Chap. 6. vers 5. Woe is me for I am vndone This kind of woe nothing at al or very litle concernes our present Text that other is two fold to witt a woe of instruction and a woe of destruction or in plainer termes a woe denounced and a woe executed The woe whereof I am now to treate and many moe both after and before these words As woe to them that ioyne house to house and field to field Till there be no place for others in the Land Woe to them who rise vp early to follow drunkennesse Woe to them who speake good of euill and euill of good are but warnings and so by consequent armings against that heauy woe of destruction which in the end of the Chapter is threatened by a nation that shall come from farre with arrowes that are sharpe and all their bowes bent with horses hauing hoofes like flint with Chariots hauing wheeles like whirlwinds roaring as the Lyon or as the roaring Seas Executing the iudgements of God vpon the men of Iudah and inhabitants of Ierusalem in such sort that none shall deliuer them In the dayes of security to sound out the woes of seuerity is not welcome though it be wholsome it is harsh vnto flesh and bloud vnto such as are at ease in Sion vnto such as haue made a league with death and with hell agreement vnto such as dreame of peace when there is no peace Saying to the seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not vnto vs right things but speake flattering things Esay 30. 10. But the Thundering of woe is wholsome to such as haue hearts and eares to suffer the words of exhortation It is so farre from either bringing or hastening of woe as that if it worke true repentance it doth often deferre and sometime deliuer vs from a woe hanging ouer our heads Howsoeuer the wicked had rather once feele then euer feare destruction and woe yet it is an argument of Gods infinite rich mercy who desires not the death of a sinner first to become a Preacher and then a punisher First to sound a woe before hee send a woe First to speake to vs in his wrath before hee vexe vs in his sore displeasure Psal. 2. 5. So we read that he did inioyne his Prophets to cry aloud to lift vp their voyce like a Trumpet in shewing his people their trangressions and to the house of Iacob their sinnes And Christ albeit he were the Prince of peace Esay 9. 6. did chuse some for his Apostles who were the Sonnes of Thunder so well as others who were the Sonnes of Consolation and after ascending vp on high and giuing gifts vnto men Ephes. 4. 8. He bestowed vpon his Apostles not onely clouen but all so fiery tongues Acts. 2. 3. That they might not onely direct but also correct as St. Paul speakes improue rebuke c. As Nazianzen wrote of Basil that they might lighten in their doings and thunder in their doctrines In this Chapter at the 6. verse the preachers are compared vnto cloudes I will command the cloudes that they raine no more raine vpon my Vineyard That is the pastours teachers that they preach no more When the Lord saith Augustine by the mouths of his ministers denounceth a woe then he thunders in the cloudes But when they bring the glad tidings of saluation he distilleth as it were drops of his mercy sending a ioyfull raine thaâ—… refresheth his inheritance God as an exquisite musician twines the strings of our hearts euery way that he may put vs in tune he hath a longing desire that the teares of our repentance may quench vtterly the Coales of his displeasure for albeit the Axe bee layd vnto the roote of the tree yet shall it not be hewen downe so long as there remaines any hope for fruites of amendment It is true that God if men will not turne hath his Bow bent and ready but as hee that shootes to hit another hath the string of his Bow vpon his owne breast Euen so God in drawing the Bow to shoote the bitter arrowes of his wrath against vs hath his hand on his heart and in the middest of his anger hee remembers mercy Abacuc 3. 2. Denouncing a great many woes before hee will execute as much as one woe This exceeding kindnesse and long suffering in God commendat et emendat as Augustine speakes it recommends God as a patterne teaching vs to be mercifull as our Father in heauen is mercifull Is the Lord gratious full of pitty long suffering and of great goodnesse Then I beseech you be followers of God as deere children Ephes. 5. 1. As God sayd vnto Moses Exod. 25. 40. So I say to thee fac secundum exemplar performe that which is good according to the patterne Doe not rashly iudge much lesse condemne any man before the time but expect amendment in thy greatest enemie hope the best euen of the worst although he draw iniquity with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with cart-ropes Secondly the bountifulnes and long suffering of God lead vs to repentance Rom. 2. 4. For that which is counted of man slackenesse is in God patience desiring that no man should perish but all should amend and be saued 2. Pet. 3. 