Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands and struck it with the other we stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by Dauid Rungius in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathan Gretser we doubt not but that the Lord hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloued in the Lord Schollers can tell you of Brontes Steropes Pyracmon Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head and banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Verè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudency as euer was seen in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single combat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557. haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2. a. a new insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a Iudges voiâ—e but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consâ—quent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impiouâ— assertions touching holy Scripture they doe directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying Ex vngue Leonem A man may know a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnesse impudency and fury of railing with which those Iesuits beforenamed haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You already see the readinesse of Popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to doe it all the disgrace they can Yet giue mee leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choise of is Gods soueraignety ouer the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and Kingdomes are wholly and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paul to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordained of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob 34.24 God shall breake the mighty and set vp other in their stead expressed in the prayer of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings and setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prou. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me Princes Nobles and Iudges doe rule This truth hath 3. branches displayed in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique aduertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God All three are further made good in the infallible euidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo reges dâ—ri Lipsius Mouit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5 p 24. Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God Thus saith the Lord of Sauls successour 1 Sam. 16.1 I haue prouided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the reuolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1 King 12.24 This thing is done by me and of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get ouer the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites Trem. Ps 75.7 of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue giuen all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my seruant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Aduancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone aduanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are giuen by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the remouall of Kings and translation of kingdomes it s well known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by diuine examples whereof I might make along recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings deliuered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. and 15. of Pharaohs ouerthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. and 5 of Nabuchadnezzâ—r and Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the diuinely inspired word of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was * Regna à Deo Reges tempâ—rari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled gouerned by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recommended to you in the beginning of this Sermon euen of the wonderfull extent of Gods care and prouidence to the least bâ—sest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruise of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and gouerne Kings and kingdomes Now beloued in the Lord you see by the euidence of holy Scripture that Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty Giue care I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heauen notwithstanding the eternall truth in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. Å¿ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 7. §. Probatur Tenentur Christiani non patisuperse Regem non Christianum si ille conetur auertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about auertere populum à fide to auert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of
the wicked and so partake with them in the suddennesse of their downfalls A second vse is to minister a word of comfort Doe the wicked prosper and increase in riches Is pride a chaine vnto them Is crueltie their garment Doe their eyes stand out for fatnesse Haue they more than heart can wish Art thou meane while in trouble Art thou in want Do they oppresse thee Doe they wrong thee Yet be of good comfort Say not I haue cleansed my heart in vaine in vaine haue I washed my hands in innoc ncie but commit thy way vnto the Lord trust in him wait patiently vpon him yet a little while and the wicked shall not appeare thou shalt looke after his place and shalt not finde him For sudden destru tion shall befall him he shall be carried away as with a whirlewind in a tempestuous and stormie day Thus much of the fourteenth verse THE XXI Lecture AMOS 1.15 And their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together saith the Lord. IN my last Lecture I began the Exposition of the fourth part the commination or denunciation of iudgement and then I noted that this iudgement was set downe first in a generality Therefore will I kindle a fire c. vers 14. and secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy and of large extent Full of terrour With shouting in the day of battell Speedy With a tempest in the day of the whirlewind Of large extent For it was to reach vnto not only the meaner sort of people but to the Nobles also yea vnto the King himselfe vers 15. Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together Of this iudgement as it is deliuered in a generalitie as also of the terrour and speedinesse of it I discoursed in my last exercise The extent was left vntouched whereof at this time Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together King and Princes both must into captiuitie What shall become of the Priests They shall be carried away too The Septuagint in their translation doe expresly affirme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings of Ammon shall goe into captiuitie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Priests and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Princes Their King shall goe into captiuitie their Priests and Princes likewise And this the Prophet Ieremie precisely auoucheth Chapter 49 3. where thundring out the threats of Gods iudgements against the children of Ammon he saith Their King shall goe into captiuity and his Priests and his Princes likewise The vulgar Latine and S. Hierome for their King doe reade Melchom Melchom shall goe into captiuity And what is Melchom It is the same with Milchom with Molech with Moloch Diuers words of one signification though differing in sound and termination Be it Melchom or Milchom or Molech or Moloch al is one It is but an Idoll So it is called by the Author of the vulgar Latine Leuit. 18.21 De semine tuo non dabis vt consecretur Idolo Moloch Thou shalt not giue thy children to consecrate them to offer them to the Idoll Moloch It is the abomination of the Ammonites So it is called 1 King 11.5 where it is said of old Salomon peruerted by his wiues that he followed Milchom the abomination of the Ammonites and vers 7. that he built an high place vnto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon It is the God of the children of Ammon So it is called vers 33. where it is giuen for a reason why the Lord would rent from Salomon the kingdom of Israel because he forsooke the Lord and worshipped Milchom the god of the Ammonites You see what Melchom is It is the god of the Ammonites not the true God for he is the God of all the world but the God of the Ammonites an abomination an Idoll Yet did they worship it But how Moses tells you Deut. 12.31 They burnt their sonnes and daughters with fire and offered them to their gods This abomination of the Painyme Nations hatefull to the liuing God spread it selfe euen to the corrupting of the Lords people For to the children of Israel and to the children of Iudah it is obiected Ier. 32.35 That they built the high places of Baal which are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sonnes and their daughters to passe thorow the fire of Molech And the expostulation of God with the house of Israel Ezech. 20.30 layes this home vnto them Are yee not polluted after the manner of your fathers Commit yee not whoredome after their abominations For when you offer your gifts and make your sonnes to passe thorow the fire you pollute your selues with your Idols It is registred among the praises of good King Iosiah 2 King 23.10 that he defiled or put downe and destroyed Topheth which was in the valley of the children of Hinnom that no man should make his sonne or his daughter passe thorow the fire of Molech By this which hath beene spoken you see what Melchom is and how it was worshipped An Idoll-god worshipped with the effusion of the bloud of innocents mens sons and daughters were consecrated vnto it thorow fire So haue you two readings of my text one Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together the other Melchom shall goe into captiuitie c. Let vs now see what profitable doctrines may be taken from either for our further instruction and the reformation of our liues The first reading is according to the Hebrew Their King shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together according to the Septuagint Their King shall goe into captiuity their Priests and Princes likewise The doctrine arising hence is When God punisheth a nation with captiuitie for their sinnes he spareth neither Priests nor Prince nor King Tha◠captiuitie is an effect or punishment of sin I haue heretofore made plaine vnto you in my 11. Lecture vpon this first Chapter of Amos. Salomon saith it 1 King 8.46 When a people sinneth against the Lord and the Lord is angry with them the Lord deliuereth them vp to be caried away prisoners into the land of their enemies It is affirmed 1 Chron. 9.1 That the Israelites were caried away to Babylon for their transgressions And Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to such as will not obey the voice of the Lord their God Captiuity is reckoned Thou shalt beget sonnes and daughters but shalt not haue them for they shall goe into captiuity Looke backe but to the fifth verse of this Chapter there shall you finde it denounced against the people of Aram that they shall goe into captiuity And why But for their three and foure transgressions for their many sinnes and specially for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of iron As you haue heard out of the third verse Thus you see againe that captiuity is an effect or punishment of sinne This punishment resteth not vpon the meaner sort of the
light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands And they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away So they oppresse a man and his house euen a man and his heritage where you haue an imprecation against oppressors a woe thundred out against them It is enough to proue oppression to be vnlawfull The third place is 1. Thess 4.6 This is the will of God that no man oppresse or ouer-reach his brother in any matter Is it Gods will Then surely it is not lawfull for you to oppresse or ouer-reach one another in any businesse Men of trade may not gaine by their false weights false measures false speeches or false oathes neither may men in any other course of life gaine by violence or by colour of Law or by any other cunning dealing Thus is my doctrine confirmed It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another First it may serue for a reproofe of the Oppressors of this age who make gold their hope and the wedge of gold their confidence as Iob speaketh chap. 31.24 S. Paul he taught 1. Tim. 6.6 that Godlinesse is great gaine but these men suppose the contrary that gaine is great godlinesse and therefore they feare not to gaine with the hurt of others They build their houses as the moth So saith Iob chap. 27.18 As the moth How is that The moth is made full by spoyling the barkes and bookes wherein it liueth So is it with these men they make themselues full by spoyling others with whom they liue and haue to deale I expresse it in Ieremies phrase chap. 22.13 They build their houses by vnrighteousnes and their chambers by wrong and in Habakkuks phrase chap. 2.12 They build them townes with blood and stablish their Cities by iniquitie Against these is that complaint of the Lord Esai 3.14 15. Ye haue eaten vp the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses What meane yee that yee beat my people to peeces and grinde the faces of the poore Woe to these men a woe from Micah a woe from Ieremie a woe from Habakkuk in the now-alleaged places a woe from Esay too Chap. 5.8 Woe vpon woe and yet will they not cease from ioyning house to house and laying land to land as if the way to the spirituall Canaan were all by Land and not through a red Sea of death as one wittily speaketh From this contempt of the Prophets of the Lord or rather of the Lord himselfe speaking by his Prophets it is now come to passe that many a poore tenant is thrust out of his house that Villages are depopulated that those streets which were wont to be sowen with the seeds of men are now become pastures for the sending forth of oxen and for the treading of sheepe as Esay speaketh chap. 7.25 Now may Hythlodaeus his complaint haue place m Mori Vtopia lib. 1. Our sheepe in England were sometimes the meekest beasts of the field and contented themselues with a litle but now are they become so fierce and greedy that they devoure men and Towne-fields and houses and villages and lay all waste Alas silly sheepe it is no fault of yours you are as meeke as euer you were Whose then is the fault It is yours yee grinding oppressors yours whose hearts are like the vast Ocean fit to swallow vp euery base commoditie that the earth is able to afford you O that these men would at length call themselues to a strict account of the oppressions wherewith they haue oppressed the poore either by depopulating or by raising rents or by hoysing fines or by interest or otherwise and would once begin to make some restitution Did they but know in what estimation they stand in Church and Common-wealth they would remit somewhat of their Cruelty The Church heretofore denied them Christian buriall It s apparant in the Canon Law Extra de Vsuris Cap. Quia in omnibus How the Common-wealth brooketh them they may perceiue by two instances Catillus a British King 170. yeares before Christ did hang them vp He hung vp all oppressors of the poore My n Stow in his Summarie Chronicler writes in the margent A good example Long after him King Edward commonly called good King Edward banished them his Land So writeth Glanvil lib. 7. de Leg. consuet Angliae c. 37. The same author in the same booke cap. 16. affirmeth that by the most ancient lawes of England the goods of a defamed oâ—pressor dying without restitution were escheated vnto the King and all his lands vnto the Lord of the towne Wherefore let the oppressor now at last forsake his oppressions What can all the wealth all the mucke of the earth auaile him if for it he loose the kingdome of Heauen Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat The wealth he here heapeth vp may for a time yeeld him some delight but what is a moment of delight to the eternitie of sorrow that must follow Must follow Yea it must follow if amendment hinder it not If he amend not I say as God is God so certainely shall the oppressor be destroyed though not in the red Sea as the oppressing Aegyptians once were yet in a Sea a blacke Sea of Hellish deeps where he shall be pained vnspeakably tormented intolerably both euerlastingly Thus haue you the first vse of my doctrine My doctrine was It is not lawfull for any man to oppresse another The vse was a generall reproofe of our now-oppressors A second vse may be to admonish Iudges Iustices and other Magistrates and Rulers that they suffer not themselues to be stained with this sin of oppression It is the o Pilkinton exposit in Nehem. cap. 5. fol. 80. A. dutie of the Magistrate to deliuer the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor This dutie is laid vpon him Ierem. 21.12 There thus saith the Lord to the house of Dauid Execute iudgemâ—nt in the morning and deliuer him that is oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor It is likewise laid vpon him Esai 1.17 Seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow Where first Gods commandement is that Magistrates should execute iudgement in the morning In the morning Therefore they are not to vse delayes in doing iustice Secondly Gods commandement is that Magistrates should seeke iudgement Must they seeke iudgement Therefore in cases of oppression they are not to stay till they be called for Thirdly God commendeth vnto Magistrates all that are oppressed but specially the fatherlesse and widow the fatherlesse because they want the defence of their parents and the widow because she is destitute of the helpe of her husband and we know euery man goeth ouer where the hedge is lowest Therefore are Magistrates to take vpon them the defence of the fatherlesse the defence of the widow the defence of euery one that is oppressed Is it so Then are Magistrates to take speciall heed that themselues
