Corsâ—etur Lutherus so esse Apostatam sed â—eatam sancium qui fidem diaâ—olâ— datam non servavit Athanasius was impeached by the Arrians of adultery Basil by his brethren of heresie Luther by the Papists of Apostacy Austere John is said to have a devil Sociable Christ to be a wine-bibber And it was the worse because from Scribes and Pharisees whose word must carry such credit with it as alone to condemn Christ We would not have brought him to thee were he not worthy of death And whose life must be a rule to others Do any of the Pharisees beleeve in him Take heed therefore what you hear and to whom you give credit But may I not beleeve mine own eyes Oâ—j judge the tree by the fruits Matth. 7. Not alwayes in matter of fact Sol. Our Saviour speaks there of heretikes and seducers and bids judge of them by their fruits that is by their doctrines and opinions that are corrupt and carnall But for point of practise the best tree doth not alwayes bear or not alwayes alike An apple-tree may have a fit of barrennesse as well as a crab tree or the fruit may be nipt sometimes by a frost God onely knows what sap is in the root what truth is in the heart and let him that knows it judge of it 2. Be favourable in sinnes strengthened by naturall inclination or by long continued custome which is not so easily broke off or by multitude of temptations and enticements The best minds when troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions as water that is violently stirred sends up bubbles and how often have carnall respects drawn weak goodnesse to disguise it self with sinne 3. Judge no man by that he is in a passion whether of grief fear or anger for these are violent and have made the holiest in their behaviour little â—esse then bestiall witnesse David in his sear of Sauls fury in his roaring over Absolom and rage at Nabal Passions like kine in a narrow passage ride one upon another and like heavy bodies down steep hills once in motion they know no ground but the bottom Oh how subject are Gods best Saints to weak passions and if they have the grace to ward an expected blow how easily are they surprized with a sudden foil Sometimes both grace and wit are asleep in the holiest and wariest brests and the wisest are miscaried by their passions to their cost What shiprack of his faith and patience had meek Moses well-nigh made against the Rock Rimmon As at another time how did he in a sudden indignation cast away the two-Tables and abandon that which he would in cold blood have held faster then his life But passion doth so bemist the cleerest judgement otherwhiles that a man shall bee apt to think there is sense in sinning and that he hath some reason to be mad 4. Censure not any to be either better or worse for some particular action but consider what his main bent is and accordingly conceive of him David that saith his sinnes were more then the hairs of his head saith also in respect of his generall resolution and full purpose of heart I have not declined from thy statutes neither is there any way of wickednesse in me Saint Iohn looked upon the Lady 2 Joh 1.4 and her children as elect because they walked in the truth though not without some particular stumblings and aberrations And Saint Paul was confident of the Thessalonians election 1 Thes 1.4 though so compassed with infirmities that he doubted he had laboured in vain and feared their Apostacy 1 Thes 3.5 Perswaded also he was better things of the Hebrews Heb. 6.9 and such as accompany salvation though he found them slow of foot and dull of hearing and frights them with the terrour of the Lord upon Apostates Who can promise himself freedome from grosse infirmities when Aaron that went up into the mount comes down and doth that in the valley which he heard forbidden in the hill Gods best children may not onely be drenched in the waves of sinne but lie in them for a time and perhaps sink twice to the bottom before they recover Sudden indeliberate out-bursts contrary to the generall bent and purpose break not the league betwixt God and his people as the robberies done by Pirates of either Nation do not betwixt King and King A good man is habitually good when actually evil and an evil man is habitually evil when actually good He that goes up a hill may have many slips and falls yet is still said to be going up the hill because his face is toward the top A sheep may slip into a dich as he is leaping over it yea lye there some time till the shepheard finde it and help it out Behold I even I will both search my lost sheep and seek them out saith the Lord. I will seck that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will binde up that which was broken Ezek. 34.11 12.16 Rev 24. Psal 119.176 and will strengthen that which was sick I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day Christ the good shepheard tiddleth his lambs dyed for their ignorance Heb. 7.7 bare their infirmities Esay 53. breeds a first love in his little ones and gives charge that none despise them much lesse discard them no though they go astray as David did like a lost sheep And mark his reasons God despiseth them not Math 18.10 but senthis son to seek them and sets his Angels to tend and look to them therefore let none set light by them SECT XIV Take comfort and courage notwithstanding infirmities and failings in the manner LAstly this doctrine methinks might make the servants of God everlastingly merry it should wonderfully clear up the countenances and cheer up the hearts of all Gods chosen it should banish and bar out of their blessed souls all their unnecessary scruples distrusts dejections and discouragements arising from the sense of their manifold defects distractions in duty indisposition ignorance forgetfulnesse omissions or failings in the manner All which so long as they are groned under grieved at and striven against Peccata nobis non nocent si non placent Augustin God will never impute unto them nay he will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him Now how that is they can well tell that are parents of towardly and tractable children that are good-natured and well-conditioned And yet they cannot neither be they never so tender and their children never so tractable sith there is no more comparison betwixt their mercy and his then is betwixt a molehill and a mountain nay the least drop of a bucket and the main Ocean Yea I dare be bold to say that all the mercies of all the fathers mothers husbands wives friends allyes in the world compared to his mercy are mere cruelty This makes the Prophet as having
he basely recalled into France whence they had been banished and admitted them into his bosom making Father Cotton his Confessour et sic probrose se gessit et rem confusione dignam admisit as here He both shamed and undid himself For she hath said I will go after my lovers Amasios meos My sweet-hearts Marbeck Act. Mon. those that have drawn away my heart from my husband But if that persecutour could say to the Martyr What a devil made thee to meddle with the Scriptures how much better might it be said to the Synagogue and so to all Apostates What a devill meant you to go a whoring from such an husband who is totus Cant. 5.16 totus desiderabilis altogether lovely even the chief of ten thousand after dumb idols and false Prophets who are their brokers proxenetae et proci and spokesmen Athenaeus brings in Plato bewailing himself and his own condition that he was taken so much with a filthy whore Adultery is filthinesse in the abstract Gelulim Ezek. 22.3 1 Pet. 4.3 so is also idolatry and therefore idols are called by a word that signifieth the very excrements that come out of a man a tearm too good for those dunghill-deities those abominable idolatries as Saint Peter expresseth it Mention is made in histories of a certain heathen people that punish adultery with death and with such a death as is suitable to the sin For they thrust the adulterers or adulteresses head into the paunch of a beast where lieth all the filth and garbage of it there to be stifled to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Sodom and Gomorrha had fire from heaven for their burning lust and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishnesse They are also thrown out as St. Jude phraseth it for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire And in the like pickle are the Beast and the false Prophet those Arch-idolaters for these both are cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 And worthily Esay 3.9 sith they declared their sins as Sodom they hid it not And as this huswife in the text who said I will go after my lovers she did of wickedness forethought upon deliberation de industria ex consilio wilfully and of purpose impudently and without all shame of sin say I will go after This was shameles indeed They should rather have gone after her Deut. 23.18 then she after them Moses fitly compareth a whore to a salt-bitch that is followed after by all the dogs in a town And am I dogs-head said Abner to Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 3.8 that is Am I so given to lust lasciviousnes as dogs are that run after every salt-bitch But this harlot verified that saying in Ezekiel The contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms whereas none followed thee to commit whoredoms thou followest them and gloriest in thy so doing as Lots daughters did in their detestable incest naming their children Moab that is a birth by my father and Benammi that is begotten by one of my near kindred These all might have held their tongues with shame enough But such kinde of sinners are singularly impudent Jer. 3.3 infatuated Hos 4.11 and past feeling Ephes 4.19 And so are Idolaters wickedly wilfull and irreclaimable for most part See Jer. 44.16 17. 2.10 Esay 44.19 20. A seduced heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand How stiffe are Papists to this day in defence of their Image-worship how severe against such as deface or but disgrace them Murther is not so hainous a sin c. That give me my bread and my water c. What can be more like to the doings of the Papists then this saith Danaeus Who knows not what suit they make and what thanks they return to their He-Saints and She-Saints and how they sacrilegiously transfer the glory due to God alone to the creature The Lord rightly resolveth the genealogy of corn wine and oil into himself verse 22. of this chapter And the Aposte tells us that it is He that filleth mens hearts with food and gladnesse Act. 14.17 Et cum charissima semper Munera sint Author quae preciosa facit This should make us lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to God well content if we may have offam et aquam bread and water and the gospel and vowing with Jacob Gen. 28.20 that if God will give us bread to eat and raiment to put on then shall he be our God and we will honour him with the best of our substance As for other gods whether Pagan or Papagan say we as that Heathen did Contemno minutulos istos deos modò Jovem mihi propitium habeam I care not for these petty-deities I trust in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy All things I say both ad esum et ad usum for back and belly besides better things which is all that carnall people care for There be many too many that say and can skill of no other language Who will shew us any good who will give us bread Psal 4. water wooll oil c they look no higher know no heaven but plenty hell but penury God but their belly whereunto they offer sacrifice with Poliphemus and care for no more quam ut ventri bene sit ut lateri then that their bellies may be filled Epicur ap Hor. their backs fitted Let them have but plenty of victuals and the Queen of heaven shall be their good Lady Jer. 44.17 Base spirits look onely after low things gain and credit carry them any way They work for their peny a day and are like little children which will not say their prayers unlesse they may be promised their breakfast Whereas a true worshipper of God soareth aloft hath his feet at least where other mens heads are trades for higher commodities cannot be put off with mean matters When great gifts were sent to Luther he refused them with this brave speech Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari Melch. Adam I deeply protested that I would not be put off by God with these low things The Papists offered to make him a Cardinall if he would be quiet He replied No not if I might be Pope They sent Vergerius the Popes Nuncio to tempt him with preferment and to tell him of Eneas Sylvius who following his own opinions Hist of Counc of Trent p. 73. with much slavery and labour could get no further preferment then to be Canon of Trent but being changed to the better became Bishop Cardinall and finally Pope Pius 2. The same Vergerius also minded him of Bessarion of Nice who of a poor Collier of Trapezond became a great renowned Cardinall and wanted not much of being Pope But what said Luther to all this Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et
