and almost princely brauery are driuen to increase their fines and inhaunse their rents to excessiue rates and when all this is not sufficient to defray their charges they are faine to giue ouer hospitalitie and to hide themselues in corners to saue expences And thus also Citizens vying with one another who shall exceede in pride and excesse and not being able to maintaine themselues in this course by their lawfull gaines and honest labours are driuen to vse all manner of fraud and deceipt in buying and selling subtill slights and indirect wayes and when all this will not serue the turne they are at the last constrayned to breake and become bankrupts either vtterly ruined in their estates or that which is worst of all they keepe in their hands the goods of those who haue credited them and so seeke to rise againe by their fall to inrich themselues by bringing others into pouertie or if not so then they seeke to buy or farme some office wherein they may liue by bribing proling extortion and exaction or procure a patent for some Monopolie that so they may aduance and raise their owne gaines out of the losse hinderance of the whole land and common wealth The vse hereof is to moue men to liue within their compasse and to imbrace temperance and frugalitie as being Frugalitie is a good vertue excellent vertues in themselues and also singular meanes to preserue vs from many vices and to restraine vs from rushing into grieuous tentations For so long as a man liuing by his honest labours doth keepe his expences with in the compasse of his gaines so long he hath much peace of conscience and contentation of minde neither is he easily drawn by hazarding his credit and much lesse his soule to gaine that wealth which he can well want whereas those who spend their time in idlenesse pleasure and luxurious excesse haue alwayes their mindes stretched vpon the racke of want tormenting themselues with carking care how they may salue their credit and maintaine their idle brauerie and luxurious wast and not being able to compasse their desires by honest and lawfull meanes they lye open to all tentations of the diuell and are ready to entertaine any wicked and dishonest course which seemeth to proffer vnto them the least gaine Fourthly we may here obserue that the Lord condemneth That it is an haynous offence to indeauour to inrich our selues by the sinnes of others it as a haynous offence when as men desire to inrich themselues by the sinnes of others I say when as men desire the falls of their neighbours for their owne aduantage otherwise it is lawfull for Magistrates to take penall fines when as they doe not desire that their subiects should offend for their owne gaine but rather by these punishments indeauour to restraine them from committing of the like faults But to delight in the sins of our brethen because thereby we haue gaine and aduantage is outragious wickednesse in the sight of God for seeing the plagues of God death and condemnation is the due wages belonging vnto sinne what do these men but greedely desire gaine though it cost the price of mens bodyes and soules and cast the offenders downe into hell Now if it be an outragious sin to desire gaines though it be purchased with the bodily life of our neighbour what shall we thinck of the horriblenesse of their sin who seeke their owne profit by hazarding both their bodyes and soules to eternall destruction Thus doth the Pope of Rome offend who inricheth himselfe by selling dispensations for sinne and is content to tollerate filthy stewes that thereby he may increase his yearely revenew And thus doe Magistrates offend when they rejoyce in the peoples faults and transgressions because by inflicting vpon them a penal mulct they inrich their owne coffers Thus doe Lawyers offend who delight in the malice discord and contentions of the people because hereby they haue fit opportunitie to inrich themselues with fees Thus doe Iudges and Officers of such Courts offend as make a pray of the sinnes of the people watching after hopefully expecting the neglect of duties as after a booty or prize and rejoycing in their hearts when as they heare of adulteries slanders and other enormious crimes because they may out of them raise their owne profit which wickednesse they manifestly commit who change the course of the Law and turne open punishments into priuie mulcts and punishments which should be personall and exemplary into punishments of the purse Thus also do they sinne who that they may preuaile in their suites giue hire vnto the sons of Beliall to confirme their false euidence by wicked perjury And thus doe shop-keepers grieuously offend when as they can be content that their seruants should in selling their wares vse lying swearing and deceipt that thereby they may put them off at the higher rate But in this respect Ministers doe most grieuously sinne when as either they mislead the people in errours and heresies that they may haue the fitter opportunitie of inriching themselues or when as they flatter them in their sinnes and sow pillowes vnder their elbowes that they may more securely goe on in wickednesse that so by pleasing them in their lewde courses they may haue the greater interest in them in their purses And this was the sinne of the Priests in this place who by their false doctrine hartned the people in their sins teaching them that when they had sinned there was no more to bee done for the appeasing of Gods anger but to offer their sacrifices and thus the Scribes and Pharises countenanced children in their vndutifullnesse and rebellion against their parents if they would bring vnto them oblations Mat. 15. Mat. 15. 4. 5. 4. 5. 6. And this is the sinne of those false teachers which the Apostle Peter fore-telleth should be in these latter dayes which through couetousnesse should with fained words make merchandise of mens soules 2 Pet. 2. 3. The which prophecie 2 Pet. 2. 3. we may see most euidently accomplished in the Cleargie of the Church of Rome who for mony sell dispensations for sinnes and incourage the people in all manner of wickednesse by offring vnto them easie remedies to free them from this burthen namely by doing or buying out of penance by going on pilgimages by offring to Saints by purchasing of pardons indulgences and absolutions by auricular confession by giuing of money to haue masses trentals and dirges saide for their soules for what worldly man would not be incouraged to liue in his sinnes which are more deare vnto him then his wealth yea then the fruite of his owne body as the Prophet sheweth if he may be acquitted of the guilt Micah 6. 7. and punishments thereof by confessing them to the Priest and by giuing of money for the procuring of a pardon or dispensation The vse of this doctrine serueth to make vs abhor the sin Couetousnesse the roote
we are defiled and deformed with the foule and filthy spots of our transgressions we should be as carefull to applie vnto vs the precious blood of Christ by a liuely faith that thereby being cleansed and purged we may be restored to our former beautie and perfection Fourthly we may here obserue that when a people professing Those who will not serue God shall be made slaues to their enemies religion doe cast off the yoke of Gods gouernment and in the pride and stubbornesse of their hearts contemne all meanes of their conuersion then the iudgements of God lie waiting at the dore and are readie to enter vpon them and because they will not submit themselues to be ruled by the scepter of Gods kingdome he will thrust them from vnder his protection cause them to be led into captiuitie and suffer their enemies to tyrrannize insult ouer them So in this place because the Israelites were become like vnrulie Heifers and would not beare the yoke of Gods gouernement he threatneth that they should become the captiues and slaues of their enemies and vnder their tyrannical thraldome indure manifold miseries and calamities Many examples might be brought to cleare this point In the time of the Iudges when the people rebelled against the Lord contemned his word and denied him their seruice and allegeance hee gaue them ouer into the hands of their enemies as the Canaanites Midianites Philistines and diuers others When the Iewes would not serue the Lord their soueraigne King hee made them serue tyrannicall Lords in a strange countrie both before and since the comming of Christ When Manasses and Zedechias would not regard the word of the Lord but persecuted his Prophets and made warre as it were against Heauen the Lord pulled downe their pride and broke their stubborne and rebellious hearts with the manifold calamities of a miserable captiuitie And this is that which the Lord threatneth against the rebellious potentates of the earth who in furious rage combined themselues against the kingdome of Iesus Christ namely that he would vexe them in his sore displeasure and because they would not be ruled by the scepter of his word he would crash them with his scepter of yron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell Psalm 2. 2. 5. 9. So our Psal 2. 2. 5. 9. Sauiour Christ hath taught vs that those his enemies who had shaken off the yoke of his gouernement and would not let him raigne ouer them should be haled into his presence and slaine before his face Luk. 19. 27. Luk. 19. 27. And surely this is iust with God that those who deny vnto him their obedience and allegeance which is the Lords lawfull right both in respect of their creation continuall preseruation and of those manifold benefits which they haue receiued vnder his gouernement should be vsed as rebellious traitors and feele the extreamest rigour of his righteous lawes that those who will not bee ruled by the scepter of his word should be cut off with the sword of iustice and that they who will not serue their gracious Lord who richly rewardeth their imperfect seruice with the vnderserued wages of both temporall benefits in this life and eternall glorie in the life to come should in their bodies be yeelded vp to the tyrannicall gouernement of their insolent enemies who will reward their seruice with iniuries indignities and manifold calamities and both in bodie and soule become the vassals and slaues of sinne Satan the world and their owne vnrulie lusts whose wages is eternall death after a wretched and miserable life The vse hereof is that we labour to conforme our selues in holy obedience vnto the will of our heauenly King and submit our selues to be ruled by the scepter of his word and then he will keepe vs vnder his protection defend vs from the malice and furie of all our enemies and greatly inrich vs with his blessings and benefits Whereas on the other side if we deny vnto him our allegeance he will take no further charge of vs but will lay vs open to the common spoyle if we be proude he will finde meanes to humble vs if stubborne and vnrulie he will take a speedie course to tame and rule vs and if like vntamed heifers we shake off the yoke of his gouernement which is light and easie hee can hamper vs well enough by laying vpon our neckes the yron yoke of our tyrannical enemies which will gall vs not onely to the quicke but euen to the heart Lastly wee may here obserue how wretched and miserable The miserable estate of those who are thrust from vnder Gods protection their estate is who for their rebellious stubburnnesse are thrust from vnder Gods gouernement and protection For they shall be as a lambe in a large place that is as the poore lambe is in a most desperate condition which wandreth alone in some vast wildernesse without any sheepheard to tend defend him or damme to feed him in danger either of pining or of deuouring so alike wretched is their estate who for their stubburnnesse and vnrulinesse are thrust out of Christs sheepfold from vnder his gouernement and protection For whereas whilest they were at his guiding hee led them into his greene pastures feeding them with his sweete milke and pleasant grasse of his word and Sacraments now they are depriued of this food of their soules so spiritually pined and starued whereas he fenced them in and kept them from wandring with the strong hedges of his benefits and gentle chastisements now the fence being taken away they stray abroad and wander vp and downe in the desert of this world both pinched with want of all spirituall foode and exposed to all maner of desperate danger whereas whilest they were vnder his direction they were vnder his protection also who by his prouidence and power defended them from worldly wolues and beares and from that ramping and roaring Lion fierce red Dragon Satan who daily assailed and earnestly laboured to deuoure them now being disarmed of his assistance they lie open to the common spoile being altogether vnable either to slie away or make resistance And this was the state of the first rebellious sheepe our great grandfather Adam when as by his Gen. 3. 7. sinne he had made himselfe naked this was the case of the Lords flocke the people of Israel when as they also had Exod. 32. 25. made themselues naked by their idolatry whilest they were in the wildernesse and into this condition they often brought themselues in the time of the Iudges For howsoeuer whilest they serued the Lord they had prosperitie peace plentie of all things and were so hedged in on all sides that all their enemies could not hurt them yet when as they made a desection from vnder his gouernment and for their grieuous sinnes were disarmed of his protection how speedily did their enemies inuade them how sharply did they assault them and how easily did
are to liue like Gods subiects and doe seruice to their Lord and Sauiour who hath redeemed them to this purpose 1. Cor. 6. 20. and then to the kingdome of glorie where they shall receiue a rich reward for their seruice euen a crowne of glorie and euerlasting happinesse First then they must ascend out of the kingdome of darkenes Of our comming out of the power of darkenesse by vocation and iustification sinne and Satan into the kingdome of grace which is done first when as Iesus Christ hath effectually called them gathered them into his Church and vnited them vnto himselfe making them members of his owne body by vertue of his holy spirit and the fruit thereof a liuely faith By which vnion they haue right and propriety vnto the righteousnes death and merits of Christ their head whereby they are iustified in the sight of God for the iustice of God being fullie satisfied by the death and merits of Christ and the debt of our sinnes being discharged they are pardoned and done away and we being clothed with his righteousnesse and actuall obedience are accepted and reputed of God as iust and so reconciled vnto him and adopted for his sonnes in Christ And this is the first kind of our ascending out of the land and kingdome of darkenesse when as we are freed and deliuered out of the power of Satan and sinne in respect both of the guilt and punishment thereof so that now it cannot condemne vs nor any longer detaine vs as prisoners vnder the arrest of the law in the prison of death and vtter darkenesse And of this ascension the Apostle speaketh Ephes 2. 4. 5. 6. Secondly they ascend out of the kingdom of sin Satan Ephes 2. 4. 5 6. Our cumming out of the power of sinne by sanctification into the kingdom of Christ when as being vnited vnto him they haue part in his death and resurrection by the vertue and power whereof sinne is mortified in them and they raised from the death of sinne to holinesse and newnesse of life so that now their harts and affections their words and actions their life and conuersation is quite changed for whereas whilest they liued in the land of darkenesse vnder the kingdome of sinne and Satan they were wholly earthlie carnall and diabolicall now being ascended out of the land into the kingdome of Christ they are spirituall and heauenly their heart and affections which in former times did lie groueling on the earth minding nothing but worldlie and carnall things are now mounted aloft so that though their bodies be on the earth yet their conuersation is in heauen from whence they expect their Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ Phil. 3. 20. And being risen with Christ they doe not Phil. 3. 20. seeke those things which are on the earth but those things which are aboue as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. 1. And as Col. 3. 1. they rise aloft in heart and affections so also in words and actions which are not as in former times carnall and earthly but spirituall and heauenly Of this ascension the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. And this is that first resurrection of Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. which Iohn speaketh in which whosoeuer haue their part are blessed because on such the second death hath no power Apoc. 20. 6. Apoc. 20. 6. And thus the Church and people of God ascend out of the land of darkenesse and the kingdome of sinne and Satan first by their iustification whereby they are freed from the imputation guilt and punishment of sinne so that it cannot Rom. 8. 33. 34. accuse and condemne them and secondly by their sanctification when by vertue of Gods spirit dwelling in them and applying vnto them the death and resurrection of Christ they doe by little and little subdue and mortifie the power of sinne so that it doth no longer reigne and rule in them as Rom. 6. 12. in former times and hauing lessened and abated the corruption doe begin to rise from the death of sinne to newnesse of life yeelding voluntarie obedience to Gods commandements The second manner of the Churches going vp or ascending Of our ascending out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome of glorie out of the land of darkenesse the kingdome of sinne and Satan is when they ascend into the kingdome of glorie whereof there are three degrees the first whereof is in this life which is onely in hope and in respect of the certaine assurance of their full and perfect deliuerance out of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and of their entrance into and possession of the kingdome of heauen The which their hope and assurance is grounded vpon their vnion with Christ for being assured that Christ their head clothed with their flesh is ascended into heauen they haue no lesse assurance that they his members shall also ascend thither seeing the vnion betweene them is inseparable And this is that ascension of which the Apostle speaketh Ephes 2. 4. 5. Of which in respect Ephes 2. 4. 5. of the certaintie of faith Gods people haue such full assurance that they are said not onely to hope for it but alreadie to haue entred into it and to haue taken possession of it Ioh. Ioh. 3. 36. 3. 36. He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life So 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We know that we are translated from death to life 1. Joh. 3. 14. because we loue the brethren The second degree of their ascension out of the kingdome of sinne and Satan into the kingdome of glorie is at the time of their dissolution when their bodies resting in the graue their soules haue entrance into a reall possession of the heauenly ioyes And of this the Wise man speaketh Eccles 12. 7. And dust returnes to the earth as it Eccles 12. 7. was and the spirit returnes to God that gaue it And the Apostle Paul thus desireth to bee dissolued that his soule might be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Phil. 1. 23. The last degree is their full and perfect liberty which shall be at the day of the generall resurrection when as body and The last degree of our liberty soule shall be vnited together and being fully freed from the power of Satan sinne death and corruption shall for euer inherit the vnspeakeable ioyes of Gods Kingdome And this also they attaine vnto by vertue of that vnion which they haue with Christ whereby their bodies and soules being inseparably ioyned vnto him they by vertue of his spirit dwelling in them and applying vnto them the power of his resurrection are also raised and ascend into heauen that where he their head is there they his members may be also And of this the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him Rom. 8. 11. that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies
because his spirit dwelleth in you And this is that full liberty and perfect redemption of which our Sauiour speaketh Luke 21. 28. When these things begin to come to passe then looke Luk. 21. 28. vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere And this is the meaning of these wordes The doctrines which from hence arise are these First we may obserue that The Do ∣ ctrines after Christ hath gathered his Church and they being gathered That as soone as we are vnited to Christ we ascend out of the kingdome of darknesse haue by a liuely faith chosen and imbraced him for their King and head then presently they ascend out of the land of darkenesse the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and that in respect both of their iustification whereby their sinnes being not imputed they are freed from guilt and punishment and are accepted as righteous being clothed with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and in respect of their sanctification whereby they are freed from the power and corruption of sinne when as the Spirit of God dwelling in them applieth vnto them the vertue of Christs death and resurrection whereby their sinnes are by little and little mortified and subdued and they raised from the death of sinne to holinesse and newnesse of life Whosoeuer therefore are gathered into the Church and haue chosen Christ for their head they may bee assured that they are iustified in Gods sight and so freed from the guilt and punishment of their sinnes and also that they are sanctified and in some measure freed from the power and iurisdiction of sinne so that it shall no longer raigne in their mortall bodies for these goe inseparably together so that hauing one we may be assured Rom. 6. 12. that we haue all the other and that wanting one we want all the rest Secondly we may obserue that the Church being set at liberty out of the land of darkenesse doth ascend into the The true members of the Church are not carnall but spirituall Kingdome of God first into the Kingdome of grace and then into the Kingdome of glory So that the Church of Christ and all the true members thereof are no longer earthly carnall and worldly but spirituall and heauenly they are no more citizens of the world but of the new Ierusalem which is aboue their hearts are not now groueling on the Phil. 3. 20. earth but they haue their conuersation in heauen minding not earthly but heauenly things For after that our Sauiour Christ our soueraigne Prince hauing ouercome our spirituall enemies in whose bondage we were inthralled hath pronounced the sentence of our liberty we then begin to shake off the bolts and chaines of our sinnes and corruptions and to come out of the prison and power of sinne and Satan neither will we then make a stay there but make all haste possible to get out of their kingdome and dominion lest againe wee should be ouertaken and inthralled in their bondage and because no other place can secure vs from this danger therefore we ascend into the kingdome of Christ desiring his aide and protection who alone is able to defend vs and forasmuch as whilest we continue in the suburbes of this kingdome the Church militant although we be neuer ouercome yet we are continually assaulted with our spirituall enemies therefore we continually desire and hope to enter within the walles of the heauenly Ierusalem the Church triumphant in heauen where not onely wee shall bee free from danger of being subdued but also from assault and molestation in the meane time setling our minds and hearts not vpon things present but vpon those future ioyes of which we are assured when we shall be admitted citizens of Gods kingdome of glory and attaine vnto our full redemption And these are the steps and degrees whereby we ascend out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome of glory The degrees whereby we must ascend out of the land of darkenesse the highest whereof none can attaine vnto but they who begin at the lowest for first we must be subiects of the kingdome of grace before wee be subiects of the kingdome of glory we must first be members of the Church militant before we be members of the Church triumphant first wee must enter into the suburbes before we can come into the citie first we must haue assurance of our heauenly inheritance by faith and hope before we shall inioy the actuall possession and lastly we must haue our mindes hearts and affections transported into our heauenly country or else our bodies soules shall neuer ascend thither So that in this point also one of these steps and degrees being ascended it giueth vs assurance that we shall stil ascend till we come to the highest and on the other side if we begin not at the first we shall neuer ascend to the last namely the glorious ioyes of Gods kingdome The last thing to be considered is by what vertue and power we ascend out of the land of darknesse into the kingdome By what vertue and power we ascend out of the land of darkenesse of glory to wit not our owne but Iesus Christs for he alone is it who by his death and merits hath set vs free out of the land of darknesse and deliuered vs from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes and he onely it is who by vertue of his Spirit applying his death and resurrection vnto vs doth enable vs to ascend out of the power of sinne and to subdue and mortifie the corruptions thereof And none but he raiseth vp our mindes from the earth and earthly things and giuing vs entrance into his heauenly ioyes by faith and hope doth transport our hearts and affections thither whither our soules and bodies shall afterwards ascend In a word it is he alone who by vertue of the same spirit vniting vs vnto him as members of his body doth cause vs to ascend in soule at the houre of death and in body and soule ioyned together at the general resurrection and giueth them full and actuall possession of Gods kingdome And therefore let vs beware that we trust not to ascend vp into heauen by the broken ladder of the merits of Saints or our owne works and worthinesse for so shall we rob Christ of his glory and our selues of all comfort in this life and happinesse in the life to come seeing these rotten and broken steps will most faile vs when we most rest vpon them but let vs looke to ascend by Christ alone who is the onely sound and strong ladder vpon which the Angels descend to carry vs vp with them into Abrahams bosome Iohn 1. 51. and the true and straight John 1. 51. way whereby we may ascend out of this vale of misery into the Kingdome of euerlasting glory as himselfe speaketh Iohn 14. 6. Iohn 14. 6. And thus much concerning the description of the Churches happinesse vnder the gouernment of
