Gods Seers they appeared for a space like greene Bay-trees All such greenesse and greatnesse is but in thinges earthly as health wealth houour and preferment But because they are not rooted in the heavens the earth is not able to furnish substance for the vpholding of such things and thereforâ— like grasse vpon the house tops they wither before they grow vp I have seene said Eliphaz the foolish taking roote but tooke hee root for to continue No not Suddainlie said hee I cursed his habitation incontinent his children for whose standing and preferment hee solde himselfe to wickednesse were crushed in the gate neither was there any to deliver them As for their harvest and expected crop others did devoure it not leaving them the miserable stalkes which grew among the thornes * Thus God doth with the wicked as he did with the Amorite Thogh in appearance hee high like a Cedar and strong like an Oke yet hee destroyeth his fruit from aboue and his rootes from beneath The folie of sin is like a foolish tale which as men commonly say hath neither toppe nor root The Iesson is this all sinners are but fooles a wicked man were he never so wise in the world â—is but a foole before God the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God wisedome in evill is nothing but guile and craftinesse guile guilded with wisedome like a tombe covered with the foile of gold having nothing within but a contagious corruption The vse let all men that would be wise indeede studie to an innocent life This is our wisedome that denying vngodlinesse and worldlie lusts wâ—e liue soberly righteously and godly in this prâ—sent world soberlie for our selves righteouslie for our neighbours and godly for our good God What is beyond that is no thing but foolishnesse hee that exceeds the square of that rule in Scripture language is a foole Obiection Heere some may obiect and say how is this that Scripture speaketh thus doth not Scripture forbid vs to speake so Christ speaketh plainly whosoeuer is angrie with his brother without a cause shall bee in danger of iudgment And whosoeuer shall say to his brother Racha shall bee in danger of the Counsell but whoseouer shall say thou foole shall bee in danger of hell fire Behold their three iniuries which the Iewes thought to bee veniall sinnes of the Papists the least is a motion of anger keept close within the breast which I may call a warded wrath for such a fault Christ sayeth that a man is in danger of iudgment that is as though wee should saye in danger to bee brought before the Commissionar an inferiour Judge for the least sinne is the least punishment The second iniurie is Racha that is wrath broken out of warde into wordes the word is a worde of iniurie which signifieth vacuus a man as wee say that hath not harnes or braine a toome headed man Beza out of Chrysostome maketh it as the French word Tutoyer which we call to Thou a man This greater iniurie came before the Sanhedrin which were the Counsell of seventie and two The third and last iniurie is greatest viz. when a man not onelie Thou's his brother but saith Thou foole Some distinguish these three iniuries after this manner The first say they is ira restricti animi that is a warded wrath within the heart The second is ira effervescens an anger breaking foorth The third they call ira erumpens in apertum convitium that is scoffing or rayling for this word saith Christ a man shall bee in danger of hell fire how is it then that in the first part of my Text sinners are called fooles The answere I answere that to call a man foole is not simply forbidden for Christ called two of his Disciples fooles S. Paul called the Galatians foolish That threatning then is against them that out of wrath and malice bring this worde of rayling against their brother It is in this sense said that the Archangell while hee disputed against Satan about the body of Moses durst not bring against him arayling accusation that is hee durst not in anger call him a foole knave or lowne as one by way of rayling will call his brother Their is no rayling in my Text my Text is rather a teaching wherby fooles may learne to bee wise The doctrine I gather heere is this If hee that calleth his brother a foole deserves Hell what shall hee deserve that is a foole indeeede A man may call his brother a foole and yet not bee a foole the one is but a simple act the other is an habite purchased by custome the greater the sinne bee the greater must bee the punishment If God scourged his people for eating swines flesh the abomination and the Mouse what shall hee doe to these that eate vp the poore and the widowes house great sinnes and great iudgments The vse Let vs beware to be that indeed whereof the simple naming of another to bee putteth the Soule in danger of hell fire The Apostle his precept is that fornication and all vncleannesse or covetousnesse bee not once named among vs as becommeth Saints seeing to name such thinges with a filthie tongue is forbidden howe much more should wee bee carefull for to avoide to bee that which is not to bee named 2. What is the cause of the affliction of fooles VVE haue alreadie heard who is afflicted viz. fooles