15.29 Verse 5. Therefore have I hewed them by my Prophets Therefore wherefore because there is so little stability and solidity in them because they are so off and on so light and false hearted therefore I have spared for no pains though all to small purpose but have sharply rebuked them that they might be sound in the faith yea I have sought against them with the sword of my mouth Rev. 2.16 and slain them by powerfull convictions of conscience so that they are self-condemned and the judgements are written as it were with a beam of the Sun they are so clear to themselves and others This is the coherence and the reason of the illative particle Therefore It is the sad complaint of a late Reverend writer when we have spent all our wind on our people their hearts will be still apt to be carried away with every wind of doctrine They are wonne saith another with an apple and lost with a nut no man knows where to find them in one mind for a moneths space such a generation of Moon-calves never appeared in the world before Our giddy-hearers saith a third after all our pains taken with them have no mould but what the next teacher casteth them into being blown like glasses into this or that shape at the pleasure of his breath But to return to the Text. I have hewed them by the Prophets who are here compared to Masons or stone-hewers 2 King 12.12 1 Chron. 22.2 Job 19.24 Esay 51.1 to Carpenters 1 King 5.15 Prov. 9.1 Esay 5.2 to day-labourers who dig pits and cisternes Deut. 6.11 and 8.9 2 Chron. 26.10 Neh. 9.25 Jer. 2.13 A ministers life is no idle-mans occupation they meet with many rough stones knotry pieces hard quarres tough work Some are stones crumbling all to crattle as soon as we begin to hammer them and as timber falling to splinters when we fall to hewing of them and other such sons of Belial there are that a man cannot speak to them 1 Sam. 25.17 they are thorns that cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and with the staffe of a speare These shall be thrust away as thorns and utterly burnt with fire 2 Sam. 23.6 7. And for the better sort those lively stones 1 Pet. 2.5 and smoother pieces that are to be set into Gods building being made by his grace more malleable and tractable there must be a great deal of pains taken with them that they may be as the polished corners of the Temple they must be humbled and hammered Ier. 23.29 pared and planed here in the mount for there may neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron be heard in the heavenly house for which they are fitting 1 Kin. 6.7 And herein we are labourers together with God ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building 1 Cor. 3.9 In which labourous kind of life I endure all things for the Elects sake that they may be saved saith Paul 2 Tim. 2.10 And I dare be bold to say saith Luther that faithful Ministers do labour and sweat more in a day then husbandmen do in a moneth And for mine own part saith he Si mihi esset integrum vocationem deserere If it were lawful for me to leave my calling I could with lesse pains and more pleasure dig and do day-work then labour as I now do in the work of the ministry Pareus thinks that the next words I have killed them with the words of my mouth is spoken by God of the Prophets q. d. I have set them so heavy a task and put them so hard to it that it hath been the death of them such crabbed and rugged spirits they have met with such stubborn and tough timber that had long lain soaking in the waters of wickednesse these tooles of mine are even worn out with working But though this be a pious interpretation and not altogether improbable because of the change of person here viz. them for you yet because such a change is ordinary in Scripture and Emphatical also namely when God seemeth deeply displeased with any one and therefore leaveth taking to him and turns himself suddenly to another see chap. 4.14 and 5.3.4 I conceive it may very well be so in this place Sic enim contemptim loqui mur. Occidi istos I have slain these refractaries and rebels with the words of my mouth I have beaten so hard upon their consciences that they have had no joy of their lives I have marked them out for destruction by threatening it as Jer. 18.7.8 and ch 1.10 Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19.17 and when Elisha unsheatheth and brandisheth his sword it is a fair warning that the sword of Jehu and Hazael are at hand See Ezek. 11.13 And it came to passe that when I prophesied Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died So did Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. So do many despisers now adayes though it appear not by them A man may have his bane about him though he fall not down dead in the place If any man hurt Christs two witnesses fire though not felt proceedeth out of their mouthes and devoureth their enemies Rev. 11.5 And thy judgements are as the light that goeth forth i. e. I have clearly denounced them and will as openly execute them in the sight of this Sun The righteous shall see it and shall say Lo this is the man c. Psa 2.6.7 and 119.137 Thou by thine hypocrisie and externall services as verse 6. hath cast a mist before mens eyes that they cannot think thee to be so near a judgement but I will dispell that mist and make my works a comment upon my word and having sent unto thee a powerfull ministery but to no purpose I will make thee who wouldst not hear the word to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 7.9 Verse 6. For I desired mercy and not sacrifice that is rather then sacrifice I prefer the marrow and pith of the second table before the ceremony and surface of the first I desired mercy Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I desired it with singular delight and complacency Aurea certe sententia saith Rivet This is a golden sentence twice quothed by Christ himself Mat. 9.13 and Mat. 12.7 which noteth the eminency of it And with it agreeth that answer of the Scribe so much approved of by our Saviour Mar. 12.33 To love thy neighbour as thy self is more then all burnt-offerings and sacrifices And that of the Authour to the Hebrewes But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Chap. 13.16 a great deal better pleased then with all the outward services and sacrifices of the Law which yet were commanded by God but not to be rested in These be famous sentences indeed M. Sam. Clark Life of Luth. such as a man would fetch upon his knees from Rome or Jerusalem as
if it get as seed into the bosome of the earth either it breeds an earth-quake or at least ariseth in a whirl-winde which blowes dust into the eyes and once at least buried a considerable Army in the Lybian sands Solomon saith Cambyses his souldiers He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity Pro. 22.8 But our Prophet here saith more He that soweth the wiude of iniquity shall reap the terrible tempest of unconceiveable misery By the blast of God he shall perish and by the breath of his nostrils he shall be consumed Job 4.8 9. As the beginnings of Idolatry hypocrisie vain-glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnall policy c. are empty and unhappy it is but the sowing of blasted corne as the Septuagint here hath it seed corrupted by the winde so the end thereof is very sad and dismall The word here rendred the whirl-winde hath a syllable in it more then ordinary to note saith Tremellius the fearfulnesse of the divine vengeance Suphathaâ— that will befall the forementioned and especially at death when they are entring upon eternity Oh what a dreadfull shriek gives the guilty soul at death to see it self launching into an infinite Ocean of scalding lead and must swim naked in it for ever not having the least cold blast of that winde it sowed all its life long to cool it but rather to adde to its torment Then will God speak to such as once he did to Job out of a whirl-winde but after another manner Go to now ye formalists false-worshippers triflers troublers of Israel ye that have been meer mutes and ciphers nullities in the world superfluities in the earth or worse then all this Jam. 5.5 Go to now I say weep and howl for the miseries that are come upon you Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Jam. 5.5 But now an end is come is come an evil an onely evil without mixture of mercy sorrow without succour mischief without measure torments without hope of ever either mending or ending are the portion of your cup the dregs of that cup of mine must you now drink off that hath eternity to the bottome O lamentable Oh did but men forethink what would be the end of sin they durst not but be innocent Oh let that terrible tempest at death bee timely thought on and prevented Job 27.20 21 c. Terrours take hold of him as waâ—ers a tempest stealeth him away in the night The East-winde carrieth him away and hee departeth and as a storm hurleth him out of his place For God shall cast upon him and not spare he would fain flee out of his hand c. It hath no stalk the bud shall yeeld no meal Nihil habet fertilitatis firmitatisque as Ruffinus expoundeth it It hath no firmnesse or fruitfulnesse the winde of wickednesse that thou hast sown the blasted corn that thou hast committed to the earth will yeeld thee nothing but losse and disappointment A blade there may be but not a stalk or if a stalk yet not a bud or if a bud yet it shall bee nipt in the bud it shall yeeld no meal but onely dust and chaff or if it come to the meal yet strangers shall swallow it up so that you shall bee never the better for it but after that ye have sown the winde of iniquity ye shall reap the whirl-winde of misery maledictionem omnimodam curses of all kindes which God hath hang'd at the heels of your idolatry a pernicious evil whatever those superstitious shecsinners bragg'd to the contrary Ier. 44.17 Or if they flourish for a season and have hopes of a large crop yet God will curse their blessings and frustrate their fair hopes Psal 37.2 as he dealt by that rich wretch mentioned by Mr. Boroughes in his Comment on the second Chapter of this Prophesie pag. 379. I had certain information saith he from a Reverend Minister that in his own Town there was a worldling who had a great crop of corn A good honest neighbour of his walking by his corn said Neighbour you have a very fine crop of corn if God blesse it yea saith he I will have a good crop speaking contemptuously And before he could come to get it into the barn it was blasted that the corn of the whole crop was not worth six pence Verse 8. Israel is swallowed up Not their meal onely as verse 7. but themselves also are devoured by those workers of iniquity that eat up Gods people as they eat bread Psal 14.4 Persecutours are men-eaters more cruel then those American Canibals that devour men peece-meal they make but a breakfast of Gods people as Senacherib meant to do of Ierusalem and the Powder-papists of England If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us But blessed bee God who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth Psal 124.2 3 6. Let us keep us out of the clawes and clutches of that old man-slayer who night and day walketh about in a circular motion that he may take us at advantage seeking whom hee may swallow down his wide gullet which he hath even made red with the blood of souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.8 and is therefore happly called the great red-Dragon Rev. 12.3 that hath seven heads to plot and ten horns to push men into the sin of idolatry and thereby into hell So long as Israel was holinesse to the Lord and the first-fruits of his increase all that devoured him found that they offended for evil came upon them Ier. 2.3 they could no more disgest him Judg. 5.1 then the Whale did Ionah a cup of trembling or of poyson he was to all the people round about Zech. 12.2 See the Note there But when he offended in Baal he died when he chose new gods then was warre in the gates when they made leagues with idolaters then were they even swallowed up by them as were likewise the Greek and Latine Churches by the Eastern and Western Antichrist those crooked Leviathans those dragons in the sea as the Egyptian and Assyrian are called Esay 27.1 now shall they be among the Gentiles whose favour and friendship they have basely sought and dearly bought It was threatned in the former Chapter verse 16. that they should be a derision in the land of Egypt See the Note To have Egyptians deride us and that for sin is an heavy judgement So here to be disdained and vilified by such as an old broken vessell fit for none but unclean uses as a vessell wherein is no pleasure No delight or complacency vas despectum reijculum abjectum a vessell that is for the carrying up and down of excrements so shall Israel be employed by Gentiles in base and contemptible offices as they were by the Babylonians Jer.