Heyre of all his maisters riches Mat. 24. 45. 46. Those that with Timothy take Mat. 24. 45. 46. heede to themselues and vnto learning and continue therin shall saue both themselues and those that heare them 1 Tim. 4. 16. 1. Tim. 4. 16. Those the Lords Captaines who with Paul haue fought a good sight finished their course and haue kept the faith may with him assuredly expect the crowne of righteousnesse which is laid vp for them 2 Tim. 4. 7. 8. 2. Tim. 4. 6. 8. But if these reasons will not allure and perswade vs there The sixt motiue taken from the woe denounced against the negligent Ezech. 34. 2. are others which may force and constraine vs to be painefull in the Ministerie first because there is a fearefull woe denounced against those who neglect this dutie and whilest they feede themselues starue the flocke Ezech. 34. 2. The which woe the Apostle acknowledgeth due to himselfe if he did not preach the gospell 1 Cor. 9. 16. And indeede 1. Cor. 9. 16. most wofull is the condition of such idle shepheards seeing the Lord doth threaten to come against them as their enimie to take vengeance on them Ezech. 34. 10. into whose Ezech. 34. 10. hands it is a fearefull thing to fall Heb. 10. 31 because hee Heb. 10. 31. 12. 2◠is a consuming fire and his enimies as stubble before him Chap. 12. 29. Secondly because negligent Ministers are accursed for The seauenth from the curse denounced against idle Ministers if a curse belongeth to them who withdraw corne from the people Prou. 11. 26. what are they to expect who with-hould from them this spirituall Manna the foode of their soules which should nourish them to life eternall surely both are cursed The difference is they are cursed by the people these by God himselfe for if the Lord pronounceth them accursed that doe the worke of destruction negligently when he requireth it as appeareth Ier. 48. 10. then much Ier. 48. 10. more accursed is he who negligently performeth the worke of saluation which by a certaine kinde of eminencie is called the worke of God 1. Cor. 16. 10. for howsoeuer the 1. Cor. 16. 10. other be his worke yet it is his strange worke Esay 28. 21. Esay 28. 18. whereas this is a worke of his nature euen of his mercy in which he much delighteth The eight because their gifts die for want of vse Mat. 25. 28. Thirdly because negligent Ministers not vsing the gifts which they haue receiued from god are stripped of them according to that Mat. 25. 28. take therfore the talent from him and giue it vnto him that hath ten Talents And this is that judgement denounced against the idle shepheards Zach. 11. Zach. 11. 17. 17. O Idol shepheard that leaueth the stocks the sword shall be vpon his arme and vpon his right eye His arme shall be cleane dryed vp and his right eye shal be vtterly darkened that is they shal be so weakened in Gods gifts that they shal be vnable to performe the worke of the Ministrie and so darkened in their vnderstanding that they shall not discorne the misteries of saluation much lesse be able to teach others The fearefull execution of which judgement wee haue seene in many Ministers of our times whose breasts haue growne drye because for idlenes they would not draw them out to giue the people sucke whereas the painefull Ministers are like euer-springing fountaines which though they are still drawne yet are neuer dry Fourthly because through the negligence of the Minister The fourth because he is guiltie of the peoples destruction Prou. 29. 18. the people want knowledge and so are destroyed as it is in this place To this accordeth that Prou. 29. 18. Where there is no vision the people decay Of which destruction idle Ministers are not only accessaries but also principall causes whereof it is that the Lord plainely saith that the idle shepheards who did not feed his sheep did deuoure them Ezech. Ezech. 34. 8. 10 34. 8. 10. And therefore affirmeth that he will require his sheepe at their hands as being guiltie of their bloud Now if the murthering and destroying of one body be a fearefull sin and will make an heauie reckoning at the day of judgement what shall we thinke of their sinne and account who haue murthered the bodyes and soules of many hundreds committed to their charge not with a momentany and temporall but with a spirituall and euerlasting death Lastly this may inforce all to auoid slothfull idlenesse in The last because they are guilty of condemnation their Ministery in that they make thēselues subject hereby to eternall condemnation For the vnprofitable seruant who hauing receiued a tallent of his maister and idlely hideth it neuer vsing it for his maisters glory nor for the good of his fellow-seruants must be cast into vtter darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25. 30. O then what will Mat. 25. 10. it profit such negligent Ministers that they haue passed their time in idlenesse pompe and pleasure when as they shall beare the punishment not onely of their owne sinne but of theirs also whom by their negligence they haue destroyed what will it auaile them that they haue heaped liuing vpon liuing seeing hereby they haue multiplyed both their sinne and condemnation what will that excuse pleasure them that they haue committed ouer the charge of the soules vndertaken by them to a substitute or atturney seeing at this great Audit their Atturney shall not bee suffered to answere for them but they shall be constrained to render an account in their owne person But most fearefull will their state be who to saue charges and auoide paines haue made choyse of ignorant and insufficient men to be their substitutes more fit to be Neat-heards or Swine-heards then the shepheards of the Lords sheepe like Vzzah who committed the Arke to bee drawne in a Cart which hee should haue carryed vpon his owne shoulder so they commit the burthen of Gods Arke the Church to such as are little better then Carters and thinke it sufficient if once or twise in a yeare they put to their hand and sustaine it when as it were it tottereth and is ready to fall But such are to expect if not the like sodaine yet a more fearful judgement then that which hapned to Vzzah who in Gods fierce wrath was smitten with 1 Chro. 15. 12. 13. 2 Sam. 6. 7. death 2 Sam. 6. 7. The fourth thing to be obserued is that howsoeuer these ignorant priests were allowed by the king and appointed by the gouernours of the Church of Israell and entertained by the people and so wore the habite and injoyed the liuings and offred the Sacrifices and vsed the other Ceremonies in the Church yet the Lord plainely disavoweth them disgradeth them of their titles and deposeth them from the office of Priest-hood and flatly telleth
19. and Esa 36. and 37. And secondly when as being led captiue into Babylon he moued Cyrus and Darius to haue compassion on them and to returne them againe into their owne Country And this is that which is meant by these benefits promised Doctrines Now the things which hence are to be obserued are All Gods benefits included vnder his mercy these First that he includeth all his benefits promised vnder the name of his mercy to note vnto vs that they doe not come vnto any by merit and desert but of free grace and Gods vndeserued goodnes for mercy doth not presuppose merit but rather misery both in regard of sinne and the punishment due vnto it And further to assure vs that if we haue Gods mercy and be in his fauour we shall neede no benefit either for our maintenance or else our defence and preseruation whereas on the otherside without this mercy we can haue no assurance of either Secondly we may obserue that he knitteth these two together Mercy the cause of saluation mercy and saluation and setteth mercy in the first place because it is the cause of saluation and the fountaine from which this streame of our deliuerance floweth Whence we learne that when the Lord saueth and deliuereth vs out of the hands of our enemies we doe not ascribe our deliuerance to our goodnesse workes or worthinesse but to Gods free mercy and vndeserued grace The third thing to be considered is the meanes whereby Exposition the Lord would saue them which are described first affirmatiuely by the Lord their God and after negatiuely where the false and insufficient meanes are remoued And will not saue them by bow c. Concerning the first by the Lord their God we are to vnderstand the true Messias Iesus Christ the eternall Iehoua Gen. 19. 24. with his Father and holy Spirit who onely saueth and deliuereth his Church out of the hands of their enemies and procureth for them eternall saluation and happinesse first as the meritorious cause for his sake and merits we haue saluation and all other benefits deriued vnto vs from God the Father who if he should behold vs out of his Sonne in our sinnes and corruptions would in stead of benefits heape vpon vs plagues and punishments and in stead of saluation would plunge vs into euerlasting death and destruction And secondly as the efficient cause of our saluation for the Father saueth vs but by his Son who is his strong power whereby he not onely created vs but also hath redeemed and saued vs. Moreouer he saith that he would saue them by the Lord their God rather then that he would saue them by himselfe to the end that he might hereby signifie not onely that the house of Iuda did make choyce of him the true God whom they worshipped and serued but also that he was not the God of the Israelites seeing they had forsaken him and betaken themselues to the worship of idols But here it may be demanded how this can be true that he was not the God of the Israelites but of the Iewes onely seeing he professeth himselfe to be the God of all the seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and also seeing the Israelites at this time professed that they serued him in their idols I answere that God accounteth himselfe to be no God vnto them who had refused him and that they had in truth refused him whatsoeuer shew and profession they made to the contrary when as they did not worship him after the prescript forme of his word but in hypocrisie and in idols not in his temple vnto which place hee had limited and restrained his publike worshippe but in groues and high places And this was the true meanes whereby he would saue them In the next place hee expresseth and remooueth the false and insufficient meanes of their saluation And will not saue them by bow nor by sword nor by battell by horses nor by horsemen As though hee should say Although they bee so weake poore and impotent as that they may appeare vnto themselues and others to lie open for a pray to their enemies yet this shall bee no meanes to hinder their saluation and deliuerance seeing my purpose is not to saue them by any power riches or meanes of their owne but by mine owne might which without all humane helpe is in it selfe omnipotent and omnisufficient Whereas then he saith that hee will not saue them by bow nor by sword c. his meaning is that hee would not saue them by their owne power and strength or by any humane and worldly meanes but that their deliuerāce should whollie come from and by himselfe the which accordingly was effected first in the reigne of Ezekias when as being inuaded with the mightie host of Senacharib hee caused his Angell to slay 185000. of their enemies and so without their owne bow sword or battell deliuered them And after that they were led captiue into Babylon he gaue thē grace in the eies of Cyrus and Darius and when otherwise they were altogether vnable by force to relieue themselues he caused their enemies in pitie and compassion to free them out of captiuitie and to restore them againe into their owne countrie Now the reason why the Lord excludeth all their owne strength and meanes was first to beate downe the pride and insolencie of the Israelites who thought it impossible that the house of Iuda in regard of their weakenesse pouertie and small number should bee deliuered out of their hands especially hauing combined themselues with the Syrians to worke their ouerthrow and secondly to strengthen the Iewes in the assurance of their deliuerance notwithstanding they saw no possible meanes in regard of humane power which was exceeding needfull considering that through our naturally corruptions we are readie to doubt of our deliuerance when as we are abandoned of outward helpes And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which The doctrines from hence arise are these First wee may obserue that the 1. That we haue all benefits from God in and for Iesus Christ saluation of Gods Church and elect children and all other benefits which they receiue either spiritual or temporal is in and for Iesus Christ alone and not from their owne meanes nor for their own merits And this appeareth in this place where the Lord promiseth to saue the Iewes out of the hands of the enemies but not by their own means but in the Lord their God the promised Messiah And as this is true concerning our temporall deliuerances so especially concerning our eternall saluation for there is not saluation in any other c. Act. 4. 12. And he is able perfectly to saue all those who Acts 4. 12. Heb. 7. 25. come vnto God by him Heb. 7. 25. The vse hereof is that wee doe not with the Papists looke for saluation elsewhere not in our owne merits nor in the merits and intercession of Saints nor ascribe the
we may obserue that the more heauy the iudgement is which is denounced the longer the Lord deferreth The greater the iudgement is the more loath the Lord is to inflict it to inflict it as though he were loth to vse extremities if mans wickednes did not deserue it and his iustice require it seeing lighter punishments will not preuaile When Iizreel was borne Lo-ruchamah was soone after conceiued but she conceiueth not Lo-amni whereby the vtter reiection of the people was signified before Lo-ruchamah was weaned all which time the Lord gaue them to make vse of his former iudgements and expected their amendment with admirable patience that he might not vtterly reiect them Wherein the Lord behaueth himselfe like vnto a good and tender-hearted Surgeon who leaueth no good meanes vnassayed before hee will cut off the member which is ill affected c. Thirdly we may note that before the Lord doth vtterly God taketh away his liuerie before he turne men out of his seruice reiect them from being his people he first weaneth them from the milke of his word and foode of his Sacraments debarring them of all their publike assemblies the meanes of his worship and seruice and taking from them all their priuiledges and prerogatiues which they inioyed whilest they were his people Like vnto Noble men who vpon the ill behauiour of their seruants first pull off their liuery before they turne them out of seruice not onely because they are vnworthy of any such credit or protection as it might cause vnto them but also because they should not by abusing themselues in such habits dishonour their Lords who haue reiected them Fourthly we may here obserue the greatnesse of this punishment That it is a fearefull punishment to be reiected from being Gods people which may be considered in the inestimable benefits whereof they were hereby depriued and in the intolerable euils and miseries into which they were plunged whilest Iehouah was their Lord and King they were vnder his protection and so secured from the danger of all enemies they were prouided for by his al-sufficient prouidence and therefore sure to want nothing indued with many noble titles prerogatiues and priuiledges as being his seruants children heires yea his spouse partakers of many vnualuable benefites temporall and spirituall his word Sacraments and such like and after a short time of their seruice here on earth they were assured to receiue for wages an immortall Crowne of glorie and eternall felicitie and happinesse in his Kingdome But as soone as they are cast out of his Kingdome and reiected from being his people they were stripped of those benefits exposed to the danger of their enemies sinne Satan and the world who speedily assault and easily ouercome all those who are out of Gods protection and so taking them captiue inthrall them in a miserable seruitude the wages whereof for the time present is misery horrour of conscience and desperation and in the life to come eternall death Rom. 6. 23. As therefore we iudge their case most wretched Rom. 6. 23. who hauing been the subiects and seruants of some gratious Prince vnder whom they haue inioyed all the benefits of a peaceable and well gouerned kingdome are for their crimes and misdemeanors banished into a Country in it selfe vncomfortable and amongst the middest of cruell enemies so and much more miserable is the state of those who are banished out of the kingdome of grace where is all good and felicitie and liue in the kingdome of Satan where is nothing but all woe and misery And this is that punishment which here is threatned Now let vs further consider vpon whom it is inflicted euen Gods former mercies priuiledge not a rebellious people from future iudgements vpon the people of Israel the chosen people of God vnto whom in former times he had bestowed innumerable benefits Whereby it appeareth that though a people haue in former times been partakers of neuer so great priuiledges and neuer so much inriched with Gods benefits though God haue made his outward couenant with them of his grace and the continuance of his fauour yet if they breake their couenant which interchangeably they haue made with God denying vnto him their obedience and liuing in all sin and wickednesse all this wil not priuiledge them from Gods fearefull punishments no not from finall reiection and destruction And therefore let vs not thinke it enough that God hath outwardly made his couenant with vs vnlesse it be also written in our hearts and we perform at least in our holy indeuour that part thereof which concerneth our selues for vnlesse we liue like his people and seruants he wil not acknowledge vs for such but will cast vs off as he did the Israelites Now the sinnes for which especially the Israelites were Idolatrie and impenitencie the cause of the peoples reiection reiected were first their grosse idolatrie whereby they had forsaken God and betaken themselues to the seruice of idols and secondly their obstinacie and impenitencie in their course of rebellion from which they would not be reclaimed neither by Gods bountifull benefits nor by his seuere threatnings nor yet by his chastisements and more grieuous punishments which first like a tender father and after like a iust Iudge he inflicted on them but rather grew worse and worse and more and more intolerable in their wickednesse For this is the last course and meanes which the Lord vseth for the conuersion of a sinner which when it will not preuaile he giueth them ouer as being past all help seeing they are past all grace If the skilfull surgeon find that healing salues are not fit to heale a deep festered wound he vseth drawing corrasiues and the lancher but if he seeth the part diseased notwithstanding all good and fit meanes vsed to be past cure he will no longer lose his labour and cost but cutteth it off The gratious Iudge when he hath for the offenders first fault giuen him some fatherly admonition or threatned some seuere punishment if he offend again he punisheth him with a whip or with a burning iron but if all these chastisements and punishments will not reclaime him he condemneth him to exile or death as being past hope of amendment And so the Lord when he seeth that neither the healing plaister of his gracious promises nor the sharpe corrasiue of his threatnings and punishments will cure a people of the deepe festered sores of sinne when hee seeth that neither admonition nor gentle chastisement nor seuerer punishment will restraine the sinner from outragious wickednesse then doth he cut and cast them off as men of a desperate estate and past all cure And this was the estate of the Israelites in this place and of the Iewes of whom the Lord complaineth Esa 1. 5. and of Pharaoh Saul Esa 1. 5. and many others The vse which we are to make hereof is that wee doe not neglect Gods mercifull visitations and fatherly corrections
of all and euery of them neither must we imagine that these two not my people and the sonnes of the liuing God are alike generall as though all and euery man amongst them of whom it might be said not my people of them it should be said that they were the sonnes of the liuing God but it is to be vnderstood of Gods elect onely who should be called from amongst them both and added to the Church For many were eternally reiected many who neuer heard of the Gospel and of Christ many outwardly called by the ministery of the word who were not called effectually and so neither iustified nor made Gods soones by adoption and grace The third thing which is signified in these words is the instrumentall cause or meanes whereby they should attaine vnto this dignity namely by the preaching of the Gospell the which is implied by the phrase of speech here vsed for he doth not say they shall begin to be or they shall be made or they shall be adopted the sonnes of God but it shall be said vnto them Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God to wit in the preaching of the Gospell which is the strong power of God to saluation vnto all that beleeue Rom. 1. 16. and the onely ordinary meanes of begetting faith Rom. 10. 17. by which Rom. 1. 16. 10. 17. Iohn 1. 12. 1. Cor. 4. 15. faith we attaine vnto this prerogatiue of being the sonnes of God Iohn 1. 12. And this the Apostle plainely sheweth 1. Cor. 4. 15. where affirming himselfe to be the Corinthians spirituall father who had begotten them vnto God he sheweth likewise whereby they were begotten and regenerate namely through the preaching of the Gospell Furthermore it is to be obserued that it is set down absolutely it shal be said vnto them without expressing by whom but we are to vnderstand it of God himselfe who had said ye are not my people for he onely after their reiection from being his people could make them his sonnes notwithstanding we are not to vnderstand it that this should be spoken by God himselfe immediately but as he said yee are not my people by the ministery of his Prophet so he saith yee are the sonnes of the liuing God by the ministery of his Apostles and Ministers in the preaching of the word The last thing to be considered is the dignity or prerogatiue it selfe expressed in these words Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God Where we are to note that he doth not obserue a perfect antithesis betweene these and the former words which should haue bin thus expressed In the place where it was said yee are not my people it shall be said vnto them ye are the people of God but in stead thereof he saith ye are the sonnes of the liuing God The reason whereof is this first because he would hereby signifie that through Christ in the couenant of grace we haue a far more excellent estate then vnder the law by the couenant of works for then they were but the people or subiects of God but now they are his sons adopted in Iesus Christ and being sonnes they are likewise Rom. 8. 17. heires and coheires with Christ as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 17. Then they were the people of God on the condition of their perfect obedience to the Law which when they obserued not they lost this dignity and were reiected from being Gods people but now they are sonnes on the condition of faith and heires of an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away as the Apostle speaketh 1. Pet. 1. 4. because 1. Pet. 1. 4. they shall neuer fall from the couenant nor forsake or be forsaken of God seeing his seed remaineth in them 1. Iohn 3. 9. 1. Iohn 3. 9. Secondly by this phrase he excludeth in the worke of our saluation all kind of merit and sheweth that it is wholly to be ascribed to the free grace of God If he had said ye shall be called Gods people it had not so fully excluded all merit seeing there may be some desert in a people which mooueth the Prince to take them for his subiects but when he saith Ye shall be called sonnes it shutteth out all merit seeing no sonne can deserue of his father to be begotten of him before he hath his being Thirdly he vseth this phrase of speech because it containeth All the benefits of the Gospell comprised vnder this title The sons of God in it the summe of those benefits which are offered and bestowed in the Gospel is as it were a briefe abridgement of the whole worke of our saluation for those who are sons are likewise predestinate to eternall life seeing he hath therfore predestinate vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe as it is Eph. 1. 5. If we are sonnes then need we not Ephes 1. 5. to doubt of the loue of our heauenly father if we are sons then are we called to this high dignitie seeing before our calling we were strangers and enemies if sonnes then are we iustified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousnesse and so fully reconciled vnto God seeing the Lord infinit in iustice would neuer admit any into such a high degree of fauour who were yet polluted in their sinnes and destitute of righteousnesse If we are sonnes then haue we receiued the spirit of adoption which leadeth and ruleth vs mortifieth our corruptions and quickneth vs in the inner man raising vs vp from the death of sin to holines and newnes of life Finally if we are sons then also we are heires and coheires with Christ of the kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. 17. Rom. 8. 17. Lastly as hereby he expresseth the inestimable benefits of The name of sonnes stirreth vs vp to all Euangelicall duties the Gospell so also doth he hereby stirre vs vp to all Euangelicall duties for sonnes more beleeue trust hope in loue their fathers then people their gouernours and with more alacritie and diligence performe obedience vnto their commandements and therefore if wee bee the sonnes of God wee must bee mindfull to performe these duties to our heauenly father The last thing to bee considered in this royall dignitie is that they shall be called the sonnes of the liuing God whereby the greatnesse of this benefit is amplified as though hee should say Ye shal be the sonnes of a God not like vnto the idols and Gods of the heathen which either neuer liued or but for a short time but of the eternall and euer liuing Iehouah who is and will be euer willing and able to defend and prouide for you who are his children And as hereby is signified the eternitie of our heauenlie father so there is implied also the eternitie of vs his children For as Christ saith God is not the God of the dead but of the Matth. 22. 32. liuing so may I say hee is not a father of the dead but of the liuing
wisedome and knowledge of God c. And this is Gods vsuall course in all his iudgements towards his seruants so hee suffered Adam to fall into sinne that hee might haue more ample occasion of shewing his mercie he banished him out of the the earthly paradise that he might receiue him into the kingdome of glorie hee punished him and his posteritie with a temporarie death that it might be an entrance into eternall life hee subiecteth their bodies to weakenesse and corruption that they may rise in power incorruptible and immortall he laieth vpon them light and momentarie afflictions that they may cause vnto them a superexcellent and eternall waight of glorie as it is 2. Cor. 4. 17. The consideration whereof should make vs 2. Cor. 4. 17. patiently to submit our selues when wee are afflicted vnto Gods good will and pleasure seeing his iudgements end in mercie and seeing in respect of his infinite wisedome and almightie power he can and in respect of his loue and fatherly kindnesse hee will raise benefits out of punishments and make those things turne to our good and eternall saluation which in their owne nature seeme to bring destruction and vtter damnation Heb. 12. 9. Heb. 12. 9. Bâ—â—nâ— adopted the sonnes of God wee must walke according to our high calling Secondly as hereby we are put in mind of Gods mercie so also of our owne dutie namely that being exalted to this high dignitie of being the sonnes of God we walke according to our high calling and demeane our selues like Gods children for as it is an vndecent thing that one who is raised from base estate or taken out of the gallies and aduanced to be the adopted sonne and heire of some great Monarch should now behaue himselfe according to his former base condition so much more vncomly is it that one exalted to this high dignitie of being son heire to the King of kings should be haue himselfe like a child of Satan and bondslaue of sinne liuing as in former times in the blindnesse of minde peruersenesse of will vncleannesse of affections and in the lusts of the Gentiles in a base sort suffering his minde to lie groueling on the earth wallowing himself in the filthie puddle of worldly vanities in the meane time forgetting his high calling whereunto he is aduanced to be the sonne of the liuing God For honours should change our manners and as soone as we are aduanced to this high dignitie we should like Saul haue another heart and not suffer our selues any more to be ruled with our own base lusts and concupiscences but being the sonnes of God wee ought to bee guided and directed wholly and only by his spirit otherwise wee can haue no assurance that we are admitted to this glorious state and condition for they who alone are led by Gods spirit are his sonnes as appeareth Rom. 8. 14. Rom. 8 14. The difference betweene God and idols The last thing which wee are to consider is the difference betweene the true God and the false gods of the Gentiles for he is the euerliuing Iehouah whereas they are either without life dead or mortall The consideration whereof may serue first to restraine vs from transgressing the commandements of our God seeing he euerliueth to take punishment on vs for our sinnes secondly it is a strong inducement to holy obedience seeing our Lord and Master euerliueth to reward our seruice and lastly it ministreth to all Gods children matter of sweete consolation in that they haue a God in respect of his power almightie in respect of his loue and good will alwaies readie that euerliueth to giue vnto them the good things which they desire and to deliuer them from the euils which they feare and as he hath life in himselfe so he will giue life vnto them that together with him they may reigne in all happinesse and eternall felicitie in his kingdome For as he hath giuen to his first borne Iesus Christ to haue life in himselfe so he hath giuen vnto vs John 5. 26. his adopted sonnes in Christ that we should haue life in him as it is Col. 3. 3. Col. 3. 3. ANd so much concerning the dignity of the Church and people of God In the next place is set downe their vnity and vnanimity verse 11. Then shall the children of Verse 11 Iuda and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head In which words he alludeth vnto Exposition their separation and diuision which was betweene the Israelites and the Iewes when as for the sinnes of Salomon 1. King 11. 11 12 they were disunited and disioyned in the raigne of Rehoboam into two seuerall Ringdomes vnder the gouernment of their two Kings and likewise to their scattering and dispersing amongst the Gentiles in the time of their captiuity when as they wandred like sheepe without a shepheard shewing that at the comming of the Messias they who were disioyned should bee reunited and they which were dispersed should bee gathered together and whereas in former times they were either without a King or diuided vnder the gouernment of two Kings vpon which followed bloody warres desolation and misery now they should be gathered together into one Kingdome vnder the rule of Christ their onely King vnder whose gouernement they should inioy peace happinesse and abundance of all blessings as it is plainely set downe Ezech. 37. 22 23 24. Ezech. 37. 22 23. But let vs come to the words more particularly where first is set downe their reunion into one Kingdome who by discord and dissension had been disunited The which is signified by this phrase of gathering together for whereas the people of Israel and Iuda had like sheepe gone astray and had dispersed themselues amongst the Gentiles as in a waste wildernesse the Lord promiseth that by the great Sheepheard of our soules Iesus Christ they should be recollected and gathered into one flocke and one sheepfold The parties then who being dispersed should be gathered together are the Israelites and the Iewes where as before by Israelites we are to vnderstand the sonnes of Abraham according to the Spirit that is all the faithfull and true beleeuers both Israelites and Gentiles and by Iuda the people of the Iewes who also belonged to Gods election and were indued with the faith of Abraham neither were all the Iewes according to the flesh added vnto Christs Kingdome but onely the true Iewes who were children of the promise for as the Apostle saith All are not Israel which were of Israel Rom. 9. 6. so he saith he is not a Iew which is one outward but hee is a Iew wihch is one within Romans 2. 28 29. so Rom. 9. 6. Rom. 2. 28. 29. Apoc. 2. 9. Apoc. 2. 9. Now the order of their gathering together may be obserued out of the order of the words for the Iewes haue the first place because they were still the Church and people of God and were not reiected out
