2 Lyke as at an hote fyre and that the malicious might boyle avvay as the water doth vpon the fire whereby thy name might be knowne among thine enimies and that the Gentiles might tremble before thée 3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes we looked not for them thou camest downe and the hilles melted at thy presence 4 For â—ite the beginning of the worlde it hath not bene heard or perâ—â—yâ—ed neyther hath any eye séene another God 〈◊〉 thée which duest so much for them that put their trust in thée 5 Thou helpest him that doth right with chearefulnesse and them that thinke vpon thée in thy wayes but 〈◊〉 thou hast 〈◊〉 angrie for we offended and haue bene euer in sinne though the worlde haue cleaued to them yet shall we be saued 6 We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges we fall euersecâ—â—â—â— as the leafe for our sinnes carie vs away lyke the winde 7 There is no man that calleth vpoÌ„ thy name that standeth vp to take holde by thâ—â— therefore hydest thou thy 〈◊〉 from vs and consumest vs because of our sinnes 8. But 〈◊〉 O Lorde thou father of oures we arâ— thy clay and thou act our potter and we all are the worke of thy I. Be not to sore displeased O Lord and kéepe not our offences to long in thy remembrance but consider that we all are thy people 10 The Cities of thy Sanctuarie lye waste Sion is a wildernesse and Hierusalem a desert 11 Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away 12 Wilt thou not be intreated O Lorde for all this wilt thou holde thy peace scourge vs so sore The Exposition vpon the. 64. Chapter of Esay O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe c. THis Chapiter is a parcell of that matter that was conteined in the former For from the seuenth verse of the .lxiij. Chapiter vnto the ende of this is a Prayer made by Esaias for the people to vse in time of their grieuous affliction in which they are taught with how great * humblenesse and sorrow of hart they should confesse their sinnes for which that Plague was seâ—t Secondly at whose handes they should looke for deliuerance that is * at Gods hande alone Thirdly how they should comfort themselues and * strengthen their faith with the Memory of those woÌ„derful actes that God had done for them and their fathers before time In this place they breake out to an earnest wishe Oh say they that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe when our fathers were oppressed in Aegipt though they looked for no such goodnesse at thy hande yet thou diddest vouchsafe to come * downe from heauen to delyuer them and that with so great Maiestie and Terrour through thy wonderfull works that thy name was known and dreadfull not only to thine own people * but also to thine enimies whom thou didst mightily consume In the * Desert also thou wast continually with them to defende them And when thou purposedst to publish thy law vnto vs thou camest downe from Heauen with so great Maiestie of thunder and lightning that as water boyleth and consumeth ouer the fyre so did the Mountaine * Sinai seeme to melt away being in a great smoke with thy presence O that thou wouldest now doe the like in working our deliuerance that thy name might be knowne and thy Maiestie feared euen among the myghtiest of thyne enimies c. The rest of the Chapiter folowing is plaine and easie to be vnderstanded The Sunday called Septuagesima at Morning prayer Genes 1. IN the beginning God created heauen and earth â— 2 And the earth was without fourme and 〈◊〉 boyde and darkenesse vvas vpon the face of the déepe and the spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters 3 And God saide Let there be light and and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light from the darknesse 5 And God called the light day and the darkenesse night and the euening and the morning were the first day 6 And God saide Let there be a Firmament betwéene the waters and let it make a deuision betwéene waters and waters 7 And God made the Firmament and set a deuision betwéene the waters which vvere vnder the firmament and the waters that vvere aboue the firmament and it was so 8 And God called the firmament heauen and the euening aud the morning were the second day 9 And God sayde Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered togither into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it was so 10 And God called the drie lande the earth and the gathering togither of the waters called he the seas and God sawe that it was good 11. And God sayde Let the earth bring forth budde and gréene hearbe apt to séede and fruitfull trées yéelding fruite after his kinde which hath séede in it selfe vppon the earth and it was so 12 And the earth brought forth gréene herbe apt to séede after his kinde and trée yelding fruit which had séede it in selfe after his kinde 13 And God saw that it was good