receiued into the Church But if neyther the ioyes of a king can induce them in time to retire nor an Emperours sorrowes yet reduce them to come hume by weeping crosse 21 Sam 12 13 with open humble acknowledgement of their offence to returne with Dauid in time Mat. 27.4 lest Iudas Peccaui come too late Then let the Maiestrate by whose negligence this sect monstrously swelleth with daylye increase in diners parts of the land Haue an eye this waye lest foolish pittie spoyle a citie and pester a comon wealth with a people full of blasphemies against God and not all void of treasons against the King Dionisius the Bishop of Alexandria for bare not to tell Nouatus to his teeth that the sinne is greater to breake the vnitie and peare of the Church â—…seb in â—…ta Const than to commit Idolatrie And reasoning a paena in the example of Chore that quoth he was punished with the sworde but this with the yawning of the earth Et non dubitatur scaeleratius esse commissum quod grauius erat vindicatum That saith hee was more haynously committed which was more heauily punished And now to the thirde circumstance namely the manner of Gods comming in these wordes His glorie couereth the Heauens Which as you see are discerned from the former parte of the texte Psa 3.2.4.8 by this worde Selah full oft obserued in the booke of Psalmes Psa 4.2.4 and seruing in the old Church for the singers direction in the change of their voyce or tune Psa 9.16.20 But here Psa 31.4 as I take it Psa 49.15 standing as an important note to moue both attention and affection Psa 68.19 and no meruail for the matter in hand is weightie Men haue written much of Xerxes fourth comming with his Nauies Alexander with his Armies and Salomon in his royaltie their fame flewe farre and their puissance was renowmed yet were they but men whose breath was in their nostrels their power was limitted their arme was but flesh their pomp was but a flower soone changed into dust yea all was but vanitie and lighter then vanitie it self But when God commeth foorth the heauens melted and the earth shooke saith Dauid euen as Sinay also was moued at the presence of the God of Iacob Psa 68.8 For nowe the Heauens and firmament by violent fraction and rupture of the clowdes seemed to burst in sunder and the fearfull lightenings and roaring thunderclaps did rend the bending sides of the skie the darke wallowing clowdes skirmishing in the ayre did driue away with vehement course Psa 77.17 as shunning most fearfully the sight of this presence Yea the smothering mount in the rage of the tempest did cast foorth sparckling vapours and flashings of fire like another Aetna or an image of hell thus God commeth from Teman and thus came the holy one from mount Paran Againe the people stricken with astonishment stoode trembling about the hill not daring to aproch but quaking crye vnto Moses Obe thou our spokesman or else we dye The rattling sharme of the Trumpe calling on and summoning apparance seemed to resemble the daye of doome when the heauie sentence goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire shall be denounced against the wicked Yea Mat. 25.4 the Sunne was turned into bloud the foules forsooke the light the beasts of the field sought succour among the dennes of the Lyons and euery creature else that could crall away sought a place or corner where to hyde his head and thus God commeth from Teman and thus came the holie one from mount Paran Furthermore the Lawe it selfe by a Sub paena inforcing a strict and absolute obedience in worke worde and thought euen vnder paine of death â—eu 28.15 and eftsones bewraying the priuation of originall Iustice reuealing sinne discouering the impuritie of nature and displaying the verie frame of mans heart â—en 6.5 altogether out of course and out of measure wicked Nowe shee hurleth curses and nowe shee heapeth woes Nowe shee poureth out wrath and nowe shee plungeth sinners and consequently dendunceth the heauie sentence of condemnation against all flesh And thus God commeth from Teman and thus came the holy one from mount Paran The ende and vse of his thus comming was to strike the heartes of this people with a reuerend regarde and holye feare of his most glorious name and presence to shewe what in iustice hee might challenge at ours handes and the impossibilitie on our parte to perfourme it in the least part thus to bring all men to the