the people of my wrath to take the spoyle and to take the pray and to treade them vnder feet like the mire in the streetes Ieremie 25.9 Beholde I will send and take to mee all the families of the North sayth the Lord Nabuchadnezzar the king of Babel my seruant and will bring them against this land and against the inhabitants thereof and against all these Nations round about and will destroy them and make them an astonishment and an hissing and a continuall desolation Exodus 1.13 Wherefore the Egyptians by crueltie caused the children of Israel to serue verse 14. Thus they made them wearie of their liues by sore labour in clay and in bricke and in all works in the fielde with all manner of bondage which they layde vpon them most cruelly Examples of their cruelties are many in all ages The Reason is because first they wil not do that worke of God negligently and so shall wee bee the more afflicted with it and the better humbled Secondly God wil thereby kéepe his people from familiaritie with the wicked Thirdly that his loue to vs may the better appeare in burning the rod vpon our repentance Vse The vse is to teach vs first that it is the lot of the godly to be punished by the wicked so was Christ so were the Apostles and Prophets then let vs looke for it and not murmur at it nor shrinke from the truth of it Secondly that sinne is a most vglie thing in Gods sight that causeth him to deale so seuerely with his dearest children Thirdly that we take héede of béeing in league with the wicked for they are our enemies and must scourge vs. If men do hate vs and despise vs let it put vs in mind that wée haue not loued our GOD and therefore it is good reason that wee should receiue such reward of hatred vpon our heads God then entendeth to trie our lowlinesse and patience in this behalfe by our méeke receiuing of the iniuries that men do to vs without stomaking thē For this delicate bringing vs vp in ease without enemies at our pleasures causeth vs to bee impatient so as wee cannot beare any thing so as if a man do but passe by vs with a frowning countenance it gréeueth vs yea it is such a corosiue vnto vs that wee know not which way to turne vs. Then if the Lord our God inure vs to the suffering of enmities wrongs and reproches let vs learne that therein hee procureth our welfare and profite to the intent that wee should be all whole and sound as they say And this is the cause that S. Paul saith 2. Cor. 6.7 that it behooueth vs to bee armed on both sides that wee may passe through enmitie shame and reproch as through amitie glorie and honour If men hate and detest vs let vs neuerthelesse take all patiently considering that we haue heretofore not walked in the wayes of God although that now wee doe For this is a most true saying and worthie of al men to bee receiued and learned that no affliction commeth vpon vs but for our sinnes and if he now afflict vs and we walke in his wayes hee doth it that wee may not bee ouercome of the same séeing hee nowe giueth vs power to beare it And thereupon it behooueth euerie one of vs to bethinke himselfe aduisedly and as soone as any man shall hate and persecute any of vs we must learn to acknowledge that God putteth vs in minde to make our owne accusation Euen the heathē Philosophers would say that our deadly enemies doe many times profite vs more then our friends Wherefore Our friendes beare with vs oftentimes which causeth vs to féed our owne vices For although their intent bée not to flatter vs yet notwithstanding the gentlenesse or rather the crueltie that they vse in bearing with vs is a cause that wée thinke not vpon our imperfections to amende them But our enemies doe praye vpon vs and séeke all the meanes that may bee to lay open all the faults that are in vs. Therefore when any man hateth or findeth fault with vs it behooueth vs to thinke thus I sée that God here citeth mée to make mine owne proces and to accuse my selfe that I may bee mine owne Iudge to condemne my selfe that by so doing my shame may be couered and buried And if wee know that such as hate vs haue cause so to doe although they doe it of malice yet notwithstanding lette vs not replie to say that this man is ledde by Sathan to reuenge although it bee true lette vs not looke on any such things but let vs pleade guiltie and pray vnto GOD in the name of Iesus Christ to blot out all our offences to the end wée may bee quitte both before GOD and the world Yea although wee know not any reason why our enemies should hate vs in that behalfe yet let vs acknowledge that although we bee not guiltie in that poynt whereof wee are blamed yet haue wee many other vices whereof wee are guiltie but our good God spareth vs and will not haue them come to the knowledge of men If it pleased him to stirre abroad all our filthinesse what a stinke would there be Let vs consider that by that meanes God intēdeth to set secretly before our eies the sinne which wee would haue cast behind our backs and that is to make vs to hate the euill that is in vs without any flattering of our selues If men do blame vs for executing of our offices and duties faithfully for following Gods word zealously and sincerely lette vs assure our selues that Gods will is that our receiuing of such a reward shall bee to the end that wee should looke for a better at his hand And if wee sée no cause at all but are vtterly abashed in our selues let vs not therefore cease to say O Lord thou art righteous whatsoeuer come of it And herewithall let vs endeuour to profite our selues by all the chastisements which God sendeth vs from day to day and let vs vnderstand that therby God intendeth to fashiō vs to praise and glorifie him euen when wee sée good men hated and persecuted For as euerie one of vs ought to bee patient and by his patience to praise God for all things that hee suffereth so also must we not blame him but rather as Dauid here doth pray vnto him when we sée him suffer good men to bee hated and persecuted wherefore lette vs not bée too much grieued when wee sée them so hardly vsed Wée sée Dauids estate he was a patterne of al holinesse a man after Gods owne heart and yet notwithstanding we sée him in such misery by the hatred of his enemies that he seemeth to bee vtterly past recouerie Can we blame God in this behalfe Nay rather when wée sée such afflictions come vpon others or our selues lette vs humble our selues And although the reason why God doth so be not apparant vnto vs yet notwithstanding let vs assure
although being in the Sea the waues beate against it yet after a certain maner it is brought to land against windes and tempestes euen so against the temptations of this our pilgrimage our hope being fownded in that celestiall Ierusalem maketh vs as it were to be turned into stones Laur. Iustinianus Patriarcha Sim. Hope is as it were a piller which holdeth vp the spiritual building which fayling the building ruineth and into the pit of despaire falleth Heb. 6.19 Which hope we haue as an anchor of the soule both sure and it entreth into that which is within the vayle Psalm 52.2 My God I trust in thee let me not be confounded Doct. 1 1. Doct. Whosoeuer haue a strong coÌ„fidence in God will also ioyne prayer to God onely with their trust in him that their enemies may not preuaile against them to their confusion 1. Reason is Prayer is a strengthning of our hope in God and a meanes whereby we are deliuered from coÌ„fusion Psal 50.15 Call vpon me saith God in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me Whoso praieth not to God to be deliuered from confusion which his enemies would bring him vnto doth not onely oftentimes fall into it as many exaÌ„ples in the holy word are shewed but is destitute of the hope of a Christian and so by consequence is voide from all comfort in his affliction seing in trouble nothing comforteth the afflicted but his hope and confidence in God â—â—w for his deliuery Let not mine enemies reioyce ouer me Doct. 1 1. Doct. The property of the wicked is to reioyce at the confusion of the godly Reason Because they hate nothing neither any persons somuch as the truth and the professors thereof Vse The vse is first to teach vs that the greatest part of men shall alwaies be against the godly Secondly not to trust the friendship of the wicked Lam. 2.16 All thine enemies do open their mouth against thee they hisse and gnash their teeth saying Wee haue deuoured it certainly this is the day wee looked for we haue found and seene it Hee saith not enemy but enemies Doct. 2 2. Doct. The wicked will ioyne together to vexe the godly although otherwise they agrée not among themselues Psal 2.2 The kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ Example Luk 23.12 And the same day Pilate and Herode were made friends together for before they were enemies one to another Vse The Vse is that we beware lest we be spotted with that fault Doct. 3 3. Doct. The wicked be often so enflamed with malice against the godly that nothing will satisfie them but their life Prou. 1.11 If they say Come we will lay waite for bloud and lie priuily for the innocent without a cause 12. wee will swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole as those that go downe into the pittes 13. wee shall find all precious riches and fill our houses with spoile 14. Cast in thy lot among vs we wil haue but one purse Ps 79.2 The dead bodies of thy Sainctes haue they giuen to the fowles of the heauen and the flesh of thy Sainctes vnto the beasts of the earth vers 3. Their bloud haue they shed like water round about Ierusalem there is none to bury them vers 4. Wee are a reproch to our neighbors eueÌ„ a scorne and derision to them that are round about vs. The Reason is They thinke to florish without controlment and to be reuerenced and to haue rest when they are dead which during their life they thinke and know that they shal not haue as they expected Esth 3.5 And when Haman sawe that Mordecai bowed not the knee vnto him nor did reuerence vnto him then he was full of wrath Vse 1 The Vse is First that bloudy cruelty being the property of the wicked that we labour with our selues that it be farre from vs. Vse 2 2. Vse To looke for all mischiefe from the wicked that they can accomplish against vs. Psalm 25.2 Let not mine enemies reioice Doct. 4 4. Doct. Though the wicked do alwaies hate the godly yet they wil ofteÌ„ dissemble friendship shew forth their malice only wheÌ„ they haue oportunity thereunto Psalm 5.9 For there is no constancy in their mouthes within they are vaine corruption their throte is an open sepulchre and they flatter with their tongue Amos 1.9 Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue shut vp the whole captiuitie in Edom and haue not remembred the brotherly couenant The Reason is Because they are wise in their owne generation Luk. 16. and can waite their best aduantage Vse The vse is To teach vs First neuer to trust the faire wordes of a prophane man but so to behaue our selues that we shall beware of him Text. Let not mine enemies reioyce ouer mee Doct. 5 5. Doct. If we fall and our enemies reioyce ouer vs it is the Lords doing The 1. Reason He is almighty and doth all thinges although euill bée of Sathan and man The 2. Reason He hath the dominion of all creatures Vse The Vse is to teach vs First to learne to feare him and obay him especially in whose fauour nothing can hurt vs. Secondly that in all afflictions we looke vp and lift our soules to him that striketh and examine our selues what cause we haue giuen him Thirdly to séeke reconciliation with him by praier and repentance so shall the meanes that are against vs be employed for vs as Hamans galowes for Mordecai which God chaunged that hée himselfe was hanged thereon and his 10. Sonnes Esth 10. Goliahs sword cut off his owne head 1. Sam. 17. Text vers 3. So all that hope in thee shall not be ashamed but let them be confounded that transgresse without cause Paraphr And surely thou wilt not suffer them that depend vpoÌ„ thée to be put to shame but rather must these faithlesse persons that persecute the innocent be brought thereunto Doct. 1 1. Doct. An assured hope of deliuerance grounded vpon Gods promise is the onely cause of the patience and humility of Gods childreÌ„ in their troubles The Reason is First because the corruptioÌ„ of mans nature being of it self wayward cannot take afflictions patiently without supernaturall helpe therefore we say Without Hope the heart would breake Secondly where there is no hope there is no faith where there is no faith there is no patience Thirdly else the damned might haue patience which they haue not as appeareth by their gnashing of téeth Vse The Vse is To teach vs to be careful to vse the meanes of obtaining hope and growing in it praising God for such meanes we haue and mourning for that we want Psal 25.3 So all that hope in thee shall not be ashamed but let them be part of confounded that transgresse without a cause The 3.
For they cast downe euery man his rodde they were turned into serpents but Aarons rodde deuoured their rodde Exod. 8.7 And the sorcerers also did likewise with their sorceries and brought frogs vpon the land of Egypt And of this sort was Simon Magus of Samaria of whome Luke in the 8. chapter of the Acts recordeth And of this sort are all Enchanters Coniurers which vse the seruice and worke of the Deuil to bring their matters to passe and as many as vnder the pretence of Religiō with false doctrine deceyue the mindes of men that the truth they cannot sée nor discerne or that by vnlawfull meanes apply and minister their medicines and Phisicke whyle they vse Exorcismes or do hang about the necks of the sicke enchaunted hearbes or rootes or any other thing of the like sort August de Doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 20. This beastly superstition the wisest of the heathen did as it appéereth greatly dislike and abhorre Theophrastus as Plutarch writeth noted Pericles who being sicke shewed vnto a friend of his who came to visite him certaine enchantments which by certaine women were tied about his necke and by that he iudged him to be of as badde a mind as a man could be seing that such madnesse he regarded Yet at this day such as vse manifest impiety and such as abuse the sacred name of God in their deuilish sorceries among Christians O lamentable are suffered vnpunished The other sort are called Megnonenim whom we call Diuiners The Etimon of the word is of diuers significations among the Hebrues Some deriue the word of Gnanah to answere to speake to testifie Isa 3.9.26.5 Deuter. 19.18 And this they thinke they are called because beyng asked they giue answeres as Apollos Interpreters vsed to do Some deduce the roote thereof of Gnanan a clowde Ezech. 1.4 who are so called because they prophesie of things to come by the celestiall influences or by the positions or situations of the Starres Some called them so of the roote Gnanah which signifieth a determinate appointed time Wherupon they are called Gnonemin which make computations of tymes and houres and of certaine signes do gather what at sometime can be begunne when euent of things as they say shall be Notwithstanding herein they all agrée that the Prophet speaketh of Diuiners which curiously enquire to know things both secret and to come by exercising curious and vnlawfull Artes. Vayne curiositie and heady rashnesse haue found out many artes of prophecyings whose names argue the vanity and incredible boldnesse of mans witte Of which sort are Necromātia Necromantia which is Diuination by calling of Spirites Hydromantia Hydromantia Diuination by calling Spirites out of the waters Pyromāiia Pyromantia Diuination by fire Coscinomantia Coscinomantia Diuination made by a siue Geomantia Geomantia working in sorcery by circles and prickes in the earth Cataptromantia Cataptromantia Diuination which is made by a glasse and diuers others which are so called by the instruments that they vse Aruspices Of this sort are Bowelgazers to foretell things to come Exorcists whom the Deuill doth easily draw to be ministers of his impiety whereby he may the more easily draw men away from God and his holy word And although these Artes were in a manner odious among the wise and studious yet they gaue themselues many of them to the studie of Astrologie whereby they by the starres foretelling things to come got vnto themselues a great name to be accompted wisemen But let vs obserue and marke that these artes are of that sort that if wée vse them they will hinder vs for entering into the kingdome of heauen Leuiticus 20.6 If any turne after such as worke with Spirites and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Leuit. 19.26 You shall not vse witchcraft nor obserue times Leuit. 19.31 Yee shall not regard them that worke with Spirites neyther Soothsayers yee shall not seeke to them to be defiled by thē I am the Lord your God Deut. 18.9 When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee thou shalt not learne to do after the abominations of those nations verse 10. Let none bee found among you that maketh his sonne or his daughters to goe through the fire or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of fowles or a Sorcerer verse 11. Or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a soothsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead verse 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee The causes of Gods seuerity against such great and gréeuous sinners are waighty For first it is an inexcusable rashnes and presumption to search out the knowledge of those things which the Lord will not haue to be knowen This rash presumption is condemned by our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the Acts 1.7 when he answered to his Disciples asking him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel And hee said vnto them It is not for you to know the time or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Secondly it derogateth from the goodnesse and glorie of God as though that the Lord had not faithfully taught all things in the sacred Scriptures which were necessarie to be knowne of vs. Thirdly it taketh from Christ that honour which is due to him which of God is giuen a Doctor and teacher vnto vs and in whome all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidde as Paul teacheth To conclude therefore this poynt let vs not séeke vnto them but vnto our God in our afflictions then will he help vs and deliuer vs out of our miseries for hee is a God of power and therefore is able a God of mercie and therefore is willing to deliuer vs out of trouble for as a father hath pitie vpon his children so is the Lord merciful to those that trust in him The ninth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme verses 19 20. 19. Behold mine enemies for they are many and they hate mee with cruell hatred The sence is O Lord my God although I haue bin thy seruant yet sathan hath raised vp many aduersaries mortall enemies against mee who deadly cruelly and most tyrannously detest and hate mee so that except thou be good and gratious vnto mee to protect and defend me I shall surely perish Doct. 1 1. Doct. God is accustomed to whip his childrē for their sinnes by the multitude of Infidels that hate the truth Isai 10.5 O Asshur saith the Lord by the Prophet the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation verse 6. I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against