pasture yea and the flocks of sheepe are destroyed The meaning is that such and so great is the force of Gods wrath that the sense thereof is come euen to the bruite and sauage beastes The beastes mourne in the woods for huÌ„ger The wilde Harts bray for want of waters The hungerstarued Oxen wote not which way to turne them The sheepe for want of pasture are scattered abroade And are not you ashamed in the meane time not to acknowledge the hande of Gods wrath neither as yet mourne ye for your sins wherebye you haue deserued this so greate a miserie But that which the prophet vpbraydeth this people withall is nowe adayes too too common and vsuall And this is a great token of mans corruption All creatures feele and perceiue the blessing of the Lorde they reioyce in it and are thankefull vnto God their good benefactour whilest they constantly execute and discharge their duties The same mourne and are greeued when God is angrie For euen the bruite beastes doe percetue Gods wrath and bewaile it the signes and tokens heereof appeare in all the Elements yea and this whole frame of the world being greeued with the weight of our sinnes and malediction Rom. 8. groneth and wayteth for deliuerance Onely man neither acknowledgeth God his benefactour nor yet perceiueth his wrath and scourges but as a blocke onely poareth and poddreth about seconde causes For although hee desire to bee deliuered from euils and is greeued for them yet doth hee very seldome thinke of GOD and of his sinnes whereby hee hath proudked his wrath Let vs hee ashamed therefore of this vnthriftinesse and let vs bee inflamed with the studie of the woorde whiche alone is able to cure this maladie Heerewithall the Prophet nowe interlaceth his owne example He stirreth theÌ„ vp by his owne exaÌ„ple and whilest hee telleth them what he himselfe will doe hee admonisheth them also what they ought to doe I will cry vnto thee O Lord saith he As though hee should say Let them do as they list if they will let theÌ„ with their blockishnes exceed euen the very bruit beastes themselues yet shall they neuer cause me to fayle in my duetie For I will crye vnto the Lorde that hee may both giue them a better minde and also mercifully remoue these calamities And heere againe hee repeateth the selfe same causes to the intent he might both stirre vp himself the more and also reproue them once againe for their blockishnesse For the fire hath consumed the pastures of the wildernesse the flame hath burnt vp all the trees of the fielde And in these wordes he betokeneth the rage of the enemies or rather the horrible vengeance of God which should shew foorth it self euen in wilde and desert places But we are admonished by the example of the prophet that Bishops and Ministers ought to pray continually for the people committed to their charge so long as they be not forbidâ—en by the expresse coÌ„mandement of God as once Ieremie was Ier. 7.11.14 For why it doth not easily appeare vnto vs who they are that sinne against the holy Ghost 1. Ioan. 5. therefore vnmeete to bee prayed for And the greater that mens blockishnesse is in not acknowledging theyr miserie so much the more feruently haue wee to labour to prouide for their health and safetie Moses obserued this thing Exod. 32.33 who neuer ceased to pray for the Israelites although they oftentimes offended in the selfesame maner The same did Samuel for the children of Israel 1. Sam. 8 1â— not withstanding that the Lorde had saide vnto him They haue not reiected thee but me because I should not raigne ouer them And the Apostle Paule prayed for the Iewes day and night Rom. 10. when as hee had none gricuouser enemies then they This duetie ought also to bee transferred vnto other states and degrees as Magistrates fathers of families and whosoeuer t is haue any charge inioyned them of the Lorde Let these also doe their duetie so long as occasion ferueth though they see that they litle preuaple There will once bee a tyme when they shall see them selues to haue profited more then they woulde thinke But if all other thinges fayle Eze. 3.33 at least they shall deliuer their owne soules c. The beastes cry vnto the Lorde Last of all hee repeateth that which hee had saide of the beastes crying vnto the Lorde As though hee shoulde say Why shoulde not I crie when as the very beastes are inforced to crie from whome this destruction haue taken away not onely the pastures but also the riuers and fountaines of wateres The bruite beasts are saide to crye vnto GOD when as by their braying or roaring they testifie that they haue neede of Gods prouidence So doe the young Rauens forsaken of their dammes crie vnto the Lord for help Iob. 38. Psalm 47. Luk. 12. when as they are fed with the deawe of heauen And this consideration of Gods proiudence is very full of comfort whiche extendeth it selfe euen vnto beastes and withal it reproueth the detestable distrustfulnesse of men who refuse to depende upon God though his fatherly care towardes vs doe on euery side appeare Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction also as touching the matter of repentance whereof is presently entreated And albeit wee see due plagues for our sinnes hanging ouer vs alreadie yet let vs not despaire of Gods goodnes but turne vnto him with our whole harts For hee that heareth the voyces of Rauens crying vnto him and