood of the Lords saints shal be certainly reuēged although it cost whole coūtries Isa 9. 12. The reasons First bicause they are the images of God Gen. 9. 6. the Lord saith that hee will haue his blood shed that sheddeth
with mourning least they should esteeme the matter lightly that their sinne could be washed away with teares he telleth them plainly that the wine shal be pulled from their mouth and this he doth in my iudgement to driue them to a deeper conscience of their sinnes and consideration of the Lordes wrath So that he may seeme thus to say vnto them it is alreadie decreed that your euill shall not be turned away therefore lament your calamitie And from hence we may note that all the feigned repentance vncōfortable cries of the wicked shall neuer turne away the wrath of God from them So doth the holy Ghost declare Heb. 12. 17. Gen. 27. 38. when Esau with abundance of weeping cried out for the blessing yet he could not obtaine it Wherein there appeereth their endlesse misery that their teares shal be no more accepted of God then are the cries of a beast in the hand of a butcher The Lord knoweth that they are not humbled for his sake but for their owne and were it not more for the fear of their own misery then of his iudgements they would neuer take his name in their mouthes except to blaspheme him The Lord can and will shewe himselfe froward with them that are froward Psal 18. and haue as deafe eares at their cries as euer they had at our sermons he will be as merciles vnto them as euer they were to their brethren no children which seeme innocent no women which seeme penitent no olde men which seeme religious no yoong men which seeme glorious nor any bloode which seemeth precious shall remooue their paines and reuerse his sentence And this doth the holie Ghost alwaies perswade vnto the wicked bicause hee telleth them in other places as Prou. 15. 8. Mich. 6. 7. That their sacrifices are abhomination vnto him and if they woulde giue him the fruite of their bodies for the sinne of their soules yet will he not be mercifull vnto them What did the Lord in outward shewe better accept then sacrifice and what coulde outwardly shew greater obedience then with Abraham to offer vp their owne children yet it being done of a wicked man or womon all were woorth nothing Secondly the Lorde hath appointed a time wherein he woulde haue our conuersion performed which being passed there can bee no redemption Psalm 95. 7. Cant. 5. 6. To day if you will heare his voice then harden not your harts the fruitlesse tree in the Gospell had a time wherein it should beare fruite which being omitted without all mercy is hewed downe Therefore haue you also a time in the which if you be conuerted then shal your death be deare in the sight of the Lord but if you neglect this time your bloud shall be vile in his presence But when will you say is this time and how shall we knowe it Surely if a man in his last testament giue a legacie of money to his sonne or seruant and name not the time of the payment the lawe doth adiudge it to bee due at the death of the testatour so the Lorde hauing set no time in his testament when thou shalt repent either in yoong or in olde age in the day or in the night he thereby teacheth vs that euery day yea euery minute is appointed for our repentance till we haue repented therefore how much we liue without conuersion so much we loose and euerie day calleth vpon vs to fulfill our fathers testament except we be bastards Seeing now that the case of wicked men is so pitiles at the Lords hande let vs see what exhortations we may gather from hence for our instruction and first of all let vs take that which our Sauiour hath left Luk. 13. 24. Striue saith he to enter in at the straite gate for the time shall come that many shall striue and not be able to enter Labour I beseech you for Religion for the knowledge of the Gospell for obedience to the ministerie that your prosperitie may be continued and your aduersitie may be relieued What a shame is it for men of wealth woorth to be shut out of a noble mans gates or rather what a shame is it that the teares and sute of a sonne being in prison or beggerly shall not mooue his owne parents to clemencie so shall it be with you when you shall haue mercy shut against you bicause you cared not for the bloude of Christ and you shall haue your owne father by creation not once acknowledge you to be childrē or pitty your calamity bicause you disobeied him therfore now striue that then you may enter now obey that then you may be receiued now humble your selues that then you may be lift vp let this prouoke you like an iron grate vnto the embracing of the fear of God Presume not on the Lords mercie despaire not of your owne estates say not it is too soon for that is impietie yea the houre now is thinke not it is too late for that is blasphemie but if now thou canst enter now also thou shalt be receiued Another vse heerof doth the Lorde himselfe make Esay 17 13. That euen the same things wherein we trusted being in prosperitie shall if they can deliuer vs vp when we are in aduersitie when thou criest saith the Lorde the things that thou hast gathered togither shall deliuer thee but the winde shall take them away vanitie shall pull them away but he that trusteth in me shall inherite the lande and possesse my holie mountain