9. If we shall harden our hearts and neglect the woes of instruction vndoubtedly the woes of destruction will one day come vpon vs. If we continue not onely to sinne but to delight in sinne and not only to delight in sinne but to boast of sinne and not only to boast of sinne but also to iustifie sinne As to make good euill and euill good drawing iniquity with cordes of vanity and sinne as it were with a carte rope What do we but heape vpon our selues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God The diseases of our age through a long peace grow for the most part by riot and excesse and consequently haue not so much vse of restoratiues as need of launcing and corrasiues when the woundes of the people saith Cyprian are tumentia then the preachers as good Chirurgions must open the swelling veynes of pride launce the puffed-vp impostumes of greedy desires then it is their duty to cry woe be to those that are mighty to drink wine woe be to those that are wise in their own sight woe bee to those who iustifie the wicked for reward In a word the best musicke for our times is that of the Angell Apocalyps 8. 13. Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth And because men haue despised the Prophets and stoned if not with hard flint yet with hard speeches and vsage such as haue beene sent vnto them early late Therefore God makes the very dumbe creatures to Preach and sound out his woes in the middest of a peruerse generation The foundations of the earth quaking and shaking
openly the foxes haue holes and the birdes of heauen haue nestes but the sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his head And Martin Luther a second Elias who by fire from heauen descried and described that abomination of desolation in Gods temple writes of himselfe that of all sinnes hee was euer least subiect to couetousnesse The Papists obiect often that professours of the reformed religion are Lutherans but I would to God both we and they were true Lutherans in this point I haue read that Cardinal Burbonius should say he would not leaue his part in Paris for his part in Paradise But a man of God on the contrary must account all thinges losse that he may win Christ If euery sinne be lesse or more deformed ex parte boni cui inordinate subditur as the schoole speaks then vndoubtedly couetousnesse is a most abiect sinne because goods of the world are worse then either goods of the body or goods of the mind it is but a dirty sin to loue thick clay If we may not too solicitously care for to morrow Mat. 6. 34. Then it is the serpents head and height of impiety to carke for many morrowes building our nest on high that wee may escape the power of euill to come hording vp secret treasure not only for our children but also for our childrens children as the Lawyers speake setling inheritances and making vncertaine riches which according to Gods booke haue wings as an Eagle perpetuities for euer This insatiable both intent and extent is an euill couetousnesse in Gods eye Now concerning our neighbours auarous increasing of wealth is often reported and repeated in this Prophecie to be spoyling of other which are either superiours equalls or inferiours as for superiours euill couetousnesse denyeth vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars It with-holds tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custom honour to whom honour belongeth It renders not to minister and master and magistrate that which is due by the lawes of God and man As for equals it is euill couetousnesse that occasioneth so many quarrels in law and makes so many breaches in loue As for inferiours it is euill couetousnesse that maketh a man hard hearted and fast handed toward the poore the true character of Nabal is to get much and keepe much but to spend little and giue nothing Not to run in the field of this common place beyond the bounds of our text hee that inlargeth his desires as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people he that buildeth his nest on high erecting it with blood and iniquity he that increaseth that which is not his owne and leaues so much hid treasure to his babes that all of them may liue like gentlemen and Idle men is an enemy to the Church and common weale loosing the one many good Pastors and the other many good professours and tradesmen If gallant vpstarts like nettles today peeping out of the ground to morrow perking to the top of the hedge had not bene left an opulent fortune they would haue got their liuing either by the sweate of their braynes or else by the sweat of their browes whereas now the state both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill is depriued of their industry Lastly this sinne is the roote of euill vnto our selues auarus nemini bonus sibi vero pessimus A muck worme doth no good vnto any much hurt vnto himselfe he coueteth an euill couetousnesse saith our Prophet to his owne house