of Gods couenant but were as yet in about the sheepfold as appeareth Luk. 1. 68. 7. 16. and then the Israelites who by a certaine kind of right in regard of Gods promises made to their forefathers were to be gathered together and added to the Church and lastly the Gentiles who by occasion of their calling were together called with them as appeareth Rom. 1. 16. The time when they should be gathered was not present but to come and this is signified by the future tense here vsed that is not in the time of the Law but of the Gospell when the true Messias should be exhibited The person by whom this vnion should be made was not themselues who rather were ready more and more to wander and go astray but Iesus Christ their great and onely true shepheard and therefore he saith not that they should assemble themselues but that they should be gathered together namely by another that is Christ so Esai 11. 12. Hee shall set vp a signe to the Nations and assemble the dispersed Esay 11. 12. Israel and gather the dispersed Iuda from the foure corners of the world Iohn 10. 16. Other sheepe I haue also which Ioh. 10. 16. 11. 52. Eph. 2. 14. are not of this fold them also must I bring c. Iohn 11. 52. Eph. 2. 14. The meritorious cause of this vnion is the death and merits of Christ whereby both Iewes and Gentiles were reconciled vnto God and made his Church and family For he therefore died that by his death he might gather together in one the children of God which were scattered Iohn 11. 52. Iohn 11. 52. And Christ saith that if he were lift vp from the earth that is crucified he would draw all men vnto him so Eph. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 13. The meanes are either externall or internall Externall the preaching of the Gospell whereby we are called to the knowledge of Christ and the mystery of our redemption wrought by him Eph. 4. 11 12. He therefore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets c. for the gathering together of Eph. 4. 11 12. the Saints Internall on Christs part is his holy Spirit on our part a true and liuely faith whereby we all are vnited vnto Christ our head and one with another as fellow members of the same body The manner of this collection is either spirituall or corporall and locall the spirituall vnion or gathering together is the communion of all the Saints when as they are vnited and knit together in one mysticall body in one spirit in one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 4. 4 5 6. And this vnion and collection Eph. 4. 4 5 6. is not hindered by distance of place seeing the spirit of God which is the bond of this vnion filleth all places and vniteth the faithfull of all countries and nations into one body whereof Christ is the head And this collection is here principally vnderstood The other is corporall and locall when as the Saints of God vnited in that spirituall vnion are also gathered together in the same place country and congregation the which of all the faithfull is exceedingly to be desired for the mutuall comfort and edification one of another which commeth vnto all them who being vnited by the same spirit and faith are also knit together in the same company and fellowshippe The Do ∣ ctrines And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which arise from them are these First whereas the promises That we ought not to maligne the people of the Iewes of God concerning the gathering together of his Church are made both to the Iewes Israelites and Gentiles and vnto the Iewes in the first place Hence we learne to lay aside that antient enmity which is in worldly men towards that Nation and to loue those which are conuerted to the faith as brethren and likewise to pray for those which are not yet called that they may be added to the Church The malice of men towards this nation hath bin such that it is growne into a prouerbiall speech to hate one as they hate a Iew the which howsoeuer it is a iust iudgement of God vpon the Iewes for their obstinacy in their infidelity and vnthankfulnesse yet it is a sinne in them seeing this people haue in diuers respects deserued well at our hands in that they were for a long time together faithfull treasurers of Gods diuine oracles the Law and Prophets in that they were our mother Church vnto which wee were added from whom we haue receiued our light and knowledge and in that by their fall saluation is come vnto vs Gentiles Rom. 11. 11. And therefore Rom. 11. 11. let vs not boast our selues against the naturall branches who were branches of the wild Oliue tree For if God spared not them let vs take heede lest he also spare not vs Rom. 11. 21. Yea but will some say they crucified the Lord of life Rom. 11. 21. and therefore deserue to be hated of all I answer that we are rather to turne the edge of this hatred against our owne sinnes which were the principall cause of Christs death whereof they were but instruments and as it were our executioners Besides God in his exceeding mercy and goodnesse hath turned this their cruell fact to our exceeding good euen to the redemption and saluation of our bodies and soules and therefore if this were a sufficient cause to appease Iosephs anger towards his brethren because God turned their malice to all their good euen the aduancement of Ioseph Gen. 50. 20. and presetuation of their whole family then surely the like reason should pacifie our wrath towards our elder brethren the Iewes seeing God hath in his infinite goodnesse made their hatred and rage a meanes of our redemption and eternall saluation by Christs death and bloodshed Secondly we here obserue who is the chiefe and principall Christ principally gathereth vs into the Church cause of our gathering together into the Church namely our Sauiour Christ for we were like wandring sheep gone astray in the wildernesse of the world continually vnder the power and at the command of the spirituall wolfe Satan who at pleasure might pray vpon vs notwithstanding any resistance we were able to make out of which dangers we could by no meanes quit our selues seeing the eyes of our mindes were so blinded with ignorance that we could not finde the way to our sheepfold the Church of God where onely is safety and security nay rather we were ready more and more to wander and lose our selues in the Labyrinth of our owne errors and though we had got some smal glimpse of the right way yet we were so intangled in the brires of our sinnes and corruptions that we could not haue trauailed in it And in this fearefull condition we remained till Christ our good shepheard came to seeke vs and
hauing found vs carried vs on his shoulders into his sheepfold of grace and happinesse Thirdly we are to obserue the meanes whereby Christ Christs bloodshed the meanes of our gathering into the church gathered vs into his Church namely by shedding his blood for sinne which excluded vs out of it and scattered vs abroad could not be done away but by Christs death whereby Gods iustice was to be satisfied and his wrath appeased The consideration whereof as it should make vs most thankfull to our good shepheard Christ who hath not spared to giue his life for his sheepe so it should make vs most carefull to walke in the waies of Gods Commandements and to auoid the by-paths of errour and sinne lest after we are gathered together and brought into Christs fold we wander againe and goe astray and so fall into the iawes of the spirituall wolfe who daily seeketh to deuoure vs. For if we neglect the paines and labour yea the losse of the pretious blood of our good shepheard which he spilt in seeking vs that he might free vs from danger and bring vs safe to his sheepfold and suffer our selues to be allured with euery vaine triffle to leaue his flocke and to wander in the deserts of the wicked world till we are againe lost and subiect to the former dangers from which he freed vs let vs take heede lest he also basely account of vs as being vnworthie of a second labour in seeking of vs. Fourthly we are to obserue that the meanes whereby hee The ministrie of the word the meanes of applying Christs benefits vnto vs. Iohn 10. 27. applieth the former benefit vnto vs making it effectual for our gathering into his Church is the ministerie of his word his holy spirit and a liuely faith and therefore wee are carefully and conscionablie to heare Gods word which is the voyce of our shepheard whereby hee gathereth vs into his sheepefold And forasmuch as wee are dull of hearing and slow in comming both in respect of the stiffenesse of our limmes and stubbornnesse of our willes therefore let vs continually implore our good shepheard not onely to call vs with his voice but also to send his holy spirit to assist vs for he alone openeth our deafe eares suppleth our stiffe ioynts and mollifieth and inclineth our stubborne willes making vs both able and willing to come vnto him when he in the ministerie of the word calleth vs. And seeing wee also before we can come vnto Christ must be indued with a liuely faith therefore let vs vse all good meanes ordained of God to attaine vnto it and not cease begging of it at the hands of our heauenly father seeing it is not of our selues but wee haue it onely by his free gift as appeareth Eph. 2. 8. Ephes 2. 8. Gods spirit the bond of our vnion with Christ and one with another Lastly we are to obserue that this collection of Gods people is spirituall because the spirit of God is the bond of this communion which is amongst the saints and therefore it cannot be hindred by distance of place because the spirit of God filleth all places in heauen and earth The which serueth notablie for our comfort in that we haue by vertue of this spiritual and inseparable vnion part with al the saints in al their fastings prayers al good exercises and holy duties of Gods worship and seruice though we should bee exiled into the vttermost parts of the world because we are vnited vnto them by the same spirit But besides this spirituall communion there is also a local That there ought to be a locall gathering together of the Church and corporal gathering together in the same visible Church and congregation which as much as in them lieth is to bee desired and attained vnto of all the faithfull for they are the sheepe of Iesus Christ and therfore they are not wild beasts to be scattered and singled euery one from another in his owne denne but to flocke together in their owne sheepfold that they may ioyntly performe seruice to the great shepheard in hearing his word receiuing his Sacraments praying for those things they want and praysing him for those good things which they haue receiued that also by this outward collection of their bodies they may testifie the the inward coniunction of their minds and soules and not only testifie but also confirme and increase it by performing all mutuall duties one to another as instructing the ignorant helping the distressed relieuing the poore comforting those that mourne defending the weake and exhorting one another to all holy actions of pietie and righteousnesse Neither must they consort themselues with wolues goates beares and such wild beasts that is with worldly and wicked men who either will seduce or else destroy them seeing it is the nature of the true sheepe of Christ to flocke together and to sequester themselues from all other companie as much as they can in this worldlie wildernesse wherein oftentimes necessitie and not choice intermingleth those which should be seuered And thus much for the vnitie of the faithfull The second The vnanimitie of the faithfull thing expressed is their vnanimitie which appeareth in their ioynt consent and generall agreement in the choice of their head and gouernour For after they are called by God and gathered together into the Church and kingdome of Christ then being thus chosen to bee Christs people and subiects they likewise make choice of him to be their king and head And this is signified in these words And shall appoint or as the decorum of the matter requireth the words may well beare choose or set ouer themselues one head that is one king and supreme gouernour namely the Lord Iesus Christ For he alone is the great King of his people the great shepheard of his flocke the head of his members which is his Church as appeareth in many places of the Scripture So Ezech. 34. 23. 24. 37. 22. 23. 24. Ioh. 10. 16. 1. Cor. 11. 3. Ephes 1. 22. 5. 23. But here it may be demanded how this here is ascribed 〈…〉 Christ is â—et ouer his Church as head by God and how chosen by the faithfull Ephes 34. 23. Ephes 1. 22. to the Church to set ouer them a king and head seeing in other places this is attributed vnto God himselfe as Ezech. 34. 23. Ephes 1. 22. To which I answere that God the father first and principally doth appoint Christ head and king ouer the Church and the people of God do set Christ ouer themselues when as they giue their mutuall assent to Gods appointment and by a liuely faith receiue Iesus Christ for their king and head promising vnto him their alleageance and obedience Thus Saul was appointed and annointed King ouer Israel by God 1. Sam 10. 1. And the people also 1. Sam. 10. 1. 1. Sam. 11. 15. are said to haue made him king ouer them in Gilgal 1. Sam. 11. 15. So that it
is not enough that Christ should be appointed of God to be our king and head vnlesse we receiue him for our soueraigne yeelding vnto him our faith and obedience which if we neglect notwithstanding God hath appointed him king and head ouer his Church yet he is not so vnto vs. Now the Church receiueth Christ to bee their king first The Church receiueth Christ for their king by faith when as with free consent of will and by a liuely saith they doe acknowledge and imbrace him alone for their king head and Sauiour resting wholly vpon him and vpon no other whatsoeuer for their protection preseruation redemption and saluation promising and vowing vnto him alone their alleageance and obedience as being their onely Soueraigne For by true faith wee are ioyned and vnited vnto Christ as subiects to their king and members to their head and when wee doe beleeue in him wee doe as it were with our suffrages and voices choose and imbrace him for our king and head And secondly when as beleeuing this in their minde and heart they are readie with their tongues openly before men to make confession and profession thereof assembling Rom. 10. 10. themselues as his subiects in the publike congregation to worship and serue him their Lord and king in hearing his worde calling on his name and receiuing his Sacraments He further saith that they shall set ouer themselues a head Whereby he signifieth one should not choose a head for another but euery man for his owne selfe For as the iust shall Habac. 2. 4. liue by his owne faith and not by another mans so by his owne faith and not anothers hee receiueth and imbraceth Christ for his King head and Sauiour But what then shall wee thinke of infants who haue not How infants come to haue part in Christ Mark 10. 14. 16. actuall faith are they therefore deferred from hauing Christ their head and Sauiour I answere no for Christ blesseth and prayeth for them affirming that the kingdome of heauen belongeth vnto them And the promises of God are made not only to the faithfull but vnto their seede also Gen. 17. 7. Act. 2. 39. in all which they could haue no part Gen. 17. 7. Act. 2. 39. vnlesse they were vnited vnto Christ in whom alone is saluation What then are they saued by the faith of the Church or of their parents I answere no for euery man liueth by his owne faith vnlesse wee vnderstand it thus that the Church or their parents grounding their faith vpon the promises of God made to the faithfull and to their seede doe by their prayers obtaine faith or the seede and spirit of faith for their children whereby they liue Neither must wee imagine that they haue actuall faith before which goeth illumination and knowledge of Gods promises made in Christ which the beleeuer applieth vnto himselfe seeing then they should lose it againe before they come to age which is not incident vnto true faith which once had is neuer lost But wee are to know that the ordinarie course of vniting them to Christ by faith not agreeing to their age which is not capable therof God vseth extraordinarie meanes supplying all things needfull for this worke by the inward operation of his holy Spirit whereby he regenerateth and sanctifieth them as hee did Ieremie and Iohn the Baptist in their mothers wombe as appeareth Iere. Ier. 1. 5. Luk. 1. 15. 1. 5. Luk. 1. 15. and vniteth them vnto Christ their head it being the chiefe bond of this vnion and so being members of his bodie they haue part in the righteousnesse and merits of Christ their head whereby they are iustified and saued Furthermore speaking of the Kingdome of Christ ouer Christ the only head of the Church his Church he doth not say that they should set him ouer them for their King but for their head which he purposely doth to shew the neere vnion that is betweene Christ and his Church for there is a far more neere coniunction and vnion betweene the head and the body then is or can be betweene the King and his subiects Now this so agreeth to Christ to be the head of his church as that it agreeth to no other besides him for it was necessary that the head of the church should be both God and man for if he had bin God alone there could haue bin no proportion and consequently no communion betweene the head the members if man alone he could not haue quickned his body which was dead in sinne nor offered to God the Father a sufficient price for the redemption thereof nor vanquished the spirituall enemies of our saluation the diuell the world sinne death and the graue It was necessary therefore that our head should be of both the diuine and humane nature that he might be vnited vnto vs and vnite vs vnto God and so as the Father is his head so he might be head of his Church as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 11. 3. 1. Cor. 11. 3. Christ then alone is the head of the Church and consequently the Pope doth falsly arrogate this title vnto himselfe for as the Church is but one body so it hath but one head otherwise it should be a monster And this the Prophet here sheweth when as he saith that they should set ouer them one head and not be like the Kingdome of Israel and Iuda who were rent and diuided vnder the gouernment of two heads Neither is Christ an idle head who hath referred all the gouernment of his body the Church to his visible and ministeriall head the Pope but he is in euery respect a true head indeed for he it is from whom we deriue our life sense and motion in all the actions of holinesse and righteousnesse he it is that quickeneth his body dead in sinne he it is that prouideth for it and protecteth it from all dangers and the malice and power of all enemies and he also it is who by the scepter of his word and the direction of his holy spirit guideth and gouerneth it as he promised Iohn 16. 13. Iohn 16. 13. And this is the meaning of the words The doctrines That God chuseth vs before we chuse him which from hence arise are these First out of the connexion of this with the former point we learne that we are first gathered together by God into his Church effectually called and chosen to be Gods people before we chuse Christ to be our King and head or will submit our selues to bee ruled by the scepter of his word and Spirit whereby it appeareth that we are not causes of this spirituall vnion with Christ nor of those royall dignities and excellent benefits which hereby are deriued vnto vs but the free grace and mercy of God which before we haue any desire of attaining hereunto preuenteth vs with his loue calling and chusing vs to this glorious and happy estate when we had neither ability nor will
miserable seruitude into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God he mooueth them to perswade others to participate of their freedome and being conuerted to the faith and added to the Church themselues he stirreth them vp to labour for the conuersion of others and consequently for the propagation of the Gospell and kingdome of Iesus Christ So that as I take it this verse is as it were an appendix or consectarie vnto the two former containing in it a dutie which those that were conuerted added vnto the Church ought to performe to their neighbours and brethren both according to the spirit and also according to the flesh namely that being themselues ascended out of the vallie of darkenesse into the mountaine of God they should by their exhortations and incouragements congratulate these benefits one with another vpon whom they were bestowed and mooue others to ascend with them The which dutie the Prophets Esay and Micha foretell should be performed of the faithfull in the time of the Gospell as appeareth Esa 2. 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1. 2. And therefore seeing this verse dependeth Esa 2. 2. 3. Mich. 4. 1. 2. vpon the former containing in it a consequent dutie of those gratious benefits which through Christ God bestoweth vpon the faithfull I thinke it may well bee referred and adioyned to the former chapter But let vs come to the words themselues wherein two things are to be considered first the parties to whom this dutie is inioyned secondly the dutie which by them is to bee performed The parties who must speake to their brethren are those of whom he had spoken in the former verse namely such as were gathered into the Church vnited vnto Christ and had ascended out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome of grace they being ascended themselues must perswade their brethren to ascend with them For before our selues are called vnited vnto Christ iustified and sanctified we neither can nor wil exhort others to participate of these benefits because wee haue had no tast nor feeling of them nay rather wee are readie to draw others from ascending to the mountaine of God into the land of darkenesse that together with vs they may haue the fruition of the pleasures of sin and wallow in the filthie puddle of worldly delightes which we deeme the greatest happinesse because we haue had no sense nor rellish of better things But when once our minds are inlightned and wee discerne that the pleasures of sinne are in themselues base and vaine and also in the end bring death and vtter destruction and withall perceiue the excellencie of Gods spirituall benefits which hee bestoweth vpon the faithful and haue our selues attained vnto some assurance of them then doe wee not onely for our owne part contemne those things which wee so highlie prised in former times but also perswade others to scorne and loath them then doe we not onely our selues inioy our heauenly happinesse but exhort others to congratulate our ioy who alreadie are partakers of it and to perswade those who haue not as yet tasted of it that they will labour to attaine vnto it The dutie which by these is to be performed is that they speake vnto their brethren that is that they would exhort and stirre them vp either to begin to ascend into the kingdome if they haue not yet ascended or if they haue to congratulate with them in this great happinesse and so with mutuall incouragements to moue one another with all care alacritie and diligence more and more to ascend out of the land of darkenesse and to adioyne themselues more firmelie and neerely vnto the kingdome of Christ In which dutie of exhortation and incouragement we are to consider two things first the persons to whom it is directed and secondly the matter of the speech it selfe The persons are their brethren and sisters that is all that belong to Gods election whether they bee called alreadie or to bee called for these are to be exhorted that they ascend the other to be incouraged in their course that with alacritie they may more and more ascend And because none preciselie knoweth who amōgst those who are not yet called belong to the election of God therefore all our neighbors acquaintance are to bee exhorted and inuited that they would ascend with vs. And to this dutie we are bound by the law of charitie whether wee respect our loue towards God or towards our neighbours for our loue towards God bindeth vs to seeke the aduancement of his glory by the inlarging of his kingdome the which we doe when as by our exhortations and holy example we gaine men to Christ Againe we ought to loue our brethren as our selues which if wee doe then being escaped out of the kingdome of Satan and ascended into the Kingdome of God we will vse all our care and indeuour that they likewise may bee deliuered and ascend with vs. And this is done either when one priuate man doth exhort perswade and incourage an other both by word and holy example of life to become a true member of the Kingdome of Christ or when Gods Ministers by their publike preaching performe this duty which is of all other meanes most effectuall as being Gods owne ordinance instituted for the gathering together of the Saints and Ephes 4. 11. 22 Rom. 1. 16. his strong power vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth But howsoeuer all men are to be inuited and exhorted to ascend into the Kingdom of Christ yet this is effectuall onely to those who are indeed brethren and sisters that is such as belong to Gods election whether they be called or not called Neither doth it hence follow that because others are called in the ministery of the word Ammi and Ruchamah that is the people of God who haue obtained mercy that the word of God should be false or they deluded seeing there is no cause in the word why indeed they should not be the people of God and partakers of his mercy but in themselues namely their owne infidelity for if they would beleeue this speech of the Gospell they should in truth be Gods people whereas not beleeuing they lose this title and dignity and so as much as in them giue God the lie as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 5. 10. But God is true of his word 1. Iohn 5. 10. for the voyce of the Gospell is generall and indefinite and neuer particularly applied but by the faith of the hearer and therefore being deliuered to a multitude though many reiect it yet of some amongst them it may be said that they are the people of God namely those who receiue it by a liuely faith And so much for the persons who are to be exhorted The matter of the speech which containeth in it the maine arguments whereby the exhortation is enforced is in these two words Ammi Ruchamah that is ye are my people ye haue obtained mercy or O ye my people O thou who hast
obtained mercie The which is the voyce and glad tidings of the Gospell containing effectuall motiues to moue all to ascend into the kingdome of Christ if they be not already ascended or more and more to ascend if they be already gone vp For the first those that are the people and subiects of God are not to dwell in the land of darkenesse vnder the gouernment of sinne Satan and the world but to ascend into the kingdome of their owne King but we are now become the people and subiects of God for though in former times our sinnes moued the Lord to reiect vs from being his people and to exile vs out of his kingdome suffering vs to be dispersed as captiues in the land of darkenesse and in the bondage of Satan yet now Christ our head hath satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes appeased his wrath reconciled vs vnto him so that now againe he is content to admit vs for his people and subiects and therefore let vs no longer abide in the land of darkenesse and in the captiuity of Satan from which Christ hath freed vs but being deliuered and admitted Gods subiects and people let vs now adioyne our selues vnto his kingdome and obediently submit our selues to his gouernment So those that haue already begun to ascend may be hereby moued more and more to goe forward in this course and that both in respect of their faith and in respect of their affections for if they be admitted the people of God and haue obtained his mercy why should the huge waight of their sinnes weigh them downe and keepe them from ascending in the assurance of faith seeing God is gratious vnto his owne people and inheritance and in his mercy hath done away all their sinnes and therefore seeing they haue obtained Gods infinite mercy they haue a sufficient medicine for their greatest misery If they be the people of God who haue obtained mercy then may they bee moued hereby to ascend in their affiance trusting in the prouidence of their al-sufficient and most bountifull King and not suffer their mindes to be tied vnto earthly meanes and secundary causes presuming in their abundance and despairing in their want If they bee Gods people then may they ascend in hope that they shall being his subiects be admitted into his kingdome both of grace and glory and be made partakers of the riches and royall benefits of them both and not suffer transitory trifles to be the end and top of their hopes seeing they are aduanced to higher dignities Then also are they to ascend in their feare for if they be the people and subiects of God then are they to feare the anger and displeasure of their Soueraigne as the greatest euill and in regard hereof to be much more carefull and fearefull lest they offend him then any mortall man And so likewise in their loue for if they be Gods people who haue obtained mercy and assurance of Gods kingdome then what sottish folly were it to place their loue vpon the vanities of the world which are of no value nor continuance and not rather on God heauen and heauenly ioyes which are most excellent and permanent And this is the meaning of these wordes The doctrines which from hence arise are diuers First here we learne that The Do ∣ ctrines when we haue assurance of those maine benefits our effectuall That wee ought to reioyce in the fruition of Gods benefits calling and vnion with Christ our redemption iustification sanctification and eternall saluation more to reioyce in them then if we were made owners of the whole world neither must we smother this ioy in our selues but with mutuall congratulations communicate it with our brethren For this is a consequent duty and effect of the former benefits receiued as appeareth in this place as also Rom. 5. 1 2 3. To which Rom. 5. 1 2 3. duty we shall easily be moued if we often call to minde our passed misery and present happinesse For if beggers when they attaine to great riches bondmen when they are redeemed out of miserable seruitude and euery one who escapeth out of desperate deadly dangers are euen so rauished with such tickling ioy that their hearts like too strait and weake vessels would breake to containe it vnlesse they did vnburthen them by cōmunicating them vnto others then if we consider our former beggerlinesse and basenesse and our present honours and preserments our cruell and miserable seruitude vnder sinne and Satan in time past and our glorious and happy liberty vnto which wee haue now attained the great and mortall dangers of plagues and grieuous punishments the anger of God the curse of the law and eternall death and condemnation all which we haue fully escaped being not onely deliuered from the euill which we feared but possessed in the certainty of assurance of such happinesse that we could not hope for nor so much as conceiue and wish for how can our hearts containe such rauishing ioyes how can our tongues be silent and not vnburthen our mindes by congratulating them with those who are made partakers of the like happinesse And if thus wee not onely ioy in our selues but all reioyce with others then shall wee hereby be stirred vp to praise the Lord who is the chiefe and onely cause of all our ioy and happinesse and by this holy exercise of our thankfulnesse wee shall more and more confirme our assurance of the former benefits for these are mutuall causes one of an other Whereas contrariwise our not praising God argueth our little ioy and our small ioy our little assurance and base esteeme which we make of this vnspeakeable happinesse Secondly as we are to congratulate this our ioy with those That wee ought to perswade others to communicate with vs in our ioy who are partakers of it so are we by our perswasions and exhortations to moue others who haue not yet tasted of it that they labour to attaine vnto it for this the law of charity requireth at our hands our loue towards God which we manifest when as we labour for the aduancement of his glory in the inlarging of his kingdome and our loue towards our neighbour which is principally shewed in seeking their conuersion and eternall happinesse With which charity whosoeuer is indued he cannot chuse but performe this duty for as the Sunne cannot keepe vnto it selfe his light but communicateth it to the good and comfort of other creatures and as the wood which is kindled and inflamed doth also kindle other wood which ioyneth vnto it so they who are illuminated with the light of knowledge cannot keepe it from shining vnto others and those who are inflamed with the zeale of Gods glory and loue of their brethren cannot chuse but labour to make those who are about them like vnto them and partakers of those benefites which they inioy Examples hereof wee haue Iohn 1. 41. 45. and chap. 4. 28 29. Thirdly we are to obserue to whom this