Now followeth into the order of my Text the cause of their afflictions the cause is sinne and iniquitie Fooles because of their transgressions because of their iniquities are afflicted It is an ordinarie question made by the most part while they see any in affliction what coulde bee the cause of such a iudgment wherefore hath GOD thus wise done God told this to Ierusalem when hee threatned to destroy Many nations said hee shall passe by this citie and they shall say every one to his neighbour wherefore hath the Lord done this vnto this great Citie See howe of nations of passers by there is not one but hee saith wherefore Every man saith vnto his neighbour where fore Now what is the answere that God makes to their wherefore It is into the verse following Then they shall answere because they haue forsaken the covenant of the Lord God that is as my text saith because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities The lesson is this Our sinnes are the cause of all our plagues so long as rebellious Ionah was in the Shippe the tempest increased It is saide that the Sea wrought and was tempestuous what could be the cause of such tempestuous working The rebellion of Ionah flying from the presence of the Lord Take mee vp said hee and cast mee into the Sea for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you VVhen Ioshua saw Israel
a place by me and thou shalt stand on a rock and it shall come to passe while my glory passeth by that I will put thee into the clift of a Rocke and will cover thee with my hand I will make all my goodnesse passe before thee and I will cover thee with my hand whiles I passe by After I will tak away mine hand and thou shalt see my backe parts but not my face Now as the Lord said so hee did he passed by and while he passed he made a Proclamation The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquitie transgression and sinne Behold how in the Lords comming to Moses mercy came before and after iudgement in the words following that will by no meanes cleare the guilty visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers vpon the Children The Lords sluggorne in his comming to Moses was mercifull and righteous first was Mercy and then Iustice this was the order of Davids Song I will said hee sing of Mercy and of Iudgment First of mercy then of Iudgement like Gods passing by Moses But here in my Text Gods order is inverted for there is first a song of Judgement and after of mercy what should be the cause of this This is as the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multiformis â—lla sapientia Dei that is the manifold wisdome of God or the wisdome of God that is of many forms as there be diverse faces and formes of men so there be diverse hearts diverse dispositions some be thrown faced and some be thrown hearted with with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure froward with the froward To one that is of a meeke disposition and of a gentle nature like Moses let the Pastour preach first of mercy as God came to Moses making all his goodnesse to goe before him But having to doe with fooles such as are into my Text it shall bee wisedome first to sing to them of Iudgement and thereafter of mercy Gods comming to Elias declared with what method he had to preach to that rebellious people with whom hee had to doe while hee was into the caue of Horeb the mount of God the Lord bade him come out and stand vpon the mount before the Lord and behold while God was comming to him there came from before him three mighty Messengers for to make awaye to the King of Glory The first Messenger was called the WIND A mighty strong winde rent the mountains and brake the rockes before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winde After the winde came another Poste called an EARTHQUAKE but the Lord was not in the earthquake After the Earthquak came yet one more furious called FIRE but the Lord was not in the fire After the fire came a still and foft voyce wherein was the Lord By this God teached Elias how he shuld teach that stiffnecked people how he should bring the Lord to them viz. that first he should preach Judgments whereby as by a wind the proud heartes like hie Mountaines might bee shaken and the harde hearts like rockes might be rent If that did not the turne let him yet threaten Iudgments like earthquaks which might mak all hearts to quak If that did not the turne that hee should preach Hell fire death and damnation against the Sonnes of men Now if men did tremble at the fire Gods will was that hee should preach with a soft and still voyce the mercyes of God the promises of the Gospell This order and Methode is plainely sette downe by Saint Iude Of some have compassion making a difference that is to some first preach mercy But others save with feare pulling them out of the fire there is a preaching of Iudgment To some preachers should bee as Barnabas sonnes of consolation to others they should bee as Iames and Iohn Boanerges duo fulmi na belli two sonnes of thunder Ill men like nettles must bee first gripped left they burne thee Gods naturall dealing with men is first to offer mercy vnto them if they will