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
giue eare vnto the voice of the Lord thy God Now this third reason I frame thus If the obedient shall be blessed and rewarded for hearing and the disobedient cursed and punished for not hearing the voice of the Lord our God then it behoueth vs with all diligence to giue eare vnto his holy Word From the reasons enforcing the duty of hearing the Word of God I come now to make some vse of the doctrine deliuered It may serue first for reproofe For the reproofe of such as refuse to â—â—are the Word of God Such as if they had no soule to saue yea as if they beleeued that there is neither God nor Deuill neither Heauen nor Hell doe stop their eares that they may not heare Very desperate is their disease The a Mat. 12.42 Queene of the South shall rise vp in iudgement and condemne them She thought it worthy her labour to make a long iourney to heare the wisdome of Salomon and yet behold more than Salomon is here Here not farre hence in this place and present with you is Christ our Lord. Salomon a man Christ is God Salomon a mortall King of the Kingdome of Christ there is no end Salomon a King by humane succession Christ by diuine eternity Salomon a sinner inwrapped in the allurements of lasciuiousnesse Christ b 1 Pet. 2.22 without sinne without guile Heb. 7.26 harmelesse and vndefiled Salomon gaue his Parables onely in Hierusalem Christ giues his voice thorowout the Christian world hee giues it vs in our streets in our Temples in this his house wherein now I stand Inexcusable therefore art thou O man O woman O childe of vnderstanding whosoeuer thou art that refusest to heare the word of Christ thy Lord and God For such your refusall you shall be sure to giue an account at the great day of Gods vengeance Against such refusall the voice of wisdome cryeth out Prou. 1.24 Because I haue called and yee refused I haue stretched out mine hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth Parallel to this is that Esa 65.12 There thus saith the Lord Because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did euill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not therefore will I number you to the sword and ye shall all bow downe to the slaughter Hereunto may that be added Ierem. 7.13 Because I spake vnto you rising vp early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not therefore will I doe vnto you thus and thus I will cast you out of my fight I will powre out mine anger and my fury vpon the place of your habitation vpon man and vpon beast and vpon the trees of the field and vpon the fruit of the ground I will cause to cease from your streets the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride Thus and thus shall it befall them that refuse to heare when the Lord speaketh the d Ier. 14.12 16. famine shall pinch them the e Ier. 15.3 sword shall slay them the f Ier. 21.9 Ezâ—h 6.11 7.15 pestilence shall waste them g Ieâ—m 15.3 dogges shall teare them wilde beasts shall destroy them and the Fowles of Heauen shall deuoure them You haue the first vse The second vse may be for reproofe too for the reproofe of such as come to heare but heare not as they should I haue read of a generation of such hearers Some saith my Author hearken after newes If the Preacher say any thing of beyond Sea matters or of court affaires at home that is his lure Some hearken whether any thing be said that may bee wrested to be spoken against persons in high place that they may accuse the Preacher Some smacke of eloquence and gape for a phrase that when they come abroad in company they may haue a fine word to grace their talke Some sit as Male-contents till the Preacher come to gird some whom they spight then pricke they vp their eares to listen and it shall goe hard if they remember not something of what is spoken Some come to gaze about the Church their eyes are euill eyes they are wanton eyes they are euermore looking vpon that from which holy Iob turned his eyes away Some sit musing all the Sermon time some of their Law-suits some of their bargaines some of their iourneyes some of some other imployments The Sermon is ended before these men thinke where they are Some that come to heare so soone as the Prayer is done or soone after fall fast asleepe as though they had beene brought into the Church for corpses and the Preacher should preach at their funeralls You see now a generation of hearers seuen sorts of them not one of them heareth as he should If they come to the Church and doe remaine there for the Sermon time they thinke their duty well and sufficiently discharged But much more than so is required at their hands Outward seruice without inward obedience is but Hypocrisie The naked hearing of the Word of God is but an halting with God If thou keepe from him thy heart he cares not for thy presence nor for thy tongue nor for thy eare Cares he not for our presence nor for our tongue nor for our eare vnlesse he haue our heart too Then may that Caueat which Christ giueth his Disciples Luk. 8.18 when he had expounded vnto them the parable of the Sower be a seasonable caueat for vs. The Caueat is Take heed how ye heare This same take heed euer goeth before some danger Some danger there is in hearing for you may easily heare amisse You may easily heare amisse and therefore take heed Take heed how you heare When you sow your seed in the field you will takâ— hâ—ed how you sow lest your seed should bee lost Your care herein is commendable Let not your care be lesse to further the growth of Gods seed Gods seed it is immortall seed euen his holy Word O take heed how you heare that none of this seed be lost No seed groweth so fast as this if it be receiued in good ground in an honest and good heart for so it groweth in a moment as high as Heauen Take heed therefore how ye heare Would ye now know how ye should heare The Prophet Ierem. shall teach you Chap. 13.15 Heare and giue care So shall Esâ—â— Chap. 28.23 Giue ye eare and heare hearken and heare Heâ—re giue eare and hearken Why is this multiplying of words but to teach you that you are to heare and mere thâ—n heare More than heare What is that to say It is to heare interiori auditu with the inward hearing as before I noted out of Albertus It is audire intelligere to heare and vnderstand as in the phrase of the Gospell already alleaged It is to heare for the
all they may and must be dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Jbid. §. Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposâ—erun Neronem Dâ—ocletianum Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia dâ—erant vires temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. §. At non At non tenentur Christiani immâ— nec dâ—bent cum euidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regem infideleÌ„ Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum euidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an euident danger to their religion 4 x Ibid. §. At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King This last position is formerly auowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with opposition and disgrace to the soueraigntie of the Lord of hosts y §. Quod ad primum D minium non descendit ex iure diuino sed ex iure genâ—ium K ngdomes and dominion are not by the law of God but by the law of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessary inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists would most willingly depriue our most gracious Soueraigne of his royall throne and regality if they were of force and power so to doe 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiesty in his excellent speech the 5. of Nouember z Ann. Dâ—m 1605. last The a C. 2. a. Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion doe maintaine that it is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrell of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impiety in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceiued in the wombe of that religion with a full resolution to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expresly requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authority But the Popish religion maintaineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloued remeÌ„ber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will bee perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessors to whom by deuolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D. King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his 〈◊〉 â—â—nly 〈…〉 â—led counsailes milke from his sacred 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 â—pledge of his fauour to his Church the light of our 〈◊〉 c Ierem. 15 1â— â—oy of our hearts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils 〈…〉 of our hope groâ—nd of out loue 〈…〉 future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence and best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now leâ— vs pâ—wre out our soules in thankâ—ulnâ—sse before the Lord for that he hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to be hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the neuer perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this vally of teares to the city of ioy Ierusalem wich is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life So be it THE Third Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion â—nd vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoeuer Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeuoured to shew forth the worth dignity and excellency of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine out of popish mouths and practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to be recommended at this time vnto you is the Lord speaking The Lord shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh how he speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh He is in the Hebrew text called Iehouah which is the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King B. of London vpon Jonas Lect. 11. pag. 152. honourablest name belonging to the great God of Heauen Much might be spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiosity of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a name b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zanch. de nat Dei lib. 1 c. 13. not to be pronounced or taken within polluted lips that it is a c Cael. Rhodiginus Lâ—ct antiq lib 2. cap. 9. Quem nos Deum nun cupamus Aegyptii Thâ—â—t Persae dicunt Syre Magorum disciplina Orsi vnde profluxit Oromasis Tam apud Hebraeorum gentem ellebre est quatuor vocalium Dei sacrâ—Ì„ nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod inde Tetragrammaton dicunt alia voce
owne country euen to Italy For it is a constant tradition in all Hebrew histories that a great part of the Italian nation specially those that dwelt at Rome had their beginning from the Idumaeans But I wil not prosecute this opinion They shut the whole captiuity in Edom They spared not either women or children or the aged they tooke no pity no compassion vpon either sex or age but all of all sorts male and female young and old a whole and perfect captiuity they deliuered vp into the hands of the Edomites The Edomites were the posterity of Esau who was named Edom as the Israelites were the posterity of Iacob who was named Israel Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posterity of Esau the posterity of Iacob The Edomites were euermore most maliciously bent against the Israelites Now behold the foulnesse of this sinne wherewith the Tyrians are here charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to detaine any one vnlawfully from returning into his natiue country but him that is so detained to sell away for a bondslaue to his mortallest enemie this a cruelty than which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of these Tyrians They sold the Iewes Iacobs posterity and God his seruants to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policie that being carried farre from their owne country they might liue in eternall slauery and bondage without hope euer to returne home againe They shut the whole captiuity in Edom The Tyrians are here disproued for deliuering vp Gods inheritance a beleeuing nation into the hands of profane Edomites And it may remember you of a lesson heretofore commended to your Christian considerations It is not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of infidels The reason is that they be not withdrawne from their holy faith religious worship and seruice of God 1 This doctrine serueth for our instruction It teacheth vs so to loue the soules of the righteous seed that we leaue them not resident among Infidels Atheists Papists or other profane wretches but rather that to our owne cost and labour we redeeme them out of the Deuils tyranny 2 It serueth for the reproofe of such as doe binde and put their children the fruit of their bodies which they ought to consecrate vnto the Lord into the education of open enemies to the Gospell of Christ most blasphemous and abominable Atheists or most blinde and superstitious Papists 3 Sith it is not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of Infidels for the reason aboue specified that they be not withdrawne from their holy faith religious worship and true seruice of God then neither is it lawfull for vs to keepe away or send away our seruants from the seruice of God Let no man say vnto me such a mans seruant and such a mans are employed in temporall affaires at the time of diuine seruice and why should not mine be likewise Dearely beloued a good Christians part is to bee of like resolution with Ioshuah chap. 24.15 Howsoeuer all the world besides shall be affected in this businesse yet to resolue for himselfe and his familie as Ioshuah did for his I and my house will serue the Lord. I doe but touch these points because I haue heretofore in this place more at large insisted vpon them Now followeth the second branch expressing the sin of the Tyrians their sinne of vnmercifulnesse and cruelty They haue not remembred the couenant of brethren For this time I note that men may bee called brethren six manner of waies 1. By nature as Iacob and Esau By kindred affinity or alliance as Abraham and Lot 3. By nation or country as all Iewes 4. By religion as all Christians 5. By friendship as Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre 6. By calamity or misery as many poore distressed people who haue not wherewith to support their weake natures The couenant of brethren here mentioned some doe referre to that league of amity which was concluded betweene King Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre recorded 1 King 5.12 Some doe properly vnderstand these words to signifie that naturall league which should haue beene betweene Iacob and Esau naturall brethren and their posterity in lineall descent the Iewes Israelites and Edomites Vnderstand it which way you will the Tyrians were both wayes blameable First they remembred not the couenant made betweene their King King Hiram and King Solomon Secondly they remembred not the couenant made by nature betweene the Iewes Israelites and Edomites brethren lineally descended from two naturall brethren Iacob and Esau From both expositions ariseth profitable doctrine First is Almighty God here displeased with the Tyrians because they did ill intreat the Iewes and Israelites not remembring the ancient couenant betweene Hiram their King and Solomon King of Israel Hence we may take this lesson Ancient leagues are not rashly to be violated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breakers of leagues truces and couenants are Rom. 1.31 ranked among such whom God in his secret iudgement hath giuen vp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate sense Foederum tutor vindex Deus est God is as it were a tutor or protector of leagues and seuerely reuengeth himselfe vpon the breakers of them The Gentiles of old by the light of nature did acknowledge as much and fearefull examples in all ages doe proue as much I will instance but in few Ioshuah made a league with the Gibeonites and sware that he would suffer them to liue Iosh 9.15 long after Saul and his bloudy house slew some of them Hereat was the wrath of the Lord kindled and for this cause he punished the people with three yeares famine and was not appeased with the land till seuen of Sauls sonnes were deliuered vp into the hands of the Gibeonites to be hanged vp in Gibeah 2 Sam. 21.1 Zedechiah King of Iudah made a couenant with Nabuchodonosor King of Babel and sware a 2 King 24.17 2 Chr. 36.13 Ierem. 52.2 subiection to him But Zedechiah notwithstanding his oath tooke part with the Kings of the Egyptians Idumaeans Moabites Ammonites and Tyrus against Nabuchodonosor what followeth this breach of his oath and couenant Euen vtter ruine to himselfe his kingdome the city of Ierusalem the glorious Temple there 2 Chr. 36.17 c. Vladislaus King of Poland and Hungary concluded a peace for ten yeares with Sultan Amurath the sixth King of the Turkes Vlidislaus tooke his oath vpon the holy Euangelists and Amurath his by his Embassadours vpon their Turkish Alcoran b Knolles Hist Tunc pag. 289. This was the most honourable peace that euer Christian Prince had before that time made with any of the Turkish Kings and most profitable also had it beene with like sincerity kept as it was with solemnity confirmed Vladislaus c Pag. 292. absolued from his oath by Cardinall Iulianus the Popes Legate and Agent in Hungary breaketh the
wels we will goe by the Kings high way we will not turne to the right hand nor to the left vntill we be past thy borders we will goe the high way If I and my cattell drinke of thy water I will then pay for it I will only without any harme goe thorow on my feet Moses the meekest man vpon the earth thus meekly besought the King of Edom for passage thorow his country Could hee obtaine it thinke you No. The inueterate hatred wherewith Esau was possessed residing in his posterity caused a deniall to so honest a petition The King of Edom with much poople and with a mighty power rose vp against Moses and the Israelites Long after this in the daies of Ahaz King of Iudah were the Edomites better minded towards Iacobs posterity The sacred story 2 Chron. 28.17 telleth vs that then also the Edomites were vp in armes against the Iewes some of them they slew and some they carried away captiues Hee therefore the e Psal 89.14 stablishment of whose throne are righteousnesse and equity Almighty God doth here iustly challenge Edom for pursuing his brother with the sword The lesson which hence I would commend to you is It is a thing very distastfull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues Our assent to this truth the light of nature within vs doth extort from vs. By natures light the very Heathen haue acknowledged one God and him the author of vnity friendship as Plato in his Lysis From the same parents one father and one mother as from one seed one root one beginning by natures ordinance doe spring g Plutarch de amore fraterno two three or more brethren not for discord or contrariety but that being many they might the better one helpe another That brother that warreth with his brother in Plutarch his iudgement doth voluntarily h Ibid. cut off a member of his owne flesh All i Xenophon lib. 2. de dictis fact Socr. enmity breedeth within our soules a thousand tormenting passions but especially that enmity which a man beareth towards his owne brother as that which is most prodigious and vnnaturall When Socrates saw Chaerephon and Chaerecrates two brethren iarring and warring each with other he said vnto them You doe now as if the hands which were created to helpe one the other should hinder and hurt one the other or as the feet which were framed to beare one anothers burthē should supplant one the other or as the eares which are coauditors of mutuall good should wax deafe to heare good one for the other or as the eyes which like Caleb and Ioshua are fellow spies in this Microcosme this little world and land of men for the good each of other should looke a squint at the good each of other You will grant it to be very vnnaturall either for the hands or for the feet or for the eares or for the eyes one to striue against the other Much more monstrous will the strife between brethren be because the aid which one of them may and should giue vnto the other doth farre exceed the cooperation of the hands the supportance of the feet the coaudience of the eares the prouidence of the eies Thus farre haue I led you in Natures schoole May it now please you to heare the same things out of the schoole of Grace There Salomon hath this lesson Two are better than one for if one of them fall the other will lift him vp But woe vnto him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a second to lift him vp The words are Eccles 4.9 10. The Hebrewes referre those words to married couples but Salomon speakes it generally and thus you may expound it Two are better than one two brethren are better than one for if one of them fall the other will helpe him vp If he fall into sicknesse into want into any kind of distresse eriget allcuabit cum frater his brother will be a succour to him But woe to him that is alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an old saying one man is no man woe to such a man woe to him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a brother to lift him vp Indeed one brother helping another is like a defenced City as k Septuagint Vulgat Hieron Gloss Lyran. Hugo Card. some reade it and their counsells are like the barre of a palace which is impregnable Prou. 18.19 and if one ouercome him two shall stand against him Eccles 4.12 So naturall is their vnity and strong their coadinuance which nature hath framed double for mutuall assistance The place cited out of the Prou. 18.19 l Mercer Lauater Bibl. Augl some read otherwise A brother offended is harder to win than a strong City and their contentions are like the barres of a palace And then the meaning is The angers of brethren one of them towards another are so sharpe and vehement that they can no more easily be subdued than strong defenced townes conquered nor more easily be broken than most strong bars Which exposition teacheth vs that there is no strife matchable to the strife among brethren According to the Prouerbe Fratrum contentiones acerbissimae most bitter are the contentions of brethren Examples Poeticall Historicall and Diuine doe speake as much The implacable hatred of Atreus against Thyestes Eteocles against Polynices Romulus against Remus Bassianus against Geta Cain against Abel and Esau against Iacob are they not as trumpets to sound out this truth To this purpose might I alleage the King of Argiers the Kingdome of Tunes and Ottomans family many a brothers hand embrued and washed in his brothers bloud but seeing it is growne into a Prouerbe Irae fratrum acerbissimae most bitter are the contentions of brethren it needeth no further proofe Against such monstrous and prodigious contentions the Holy Ghost would haue all Christians well armed and for this end giueth vs in holy writ many wholsome Lessons Let a few serue this time In the first Epistle of S. Iohn Cap. 2.11 we are taught that whosoeuer hateth his brother he is in darknesse he walketh in darknesse he knoweth not whither he goeth darknesse hath blinded his eyes and Chap. 3.15 that whosoeuer hateth his brother is a man-slayer and Chap. 4.20 that whoseeuer hateth his brother is a lyer if he saith he loueth God The reason is annexed For how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene And this commandement wee haue of Christ that he that loueth God should loue his brother also In the book of Prouerbs Chap. 16.19 we read of six things which the Lord hateth and of a seuenth which his soule abhorreth that seuenth is vers 19. The man that raiseth vp contentions among brethren Now if God doe abhor with his soule the man that raiseth vp contentions among brethren how doth he like of the contentions themselues
Let vs rather make our humble conâ—ession with King Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. that the Most High liueth for euer that his power is an euerlasting power and his Kingdome from generation to generation that all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing to him that according to his will he worketh in the armie of Heauen and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou None can stay his hand This is it which before I noted namely that It is neither care nor policie that can stay Gods reuengefull hand when hee bringeth fire in it as here it is threatned vnto Rabbah I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah Thus farre by occasion of my first Doctrine which was It is not the greatnes of a citie that can be a safeguard vnto it if Gods vnappeasable wrath breake out against it for its sins And it was grounded vpon these words I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah It is further added of this fire that it shall deuoure the palaces of Râ—bbah Which branch repeated in each of the precedent prophecies as vers 4 7 10 12. hath formerly yeelded vs this Doctrine God depriueth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses This truth is experimentally made good vnto vs by the great commoditie or contentment that commeth to euerie one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse whereof is to teach vs 1. To be humbled before Almightie God whensoeuer it shall please him by water by fire by wind by lightning by thunder by earthquakes or otherwise to ouerthrow our dwelling houses 2. Since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To render all hearty thankes vnto Almighty God for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling-houses Thus farre of the commination or denuntiation of iudgement as it is set downe in generall The speciall circumstances whereby it is further notified or illustrated doe concerne partly the punishment and partly the punished Concerning the punishment it is full of terrour and speedy First full of terrour in these words With shouting in the day of battell With shouting in classico saith Brentius cum clangore saith Drusius that is with the sound or noise of Trumpets The Septuagint doe reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latine in vlulatu Mercer cum vociferatione Gualter cum clamore Caluin cum clamore vel Iubilo that is with a cry with a great cry with a vociferation with a shout such as souldiers doe make when on a sudden they surprise a Citie In the day of battell in die belli The like phrase we haue Psal 78.9 where it is said of the children of Ephraim that being armed and shooting with the bow they turned backe in die belli in the day of battell Dauid confesseth Psal 140.7 O Lord God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my head in die belli in the day of battell Salomon saith Prou. 21.31 The horse is prepared in diem belli against the day of battell So here the Lord threatneth against Rabbah a shouting mâ—â—ie belli in the day of battell This day of battell is that day of warre and time of trouble mentioned by Iob chap. 38.23 We see now the purpose of our Prophet in vsing these words With shouting in the day of battell It is to proclaime warre against Rabbah the chiefe citie of the Ammonites and consâ—quently against their whole kingdome This proclamation is more plainly deliuered Ierem. 49.2 Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will cause a noise of warre to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape and her daughters shall be burnt with fire From this proclamation of warre made by our Prophet Amos as in the Lords owne words saying I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell wee may take this lesson God sendeth warre vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people For proofe of this truth let vs looke into the word of truth In the 26. of Leuit. vers 25. thus saith the Lord vnto Israel If yee walke stubbornly against me and will not obey me then I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant And Ierem. 5.15 vnto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord Loe I will bring a Nation vpon you from farre You heare the Lord speaking in his owne person I will send I will bring as here I will kindle Will you any other witnesse Then heare what Moses telleth the Israelites Deut. 28.49 The Lord shall bring a nation vpon you from farre from the end of the world flying as an Eagle a nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand a nation of a fierce countenance which will not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion on the young the same shall eat the fruit of thy cattell and the fruit of thy land vntill thou be destroyed and he shall leaue thee neither wheat nor wine nor oile nor the increase of thy kine nor the flockes of thy sheepe vntill he haue brought thee to nought By this speech of Moses we plainly see that warre and all the euills of warre are from the Lord that warre is r Cominaeus Hist lib. 1. cap. 3. one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgements and that it is sent by God vpon a Land for the sinnes of the people as my doctrine goeth Let vs now make some vse of it Is it true beloued Doth God send warre vpon a Land for the sinnes of a people How then can we looke that the happy peace which we now enioy should be continued among vs sith by our daily sinning wee prouoke Almightie God vnto displeasure Let the consideration hereof lead vs to repentance Repentance the gift of God the ioy of Angels the salue of sinnes the hauen of sinners let vs possesse it in our hearts The Angels of heauen need it not because they sinne not the Deuills in Hell care not for it for their iudgement is sealed It only appertaineth to the sonnes of men and therefore let vs the sons of men possesse it in our hearts that is let vs truly and vnfainedly forsake our old sinnes and turne vnto the Lord our God so shall this blessed peace and all other good things be continued among vs. But if we will persist in our euill wayes not regarding what the Lord shall speake vnto vs either in his holy Word or by his faithfull Ministers we may expect the portion of these Ammonites that God should kindle a fire in our Rabbahs our best fenced cities which shall deuoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the dâ—y of battell Thus much of the terrour of this iudgement Now followeth the speed in the next circumstance With a tempest in the day of the whirle-wind Suiting hereto
let flye his arrowes of pestilence and yet they flye abroad to the killing of many round about vs yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not returned vnto him What Can no medicine that God applyeth mollifie our hard hearts Can none of his corrections amend vs Will we needs try whether he will send a sword vpon vs He shaked his sword ouer vs many of vs may well remember it when the great Spanish Armada floated on our Seas but then as S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.13 Super exaltauit misericordia iudicio mercy exalted it selfe aboue iudgement and we were spared Were we spared What shall we render to the Lord for so great mercy We will with Dauid Ps 116.13 We will take the cup of saluation we wil call vpon the name of the Lord and will offer vnto him the sacrifice of prayse Which sacrifice of ours that it may be acceptable to the Lord let vs cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and with a new heart and a new spirit returne we to the Lord our God But if we will persist with delight and goe on in our old wayes our crooked peruerse and froward wayes our wayes of wickednesse and will not bee turned out of them by any of God his milder chastisements and corrections what can we expect but the portion of these Moabites euen fire a sword from the Lord and with them to die with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a Trumpet Thus farre de modo poenae of the manner of this punishment to be inflicted vpon the Moabites The extent followeth I will cut the iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him I the Lord the Lord Iehovah yesterday and to day and the same for euer I am not changed all my words yea all the titles of all my words are Yea and Amen Exscindam I will cut off I will root out and destroy Iudicem the Iudge the chiefest gouernour and ruler in Moab the King Nam Reges quoque populum iudicabant For Kings also did iudge the people and it is euident by sundry places of holy Scripture that the state of the Moabites was swayed by Kings I will cut off root out and vtterly destroy the iudge the King out of the midst thereof Out of the midst of what Of Moab of Kerioth Both are mentioned vers 2. Dauid Camius and some other say of Kerioth which was Sedes Regum the cittie of the Kings habitation The meaning is there was no cittie in the Kingdome of Moab so strong but that from out the midst of it God would fetch the King and cut him off I will cut off roote out or destroy the iudge the King out of the middest of the strongest cittie of the Kingdome of Moab be it Moab Kerioth or any other I will slay all the Princes thereof with him together with the King I will root out all the Princes of the land None shall escape my iudgements neither Prince nor King You see the extent of this iudgement here denounced against Moab Not onely the meaner sort of people but the Princes also yea and King himselfe were to haue their portion in it and that as certainely as if they had alreadie had it For Iehovah the Lord hath spoken it For it s added for a conclusion to this Prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord. The Lord hath said it that neither Prince nor King shall be exempt from his iudgements but shall as well as the lowest of the people be cut off and come to nought The doctrine to be obserued from hence is this God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low and base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon princes and Kings This truth I haue heretofore confirmed vnto you in my 21. Lecture on the former Chapter handling those words Chap. 1. vers 15. Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together I proued vnto you this doctrine When God punisheth a nation with captiuitie for their sinnes he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King My now-doctrine for substance is the same but more generall God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon Princes Kings The vses One is to admonish the great and mightie ones of this world that they presume not to sinne against the Lord as if they were priuiledged by their greatnes and might There is no such priuiledge He that is Lord ouer all will spare no person Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A second vse is to minister comfort to such as are of low and base estate If the mightie by violence and oppression grind your faces and compasse you about yet be not yee discouraged God the iudge of all accepteth no persons He in his good time will auenge your causes be your oppressours neuer so mightie For Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A third vse is a warning for our selues that we set not our hearts vpon the outward things of this world for as much as God the Creator of all will not respect vs for them Dost thou glory in this that thou art a mightie man or a rich man For both might and riches Princes and Kings are far beyond thee yet must Princes and Kings feele the smart of Gods iudgements Let vs make a fourth vse of this doctrine euen to poure out our soules in thankefulnesse before almightie God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. Our sinnes are as impudent as euer were the sinnes of the Moabites Our three and foure transgressions our many sinnes doe cry aloud to Heauen against vs as the sins of the Moabites cryed against them For their sinnes God sent a sword vpon them and did cut them off from being a nation Gods wrath against our sinnes hath not yet proceeded so farre We yet enioy our happie peace Euery man dwels vnder his owne vine and vnder his owne figtree and liues in the habitations of his forefathers in peace free from all feare of the enemies sword Such is our condition through the neuer-too-much admired patience of Almightie God O let vs not despise the riches of the bountifulnesse patience and long sufferance of our God St Paul tells vs. Rom. 2.4 That these doe lead vs to Repentance These doe lead vs shall we not follow Beloued while we haue time let vs betake our selues to Repentance It was good counsaile which Iudith gaue to Ozias Chabris and Charmis the ancients of the cittie Beâ—hulia Iudith 8.12 Quia patiens Dominus est in hoc ipso paeniteamus indulgentiam eius fusis lachrymis postulemus The counsaile is as good for vs. Beloued because the Lord is patient therefore let vs repent and with shedding of teares beg of him indulgence and pardon for our sinnes past It s no wisedome for vs any
longer to presume vpon his patience It is true Dominus patiens the Lord is slow to anger but the Prophet Nahum Chap. 1.3 addeth also that he is great in power and surely will not cleare the wicked This long for bearance of God towards vs patientia est non negligentia you must call it patience it is not negligence Non ille potentiam perdidit sed nos ad poenitentiam reseruauit saith St Austine serm 102. de Tempore God hath not lost his power but hath reserued vs for repentance and quanto diuâ—ius Deus expectat tanto grauius vindicat How much the longer God expects and waits for our conuersion so much the more grieuously will he be auenged vpon vs if we repent not I shut vp all with that exhortation of Ecclesiasticus chap. 5.7 Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord and put not off from day to day To moue vs to this speedie conuersion he addes this reason for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord breake forth and in thy securitie thou shalt be destroyed and thou shalt perish in time of vengeance What remaineth but that we pray with Ieremie Chap. 31.18 Conuert thou vs O Lord and we shall be conuerted for thou art the Lord our God THE IIII. LECTVRE AMOS 2.4 5. Thus sayth the Lord For three trangressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they haue despised the Law of the Lord and haue not kept his commaundements and their lies caused them to erre after the which their Fathers haue walked But I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem OVr Prophet Amos hath hitherto dealt with forraine Nations with the Syrians with the Philistines with the Tyrians with the Edomites with the Ammonites and with the Moabites Six in number All borderers vpon and professed enemies vnto the people of the Lord the type of the Church To each of these you haue heard the iudgements of God menaced his punishments threatned all which are accordingly fallen out Was not Amos his message from the Lord to the Israelites Why then doth he first foretell forraine nations their iudgements The reasons are three First that he might be the more patiently heard of his Countrymen friend and allies the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but the more quietly heare him when he should prophecie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici It is some comfort to a naturall distressed man to see his enemie in distresse also Secondly that they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance sith he would not spare the Syrians and other Nations though destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will Thirdly that they might the more stand in awe at the words of this prophecie when they should behold the Syrians and other their neighbours afflicted and tormented according to the haynousnesse of their iniquities Scitum est ex alijs periculum facere tibi quod ex vsu fiet It is a principle in Natures Schoole that we take example from other mens harmes how to order our wayes From this natures principle the people of Israell might thus haue argued Will not the Lord spare the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites How then can we presume that he will spare vs They silly people neuer knew the holy will of God yet shall they drinke of the cup of Gods wrath How then shal we escape who knowing Gods holy will haue contemned it You see now good reason our Prophet had though sent with a message to the ten tribes of Israel first to let forraine Nations vnderstand Gods pleasure towards them in respect of their sinnes From them he commeth to Gods owne peculiar people diuided after the death of King Salomon into two families or kingdomes Iudah and Israel First he prophecieth against Iudah in the 4. and 5. verses Thus sayth the Lord For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure c. Wherein I obserue two parts 1. A Preface Thus sayth the Lord. 2. A Prophecie For three transgressions of Iudah c. In the Prophecie we may obserue foure parts 1. A generall accusation of Iudah For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure 2. The Lords protestation against them I will not turne away the punishment thereof 3. An enumeration of some particular sinnes by which the Iewes prouoked God vnto displeasure Because they haue despised the Law of the Lord c. 4. A commination or denuntiation of iudgement against them vers the 5. But I will send a fire vpon Iudah and it shall deuoure the palaces of Ierusalem First of the Preface Thus saith the Lord It is like that gate of the Temple in a Act. 3.11 And 5.12 Salomons poarch which for the goodly structure thereof was called beautifull Act. 3.2 So is this enterance to my text very beautifull We haue alreadie beheld it six seuerall times fiue times as wee passed through the former Chapter and once at our first footing in this There is engrauen in it that same Tetragrammaton that great and ineffable name of God Iehovah Iohovah Curious haue the b See Lect. 1. Cabalists and Rabbins bin in their inuentions about this name They will not haue it to be pronounced nor taken within polluted lips They note that it is nomen tetragrammaton a name of foure letters of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the name of God in all tongues and languages for the most part consisteth of foure letters and they adde that these foure letters in the Hebrew tongue are literae quiescentes letters of rest whence they picke this mystery that the rest repose and tranquillitie of all the creatures in the world is in God alone They further say that this name is powerfull for the working of myracles and that by it Moses and Christ haue done great wonders These their inuentions are partly superstitious partly blasphemus but all braine sicke and idle Yet must we needs acknowledge some secret in this name We are driuen to it by Exod. 6.3 There the Lord thus speaketh vnto Moses I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent and all-sufficient God but by my name Iehovah was I not knowne vnto them The secret is thus vnfolded Iehovah this great name Iehovah importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is c Heb. 13.8 yesterday and to day and the same for euer d Apoc. 1.8 which was which is and which is to come Againe it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their e Act. 17.28 life their motion and their being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because
vnto themselues a wew King Ieroboam sonne of Nebat yet were these children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Iudah subiect to Rehoboam still Thus you see Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iudah and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten tribes forsooke it and fell away The ten reuolted tribes haue diuerse appellations in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets Bethel Bethauen Samaria Iezreel Ioseph Ephraim Iacob Israel these names are appropriate to signifie the Kingdome of Israel The other two tribes Iudah and Beniamin called but one tribe in the 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnes and obedience to the seede of Dauid haue likewise in the sacred Scriptures their diuers appellations Sometimes Iudah sometimes Beniamin sometimes Ierusalem sometimes Sion sometimes the house of Dauid are peculiarly designed to signifie the Kingdome of Iudah Iudah is one of these appellations and that is the Iudah in my text properly vers 5. I will send a fire vpon Iudah that is vpon the Kingdome of Iudah And by a figure in this first branch of this prophesie where Iudah is put for the inhabitants of the kingdom of Iudah Thus haue you the parties accused the inhabitants of the kingdom of Iudah But wherof are they accused Of sinning against the Lord. So goeth the letter of my text For three transgressions of Iudah for foure What are these three and foure transgressions Arias Montanus makes three of them to bee man-slaughter incest and idolatry The first is man-slaughter Esay poynts at it chap. 1.15 Your hands are full of bloud The second is incest Ieremie poynts at it chap. 23.10 The land is full of adulterers The third is idolatry Hoseah poynts at it chap. 1.2 The land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. The fourth which of all is the most flagicious and hainous is expressed in this text and it is their reiecting abolishing or disanulling of Gods lawes and commandements For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Albertus the Great B. of Ratisbon will haue three of these transgressions to be expressed in this text The first of them is Legis abiectio the abiection or contempt of Gods Law They haue despised the law of the Lord. The second is praeceptorum non obseruatio the not obseruing of Gods commandements They haue not kept his commandements The third is ad Idola conuersio their conuersion to Idols Their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers haue walked These three you see expressed in the text But what is the fourth It is Sacrati loci prophanatio the prophanation of the hallowed place For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Paulus de Palatio doth otherwise descant vpon these three and foure transgressions The first he will haue to be committed by Iehoram son of Iehosaphat King of Iudah who to make himselfe strong in his Kingdome slue with the sword six of his brethren and some of the Princes of Israel 2 Chro. 21.4 The second by Ioash sonne of Ahaziah who allured by the flattery of some of his Princes slew Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada or Barachias betweene the temple and the altar 2 Chron. 24.21 Matth. 23.35 The third by King Amaziah who lifted vp with pride for his victory obtained against the Edomites did prouoke the King of Israel to fight 2 Chron. 25.17 Thus haue you three of these transgressions The fourth saith this Paulus de Palatio needes no enquiry And why so Amos in this text declares it The Kingdome of Iudah from Rehoboams time was most propense vnto idolatry from that time they cast away the law of the Lord they kept not his commandements they serued Idols after which their fathers walked For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter and once in this The most naturall proper and significant exposition heeretofore commended vnto you is this to vnderstand by three and foure many A number finite and certaine is put for a number infinite and vncertaine For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure that is for many transgressions As oft as hee will God forgiueth though wee sinne many a time It is but the custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twice and thrice that is a good while to haue vs returne from our euill wayes vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency hee protesteth against vs as heere against Iudah I will not turne to you I will not turne away your punishment I will not turne away the punishment thereof These words are diuersly rendered by Gualter non conuertam eum I will not turne Iudah I will not recall him into the right way he shall runne to his owne perdition By Mercer non parcam ei I will not spare Iudah according as his desert shall be so shall he haue In our English Geneua translation I will not turne to it In our late Church-Bible I will not spare him In our newest translation I will not turne away the punishment thereof So read Iunius and Tremellius according to the Hebrew Non auertam istud I will not turne away this punishment which I haue resolued to lay vpon Iudah The summe of both accusation and protestation is this If Iudah had sinned but once or a second time I would haue beene fauourable to them and would haue recalled him into the right way that so they might haue been conuerted and might haue escaped my punishments but now whereas they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardened my face against them I will not turne them vnto me I will not turne to them I will not spare them I will not turne away the punishment which I haue resolued to bring vpon them but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof Thus haue you the exposition of the two first parts of this prophecie of the accusation of Iudah and the Lords protestation against them Now let vs see what doctrin may bee taken hence for our further instruction and the reformation of our liues Doth God resolue to punish Iudah for three foure trāsgressions The doctrin arising hence is this Three transgressions and foure that is many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs. God is of pure eyes and beholdeth no iniquity Hee hath layd righteousnesse to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance His sentence is passed forth and stands like the law of the Medes and Persians irreuocable Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill The soule that sinneth it selfe must beare the punishment God makes it good with an oath Deut.
great thunder with lightning from heauen in the presence of all the people of God 6. This Law is of all lawes most neccssarie Necessarie for the preseruing and maintayning of discipline both in and without the Church Necessarie to convict man of sinne and to disrobe him of that pride which makes him to presume of his owne naturall strength Necessarie to represse and keepe vnder the obstinate and selfe-willed sinner with feare of punishments Necessarie to informe and instruct the regenerate in the true seruice and worship of God This law of the Lord so far surpassing all other lawes for the excellencie thereof these inhabitants of Iudah did despise they contemned it You see the sinne here laid vnto their charge Contempt of the law of the Lord. They haue despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine arising hence is The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne This truth will be plaine if you will consider what punishments God in his holy word threatneth and layeth vpon the despisers or contemners of his Sacred Maiestie of his ceremonies of his commandements of his holy word Such despisers or contemners are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 3.32 The Lord will despise them 1. Sam. 2.30 The Lord will scorne them Prov. 3.34 The Lord will bring vpon them terrors consumptions burning agues and sorrow of heart Levit. 26.15 The Lord will send a fire vpon them to deuoure them Amos 2.5 and hauing so done He will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1.26 For this contempt Pharaohs chariots his chosen Captaines and his hoste were couered in the deepe they sanke to the bottome of the Sea as a stone they were all drowned Exod. 15.4 5. For this contempt Saul was reiected from being King ouer Israel he became his owne executioner he fell vpon his owne sword 1. Sam. 31.4 For this contempt Salomons kingdome was i 1. King 11.11 12. to be rent from him and to be giuen to his seruant it was accomplished in his sonnes dayes in the dayes of Rehoboā the Israelites made vnto themselues a new King euen Ieroboam sonne of Nebat 1. Kings 12.20 What was it but this contempt that brought k 2. Chr. 28.13 ruine to the state of Ahaz What but this contempt hath brought to nought many ancient and flourishing kingdomes and nations What else hath laid their honor in the dust Infinite should I be would I produce all that is deliuered in the Sacred Scriptures concerning this contempt of the Lord and his holy lawes The litle which I haue already brought out of that invaluable treasurie may serue for the establishment of my propounded doctrine namely that The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne You see the doctrine Let vs now make some vse of it to our selues Is it true beloued Is it a grieuous sinne to despise the law of the Lord Let this be a motiue to vs to gage the very depth and bottome of our hearts there to see whether we haue sinned this sinne whether we haue carried our selues contemptuously towards the law of the Lord. Can we say concerning this law of the Lord as that sweet singer of Israel that holy man of God King Dauid once said that we haue not l Psal 119.61 forgotten it that we haue not m vers 51. declined from it that we haue n vers 55. kept it that we o vers 113. loue it we p vers 70 174 delight in it our q vers 97. meditation is in it all the day that its better vnto vs then r vers 72. thousands of gold and siluer Can we thus truely say Then doubtlesse are we free from this sinne of Contempt of the law of the Lord. But if we wilfully breake the law of the Lord if we haue no feare nor feeling of the iudgements threatned in that his holy law if we runne on securely in our vngodly courses if we prostitute our selues to all vncleannesse if we be filled with ſ Rom. 1.29 vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnes if we be puft vp with error murther debate deceit malignitie if wee walke according to the t Ephes 2 2. course of the world in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of our flesh taking delight in doing the u Galat. 5.19 workes of the flesh then are we out of doubt guilty of this sinne of despising the law of the Lord. Wherefore let vs let euery one of vs enter into the closet of our own hearts examine we our selues how we haue heretofore stood and how we do now stand affected to the law of the Lord. Iudge we our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord condemne we our selues that we be not condemned of the Lord. If we finde our selues hitherto to haue bin x 2. Tim. 2.26 intangled in the snares of Satan to haue fashioned our selues to the manners of this sinfull world to haue spent our dayes in vanities and our nights vpon the beds of wantonnesse without any due regard of Gods holy lawes enacted in the high Court of Heauen to the contrary our best way will be to betake our selues to the throne of mercy there to begge of Him that sitteth vpon the throne the grace of vnfeined repentance that sorrowing with a godly sorrow for our sinnes past for our rebellion and disobedience to the law of the Lord expressed in the wicked conuersation of our fore-passed liues we may now at length become new creatures creatures of new hearts and new spirits resoluing for the time to come to yeeld all obedience to the Law of the Lord to frequent his Sanctuarie where this law is vsually read and expounded to vs that God thereby may bee glorified and our soules saued Thus farre of the sinne of Iudah as it is expressed in the first branch of this third part of my text They haue despised the law of the Lord. The doctrine grounded thereupon was this The contempt of the law of the Lord is a very grieuous sinne The vse made thereof vnto our selues was to stirre vp in vs a desire of conforming our obedience to this law of the Lord. The sinne of Iudah is further expressed in the next clause They haue not kept his Commandements Commandements The word in the originall and Hebrew fountaine is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word repeated Psal 119. two and twenty times The Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latin and S. Hierome mandata iust as we do mandates or commandements Tremellius and Iunius haue statuta statutes some haue Ceremonias Ceremonies which soeuer of these translations we receiue it will be consonant to the analogie of faith and the precedent clause For whosoeuer despiseth the law of the Lord he obserueth not his ceremonies he keepeth not his statutes he keepeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his mandats or commandements So this clause is but an exposition of the former
whosoeuer thus thinketh of God as he is set forth in these his Negatiue appellations though hereby he cannot altogether find out what God is piè tamen cauet quantum potest aliquid de eo sentire quod non sit saith S. Austine de Trin lib. 3. cap. 1. yet his religious care is to conceiue somewhat of God that he is not You see it is easier for vs to say what God is not then what he is easier for vs to conceiue of him by his Negatiue attributes then by his affirmatiue Yet by his affirmatiue attributes are we brought to some knowledge of God For hereby we know that he is the r Gen. 21.33 euerlasting God the Å¿ Psal 83.18 most high God the t Rom 16.27 onely wise God that he is u Gen. 17.1 omnipotent and x Apoc. 15.4 holy and y Deut. 32.4 iust and z Exod. 34.6 mercifull and gracious and long-suffering and good and true Whatsoeuer is verified of God in either sort of his Attributes Affirmatiue or Negatiue it is all comprised in this one name of God in my text his name Iehovah For this name Iehovah is the name of the Essence of God and whatsoeuer is in God it is his Essence It was one of a De Deo Not. ad Disp 3. p. 209 Vorstius his foule errours to deny the truth of that vulgarly receiued Axiome Nullum omnino in Deo accidens esse It is simply and euery way true There is no accident at all in God God he is primum ens his being is from all eternity he is forma simplex a pure forme no subiect there is nothing in God which is not God there is nothing in God really diuerse from the essence of God there is nothing in God obnoxious to imperfection separation or change therefore it followeth against Vorstius there is no accident at all in God God he iâ— Iehouah hee is absolutely and totally essence Thus saith Iehouah By this name Iehouah we are taught three things First that God of himselfe and through himselfe hath alwayes beene now is and euer shall be So is this name by a Periphrasis expounded Reuel 1.4 Grace be vnto you and peace from him which is which was and which is to come And Reuel 16.5 Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be This exposition of this name Iehouâ—â—h is giuen by b Strâ—mat lib. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus and c In Exod. qu. 15 Epist Diuinorum dogmatum Theodoretus Cyraâ—sis that Iehouah for its signification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Secondly we are taught by this name Iehouah that the essence or being of all things created is from God according to that Acts 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being and that Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things Thirdly we are taught by this name Iehouah that God doth giue Esse reale a reall being to his promises threatnings that he is veracissimus and constantissimus most true and most constant in doing whatsoeuer he hath promised or threatned This consideration of this great Name Iehouah may yeeld much comfort to all the Elect of God and his faithfull ones Though they seeme to d Esa 51.17 drinke the dregs of the cup of trembling a Rom. 8.35 36 and to be euen swallowed vp of c tribulation of distresse of persecution of famine of nakednesse of perill of the sword though they be as killed all the day long and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter yet heereby they may be well assured that all the good things promised to them in the holy word of God shall in their due time be accomplished For God who hath promised hee is the Lord he is Iehouah Againe this consideration of this great name Iehouah may strike a terror into the hearts of the reprobate and vnbeleeuers They f Psal 73.12 prosper in this world they encrease inriches they haue more then heart can wish their eyes stand out with fatnesse they are clothed with violence as with a garment they are compassed with pride as with a chaine they are not in trouble they are not plagued like other men yet may they heereby bee assured that all the euill threatned to them in the holy word of God shall in due time ouertake them For God who hath threatned hee is the Lord hee is Iehouah Thus saith the Lord Iehouah Sundry other obseruations vpon these very words in so many syllables deliuered fiue times in the first chapter of this book and twice before in this second chapter haue heeretofore been commended to your Christian considerations They are in part published to your view therefore I neede not spend time in repetition of them By this which hath this time beene spoken you see whence this prophesie against Israel hath its authority The authority of it is from the Lord Iehouah whom once to name vnto you should bee enough to procure your most religious attentions Proceede wee therefore to the prophesie it selfe The first thing therein is the Accusation of Israel in a generality For three transgressions of Israel and for foure By Israel heere we are to vnderstand those ten tribes of Israel who after King Salomons death forsooke the Kings sonne Râ—hoboam and subiected themselues to the rule of Iereboam sonne of Nebat Those ten tribes from the time of that rent were commonly called the Kingdome of Israel These in Holy Scripture are called sometime g Hos 10.15 Bethel sometime h Hâ—s 10.5 Bethauen sometime i Amos 3.9 Samaria sometime k Hos 2.22 Iesreel sometime l Amos 5.6 Ioseph sometime m Hos 10.11 Ephraim sometime n Hos 12 2. Iacob sometime o Hos 10.1 Israel Israel is their most common name and their name in my text For three transgressions of Israel and for foure Diuerse are the opinions concerning these foure transgressions of Israel Nicolaus de Lyra saith their first transgression was their p Gen. 37.26 selling of Ioseph the second their q Exod. 32.4 worshipping of the Calfe the third their r 1 King 12.16 forsaking of Dauid the fourth their selling of Christ Paulus de Palatio saith the first transgression was their defection from the house of Dauid and the King of Iudah the second their defection from the worship of God to the worship of Idols the third their defection from the law of Moses which was Gods law the fourth their defection from the law of nature which is the light of Gods countenance sealed in our hearts Å¿ Domini 8. post Trin. Con. 1. Abraham Bronius saith the first of these transgressions was their idolatry the second the slaughter of the Prophets the third the murther of Christ the fourth their contempt They made a trade of transgressing These expositions seeme to bee farre fetched Albertus Magnus findes them neerer hand in the letter of my text
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
haud dubiè Out of doubt the young Lion or Lions whelpe vseth not as he lieth in his den to giue forth his voice to cry or roare except hee haue gotten somewhat Hee vseth not so to doe Some Expositors there are that will haue these two branches of the Lion and the Lions whelpe to be all one and the latter to be but a repetition of the former mutatis verbis in other words So R. Dauid and Lyranus But Saint Cyril is of opinion they are not all one but are different So is Saint Hierome So R. Abraham So Albertus Rupertus Carthusian and others and with these accordeth our present exposition The exposition thus giuen descend we to the application that we may vnderstand what this Lion is and what the Lions whelpe Will a Lion roare in the forest when he hath no prey The Lion is God the forest the world the prey of the Lion the people of the world the roaring of the Lion Gods threatnings by his Prophets You may thus apply it As a Lion will not roare in the forest vnlesse he haue a prey So neither will God by his Prophets threaten any euill vnlesse he bee thereunto vrged by the sinnes of the people Such commonly is the application of this second similitude With Rupertus likewise this Lion is God but the Lions prey is omnis electus euery one of the Elect who wheresoeuer he be because he is predestinate vnto life ab ipso Deo requiritur is sought for of God himselfe that at his voice whether it be vttered by an Angell or by a Prophet or by the Scriptures he may tremble may be humbled may repent him of his sinnes and be saued The application which he maketh is after this manner Nunquid rugiet Leo in saltu nisi habuerit praedam Will a Lion roare in the forest vnlesse he hath a prey Idem est ac si dicet It is as if he said Is it worthy of God there to speake or thither to send a Prophet where he knoweth there is none worthy of eternall life Is it seemely is it any way fit that God should there vtter his voice or send his Messengers thither where hee knoweth there is not any one ordained vnto saluation By all congruity of reason the answer must be negatiue No it s altogether vnseemly it s not any way fit The Lion in the forest roares not vnlesse he haue his prey This exposition of Rupertus is by Ribera mentioned with some approbation but Petrus à Figueiro saith it is nimis violenta too violent too far fetched And well may it be so Arias Montanus by this Lion and Lions whelpe vnderstandeth Sennacherib and Nabuchodonozor two Assyrian Kings two mighty enemies to the state of the Kingdome of Iudah According to him thus must the application be As a prey that is betweene the Lions teeth or within his pawes cannot escape away so shall not the people of Iudah escape from out the hands of Sennacherib or Nabuchodonozor But this application of his is not so fit for this place because whatsoeuer is here spoken it is spoken not to the people of Iudah but to the people of the ten Tribes If great Albert must be followed this Lion must be vel Deus comminans vel meliùs inimi us inuadens vel homo vel Diabolus This Lion must be either God threatning or rather some enemy inuading be he man or Deuill The Deuill must be this Lion in the construction of diuers as Carthusian hath obserued for as much as the Deuill like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure Semperque sitit animarum damnationem rugit vt eas deglutiat and euer thirsteth of the damnation of the soules of men and roareth that he may swallow them vp I may not deny but that the Deuill for his extreme fiercenesse and cruelty ioyned with force and hurt to annoy mankind is by Saint Peter likened to a Lion to a roaring Lion yet I cannot thinke that he is the Lion in my Text no though this in my Text be a roaring Lion But may not some man an enemy a tyrant an oppressor one or more be meant by this Lion this roaring Lion in my Text It s not to be doubted but that such are diuers times in the holy Scriptures compared to Lions The wicked man who is euermore an enemy to the godly is likened to a Lion Psal 10.9 He lieth in wait secretly as a Lion in his den he lieth in wait to catch the poore Dauids enemies are as Lions He so speakes of them Psal 22.13 They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes as a rauening and a roaring Lion Tyrants and oppressors of the Church are as Lions Such a one was Nero Saint Paul calls him a Lion 2 Tim. 4.17 I was saith hee deliuered out of the mouth of the Lion The Lion not the Deuill as Ambrose saith nor Festus the President of Iudaea as Primasius affirmeth but Nero proud and cruell Nero persecuting Nero as it s expounded by Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact Oecumenius Aquinas and Eusebius Hist Eccles lib. 2. cap. 22. Be it then granted that Men enemies to the godly Tyrants and oppressors are in holy Scripture sometimes compared to Lions yet can it not thence be inferred that therefore by this roaring Lion in my Text Men are to be vnderstood It remaineth then that God either solely or principally be here intended Sic communiter omnes intelligunt saith Christophorus à Castre So doe all Expositors commonly vnderstand this Text that God should be this Lion And not only the old Lion but the young one too God is compared to both as wel to the young Lion as to the old To both he is compared Hos 5.14 There thus saith the Lord I will be vnto Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of Iudah I euen I will teare and goe away I will take away and none shall rescue him So likewise Esay 31.4 Thus hath the Lord spoken Like as the Lion and the young Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is called forth against him hee will not be afraid of their voice nor abase himselfe for the noise of them so shall the Lord of hosts come downe to fight for mount Sion and for the hill thereof In both places you see God is compared not onely to the old Lion but to the young one too to the Lions whelpe So is he here in this Text of mine Now the meaning is As a Lion will not roare in the forest except hee hath a prey nor the young Lion cry out of his denne except he hath gotten somewhat No more will Almighty God roare from Sion or vtter his voice from Ierusalem except there be a prey ready for him He will not by his Prophets and Ministers giue forth his threatnings except there be iust cause for him to be auenged vpon a people for their sinnes My obseruation is If by our sinnes we prouoke
Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine The threatnings of God they are not vana dunt axat puerorum simplicisque rusticitatis terricula as Quadratus hath well noted they are not onely as scar-crowes or bugs for the terrifying of little children and the ruder sort of people but are certaine euidences of Gods resolution for the punishment of sinne Neuer are they in vaine Of two sorts they are for either they concerne a spirituall and eternall punishment or a punishment that is temporary and corporall Of the first sort is that commination Deut. 27.26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them The punishment there threatned is spirituall it is eternall Saint Paul so expounds it Gal. 3.10 where he saith As many as are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them The curse there spoken of is no temporall no corporall matter it is spirituall it is eternall The reason is because the curse is opposed to the blessing Now to bee blessed with faithfull Abraham is to be iustified to bee absolued from sinne and death to be in fauour with God to obtaine eternall saluation and therefore to be accursed is to be condemned for sinne to be cast out from God to be adiudged to euerlasting death and Hell The blessing is spirituall and eternall and therefore must the curse also be spirituall and eternall Comminations of the second sort are in holy Writ more frequent and obuious If you will not hearken to the Lord your God to doe his Commandements but will despight his statutes and abhorre his iudgements then will the Lord doe thus and thus vnto you In the 26. of Leuit. vers 16. he will visit you with vexations consumptions and burning agues that shall consume your eyes and cause you sorrow of heart Vers 17. he will set his face against you and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies they that hate you shall reigne ouer you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you Vers 19. Hee will breake the pride of your power and will make your Heauen as iron and your Earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine for neither shall your land yeeld her encrease nor your trees their fruits Vers 22. Hee will send wilde beasts among you which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattell and make you few in number These and other like threatnings against the wilfull contemners of Gods holy Will you may better read of in the now alleaged 26. Chapter of Leuiticus and 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy and other places of holy Scripture than I can at this time stand vpon to relate them They are many they are fearefull Many and fearefull are the punishments though but temporary and corporall which the Lord threatneth to the wilfull contemners of his holy Will Thus you see Gods threatnings are of two sorts either of spirituall and eternall punishments or punishments that are temporary and corporall These threatnings of punishments corporall or spirituall temporary or eternall are by the Lord himselfe accomplished at times certaine and vnchangeable When the old world in the daies of Noah had growne to much impiety and wickednesse the Lord appointed a certaine space the space of 120. yeeres for their repentance and conuersion Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man for that he also is flesh yet his daies shall be an hundred and twenty yeeres Though he saw that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and that euery imagination of the thoughts of his heart was euill was onely euill was euill continually so that with great iustice he might forthwith haue swallowed them vp with a floud yet would hee not but would yet forbeare longer and looke for their amendment A hundred and twenty yeeres yet would he giue them to see if they would returne and auoid his wrath But they would not returne and therefore at the very end and terme of those hundred and twenty yeeres he brought the floud vpon them Then then and not before he brought the floud vpon them For compare we the particular circumstances of time noted Gen. 7.3 6 11. with that which Saint Peter writeth in his first Epistle chap. 3.20 we shall finde that the inundation of waters came vpon the earth at the very point of time before determined Memorable is that commination of the Lord against the Iewes Ierem. 25.11 Because you haue not heard my voice behold I will take from you the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse the voice of the bridegroome and the voice of the bride the sound of the Milstones and the light of the candle you shall be a desolation and an astonishment shall serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres The summe of the Commination is that the Iewes for their sins should be led captiue serue the King of Babylon seuenty yeeres Now if we take the iust computation of time it will appeare that so soone as those yeeres those seuenty yeeres were expired the foresaid threat was accomplished And therefore Daniel alluding to this prophesie of Ieremie exactly setteth it downe Chap. 5.30 saying The same night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine the same night the very night wherein those seuenty yeeres came to their full period was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slaine To these fearefull examples of Noahs floud and the carrying away of the Iewes into Babylon may be added the burning of Sodome by fire and brimstone the destruction of the ten Tribes the ruine of Ierusalem and the Kingdome of Iudah the desolation of the seuen Churches of Asia all which besides many other calamities vpon many other places and persons accomplished and come to passe according to the threatnings of the Lord may well assure vs that whatsoeuer he hath threatned will certainly take effect And certainly if we by serious and true repentance doe not preuent the execution of his threats he will not faile to preuent vs and take vs away suddenly Thus is my obseruation made good If by our sinnes we prouoke Gods wrath against vs wee shall finde that his threatning of vs will not be in vaine No it will not If God threaten and no repentance followeth then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe Hee threatens not in vaine hee terrifies not without cause no more than the Lion roareth when he hath no prey or the Lions whelpe cryeth out of his denne if he haue gotten nothing Is it thus Beloued Shall we finde that Gods threatnings will be effectuall and powerfull against vs if we by our sinnes goe on still to prouoke him to displeasure It seemes then that if we repent vs of our sinnes and cease any further to grieue Gods holy Spirit his threatnings will bee vaine and without
insult ouer the godly that are afflicted and the more these are afflicted the more insolent are they Great was the insolencie of those enemies of Dauid of whom he complaineth Psal 35.15 In mine aduersity they reioyced and gathered themselues together yea the very abiects the off-scouring of the people gathered themselues together against me made mowes at me and ceased not As great was that of Nabal in his answer to Dauids messengers 1 Sam. 25.10 Who is Dauid and who is the sonne of Iesse There be many seruants now adayes that breake away euery man from his Master Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men when I know not whence they be Churlish Nabal he is not content only not to giue any thing to Dauid but also raileth at him and reuileth him And was not the insolencie of Shemei of as high a straine Shemei a man of the family of the house of Saul comes forth from Bahurim and curseth still as hee comes meets Dauid casts stones at him and reuileth him Come out come out thou man of bloud and thou man of Belial 2 Sam. 16.7 See see it is the property of the wicked exceedingly to insult ouer the Godly when they are in misery and for this cause will our miseries be the more grieuous vnto vs if the wicked take notice of them Now the vses which we are to make of this obseruation are these First it sheweth how vile our nature is that hath no more remorse in it towards them that are in misery Secondly it teacheth vs when we are in misery to looke for no better from prophane persons than insultation and reioycing and therefore in that case to arme our selues with patience Thirdly wee may learne from hence how to behaue our selues towards our enemies when they are fallen vnder the crosse wee may not triumph ouer them Wee must doe vnto them as we would be done vnto this is the Law and the Prophets But when we are in misery we would not haue our enemies insult ouer vs and therefore neither must we insult ouer them when they are in misery This is that the Lord so seuerely commandeth in the Prophecie of Obadiah vers 11 12. Looke not reioyce not speake not proudly in the day of thy brother in the day of his peregrination in the day of his perdition in the day of his anguish in the day of his ruine in the day of his calamitie in the day of his tribulation And this is that whereto Salomon exhorteth Prou. 24.17 Reioyce not when thine enemie falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth So Ecclesiasticus admonisheth Chap 7.11 Laugh no man to scorne in the bitternesse of his soule Holy Iob Chap. 31.29 in the Catalogue of his comforts reckoneth vp this for one that he neuer reioyced at the hurt of his enemie nor was euer glad that any harme happened vnto him nor euer-suffered his mouth to doe such a sinne as to wish him euill And now beloued if neither the precept of the Lord nor the exhortation of Salomon nor the admonition of the wise sonne of Syrach nor the example of holy Iob can moue vs to the performance of this Christian duty namely not to reioyce at any that are in aduersitie What shall I say Will the feare of punishment any whit amend vs Then remember we what the Wise-man saith Prou. 17.5 He that reioyceth at the harme of another shall not himselfe escape vnpunished And thus much be spoken by occasion of the iniunction for the proclamation these words Proclaime in the palaces of Ashdod and in the palaces of the Land of Aegypt and say Now followeth the tenour of the Proclamation in these Assemble your selues vpon the mountaines of Samaria and behold the great tumults in the middest thereof and the oppressed in the middest thereof Wherein three things are principally to be obserued One is the calling of an assembly Secondly the place for the assembly Thirdly the end of their meeting The calling of the Assembly is first You that are the Prophets of the Lord dicite say plainly and with a loud voice say to the Princes of Palaestina and of Aegypt Congregamini Be yee gathered together assemble your selues Come and meet together vpon the mountaines of Samaria The mountaines of Samaria are the place for this assembly Samaria for the most common vse of the name is the City registred 1 King 16.24 to be built by King Omrie vpon a mountaine purchased by him of one Semer called in the allegory Ezech 23.4 Aholah sister to Aholibah named to be the head of Ephraim Esai 7.9 It was a royall city of Israel the Metropolis the mother city of that kingdome From it the coast adioyning situate betwixt Galilee and Iudaea was named Samaria and is accordingly described by Cosmographers Ptolomee Ortelias Maginus and others and from hence the kingdome of Israel came to be called the kingdome of Samaria as 2 King 17.24 Where the King of Assyria is said to haue brought nations out of Babylon and other places of his dominions and to haue seated them in the cities of Samaria that is in the cities of the kingdome of Israel Thus may Samaria be either the whole Prouince or the chiefe Citie thereof And so may the mountaines of Samaria be either the whole Prouince because the whole was mountainous as Iosephus affirmeth Lib. 3. de bello Iudaice cap. 2. or they may betoken the chiefe Citie thereof because it was seated on a mountaine And then our Prophet saith the mountaines of Samaria as we say in Latine flumen Euphratis Vrbs Romae and herba Lapathi As we say the Riuer of Euphrates for Euphrates the Citie of Rome for Rome the herbe of Patience for Patience so may our Prophet here say the Mountaines of Samaria for Samaria That by these Mountaines of Samaria the whole Prouince is to be vnderstood it is the opinion of Saint Hieroms Remigius Rupertus with some other with whom agreeth Petrus Lusitanus Yet to Castrus it seemeth more probable that the very Citie be here meant as in the middest whereof many detestable villanies and enormities were acted But both expositions may well take place For if the chiefe citie of the Countrey were so flagitious the rest of the Countrey could not be blamelesse Thus haue we the place for this assembly But what is the end of their meetings It is to behold the great tumults in the middest of Samaria and the oppressed in the middest thereof Et videte And behold You the Princes of Palastina and Aegypt hauing gathered your selues together vpon the mountaines of Samaria Videte Looke about you It will bee a pleasant spectacle for you to see the great disorder of a people whom you haue a long time hated Videte looke about you therefore Behold see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mehumoth rabboth What 's that Insanias multas saith the old Interpreter so
it is the first in order The words are An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land The old Interpreter translates it Tribulabitur circuietur terra the Land shall be troubled and compassed about Brentius Obsidebitur circumdabitur terra the Land shall be besieged and beset round about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsar in the originall is rendred Arctator by Montanus Tribulator by Oecolampadius Aduersarius by Caluin and Drusius Hostis by Tremelius Piscator and Gualter It is Tribulatio with Vatablus and Mercer but Angustiae with Ionathan Well be it either Arctatoâ— or Tribulator or an Aduersary or an Enemie or be it Tribulation or be it Anguish it is not in a little part or corner of the Land but in circuitu terra it is in the circuit of the Land it enuironeth the whole Land The Septuagint haue a reading by themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tyre shall be made desolate round about shall thy Land be wasted Saint Cyril will haue them thus to be vnderstood From Tyre and the Land thereabout the whole countrey shall by the incursions of robbers be brought to desolation Tyrus is in Hebrew Tzor so is it in the first Chapter of this prophecie vers 9 It seemes the S ptuagint did in this place reade Tzor Hieron as also Aquila once did reade But now the common reading of this place is Tzar and Tzar is an enemie or aduersary and hath other significations whereof euen now you heard Thus our English translation is cleared it is good An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land This aduersary is the Assyrian the King of Assyria Salmanassar He with his armies is to come against the Citie and Kingdome of Samaria he shall so beset and beleaguer the whole countrey round about that there shall be no escaping for any of the inhabitants According to this prediction it came to passe some sixty fiue yeares after Esâ—y 7.8 2 King 18.10 in the ninth yeare of the reigne of Hoshea son of Elah King of Israel as it is 2 King 17.6 An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land Now from this circumstance of the Siege of Samaria so long before threatned ariseth this obseruation Gods threatning to punish long before he punisheth are inuitations to repentance Origen lib. 4. contra Celsum saith God punisheth no man but whom he doth first warne terrifie and aduertise of the perill And surely herein appeareth Gods mercy that he threatneth before hee punisheth that by his threatning men might learne to amend He threatneth saith S. Chrysostome Hom. 12. in Genes Vt nobis correctis minas ad opus minimè perducat that we being amended his menacing need not take effect If this were not the end of Gods threatnings why doth Zephaniah Chap. 2.1 2. thus exhort the Iewes Gather your selues together yea gather together O Nation not desired Before the decree bring forth before the day passe as the chaffe before the fierce anger of the Lord come vpon you before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you Seeke yee the Lord seeke righteousnesse seeke meekenesse it may be yee shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger He calleth vpon the Iewish Nation to returne from their euill waies by true repentance Where behold saith Saint Hierome the clemencie of God Quia non vult inferre supplicia sed tantum terrere passuros ipse ad poenitentiam prouocat ne faciat quod minatus est Because Gods will is rather to terrifie them than to lay punishments vpon them he incites them to repentance that he be not driuen to doe as he hath threatned This is that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the goodnesse the forbearance the long suffering of God whereof Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou O man the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance It leadeth to repentance It is vouchsafed vnto vs to the amendment of life And thus is my obseruation established Gods threatnings to punish long before he punisheth are inuitations to repentance One reason hereof is because if after threatning repentance follow it procureth the forgiuenesse of sinne and taketh away the cause of the punishment Sinne is the cause of Gods iudgements this wee heard euen now If the cause bee remoued the effect will cease For so saith the Lord Ezâ—ch 33.14 15. When I say vnto the wicked Thou shalt surely die if hee turne from his sinne and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue he shall not die A second reason I take from the end of Gods threatnings The end whereat he aimeth when he threatneth is not the destruction of them that are threatned but their amendment For thus saith the Lord Ezech. 18.23 Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die and not that he should returne from his wayes and liue This by way of interrogation But it is by way of assertion Ezech. 33.11 and is backed with an oath As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue As I liue it is so Here may wee say as Augustine some-where said of Christ Felices nos propter quos ipse Deus iurat Happie are we for whom God himselfe sweareth But infoelices si ne iuranti quidem credimus Wretched are we if wee beleeue him not vpon his oath I shall but point at the vses of this doctrine because I haue handled them at large in my fourth Sermon vpon this Chapter The first is to teach vs that in the greatest and most fearefull threatnings of Gods iudgements there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found health in sicknesse and life in death The second is a warrant for vs of the Ministery to propound vnto you the threatnings of God with condition of repentance and thus we offer vnto you grace and mercy to as many of you as shall be of humble and contrite hearts The third is a warning vnto you to all that haue this grace and fauour with God to be hearers of his holy word It is your parts whensoeuer you shall heare of the threatnings of Gods iudgements against sinners to stirre vp your selues vnto repentance thereby to preuent the wrath of God and to stay his iudgements The fourth is to assure vs that if God threaten and no repentance follow then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe God threatneth not in vaine nor doth he terrifie vs without cause If we preuent not his threatnings by true repentance his threatnings will preuent vs by iust execution And so much be spoken of the first doctrine arising from this circumstance of the siege of Samaria foretold so long before it tooke effect A second doctrine arising from the same is Hâ—stes diuinitùs à Deo excitari ad regum populorum peccata punienda
vnprofitable as being wretched and sicke lying by couples in the side of a couch as well in Samaria as in Dâ—mascus Oâ—hers will haue this similitude to be vnderstood by a Sarcasme or Irrision as if our Prophet here scoffed at the Israelites for their vaine confidence which they put in Samaria and Dâ—mascus thus As a shepheard vseth to saue from the mouth of a Lion that hath deuoured a sheepe one or two legs or the tip of an eare so surely shall the children of Israel saue themselues from the mouth of the Assyrians trusting in the strength of Samaria and in the helpe of Damascus or of the King of Syria in whom they thinke as a wearied man is refreshed in his bed so themselues to bee safe from their enemies whereas indeed it shall be nothing so And this is the exposition of Saint Hierome Remigius Albertus Rupertus Hugo and Dionysius The third exposition is Lyraes He will haue this similitude to signifie that very few of the Israelites shall bee deliuered and they such as shall escape by flight either to King Ezâ—kiah to the Kingdome of Iudah to saue themselues there in plagú lectuli in the side or corner of a bed that is in Ierusalem where the Temple was Dei lectulus Gods bed as it s called Cant. 1.16 Lectulus noster floridus our bed is deckt with flowers or to the Kingdome of Syria to saue themselues there in Damasci grabuto in a couch at Damascus Of these expositions I preferre the second which I touched in my diuision of the Text. Now let vs a little looke vpon the words The Proposition is A shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare This he doth according to the Law Exod. 22.13 If a sheepe be torne in peeces by wild beasts the shepheard is to bring it or the remnants of it a leg or an eare or the like to the owner for a witnesse that it is torne and he shall not need to make restitution thereof vnto the owner so he did his best to rescue it For a shepheard is of duty to rescue his flocke Dauid did it valiantly As he kept his fathers sheepe there came a Lion and tooke a Lambe out of the flocke and he went out after him and smote him and deliuered it out of his mouth and when the Lion arose against him he caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him 1 Sam. 17.34 My shepheard here is not so happy to saue his sheepe but his sheepe being deuoured he findeth some part of it two legs or a peece of an eare whereby he may excuse himselfe to his Master for his lost sheepe These parcels legge or eare he taketh Ex ore Leonis Out of the mouth of the Lion Non ex ore Lupi sed ex ore Leonis He saith not out of the mouth of the wolfe but out of the mouth of the Lion For a thing is recouered with more difficulty and with greater danger from a Lion than from a Wolfe Iohannes Leo in his description of Africke Credat qui volet quicquid Leo prehenderit etiamsi Camelus foret rostro aufert Beleeue it he that wil whatsoeuer a Lion catcheth though it bee a Camell hee beareth it away in his mouth Hence it s prouerbially said Ex ore Leonis out of the Lions mouth for out of extreme danger and it s vsed when a man hath deliuerance beyond hope Saint Paul vseth it 2 Tim. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was deliuered out of the mouth of the Lion the Lion not the Deuill as Ambrose saith nor Festus the President of Iudaea as Primasius affirmeth but Nero proud and cruell Nero persecuting Nero as it s expounded by Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact Oecumenius Aquinas and * Hist Eccles l. 2. cap. 22. Eusebius The royall Prophet hath it Psal 22.21 Serua me ex ore Leonis The words are a part of Christs Prayer Saue me from the mouth of the Lion Some will haue that Lion to bee the Deuill some Pilat some Caiaphas some Herod Lorinus will haue him to betoken Principes potentes all the chiefe Priests Scribes the Elders of the people all that were the crucifiers of Christ Here it is in proper termes without a metaphor The shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lion two legs or a peece of an eare Yet will Albertus haue this Lion to be either the King of Babylon or the Deuill He addeth by way of explication Os tyranni violentia est os Diaboli peccatum the mouth of a Tyrant is violence the mouth of the Deuill is sinne This Lion Carthusian in his morall explanation expoundeth by the Deuill so doth Salmeron in his Tropologie And I deny not but that the Lion doth many times in a morall and tropologicall sense signifie the Deuill But if we will follow the letter of my Text this Lion doth well resemble the King of Babylon or the King of Assyria Salmanassar It is not vnusuall for a Lion to resemble a King This resemblance is Prou. 19.12 The Kings wrath is as the roaring of a Lion The roaring of a Lion is fearefull and terrible to the beasts of the forest so is the wrath of a King to his subiects The like is that chap. 20.2 The feare of a King is as the roaring of a Lion The feare of a King the terrour which the anger or wrath of a King striketh into his subiects is as the roaring of a Lion very terrible The Lion hath a Beare for his associate Prou. 28.15 As a roaring Lion and a ranging Beare so is an vngodly Prince ouer the poore people An vngodly Prince is vnto the people ouer whom he ruleth as a roaring Lion or a ranging Beare to a Lambe or Kid. Thus doth a Lion resemble a King either in good or vngodly Not amisse then is it that Salmanassar King of Assyria 2 King 17 3. 2 Esdr 13.40 that great and mighty King who was to carry away into captiuity the ten Tribes of Israel is here compared vnto a Lion according to the sense aboue giuen Such shall be the conquest of the Assyrians vnder the conduct of Salmanassar against the Israelites that the Israelites shall bee no more able to resist the Assyrians than a silly sheepe is able to resist a Lion Now to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reddition the other part of this Similitude So shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch Of both these Cities Samaria and Damascus I haue heretofore entreated out of this place Of Damascus vpon the first Chapter of this vers 3. and 5. Of Samaria vpon the ninth verse of this Chapter 1 King 16.24 Samaria was the City royall of the ten Tribes King Omri bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer for two talents of siluer and built a City thereon and called it after the name of Shemer
arborum from the cutting downe or rooting vp of trees and signifieth vtterly to consume to waste to dissipate to destroy to extinguish So it 's vsed Psal 101.8 where Dauid purposing not to be negligent or slothfull in the execution of iustice against all malefactors in Ierusalem resolueth to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord. So it s vsed Ps 109.15 where Dauids prayer against the wicked is that their iniquity and sin be alwaies before the Lord that hee may cut off their memoriall from the earth So it s vsed Ezech. 14.13 Son of man when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I stretch out mine hand vpon it and will breake the staffe of bread thereof and will send famine vpon it and will cut off man and beast from it I will cut off that is I will destroy both man and beast from a sinfull land I omit many like places of holy writ and commend vnto you but one more parallel to this in my text It is in the 3. ver of the 2. chap. of this prophecie There thus saith the Lord I wil cut off the Iudge out of the midst of Moab as here in my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and vers the 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod I will cut off whether the Iudge out of the middest of Moab or the inhabitant from Ashdod or the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen the meaning is one and the same I will cut off that is I will vtterly destroy or extinguish Which to be the meaning of the word the author of the Vulgar Latine acknowledgeth translating the word in the originall not exeindam as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but disperdam I will destroy So doe the Seuenty Interpreters in their Greeke edition of the Bible here translating the Hebrew word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will vtterly or altogether dâ—stroy ouerthrow and extinguish I will cut off the inhabitant the inhabitant what but one yes all and euery one of the inhabitants The Holy Spirit in the sacred Scripture vseth so to speake by a word of the singular number to vnderstand more than one yea all of that kinde which kinde of speech is analogically reduced to the figure Synecdoche Let vs see the truth of this in a few instances In Exod. 8.6 it is said when Aaron stretched out his hand vpon the waters of Egypt that then the frogge came vp and couered the land The frogge It were senselesse to thinke that one frogge could couer the land of Egypt and therefore by the frogge we are to vnderstand many frogges In Num. 21.7 the Israelites desired Moses to pray to the Lord that he would take away from them the Serpent The Serpent what but one It is out of doubt that the people meant all the fiery serpents sent among them by the Lord to sting them to death of which we read verse the 6. Ieremy in chap. 8.7 saith that the storke the turtle the crane and the swallow doe know and obserue their appointed times The storke the turtle the crane the swallow We may not think the Prophet singleth out one storke one turtle one crane one swallow from the rest but his meaning is of all storkes turtles cranes swallowes that they know and obserue their appointed times As in the now cited places so here in my text the holy Ghost vseth one number for another the singular for the plurall vnderstanding by one inhabitant all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Auen Of Bikeath-Auen the Greeke Translators taking the words partly appellatiuely and partly properly doe render them the field of On. In like sort Gualter the valley of Auen The author of the Vulgar Latine vnderstanding them wholly appellatiuely rendreth them the field of the Idoll and so they may signifie the plaine of Auen the plaine of griefe the plaine of sorrow as Caluin obserueth Iunius and Tremellius doe render it as before Gualter è conualle Auenis the vally of Auen vnderstanding thereby the whole coast of Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desart Caluin saith it is vncertaine whether Bikeath-Auen be a proper name of a place or no yet saith he it is probable Drusius following the Hebrew Doctors affirmeth that it is the proper name of a city in Syria Mercer the learned professour of Paris ioyneth with him And our English Geneua Translation draweth vs to bee of the same minde that Bikeath-Auen is a proper name of a city in Syria The same opinion must we hold of Beth-Eden in the next clause that it is a proper name of a city in Syria of which opinion I finde Mercer and Drusius and our English Translators at Geneua to haue beene And Caluin holds it to bee credible though he translates it the house of Eden so Gualter doth so doth Tremellius who by the house of Eden vnderstandeth the whole country of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The author of the Vulgar Latine takes Beth-Eden for an appellatiue and translates it the house of pleasure Such indeed is the signification of the word and it is by Arias Montanus and Ribera applied to signifie the city of Damascus as if Damascus were there called not only Bikeath-Auen that is the field of the Idoll because of the Idolatry there vsed but also Beth-Eden that is the house of pleasure because of the pleasant situation thereof But I retaine the proper name Beth-Eden and take it for a city in Syria wherein the King of Syria had a palace and mansion house Which I take to be plaine in my text where the Lord threatneth to cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter that is the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden For I see not any absurdity in it if I say that the King of Syria had a mansion house as well at Beth-Eden as at Damascus and that at this time the court lay at Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter This is a periphrasis or circumlocution of a King A scepter is Regium gestamen and insigne potestatis Regiae a Kingly mace the proper ensigne or token of Kingly power Whence in the best of Greeke Poets Homer Kings are called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3.86 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scepter-bearers Hereby wee vnderstand what we read in the story of Hester chap. 8.4 King Assuerus held out his golden scepter toward Hester And that Gen. 49.10 The scepter shall not depart from Iudah In the former place Assuerus maketh shew of his Kingly fauour vnto Hester by holding out his mace vnto her in the later Iacob prophesieth of the stability and continuance of the Kingdome in the tribe of Iudah
till the comming of the Messias Here then he that holdeth the scepter in Beth-Eden is the King abiding in Beth-Eden Hitherto beloued haue I laboured to vnfold the words of my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden I the Lord with my mighty power will cut off will vtterly consume and destroy the inhabitant not one only but euery one that dwelleth in Bikeath-Auen the so named city of Syria There will I not stay my hand but I will also with my mighty power cut off vtterly consume and destroy him that holdeth the scepter not only the vnder-magistrate but the King himselfe out of Beth-eden another so named city of Syria Bikeath-Auen shall not be able to defend her inhabitants nor Beth-eden her King I will cut off c. Thus farre the exposition Now some notes of instruction You will be pleased to remember with me my three propounded circumstances 1 The punisher the Lord. 2 The punishment a cutting off 3 The punished the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and the King of Beth-eden From the first circumstance The Lord himselfe taking vengeance into his owne hands ariseth this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Which truth hauing beene often commended to your Christian considerations in former lectures I now let passe From all three circumstances of the punisher the punishment and the punished ioyntly considered arise other profitable doctrines First wee see that the cutting off of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and of him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden is the Lords proper worke The lesson which wee may take from hence is this No calamity or misery be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture It was an errour of the Paynims to hold fortune in so high account b Iuuen. Sat. 10. Te facimus Fortuna Deam coeloque locamus They esteemed her as a goddesse assigned her a place in Heauen They presented her by the image of a woman sitting sometimes vpon a ball sometimes vpon a wheele hauing with her a rasour c Pierius Hieroglyph lib. 29. bearing in her right hand the sterne of a ship in her left the horne of abundance by the rasour they would giue vs to vnderstand that she can at her pleasure cut off and end our happinesse by the ball or wheele that she is very prone to volubility and change by the sterne in her right hand that the whole course of our life is vnder her gouernment by the horne of abundance in her left hand that all out plenty is from her This palpable Idolatry of the Gentiles giuing the glory of the most high to their baâ—e and inglorious abominations wee Christians must vtterly renounce We honor the Lord of hosts alone and to him alone doe we ascribe the soueraingty dominion and rule of the whole world Such is the extent of Gods wonderfull and eternall prouidence The whole world with all things therein is wholly and alone subiect to the soueraignty dominion and rule of Almighty God by his prouidence all things are preserued all things are ruled all things are ordered These are the three degrees by which you may discerne and take notice of the Act of diuine prouidence The first is Gradus conseruationis Trelcat Instit l b. 2 pag. 46. The second Gradus gubernationis The third Gradus ordinationis The first degree is of maintenance or preseruation the second is of rule and gouernment the third is of ordination and direction The first degree which I termed gradum conseruationis the degree of maintenance and preseruation implieth thus much that all things in generall and euery thing in particular are by Almighty God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created This truth is excellently explained Psal 104. 145. 147. In which the Psalmist ioyfully singeth out of the wonderfull Prouidence of God in the maintenance and preseruation of man and euery other creature the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fishes of the sea d Psal 104.10 11. He sendeth the springs into the vallies that all the beasts of the field may drinke and the wilde asses quench their thirst e Psal 147.8 Psal 104.13 Hee couereth the heauen with clouds prepareth raine for the earth and maketh grasse to grow euen vpon mountaines that cattell may haue food he hath made the mountaines f Psal 104.18 to be a refuge for goats and rockes for conies the Lions g Vers 21. roaring after their prey seeke their meat at him You see Gods care and prouidence for the preseruation of the beasts of the field see the like for the fowles of the aire He hath planted the h Psal 104 16. Cedars of Lebanon for birds to make their nests there and the firre trees for the storkes to dwell in the young i Psal 147.9 rauens that cry vnto him he feedeth Our Sauiour Iesus Christ Matth. 6.26 calls you to this consideration Behold saith he the fowles of heauen they sow not nor reape nor carry into barns yet your heauenly father feedeth them Gods care and prouidence for the preseruation of his creatures here resteth not it reacheth euen to the bottome of the sea There is great k Psal 104.26 Leuiathan there are creeping things innumerable small and great all which wait vpon the Lord that he may giue them food in due season In due season hee giues them food l Psal 104.24 and they gather it he openeth his hand and they are filled with good O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisdome hast thou made them all the whole world is full of thy riches The prouidence I termed gradum gubernationis the degree of rule and gouernment It implyeth thus much that Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth This point is deliuered not obscurely in many places of holy Scripture as in those generall and vniuersall sayings which doe proue God Almighty euen this day to work in the world and to doe all in all In Esa 43.13 thus saith the Lord Yea before the day was I am and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand I will doe it and who shall let it Agreeable to this are the words of our Sauiour Ioh. 5.17 My father worketh hitherto and I worke From both these places wee may truly inferre that God worketh in the gouernment of this world day after day euen vntill the end thereof which Saint Paul Ephes 1.11 auoweth He worketh all things after the counsell of his owne will To the consideration hereof Elihu stirreth vp afflicted Iob Chap. 37. wishing him to consider the wonderous workes of God the Clouds and his light shining out of them the thunder Gods maruellous and glorious voice the
13. seuen yeeres roued vp and downe to markes farre and neere from citie to village and from village to citie to the killing of many thousands of our brethren and sisters and yet is not put vp into the quiuer to say nothing now of this arrow because it strikes mens persons and spares their houses will you be pleased to looke backe vpon those swellings of waters which of late g Ann. Chr. 1607. within these foure yeeres brake out into the bosome of the firme land in diuers parts of this Realme Then must you acknowledge with mee that God hath an armie of waters whereby at his pleasure hee can ouerthrow our dwelling houses Beloued I could here make report vnto you from beyond the seas out of Germanie of strange and maruellous inundations deluges and ouerflowings of waters how about h Ann. Chr. 1595. Ianson Gallobelg Tom. 3. lib. 12. p. 173. this time fifteene yeeres in the plaines neere vnto Colen Mentz and Franckford by a sudden floud non modò horrea stabula nullo firmo nixa fundamento sed firmissima etiam aedificia not only barnes and stables which had no firme foundation but the surest and strongest edifices and buildings were violently câ—rried away I could tell you of much more hame of that yeeres floud how in i Ianson ibid. pag. 180. Berenburg a towne vpon the riuer Sala in the Principalitie of Anhalt k Ibid. p. 183. Centum sexaginta aedes funditù◠euersae fuerunt One hundred and threescore houses were vtterly ouerthrowne But what need we goe so farre for exâ—mples of this kinde whâ—reof Almightie God hath sent home vnto vs such plentie Reflect we our eyes vpon our owne harmes vpon the harmes done to many of our neighbours in the late fore-mentioned flâ—ud to the ouerthrowing breaking downe l See the Report of flouds in England Ann. Chr. 1607. of whole townes and villages yea of m See Wofull newes of flouds C. 1. a. 26. parishes in one n Monmouth-shire Shire and we cannot but grant it for a truth thaâ— God hath his armies of waters whereby at his pleasure he can ouerthrow our dwelling houses But what is this to some of vs who are seated vpon an hill farre enough from any dangers by inundations or ouerflâ—wings of waters Beloued in the Lord of such minde were they of the old world who did eat and drinke and maried wiues and gaue in mariage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke But what became of them Our Sauiour Christ will tell you Luke 17.27 The floud came and destroyed them But God hath made a couenant with man and will remember it That there shall bee no more waters of a floud to destroy all flesh Genes 9.15 It is true there shall bee no more waters of a floud to destroy all flesh that is there shall bee no more an vniuersall floud to couer the face of the whole earth there shall be no more generale diluuium inundans obruens vniuersam terram But here is no exemption for particular cities no not for particular prouinces or countries Almightie God who once did breake vp the fountaines of the great deepe and did open the windowes of Heauen Gen. 7.11 he is the same God still Almightie still his arme is stretched out still He can at his pleasure command the clouds and they shall poure forth abundance of waters to the washing away of our dwelling houses But say he will not come against vs with his armie of waters yet being Deus exercituum a God of hosts hee hath armies of another kinde at command to worke the sudden subuersion and ouerthrow of all our dwellings I yet present you not with lightning with thunder with winds with earthquakes wherewith the Lord of Hosts the mightie one of Israel hath laid waste and made desolate many the habitations of sinfull men my Text presents you with fire and let it suffice for this time Say I beseech you is it not a fearefull thing that in stead of the fatnesse of the clouds of the greater and smaller raine of the sweet dewes of Heauen of comfortable showers which God hath engendered in the aire and diuided by pipes to fall vpon the earth in their seasons our grounds should be withered our fruits consumed our Temples and our buildings resolued into cinders Yea and sometimes our skins and bones too molten from our backs Yet Beloued this sometimes comes to passe when fire one of the executioners of Gods vengeance is sent vpon vs for our sinnes What became of Sodom and Gomorrah and other Cities of that Plaine Were they not turned into ashes by fire from the Lord The storie is knowne Gen. 19.24 But what need old stories to confirme so plaine a matter whereof we haue daily and lamentable experience Doe not the grieuous complaints of many of our neighbours vndone by fire seeking from our charitable deuotions some small releefe make good proofe hereof Dearely Beloued learne we by their example to cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and to turne vnto the Lord our God lest delighting and treading in the wickednesse of their wayes wee bee made partakers also of their punishments It is neither care nor policie that can stay Gods reuengefull hand when he bringeth fire in it To this purpose memorable is the example of a countryman of ours who in King Edwards dayes was a Professour of the true religion that religion which by Gods goodnesse wee doe this day professe This man in the o Fox Martyrolog p. 1893. Acts and Monuments of our Church is named p A Smith dwelling at Well in Cambridge-shire Richard Denton and is there noted to haue beene an Instructor of one q Of Wisbich in the I le of Elie sometime Constable of Well and dwelling there William Wolsey in the same his holy religion Not long after in Queene Maries dayes when fire and faggot were the portion of true Professours Wolsey was apprehended and imprisoned In time of his durance he sent commendations to Denton his Instructor withall demanding by his messenger why hee tarried so long after him seeing he had beene his first Instructor in the Scriptures Dentons answer was I cannot burne Cannot burne You see his policie he halted between God and man he dissembled the profession of his Christian faith because forsooth he could not burne Well Q. Maries dayes were soone at an end and God caused the light of the Gospell to shine againe vnder the peaceable gouernment of Queene Elizabeth Then did our dissembler thinke himselfe safe enough from any flame of fire But behold the hand of God His house was on fire and he with two others venturing to saue some of his goods perished in the flame Thus you see policie preuailes not when Gods reuengefull hand brings fire with it And thinke you that caâ—e will helpe What Care against the Lord Farre be it from vs beloued so to thinke
the owner of the hill Samaria It remained the chiefe seat of the Kingdome as long as the Kingdome endured Damascus was the Metropoliticall the chiefest City of Syria Chap. 7.8 Esay calls it the head of Syria Iulian in his Epistle to Sarapion stiles it the City of Iupiter and eye of the whole East Holy and Great Damascus Tzetzes vpon Lycophron the Trophee of Iupiter because Iupiter there conquered the Titans These two Cities Samaria and Damascus Cities of strength and fortification were vnto the Israelites as their beds of repose and rest Nehem. 9.25 here they thought themselues safe did eat were filled and became fat liuing nicely and deliciously in full ease and pleasure So much is meant by this their dwelling in Samaria in the corner of a bed and in Damascus in a couch In the corner of a bed in a couch Sermo est de lecto discubitorio siue tricliniari saith Villalpandus in Ezech. 23. The speech is of a triclinary or parlor-bed of such a bed whereon of old time men vsed to take and eat their meat It was the vse of old to haue a dining roome Chamber or Parlour wherein stood three beds whereon they sate at meat compassing the table on three sides the fourth side was left free and cleere for waiters To this ancient custome our Prophet here alludeth as also he doth Chap. 6.4 They lie vpon beds of iuory and stretch themselues vpon their couches and eat the Lambes out of the flocke and Calues out of the midst of the stall and Chap. 2.8 They lay themselues downe vpon clothes laid to pledge by euery Altar When I handled those words I spake at large of this custome Amos now againe alluding to it giueth vs to vnderstand that the Israelites desiring to lye in angulo lecti that is in capite lecti at the beds head in the chiefest place feasted it sumptuously and deliciously as well in Samaria as in Damascus Little thought they of going into Captiuity Now take the similitude to the full As when a Lion hath eaten his fill and hath satiate his hunger the shepheard findeth two legges or the tip of an eare to shew vnto the owner that his sheepe was worried so the children of Israel here a man and there a man few of them very few shall be taken out of the mouth of the Lion King Salmanassar though they trust in the strength of Samaria and in the succour of Damascus thinking thereby to be safe as in a bed of rest or feasting We haue gone the greater part of our iourney let your attentions beare mee company for the little that is behind Our Prophet here deriding or scoffing at the Israelites for their confidence in the multitude of their people in the valour of their souldiers in their fenced Cities in the strength of Samaria in 〈◊〉 succour of Damascus teacheth vs that All confidence in creatures strength of man or munition of Cities is vaine and sinfull All such confidence is with all diligence to bee shunned Diuine prohibition is against it Psal 118.8 Put no confidence in man no not in Princes and Psal 146.3 Put not your trust in Princes nor in any sonne of man The prohibition is diuine Put no confidence in man and therefore all such confidence is to be shunned Now the reasons why no confidence is to be put in man are diuers One is because it is manifest idolatry so to doe To withdraw and remoue the affections of the heart from the Lord and set them vpon other things cannot bee lesse than Idolatry A second reason depending hereupon I take from the description of confidence It is described to be indubitata spes futuri auxilij It is the vndoubted hope of future succour which is due to God alone And therefore to put our confidence in man is to deny God his due A third reason is taken from the condition of man in whom some put their trust The condition of man What is that Dauid breakes forth into admiration of it Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the sonne of man that thou makest account of him And then shapes vnto himselfe an answer Homo vanitati similis factus est Man is like to vanity Psal 144.4 Like to vanity Well were it for him were he onely like vnto it Veruntamen vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens Verily euery man at his best state is altogether vanity Psal 39.5 Euery man at his best state altogether vanity Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a Lie Lay them in the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity Psal 62.9 What! Man who hath an admirable feature and aboundeth with created excellencies is he made like vnto vanity Nay is he altogether vanity Nay is he lighter than vanity What then can his life be Paâ—â— â—â—ies it s but a tabernacle 2 Cor. 5 4. and if a tabernacle stand a yeere it s much Peter calls it grasse Epist 1. Chap. 1.24 and grasse growes but a Summer Dauid calls it a flowâ—r Psal 103 15. and a flower hath but his moneth Esay describes iâ— by a day Chap. 21.12 and a day hath but a morniâ—g and an euening Iob compares it to a shadow Chap. 14.2 and a shadow hath neither yeere nor summer nor month nor day but an houre Moseâ— likens it to a thought Psal 90 9. and of thoughts there may be an hundred in an houre So short a life what else doth it argue but that man is vanity And what so little a creature is there that yeelds not an argument to proue mans vanity A little a Plin. Hist Nat. lib. 7. c. 7. haire in milke strangles Fabius the stone of a Raison Anacreon a flye Pope Adrian the fourth The Myuntines were chased from their habitations by b Pausan in Ac aâ—â— lib. 7. Gnats the Atariotes by frogs some Italians by mice some Medians by c â—â—od Sâ—culus lib. 4. cap. 3. sparrowes the Aegyptians oftentimes by grashoppers And if d Exod. 5.2 Pharaoh aske who is the Lord Frogs and Lice and Flies and other the basest vermine shall be his Challengers and Conquerours and Iaylors and aske who is Pharaoh so vaine a thing is man The fourth reason against confidence in man I take from the dangerous effects thereof First it bringeth vpon vs the curse of God for thus saith the Lord Ierem. 17.5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme And he whom God curseth shall be accursed Secondly it makes vs liable to Gods iust vengeance So were the people of Iudah for the confidence they had in Rezin and Remaliahs sonne Esay 8.6 So they who strengthened themselues in the strength of Pharaoh and trusted in the shadow of Aegypt The strength of Pharaoh was their shame and the shadow of Aegypt their confusion Esay 30.3 And so to omit many other the Israelites in my Text for relying vpon the multitude of their people