knowledge of sinne and that thus the Lawe might scoole vs vnto Christ Gal. 3.24 where I praye doe not mistake mee to laye these imputations to the Lawe as properly the cause of sinne God forbid For as saith the Apostle the Lawe is pure Rom. 7.12 the Lawe is holye and the Lawe is good But in that shee increaseth sinne in that shee is the mynister of death c. it is per accidens and in our default For euen as men deformed in their bodies and blemished in their faces while they be compassed with darkenesse are not discerned from others but the light once appearing dooth by and by bewraye their ouglinesse and shewe them in their kinde and yet the cause not in the light but in them selues So the Lawe is our light and glasse poincting out our coruptions and deformities of nature and yet the cause not in the glasse but in the flesh not in the Lawe but in our nature And thus you haue heard how God commeth from Teman and the holie one from mount Paran Now where Moses calleth the Law Iugum ferreum a hard a heauie Iron yoke Deur 28. â— Christ calleth the Gospell Iugum suaue a sweete a light easie yoke Mat. 11.3 Wher Esaie calleth the Law Virgam exactoris The rod of the oppressour Esa 9.4 Michea calleth the Gospel Virgam pastoris Mich. 7.14 the rod of the Shepheard where vnder he guydeth his flock in the pastures of comfort and conducteth them to the waters of life Where Ieremie tearmeth the Lawe Mallens dissipans petram Ier. 23.29 The hammer that grindeth the rockes to powder Psa 45.6 Dauid calleth the Gospell Sceptrum Regni The Scepter of the kingdome wherewith Christ in all lenitie and mildnes gouerneth in his Church Esa 42.3 not once breaking the brused reed nor yet quenching the smoking flar Where S. Paul calleth the Lawe Ministram mortis The minister of death He saith 2. Cor. 3. â— the Gospell is Ministratio vitae The administration of life So that God is nowe come to vs not from Teman but from heauen not from mount Paran but from mount Sion not in the sharme of the trumpe denouncing death Heb. 12. but in the sound of the trumpe proclaiming life not in the shrill voice that cleaueth the mountaines 〈◊〉 Re. 19.11 but in the
God and wilfully runne headlong vpon the pykes of his displeasure Whereupon he is constrained to procéede to execution of iustice against their rebellion and to this end as an instrument for the nonce stirreth vp Nabucadnesser the great king of Babell who in rage and furie with his Caldean armie inuading their countrie most lamentably sacketh spoileth the land of Iudea with fire and sworde and marching on with his cruell band towarde the holie Citie when by length of siege he had filled her families with famine and hunger her streetes with howling wringing of hands at the head of euery corner Ier. 19.9 at length he razeth her walles entreth the Citie with a fearefull alarme fiereth her pallaces spoyleth the temple maketh Ierusalem an heape of stones 2. Re. 25.7 and after sundrie presidents of other fearfull cruelties carrieth away both Prince and people captiues to Babilon All which desolations to befall the Church and to ouerwhelme Gods children our Habacuk foreseeing in the spirite of a Prophet to his no small greefe God wot and obseruing withall the flourishing estate and wished successe of the Chaldeans that godlesse and cursed nation thus insulting and triumphing ouer Gods people a thing to his seeming no lesse wonderfull and strange in this wofull instance of the vnequall lot of the godly and the wicked in this worlde Iob. 21.7 the godlye commonly languishing in myserie Ier. 12.1 the godlesse contrarily flourishing in felicitie Psa 73.3 he goeth about to tread the Laberinth and assayeth by reason to found the depth of Gods councels in this so harde a case But when the helpes of Nature will not reach the height of these iudgements at last as a â—an at his wittes ende he resolueth to stande vpon his watch to listen to the Lord alone Hab. 2.1 and to heare what he would saye to the matter and eftsones receiuing aunswere that howsoeuer the workes and wayes of God to the leuell of mans vnderstanding seeme confused and out of ioynt for his wayes are not our wayes nor his thoughtes our thoughtes Esai 55.8.9 yet for all that there is no Iudge more iust then God as Esdras saide nor any more wise then the most highest 2. Esd 7.17 Who standeth not bound to render a reason of his proceedings vnto men for who hath