hearth Unsanctified Ministers may possibly convert and comfort sinners Admit the Minister be sinfull shall the People despise his Doctrine Our Saviour t Mat. 23.3 forbids it Was the glory of the Arke any thing diminished when it came from the Philistins Scripture is Scripture though uttered by Satan Non ergo merita personarum sed officia sacerdotum considerentur saith u Ambrose cap. 5. De iis qui mysteriis initiantur Ambrose Look not so much on the worthinesse of their persons as the weight of their office and employment I have stayed here the longer because some Expositors do understand this of Job to be meant rather of moral then natural Thunder viz. The highest Publications of Gods power and greatnesse Inference 4 Fourthly and lastly This discourse of Thunder brings an Olive-branch of Peace and Comfort for the Saints There is no Point so terrible but it brings sweetnesse to Gods people as the Lion did Honicombs to Sampson Tully saith of Syracuse in Sicily that no one day passeth in which the Sun shineth not clear upon them Note This I dare affirme there is not any day so black stormy and tempestuous so full of pain sorrow or distraction but a childe of God hath some invisible cordiall to stay and suport him some divine Ray of consolation darted on his soule to prevent despair That Thunder hath in its mouth an Olive-branch of Peace for the interessed in Christ you may gather from the 29 Psalm w Psalm 29.9 11. The voice of the Lord makes the hindes to calve and in his Temple doth every man speake of his glory Or as it is in your Margent In his Temple every whit of it uttereth his glory q. d. A Saint may take occasion from Thunder to magnifie and praise God for his power in the Thunder-claps and for his goodnesse in their preservation who attend his Temple A Believer can with the Psalmist x Psalm 148.4 alarm the heavenly Meteors to glorifie God Praise him Fire and Haile snow and vapours stormy windes fulfilling his will The Lord saith David will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace This use he makes of the Doctrine of Thunder as the Reader will finde it Psalm 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people and blesse them in tempore tonitru saith Aben Ezra this he will do in the time of Thunder So in the 18 Psalm y Psal 18.6 16. In my distresse I cryed to my God he heard my voice he sent from above he took he drew me out of many waters Now look just before and you will finde in nine or ten Verses a lively and terrible description of Thunder and Lightning So again by the Prophet Nahum z Nahum 1.6 7. Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fiercenesse of his anger His fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble he knoweth them that trust in him Thus you see it proved by Scripture that in Thunder and tempests in all dangers the a Prov. 18.10 Name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run into it and are safe b Psal 91.11 He will give his holy Angels charge over them to keep them in all their wayes Now let us see from what coast the People of God shall fetch comfort in the time of Thunder and Tempest I answer From naturall and spirituall confiderations 1 Naturall such as these 1 THUNDER is from naturall causes so is not alwayes an Argument of Gods displeasure no more then Haile Snow Raine or any other Meteor Though Thunder ever proclaims the power of God yet it doth not always trumpet forth his Anger 2 Oftentimes it hath good effects on the Aire and Earth c Sen. lib. 2. Nat. q cap. 31. Seneca the Philosopher saith that some Thunders destroy the poyson that is in Serpents Ipsir serpentibus illaesis And divers tell us of Thunders that help to purge and purifie the Aire Leigh's Treatise of Divinity li. 3. c. 4. doing much good in times of sicknesse and infection Derat aerem consumptis venenosis halitibus 2 But the Saints may chiefly draw comfort from spirituall considerations such as these Comfort 1 1 Of old God was wont to reveale himselfe by Thunder but now see his goodnesse he speaks to you in a soft and still voice Of old it was e Psalm 18.8 I heard thee in the secret of the Thunder But in these last dayes he hath spoken to us by his Son and Ambassadors sent by him Comfort 2 2 Thunder is ordered by the Almighty Though Angels may be Instruments though the Earth Air and Stars may contribute help in a naturall way of production Yet God is the efficient and principal Agent Thunder is still f Exod. 9.23 2 Sam. 22.14 1 Sam. 7.10 ascribed to God As the voice of a Man is governed and ordered by him that speaks so is Thunder by the Lord it being his Voice g Psalm 29.1 ad 9. as you have heard Though Thunder be a terrible weapon yet remember 't is in the hand of your gracious Father Note How carefull is the loving Father about Pistols ready charged if his little children be near them This affection of Parents to Children is ruggednesse and cruelty if compared with the mercies and compassions of our God The very Rebukes of God are all dipped in mercy h Jer. 31.20 Since I spake against Ephraim I do earnestly remember him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. Are not Bullets from the roaring Cannon in time of Battell ordered by the Lord which is clear in holy i Jer. 39.17 18. Iob 5.20 Psalm 140.7 Eccles 9.11 Psalm 91.7 writ And do Thunder-bolts from Gods owne Fort-Royal come by chance do his swift Lightnings flye without commission When David had set forth this worke of God he adds The Lord sitteth King for ever Psalm 29.10 God is King over Angels over men over all Meteors and creatures He commands rules and orders them for time place person Iob 37.4 opened and manner of operation See Job 37 4. He thundreth with the voice of his excellency he will not stay them when his voice is heard Not stay THEM that is New flashes of Lightning or showrs of Hail or Rain which usually break out either when it thundreth or by and by after in a violent and impetuous manner Marke He will not STAY them Note Intimating he can when he seeth good Thunder-bolts and angry Hail-stones must have leave and commission from God or they cannot stir Object If it be so then may some object surely none of Gods children shall receive any prejudice by these things To which I answer Solution 1 If any should suffer by Thunder and Lightnings you may not for that conclude them enemies of God No man knowing Divine
on Iob 26.14 volumn 7. p. 823. Expositor of this Book 1 Literally and strictly for the Meteor of Thunder which is indeed a thing Naturall but wherein the glory of God much appears his glory shines in the Lightning The God of glory thundreth Psal 29.3 Thunder is one of the most wonderfull and astonishing works of God Though many Philosophers write something of it yet no Mortall fully understands it 2 It may be taken of any extraordinary terrible work of Providence So those places may import c Psal 68.33 God doth send out his voice yea and that a mighty voice Again d Isa 30.30 The Lord shall cause his mighty voics to be heard with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of a devouring fire with scattering and tempests and hailstones So again e Rev. 10.4 Seale up the things which the seven thunders uttered and write them not So Job expressing the f Iob 39.19 25. fury of the horse in Battel who pawes destruction in the valley he saith God hath cloathed the necke of that creature with thunder q. d. God hath made him strong couragious and terrible The horse is fearlesse and furious in Battel He rejoyceth saith Job at the sound of the Trumpets he smelleth the Battel afar off the thunder of the Captains and the shouting of the people 3 It may also be taken for the highest and clearest publication of Gods power As if holy Job should say I have whispered a few things to you of the power of God but if God should thunder out himselfe or if his workes were spoken out as they deserve in Thundercracks Mortals would stand amazed their soules would be inveloped with horror And for this reason as you shall see two of Christs Disciples were called the sons of Thunder That is They set out God and Jesus Christ to the people They delivered Messages from Heaven with a bold heart and a powerful utterance They set out God in his power as if it thundred from Heaven when they preached g Quintil. l. 2. cap. 16. Quintilian requires in a good Orator Vt fulgurare tonare videatur that his eyes seem to lighten and his tongue to thunder before the Hearers Enquiry 2 Secondly Enquire we what Thunder is and how we may conceive of that wonderfull work of God Still remembring this of humble Job that wee cannot fully know or understand it 1 Look upon the Name 1 The name which may help to know the thing Isidore derives Tonitru a Terrendo Thunder from Terrour Because all creatures almost are so terrified and amazed with it Others derive Tonitru from its Tone it being the voice of God At the voyce of thy thunder they are afraid Psal 104. 