he sinneth against his owne soule and consulteth shame to his owne posterity It is euill vnto his house for the building of it so high vpon so bad a foundation will be the ruine thereof and make it euen with the ground so Cyrillus Alexandrinus vpon the place Posuisti nidum in alto sed miser eris et repente sub pedibus inimicorum Thy stately towers and townes ouertopping the heads of thy friends shall vpon the sudden bee trampled vnder the feet of thy foes for although all men should hold their peace yet sayth our Prophet the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the tymber shall answere it the dumbe creatures answere one another as voices in the quire and their cryes as S. Iames telleth vs enter into the eares of the Lord of hostes and the Lord cryeth although thou exaltest thy selfe as an Eagle and make thy nest among the starres yet thence will I bring thee downe for as thou hast done so shall it be done to thee thy reward shall returne vpon thy head Obadia 4. and 15 verse It is euill to his posterity for vnconscionable gaine will occasion his children to be lazie lazinesse will occasion lewdnesse and lewdnesse will occasion vtter ruine for them that honour mee will I honour and they that despise mee shall bee despised sayth the Lord God of Israel 1. Samuel 2. 30 It is euill to his owne selfe for as the liberall and mercifull man rewardeth his owne soule Prouerbs 11. 17. So the cruell and couetous sinneth against his owne soule sayth our Prophet and this euill is the worse for that it growes stronger and stronger as he growes weaker and weaker omnia vitia saith Zanchius Cum senectute sâ—…nescunt auaritia sola iuuenâ—…scit other sinnes as wee grow in yeeres are lesser and lesser only couetousnesse which Abacuc telleth vs is a kind of drunkennesse reignes in old men especially an apprentise hauing serued certaine yeeres is a free-man and a scholler hauing studied at the vniuersity seauen is a master but the couetous person is neuer a free-man or a master but alwayes a seruant and a slaue to Satan and sin deficient in euery good office concerning his naturall life ciuill life spirituall life eternall life all which is included in this one word Woe wherby the Prophet doth intimate that couetousnesse is the roote of all euill which a man suffers Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse An Angel cryed Apoc. 8. 13. Woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth inhabitantibus non accolis as S. Ambrose distinguisheth vnto such as are not onely soiourners but setled inhabitants who so dwell on earth as that they make it their mansion and heauen and neuer looke for another city which is aboue Woe to such in their life woe to such in their death woe to such after death as the godly man whose conuersation is in heauen hath the promises of the life present and of that which is to come so the worldly man who coueteth an euill couetousnesse whose minde is set on earthly things hath the punishments of the life present and of that which is to come Woe wo woe to such a one woe to his body which is a temporall wo wo to his soule which is a spirituall woe woe to both body and soule which is an eternall woe Concerning
the first Achan for his euill couetousnesse was by Gods commandement stoned to death and his wealth consumed with fire Geezi for his euill couetousnesse was striken with a leprosie that cleaued to him and his seed for euer Ananias and Saphira for their euill couetousnesse dyed disastrously Iudas for his euill couetousnesse first despaired and afterward hanged himselfe Nabuchodonosor whom our text poynts at chiefly for his euill couetousnesse was filled with shame for glory Concerning the second which is the woe spirituall of the soule If they who will be rich by common and commendable meanes fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noysome lustes that fight against the soule then how much moâ—…e doe they sinne that couet an euill couetousnesse that build a towne with blood and erect a city with the wages of iniquity The spirituall life consists in faith and repentance now the couetous being drowned in his mucke makes shipwracke of his faith and a good conscience For faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. Buâ—… the deceitfulnesse of riches as our Lord shewes Maâ—… 13 choakes the word and hinders the passage thereof hee that coueteth an euill couetonsnesse is like the deafe adder mentioned in the 58. Psalme that stoppeth her eares and refuseth to heare the charmers voice though hee charme neuer so sweetely S. Augustine expounding that place writes that this venemous serpent delighteth in darkenesse clappeth one of her eares very hard to the ground and with her tayle stoppeth the other least hearing the Marso shee should be brought to light and so the serpentine worldling which hath his mind in his chest while his body is at Church stops one eare with earth