himself so gallantly in fight against the enemy in the sight of his father and the Army that he was highly commended of all men and especially of his father that knew him not at all Yet before he could clear himself he was compassed in by the enemy and valiantly fighting slain Raschachius exceedingly moved with the death of so brave a man ignorant how near he touched himself turning about to the other Captains said This worthy Gentleman whatsoever he be is worthy of eternall commendation and to be most honourably buried by the whole Army As the rest of the Captains were with like compassion approving his speech the dead body of the unfortunate sonne rescued was presented to the most miserable father which caused all them that were there present to shed tears Turk hist But such a sudden and inward grief surprized the aged father and struck so to his heart that after he had stood a while speechlesse with his eyes set in his head he suddenly fell down dead Yea wo also to them when I depart from them This is indeed worse then all the rest this is that onely evil spoken of by Ezekiel hell it self is nothing else but a separation from Gods presence with the ill consequents thereof and the tears of hell are not sufficient to bewail the losse of that beatificall vision How miserable was Cain when cast off by God Saul when forsaken of him David when deserted though but for a few moneths Iob for a few years Suidas saith seven While God was graciously with him and prospered him he was Iobab that same mentioned Gen. 36 34 as some think but when under sense of Gods absence contracted into Iob. See the like Gen. 17.5 Ruth 1.20 His desertion was far more comfortable then Davids it was probationall onely but Davids penall for chastisement of some way of wickednesse O lay we hold upon God as the spouse doth upon her beloved and cry as the Prophet did Lord leave us not Jer. 14.9 If he seem to be about and his back be turned cry aloud afrer him as the blinde man in the Gospel did till Iesus stood set up thy note as Micha did after his lost idols Iudg. 18.24 Ye have taken away my Gods saith he and what have I more as if he should have said I esteem all that you have left me as nothing now that my gods are gone Jerusalem the joy of the whole earth pleased not Absalom unlesse hee might see Davids face God was no sooner gone from Miriam but the leprosie appeared in her face But of this before Verse 13. Ephraim as I saw Tyrus is planted in a pleasant place And therefore pleaseth himself as not forsaken of God But He maybe angry enough with those that yet outwardly prosper As he was with the old world buried in security Herod l. 1. Plin. l. 6. cap. 26. with sodom who had fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenessE with the land of Shinar where Babel was built Gen. 11. fruitfull beyond credulity as Herodotus and Pliny testifie with Tyrus a maritine and magnificent city planted in a pleasant place in the very heart of the Sea as Venice is at this day mediâ insuperabilis undâ environed with her embracing Neptune to whom as the ceremony of her throwing a ring into the Sea implies she marrieth her self with yearly Nuptials and hath for her Motto Nec fluctu nec flatu movetur Nor windes nor waves can stir her Of the pomp pride and populousnesse of Tyrus read Ezech. 26 27 28. chapters Lo such a one was Ephraim when ripe for ruine near to an utter downfall What can be more fair and flourishing then a corn-field or vineyard a little afore the harvest the vintage Physicians say that the uttermost degree of bodily health is next unto sicknesse Glasse or other metals cast into the fire shine most when ready to melt and run This was Tyrus case this was Ephraims pleasantly planted but marked out for destruction as a Carpenter cometh to a Wood and with his Ax marketh out the fairest trees for felling Ephraim is the worse because he seeth Tyrus yet prosper But God will take that from heathen Tyrus that he will not take from Ephraim and the sun-shine of prosperity doth but ripen the sins of them both for divine vengeance They shall bring forth children to the murtherers As to Gods executioners and so shew themselves not parents but parricides because they betray their children as Babel did by her idolatry Psal 137.8 and Esay 13.8 into the hands of the enemy Wherein they are more cruell then that false School-master in Italy mentioned by Livy and Florus that brought forth his scholars the flower of the Nobility and Gentry there to Hannibal who if he had not been more mercifull then otherwise they had all been murthered But what shall we say of such wretched parents as bring forth children to that old man-slayer the devil and how shall such undone children curse their carelesse parents in hell throughout all eternity If the Lord also could say of those poor children that were sacrificed to Moloch the Chaldee paraphrase understands this Text of those children Thou hast slain my children and delivered them to cause them to passe thorow the fire for them namely for the images of the foresaid idols Ezek. 16.27 what will he say or rather what will he not say to those bloody parents that carry their children with them to Satans slaughter-house Verse 14. Give them O Lord what wilt thou give This question implieth abundance of affection in the Prophet praying for this forlorn people devoted to destruction It is the property of gracious spirits to be more sensible of and more deeply affected with the calamities that are coming upon the wicked then those wicked ones themselves are as Daniel was for Nebuchadnezzar whose dream hee had interpreted Dan. 4. and as Habakkuk was for the Chaldeans whose destruction hee had fore-prophecied Hab. 3.16 Hoseah likewise out of great commiseration of Ephraims direfull and dreadfull condition sets himself to pray for them though himself seems set at a stand and in a manner non-plust that he cannot well tell what to ask for them God once made a fair offer to a foul sinner even to Ahaz that sturdy stigmatick Esay 7.11 Ask thee a signe of the Lord the God ask it either in the depth or in the height above But Ahaz said churiishly enough I will not ask neither will I try the Lord ver 12. he would none of Gods kindnesse which yet the Lord there heapeth upon him verse 14. that where sin abounded grace might superabound Had our Prophet had but half such an offer or any the least such encouragement oh how gladly would he have embraced it how hastily would he have catch at it as those Syrians did at Ahabs kind words 1 King 20.33 But he considering the severity and certainty of Gods judgments denounced against them vers 12 13. and being much
Covenant shall come up from the wildernesse where the winds blow most fiercely because they meet with no resistance and his spring shall become dry c. This is a description of extreme desolation and it is explained and amplified in the next words he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels He that is the Assyrian not Christ as Hierom Mercer and Ribera will have it who shall take away from Death and Hell all matter of glorying Not the fire of the last day as Lyra. No nor Ephraim as Pareus and Tarnouius carry it as if it were a promise of their conquest in Christ over all their enemies corporall and spirituall dividing the spoil of the converted Gentiles who shall come in to them with all their desireable things as some read that Text Hag. 2.7 Confer Am. 9.11 12. Obad. 18. Zech. 14.14 16 20 21. That this whole verse containeth a promise of Ephraim's reduction to the Church of God I could easily yeeld reading it especially as many good Interpreters do For he shall fructifie among his brethren after that an East-wind coming a wind of Jehovah coming up from the desert his spring shall become dry and his fountain shall dry up the same shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels This is a similitude say they from a piece of ground all dried up and parched that nothing is able to grow notably expressing the miserable and distressed estate of this people that as an easterly wind and a tempestuous storm hath dried them quite and spoiled all their delightfull treasures made them the vilest and most contemptible of the earth Marcellinus tells of an Emperour Am. Marcel lib. 2. that meeting with some of this Nation and annoyed with the sight and stench of them cryed out ô Marcommani ô Quadi ô Sarmatae c. O Marcoman's Quades and Sarmatians I have found at length a more loathsome and sordid people then you All which notwithstanding Ephraim shall flourish again and hold up their head among their brethren sc by the merit and spirit of Him who ransometh them from the power of the grave from the dint of death This sence of the words is confirmed by that which followes in the next Chapter vers 5 6 7. Verse 16. Samaria shall become desolate Here many begin the fourteenth Chapter but not so well for this verse evidently cohereth with the former and sheweth that Ephraim shall not onely be plundered rea peragetur but butchered by the Assyrian by their own default Samaria shall become desolate or be found guilty as the Chaldee hath it and the words may bear How can she be otherwise when as she hath rebelled against her God she hath imbittered him or bitterly provoked him to wrath as chap. 12.15 See the Note there who therefore sent in the Assyrian to desolate her that bitter and hasty Nation to march thorow the breadth of the land to possesse the dwelling places that were not theirs Hab. 1.6 This was a bitter affliction but behold a worse they shall fall by the sword they shall lose not their land onely and the treasures of all their pleasant vessels as verse 15. but their dearest lives which to save a man will gladly part with all that he hath Job 2.4 or submit to any servile employment as the Gibeonites in Ioshuah's dayes did who were willing to take hard on as slaves and underlings rather then to be cut off with the rest of the Canaanites their infants shall be dashed in pieces Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their sucklings that are ordinarily spared for their innocencie ignoscency c. See chap. 10.14 with the Note and consider that infants are not so innocent though they have yet done neither good nor evil but that God may justly inflict upon them all torments here and tortures in hell for the guilt of originall sinne that cleaveth to their natures Howbeit this excuseth not the barbarous cruelty of his executioners who shall be surely and suitably punished Psal 137.8 and their women with childe shall be ript up Of this kinde of savage inhumanity see Am. 1.13 2 King 8.11 15.16 where you shall finde that the tyrant Menahem ript the infants of Tiphsah out of their mothers bellies because their fathers opened not the gates unto him The like cruelty was exercised in the Sicilian Vespers and Parisian Massacre by those Romish Edomites maugre whose malice Ephraim is yet fruitfull the Church flourisheth Sanguine fundata est Ecclesia sanguine crescit CHAP. XIV Verse 1. OIsrael return unto the Lord Vsque ad Dominum as far as to the Lord give not the half but the whole turn and take it for a mercy that you are yet called upon to return and may be received that yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing All the former part of the Prophesie had been most-what Comminatory this last Chapter is wholly Consolatory the Sun of righteousnesse loves not to set in a cloud Ezr. 10.2 return unto the Lord thy God He is yet thy God no such argument for our turning to God as his turning to us Zach. 1.3 See the Note there Tantùm velis Deus tibi praeoccurret If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat c. The Fathers plenty brought home the Prodigall he had but a purpose to return and his father met him Esay 65.24 See Joel 2.12 13. Esay 55.6 7. Jer. 31.18 Hos 3.5 Acts 2.38 This is the use we should make of mercy Say not He is my God therefore I may presume upon him but He is mine therefore I must return unto him Argue from mercy to duty and not to liberty for that 's the Devils Logick which the Apostle holds unreasonable yea to a good heart impossible Rom. 6.1 2. His mercy is bounded with his truth with which it therefore goes commonly coupled in Scripture It is a sanctuary for the penitent but not for the presumptuous for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity i. e. Consumption is decreed yet a remnant reserved Esay 10.22 23. Thou hast fallen into great calamity and that by thine iniquity which puts a sting into thy misery This it is fit thou shouldst be sensible of for conviction is the first step to conversion But if thou art fallen wilt thou there lie and not rise again by repentance and return to him that smiteth thee wilt thou not submit to his justice and implore his mercy Here then is another motive to conversion as indeed this verse abounds with arguments to that purpose as Pareus well observeth First thou art Israel a Prince of God who hath greatly graced thee above all people Return to him therefore 2 Thou hast run away from him by thine iniquity ad turned upon him the back and not the face Return therefore 3. He is Iehovah the Authour of thy being and well-being 4 He is God to whom thou must either turn or burn for ever aut poenitendum aut pereundum he can fetch in his