the waylinges of hungrie beastes cannot neglect vs vnto whome hee hath giuen free accesse to the throne of his grace by our Lorde Iesus Christe to whome bee giuen blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen CHAP. II. Hee prophesieth of the comming and crueltie of their enemies 13. An exhortation to moue them to conuert 18. The loue of God towardes his people 1 BLowe the trumpet in Zion and shout in my holy mountaine The text let all the inhabitants of the lande tremble for the day of the Lorde is come for it is at hand 2 A day of darknesse and of blackenesse a day of cloudes and obscuritie as the morning spreade vpon the mountaines so is there a great people mightie the like where of was not from the beginning neither shal be after it vnto the yeeres of many generations 3 Before his face is a deuouring fire behind him the flame shall burne vp the lande is as the garden of Eden before him and behinde him a desolate wildernesse so that nothing shall eseape him 4 The beholding of him is like the sight of horses and like the horsemen so shall they runne 5 Like the noyse of charrets in the cops of the mountaines shall they leape like the noyse of a flame of fire that deuoureth the stubble as a mightie people prepared to the battell 6 Before his face shall the people tremble
you shal neuer bring this to passe For albeit it may seem a thing impossible that they should euer returne to their owne country yet will I rayse them vp and gathering them together out of all places bring them backe againe And as for you I wil rewarde you according to your desertes and that vpon your owne heade For I wil sel your soones your daughters into the hand of the children of Iuda who shall also sell them to the Sabeans and to other nations a farre off Hee aâ—â—â—th by way of confirmation For the Lord himselfe hath spoken it But yet we neuer reade that the Tyrians and Sidonians and other the enemies of the Iewes were sold by the Iewes themselues Yet so the Lord speaketh that these thinges should happen vnto theÌ„ by reason of the disluyaltie and crueltie which they had vsed agaynst the Iewes The execution therfore of Gods iudgement is attributed to the Iewes for as much as God woulde sende it to reuenge the iniuries offred vnto his people But these thinges were fulfilled when the selfsame Assyrians Chaldeans which had afflicted the Iewes did also within a while after subdue and ouerrunne these nations togither with other the neare neighbours of the Iewes Esa 14. 32 Iere. 47. Ezech. 29.27.28 Ioan. 11. as we may see in the sermons of Esay Ieremie and Ezechiel Neuerthelesse these things ought chiefly to be referred to the times of Christ who as he hath gathered together in one the children of God which were before dispersed and solde vnder sinne so taketh hee most greeuous punishments vpon the wicked enemies of his church whereof the Iewes first of all tasted For when these had after a sort sold Christ and shamefully denied him before Pilate God solde them also into the handes of the Romanes and scattered them throughout the whole worlde so as the tokens of Gods wrath are euery where seene in them The like happened not long after to the Romanes whom God solde into the handes of the Gotthes Vandalles Herulians and other most cruell nations when they had once atmed theÌ„ selues against Christ neither is it to be doubted but that all they also are to tast of the selfe same cup in these dayes that are false and iniurious against the church And withall let theÌ„ also obserue this thing whosoeuer beside the cause of religion liue by oppression of the poore shedding of bloode and by rauine and extertion suche as are those that addicting themselues vnto mercenary warfare seeke their chiefe prayse in this if they may spoyle kill and destroy as manye as is possible Well God will one day punishe them wick euen dealing neither will Christ bee founde false Matt. 7. who sayde sometime With what measure yee mete with the selfesame shal others also mete vnto you Apoc. 13. Agayne Hee that leadeth into captiuitie goeth into captiuitie He that killeth with the sword shall perish with the sword These things are approued by the examples of all ages so as wee haue by no meanes to doubt of the truth of them c. The wicked and vngodly destroy themselues with fiting one against another But forsomuch as God punisheth the wickednes of the world with diuers and sundry penalties he now expressely sheweth what punishment he would vse against them namely warre which in maner of an herrault he deuounceth with many graue and weightie woordes to the intent hee might both awaken the carelesse contemners of Gods iudgementes and also minister hope and comfort to the godly who thought it would scarce euer come to passe that these natioÌ„s should be punished which as they were most mighty and puissant so also did they as stubbornely defend their superstitions against the church of God Hee publikely therfore denounceth warre vnto them whilest he raiseth vp al nations he sheweth it would come to passe that al the whole worlde shoulde be troubled and that they should fall by wounding one of another that had now conspired to the destructioÌ„ of Gods people Publish sayth he this among the Gentiles For god is the Lord of all nations â—â—nctifie prepare warret by which speech he signifieth that this warre should be