duty doth appertaine namely to all those who are made members of the That all the faithfull must labor to gaine others to the Church church whether they be publike or priuate persons for there is none which are in respect of their meannesse of gifts exempted seeing there is not any who hath receiued such a small talent but that if he will profitably imploy it he may thereby gaine some glory to his Lord and maister and in some respect or other bring some benefit to his brethren either by instruction consolation exhortatiō or holy example of life But howsoeuer this duty belongeth to all yet especially to Gods Ministers who are appointed of God both to be the spirituall fathers by whom men are begotten vnto God and conuerted to the faith and also to be the nurses who by the milke of the word are to nourish and bring vp in their spirituall growth those who are regenerate and added to the Church And therefore they are with all care and diligence to preach the word in season and out of season instructing the ignorant exhorting those that are backward perswading the obstinate confirming the weake and comforting and incouraging those which are ready to faint and by all meanes labouring that those who are not conuerted may be gained vnto Christ and likewise that those who are already added to the Church may bee more and more strengthened and confirmed in their spirituall vnion with Christ and communion with the Saints Fourthly we are to obserue to whom this duty is to be performed namely to our brothers and sisters that is those who are already and those that may be hereafter our brethren and sisters and in y◠we do not know who these are because Gods That we must labour to informe all in Gods trueth secret counsaile decree of election is known only to himselfe therfore we are to exhort instruct and perswade all to become members of the Church so far as in regard of our state and calling we possiblie can for the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and can easilie cause Lions Tigers and Cockatrices to become the sheepe of Christ hee can make idolatrous Abraham the fether of the faithfull bloodie and barbarous Manasses an humble conuert a persecuting Saul a preaching Paul and a leaud cheefe a holy confessor and therfore say not in thy heart I will spare my labour because this or that man is too wicked too worldlie too couetous too proud to make a Christian seeing the Lord is able of stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham to humble the most proud and obstinate and to sanctifie the most prophane neither is hee onely able to doe it but also often doth it to shew the infinite riches of his wisedome power mercie and goodnesse and that our saluation is not for our owne works or worthinesse but of his owne free grace and vndeserued loue that so he may be all in all and haue the whole glorie of his owne worke Fiftly we are to obserue the maine arguments which the The arguments which we must vse for the conuersion of others faithfull are to vse that they may perswade others to ascend with them out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome and Church of Christ namely because they were the people of God and therefore they are to ascend into the kingdome of their Lord and redeemer And lest their sinnes and Gods iustice and wrath should discourage them it is further said that they haue obtained mercie and remission of their sinnes and are now reconciled vnto God in Christ Whence we learne what is the strongest inducement and most forcible argument to mooue any to leaue the kingdome of darkenesse and to adioyne themselues vnto the Church of God namely when they heare and hearing beleeue that they who were aliants and strangers are now in Christ become Gods subiects and seruants that they whom the law for their grieuous sinnes excluded from all mercie and made obnoxious to Gods wrath are now in Christ made partakers of Gods mercie whereby they haue the remission of their sinnes and are so reconciled to their Lord and Soueraigne So long as a malefactor who hath deserued death knoweth that his Prince is iustly displeased with him and intendeth to prosecute the law against him hee fleeth his kingdome and liueth in voluntarie exile but if hee heare that the princes sonne fauoureth him and hath obtained his fathers pardon and reconciled him vnto him this is a strong motiue to perswade him to leaue the strange countrie where he liueth and to returne againe into the kingdome of his Soueraigne So we who are grieuous malefactours which by transgressing Gods law haue made our selues subiect to to his wrath and obnoxious to the punishment of the law eternall death whilest wee remaine in this case flee from Gods presence and as much as in vs lieth though it neuer lieth in vs we banish our selues out of his kingdome and iurisdiction but when we heare that Christ his dearely beloued sonne hath obtained our pardon and reconciled vs to his father then and not before we approach his presence and adioyne our selues to his kingdome It is then the preaching of the Gospell which gathereth vs into Christs kingdome For it is Gods strong power vnto saluation to al that beleeue whereby he perswadeth vs to come out of Satans kingdome and to adioyne our selues vnto his Church And therefore those who seeke the conuersion of others they must not onely denounce legall threatnings against sinne for this will make men rather flee from God then come vnto him but hauing by the law brought them to a sight of their miserie in regard of the curse thereof the anger of God death and condemnation which they haue deserued then they are to preach the glad tidings of the Gospell whereby they may be assured of the remission of their sins and reconciliation with God and so be mooued to come vnto Christ and to adioyne themselues to his Church Examples hereof we haue Act. 2. 38. 39. 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 20. Act. 2. 38. 2. Cor. 5. 18. Gal. 3 26. That we must continuallie labour to conuert others to the faith Gal. 3. 26. 27. 28. Now we are further to obserue that we are not to deliuer this glad tidings of the Gospell for the conuersion of those who are not yet called once or twice or diuers times but continually till they be conuerted we must teach them perswade and exhort them to ascend out of the land of darkenesse into the kingdome of Christ for hee doth not define and determine a certaine number but indefinitely and absolutely commandeth vs that we should speake vnto them For God calleth not all at the same houre but some at one time and some at another neither doth he make the word effectuall for the conuersion of all sinners at the first hearing but in some he lets it often outwardly sound in their eares before by the inward working of
them pliable to holy obedience that forsaking their false gods and idolatrous worship they may worship the only Iehouah in spirit and truth Where still hee continueth the allegorie of mariage as though hee would say Her louers that is her idols haue inticed her with many baits to commit spirituall whoredome with them but they shall no longer seduce and abuse her for I her louing husband offering vnto her innumerable benefits and eternall happinesse will allure and perswade her to forsake her louers and to returne vnto me And whereas hee saith that hee will bring her into the wildernesse the meaning is that they shall not passe presently out of their miserable seruitude of sinne and Satan into the heauenly Canaan but shal for a time make their abode in the wildernes of this world where they shall be tried with many calamities and afflictions wherewith being throughly humbled they shall enter into their heauenly countrie according to that Act. 14. 22. Wee must Act. 14. 22. thorow many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Others translate these words thus I will allure her after I haue led her into the wildernesse as though the time were herein implied when the Lord would perswade and conuert his people namely after he had first brought them into the wildernesse of affliction and thereby throughly humbled them But howsoeuer this exposition may be thought not repugnant to any thing in the text yet I rather embrace the other as being more plaine and simple without the changing of any word from his owne signification and also because it more fitly answereth to the deliuerance of the people of Israel vnto which it is manifest he here alludeth and lastly because it well agreeth with the like place Ezech. 20. 34. 35. 37. where the same allusion is vsed Ezeth 20. 34. 35. And this is the first benefit The second is expressed in these words and I will speake friendly or comfortably vnto her The originall hath it thus and I will speake vnto her heart by which is signified that he would speak vnto her such pleasant and acceptable words as should replenish her hart with true ioy and comfort though they were in the middest of the wildernesse of affliction And thus this phrase is vsed Esa 40. Esa 40. 1. 2. Gen. 34. 3. Iud. 19. 3. Ruth 2. 13. Ioh. 11. 19. 1. Thess 2. 11. 1. 2. Gen. 34. 3. Iud. 19. 3. Ruth 2. 13. And so in the new Testament whereas it is in the Greeke they comforted any the Syriacke hath it they spoke with their hearts So Ioh. 11. 19. 1. Thess 2. 11. The meaning therefore is that as when hee had brought his people into the wildernesse he spake vnto them deliuering his law vnto which were annexed manifold promises of his great benefits by which the people for the present were somewhat comforted in the middest of the afflictions which they suffered in the wildernesse so hee would in the time of the Gospell after hee had deliuered his people out of the thraldome of sin and Satan speake comfortably vnto them whilest they were vexed and molested with manifold afflictions in the wildernesse of the world that so being filled with consolation they might patiently and cheerefully through the middest of these miseries march towards their heauenly countrie Now this speech of comfort of which he here speaketh is nothing else but the glad tidings of the Gospell wherein we are assured of our deliuerance out of our spirituall thraldome vnto sinne and Satan of the free pardon and remission of all our sinnes of our peace and reconciliation with God and of euerlasting happinesse which Christ by his death and merits hath purchased for vs. The which speech of the Gospell is much more effectuall for our comfort and consolation then the speech of the Law For then the Lord spake to the eare but now hee speaketh to the heart that comfort was but for the present because being grounded vpon the condition of their obedience to the law that prouing impossible their comfort was changed into horror and despaire but this is eternall hauing his foundation not in our owne workes and worthinesse but vpon the free mercie of God and merits of Christ apprehended by a liuely faith And lastly because the Gospell offereth vnto vs farre greater benefits then we are promised in the Law and therfore filleth our hearts with greater comfort And of this consolation the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4. 5. 7. 6. Act. 9. 31. 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4. 5. and 7. 6. Act. 9. 31. Luke 2. 25. Of which our Sauiour Christ is the principall cause and therfore he is called the consolation of Israel Luk. 2. 25. And so much for the meaning of the words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines which from hence arise are these First we may obserue that howsoeuer the Lord being prouoked to iust displeasure by The Lord doth not retaine his anger for euer the sinnes of the people doth not onely threaten his iudgements but also inflicteth deserued punishments yet he doth not retaine his anger for euer nor yet delighteth in the afflictions of his Church but hauing with his fatherly chastisements humbled them and brough them vnto vnfained repentance hee turneth his frownes into smiles his threatnings into promises his iudgements into mercie and withdrawing their afflictions and punishments hee multiplieth vpon them his gratious benefits For hee is slow to anger but abundant in goodnesse and truth Exod. 34. 6. 7. He will not alwaies Exod. 34. 6. 7. Psal 103. 8. 9. chide neither keepeth he his anger for euer Psal 103. 8. 9. And though he afflict vs yet he dealeth not with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities as it is verse 10. neither retaineth he his anger for euer because mercie pleaseth him as it is Mic. 7. 18. An example wherof we haue in this Micha 7. 18. place where after his sharpe threatnings he adioyneth gratious promises likewise in the Israelites in the time of the Iudges in the Iewes lead captiue into Babylon and afterwards restored but there needs but few examples to confirme that of which we our selues haue so manifold experience c. Secondly out of the connexion of this with the former The mercie of God infinitely exceedeth the mercie of mā verse wee may obserue how infinitly the mercie of God exceedeth the mercie of man for whereas man being offended maketh this conclusion because hee hath iniured me therefore I will reuenge my selfe vpon him the Lord contrariwise in this place concludeth that because the people had grieuously prouoked his anger by their obstinacie in their idolatrie and forgetfulnesse of him therefore hee would allure them to repentance by his benefits and speake comfortably vnto them as though he should say Though they be so peeuishly obstinate that they care not wilfully and desperately to go on in their sins to their vtter destructiō yet I wil not set my
wisedome against their follie nor suffer their stubborne willes to crosse my will and eternall counsell but I will now begin to take care of them seeing they will take no care of themselues and because they haue nothing profited by all my threatnings and punishments I will mollifie their hard hearts and incline their stubborne and rebellious willes with my gratious promises and mercifull benefits So that the Lord behaueth himselfe like a tender hearted father and we demeane our selues like stubborne children though our stiffe harts relent not vnder his corrections yet his heart yearneth at our paine and he is sooner wearie of punishing then we of suffering punishment and when his chastisements will not ouercome our malitiousnesse hee laboureth to ouercome vs with his goodnesse and kindnesse and as the carefull and louing Physition is not moued by the desperate wilfulnesse of his impatient patient both refusing that which is good for him and eagerly seeking that which is hurtfull and pernicious to giue him ouer to himselfe but vseth the greater care and diligence by how much the lesse hee seeth that hee careth for himselfe and when he heareth for all his loue and labour nothing but distempered and railing speeches from his patient is rather thereby mooued to pitie then reuenge so dealeth the Lorde with vs who are sicke in sinne c. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we not onely praise the Lord for this his mercie and goodnesse but also that wee striue to follow his example not seeking reuenge when wee are iniured but striuing to ouercome euill with goodnes as the Apostle exhorteth Rom. 12. 19. 21. and so Rom. 12. 19. 21. shall wee indeed approue our selues to bee the children of our heauenly father as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 5. Mat. 5. 44. 45. 44. 45. Thirdly we may heere learne that neither Gods terrible The Lord only leadeth to repentance threatnings nor sharpe afflictions are auaileable to worke in our hearts true repentance vnlesse the Lord allure and incline our harts with the inward operation of his holy Spirit for the more God punisheth the more naturally we repine and murmure and our steely hearts like the anuill with more blowes do waxe the harder and sooner will we breake then bow vnlesse the Lord incline vs as appeareth in the example of Pharaoh Saul the Israelites Esay 1. 5. and in our owne experience Esay 1. 5. Fourthly we here learne that the Lord is the principal and The Lord is the sole cause of our conuersion sole cause of our conuersion for vntill he incline and allure our hearts to leaue our sinnes and to returne vnto him neither his promises nor his threatnings neither his benefits nor his punishments will worke in our hearts vnfained repentance And as this is manifest in this place so also in diuers other places of Scripture Ieremie telleth vs that the Black-moore may as well change his skinne or the Leopard his spots as we can do good that are accustomed to euill Ier. 13. Jer. 13. 23. 23. And therefore the Lord when he would conuert his people saith that he will giue them a new spirit and taking the stoheart out of their bodies will giue them a heart of flesh Ezech. Ezech. 11. 19. 36. 26. 11. 19. so Ezech. 36. 26. And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs that no man can come vnto him except the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. the Apostle likewise saith that before our conuersion Iohn 6. 44. we are not only sick but euen dead in our sins and therfore no more able to raise vp our selues from the death of sin to the life of righteousnes then a dead man to rise out of his graue Ephes 2. 1. Ephes 2. 1. But it may be demaunded that if this be so to what purpose serueth the ministerie of the Word and exhortations to repentance seeing he speaketh in vaine that perswadeth a dead man to rise to life I answere that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our conuersion which the Lord by the inward operation of his holy Spirit maketh effectuall for this purpose in the hearts of all his elect These exhortations therefore vnto repentance are not in vaine seeing the Lord worketh not vpon men as vpon stocks and stones but as vpon reasonable creatures whom he exhorteth to repentance and withall working vpon their hearts by his holy Spirit inclineth them to performe that vnto which hee exhorteth them and as he outwardly commandeth so inwardly he inclineth and enableth them to do that which he commandeth and hence it is that our Sauiour saith that the words which he spake were Spirit and life Ioh. 6. 63. because Ioh. 6. 63. they were not like the law which only commanded and did not enable to yeeld obedience but being made effectuall by the Spirit which gaue life vnto them they both enioyned and wrought in vs true obedience And this the Prophet implieth when as he saith that the Lord will allure or perswade them to turne vnto him so that his word is the instrument whereby he doth not only moue vs but throughly perswade vs to true repentance and this we may see verified Act. 13. 43. in the example of Lydia Act. 13. 43. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. chap. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we yeeld vnto him the whole praise of our conuersion and not with the Papists share with him ascribing part of the glorie vnto him and part to our selues Secondly seeing it is the work of God alone we must not rest in our owne power and strength for the effecting of this great worke but we must call vpon God for this grace saying with the Church Lament 5. 21. Conuert vs O Lord and Lament 5. 21. we shall be conuerted much lesse are we to deferre our conuersion from day to day as though it were a matter which we can easilie performe at our owne pleasure but considering it is the Lords free gift let vs receiue it when he offereth it and turne vnto him when he allureth and perswadeth vs to repentance And so likewise because it is the Lord alone who allureth and turneth the heart it behooueth al those who would conuert others not to rest too much in the force of their owne eloquence or the strength of their owne reasons but to ioyne with their earnest labour and endeauour humble and hartie prayers vnto almightie God desiring the assistance of his holy Spirit by which alone their perswasions are made effectuall to perswade Fifthly we here learne not to expect presently vpon our We must not expect secure peace after our conuersiō conuersion vnto God and adioyning to the Church secure peace and flourishing prosperitie for after the Lord hath allured and perswaded vs to turne vnto him he leadeth vs into the wildernesse of affliction before he bringeth vs to rest in our heauenly Canaan The
thankfulnesse of the faithfull Yea in truth so much our ioy and thankfulnesse should exceed theirs as the greatnes of the benefit of our spirituall deliuerance out of the miserable captiuitie of sin and Satan exceedeth the deliuerance of the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt We must then reioyce and be as thankfull as those ought to bee who haue passed from death to life from the greatest miserie to the highest happines and are exalted from being the firebrands of hell to be the sonnes of God and heires of heauen ANd so much cōcerning the second benefit In the third place the Lord promiseth that he will giue grace to his Church and people that they shall embrace his pure worship and seruice and abolish all idolatrie and superstition in these words Vers 16. And at that day saith the Lord you Vers 16. 17. shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their names In which words the Lord The exposition promiseth two things first that hee will restore his sincere worship secondly that he will roote out all idolatrie The former in these words And at that day saith the Lord shall you call me Ishi Where is set downe first the time when the Church should performe this dutie and secondly the dutie it selfe The time in these words And at that day that is when the Lord hath effectually called her spoken comfortablie vnto her and multiplied his benefits vpon her then should she in loue and thankfulnes shew her selfe zealous in offering vnto God his pure worship and in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie The dutie which the Lord promiseth she shall performe is that she shall call him Ishi that is my husband where the Lord alludeth to the couenant which is made betweene him and his Church wherein the Lord promiseth that she shall be his spouse and she promiseth that she will acknowledge the Lord alone to be her husband and performe all duties of a wife vnto him As though he should say Howsoeuer in former times thou hast run after thy louers yet when I haue called and conuerted thee thou shalt remember the couenant of mariage betweene vs made and so forsaking thy idols thou shalt acknowledge and professe that I alone am thy husband Now whereas he saith that she shall call him Ishi we are first hereby to vnderstand that the Church mindfull of her couenant shall embrace him as her only husband not verbally alone or with an idle shew but in deed and truth behauing her selfe towards him as it becommeth the Lords spouse that is first in generall she shall worship and serue him purely and sincerely according to his will more specially that she shall obserue coniugall fidelitie loue him aboue all depend vpon him alone with a true affiance for all blessings and call vpon his name the which dutie is implied in the text for it is not said she shall call me husband but Ishi O my husband namely inuocating his name by prayer Secondly he sheweth here that the Church shall not only internally worship the Lord as her only husband in Spirit and truth but also that she shall outwardly make profession hereof which is implied in that he saith shee shall call him husband and not onely acknowledge him so to bee in her heart and mind And this is the first dutie which the Lord promiseth that the Church shall performe The other is that as she should be carefull to aduance his pure worship so she should shew the like zeale in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie signified in these words And thou shalt call me no more Baali or O my Baal that is As I would not haue thee to ioine idols with me in my worship so I would not haue thee to worship and call vpon me in an idol or after an idolatrous maner but in spirit and truth purely sincerely Where the Lord sheweth first that the Church shall not only worship him but also that she should worship him alone and renounce all her idols and false gods Secondly that she shall not worship him after an idolatrous manner in images and idols as it was the manner of the Israelites who worshipped God in the idoll Baal as appeareth in this place but shall come vnto him immediatly and not by a substitute or inferiour patron and call vpon him who is a Spirit spiritually and not in an image But the image of Baal being abolished why would not the Lord be called vpon by the name of Baal seeing it signifieth a god lord or patron and sometime also a husband as well as Ish I answere the Lord would be called Ish rather then Baal first because Baal being a name of empire and dominion brought with it some seruile feare the other name Ish signifying properly a husband offereth nothing to our consideration but loue fidelitie grace and protection and therefore the Lord refuseth the former name in the time of the Gospell as being too austere sauouring only of authoritie and Lordship and will be called by the amiable name of Ish or husband to shew that he hath renewed his couenant is reconciled to his Church and is now become most louing and gratious vnto her The second cause which I take to be the more principall is that he might hereby shew his detestation of idolatrie in that hee would not endure to bee called by the name of an idoll though otherwise good in it owne signification And this his detestation he further sheweth when as he saith that they should bee so farre from worshipping idols or him in them that they should not so much as name them Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth c. Vers 17. Where is set downe who it is that thus purgeth the Church from all the relikes of idolatrie namely the Lord himselfe I will take away Secondly the manner or degree how it must be purged to wit from all the relikes of idolatrie and superstition so that it shall not be lawfull for the people of God so much as to name an idoll vnlesse it bee as they name the diuell with hatred and detestation The like places vnto this we haue Exod. 23. 13. Ye shall make no mention of the name of Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Deut. 12. 3. Ye shall vtterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possesse serued their gods vpon the high mountaines c. 3. Ye shall hew downe the grauen images of their gods and abolish their names out of that place An example whereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 16. 4. 5. Their offerings of blood will I not offer nor make mention of their names with my lips Psal 16. 4. 5. Thirdly hee expresseth the end why hee would not haue them so much