The Lord mocketh and derideth at the wicked men as if he should say vnto them in this sorte you olde men you haue gathered many fables you yong men you haue hoarded many pastimes you women you haue laid vp many trifles you rich men haue encroched many purchases you noble men haue encreased your wordly honor now call to these your gods in sicknes in famine in warre in pouertie in miserie in death but I will blow them from you they cannot helpe you you shall onely knowe that they which haue relied on my blessing beleeued in my promise delighted in my truth they onely shall haue the earth for their possession and the heauens for their inheritance How foolish are men that seeke not for these things before hande that knowe not that in their wealth they choose for their life which they must abide and cannot auoide when they are in distresse either godlinesse which procureth their worldly ignominie and their heauenlie glorie or else wickednes and vnlawfull riches that causeth their worldly maiestie but their euerlasting miserie The eight Sermon Vers 6. For a nation commeth vpon my land mightie and without number whose teeth are like the teeth of a lyon and he hath the iawes of a great lyon NOw the Prophet commeth to his metaphoricall allusions whereby sometimes hee mooueth the people somtimes he describeth the persons which are the workers of this calamitie as in this vers where hee resembleth the beastes to a nation
vnseasonable showers which haue brought vpon vs this lamentable and miserable dearth for our wet and waterie weeping times are most like vnto them They were in danger of the enimie who watched but the opportunitie to ouerrun them so may we also feare that our enimies which are many within vs and mightie without vs in other countries by these times of opportunity shal likewise aduenture to ouercome vs. They were in danger to haue their raines continued and their dearth increased and so also are we for as yet we haue noted and found the waters sometimes at the bankes sometimes ouer the shoares somtimes in the plaine fields and sometimes beating downe the goodly planted corne turning the wheat into dirt and making dung of that which should be bread Therefore lament I beseech you and tremble euery soule among vs in our houses talking in our streetes walking in our congregations praying and in our meates eating and drinking Let vs make our hearts sorrowfull our teares plentifull our liues pitifull that the Lord may be mercifull Let vs weepe that the heauens may reioice let vs plough our hearts that our fieldes may be fruitfull let vs cast away our sinnes that wee may carrie in our stores let vs weed our liues that we may reap our corne finally in vs it lieth to recouer our plenty therefore pray with Dauid Psal 144. 12 13. that our oxen may be strong our sheepe may encrease thousands our children may be godly our garners may be filled our streetes may be ioyfull and our whole nation may be thankefull The nienth Sermon Vers 8. Mourne like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth THis is the second exhortation wherein the prophet teacheth them by a familiar example how they ought to weepe euen as a virgin lately married or contracted mourneth for her husband who dieth before they haue filled their hearts with loue so the words are an exhortation groūded on a similitude of mourning in sackcloth for the dead for so it appeareth was the auncient custome of lamentation From this similitude we may obserue first in this allegorie this doctrine that our affections in heauenly things must be as passionate and at the least be as earnest as they are in earthly things For thus the prophet calleth vnto them mourne now as bitterly and humble your soules as vnfeinedly as a yoong woman doth for the death of her first loue This our Sauiour prooueth Luk. 16. to vers 13. in the parable of the false and vniust steward how he dischargeth his office and prouideth for hereafter willing vs to be so wise in the heauenly matters as we are in the earthly So that hast thou rode long iourneys for thy profit then thou must do the like for the Lord hast thou spent liberally on thy wife children haukes hounds and other vanities then thou must doe the like for the Lord hast thou watched many nights at cardes dice dauncing and dalliance thou must do as much in prayer hast thou fasted many houres for phisick thou must do as much for deuotion hast thou wept bitterly and wouldest not be comforted for many daies and nights togither for thy wife thy children thy parents thy brothers or any other thou must doe as much for thy sinnes or else as thou hast lost thy friends so shalt thou loose thy soule and to conclude thou must as zealously thirst after the bloode of Christ as euer thou lustedst after thy meate and drinke for thy body or as a chased hart for the water or else thou canst hardly be saued The reasons of this doctrine may easily be rendered although in truth it needeth no reason First if we be not as earnest in heauenly as we are in earthly things then may we be well said to bee those cursed wretches which were prophesied of long agoe 2. Tim. 3. 