Heb. corrupted his compassions forgot his brotherhood banished naturall affection out of his bosome and put off all humanity The Rabbines tell us that out of the profanenesse of his Spirit Esau put away his circumcision by drawing up againe the foreskin with a Chirurgeons instrument Whether this were so or not I have not to say but that he corrupted his compassions if any ever he had violated the law of nature and abolished the bowels of a brother the brotherly covenant this text assureth us even all the affections duties and respects of blood and nature by which he was bound His grandfather Abraham could say to his nephew Lot Let there be no difference between thee and me for we are brethren Gen. 13.8 This one consideration was retentive enough cooler sufficient to his choler it was even as the Angel that stayd his hand when the blow was comming Gen. 22. It should have been so with Edom good blood would not have belyed it self But he had lost his brotherly bowels and even put off manhood he had wiped out all stirrings of good nature as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside down as the scripture speaketh in another case 2 King 21.13 or as when a man emptieth wine out of a cup the sides are yet moist but when it is rinsed and wiped there remaines not the least tast or tincture and his anger did teare perpetually i. e. He in his anger did teare as a beast of prey Psal 14. and rage without intermission The enemies of the Church do so still such is their implacable hatred against God and his truth they eat up Gods people as they eat bread yea they tread down and teare in peeces as if there were none to deliver At the Town of Barre in France when it was taken by the Papists all kind of cruelty was used saith Mr. Fox children were cut up and the guts of some of them and hearts pulled out which in rage they tare and gnawed with their teeth The Italians likewise which served the king there did for hatred of religion break forth into such fury Act. and Mon. fol. 1951. that they did rip up a living child and took his liver being as yet red hot Erasm epist lib. 16. ad obtrectator and eat it as meat Erasmus tells of an Augustine friar who openly in the pulpit at Antwerp wished that Luther were there that he might bite out his throat with his teeh And Friar Brusierd in a conference with Bilney brake out into these angry words But that I beleeve and know that God and all his saints will take revengement everlasting on thee Act. and Mon. 914. I would surely with these nailes of mine be thy death Psal 74.19 Gen. 49.7 Pray therefore with David Deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove to these destroyers c. Cursed be their anger for it is fierce and their wrath for it is cruel and kept his wrath for ever Though himself was mortal yet his wrath might seem to be immortal as was Hanibals against the Romanes and our Edward the first against the Scots against whom being about to march he adjured his son and Nobles Dan. hist fol. 201. that that if he died in his journy into Scotland they should carry his corpes with them about Scotland and not suffer it to be enterred till they had absolutely subdued the countrey Anger may rush into a wise mans bosome but should not rest there Aug. ep 87. Eccle. 7.9 for it corrupteth the heart as vineger doth the vessel wherein it long continueth Of the Athenians it was said that their anger was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 everlasting but that was but small to their condemnation Thou shalt neither revenge nor remember ill turns Lev. 19.18 where servare is put for servare iram to keep Ar. Rhetor. l. 9. c. 1. for to keep ones anger to shew that there is nothing that a man is more ready to keep as beeing a vindictive creature Arestotle saith but absurdly that it is more manly to be revenged then to be reconciled and this the world calleth manhood but indeed it is doghood rather The manlier any man is the milder and more mercifull as David 2 Sam. 1.12 And Julius Caesar when he had Pompey's head presented to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6.7 wept and said Non mihi placet vindicta sed victoria I seek not revenge but victory And the Apostle purposely disgraceth revenge of injury by a word that signifieth disgrace losse of victory or impotency of mind Thunder haile tempest neither trouble nor hurt celestiall bodies no more doth anger great minds Edom was short-spirited soon kindled and not easily appeased his wrath kept no bounds as the word here used importeth his coales were coales of Juniper fierce and long lasting his fire not elementary but culinary nourished by low and unworthy considerations a fruit of the flesh and such as excludes out of heaven Gal. 5.20 21. It was not the passion but the habit of hatred which St. James calleth the devill Jam. 4.7 and St. Paul counselleth men not to give place to that devill and for that end not to let the Sun go down upon their wrath Ephe. 6.26 See Ezech 35.5 where Edom is charged with a perpetuall hatre and therefore threatened with blood and desolation as here Verse 12. But I will send a fire A fierce enemy ut supra The inhabitants of Teman and Bozra together with other the posterity of Esau were famous for power and policy Obad. 8.9 Ier. 49.7 Esa 34.6 But there is no wisdome might nor counsell against the Lord Prov. 21.30 31. He can make fooles and babies of the Churches enemies he can fire out their malice c. Verse 13. I will not turn away the punishment thereof Or I will not turn and reduce him to my self by repentance that I may shew him mercy as Lam. 5.22 Ier. 31.18 but harden his heart and hasten his destruction because they have ript up the women with child Immane facinus vicinis indignum saith Mercer A cruel fact and the worse because done by so neere neighbours and allyes thus to kill two at one blow and those also innocent and impotent and such as they ought to have spared by the law of nature and of nations and all this meerely out of covetousnesse and ambition That they might enlarge their border but first root out the little ones that else might hereafter claime and recover their fathers possessions So at the Sicilian vespers they ript up their own women that were with child by the French that no French blood might remaine amongst them See the Note on Hos 13.16 and learn to detest covetousnesse that root of all evill 1 Tim. 6.10 Better converse with a Canibal then with a truly covetous caytiffe and more curtesie you may expect Verse 14. But I will kindle a fire c. with mine own hands not only
not be subject to Gods command is now liable to the censures conviction and condemnation of rude barbarous men which being humbled in the sense of his sinne hee doth patiently endure without grudging Danaeus his Note here is that concerning themselves and their own sinnes against God these good fellowes spake nothing what ever they think but demand of the Prophet why hast thou done this as if he were the onely misdoer because he had told them As willing now to give glory to God and take shame to himself this is the property of a true penitentiary See Psal 52. Title where David stands to do penance in a white sheet as it were and Augustines Confessions Hypocrites deal with their souls as some do with their bodies when their beauty is decayed they desire to hide it from themselves by false glasses and from others by painting so do they their sins from themselves by false glosses and from others by excuses But as the prisoner on the rack tells all and as things written with the juice of limmons when held to the fire are made legible so when God brings men into straits when he roasteth them in the fire of his wrath then if ever they will confesse against themselves and so give glory to God Josh 7.19 by putting themselves into the hand of justice in hope of mercy Verse 11. Then said they unto him What shall we do unto thee q. d. Thou art a Prophet of the Lord and knowest how he may be pacified Thou art also the party whom He pursueth say what we shall do to thee to save our selves from thy death that even gapeth for us from this Sea which else will soon swallow us up for the Sea worketh and is tempestuous so Kimchi readeth the Text making these last also to be the words of the Marriners Thou seest that there is no hope if thine angry God be not appeased Wo unto us who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty Gods 1 Sam. 4.8 If the Sea be thus ragefull and dreadfull as verse 15. if it thus work and swell more and more as we see it doth thereby testifying that it can now no longer defer to execute Gods anger tell us what we shall do in this case and strait What Verse 12. And he said unto them More by Gods inward revelation then by discourse of reason not as rashly offering himself to death but as freely submiting to the mind of God signified by the Lot that fell upon him calling for him to punishment Take me up and cast me forth into the Sea Eximia sides saith Mercer Before we had his repentance testified by his confession with aggravation Here we have his faith whereby he triumpheth over death in his most dreadfull representations Take me up saith he with a present minde and good courage as also his charity whereby he chose rather to die as a piacular person then to cause the death of so many men for his fault Like unto this was that of Nazianzen who desired Jonah-like to be cast into the Sea himself so be it all might be calme in the Publike that of Athanasius who by his sweat and tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine cured the leprosie of that tainted age that of Ambrose who was farre more sollicitous of the Churches welfare then of his own that of Chrysostome In 1 Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to seek the publick good of the Church and to preferre the salvation of others before a mans private profit is the most perfect Canon of Christianisme the very top-gallant of Religion the highest point and pitch of Piety so shall the Sea be calme unto you Not else for I have forfeited my life by my disobedience and my repentance though true and so to salvation never to be repented of comes too late in regard of temporall punishments 2 Cor. 7.10 as did likewise that of Moses Deut. 3.26 and of David 2 Sam. 12.10 such is the venemous nature of sinne in the saints 't is treachery because against covenant and such is the displeasure of God upon it that he chastiseth his here more then any other sinners Lam. 4.6 Dan. 9.12 and whoever else scape they shall be sure of it Amos 3.2 The word here rendred calme signifieth silent for the Sea when troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est maris agitatio Eâ—â— stach in Hom. Hiad H. roareth hideously so that the roaring of the devils at the painfull preconceit of their last doom of damnation is set forth by a word that is taken from the tossing of the Sea and the noise thereupon Iam. 2.19 The devils beleeve and tremble or shiver and shudder with horrible yellings for I know that for my sake this tempest is upon you If Jonah were a type of Christ in that being cast into the Sea a calme followed yet herein hee differed that Christ suffered not for his own offences 1 Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 but bore our sinnes in his own body on the tree and died the just for the unjust Verse 13. Neverthelesse the men rowed Heb. digged for so they that row seem to do with their oars Virg. Aeneid Vastum sulcavimus aequor as with spades Hence also the Latine Poets say that Boat-men cut plow furrow the waters Infindunt pariter sulcos The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did their utmost indeavour with violence to bring the ship to shore and to save Jonah and not as those bloody Emperours Tiberius Caligula and Claudius who took delight in the punishment of offenders and used to come early in the morning into the market-place to behold their executions Non nisâ— coactus Vtinam literas nescirem said that better Emperour when he was to subscribe a sentence of death and Oh that I could not write mine own name said Another upon the like occasion but they could not They did but strive against the stream for the Lord had otherwise determined it and Voluntas Dei necessitas reâ— who hath resisted his will for the Sea wrought and was tempestuous against them As verse 11. Praesentemque vires intentant omnia mortem Verse 14. Wherefore they cried unto the Lord Not unto their false gods but unto the true Jehovah of whom they had learned something by what they had seen and heard from Jonah Vaetorpori nostro We beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee A most ardent and affectionate prayer A naturall man may pray from the bottome of his heart out of a deep sense of his wants but he cannot give thanks from the bottom of his heart because void of the love of God and joy of faith Danaeus noteth from these words that Iudges ought to pray before they passe sentence of death upon any Let us not perish for this mans life which we take away but full sore against our wills Wilfull murther was ever accounted an heinous crime among the Heathens also