And the euening and the morning were the third day 14 And God sayde Let there be lights in the firmament of heauen that they may deuide the day and the night and let them be for signes and seasons and for dayes and yeares 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen that they may giue light vpon the earth and it was so 16 And God made two great lightes a greater light to rule the day and a lesse light to rule the night and he made starres also 17 And God set them in the Firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth 18 And to rule the day and night and to make difference betwéene the light and the darkenesse and God saw that it was good 19 And the euening and morning were the fourth day 20 And God sayde Let the waters bring forth moouing creature that hath life and foule that may flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of heauen 12 And God created great whales and euery liuing and mouing creature which the waters brought forth after their kind and euery fethered foule after their kind and God saw that it was good 22 And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters of the sea and let foule multiplie in the earth 23 And the euening and morning were the fift day 24 And God sayde Let the earth bring forth liuing creature after his kinde cattell worme and beastes of the earth after his kind and it was so 25 God made the beast of the earth after his kinde and cattell after his kinde and euery thing that créepeth vpon
which is agayne deuyded into three partes The vpper Region next the Firmament The middle Region where the Clowdes and vpper waters by Gods prouidence are stayed to the great benefite of the world and The neather part left for the commoditie of Gods Creatures to liue and breath in The vpper waters are reserued aswell to make the earth * Fruitfull by sending them downe in due season according to his gracious prouidence as also by hys iustice in way of punishment to work the Plague of Sinfull men as we euidently see in the example of the * generall Deluge and in sending vnseasonable weathering to take from vs the fruites of the earth Let the earth bring forth budde grene hearbe apt to seede and fruitfull c. When we see these faire and manifold Commodities of the earth the greene Grasse the bewtifull Flowers and hearbes the Fruites of Trees and Graine to the singular benefite of man and beast we must not thinke that the same cōmeth by course of Nature only but by the singular Prouidence of God sending the same to the Reliefe of his creatures For the sweet cōfort of this place read Psal 104. He causeth grasse to growe for cattell and herbes for the vse of men that he maye bring forth Foode out of the earth both VVine that maketh gladde the hart of man and Oyle to make him haue a cheerefull countenance and also Bread to strengthen mens harts God hath made not onely fruites of one kinde but of Innumerable sorts that we might thereby vnderstande the bountifull goodnesse and riches of his mercies towardes vs. Let there be lightes in the Firmament of heauen that they may deuide c. Et sint in signa c. The vse and benefite of the Moone Sunne and Planets is not onely to giue light vnto the worlde but to make distinctions of Times and seasons as Sommer VVinter Autumne the Spring also Yeares Moneths VVekes dayes and houres which distinction much serueth to the vse and commoditie of mans life And God made the beaste of the earth and euery thing that creepeth c. Hereby we haue to learne that the Prouidence of God stretcheth not onely to Man Beast Fishe Foule such like but to the verie smallest things and of least estimatiō as Wormes Flees Fleas and other Vermine whatsoeuer be they in mans fight neuer so contemptible For God vseth the same at his pleasure eyther to the benefite or to the punishment of Mankinde as it may very well * appeare by sundrie of the Plagues of Aegipt wherein he vsed these things for his instruments And God sayde let vs make man in our Image after our likenesse c. After God had created and made perfite all the Furniture of Heauen and earth and by his wisedome marueylously distincted eche thing in hys kinde place and office he lastly commeth to the Making of mankinde as that thing vnto whose vse principallie al other his creatures might seeme to be framed That he in the vse of them might vnderstande the great goodnesse of his Lorde and Maker towarde him and for the same yeelde vnto him true Worship and glorie Concerning Man he noteth here briefely 3. thinges his Creation his Dignitie his Blessing and encrease Of his Creation it will be spoken in the next chapiter more particularly Of his Dignitie aboue all other Creatures this is one euident testimonie that he sayth not let Man be made as he sayde before of other things Let there be a lyght Let there be a Firmament c. But to declare vnto vs that it was a Worke