4. Louers of pleasures more then louers of God What canst thou or darest thousay O wicked man that thou louest God aboue all and thy neighbour as thy selfe for this say the ignorant sort is as much as all the preachers in the world can tell them when thou wilt do more for thy earthly master and go farther for thy whoore and deale more liberally amongst drunkards and labour more painefully for a worldly trade and humane arte or science then thou wilt for God for the gospell for the poore and for religiō so thou maist perswade thy selfe but neuer any wise man will beleeue thee Secōdly if we giue not as much zeale to our soules as we do greedines to our bodies then as Paule saith Rom. 7. 5. wee are still in the flesh and the motions of sinne shall bring foorth fruit vnto death Now if you accompt no disgrace to haue your flesh for your God your motions of sinne for your profession and the condemnation of your soules for your reward then go on still and fill vp your measure to the brim and dare the Lorde to his face not caring for his maiestie No my beloued I will not suffer you to go this way to heauen as God would not suffer the Israelites to go the easiest way into Canaan but you must go another way farther about and safer for your passage Although you would raze your names out of the booke of life as Moses would though not for zeale but for pleasure yet you must not be suffered but rather say with Peter 1. Pet. 4. 23. Hence forward as much time as we shall liue in the flesh let vs liue after the will of God and not after the lustes of men for it is sufficient for vs that we haue spēt the time past of our liues walking in the lusts of the Gentiles in wantonnes drunkennes lustes gluttony drinkings and abhominable idolatries From hence we first learne that which Paul hath taught vs Rom. 6. 19. that as we haue giuen our members to be the seruants of sin vnto vnrighteousnes so now we must giue them to be the seruants of holines vnto righteousnes Now let vs stir vp all the parts of our soules and bodies vnto Christian conuersion our feet must run in it our hands must worke in it our eies must see in it our eares must hear it our taste must delight in it our affections must meditate in it our hearts must conceiue it our memories must remember it our whole man must be spent in it we must walke soberly we must worke righteously we must behold chastely we must heare diligently we must sauour it pleasantly we must thinke on it holily we must receiue it reuerently and we must remember it perpetually Giue vp your members I beseech you vnto righteousnes Was thy mouth made for eating and drinking and not to speake the Lords praise was thy heart made for the world and thy witte to make good and thriftie bargaines or rather for the embracing of heauenly Christ were thy handes made to play at tables to write well to fight for the defence of
followeth that it is a most wretched thing to goe backeward and to cease from being righteous for this cause the blessed seruant of God exhorted Reuel 22 11. Let him which is righteous be righteous still shew therefore if thou haue euer obtayned any mercie of God in the knowledge of the Gospell retaine the same for euermore If euer thou haddest any dislike of prophannesse any hatred of euill any conscience of goodnes and any desire of mortification that thou diddest euer abhor vaine sports foolish words wicked works vnprofitable members godles companions and truthlesse superstitions continue so minded for euermore but as thou hast beene iust so abide righteous The sheepe once blacke or white neuer chaungeth colour the vessell once seasoned neuer looseth sweetnes and the soule once sanctified neuer forsaketh holines Be not vnsauourie salt be not vnstedfast winde be not a foolish builder and be not a cursed backeslider Call not the truth once beloued into question but fight for it as for life receiue not the filthines once banished but flye from it as from death Loue not that sinne which once thou hatedst least all other sinnes become suiters for thy soule Goe out of vanitie and ignorance and hypocrisie and securitie as Lot went out of Sodome and neuer looke so much as backe vpon them Destroy vtterly the citie and dwelling of Sathan in thy soule as Ioshua destroyed Ierico and curse them that builde it againe follow all the examples of all the godly Paule once conuerted neuer reuoked Peter once strengthened neuer more halted Onesimus once reconciled to his master neuer ranne from him any more And so seeing thou canst say I haue heard sermons I haue loued prayer I haue harboured the saintes I haue hated dauncing tabling carding vsuring swearing lying stealing and all other abhominations oh wallow not againe in that filthy mire but continue righteous to the end Alas alas as the eies of man cannot weepe enough for the backesliders so the toong of man cannot speake enough of their accursed apostasie some fall to pouertie some to securitie some to vanitie some to open impiety som into heresie some into schisme some into the world some into the flesh and all of these into hel and thus they goe away as Gedeons souldiers which were at the first 21000. but in the end they were but 300. Might Rahel weepe bicause Herod kilde her children and may not the church weepe because the diuell killeth her children Well woe be to him for his malice and woe be to them for their backsliding Secondly seeing wee all neede encouragement vnto good things let vs not onely bee exhorted but assured that the presence of God shall assist vs. When Zerubabel and Iehoshua were stirred by the prophet to finish the temple of God the Lorde promised his presence to assist them Hag. 2. 