incompleat it was an imperfect thing the better part of it was yet wanting Next that till that chare were done he could not be at peace within himself he could not be quiet for vowes are debts and debts till they be payed are a burden to an honest minde and do much disease it Salvation is of the Lord. Salus omnimoda as the Hebrew word having one letter more then ordinary in it importeth Jeshugnathah all manner of salvation full and plentifull deliverance is of the Lord who is therefore called the God of salvation unto whom belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 A quo vera salus non aliunde venit This Ionah speaketh as he doth all else in this holy Canticle not by reading or by rote but out of his own feeling and good experience his whole discourse was digg'd out of his own breast as it is said of that most excellent 119. Psalme that it is made up altogether of experiments and it therefore hath verba non legenda sed vivenda words not so much to be read as lived as One said once of it Dives thought that if one went from the dead to warne his wicked brethren they would never be able to resist such powerfull Rhetorick Behold here is Ionah raised from the dead as it were and warning people to arise and stand up from dead courses and companies that Christ may give them light why do they not then get up and be doing at it that the Lord may be with them Shall not the men of Nineveh rise up in judgement with this evil generation and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Jonas Mat. 12.41 but these do not though they have many Jonas's that both preach and practise non verbis solum praedicantes sed exemplis as Eusebius saith Origen did that live sermons and not teach them onely Verse 10. Dci dicere est facere Aug. And the Lord spake unto the fish He spake the word and it was done He is the great Centurion of the world that saith to his creature Do this and hee doth it Yea he is the great great Induperator to whom every thing saith Iussa sequi tam velle mihi quà m posse necesse esse Lucan I am wholly at thy beck and check Jonah spake to God and God to the fish It may be said of faithfull prayer that it can do whatsoever God himself can do sith he is pleased to yeeld himself overcome by the prayers of his people and to say unto them cordially as Zedekiah did to his Courtiers colloguingly The king is not he that can deny you any thing Prayer is of that power that it can open the doors of Leviathan as wee see here which yet is reckoned as a thing not feisible Iob 41.14 yea of the all-devouring grave Heb. 11.35 If the Lord pricked on by the prayers of his people set in hand to save them and shall say to the North Give up and to the South Keep not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Esay 43.6 they shall come amain and none shall be able to hinder them Come therefore with those good souls in Hosea who had smarted for their folly as well as Ionah and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn Hos 6.1 2. and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight A time we must have to be in the fire in the fishes belly as in Gods Nurturing-house but hee will take care that wee be not there overlong what 's two or three dayes to eternity Hold out faith and patience Yet a very little little while Heb. 10. and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry and it vomited up Ionah upon the dry land And here Death was defeated and wiped it was much more so when it had swallowed up Christ Quantum in devoratione mors laetata est tantum luxit in vomitu Hieron and little dreamt that it self should have been thereby swallowed up in victory But then was fulfilled that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death And as there so here in a proportion and as a type omnia jam inversa saith Mercer all things are turned t'other way Before the fish was an instrument of death now of life and serves Jonah for a ship to bring him to dry land This fish useth not to come neer the shore but to sport in the great waters howbeit now he must by speciall command vomit up Ionah upon the dry land Why then should it be thought a thing incredible with any that God should raise the dead The Sea shall surely give up the dead that were in it and death and hell deliver up the dead that were in them Acts 26. S. Sen. Nat. quaest l. 3. c. 26 27 28 29 30. and they shall be judged every man according to his works Rev. 20.13 This some of the Heathens beleeved as Zoroastres Theopompus and Plato And the Stoikes opinion was that the world should one day be dissolved by fire or water and all things brought to a better state or to the first golden age again But we have a more sure word of Prophesie and this that is here recorded may serve as an image and type of our preservation in the grave and our resurrection from the dead by one and the same Almighty power of God CHAP. III. Verse 1. AND the word of the Lord came unto Ionah the second time Ionah is a sinner but not a cast-away God layes him not by as a broken vessel treads him not to the dung-hill as unsavoury salt but receives him upon his return by repentance and restores him to his former employment gives him yet a name and a nail in his house yea sends him a second time on his message to Nineveh and counting him faithfull puts him again into the ministery who was before a runagate a rebel c. But he obtained mercy c. 1 Tim. 1.13 as did likewise the Apostles after that they had basely deserted our Saviour at his passion and Peter after he had denied him See Ioh. 20.22 23. and 21.15 16 17. Quem poenite peccasse poenè est innocens Sen Agam. The poenitent are as good as innocent Return ye back-sliding children saith the Father of mercies and I will heal your back-slidings Ier. 3.22 The Shulamite returning is as lovely in Christs eye as before and all is as well as ever betwixt them Cant. 6.4 There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostasie and falling after repentance But had they known the gift of God and who it is that saith to them Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee they would have conceived strong consolation Verse
to him as a Sea of glasse a clear transparent body he shines and sees throw it Gods hand or side is said to be horned in the sense that Moses his face was Exod. 34.30 And there was the hiding of his power Not the revealing of it but velamen symbolum integumentum the veil the cover such as God put over him when he shewed Moses his glory He could see but his back parts and live we need see no more that we may live God is invisible incomprehensible and dwelleth in light unapproachable How little a thing doth man here understand of God Iob 26.14 the greatest part of that he knoweth is but the least part of that he knoweth not Surely as a weak eye is not able to behold the Sun no nor the strongest eye without being dazled we cannot look upon it in rota but only in radiis so here we cannot see God in his Essence but onely in his effects in his works and in his Word where also we have but a shew but a shadow of him we see but his train in the Temple as Esay the holy Angels cover their faces with their wings as with a double scarfe before Gods brightnesse which would put out their eyes else â—s 6.3 see Psal 104.2.1 Tim. 6.16 Verse 5. Before him went the pestilence Dever the word signifieth such a disease as cometh by a divine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Hypocrits call the pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because sext by God in a spiritual manner a stroke of his own bare hand as it were Here it is made one of his Apparitours or pursivants sent before him to destroy the Canaanites as it had done the Egyptians And burning coals went out at his feet Or the carbuncle burning bile Deut. 32.24 The Vulgar translateth it the devil Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deadly inflammation whereof good Oecolampadius died and was lamented by Melancthon But Luther very uncharitably the best have their failings wrote that he beleeved Oecolampadixm ignitis Satanae telis hastis confossum Lib. de Missae privat subitanea morte periâ—sse that Oecolampadius died suddenly being stabb'd to death with the fiery darts of the devill Verse 6. He stood and measured the earth Not Joshuah but God brought his people into the promised land and divided it amongst them Psal 78.55 Like as also he had divided the whole earth by bounds and borders to the several Nations Psal 74.17 and doth still appoint men the bounds of their habitations Act. 17.26 He beheld and drove asunder the Nations He did it with his looks as it were that is with very little adoe Let the Lord but arise onely and his enemies shall be scattered Camd. Elis let him but frown and they fall before him If Augustus could frown to death Asinius Pollio and Queen Elizabeth her chancellour Hatton what shall we think of Gods bended browes And the everlasting mountains were scattered i. e. those kingdomes of the Canâ—anites that were held firm and unmoveable as the mountains yea rivetted as it were upon eternity see Num. 13.21.31 22. These were scattered dissilierunt fell in peeces and leapt this way and that way as stones broken with a great hammer God threshed these mountains and beat them small he made the hills as chasse Isay 41.15 No worldly height could stand before him By mountains here some understand Kings and Princes as by hills those of inferiour rank His wayes are everlasting Heb. his walks or journies that is his government of the world by his power and wisedome is perpetual he never casteth off the care thereof There are that referre the word his to the Canaanites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who had of old possessed the land without disturbance But the former sense is the better Verse 7. I saw the Tents of Cushan King of Mesopotamia who tyrannized over Israel eight years after Joshua's death God selling his people to him for naught and not increasing his wealth by their price Psal 44.12 Judg. 3.8 But delivering them in the end by that valiant Othniel who brought the tents of Cushan under affliction or vanity Some render it propter iniquitatem because of iniquity and set this sense upon it It was for sinne that God sold his people into the hands of Cushan Riskathaijm and yet afterwards sent them a Saviour why then should they now despair of a seasonable return out of captivity though by their sinnes they have provoked the Lord to wrath sith if they returne unto him and seek his favour there is yet mercy with the Lord that he may be feared Loe this is the right use of histories and this is our duty to make observations to our selves as did the Prophet here I saw the tents of Cushan I considered the thing that hath been it is the same which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done c. Eccles 1.9 Historiae fidae monitrices Dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble Cortinae vel pelles c. When by the sword of the Lord and of Gideon they were cut off and discomfited Judg. 7.7 c. Verse 8. Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers As Xerxes that brutish man was against the Hellespont for battering his bridge of boates beating it and casting a pair of fetters into it Was God thus angry against Jordan and against the red-Sea No such matter If God seem angry at any time against the reasonlesse or livelesse creatures it is for a punishment of mans sin But here his end and purpose was to shew that he did ride upon those horses and charets the rivers and sea for the salvation of his people He did so when time was and that he will do so again when time shall serve this question in the text shews that there is no question to be made of it Verse 9. Thy bowe was made quite naked sc Out of the case He meaneth thy power was clearly manifested and powerfully exerted against the nations above mentioned so that all men might see plainly that thou wert that man of warre Exod. 15.3 which shootest thine arrowes at a certainty and never missest thine enemies thy but-mark See Job 16.12 according to the oathes of the tribes even thy word i. e. according to thy promises to thy people confirmed with oathes even those sure mercies of David or assured to David Some render it according to the oathes those props of thy word His word is sure and sufficient of it self but for our better settlement and as a prop to our faith He hath bound it with oathes that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 For now we may say with Solomon For thy words sake nay more For thine oathes sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all this 2 Sam. 7.18 21. Thy love moved thee to make
promise yea to give oath and now thy truth bindeth thee to performe All thy pathes to thy people now are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 not mercy onely but mercy and truth not by a providence onely but by vertue of a promise ratified with an oath This is sweet indeed this deserves a Selah to be set to it thou didst cleave the earth with rivers Exod. 17.6 Psal 78.15 16. Deut. 8.15 Neh. 9.15 This cleaving the hard Rock and setting it abroach this turning of the flint into a fountain Psal 114.8 was a work of Omnipotency and is therefore so much celebrated It maketh much to the miracle that the earth was cleft with rivers this importeth both the plenty and the perennity thereof for the Rock that is the river out of the rock followed them 1 Cor. 10.4 lest in that dry and barren wildernesse they should perish for want of water The same God also who had given his people petram aquatilem gave them pluviam escatilem Tertul. de patientia as Tertullian phraseth it Manna from heaven Quails in great abundance and never was Prince better served in his greatest pomp He also defended them from the fiery serpents and delivered them from a thousand other deaths and dangers all which mercies are here implied though one onely be instanced and all to ascertain the Saints how much God setteth by them and what he will yet do for them as occasion requireth As he made the world at first that he might communicate and impart himself to his Elect so for their sakes doth he still preserve and govern it ordering the worlds disorders by an over-ruling power for his own glory and their eternall good Verse 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled sc At the promulgation of the Law Exod. 19.17 Psal 114.4 6. when God came with ten thousand of his Saints Deut. 33.2 and so terrible was the earth-quake that it wrought an heart-quake even in Moses himself Heb. 12.21 It is the office of the Law to do so and happy is he who terrified and thunder-struck by the threats thereof runnes to Christ for refuge as to One who is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by him Heb. 9.25 Some take mountains metaphorically for the Mighties of the earth and read it thus The mountains saw thee and they grieved See Num. 22.3 Josh 2.9 10 11 The over-flowing of the water passed by the inundation of Jordan passed into the dead-sea the lower part of it I mean like as the upper stood and rose up upon an heap Gualth Josh 3.16 being bounded and barred up by the Almighty power of God the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high i. e. summo consensis suffragatus est c. It voiced and voted for Gods judgements helping forward the execution thereof Verse 11. The Sun and Moon stood still in their habitation viz. In the dayes of Joshuah and upon his prayer chap. 10.12 13. whereupon One crieth out O admirabilem piarum precum vim ac potentiam quibus etiam coelestia cedunt c. O the admirable power of prayer Buchol that worketh wonders in heaven and oh the heroicall faith of Joshuah the trophees whereof hee set in the very orbes of heaven at the light of thine arrowes they went By these shining arrowes and glittering spears some understand that terrible lightening mixt with that horrible hail Josh 10.11 with Exod. 9.23 and then it is figura planè poetica a Poeticall expression for the poets call lightening 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the sword of the Lord and of Gideon Judg. 7. 