accomplished by the furtherance and assistance of God albeit the prophane Gentiles vnderstood not so much withal he coÌ„mendeth vnto theÌ„ an earnest care endeuour to go through with it Wake vp also al the mightie valiant men let as many as are furnished with any martiall prowesse draw neere come vp Yea breake your plough shares into swordes your siethes into speares And thus he expresseth the incessaÌ„t practise of warring which should bring with it a forgetfulnes of husbandry and of all other businesses which are wonte to florishe in the time of peace For Esay by diuerse speeches expresseth the exercise of peace when prophesiyng of the kingdome of Christe hee sayeth They shall breake their swordes into mattockes and theyr speares into siethes c. Hereunto Ioel addeth Esay 2. Hee that is weake let him say I am a strong champion let him shew himself couragious in executing Gods iudgment What neede many wordes Assemble your selues and come together all ye heathen rounde about The cause For the Lord shall there namely in the sight of his Churche cast downe all the mightie men of the earth that haue hytherto afflicted her These things admonish vs how greatly God careth for his Church The Churche how much it is set by of God For as hee made all thinges for this and therefore prosecuteth all other creatures with his fauour that they might doe seruice vnto her So for the same his Churche hee meserueth kingdomes and common weales to the end they might minister thinges necessary thereunto and agayne ouerthroweth those nations and kingdomes which would haue his church banished and destroyed For example the Sodomites whom God preserued a long time for Lots sake and deliuered by Abraham from their enemies but the same heâ— strake with fire from heauen when Lot coulde no longer dwell amongest them in safetie Likewise vpon Egpyt God powred many benefites by Ioseph when as hee had appointed it the resting place of his Church but incontinently hee both most greeuously afflicted the land of the Egyptians and also destroyed their king with his whole traine of horsemen by a verye fearefull and terrible iudgement what time they began to persecute his Church In like maner dealt he with the Chananites with the Moabites with the Madianites with the Palestines Syrians Idumeans Babilonians Medians Persians Grecians and Romanes as the histories doe euery where tostifie And at this daye wee see the wicked runne together by the eares one vpon another and to turne the weapons to their owne destruction which they had prouided to oppresse the Church and so is it true in all ages that the verye earth that is to say earthly minded men and such as are giuen ouer to the worlde drinke up the floodes of water
no man ought to bee carelesse as though hee him selfe were no parte or cause thereof For albeeit some sinne more greeuously then other yet is no man altogether without fault yea and it commeth commonly to passe by the sinnes of the people that eyther wicked princes are giuen vnto them which bring all thinges out of order by their desperate counsayle or els that there is no good done by the holesome coūsailes of the best and most godly princes Euery one therfore ought to enter into thēselues and to bewayle not onely the common calamitie but also their sinnes wherby they haue caused it and to seeke the amendement of them which is the very best and onely way whereby they maye prouide both for the safety of themselues and of that which they haue Hee prouoketh the drunkardes first to mourning But let vs come to the wordes of the Prophet who beginning with the Drunkards exhorteth thē first of all to mourne namely because they were the chiefe and principal authors of al the miserie For it is euident by the sermons of Esay and Micheas Esa 5.28.56 Mich. 2. that at that time drunkennesse reigned in all sortes and degrees of men both high and lowe yea and euen in the priestes and Prophets them selues Heereby it came to passe that the Peeres of the realme neglected the common wealth the Priestes dealt carelesly in their office the Prophets by their flattering and fond sermons hardened the wicked more and more and the people as well by their own intemperance as also prouoked by the example of the states ranne headlong without checke into all kind of sinne and abomination The Prophet therefore doth not without a cause range them first of all in aray and applieth his speech very fittingly to their maners Awake saith he yee drunkards and weepe howle all yee drinkers of wine c. For why Drunkards and winebibbers are wont to spend the greatest part of their time in slouthfull sleepe and although they somtimes wake yet differ they little from sleepers sith they haue no certainetie of any thing and want the vse both of reason and senses Moreouer they sleepe securely in their sinnes they reioyce in them yeathey fill al thinges with their mad musicke and frantike iollitie and outrage in all kinde of wanconnesse Now therefore the Prophet willeth them to awake to weepe and to howle intending thereby to vpbrayde them with these their wicked maners and conditions As though hee shoulde saye Yee haue slept hitherto through stitch O yee drunken rioters Esay 50 in whose feastes that I may vse the wordes of Esay are the harpe and viole timbrell and pipe but in the meane time yee haue not regarded the worke of the Lord