sleepe so that the Angell that was sent to deliuer him was faine to smite him on the side that he might awaken him Act. 12. And Paul Act. 12. and Silas being in the like danger although they are not said to haue slept yet they rested quietly and peaceablie vpon Gods prouidence spending the night not in mourning and weake lamentation but in prayer reioycing and singing of Psalmes Act. 16. 25. Act. 16. 25. And this is the meaning of these words The instrustions The Do ∣ ctrines which arise out of them for our owne vse are these First we may obserue what is the cause which hath depriued vs of the Sin depriued vs of the dominion and vse of the creatures dominion vse and benefit which we had by creation ouer and by all the creatures namely our sins for this priuiledge was granted vnto man vpon the condition of his obedience vnto God which because he obserued not therefore he lost his rule and dominion right and interest he had vnto them so that what rule he hath ouer them and vse of them whilest he continueth in the state of disobedience he enioyeth it not by any lawfull right but by tyrannicall vsurpation vnder which thraldome the creatures grone earnestly desiring to be deliuered from it Rom. 8. 22. So that howsoeuer in the Rom. 8. 22. creation all the creatures were made for man subiected vnto his gouernment and appointed for his vse and man only was made for God and his seruice yet after man by his fall had disabled himself so as he neither could nor would serue his Creator the creatures were freed from the subiection and slauish vse of man and in stead of seruing and obeying him they are readie euery one in their place to be the executioners of Gods iust iudgements inflicted for his sinne and rebellion like seruants who set themselues against their master when he traiterously setteth himselfe against his Prince who is the chiefe Lord and Soueraigne ouer them all When as therefore we heare of losses and spoiles by fire or water of the hurt or death of men by the brute beasts and serpents of dearth and scarcitie caused by too much raine or drought cankers caterpillers and such like all and euery of these are so many remembrancers to put vs in mind of our sinnes and rebellion against God and so many monitors to warne vs that we forsake our wicked courses and turne to the Lord by vnfained repentance Secondly wee heere learne when man is restored to his When our dominion ouer the creatures is restored right of ruling and vsing the creatures without sin in respect of God and tyrannie in respect of them namely when he is reconciled vnto God in Christ being adopted for his son in him becommeth heire and lawfull owner of all the creatures for when the Lord hath renued his couenant with vs then doth he also renue the couenant betweene vs and the creatures which is set downe Gen. 1. 28 29. The consideration Gen. 1. 28. 29. whereof should moue vs earnestly to labour after the assurance of our reconciliation with God and our adoption for vntill then we haue no right vnto any of Gods creatures but theeuishly and tyrannically vsurpe vpon that which belongeth not vnto vs and for this cause the blood of the creatures which for our vse is spilled the clothes which which we put on the bread which we eat yea and the verie Habac. 2. 11. stones and timber of our buildings crie loude in Gods eares for vengeance and shall be sufficient matter though we had no other sinnes of inditements for our theft at the great assisses Againe vntill the Lord haue renued this couenant betweene the creatures and vs they are all our enemies which are euer readie when God suffereth them to reuenge the dishonor which by our sins we haue done to their Creator and the iniurie and oppression which we haue offered vnto them if we be at home the fire threatneth vs if abroad the beasts if God permit them are readie to assault vs the water is readie to drowne vs the earth to swallow vs the aire to infect vs yea as we walke in the streete the tyles vpon the houses are readie to braine vs in our gardens snakes and adders are readie to sting vs and at our tables euery crumbe of bread is readie to choake vs all which Gods creatures are readie to serue vs and to offer vnto vs a safe and comfortable vse of them when vpon our reconciliation with God they are also reconciled vnto vs. Thirdly wee may here learne what is the best meanes to The best meanes of obtaining a well grounded peace with men obtaine and enioy a sound and well grounded peace with men or at least entertaine a iust and safe warre namely by turning from our sinnes and seeking earnestly reconciliation with God in Christ for the cause of inward rebellions and outward inuasions is our sins which prouoke the Lord to iust displeasure and moue him to raise vp against vs enemies at home and broad to the end they may execute his iust iudgements against vs. The way therfore to settle peace and preuent warre is to take away this cause to wit our sins by true repentance and to labour that we may be at peace with God and then he will giue vs peace with men or at least a prosperous warre wherin he will assist and protect vs against our enemies Whereby it appeareth that that peace which is grounded vpon worldly policies and hath not this peace with God for the foundation thereof howsoeuer it may last for a time yet in the end it will proue rotten and vnsound For example some thinke it the best course to settle a peace by tolerating Poperie and idolatrie some by vtter forsaking Gods true religion and by conforming our selues to the world both in profession and life some by ioyning in neere leagues with neighbour Princes and by many such other deuices but seeing the Word plainly teacheth vs that the only sure foundation of our peace is our reconciliation with God and holy obedience to his Commandements how can wee hope to obtaine it by taking such courses as will cause the Lord to be our enemie and by transgressing his Commandements the breach whereof the Lord threatneth in so many places to punish with warre and those innumerable miseries which do accompanie it So Leuit. 26. 25. Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. 25. Deut. 28 49. 1. King 8. 33. Jer. 5. 15. 19. 49. 50. 1. King 8. 33. Ier. 5. 15. 19. The vse which we are to make hereof is that when wee heare of our enemies preparations we do in the first place consider that our sinnes is the cause of this warre intended against vs and therefore before we resolue vpon any other course for our defence let vs repent of our sinnes and labour to be at peace with God and so he will change their minds or vse their
vnto which wee are preferred so behaue our selues as beseemeth our high place and calling A Prince will not seruilely drudge for day wages nor sell his honor for a small trifle nor set his minde vpon base obiects no more should we who by vertue of this royall mariage are called to higher honour then the whole world affoordeth spend our sweate and labour to obtaine vncertaine richer and filthie pleasures wee should not dimme our glorie and impeach our honour by behauing our selues like the slaues of sinne and Satan nor affect with the highest pitch of our desires worldly toyes and base trifles seeing things of farre greater excellencie are reserued for vs. Lastly as hereby wee may be put in minde of our honour We must performe coniugall duties vnto Christ and dignitie so also of our dutie namely that being married vnto Christ wee labour to performe vnto him all duties required of a good wife seeing he is wanting in nothing which belongeth vnto a most gratious and kinde husband that is let vs loue him aboue all the world and shew our loue by our readinesse to lay downe our liues for his sake who is our louing husband seeing he hath laid down his for vs euen whilest wee were his enemies Let vs yeeld vnto him voluntarie and absolute obedience and submit our selues to bee ruled and guided by his word and Spirit Let vs keepe our coniugall fidelitie reseruing our selues pure and vndefiled as from all other sinnes so especially from idolatrie and superstition Let vs who haue communion both in Christ and all his benefits not grudge to giue our selues and the best things we haue vnto him for the aduancement of his glorie and the furthering of his worship and seruice especially let vs giue vnto him our hearts which he so much desireth Let vs reuerence him as our heauenly husband fearing his displeasure as the greatest euill and mourning for no losse so much as for the losse of his fauour Let vs rest wholly relie on his prouidence for the supplie of all our wants and for protection from all dangers In a word let vs labour to performe all duties which belong to such a husband and to deck our selues with all graces which may make vs appeare amiable in his sight and so wee shall confirme our selues in this assurance that we are espoused vnto Christ and shal be made partakers not only of himselfe but also of all his benefits And these are the doctrines which are to be obserued out Nothing can frustrate the couenant betweene God and vs. of the contract it selfe Now follow those which arise out of the adiuncts and properties of this mariage and first out of the perpetuitie thereof Where first wee may obserue to our singular comfort that it is impossible for any thing whatsoeuer to breake off the couenant betweene God and vs or to make a separation after hee hath once contracted vs to himselfe in this holy mariage nor all our spirituall enemies Satan the world the flesh nor all the power of hell ioyned together no nor yet our owne sinnes past present or to come for the Lord hath here promised that he will espouse vs vnto himselfe for euer Who therefore would not labour with his whole endeuour to attaine vnto this most honourable estate accompanied with such inestimable benefits seeing they are infinitely more excellent in their owne nature then all the glorie and riches of the world and besides they are eternall and neuer to be taken from vs. He that is in honour to day may be in disgrace to morrow he that is now rich may within a while be brought to extreame pouertie but who so is aduanced to this spirituall honour of being espoused vnto God shall neuer be depriued of it neither in this life nor in the life to come Secondly seeing the vnion betweene Christ and vs is perpetuall seeing the bonds of this vnion is the Spirit of God and a true and liuely faith hence we learne that Gods Spirit and this faith after we are married vnto Christ shall neuer be taken from vs for then the mariage bonds being broken the mariage also should bee dissolued which is contrarie to the promise of God in this place And these are the things to be obserued out of the perpetuitie Whosoeuer are married vnto Christ are made righteous of this mariage Out of the properties and conditions thereof we may further note these instructions First whereas the Lord promiseth that hee will espouse the Church in righteousnes hence we learne that whosoeuer are maried vnto Christ they are also made righteous that is they are not only clothed with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse imputed vnto them by which they are iustified in Gods sight but also are made righteous by the sanctification of his Spirit dwelling in them the which their righteousnes consisteth in the integritie and vprightnes of their hearts and in their earnest and sincere desire and endeauour to performe obedience vnto Gods Commandements the which their obedience is in this life mingled with manifold infirmities and imperfections but shal become perfect in the life to come Secondly we learne that though this righteousnesse bee Our righteousnesse constant and perpetuall weake and imperfect yet shall it be perpetuall euen as our mariage with Christ is perpetuall and eternall And therefore although wee must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and labour earnestly to haue this our righteousnes more and more strengthned and increased yet when we feele our slow progresse in the pathes of righteousnes and finde it mingled with our great corruptions and imperfections like a few graines of corne in a heape of chaffe let vs not be vtterly discouraged as fearing lest this little sparke of righteousnes will be altogether quenched with the floud of our corruptions seeing the Lord hath promised that as this his couenant of mariage with vs shall bee perpetuall so also that it shall for euer continue in righteousnes c. Thirdly whereas the Lord promiseth that he will marrie Our righteousnesse is not the cause of our vnion with Christ his Church in righteousnes not by chusing her being righteous but by making her righteous being chosen hence we learne that our owne righteousnes is not the cause of this holy and happie vnion but that this vnion is the cause of our righteousnes for after we are vnited vnto Christ by the Spirit of God then this Spirit dwelling in vs doth applie vnto vs the vertue of Christs death which purgeth vs from not only the guilt and punishment of sin but also from the corruption power and dominion thereof and the vertue of his resurrection whereby wee also are raised from the death of sinne to holines and newnes of life And this notablie appeareth Ezech. 16. 8. 9. 10. 11. c. Ezech. 16. 8. 9. Secondly whereas the Lord saith that he will marrie his Church in iudgement hence we learne that whosoeuer
morral dutie of fearing God as our English translation seemeth to import but that they should fearefully hasten vnto the Lord and his goodnesse that is being affrighted with the sight and sence of their sinnes the curse of the law the anger of God death and damnation due vnto them they shall with all possible speede flye vnto the Lord to his goodnes and by a liuely faith lay hold vpon gods mercie offred vnto them in Christ and rest vvholy therevpon for their saluation So that this seemeth to be a Metaphor taken from Birds which being sodainely feared doe fearefully flye vnto their retiring places of greatest safety And thus this word is taken Chap. 11. 11. Hosea 11. 11. They shall feare as a sparrow out of Aegipt that is being affrighted they shall flye with great hast And in this sence the Latine vvord trepidare is vsed as Liuij annalium 23. Moxque in sua quisque ministeria discursu trepidat ad prima signa Virgil Aeneid 9. Ne trepidate meas Teucri defendere naues id est ne festinate Neuè armate manus c. And the rather doe I thus expound the vvords first because it is an vnproper manner of speach to expresse the morrall dutie of fearing God by this phrase of fearing vnto God Secondly vve are not said to feare Gods goodnesse but rather his justice and judgements True it is that God is feared for his goodnesse according to that Psal 130. 4. Psal 130. 4. namely as a gracious father whom for his goodnesse towards vs we are loath to displease but his goodnesse it selfe is not fearefull or terrible but sweet and comfortable Thirdly because the vvord is so taken in other places The meaning therefore of these vvords is briefely thus much that the people of Israell being terrified and affrighted with the sight and sense of their sinnes and the punishments due vnto them should flye speedily vnto the Lord as being their protector sure defence comforting themselues in the assured hope of his grace and goodnesse vvhereby they should bee assured that their sinnes shall bee forgiuen them and they freed from them both in respect of their guilt and punishment And these are the effects of their conuersion The time is expressed in these words in the latter or last dayes that is after that Iesus Christ the true Messias is exhibited in the flesh which vsually in the Scriptures is called the last dayes Deut. 4. 30. Esa 2. 2. Micha 4. 1. Heb. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 20. 1 Iohn 2. 28. The which time is specified First to shew their obstinacy in their sinnes and corruptions seeing these tough humours could no otherwise be purged away but by the long working potions of tedious and bitter afflictions Secondly that they might prepare themselues patiently to beare these miseries thus tediously continued when as they were forwarned of them for praemonitus praemunitus Thirdly that they might hereby bee refreshed with some comfort when as they were assured that howsoeuer their troubles were tedious yet at length they should haue a happie end seeing they should bring them vnto God by true repentance and a liuely faith And this is the meaning of the words the instructions God sanctifieth the afflictions of his Elect for their conuersion which from hence arise are many first wee here obserue how the Lord sanctifieth the afflictions of the Elect for their conuersion and true repentance for after that the people are grieuously afflicted at the length they are humbled in the sight of their sinnes and turne vnto the Lord. The like examples wee haue in Dauid the Israelites in the Iudges time Manasses the prodigall Sonne and many others and this is that which the Prophet speaketh Esay 26. 16. O Lord Esay 26. 16. in trouble they haue visited thee they haue poured forth a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them So that affliction humbleth them whom prosperitie puffeth vp with Pride it softneth those whom prosperitie hardened it conuerteth into the wayes of righteousnesse those whom prosperitie made to wander into the by-pathes of sinne But yet they worke not these good effects in all but onely in those vnto whose vse they are sanctified by Gods spirit as we may see in example of Pharaoh Saul Ieroboam c. who the more they were hammered and beaten vpon with afflictions the more hard and obdurate they waxed The vse hereof serueth to comfort all the faithfull in their greatest troubles and miseries seeing they may bee assured that the Lord vvill sanctifie their afflictions for their humiliation conuersion saluation For wel may we be contented to be beaten that wee may bee betred to bee put into the furnace of affliction that being purged from the drosse of our corruptions wee may like pure gold be treasured vp in the treasury of eternall happinesse to be pruned that wee may become more fruitfull to be hammered that our hard hearts may be made contrite and not onely with patience but also with joy and loue may we kisse that rod which maketh vs to run vnto God for mercy and forgiuenesse But forasmuch as the tree of affliction bringeth forth no such fruits vnlesse it be vvatered vvith the sweet dew of gods spirit therefore let vs also make this vse hereof that when we are afflicted we earnestly pray vnto God that hee will sanctifie our miseries to our vse and benefit and out of this poyson gather for our good this sweet hony of humiliation and obedience that is that our pouerty may turne to our spirituall inriching with the gifts of his spirit that our trouble may tend to eternall rest our shame to glory our sence of paine to the encrease of our sence of sinne and that our light and momentanie afflictions may cause vnto vs a superexcellent 2 Cor. 4. 17. and eternall waight of glory Secondly we learne that the Elect in their afflictions go directly vnto the Lord by his Sonne Iesus Christ that they may be reconciled vnto him and be receiued into grace and not vnto Saints and Angels as it is the custome of the Papists who when they are in any daunger or trouble make their prayers and vowes vnto the Virgin Mary Peter and other Saints Thirdly wheras he saith that they shall seeke Iehouah and Christ is true God coequall with his father Dauid their king that is Iesus Christ here we obserue that the same diuine worship is ascribed vnto Christ which also is attributed vnto God and consequently he is not meere man but God coequall with his father for vnto God alone belongeth diuine worship and this Christ chalengeth to himselfe Iohn 5. 22. 23. Where he sheweth that the father hath Iohn 5. 22. 23. committed all Iudgement vnto the Sonne that all men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father Christ true man Secondly we hence gather that he is not God alone but man also for as this diuine vvorship yeelded vnto him prooueth him to be
alreadie poysoned there-with but like a riuer which hath swelled ouer his bankes ouerfloweth a whole countrey And as the canker or gangreene hauing taken one member of the bodie if it be not presently cured or cut off doth corrupt the next vntill it haue rotted the whole body so if sinne hauing tainted some few members of a body politicke bee not by wholesome lawes and execution of justice killed and suppressed it will like the gangreene spread ouer and corrupt the whole bodie of the common wealth The vse hereof is First that if sinne haue made an entrance The vses into vs wee labour to cast it out before it haue taken full possession and that wee crush in peeces this Babilonish broode before they grow too strong for vs. Secondly it serueth for the confutation of the foolish conceit The follie of those who defer repentance and practise of worldly men who nourish their corruptions and deferre their repentance from yeare to yeare thinking that howsoeuer it is now some-what difficult to maister their sinnes yet hereafter they may do it at pleasure but let such know that the longer their sinnes grow vpon them the more hardly will they be subdued if now they seeme too strong for them let them assure themselues that in further processe of time they will grow altogether vnresistable neyther will any fence restraine them from running and rushing into the pleasant pastures of sinne and wickednesse Thirdly seeing sinne is of such a contagious spreading and ouerflowing nature this must make vs carefull to auoid the company of wicked men least vve be tainted with their corruptions and if it haue like a generall Deluge ouerflowed the whole country where vvee dwell then as Noah was preserued from drowning by keeping himselfe within the Arke so if vvee would not bee drenched and drowned in this Sea of corruption which ouer-spreadeth the whole earth vvee must keepe our selues in the Arke of Gods Church and frequent the company of Gods faithfull people for if we haunt the fellowship of the wicked we shall be surely caryed away in the streame both of their sin and also of their punishments Fourthly more particularly it teacheth Magistrates and Superiors must suppresse sinne before it bee growne too strong and violent Maisters of Families to suppresse sinne in those committed to their charge before it be growne ouer strong and violent least it make head against all lawes and good orders chalenge freedome and impunitie in respect of the multitude of those that offend and so grow to such audacious impudencie that it dareth to vaunt it selfe against goodnesse and to disdaine and scorne all vertue and godlinesse Let them therfore follow the example of Abraham and when they see an Ismaelite scoffing at the children of promise let them if there be no other meanes to reforme him cast him out of the familie If there be an Abimilech let him bee suppressed or remoued least hee destroy the whole linage of the godly and disturbe the Church common wealth Iudg. 9. Iudg. 9. If Eli know the wickednesse of Hophni and Phinehas and 1 Sam. 2. 3. will not correct them it will bring the heauie Iudgements of God vpon the whole posteritie If Dauid cocker Absalon 2 Sam. 15. and 16. and will not keepe him vnder in the end he will conspire against him and draw the whole people into his rebellion Let therefore all Magistrates and housholders propound Dauids practise for their patterne Psal 101. that is let Psal 101. them resolue not onely to suppresse the vvicked in the familie and common wealth but let them doe it betimes as hee protesteth vers 8. least as Dauid speaketh of the sonnes of Zeruiah they grow in the end too strong for them The last thing to bee obserued is that hee calleth their Sinne bringeth vpon vs the greatest guilt punishment hainous sinnes by the name of bloud to note both vnto them and vs that sin maketh vs subiect to the greatest guilt and punishment euen to the shedding of bloud yea our dearest life bloud So the Lord threatned our first parents Gen. 2. 17. In the day that yee eate thereof yee shall dye the death Gen. 2. 17. And Ezech. 18. he reckoneth vp diuers sinnes and concludeth Exech 18. 13. that he who committeth any of them shal dye the death and that his bloud shall be vpon him Verse 13. And this was signified by the sacrifices of the Law in which for the expiation of sinne was required the shedding of bloud for the the Apostle saith Heb. 9. 22. almost all things are by the Heb. 9. 22. law purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud there is no remission In the offring whereof the law prouided that Leu. 1. 4. and 3. 8. the offender should lay his hands vpon the head of the beast which vvas slaine thereby testifying that by his sinne hee had justly deserued that death which the poore beast suffered Not that the bloud of Buls and Goates could take away the guilt and punishment of sinne but onely the precious bloud of Christ which was therby signified and prefigured Heb. 9. 12. Heb. 9. 12. The vse of this serueth first to make vs most carefull in That we must carefully auoid sinne abstayning from all manner of knowne sinnes seeing they make vs subject to the greatest guilt and punishment and bring our dearest bloud vpon our owne heads There is no malefactour so desperate that would commit a capitall crime if he were assured that he could not escape the hands of his just Iudge but all our sinnes are capitall and deserue death both of body and soule neyther can wee flye the presence of the just Iudge of heauen and earth and therefore no pleasures riches nor preferments should perswade vs to commit sinne whereby vve make our selues liable to such heauie punishments Secondly if wee haue sinned this consideration should If we haue sinned we must carefully seeke reconciliation with God moue vs most earnestly to labour that Gods wrath may be appeased his justice satisfied and that we may be freed from the heauie burthen of sinne which maketh vs subiect to death and condemnation And considering that the guilt and punishment can not otherwise bee done away but by bloud euen by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ which alone purgeth away all sinne 1 Iohn 1. 7. Therefore when 1 Iohn 1. 7. our consciences are guilty of sinne let vs labour aboue all things in the world to apply vnto our selues the vertue of Christs bloud death and merits and hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse that thereby being justified we may stand righteous in his sight Lastly it serueth to confute the conceipt of the secure Their conceipt confuted who make light account of sinne men of the world who make but a May-game of sinne and imagine that they can appease Gods wrath for all their hainous wickednesse by a broken sigh
3. 17. blessing made it fruitfull but mans sinne made it barren and in stead of Corne Wine and Oyle caused it to bring forth Thornes and Thistles if it bee not as it were watred with mans sweate Verse 18. 19. It brought a generall Deluge Verse 18. 19. wherein not onely man but all the Creatures perished It turned Sodome and Gomorrah which was like the garden of Eden into a salt Marsh and desolate wildernes It brought all those plagues of Aegipt not onely vpon man but vpon the beasts likewise In a word it is the cause of all the miseries which all the Creatures suffer vnder which they grone and trauaile in paine together with vs as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 22. Rom. 8. 22. from which with feruent desire they waite to be deliuered when man is freed from his sinne as appeareth Verse 19. 20. 21. Ver. 19. 20. 21 Neyther is this vnjust with God that the creatures should be punished for the sinne of man seeing as man was not made for himselfe but for God so they were not made for themselues but for the vse of man and therefore as they were to joy in his rejoycing so to beare their part of griefe in his mourning and miserie like the seruants of Noble men who are quelled in their Lords ruines and though they are not guilty of their treasons committed against their soueraigne prince yet they are ouerthrowne in their estates pertakers in their punishments The vse of this doctrine is first to admonish vs that when wee see the miseries of any of the poore Creatures as the barrennesse of the earth the toyle sicknesse and manifold infirmities of the beasts c. we be thereby put in remembrance of our sinnes and be moued to bewayle them as being the cause not onely of our owne but also of all the creatures miserie Secondly it serueth to reproue those who abuse the poore creatures with tyrannical crueltie and are so far from pitying them in those miseries which our sinnes haue inflicted vpon them that they make seauen-fould greater the heauy burthen of their euils through their barbarous vsage of them like hard-harted and mercilesse Lords who seeing their seruant adjudged to death for their treasons in stead of pitying his punishment play themselues the executioner in causing him to dye by exquisite torments c. The last thing to bee obserued is that when the Lord exerciseth his judgements vpon the creatures when the That wee are not lightly to passe ouer gods judgements inflicted vpon the creatures Earth is smitten with barrennesse spoyled of her fruits and stripped of her goodly ornaments when the waters aboue eyther drop not at all or in such abundance that in stead of watring her they drowne and ouer flow her and when the beasts and cattle perish eyther by murraigne or famishment wee are not lightly to passe these things ouer but to esteeme them as signes of Gods displeasure conceiued for our sinnes and as so many summons whereby the Lord warneth vs to seeke reconciliation by true repentance lest we be ouertaken by his more fearefull judgements Leuit. 26. 14. 15. c. Leu. 26. 14. 15 Deut. 28. 15. 16. Deut. 28. 15. 16. c. The vse hereof serueth for the reproofe of those who are nothing affected with gods judgements vpon the creatures no further then themselues haue a sensible feeling of their euills so that if in the time of dearth and famine they feele no want they are neuer thereby put in minde eyther of Gods anger or of their owne sinnes nor touched with those miseries vnder which the brute creatures mourne nor with any compassion or fellow-feeling of their neighbours wants ANd so much concerning the first bill of Inditement whereby the Israelits are arraigned and conuicted the second is contayned Verse 4. And the sentence of condemnation Verse 4 is affixed Verse 5. The Inditement it selfe is comprised in these words Yet let none rebuke nor reproue another for thy people are as they that rebuke the Priest In which words The expositiō he aggrauateth their former sinnes by shewing that such was their desperate resolution of continuing in them that they would heare of no admonition or if they were admonished would vnjustly rebuke those of whom they were justly rebuked The sinne whereof they are accused is their impatiencie of rebuke for howsoeuer they abounded in all manner of sin yet they could not indure that eyther Gods Prophets or other his faithfull seruants should admonish or reprooue them for their wickednesse And this was a manifest signe that they were desperately resolued to continue in their sins and were now past all hope of recouerie in this sicknesse of their soules seeing they would not heare the Phisition nor regard his counsaile nor follow his directions nor vse any meanes for their recouery but cast the potions against the walls and pull of the plaisters applied for their curing and throw them in the Physitions face The like example wee haue Esay 30. 9. 10. 11. Where the Prophet complaineth that the Israelits were a rebellious people lying children who Esay 30. 9. 10. 11. would not heare the word of the Lord which say vnto the seers see not and to the Prophets prophecie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering things vnto vs Prophecie errours c. So Amos. 2. 12. 7. 12. Mich. 2. 6. Ier. 44. 15. 16. Amos. 2. 12. 7. 12. 13. 14 Mich. 2. 6. Ier. 44. 15. 16. Yea but it is not said here that the people forbid the Prophet to admonish and rebuke them but the Lord himselfe I answere the Lord in his word is so farre from forbidding these duties of admonition and reprehension that hee necessarily requires them vnlesse it be when as the sinner is so desperately resolued to continue in his wickednesse that he hateth admonition and is ready to reuenge it as though it were an injurie vpon him who doth admonish him Of such the Lord speaketh Ezech. 3. 26. I will make thy tongue Ezech. 3. 26. cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumbe and shalt not be to them as a man that rebuketh for they are a rebellious house And our Sauiour Christ Mat. 7. 6. Giue ye not Mat. 7. 6. that which is holie to dogs c. And such were this people of whom the Lord saith Yet let none rebuke nor reprooue another As though hee should haue said although their sinnes are so many and haynous that they deserue continuall reproofe and reprehension yet let no man rebuke them seeing it is to no purpose they being so desperately giuen ouer to all wickednesse that they are become altogether impatient of any reproofe And this is plainely expressed in the words following For thy people are as they that rebuke the Priest that is they are such as indeed doe rebuke the Priest for so this word As is sometimes taken absolutely Hos 5. 10. The
