ENGLANDS VNTHANKFVLNES FOR GODS MERCIE A Sermon preached at a funerall at STROVVD in Gloustershire the 16. of August 1621. By W. W. Doctor in Diuinity LONDON Printed for Iohn Marriott 1621. TO His Christian Brethren of the Clergie Grace Mercy and Peace from God our heauenly Father by Iesus Christ FOr as much as euerie true Minister is the Lords watch-man and thereupon bound by the band of obedience towards God to blow the Trumpet and warne the people when he seeth the sword of the Lord come vppon the land that is the Plague of Pestilence dearth Famine War or any such like and for that I haue not hitherto seene or heard of anye warning giuen by any brother in publike of this sword of the lord laide vppon this land by dearth of Corne and other commodities although I esteemed my selfe the moste vnworthie of all others yet I could not withholde from the publishing of this little paper-worke hoping that it might be a motiue vnto those that are better able to take this matter in hand or at least a discharge vnto my self of that Talent that God hath giuen me the which mine endeuour if it please Almightie God to blesse I shall account my trauel wel bestowed Let that saying therfore of this prophet Ezekiel written in the 33. Ch. ver 7. 8 be alwaies before thee in thy minde So thou O sonne of man I haue made thee a watch-man vnto the house Israel Therefore thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and admonish them from me when I shall say vnto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt die the death if thou doost not speake nor admonish the wicked of his way that wicked man shall dye for his iniquitie but his blood will I require at thy hands By both which doctrines or lessons of the Lord we are taught how needfull and necessary a thing it is for the Minister of God to bestir himself both in season and out of season in the work and word of the Lord. A sorry watchman would he be counted of his Captaine that being set to watch the Citty would sleep in the night and play in the day and let the enemy come in which way he would so careles no doubt are many at this day amongst vs who being set to watch ouer the house of the Lord let the lords enemies come in and out which way they list For could there such crueltie or couetousnes abound as doth or such dearth and famin encrease as is like to be if the Trumpet of Gods word were well sounded and the people of this land duely admonished no no it could not be but some hearts would be opened for doth not the Lord complaine that his people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4. 6. could they or would they commit such things as are dayly don amongst vs if they were rightly admonished of the same Therfore looke vnto it my bretheren that ye be not found negligent in the worke of the Lord I say that ye be not hot nor cold but zealous for the Lords glorie Giue the Lord no rest day nor night but call vpon him continually call vpon them likewise that are cōmitted to your charge that euery man may know his own disease and break off his sins by repentance and do the work of the Lord faithsully as it becōmeth good disposers of those treasures committed vnto your trust not looking so much vnto those things that concerne your own estate in this life as vnto the things of the Lord Iesus his flocke his lambes his sheepe his People his Church his kingdome which grace the Lord grant vs for his Christs sake Amen Thine now and alwaies in the feare of God W. W. A SERMON vpon the 12. 13. and 14. Verses of the 14. Chapter of EZECHIEL THE TEXT 12 The word of the Lord came vnto me saying 13. Sonne of man when the land sinneth against mee by committing a trespasse then wil I stretch out my hand vppon it and wil breake the staffe of the bread thereof and wil send famine vpon it 14. Though these three men Noah Daniel and Iob were among them they shold deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord. THe word of the Lord came vnto me saying Out of this whole text do arise three principall or especiall points right necessary of vs to be cōsidered both in regard of our owne instruction and admonition as also in respect of the time present it beeing a time of dearth and scarsitie and hunger amongst vs as that was a time of trouble amongst the Israelites when the Prophet Ezechiel vtttered these wordes vnto them so that this text or parcell of Scripture as Salomon saith Of the word spoken in his place or season Whichis like apples of gold with pictures of siluer meaning that as the one is pleasant to the eye to beholde and looke vppon so the other is or ought to be as pleasant and delectable to the eare heart and minde of man to cōsider of ponder vpon or like vnto the emplaister or potiō that is rightly imploied of the learned and skilfull phisition and expert chirurgian to the party diseased or member affected For as we say to come in