repent This was a Law of warre prescribed by God himselfe vnto his people when thou comest night vnto a City saith God to fight against it then proclaime peace vnto it But if it will not make peace with thee but will make warre against thee then thou shall be beseidge it As it was ordained by God in that warre so shuld it be practised in the Christian warrefare while Pastours come from God to a people they must first proclame peace vnto them But if they will not make peace then they must beseige them with the Cannons of Gods Judgements If Barnabas cannot winne the Citadell of mens hearts by consolations let James and Iohn Boanerges Sonnes of thunder besiege their hearts with the thunders of Gods Iudgements they must shoot downe the strong holdes of sin that every thought and imagination may bee taken and brought captive to the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that preaching of Judgement is vnpleasant preaching to flesh and blood But heere is the command Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin vpon him Most men will heare onely the piping of mercy Songes of Loves but ditte their eares from the dinne of Judgements They like well of Barnabas with his consolations but cannot abide the thunders of Boanerges None so fain as fools would haue their head clapped fooles fedde on folly would bee fed in their follie Infelix Felix more vnhappy in deede than hee was happy in name could not heare Faul preach Pauls Text was of righteousnes of temperance and of Iudgement As he reasoned vpon the point of Iudgement Felix interrupted him crying vnto him in a feare God thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee There bee many vnhappy like Felix sold vnder sinne like Ahab who could not heare Mecaiah Gods Prophet I hate him said Ahab for hee doeth not prophesie good concerning me but evill But who can speak good to him that doth euill and bee a Trumpeter of Trueth The word of God bee it of Iudgement or of Mercy should not bee concealed from them to whom it is ordained while a man is become a fool in his sinnes a Sermon of Iudgment is for him the faithfull Pastour must denounce against him what ever is in his Roll not keeping vp a word were it to call him a foole in his face This was Iobs great comfort in his distresse that he had not concealed the words of the holy one the office of teachers the Lords servants is to blowe the Trumpet and warne the people with alarmes They are compared to the hewers of wood I have hewed them by my Prophets saith the Lord
As a man that is for to cut a hard oke will first sharpen his axe so he that is ordained for to hewe downe the old oken hard iniquities of a people must sharpen his reproofes and therewith strike at them till the spailes flee off yea till at last the highest Cedars of of sinnes were they Caesars sinnes may fall down vpon their sides Jf a King be afoole against God feare not to call him a foole that he may become wise Gard vp thy loynes said the Lord to his Prophet arise and speake all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces left I confound thee before them woe to dumme dogges yee that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence Sometimes Pastoures are so branded with the reproaches of fooles because they hurt their galled backes that they will resolve to preach no more of Iudgement but to remaine silent This is their weaknesse but when the spirit of their calling begins to stirre within them it shall not lye in their hearts to hold their peace This was Ieremiahs resolution once because hee saw the word of the Lord made a reproach to him and dayly derision hee said I will not make mention of God nor speake any more in his Name But did hee so O no not The spirit of his calling kindled such a fire within him that hee could no more forebeare His word said hee was in mine heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones and I was weary wâ—th forbearing and I could not stay A Man of God will call a foole a foole jt is his calling to sing as well of Iudgement as of mercy If by want of discretion he spill the tune of GODS musicke preaching Iudgement when hee should preach mercy or preaching mercy where hee should preach Iudgement he himself shall be found the greatest foole in the daye of comptes This consideration made Paul to pray for wisedome to his disciple who was become a teacher The Lord said he giue thee wisdome in all things By this wisdome while we preach to hauty or humbled sinners we are teached to practise that precept of S. Iude which is to make a difference The Lord give vs the spirit of discretion This much concerning the methode of the Wordes which wee have read in your audience wherein first mention is made of Iudgements and after of mercy Now let vs come to our sicke Text or Text of Sicknesse In the sicke man his sore which is the first part of this Treatise vpon the fiue Verses heere set downe wee haue these three things particularly to consider First who are those who are said heere to bee afflicted Secondly what is the cause of all their afflictions Thirdly what is the particular affliction set downe in this Text. 1. Who is said to be afflicted