princes of Iudah are as they that remoue the Land-mark Ioh. 1. 14. And we saw the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten sonne Where he aggrauateth their sinne shewing that they were not onely impatient of reproofe but which was more they contended with their teachers and rebuked those by whom they were rebuked So that they were not onely impatient to heare any reprehension but also were growne so insolent and impudent in their sinnes that they durst defend them against their reprouers and were ready to challenge them that they more offended in censuring their faults then themselues in committing them And this is signified by this phrase of rebuking the priest where by Priest we are to vnderstand all whosoeuer haue a lawful calling from god to deliuer his word whether Priest Prophet or other Ministers but he maketh mention of the Priest because ordinarily to him was committed the office of teaching exhorting and comforting Gods people as also of rebuking accusing and condemning the obstinate and rebellious Now this did exceedingly aggrauate their sins in that they durst thus insolently presumptuously oppose themselues against Gods Priests returning reproofe for reproofe and inverting and peruerting Gods owne order and ordinance who appointed the Priests in the Ministerie of the Word to rebuke their sins and that freely without checke and controulement for their just reprehensions The which insolencie and presumption was to be punished by the law of God euen with death it selfe as appeareth Deut. 17. 11. 12. And Deut. 17. 11. 12. Num 1â— this the Lord himselfe inflicted vpon Corah his associates Numb 16. The reason is because this contempt is not offered onely against the Minister but against God himselfe and his ordinance as our Sauiour hath taught vs. Mat. 10. 14. Mat. 10. 14. 15. Luke 10. 16. 15. Luke 10. 16. Examples of this sin we haue not onely in this place but also in many others where the people haue not only contended with their teachers but euen persecuted them for their reprehensions So Iere. 18. 18. Come let vs imagine some deuise Ier. 18. 18. against Ieremie c. Let vs smite him with the tongue and let vs not giue heede to any of his words Amos. 7. 10. Amos. 7. 10. 11 12. 13. 11. 12. 13. And this is the meaning of the words The doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these first we may obserue that That it is a signe of Gods wrath when he stoppeth the mouthes of his Ministers it is a signe of Gods heauy displeasure and approaching vengeance and that his purpose is to giue ouer such vnto a reprobate sense to runne on in their sinnes without hope of amendment to eternall perdition when as hee stoppeth the mouthes of his faithfull seruants and will not suffer them to reproue and reprehend them for their sinnes so here when he was determined to punish the Israelites with Captiuitie he restraineth his Prophets from rebuking and reprehending them though they abounded in all sinne And Ezech. Ezech. 3. 26. 3. 26. because the people were desperately giuen ouer to worke wickednesse hee stoppeth the Prophets mouth and forbiddeth him to rebuke them When the Scribes and Pharisies shewed their malicious spite against Christ and his truth our Sauiour would not instruct them but in Parables and restraineth his Disciples from reprouing them for their malicious forwardnesse Mat. 15. 14. Let them alone they Mat. 15. 14. be the blinde leaders of the blinde c. The reason hereof is first because hee would not haue his seruants loose their labour in admonishing and reprouing those who are so resolute in their wickednesse that there is no hope of amendement And secondly because he is purposed to let them perish in their sinnes and therefore restraineth them of the meanes whereby they might escape his judgements or else so giueth them ouer to the hardnesse of their hearts that they doe not profit by them as we may see in the example of Pharaoh and Elies sonnes 1 Sam. 2. 25. And Amaziah 1 Sam. 2. 25. 2 Chron. 25. 16. 2 Chro. 25. 16. The vse hereof serueth first to perswade all that are themselues Christian rebukes necessary religious that they be ready to reproue and admonish all their brethren of their sinnes if they see any hope of reformation for hereby they shall performe a worke most charitable in stopping them in their course of sinne whereby they incurre Gods wrath and runne headlong to their owne perdition and this duetie is injoyned Leu. 19. 17. Leu. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke him and not suffer him to sinne Iam. 5. 19. 20. Iam. 5. 19. 20. Which who so performes shall be blessed Pro. 14. 25. Vnto Pro. 24. 25. him that rebuketh the sinner shall bee pleasure and vpon them shall come the blessing of goodnesse Secondly it teacheth all with patience to heare the word We must patiently heare the word of reprehension of admonion and reprehension when they offend and not onely patiently but also thankfully seeing it is a meanes to restraine from vs Gods wrath heauie judgements It is a potion which howsoeuer it is bitter yet it helpeth to purge away the grose humours of sinne and preserueth from eternall death It is a corrasiue indeed but yet profitable because it draweth out the core of our corruptions It may bee displeasant at first when we are awaked out of the sweet sleep of carnall securitie but wee shall haue little cause to be offended with him that hath rouzed vs vp seeing this sleepe endeth in death Thirdly it sheweth the extreame folly of those who rage The folly of such who rage against those who reproue them against Gods Ministers when they reproue and reprehend them for their sinnes thinking themselues neuer worse then when they are vnder the censure of the word and neuer better at ease then when they may sleepe securely in their sins without reproofe Such are sicke of the spirituall Lethargie they delight in this easie sleepe that bringeth death and cannot indure to be rouzed vp though it be the onely meanes to preserue life and recouer health And howsoeuer they seem so wise in their owne conceits that they need no admonition yet let them know that wisedome it selfe calleth them fooles Pro. 12. 1. Though they hould their owne course to be best Pro. 12 1. yet they are wanderers out of the way of life Prou. 10. 17. Pro. 10. 17. Though they thinke them selues secure and safe yet they are branded to destruction Pro. 29. 1. As appeareth in Pro. 29. 1. the example of Hophni and Phinehas 1 Sam. 2. 25. Who 1. Sam. 2. 25. are said not to haue harkened to their fathers admonition because God would slay them The second thing to bee obserued is that it is a matter of That it is extreamly
dangerous to stop our eares against admonition extreame danger to stop our eares against the admonitions and reprehensions of Gods ministers seeing for the manifold contempt of his word the Lord will take it from vs suffer vs to runne on in our sinnes without stop into eternall perdition When Gods seruants had often reproued the wicked Israelits for their sinnes and they would not be reclaymed at last he forbids them to rebuke them any more After Ezechiell had often inueighed against the sinnes of his times Ezech. 33. 32. and was no otherwise respected but as a musition to make them sport at last God causeth his tongue to cleaue to the roofe of his mouth Ezech. 3. 26. When the Prophets had and 3. 26. many times set before the people the spirituall foode of their soules and they loathed and scorned it at last the Lord sendeth a famine Amos. 8. 11. When the Iewes will not Amos. 8. 11. heare Stephen reprouing them nor Paul calling them to repentance the Gospell shal be taken from them and giuen to the Gentils Act 22. 21. When men are often reproued for Acts. 22. 21. their ignorance injustice and filthinesse and will not be reformed at last they shall heare that fearefull sentence he that is ignorant let him be ignorant still he that is vniust let him bee 1. Cor. 14. 38. vniust still he that is filthie let him be filthie still Apoc. 22. 11. Apoc. 22. 11. The vse hereof is that we doe with all reuerence and patience heare the admonitions reprehensions of Gods Ministers that we suffer our selues to be ruled by the scepter of the Word and in the ministerie thereof lay our harts open to be battred bruised and wounded with this hammer and sword of the spirit that so wee may bee conuerted from our sinnes and returne vnto the Lord when as hee calleth vs. Psal 95. 7. 8. To day if yee will heare his voyce harden not Psal 95. 7. 8. your hearts Let vs open the dore to our beloued when hee knocketh least he depart from vs. Can. 5. 2. 6. Let vs seeke Can. 5. 2. 6. the Lord whilest he may be found and call vpon him whilest hee Esay 55. 6. is neere Otherwise if we haue often beene instructed and admonished and will not be reformed but hate admonition and those also that doe admonish vs it will come at last to passe that the Lord will cause his Ministers tongues to cleaue to the roofe of their mouthes prohibite them to reproue the sinnes of the people and so giue them ouer vnto a reprobate sense that they may without any impediment runne on in their sinnes to their eternall perdition The third thing to be obserued is that howsoeuer we are To whom the dutie of admonition is to be performed injoyned in the Scriptures to admonish one another yet this duety is not to be performed vnto all neyther is this spirituall seede rashly to be cast in euery place but onely in such grounds where in some probabilitie of reason we may expect fruit For if we know that they haue often ben admonished of their sinnes and are nothing bettered but rather despise and scorne rebukes wee are to let them alone and leaue them to Gods judgements for by reprouing such we purchase shame and hatred Prou 9. 7. 8. If we see that notwithstanding Pro. 9. 7. 8. they haue had the meanes of their conuersion they continue wallowing in the filthy sinck of sinne we are not to cast these precious pearles before such swine least they tread them vnder their beastly feete If we see that they are desperate Ruffians which will snarle against our reproofes and in the pride and malice of their hearts bee ready to flye in the face of those who admonish them of their sinnes we are not to giue those holy things to such Ban-dogs as our Sauiour hath taught vs. Mat. 7. 6. For as Christ would not Math. 7. 6. haue his word prophanely scorned so he would not haue his seruants indangered nor his spirituall Physitions to hazard their liues in seeking to cure such franticke Bedlems whose diseases are desperate but rather leaue them to be brought to the knowledge of themselues by the three-stringed whip of Gods judgements But yet wee are not thus to take it as though onely those Who are to be reproued were to be admonished and reproued who shew some inclinable disposition to amendement and they to be let alone who liue in their outragious sinnes and giue at first sight no hope of reformation for admonition and reproofe is a speciall meanes sanctified by God for their conuersion the hammer to batter their stony hearts and the best tamer of these Lyons Beares Leopards and Cockatrices as appeareth Esa 11. 4. 6. 7. But onely those are exempted who hauing Esay 11. 4. 6. had these meanes often applyed doe contemne and despise them and those who in respect of their frantick maliciousnes cannot be reproued without great daunger to the partie who performeth this duetie Lastly we may obserue that the Lord doth condemne That it is desperate wickednesse to contend with those who justly reproue vs. it as a signe of desperate wickednesse in the people when as being rebuked for their sinnes by Gods Priests Prophets and Ministers in stead of laying these admonitions to heart that they may be reformed they expostulate with them cast in their teeth reproaches and challenge them of the like faults or greater then those which they lay to their charge And thus dealt Dathan and his associates with Moyses and Aaron Num. 16. Ahab with Elias 1 King 18. 17. The Num. 16. 1 King 18. 17. Iere. 18. 18. 19. Amos. 7. 10. Mat. 12. 24. Israelites with Ieremy Ier. 18. 18. 19. Amaziah with Amos. Amos 7. 10. And the Scribes and Pharasies with our Sauiour Christ Mat. 12. 24. The which sinne is so grieuous in Gods sight that in the Law hee did commaund that it should be punished with death Deut. 17. 11. 12. And in this Deu. 17. 11. 12 place with a more fearefull judgement by taking away from the people the meanes of their conuersion and saluation and suffering them securely to goe on in their sinnes to their perdition The reason is because it is an vtter subuersion of Gods ordinance when the people being rebuked doe retort reproofes vpon their teachers as if the hand or foote should take vpon them to guide the eye the childe rebuke the father the patient direct the Physition the Scholler check his Scholemaister or the sheepe expostulate with the shepheard besides howsoeuer in respect of their persons they are of meane condition and full of infirmities and imperfections yet in their office and ministerie they are gods ambassadours whose words cannot be despised without contempt offered against the Lord himselfe as our Sauiour hath taught vs. Luk. 10. 16. Luk. 10. 16. The vse hereof serueth to moue all
Israell whereby all hope of restitution was vtterly cut off The last thing expressed is the time of these calamities in these words in the day and in the night The words are originally to day and to night whereby he signifieth first that their punishments should be very sodaine and speedy and secondly that they should be continuall one following in the neck of another as the day doth immediately follow the night As though he should say I will speedely destroy the people in their sinnes and although I do not presently attach with my judgements the false Prophets because the people must beare the first brunt of the war yet hauing done with the one I will immediately begin with the other vntill I haue made an end of all because all haue joyned together in this rebellion And this is the meaning of the words The Doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First we may obserue that They who wil not be admonished shall be destroyed those who cannot indure to be admonished of their faults nor reproued for their sinnes by Gods true Prophets but rather desire to bee soothed and flattered in their wicked wayes by false and lying seducers shall fall into the pit of Gods fearefull judgements So it is said Prou. 29. 1. A man Prou. 29. 1. that hardeneth his necke when he is rebuked shall sodainely bee destroyed and cannot be cured Examples hereof we haue in 1 King 22. 26. 2 Chron. 25. 15. 16. 23. 27. Esay 30. 10. 13 2 Thes 2. 11. Ahab 1 King 22. 26. 27. 34. In Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 15. 16. 23. 27. In the people of Israell Esay 30. 10. 13. And in the limmes of Antichrist 2 Thes 2. 11. The reason hereof is manifest for admonition and reprehension are the meanes to bring the sinner to repentance repentance is the principall meanes to preuent Gods judgements those therefore who refuse the meanes of amendement continue obstinately in their sinnes and so remaine continually liable to deserued punishments Gods Ministers are the spirituall Physitions who cure those who are diseased with sinne by ministring vnto them the wholesome preseruatiues of admonition and the bitter potions of reprehension rebuke If therefore these medicines be applyed there is hope of recouerie but if the patient contemne the Physitions counsell and refuseth to take these wholesome medicines but rather hearkeneth to some vnskilfull Empericke who promiseth cure without any trouble to the patient such a one is neere death and destruction because he cannot be cured as the wise man sheweth Prou. 29. 1. Prou. 29. 1. The vse hereof serueth first to moue all men willingly to hearken vnto admonitions and patiently to beare reproofes seeing it is a notable meanes sanctified by God for our amendement that so we may escape Gods heauy judgements An example hereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 141. 4. 5. Who would not eate the delicates of the wicked but desireth Psal 141. 4. 5. that the righteous should smite and reproue him because their rebukes were as a precious Balsamum to cure his spirituall wounds of sinne Secondly it serueth to perswade all Christians with chearfulnesse to performe this duetie of admonition and reprehension seeing it preserueth their brother from death and destruction for if we are bound when we see the beast of our enimie endaungered to relieue him by keeping him from running into the ditch or by helping him out being fallen how much more are we bound in conscience to helpe the person not of our enimie but of our neighbour yea of our brother and to preserue him by our Godly admonition from falling in the pit of vtter destruction This duety God requireth Leu. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine Leu. 19. 17. heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne And is commended as a singular work of charitie Iam. 5. 19. 20. Which who so performeth howsoeuer Iam. 5. 19. 20. for a time he may be suspected as an enimie or taken for a rigorous troublesome friend yet in the end he shall bee preferred before the most pleasing flatterers as appeareth Prou. 28. 23. Hee that rebuketh a man shall finde more Pro. 28. 23. fauour at the length then he that flattereth with his Tongue Lastly it serueth to shew the miserable condition of this The impatiencie of men in these daies to heare reproofe land and state which abounding in sinne is notwithstanding impatient of reproofe and is so desperately setled in wickednesse that it is now more daunger for a godly man to reproue sinne then for offenders to commit it Neyther are priuate men alone discouraged from performing of this dutie with the taunts and violence of the wicked ones but euen Gods faithfull Ministers are so hampred if they freely and plainely reprehend the iniquities of the times that except the word of God be as fire in their bowels which cannot be smothered they take little pleasure in censuring sinne or in being the Lords heraulds to denounce his heauy judgements Yea so vnmeasurably are Gods ambassadours restrayned from deliuering the word of reproofe that euen Stageplayers may more freely and safely scoffe at the vices of great offenders then Gods Ministers may sincerely reprehend them out of Gods word Seeing therefore wee are growne desperate in sinne and impatient of reproofe what remaineth but that with the Israelites we fall into the pit of Gods fearefull judgements The second thing to be obserued is that not onely the The Prophets who seduce the people shall perish with them people who liue in wickednesse but also the Prophets who seduce them or boulster them vp in their sinnes shall fall into the pit of Gods judgements in the day of his visitation So the Prophet Ieremie threatneth Pashur the sonne of Imner the Priest that because hee had preached lies he and Ier. 20. 6. and 23. 31. all that belonged to him should dye in captiuitie Ier. 20. 6. So the Lord threatneth that in his wrath hee will come against the Prophets which haue sweete tongues seducing the people with pleasing Lyes Chap. 23. 31. So when the false Prophets bore the people in hand that they should not serue the king of Babell for this their sinne in seducing the people and the sinne of the people in giuing credit rather to them then to the true Prophets the Lord denounceth destruction both against the Prophets and people Chap. 27. Ier. 27. 15. and 14. 14. 15. 16. 15. See Chap. 14. 14. 15. 16. The Prophet Ezechiell likewise threatneth the false Prophets that because they proclaymed peace where the Lord denounced warre played the dawbers in couering the faults and sinnes of the people with vntempered morter that they and their worke should both perish Ezech. 10. 14. And in generall the Lord deliuered Ezech. 13. 10. 14. this denunciation by the same Prophet that if the watchman seeing the sword comming did
mercy we injoy in that we are the Church of God and haue his word and Sacraments amongst vs. For if we securely rest in these titles and priuiledges and thinke it sufficient that we haue the kingdome of God amongst vs but bring forth no fruits of it nor liue like his subjects but the vassals of Sathan this kingdome shall likewise be taken from vs and giuen to a nation which will bring forth the fruits thereof If we continue in our sinnes loose our first loue and will not repent and amend our Candlestick shall be remoued if wee remaine stubbornely rebellious and will not endure admonition and rebuke the Lord will destroy our mother as here he threatneth the Israelites and make vs like the Churches of the Iewes and Asia Secondly it serueth for the confutation of the Papists The Church of Rome no true Church of God who invest their mother the Church of Rome in the royall ornaments of her ancesters grace her with their titles and priuiledges and aduance her aboue others in the glorious chaire of antiquitie But seeing she hath fallen from her first loue and repenteth not seeing she hath voluntarily excluded her selfe out of Christs kingdome and will not indure to be gouerned by the scepter of his word but hath seruilely submitted her selfe to Antichrist and is content to take his marke and beare his yoke seeing she hath banished out of her Gods pure worship the ministerie of his word and hath wholy corrupted and depraued his Sacraments and now worshippeth Idols Saints Angels their breadden God of the Aulter and if they worship the true God at all yet not according to his word but after their owne wils in humaine inuentions and traditions and seeing they are so desperately resolued to continue in these their sinnes that they will here of no admonition but rebuke their reprouers yea persecute vnto the death all that labour to reclaime them it is hereby manifest that long agoe they are ceased to be the spouse of Christ and are now become an infamous harlot euen the whoore of Babilon they are no more the Church of God but the Sinagogue of Sathan and slaues of Antichrist For if the Church of Israell who had Gods law couenant promises and all royall prerogatiues ceased to bee the Church when as they did wholy degenerate and abandoned Gods pure worship and if those famous Churches mentioned in the new testament planted by the Apostles themselues making the like apostacy were subiect to the same punishment then what can priuiledge the apostate Church of Rome which is wholy degenerate from her ancestours both in puritie of doctrine and holynesse of manners and conuersation from the like fearefull judgement seeing she hath matched them yea and exceeded them all in desperate and audatious wickednesse ANd so much concerning the second bill of inditement and the sentence thereto annexed Now followeth the third bill and sentence which from the 6. verse to the 11. verse are intermixed one with the other wherein hee inditeth accuseth and condemneth the whole body of the Church and common wealth both priests and people and this he doth first joyntly and after more particularly he setteth downe both the sinnes and punishments of the Priests and people But I will speake of them as they lie in order Verse 6. My people are destroyed for want of knowledge Verse 6 Because thou hast refused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt bee no Priest to mee and seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children In which Exposition words he doth more particularly exaggerate that sinne of omission whereof he accuseth them verse 1. namely that there was no knowledge of God in the land by shewing that not onely the people but also the priests who should instruct them were vtterly destitute of this knowledge and withall specifieth Gods reall controuersie and particular punishments which he was purposed to inflict vpon them In handling whereof we will first consider of their sinne and then of their punishment Their sinne and punishment are joyntly expressed in these words My people are destroyed for want of knowledge Their sinne was want of knowledge or ignorance of God and his true Religion the which sinne did lye heauie both vpon the Priests and people vpon the Priests not onely in that they were culpable of the same ignorance of which he speaketh afterwards but also as they were causes of the peoples ignorance and consequently accessary to their destruction For whereas they were bound by Gods law and ordinance to instruct the people in the knowlegde of God and his true religion for which they had great honour and large maintenance allowed them they seazing vpon the reward and wages vtterly neglected the duty either through their owne ignorance because they could not or through their idlenesse or maliciousnesse whereby they would not informe them in the knowledge of Gods truth but suffered them to run headlong to their destruction So likewise this sinne of Ignorance did lye heauy vpon the people for howsoeuer the Priests vtterly neglected their duety in teaching and instructing them yet the people were not hereby excused First because they willingly suffered themselues to bee hud-winckt by their Priests and were contented to be nuzled in ignorance by these blinde guides chusing rather to goe on securely in their sinnes without admonition or reproofe then to be troubled by any meanes in their euil courses Secondly because though the Priests neglected their duetie yet they had Gods Prophets sent vnto them to informe them in the knowledge of gods truth whom they despised and refused to heare as hath beene shewed Thirdly in that they had the word and Law of God written deliuered vnto them out of which through painfull reading and meditation they might haue attained vnto some knowledge So that their case was vnlike the case of the Gentiles who had onely the light of nature and so remained in ignorance because they wanted the meanes of sauing knowledge whereas they had the law and oracles of God committed vnto them the which were faithfully expounded vnto them by Gods Prophets but they neglected the reading of the Law and contemned the admonitions and instructions of the Prophets and so were ignorant because they would be ignorant and loued the darknesse of errour better then the light of Gods truth And this is Emphatically implyed whereas the Lord doth say not the people but my people that is this my people with whom I haue made my Couenant and vnto whom I haue giuen my Law and sent my Prophets to instruct them in my truth euen they are destroyed for want of knowledge The punishment inflicted both vpon Priests and people is destruction whereby we are to vnderstand not onely that temporarie destruction of their body state and country by their enimies but also their spirituall and euerlasting destruction both of body and soule for as it is eternall life to Iohn 17.