time is the chiefest thing of al so to speak in time that is aptly to the purpose is a point very commendable and no lesse profitable The principall points or parts heerein to be handled are these First what is both the originall and accidental cause of dearth or famine declared in the 13. verse first part thereof Secondly what be the effects and fruits thereof laide down in the latter part of that v. Thirdly what be the helps remedies of euery such dearth plague or iudgement of God which are shewed set down in the 15. v. But before I can cōueniently come to entreat of these 3. I must giue you a taste of some other maters such as by the way of a preparatiō vnto the rest are described by this prophet in the 12. v. as namely what he meaneth by saying The word of the lord came vnto me the maner how it came from whome and vnto whome for like as euery Embassador heere on earth which is sent from one Prince or Potentate to another vpon any embassie or message doth vpō his or their first arriuall vnto the person to whome they are sent make knowne both who sent him and wherefore as well for the further credit of his message as for the better acceptation of himselfe euen so doth this man of God the prophet Ezechiel in this place being called of God to deliuer his word vnto the children of Israel as it is to be seene more at large in the 1. 2. 3. ch of this prophesie doth in these words make knowne vnto them not onely what he was to say vnto them or what Embassage he was to deliuer but also who had sent him and whose Embassador hee was as out of the
saide to stretch out his hand as we read in Iob. when Sathan saide to God concerning Iob. Stretch out thyne hand and touch all that hee hath c. q. d. punish and plague him c. Likewise in Ieremy the 15. Chap. verse 6. We reade thus Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord and gone backward meaning the Iewes therfore wil I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee for I am wearie of repenting Vppon it By these words we learn that whether they are taken literally or figuratiuely that both the earth it selfe and the people which dwell on the earth and are earthlye minded are in the hand of the Lord subiect vnto his correction for as he correcteth the one by famine dearth Pestilence warre c. So hee smiteth the other and the fruites thereof with blasting drought Mildew Caterpillers and such like So that to whether of either he stretcheth out his hand they must indure and suffer it which may teach vs in due time to fly vnto the lord for succour helpe and fauour especially when wee see his hand stretched fourth both towards the one the other For not onely our staffe of bread is broken whereby many of the poorer sort of people are plagued but also the earth it selfe is smitten wherby in many places her fruites encrease haue failed it cannot be denyed And I will breake the staffe of bread therof q. d. I will punish the people of that place with dearth and scarsitie of corne and with hunger and famine These words are partly figuratiue as the former therfore the more deeply to be considered For many waies is the lord said to break the staffe of bread acording as I finde in his holy writ as now I wil declare vnto you to the end that you may perfectlye vnderstand the meaning of these wordes and the will of the Lord contained in them Three maner of waies doe I finde that these words may conueniently be taken as first when the Lord doth diminish or abate the fruites of the earth as of Wheate Barly Rye c. and so bring in a dearth famine amongst the people as he foretelleth by Moses saying The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption and with the Feauer and with a burning Ague and with feruent heate and with the sword and with blasting myldew c. This also he fore-sheweh by Ezechiel to come vpon the Iewes in their Captiuitie saying Thou shalt also take vnto thee Wheat Barly and beanes and Lintell and Millet and Vetches and put them in a vessel and make thee bread thereof according to the number of the daies that thou shalt sleep vppon thy side c. And in the 16. verse of the same Chapter he saith I wil break the staffe of bread in Ierusalem and they shall eate bread by weight and drinke water by measure and with astonishment meaning through the rarity scarsenes of Corn this is the first way of breaking the Staffe of bread And after the which way or maner the Lord hath broken our staffe of bread in some measure in this Land by causing the earth to faile of her encrease of some sort of graine as Wheate especially The second way or meane whereby the staffe of breade is broken is when though there bee Corne sufficient in the land as yet is notwithstanding the earth failing her encrease through the charitable assistance of some other Nations yet the price therof is so enhaunsed and raised vp through the couetousnes and cruelty of the Corn-breeders buyers and sellers Conueyers and Corn-mongers that the poore are not able to compasse it And though they do for a time hold out by selling and pawning all that they haue yet at the last they can hold out no longer but miserably die of the dearth and famine Of this kinde of breaking the staffe of bread the Prophet AMOS maketh mention Chap. 8 verse 4. 