tongue in the Vniuersitie of Paris is of opinion that the Amorite here and else-where is aboue all and for all mentioned because he of all was the most terrible the most mighty and the strongest The like is affirmed by Arias Montanus that learned Spaniard Amorrhaeum potissimùm appellat The Amorite he especially nameth because that Nation multitudine copijs atque potentiâ in multitude in forces and in power excelled all the rest of the Nations that were cast out before Israell Here then where the Lord hath sayd Yet destroyed I the Amorite in the Amorite we are to vnderstand also the rest of those seauen Nations which the Lord draue out from before Israel the Hittites the Girgasites and the Canaanites and the Perezzites and the Hivites and the Iebusites Seauen they were in number greater and mightier then Israell was All seauen were cast out by the Lord from before Israel and so much are we to vnderstand by this that the Lord here sayth Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them Before them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint They well render the Hebrew which word for word is a faciè ipsorum from their face Mercerus sayth a conspectu eorum from their sight that is sayth he corum causâ ad eorum adventum for their sake or at their comming Albertus Magnus renders it à praesentia eorum from their presence Our English before them hits the sense The sense is God stroke such a terror into those seauen Nations the inhabitants of the land of Canaan that at the comming of the Israelites at the hearing of the name of Israel they vanished they fled away they forsooke their auncient habitations or else were suddenly slaine without much resistance Thus haue you the exposition of the first branch of this ninth verse which conteineth a generall touch of the ruine of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them The Israelites their vnthankefulnesse towards me is verie notorious yet haue I destroyed the Amorite before them Yet I the Lord their God who haue freed them from their bondage in Egypt and haue led them fortie yeares through the wildernesse I haue destroyed haue ouerthrowne haue driuen out haue brought to ruine The Amorite not onely the Amorites but also the rest of the Nations sixe other mightie Nations whose dwelling was in the land of Canaan all these haue I destroyed before them for their sake for Israels sake that Israel might without resistance take quiet possession of the land of Canaan the land that floweth with milke and honey The lesson which we may take from hence is this God is all in all either in the ouerthrow of his enemies or in the vpholding of his children For further proofe hereof we may haue recourse to the 15. chapter of the Booke of Exodus There Moses sings a song vnto the Lord a song of thankesgiuing wherein hee acknowledgeth the Lord to be all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea His acknowledgment is vers 6. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in peices the enemie In the greatnesse of thine excellencie thou hast ouerthrowne them thou sentest forth thy wrath which hath consumed them as stubble With the blast of thy nostrills the waters were gathered together the flouds stood vpright as an heape the depths were congealed in the heart of the Sea The enemie feared not to enter But thou Lord didst blow with thy wind the Sea couered them they sanke as lead in the mightie waters Who is like vnto thee O Lord Who is like thee God is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies He is also all in all in the vpholding of his children Moses in the same song auoucheth it vers 13. Thou Lord in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed Thou hast guided them in thy strength vnto thine holy habitation It was not their q Psal 44.3 owne sword that deliuered them neither did their owne arme saue them But the Lord He and his mercie He and his strength deliuered them God is all in all in vpholding of his children Is it thus dearely beloued Is God all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Then for the ouerthrow of that great Nauie called the inuincible Nauie the great Armada of Spaine which * This Sermon was preached A gust 27. 1615. twentie seauen yeares r Au. Ch. 1588. since threatned desolation to the inhabitants of this I le let God haue the glorie It was the right hand of the Lord not our vertue not our merits not our armes not our men of might but the right hand of the Lord it was that brought that great worke to passe Their ſ Exod. 15.4.5 chosen Captaines were drowned in the Sea the depth couered them they sanke into the bottome as a stone Some of them that were taken from the furie of the waues and were brought prisoners to the honourablest cittie in this land in their anguish of mind spared not to say t Letter to Mendoza pa. 17. that in all those fights which at Sea they saw Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran Sure I am that Christ shewed himselfe to be little Englands u Psal 18.1 rocke and fortresse and strength and deliuerer Quid retribuemus What shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song begin as the Psalme doth the 115. Psalme Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercie and for thy truths sake With like affection recount we the deliuerance of our King and State from that infernall and hellish exployt of the powder treason The contriuers thereof I now name not What could they expect but vpon the least discouerie of so execrable an action to incurre an vniuersall detestation to haue all the hatred of the earth poured vpon them and theirs to be the outcasts of the Common wealth and the Maranathaes of the Church they and their names for euer to be an abhorring to all flesh Yet they so farre proceeded in that their Diabolicall machination that they were at the poynt to haue giuen the blow that blow that should haue beene the common ruine of vs all But God our God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greekes describe him Psal 9.9 A helper at opportunities in the needfull times of trouble when we were thus x Ioh. 4.35 albi ad messem white for their haruest readie to be cut downe by them then euen then did our God deliuer vs. Quid retribuemus What what shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song be as before Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercy and
made In domo Iacob In the house of Iacob Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob saith the Lord God the God of Hosts Vers 13. In the other part which is of the matter to be testified wee may obserue 1. That God is fully resolued to punish Israel for sinne A day there is wherein the Lord will visit the transgression of Israel vpon him Vers 14. 2. That this punishment so resolued vpon by the Lord shall reach vnto their holiest places to their houses of Religion to their Altars in Bethel the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground vers 14. 3. That this punishment shall extend to the palaces the chiefest places of their habitation euen to their demolition and ruine The winter-house shall be smitten so shall the summer-house the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end vers 15. 4. The seale and assurance of all and that we haue in the end of this Chapter in two words saith the Lord. In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter-house with the summer-house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end Saith the Lord. Thus haue you the diuision of this text the branches are many all obseruable and worthy your attention Order requireth that I begin with the first part which was the mandate for the testification the first branch whereof was of the giuer thereof and that was Hee that might best doe it euen the Lord called here Dominus Iehouih Deus exercituum The Lord God the God of Hosts These names of God haue no small weight They serue to seale the truth of this Prophecie Amos might haue said in briefe Saith the Lord or the Lord God as he had said oft before but not content therewith he now addeth a third title or appellation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elohei hatzebaoth the God of Sabaoth He is called also Iehouatzebaoth 1 Sam. 4.4 the Lord of Sabaoth In your Te Deum that excellent Canticle of Ambrose and Augustine he is stiled the Lord God of Sabaoth Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth This name of Sabaoth is retained by Saint Paul Rom. 9.29 and he hath it from Esay 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left vs a seed we had beene as Sodoma and made like vnto Gomorrah Saint Iames hath it in his Epistle Chap. 5.4 Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and their cry is entered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the cares of the Lord of Sabaoth There are of the Ancient who haue taken this name Sabaoth for one of the names of God Saint Hierome Epist 136. writing to Marcella of the ten Hebrew names of God saith the fourth is Sabaoth Quartum nomen Dei est Sabaoth quod Septuaginta virtutum Aquila exercituum transtulerunt The fourth name of God in Hebrew is Sabaoth which is by the LXX translated Virtutum by Aquila Exercituum Both words Virtutes and Exercitus signifie the same thing military forces an host or band of armed souldiers Isiodore Bishop of Hispalis Orig. lib. 7. cap. 1. agreeth with Saint Hierome Quartum nomen Dei dicitur Sabaoth Psal 24.10 quod vertitur in Latinum exercituum siue virtutum de quo in Psalmo ab Angelis dicitur Quis est iste Rex gloriae Dominus virtutum The fourth name of God is Sabaoth turne it into Latine it will be Exercitus or Virtutes hosts or bands of armed souldiers whereof the Angels in the Psalme doe speake Who is this King of glory Dominus virtutum the Lord of Hosts he is this King of glory The Author of the Looking-glasse in the ninth Tome of Saint Augustines workes the tenth Chapter of that booke speaketh thus vnto the Lord Tu mitis benigne fortis zelotes Sabaoth inuictissime O thou meeke and gracious strong and iealous and most inuincible Sabaoth Origen Hom. 4. in Esaiam vpon those words of the Song of the Seraphins Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth saith Sabaoth is by Aquila's interpretation Dominus militiarum the Lord of Hosts But in this place he seemeth to be maimed and vnperfect Drusius in his 23. Epist corrects him by adding Adonai vnto Sabaoth thus Adonai Sabaoth is by Aquila's interpretation Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts So the meaning is good and is confirmed by Epiphanius lib. 1. haeres 26. Aquila euery where in the old Testament for Adonai Sabaoth hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts As for Saint Hierome and Isidore and the Author of the Looking-glasse Drusius is of opinion they were deceiued in taking Sabaoth for a name of God Beleeue me saith he Sabaoth is neuer said of God but it is either Deus Sabaoth or Dominus Sabaoth either the God of Sabaoth or the Lord of Sabaoth And he is in the right For indeed Sabaoth is no name of God nor is it euer found alone if it be spoken of God Elegantly to this purpose saith Epiphanius lib. 1. Haeres 40. against the Archontici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of Sabaoth hath the interpretation of Hosts and therefore the Lord of Sabaoth is the Lord of Hosts It is well knowne to euery one that is conuersant in holy Scripture that the Scripture where it vseth the name of Sabaoth speaketh not after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabaoth hath said vnto me or Sabaoth hath spoken but thus Dicit Dominus Sabaoth saith the Lord of Sabaoth and that is if you will interpret the Lord of Hosts Saint Ambrose his interpretation of this name Sabaoth I may not well passe by It is Lib. 4. de fide ad Gratianum cap. 1. There vpon those words of the 24. Psalme Dominus Sabaoth ipse est Rex gloriae the Lord of the Sabaoth he is the King of glorie he saith Sabaoth interpretes alicubi Dominum virtutum alicubi Regem alicubi Omnipotentem interpretata sunt Interpreters haue rendred the name of Sabaoth sometime by the Lord of Hosts sometime by the name of King sometime by the name of Almighty But the place is manifestly vicious For Sabaoth no where signifieth a King nor haue Interpreters any where so rendered it To correct that errour Drusius for Regem readeth exercituum and he proues his correction out of Eucherius whose words are Sabaoth exercituum siue virtutum an t vt aliqui volunt omnipotens Sabaoth is for signification as you would say of armies or of hosts or omnipotent Sabaoth is rendred Omnipotent or Almighty by the Septuagint as in other places so in this text of mine
reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel Some mention is made of Iuda incidently and by the way but the scope of the prophecie is Israel The time which was my last circumstance followeth In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel The time is set downe in generall and in particular First in generall thus In the dayes of Vzziah c. Vzziah or Ozias called also Azarias 2 King 14.21 succeeded his father Amazias in the throne of Iuda This he did in the 27th yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam in Israel as appeareth 2 King 15.1 That same Ieroboam that you may distinguish him from a former King of the same name is called in my text Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash Hereby we see in generall the time of his prophecie which is more particularly set downe in the last words two yeare before the earthquake Hee meaneth that same notable and famous earthquake mentioned also Zach. 14.5 Yee shall flie saith hee like as yee fled from the earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda In what yeare of Vzziahs reigne this earthquake hapned it is not to be collected out of holy scripture Flauius Iosephus Lib. 9. antiq Iudaie cap. 11. saith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah vsurping the Priests office went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense Ribera disproues Josephus his iudgement and saith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth yeare of the reigne of Vzziah Some doe hold it was in the 22th yeare And the Hebrewes whom Funccius followeth in his Chronologie doe ascribe it to the 25. yeare For my part I say not in what yeare it happened Why should I speake where the holy spirit is silent It is out of doubt that there was such an earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah witnesse the Prophet Zacharie two yeares after Amos had begunne this propheticall function witnesse Amos here in my text Thus dearely beloued in the Lord haue I briefly run ouer the exposition of this first verse let mee now vpon it build some doctrine for the building vp of our selues in our holy faith You will be pleased to remember with me that Amos of a heardman or a shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carrie a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the King Nobles Priests and people of Israel The doctrine to be grounded hereupon I deliuer in this proposition God chuseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mighty Vile and despised persons I call such as to the world to humane wisdome and to the eye of reason are of no price esteeme or worth Such as Ioseph was when he kept sheepe in Canaan with his brethren and was by them sold to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.2 27. Such as Moses was when first he was cast into the flags Exod. 2.1 Such as Dauid was while he medled with sheepfolds and followed the ewes great with young Psal 78.70 Such as were Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn while they busied themselues about mending of nets and catching of fish Matth. 