heere IN this part of Scripture wee haue a visitation of the sicke looke to your bookes and the first word of my Text shall tell you who is sick vvho fooles fooles saith the Psalmist because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted I read in Scripture of foure sorts of fooles of these two bee wise and two be fooles indeede First these are called fooles in Scripture that acknowledge their ownefoolishnesse If any man among you saith the Apostle seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole thâ—â— bee may be wise This was wise Agurs confession which hee made to Ithiel and Vâ—â—l surely said hee I am more brutish then any man and haue not the vnderstanding of a man I neither learned wisedome nor haue the knowledge of the holy Secondly these are called fools in Scripture who are so in the wickeds estimation According to this the Apostle saith wee are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise wee are fooles that is we are so esteemed to bee by the worldly wise After that a Prophet of God had anointed Iehu to bee King one said to Iehu wherfore came this madde fellow to thee Godlinesse to wicked men is not only foolishnesse but madnesse The great knowledge of letters hath made thee madde said Festus to Paul what wonder seeing the wisedome of God himlsefe is esteemed folly In Scripture yee reade of the folly of God yee reade in Scripture of the folly of preaching in a worde all spirituall wisedome is folly But to whome S. Paul saith that it is to them that perish Thirdly these are said to be fools who are Gods Elect and chosen ones but as we all doe faile in many things when they either turne in any point froÌ„ the trueth which once they did embrace or when they are slow of heart to believe or when they run away from God by any sin then are they said to be fools their failing is their folly For the first S. Paul called the Galathians foolish Galathians for the second Christ called his two disciples going to Emans fooles and slow of heart to beleeâ—e for the third it is said that the forlorne sonne was madde or by himselfe because when hee repented it is said that he came to himselfe againe Fourthly the wicked to whome the wisedome of God is folly are called fooles According to this the rich man in the Gospell that made greater provision for his bellie in his Barns than for his Soule in the Heavens is called a foole O foule this night thy Soule shall bee taken from thee This was his folly hee never thought of Heaven till hee was in hell It is of these two viz. of the Godly sinning by weaknesse of the wicked sinning by wickednesse that mention is made heere while they sinne they are both fooles and as they are both but fooles and as they are so heere are they called viz. fooles The Hebrewe word heere is Guilim a word that commeth from a root that is not in vse haveing no signification which is the lyfe of a worde a roote worthy of such branches the roote is not in vse neither are the branches wherefore serveth the roote of follie what are the fruites of follie They are like the apples of Sodome They maye have some shewe outwardlie but have nothing but rottennesse for the in-meate Hee that tasteth them will doe best to spitt them out again As the wicked wil taste the good gift of God and after spit it out so that it doth them no good so should the godly hauing tasted the fruites of follie incontinent spitt them out and after spitt at them with despight so should they not bee able to doe them evill Though fooles bee called from a roote that hath no vse in God his word they seeme to themselves to bee most fast rooted in their prosperitie they both think and say that they shall neuer bee moved They will also seeme vnto others of all men to have the strongest rootes To David who was on of
drunkards but becaus they were lyars they fell both downe dead at the Apostles feere Iudas and Iulian were not guiltie of all these fore-said transgressions yet because they were traitours and Apostate they died shamefully Many of our weemen if they can say J am neither whoore nor theese think that all is well The second generall observation J make here is that in generall sinners are said to bee afflicted in this verse indeede thereafter the affliction is specified viz sicknesse But in this generall word afflicted I find as it were a meeting of Gods judgements with mens transgressious as all sorts of sinnes may be included into these words transgressions and iniquities so all sorts of iudgments may bee contained into that word afflicted If one affliction be not fearefull to the sinner another will bee terrible This is Gods aw-band aboue the heads of men The doctrine J gather heere is that as there bee diverse sortes of transgressions and of iniquities so there bee diverse sortes of iudgements that are all in readinesse at the first call to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the iniquities of men If God but cry vpon his plagues â—aying whome shall I send and who will goe for vs There is not one but it will come our before the Lord saying with that evill Spirit send me when God is angry against man for sinne the famine will say send me and I