18. Joves arrow See the like Psal 18.14 The huge hail-stones were Gods glittering spears wherewith he slaughtered his enemies Others suppose that these things are meant of the arms and weapons of the Israelites called Gods arrowes and spears because used at his command and ordered by him This sence Gualther liketh better as most comfortable to Christian warriours who fight the Lords battels Verse 12. Thou didst march thorow the land in indignation Heb. Thou didst walk in pomp as a Conquerour thorow the land sc of Canaan in contempt of the opposite forces treading upon the neeks of thine enemies Josh 10.24 thou didst thresh the heathen in anger See Amos 1.3 Mic. 4.13 God by the hands of Joshuah did all this The most of the old inhabitants were destroyed Some few fled into Africk and left written upon a pillar for a monument to posterity We are Phoenicians that fled from the face of Joshuah the son of Nave Verse 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people q. d. Thou wast Generalissimo in â—our expeditions in the dayes of the Judges who therefore were so successefull How could they be otherwise when God came with them into the field Camd. Elisab If Q. Elizabeth could take for her Motto Cui adhaereo praest He to whom I adhere prevaileth how much more may Almighty God say as much even for salvation with thine anointed i. e. with David 1 Sam. 16.12 13. 2 Sam. 5.3 16. and 19.22 and 22.51 Psal 20.7 a lively type of Christ that Messiah the Prince the mystery of which promised Saviour the ancient Jew-Doctours confessed to be contained in this text It is not altogether unlikely that the Prophet might intend here to point at Jesus Christ when he saith for salvation Jeshang whence Jesus for thine anointed or thy Christ There are that read the words in the Future-tense thus Thou shalt go forth for the salvation of thy people sc when Messiah that great Sospitator cometh thou shalt wound the head of the wicked sc of the Devil Rom. 16.20 Thou shalt make naked the foundation of his kingdom unto the neck Selah thou shalt utterly destroy sin death and hell A remarkable mercy indeed a mystery of greatest concernment and most worthy to be considered Gualther carries the sence this way and yet addeth that if any please to refer the words to the history of the old Testament they must be understood of those tyrants that persecuted the true Church and whom God for Christs sake subdued and subverted together with their kingdomes Verse 14. Thou didst strike thorow with his staves the heads of his villages Heb. thou didst pierce or bore thorow as with an awger with his staves a Metaphor from shepherdy according to that Psal 23.3 thy rod and thy staffe c. or with his tribes the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that entred the land of promise Acts 26.7 with these men or with these weapons though never so unlikely thou diddest by the hand of David wound the hairy scalp of thine enemies those Pagans and persecutours and much more wiâ—â— by the Son of David subdue Satan and his Complices they came out as a whirl-winde to scatter me Heb. they tempested they raised an hurly-burly being turbulent spirits as the devil is to disperse me as the dust of the mountains is scattered before a whirle-winde their
because they did not but stood stouting it out with God which was their manner from their youth therefore were the Syrians before and the Philistines behind to devoure Israel with open mouth and for all this his anger was not turned away but his hand was stretched out still Isay 9.12 13. Besides the hinderance and hurt they did to others by standing out For ifye turn again to the Lord your brethren shall find compassion said Hezekiah to his people moving them to repent 2 Chr. 30.9 And should not we lend them this friendly help and I will turn to you saith the Lord of Hosts And should not such a favour from such a Lord melt them and make them malleable Rom. 2.4 Ioel 2. If. 55.7 Mat. 3.3 Psal 130.4 Iam. 4.4 Lukâ— 15. Should not the goodnesse of God lead them to repentance Should they not rent their hearts because God is gracious return unto him because he will multiply pardon repent because his kingdome is now at hand feare him the rather because with him there is mercy draw nigh to him who thus drawes nigh to them make hast home with the prodigall where there is bread enough Surely nothing worketh so much as kindnesse upon those that are ingenuous Those Israelites at Mizpeh drew water and powred it forth before the Lord upon the return of the Ark. There is no mention of their lamenting after the Lord while he was gone 1 Sam. 7. but when he was returned and settled in Kiriath-jearim 1 Sam 7.6 2 Cor. 5.14 Tit. 2.14 David argues from mercy to duty Psal 116.8 9. Ezra from deliverance to obedience chap. 9.13 14 The love of Christ constraineth us saith Paul his grace that bringeth salvation teacheth us to denyungodlinesse and to live up to our principles Rom. 12.1 I beseech youby ' the mercies of God saith the same Apostle as not having any more prevailing more heart-attaching attracting argument in the world to presse them with I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with mercy have I drawn thee Ier. 31.3 And againe I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love Hos 11.4 that is with reasons and motives of mercy befitting the nature of a man with rationall motives to neglect mercy is to sin against humanity not to convert by kindnesse is to receive the grace of God in vaine nay it is to heape up wrath against the day of wrath A son feeling his fathers love creepes nearer under his wing A Saul sensible of Davids curtesy in sparing him when he might have spilt his blood was strangely moâ—â—ified and melted into teares Shall God offer to turn to us and we refuse to turn to him Shall he beseech us to be reconciled and we go on in our animosities and hostilities Doth he offer to powre out his spirit even upon scorners and to make known his words unto them and all this that they may turn at his reproof Prov. 1.23 And shall they yet turn their backs upon such blessed and bleeding embracements Had God given us but one Prophet and forty dayes time only to turn unto him as he dealt by Niniveh that great city surely we should have repented long agone in sackcloth and ashes But how justly alasse may he complaine of us as he did once of Jezabel Rev. 2.21 I gave them space to repent but they repented not I have striven with them by my spirit and wooed them by my word I have heaped upon them mercies without measure and all to bring them back into mine own bosom I have also smitten them with blasting and mildew with judgements publike and personall and yet they have not turned unto me saith the Lord Am. 4.9 Ah sinfull nation c. If any ask What can we do toward the turning of our selves to God I answer First you must be sensible of your own utter inability to do any thing at all toward it Ier. 10.23 Btza Iob 15.5 Philip. 2.12 Non minus difficile est nobis velle credere quam cadaveri volare It is no lesse hard for us to be willing to beleeve then for a dead carcase to fly upwards Secondly know that yet it is possible feisable by the use of these meanes that God hath appointed who also hath promised to make it both possible and easie to us He bad Moses fetch his people out of Egypt but himself effected it He bad the Israelites go and blow down the walls of Jericho they obeyed him and it was done So here Thirdly as our liberty in externall acts is still some as to come to the publike ordinances to set our selves under the droppings of a powerfull ministery and there to lie as he did at the pool of Bethesda waiting the good houre so must our indeavours be answerable The Bereans brought their bodyes to the Assembly took the heads of St. Pauls sermon compared them with the scriptures Act. 17.11 12. and yet they were unconverted Fourthly make much of the least beginnings of Grace even those they call Repressing since they prepare the heart for conversion See Luk. 11.32 Fiftly Pray Turn us O God and we shall be turned Draw us and we shall run after thee And here remember to be earnest Ask seek knock as the importunate neighbour that came to borrow two loaves or as the widdow that came for justice Luke 18.1 and would not away without it He that heareth the young ravens that cry onely by implication will he be wanting to his weake but willing servants Lastly wait for the first act of conversion the infusion of the sap of Grace which is wholy from God our will prevents it not but followes it and whensoever the spirit imbreatheth you turn about like the mill when God hath tuned and doth touch you do you move and make melody resigning up your selves wholy to him and putting your selves out God into possession Thus if you turn to him he will turn to you The Lord is with you whiles ye be with him If ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh in this text with so much affection and earnestnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.25 see that ye slight him not that ye shift him not ofâ— as the word signifieth for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that thus speaketh from heaven sc by his blood Word Sacraments Mercyes motions of his spirit crosses c. When Physick that should remove the disease doth cooperate with it then death comes with the more paine and speed The stronger the conviction of sin is the deeper will be the wrath against it if it be not by repentance avoyded No surfet more dangerous then that of bread no judgment more terrible then that which growes out of mercy offered and despised Verse 4. Be ye
up and down when the deadly arrow sticks in their ribbes but not so easily shake it off Verse 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers Overtake and catch them as Huntsmen their prey or as one enemy doth another in flight 1 King 18.27 2 King 25.5 to drag them down to the bottome of hell A godly man as he hath peace with God with himselfe and with the creatures so he hath also with the Ordinances and may say as Hezekiah Good is the Word of the Lord which thou hast spoken Are not my words alwaies good saith God to them that walk uprightly Mic. 2.7 Excellently Augustine Adversarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es inimicum habebis sermonem Dei Gods word is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves Neither doth it condemn any but such as shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord Cor anima Dei Greg. in 3. Reg. for what is the Word but the heart and soul of God as Gregory saith And what saith the Essential Word of God who came out of the bosome of his father and knew all his counsell He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the some shall judge him in the last day Iohn 12.48 Oh consider this ye that forget God that slight his word as if it were but wind that bely the Lord and say It is not he neither shall the cvill foretold come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine And the Prophets shall become wind and the word is not in them thus shall it bee done unto them Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts because ye speak this word and is there not such language of many mens hearts now-adayes Behold I will make my words not wind but fire and this people wood and it shall devour them Ier. 5.12 13 14. The Word of God in the mouths of his Ministers may well be likened to Moses his rod which whiles he held it in his hand it flourished and brought forth almonds but being cast upon the ground it became a serpent Semblably Gods words and statutes if laid to heart they yeeld fruit and comfort but if slighted or snuffed at as Mal. 1.13 serpent-like they will sting the soul and become a savour of death c. This contempt will also call for a sword to revenge the quarrel of the Covenant as it did upon these mens fathers for their instance and admonition It is reckoned by Daniel as a great aggravation of Belshazzars sinne Dan. 5.22 that hee was not sensible of his father Nebuchadnezzars pride and fall And thou his sâ—nne Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this The sinne of these Jewes in the Text was the greater because their Fathers and Elders either out of sound conversion or at least out of clear conviction of conscience had confessed and remonstrated the truth and justice of God in threatening and executing his judgements upon themselves saying as Lam. 1.18 The Lord is righteous for we have rebelled against his commandements and as chap. 2.17 The Lord hath done that which he had devised he hath fulfilled his word he hath thrown down and hath not pittied c. Hear them in their own words here like as the Lord of hosts whose power is irresistible thought devised determined with himselfe Zamam and accordingly denounced by his Prophets to doe unto us who did not the words which he commanded us Ier. 11.8 according to our wayes which were alwaies grievous Psal 10.5 and according to our doings that were not good Ezek. 36.31 so hath he dealt with us for he loves to retaliate and to render to every transgression and disobedience a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 Verse 7. Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month The third month after the former prophecy when the Jewes probably had practised the doctrine of Repentance so earnestly pressed upon them and had humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God who was now ready to lift them up by this and the seven following most comfortable Visions touching the restauration and reformation of the Church and State The Devill and his impes love to bring men into the briars and there to leave them as familiars forsake their witches when they have brought them once into fetters as the Priests left Judas the traytour to look to himself Mat. 27.4 and as the Papists cast off Cranmer after that by subscribing their Articles he had cast himself into such a wretched condition that there was neither hope of a better nor place for a worse Melch. Ad. in vita ut jam nec honestè mori nec vivere inhonestè liceret But such is not Gods manner of dealing with those that tremble at his word and humble at his feet Deijcit ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet He comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 commandeth others to comfort the feeble-minded 1 Thes 5.14 and noteth those that do not with a black-coal Nigro carbone notar Job 6.14 See the workings of his bowels the rowlings of his compassions kindled into repentance toward his penitentiaries Jer. 31.20 Hos 11.8 Esay 40.1 2. See how he comforts them with cordials according to the time wherein he had afflicted them Psal 90.15 and in the very thing wherein he had abased them as he once dealt with their Head Philip. 2.7 8. Kerse 8. I saw by night The usuall time for such revelations It may note moreover the obscurity of the Prophecy whence also the mention of myrtle-trees low and shady and that in a bottom as Calvin conceiveth and all this that he might give a taste of good hope to the Jews by little and little and behold a man riding upon a red horse Not Alexander the Great riding upon his horse Bucephalus and translating the Empire from the Persians to the Grecians as Arias Montanus conceited it But the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 the Captain of the Lords Host Josh 4.14 and of our salvation Heb. 2.10 riding upon a red horse In the same sense saith One that this colour is given to his garments Esay 63.1 2 3. and to the Angels horse Rev. 6.4 The wild Bull saith Another of all things cannot abide any red colour Therefore the hunter for the nonce standing before a tree puts on a red garment whom when the Bull seeth he runneth at him as hard as he can drive But the hunter stepping aside the bulls horns stick fast in the tree as when David slipped aside Sauls spear stuck fast in the wall Such an hunter is Christ He lifted up upon the tree of his crosse had his garment dipt and died in his own blood as one that cometh with red garments from Bozra Therefore the Devil and his Angels like wild bulls of Bashan ran at him with all their force in that
and at length return them up again to his heavenly Father without losse of any one He is also called the Man by an excellency that matchlesse man the chief of ten thousand as his mother is called hagnalma that famous Virgin whom all generations are bound to call blessed He is Man-God both in one and is therefore also called Gods-fellow or Mate as being Consubstantiall to the Father according to the Godhead and very neer akinne to him according to the Man-hood by reason of the hypostaticall union of both natures into one person the Man Christ Jesus Smite the shepheard that that blessed Fountcin of his Bloud mentioned verse 1. may be opened and the flock of God washed and healed and satiated as the people were when the Rock was smitten and so set abroach and as when God clave a hollow place in the jaw-bone of the Asse so that there came water thereout Sampson drank and was revived And as when the Alabaster-box of ointment was broke all the house was filled with a sweet savour Judg. 15.19 And the sheep shall be scattered scattered and scattered shifting for themselves and leaving Christ to the mercy of his enemies who seized upon him as so many Carrion Kites upon a silly Dove Thomas who once said come let us go dye with him disappeares and is lost Peter followes aloof off but better he had heen farther off John if at least it were he flies away stark naked for hast Iudas comes nearer to him but to betray him with a kisse But is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Christ had indented with the enemie aforehand for their securitie Joh. 18.8 so that they needed not have retreated so disorderly and scattered as they did But the fear of man bringeth a snare Prov. 29.25 Howbeit mans badnesse cannot break off the course of Christs goodnesse For though they thus unworthily forsake him and leave him at the worst as they say yet I will turn my hand saith he upon the little ones i.e. I will recollect my dispersed flock how little soever either for number or respect in the world and bring back my banished So soon doth it repent the good Lord concerning his servants Mich. 7.18 Psal 136 23. He remembreth not iniquity for ever saith the Prophet because mercy pleaseth him and again He remembreth us in our low estates for his mercy endureth for ever He looked back upon Peter when his mouth was now big swoln with oathes and execrations and set him a weeping bitterly He called for Thomas after his resurrection and confirmed his weak faith by a wonderfull condescention He sealed up his love to them all again restoring them to their ministeriall imployment and not so much as once upbraiding them with their base dereliction but only with their unbelief Lyra and others sence the Text thus I will turn my hand upon the little ones that is I will so smite the Shepheard Christ that not only the sheep shall be scattered but the little lambs also even the least and lowest Christians shall have their share of sufferings shall feel the weight of my hand shall pledge the Lord Christ in that cup of afflictions that I have put into his hand shall be conformed to the Image of Gods Son as his co-sufferers that he may be the first born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 And this was fulfilled in the persecutions that followed soon after our Saviours death Ecclesia haeres crucis saith Luther and Persecutio ect Evangelij genius saith Calvin Persecution is the black Angel that dogges the Church the red horse that â—ollows the white at the heels All the comfort is that Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroke in all those afflictions that are laid upon his faithfull people I will turn mine hand c. Verse 8. Two parts therein shall be cut off and die q.d. they shall they shall how strange or incredible soever this sad tidings seem to you it shall be even so take my word for it Behold the severity of God Rom. 11.22 In the Greek it is the Resection or Cutting off as a Chirurgion cutteth off proud and dead flesh The Just Lord is in the middest thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will not do iniquity c. Zeph. 3.5 Fiat justitia ruat coelum may seem to be his Motto In point of justice he stands not upon multitudes Psal 9.17 It is all one to him whether against a Nation or against a man only Job 34.29 National sins bring national plagues heinous sinnes heavy punishments In the universal deluge God swept away all as if he had blotted out that part of his title The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. and had taken up that of Attilas Orbis flagellum The worlds scourge Sodoms sinnes were multiplyed above measure therefore God took them away as he saw good Ezek. 16.49 50 and hath thrown them out as St. Jude speaketh for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Herodotus a Heathen Historian saith the very same of the destruction of Troy viz. that the ruines and rubbish thereof are set forth for an example of that noted Rule that God greatly punisheth great offences and that hainous sinnes bring hideous plagues Here we have two parts of three cut off in the land of Judea as it fell out at the last destruction thereof by the Romans at which time more then a million of men perished see Matth. 24.21 with the Note And what think we shall become of Babylon the great Her sinnes reach up to heaven whereunto they are even glewed and fastened as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 18.5 therefore she shall be brought down to hell with Capernaum for flagitium flagellum sicuâ— acus filum therefore shall her plagues come in one day to confute their fond conceit of an eternal Empire death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly overthrown with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her full able to effect it Rev. 18.18 seem it to Babels brats never so improbable or impossible It was never besieged since it became Papal but it was taken whereas before it was held invincible Sinne that lyeth at the bottom will easily undermine and overturn the walis though never so strong built as the voice from heaven told Phocas the Murtherer The bloud of that innocent Lamb of God lyes heavy upon the whole Nation of the Jews to this day Their last devastation and present dismal dispersion is such as that one of their own Rabines concludes from thence that their Mesliah must needs be come and they must needs suffer so much for killing him but the third shall be left therein A holy remnant kept for a reserve Good husbands cast not all their corn into the oven but keep some for seed Esa 6.13 But yet in it shall be a tenth saith another Prophet Es 17.6 there shall
that he would set up his own kingdome here more and more amongst us then should were be more happy then the Israelites were under the raigne of king Solomon or the Spaniards under their Ferdinand the third who reigned 35. years in all which time there was neither famine nor pestilence in the land Lopez Gloss in prolog par 1 Vers 13. Your words have been stout against me Or reenforced or strongly confirmed Superant me verba vestra so some have rendred it By your hard and hatefull words you have been too hard for me as it were And it is as if God should say I have given you my best advice o break off your sinnes and to bring me my tythes that I might blesse you both with store and honour But I have lost my labour I see well my sweet words are worse then spilt upon you who are so hardened in your errour and blasphemy Prov. 23.8 Verba quid incassum non proficientia perdo Mal. 2.17 that you are still clamouring and casting out odious words against me Once before you had set your foul mouthes against me and like so many wolves that were wood you held up your heads and howl'd out these ugly words Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them c. was it possible that the wit of malice could devise so high a slander And now you are at it again creaking like doors that move upon rusty hinges nay clattering and blustering out such hellish and hideous blasphemies as at the hearing whereof it is great wonder if the heavens sweat not earth gape not sea roar not all creatures conspire not to be avenged upon you as the very stones in the wall of Aphek turned executioners of those blasphemous Aramites when as being but ignorant Pagans their tongues might seem no slander Your words have been stout against me Yea stouter and stouter your wickednesse frets like a canker and encreaseth still to more ungodlinesse 2 Tim. 2.17 Evil men and deceivers grow worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 as being given up by God Rom. 1.28 acted and agitated by the devil Ephes 2.2 serving diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 which to satisfie is an endlesse piece of businesse Neither let any here say they were but words that these are charged with and words are but wind c. for words have their weight and are marvellous provoking Leviter volant sed non leviter violant You shall find some saith Erasmus that if death be threatned can despise it but to be belied they cannot brook nor from revenge contain themselves As a murthering-weapon in my bones saith David mine enemies reproach me Psal 42.10 Desperate speeches and blasphemies that impose upon the Lord any thing unbeseeming his Majesty a thing common among the Jews even at this day he can by no means away with See how God stomacketh such proud contumelious language Psal 73.11 and 94.4 5 6 7 c. Zeph. 1.12 Ezech. 9.9 See how he punished it in him that bored thorough his great Name Lev. 24.11 Ludovike commonly called St. Lewis caused the lips of blasphemers to be seared with an hot iron Philip the French King punished this sin with death yea though it were committed in a Tavern The very Turks have the Christians blaspheming of Christ in execration and will punish their prisoners sorely when as through impatience or desperatenesse they wound the ears of heaven Yea the Jews in their speculations of the causes of the strange successe of the affairs of the world Specul Europae assigne the reason of the Turks prevailing so against the Christians to be their blasphemies and among other scandals and lets of their conversion are all those stout words darted with hellish mouthes against God in their hearing so ordinarily and openly by the Italians especially who blaspheme oftner then swear and murther oftner then revile or slander Andrew Musculus in his discourse intituled The devil of blasphemy hath a memorable story of a desperate dice-player in Helvetia Anno 1553. at a town three miles distant from Lucerna Where on a Lords-day three wretched fellows were playing at dice under the town-wall One of them named Vlricus Schraeterus having lost a great deal of money swore that if he lost the next cast he would fling his dagger at the sace of God He lost it and in a rage threw up his dagger with all his might toward heaven The dagger vanished in the air and was seen no more five drops of blood fell down upon the table where they were playing which could never be washed out part of it is still kept in that town for a monument the blasphemer to say the best of him was fetcht away presently body and soul by the devil with such an horrible noise as affrighted the whole town The other two came to a miserable end shortly after The truth of this relation is further attested by Job Fincelius and Philip Lonicerus Theat histor pag. 142. yet ye say What have we spoken so much against thee Chald What have we multiplied to speak before thee As if they should say â—t is not so much that we have spoken that thou shouldest make such a businesse of it Nothing more ordinary with gracelesse men then to elevate and extenuate great sins with them are small sins and small sins no sins when as every sinne should swell like a toad in their eyes and the abundant hatred thereof in their hearts should make them say all that can be said for the aggravation and detestation of it sith there is as much treason in coyning pence as bigger pieces because the supreme authority is as much violated in the one as in the other But this sin of theirs was no peccadillo as appeareth by the following instance Verse 14. Ye have said It is vain to serve God Vulg. He is vain that serves God Ye are idle ye are idle said Pharaoh to the Israelites when they would needs go sacrifice and to Moses and Aaron Ye let the people from their works Any thing seems due work to a carnall mind saving Gods service that 's labour lost time cast away they think But this is their want of spirituall judgement they see not the beauty of holinesse they taste not how good the Lord is they discern not things that are excellent they measure all by present sight sense and taste as do children swine and other bruit creatures And therefore they themselves are vani vanissimi as an Expositor here speaketh vain and most vain and that for two reasons and in two respects First for that they take themselves to be servers of God Secondly they stick in the bark serve him with the out-side onely honour him with their lips and not with their hearts to bring him vein oblations empty performances serve him wih shews and formalities which he delights not in nay he rejects them with infinite scorn as he did the Pharisees devotions