knowen the Lordes minde Ro. 11.34 or who hath he made of his counsaile Our Prophet nowe blushing at his former blindnes breaketh out in this Chapter into a Psalme of praise with earnest prayer for his so great ouersight and implying the ignorances of the people withall becommeth an humble suter in the Churches behalfe that sith remedilesse shee must into Babylon the Lorde woulde not yet so forsake her but when in depth of griefe and bottome of distresse her De profundis and prayer shoulde arise Psa 130. and as the incense ascend into his presence that then in wrath hee woulde remember mercie euen for his owne promise and names sake And grounding altogether vpon grace he falleth to enumeration and reckoning vp of the marueilous workes brought to passe in former time in the behalfe of this Nation And drawing an argument from the free loue of God in the wonderfull vocation and preseruation of this people he seemeth in great confidence to reason with the Lorde and to frame his demonstration after this manner It is vnlike nay vnpossible O Lorde that thou who in mercie hast numbred the haires of our heades shouldest once forgeat or forsake that people Mat. 10.2 towardes whome thy speciall mercies haue beene so often manifested of olde But this Nation of the Iewes is that people for whose sake thou hast wrought manye and marueylons thinges in tyme past Num. 21.34 stricken manie a fierce battaile vanquisht manye a mightie King Fed with Manna from heauen Iosua 12.9 Exo. 16.15 Exo. 44.22 Iosua 1. Led by wonder through the Sea and brought safe to the lande Therefore vnlike Oh Lorde nay vnpossible it is that thou shouldest nowe forget or forsake this people or suffer them to be swallowed vp with sorrowes in Babylon The Prophet hauing thus handle this argument before commeth nowe to prooue the Minor or latter proposition by sounde demonstrations drawen from the seuerall workes wonderfully brought to passe in fauour of this Nation And as the worthiest and for the excellencie thereof hee firste of all propoundeth the giuing of the Lawe in the texte which I haue taken which may be reduced to this forme That people to whome the Lorde vouchsafed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the giuing of the Lawe with an absolute abridgement of his owne blessed will so precisely written with his owne hande and so solemply promulgate in his owne presence when his glorie couered the heauens and the earth was full of his praise The same doubtles is the chosen inheritance and peculier people of God But in fauour of this people of the Iewes God commeth from Teman and the holie one from mount Paran where in thunder and wonder the Decalogue Law of Commandements was first promulgate and deliuered Therefore doubtles this people is the chosen inheritance and peculier people of God whom by consequent he will neuer forget nor forsake in their afflictions sith in their fauour and for this peoples sake God commeth from Teman and the holie one from mount Paran c. Which wordes my thought do imparte a secret but verie sweete allusion vnto Moses speach in affection iumping right and in phrase somewhat neare with our Prophet when vpon his death bed and in his last farewell to the people reisysing in his soule at the remembrance of Gods mercies so bountifully extended towards this nation ayming herein especially at the giuing of the Law saith he The Lorde came from Smay and rose vp from Seir vnto them he appeared clearely from mount Paran and came with ten thousands of Angels Deut. 33.2 and a fierie lawe at his right hand Where first the occasion of the words in mâ— vnderstanding offereth two things for our bâ—â—rning in Habacuk his example before we come to handle the text it selfe The first is his great and tender care for and in the Churches behalfe expressed by his ardent affection in bemoning her calamitie onus a burthen vpon his heart Hab. 1.1 for so he beginneth his Prophesie and withall by his earnest intreating for her reliefe The second his confidence relying in Gods free mercie for her deliuerie manifested also by his assured depending vpon Gods fauour the verie life of his hope established vpon the strength of the couenant Of both which I would speake some what by way of obseruation but verie briefely and so passe to my texte And first the Prophets sweete affection towardes the Church and people of God a speciall good part alwayes in a good Pastor teacheth mynisters of the worde whatsoeuer they beare not alone to be instant in season and out of season