shall eate him vp Send mee faith the pestilence and I shall destroy him send mee saith the sword and I shall hewe him in peeces These bee Gods three great Captaines which are appoynted by him to runne through the world for to scourge men because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities Not only those three but all the creatures of God are in readinesse in coats of armes for to execute his will against transgressours There is no creature of God either aboue or belowe but when they see God angry for sinne they will desire to be sent for to revenge the Lords quarrell against sinners The fire saith send me and I shall burne Sodom send me saith the water and I shall drowne Pharoah his host Send mee saith the earth and J shall swallow vp Dathan and Abiram The winds crye send vs and wee shall chase and chastise Ionas for his rebellion The lyons cry send vs and wee shall roare devore the enemies of Daniel The Deares cry send vs and wee shall destroy the mockers of Elisha The dagges crye send vs and we shall eate the flesh of Iozahel the lyce crye send vs and wee shall bring downe the pryde of Herode Againe there bee legions of disenses waiting vpon his nod for to afflict sinners Send mee saith one and I shall strike him blind Send mee saith another and I shall make him dease Send mee saith another and I shall make him dumbe Send me saith another and I shall lame him Send mee saith another to his head Send mee to his heart will another say Send mee to his lights and to his lever will others say Thus migrims and phrenesies fevers and fluxes gouts gravels catarres quartaines and cataractes armies of diseases will at Gods command runne vpon miserable man till from the sole of his feete to the crowne of his head there be nothing without or within but boils botches and putrifieing sores See what diseases feesters fevers fluxes c. See what beasts and vnbeasts Beares dogges lyons lyce c. These with all the elements are ready to afflict man because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities Moreover not only will other creatures bee in readinesse for God for to afflict and execute his vengance against sinners But even sinners them selues will runne as Posts this earand for to be against them selves for the Lord. Send me said Iudas and I shall hang that traitour Judas that betrayed his maister Send mee said Zimri and I shall cast Zimri into a fire Send me saith Achitophel and I shall hang Achitophel for abuseing of his wisedome Send me saith King Saul and I shall put a sword through King Saul to teach all the Kings of the earth obedience to the King of Heaven See what armies God hath for to afflict all men in all sorts of afflictions because of his transgressions and because of his iniquities The vse of all this is that we stand in awe and feare to offend so great and so high a Majestie Jf any man be guiltie of many transgressions of many iniquities God as yee see he are hath many judgements ready at his nod for the afflicting of such fooles A whip for the horse a bridle for the asse and many strips for the fooles back The Lord giue vs wisedome in all things to God be glory for ever THE SICKE MANS SORE THE SECOND SERMON PSAL. 107. verse 18. Their Soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death Verse 19. Then they cry vnto the Lord in their troubles and hee delivereth them out of their distresses IN my former sermon Beloved in the Lord the cause of the sicke mans sore hath beene declared in these words that because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities they are afflicted I wish from my heart that all sinners could thinke well vpon this that sinne is the very seede of affliction for the godly and of fearefull iudgement for the wicked Every man while he sinneth thinketh to escape even as God could bee false As God is a righteous Lord hee will not suffer sinners to escape vnpunished As the shaddow followeth the body so there is a thing that followeth sinne which Job calleth a rod which the wicked man never thinketh of before he hath done when the lowne hath faulted then is hee beaten When Belshazzar is drinking then God is writing his dittay vpon the wall After the wicked hath sinnsed the hand of Gods justice shall catch him by the hairie scalpe which shall make all his joynts to tremble The particular affliction wherewith the sinners of this Text are said to bee afflicted NOW according to my division made in the former sermon It followeth that wee knowe with what particular affliction fools in this text are said to bee scourged for their sinnes The rodde is sickenesse sore sickenesse deadly diseases This is plainely set downe into these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate and they drawe neere the gates of death The sickenesse as yee see is not some light trouble a tooth ache or an head-worke as wee say but a deadly disease declared in these words Their soule abhorreth all maner of meate c. Beholde heere J say the description of a deadly disease First it begins with want of appetite after that the sicke man draweth neere the gates of death The first doctrine J obserue heere is towards man in that hee maketh