all other our sinnes so namely in this horrible abuse of his benefits in the securitie and hardnesse of our owne harts vntill he attach vs by death and call vs to a reckoning before his seate of judgement hovv vve haue spent and vvhat vse vve haue made of his talents vvhen as not being able to answere one vvord vve shall be bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darknesse where shall be vveeping and gnashing Mat. 25. 30. of teeth ANd so much concerning the third sinne vvhereof the Priests are convicted and condemned and the punishment denounced against it The last sinne which particularly is laid to their charge is their greedy luxuriousnesse whereby they were vvholy addicted to pleasures and pampered themselues with ease and belly-cheare in the meane time neglecting the maine dueties of the Priesthood vvhereby they should haue glorified God and preserued from destruction both themselues and those also which vvere committed to their charge And because they could not maintaine this profuse luxurie vvithout great commings in and extraordinarie gaines therefore they vsed all wicked and vnlawfull meanes to inrich themselues both by neglecting the duties of their callings which God required and committing grieuous sinnes which in his word he had forbidden And this is contained Verse 8. They eate vp the sinnes of my Verse 8 people and they lift vp their minds vnto their iniquitie In vvhich words is set downe a maister sinne and his attendant The maister sinne is luxuriousnesse in these vvords they eate vp the sinnes of my people The attendant is vnlawfull avarice in these words following and they lift vp their minds vnto their iniquitie In the handling whereof we are first to Exposition shew the meaning of the words and then the doctrines which arise out of them And first vve are to enquire vvhat is meant by eating the sinnes of the people for the vnderstanding vvhereof we are to know that in many places of the Scripture sinne is put for the sacrifices vvhich vvere offred for sinne So Exod 29. 14 Exod. 29. 14. But the flesh of the Calfe and his skinne and his dung shalt thou burne with sire without the boast it is sinne that is a sinne Offering So Leu. 10. 17. Wherefore haue yee not eaten the Leu. 10. 17 sinne that is the sinne offrings in the holy place And in this sense Christ is said to be made sinne for vs. 2 Cor. 5. 21. that 2. Cor. 5. 21. is an oblation for our sinnes for the satisfying of his fathers justice and the appeasing of his wrath In which signification we are here to take it so that by eating the sinnes of the people is meant the eating of their sacrifices vvhich were offred for their sinnes But it may be demaunded how this is imputed vnto them as a sinne to eate these sacrifices seeing it was the portion of the Priests which was allotted vnto them by gods own commandement as appeareth Leu. 6. 25. 26. 29. Vnto vvhich Leu. 6. 25. 26. 29. I answere that they sinned in that these sacrifices did not belong vnto them seeing they were appropriated vnto Gods true Priests and Leuites vvhich instructed the people and vvorshipped God in the Temple at Ierusalem according to his commandement But these vvere Ieroboams Priests chosen out of the basest of people of other Tribes vvho being ignorant themselues vtterly neglected the duty of teaching the people neither did they offer the sacrifices in the place appoynted for Gods vvorship but in the high places of Dan and Bethell Secondly in that in these sacrifices they aymed not at the glory of God nor the good of the people not at Gods glory for they did not so much offer these sacrifices that God thereby might be worshipped and serued as that they might hereby serue their owne turnes and make large prouision for their owne bellies neyther did they respect the peoples good for so they would bring store of Sacrifices oblations vvhereby they might haue abundance of prouision to mainetaine them in idlenes and voluptuousnesse they were content to vvinck at their corruptions to flatter them in their sinnes to be altogether silent in admonitions and reproofes and to perswade them that though they liued in their sinnes yet God would be well pleased and fully satisfied if they brought their sacrifices to make their attonement Whereby the people were moued to goe on in their sinnes without repentance and to rest in the deede done as though that were sufficient for their saluation By vvhich their doctrine and practise they vtterly peruerted the right end and vse of the Sacrifices which were instituted of God to bring the people to repentance and faith For first when the beast was to be slaine they were injoyned to lay their hands on the head thereof that hereby they might acknowledge and professe that themselues had by their sinnes justly deserued that death which the poore beast suffered yea euerlasting death of body and soule to the end that hereby their hearts might be pricked and their consciences wounded with the consideration of their sinnes and the apprehension of Gods justice and seuere wrath against them and so be brought to mourne and bewaile their sinnes past and to a setled purpose and resolution not to fall into them againe for the time to come For which end also God appoynted these sacrifices as a certaine mulct and penaltie for sinne that by this cost and charge they might be restrained from committing these sinnes vvhich must be thus dearely expiated Againe wheras it vvas impossible that the bloud of Buls and Goats should purge away sinne hereby they vvere brought as by certaine types vnto Iesus Christ who was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the vvorld by whose bloud alone they were to haue redemption and remission of sinne But this doctrine they eyther knew not or knowing it they concealed it as making much against their profit and taught the people to rest in the outward Sacrifices as in the deede done whereby they were not restrayned but rather incouraged to liue in sinne seeing such easie remedies vvere prouided for them And hence it is that the Lord vseth this metaphor of eating the sinnes of the people to signifie their eating of the sacrifices offered for sinne because whilst they receiued their offerings they wincked at their sinnes neuer giuing them any admonition or reproofe but rather incouraging them in their wickednesse by putting them in hope of pardon for the oblations sake they hereby turned their sacrifices into sinne and might fitly be sayd to feed vpon the sinnes of the people which they swallowed in silence for their owne profit And thus haue I shewed their luxurious pampering of themselues in ease and bellie-cheare signified in the first words Their greedy auarice vvhereby they maintained themselues in these luxurious courses may partly appeare by that which hath beene saide but is more plainely expressed in the words following And they lift vp their mindes
The last thing to be obserued is that he saith he will reward God judgeth vs according to our outward actions them according to their deeds Whence we learne that in the execution of Gods punishments and judgements he doth not proceed according to mens thoughts and intentions nor yet according to their speaches and words but according to their workes and actions so that it will not auaile vs when God commeth to visite and judge vs to say that we haue had many godly resolutions religious intentions and a good meaning nor yet that we haue said Lord Lord and made a goodly profession of religion and godlinesse if we haue beene profane and vnjust in life and conuersation and haue not done the will of our father which is in heauen Mat. Mat. 7. 21. 7. 21. Seeing the Lord will reward vs not according to our thoughts and words but according to our deeds and works Not that the Lord will in judgement neglect the thoughts and words of the godly to reward them and of the wicked to punish them for the Lord seeth all things Iob. 42. 2. He Iob. 42. 2. searcheth the heart and reines Ier. 17. 10. And hee iudgeth Ier. 17. 10. euen the very secrets of men Rom. 2. 16. And it is also sayd Rom. 2. 16. that men shall giue an account of euery idle word at the day of judgement Mat. 12. 36. But this is vnderstood that the Mat. 12. 36. Lord will principally in giuing sentence in dispensing of his punishments and rewards respect our works and actions So it is said Rom. 2. 6. That God will regard euery man according Rom. 2. 6. to their works So Mat. 16. 27. it is said that the Sonne of man Mat. 16. 27. shall come in the glory of his father with his Angels and shall giue to euery man according to his deeds And the Apostle telleth vs that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which he hath done in his body whether good or euill 2. Cor. 5. 10. So likewise 2. Cor. 5. 10. our Sauiour Christ setting down the forme of the last judgement sheweth that the sentence shal be pronoūced according to their workes Mat. 25. 35. 42. From whence we are not Mat. 25. 35. 42 to gather with the Papists that as wicked men are condemned for the demerit of their euill workes so the godly are saued for the merit of their good works seeing there is not the like reason in that they are absolutely euill but these not absolutely good and perfect and therefore cannot justifie nor saue vs before Gods judgement seate they being imperfect but onely a liuely faith which doth apply vnto vs Christs perfect righteousnesse But for as much as this faith is a spirituall grace and not outwardly seene therefore the Lord to take away the brags of hypocrites who would boast of that faith which indeede they haue not and to approue vnto all his righteous judgements in dispensing of his rewards and punishments doth not judge according to the roote of faith which is hidden but according to the fruits of good works which are open and manifest The vse of this doctrine is that we do not with ignorant We must not content our selues with our good meanings people content our selues with our good meanings nor with hypocrites rest in glorious speaches and in a goodly profession of Religion but that wee labour to approue both our good intentions and outward profession to be indeed sincere and vpright by our holy practise and actuall obedience For not euery one who saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of the father which is in heauen Mat. 7. 21. Not the hearers of the Law but the doers Mat. 7. 21. thereof shall be iustified Rom. 2. 14. Not they that are bare Rom. 2. 14. Luke 11. 28. hearers of the Word but they which heare it and keepe it are blessed as for those who are professors of pietie and workers of iniquitie they shall be separated from Christ and from his glory Mat. 7. 23. Mat. 7. 23. Secondly it serueth to shew the miserable estate of the The miserable estate of the wicked wicked in the day of Gods visitation who shall haue a proportion of punishment according to their sinnes for if euery sinne deserue euerlasting death seeing Gods infinite justice being offended cannot be satisfied but by an infinite punishment what a fearefull measure of condemnation is prepared for those who shall beare the punishment of their sins which are innumerable of which they haue made an vsual and common practise ANd so much concerning their punishment generally expressed In the next place it is particularly specified Verse 10. For they shall eat and not haue enough they shall Verse 10 commit Adulterie and shall not increase because they haue left off to take heede to the Lord. In which words he doth proportionate The expositiō a punishment to their sinne and withall adjoyneth another cause of all the euill which he brought vpon them The punishment proportionable to their sin is that whereas they bent their whole indeauour to pamper the belly and to passe their dayes in all voluptuous excesse the Lord threatneth that they should spend all their labour in vaine for eyther they should not attaine to that plenty which they so earnestly desired or though they had abundance yet he would with-draw his blessing and make all vnprofitable so as they should finde no contentment in any thing which they injoyed and whereas they exceedingly desired to haue store of children vnto whom they might leaue that abundant wealth which they had couetously scraped by the wicked abuse of their office and Priest-hood that so they might perpetuate their names and continue an euerlasting memory of themselues in their posteritie and because they could not haue so many children as they desired in lawfull marriage therefore gaue themselues to vnlawfull lusts and multiplyed their adulteries that so at least they might increase a bastardly broode who might succeed them the Lord threatneth that he would crosse them in this their wicked purpose also for howsoeuer they multipled their whoredomes for increase yet their posteritie should not hereby bee multiplyed but their name should perish notwithstanding all their wicked deuices to continue it and their wealth which they desired should be injoyed by their children should all come into the hands of strangers The meaning then of these words is this that because these Priests cared not what wicked meanes they vsed so they might accomplish their desires therefore the Lord threatneth to crosse and curse them in all their impious designes so as they should by no meanes attaine vnto their euill purposes More particularly because they were addicted vnto all manner of wicked auarice that being inriched they might spend their time in voluptuous pleasures he therefore
of the same Saint negiected and disregarded Secondly their excuse is vaine seeing this is that Idolatry which is so much condemned in the Scriptures for the Israelites when they worshipped Images did professe that they did not worship the Idols of wood and stone but God in them so when they made a golden Calfe in the wildernesse they had therein a respect to God who brought them out of the land of Aegypt and professed that in it they worshipped the true Iehouah as appeareth Exod. 32. 4. 5. So Exod. 32. 4. Micah his mother saith that shee had dedicated the siluer vnto the Lord to make a grauen and moulten Image Iud. 17. 3. Iudg. 17. 3. So Ieroboam hauing made the golden Calues saith behold O Israell thy Gods which brought thee out of the land of Aegipt 1 King 12. 28. that is the Image and similitude which representeth 1 King 12. 28. the true God neither would any haue beene so sottish as to beleeue that the Calues which themselues had lately made had freed their fore-fathers out of their captiuitie And as we haue heard the people worshipped not the Image of Baal but God in the Image and therefore the Lord saith they should no more call him Baali Chap. 2. ver Hos 2. 16. 16. Yea euen the heathens themselues thus excused their Idolatrie as Austine witnesseth Non ego illum lapidem colo In Psal 96. adoro quem video sed seruio ei quem non video Quis est ille Numen quoddam invisibile quod praesidet illi simulachro that is I doe not serue and worship that stone which I see but I serue him whom I doe not see And who is hee a certaine invisible and Diuine power which hath the charge of that Image The vse of this Doctrine is first that we laude and magnifie We must laud Gods name for freeing vs from popish idolatry the name of our gracious God who hath freed vs from this more then Aegyptian darknesse of Idolatry and superstition and hath placed vs in his Goshen and true Church where by the cleare shining light of his Gospell he hath dispelled these foggy mists of sottish ignorance and hath plainly discouered euen to the eyes of little children those doltish follies with which the wisest of their fore-fathers were blinded and misllead Secondly it serueth to admonish vs that we doe not with the vnthankfull Israelits desire to returne againe into this We must not desire to return into this Romish seruitude Egyptian seruitude because we would injoy those pompous pleasures which the aduocates of Rome doe offer vnto vs but that we rather make choise of the afflicted way of gods truth which wil in the end bring vs to the heauenly Canaan And to this purpose we must auoide not onely the grosest kindes of Idolatrie and superstition but also all the pettite sorts therof yea we must carefully flye the meanes of idolatrie as will-worship society with Idolaters especially in that neere bond of mariage ignorance of Gods true religion whereby wee make our selues like blind men which may easilie be led any way and as it were an easie pray to be deuoured of those locusts the Priests and Iesuits which are come out of the bottomelesse pit Lastly we are hereby admonished to imbrace and loue We must loue Gods truth if we would not be seduced with Papists delusions the truth which the Lord by the Ministers of his word hath in such plentifull manner and measure deliuered vnto vs least for the contempt of his Gospell he giue vs ouer to strong delusions and to beleeue lyes which seduction is a certaine forerunner of eternall condemnation as the Apostle sheweth 2 Thes 2. 11. 12. And whilest we make profession of the 2. Thes 2. 11. 12. Gospell let vs labour to bring foorth the fruits thereof in holinesse and righteousnesse least the Lord doe cause his kingdome to be taken from vs bestow it vpon some other nations who will be more fruitfull for what should they doe Mat. 21. 43. with the light who wilfully shut their eyes against it and to what purpose should they injoy the Gospell of righteousnesse who in their liues bring forth nothing but the fruits of iniquitie The third thing to be obserued is that the Lord condemneth That it is an haynous sinne to vse diuination it as an haynous sinne to consult with idols and to vse diuination for direction in time of daunger or for knowledge of future things which are contingent And this may further appeare both by Gods earnest prohibitions of the vse of these vnlawfull arts and by the punishments threatned and inflicted vpon the offenders The Lord hath straightly forbidden them Deut. 18. 10. 11. Let none be found amongst you Deut. 18. 10. 11. that maketh his sonne or daughter to go through the fire or that vseth Witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of Foules or a Sorcerer or a Charmer or that counsaileth with spirits or a Southsayer or that asketh counsaile of the dead for all that doe such things are an abhomination vnto the Lord c. The punishment denounced is death Exodus 22. 18. Exod. 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue So Leu. 20. 27. If a man Leu. 20. 27. or woman haue a spirit of Diuination in them they shall dye the death c. The which punishment was accordingly inflicted by Saul 1 Sam. 28. 3. 9. And by Iosias 2 King 23 24. The 1 Sam. 28. 3. 9. 2 King 23. 24 execution of which punishments the Lord taketh vpon himselfe if the Magistrates neglect it as it is Mich. 5. 12. I will Mich. 5. 12. cut off thine Inchanters out of thy Land Besides which temporall death the Lord denounceth death eternall consisting both in the separation from the joyes of heauen as appeareth Apoc. 22. 15. and also in the torments of hell fire as Apoc. 22. 15. and 21. 8. it is Chap. 21. 8. The like may be said of them who consult with diuiners That it is a great sinne to consult with Witches Leu. 19. 31. and aske counsaile of them for as they joyne together in their horrible sinne so they shall not be disioyned in their punishments Their sin is forbidden as haynous Leu. 19. 13. Ye shall not regard them that work with spirits neyther Southsayers yee shall not seeke to them to be defiled with them I am the Lord your God Their punishment denounced by God is death and seperation from the Church of God as appeareth Leu. 20. 6. The which punishment was inflicted vpon Leu. 20. 6. Saul for consulting with the witch of Endor 1 Chr. 10. 13. 1 Chro. 10. 13 And vpon Ahaziah for asking counsaile of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron 2 King 1. 3. 4 2 King 1. 3. 4. The vse hereof serueth to reproue many amongst vs who when either themselues or their friends
them to see their sinnes or bring them to repentance Where hee taketh away an objection vvhich might bee made by the hipocrites namely that it would not stand with the justice of God to deale so seuerely vvith the people for they had a good meaning in all their deuotions and if they fayled in the manner of vvorshipping God it was through ignorance and therefore to bee excused To which objection the Prophet seemeth to answere that they were ignorant indeede and by reason hereof they fell into all manner of sinne but their ignorance did not excuse their faults neyther was it selfe to bee excused seeing they contemned the meanes of knowledge and remayned ignorant because they would be ignorant and affected the darknesse of superstition more then the light of Gods truth The punishment denounced is that they shall fall that is because they are indocible and will not by any meanes bee informed in the right course therefore the Lord will giue them ouer to their owne blindnesse of minde that so they may goe on in their superstition and Idolatryes and remaine perplexed in their reprobate errours vntill at length they stumble and fall into the pit of vtter ruine and destruction And this is the meaning of the words The Doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First we here learne that it is a fearefull judgement of God vpon eyther a Common wealth or familie when as hee suffereth sinne and wickednesse It is a fearefull judgement when God doth not restraine vs from sinne by his chastisements to abound and doth not restraine men by his punishments nor reclaime them by his corrections And contrariwise that it is a signe of Gods loue and fatherly care ouer those whom hee doth chastise with manifold afflictions for their sinnes that so hee may reclaime them from their euill wayes whereas if they should flourish in their wickednesse it would be a notable meanes to hearten them in their sinne and to make them securely to goe forward in their euill courses without euer calling themselues to a reckoning And this may appeare both by testimonies of Scripture by Examples and by Reason For the first the Apostle Paul sayeth that the Lord doth suffer with long patience Rom. 9. 22. the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne that is hee suffereth them to goe on in their sinnes without punishment that when they abuse his patience and long suffering as incouragements in their wickednesse hee may haue just occasion to manifest his power and wrath in taking due vengeance on them So when the Israelites did goe on in their sinnes and would neyther bee reformed by his mercyes nor his judgements hee threatneth that hee will correct them no more Esay 1. 5. Wherevpon it would follow Esay 1. 5. that being left vnto themselues they would desperately and securely liue in sinne for when as God doth not visite men for their sinnes they goe forward in them as though they should neuer bee called to a reckoning as it appeareth Ecclesiast 8. 11. Because sentence against an euill worke is Eccles 8. 11. not executed speedely therefore the heart of the Children of men is fully set in them to doe euill So the Lord rendreth this reason why the people did not reuerence nor feare him nor remember him nor his word Esay 57. 11. Is it not saith Esay 57 11. hee because I hold my peace and that of long time therefore thou fearest not me But on the other side it is a notable signe of Gods mercy It is an notable signe of mercy when God correcteth vs for sinne and loue when as hee crosseth vs in our wicked courses and will not suffer vs to prosper in our sinnes that being by these afflictions discouraged in our euill wayes wee may returne backe and preuent his heauy judgements by true repentance To this purpose the Apostle sayth that when wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Corinth 11. 32. And 1. Cor. 11. 32. therefore hee maketh it a signe of Gods loue and an argument of our adoption when as wee are chastened of the Apoc. 3. 21. Heb. 12. 6. 10. 11. Lord. Hebrew 12. 6. Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne whom hee receiueth And on the other side concludeth that those who liue in sinne and are not chastised they are bastards and no sonnes For as impunitie causeth these to goe on in wickednesse to their destruction so affliction howsoeuer for the present it is not ioyous but grieuous yet it is profitable because it helpeth to mortifie our sinnes and bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised as it is Hebrewes 12. verse 10. 11. This also appeareth by examples When the Sodomites The former doctrine confirmed by examples liued in their sinnes hee suffered them still to injoy their pleasures and abundance and neuer reclaymed them from their wickednesse by his chastisements but suffered them to continue in their sinnes till the cry of them ascended into heauen and called for that last and fearefull vengeance whereby they were vtterly destroyed So hee suffered the Cananites to possesse that pleasant land which flowed with Milke and Honie in great peace and securitie till the measure of their sinnes being full hee powred out vpon them the full Viols of his Wrath. So Diues liued in all pompous pleasures till Death brought him into hell torments And thus Iob doth at large describe the great prosperitie of the wicked euen to the time of their funerals Iob. 21. 7. to the 13. And Dauid often obserueth Iob. 21. 7. 8. how exceedingly the wicked flowrished in their wickednesse euen to their vtter destruction Psal 37. 35 and Psal 37. 35. 73. 3. 4. 5. 12. 73. 3. 4. 5. 12. c. But the case of Gods Children and Seruaunts is farre otherwise for vvhen they sinne the Lord doth chastise them for their amendment and will not suffer them to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction Wee read but of one sinne which Noah committed that is to say his sinne of drunkennesse and yet the Lord punished it by exposing him to the derision of his owne wicked sonne so wee read but of three crimes which holy Dauid fell into though hee were a King exposed to manifould tentations his adulterie murther and pride in numbring the people and yet the Lord suffered none of the three to goe vncorrected for hee punished his adulterie committed in secret with anothers mans wife by letting his sonne defile his concubines in the sight of all the people his murthering of his seruant with the death of his child and by not suffring the sword to depart from his house his numbring of the people by an exceeding plague and pestilence so that if Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart doe but step
a side out of the way of righteousnesse the Lord is readie to whip him into it againe by the scourge of afflictions and that not for want but in the abundance of his loue because hee should haue no incouragement to goe on in sinne which would bring him to destruction And this Dauid himselfe well knew and therefore saith that before hee was afflicted hee went astray but being afflicted hee kept Gods word Psal 119. 67. And therefore hee saith that it was good for him that hee had beene afflicted seeing hereby hee had Psal 119. 67. and 94. 12. learned Gods statutes verse 71. And Psalme 94. 12. Hee pronounceth them blessed whom God doth chastise and teach in his Law So the Lord telleth Dauid that if his sonne Salomon sinned hee would chasten him with the rod of men but his mercy should not depart from him 2 Sam. 7. 14. giuing vs to vnderstand that hee will not let his children escape 2. Sam. 7. 14. in their sinnes without correction and yet neuerthelesse remaineth mercifull vnto them Finally howsoeuer the gentiles were suffered to goe on in their idolatrie and to flowrish in their sinnes yet as soone as his owne people Israell did leaue his pure worship and follow Idols hee did seuerely punish them as appeareth Exod. 32. and in the History of the Iudges and Kings Exod. 32. Lastly this appeareth by cleare euidence of reason for The former doctrine prooued by reasons as impunitie is a manifest signe that God giueth men ouer to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction because he denyeth them the meanes whereby they might come to the sight of their sinne and vnto true sorrow for it so it is a good signe that God loueth vs as his Children when hee vseth vs like his Children that is correcteth vs for our faults and affordeth vnto vs the meanes whereby wee may bee reclaymed Wee are so blinded with carnall securitie and selfe loue that wee cannot see our transgressions and iniquities and afflictions are that sharpe but yet soueraigne water which helpeth to the recouery of our sight when as therefore the Lord denyeth to afflict vs liuing in sinne what doth he else but leaueth vs to our own naturall blindnesse to goe on in our sins till we fall into the pit of destruction They are those precious salues which serue to draw out the core of our corruptions and those wholesome though vnpleasant potions whereby wee are purged from our sinnes when as therefore the Lord afflicteth vs hee intendeth to cure and purge vs but when he with-holdeth these meanes his purpose is to let vs fester and rot in our sin and to let vs abound in these grose humours which will bring the sicknesse and death of the soule vnto vs they are those purging fires which purifie vs from the drosse of our corruptions and therefore when the Lord casteth vs into them his purpose is to make vs pure gold fit for his treasurie of eternall happinesse but when he letteth vs alone in the drosse of our sinnes his meaning is to let vs rust and canker and to cast vs away as refuse siluer The vse hereof serueth to confute the vaine bragges of The Papists confuted who glory in the outward pomp of their church the Papists who boast of the glory pompe riches and the flourishing estate of their Church vsing it as an argument of Gods loue towards them and of the truenesse of their Church and Religion that they are blessed with great prosperitie and on the other side objecting the crosse and manifold persecutions which the professours of the Gospell are subject vnto as a reproach to their Religion But seeing so many sinnes are not onely committed but also tollerated yea defended and countenanced in that Church their immunitie from afflictions and punishments can bee no signe of Gods Loue but rather that in his heauie displeasure hee hath giuen them ouer as a desperate cure and because by no meanes they vvill bee reclaymed from their Superstitions Idolatryes Adulteries and other enormious crimes that therefore they are giuen vp to a reprobate sense and to their owne filthy lusts that so committing sinne with greedinesse they may treasure vp against themselues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God And the like vse also may secure Worldlings make of this Doctrine who blesse themselues in their sinnes because they are not crossed in their euill courses seeing nothing ought to bee a greater terrour vnto them then this that the Lord leaueth them to themselues and with-holdeth from them this wholesome meanes of their amendement Lastly it serueth for the comfort of Gods Children when as they are sharply afflicted for their sinnes seeing this is no signe of Gods hatred and of their rejection but rather of his Loue and Fatherly care ouer them which causeth him to lay vpon them these chastisements that hereby they may bee reclaymed from their sinnes and not suffered to runne on in their euill courses to their destruction The second doctrine which wee here learne is that if If we dishonor God he will dishonour vs. wee doe neglect our dutie to GOD hee will make those who owe vs dutie to neglect this dutie when we most expect it and if wee dishonour him by our sinnes hee will cause vs to bee dishonoured and disgraced not onely by our enimies and strangers but also by our nearest and most familiar friends So because the people of Israell who professed themselues the spouse and children of God did by forsaking the Lord their husband and father and adhaeâ—ing vnto Idols grieuously dishonour his holy name the Lord layeth vpon them a proportionable punishment that their wiues and daughters should neglect to them all loue conjugall duties and filiall obedience whereby they should not onely inwardly bee vexed and grieued in their minds but also outwardly in their names be exposed to infamie and reproach The like example wee haue else where in the booke of God when Noah neglected the duty of temperance and sobriety towards God his wicked sonne C ham neglected the dutie of reuerence towards him When Elie was so indulgent towards his sonnes that hee would rather displease God by suffering them to dishonour his name then hee would displease his sonnes by giuing them due correction whereby they might haue beene reclaymed from their sinnes they neglected all dutie to their father contemned his holy admonitions and so brought shame and reproach vpon the whole familie For the Lord caused in one day not onely the glory to depart from Israell when the Arke was taken which chiefly redounded to the dishonour of Elie who then was the Iudge of Israell but also tooke away his sonnes which were to be the glory of his house and togeather with them the office of the Priesthood and so made him inglorious both in the Common-wealth Church and in his owne priuate familie The like may be sayd of Dauid who