5. and his spirite to remaine with them Now marke who are exhorted but the prince or chiefe gouernour and the priest or chiefe bishop and all the people of the land let vs not therefore feare to enter into a farther reformation of our selues and doubt nothing but the Lord shall finish our buildings We are not Babel and the builders thereof what neede wee feare confusion we are not Saul what neede we despaire of victorie we are not Achitophel we will not distrust our counsell we are not Iudas why should we vndoe our selues for our sinnes If we haue deferred our repentance and amendment and ran away from God as Ionah did yet being called againe let vs goe boldly to the Niniueh of our owne soules and preach the fearefull curse of God against sinne The Lord came to Abraham in the plaine of Mamre sitting in his tent and there promised him a sonne why should we not be perswaded that when we are in meditating on any goodnesse and louing any rightcousnesse and aduenturing any holy businesse but the Lorde will come vnto vs and promise vs life eternall Therefore my deere brethren and sisters aduenture farre for the religion of your soules and knowe that he shall goe with you to helpe you to your wish feare not any power for he is omnipotent nor any enimie for he is your shield nor any subtiltie for he is your wisedome nor any want for he is your sufficiencie nor any constancie for hee neuer changeth nor any death for he is your life Beleeue that you cannot conceiue vnderstand that you cannot see beare that burden which he giueth you abide that sorrow that he sendeth you and practise that gospell which hee hath taught you Pray for repentance and faith and knowledge and zeale and obedience and holinesse and life eternall for the Lord is in thine owne soule and feare not he will giue it thee Girde your selues Againe out of these wordes wherein the prophet biddeth the priestes to be girded to lamentation that is to be throughly prepared and to put on sackcloth that is all outward and inward testimonie of sorrow and to lie all night before the Lord that is to endure any paine and labour to be reconciled to God Out of the which I might note as many doctrines as words as first that vpon good counsell and godly meditation men must come to lament their miseries before God not rashly nor rauingly nor furiously but with a godly preparation Againe that the ministers in any common danger must more earnestly be humbled then any other Againe seeing he calleth for such sorrow and such continuance thereof he thereby noteth that if God be once angrie we must vse all meanes that can bee found to appease him though it cost our sweetest health and our deerest blood But I will specially obserue this doctrine that all both minister and people when they come to entreate for the remoouing of the Lord hand must be sure that they be throughly humbled Nehem. 1. 4. their cause must be well pondered and weighed their mindes must bee well prepared and perswaded their liues must be most zealously reformed and their continuance in their humiliation must be most instantly and inuiolably obserued I haue obserued a great defect in the humiliation of many in the time of our late calamities of famine and warre and plague when we were cast downe before the Lord. For men would come to these exercises from tauernes and alehouses from shops other busines no otherwise prepared then at another common time againe the notes of their pride in apparell and all brauerie fond expences they brought with them and came more like plaiers then mourners into the Lords house and also they were quickly wearie for some would neuer tarrie till the end and other if they once came they neuer came more And surely these were too euident signes that wee were not throughly humbled and therefore no maruell though the plague preuailed on so many and the famine hath continued so long Oh that therefore this exhortation of the prophet might worke a newe and often remembrance of vnfained humilitie
harts when they be ioyfull for as Herod was strooke with death while hee sate vpon his throne of maiestie so are we neuer neerer to our woe than when we are mounted to honour or seated in quietnesse The phisitions say that want of motion and loue of rest breedeth more diseases than all euill surfeits and so must we say that are the phisitions of mens soules that moe perish by ease than by labour by ioie than by sorrow by pleasure than by paine and by idle religion than by earnest and zealous profession The reasons the same that Isay taught chap. 65. 12. because God is refused in his word and good reason why it should be so for as already we haue shewed that the word must be a light for our pathes and a remembrancer to our soules which being forgotten no maruell if in our greatest securitie the Lords wrath ouertake vs. Therefore let the idle followers of the gospell perswade their soules with more zeale and diligence to bee informed by the Lord least the wrath take them sleeping or selling or drinking or playing or dicing or dauncing to their condemnation Secondly another reason because they loue pleasure more than God 2. Tim. 3. 