2 Nature 2 Let us consider its Nature h Aristot Meteor l. 2. cap. 2 9. exam van Doct. Gent. l. 1. cap. 12. Conimb de Meteor Trac 22. Zanchius Tom. 3. lib. 3. De meteor cap. 4. Thes 5. Thunder is a fiery Meteor in the uppermost Region of the aire begotten of such hot and dry exhalations as the SUN hath drawn up from the Earth the which being gathered and shut up in the bowels of a thick cloud consisting of cold and moist vapours doe at length rent and break with huge violence the said cloud enclosing them which occasions that loud and fearfull crack Then the Exhalations being come to maturity and perfection and yet further incensed in the strife become all on a flame while they croud and struggle to get through the rent of the cloud and this makes the flash of Lightning Tonitru in Nubibus est sonitus propter illud quod extinguitur in ipsis Aristotle saith that Thunder is a noise in the clouds by reason of that which is i Aristot in Post li. 2 cap 2. extinguished in the same So red hot iron thrust into water will make a very great noise The crashing and roaring noise of Thunder to what shall I compare it 'T is like the noise of Chesnuts flying out of the fire like many Charets and Coaches rumbling and jumping in paved Cities like many hunger-bitten Lions roaring for their prey like many roaring Canons discharged one after another or a mighty stone tumbling downe a Rock into the Sea Yet I confesse all these are low similitudes to describe the Thunder cracks by It makes our Glasse-windows nay our houses and hearts to shake Though the Lightning is first seene yet all agree it is not before the Thunder but Fire k Aristot Meteor li. 2. c. 9. moving more swiftly then Aire and the eye of man being so much quicker then the eare it therefore comes to passe that the flash of Lightning is seen first and some time afterwards we heare the Thunder So the Axe of him that cleaveth wood at some distance from us is lifted up for a second blow ere we hear the first And the powder is first seen to flame at the touch-hole of a Gun but the Report is heard a pretty while after from the Castle something distant from us When the sound of the Cannon discharged reacheth our care we conclude the danger of the Bullet is past l Job 37.3 4 5. He sends out his lightning to the end of the earth and after it a voyce roareth saith Elibu Great things doth he which we cannot comprehend The thunder of his power who can fully understand Therefore 3 Let us consider the effects 3 The effects The first and most immediate effect of Thunder and Lightning is Brontia or the Thunder bolt hurled to the Earth which m Plinius in Nat. Hist lib. 37. cap 10. Pliny saith is like the head of a Tortois n Magirus p. 265. Others say it is in shape like unto a Pyramide 'T is generally held that it never goes but five foot into the earth That there are Thunder-stones you read in the Book of Psalms He gave up their cattel to the Haile and their flocks to kot o Psal 78.48 Thunder-bolts Your Margent reads it or great Hail-stones But the word p Ainsworth in Locum p. 120. signifies fiery coals or hot Thunder-stones But Hail-stones are Ice or water that is bound up with extreamity of cold So that marginal Note is such as may be spared Certain steep Hills in the borders of Epirus are called Ceraunia because oft smitten with Thunder-bolts As we read of Ombria or Pluvialis lapis a stone so called which falls down in showers of Rain so also it is generally held that besides these there are Thunder-stones cast down in the time of violent Thunder breaking and battering all that oppose them This q Zanch. Tom. 3. lib. 3 cap. 3. p. 357. Avicenna proveth at large and imputeth the wonderfull noise or ratling in Thunder to these stones often times saith he after Thunder such stones have beene found with whose violent blow some tree or house hath been rent or battered and it is often
and so dyed Five men were slain there fell some Hailstones that were fifteen inches about After this came Quartan Agues of which many died In the fifth year of i Idem page 286. Queen Eliz. Anno Dom 1563. July 8. there happened a great tempest of Lightning and Thunder which slew a woman and three children neer Charing crosse in London Also in Essex a man was torn in pieces his Barn was born down and Hay burnt Within few moneths there was an Earth-quake In the yeare k Idem p. 288. 1565. July 16. about nine at night began a tempest of Thunder and Lightning with showers of Hail which held on till three of the clock the next morning so terrible that at Chelsford in Essex 500 Acres of Corn were destroyed the Glasse-windows on the East side of the Towne and on the West and South-sides of the Church were beaten down with all the tyles off their houses beside divers Barns Chimneys and the Battlements of the Church which were overthrown Much harm also was done at Dover and other places A violent storm of Wind hapned the 24th of December following Anno Domini l Iem page 318. 1575. July 30. in the Afternoon arose a great tempest of Lightning and Thunder which slew Men and Beasts in divers places also at that time fell Hailstones seven inches about In the yeare m Idem p. 324. 1577. August 4. between nine and ten in the forenoon while the Minister was reading the second Lesson in the Church of Bliborough in Suffolke a strange and fearfull tempest of Thunder and Lightning strook through the wall of the Church into the ground almost a yard deep drave down all the people on that side cleft the door went to the Steeple rent the Timber brake the Chaines and fled towards Bongey sixe miles off The people were found groveling on the ground halfe an hour after whereof a man and boy lay dead the rest were scorched At Bongey there was the like for it wrung in sunder the Wyres wheels of the Clock slew two men which sate in the Belfrey and scorched another who hardly escaped with his life In the year n Idem p. 332. 1580. April 6. was a generall Earth-quake in England and on June 13. about 6 in the morning at Shipwash in Northumberland there hapned a storm of Lightning and Thunder After which on a sudden there fell stones of divers shapes On the 8 of October following there was a blazing Star Anno Dom. 1598. o Idem p. 413. Septemb. the first in the Afternoon it lightned and thundred at London two great cracks as it had been the shooting of great Ordnance Some men were smitten by it at the Tower of London and one man slain in Southwark over against the Tower p Idem p. 433. In the yeare of our Lord 1601. June the last there fell great Thunder and Lightning with Hailstones in many places nine inches compasse which at Sandwich in Kent lay a foot deep on the ground Well may we say with holy David Lord how terrible art thou in thy works All the earth shall worship thee Who would not feare thee O thou King of Saints Note Thus you have seene some-what of the Name Nature and effects of Thunder Yet take heed of ascribing too much unto it the Americans at this day worship and adore the Thunder Let it rather draw up our hearts to worship the Thunderer that the feare of God may continually possesseour hearts Enquiry 3 Thirdly we come next to enquire if any other then God be the Author or Instrument of Thunder I Answer 1 God is the efficient Cause Author and Orderer of Thunder and Lightning These expressions are usual in the Scripture The q Exod. 9.23 LORD sent Thunder and Haile r 2 Sam. 2â— 14 The LORD thundred from heaven The Å¿ 1 Sam. 7.10 LORD thundred with a great thunder And such like places there be many which declare GOD to be the Thunderer Thunder is nine or ten times in Scripture called the t Psal 29.3 4 7 8 9. Psalm 77.18 Psalm 104.7 Iob 37.4 5. VOICE of God and no lesse then seven times in one Psalm is Thunder stiled his VOICE The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundreth The voice of the Lord is powerfull the voice of the Lord is full of majestie The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars shaketh the wildernesse The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of Fire c. So David goeth on to magnifie this VOICE of GOD. Thunder then is Gods voice or speech Imago animi sermo est Thunder Gods Voice saith Seneca speech is the lively Image and Representation of the Minde Loquere ut te videam saith the Proverb speak that I may see and know you This excellent Faculty the Lord hath communicated to rationall creatures And divers u Of the nature causes of speech see Casaubon of Enthusiasm cap. 4. mysteries are wrapped up in this great Mercy called by the w Psal 57.8 Psalmist the GLORY of Mankinde and therefore he bids it awake unto the praises of God that bestowed it Euripides calls the Tongue the messenger of Reason The Voice is the Minds Ambassadour the Soules interpreter the Thoughts Image and the Hearts Scribe Note Trhee Sciences are employed about our speech Grammar relates to the congruity Rhetorick to the Elegancy and Logick to the Verity or Probability of speech Without speech our Life would be a burden to us Any imperfection in speech is no small impediment to our Affairs Let us blesse God for any perfection therein Moses though so dear to the Lord had it not I read that Demosthenes having a great impediment in his speech attained a most handsome form of speaking by putting small stones into his mouth And Jerome living at Bethlem to learn Hebrew was fain to have his teeth filed ere he could pronounce it as he should Now concerning the Voice of God That we return to our Theame Let us see how many wayes God may be said to speak to us because Thunder is called his voice I Answer 1 Immediately by himselfe So no doubt the x Gen. 3.9 10. Voice which Adam heard in the Garden was the Voice of God himself and not the voice of an Angell as Gregory would have it And I heard thy voice in the Garden So it is said that God answered Moses by a y Exod. 19.19 Voice and that z Deut. 4.12 The people heard the voice of his words Thus a also God the Father spake articulately unto Christ b John 12.28 2 Pet. 1.17 I have glorified my Name and will glorifie it again 2 God speaks to us by his SON who by his incomparable Sermons spake as never man spake In these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his Son c Heb. 1.2 His sheep heard his voice 3 God speaks to us by his spirit who said