of greater worthynesse He as it were calleth in cōsultation his VVisdom that is the seconde person in Trinitie and hys Vertue or VVoorking Power that is his Holy spirit and saith Let vs make man. So that in the making of Man is a more perfite token giuen of the Three Persons in Trinitie then in the Creating of any other part of the worlde And further to declare the Dignitie of man He was made according to the * Image of God whereby we maye not thinke as some wicked heretikes haue done that God hath a like proportion of body as we see man to haue For that is not the Image or likenes that is here spoken of but as God was Wise Iuste Mercifull Good Innocent Holy Immortall so was Man made by God wise iuste mercifull good innocent holy immortall and to expresse a more perfite lykenesse he was made of power and appointed Lorde and Ruler ouer all the other Creatures of the worlde This Image by the fall of Adam was almost cleane blotted out and restored againe by the * second Adam Christ Iesu to that perfectnesse that this frayle and mortall lyfe might beare carying continually about with vs in our bosomes the * stings of our corruption lyricking vs forward still to vngodlynesse The blessing of encrease and multiplying that God giueth vnto Man declareth that he was made Male and Female to the ende that by lawfull procreation they might fulfill the earth and raise vp a large and great Church or congregation of holy Creatures to giue Honor and glorie to their Lorde and maker Wherefore it cannot be thought that Mariage and the lawfull ioyning of Man and Woman is an euill or an vncleane thing but the lawfull and good ordinance of God himselfe And therfore well sayth Saint Paule Honorable in all persons is VVedlock and the bedde vndefiled but VVhooremaysters and Adulterers God will iudge God sawe euery thing that he had made and beholde they were exceeding c. This Iudgement of God that here he gyueth vpon hys workes pronouncing them to be all verie Good ought to be vnto vs a Rule that we presume not to speake or thinke otherwise of them and shewe our selues therein vnthankfull to our God maker If there be eyther fruites or herbs or beasts that we accompt and call Euill or Hurtfull it riseth eyther of our Vnperfitnesse that vnderstande not the right vse of them or else of the Curse of God for the Sinne and fall of Adam by which as Man himselfe so diuers other Creatures are fallen frō that Perfection in which they were first made by GOD So that the Sinne of Man and not Gods creation is cause therof The Sunday called Septuagesima at Euening prayer Genesis 2. THus the heauens and earth were finished and all the hoast of them 2. And in the seuenth day God ended his worke which he had made And the seuenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made 3 And God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from al his worke which God ordened to make 4 These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth when they were created in the daye when the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens 5 And euery plant of the fielde before it
Hierusalem 20 Climbe vp the hill of Libanus O thou daughter Sion lifte vp thy voyce vpon Easan crye from all partes for all thy louers are destroyed 21 I gaue thée warning whyle thou wast yet in prosperitie but thou saydest I will not heare And this manner haste thou vsed from thy youth that thou wouldest neuer heare my voyce 22 All thy heardmen shal be dryuen with the winde and thy darlinges shal be caryed away into capitiuitie then shalt thou be broughte to shame and confusion because of all thy wickednesse 23 Thou that dwellest vpon Libanus and makest thy nest in the Cedar trées O howe litle shalte thou be regarded when thy sorowe and panges come vpon thée as vpon a woman trauailing with childe 24 As truely as I liue saith the Lorde thoughe Conanias the sonne of Iehoakim king of Iuda were the signet of my right hande yet will I plucke him of 25 And I will giue thée into the hande of them that séeke thy life and into the power of them that thou fearest euen into the power of Nabuchovonozor the King of Babilon and into the power of the Chaldées 26 Moreouer I will sende thée and thy mother that bare thée into a straunge Lande where ye were not borne and there shall ye dye 27 But as for the Land that ye will desire to returne vnto ye shall neuer come at it againe 28 This man Conanias shall be like an Image robbed and torne in péeces and like a vessell wherein there is no pleasure Wherefore bothe he and his séede shall be sent awaye and cast into a lande that they knowe not 29 O thou earthe earthe earthe heare the worde of the Lorde 30 Thus sayth the Lorde Write this man destitute of Children for no prosperitie shall this man haue all his dayes neither shall anye of his séede be so happie as to sitte vpon the seate of Dauid and