4.18.21 These Joseph Moses and Dauid shepherds Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn fishermen vile and despised in the account of the world were chosen by the wisdome of the great God of heauen one to be a ruler in Egypt another to be a leader of Gods people the third to be a King the rest to be Christs Apostles Heare now a word of eternall verity and full of comfort You shall finde it Psal 113.7 8. The Lord who is high aboue all nations and glorious aboue the heauens he raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung to set him with Princes S. Pauls discourse touching this point is more large and spatious You shall find it 1 Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weake things to confound the strong and vile things and things despised and things which are not to bring to nought the things that are The reason of Gods dealing thus in the aduancement of the foolish weak vile despised needy poor to places of dignity is expressed 1 Cor. 1.29 It is that no flesh should reioyce in his presence that is that no man should glory before the Lord. In this reason are two things worthy our religious considerations as Musculus well obserueth For hereby our God first suppresseth and beateth downe the pride of flesh and takes from it all glory of wisdome power and nobility and secondly whatsoeuer glory there is of wisdome power and nobilitie he doth claime and challenge it for his owne peculiar Thus haue you dearely beloued the confirmation of my doctrine The doctrine was God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mighty Be patient I beseech you while I point at some vses of it The first vse is to lift vp our minds to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignitie in Church and common-wealth Hereby wee know that neither Empire nor Kingdome nor place in them of dignitie prioritie or preeminence Ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industrie wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie A second vse is to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against heauen with i Cic. dâ—nat Deor. Epicurus and k Cic. ibid. Diagoras and their adherents to affirme that the God of heauen in as much as he is absolutely blessed is not to trouble himselfe with cares for this lower world that it standeth not with Gods maiesty to care for the vile abiect and despised things of this world This impious rabble and Sathans brood doe thinke that al things below the Moone are ruled by their blind Goddesse Fortune and by Chance Here must I beseech you to let your hearts be ioyned with mine in the consideration of God his sweet and neuer-sleeping care and prouidence ouer this lower world Let vs not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments The holy scriptures doe teach vs that our God examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine to a l 1 King 17.14 handfull of meale to a m Ibid. cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of n Mat. 10.29 sparrowes to the ground to the o Mat. 6.26 feeding of the birds of the aire to the p Psal 29.9 caluing of hinds to the q Mat. 6.30 See my 2 Ser. on Luk. 9. p. 32. clothing of the grasse of the field to the r Luk. 12.7 numbring of the haires of
our heads to the trickling of Å¿ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto me by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to deuoure Ionas may seeme to haue arriued in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to his streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eyes yet the Prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diuersity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way wee may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall and only agreed vpon by reason of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to doe yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a traueller that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue deliuered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may thinke it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man hauing bent his bow and let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1 King 22 34. strooke the King but here we finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise than in respect of vs for that the shootâ—â— did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas froâ— Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun 1 King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the prouidence of God disposeth them Prou. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good prouidence it is that this day we are here met together I to preach the word of God you to heare it and some of vs to bee made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before God for his blessing You are now inuited to the marriage supper of the lambe euery one that will approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft clothing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and booke of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithfull but a garment something like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters 2 King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing â—lse but Christ put on who diuideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enemies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40. yeares together they wandered in the desart and yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shooes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnesse lasteth for euer and his mercies cannot be worne out Hauing put on this your wedding garment doubt not of your welcome to this great feast-maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to doe it let him following S Paâ—â— his counsell Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lift vp ye euerlasting doores that a guest so richly apparelled may come in and sup with the King of glory And the King of glory vouchsafe so to clothe vs all that those gates and euerlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shall haue free and easie passage into the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it blessed Father for thy welbeloued son Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy spirit bee all praise and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE Second Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloued in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the Prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esaies father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is he was a heardman or shepherd 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a little village in the confines of the Kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the dayes of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquakâ— After my exposition giuen vpon those fiue parts of that text I recald to
Besides these there are other workes of God as begun so ended also extra personas externally and they are of two sorâ—s either supernaturall such I call the â—â—raculous workes of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preseruation of the same and the gouernment of it All these workes of which kinde soeuer whether miraculous or workes of nature are common to the whole Trinity The Father worketh the Sonâ—â— worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preseruing all things in gouerning all things Whereupon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is Lord so the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost iâ— Lord also So the Lord whom I commend vnto you foâ— the speaker in my text is the Vnity in Trinity one God in three persons God Almighty the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I goe on to shew you how he speaketh I must make bold vpon your patience to tell you of some duties necessarie duties to be performed by vs towards him as Lord. God is the Lord we are his seruants The duties wee owâ— him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedience vnto God his word laws and commandements This duty whosoeuer performeth shall easily performe the second duty to wit faithfull seruice with all care and diligence to doe whatsoeuer worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the third duty but shall doe good and be profitable vnto the Lord. All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam As long as he was inuested with his robe of innocency he was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. Now if it will be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answer That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his aduantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainly deliuered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giueth vs his graces to this end that wee should vse and increase them for his aduantage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a couetous vsurer â—o greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scattered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob vers 2 3. seemeth in word to thwart and crosse this doctrine For saith he may a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou are righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vpright I answer that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnesse yea hee can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnesse and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp man to holinesse it pleaseth God in mercy to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his seruants And therefore I say againe that Adam in the state of his innocency was perfectly obedient a faithfull seruant and profitable to his Lord. But alas man once beautified with innocency with holinesse and with the grace of God is now spoiled of his robes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle worke wrought about with divers colours is now strâ—pt of her iewels and the soule of man once full of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotlâ—sse and without blame before the lambe is now fallen from that grace The Preacher Eccl. 7.20 doth assure vs that there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not So much doth Solomons question import Prou. 20.9 Who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sin O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob cap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquity like water When the Lord looked downe from heauen to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Ps 14.2 could he finde any one framed according to the rule of that perfection which he requireth He could not This hee found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good no not one So sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in euery deed word and thought wholly sinfull The actions of his hands the words of his lips the motions of his heart when they seeme to be most pure and sanctified yet then are they as vncleane things and filthy â—â—uts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applied to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is now become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I will not prosecute this point of mans nakednesse any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainly how vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his Lord God For his first dutie in stead of obedience hee continually breaketh the commandements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty in stead of waiting vpon God to doe him seruice he serueth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty in stead of bringing any aduantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene now the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs seruants when they had sinned against their Lord Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe Butler was restored to his former dignity when as the Baker was hanged These two seruants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of men exiled from paradise and from the presence of God because of their sinne to liue vpon the face of the earth as it were in a dungeon full of miserie namely the reprobate and the elect For the reprobate as they liue so they die in this dungeon and doe die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by Christ their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their Lord their duties of obedience of faithfull seruice and of profitablenesse to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoeuer seruice is enioyned them and to procure aduantage of glory to their Lord. Beloued I doubt not but that all we who are now
all the munitions in the world to the great God of Heauen and Earth b Psal 68.2 As the smoake vanisheth so doe they vanish and as the wax melteth before the fire so melt they at the breath of the Lord. The munitions of Edom they faile before him Edom the kingdome of Edom vpon which God stretched the line of vanitie and the stones of emptinesse as witnesseth the Prophet Esay Chap. 34.11 it is no more a kingdome it bringeth forth thornes in her Palaces nettles and thistles in her strong holds The munitions of Edom are vanished as smoake The munitions of Moab they faile before him Moab the kingdome of Moab had a strong staffe and beautifull rod as speaketh Ierem. Chap. 48.17 but they are broken Moab is destroyed his Cities are burnt vp his strong holds are gone The munitions of Moab are vanished as smoake The munitions of Israel faile before him Israel the kingdome of Israel was Gods peculiar and shadowed vnder the wings of his protection yet at length infected with the leprosie of sinne they were spoiled of their strong holds so saith Hoseah Chap. 10.14 A tumult shall arise among the people and all thy munitions shall be destroyed The munitions of Israel are vanished as smoake The munitions of Iudah faile before him Iudah the kingdome of Iudah great among the Nations and a Princesse among the Prouinces she is now become tributary as complaineth the Prophet Lament 1.1 The Lord hath destroyed c Lament 2.2 all the habitations of Iaacob and hath not spared he hath throwne downe in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Iudah he hath cast them downe to the ground The munitions of Iudah are vanâ—shed as smoake Let these few instances in the states of Edom Moab Israel and Iudah serue for proofe of my doctrine No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed You will remember the reason of it because there is no strength but of God and from God The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs neuer to trust in any worldly helpe but so to vse all good meanes of our defense that still we rely vpon the Lord for strength and successe thereby See Serm. 4 vpon Iames 4.10 pag. 116. Beloued in the Lord we haue learned that a horse his helpe is vaine Psal 33.17 that mans helpe is vaine Psal 60.11 that the helpe of Princes is vaine Psal 146.3 that much strength is vaine 2 Chron. 