d Acts 8.29 to Philip Goe neare and joyne thy selfe to this Charet So still by his Spirit he speakes unto our hearts 4 By his elect Angels So an Angel spake to Cornelius saying e Acts 10.4 Thy Prayers and Almes are come up for a memoriall before God 5 By his Ministers and Prophets f Luke 1.70 He spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began g Luke 10.16 He that heareth them heareth Christ I have sent my servants the h Ier. 7.26 27 Prophets but they hearkned not to me saith the Lord. We should receive their doctrine i 1 Thes 2.13 Not as the word of men but as it in truth the word of God saith St. Paul 6 God speaks to us by his Works We are bid To hear the Rod and him that hath appointed it k Mieâ— 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth to the City thereby All the creatures of God are as so many Organ pipes to convey his voice minde to us He speaks to us by all operations but especially by Thunder That is more immediately and eminently his VOICE Efficacior lingua quam litera saith Bernard The voice saith Austin hath an occult and hidden influence on the Hearers If l Sir Walter Raleigh Hist of the world l. 2. cap. 13. Melampus m Nieremb Hist fl 3. c. 12. and Thales are said to understand the voices of Birds and Beasts which the Hebrew Doctors thought Solomon could do Then much more may we in Thunder Gods voice hear him chiding threatning all obstinate sinners and proclaiming his owne Greatnesse Majesty and Power How should this Voice of God warn and alarm us out of our sins Loud Terrible and Perswading hath beene the voice of men Loud so was the voice of Stentor the Grecian concerning whom it it reported that with his voice onely he could make as great a noise as 50 men Terrible Solomon saith n Prov. 16.14 19.12 The wrath of a King is as Messengers of Death and as the roaring of a Lion Cornelius Gallus was threatned to Death by Augustus and the * Cambden Eliz. 406. Lord Chancellour Hatton by Queen Elizabeth The Frown or Voice of a great Man is terrible His eyes seem to cast out live sparkles of Fire and his voyce to thunder The voice of man hath been very o Dr. Reynolds of Passions c. 39. p. 5â—7 Charming and Perswading Caesar with one word quiets the commotion of an Army Menenius Agrippa with one Apologue the sedition of a people Flavianus with one Oration the fury of an Emperour And Abigail with one Supplication the revenge of David It is reported of Cynias that he overcame more by his Tongue then Pyrrhus by the Sword And of Damonides that through Rhetorick he perswaded any one to what he would Now remember that in Job p Job 40.9 Canst thou thunder with a voice like God Hath the voice of filly man a contemptible worm a humming flye beene so loud terrible and charming as you have heard how then should THUNDER the VOICE of God work upon us How should it scare us from the love of sin and draw us to love feare and obey the great GOD All creatures Man excepted obey Gods VOICE The Sun is stopped in his course The hunger-bitten Lions touch not Daniel And if CHRIST stand up and utter his voice the rough winds and foaming waves are charmed into a calm Note Nay Thunder saith one which seems to be all Voice is all Eare when God speaks So then when it Thunders conceive the great Jehovah is now speaking to thee and addresse thy selfe to all diligent attention when it Lightneth imagine his flaming Eyes doe now sparkle and flash indignation against sin and sinners So terrible is the Voice of God that it doth not only shake the Earth but the q Heb. 12 26. Heaven By the way If THUNDER be Gods voice bold and sawcy is their practice that stop their eares when it thunders For if a King speak to one and he turn away his face or stop his eares it is held a point not onely of neglect but scorn and disdain How darest thou slight and neglect God when his Voice is sounded and hee speaks to thee by Thunder Is not this to be r Psal 58.4 like a Deafe Adder that stoppeth her eares If it be a sin to stop our eares at the cry of the Å¿ Prov. 21.13 poore or t Acts 7.57 voice of Steven Much more is it Rebellion to stop our eares at this voice of God Is it not in the words of Zechary to u Zach. 7.11 12. refuse to hearken to pull away the shoulder stop our eares that we should not heare his voice and make our hearts like an adamant stone What a childish weaknesse is this to think the not hearing of Thunder can shield you from it Nay what a sin is this to stop your ears when God hath commanded w Iob 37.2 3 4 5. you to heare it Job 37.2 Heare attentively the noise of his voice and the sound that goeth out of his mouth Mark 1 You must heare it when it Thunders 2 Not onely so but hearken and listen attentively thereunto x Trap in Locum p. 320. Mercer doth thus paraphrase it out of Kimchi Hear ye hear ye hear ye again and again and then ye also will tremble 3 He doth not onely require us to heare Gods voice in generall for so we might thinke hee meant the voice of his Word or Spirit but the Noise of his Voice and the Sound of his mouth when God thundreth from Heaven As you may see in the following verses How can these things be done if you stop your eares when it thundreth as though you would be too hard for God How oft are we bid y Deut. 26.17 28.1 2 15 45. 30.10 Hearken to the voice of God If Thunder then be his Voice you must hearken to that and other Voices of God Never feare it will make you deafe as the fall of Nile doth the Catadupe z Bernard Aura prima mortis janua Prima aperiatur saluti The eare was the first doore of sin now let it be opened for thy spiritual good Thus you have seene God is the Thunderer because Thunder is stiled his VOICE so often in the Bible The ancient Romans would say Heark God thundreth The meer heathens still ascribed Thunder to God They stiled Jove Altitonantem thundring from on High The Romans had a multitude of gods yet the power of sending Thunder they restrained to a L. Vives in Aug. de civ Dei lib 4. cap. 23. Jupiter and Pluto Day-thunder to the former and Night-thunder to the latter Fulmen supremi Jovis Gestamen est saith b Pierii Hierogl Pierius But d Tertull. Advers Gent. p. 33. Tertullian shews the Pagans that Thunder was before Jupiter and so he concludes it is not from
seen that certain holes have been made in strong Buildings in time of Thunder which is done saith he by the strength of Thunder-bolts called by the Poets Sagittae jacula Jovis The Thunderstone saith r Idem ibid. p. 358. Zanchy is thus begotten in the clouds with the exhalation which is hot and dry a more grosse matter may be drawn up by the Sun from the Earth and Minerals which with the enclosed Exhalations and the violent heat of the Sun is at lengh formed into a Thunder-stone Some have held it is done after the manner that stones are produced in the Kidneys and Bladders of living Creatures Anaxagoras Å¿ Plin Nat. Hist li. 2. c. 58. foretold that within certain days a stone should fall from the Heavens which also came to passe in Thrasia in the day time the stone is reported to be as great as a Cart or Wain-load a Comet also appeared that night Pliny tells us the stone was seen of many and was shewed as a Wonder in his time It was of a parched or burned colour It puzled t Aristot Meteor l. 1. cap. de cometâ Aristotle and the best Philosophers to give a reason of this Stones production and growth to such a bulky masse Zanchy writing of it u Zanchius Tom 3. lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 360. saith we may see the great power of God and his wonderfull works Which is the best account he is able to give of this businesse Reason can produce little more for the Thunderbolt Again Thunder is commonly attended with Raine and showers that violently fall to the Earth The moist Cloud being rent by the Thunder dissolves in Raine Thunder blasts Vines and other Fruit burns trees and houses destroys Men and Beasts beats down the lofty Turrets turns up oaks and other mighty trees by the Roots Fire w Job 1.16 fell from Heaven viz. terrible Lightning and burnt Jobs sheep and his servants so that one onely escaped Beer Wine and other Liquors are spoiled with much Thunder and Lightning which may proceed not onely from noise and concussion of the Aire but also impure and noxious spirits or Influences mingle therewith and draw them to corruption whereby they do not onely become Dead themselves but also sometimes deadly to others As that mentioned by Seneca whereof all that drank lost their life or wits Thunder x Psal 29.9 makes the Hinds to calve and other Cattell to cast their young Thunder is many times followed with violent storms and terrible Earth-quakes especially in other Countreys where Earth-quakes are usuall The y Nahum 1.5 6. mountains quake the hills melt the earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fiercenesse of his anger His fury is poured out like water and the Rocks are thrown downe by him The Prophet Nahum alludes to Thunder Lightnings and Earthquakes crowding together But the Prophet Isaiah doth more plainly expresse it z Isa 29.6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Hosts with thunder and with Eareh quakes and a great noise with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire a Seneca Qu. Nat. l. 2. c. 27. Seneca writes of one kinde of Thunder which murmurs but cracks not and saith Terrae metum antecedit if fore-goeth an Earth-quake Aristotle saith an b Aristot Meteor li. 2. c. 7. Earth-quake proceeds from vapors imprisoned in the bowels of the Earth which finding no passage to escape are inforced to recoil to search every nook and corner And while they thus struggle and labour to get out a trembling agitation and tumultuous motion of the Earth is occasioned as of a woman in travail which is called an Earthquake that So look what Thunder is in the hollow part of a cloud the very same is an Earth-quake in the belly of the earth which hath then a fit of the Wind collick Alsteed tells of a great Earth-quake at Plures in Rhetiae Anno Dom 1618. Aug. 17. where the whole Towne was on a sudden covered with an huge mountain that with it's swift and violent motion slew 1500 people The greatest Earth-quake I have read of is described by c Evagrii hist Eccâ—es lib. 1. cap. 17. Evagrius to fall out in the time of Theodosius which is said to move and shake well nigh the whole Earthly Globe And for our owne Country Cambden d Cambden Britan. writes of a strange Earth quake in Herefordshire Anno Dom 1571. March 12. about six of the clock in the evening being Saturday a great Hill lifted up it self with a huge noise jumped into an higher place carried along with it trees and Cattell and continued walking about till Monday noon over-turning a Chappel that stood in its way You have seen what the usual effects of Thunder and Lightning are Now for the benefit of my own Countrymen it will not be amisse here distinctly to set downe the most remarkable Thunders which have happened in England with their effects As I finde them recorded in our English Chronicles which will help to shew us the dreadful consequents of Thunder and Lightning that we may learn to feare before the great and terrible GOD Knowing that whatsoever hath been may be again the e Gen. 9.11.15 universal deluge excepted Yea that our God is unlimited in his power and working and can do more then yet he hath done Nor is it known what he will do In the Reign f Mr. Stowes abridgement of English Chronicleâ— printed 1618 p. 55. of Henery the first Anno Christi 1116. in the moneth of March was exceeding Lightning and in December Thunder and Haile The Moon at both times seemed as if shee were turned into blood Not long before there was a blazing Star In the 15 yeare of g Idem p. 88. Henry the 3d. Anno Domini 1230. on Pauls day when Roger Niger Bishop of London was at Masse in Pauls Church suddenly it waxed darke and an horrible Thunder-clap lighted on the Church the same was shaken as though it would have fallen All the Church seemed to be on fire with Lightnings The people thought of present death Thousands of men and women ran out of the Church fell on the ground through astonishment None tarried in the Church save the Bishop and a Deacon In Queen h Idem p. 279. Maries Reign Anno Domini 1558. July 7. within a mile of Nottingham a tempest of Thunder as it came through two Townes beat down all the Houses and Churches The Bells were cast to the outside of the Church-yards and some webs of Lead four hundred foot in the Field writhen like a pair of Gloves The River of Trent running between the two Townes the water and mud were carried a quarter of a mile and cast against Trees Trees were pulled up by the Roots and cast 12 score off A child was taken forth of a mans hands and carried an hundred foot and then let fall
Jupiter but the great and eternall God Therefore although we may conjecture at the naturall causes of Thunder yet 't is safest to ascribe Thunder unto God as the prime Agent and Cause Efficient 2 Though God be the chief Author and Orderer of Thunder There may notwithstanding be other Instrumentall causes thereof all commissionated bounded and limited by the Lord. 1 Good Angels have some Influence on Thunder It is certain e Lawrence of Angels p. 34. saith one they can do any thing which Nature can doe They can move the Heavens They can move all corporall things almost in an instant They can stir Tempests move Waters and Windes They slew the powerful Army of Senacherib They brought Peter and the Apostles out of prison Blesse the Lord all yee f Psal 10.10 Angels which are mighty in strength which do his will They could make a g a Reg. 7.6 sound of many horses to be heard by the King of Assyria to his great amazement And by the same delegated power they can raise storms and tempests and make Thunder-claps in the aire You read in the Epistle to the h Heb. 2.2 Hebrews of the word spoken by Angels i Simler One thus expounds it That the Thunder and Lightning and sound of the Trumpet were caused by the Ministry of good Angels when the Law was given Concerning the great power of Elect Angels I have k In the Deputation of Angels p. 91 92. treated else-where If the l 1 Thes 4.16 voice of an Arch-angel will be so loud and terrible as to awaken all that are in their Graves Then much more have Angels power to move Thunder which is a whisper to that Have the Angels power to raise an Earthquake which the m Mat. 28.2 Gospel affirms then what should hinder but they have power if commissionated by the Lord to shake all the clouds break them asunder and so raise Thunder and Lightnings Nay 2 The fallen Angels if permitted can do it Satan we know hath a Principality in the n Ephes 2 2. Aire the place where these Meteors are ingendred o Mr. Medes Diatribae p. 99. ad 107. Learned Mede thinks it probable that all the Devils have their seat and Mansion there and not in Hell till the day of Judgement Nay p Hieronimus in Eph. 6. Jerome saith it is the Opinion of all the Learned that the Devils have their Mansion and Residence in the space between Heaven and Earth If so then their habitation and abode is in the place where Thunders and Lightnings are hatched and where Thunder-bolts are coyned As also where those Bullets the Haile-stones are moulded Devils have power to shake the Aire and raise mighty gusts of Winde by Land or Sea else the windes could not so commonly be sold by the Laplanders to the Merchants that desire them for Navigation Note Satan could not be Prince of the Aire unlesse he had some power and train in that Element above the other 3 Elements besides q Mr Jenkins on Jude 9. Vol. 2. p. 61. One saith he is hurtfull to men by Tempests Winds and Fires r Zan hius in Ephes 2. Tom. 6. p. 51 Zanchy observes the Devils hover in the aire Inde nos observare tentare invadere animalia homines excitare tempestates Multaque denique mala hominibus dare To watch tempt invade us and other creatures and send many evils on mankinde Neither is the word silent in this particular He Å¿ Psalm 78.48 49. gave up their cattel also to the haile their flocks to hot Thunder-bolts he cast upon them the fiercenesse of his anger wrath indignation and trouble by sending evill Angels among them These evill Angels were instrumentall causes of Blood Locusts Hail Frost Frogs croaking on earth and Thunder ratling in the aire t Iob 1.11.16 18 19. So when Satans Commission against Job was once signed he soon brought a Whirl-winde upon his Children and Fire in all likelihood u Fulgur Maximum Iun. flashes of Lightning on his Cattel and People to their ruine and destruction A Writer on that w Mr. Caryl on Iob Vol. 1. p. 162.176 place tels us Satan the Prince of the Air can do mighty things command much in that Magazine of Heaven where that dreadfull Artillery those fiery Meteors Thunder and Lightning are lodged and stored up Satan let loose by God can do wonders in the Aire Hee can raise storms He can discharge the great Ordnance of Heaven Thunder and Lightning And by his Art he can make them more terrible and dreadfull then they are by Nature He can so inrage them that no man is able to withstand their violence All this they do x Apoc. 7.1 ad 3. not by any absolute power of their own but meerly as Tyrants By the Lords commission saith Bullinger And ut y Zanchius Tom. 2. p. 51. Divinorum judiciorum executores saith Zanchy Barely as the Executioners of Divine Judgements Enquiry 4 Fourthly We proceed to enquire in what Cases especially and on what occasions the Lord Hath manifested or Will discover his own power and glory by Thunder in an extraordinary and supernatural manner I answer chiefly 1 At the Castigation of his and the Churches Enemies in Battell or otherwise 2 At the Delivery of the Morall Law on Mount Sinai 3 At the Promulgation of the Gospell 4 At the grand Assizes and dissolution of all things First 1 At the castigation of the Churches enemies at the Castigation of Gods and the Churches Enemies the bloody Persecutors of the Saints God hath had divers wayes of destroying his Enemies besides potent numerous valiant and well disciplin'd Armies As by Gideous 300 men The sound of Rams horns before Jericho Moses Rod Shamgers Goad Sampsons Jaw-bone and little Davids Sling He can destroy whole hosts of enemies by a z Isa 41.16 Whirlwind nay a a 2 Reg. 19.7 Blast He smiteth the b Psalm 46.9 horse and rider with madnesse breaks the Bow cutteth the speare in sunder and burneth their Charets in the fire saith the Psalmist The e Judg. 5.20 Stars in their course fight against Sisera by their d Annotations in locum Influences raising up storms and Tempests against him and his Host say Commentators The e Iosh 10.11 Lord discomfited the Enemies of Joshuah by Hail-stones from Heaven The like he hath done by THUNDER and LIGHTNING See Exod. 9. The Lord fought against Pharaoh by f Exod 9.23 28. Thunder and Haile the fire ran along upon the ground so there were mighty thundrings and fire mingled with haile very grievous which smote all that was in the field man beast herb and trees Whereupon g Origen in loc Hom. 4. Origen writes thus Vide temperamentum Divinae correptionis Non cum silentio verberat sed dat voces Doctrinam caelitus mittit perquam possit culpam suam mundus agnoscere He did not