that is with insatiable desires of riches and the other with his tayle that is with his heires and posterity building his nest on high that they may escape the euill to come and so little regard the Gospels harmony though the preacher should speake with the tongues of men and Angels As for repentance the couetous is scarce brought to confesse his fault seldome to be sory neuer to restore So that hauing neither true faith in God nor due loue toward men hee cannot be but spiritually dead and as the scripture speakes without God in this world As for eternall woe torturing both body and soule you haue Diues an example Luke 16. who for euill coueting and for building his nest on high suffers in hell fire woes of losse and woes of sense woes in respect of his paynes variety woes in respect of his paines inseparability woes in respect of his paynes vniuersality for the righteous Lord reigneth vpon the vngodly snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest against their euill auarice catching and spoyling other snares against their hot lust and luxury fire and brimstone against their putting vp ambition and pride storme and tempest PROV 22. 28. Remoue not the ancient boundes which thy fathers haue made THe word of God is termed by St. Paul a two edged sword as being sharpe say the Doctors in a litteral exposition and sharpe in a sense which is mysticall also This our text is litterally construed of markestones and bounders of inheritance betweene man and man but allegorically Diuines expound it of the limits of reason and religion and so by consequent of things appertaining to pollicy and piety According to the litterall and plaine sense this Scripture teacheth vs especially 3. lessons 1. That we may possesse lands 2. That we may possesse them in priuat bounded and inclosed 3. That wee may maintaine lawfully these seuerals and inclosures For the first the earth is the Lords and all that therein is and the earth hee hath giuen vnto the sonnes of men Psal 115. 16. Hee made all things for man and man for himselfe the Creator is Lord of man and man is lord of the creatures all things are in subiection vnder his feete Psal. 8. 6. Againe Christ is heire of all things Heb. 1. 2. and in Christ all things are ours as the blessed Apostle sweetely whether they be things present or things to come all are yours and you Christs and Christ Gods and Luke 15. 31. All that I haue is thine sayd the good father to his good sonne Euery man then before men In foro ciuili may claime the things of this world by right of his birth or creation as a man but euery Christian before God In foro conscientiae hath an interest in them by right of his second birth or regeneration as a Christian as some distinguish acutely the wicked as men haue Ius ad rem but good men as Christians haue Ius in re We may possesse lands and houses and riches and yet remooue no boundes of Gods law But our care must be that they do not possesse vs. Ita tenete ne teneaminâ—… quoth Gregorie the great if we command them and honour god with them according to their name they be goods in deed wherwith we may doe good vnto all men and bee rich in good works but if once they command vs then as the poet sayd they become irritamenta malorum euen the minsters of mischiefe and as the scripture speakes the roote of all euil The Church is described Apoc. 12. to be clothed with the Sunne and to haue the Moone vnder her feete that is all earthly things which are changeable like the Moone and the churches treasure was layd downe at the Apostles feete Act. 4. 35. Hereby signifiing as Hierom told Paulinus that when riches encrease we should not set our hearts on them as Dauid doth aduise but rather that wee should trample them vnder our feet first and most seeking the kingdome of God and then vsing the world as if we vsed it not hauing nothing and yet possessing all things 2. From hence we learne that we may haue lands in priuat bounded and inclosed so that euery one may say this is mine that is thine as God in the beginning bounded the raging Sea saying hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall it stop thy proud waues So Gods law prescribes certaine limits and boundes in euery mans inheritance which he may not transgresse and remoue hitherto shalt thou goe and no further for the distinction of possessions is founded not vpon the ciuill lawes of Emperors only but vpon the Diuine lawes of God also commanding thou shalt not remoue thy neighbours marke which they of old time haue set in thine inheritance Deut. 19. 14. and Deut. 27. 17. Cursed be hee that remooueth his neighbours marke and in our text remoue not the boundes c. All which appertaine to the commandement thou shalt not steale the which in one word doth ouerthrow Platonicall and Anabaptisticall community for if all things ought to be common and nothing proper in possession how can one man steale from another and why