he is faithful that hath promised His will is stable his gyfts without repentance â—o 11.29 In which confident assurance the ancieÌ„t Patriarks the good kings the holie Prophets and penitent sinners of euery sort haue always deriued their comfort from this free fauour of God the onely fountaine cause efficient of all saluation Where learne we first to loath and detest Pelaganisme doctrine of Poperie set a broche by the merite-mongers the enimies of the grace of God who struggle to erect a Babell â—en 11.4 whose top may reach to heauen and to stop the streame of this most auncient doctrine contrarie to all course of scripture example of the Saints who in euery age occasion dealing with God in this case do wholly abandon the mention smother all thought of merit a point so well knowen or at least so often taught that a man would denie it altogether néedeles to speake more expressely in this behalfe The vse benefit of this lesson we digested wil be this much Luk. 18.11 That while our aduersaries dare stande vp with the Pharesie to bragge and implead workes in barre before the Iudge depending in part vpon desert building partly vpon their owne foundation and therfore stil tottering in their doctrine of doubtfulnes â—a 1.6 carried as the waues of the sea one while vp to heauen suddenly down to hell as inconstant in all their wayes Wee contrarily acknowledge with Iob â—ob 9.30 our vncleannes with Ieremie our wickednes Ier. 2.22 pitching Christ our one and only foundation Psa 71.16 with the Psalmograph making mention of his righteousnes only Iusticia omnia exceptione maior made ours by imputation shal sing care away with the king Why art thou so heauie Oh my soule Psa 42.11 trust in God c. and say with S. Paul therefore iustified by faith We are at peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord c. yea it is God that iustifieth and who shal condemne There is now no condemnation to those that be ingraffed into Christ c. In which sweete confidence we shall attaine the quiet rest blessed securitie of Gods saintes The knowledge and assurance whereof God for his Christes sake daily more and more increase confirme and seale vp vpon our consciences to his euerlasting glorie and our endlesse comfort Hetherto of the occasion Nowe a worde or twaine of the Phrase and so to my text God commeth from Teman Blind Balaam did say therefore could say Nu. 23.19 God is not a man that hee shoulde repente c. Where lest we should fall into the heresie of the Anthropomorphitae we must learn that the actions of the bodie as to go to behold to come the passions of the mind as to reioyce to be greeued to repent such like so often in holy scripture ascribed vnto God are not so to be taken as though these motions perturbations could fall into the godhead God forbid but are to be vnderstoode in a figure verie apt to helpe our dulnes and significant to expresse Gods readie mercies alwayes at hande to relieue wretched sinners too apt in Moses absence to fall to Idolatrie â—xo 32.1 and with the Bethulians in the point of perill to prescribe vnto God â—udith 7. Therefore because we are flesh â—en 6.3 and the Lord remembring that we are but dust â—sa 78.39 it pleaseth him in great mercie to stoupe to our infirmitie and to condiscend to our capacitie speaking as a man vnto mortall men and to make his mercies palpable afoording vs all the helpes of familiar phrases of figures parables and similitudes in holie writt together with the Sacraments ceremonies and rites of holy Church besides thus by all possible meanes to establish our hearts in assurance of his sauing health and by due consequence to conduct vs in the course of a holie and Christian life Moreouer marke I praye in the Prophets phrase the transposition of the Temple where speaking of the glorious presence of God in the Mount at the giuing of the Lawe which was long and many a day before the time of this prophesie Neuertheles he setteth it downe here as a thing in esse and fresh in viewe before their eyes God commeth Where I take this to be his drift namely to assertaine this people right shortly to be plunged in distresse that God is nowe as neare and euen comming to releiue and release them in Babylon as euer in former time â—xo 19.20 he was a God at hand to their fathers in the mount â—xo 44.22 at the read sea yea alwayes in time of neede and therfore he would not haue them daunted nor dismaide nor yet to faint vnder the burthen of their afflictions For God commeth Yea when the spite and rage of the enimie is at the highest and the calamitie and grief of the godly at the heauiest then God commeth A noble lesson fit for Princes Ladies for rich and poore men for Maiestrates ministers and euery Christian sith no worldly wight conuersing in this vale of teares can purchase immunitie from thrall and humane miserie Art thou in pouertie in sicknes in sorrowe in prison in daunger yea in death it selfe God commeth at whose presence sorrowe departeth and dread shall flye backe For he is a God almightie no power can let him a God all mercifull no stay can preuent him He commeth skipping ouer the mountaines Cant. 2.8 ryding vpon the wings of the winde Gen. 3.8 To Adam with the promise in time of dispaire Gen. 22.11 To Abraham with supplye in time of sacrifice Gen. 26.3 To Isaack with reliefe in time of famine Gen. 39.2 in time of exile with honor to Ioseph 1 Re. 19.8 in time of persecution with comfort to Eliah Iud 1.7.0 in time of battaile with a hand in Gedeons hilt 2. Re. 19.6 and in time of inuasion with triumph to Ezechia Dan. 6.22 to Daniell among the Lions Susan 60 to the children in the fornace to Susanna at the stake Act. 16.26 to the Apostle in the gaole Luk. 23 4â— to the theefe vpon the crosse in the moment of death yea the bandes of death shall breake and the paines of hell shall leaue holde for Veniens veniet He shall come at a pinch His wrath endureth but the twinckling of an eye beauines may last for a night or anoy for an houre but ioye commeth in the morning Oh therefore whatsoeuer be thy case or condition tarrie patiently the Lordes leasure and he shall make the ende happie Psa 27.16 For God commeth A short but verie sweete lesson and sweeter than the Lute to driue dumps from the heart and to abandon in wealth wickednes in health wantonnes in mirth forgetfulnes in want distrustfulnes in losse pensiuenes and in death fearfulnes Againe God commeth Howe dare then these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceede in their cruelties How dare bloudie Antiochus afflict the Church how dare cruel Iezabel murther the Prophets how dare prowd Sennacherib blaspheme the lining God ◠Re. 19.2 how dare wicked Herode behead Iohn the Baptist how dare churlish Diues despise the wofull Lazarus Luk. 16.19 and how dare the wicked world set it self against God For he commeth where wilt thou hide thyselfe If thou clyme vp to heauen euen there he wil find thée If thou go downe to hell Amos. 9.2 his power wil preuent thée If thou make a way with the wings of the morning his presence onertakes thée If thou wouldest smoother sinne in the bottome of thy conscience there is a worme to gnaw and grind thée If thou call vpon the hilles to fall vpon thée or crye to the mountaines to hide and coner thée it will be in vaine it cannot preuail thée for God commeth a consuming fire a terrible Iudge a fierce reuenger And now shal the wicked find it as true as terrible Deut. 4.24 that it is a fearefull thing to fal into the hands of the liuing God Oh consider this ye that forget God lest he take you away in your wickednes for if his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him And thus at last I come to the Text which for order and memories sake I wil dispose to the vnderstāding of the simple Wherein obserue with me I pray these foure circumstaunces naturallye arising out of the words The first of the person Who cōmeth God The second of the place from whence From Teman mount Paran The thirde of the manner how in glory For his glorie couereth the Heauens The fourth last the end and why he commeth That the earth may be ful of his praise Who commeth Whence How and why he commeth Concerning the first to wit of the person I minde not to propound Hiero his question to Simonides Cicer. de nat deorū For Christians haue alreadie learned that touching the incomprehensible maiestie and essence of the great and eternall God Mans knowledge is too shallowe to comprohende the vnmeasurable depth of this hidden mysterie When Reason therefore woulde be ouerbolde and busie in this scutanie let Religion ouer-rule her for where reason leaueth religiō beginneth that religiō propoundeth faith apprehendeth that faith assureth hope holdeth and that hope enioyeth Loue shall accomplish But the interim who so shall saucelie prie with the Bethshamites into the Arke shall assuredly finde destruction 1. Sa. 6.19 and he that wil curiously gaze vpon the maiestie of the godhead shall be oppressed with the glorie thereof A lesson to be looked vnto in time to be learned of the secreat Arrians of our dayes whose proude and insolent spirites cannot be conteined within the limits of this religious compasse till wayward conceit haue carried them headlong into damnable heresies Wherof we haue dailie examples Epist ad Leand. It was a graue speach of Gregorie that the sacred Scriptures are like a déep foord where the Lambe may yet safely wade when the Elephant shall swimme And right well saide Augustine Humilitas omnia quecunque benefacimus precedat comitetur consequatur Epist 56. Humilitie is the entrance the middle and ende of all that is well done And thus we may be warned not ouerbusilie to pursue this point of the Essence and maiestie of God A second and safer way to better our knowledge and benefit our selues in this behalfe is by the names of God whereby it pleaseth him to manifest in some sort his existence all sufficiencie and mairstie as when he saith to Abraham I am Schad dai Gen. 17.1 all sufficient to vpholde and sustains the creatures in heauen and earth at whose almesbaket both King and Kaysar are brinen to begg their daily bread at whose hand the eyes of all creatures do expect their foode in due time and at whose mercie seate all mankinde must knocke and crye for grace and remission of sinnes To Moses I am Iehouah the essentiall name of God Exo. 3.6 to shewe as mans capacitie may beare it his essence and being of himselfe before all eternitie from whome all things haue their breath mouing and being Againe he is sometime called Theos of his swiftnes and presence Act. 17.24 passing through the secrete corners priuie places of the heart vnderstanding our thoughts long before Sometime the Lorde of Hostes Psa 46.8 11. to expresse his almightines with Frogges and Flyes subduing Kings and conquering Nations at his own will Here he is called Elohah and the holy one all verie sweete and significant to set foorth the power of God and to perswade the feare of his most holie name Where wee must be warefull lest wee become sotted with Popish superstitions or inchanted with Romish sorceries as though the wearing or bearing about vs these names of God written in virgin parchement with crosses and caracters were of force to cure maladies to chase away bugges and cast out diuels which in truth is blasphemously to abuse and take in vaine the holie name of God to our owne destruction But learne we rather to harbour and carrie the power faith of this name deepe in our hearts So shall it be to our comforts and victorie in al temptation For this is our victorie that ouercommeth Sathan sinne the worlde euen our faith 1. Ioh. 5.4 A third and verie good way to help yet in this case is by consideration of the offices attributed to the persons in the Godhead as Creation to the Father and therein his wonderfull wisedome disposing and transposing all things to his owne will in the frame of whese prouidence all the actions and accidents among the sonnes of men are daily wrought and come to their appointed end Redemption to the sonne and therein his inspeakable mercie towardes mankinde most willingly affording the dearest droppes of his heart bloud for the raunsoming of wretched sinners Sanctification to the Holy ghost and herein the ineruaylous and powerfull hand of our God in changing and renuing the hearts of men raising vs daily from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnes Uerye comfortable be these also to expresse and manifest the great care and goodnes of our God Psa 86.15 by nature mercifull long suffering slowe to wrath and readye to pardon wickednesse It is his mercye to take awaye the burthen and wayght of our sinnes but it is his great mercie to renue vs with indumentes of grace in this life and to crowne vs with glorye in the life to come And hitherto of the first circumstance And now to the second to wit of the place From Teman and from mount Paran Where whether you take Taeman for that Citie of Idumaea buylded by Teman one of the Tukes of the sonnes of Esau and threatened by Ieremie with vtter extirpation Gen. 36.1