25.7 that much wealth is vaine Psal 49.6 that all worldly helpes are vaine Esai 31.1 All vnder God is vanitie Wherefore now and all othertimes let our trust be onely in the name oâ— the Lord who hath made heauen and earth Thus much of my first doctrine grounded vpon the third circumstance of this seuenth verse the circumstance of the punished No munition can saue that citie which God will haue destroyed Againe this ouerthrow of the walls of Azzah in Gods anger teacheth vs thus much It is the good blessing of God vpon a kingdome to haue walls strong holds munitions fortresses and bulwarkes for a defe se against enemies The reason is because these be the meanes which God vsually blesseth to procure outward safety The vse is to teach vs carefully to prepare such against time of trouble yet with this caution that we rest not in them but depend wholly vpon Gods blessing And here we are to powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before Almightie God for blessing this our Countrey with the strength of walls of walls by sea and walls by land by sea with ships and at land with strong holds castles and fortresses by sea and land with men of wisdome and valour to bid battell to the proudest enemie that dare aduance himselfe against vs. Confesse we with Dauid Psal 18.2 The Lord is our rocke our fortresse hee that deliuereth vs our God our strength our shield the horne of our saluation and our refuge In him we trust and d Psal 56.11 feare not what man can doe vnto vs. Yet further The fire in Gods anger deuouring the palaces of Azzah teacheth vs that God depriueth vs of a great blessing when hee taketh from vs our dwelling houses This doctrine I commended to you in my Eight Lecture vpon this prophecie The truth is experimentally made good vnto vs by that great commodity or contentment that commeth to euery one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse of this doctrine is three-fold It teacheth vs 1. To be humbled before Almighty God whensoeuer our dwelling-houses are taken from vs 2. Since wee peaceably enioy our dwelling-houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To praise God continually for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling-houses Thus farre of the seuenth verse The eighth followeth And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod and him that holâ—â—th the scepter from Ashkelon Ashdod and Ashkelon were two chiefe Cities of Palaestina One of them as here it appeareth was the place of residence for the chiefe Ruler ouer that State To both Ashdod and Ashkelon to the inhabitants of Ashdod and the Scepter-bearer in Ashkelon to King and subiect Gods sore iudgement euen a cutting off is here threatned I will cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod Of the like iudgement in the same words you haue heard before in vers 5. threatned to the Syrians I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the Scepter out of Beth-eden The words I then expounded at large the briefe or summe whereof is I the Lord Iehouah will cut off will vtterly destroy and root out the inhabitant not one alone but all and euery one of the inhabitants of Ashdod one of the fiue chiefe Cities of the Philistines And I will vtterly destroy or root out him that holdeth the Scepter the Philistines their chiefe Ruler their King making his residence at Ashkelon another of the fiue Cities of Palaestina I will cut off the inhabitant of Ashdod and him that holdeth the Scepter from Ashkelon In the words I obserue as before three circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord I. 2 The punishment a cutting off I will cut off 3 The punished the inhabitants of Ashdod and the Scepter-bearer of Ashkelon By the first circumstance the Lord himselfe taking vengeance into his owne hands you may be remembred of a doctrine often commended to you in this and other Lectures It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes From all three circumstances of the punisher the punishment and the punished ioyntly considered we may take a profitable lesson We see that the cutting off of the inhabitants of Ashdod and of him that holdeth the Scepter from Ashkelon is the Lords proper worke The lesson which we learne from hence is No calamity or misery befalleth any one or whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture This doctrine I handled at large in my tenth Lecture The truth of it dependeth vpon this
haue destroyed The reason hereof is because there is no strength but of God and from God The vse is to teach vs neuer to trust in any worldly helpe but so to vse all good meanes of our desense that still we rely vpon the Lord for strength and successe thereby Againe this fire of the Lord is sent to deuoure the palaces of Bozrah This Bozrah was also a Metropolitane and chiefe City seated in the confines of the lands of Edom and Moab and therfore in holy writ it is sometime attributed to Edom sometime to Moab here to Edom. Prodigious was the feare and great the pride of Bozrahs heart She dwelt in the clefts of the rocke and kept the height of the hisâ— But was she thereby safe No. For thus saith the Lord vnto her Ierem. 49.16 Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence This iudgement of the Lord against Bozrah is denounced with an Ecce of admiration vers 22. Behold he the Lord shall come vp and flye as the Eagle and spread his wings ouer Bozrah and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in trauell Will you haue it confirmed by an oath Then looke backe to the 13. verse I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord that Bozrah shall be waste and for a râ—proach and a desolation and a curse and all the Cities thereof shall bee a perpetuall desolation Thus elegantly is Gods fearefull iudgement against Bozrah described by the Prophet Ieremy which our Prophet Amos thus deliuereth A fire shall deuoure the palaces of Bozrah Bozrah great Bozrah she who dwelt in the clefts of the rock and kept the height of the hill must shee bee deuoured by fire from the Lord Must shee become a reproach a desolation a curse a vastity We may hence take this Doctrine It is not the situation of a City vpon rocke or hill that can be a safegard to it if Gods vnappeasable anger breake out against it for her sinnes The vse of this doctrine is the same with the former euen to teach vs now and at all other times to put our trust only in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heauen and Earth It s neither wit nor wisdome nor strength nor height of Teman or of Bozrah or of all the best defensed Cities in the world that can saue vs in the day of visitation Wherefore â—et our song be as Dauids was Psal 18.2 The Lord is our rocke and our fortresse he that deliuereth vs our God and our strength in him will we trust our shield the horne also of our saluation and our refuge Thirdly in that the Lord sendeth his fire into the palaces of Bozrah to deuoure them we may learne this Doctrine God depriueth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses A truth experimentally made good vnto vs by the great commodity or contentment that commeth to euery one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse is to teach vs 1. To be humbled before Almighty God whensoeuer our dwelling houses are taken from vs. 2. Since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To praise God day by day for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses Thus is my Exposition of the Prophecie against Edom ended THE Nineteenth Lecture AMOS 1.13 14 15. Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead that they might enlarge their border Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuâ—ure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell and with a tempest in the day of the while wind And their King shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together saith the Lord. THis blessed Prophet of Almighty God in this his prophecy against the Ammonites obserueth the same order as hee hath done in two precedent predictions the one against the Syrians verse the third fourth and fifth the other against the Philistines verse the sixth seuenth and eighth As in those so in this are three parts 1 A preface Thus saith the Lord. 2 A prophecie For three transgressions c. 3 A conclusion verse the fifteenth Saith the Lord. The Prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1 A generall accusation of the Ammonites who are here noted as reproueable for many sinnes For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure 2 God his protestation against them for their sinnes I will not turne to it 3 A particular declaration of one sinne which with others procured this Prophecie This sinne was the sinne of cruelty expressed in these words Because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead and amplified by the end of so foule a fact That they might enlarge their borders 4 A denuntiation of iudgement which was to come vpon them deseruedly for their sinnes vers 14. and 15. This iudgement is set downe First in a generality vers 14. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terror and speedy Full of terror in these words With shouting in the day of battell Speedy in the words following With a tempest in the day of the whirlewind This iudgement is further amplified by the extent of it It was to fall vpon not only the meaner sort of the people but vpon the Nobility also yea and vpon the King himselfe Which is plaine by the 15. verse Their King shall goe into captiuity be and his Princes together These are the branches and parts of this Prophecie I returne to the Preface Thus saith the Lord Iehouah This great and most honourable name of God we haue many times met with Wee haue heard what the Cabalists and Rabbines out of their too much curiosity haue thought of it With them it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to bee pronounced not to bee taken within our polluted lips They call it Tetragrammaton a name in Hebrew of foure letters of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellence because the name of God a Alsted Lex Theol. cap. 2. pag. 76. Miâ—um certè est qâ—odomnes gentes tacito consâ—nsu praecipuum Dei nomen quatâ—or medò litâ—is enâ—neâ—ent Fluxiffâ—autem id existimatur è nomine Iehouah quod ipsum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini dicunt Deus Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Germani GOTT Aegyptu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magi Orsi Habraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—lli Dieu Jtali Idio Hispani Dios Dalmatiâ— siue Illyricis est Bogi Boiemiâ— Bohu Mabum tanis Abgd Gentibus in nouâ— mundo repeâ—tis
Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Phil. 3.19 Many doe walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloued you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs and how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabas and Paul to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the liuing God Thus farre of my second Doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my Text Melchom shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together Now followeth the third generall part of this prophecy against the children of Ammâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the Lord. This is the conclusion of this Prophecie and it redoubleth its authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the Lord. It is here redoubled Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heauen and earth shal passe before one iot or one tittle of Gods Word shall scape vnfulfilled Iehouah the Lord saith whatsoeuer our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the Lord that saith it Amos is but the Lords Minister the Words are the Lords Whence we may take this Doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any otber creature how excellent soeuer but only the liuing and immortall God This truth may likewise be grounded vpon the Preface to the ensuing Prophecy And therefore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention well nigh tired I put off the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath beene deliuered vnto you Non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first Chapter 1 Tim. 1.17 Vnto the King eternall immortall inuisible the only wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE SECOND Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS Deliuered In XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocesse of GLOCESTER BY Sebastian Benefield Doctor of Diuinitie and Professor for the Lady MARGARET in the Uniuersitie of OXFORD IAMES 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for IOHN PARKER and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1629. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God and my very good Lord IOHN by the diuine prouidence L. Bishop of London Right Reuerend Honourable ONce more I make bold to present vnto your HONOR a testimonie of my most humble observance It is an Exposition of the second Chapter of the Prophecie of Amos. My labours vpon the first it pleased your Lordship heretofore fauourably to accept and patronize If these vpon the second may find the like entertainement they haue their end The beames of that splendour of goodnesse in you which long since haue shined vpon many in this Vniuersitie and me among the rest methinkes J still behold How can J then but in memorie thereof offer vp to your Honourable Name some Sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is the best I haue at this time Receiue it my good Lord such as it is the sincere token of a thankefull heart God Almightie who hath made you an eminent and an honourable pillar here in his Church militant for the comfort of his people giue you herein many dayes full of honour and comfort and reward you with a Crowne of neuer-fading glory in his Church triumphant From my studie in Christ Church in Oxford Februarie 14. 1619. Your Lordships in all dutie and seruice SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD A COMMENTARIE VPON THE SECOND Chapter of AMOS deliuered in XXI Lectures THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime 2. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 3. And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. HOw grieuous a burden sinne is you may well perceiue by the heauy punishments which God layeth vpon the committers of sinne Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecie hath yeelded vnto you The Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites and the Ammonites haue for their sinnes bin seuerally repayed with vengeance from Heauen the fire of the wrath of God hath seized vpon them and deuoured them their Cities are become desolate their memorie is perished from off the earth As it is befallen them so it befalleth the Moabites also against whom Amos in the beginning of this second chapter directeth his prophecie and to the same purpose whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed The a See my sixth Lecture vpon Amos 1. reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians the Philistins the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all forreine nations are three 1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici Some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemie in distresse likewise 2. That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that he would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbor countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other Nations afflâ—cted and tormented according to the heinousnes of their iniqâ—ities Here might the Israelites
for thy truths sake God you see is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies So is he all in all in the vpholding of his children Of his children that is of such as liue by faith in Christ and doe serue the Lord their God in spirit and in truth Such if they be oppressed if they be in need if in trouble haue God for their refuge Psal 9.9 God will be the same God to them as he was to Dauid Psal 18.2 He will bee their Rocke their Fortresse their Deliuerer their God their Strength their Buckler the horne of their saluation and their high Tower Here are they to be admonished who neglecting the strong God of their saluation put their confidence in the transitorie things of this world They who trust in their wealth and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches they are here reprooueable How can their wealth how can their riches profit them in the euill day Will they serue for a ransome vnto God for thee Looke to the 49th Psalme and the 8. verse and you shall find that the redemption of a soule is much more precious And they who relie vpon great men thinking themselues safe in the shadow of their wings are here reprooueable They haue their warning Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man And why not There is no helpe in them and why no helpe Their breath goeth forth they returne to their earth and their verie thoughts doe perish They also who make any other creature their confidence are here reproueable They for their instruction may haue recourse to the 33. Psalme at the 16. verse thereof they may thus read There is no King saued by the multitude of an host a mightie man is not deliuered by much strength An horse is a vaine thing for saftie neither shall he deliuer any by his great strength What Is a horse a vaine thing to saue a man Is much strength vaine Is there no saftie for a King in the multitude of an hâ—st Is there no trust to be put in Princes Nor in any man Nor in wealth Nor in the multitude of riches Nor in any of the transitorie things of this world Quid nos What shall we then doe beloued Let vs say with the confidence that the Church hath in Gods succour Psal 20.7 Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses some in Princes some in other men some in their strength some in their riches some in something else that is vaine and transitorie but we will remember the name of the Lord our God The Lord our God who was all in all in destroying the Amorites before his people Israell is now all in all in vpholding vs his Children by adoption and grace against the furie of all our enemies that haue had euill will at our prosperitie I conclude with the words of the Psal 146.5 Happie is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God which made Heauen and earth the sea and all that therein is To this Lord our God Father Sonne and holy Ghost one true and euerliuing God sing we an Hallelujah Hallelujah saluation and glory and honour and power be vnto the Lord our God for euermore THE XIIII LECTVRE AMOS 2.9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them whose height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes yet I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath OF the benefits here mentioned to haue beene bestowed by God vpon his people the people of Israel in the first place we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites It is deliuered vers 9. Therein I propounded to your religious attentions three principall parts In the first we haue the ouerthrow of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them In the second the Amorites are described Their description is taken from their stature and from their valour each is set forth vnto vs by way of Comparison their stature or height by the Cedars their valour or strength by the Oke Their height was like the height of the Cedars and he was strong as the Okes. The third hath an explication or an amplification of the ouerthrow of the Amorites It was not any gentle stripe that they receiued not any light incision not any small wound but it was their extermination their contrition their vniuersall ouerthrow their vtter ruine Fruit and roote Prince and people Parents and children old yong were all brought to nought Yet destroyed I their fruit from aboue and their roote from beneath The first of these three principall parts deliuering in a generalitie the ouerthrow of the Amorites was the subiect of my last discourse out of this place Now followeth the second the description of that people the people of the Amorites They are for their height or stature compared to the Cedars and for their strength and valour to the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars he was strong as the Okes. Their height was like the height of the Cedars IN Syria and especially in mount Lebanon the Cedar trees grew very high Sennacherib King of Assyria by his message to Hezekiah King of Iudah giueth testimonie hereunto His message is 2. King 19.23 With the multitude of my chariots I am come vp to the height of the mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and will cut downe the tall Cedars thereof Succidam altitudinem Cedrorum eius so he speaketh in the Hebrew I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The words are repeated Esa 37.24 I will cut downe the tallnesse of the Cedars of Lebanon The tallnesse of the Cedars out of doubt they are very high The Cedars of Lebanon Esa 2.13 are sayd to be sublimes elevatae high and lifted vp In Tremellius his translation they are celsissimae elatissimae most tall and towring Out of doubt they are very high If humane authoritie may be added to diuine Theophrastus in his fift Booke of his historie of Plants chap. 9. sayth that the Cedar for its length or height is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its worthie admiration Rovillius in his Historie of Plants lib. 1. cap. 11. affirmeth that the Cedar of Phoenicia or Syria beareth a bodie streight and very tall mounting aboue all other trees Arias Montanus sayth as much Cedrus vbicumque fuerit the Cedar wheresoeuer it groweth it ouertoppeth all other trees and is aboue all pre-eminent and conspicuous To proue it he bringeth those words of the spouse concerning her Beloued Cant. 5.15 His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars that is his Heroicall proceritie and the maiestie of his countenance is like vnto the Cedars of Lebanon The Spouse thus comparing the countenance of her beloued to mount Lebanon and the Cedars there intimateth that the encrease of the knowledge of God and his worship shall be so great as that the open profession of
refused him Eliab notwithstanding the prioritie of his birth and notwithstanding the comelinesse of his person he is refused and Dauid little Dauid little in his fathers eyes and little in the eyes of his brethren neglected and despised of all for hee was the yongest of all he is chosen to be the Lords anointed He is taken o Psal 78 70.71.72 1. Sam. 16.11 2. Sam 7.8 from the sheepe-folds from following the Ewes great with yong and is placed in rule and gouernment to feed Iacob the people of the Lord and Israel the Lords inheritance Thus much may serue for the confirmation of my propounded doctrine God respecteth not the tall man for his tallnesse nor the strong man for his strength You may adde nor the great man for his greatnesse nor the rich man for his wealth nor the wise man for his wisedome The reason I haue alreadie touched It is expressed 1. Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth For man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart He looketh on the heart and therefore he chooseth not as man chooseth the tall the great the strong the rich the wise but the low man the little man the weake man the poore man the foolish man Whereto else tendeth the Apostles speech to the faithfull among the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mightie not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things that are mightie and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to naught things that are And what is the end of all It s this that no flesh should glory in the presence of God It is the vse we are to make of the doctrine now deliuered We are vrged vnto it Ierem. 9.23 There thus sayth the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mightie man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth In like sort say we Let not the tall man glorie in his tallnesse neither let the strong man glorie in his strength though the height of the one be like the height of the Cedars and the other be strong like the Okes yet let them not glorie therein but let them glory in this that they vnderstand know God to be the Lord which exerciseth louing kindnes iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth that is in the Apostles phrase 1. Cor. 1.31 He that glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. And againe 2. Cor. 10.17 He that glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. All other glorying is vaine Glorie not in thy tallnesse what can it auaile thee Glory not in thy strength it cannot helpe thee Say thou wert as tall as the Amorites in my text and thy height were like the height of the Cedars say thou wert as strong as they strong as the Okes yet notwithstanding the one or the other height or strength thou maist perish and come to nought as they did Glorie thou therefore in the Lord. Here may the man that is low of stature or weake of body be comforted for as much as God seeth not as man seeth nor chuseth as man chuseth Be thou little or be thou weake thou art neuer a whit the further from the grace fauour of God No further then Zacheus was Zacheus was a verie little man In the 19. of Luke ver 3. it is sayd of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee was little of stature Iesus passed through Iericho Zacheus was very desirous to see him but could not for the presse of the people because he was little of stature To supply this defect of his he gets him vp into a tree and seeth Iesus Iesus for it spake graciously vnto him Zacheus make hast and come downe for to day I must abide at thy house You see Iesus respected Zacheus for all his little stature He was of little stature Statura brevis magnus in opere S. p Tâ—m 8. fol. 310. H. Austin saith it Enarr in Psal 129. Zacheus was in deede little of stature but was great in good workes Great in his loue toward Iesus whom he was so desirous to see and great in charitie towards men to whom he was readie to make a fourefold restitution if he had done wrong to any Zacheus little of stature Chrysologus Serm. 54. thus meditates vpon it q Pag. 225. Satis hic animo magnus erat qui pusillus videbatur in corpore Nam mente tangebat coelos qui corpore homines non aequabat Zacheus was great enough in mind albeit he was but little in bodie in bodie he was no match for men and yet his minde reached vp to Heauen Whereupon he frames this exhortation Nemo de brevitate corporis cui addere nil potest curet sed vt fide emineat hoc procuret Let not any man be grieued because he is little of stature whereto he cannot adde one cubite but let euery mans care be to be eminent aboue others in faith You haue hitherto heard of the varietie of mens statures you haue heard of the Amorites that their height was like the height of the Cedars Of King Saul that he was higher then any of his people from the shoulders and vpward of Eliab that he was high of stature of Zacheus that he was low of stature This varietie of mens statures is by euery dayes experience confirmed vnto you And why is there such varietie of mens statures One reason may be to stirre vs vp to this consideration that God is the most prouident author of euery mans stature It is not in man to adde any thing to his stature not one cubite sayth our Sauiour Mat. 6 27. He sayth it againe Luke 12.25 Which of you with taking thought can adde one cubite to his stature No man No man can doe it Nay it is not in man to amend the imperfections wherewith he is borne into the world The man that was borne blind confesseth it Ioh. 9.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind We cannot supply any defect wherwith we are borne into this world much lesse can we adde any thing vnto our stature It may thus farre serue for our instruction Vt ex illo capite neminem contemnamus vel exagitemus saith Franzius Disp 2. in Deuter. Thes 92. that we despise not any man nor speake ill of him for his stature be it great or little or for any defect he hath in nature from his natiuitie A second reason why there is
sword them and all their people and tooke their Cities all their Cities and vtterly destroyed the men the women and the litle ones of euery Citie they left none aliue They destroyed their fruit from aboue and their rootes from beneath These famous victories gotten by Israel ouer those two mighty Kings are described Num. 21. and Deut. 2. 3. Is Israel now the conqueror Is it the sword of Israel that smiteth Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan them and their people their men women and litle ones How then is it that the Lord in my text takes it to himselfe and saith I destroyed the Amorite I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath The answer is easie Israel indeed smote the Amorites but it was by the power of the Lord not by any power of their owne Moses confesseth it of Sihon King of the Amorites Deut. 2.33 The Lord our God deliuered him vnto vs and we smote him and his sonnes and all his people He confesseth it likewise of Og King of Bashan Deut. 3.3 The Lord our God deliuered into our hands Og the King of Bashan and all his people and we smote him vntill none was left to him remayning Israel could not smite till God had deliuered God first deliuered then Israel smote Israel smote the Amorites not by any power of their owne they did it by the power of the Lord. And what is done by the power of the Lord may well be said to be done by the Lord. In regard hereof it is that the Psalmist Psal 135.10 ascribeth the victorie whereof we now speake immediatly vnto God Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased that did he in Heauen and in Earth in the Seas and in all deepe places He smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings Sihon King of the Amorites and Og King of Bashan and all the kingdomes of Canaan And gaue their land for an heritage euen an heritage vnto Israel his people The like he doth in the next Psalme and in the like words Psal 136.17 O giue thanks vnto the Lord To him which smote great Kings and slew famous Kings Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan and gaue their land for an heritage euen for an heritage vnto Israel his seruant In both Psalmes you see the destruction of the Amorite ascribed to God himselfe and his sole power So is it Psal 78.55 but more generally The Lord He cast out the heathen before Israel he cast out the Amorites and made the Tribes of Israel to dwell in their Tabernacles But no where so plainely is this great worke of casting out the Amorites and other the heathen before Israel attributed vnto God as Psal 44. There the people of God groning vnder their affliction in the middest of their enemies doe thus begin their confession vers 1. We haue heard with our eares O God our fathers haue told vs what worke thou diddest in their dayes in the times of old What this worke was they expresse vers 2. Thou diddest driue out the Heathen with thine hand Thou with thy hand didst driue out the Amorites and other the Heathen and in their roomes didst plant our fore-fathers This was a great worke and it was Gods worke That it was Gods worke and his alone they yet further acknowledge vers 3. Our forefathers they got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance O God did stablish them God was all in all in the ouerthrow of the Amorites and the rest of the Heathen By his strength by his might by his power onely were they ouerthrowne And therefore albeit Israel smote with the sword Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan them and their people their men their women and their litle ones sith they did it onely by the strength might and power of the Lord the Lord in my text doth rightly challenge the whole glory of this ouerthrow vnto himselfe saying first I destroyed the Amorite before them and againe I destroyed his fruit from aboue and his roots from beneath From hence we may take a profitable lesson It s this Though God vse meanes for the performance of his counsels yet the accomplishment and glory of them belongeth to him alone This truth is so euident that it needs no further proofe Israel the people of Israel they were the meanes which God vsed for the performance of his counsels vpon the Amorites euen to destroy them and to roote them out from being a people but the accomplishment and the glory of that great worke was the Lords alone The people of Israel had they had much ado to ouercome their enemies the Amorites they might happily haue imputed somewhat to their owne force They might haue said Shewed we not great power in the battle Behaued we not our selues like men Did not we fight valiantly But when their enemies were driuen like chaffe with the winde when they who earst were stour and strong were tall as the Cedars and strong as the Okes when they should extraordinarily be dismaide should haue no more heart then a silly sheepe hath but should be scattered at the first onset should be so cowardly as that their enemies might at their pleasure slay them till they were weary of slaying them what can be said of it what can be thought of it This is all The Lord who is Lord of battels though he vse meanes for the performance of his counsels and for the atchieving of his victories yet will he haue the accomplishment and the glory of all to be peculiar vnto himselfe Thus is my doctrine illustrated Though God vse meanes for the performance of his counsels yet the accomplishment and glory of them belongeth to him alone The reason hereof is because all power is Gods and whatsoeuer power man hath to execute or performe what the counsell of the Lord hath appointed it s all deriued from God The vse is to teach vs to yeeld God the honor of all the victories that he giueth vs against our enemies The honor of all victories must be his When I say all victories I meone not onely the victories of Princes when they make warre or winne a battell in the field but euen our priuate victories too as when we haue bin assailed by some particular man and are escaped from his hands this is a victorie and the honor of it must be the Lords If a neighbour an vnkinde neighbour hath done vs any wrong or hath put vs to some trouble we are deliuered from it we must assure our selues it is God that hath giuen vs the vpper hand to the end that we should alwaies haue our mouthes open to giue him thanks for it This must we doe but this is not all We must with the mouth giue thanks to God for giuing vs the vpper hand against those that haue
righteous cut off Who euer perished being innocent Or where were the righteous cut off It was Eliphaz his error to collect because Iob was afflicted and that most grieuously that therefore he was to perish or to be cut off vtterly God suffereth not his elect children such as Iob was vtterly to perish or to be cut off He afflicteth them but with a purpose to deliuer them his hand is sometimes vpon them but it is for their good not for their ruine For albeit they may seeme to vs to perish when in the fire of their calamities and trials they are surprised by death yet they perish not the Lord he receiues them into his glory and to a more happy life Wherefore to Eliphaz his question Who euer perished being innocent Or where were the righteous cut off I answer If Eliphaz take the words of perishing and cutting off in the strict sense and properly I answer neuer did the innocent perish neuer was any righteous man cut off But if he take the words in a larger sense for wallowing in miserie or lying in affliction my answer then is the same that S. Gregorie hath lib. 5. Moral cap. 14. Saepè quippe hîc innocentes pereunt recti funditùs delentur Surely here in this world the innocent doe oftentimes perish and the righteous are vtterly cut off sed tamen ad aeternam gloriam pereundo seruantur yet in perishing and in being cut off they are reserued to eternall glory Si nullus innocens periret if no man should perish that is innocent why should the Prophet Esai say chap. 57.1 The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart Si rectos Deus providendo non raperet if God in his prouidence should not take away any righteous man why should the wise man chap. 4.11 say The righteous was speedily taken away lest that wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding or deceit beguile his soule Si iustos animadversio nulla percuteret if no punishment should smite the iust why should S. Peter say 1. Ep. 4 17. The time is that iudgement must begin at the house of God Now dearely beloued sith it may in some sense bee truely said of the man that is innocent that he perisheth and of the righteous man that he is punished is taken away is cut off and of the faithfull of Gods house that iudgement must begin with them let it euer bee our care to esteeme aright of the afflictions of our neighbours and to iudge of them with a righteous iudgment Though they be iudged be plagued be smitten of God it is not for vs slightly to regard them to despise them or to hide our faces from them it is our parts rather to haue a fellow-feeling and a tender compassion of their tryals It were an vnchristian an vncharitable yea a hellish conceit thus to inferre My neighbour such a man or such a man is exercised vnder the Crosse and is sensible of the scourge of God vpon him therefore he is in Gods disfauour and a very grieuous sinner No such inference is allowable in Christs schole In his schole these Maximes passe for good Where God purposeth to heale he spareth not to launce He ministreth bitter sirupes to purge corrupt humors he sends embassies of death and reuenge where he meaneth to bestow eternall life I conclude with that blessing which S. Iames chap. 1.12 bestoweth vpon the afflicted Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him THE XIX LECTVRE AMOS 2.13 14 15 16. Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift and the strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mightie deliuer himselfe Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow and he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the Horse deliuer himselfe And he that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. VVE are now come to the fourth part of this first Sermon of Amos concerning the kingdome of the tenne tribes of Israel I heretofore called it a Commination So I call it still For here are the Israelites threatned with punishment for the enormitie of their sinnes expressed vers 6 7 8. and for the foulenesse of their ingratitude layd to their charge vers 12. In this Commination we may obserue two things First how the Lord in respect of the sinnes of Israel and of their vnthankfulnesse for benefits bestowed on them esteemeth of them vers 13. Behold I am pressed vnder you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The other is a menacing or threatning of punishment to befall them I may terme it A sending of defiance vnto them a denouncing of warre against them vers 14 15 16. Wherein we may note three things The first is impotentia fugiendi their vnablenesse to escape the flight in the day of battell thus set downe in the 14. vers The flight shall perish from the swift And vers 15. thus He that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the horse deliuer himselfe The second is Debilitas in resistendo their weakenesse in resisting the enemie thus set downe vers 14. The strong shall not strengthen his force neither shall the mightie deliuer himselfe and vers 15. thus Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow The third is Fugae fortium the flight of the valiant and stout of heart set downe in the last verse and there amplified by the adiunct of nakednesse He that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day Then followeth the confirmation of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord the Lord who is the truth and is omnipotent He is the Lord of Hosts if he a Esa 14.27 2. Chro. 20.6 Iâ—b 9.12 Pro 21.30 Dan. 4.32 purpose to doe a thing who shall disanull it if his hand be stretched out who shall turne it backe My meditations for this time will be confined within the limits of the 13. vers Behold I am pressed vnder you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheanes In the handling whereof my order shall be first to runne ouer the words then to draw from them some profitable note of doctrine Behold THis particle set in the front of this verse is as it were a watchword to stirre vp our attentions for as much as we are to heare of some important matter A learned Diuine in his exposition vpon the fift of Nehemiah hath alike note This word Ecce Loe Marke or Behold euer betokeneth throughout the Scripture some notable thing very good or very ill that is spoken of immediately afterward and such a one as commonly falleth not out among men and the holy Ghost of purpose vseth to marke such notable things with this
Lyon he walketh about seeking whom he may devoure yet shall we placing all our hope and confidence in thee our Lord and God be safe vnder thy protection Protect keep vs O Lord among the manifold dangers of this life and in thy good time by the conduct of thy fauour bring vs home from this valley of miserie and mourning to that our hoped for country of eternall glory where we may with all Saints sing vnto thee a perpetuall Halleluiah Saluation and glory and honour vnto the Lord our God THE XXI LECTVRE AMOS 2.15 16. And he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe neither shall he that rideth the Horse deliuer himselfe And he that is couragious among the mightie shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. I Now bring you the remainder of the fourth part of Amos his first Sermon I called it heretofore a Commination I still call it so It conteineth menacings or threats against the kingdome of the ten tribes the children of Israel for the foulnesse of their ingratitude These menacings or threats proceeding from him who onely is omnipotent and al-sufficient to effect what he threatneth euen from the Lord Iehovah doe plainely demonstrate that Gods iudgements are ineluctable not to be auoyded If God will the punishment of any there is no place for refuge no cuasion no meanes to escape Neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mightie nor the bow-man nor the swift of foote nor the horse-man nor the couragious and stout of heart shall be able to helpe himselfe in that day in the day of Gods vengeance Seauen particulars are here disabled from helping themselues in that day when the Lord will be pleased to execute vengeance for sinne Of foure of them you heard at large in my last Lecture out of this place that neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mightie nor the bow-man can any way helpe themselues Let it please you now to giue eare and you shall heare as much of the other three of the swift of foote of the horseman of the couragious and stout of heart Begin we with the swift of foote It is the next branch that followeth vers 15. And he that is swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe THe originall is the swift of foote shall not deliuer Shall not deliuer What shall he not deliuer Supply the defect according to the last clauses of this and the former verse and the full shall be Velox pedibus non liberabit animam suam the swift of foote shall not deliuer his soule His soule that is his life or himselfe The Author of the Vulgar Latin here readeth Velox pedibus suis non salvabitur the swift of foot shall not be saued So doth S. Hierome so the Septuagint so an old a In Bibliothâ—câ Nicolsonianâ in aede Christi Oxon. English Manuscript Some read thus The swift of foote shall not escape as the Caldee Paraphrast and Montanus and Munster and our late Church Bible Admit of which reading you will you cannot misse of the true vnderstanding of the place Read if you will the swift of foote shall not be saued or shall not escape or shall not deliuer himselfe you will forth-with vnderstand that a man cannot by the swiftnesse of his feete out-runne God This is the very marrow of that lesson which we are to learne from hence The lesson is The swift of foote hath no aduantage aboue others for the sauing of himselfe if God doe once resolue to punish This agreeth with that which I haue obserued vpon the first clause of the 14. verse The flight shall perish from the swift With that this which we haue now in hand is coincident The flight shall perish from the swift and The swift of foote shall not deliuer himselfe these two to the vnderstanding are but one and doe yeeld vnto vs one and the same obseruation The obseruation is When God resolues to punish man for sinne there is no refuge for him no euasion no escaping by flight though he be of a swift an expedite and an agile bodie This truth stands ratified with that in the ninth Chapter of this Prophecie vers 1. Non erit fuga eis qui fugient non salvabitur ex eis qui fugerit He that fleeth of them shall not flee away and he that escapeth of them shall not be deliuered And with that Eccles 9.11 There is no race to the swift or In running it helpeth not to be swift that is as Ionathan expounds the place Though men be as swift as Eagles yet shall they not by running helpe themselues or deliuer themselues from death in the day of battell The many euidences of holy Writ which are vsually brought to proue that God is euery where present and in all places at once may serue for a further ratification of my propounded doctrine For if God be euery where present if he be at once in all places then certainely there is no refuge for man against him no euasion no escaping by flight Nor the caues of the earth nor the secrets of walls nor the darkenesse of the night nor the distance of place by land or by sea can hide vs from his presence Can they not How then may that be excused which we read of Adam and his wife Gen. 3.8 that they HID themselues from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden How that which we read of Cain Gen. 4.16 that he went out from the presence of the Lord How that which we read of Ionah chap. 1.3 that he when he was sent to Niâ—iveh rose vp to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. These scruples I am now to remoue The first concerneth Adam and his wife their hiding themselues among the trees of Paradise Some say Adam hid himselfe through feare not as if he could flee from God but because hee thought himselfe vnworthie to come into Gods sight So Irenaeus lib. 3 adversus haereses cap. 37. He seemes to take in good part this flight of Adam and his endeuour to hide himselfe as if it proceeded from a pious and profitable feare and dread of an humble and repentant soule Other say that Adam exceedingly troubled in mind much ashamed and afraid that he had transgressed the commandement of God like vnto a mad man that knows not which way to turne himselfe went about to hide himselfe So S. Austine lib. 11. de Genesi ad literam cap. 33. A third opinion there is that taxeth Adam and Eue of infidelitie and impenitencie for hiding of themselues as if guiltie of transgression they had thought simply to hide themselues from the presence of God Of this opinion I find Rupertus who Comment in Genesin lib. 3. cap. 12. thus expresseth himselfe Abscondendo se vterque de Deo malè sensit sibi insipienter providit tanquam impaenitens tanquam
naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place VVe are naked that is saith Drusius non ita bene vestiti we are not very well clothed No more were that brother and sister of whom S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.15 They were naked Naked that is male vestiti or necessario vestitu destituti they were ill clothed or wanted necessarie apparell By the places now alleaged you see that he may be said to be naked that is not simply and altogither so So of the couragious man in my text it is said that he shall flee away naked Naked that is vnarmed without armour hauing cast away his weapons and all other instruments of militarie discipline content to escape with life if he may be so happy but shall not for there is no escaping as you well know by that you haue already heard But when shall this couragious man be in such a streight as that he shall be faine to flee away naked It shall bee saith my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baijom habu in that day In that day the day of Gods iudgement in that day when God will exercise his iudgment against the rebellious and refractarie This day may be called the day of the Lord whereof we read Esai 13.6 Howle yee for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty It is so called Ioel 1.15 Alas for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come This day the day of the Lord for the horror thereof is by our Prophet Amos called darknesse chap. 5.18 Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you The day of the Lord is darknes and not light A day and yet darknesse a day and no light in it It s euen so and is repeated by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light euen very darke and no brightnesse in it I cannot better set forth vnto you the state of this day then the Prophet Zephaniah doth chap. 1.15 Read him and you shall finde this day the day of the Lord to be a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thicke darknesse a day of the trumpet and alarme No maruaile then if our couragious man the couragious among the mighty shall endeauou or desire to flee away naked in that day But shall he endeauour or shall he desire to do it Yes He must be fame to doe it For it followeth by way of confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum Iehovah saith the Lord. Saith the Lord. THis is the conclusion and confirmation of all The Lord the a Deut. 32 4. God of truth who b Num. 2â— â—9 Tit. 1.2 Haâ— 6.18 lyeth not nor deceiueth whose words are c 2. Cor. 1.20 yea and amen who euer d Num 23.19 doth according to that he saith and accomplisheth what he speaketh he it is that here threatneth the couragious among the mighty that they shall flee away naked in the day of their visitation And so out of doubt it came to passe It came to passe in the dayes of Peka K. of Israel at what time Tiglath Pilesar K. of Assyria came vp against the Israelites tooke diuers of their Cities the whole Region that was beyond Iordan the possession of the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh yea all the land of Nephthali and carried some of their inhabitants captiue into Assyria 2. King 15.29 After that in the dayes of Hoseah sonne of Elah the last of the Kings of Israel this prediction was fulfilled at what time Salmanasser King of Assyria invaded Israel the Kingdome of the ten Tribes tooke Samaria and carried much people away into Assyria Of this we read 2. King 17.6 In that day that day when Tiglath Pilesar preuailed against Israel and that day wherein Salmanasser was conqueror he that was couragious among the mighty was faine no doubt to runne away and that naked according to this prediction He that is couragious among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day My obseruation from hence is this It is not a stout courage a valiant heart or a bold spirit that can steed a man in the day of Gods vengeance Beleeue it it is not For in that day the stoutest the most valiant and bold shall be striken with astonishment of heart Deut. 28.28.29 and shall grope at noone dayes as the blind man doth in darkenesse It shall then be with him as it was with Belshazzar the King Daniel 5.6 His countenance shall bee changed his thoughts shall trouble him the ioynes of his loynes shall be loosed and his knees shall smite one against the other Yea then for then will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth then shall he goe into the holes and clefts of the ragged rockes and into the caues of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Maiestie So saith Esay elegantly chap. 2.19 21. And say you now what can a stout courage a valiant heart a bold spirit steed a man in that day in the day of Gods vengeance You must needs confesse it can steed him nothing Nothing Let vs then for our good make some profitable vse hereof We shall the better make it if we will summe vp together those naturall abilities which our Prophet Amos hath here disabled from yeelding any helpe vnto vs in the day of God his reuengement If neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mightie man nor the bow-man nor the swift of foot nor the horseman shall in that day be able to deliuer or helpe himselfe if he that is couragious among the mightie shall be faine to runne away naked in that day whence then shall we in that day looke for safetie It must not be from any ayde of man Now the Vse we are to make hereof is that we trust not in man or in any thing that is in or about man To this dutie we are aduised by the Prophet Esai chap. 2.22 Cease yee from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of If you will be safe and without danger in the day of trouble Cease from man See that yee haue no confidence no affiance in him as though against God or without God he were able to helpe you His breath is in his nostrils his soule his vitall spirit his life is but a blast and is gone with a puffe Then where is his helpe Weake fraile and brittle man wherein is he to be accounted of Is he to be accounted of for any thing that is in him for his actiuitie for his dexteritie for his valour for his wisedome or the like No for if he be gone all these
59 Sixtus the fourth 157 Sobrietie 286 Sonnes 265 The eldest Sonnes prerogatiue 14 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28 The Spanish inuasion 298 Stand before the Lord. 363 Stature 233 Our States of regeneration and election 11 Stratonice 149 Stwes in Rome 157 patronised ibid confuted 158 Swift of foote 359 T Testament the Old 53 the New ibid. Thankefulnesse in doggs 207 in Lyons 208 An exhortation to Thankefulnes 211 Three and foure Transgressions 57. 116 Thunder 295 Tiglath Pileser 372 The Translations of the Scriptures into vulgar tongues withstood by Papists 88 their exceptions ibid. Treasures of wickednes profit not 71 God is True 6 We must striue to be True as God is True 11 Trust not in wealth nor in any wordly helpe 220 Trust not in externall helps 367 Trust in the Lord. 368. 374 Trust not in man 373 Trumpets vsed in warre 40. 41 God is Truth in himselfe in his words and in his workes 6 We must be thankefull to God for our knowledge of the Truth 8 We must striue to represent God in Truth 10. 12 A Tumult 40 An exhortation to Turne to the Lord 46 Tydeus 234 Tyrannie 253 V The execution of Vengeance proper to the Lord. 33. Victories 239 Vilages depopulated 193 Vnthankefulnesse 205. 211 Odious before God 205. 211 forbidden 206 reprehended ibid punished 209 Vsurie 133 W To walke 84 how we are to walke 249 The Water 296 Warre the executioner of Gods vengeance 41 A Way taken properly figuratiuely 137 Wealth trust not in it 220 The wicked man 235 Wildernesse of Etham 254 of Shur 256 The Winde 297 Wine allowed 181 to be auoided 184 forbidden to the Nazirites 285 to Priests 286 to Kings 285 Wine giuen to the condemned 186 of the condemned ibid The abuse of Wine 181 A Woman of Munster 88 An english Woman 89 The Word of God praised 16 272 magnified 54 55 not to be declined from 85 to be embraced with diligence 87 compared to a lampe or light 86 We must be thankefull for hauing the Word of God 87 The Church of Rome with-holds the Word of God ibid The Workes of God internall and externall 7 Z Zacheus 201 232 Zedechiah K. of Iudah 97. FINIS A Commentary OR EXPOSITION VPON THE THIRD Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS Deliuered In XVII Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocesse of Glocester BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD Doctor of Diuinitie 2 COR. 12.14 I seeke not yours but you LONDON ¶ Printed by John Hauiland and are to be sold by Hugh Perry at the Harrow in Britaines Burse 1629. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL THINGS contained in the Exposition of the third Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS A ABimelech 184 Absolom 309 Actions of God 297 Adouai 146 Affliction of the Lord. 142. 281 Alexander the Great 212 All. 30 Ashdod 180 Azotus 181 B BEnefits temporall remember 17 Benefits vpon Israel 24 Bethel 289. 292 Bethschemites 240 Builders Of houses 307 Of Babel 307. 308 Building stately 306 C CAlamities from God 281 Cham. 182 Children 4 Choise of God 22 Christ patient 286 Citie 140 Cloysters 214 Cockatrice 98 Comminations 61 Conuersion 213 D DAuid patient 286 Decree of God 76 Deuill a fowler 78 Discord 76. â—â— 97 Diuinitie 131 E EGypt 182 Election of God 22 Enemies their reproaches 183 Euill two wayes 134 Two kindes 135 F FAith 265 266 Foole the Atheist 312 The rich man 309 310 311 A Fox 98 The Fowler 73 G GEdeon 240 Gilgal 292 The Grace of God 76 God A Fowler 79 A Lion 59. 61 God he is good 133 His Name 130 Seeth all 214 God of Hosts 258 259 260 Of Sabaoth 258 c. God the principall Agent 298. 300 The goodnes of God generall 133 Speciall 133 H HEare the word of God 8 Hearers of the word 265. 270 Of diuers sorts 13 Hearing twofold 265 Heart to be kept 101 Our Hearts our houses 312 Hosts God of Hosts 258. c. Houses spirituall 312 Stately 306 I IDolatrie Iehouah 130 131 Iehouih 147 Ignorance of God 199 Instruments how regarded 299 300 c. Iob. 299 His patience 286 Israel Prerogatiues 23 K To KNow 21 2â— Knowledge of God 19. 21 199 Knowen of God 2â— L LEauen 9â— Lions roaring 5â— Their names 16â— Comparisons from them 59 60. 16 M MAgistrates 213 Man 77 A Fowler 79 A Lion 60 Ministers their calling 240 Mitzraijm 18â— N NAmes of God 130 Numbers changed 290 P PAlaestina 180 Patience in trouble 285 Whence 286 Places of Idols 291. 292 Poore rich mens barnes 309 Powder Traitors 214 Power all of God 283 Prophets 42 Prouidence of God 75. 80 Of two sorts 81 Generall 81 Speciall 84 Particular 86 Ouer his Church 85 Punishment all of God 31 The Author of it 136 Euill of punishment 135. 139 God punisheth all sinne 34 His owne seruants 33 R REligion true 294 295 Rich man his barnes 309 S SAbaoth God of Sabaoth 258 c. Samaria 191 Saul 184 Scripture praised 130 Selfe-killing a sinne 185 Serpent 98 Shimei 299 Similitudes 75 Sinne Euill of sinne 135 Sinners 76 Smite God smiteth 16 Snare 74. 76 Snares Of Punishment 78 Of Sinne. ibid. Sodome 281 282 Sonnes 6 T THreatnings of God not in vaine 61 Accomplished 63 Absolute 65 Conditionall 66 Tongue to be tamed 99 Troubles from God 281 Endured with patience 285 286 c. Trumpeters 42 Trumpets 117 V VAriance 76. 94. 97 Visit 29 Our Visitations of God 281 God visiteth for euill 278 279 For good 278 279 In iudgement 278 279 Vzzah 240 W WAlke with God 47 Watchmen 43. 117 Water of bitternesse 98 Will of God is one 69 Word of God a Iewell 25. 45 To be heard 8 Appropriate to the Iewes 27 A two-edged sword 106 Effectuall 94. 102. 105 Y YOungling of Babylon 99 Yuorie houses 303. 304 Z ZEchariah 4 Zerubhabel 4 THE First Lecture AMOS 3.1 Heare this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel against the whole family which I brought vp from the land of Aegypt saying You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities HAuing heretofore by the gracious assistance of the Almighty finished my Exposition vpon the first and second Chapters of this Prophesie of Amos I doe now aduenture vpon the third in a sure hope and confidence of the continuance of the same assistance vnto me not doubting but that the Lord will enable me to goe forward in this course if he shall see it to be to his glory and to the good of his Church This third Chapter is Amos his second Sermon against the Kingdome of the ten Tribes the Kingdome of Israel It was made as it seemeth when their then King Ieroboam sonne of Ioash the thirteenth King of Israel though wicked for his life yet happy in warre had vanquished and subdued many of the Syrians and had recouered the coast of Israel from the a 2 King 14.25 entring of Hamath vnto the
reproches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily and ghostly proper to our selues or pertaining to our kindred priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed vpon vs I call afflictions To be short the miseries the calamities the vexations the molestations of this life from the least to the greatest from the paine of the little finger to the very pangs of death I call afflictions Of euery such affliction whatsoeuer it betideth any one in this life God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is the primary efficient cause thereof he doth it or doth somewhat in it Vpon the proofe of this point I haue now no time to spend nor needs it any proofe it is so firmely grounded vpon my Text. Nor will I recount vnto you the many vses it affordeth Let one suffice for the shutting vp of this exercise Is it true Beloued Is there no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord Here then we haue wherewith to comfort our selues in the day of affliction Whatsoeuer affliction shall befall vs it s from the Lord. The Loâ—d whose name is Iehouah who is himselfe and of none other whose being is from all eternity who only is omnipotent who is good in himselfe and good to all his creatures he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our abilities but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to beare it Saint Paul is our warrant for it 1 Cor. 10.13 And 2 Cor. 4 8. he sheweth it by his owne experience We are troubled on euery side yet are we distressed We are perplexed yet are we not in despaire We are persecuted yet are we not forsaken we are cast downe yet are we not destroyed In such a case was Saint Paul What if we be in the like If we be troubled perplexed persecuted and cast downe what shall we doe We will support our selues with the confidence of Dauid Psal 23.4 Though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet will we feare no euill for thou Lord art with vs. Thou Lord art with vs Quis contra nos Who shall be against vs We will not feare what man can doe vnto vs. I draw to a conclusion Sith there is no affliction that betideth any one any where in this world but it s from the Lord and as the Author to the Hebrewes speaketh chap. 12.8 He is a bastard and not a sonne that is not partaker of afflictions let vs as Saint Iames aduiseth chap. 1.2 account it exceeding ioy when wee are afflicted The Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles the holy Martyrs haue found the way to Heauen narrow rugged and bloudy and shall we thinke that God will strew Carpets for our nice feet to walke thither He that is the doore and the way our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ hath by his owne example taught vs that we must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen There is but one passage thither and it is a streight one If with much pressure we can get thorow and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the throng it will be our happinesse Wherefore whensoeuer any aduersity crosse calamity misery or affliction shall befall vs let vs with due regard to the hand of the Lord that smiteth vs receiue it with thankes keepe it with patience digest it in hope apply it with wisdome bury it in meditation and the end thereof will be peace and glory the peace of our consciences in this life and eternall glory in the highest Heauens Whereof God make vs all partakers THE Ninth Lecture AMOS 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets GOds dealing with his owne people the people of Israel was not as it was with other Nations Others he punished and gaue them no fore-warning The Idumaeans the Ammonites the Egyptians the rest of the Heathen dranke deepely of the viols of his wrath though thereof they receiued no admonition by any Prophet of his It was otherwise with the Israelites If the rod of affliction were to light heauie vpon them they were euer foretold thereof God euer preuented them with his Word Hee sent vnto them his seruants Ierem. 35.14 15. the Prophets he rose early and sent them with the soonest to let them vnderstand of the euills which hung ouer their heads that returning euery man from their euill wayes and amending their doings they might be receiued to grace and mercy This difference betweene Gods care and prouidence towards his owne people and other nations is thus expressed Psal 147.19 20. God! He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither haue the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes Yet was hee knowne to the Heathen Hee was knowne to them partly by his workes by his creatures in which the power and Deity of God shined and partly by the light of Nature and power of vnderstanding which God hath giuen them Both wayes their Idolatry their Atheisme their disobedience were made before God vnexcusable But to his owne people the people of Israel was he knowne after another manner To them pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenants and the giuing of the Law Rom. 9.4 and the seruice of God and the promises To them were committed the oracles of God To them at sundry times Rom. 3.2 Hebr. 1.1 and in diuers manners God spake by his Prophets He gaue them time and space to repent them of their sinnes and was ready to forgiue them had they on their parts bin curable Vncurable though they were yet did God seldom or neuer send among them any of his foure sore iudgements either the sword or the famine Ezech. 14.21 or the noysome beast or the pestilence or any other but he first made it knowne vnto his holy Prophets and by them fore-warned the people This our Prophet Amos here auoucheth Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets The words according vnto some are an Exegesis and exposition or a declaration of what was said before Before it was said There shall be no euill in a citie but the Lord doth it no euill of paine punishment or affliction but the Lord doth it The Lord doth it as well for that he sendeth iust punishments vpon men that are obstinate in their euill courses as also for that he reuealeth those euils to his Prophets that by them they may be published Or the words are an Aitiologia and doe conteine a reason of what was said before Shall there be euill in a Citie and the Lord hath not done it Surely no there shall be none All euill of punishment is of the Lord. Yet will not the Lord oppresse his people vnawares but
fenced wall vpon all the ships of Tarshish and vpon all Pictures of desire the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and the haughtinesse of man shall be made low The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day In that day when the Lord shall send a power against a Land for the iniquity thereof all strength shall faile before him This is that we reade Esai 26.5 In the Lord Iehouah is euerlasting strength For he bringeth downe them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth low euen to the ground he bringeth it euen to the dust There is no strength against him Erit fortitudo vestra vt fauilla stupae your strength shall be as the imbers of tow opus vestrum and the worke of your strength shall be as a sparke they shall both burne together and none shall quench them Esai 1.23 There is no preuailing by strength against the Lord it is the acknowledgement of Hannah in her song of thanksgiuing 1 Sam. 2.9 Our Prophet Amos Chap. 2.14 hath thus deliuered it The strong shall not strengthen his force And thus is my obseruation confirmed No strength shall be able to withstand diuine reuengement One reason is because God ouerthroweth the greatest strength that man can erect euen at his pleasure A second is because there is no strength but it is of God and from God Vastatum superrobustum roborat Amos 5.9 God aboue is he that strengthneth the spoiled against the strong and maketh the spoiled to come with might against the fortresse I will but name the vses One is to teach vs neuer to put any affiance in our owne strength but so to vse all good meanes for our defence that still wee rely vpon the Lord for successe A second is to stop vs from glorying in our strength There is a caueat against it Ierem. 9.23 Let not the strong man glory in his strength If he will needs glory let him glory in the Lord. Let his glorying be in imitation of the royall Prophet Psa 18.2 The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horne of my saluation and my high tower The Lord is my strength A third is to admonish vs of a duty of ours which is in trouble sometimes yea alwayes to approach vnto the throne of grace by humble prayer to begge of God his protection against all the assaults of our enemies that they neuer preuaile against vs to take away our strength I am come to my last circumstance the circumstance of the spoile in these words Et diripientur palatia tua And thy palaces shall be spoiled The Vulgar Latine saith Diripientur aedes tuae thy houses shall be spoiled Petrus Lusitanus preferreth Palaces as best agreeing with the Hebrew He is in the right palaces are named because Conquerours when they haue wonne a City by assault doe enter into the fairest stateliest and most princely houses presuming to finde in them the greatest booties These Palaces are by some taken Metonymically to signifie either the goods heaped vp in them Albertus Magnus or the possessions belonging to them Wee shall not doe amisse if wee follow the letter and take these Palaces as they are for the Palaces of Samaria wherein the Princes Magistrates and Rulers of Samaria did store vp the treasures of violence and robbery as wee saw vpon the former verse So the meaning may be thus Palatia tua Thy Palaces O Samaria which were as the receptacles caues or dens in which thou didst treasure vp thy goods gotten from the poore by violence and wrong diripientur they shall be spoiled thou hast spoiled others therefore shalt thou thy selfe be spoiled Sic erit poena sceleri consentiens so shall the punishment be agreeable to the offence Obserue here Punishments are most vsually in the like proper and proportionable to the offences This is that which is vulgarly said In quo quis peccat in eo punitur as a man offendeth in the same manner will God punish him They who sought the life of Daniel sinned in causing him to be cast into the Lions den How were they for so sinning punished God might haue reuenged himselfe vpon them by his owne immediate hand but would not They were punished the same way they were cast into the Lions den and so perished Dan. 6.24 It was Dauids sinne to commit adultery with Vriahs wife and to slay her husband with the sword of the Ammonites How was he for so sinning punished He was paid home and punished in his owne kinde To reward and serue him as he had serued others God as a iust Iudge raiseth vp euill against him out of his owne house 2 Sam. 12.10 His owne sonnes breake out into the same sinnes they rise vp against him and one against another A tent is spread for Absolom vpon the house top and he lyeth with his fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 16.22 Amnon deflowreth his sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13.14 to reuenge this Absolom causeth his brother Amnon to be slaine vers 28. Bloud requireth bloud Hereof are we assured Gen. 9 6. Who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bleud be shed So saith our Sauiour in the Gospell Matth. 26.51 All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword The like is that in the Reuelation Chap. 13.10 He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Bloud requireth bloud And though peraduenture a murtherer doe escape the hand of the Magistrate yet will the vengeance of God finde him out We see this in Ioab he shed innocent bloud the bloud of Abner and Amasa two Captaines of the Hosts of Israel Hee escaped a long time as if his murthers had beene forgotten but at length vengeance came home vnto him and suffered not his hoare head to goe downe to the graue in peace for his bloud was shed 1 King 2.34 Memorable is the example of Adoni-Bezek who being taken by Iudah and Simeon had his thumbes and great toes cut off Herein he confessed that the iustice of God had found him out and requited him in his kinde according to his own cruelty For saith he Threescore and ten Kings hauing their thumbes and their great toes cut off gathered their meat vnder my table as I haue done so God hath requited me Iudg. 1.7 Thus was cruelty repaid with crueltie in the same kinde A like example is that of Agag King of the Amalekites He hauing made many a woman childlesse is repaid in the like and is himselfe hewed in peeces by Samuel with this Item As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among women 1 Sam. 15.33 If Haman set vp a gallowes to hang vp Mordecai Haman may be the first that shall be hanged thereon Esther 7.10 It is the law of equalitie and equitie that men suffer the same things of others which they haue
not broach or publish any vâ—in imaginations of their own but those things onely which God g ueth them in charge They must heare what God saith and that alone must be their message Againe they must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 15.27 and Act. 1.8 they are witnesses for Christ They are to beare witnesse to the truth of Christs person to his threefold office his Priestly Princely and Propheticall office and to the benefits that doe flow from thence for the edification of the Church All this they are to heare from the mouth of God speaking in his holy Word and thereof to make their contestation in the house of Iacob to beare witnesse thereof to Gods people not by their preaching only but if need be by their dying too The other vse is for hearers For if the Preacher be first to heare what God speaketh and then to testifie the truth thereof to the house of Iacob the people of God then are the people of God all the house of Iacob to giue attentiue care to the Preachers message Hearers in hearing are to know that they are to deale with God and are to receiue the Word deliuered by the Minister not as the Ministers word but as the Word of God Such Hearers were those Thessalonians commended by S. Paul Epist 1. Chap. 2.13 For this cause saith he thanke we God without ceasing because when ye receiued the word of God which ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeue The example is well worthy our imitation Beloued if an earthly Prince speake or send a message to vs we giue all shew of reuerence and heare him with diligence This Word whereof we now entreat is not of flesh and bloud it proceedeth not from Kings or Emperours or Parliament or from Councels of men but from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ When this Word is read Princes and Emperours stand vp and lay downe their sword and vncouer their head and bow their body in token of reuerence because they know it to be the word of God which God himselfe hath vttered that it should be as the a Deut. 32.2 dew of Heauen to moisten our drie soules as a b Ioh. 4.14 Well of water springing vp to euerlasting life as a c 2 Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life and the very d Rom. 1.16 power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth Without this Word we are vndone we perish we receiue no comfort we see not the light we grow not in faith we abide not in the Church of God Wherefore suffer yee a word of exhortation It shall be in S. Peters words 1 Epist 2.2 As new borne babes desire yee the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby Be yee so affected to the word of God as new borne infants are to their mothers milk You know well how that is A little infant euen by the instinct of nature almost as soone as it is borne seeketh that nourishment it is not long well without it when nothing else will that will stil it So euen so be ye affected long ye after the word of God as your spiritual nourishment reioice in it place your happinesse in the vse of it let it be your chiefest comfort This indeed hath beene euermore the right disposition of Gods holy ones O how great was the felicity that Dauid felt in this word of God In one Psalme Psal 119. He preferreth it before profit before pleasure before glory Before profit V. 127. I loue thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold Before pleasure vers 103. How sweet are thy words vnto my taste yea sweeter than hony vnto my mouth Before glory vers 57. Thou art my portion O Lord I haue determined to keepe thy words and vers 111. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the reioycing of my heart Now because in a spoile all those things doe meet together Profit in the treasure Pleasure in the ouerthrow and Glory in the conquest or triumph he addeth vers 162. I reioyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoile Thus was holy Dauid determined and resolued to content himselfe with the word of God in stead of all profit pleasure and glory For his profit was his support in trouble and aduersitie his pleasure was the peace of a good conscience his glory was to be in the fauour of God All which is wrought by the precious and vnvaluable word of God This word of God was vnto Ieremy Chap. 15.16 the ioy and reioycing of his heart And Ezechiels roll the symbole of this word was in his mouth as hony for sweetnesse Chap. 3.3 And Iohns little book which he receiued from the Angell the badge of this word was in his mouth sweet as hony Reu. 10.10 When Philip was gone downe to the Citie of Samaria and had preached Christ vnto them the text saith there was great ioy in that city Act. 8.8 When the same Philip had taught the mystery of Christ to the Eunuch the Eunuch went on his way reioycing in the same Chapter vers 39. The Angell relating to the shepherds the Natiuity of Christ said vnto them Feare not for behold I bring vnto you good tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people Luk. 2.10 Good tidings of great ioy Happy shepherds to heare so good tidings from an Angell Princes would haue been glad to haue heard it but they heard it not Yet to Princes as well as to others this good tidings of great ioy belongeth Good tidings of great ioy Great ioy it is first in respect of the matter thereof which is very great euen our reconciliation with God Secondly it is great ioy for the diuturnity and stability thereof it abideth and continueth constant for euer Thirdly it is great ioy for the vniuersality of it it reacheth vnto all generibus singulorum to all kinds of people though not singulis generum to all particulars of all kinds but only to such as shall receiue it by a true faith Last of all it is great ioy quia spirituale because it is spirituall and belongeth to the saluation of the whole man body and soule And the good tidings of this great ioy is deriued vnto vs in these our dayes through the ministery of the word of God Wherefore dearly beloued let me againe put you in minde of your Christian duty concerning this word of God that as new borne infants ye desire the sincere milk thereof to grow therby Long ye after it it is your spirituall nourishment reioyce in it place your happinesse in the vse of it Let it be your chiefest comfort Whensoeuer you shall heare this word of God read or preached remember whose Word it is you heare and thinke yee thus euery man with himselfe Surely this is the
Hos 4.19 c. and say to the moulten images Ye are our gods Other places I might produce to warrant this confusion and shame of the Idolater but the time forbids me Yet an example hereof you haue in Baals Priests 1 King 18.29 who were confounded with shame when they were in the sight of the people abandoned of his helpe when they most needed and implored it Thus is my doctrine confirmed Will you now see how vsefull it is Here then see condemned all such as doe religiously worship for God that which is not God such are Infidels who worship deuils men and other creatures erecting to their honour grauen and carued images pictures and statues From this Idolatry we may not exempt the now-Church of Rome for that she yeeldeth religious worship to creatures Angels and men and to men not such onely as haue beene held for Saints in respect of their faith and holy life but also such as haue beene noted for their wicked conuersation as their Saint George Saint Francis Saint Dominick Ignatius Loiola and the like yea such as neuer had any being in the world as their Saint Hippolytus Saint Christopher Saint Catharine fictitious and counterfeited Saints to such they haue set vp pictures images and statues and those forsooth must be worshipped and that with religious worship And doe they not thinke you deserue it sith they are so wonderously decked and adorned Garlands and Coronets are set on their heads precious pearles hang about their necks their fingers shine with rings beset with precious stones their bodies are clothed with garments stiffe with gold And are not these worthy to be adored If you should see the images of their men Saints you would beleeue they were some Princes of Persia by their proud apparell and the idols of their women-saints you would take to be some nice and well trimmed harlots tempting their Paramours to wantonnesse The Churches and Chappels that are thus bedeckt and trimmed are they not as this Bethel with her golden calfe Yes And if there be no reformation a time will come when the lot of Bethel shall be theirs euen to those Idoll-houses desolation and confusion to the Idolaters Secondly shall idolatrous places and persons be punished they with desolation these with confusion Let the consideration hereof inflame our hearts to be more zealously thankfull to the Lord for that hauing freed vs from Heathenish and Antichristian darknesse from idolatry and the seruice of grauen images he hath giuen vs the cleare light of his gracious Gospell through the illumination whereof wee may bee brought to the right knowledge of the true worship of him the onely liuing God For so by his sole goodnesse are wee deliuered from all feare of the punishment allotted to Bethel and the worshippers of the Idoll there Thirdly from this consideration we are to be admonished that abhorring and renouncing idols and all manner of idolatrous superstition which will leaue vs without helpe and hope in our greatest extremities we doe cleaue fast vnto the true Iehouah performing vnto him such faithfull and sincere seruice as he requireth in his Word without the mixture of humane inuentions so shall we in the day of visitation bee preserued from all euill But say that the Lord for his glory and our triall will bring vs to the touchstone of aduersity and suffer vs to taste of some calamity and misery yet will he giue vs such a comfortable feeling of his fauour and will so arme vs with power and patience to beare our troubles that we shall not need to feare confusion There is no feare of confusion or shame where true religion is No there is none True religion cleansed from all dregs of Idolatry maketh not ashamed So saith the kingly Prophet Psal 34.5 They shall looke vnto him and run vnto him and their faces shall not not be ashamed They the truly religious the humble and faithfull shall looke vnto the Lord shall diligently and carefully attend for aid and succour from him they shall runne vnto him with haste in their troubles in assurance of finding ease and their faces shall not be ashamed They shall not hang downe their heads and countenances for shame as they were wont to doe but shall lift vp their heads shall looke on high and shall goe with confidence to the God of their saluation That promise of the Lord Ioel 2.26 My people shall neuer be ashamed repeated in the verse following My people shall neuer be ashamed is a promise to the religious for the religious only are his people My people saith he shall neuer be ashamed O what a maruellous benefit a man hath by religion which he cannot haue by any other thing in the world There is nothing in all our life whereof we haue not need to repent except it be our religion the feare of God Our words our workes our gettings our spendings our wandrings vp and downe our negligence in our vocations our sleeping our eating our drinking out of measure of all these we haue need to repent Our thoughts our toyes our trifles our wantonnes our lust our hatred our wrath our malice our many other enormities of all these we may well be ashamed but of true religion and the feare of the Lord we neither need to repent nor to be ashamed If thou forsakest the world and hatest Idols and beleeuest in the Lord and mournest for thy sins and studiest the Scriptures and hearest the Preachers and obeyest the Gospell and prayest and watchest and fastest and endurest many troubles and art ready to die if need be and all for loue of the Lord Iesus thou needest not to repent or to be ashamed hereof For happy art thou Thou hast fought a good fight Goe on with courage finish thy course keepe the faith Henceforth there is laid vp for thee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue thee in that greaâ— day of his visitation and not vnto thee onely but to them also that loue his appearing euen to vs all holy Father let that Crowne be giuen for thy sweet Sonne Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Seuenteenth Lecture AMOS 3.15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of Iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. WHen God punisheth the sinnes of a Nation he vseth such seuerity that hee spaâ—eth not the very places wherein the sinnes were acted Hereof this Scripture yeelds a demonstration It presents vnto vs a resolution of God to punish the sinnes of Israel The places where they sinned were either religious or prophane Religious were the places of their publike assembly for the worship of their Gods Prophane places were all other of ordinary and common vse as their edifices and houses of habitation of all sorts Both places religious and prophane had their parts in the punishment here resolued vpon The resolution for the punishment is in the beginning of the fourteenth
I produce whatsoeuer the Prophets of the Lord haue spoken to the vilifying debasing of Idols This which I haue already deliuered out of Esay and Ieremy and from out the second booke of Kings doth make good the former part of my propounded Doctrine namely that neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity Can they not saue themselues in the day of captiuity Much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them which was the second part of my Doctrine And it is pregnantly confirmed out of the 46. Chapter of the Prophecy of Esay vers 7. where the Prophet out of his zeale for the Lord of Hosts against Idols and Images assureth all people that though they cry vnto Idols and Images yet can they not answer them nor deliuer them out of their tribulations Ieremy likewise Chap. 11.12 le ts the Cities of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem to vnderstand that though they cry vnto their Idols and Images yet they shall not be able to helpe them in time of their trouble Adde hereto what S. Austine saith in his soliloquies or heauenly meditations Chap. 5. An Idoll or an Image its m 1 Cor. 8.4 nothing it hath n Psal 135.16 17. Psal 115.5 6 7. eares and heareth not a nose and smelleth not eyes and seeth not a mouth and speaketh not hands and feeleth not feet and walketh not and all the proportion of members and yet liueth not and what helpe can be expected from such an Idoll such a Nothing My Doctrine stands firme Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Now let vs see what vse we may make hereof for our further instruction and benefit First this doctrine serueth to reproue all Papists for their blind superstition in worshipping their Idolls and Images For what doe they make of their Images but meere Idols while they fall downe before them and doe them reuerence with capping with kneeling with knocking with creeping with crossing with kissing with lighting of candles and with other like beggarly trash and trumpery as is yet this day in vse in the Church of Rome with great obseruation The time was when this Church of England subiected it selfe to that of Rome and was drunken with the wine of her fornication Then were the people of this land defiled with Idols No Parish Church but was polluted with Images Then was Gods prouidence and due honour neglected For the cure of diseases not God but Saints were inuocated and sought vnto For the plague o Rainold Idol 1. 6. 7. S. Sebastian for the Pox p Homilies Tom. 2. Serm. 3. against perill of Idolatry F. 8. b. S. Roch for the falling euill S. Cornelius for sore eyes S. Raphael for the toothach S. Apolonia for other crosses and afflictions S. Hippolitus S. Christopher S. Catherine Euery artificer and profession had a speciall Saint as a peculiar God Schollers had S. Nicholas yea and S. Gregory Painters S. Luke Shipmen S. Mary Souldiers wanted not their Mars nor Louers their Venus euen among vs Christians Yea our beasts and cattell had their Gods too S. Loy was the horseleech and S. Anthony the swineheard If sometimes we remembred God yet as if we doubted of his ability and will to helpe we vsed to ioyne to him another helper The young Scholler was wont to begin his learning with God and S. Nicholas be my speed For such as neezed the prayer was God helpe and S. Iohn And for the stumbling horse God and S. Loy saue thee May not now a godly man iustly for zealous indignation cry out O heauen O earth O seas what madnesse and wickednesse against God were our fore-fathers fallen into They tooke delight in the seruice of stocks and stones the workes of their owne hands they worshipped and serued the creature aboue the Creator which is blessed for euer But what profit had they of such their worship Found they any helpe in the day of visitation No Those Images themselues could not helpe themselues and how then could they helpe their worshippers Themselues were broken downe and remoued from out our Churches and their worshippers are remoued with them In their stead the light of the glorious Gospell of God now shineth in our Churches now is superstition exiled and the true seruice of God is come in place and Christ for his mercies sake touch vs and giue vs feeling and make vs thankfull for this so great a blessing Thus haue you the first vse A second followeth It serueth for a reproofe to vs also For though we haue cast off the yoke of Romish superstition and haue kept our selues vnspotted of the adoration and worship of Images yet are wee not free from Idolatry but are many waies stained therewith Whatsoeuer this world hath visible or inuisible outward or inward if it displace God of his right by carrying our heart and hope after it it is our Idoll Thus is gold siluer or our money an Idoll if we make it our hope or say to the wedge thou art my confidence Iob 31.24 In this sense S. Paul Coloss 3.5 calleth couetousnesse Idolatry and Eph. 5.5 he calleth the couetous person an Idolater Thus is our substance an Idoll if as Iob speaketh Chap. 31.25 We reioyce because it is great or because our hand hath gotten much Like those Habak 1.16 Who did sacrifice to their nets and burne Incense to their flues where all they are taxed for Idolaters who because their portion is increased and their meale plenteous by such instruments and helps as they vse in their trades of life doe forget the right author of their wealth and arrogate all to themselues and their seruiceable meanes Thus is our wit and vnderstanding an Idoll when we ascribe vnto them our getting of riches of gold and siluer into our treasures like the Prince of Tyrus Ezech. 28.2 who with this conceit exalted in heart brake out into that most blasphemous challenge I am a God and I sit in the seat of God in the middest of the Sea Such is the Idoll of the Polititians shall I call them or Atheists of this age who take themselues to be wiser than Daniel as the Prince of Tyrus did and are perswaded that Moses and the Prophets are not so able to instruct them as they themselues Thus is our strength an Idoll if we boast of it as Sennacherib did Esay 37.24 who bragged what great matters hee had done by the multitude of his chariots but touching the true Lord of Hosts as if he were lesse than nothing he vaunteth to Hezekiah King of Iudah vers 10. Let not thy God deceiue thee Thus is our belly our God when walking after the lusts of our flesh we serue not the Lord Iesus