darknesse but reproove them rather s Eph. 5 11. with a number more that I might add with ease That one of Solomon for all My son saith he if sinners entive thee consent thou not If yet they say Come with us let us lay wait for blood c. Cast in thy lot amongst us let us all have one parse My son walk not thou in the way with them resrain thy foot from their path t Pro. 1 10 11 14 15. For their way in the issue of it is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death u Prov. 7.27 Even that second death as the scripture tearms it which though hand joyu in hand w Prov. 16.5 and they muster up and unite their forces as hoping haply to scape in the croud or to carry it away cleanly because a multitude yet they shall never be able to avoid or abide For the wicked be they never so many of them shall be turn'd into hell and whole nations that forget God x Psal 9.17 This the Patriarch Noah that I may shew you secondly the practise of the point in some particular examples of ancient and later times this I say Noah beleeved ere he saw and therefore lived to see what he had afore beleeved not whole Nations only but a world-full of wicked people swallowed up together in one universall grave of waters their spirits being now in prison 〈◊〉 in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day y 1 Pet. 3.19 The foresight whereof by a lively faith being warâ—â—â— of God of things not seen as yet z Heb. 11.7 made him walk uprightly with God evea in his geaeration a Gen. 6.9 Now for him to walk alone in a divers way to a worid of wicked people as Chrysoscome hath it b Solus ipse diversâ â—mbulavit viâ virtutem malitiae praeferens c. Chrysost Hom. 22. in cap. 6. Genef to keep himself unspotted in such a foul season as anotherspeakes of him c inter corruprissimos minere incorruptnÌ„ Pare in Gen 6 nay like a right orient and illustrious planet not only to hold out a constant counter-motion to that of the vulgar but also to shine so fair with a singularity of heavenly light spirituall goodnesse and Gods sincere service in that daâ—kâ—st midnight of damned impiety this was that whereby he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith e Heb. 11.7 The next in the Apostles roul there remembred and registred is Abraham that precious man pall'd as a brand out of Vr of the Chaldees from whence he went forth forsaking father f Iosh 24.2 house and friends who served other Gods beyond the slood not knowing whither he went saith the text g Hâ—b 11.8 nor much daring so long as he had God by the hand For whom also his first care was where ever he came setting up Altars to Jehovah h Gen. 12.6 7 8. 13.4 18. in the mid'st of those Idolaters and making open profession of his service before the people or the land which was a reall confutation of their heathenish fopperies Thus Aoraham then and thus after him Johua by his example which he therefore useth and urgeth in that parliament he called and held at Shechem a little afore his death I took your father Abraham saith he there in Gods behalf from the other side of the flood c. i Josh 24.2 whose children ye shall shall well approve your selves if ye walke in the sheps of his fâ—ith k Rom. 1.12 by putting away the â—trange gods from among you as he and serving the Lord l Josh 24.14 In which holy practue however you come off choose you this day whom you will serve though in evils of sin there be no choise whether the gods of your sathers leyond the slood Malorum non est electio Aâ—â—â—t or tke gods of the Amornes in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve Jehoveh The time would fail me to tell of Job who would not part with his Integrity to die for it m Job 27.5 6 though instigated thereunto by the wife of his bosome n Job 2 9 Chrysostom set on doubtlesse by the Devil who of all the parts of his body had leâ—t his conâ—ue onely free from blisters if haply he might be drawn to curse God therewith and die To tell you next of David who therefore loâ—ed Gods statutes exceed ngly because min had made void his Lâ—w o â—sal 119.126 127. and Psal 39 2 resolving first uqon filence among wicâ—ed company could not hold his spirit so burnt c. p 1 King 19.10 Rom. 11.3 Of Elias who though alone and singular continued therefore zealsus for the Lord of Hosls because they had argg'd down has Aâ—â—s c. Of Micaâ—ah who would not flatter the King though 400. false prophets had done it afore him q 1 King 22 Of Obadith that fea ca God 〈◊〉 in a common defection r 1 King 8.12 c. Look to the New Testament and there you have our Saviour eaten up with the zeal of his Fâ—â—â—ers house when by all sorts polluted s Joh. 2.17 his Apostles soon after his departure resolving to obey God even comora goutes against whatsoever opposition and not to swim down the stream of the times for any menaces of the Council t Act. 4. Pâ—â—ul that heavenly spark burning in spirit against a Church full of unbeleeving Jewes at Corinth u Act. 18.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intus apud se aestuabat prae zeli ardore and openly contesting with the Gentiles at Athens about their senselesse superstition w Act. 17. So he gave thanks afore meat in the midst of Infidels Act. 27.25 What should I stand longer to tell you of Timothy so abstemious and temperate among the luxurious Ephesians x A people so dehauched that they made a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there bee never an honest man amougst us And it is storied that they therefore cast our one Hermodorus as by an ostracisme because he was a good busband and a temperate man that Saint Paul was fain to prescribe him a â—â—le wine for hish alihs 〈◊〉 y 1 Tim. 5.23 Of Antipas who held forth the word of life even to the death where Savans â—hâ—one was z Rev. 2.13 Of Neâ—o's family to whom Saint Paul sends salutations a Philip. 4 22. Of Polyâ—â—â— that blessed Martyr of sâ—â—us Christ who being sollicited by the Tyrant to do sacrifice to the â—doll and so to provide for his own safety as diverse others had done before him Fourâ—core and â—dde yzers sud he have I served my Master Christ and â—e never deceived me an shill I now desem him God forbid me any such wickednesse I scorn to be delivered upon any such dishonourable termes b
that ye may see the inequality of the comparison our light and momentary affliction worketh for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory In which text there is well observed to be a triple Antithesis with a more then superlative description of heavens happinesse 2 Cor. 5.14 Mr. Leigh of the promises Hicsi usquam Claudicat ingenium delirat linguaque mensque Lucret. by an hyperbole above an hyperbole For for affliction here 's glory for light affliction a waight of glory a heavy massy substantial glory for momentary affliction an eternal excessive weight of glory A lively losty kinde of expression but such as falles far short of that inexplicable felicity that abides us and is wrought out unto us by our shortest sufferings Words are too weak to uter it Thirdly Rev. 21.4 consider that it s here that God must meet with us or no where Hereafter there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain Here we must have it or in a worse place This world is our purgatory our little-ease our wash-house our place of penance penalty pilgrimage Here he rubs off our rust scours off our scurf hewes us as in the mount to be living stones in the coelestial Temple 〈◊〉 â—â—9 54. Here he fines us files us polisheth us thresheth us out of the husk that we may be meat for the masters tooth as that Father phrased it In a word this is all the hell we are like to have let us make us merry with it and sing sweet songs as David did in this house of our pilgrimage Home's hard by In the mean while fourthly life is a mercy though never so full of misery A living dog is better then a dead lion Eccles 9.4 Lam. 3.39 Ioseph is yet alive that 's more then Joseph is the second man in the land Why is living man sorrowful Man suffers for his sin q. d. Suffer he never so much never so long he receives but the due desert of his evil deeds as that penitent thief told his fellow And that he yet lives amidst all and cuts not off as a weaver the thrum of his wretched life Hezekiah held it a precious indulgence The reason whereof he yeelds a little after The grave cannot praise thee they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth Death cannot celebrate thee that is dead men cannot be exemplary and so shine before men that they may see their good works Esay 38.12.18.19 and glorifie thee The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day the father to the children shall make known thy truth Adde hereunto for a fist consideration that no man is so hard beset with sorrows behinde and before but he hath some lucida intervalla some refreshings some respits and breathing-whiles betwixt Iobs case is not every mans nay it is scarce any mans to be visited every morning to be tried every momâ—â— to be held uncessantly on the rack and not so much liberty left him as while he swallows his spittle This was an hard case and might be any of ours as well as Jobs Now that it is not see ground of patience nay of thankfulnesse to that God that might have doomed man at first to be ever in sweating out a poor living called therefore the life of his hand Esay 57.10 because it is upheld by the labour of his hand and women to be ever labouring in the extream paines of child birth neither yet to be saved after all 1 Tim 2.15 no though she should continue in faith and charuy and holinesse with sobriety Sixthly God is with us al the while we are in durance optimum solaâ—ium sodaliâ—â—um can we have better company He goes along with us into the fire as with the three children and into the water as with Ionas yea though hel had closed her mouth upon us and swallowed us up into her bowels yet it must in despite of it render us up again because God is with us and for us Hels stomack could not long hold us no more then the whale could brook Ionas which if he had light upon the marriners he would devoured and disgested twenty of them in lesse space Seventhly God accounts what we suffer now sufficient for all and lookes upon us as those that have been judged already yea that have received double for al our sins The time is now that judgement begins at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 And when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Abiathar though worthy of death shall live because he had been formerly afflicted with David So shall we which have suffered with Christ raign for ever with him Psal 94.12 Prov. 6.23 2 Cor. 7.6 Esay 30.13 Sustine tu illum qui sustinuit te Sustinuit ille te dum tu corrigeres vitam malam sustine tuillum dum coronet vitam bonam Aug. Esay 26.9 1 Pet. 5.6 who else had been but dead men had not God chastised us and taught us in his law by those corrections of instruction that are the way to life Lastly consider that God that comforteth the abject hath set a certain time for our deliverence a day to do us good in waiting mean-while to shew mercy and counting as it were the slow minutes till we become capable Iob. 13.36 Now shall he wait upon us and sall not we wait for him Yea we have waited for the Lord saith the Chruch in the way of thy judgements And humble your selves under the mighty hand of God saith Peter and he will lift you up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the opportunity of time To prescribe to the most wise God were intolerable presumption and to antevert his season dangerous precipitancy to set him a time with that king of Israel 2 King 6.33 to send for him by a post with those Bethulians either be must save us now or not at all how can he endure it Rebeccah was too nimble with her If it be so why am I thus as ill-advised when she said I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. And she and her son Jacob should have had the patience to wait Gods leisure for the blessing and not to have gotten in by the back-door But we are all naturally impatient of delaies and too ready to think we should sow and reape both in a day As our grand-mother Eve who having received the promise of a Messiah thought that her first-borne Cain must needs have been the Man and therefore as pleased with the conceit thereof she said I have gotten that Man that famous Man even the man Christ Jesus of the Lord. But she was fairely deceived and so are all such like to be as are in like hast and cannot frame with patience to wait for the Lord as David-Psal 40.1 Yea to pant and somtimes to faint as Ieremy with