to beare rule anye more in Iuda The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Hieremie Thus sayeth the Lorde goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda c. THat this admonition mighte be of the greater force with the people the Prophete is here willed by God to goe to the Prince Counsailers themselues and to declare the Message to them For the inferiours and subiectes might wel thinke it was no Idle or trifeling admonishment that was denounsed to the chiefe and principali rulers but that in dede it shoulde be fulfilled The Kings of Iuda and posteritie of Dauid had a singular preheminence in the Couenant of God a peculiar Promise that that line and successiō should continue for euer This promise which should haue put them in minde of their duetie they turned to the maintenance of their obstinacie and stubburnesse thinking bicause of this Promise that al the Threatnings of punishment and destructiō declared by the Prophete were but Vaine and not agreing with the former Couenant Therefore God here willeth his Prophete plainely to signifie to the King himselfe and to all his Princes that as the promise was conditionall and required as well their Obedience on the one parte as his Trueth on the other so if they fulfilled not the Condition they neyther might nor should be Partakers of the Benefite of the couenant The Place was holye wherein the Kings of Iuda did sit and they were Figures of the kingdome of Christe therefore the Iustice of God might the lesse beare with their wickednesse By this we maye learne that no Title of Dignitie Preheminence or holinesse cā saue vs from the iuste plague of God if we Depart from the Truth of his holie will and couenant Keepe equitie and righteousnesse sayeth the Prophete Deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent Doe not greeue nor oppresse the stranger the fatherlesse or the vvydovve Shedde no innocente bloude Execute Iudgement faithfully and truely in all things and towarde All persons and then shall ye prosper and flourishe and ye shall enioye the Promises made to Dauid and to his Posteritie But if ye will not so doe but cōtinue in * Iniurye Oppression and Violence as before time ye haue done I sweare vnto ye by mine Owne selfe and by my truth that the holy Citie of Dauids throne and kingdome shal not helpe you but that I wil make this House to be Waste and giue it as a Praie vnto the enemies For althoughe Hierusalem which is The head of Libanus be the place which I haue chosen for the peculiar Seate of my worship yet seing it is fallen from me to wickednesse and Idolatrie I esteme it nowe no otherwise than I doe Gilead and the kingdome of the tenne Tribes wherein it standeth And as I haue dealte by that Kingdome and for the Disobedience thereof made it waste and desolate euen so will I doe by Hierusalem and the kingdome of Iudah and wil bring the enemie to destroy that also seing they wil by no meanes be reclaimed The kingdome wherin Mounte Gilead standeth is farre larger and of greater worthinesse in it self thā Libanus and the Kingdome of Iuda wherof Hierusalem is the thiefe Cittie Therefore if I spared not that they may not thinke that I will spare Hierusalem and Iuda I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thee to hewe downe c. Bicause he had saide that Hierusalem should be destroyed he now sheweth the Meanes and the maner howe it should be donne This Destroyer is the armie of the Chaldees and Babilonians which was brought by God vpon his people They came not of their owne motion but were led therto of God as his Scourge to the Punishment of the wicked therefore he saith I vvill prepare a destroyer By whiche wordes bothe the Ievves and by them All other haue to learne That it is * God that bringeth affliction trouble vpon sinners and therfore should they also consider that they haue not onely to deale with the outward enemie that persecuteth thē but with God himselfe whose Will no power or endeuour can Resist And therefore that the best way is when in such case we feele the Heauie hande of God laide vpon vs by earnest Repentance humblie to submitte oure selues vnto him craue his Mercie To hevve dovvne their especiall Cedar trees may either be takē literallie that they should make Spoile of that goodlie Woode of Libanus of the notable Timber thereof wherein the Ievves greatly gloried or els it maie be vnderstanded figuratiuelie of the beames of the Temple which at the destruction thereof should be cut oute to the fire or thirdlie of their Noble men and all the glory of their Citie and kingdome the chiefe whereof should be brought to confusion And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another c. Before time God had beautified the Citie of Hierusalem with his maruellous benefites so that it was spoken of as a wonder or Miracle among straunge Nations howe mightilie God