sinne and Necessarie ignorance extenuateth faults not the euill of punishment alone as some haue imagined yet it doth excuse other faults and sinnes and also lesseneth the punishment It doth excuse wholie a fault before men when as it is committed through necessarie ignorance all meanes of knowledge being wanting but before God it doth not wholy excuse and acquite vs for the reasons aboue alledged but onely in part and as the schoolemen speake it freeth vs à tanto non à toto that is it lesseneth our sinne and punishment but doth not wholy take them away so our Sauiour saith that the seruant that knew not his maisters will and did commit things worthy of stripes should not altogether escape vnpunished but should bee beaten with fewer stripes Luke 12. 48. And that Tiâ—e Luke 12. 48. and Sidon who wanted those meanes of knowledge which Corazin and Bethsaida neglected should not altogether be acquitted in the day of judgement but more easilie punished Math. 11. 21. Mat. 11. 21. But yet this also is to be held with this caution and reseruation Ignorance as it is the punishment of sinne excuseth not that wee vnderstand it onely of primarie and simple ignoraunce and not of that necessarie ignoraunce which is a just punishment of sinne namely when as men being enlightned with the knowledge of God and his truth are for with-houlding of this truth in vnrighteousnesse and not louing nor imbracing it giuen vp of God to a reprobate sense to blindnesse of minde and to bee seduced and besotted with errours and stronge delusions Which was the case of many of the Israelites in this place of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 18. 28. and is the state of many Rom. 1. 18. 28. 2. Thes 2. 10. 11. in these dayes as it was foretould 2 Thes 2. 10. 11. For this ignorance is so farre from excusing other sinnes that in it selfe it is damnably desperate for howsoeuer in regard of the absence of meanes it is for the present necesarie yet if wee respect the first causes thereof it is wilfull and obstinate Now whereas it may be objected that the Apostle saith The meaning of Acts. 17. 30. vnto the Gentiles that the Lord did not regard the times of their ignorance Act. 17. 30. wee are to know first that it is not taken simply but comparatiuely that hee did not regard so much their sinnes committed in the time of ignorance as those which they should commit after the manifestation of his truth and secondly that the speach is not legall shewing what God would exact in the rigour of his justice but Euangelicall namely that hee would not impute those sinnes of ignorance vnto them but bury them in Christs death and obedience so that now they would imbrace him as their Sauiour by a liuely faith and bring forth the fruits hereof in vnfained repentance forsaking their former ignorance and the sinfull fruits thereof and labouring after knowledge and holy obedience The other kinde of ignorance which is affected and voluntary when as men continue ignorant because they neglect and contemne the meanes of knowledge offred vnto them is so farre from excusing other sinnes that it doth much aggrauate them as being it selfe in a desperate degree of sinne and also the cause of much other wickednesse for therefore they refuse to know their maisters will because Psal 36. 3. they are desperately resolued not to obey it and will not vnderstand because they will not bee hindered in their course of wickednesse Of such the Psalmist speaketh Psal 36. 3. Hee hath left off to vnderstand and to doe good or least hee should doe good And as this doth aggrauate mens sinnes so also it doth increase their punishment and augment the fearefull measure of their condemnation But of Verse 1. 6. of this Chapter this I haue already spoken and therefore I will here passe it ouer The vse hereof is that wee doe not labour to hide our sinnes vnder this broken vaile of Ignorance or extenuate our faults by pretending that if wee doe offend it is because wee are ignorant and know no better for our ignorance after that wee haue so long injoyed the light of the Gospell cannot bee necessarie but voluntary and wilfull because wee neglect or dispise the meanes of knowledge and therefore this ignorance will not excuse vs but rather aggrauate both our sinne and punishment Lastly wee here learne that when the Lord hath vsed God giueth ouer those who dispise the means of their conversion all meanes both by his word and works his benefites chastisements and more gentle punishments to bring a people to Knowledge Faith and Repentance and they neuerthelesse neglecting and contemning these meanes doe continue in wilfull Ignorance grose Infidelitie and secure Impenitencie then the Lord will giue them ouer to their owne wicked courses and suffer them to fall head-long both into the euils of sinne and the euils of punishment For Example hee will giue them ouer to the blindenesse of their mindes to runne on in Errours Heresies Superstition and Idolatry to the perversenesse of their wils to refuse the good and chuse the euill to their owne vile affections to commit such abhominable wickednesse as nature it selfe though much corrupted abhorreth and detesteth and euen to a reprobate sense that they may heape sinne vpon sinne and treasure vp against themselues wrath against the day of wrath And when hee hath often assayed fatherly corrections and light afflictions to amend them and they will not bee reformed hee will cause them to bee ouertaken by his fearefull plagues and heauie judgements and in the end plunge them into the gulfe of destruction and eternall condemnation An Example hereof wee haue in this place for when the Israelits would not vnderstand nor bee reformed neyther by Gods Word nor works his mercies nor iudgements the Lord caused them to fall and to be ouer-whelmed with most fearefull punishments When the Gentiles would not serue God according to that light of nature which hee had giuen vnto them hee gaue them vp to their owne vile affections and to a reprobate minde Rom. 1. When the Lord giueth vnto men Rom. 1. meanes of knowledge and they refuse instruction then hee will pronounce that fearefull sentence 1 Cor. 14. 38. If any 1 Cor. 14. 38. man bee ignorant let him bee ignorant If hee long affordeth the meanes of regeneration and yet men continue in their vnrighteousnesse and naturall corruptions hee will leaue them to themselues and passe vpon them that difinitiue sentence Apoc. 22. 11. Hee that is vniust let him be vniust Apoc. 22. 11. still and hee that is filthy let him bee filthy still If hee in his patience and long-suffering doe giue vnto sinners long time of repentance and also graciously affordeth vnto them the meanes of their conversion then is there nothing to bee expected but vtter destruction and desolation if by all these meanes they will not
bee no remedie as it is said Chro. 36. 14. 2. Chro. 36. 14 The vse hereof serueth first to confute the practise of the Brownists who leaue and forsake the Church of Christ for some small spots and little wrinkles their Ministers refusing to preach and the people to heare in our congregations But herein they nothing resemble the Lord whose children they would seeme to be who when the Church of Israel had made a feareful apostasie from Gods true religion and was wholly defiled with superstition idolatrie and all wickednesse and obstinately continued in these sinnes notwithstanding the manifold and continuall meanes which the Lord vsed to call them to repentance yet still hee sendeth his Prophets vnto them to teach admonish and reproue them that they might be brought to amendment and when as they desperately perseuered in sinne and were now past all hope of recouerie he causeth his Prophet to admonish the Iewes to auoid their sinnes and punishments when as their state also was exceedingly corrupted Secondly it serueth for our comfort and incouragement The Lord hath mercy in store for those who forsake their euill waies if that now at the length we will forsake our euill waies and take hold of the meanes of our conuersion whilest God offereth them vnto vs. For howsoeuer wee are sunke deepe in our rebellion and haue many waies prouoked Gods wrath continuing in our sinnes notwithstanding the Lord hath afforded vs such plentifull meanes to bring vs to amendment yet if now wee will begin a new course and consecrate our selues to the seruice of God there is assured hope of pardon For yet the Lord waiteth that hee may haue mercie vpon vs Esa 30. 68. yet he patiently granteth vnto vs the meanes of our conuersion and wee may assure our selues that if hee be so gratious when as wee obstinately perseuere in sinne hee will be much more mercifull if we turne vnto him by true repentance But on the other side if wee contemne so great a mercie of God we shall haue a more fearefull iudgement laid vpon vs for laesa patientia furor the greater Gods patience is which wee despise the more furious reuenge hee will take on vs in the day of his visitation Rom. 2. 4. 5. The second thing to be obserued is that Gods Ministers Rom. 2. 4. 5. ought not to surcease their paines in their Ministerie though The Ministers must not surcease their paines in the Ministerie they plainly discerne that the estate of the people committed to their charge is altogether desperate and past hope of recouerie For though there were no apparance of hope at home yet he is painfully to persist in the worke of the Ministerie that hee may conuert those who are abroad and want the preaching of the word that so hee may helpe to gather those into the Church which are elected and increase the number of the faithfull as much as in him lieth So when the Israelites to whom our Prophet was sent were past cure he laboureth to conuert the Iewes vnto God And so when the Iewes desperately refused the meanes of their conuersion and saluation the Apostles ceased not their labours but turned to the Gentiles and by their painfull preaching endeuoured to conuert them vnto the faith For howsoeuer our hearers profit not there is a necessitie that lieth vpon vs and a fearefull woe denounced against vs if we preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 16. Whatsoeuer bee the successe of our labours wee 1. Cor. 9. 16. are charged as wee will answere it before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing that we preach the word and be instant in season and out of season and that wee improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Whether the people 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. will heare vs or no we must tell them of their sinnes and giue them warning of Gods approching iudgements and then though they die in their sinnes yet wee haue discharged our dutie and shall saue our owne soules Ezech. 33. 7. 8. 9. Ezech. 33 7 8 9. Those reprooued who surcease their paines in the Ministerie The vse hereof serueth to reprooue those who surcease their paines in the worke of the Ministerie because they cannot see the fruite of their labours but contrariwise finde that the more diligently they preach vnto their people the more obstinately they contemne the meanes of their saluation lothe the food of their soules and persist in their impenitencie For the neglect of other mens duties must not be an argument to make vs neglect ours but rather should make vs more earnest in the worke of the Ministerie Neither doe we know whom nor when the Lord will call the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth and the Lord who hath the hearts of all in his hand can make those who were lions Esa 11. and beares and wolues yesterday to become this day gentle as lambes innocent as doues and of mockers of his word he can make zealous conuerts of persecuting Saul a preaching Act. 2. 13. 37. Act. 9. Paul Besides though they had certaine assurance that they should neuer conuert a soule of those people which are committed to them nor build vp any one in the faith of Christ yet are they not discharged of their worke nor hereby haue receiued a priuiledge of idlenesse seeing when these who haue often heard them doe obstinately stop their eares there are perhaps others who would willingly haue the benefit of their Ministerie And though there were not yet must we preach the word euen when wee are assured that it is the sauour of death vnto death because the Lord who hath set vs on worke and will surely pay vs our wages is as well glorified by executing iustice against obstinate sinners as by shewing mercie to those who are by his word moued to repentance and amendment of life The third thing to be obserued is that as al men had need The danger of euill neighbourhood to be admonished of their waies in the ministerie of the word so especially those which liue neere vnto wicked and vngodly neighbours who by their manifold inducements allurements and euill examples are alwaies readie to seduce them out of the way of righteousnesse into the way of sinne For this was the case of the people of the Iewes in this place who being themselues corrupted had the wicked Israelites for their neighbours who by all meanes were ready to draw them more and more from God into the bywaies of sin and wickednesse and therefore the Lord thought it good and necessarie to stop them in these euill courses not only by the admonitions of their owne Prophets who were purposely sent vnto them but also causeth our Prophet who was sent to the Israelites to admonish them to beware of being corrupted by their euill example So when the
nor cast yee your pearles before swine lest they treade them vnder their feet and turning againe all to rent you And secondly because there is much more danger that they will make vs worse then hope that we shall make them better For sooner will these incurable leapers taint vs with their leprosie of sinne then we shall cleanse them by our best approued medicines and being so deepely infected with the plague of wickednes that the markes and tokens of death and destruction appeare vpon them there is no shew of hope that we should restore them to their spirituall health but there is great cause of feare lest they infect vs with their contagion It is true indeed that though their pestilent vices were apt to taint vs yet if we were not as apt to be tainted there were no such great danger but here it is far otherwise for as their poisonous contagion is fit to infect vs so in respect of the grosse and corrupt humours of sinne which remaine euen in all those who are regenerate we are as apt to receiue the infection and therefore we haue small reason to thrust our selues into their companie when it euidentlie appeareth that their diseases are desperate and past our cure Againe if we haunt the companie of wicked men and entertaine The euils that redound to those who frequent euill companie neere familiaritie and friendship with them either we must be silent when we see their faults or else admonish and reproue them if we smother them in silence and can be content to heare and see God dishonored then do we shew our want of the loue of God and zeale of his glorie haue a manifest argument against our owne soules that wee are none of his children for what sonne hauing any naturall affection in him can heare his father slandered and abused and hold his peace yea and we shew our hatred also against the partie what shew of loue soeuer we pretend if we neglect seasonable admonitions and reproofes and become accessaries to his sins as the Lord plainly implieth Leuit. 19. 17. Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy hart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne On the other side if we reproue desperate sinners we shall not onely cast these holy things vnto dogs and pearles before swine who will treade them vnder their vncleane feete but we shal our selues bee endangered lest like furious bandogs they turne againe and all to rent vs either by rayling speeches and vnciuill taunts or by open violence and desperate furie If we like of their wicked courses wee are not much better then they if they be irkesome and grieuous vnto vs why do we by haunting their companie seeke our owne sorrow The vse of this doctrine serueth to teach vs that vnder no colour of excuse we frequent the company of such who are so far spent in the sicknesse of sinne that there is no probable hope of their recouerie for seeing they are strong in euill we weake in good they wholly corrupt we but in part regenerate they striuing with all the powers of their heart mind and soule to draw vs vnto their sinnes and we faintly opposing either to perswade them from their wickednesse or to stand in our owne vprightnesse in a word seeing wee labour against the streame in our course of righteousnesse and they haue both winde and tide in their course of sinne let not vs grapple with thē foolishly imagining that we can force them vpward seeing vpon so much aduantage as they haue against vs they are much more likely not only to hinder our progresse in godlinesse but to carrie vs with them downe the streame of vice and wickednesse ANd thus much concerning their sinnes of idolatrie against the first table In respect of the second they sinned two waies First against themselues by intemperance Secondly gainst their neighbours And these sinnes were either common to all the people to wit their whoredomes and vncleannesse or peculiar to their Magistrates namely their bribing and extortion Al which are comprised in these words Vers 18. Their drunkennesse stincketh they haue committed Vers 18 whoredome their Rulers loue to say with shame Bring ye Or thus Their drinke putrifieth and stincketh or as others reade Their drinke is refractarious rebellious they continually commit whoredome their Princes loue to say with shame Bring yee Which words are not in number so many as are The exposition the interpretations diuers which are by diuers Expositors giuen of them but I will propound only those which seeme most probable and insist in that which best agreeth with the drift of the Prophet and circumstances of the place Some expound these words allegorically vnderstāding by drinke or drunkennesse that they were made spiritually drunken with their vnbridled loue of superstition and being thus besotted they committed spirituall whoredome that is idolatrie without shame But as I take it allegories in expounding the Scriptures are like oathes in speech neuer good but when they are necessarie Besides he had spoken of their desperate loue towards their idols in the former verse comprehending vnder it the sinnes of the first table and therfore it is not likely that in this breuitie of speech he doth inculcate and reiterate the same thing but rather vseth a new argument to disswade the men of Iuda from frequenting their company namely because they were guiltie of the breaches of the second table also of which he giueth three instances to wit their drunkennesse adulterie and briberie vnder which he compriseth all the rest But let vs come to more particulars Their drunkennesse stincketh or their drinke putrifieth and stincketh as the word heere vsed signifieth Which words amongst many others haue these three interpretations Some reade thē thus Their Drusius in Hosea drinke is gone backe namely from his first quality and condition and so sowreth and corrupteth for in the proper and Sur. primary signification the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to goe backe Whereby they vnderstand by a metonymie of the cause that they were gone backe and degenerate from their first state of integritie and had made a defection from God according to that Esay 1. 22. Thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is Esa 1. 22. mixt with water But as I take it this doth not so well agree with the scope of the Prophet nor fitly cohereth with the words following as after shall appeare Others reade them thus Their wine is refractarious or Iunius rebellious that is vnderstanding them by the same metonymie their excessiue drinking of wine and strong drinke maketh them refractarious and rebellious according to that Prou. 20. 1. Wine is a mocker and strong drinke is raging that Pro. 20. 1. is it maketh men to mocke and rage And this translation is very probable first because the word may well beare it for strong drinke maketh men refractary and to
wicked and discountenancing of the iust for the cleering or acquitting of the faultie and for the condemning of the innocent And this is the meaning of the words The doctrines which wee learne out of them are these first that drunkennesse The do ∣ ctrines is an odious and loathsome vice which strinketh in the That drunkennesse is an odious sinne nostrels of God and men It is abominable to God as in many other respects so especially because the drunkard maketh his bellie his god vnfitteth himselfe for all duties of Gods worship and seruice and most grosly and vngratefully abuseth his good creatures to the furthering of him in wickednesse as I haue elsewhere more largely prooued So likewise it is loathsomely stinking before men for not only do they offend mens eyes in beholding their filthie cariage and behauiour and their eares by their foolish railing or ribald speeches but also their smell for their noisome sluttishnes euen infecteth the aire and their very breath is a strong argument to make this sin odious so that though there were no impietie in it yet wee were to abhorre it because it is so loathsome The vse hereof is the same which the holy Ghost maketh in this place namely that it serue for a strong disswasion to restraine vs from such companie as are addicted to this sinne of drunkennesse for not only are they to be auoided as wicked 1. Cor. 5. 11. men both in regard of this sinne it selfe and all other abominable wickednesse which is the vsuall fruite thereof lest accompanying them we be allured to ioyne with them in their sinne but wee are to auoid these liuing carrions because they infect the aire with their breath and annoy their companie with their loathsome slutrishnes The second thing which wee here learne is that wee are We must carefully auoid the companie of adulterers with like care to auoid the companie of such as are addicted to the sinne of whoredome though wee had no other reason to restraine vs. For this the Lord himselfe vseth as an effectuall reason in this place to disswade the men of Iuda from accompanying the Israelites because they continued in the sinne of whoredome wherewith they were likely to taint and infect those who entertained neere familiaritie with them The force of which reason will more cleerely appeare if we consider not onely that the euill example of vncleane persons both by their ribald words and vnchast behauiour is apt to corrupt and that in regard of our pronenesse and naturall inclination to this vice wee are as apt to be corrupted but also that adulterers haue many wiles to beguile vs many baites to allure vs and impudent foreheads in venturing to giue the assault to our chastitie as appeareth in the example of Iosephs Mistresse who hauing gotten the aduantage of his companie solicites him to this sinne in a plaine and shamelesse manner in Lots daughters who came to that height of impudencie that they shamed not to intice their owne father in the people of Israel inueigled with the Numb 25. 1. alluring charmes of the cursed nations in Ammon defiling his owne sister and in the shamelesse harlot described in the 2. Sam. 13. Prouerbs who hauing inticed a yong man to come into her companie vsed such an art of lust to abuse him and so many bewitching inticements to allure him that at last hee yeelds vnto her and followes her as an oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes as it is Prou. 7. 10. 11. 13. 21. 22. Prou. 7. 10. 11. The vse hereof is that if wee desire to preserue our chastitie we auoid the companie of adulterers and vncleane persons seeing in it self it is sufficient to corrupt vs and to make vs copartners with them in this sinne For as there needeth no bellowes to blow the fire when it toucheth gunpowder because the one is no more fit to fire then the other to be inflamed so there needeth no other helpe to inflame the heart with lust then the touch and familiar acquaintance of vnchast persons because as they are fit with the fire of their lust to inflame vs so wee carrie in our selues such combustible matter as is no lesse readie to take the fire to be inflamed Thirdly we here learne that it is one of the highest degrees That it is an high degree of wickednes to be in loue with sinne of sinne when as we doe not only fall into wickednesse but also grow into loue and liking with it for this is the sinne of the Princes of Israel in this place who did not only bribe but also tooke delight in bribing and not only said but loued to say Bring yee Which as it argued that they had brasen faces so also that their hearts were rotten and wholly corrupted with sinne So long as the sicknesse is seated in the outward parts only there is great hope of recouerie because whilest the heart is whole and sound it ministreth and conueigheth life spirits and strength to the exteriour members whereby they are inabled to incounter the disease and in the end to expell it and get victorie but if it haue once seazed vpon the heart and taken thorough possession of it there is no hope of any recouerie so whilest our spirituall diseases of sinne enter no further then the imaginations thoughts words or outward actions our hearts continuing sound in their integritie vprightnes there is assured hope that they ministring continually spirituall life and strength to all the rest of the regenerate parts they will in time expell the corrupt humours of sinne and obtaine a full conquest ouer these spirituall diseases but if sinne haue taken possession of the heart so that hauing committed it we like and loue and highly value it in our affections then remaineth no hope of recouering spirituall health or of escaping death and vtter destruction vnlesse the Lord cure vs by miracle and taking away the corrupted heart out of our bodies doe giue vnto vs new hearts which are sound and vpright It is the top of our perfection and the farthest progresse which we can make in Christianitie when we cleaue vnto the Lord with all our hearts louing him intirely and our neighbour for his sake and when being inflamed with the fire of this holy loue we labour to performe all good duties vnto them both and take our chiefe delight in this performance and so contrariwise it is one of the deepest degrees of sin when we set our hearts vpon it and loue it as our dearest darling and not only willingly transgresse Gods commandements but also delight in our transgression The first is an euident signe of the childe of God though hee haue neuer so many infirmities and imperfections the latter an apparent token of the childe of the diuell though hee be graced with neuer so good a nature neuer so many counterfeit morall vertues neuer so glorious a shew of honestie and ciuilitie It is
or by saying Lord haue mercy vpon vs for we are all sinners or by making some counterfaite shew of repentance in their sicknesse or when they lye vpon their death beds as also it refuteth the doctrine of the Papists who so lightly esteeme of sinne that they teach it may be done away by auricular Confession Pennance humaine Satisfactions Pilgrimages saying ouer of so many Pater-nosters Aue-Maryes and Creedes by a Bishops blessing and Popish Pardons but vve are to know that howsoeuer they esteeme of it yet it is so odious in Gods sight that no satisfaction can be made for it but by the alone sufficient sacrifice of Christs bloud in which if we haue not part our bloud will be vpon our owne heads and the guilt and punishment of our sinnes will euer remaine vpon vs. And so much for the doctrines and vses which are to be Application obserued out of these words Now in the next place we are to apply them to our owne times and to examine whether we That vnlawfull swearing exceedingly aboundeth bee not guiltie of those sinnes of which the Israelites are her conuicted and condemned The first sinne is swearing in which respect if we take a generall suruey of our state we shall finde that we may well take vp Ieremies complaint that because of oathes this land mourneth Ier. 23. 10. For the Ier. 23. 10. name of God was neuer so prophaned and blasphemed amongst the people of Israell as in this sinfull nation neither can wee finde that they euer so lightly vainely and impiously abused the dreadfull and glorious name of their Iehouah as it is abused amongst vs nay contrarywise we find that it was vsuall with them to rent their garments when they hard Gods name blasphemed which if we should do in our dayes we should neuer go in whole apparel the whole wealth of the land were scarce sufficient to furnish the people with clothes yea such a superstitious respect they had of the name of God that numbring by letters they durst not vse the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because one of Gods names was thereby expressed but in stead of them vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest the name of god should be prophaned by common vse whereas amongst vs the fearefull name of God is vsed without all respect in jests and May-games common swearing and impious cursing But the more full handling of this point I will reserue for a larger discourse of this argument And so much concerning the sinne of swearing the other sinne signified by the same word is cursing and direfull That wicked cursing is rife in these times imprecations The which sinne also doth exceedingly raigne in this our land and pulleth downe gods heauie judgements vpon vs for are men sporting themselues in their pleasures recreations if any thing crosse them in their delights what Poxes Plagues and mischeifes will their accursed cursing mouthes thunder out are they about their worldly affaires businesse if they doe not sort according to their desire what direful curses wil they vtter if they be by any accident incensed with anger they haue no readyer way to ease themselues then by belching out of their poysonous stomacks curses and blasphemies neyther is there any thing priuiledged from this their impious furie for not onely their enemies who haue injured or abused them are thought fit subiects vpon whom they may lay their heauy curses but also their friends who are neere and deare vnto them yea what soeuer commeth next to hand sometimes they thus reward their poore seruants for their painefull seruice sometimes their seelie cattell are thus requited for all the vse and benefits which they haue by them yea sometimes the children of their owne bowels haue these hellish blessings bestowed vpon them and that vpon small and trifling occasions nay such is their senslesnesse in this sinne that they are ready to curse the senstesse creatures and that oftentimes when there is no fault in them which are onely their bare instruments but in themselues who for want of heede wit or prouidence could vse them no better but let such cursers know that the The punishment of cursing curses which they haue still in their mouthes shall fall vpon their owne heads and that they are but like stones or balls cast against a hard wall which hurt it not but rebound vpon the throwers Let them remember the saying of the Psalmist Psal 109. 17. As hee loued cursing so shall it come vnto Psal 109. 17. 18. him and as hee loued not blessing so shall it bee farre from him 18. As hee clothed himselfe with cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones And well were it if hee that curseth did beare the punishment of his owne sinne himselfe alone but it is otherwise Cursing maketh the common wealth liable to Gods iudgements for where cursing aboundeth it causeth the Lord to proclaime a controuersie with the whole land and to inflict vpon it his heauie judgements The which as it should forcibly restraine men from this horrible sinne because thereby they make not onely themselues but also their deare country liable to grieuous punishments so also it should moue Christian magistrates to bee carefull in the suppressing of this vice seeing where it aboundeth there the whole country lyeth open to Gods fearefull plagues The third sinne whereof the Israelits are accused is Lying in which respect if we take a view of our land wee That the sinne of lying is exceeding common in these times shall finde that neither they nor the Cretians themselues exceeded our people in this vice For looke amongst all sorts and conditions of men and it will plainely appeare that al sorts of lyes abound vaine lyes which haue no other end but to keepe their tongues in vre merry lyes for to that passe are men come that they will lie for recreation sport themselues in their wickednes officious lyes for gaine and aduantage though it be joyned with the losse of their soules yea and pernitious lyes tending to the hurt reproach and slaunder of their neighbours If we take a view of state pollicie vvee shall finde that their mixta prudentia which is so much admired and highly esteemed is nothing else but a mixture of worldly wisedome with aduantageable lying and deepe dissimulation Looke amongst our Lawyers who take vpon them to maintaine truth and justice and you shall see a common practise of lying in their false pleas and allegations joyned with an impudent facing out and discountenancing of Truth tending to the ouerthrow of justice innocency and the aduancement of wrong and oppression the which sinne is more daungerous to the state because these lyars are licensed and countenanced in their sinne and suffered to say what they will or can for their Clyent though it be neuer so false without check or controulement Examine the state of the Citie