Amos. 6. nay as Amos saith ye would seeme to be like vnto Dauid and yet could he nothing at al preuaile with you by his godly admonitions But now is it time as I suppose that you also should awake and fall to weeping For albeit the publike calamitie of the whole nation doe not as yet mooue yee yet at leaste mourne for the liquor of life which is pluckt awaye from your mouth By liquor he vnderstandeth nothing else then wine but yet he would vse this word to the intent hee might taunt the scurrilitie of the Drunkardes which are wont to giue sundrye and vnusuall names to their wine that euē by that means they might testifie their vnsatiable loue of wine Exāples of this lightnes we haue ouer many with vs euery day to be seen But he teacheth thē by this means that they should euen now be compelled in spight of their teeth to become more sober when as God had taken from them this liquor wherewith they had hitherto beene ouermuch moystend and made frolicke Neither wanteth it great force in that he saith it is pluckt from their mouth to shew that all hope was now quite gone from them seeing that God had smitten the very cuppes out of their hands which they were euen now about to set to their lippes And to the end hee might the better rouze them vp hee layeth before them a description of the enemies and of the desolation by them made very fearefull and terrible saying For a nation commeth vpon my land a nation I say mightie and without number whose teeth are like the teeth of a Lyon c. And by teeth he signifieth the inuincible strength and we apons of the Assyrians such as are in the teeth and iawes of Lions very incredible That nation maketh my Vine waste pilleth off the barke of my fygtree c. In which wordes he signifieth a more thē ordinary crueltie of the enemies who not contented to haue wreaked their fury vpon the bodies of men and to haue spoyled the fruites nowe layde vp in the fielde and left still on the trees should exercise their crueltie also euen vppon the land it selfe and vppon the very trees that all commoditie of dwelling in that lande might quite be taken from those that had happily escaped their handes Neither doeth God say without a cause that these thinges were done in his land in his vineyarde in his figtree that so he might teach them that hee woulde neuer haue suffred these thinges to come to passe except their wickednesse had enforced him which had hitherto prophaned that lande that ought to be consecrated to him alone and the very seate of his true worship Wee are admonished therefore by this example The punishment of drunkards c. howe common drunkardes and vnthankefull wasters of Gods benefites are like to speede These men are wonte by their intemperate liuing to seeke for prayse and glory and as though they were borne to consume the good fruites of the earth they deuoure all things throughe their vnsatiable throates Thus doing they abuse GOD himselfe with horrible blasphemie whose giftes they shamefully waste and consume They are well worthye therefore to bee plagued at Gods hande eyther with tempestes or with sundrye sortes of wormes and vermine and at the length with most cruell enemies that the fruites of the earth beeing taken away they may either hunger and thirst or els hee flaine downe to rightes altogether For it is much better that wine and all manner of fruites perishe at once and that the lande it felfe be made waste and desolate then that there shoulde be giuen matter and occasion to these filthy hogges of Epicures hearde whereby to offende both against the common comlines of maners and also against the Glory of GOD himselfe without ceassing The Prophets foretolde that these thinges shoulde happen vnto them but they woulde not beleeue them That therefore came to passe which loel rehearseth in this place and they that before woulde not heare the Prophet were afterwarde compelled to heare Rabsaketh who with most shamefull woordes casting in their teeth the hunger that they suffred in the time of the siege sayde Esay 36. Am I not sente to these caytifes that keepe
mee who woulde haue you to be my people or my coÌ„federats or subjects that by this occasioÌ„ ye might come to the knowledge of the true faith and saluation But goe to seeing it liketh you so well it will bee a very easie matter for me to recompeÌ„ce you vpon your head according as you haue deserued The summe therefore and effect of the accusation is this namely that they rashly and prouoked with no wrong or iniurie at all had rysen and rebelled againste the people of GOD c. The maners of the domestical enemies of the church And by this example are expressed and laide open the maners of the Domesticall or housholde enemies of the Church who are for a time compelled to forsake their superstitions and most vile trades of liuing and to submit themselues to the discipline of the Gospel They feigne a loue of the truth as long as the truth hath the vpper hand But in the meane while there remaineth deepe setled in their minde a hatred of Christe and a loue of their Pope so kind yea they thinke themselues very heynously and intollerably dealt withall and therefore vpon occasion giuen they rise vp that they may followe and pursue the same their title and quarrell to the vttermost Examples of this sort we haue seene many in our time which because they are well knowen vnto all shall not neede to bee any longer stood vpon Let vs consider that God permitteth these thinges vnto the wicked for our sakes who for the most part doe ouer mildely and gently handle such men yea euen filthily flatter them whilest either we seeke by carnall wisedome to winne them or els in seeking againe by them forget our duties vnto God c. He laieth opeÌ„ the sinnes of the saide parties But hee recounteth also the sinnes of these men and in two kindes comprehendeth all wherein they chiefly offended First yee haue taken my siluer and my golde c. Hee accuseth them of Sacriledge and howe they had wickedly taken away perforce the riches consecrated vnto him and had carried them into their temples or pallaces where they abused them eyther to superstition or to riot and superfluitie as they sisted theÌ„selues Secondly yee haue solde the children of Iuda and Ierusalem vnto the Grecians or vnto forreigne nations that beeing banished farre off from their countrie they might be void of all hope of return Both these sinnes reigne openly at this day For after that the Romishe Bishops haue once vsurped to themselues the gouermnent of the Church by and by they conuert the goods of the Church which aforetime were consecrated vnto God and his seruice partly into superstitioÌ„s partly to the maintenance of their own pomp and prodigalitie And albeit their sacrilegious holdnesse bee euery where reproued by the light of the Gospell yet want there not false Gospellers which catching the saide goods out of their clawes do not restore theÌ„ to the Church but either scrape theÌ„ together to the common bancke or els challenge them priuately to themselues that they may the more inordinately reuel and make good cheere Either of these fortes haue their colours whereby they excuse their iniquitie and the true children of Iuda which accuse and finde fault with these thinges they eyther cast into exile or kill them with sworde and fire that so they may cease to bee troublesome vnto them But let these men remember that this is Gods golde and siluer who will not suffer their holdenesse to goe vnpunished as shal appeare in the Sermon following In the meane time let vs also bee mindfull of these thinges and paciently take this vnhappie lot and condition of the Churche trusting onely in Christe Iesu who will neuer suffer his owne cause to quaile To him bee giuen blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen Sermon 13. The text 7 BEhold I wil raise them out of the place where yee haue sold them and will render your reward vpon your owne head 8 And I will sell your sonnes and your daughters into the hand of the children of Iuda and they shall sell them to the Sabees to a people farre off for the Lord himselfe hath spoken it 9 Publish this among the Gentiles prepare warre wake vp the mightie men let all the men of warre drawe neere come vp 10 Breake your plough shares into swordes and your siethes into speares let him that is weake say I am a strong champion 11 Assemble your selues and come al yee heathen and gather your selues togither rounde about there shall the Lord cast downe thy mightie men 12 Let the heathen be wakened and come vp to the valley of Iehosophat for there will I sit to iudge all the heathen rounde about 13 Put in your siethes for the haruest is ripe come get you down for the wine presse is full yea the presses runne ouer for their wickednes is great 14 O multitude O multitude come into the valley of threshing for the daye of the Lorde is neere in the valley of threshing 15 The Sunne and Moone shall bee darkened and the Startes shal withdraw their sight ALbeit God loueth deerly his church wil haue it to be perpetuall â—â—â—reserued The argumeÌ„t vse of this present place yet suffereth he the same to be diuersely exercised and afflicted vnder wicked vngodly enemies so farre forth that the godlye sometimes thinke themselues to be forsaken of him and the wicked promise to themselues perpetuall successe Heere therefore we haue need as well of diligent doctrine as consolation to the end we may perceiue these thinges to come to passe by the iust iudgement of God who chastineth his that they may be saued and finally rendreth to the wicked according to their deserts Hitherto maketh the last part of Ioel. For hee so comforteth the people of his time against the terrours of the Assyrian warre that looke what he sayth vnto them ought to be applied vnto al ages And of late forsooth be promised in generall that God woulde take in hand the cause of his people against their enemies whose crueltie and pride he declared at large But now hee diligently describeth the iudgment of god which haÌ„geth in like maner ouer the heads of al those that in these dayes imitate the sayd ancieÌ„t enemies of the church Let vs therefore consider euery thing in order The enemies of the church are punished by the law of like for like First he threatneth vnto them Talions Law that is such payne such punishment or so doe so haue and declareth that there shal nothing let but that he wil deliuer his people For he accused theÌ„ before that they had sold the children of Iuda to the Grecians and to a people farre off Therefore he inferreth Beholde I will rayse them out of the place c. As though he shoulde say You in deede goe about to scatter my people so as no hope of restitution should be left vnto them But