5. saying Heare this O ye that swallowe vp the poore and make the needie of the land to faile saying When will the new Moone he gone that we may sell Corne and the Sahoath that we may set forth Wheate and make the Ephah small and the shekell great and falsifie the weights by deceit As wee haue many amongst vs at this day that spie out their oportunities to raise their prices as both at sowing time full tide the latter end of the yere By this means it may be also truly said that the lord hath broaken our staffe of bread for though heere be corne and graine sufficient in the land as I haue prooued yet the price is inhaunsed so high that the poore cānot attain to it for how can they when their earnings amount not to aboue foure or fiue shillings a weeke for a man hee hauing seauen or eight persons depending vpon him to bee releeued with the same as for example I know many poore Ministers yea and some of them sufficient preachers who hauing but ten poundes a yeare stipend to liue on who are charged as I haue said whose maintenance will not suffice to finde him and his breade onelie after the rate and price that Corne is now come vnto a pittifull case consider O King let all such hard-hearted Corne-sellers and consumers of their bretheren that either by hardnesse of heart couetousnesse or crueltie transportation or conueying away of Corne from their natiue countrie and neighbours now in time of dearth scarsitie especially to Aliens Pyrates or other nations and see and suffer their poore Bretheren and Sisters at home to lye in the Streets and at their doores and complaine and pine and perish Let thē I say consider what the Lord of hosts saith vnto them verily thus The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob and saide surely I will not forget any of their workes And againe shall not the land tremble for this and euery one mourne therein Amos. 8. verse 4. 5. As if he should say to them hereafter as Abraham once said to Diues Sonne remember that thou in thy life time liuedst in pleasure and Lazarus in paine now he is comforted and thou art tormented The third and last way whereby the Lord is said to break the Staffe of bread is when the Lord giueth the fruits of the earth in aboundance and habilitie sufficient to prouide them in somuch that many eat and drinke thereof continually and yet notwithstanding they are alwaies empty hungry and not satisfied And al because God hath not blessed it vnto them neither they shewed themselues thankfull vnto him therefore for how many of this sorte of people may a man finde at this day amongst vs that sit downe and eat and drink and fill themselues from day today and rise vp againe neuer thanking the lord for his benefits This point the prophet Ose toucheth Chap. 4. 10. saying For they shall eat and not haue enough they shal commit adultery and shall not encrease and all because they haue
as the Lord hath three manner of waies broken our staffe of bread so there may be gathered three speciall causes more iustly procuring the same then the rest Like as we read that the sinnes of Sodome and Gomore were pride fulnes of bread that is gluttony and drunkennes aboundance of idlenes and not strengthning the hand of the poore yet when we rightly consider of their punishment we shall finde that as they burned in vnlawfull lust one towards an other so were they burned and consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen like as our late Arch-traytors that intended to blow vp others with Gunne-pouder were some of them stroke downe with the same and others so scorched that they carried it to their graues So righteous is God in all his waies and holy in all his workes Thus in like manner may we suppose that of this threefold breaking our staffe of bread there may be gathered three capitall crimes or principall causes aboue the rest As first our great contempt of the heauenly Manna and sweete foode of our soules our disobedience to the word of God I meane so plentifully and purely preached amongst vs. And this dooth DAVID most plainely prooue in the ps 81. verse 13. whereas he saith O that my people would haue hearkened vnto me That is vnto my word preached amongst them and Israell had walked in my waies Marke the answere verse 16. Then would I haue fed them with the fat of wheat and with hony out of the rocke would I haue sufficed thee As if he would haue saide because ye haue not hearkened to my word nor obeyed the same I haue scanted your bread and broken the staffe thereof But heere haply you will say of what manner of persons is the word of God so despised as you speake of First of the Recusant Papists that will not heare it read nor preached except it be ofa Masse priest and that in the latine tongue Secondly of the Precisian that cares not to heare it read in the church at all nor preached except it be of such a minister as doth refuse subscription Yea but those are esteemed and taken for the most zealous professours of al They would indeed be so accounted but I finde by experience that they haue done more harme in the Church thē euer the Recusant papists did that would not come to church at all For heereby the ministery is reproached the word despised and the people so destracted that wheras before they were very attentiue to the word read and preached and duely resorted to their seuerall parishes now they runne some one way and some another as it were so many sheep without a Shepheard not suffering wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching do after their owne lusts get them an heape of teachers euen as S. Paul long since prophesied 2. Tim. 4. verse 3. The third and last sort of them that contemne the word are those old and cold protestants that do vsually and daily come and sit before the minister heare but how none otherwise then those Isralites of whome the Prophet Ezechiel maketh mention saying For they come to thee as the people vse to come my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they make iestes and their heart goeth after their couetousnes and loe thou art vnto them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voyce and can sing well for they heard thy words but they do them not And thus is the word of God contemned in a manner of all or at the least of the greatest part of the people amongst vs. The second cause of this our staffe of breade broken is as I take it the corrupting or abusing of those good creatures of Wheate and Barlye which God so plentifully hath heretofore powred downe vpon vs as for many yeares past they haue bin But happily you wil say wherin or how haue we abused thē Behold I wil shew you First of wheat wherwith the Lord hath made as a sure promise to feede vs with the finest Flower therof haue not we turned it from the right vse thereof in filling our bellyes vnto the fineing of our necks by chāging it from making of bread into making of starch a most vile and abhominable abuse when you shall haue in some one little town in this Land as much wheat weekly spent in making of Starch as in making of bread and as for the other graine of Barlie who knowes not how many waies it is and hath bin mispent of many some feeding their Hogs some their Dogs and Horses therewith where as Christ himselfe was content to feede himselfe therewith feasted many thousands Others conuerting it into mault in such excessiue manner and measure as passeth to speake of then transporting it who knowes whether that both the price is enhaunsed therby as you see drūkennes dayly maintained for what is it to haue an hundred bushels of Mault brewed in one little Towne euerie weeke in the yeare where as twentie would suffice One of the sinnes of Sodome was as you haue heard fulnesse of bread so I may say that one of the chiefe sinnes of this land is fulnesse of drinke and surely not the least nor in the last place of those which haue caused this our Staffe of breade to be broaken For if a man do but note the abhominable quaffing and carowsing with kneeling on their knees to their God Bacchus I suppose as it is vsed in many places in taking of their liquor it would make any Christian heart to ake to beholde or heare thereof This I say I take to be not onely the cause or one of the causes why the staffe of our corporall foode is broken but also of our Spirituall in so many places scanted through the strength of many who are strong to set vp drunkennesse as the Prophet Esay writeth Capter 5. who should bee rather dealing and distributing of that liquor of the which if a man once taste or drinke of hee shall neuer more be a thirst as our sauiour showeth Io. 4. 14. This is it that the Prophet Amos meant saying Chapter 8. 11. Beholde the daies come saith the Lord that I will bring a Famine in the land not a Famine of Breade nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. Which famine euen in these our daies of dearth scarsitie hath not bene a little threatned and which thirst is tē thousand times worse then the former For this is the famine of the soule and the spirituall drought that the Prophet Ieremy speaketh of Chap. 30. ver 38 saying Siccitas super aquas A drought is vpon his waters and they shall be dryed vp c. For by how much the soule is more precious then the body by so much the more is the death or famine of it to be lamented then of the other But heere it may bee demaunded whether that the
same bee the causes of the one as the other no for as the thinges be different so the causes are likewise cōtrarie yet being considered in a spirituall thought we shall finde them verie correspondent the one to the other For as disobedience corrupting vnthankfulnesse are the causes of the one so reiecting neglecting are the causes of the other Euen as the Israelites when they were cloyed with Manna murmured and had Quailes so manye amongst vs at this day beeing drunken with superfluitie but not of Wine haue spewed vp againe that which was good at the first receauing and haue longed for that which was worse as the Israelites did for the flesh-pots of Egipt Now concerning the third cause which I haue assigned to vnthankfulnesse for as much as the Lord in a maner looketh for nothing else at our hands for all the benefits that hee hath giuen vs appeareth by Dauid Psalm 116. verse 12. 17. where he saith What shall I giue or render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards mee The answere is I will offer to thee a sacrifice of praise and will call vpon the name of the Lord as if he would say I will giue him thankes and praise his name And againe Psame 63. vers 5. 6. As long as I liue I will magnifie thee on this manner and will lift vp my hands in thy name my soule shall bee satisfied euen as it were with marrowe and fatnesse when my mouth prayseth thee with ioyfull lippes Yet our mouthes cannot so doe because they are otherwise filled with Oathes Cursses Blasphemies and other prophanes or else vtterlye mute and silent as I haue shewed Thus much concerning the causes both origninall and accidentall of Dearth the Metaphores or phrase of speech the sense and meaning thereof and the Misteries and Doctrines therein contained And so now I come to the effects and fruits thereof And I will send Famine vpon it this Famine as you haue heard is to bee taken two manner of waies that is eyther for the defect of Spirituall or of Corporall foode Concerning the first which I holde moste proper vnto this place the whole scriptures are pregnant shewing how God not onely threatned but also brought the same to passe in all ages punishing sometimes therewith some particular places and persons sometimes whole Nations and sometimes the whole world as wee read in Ge. Ch 12. 26. 41. 47. How the Lord visited the South in the daies of Abraham and Iacob Egipt in the daies of Pharaoh Samaria Ierusalem other Nations from time to time The prophets Esay Ieremie and Ezechiel in one and the selfe same Chap viz. the 14. as if they had spoken al three with one mouth as they did by one spirit doe shew that the Lord will kil the root of Palestina and not leaue the rebellions of Iuda Ierulem vnpunished with famine How iust true the Lord is in al his promises propheseings our own experiēce can best of all bear witnes who haue tasted the twigs of this rod three seuerall times within the space of twentie foure yeres wherein we haue or might haue heard and seene the poore miserablye crying and dying through the extreamitie of dearth and famine Oh! but happilye you will say I neuer heard or saw any such Ans But I haue who am both auritus and oculatus testis that is both an eare and an eye witnesse thereof Indeed I think that many of superiour place haue not seene so much for as the common saying is Aquila non capit muscas the Eagle taketh no Flies because shee soareth so hye And so doe many of the richer sort of this world sildome or neuer beholde nor heare or thoroughlye feele and vnderstand the State of the poore distressed As Diues little felt what were Lazarus paines or hūger But in as much as the Lord hath said he wil send famine vpon the land that committeth a trepasse against him let that bee one proofe Like as that wofull fact of that Woman in Samaria that sodde her Sonne one day and complained to the King that her Neighbour would not doe the like for her next day But heere it may be demaunded vnto what maner of persons this dearth of ours is a Plague or a famine Ans Not vnto the rich I suppose for they feele it not no more then Pharaoh did the dearth in Egipt and therefore it may well be called the poore mans plague for so it is But what you wil then say haue not the rich sinned as well as the poore yes And haue not they procured this plague as wel as the poore yes Why then are not they punished as the rest My censure you shall see First I say with the Apostle Saint Peter that iudgement beginneth at the house of God Secondly like as Pharao felt not the stroake of dearth in Egipt nor his iolly courtiers about him yet you see how afterward hee and they were all destroyed in the red sea So when God hath visited the poore which are his owne house hee will come vppon the mighty with greater iudgemēts afterwards for as Salomon saith the mighty shal be mightily tormented Sap. 6. 6. And Dauid saith He will not verily cleere the wicked It followeth And I wil destroy both man and beast forth of it Such is the iealousie and wrath of Almightie God that when sinners will not repent he not onely doth punish their sinnes to the third and fourth generation but also extendeth the same aswell vnto the vnreasonable creatures such as the Beasts and Birdes are as vnto the vnsensible earth and fruites thereof by making it either as hard as yron vnder foote or else the Heauen as brasse ouer head q. d. Both shall bee vnfruitefull and vnseasonable so that by their distemperature the Beastes or Cattel shall likewise be destroyed As for example what murrens of Cattel and rots of Sheepe haue wee had in this Land within the space of these fewe yeares past And as for the persons that dyed that way who can tell the number or names of them And so I come to the third and last part of this Text wherein are set downe the helpes and remedies of this dearth now beeing if they may be effectually put in practise It followes Though these three men Noe Daniel and Iob were amongst them they shall deliuer but their owne soules by their Righteousnes saith the Lord But mee thinkes I heare some say what helpes or remedies are to be found or gathered from these wordes or what point of doctrine or knowledge is heere to be had concerning the same Answere Surely all that euer the word of God teacheth to be done in such a case and that is enough and sufficient if wee had eyes to see or hearts to vnderstand But in as much as many haue eies and see not and hearts and vnderstand not for the natural man perceiueth not the things that pertaine to the spirit of God for how
signifieth sorrowfull so there should be few truely sorrowfull or penitent for their sinnes as by perfect experience wee prooue it in these daies for notwithstanding the Gospell hath long time shined amongst vs and the iudgements of God haue bene plentifully powred down vpon vs both by sea land by Fire water Plague and Pestilence Dearth and Famine c. yet where is one Noe or preacher of righteousnes that buildeth vp the Arke as God bad him as he did or where is one Daniel that refuseth the Kings portion and prouision that is any pleasure or profit of this life and contents himselfe with pulse and water giuing himselfe to prayer and fasting as Daniel did or where is one Iob to be found so patient and penitent that of whome it may bee saide as it was of him in all his afflictions that in all this hee sinned not neither charged God foolishly for these be the verie true helps meanes to redresse this dearth Famine if it wold please God to giue vs such grace The Lord be mercifull vnto vs and create in vs new hearts and right spirits that wee may in due time breake off our sinnes by repentance and turne to the Lord our God with all our heartes vnfainedly Amen Were amongst them q. d. either to preach to them as Noe did to the olde world or to pray for them as Daniel did for the Israelites in Captiuitie or to giue example of holy life as Iob did of all long suffering patience and repentance which are the verie true meanes and remedies of these iudgemēts of God now inflicted vpon vs as I haue shewed and as the Prophet Dauid prooueth moste plainelye in the 67. Psalme saying Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee Then shall the Earth bring foorth her encrease and God euen our own God shall giue vs his blessing Where vnder the word Praise are contained all the dueties of our deuotion towards God as Faith Prayer Preaching Repentance holy life c. But happilye heere some will say haue not wee manye Godlye Preachers deuout Orators and diuine liuers amongst vs at this day as euer were as Daniel was then liuing amongst the Iewes as likewise this prophet Ezechel a man of God c True it is that both Daniel and Ezechiel were thē liuing amongst the Iewes as it is to be hoped that there are many of the Seruants of God amongst vs at this day both Prophets and Pastors and yet by reason of the captiuitie that they were in and the peoples Idolatrie which they had sette vp in their hearts as this Prophet Ezechiel sheweth in the beginning of this 14. Ch. how they had done saying Son of man these mē haue set vp their Idols in their harts and put the stumbling blocke of their iniquities before their face should I being required answere them I say what by reason of the peoples Idolatrie and their captiuitie and hard entreaty they were neither regarded nor beleeued As many of the seruants of God amongst vs at this day are in like maner dealt with from whence may be gathered that the people doe not make that vse of Gods seruants whether absent or present amongst them as they ought to do God graunt this sinne be not amongst vs but it is greatly to be feared that it is for where is one Zaccheus amongst the rich that standeth forth and saith in this needefull time of comfort Beholde Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore c. or where is their one Lidiaes heart so opened that doth cheerfully receiue or charitably refresh the seruāts of God as she did I say where is there one Man or one Woman so wonne by the word that layeth a part one linke of his Golden chaine one lace of her veluet fleeue or a bateth one breadth of their broade ruffes or setteth a part one dish of their dainty superfluities at euery feast towards the releefe of so many poore Lazares as aboūd round about vs at this day yea what haue I seene to the contrarie namely thus that where there hath bene a motion made on the Saboath day in the Church by the minister to the whole congregation assembled in the behalfe of two poore sicke naked hungrie and impotent persons for some releefe there hath bene gathered in the same day in the afternoone foure times as much for a Beareward and his beare as hath bene giuen and collected towardes those two poore Christian persons which argueth the coldnesse of charitie in manye hearts and the deadnes of deuotion amongst those that should shine as Lampes in all manner of good workes aboue others So that of the true zealous deuout and charitable conuerted Christian indeed I may say as Iob speaketh of the good interpreter if there bee one amongst a thousand it is maruaile wherefore in the way of a general Admonition I say let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall for but onely Noe Daniell and Iob shall deliuer their ownesoules by their righteousnes that is from the plague or punishment that I wil bring vppon them from whence ariseth a double question to be dissolued First whether any man can deliuer his own soule by his righteousnes Secōdly whether there be any such righteousnes in man as that thereby he should deliuer his owne soule or the soule of another man from any present plague or punishment or from euerlasting death as some suppose To the first I answere that no man can deliuer his soule nor the soule of another man from death temporall or eternall which the Prophet Dauid prooueth plainly saying Yet a man by no meanes can redeeme his brother he cannot giue his ransome to God so precious is the redēptiō of their soules the continuance for euer that he may liue stil for euer not see the graue Ps 49. ver 7. 8. 9. Secondly to approue that there is no such righteousnes in man as therby to deliuer his owne Soule the prophet Dauid saith plainelye Psalme 143. 2. Enter not in iudgement with thy Seruant O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight And the Prophet Esay Chap. 64. verse 6. saith But we haue bene all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes Saint Paul also teacheth that not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue wrought but according to his mercie hee saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and renewing of the holye Ghost Tit. 3. 5. But then you will say how dooth the Prophet heere say that they should deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnesse that is as I haue shewed already from some temporall plague or punishment threatned or deserued As wee reade of the King of Niniuie and his people how they preuented their destruction by repentāce which otherwise should haue ensued within fortye daies Of Hezekia who calling vppon the Lord in the time of his sickenes and truely repenting
such pittilesse persons as hauing aboundance of Corne Cloth c. in possession will not notwithstanding al that can be saide vnto them depart from one mite thereof to the perishing people of this world I will rehearse but onely that so memorable a fact of Ioseph as it is recorded in Gen. 45. 28. Vnto whome when his brethren came for Corne in time of scarsitie and dearth he not only filled their sacks with Corn sufficient but also gaue them their mony backe againe which they had brought with them And is this recorded in vaine troe yé and not for our imitation aswel as for our instruction as Saint Paul teacheth saying Ro. 15. 4 Whatsoeuer things are written afore time meaning in the word of God are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might haue hope But alas no examples can moue the mindes of mortall men to depart from this transitory trash though it were to the sauing of their soules Earthy men earthly mindes if men would but lift vp their hearts a little toward the Lord and beholde the senselesse earth with the flowers and fruits therof consider the the Sunne Moone and Starres how euerie one of these in their kinde doe yeelde their sent sauour taste light heate and comfort to man it might something mooue them to shewe pittie and compassion towards their poore bretheren standing in neede thereof Of the Pellican a poore Bird it is reported that when shee hath brought foorth her young ones they die the which when she perceiueth shee lamenteth their death three daies and then for their recouerie vnto life againe what doth shee euen stab her selfe in the brest with her beake vntil the blood drop out which she letting fall vppon her young ones they doe immediately reuiue againe but shee dies for it her selfe What a motiue might this bee to such vnmercifull men as wee haue many amongst vs that in the like case beholding many of their Bretheren and Sisters euen as it were deade at their doores or little better will not droppe nor let fall one pennye out of their Purses nor abate one shilling of their prices nor one bushell of their corne toward the releefe comfort or reuiuing of so manye hunger-starued soules as daily pine away perish and all by reason that they so with-drawe their Corne from them so many waies as they doe For restraint of whose cruel couetous conceites let it be considered what the holy ghost hath heer left recorded saying Him that with draweth the Corne the people will curse But is this such a matter wil they say to haue the cursse of the people what care I for the curse of a thousand of them when all their curses wil not doe mee so much harme as one of my bushels of wheate or Barlie will do me good These and such like are the speeches of those whose hearts are glewed to their golde corne and earthly commodities in such wise as that they make them their God and so care not for the counsell of the Lord their God But like as it was once to that great with-drawer of corne mentioned Luk. 12. 18. whose groūd brought forth fruits plentiously in so much that hee saide What shall I doe because I haue not roome where I may lay vp my fruites and hee saide this will I doe I will pull downe my Barnes as manye set vp their ricks for like purpose and builde greater and therein will I gather my fruites and my goods And I will say to my Soule thou hast much goods laide vp in store for manye yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime or as wee say be merrie and make good cheere as many doe at this day but what was said to him in the end God saide to him O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast prouided So it is with him that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich towards God and so it is with al these none so merrie with-drawers of corn sellers or senders away therof they are now Iocond and merrie but the time will come when they shall mourne and lament And heere it is worth the nothing that the Text faith They shall fetch away thy Soule whereby is ment the Deuill and his Angells for like as it is recorded of Lazarus that pore begger when he died that he was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome but of the rich man there mētioned the first newes that we heare of him after he was dead he was in hell torments Let euery one therefore that liueth in his pleasures or couetous desires as this rich man did and as many other rich men doe at this present make good vse heere of and take heed of withdrawing their Corne Cloth Coyne or any thing els from their poore bretheren for say they liue neuer so pleasantly or happy in the mean time the people do curse them which althogh they care litle for yet behold how great grieuous a thing it is to haue the peoples curs deseruedly for although it be saide pro. 26. 2. The curse causeles commeth not or shal not hurt yet the curse that is caused deseruedly by crueltie oppression couetousnes or by any other kinde of rigorous dealing or violent meanes shal not passe with out perril paine For why the reason is euident the poore crie and the Lord heareth them ps 10. 17. as if he would say he reuengeth them as he did the Israelites against the Aegiptians we commonly say a common Proverb Vox populi vox dei that is the voice of the people is the voyce of God or that which the people doe most agree vpon or speake is the voice of God q. d. whome the multitude did curse God himselfe doth curse For as he is cursed of God that remooueth the land marke that is the Merestone or ridge of his neighbour so as he that remooueth or withdraweth the Corne from the people at the least we must take it for a grieuous plague to be iustly prosecuted or persecuted with the outcries of the people for like as a good name is mote ptetious then oyntment and to be preferd before gold or siluer So to be iustly reproached maligned or cursed of the people is a thing very loathsome and worse then the losse of any worldly thing beside as it is well noted by the holy ghost in this place The last of al Gods iudgements against sinners the greatest is Ite maledicti that is go ye cursed that 's Gods curse from whence we may learne how grieuous a thing the curse of man is Euen the greatest grieuance or iniury that man can doe to man as we may gather by the words of Iobs wife who seing her husband plagued her goods and children destroyed bids him curse God and dye As if she would haue sayd spit out all thy venome or seeing thou canst doe nothing els in