only smite but instruct them by Thunder his Voice from Heaven and also by Moses his Admonitions In this Judgement the four Elements did meet and conspire to vex Pharaoh who had vexed Israel Aire in the Thunder Water in the Haile Fire in the Lightning and Earth in the Thunder-bolt if any there was Thus also the Lord destroyed the h 1 Sam. 7.10 Enemies of Samuel by Thunder The story saith that Samuel cryed unto the Lord and the Lord heard him and thundred with a great thunder that day upon the Philistims and discomfited them and they were smitten before Israel In the same manner did the Lord of Hosts treat the enemies of i 2 Sam. 22.14 15. Psal 18.13 14. David For he thundred from Heaven and the most High uttered his voyce he sent out Arrows and scattered them Lightning and discomfited them c. Here are three clear examples of the Lords chastising and fighting against his Enemies with Lightnings as shining Launces glittering Swords and Spears And with Thunder-claps as so many roaring and murdering Canon We need not therefore stay here to enquire whether that Fire that came down k Gen. 19. on Sodome or that on Nadab and Abihu or that on the l Numb 16.35 250 that offered incense were any other then violent Lightning from Heaven I will onely adde two famous instances recorded in Ecclesiasticall story We read of Anastatius the Emperour a bitter enemy and persecutor of the Church that God destroyed him by a Thunder-bolt from Heaven Also m Mornaus de Verit. Relig. Christ ca. 32 p. 350. under Marcus Aurelius there was a gallant Regiment wholly formed of Christians who when they were exceedingly straightned by their Enemies in Germany obtained by their fervent unanimous prayers hot Thunder-stones from Heaven to rout their Enemies accompanied with blessed showers to refresh themselves then ready to perish with extream heat and thirst whereupon they were ever after called the THUNDRING LEGION Secondly 2 At the delivery of the Law we read of extraordinary and supernatural Thunder when the Morall Law was delivered on Mount-Sinai n Exod. 19.16 18. Exod. 19. And it came to passe on the third day in the morning that there were Thunders and Lightnings and a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled After this God spake and delivered his Will in the ten Precepts which also he wrote with his own finger on o Exod. 32.15 Tables of Stone which were all made of Saphir say the Rabbins In p 1 Reg. 19.17 18. such a terrible way did the Lord appeare to Elias For there came a strong winde which rent the Mountaines and Rocks after this an Earth-quake then a Fire most likely a flash of Lightning after all this a still small voice was heard Quest Let us modestly enquire why the Lord being now about to reveale his Will to his People made divers Thunders to found as Trumpets before he gave his Decrees Of this eight Reasons may be given As Answer 1 First hereby was declared the Power Greatnesss and Majesty of the Law-giver Vt disceret populus eum magni aestimare that the people might learn to esteem him God did this q Dr. Willet on Exod. 19. Tanquam Imperatore praesente As if a great Emperour were coming before whom they use to blow Trumpets saith Chrysostom Commovit omnia Elementa saith another He shook all the four Elements that they might know he had power over all things Aire in the Thunder and Trumpet Water in the thicke and dark r Congruit Nubes in functionem legalem quae tenebrarum est non Lucis Cloud Fire in the Lightning and the Earth in the shaking and smoaking of the Mountains It is thus elegantly set forth by a Å¿ Bishop Halls Contemplations lib. 5. of the Law p. 827. Learned Writer of our Church in these words God was ever wonderfull in his Works and fearful in his judgments But he was never so terrible in the execution of his Will as now in the Promulgation of it Here was nothing but a Majesticall terrour in the Eyes in the Eares of the Israelites As if God meant to shew them by this how fearfull he could be Here was the Lightning darted in their eyes the Thunders roaring in their eares the Trumpet of God drowning the Thunder-claps the Voice of God out-speaking the Trumpet of the Angell The cloud enwrapping the smoake ascending the Fire flaming the Mount trembling Moses climbing and quaking Paleness and Death in the face of Israel uproar in the Elements and all the glory of Heaven turned into terrour In the destruction of the first World there were clouds without fire in the destruction of Sodome there was fire raining without clouds But here was fire smoak clouds thunder Earthquakes and whatsoever might work more astonishment then ever was in any vengeance inflicted But alasse the foolish Gods of the Heathens Aegyptians could do none of these things Answer 2 2 This was done to declare the imbecility infirmity and weaknesse of the Law-receivers and so beat down the Peacock Plumes that no flesh might glory in his presence Even t Exod. 26.19 Heb. 12.21 Moses quaked and trembled with the rest of the people As the eye of an Owle saith Lyranus twinkles at the Sun-light so the minde and understanding of man is stunn'd and dazled in Divine things Before the people thought they were holy but now they saw all their cleansing and holinesse was nothing worth For they were not able to abide in Gods presence nor hear his voice The Light on Mount-Sinai did help to see themselves miserable The Law would humble and fit us for mercy Let us see our selves lost creatures that the Law may be a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Such a Schoolmaster as that u Lightfoots Miscelanys cap. 60. Livy speaks of in Italy who brought forth his children intrusted with him to Hannibal so that if Hannibal had not been more merciful then ordinary they had all perished The Law doth not bring us to Christ to shew how well we can say our Lesson but to lay us prostrate at his foot for our neglect and inability We cannot keep the commands either w Anthony Burges Refin collectively ALL without failing in some or distributively there being not ONE command that any meere Man at any time can keep exactly The best may attain to do it x Austine Sine crimine non sine vitio without enormities perhaps but not without failings Answer 3 3 The Law was given with Thunder Lightning Trumpet and Earthquake to shew the Laws terrour to an awakened conscience allowing it selfe in sin 'T is said the Lawes of Drace the Athenian Legislator were writ in blood The Law of God was not so Yet accompanied with great solemnities and matter of astonishment to shew hee will not endure it shall
be broken or slighted y Osiander For Tales terrores in conscientiâ peccatoris lex Dei operatur The Law can terrifie and thunder-strike the hearts of offenders z Strigelius in Exodum Fol. 80. Eadem efficit Lex in singulorum animis quae in promulgatione terribili effecit saith Strigelius very well The Law works the same things in the conscience which it did in Mount Sinai at the terrible Promulgation The words of the Law are written in Exodus but the Copie or Counterpain is in every mans heart The Law is there also written a Rom. 2.15 saith St. Paul Bishop Andrews shews how people had this written in their Conscience before the Law was given or received on the Mount Giving us a b Gen. 35.2 31.34 25.3 Exod. 16 23. Gen. 27.41 49. 38.24 44.7 38.20 12.17 particular Scripture for each Commandement to which the Reader is referred in the Margent Also we can easily produce the ten Commandements out of Pagan Writers Look then with how much terrour the Law was delivered on Sinai and in the like manner doth the Lord set it home upon the consciences of sinners rebelling against this Law in their hearts There be flashes of divine conviction Thunder-claps of terrour in the soul when once sin is set home upon it This drove Cain Saul Achitophel and Judas on desperate Resolutions 'T was this made all the delights and privacy of Campania unable to quiet Tiberias after Bloodshed and Sodomy Spira was so afflicted c Gribald Epist p. 34 c. that he wished himselfe in the room of Cain or Judas to be rid of those Terrours and Thunder claps in his soul for breaking this Law An ill conscience while quiet is like a sleeping Lion when it wakes it roars God thundreth in the Conscience Note certain flashes of hell-Hell-fire do astonish it Sin in the conscience is like winde crept into the caverns of the Earth it roves it swells it struggles and shakes the whole Masse and Bulk till it have vent through a broken heart by repentant groans mournful sighes and humble confessions Sinne in the conscience is like exhalations shut together in a Cloud it brings thundring terrours to the bad and a shower of penitent Tears to the good Note This hath made so many gloomy dayes and dark sorrowfull nights even for the People of God after breaking any branch of this Law Davids bones were broken by such Thunder-bolts as these of which I now speak This made Heman Job Jonah and Peter the Rocke so exceedingly to shake and feare and be so disconsolate This made d Psal 77.3 Asaph say When he remembred God he was troubled Mistris Honywood of Kent said she was as sure to be damn'd as that the Venice-glasse would break which shee then cast to the ground but the glasse rebounded without harm so the Lord by Miracle cured her afflicted affrighted spirit Tertullian may well stile the conscience Praejudicium judicii A fore-tast of the day of Judgment And Austin say Sentio quem non intelligo I know not whether Conscience be an Habite or Act or both in the understanding or will peradventure it is in both but I feel thee said he though I do not understand thee Answer 4 4 The Law was ushered in with Thunder and Lightnings that the people might know it was of God and so receive it with lesse hescitancy and doubting but the more awfulnesse and obedience I say without Jealousie or Mistrust that the Revelation might prove a Delusion For the Law was not privately delivered in some obscure corner of the world or to some ONE man or in the Night-time or by a private Whisper But it was given openly on a Mount in the Morning before e Exod. 20.18 ALL the People in Thunder and Lightnings Now as all this should banish our Doubts concerning the Divinity and Morality of this Law so also lead us to receive it as a Rule of life with the more awfulnesse and submission Though Seneca do not approve that any Law should have a Prologue Yet God infinitely wiser had two Prologues to his Law The one of Miracles the other of Arguments I am the Lord which brought you out of the house of bondage c. Such Prologues are no diminution or weakning to a Law but add more Vigour Authority and goodnesse to it Timere leges maxima securitas But this Thunder made all the people to feare before the Lord Let him not speake in Thunder lest we dye f Leigh's Tr. o◠Divin lib 3 cap. 4. Thunder-claps then were saith one the Lords Harbingers to tell of his coming to prepare the hearts of the people with exceeding great awfulness and compliance to receive Directions from God Note The World was at THAT time very remisse and over-grown with security and prophanesse it was meet therefore saith Chrysostome the People should be rouzed up by this means and brought to attention Here observe The Law was not given until the world had stood 2513 yeares g Sir Walter Raleigh Hist lib. 2. cap. 4. say some 2454 yeares h Languet Chron. fol. 34. say others Now because the Law of Nature did not strike at every sin so in particular nor sufficiently terrifie the consciences of offenders nor so expound Divine worship as for those after Ages was required who gave every day lesse authority then other to the Naturall Law Therefore it was but needfull the LAW should be revived explained at large and delivered with Thunder-claps to rouze and awaken those sottish and drouzy Times And that the Law should be written and exposed to the eyes of all men which before they might but would not read in their own consciences Answer 5 5 This way of delivering the Law by Thunder Lightning Tempest and Earth-quake was needfull in regard of the common People The ruder sort esteeming of persons and things according to their outward shew pomp splendor and magnificence and therefore did the Lord appear in this glorious manner before the People Why doth our Law provide that Judges Riding in their Circuit shall have Trumpets sounded before them when they enter Towns or Cities Why are their Persons adorned with Scarlet and encompassed with glittering arms All this to strike an awe into the minds of common People The vulgar sort are by i Waterhouse Apology for Learning p. 242. one compared to Rivers which sinke all that is sollid and beare up that which is light But these solemnities were not onely gawdy and glorious to sense but they were great and miraculous in themselves so did not onely affect the Rabble but the k Exo. 20.18 Heb. 12.21 most sollid knowing and judicious All the people observed and were afraid Moses not excepted Answer 6 6 The Lord shewed himselfe in Thunder Lightning and smoak quia talis apparitio in Nube igne non habet Figuram say Lyranus and l Tostatus Qu. 11. Tostatus such
Secondly 2 Proved by divers Authors this may also be confirmed by the consent of divers Learned and godly Writers So that wee are not singular in this opinion that Thunder will be one solemnity at the day of Judgement Gerhard writing of the day of Judgment Gerhard tells us Then Thunder and Lightning shall amaze men and Angels the Sea and the waves thereof roaring Mendoza saith Mendeza Christ will thunder marvellously that day Gregory saith Gregory The Saints with loud shouts will thunder against the damned This grants that the many millions of Saints shouting will frame a noise more terrible to the wicked then they can imagine It will make their very hearts sink and faile within them Thunder and Lightning saith r Seb Meyer apud Mnrlora in Rev. 16.18 p. 34 p. 1173. Meyer do now terrifie those that confesse not a GOD It makes palenesse and trembling to seize on them Quid igitur facturi sunt omnes impii ubi haec super humanam aestimationem qualia nunquam antea à condito mundo horrenda apparebunt Vbi tota Orbis concutitur machina jam jam una cum impiis collapsura What then shal wicked men do when such horrible Thunders and Lightnings will appear as are beyond humane imagination or any thing hath hapned from the Creation when the whole frame of Nature shall be so shaken and broken therewith that with sinners it shall be demolisht and destroyed Pareus also is full to this Point more then once ſ Pareus in Apoc. 11.19 There shall be Lightniugs Thundrnigs and Voices Now saith he John is in the description of the last judgement and shewes how Lightnings Thundrings Earth-quakes and great Hail-stones will oppresse the wicked Tossanus also writes to the same purpose Tossanus and applieth it to the melting of the Elements and the shaking of the whole earthly Globe at the last day Here Pareus t Pareus in Apoc. 16.18 again There are Lightnings and Thunders in the aire Such as the shaking of the heavenly Powers melting of the Elements and horrible Tempests spoken of by Christ and Peter wherewith the Lord will at last come to judgement The Earthquake will be unsual and supernatural And no wonder for the earth being smitten with Lightning from Heaven shall be shaken and torne into a thousand pieces and by fire utterly consumed Oats on Jude saith thus u Samuel Oats on Jude 6. p. 166. If other Sessions and Assizes be feared by Malefactors what will this be Then Fulminabit Dominus in coelo The Lord will thunder from Heaven and the highest will give his voice And if Thunder or the ratling of a cloud be so terrible what terrour will there be when he shall thunder that sits above the clouds Then w Jerome Terra tremet mare mugit The earth shall quake the sea roar the Aire ring and the world burn If the Angels stand then amazed how agast shall wicked men be whose portion is with the Devil and his Angels And x Oates on Iude 14. p. 315. again Thunder saith Oates doth but demolish Mountains root up Trees but when God shall thunder out his Judgements he will crush and cast down Kings Princes and People that have not made him their Tower Thunder doth but shake the clouds and make them flye up and down as Birds in the Aire but when God shall thunder out his judgements he will shake and astonish the heart and conscience O miserable sinner how wilt thou tremble at that time Another thus speaks y Iohn Trap Com. on Rev. 16.18 p. 561. And there were Voices and Thundrings and Lightnings This is a description of the last Judgement when Heaven and Earth shall conspire together for the punishment of the wicked Another thus z Isaac Ambrose of Doomsday p. 95. What shall we then see but Lightnings Whirl-winds Coruscations blazing Stars flashing Thunders Here a Comet runs round in a circuit there a Crown compasseth that Comet Neare them a fiery Dragon sumes in flames Every where appeares a shooting fire as if all above us were nothing but inflamed aire a Joel 1.10 All the earth shall tremble before the Lord. Another b Hez Holland Expos of Rev. 16.18 p. 124. writes thus These things shew the horrible effects of the last Viol when Christ shall come to take vengeance at the last day Lightnings burning the earth and Thunder from Heaven All the Elements conspiring against the wicked Thus out of the mouths of ten Witnesses you have it confirmed that most dreadful and fatal Thunders will attend the last Judgement Let us now 3 ' Proved by Arguments or Reasons in the third Place see it further establisht by Arguments or Reasons shewing That and Why it will be so which are chiefely these four Reason 1 First because Christs second coming must be far more terrible then the first Christ at his first Appearance was attended by a general Peace in the world and with Carols of Angels He came as c Psalm 71.6 Rain upon the mown grasse silently sweetly into the world Then a babe cryed in the Manger but now Judah's Lion will roar and thunder in the Heavens Then he came riding on an Asses colt but now on the clouds Not attended with 12 poor Apostles but 12 thousand millions of Angels At his first coming he offered grace and mercy but now he will come in flames of Fire to execute Wrath and Vengeance d Aug. de sym bolo lib. 3. Jam locus misericordiae ibi justitiae Then he was judged and condemned of men but now he will judge the world Yet his first being on earth was not without glory interwoven with shame and sufferings Note There came to him Thunder and Voices from Heaven as I have shewn When he spake storms were husht when he called the dead arose when he commanded the Devils were cast out when he died the Sun put on sable weeds when he arose the Earth trembled and when he ascended the Heavens opened But his latter coming shall be far more glorious and terrible St. Austin brings in our Saviour speaking thus at the last day Behold the Carpenters son whom ye have disregarded Christ will then come in all his glory and the glory of his holy Angels Reason 2 Secondly this he will do to perplex and astonish all reprobate men and evil Angels e Mendoza in Reg. Vol. 1. p. 359. Quanto igitur terrore ac tremore improbi formidabunt quando his è Christ Domino Tonitruis ac Fulminibus quatientur saith Mendosa How great will the feare terrour and trembling of wicked men be when they shall be shaken with these Thunders and Lightnings from Jesus Christ If Belshazzar quaked when he saw the hand-writing on the wall how will he tremble and quiver when he shall see Christ in the Clouds Mille fulmina jaculantem hurling a thousand Lightnings and Thunder stones at him What care can
endure those Ratlings What eye can beare those Flashes Yet who can flye from the one or the other The Areopagita of Athens heard all their causes in the night But Christ will heare his in such a light as will astonish and confound the wicked Lactantius saith the day of Judgement shall be at Midnight not confidering when it is mid night with some it is broad day with others in the world If it finde us in the natural midnight of darknesse or f Mat. 25.6 Morall of security The light of that day will be so much the more terrible If Jerom said Quoties diem illum considero toto corpore contremisco Semper videtur illa Tuba terribilis sonare in Auribus meis c. When ever I consider that day my whole body trembleth And me-thinks the sound of the last Trump is ever in my eares c. Then what will all prophane men think of that day when it comes like a Whirl-winde upon them Then the wicked shall crawl out of their graves like filthy Toads against this terrible storme Then Jezabel shall ring her painted hands Then the oppressor shall wish himselfe in the room of the man he hath injured And the simple may have more boldnesse then the learned In illa Dic ultiouis g Hugo de S. Vict. nihil habebit quod respoudere possit homo peccator Vbi coelum Terra Sol Luna totus mundus stabunt adversus nos in Testimonium peccatorum nostrorum saith Hugo What shall a poor sinner answer at that day when all the Creatures shall be up in Armes when the Heaven the Earth the Sun and Moon and whole creation shall come to give Testimony against our sins Thirdly Reason 3 Christ will come in Thunder and flames of Fire to advance the glory and super-excellent Majesty of our great Judge It is for the honour of Christ Personal and Mystical of Christ and his Members that it should be so carried to the great satisfaction and ineffable Triumph of holy Men and Angels Nam Judex in tribunali terrore horrore pleno sedit h Chrysostom in Gen. Hom. 17. saith Chrysostome The Judge sits in a Throne full of Terrour and horrour One observes that in stead of Lamps and Candles there shall be continuall Lightnings And that in the Generall Assizes cracks of Thunder will supply the room of the Trumpets Note All this will terrifie the bad but revive the good Zion loves that quarter of the Skie which being rent and cloven with Thunder shall yield unto her Husband When he shall put through his glorious Head crowned with Stars riding on the Rainbow to receive and embrace her and so carry her to his Fathers house The Trumpet is very terrible in Battel Note But a consort of Trumpets is pleasing at Nuptiall Solemnities So Thunder though terrible to Saints now shall be pleasing and welcome to us then the time of our Espousals and Coronation being come Blessed be our Lord who hath armed and provided us to approach the horrible terrour of that day with unutterable triumph and comfort as being fully assured it shall do us no harm Not a Thunder-bolt shall touch us and in all that Fire and Lightning not a haire of our head shall be singed All Saints i Luks 21.28 will lift up their heads as knowing their Redemption draws nigh Reason 4 Lastly Christ will come thus gloriously in Thunder Lightning Tempest and Earth-quakes for the full vindication of his Law so solemnly given as you have seen already God delivered the Law in Thunder and Lightning k Ferus in Exod. saith Ferus Vt ostenderet se vindicem Legis To shew himselfe a Judge and Revenger of the Law and in what an hideous and astonishing manner he will come in judgement to make the world accountable for the breaches of that Law Si Promulgatio tantum pavorem hominibus incussit quid putamus futurū esse in postremâ mundi die l Vict. Strigel Com. in Exo. 19. Fol. 80. saith Strigelius If the Promulgation of the Law was terrible then what may sinners look for on the last day For a Law without execution may fitly be compared to a Bell having no clapper or a glittering Sword having no edge In the Promulgation a Flame was onely on Mount Sinai All the world shall become a Bonfire at the Execution In the one there was Fire Smoak Thunder and Earth quake In the other The Heavens shall be dissolved and the Elements melt The Fire wherein the Law was delivered did but terrifie at most The Fire wherein it shall be required is consuming O God! how abundantly able art thou to inflict vengeance upon sinners who didst thus in Flames forbid sin What will become of the breakers of so fiery a Law and the m 2 Thes 1.8 Despisers of so glorious a Gospel n Bishop Hals Contempl lib. 5. p. 827. Happy are those that are from under the terrours of that Law which was given in Fire and in Fire shall be required saith Doctor Hall in his Contemplations O Let us ever prepare and expect and wait for this great day That this dreadful Thunder do not finde and strike us in our sins Who would willingly be found at his cups or his cards with his Dalilah or telling his mony got by extortion The Day is therefore unknown to us that we might ever be preparing for it Note Great hath been their presumption who have set the time of Christs thundering appearance As Joachimus Abbas the Year 1258. Arnoldus 1345. Stiphelius 1533. on St. Lukes day Regiomontanus 1588. Thermopedius 1599. Aprill 3. o Alsted Chr. Others the last yeare 1657. for that the Deluge fell out in the same yeare of the Worlds Creation And for the time yet to come p Trap on Mat. 24. Cusanus sets the year 1700. Cordanus 1800. And Picus Mirandula 1905. So great hath been the folly and sin of many Learned men Though Christ hath told us no man knows the q Mat. 24.36 time of his second coming r Mr. W. S. One of late also presumed to set the Time about the yeare 1646. with the particular day of the year and when his set time was come it Thundred and Lightned very much in the Afternoon which helpt to affright divers ignorant people who stood gazing upward to see when Christ would appear I end with that of Jerom Mieron in Mat. 23. Sic quotidie vivamus quasi Die illâ judicandi simus Let us live every day as if it were to be the last day of the world that when our Lord comes he may find us in a wel-doing posture And thus much of the four times wherein the Lord hath manifested his glory or will do it by supernatural miraculous Thunder viz. At the subversion of his potent enemies when his People are in streights At the delivery of the Law at the Promulgation of the Gospel and at the
against his Enemies yet judge of his Arme by his Voice With the Lord nothing is impossible but to do contradiction to lye and to deceive Surely e Psalm 9.10 Prov. 30.5 Psalm 125.1 They that know his Name will trust in him He is a shield unto his People and they shall be as Mount Sion that cannot be removed Duty 6 Sixthly and lastly Let Gods spirituall and mysticall Thunder by his Word and warnings of his Messengers prevails with you to draw off your hearts from sin Here I will shew you two things First how Ministers are to thunder in their Preaching f Plin. Jun. lib. 3. Epist 1. ad Tacitum Oratio magnifica excelsa tonat fulgurat g Hieron Libr. contra Jovin Jerome faith Demosthenes used to thunder against King Philip. The same h Idem in Apolog ad Pammac Ep. 50. Father writes thus Paulum quotiescunque lego videor mihi non verba audire sed Tonitrua When I read St. Paul methinks I do not hear words but Thunder Pericles is said to Thunder and Lighten all over Greece by his Eloquence Basil was said to Thunder in his doctrine and Lighten in his conversation So James the son of Zebede and John the brother of James were sirnamed by Christ i Mark 3.17 Boanerges which is The sons of Thunder Gregory Nazianzen saith of those brothers k Gregory Nazianzen Orat. 44.1 that by Preaching and Writing for Christ and against sin they thundred all the world over As Thunder awakens the drowzy so good Preaching the secure It spares yielding but breaks stubborn and obstinate sinners Saint Paul l Acts 13.9 set his eyes upon Elymas After the Lightning flew from his eyes the Thunder-clap followed in his reproof Ezekiel was bid to stamp with his feet clama ulula Ezek. 21. cry and howle a-against the Peoples sins How did our Saviour m See Mat. 11 and 23 chap. thunder out woes to the People when he preached on earth 'T is then the duty of Ministers to speak boldly plainly powerfully to the consciences of their People To cry aloud to lift up their voice as a Trumpet and tell Judah of her sins We should n Quintil. be full of Affections our selves if we desire to work upon our hearers and o Nazianzen our authority in preaching is marred by unholy living Sad one day will be the account of blinde seers sleepy watchmen and dumb Dogs that bark not to fright the Wolf or warn the Sheep Many Congregations still continue wast No compassionate to tell them of fire and brimstone from Heaven for their sins And how many shoot off a few Potguns against grosse sins and then lick them whole with ill applied promises But the blood of the People shall be required at their hands Nay the most faithful Messengers of Christ will acknowledge they come short of their duty considering the invaluable worth of soules they have to do with The best of us have stammering Tongues in this great Work and oftentimes wee doe it coldly and by halves Like Polipheme we see but with one eye like Malchus heare but with one eare like the Unicorn push against sin but with one horne like the Benjamites casting stones with one hand and like the Amazons giving suck but with one Breast as one complaineth We do not thunder in the Pulpit as we should nor lighten in our conversation as we might Many times we pray as if we prayed not and preach as if we preached not The good Lord lay not this coldnesse to our charge Caution Let me here lay in a Caution Place not good Preaching in loud speaking Judge of a Minister by his Brains not Lungs by his Heart not Throat and rather by his Matter then Voice or Tone Demosthenes when he heard an Orator bellow with a loud and roaring voice said p Erasmus Non quod magnum est bene est sed quod bene est magnum est I mark rather the goodnesse then loudnesse of an Oration Had the Minister a voice like Stentor or Farellus Yet if his Matter were not grave sollid and judicious his Preaching would amount to Magno conatu nihil discere an expence of much paines in beating the air without saying any thing for Edification So q Stob. Serm. 43. Theocritus saith of Anaximenes that he powred out a flood of words and a drop of Reason 'T is good ut soni magnitudinem pro loci moderemur amplitudine that our voice be no louder then for all the People to heare us r Vossius Inst Orat. lib 6. cap. 10. p 508 saith Vossius Therefore let not the voice be the main thing you esteem in a Minister for as a good Moses may be defective therein so the meanest voice hath some hidden grace and power to attend it Secondly as Ministers should Thunder in their Preaching so people should gladly receive their admonitions be warned and awakened by the Thunder of their reproofs saying as the People once to Moses Speake thou with us and we will heare but let not God speake with us any more by Thunder lest we dye In vooe hominis Tuba Dei The Gospell is Gods Trumpet at mans mouth When St. Paul thundred reasoning of righteousnesse temperance and judgement unhappy Å¿ Asts 24.25 Foelix trembled How shall God hear the Minister praying for you said Gregory to King Ethelbert if you will not heare him speaking from God The Lord saith one might have preacht to you in the flames as once in the Mount Sinai or by the Ministry of Angels and you would not have been able to heare it But now God is not in the Fire nor in the Earth quake but in the voice of a man like your selves he speaks to you by his Ambassadors Will not Love conquer Will you not heare obey and live If you refuse to heare Moses and the Prophets neither would you be convinced if the Dead should arise to warne you if Angels should preach in your Pulpits or the Lord give you vocall and articulate Sermons in Thunder from Heaven Object But what if some what in the lives of Ministers should contradict the word which they preach I answer Solution 1 Blessed be God disorderly Teachers are pretty well purged out 2 If any continue it is the fault of them that do not bring their wickednesse to light that such may be rooted out who make the offering to be abhord The sins of Teachers being teachers of sins 3 Such as feare God should endeavour to reap all the benefit they can from such as preach the Truth but live not accordingly in all things God spake to Moses out of a Bush We must attend to the words of a Minister though himselfe be fruitlesse In which sense we may be said to gather Grapes of Thorns and Figs of Thistles Note Though there be no fire nor heat in the Bellows yet blowing with them may awaken and kindle fire on the
k Eccles 9.1 Love or Hatred by any outward Dispensations Thinke not l Luke 13.4 saith Christ that those 18 men on whom the Tower in Siloe fell and slew them were sinners above all that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you nay If we should judge thus We might condemn the generation of Gods children who have suffered as much if not m Lam. 4 6. Dan. 9.12 more then any others in the world one way or other 2 sometimes they are in bad places or employments with the wicked and then no marvell if the good be swept away with the bad Thus the Carkases of Moses and Aaron fell in the Wildernesse they proving incredulous with the rest of the people 3 It may be the Lord foreseeth greater evills and tryals would befall them in case they escaped Thus Josiah was slain in Battel yet because he lived not to see the miseries of succeeding times n Dr. Gouge his 3 Arrows p. 18. he is said to Goe unto the grave in peace 4 Hereby the Lord doth allarm and warn all wicked men and Hereticks what to o 1 Pet. 4.17 expect at his hands seeing he deales thus ruggedly and severely with his own children many times 5 Though some of Gods children should suffer by the Pestilence Thunder or War yet usually he doth preserve his People in such perillous times So Lot p 2 Pet. 2.9 Ezek. 9.4 6. Rev. 18.4 was pulled out of Sodome that he might not be destroyed with Lightnings and Fire from Heaven The three Children escaped the Fire and Noah the Deluge the Lord often marking out his People that Temporal calamities do not lay hands upon them 6 If Saints perish by Thunder-bolts or any other untimely sudden fearfull death they yet receive no injury in these Dispensations Note For hereby they are but hastned into Heaven though with Eliah in a fiery or bloody charet The Lord doth them no wrong to hurry them out of sin temptation misery and mortality into an estate of glory and blisse eternall so turning them over from Faith to Vision from Expectation to Fruition Mala quae sancti patiuntur ad Deum ire compellūt saith Gregory All fearfull Disasters which rob the SAINTS of Life do but serve as a rough winde to blow them suddenly into their desired Haven I mean Heaven Quid interest utrum Febris an ferrum de corpore solverit Non quâ occasione sed quales ad se exeant Dominus attendit in servis suis saith q Aug Epist 122. ad vict Austin very well It matters not say I whether a burning Feaver or flash of Lightning whether a stone in thy Bladder or Thunderstone in thy Head send thee out of this miserable world God minds not saith Austin the immediate occasion of thy coming to him but the condition and posture thy soul is in when it cometh The thing which God looks at is whether thou art growing on the Crab-stock of the First Adam or art ingrafted into Jesus Christ Sancti qui mala temporalia patiuntur habent suas consolationes spem futuri seculi saith the r Aug. Ibid. same Father In all their sufferings they have this Cordial the hope of a blessed Eternity with God Thus you see what to think of good men dying by Lightning Tempests and Thunder-bolts Comfort 3 3 Thunder and Lightning have bin serviceable to the Saints and may be again Note Lightning came from heaven to kindle their Sacrifice and manifest that God was with them So probably for Abel as Jerome and others think for the Lord by some outward and visible ſ Gen. 4.4 Testimony did approve of the Sacrifice of Abel not of Cain And most likely by sending a Fire from Heaven to kindle the wood for Sacrifice But 't is certain he dealt thus with the t 1 Reg. 18.38 Levit. 9.24 2 Par. 7.1 Sacrifices of Elijah and of Moses and Aaron and King Solomon When the People saw it they marvelled and cried out The Lord he is God So it may be a flash of Lightning rendred that Charet fiery that had u 2 Reg. 2.11 Elijah to Heaven in the Whirl-wind through the help of flaming Seraphims and blessed Angels that encompassed and drew the Charet to Heaven Again Thunder and Lightning have appeared in behalfe of the Church against such as were enemies to her truth or peace 1 To her Truth So Fire w Levit. 10.2 came and destroyed Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire before the Lord to shew us Humana non ad miscenda divinis saith Procopius that humane fancies must not intermingle with divine things We must take heed saith Calvin that we do not alay his worship with mans inventions Note Now that the fire by which Nadab and Abihu were slaine was no other then Lightning is to me very probable in that neither their Bodies nor Garments were touched or burned by the flame as you may gather from the x Levit. 10.4 5. following discourse for they were carried forth in their Coates to be buried Lightning is of a subtle nature and might pierce their inward parts not hurting the outward Some Lightnings kill Penetrando non comburendo This Fire being coelestiall rather then purely Elementary consumes not the things which have pores and passages but rather where it finds resistance as it melts the silver not hurting the purse So their Flesh and Garments being full of pores might give way to the flash and y Annotat. in Locum Tostatus yet it might suffocate the spirits and by drinking up the radicall moisture cause Death Olympus the Arrian Heritick bathing himself uttered words against the blessed Trinity z Theatre of Gods judgements lib. 1. cap. 9. p. 64. but a three-fold Thunder-bolt strook him dead in the same place The complices of Corah Datha◠and Abiram a Numb 16.35 who usurped the Priests Office were destroyed with Fire from the Lord. A warning-piece for such as now usurp the Ministerial Function uncur'd uncal'd un-ordained Let them take heed lest Thunder and Lightning be their ruine when they presume to vent their illiterate crude incoherent and blasphemous stuffe These are not Pastors but Impostors St. Paul saith How shall they preach except they be sent What have they to do with his honour unlesse b Heb. 5.4 Called of God as was Aaron Let the Reader consult that notable place Zech. 13. from the third verse to the fifth And oh that such men would make the like acknowledgment in these dayes and humbly acquiesce in their former course and c ◠Cor. 7.24 1 Thes 4.11 Trade of life Let Magistrates take heed of d 1 Reg. 12.31 Jeroboams sin who suffered the lowest of the people to invade the Priest-hood Nay e 1 Reg. 13.33 any that had an itch towards it This became sin to the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth We are Ambassadors for