4. therefore as Saneherib Isay 37. was slaine at that instant when hee was worshipping his idoll so shall their bane bee wrought when they are in their belly-worship following their pleasing delights Let vs therefore neuer put danger out of our mindes but then when wee are in most quiet comfort of soule and body let vs trouble our peace with one thought or other Mich. 3. 11. If thou haue children feare their death if thou haue parents feare their wrath if thou haue friends feare their hatred and if thou haue health feare thy sicknesse if thou be ioyfull at a feast thinke on the miserie of famine if at a pleasure thinke vpon the paine of the wounded if at libertie thinke vpon the irons of the imprisoned if in life thinke on the pangs of death Neuer exempt thy selfe from danger but in peace remember warre in youth remember age in play remember labour and in the heauen of the worldes delight thinke vpon the hell of another life Let sorrow be in thy sense mourning in thy soule danger in thy life feare in thy musicke trouble in thy sleepe paine in thy health want in thy plentie dislike in thy loue and distrust in thy desire so shalt thou neuer be called to sicknes but with lesse griefe or to danger but with lesse feare or to death but with lesse trouble or to iudgement but thou shalt be prouided for it Another vse seeing the wicked shall be drawen to iudgement in their greatest securitie then we may learne whether they feare wrath and euil or feare it not yet all is one it shall come vpon them Dauid said that the feare of the wicked shall fall on him and herewee see Ioel saith that though they sleepe yet shall they be awaked with and for their danger so that if wicked men feare their sorrowe is the more and if they feare not their danger is not the lesse Oh miserable captiuitie of wicked men which are hardened to feele more paine and softened to feare more wrath would not this bring vs out of loue with our sinne and make vs earnestly to lament our follies which giue vs no peace till we desire them and no rest after wee possesse them But of this often haue wee spoken before For there will I sit When he saith that he will sit in iudgement we may note that the Lord will with no labour condemne the wicked as it is Mal. 1. 4. euen as one that sitteth in al ease Againe in this that he sitteth in iudgement he alludeth to the iudgements of men which were most lawfull shewing that his proceedings against the wicked were not vniust or extraordinarie but according to equity But this is especially to be regarded when he nameth the persons whom he will iudge saying all the heathen rounde about meaning all those which dwelt neere vnto Israell Whereby we are taught that those which are our neighbours and see our worship and liue neere or among vs and yet be not of vs but are our enimies God will iudge them more seuerly Ierem. 12. 14. For if they which liue among vs and see euerie day the workes of God for vs and in vs will not be ruled by vs or turned to vs they may waite for the heauier iudgement And therefore was Philisthia more iudged then Arabia and Syria more vexed then Ethiopia because they were on the confines of Israell Then surely this may teach the loose Protestants and vaine professors among vs what great daunger they liue in all this while they haue heard the Gospell and not beleeued it the neerer they were to the truth the more is the Lordes wrath against them and the longer they haue liued in our peace and seene the glorious workes of God the more shall bee their heauie iudgement It were better for them that they liued in Rome or in Barbarie or in Tartarie where the gospell is not talked of for then should they be farther from danger but now they liue with vs eating at our tables treading on our Land standing in our churches cloathed with our garments and blessed by our God Oh how deere shall they pay for all these benefits for the Lord will iudge them that dwell neere vs much more them that dwel with vs he will condemne them that dwel about vs much more them that dwell among vs. The reasons of this doctrine are these First bicause they should be subiect to the church Isa 60. 5. The members of the church are the true lawfull kings of the world all other ought to be their subiects therefore when the subiect rebelleth against his naturall prince he is more punished then a stranger so when the neerest neighbours of the church are most of all negligent they are more endangered then other are for when the Lord giueth most meanes of instruction such as is to liue among the godly then he rewardeth such neglect or contempt with more seuere punishment Another reason because they should succour thē in their necessitie Isa 21. 14. but if they will taste of their benefits and not beleeue their sayings or cōfort them in their sorrowes they are the more woorthie to be destroyed The vse let vs neuer meddle against good men Matth. 27. 19. for their iniuries will be rewarded double vpon our heads If thou liue with them honour them if thou heare of them goe visite them if they teach thee beleeue them if they want thee relieue them and neuer be an enimie vnto them The Lord saith that our treading on the earth is sufficient to make vs without excuse if we beleeue him not and then surely it is sufficient to condemne those that liue vnder the Gospell and receiue not the Gospell that they tread on our lande see our
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs