thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it 7 For the Vineyard of the LORD of Hostes is the house of Israel and the men of Iudah his pleasant plant and he looked for iudgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry A Table of the Method of the whole Parabolicall Song of the BELOVED followed in this EXPOSITION 〈◊〉 this Song 〈◊〉 the Beloâ—â—d we haue â—â—nsiderable The Prooem or Preface to it where are remarkable 1 The Inditer instrumentall or penman of it I. 2 The Nature or kinde of Treatise indited A Song 3 The Manner of the Authors deliuerie of it Will sing 4 The Person to whom he dedicates it To my welbeloued 5 The Authoritie whereby he published it Of his beloued 6 The Subiect Matter contained in it Touching his Vineyard The Poem it selfe or body of itâ— and therein is obseruable A Parable which is Briefly propounded vers 1. wherein take we notice of 1 The Husbandman My welbeloued 2 His Possession Had a Vineyard Largely prosecuted vers 2-7 and therin the Vineyards Plantation where wee haue The Vinitors care and paines manifested 1 In its Situation for it was 1 On a hill 2 A fruitfull hill 3 A very fruitfull hill 2 In its Protection He fenced it in 3 In its Elapidation He gathered out the stones 4 In the Plants election He planted it with the choisest vine 5 In its Fortification He built a Tower in the midst of it 6 In the Wine-presses erection He made a wine-presse therein And the successe where is declared 1 What he expected He locked for grapes 2 What it returned It brought forth wilde grapes Supplantation and there obserue His Plea with them in it 1 His Appeale to them and there note 1 The Manner of it I pray you 2 The Matter of it Iudge 3 The Iudges of the cause 1 Inhabitants of Ierusalem 2 Men of Iudah 4 The Parties at variance Mee My Vineyard 2 The Inditement against them where marke 1. He acquitteth himselfe â—hat could I haue done c. 2. Accuseth them which accusation is amplified by Antithesis from His iust demand Wherefore when I locked c. Their vniust demeanour brought it forth wilde grapes Sentence vpon them and in it 1 A gratious premonition demonstrating Gods mercy 1 In foretelling it I will tell you 2 In prolonging it What I will doe 2 A terrible execution manifesting Gods iustice where 1 The punisher I. 2 The punished My Vineyard 3. The punishment which consisteth 1 In the euill of lesse I will take away the hedge breake downe the wall c. 2 In the euill of sense It shall be eaten vp trodden downe c. The Application where is shewed vers 8. Who this Vinitor is The Lord. The Lord of Hoasts Which the Vineyard was The house of Israel The men of Iudah What the grapes were Which he expected Iudgement Righteousnesse Which they returned Oppression A cry A Strange Vineyard in PALAESTINA IN An exposition of Isaiahs parabolicall Song of the Beloued discouered To which Gods Vineyard in this our Land is Paralleld ISAIAH 5. 1. 8. Now will I sing to my well-beloued a Song of my Text. beloued touching his Vineyard IT was a practice vsuall with the Prophets in former times after that they had prophesied to the people to gather a compendious summe of what they had taught and affixe it to the gate of the Temple that the prophesie might be the better viewed and learned of all and after it had there remained for certaine daies it was then taken downe and put into the treasurie of the Temple that the memory thereof might continue for euer And thus by Gods speciall prouidence it came to passe that if not all yet most of the bookes of the Prophets were gathered and preserued and now as rich treasures are enioyed by vs wherein we haue the Sermons of the holy Prophets not so largely penned as they were preached but only such generall heads collected as were by them deliuered Now as before in the former Chapters so heere in this we haue some such Sermon notes preached by an excellent and incomparable Prophet by name Isaiah A man of noble birth and of as noble a spirit trace him and you shall still finde him like his noble selfe pithy powerfull and as Saint Paul witnesseth very bold in deliuering of his message fearing no cruelty nor danger albeit for his boldnesse he lost his life being by the commandement of Manasses sawne asunder with a woodden saw if Historie speakes true He was a Courtier and a Master of speech being saith one of the Antient the eloquentest Prophet for Hebrew in the Old Testament as Saint Paul was the elegantest Apostle for Greeke in the New To whose elegancies the rowlings of Demosthenes doe no more answer than that confused noise of waters doth to that sweet noise of Harpes spoken of in Saint Iohns Reuelation In all his writings he rather seemeth to be an Euangelist than a Prophet most liuely describing and setting forth the Natiuitie Preaching Persecution Apprehension Death Resurrection Ascension yea and latter comming to Iudgement of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ so that no Euangelist seemes to goe beyond him His Auditorie was Iudah and Ierusalem a stubborne and disobedient people more brutish than the Oxe and Asse whose sinnes were crimson receiuing a double dye or admitting a two-fold aggrauation one from Gods vnutterable kindnesse vnto them in nourishing bringing of them vp and choosing them for his The other from the qualitie and multitude of their transgressions against him whose sinnes were for number many for nature heauie To these is Isaiah Gods Health sent that he might heale their sicknesse with these he deales and first discouers their disease and then labours for their recouerie He proues that they are a sinfull nation a people full of iniquitie a seede of euill doers corrupt children whose whole head was sicke and whole heart heauie so that from the sole of the foot to the crowne of the head there was no soundnesse but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores c. And that of a faithfull citie it was now become a harlot whose siluer was become drosse and wine mixt with water c. For all which Gods anger was conceiued against them and yet withall he signifies his mercy if it were receiued by them vsing his best Oratorie in Inuiting those that did rebell Inciting those that did neglect hastening those that did linger and recalling those that did wander to sue out their pardons and make peace with their Maker And thus he spends the foure fore-going Chapters All which to haue heard this Orator himselfe presse in his owne words and with his owne affections whose bowels would not haue yerned and heart melted within their breasts And yet ah Lord what heare I Israel is not gathered thy seruants report is not beleeued euen Isaiah himselfe labours
therfore we vse Psalmes before our Sermons 2. It comprehends much in a little as we see in the Psalmes For what are they but a Compendium of both Testaments 3. It delighteth the eare and causeth it to hearken more attentiuely as we haue before seene in the beginning 4. And lastly it is a great helpe to memorie and causeth things once learned long to be retained as we finde by experience in children and others what they learne in Ryme they neuer forget againe to their dying day Now to apply the point This may serue first to informe our iudgements concerning the lawfulnesse hereof that so this exercise and Art which is by some wrongfully held in contempt may be brought into a more reuerend esteeme for what is the maine cause so many speake against Poetrie but an ignorant misconceit they haue thereof imagining it to be but a vaine inuention of man and an vnfitting language for to expresse holy and sacred matters and mysteries by But that which hath beene said before serues for the discouery and I trust shall also for the recouerie of this error God hath vsed Verse to expresse a great part of his reuealed will vnto vs and hath mingled many of his heauenly precepts with the sweet and pleasing straines of Poesie and Numbers And therefore let it neither be thought a vaine and vnnecessary curiositie nor yet as some others doe a horrible and damnable impietie True it is in these wretched daies for the most part we shall finde that the subiect of Poesie is wantonnesse and lasciuiousnesse wherewith the mindes of youth are wonderously bewitched But yet as one said of Musicke we may say of it The proper and principall subiect of it is the Almighties praise Shall we then condemne the lawfull vse with the vnlawfull abuse That may not be Let vs cast away the fashion but keepe still the stuffe Let not the exercise it selfe be abhorred nor the vse thereof condemned but the corruption thereof For certainly there is no Art that doth set forth the glory of God which is the chiefe end of mans creation with so much excitation and expression as this Art doth And therefore by some it is preferred to all Arts and Sciences To conclude this vse if euery Art be the gift of God and if it be of him to inuent and finde out curious workes to worke in gold and siluer and in brasse c. Then must it likewise be of him to guide the pen and giue the tongue for speaking such excellent things and after so elegant a manner The like might be said for her sister Musicke This may likewise serue for a Reprehension of such as abuse this Art which in it selfe is so lawfull and commendable and by their wantonnesse cause it to grow contemptible And thus doe vainer Poets who by their lasciuious rymes luftfull Sonnets Plaies and Entersudes bring shame vnto the Art disgrace to Poesie and dishonour to the giuer The like is the practise of wicked Fidlers and Baladmongers who make it their profession and get their liuing by poisoning many a soule in alluring their mindes vnto vanitie with their bewitching harmonie and tempting charmes of lasciuious Musicke A shame it is that such Vermine should be suffered in so well a gouerned Common-wealth as this is And the greater is our shame in that our Magistrates haue no more care for the putting such good Lawes in execution as are already enacted for the punishment of these Come we now to the third circumstance propounded in this Preface to our consideration and that is the manner of the Prophets publishing this Poem which he did indite I will sing As the former particular gaue occasion to speake of the lawfulnesse of Poesie and versifying so doth this for the authoritie and lawfulnesse of Voice-Melodie and Singing Let the point be this Songs and Poems artificially modulated may lawfully be sung for the setting forth of Gods praise This I will make good both by precept and practice out of the Old and New Testament Out of the Old Come let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs make a ioyfull noise to the rocke of our saluation Let vs come before this presence with thanksgiuing and make a ioyfull noise vnto him with Psalmes And againe Make a ioyfull noise vnto God all ye Lands sing forth the honour of his name Praise the Lord for he is good sing praises vnto his name for it is pleasant As in these and many other places it is commanded So by many of Gods faithfull seruants we may finde it hath beene practised For Israel sang this song Spring vp oh well Sing you vnto it Dauid and Solomon did likewise vse it and gaue appointment how the Iewes should sing Psalmes in their Temple So did Moses Deborah and Barak with others more as in the proofe of the former Doctrine appeared In the New Testament it is commanded in these expresse words Speak to your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing and making melodie in your hearts vnto the Lord. And againe Is any amongst you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes And there also we finde it vsed by Paul and Silas who at midnight prayed and sang praises to the Lord and by Christ and his Apostles whose example is without exception who sang a Psalme together as at other times so that night in which our Sauiour was betrayed Thus out of holy writ we haue proued the point Much might be brought likewise for the further confirming of it our of Ecclesiasticall Historie if it were as needfull as easie so to doe of the practise of Christians since Christs time but of that much I will alledge only at this time that testimonie which Plinius secundus a Heathen who liued about 200 yeares after Christ gaue vnto the Emperour Traian in the behalfe of Christians They vse saith he to rise before day to celebrate Christ in Psalmes as God And as Socrates reports neither Constantine nor Theodosius euer began a battell but first they and their souldiers sung Psalmes and made supplications to the Lord. Let vs now come to some profitable vse And first it serueth soundly to lesson such as condemne this exercise or deride such as vse it either in publike or in priuate Such mockers are euery where to be found who as they deride all other parts of Gods seruice so amongst the rest this But if it be a worke of Gods spirit to sing and if Gods children sing with the spirit as S. Paul auoucheth then against whom doe these open their mouthes whom doe they blaspheme A lamentable thing it is that in a Land professing the Gospell and after the continuance of the publike preaching thereof so many yeares such an ancient laudable and holy exercise should be made a matter of scorne in the seeming of any The Lord lay not this sinne vnto our
did appeare for his Vineyards good Now see the successe Hee looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wilde grapes His hope and expectation was to finde grapes in the vine or clusters of grapes as the word noteth But it deceiued the hope and expectation of the Lord and like a degenerated plant brought forth wilde grapes Not leaues or no fruit but as the word signifieth stinking and bitter fruit such a kinde of fruit as in smell was most odious and stinking and in taste most loathsome and vnsauoury being neither answerable to the nature and kinde of the noble plant nor yet to the care and cost of the good and painfull husbandman Two things then are here to bee considered First What God expected for his cost and paines He looked for grapes Secondly What it returned and how it answered the hope and expectation of the Vine-dresser It brought forth wilde grapes Before I come to any obseruation let me make answer to a question Some may demand whether God can faile of his end in any of his actions or be deceiued of his hope and expectation The answer is Gods knowledge is absolute and perfect knowing all things from all eternity at one instant and it is most certaine and cannot any way bee deceiued all things being knowne of him as they are and all things are as they are knowne of him The future degeneration and ingratitude of this people the Lord foresaw euen from the beginning and knew full well what he should receiue from them and causeth his seruant Moses to sing and write thereof euen before they came into the Land of Canaan and so he telleth them by this our Prophet that hee knew they would deale very treacherously with him This then is not spoken as if Gods hope and expectation were vncertaine or could bee frustrate or as if hee were doubtfull what would follow but by a figure hee thus speaketh Shewing thereby 1. What they ought to haue done 2. How acceptable and pleasing it would haue beene to him if they had so done Now to some Instructions and first from Gods expectation this we note Where God hath taken paines in planting and husbanding there he iustlie expects fruit somewhat answerable to his paines He lookes for the fruits of his trauels from them on whom hee hath bestowed it I went downe into the garden of nuts saith the Welbeloued to see the fruits of the valley and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranats budded He hauing purged and dressed his garden came to see how his handy-worke did thriue and prosper expecting in conuenient time some answerable returne That Parable which our Sauiour doth propound of the Vineyard let out to vnthankfull husbandmen is a pregnant proofe for when the season came and time of fruit drew neere that great Housholder sends out his seruants to those husbandmen that they might receiue the fruits And in the application of that Parable wee reade that Hee will let out his Vineyard to other husbandmen who should render him fruits in due season And when our Sauiour telleth vs of his Fathers purging and pruning of the Vine he withall sheweth vs what is his aime and scope therein namely that Christians should bee abundant in bringing forth of fruits beseeming their profession There is good Reason for it For who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke What husbandman bestowes his seed and paines vpon his land and doth not expect a good crop therefrom And is it not then iust and equall that the Lord should looke for some answerable returne for all his paines Let this then serue for our Instruction that wee answer this Husbandmans hopes in some good measure Let vs remember the end of all his cost and labour and consider with our selues the reason why we haue receiued so many blessings from him Let vs set before our eies his many fauours spirituall and temporall and then say whether hee hath not beene as carefull a Husbandman for England as euer he was for Israel Hath hee not taken vs out of the Romish Aegypt where wee grew not well and planted vs in a very fruitfull Hill in a Land flowing with milke and hony Hath he not fenced vs about with his mighty protection and defended vs from many dangers and deuillish plots deuised against vs by the enemies of the truth So that neither Boare nor Beare Wolfe nor Foxe Turke nor Pope could yet inuade vs or preuaile against vs Hath hee not rooted out and expelled those ranckling thornes and renting brambles I meane the Papists and cast out of this his Vineyard the stumbling stones of superstition and baggage of mans traditions with the relikes of Idolatry hammering and beating downe the Popish Dagon And hath hee not planted choise plants in this his Vineyard giuing vs such Princes as may bee compared with the best Princes of Israel and Iudah vnder whom wee haue a long time enioyed the Gospell with the fruits of the Gospell Peace and Plentie so that wee may sit vnder our owne Vines and Fig-trees conferring of the waies of God and quietly enioying our goods and earthly happinesse No Church vnder heauen more enriched with treasures and gifts from God than ours is What could he haue done more for this his Vineyard than hee hath done And what can he expect lesse from this his Vineyard than he now doth abundance of sweet grapes and good fruits Yea in particular let euery one consider this and make application of it to himselfe Hath not the Lord chosen thee aboue many thousands in the world and afforded vnto thee such meanes as hee hath not granted vnto many who by nature are as good as thy selfe art Hath he not sent his seruants vnto thee earely and late to call vpon thee that thou shouldest bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Hath hee not often trimmed thee with his pruning-hooke of afflictions and crosses sometimes in thy friends at other times in thy goods sometimes one way at other times another and to what end hath all this beene but that thou shouldest bee fruitfull Thus should euery one commune with his soule and put the question to himselfe what God meant in being at such paines and cost with him that so those fruits may be sound in vs which the hand of God lookes to gather from vs For to whom much is giuen of them much shall bee required Oh! beware then that thou deceiuest not Gods hope he expecteth fruit of thee let him finde it in thee This point though plaine I finde so needfull to be pressed in this barren age as that I must be bold to pursue it and shew First the Motiues or Reasons inducing vs to fruitfulnesse And secondly acquaint you with some profitable meanes that must be vsed to make vs grow more fruitfull And
and honour but Learning followes Homer with a staffe and wallet the studie of Diuinitie brings contempt and beggerie Looke how it was with the Iewes vnder the tyrannie of Egypt so is it now with vs when we should make bricke worke in our profession we are enforced to gather straw seeke out for sustenance and yet if our tale of bricke be not made vp we are cried out vpon for being idle But God heares our cries and will one day plead our cause In the meane time let such places and Parishes as would haue their Ministers thus to follow close their callings see that they so prouide for their certaine maintenance as that they may without distraction follow it We haue done with the Prooem Now we come to the Poem or Song it selfe My welbeloued hath a Vineyard in a very fruitfull hill c. Wherein is set forth Gods great loue towards his people Israel and Iudah and their horrible ingratitude and disobedience towards him together with their fearefull and finall ruine for that their disobedience All which is darkly and obscurely propounded vnder a continued similitude or allegorie of an vnprofitable Vineyard which did not answer the cost and expectation of the Vinitor by bringing forth of fruit meet for him that dressed it In opening whereof we need not doubt of finding out the true and proper sense and meaning in the Generall as who this Vinitor is and who the Vineyard and what the fruit these being explained and expounded by our Prophet vers 7. But in the Particulars there is question As what is meant by Hill Fence Stones Plant Tower Winepresse forasmuch as these parts are not followed by him and are diuersly interpreted by Expositors By Hill some vnderstanding the field of this world others the citie of Ierusalem which was higher than all other Cities and the Countrie thereabouts And others the Land of Canaan a land flowing with milke and hony By Fence or Hedge some vnderstand the Law which was giuen by Moses whereby the people of Israel were fenced in and kept within compasse Others the Couenant which God made with his people the Iewes wherwith he did hedge them in vnto himselfe to be his peculiar people And others vnderstand thereby the Diuine protection by which as by an hedge the Lord did continually protect his people By Stones some vnderstand their wicked Kings Saul Ahab and the rest who by their wicked practises did hinder the growth of Gods Church Others the Gentiles and Heathen people the Canaanites and Hittites with the rest whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel Others vnderstand thereby all kinde of Idolatrie Errors Abominations which the Lord purged his people from And there are some others who by stones vnderstand the Wall wherewith the Lord did make the fence or hedge and that because the word here vsed signifieth as well to build with stones and gather them together for that end as to remoue stones By the choice Plant some would haue the Lord Iesus to be meant and that because the Prophet speaketh in the singular number both in the Parable and in the exposition of it He saith not Vines or Plants but a Vine or Plant and the man of Iudah not the men of Iudah Others vnderstand thereby the best and choisest persons amongst that people especially them of the house of Iudah as Dauid Solomon and the rest whom God had chosen and endued with an excellent measure of his Spirit for rule and gouernment and others vnderstand it more largely for the whole body of that people the stems and branches of Abraham Isaak Iacob those honourable Plants By Tower some vnderstand their Prophets Priests and Princes whom the Lord gaue vnto them to watch as out of a tower ouer them for their good Others would haue vs vnderstand thereby Ierusalem that great Metropolitan Citie of the Iewes And others the Temple which was built therein By Wine-presse that was therein some doe vnderstand the Doctrine of the Prophets their exhortations and reprehensions whereby they did labour to bring the people to repentance Others Passions and Afflictions which the Lord laid vpon them for their sinnes And others vnderstand thereby the Altar in the Temple vpon which they did offer vp their sacrifices and oblations Thus we see the diuersitie of opinions concerning these particulars and the variety of paths wherein our Interpreters walke so that it is no easie matter to take the right yet amongst all I had rather follow them who by this fruitfull Hill vnderstand the Land of Canaan For of it the Scripture thus speaketh The Land whither you goe to possesse it is a land of hils and vallies and drinketh water of the raine of heauen A land which the Lord thy God careth for the eies of the Lord thy God are alwaies vpon it from the beginning of the yeere euen vnto the end of the yeere A good land and large flowing with milke and honie By Fence or Hedge his mightie protection whereby he defended and preserued his people from all their enemies This was that hedge which the Lord made about Iob and about his house and about all that he had on euery side And this hedge did the Lord promise to make about Ierusalem so that none should hurt it Of which Fence reade at large Psal 90. By Stones the Canaanites and Hittites of whom Dauid thus speaketh Thou didst driue out the Heathen with thy hand and plantedst them thou didst afflict the people and cast them out Of which Stones say some Iohn Baptist speaketh when he telleth the Iewes bragging they had Abraham to their father that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham But that I deliuer not for doctrine By choise Plant the seed of Abraham Isaak Iacob the men of Israel and Iudah as appeares verse 7. One number there being put for another the singular for the plurall a thing vsuall in Scripture And thus we reade Thou hast brought a Vine out of Aegypt thou hast cast out the Heathen and planted it Thou preparedst roome before it and didst cause it to take deepe root and it filled the land The hils were couered with the shadow of it and the boughes thereof were like the goodly Cedars She sent out her boughes vnto the Sea and her branches vnto the riuer And else-where thus I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine vnto me In both which places the people of Israel are meant By Tower the glorious Temple that was in Ierusalem that stately edifice or building according to that of the Prophet He built his Sanctuary like high Palaces like the earth which he hath established for euer And so is it termed else-where A Tower of the flocke the strong hold of the daughter of Sion By Wine-presse the ministerie of the
the Wood or of the Leaues or of the Fruit there being no property in the one which is not in a sort answered in the other For the Root that we know sendeth sappe to euery Stem and Branch whereby they flourish and bring forth fruit and vnlesse they continue in the root they can neuer thriue nor prosper for thence it is whence they haue their moisture Thus the Church and euery true member of it receiueth the life and sappe of grace from Iesus Christ who is the root and into whom the multitude of true beleeuers are engrafted whereby they grow and bring forth fruit to God So that vnlesse they continue in him they cannot prosper but must needs fade and wither according to our Sauiours speech As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee I am the Vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee you can doe nothing If a man abide not in me hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them vp and cast them into the fire and they are burned In the Branches there is great resemblance diuers wayes 1. There are many branches in the root yet all make but one Vine so all the faithfull in the congregation and all the congregations of the faithfull in the whole world make but one only Church And albeit there are threescore Queenes and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet saith Solomon speaking in the person of Christ my doâ—e my vndefiled is but one And so witnesseth S. Paul Now are they many members yet but one bodie One as sucking sap from one and the same root liuing by one and the same spirit and ruled by one and the same head Christ blessed for euer But of this more hereafter 2. All the branches of a Vine though they seeme to stand alike in the stocke are not alike fruitfull neither doe they all draw sap and moysture from the root for as some are fruitfull and flourish so some againe are barren and wither which are cut off and cast into the fire Thus is it in the Church visible all the members thereof are not alike incorporated into the root through the inuisible bonds of the spirit neither doe they bring forth fruit in him Some there are who are onely externally engrafted others there are who are also internally The former sort are such members of the Church visible who by externall baptisme haue giuen their names to Christ and so entred into the profession yet indeed are not Christs because they haue not the Spirit of Christ for though they are baptized with water yet they are not with the holy Ghost They haue Iohns baptisme but not Christs baptisme This kinde of Sacramentall engrafting will suffer a cutting off because they haue not the sap of grace ministred vnto them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees and branches The other sort are they who besides the outward engrafting are also inwardly engrafted by the holy Ghost into the stocke Christ Iesus and doe liue in him and grow in him and bring forth fruit to the praise of his name Notwithstanding both these sorts as they communicate together in the outward bonds of one profession as they visibly continue together like one visible body vpon that one root Christ Iesus on whom they all outwardly professe that they depend as on the fountaine of their sap and life so they both together make this visible Vineyard and Church on earth 3. There is no branch of any tree that exceedeth it in growing and spreading forth it selfe in one weeke yea night how exceedingly is it shot So the true members of the Church exceed all others in growth in grace they are still spreading forth their branches growing from one degree of grace vnto another They are all for Addition and Multiplication nothing for Diuision or Substraction except in euill They sing the song of degrees adding to Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and to Brotherly-kindnesse Charitie They be not like the old Moone in the wane but like the new euer in her increasings 4. The branches of the Vine grow the better for their prâ—ning and not the worse bringing forth after it is cut more and better grapes not worse nor â—ewer Thus the Church and true members of the Church the more they bee afflicted the more they flourish as the people of Israel vnder Pharaohs tyranny the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and grew Thus the Church of God euer riseth in its ruine prospereth in its persecution The bloud of Martyrs is but the seed of it and the chopping off their heads but as the pruning of this Vine And as Ioseph said so may euery true Christian say The Lord hath made me fruitfull in the Land of my affliction Their tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and that maketh not ashamed And thus for the resemblance in the branches Now in the Barke or Rinde let vs compare them we see that the Barke of the Vine seemeth more withered dry than the Rinde or Barke of any other Tree whateuer yet it hath plenty of sap and abundance of moisture vnder it Thus the Church of God seemes blacke and deformed outwardly to the worlds eye which onely beholdeth and iudgeth the Rinde by reason of the scorching heat of persecution yet she is inwardly glorious and beautifull for there the inuisible graces of Faith Feare Hope Loue Patience Holinesse are hid This shewes the Psalmist The Kings Daughter is all glorious within and the Church maketh this confession of her selfe I am blacke but comely oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem as the tents of Kedar as the curtaines of Soloman And this is the cause that her mothers children looke vpon her and are angry with her In the Wood let vs see what likenesse we can finde 1. That we know is the weakest and feeblest wood of any other The trees of the Forest are strong and tall but the Vine so weake that it cannot beare vp it selfe without a stay or prop. Thus the Church of any society is least able to helpe it selfe it cannot stand against a storme without the prop of Gods protection by reason of her naturall weaknesse It is a weake tent in it selfe not fortified with any wals A small flocke of sheepe very impotent and feeble An humble and poore people yea a very worme for so the Lord calleth her Feare not thou worme Iacob and ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee
droue out before his Israel that they might not hinder this his Vineyards growth Hence we inferre It is not safe nor profitable for the Church to suffer wicked Idolaters or other obstinate sinners to remaine within the Church Of such Gods Vineyard must be rid and his Church purged Will you heare in a few words what the Scriptures say for confirmation hereof It is commanded in the law that the false Prophet and seducing Idolater whether he be brother or sonne or daughter or wife or friend should bee taken away and slaine without mercie or pitie that all Israel may heare and see and feare and not dare to commit the like And againe There shall not bee amongst you man nor woman nor family nor tribe which shall turne away his heart from the Lord our God to goe and serue the gods of these Nations Besides it forbad sowing of the field with mingled seed plowing with an Oxe and an Asse together the wearing of a garment of diuers things as linnen and woollen mixt together Now these lawes according to the letter seeme ridiculous saith the glosse but the thing that God intends hereby to shew is that he cannot away with a mixt Religion The Church of Ephesus was commended for hating the workes of the Nicolaitans but Pergamus was reproued for suffering them that maintained the Doctrine of Bulaam and Thyatira blamed for suffering Iesabel to teach and deceiue Gods seruants And why in Scripture are Idolaters called stumbling-blocks snares thornes traps whips and destruction but because they proue so to the people amongst whom they liue Israel found them so and England did no lesse in Queene Maries daies and France doth so For from whence spring these commotions tumults horrible massacres and bloudy tragedies but from the diuersity of Religion amongst them And indeed what agreement hath light with darknesse or God with Belial The Lord can neuer digest two contraries though neuer so well mixed or wisely tempered in matters of religion as the Church of Laodicea sheweth Hereupon zealous Elijah exhorteth the people after this manner If the Lord be God follow him and if Baâ—l be God goe after him Besides Doe yee not know that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lâ—mpe Sinne therefore being infectious the sinner is not to bee tolerated in the assembly of the righteous Take wee occasion hence to magnifie Gods name who hath beene so gracious to this his Vineyard which his owne right hand hath planted in this Land as to cleanse it of all such stones as might any way hinder the prosperity or flourishing estate of it Our streets are well swept and rid of that Popish rubbish wherewith formerly they haue beene much annoied Those dens of theeues are dispersed those buyers and sellers of Popish trash Monks Friers Massemougers and Iesuits are whipt out of the Temple and driuen from amongst vs He hath pulled downe that great Idoll of the Masse with other Idols that were set vp to bee adored and hath abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of false doctrine And withall hath blessed vs with so religious and prudent a King as is a constant Defender of the Faith and an open aduersary to superstition and Idolatry What shall we now render to the Lord for all these testimonies and tokens of his loue towards vs but take the cup of Saluation and praise with tongue and heart the name of God acknowledging his goodnesse in deliuering vs from the Romish bondage labouring to bring forth the fruits of the Gospell to the glorie of his name and our owne endlesse saluation This likewise serueth for the Admonition 1. Of Ministers whom God hath reposed such great trust and confidence in as to be the dressers and keepers of his Vineyard that wee be found faithfull and what lies in vs remoue whatsoeuer may any way annoy it For which end Christ hath not only committed vnto vs the sword of the spirit which is the word of God wherewith we may conuince gainsayers but also the keies of the kingdome that men being conuicted and not conuerted nor reclaimed they may be cast out and expelled either for a time as the incestuous Corinthian was or for euer euen vnto the comming of the Lord Which kinde of excommunication the Apostle cals Maran-atha of Mara the Lord and Atha he commeth â— being interposed for sound sake Which censure being so grieuous as it is for it is a deliuering vp to Satan ought not to be inflicted rashly for euery trifle but deliberatly in matters of weight and moment and in such cases as expresly shut out of the kingdome of heauen such as those the Apostle mentioneth 1 Corinth 6. because it is a declaration of that which is by God done in heauen In the execution whereof let all such as it doth concerne beware of filthy lucre and faithfully discharge what is committed to them not suffering the notoriously prophane to remaine within the Church lest others bee endangered and infected by their society for their very words and much more their conuersation creepeth and corrupteth as a gangreene 2. Magistrates who must second the word of information with the rod of reformation and backe the Ministers of the Word by the vse of the temporall sword which they must not beare for nought but as the Ministers of God take vengeance on them that doe euill These are Gods Surrogates and the Preachers hopes Our words are thought aire where their hands doe not compell Good lawes are made against the wicked and prophane but what are wee the better for Gods owne lawes without execution If those who haue the charge imposed and the sword put in their hands stand like the picture of S. George with his hand vp yet neuer strike it will fare full ill with the Vineyard of the Lord. Let it bee their care with Dauid earely to destroy the wicked of the Land and to cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. Take vs the foxes the little foxes that spoile the vines for our vines haue tender grapes Let neither young nor old bee spared And of all other let that Romish Reinard and his Cubs extrauagant Priests and Iesuits with other obstinate Recusants bee hunted as most hurtfull to our Vineyard For what thinke you of these Positions 1. Neighbours if Heretikes meaning thereby Protestants may lawfully be spoiled of their goods though indeed it were better say they to doe it by the authoritie of the Iudge 2. It is lawfull for Parishioners to defraud Protestant Ministers of their Tithes and of this Non est dubium say they there is no doubt to be made 3. Men are not bound to restore that which they haue receiued or to satisfie their creditours who are tainted with heresie 4. A Catholike wife is not bound to giue due beneuolence to her husband being a Procestant
5. By the heresie of the father a childe is freed from his obedience So that if a Priest returning into England findeth his father to be a Protestant he may deny him to be his father meaning that he is not such a one as he ought to acknowledge for his father 6. That Heretikes may not be tearmed either children or kindred but according to the old Law thy hand must be vpon them to spill their bloud 7. That it is not lawfull for Christians to tolerate an hereticall King they may expell him depose him yea murther him And this they say is agreeable to the Apostolique doctrine 8. If warre be once proclaimed by them against Sectaries that is in their language vs Protestants then it is lawfull for any priuate man to take spoile kill such Sectaries and burne their houses ouer their heads 9. It is lawfull for Catholike Princes to make league with Protestants only for their owne aduantage as for example to dispatch some businesses which hinder them from falling vpon Protestants with their whole forces 10. And that one may sweare with Equiuocation and ment all reseruation is good positiue Diuinitie with them By these and the like Positions which they maintaine we plainly see how they dissolue all bands of humane fellowship and strangle the vitall spirits of humane societie Whether it be safe then to suffer such iudge yee Besides as is their doctrine such is their practise in deposing Kings and Emperours practising hellish treasons iustifying the murdering of Princes making leagues only for their owne ends breaking their promises oathes vowes at their pleasure Can it then be well with the Vineyard if these Foxes be at libertie Can it be well with the Lambes of Christ if these Wolues be suffered to range about Can Israel enioy the Land of Canaan in quiet if these Canaanites be not subdued as seruants to the Congregation or subuerted as enemies Let therefore all such Magistrates as tender the good of their King and Crowne Land and State doe their best to watch and catch these Foxes lenitie and mildnesse hath long beene vsed Now to vse the words of a late worthy Prelate some iustice with mercie would doe well some frosts with the fire that warmes these Snakes in the bowels of our Land some pluckes at these thornes and prickles in our eyes the mean time and will be hereafter in our sides and hearts lest if lustice goe on to sleepe as it were her dead sleepe the tares of disloyaltie treasons and seditions be so thick sowen in the field of this Kingdome by those enuious ones the Seedesmen of Rome that it will be difficultie and mastrie afterwards to remoue them 3 And let all good Christians of what estate or degree soeuer beware of hauing any inward societie or familiaritie with Idolaters or other obstinate sinners and offenders It is worthy our remembring how when the Emperour Theodosius senior was desirous to confer with Eunomius the Arrian Bishop his wife Plaâ—â—â—a the Empresse very earnestly disswaded him lest hee being peruerted by his speeches should beginne to like of his heresie and surely there is more danger of being infected by them than of doing good vpon them Easier is it to draw a prophane person from hell gates than to remoue an opinion from a wilfull minde Let vs all with Iacob cleanse and purge our families of these and such like baggage not suffering any vngodly person to dwell with vs. We see how it is in the bodie when nature hath any euill or vnprofitable humours that oppresse the stomacke it is forced to cast them out for the preseruation of the health of other parts So should it be with vs if wee perceiue our families to be endangered by obstinate and obdurate sinners it should vomit them out as raw and vndigested humours by timely election lest the whole head wax heauie and the whole bodie sickly and so the vitall parts languish To conclude let vs all pray and pray heartily for this Vineyard in this Land as all are directed by authoritie Lord strengthen the hands of our gratious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land that with iudgement and iustice they may cut off and root out that Babylonish and Antichristian Sect out of the Confines and limits of this Kingdome that they may neuer preuaile against vs nor triumph in the ruines of this Church And with our Prayer let all protest with one ioynt voice to God Thou art my Lord c. their sorrowes shall be multiplied that hasten after another god their drinke-offering of bloud will I not offer nor take vp their names into my lips Now in the next place consider we of Gods great loue to this his Vineyard in regard of the Choice Vine wherewith he planted it It was not of an ordinary but of the best and noblest kinde Which whether it be meant of all the seed of Abraham in generall as some would haue it or of some of the choisest persons of the house of Iudah in particular as of Dauid Solomon and other such godly Kings as some other take it yet this will follow The godly and their seed are the noblest plants and choisest persons Such as are godly such are most excellent My goodnesse saith Dauid extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where see how that Kingly Prophet honoureth such as are Saints with the name of Excellent and Worthies of the earth And Solomon his sonne affirmeth as much when he telleth vs The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour i. he is better beloued and graced of God and hath that in him which maketh him more honourable than any other who is vnrighteous and sinfull And our Prophet Isaiah calleth the godly in plaine termes The glory Vpon all the glory saith he shall be a defence Thus as the godly goe before all other in virtue so they goe before them in honour and as they exceed others in pietie so they surmount them in excellencie And that this is truth viz. That the godly are the noblest and choisest persons may appeare further if we consider 1. Their Race and Pedigree for they are descended of the bloud royall they are borne of God being sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And whereas other men are called children of the earth or children of disobedience or children of iniquitie or children of wrath or children of death or children of the Deuill or children of perdition or children of Hell we shall finde that all the godly are called either children of light or children of the Prophets or children of the Promise or children of the wedding chamber or children of the Kingdome Thus for birth and bloud they exceed all other of the earth besides 2.
gall their clusters are bitter Their wine is the poyson of Dragons and the cruell venome of Aspes For the better vnderstanding of which words we are to know that the Vale of Iordan where Sodome and her sisters stood was before the destruction thereof one of the goodliest pleasantest and fruitfullest places in the world euen like Eden the garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt But after the destruction and ouerthrow thereof it became the breeding place of nettles and salt pits yea it was turned into a most vgly and loathsome Lake which is called to this day the Lake of Sodome or the salt or dead Sea wherein there is not any fish or other liuing creature though it be more than twenty miles of length neither will it admit any thing into it that hath life as Iosephus a Iew borne relates which relation is seconded by some of the Fathers and by all such as haue trauelled in those parts The report whereof seemed so strange vnto the Romanes that when Vespasian besieged Ierusalem he would needs goe thither to make a triall and taking six men that could not swim he bound their hands and feet and cast them all into the water and not one sunke but all swam like leaues This Iosephus witnesseth he was an eye-witnesse of who liued there and went with him Round about the brinkes of this Lake there grow store of vines and fruit trees of all sorts which beare grapes and fruit most pleasant to the eye as euidences of the former fertilitie and fruitfulnesse of that place but take those grapes and fruits and breake or bruise them to be eaten and there is nothing but filthy and stinking ashes as though some vile matter had beene newly burnt By this then it doth appeare what Moses meanes in the former words Their vine is as the vine of Sodome c. that is faire and pleasant to the outward shew but within filthy stinking and vnsauourie And that such is the fruit of sinne appeares yet plainer in sundry places of holy Scripture In the first chapter of this prophesie God tells these Israelites that he delighted not in the bloud of bullocks nor of lambes nor of he-goats their Incense was an abomination vnto him their new Moones and Sabbaths and calling of Assemblies he could not away with for it is iniquitie euen their solemne meetings Their new Moones and appointed Feasts his soule hated they were a trouble to him he was weary to beare them And when they spread forth their hands he would hide his eyes and when they make many prayers he would not heare for their hands were full of bloud The Scripture for our vnderstanding ascribes senses to God and here wee finde euery sense displeased with their sinnes 1. They were offensiue to his Tasting for their burnt offerings of Rams with the fat of Lambes c. he could not relish they delighted him not they were sowre to his palate 2. They were offensiue to his Smelling for he tells them that their Incense was an abomination vnto him that pretious perfume which was made with so many sweet spices and pure frankincense did stinke in his nostrils the sent thereof he could not abide 3. They were offensiue to his Feeling for their new Moones and appointed Feasts were a burden vnto him he was a weary to beare them And though he be not weary of bearing the whole world yet he is a weary of this burden so heauy is it to his sense that he complaines he is pressed vnder it as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaues 4. They were offensiue to his Seeing and therefore he tells them though they spread forth their hands he will hide his eyes His pure eyes cannot behold euill nor endure to looke vpon iniquitie and therefore he must turne away his face from them 5. They were offensiue to his Hearing for when they make many prayers he will not heare Their prayers were as iarring in his eares as if diuers distracted Musitians should play vpon diuers bad instruments so many seuerall tunes at one time Neither were their sinnes only displeasing to his senses but also grieuous to his minde and therefore he tells them Their new Moones and appointed Feasts his soule did hate which is an Emphaticall speech and an argument of Gods hearty detestation Now is it a small thing for you to grieue men but you must grieue God also Besides this the diuers names giuen to sinne in Scripture and the comparisons vsed to set it forth may shew vnto vs the odiousnesse of it It is called a pollution a leprosie a contagion the vomit of a dog and wallowing of a swine in the mire Againe it is called vncleannesse filthinesse the execrable thing and euery where it is said to be abomination From all which we may safely conclude that Sinne and the fruits thereof are odious and loathsome to the Lord. Take the Reason in a word God is light and puritie and perfection it selfe and therefore cannot but he must detest and abhorre that which is his contrary Hence then we see what the Apostle teacheth They that are in the flesh cannot please God the very oblations of their defiled hands stinke in his presence Their hearts are like to some Fen or Bogge and euery action they doe is as an euil vapour ascending thence Of all the sacrifice and seruice of wicked men Solomon saith It is an abomination to the Lord And of their whole way he saith as much euery action of their liues God abhorres Their actionsspirituall as prayer reading hearing singing c. God takes no pleasure in He that sacrificeth a Lambe is as if he cut off a dogs necke c. Their actions ciuill as buying selling giuing lending honest dealing c. shall haue no better acceptance with him Their actions naturall as eating drinking sleeping recreation c. all are stinking loathsome Alas for the fearefull estate of such Oh that the eyes of these were open that they might see their miserie Secondly let vs be admonished to take heed of sinne yea of euery sinne for all wickednesse belcheth forth an euill sauour which God cannot endure nor abide Shall we delight in that which God abhorres or take pleasure in that which makes vs loathsome to him Be it farre from vs so to doe True it is while we liue here vpon the earth we cannot but we shall fall and that often yet let vs not lie still and wallow in vncleannesse For casuall defilements there is hope but for wilfull pollutions there is little How can God dwell or abide with vs if we be swearers drunkards vsurers oppressors or the like Assuredly he neither can nor will for these impieties and such like are more odious to him than any carion is or can be to vs nay the Deuill himselfe is not so hatefull to him as sinne is for he hates not sinne for
what good seruice it will doe The Lord God hath set it as his deputy in the brest of man which though it bee oftentimes a neuter when the act is doing and while sinne is a commiting yet afterwards it will proue a friend and faithfull witnesse for the Lord but an aduersary against man Oh that the wicked would thinke of this who sinne in hope of secrecie why who sees them who can witnesse any thing against them who can condemne them for such or such an action Alas poore soule There is a conscience within thee that sees thee and will condemne thee thy selfe shall passe sentence against thy selfe Now thou canst hide couer and cloake thy sinne and plead in the defense thereof but when God shall cite thy conscience to giue in euidence that shall bee as a thousand witnesses and condemne thee for thy most secret sinnes Though thou doe escape all apprehension and accusation in this world yet thy owne conscience will arrest thee and hale thee vnto iudgement And albeit thou escape mans iudgement yet the iudgement of thy owne conscience thou shalt neuer escape Neither thinke that what thou thy selfe knowest shall euer bee concealed thou art priuy to thy owne lewdnesse and knowest of thy drunkennesse adultery theft c. What art thou the better then in that no body else is priuy to them so long as thou hast a conscience within thee Neither thinke thou that because thy conscience is now asleepe or feared and benummed through a continuance in the custome of sinne that it will neuer be awakened or that this is nothing so For as the poize of a clocke being downe all motion ceaseth the wheeles stirre not but being would vp all is set on going So albeit now while thy conscience is downe there is no noise nor mouing in thy heart all is quiet yet when it is wound vp by the iustice of God as one day assuredly it shall it will set all the wheeles on working thy tongue to confesse and say guilty Lord guilty thy eies to weepe thy hands to wring thy voice to cry thy heart to ake and yet all in vaine Bee watchfull therefore and euer remember Conscience Beware of hypocrisie and secret sinnes for though thou canst hide them from men and Deuils yet not from it And looke thou neglect not the checks of conscience Doth it now checke thee and reproue thee for thy waies know the time commeth when that conscience which doth now checke thee shall iudge thee and condemne thee and that which doth now reproue thee shall hereafter torment thee in endlesse woe if thou repent not Secondly seeing this is so that Man shall iudge himselfe and iustifie the Lord then let it teach vs this point of wisdome to beginne betimes and now iudge our selues that we may not be iudged Selfe-condemning is an especiall meanes to preuent future condemnation and the more speedily we set vpon the worke the more mercifully will the Lord deale with vs. It is recorded of Edward the first sometimes King of this land that being crossed by a seruant of his in the sport of Hawking and further incensed by a sawcie answer which he made vnto the Kings threatnings telling him it was well there was a riuer betweene them spurd his horse into the depth of the riuer not without great danger of his life the water being deepe and the bankes too high and steepe for his ascending Yet at last recouering land pursues his seruant with his drawne sword The seruant finding himselfe too ill horsed to outride the King and seeing no way to escape his fury lights from his horse and on his knees exposed his necke to the blow of the Kings sword The King seeing this puts vp his sword and would not touch him Behold how humble submission and selfe-iudging soone pacifles him whom a dangerous water could not with-hold from violence Whiles men stand out against God iust fying themselues stubbornly flying from him he that rides vpon the wings of the winde posts after with the sword of vengeance drawne but when we condemne our selues and cast our selues downe at the foot of his mercie then will his wrath be soone appeased towards vs. Thirdly here we haue a patterne for our imitation and a coppy set to write after Let vs herein also be followers of God as deare Children and be so vpright and iust in our proceedings as that wee may dare to appeale to the consciences of our aduersaries for witnesse and testimonie of our innocency And as the Apostle willeth let vs approue our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of God Such was Dauids cariage towards Saul as that he was constrained twice to testifie of him Thou art more righteous than I. The innocencie of Shadrach Meshach and Abedaego caused Nebuchadnezzar to pronounce with his owne mouth they were the seruants of the high God Though Plinius Secundus be an enemie to Christians and a persecutor of them yet their holy and godly conuersation shall make him to certifie the Emperour his Master Traian that they are harmelesse persons Thus let thy life bee holy and innocent and then thou maist fetch a testimony from the conscience of the very enemie And as Dauid said sometimes to Micol obiecting vnto him that euen his owne seruants contemned him for his dancing before the Arke Of the seruants which thou hast spoken of of them shall I be had in honour So say I euen those wicked ones that outwardly traduce thee and reuile thee cannot but inwardly they must acquit thee and commend thee their heart and conscience shall speake for thee euen then when their tongue and lips doe speake against thee And when euer it shall please the Lord to set their consciences on the racke or to compasse them about with the snares of death then shall their tongue be constrained will they nill they to discouer what now lies hidden for the iustification of thy righteousnesse Then they crie out oh send for such a man or such a woman they will pray for me and doe me good and giue me comfort and doe we not see daily that they sooner trust for all their talke such as they terme Hypocrites Dissemblers and Precisians with their goods and with their children and with their portions yea and with their soules also before any other The last thing propounded to our consideration in this Appeale is the Parties betweene whom the variance is and they are the Lord and Israel God and his Vineyard God being the Plaintiffe and the whole body of the people euen all Israel and Iudah the Defendants As vnequally matched as euer were Earth and Heauen Strength and Weaknesse or the great Beemoth and the silliest worme that creepes in the chinkes and crannies of the earth God contends with man he that is excellent with them that are but dust who then is like to haue the day Betweene mee and my Vineyard And
is it possible that there should be a controuersie betweene God and his Vine which he planted with his owne right hand Betweene him and that people whom he had so highly honoured Then it will follow that Sinne will make bate and stirre vp strife betweene God and his dearest people There is no Citie no not Ierusalem no people no not Israel nor Iudah be they graced with neuer so many priuileges crowned with neuer so many blessings but sinne will set the Lord and them at variance The Lord hath a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land saith Hoseah because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land c. Sinne was the breeder of it Babylon the glory of the Kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie yet her pride set her and God at variance so that her Palaces were made dens of Dragons wilde beasts of the field did lie there their houses were cages for vncleane birds Owles did dwell there Satyres did dance there with dolefull creatures were they filled And thus Sodome sometimes as faire and beautifull as Paradise it selfe was set at variance with the Lord by reason of her sinnes Pride Idlenesse and Fulnesse of bread c. bred the quarrell and was the cause that shee was made a perpetuall desolation And will not those seuen famous Churches of Asia Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis in the midst whereof God is said to haue his walke witnesse as much Did not their sinnes cause the Lord to contend with them a long time and in the end make him to giue vp their Land to be inhabited by Zijm and Ochim Turkes and Infidels What shall I need to say more Such a variance it made betweene God and the Angels as that they were turned out of Heauen Betweene God and our great Grand-father as that he was droue out of Paradise Betweene the Lord and Moses as that it kept him from Canaan And such a contention daily it breeds betweene God and men as that infinite thousands are thereby kept out of the Kingdome of Heauen Let all wicked ones hence take notice of their estates which by this Doctrine they may as clearely see as in a glasse For doth sinne set God and man at oddes and is it a make-bate betweene them Then certainly such as liue in it and harbour it cannot be at peace with God What peace saith Iehu to Ioram so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are so man0y So say I What peace so long as that make-bate is harboured in thy brest Nay There is no peace to the wicked saith my God For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darknesse What concord hath Christ with Belial God is thy enemie and hath against thee and therefore see thou agree quickly with thy aduersarie We say in a prouerbe He is poore that God hates true none so poore as the wicked are for what though they haue riches honours friends c. when there is a controuersie betweene God and them If one man sinne against another the Iudge shall iudge for him said old Ely to his sonnes but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him Seeke therefore reconciliation cast that make-bate out of thy bosome which stirs vp all this strife Sinne is thy owne creature destroy that and God must needs loue thee who art his creature but if thou wilt not then expect no peace but contention and destruction If the Pot will needs contend with the Potter it cannot be but it must be broken Thou art but an earthen Pitcher in the hand of thy Maker and he can full easily dash thee against the wall and stampe thee into powder It is good counsell that the Wise-man giues thee Contend not with him who is mightier than thy selfe and if thou beest not a foole I aduise thee to follow it lest Woe and Alas come too late And secondly See here the reason why the Lord doth so often bend his browes and turne away his face from his owne people in displeasure Sinne is it that bred the quarrell that was it which causeth it The fashion of many in the day of affliction is to crie out of euill tongues that haue for spoken them and surely say they we are bewitched but if we looke well about vs we shall finde the grand-witch to lie lurking in our own bosomes It is sinne that hales downe those iudgements on vs and ours What shall I say O Lord when Israel turnes their backes before their enemies said Iosua to God now marke Gods answer Get thee vp wherefore liest thou thus vpon thy face Israel hath sinned they haue transgressed my Couenant which I haue commanded them for they haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue also stollen and dissembled also and they haue put it euen amongst their owne stuffe Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed thing from amongst you This answer may we giue to the like demand Why are wee so often punished afflicted plagued Surely wee haue taken of that execrable thing and broken the Couenant of the Lord and vntill that accursed thing Sinne be searched out and cast away neuer hope for any fauour to be shewed from the Lord Ionah must be cast ouer-boord before the storme cease Lastly seeing sinne sets God and his dearest people at variance be they graced with neuer so many excellencies or priuiledges then be not high minded but feare for whatsoeuer thou art that sinnest against the Lord be thy priuiledges neuer so many or excellent wert thou as a signet vpon Gods right hand or as the apple of his eye yet he will haue a controuersie with thee And so for our Land in generall which may seeme to out vie the felicitie of all other Nations in high and rich prerogatiues Of all the trees in the Garden wee may seeme to be the Vine that God hath set his heart vpon amongst all the varietie of Flowers England is the Lilly and the Rose amongst all the Princes we haue had a Deborah and haue a Dauid amongst all the Prophets of the Lord wee haue the most reuerend Elishaes amongst all the Nurseries and Springs of learning wee haue the most famous Naiâ—ths amongst all Lands we haue that Canaan which abounds with plentie of all good things and amongst all Cities wee haue Ierusalem But will these priuiledges beare vs out if wee take libertie to sinne against the Lord Alas they cannot nay so farre are they from stopping Gods wrath as that they will rather make way for it As a man is more offended with the euill behauiour of a seruant that hath beene aduanced by him so the Lord with vs. When Saul
any creature yet not on a rotten sticke where lies the fault Surely in the rottennesse of the wood and not in the Caruers cunning that thou art not wrought vpon the fault is thy owne and not the Lords Thy case is that of Ierusalem How often would I haue gathered thee and thou wouldst not If then thou smartest for thy sinfull and barren life thanke thy selfe for thou art the cause God only the auenger thy bloud then be vpon thy owne head that which will die let it die And thus much for the first point A second followes and I propound it thus The wicked will still continue wicked although God vse all good meanes that can be vsed to bring them vnto good and make them better God had done what might be done and yet his Vineyard is as bad nay worse than euer A pregnant proofe this our Prophet giues vs when he saith Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse in the land of vprightnesse will he deale vniustly and will not behold the Maiestie of the Lord. Such is the vile and cursed nature of them as that no mercy nor fauour can worke with them to doe well nay in the land of vprightnesse amongst many occasions and meanes of good they will doe wickedly And thus Ieremiah to the same purpose In vain I haue smitten your children they receiued no correction c. O Generation see ye the word of the Lord haue I been a wildernesse vnto Israel a land of darknesse wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more vnto thee And againe O Lord are not thine eies vpon the truth thou hast stricken them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made their faces harder than a rocke they haue refused to returne And so Amos sheweth how incorrigible the wicked of his time were no correction that the Lord could vse would better them Many are the examples likewise that might be brought for the further strengthening of this truth as of Pharaoh Ahaz and others but I purposely forbeare inasmuch as something hath formerly beene spoken to this purpose Now briefly for the vse which is For Admonition that we beware of this sinne which hath an aggrauating circumstance with it for then is sinne most vile and filthie when it breakes out against those meanes that should haue kept it in Amongst many of which meanes these are some which let vs all take especiall notice of First our Vowes and promises which we haue often made vnto the Lord both in health and sicknesse that we would doe such or such a holy dutie and refraine from such or such an euill action let vs beware of sinning against these our vowes are Gods debts and they must be paid and therefore saith Solomon When thou vowest a vow to God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay that which thou hast vowed Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay And indeed he is iustly required to pay that was not compelled to vow And amongst all other vowes be mindfull of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in thy Baptisme and hast often since renued in thy comming to the Supper of the Lord. Oh! what a fearefull thing is it if we wittingly and wilfully breake couenant with God when ciuill honesty maketh some conscience of keeping promise made with man Secondly checke of Conscience God hath set conscience within vs as a Monitor to giue vs an Item when we doe amisse and to forewarne vs of euill this oftentimes tels vs we may not doe such or such an action or when we haue done it that it is not well now beware we of sinning against conscience neglect not the checkes thereof reprouing vs of our waies but heedfully minde it watch-word for else know assuredly that the conscience which now checkes thee shall hereafter iudge thee and that which now reproueth thee will hereafter vexe thee and torment thee for thy neglect Beware also how thou suppressest any good motion suggested by conscience for in so doing thou wilt in the end cleane silence conscience and quite kill it so that the grossest sinnes shall be practised without any checke or remorse Fearefull is this sinne and such as is the forerunner of a reprobate minde Thirdly Corrections and Afflictions These are the thornes wherewith God doth hedge vs in and serue to keepe vs from leaping out of Gods pastures into the pasture of wickednesse and sinne Beware we then of leaping ouer this hedge take we heede of sinning against these meanes let it not be said of vs as it was of Ahaz This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more and more against the Lord. To be afflicted and not to be purged by affliction to be stricken with the rods of God and to haue no correction nor reformation follow is a signe of a fearefull induration The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed with the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Fourthly Gods many and great mercies especially the Word and the light of the Gospell take we heed how we withhold the Truth of God in vnrighteousnesse hating to be reformed casting it behinde our backes Such a sinne is this as brings condemnation with a witnesse with a vengeance sore and heauie condemnation This is that condemnation that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse rather than light because their deeds are euill The cleare light of the truth shining hath discouered to vs that Swearing is a sinne Drunkennesse is a sinne Sabbath breaking is a sinne c. what now will such plead for themselues that liue therein Surely they haue now no cloake for their sins S. Paul would haue the word of God to dwell plentifully in our hearts to haue full scope and the whole sway in the heart of a Christian And so be it These and the like meanes which God affordeth vs for our good let vs profit by and by no meanes sinne against them for if we doe assuredly God will require it of vs for good turnes aggrauate vnkindnesses and our offences are increased with out obligations Of all the gracious meanes he affords vs he keepes a reckoning The sundry afflictions wherewith his people were afflicted are by him remembred and so the Sermons and Prophesies of his seruants with the circumstances of time and place and vnder what Kings reigne are likewise by him recorded Since therefore God keepes such a precise account of the meanes he vouchsafeth to vs let it stir vp all to make better account vse of those meanes for otherwise they will be
desart without any to inhabit it And here we haue a higher degree than either of the former for though the enemie might ouercome them and spoile their country yet there might remaine some Citie and albeit some Cities might be assailed and destroyed yet some houses in those Cities might still continue Or say it should so fall out that all their Cities and houses in their Cities should be laid leuell with the ground yet some men might haply escape by flight and afterwards returne and build new houses Cities and erect new lawes and gouernment But in that he threatens to lay it waste and make it a desolation all hope is gone This is that which the Lord speaketh in the next chapter where he seemeth to comment vpon these words The Cities shall be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be vtterly desolate And the Lord will remoue men farre away and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land All which befell this people at their carrying away into Babylon and much more fully and compleatly was it fulfilled after Christs time when Ierusalem was vtterly destroyed so that one stone was not left vpon another To which time some referre it It shall not be pruned nor digged By cutting or pruning he seemeth to vnderstand fatherly discipline and correction which now he would with-hold from them according to that in the first of this prophesie Why should you be stricken any more As if he should haue said I see it is but lost labour to smite you for the more I correct you the worse you proue And by digging he vnderstandeth that point of husbandry whereby the earth is drawne into ridges or heapes chiefly about the vines which is so conuenient and necessarie in such places where vintages are as that without it the vines will neuer prosper And here hee alludeth vnto such husbandmen as hauing barren vineyards and fruitlesse trees doe neglect to prune or cut them dung or digge about them because they take no pleasure nor delight in them But there shall come vp briers and thornes By briers and thornes some here vnderstand the Gentiles according to that of our Sauiour Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled But we may better vnderstand thereby Idolatry and superstition with other errors and abominations that for want of Gods husbandry should as afterwards there did grow vp amongst them And thus sinnes and transgressions are compared to thornes and briers elsewhere in Scripture And that fiâ—ly 1 For their wounding and pricking those that handle them for whom doth not sinne wound whom hath it not stung that euer dealt with it 2. For their holding together and twining one within another Sinnes grow in heapes and where you finde any you may finde many And therefore when the Apostle speakes of them hee couples them Chambering and wantonnesse gluttonie and drunkennesse strife and enuying thus they grow like thornes in hedges by companies 3. Because they choake the plants and hinder them from the Sunnes hear and influence of heauen thus the seed is choaked by these thornes as our Sauiour teacheth And therefore S. Peter willeth to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings those cursed thornes and briers and then As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it By clouds vnderstand we the Prophets and by raine the Word The Metaphor is vsuall Moses thus begins his Song My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse And so the word of the Lord came to Ezechiel and said Sonne of man set thy face towards Ierusalem and drop thy word towards the holy places and prophesie against the land of Israel And thus Amos speaketh to Amaziah Thou saiest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac In which places it is apparant that Gods Prophets are as clouds and their words or prophesies like drops of raine Now in comparing the raine and the word we shall finde good resemblance in sundry particulars as 1. In regard of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. cleansing the aire 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardned earth In each one of which if wee should spend time we should finde an excellent agreement but especially in a sixth respect It is a principall meanes and subordinate cause that all things fructifie and grow And therefore this must needs be a heauy iudgement and argue Gods hot displeasure against his Vineyard in commanding the clouds to raine no more raine vpon it according to that charge giuen to Micah Prophesie ye not vnto them seeing that without it it was impossible the Vine should grow or flourish Thus we see that as by briers and thornes the Plants should be choaked so for want of raine their very roots should wither And thus much for the literall exposition Now to come to some particular obseruation And now goe to I will tell you This is the vsuall manner of Gods dealing To warne before he strikes and foretell the iudgement before he inflicteth it He punisheth none before he hath admonished them smiteth none before he hath forewarned them That of the Prophet Amos makes this good Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets He sendeth his Heralds to proclaime warre before he makes it and foretels them of such iudgements as he is purposed to inflict that they may forewarne others Take the old world my brethren for an ensample did hee not foretell the destruction of it vnto Noah before he brought that great Deluge vpon the earth And was not Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto them whose hand taught them as much as his tongue His businesse in building the Arke was a reall Sermon to the world wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the belieuer and to the rebellious destruction And did he not the like by Sodome and Gomorrah vnto whom hee sent his seruant Lot whose righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Was not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his people did he not againe and againe admonish them and threaten them by his seruants Moses and Aaron that if they would not let his people goe he would doe thus and thus vnto them And so with the Niniuites vnto whom he sent Ionah with this erie Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And with Ierusalem which was often forewarned by his Prophets and by our Lord himselfe of her destruction before it fell Two reasons may be rendered for this
is at hand waiting when they shall be deliuered to him yet they lie snorting in their sinnes sleeping betweene Death and Hell as Peter did betweene the two souldiers being fast bound with chaines or to vse Solomons Prouerbe As a Sailer vpon the top-mast in the midst of a storme there being but a haires bredth betweene them and their destruction See then thy estate thou who art from vnder Gods protection liuing in thy sinnes thou liuest in perpetuall perill thou maist eat and drinke make merry and be iocund but thou hast little reason Belshazzar may carowse it in golden and siluer vessels but hee had little cause when his doome was written on the wall Amnons heart may cheere him but as little reason had he Death being so nigh at hand Be then as merry as you will you wicked ones this I am sure of your wretched estate giues you no leaue Lastly here is a ground of encouragement for the faithfull when they haue iust cause to band themselues against the wicked and are constrained to meddle with euill men or to vndertake warre against the enemies of the Church either for the defence of true Religion or for the releeuing and deliuering of such as are oppressed for religion or for the safetie and defence of Land and people or for other such like iust causes that wee lift vp our heads and hearts with hope of victory because we haue to doe with weake and naked men Thus Iosua and Caleb comforted the people against the Canaanites saying Rebell yee not against the Lord neither feare ye the people of the Land for they are but bread for vs their shield is departed from them and the Lord is with vs feare them not This was that also wherewith Abijah the King of Iudah comforted himselfe going against the mightie armie of Ieroboam with this let vs and all Gods people comfort our selues when we are to goe out against our aduersaries for they come out into the field as souldiers without weapons they haue neither shield nor buckler nor breast-plate nor helmet nor sword nor speare their loines are vngirt their feet vnshod their heads are vncouered in the day of bartell they lie open as naked men to be wounded and destroyed and therefore Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the wicked nor all their multitude for there is more with vs than is with them with them is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs and to fight our battles And so much for this Now we goe on It shall be eaten vp and trodden downe This followes vpon the former The hedge and wall being pluckt vp and broken downe way is made whereby the beasts of the field that is the enemies of the Church shall haue free egresse and regresse to eat and deuoure and not only so but to tread downe and spoile they should not only trouble and afflict them but also ouercome them and enter into their possessions carrying away what they list making strip and waste of the rest The first point hence to be obserued is Vntill God breake downe the wall and plucke vp the hedge of his protection wherewith his people are encompassed the wicked and vngodly cannot hurt them or any way harme them God must giue yea make way before they can come in vpon them to afflict them How should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight saith Moses in that same sweet song which he sang a little before his death except their rocke had sold them and the Lord had shut them vp This was a thing impossible that one enemie should chase a thousand Israelites and two Gentiles put a thousand Iewes to flight had not that God who had beene before their rocke deliuered them vp into the hands of those their enemies The Deuill himselfe who is the greatest of all their enemies and strongest of that hellish band being the great Goliah in that armie of Philistines can doe nothing without permission hee must haue a commission to goe forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that he and his people may fall at Ramoth Gilead He must beg leaue at Gods hands to touch Iob such a hedge being made about him and all he had on euery side that there was no comming at him except God leaue open some gap for this soule beast to enter The like protection haue all Gods people whereby they are so fenced that neither the Deuill nor any of his limbes can hurt any of them without speciall warrant and commission from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which wee reade of in the Acts Doubtlesse against thy holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel hath determined before to be done And that answer of our Sauiour vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue For as our Sauiour saith elsewhere My Father is stronger than all all power and strength is of him and from him originally according to that in Daniel Wisdome and might are Gods He can giue and take away at his pleasure Which being so this discouers vnto vs a notable delusion of the Deuill in that he perswadeth Witches and Wizards that he can do all things and at their request or command will lame and kill men or beasts and whatsoeuer they bid him doe or hire him to doe that shall be done with which conceit also many of our people are possessed which causeth them to be so afraid of Witches as that they dare not any way displease them or giue them a foule word for feare they should send their spirits to torment their bodies destroy their goods lame their cattell or doe them some other mischiefe And thus are thousands deluded by the Deuill yea and bewitched before they be aware and led into all manner of error and of falshood That there are Witches by whom the Deuill worketh I deny not Scriptures and experience doth make it euident but that these Witches can send the Deuill to kill or lame either men or beasts when they list and where they list I vtterly deny For first we are to know that the Deuill hath of himselfe no power ouer the least flie the high prouidence of the Almightie hath so chained and bridled him vp as that he cannot plucke off a fether from the wing of a little Wren or Sparrow without leaue and power giuen him from God It followes then that he at his pleasure cannot doe the least harme to man or beast to gratifie a Witch neither doth the sending of the Deuill by a Witch giue him any power and commission to doe any thing for God must giue way before any euill can
examples of their cruelty for the prouing this truth What vnnaturall cruelty was it to take the infant issuing out of the mothers wombe in the midst of the flame and cast it in againe with their forkes that as the off-spring of an heretike it might burne together with her O blessed babe to be no sooner borne but as soone baptized with fire before thou art lapped in swadling clothes to be crowned with martyrdome and before thou fully breathest in the breath of life thou happily breathest out thine owne innocent soule to God But out vpon such cruelty such transcendent outragious cruelty Are these Catholikes Are these they that hold it for an article of their faith that all children dying vnbaptized are damned and yet would wittingly put this innocent childe to death before it had receiued baptisme Can any iudge otherwise but that they purposed to haue flung this infant both bodie and soule into a fire on earth and the fire in hell both at once Cursed be their wrath for it was cruell And is it not yet fresh in the memorie of our fathers how cruelly they dealt not only with the quicke in burying them aliue as Marion at Burges but also with the dead in vnburying them as they dealt by Wickliffe digging vp his bones one and forty yeeres after his death and burning them and so by Peter Martyrs wife at Oxford and Mr. Bucer and Phagius at Cambridge besides others And herein their cruelty exceeds that which is in some beasts which extends it selfe only to the liuing and not vnto the dead But the rage and cruelty of Sions enemies extendeth it selfe euen as the kindnesse of her friends doth both to the liuing and the dead to the one as well as to the other We finde in Historie that the first founders of Rome were nourished by a Wolfe certaine it is that the off-spring of that people haue the hearts of Wolues being sauage and cruell Their Citie it was first founded in bloud the bloud of a naturall germane brother Romulus slaying his brother Rhemus to settle the kingdome in his owne person And as it was with the Citie so was it with the Papacie for the foundation of that See was laid in bloud when Phocas slew his siege Lord and Emperour And cruelty and bloudshed is at this day the ensigne and badge of that Church The habit of that harlot is according to her heart purple and scarlet and her diet is the diet of the Canibals I saw her drunken with the bloud of the Saints Can we thinke this to be the religion that God doth take delight in which vpsetteth and vpholdeth it selfe by such cruelty But what 's the reason why the enemies of the Church are so outragious Surely it may soone be giuen they are led by the spirit of the deuill and he doth participate of his nature vnto them he is a roaring lion a cruell dragon a subtle serpent a false accuser of the brethren and he labours to haue his like him in cruelty and mischiefe We hasten to the Vses And first let vs all be admonished not to trust those too farre who are irreligious a Lion is a Lion though he be chained it is good not comming within his reach though he seeme to sawne a Wolfe is a Wolfe though he be in sheeps clothing and at length will shew his woluish disposition they haue the voice of Iacob but the hands of Esau words of a brother but hands of an enemie they can salute with a kisse but persecute with the sword The Fisher baits the hooke when he would deceiue the fish and the Fowler sings sweetly when hee would deceiue the bird So the enemies of the Church when they pretend greatest curtesie then they intend greatest villanie when they offer treaties of peace leagues of mariages and such like confederacies then is it to be feared the net is a spreading and the snare a laying It is wisdome therefore not to trust them No faith saith the Papist is to be kept with heretikes and we are ranke ones as they say therefore no faith to be kept with vs. Take heed therefore of them and though they seeme now to be Foxes passant and Dogs couchant yet were time and opportunitie offered which Lord for thy mercy sake neuer suffer they would shew themselues to be Lions rampant seeking only our ruine and desolation And secondly seeing the enemies of the Church are so outragious when they are suffered to enter into Gods vineyard making strip and waste of all oh then let vs all striue with God by earnest prayer that we may be deliuered and preserued from such vnreasonable men whose wrath and malice knoweth no end nor measure being of Hannibals minde in whose eyes no sight was more pleasing than a ditch swimming ouer with mans bloud And seeing that by reason of our sinnes we haue deserued great plagues which we may daily looke for and expect let vs pray with Dauid that we may rather fall into the hands of God than of man because with him is mercy yea in his very correction he remembreth mercy But if we be giuen ouer into the hands of the wicked there is no mercy to be looked for no moderation to be expected They can neuer finde in their hearts to say that to themselues which God did to his destroying Angell It is enough put vp thy sword Hitherto God hath taken the rod into his owne hand and smitten vs himselfe by famines pestilence inundations of waters and the like but if he should deliuer vs into the hands of our bloudy enemies the Papists we should then soone discerne the difference betwixt the louing chastisements of a father and the bloudy strokes of an enemie Let vs therefore turne to God with Israel and pray with their words We haue sinned O Lord we haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer seemeth good to thee deliuer vs only we pray thee this day Why shouldst thou sell vs into the hands of idolatrous Papists who will giue thine honour to stocks and stones and not vnto thy maiestie who giueth them the victorie For thy names sake be mercifull to vs our God and if we must fall by reason of our fearefull sinnes let thine owne hand cast vs downe not theirs for there is mercy in thy blowes Doe thou then take vs to doe O God and shew thy selfe a tender and indulgent father towards vs by correcting vs thy selfe as hitherto thou hast done and deliuer vs not to that mercilesse generation whose teeth are swords and their iawes as kniues who know no end of scourging vs till they haue also made an end of vs whom they scourge So shall wee sing praises to thy name and say Blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen vs as a prey vnto their teeth And I will lay it waste Or I will make it a desolation so that it shall
which our blessed Sauiour hath giuen vs wee are taught to acknowledge that kingdome power and glory is Gods And no maruell seeing he alone made all without any helpe Yea he it is that doth preserue and vphold all things that are made and therefore he must needs haue absolute soueraigntie and authoritie ouer all But Sathan is called the God of this world and most obey him How then is God so absolute a Lord Sathan is so called First because he challengeth it to himselfe and not that he is so for The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the world and they that dwell therein He only vsurps it as he did when he told our blessed Sauiour All the kingdomes of the world he would giue him if he would fall downe and worship him And thus the Deuill is called the God of this world as Absolom was called King by vsurpation Secondly and especially he is called a God because the wicked make him so suffering him to rule ouer them and reigne in them giuing him that honour and worship which indeed belongs to God It is not then Satans power that makes him a God but mans weaknesse in yeelding to his suggestions Neither doth this obedience which most giue him make against what is now taught for we may not measure and esteeme of soueraigntie and authoritie by the obedience or disobedience of subiects but by the right of authoritie which any hath ouer a land or people What if most men should not obey their Prince but his enemie would it follow hereupon that he should not be their Lord but that other whom they serue Nothing lesse So here And againe Satan himselfe is but Gods slaue seruing as an executioner or tormenter of the wicked now we know Princes are as well Lords ouer such as they are ouer the very best Now we come to see what Vses will follow hereupon And first seeing God is absolute Lord ouer all that is or euer was let wicked men be admonished aduisedly to consider from whom they haue had what now they doe enioy and whether they hold their lands and their possessions as we say in Capite All as we see is Gods if wee hold not what we haue from him we are but as theeues robbers vsurpers Tell me then thou worldly wealthy wise one canst thou say of thy lands possessions leases moneys as Iacob did that God hath giuen them thee I feare me nay the bad meanes thou vsedst for the attainment of them will gainsay it God giues what hee giues by lawfull meanes thy courses were sinfull and vnlawfull as lying couzenage oppression vsury extortion or the like whereby these were gotten Whence is it that Trades are called crafts and mysteries but from hence in that more liue by the craft and sinne of their Trades than by the Trade it selfe Hence also is it that men are faine to bee as warie in buying and bargaining with most Tradesmen in these sinfull daies as if they were fallen into the hands of theeues and cut-purses Will not these things witnesse against many at the last day that they haue not lawfully what they haue Will not these sinfull courses conuict thousands of theft before the Lord Yes questionlesse Happy were it for these if they could in time see it and repent thereof and make restitution of what they haue thus vniustly gotten while there is helpe and hope otherwise let such be assured a day will come when as they shall be compelled to restore and say to Satan and the world as Iudas did to the High Priests Take your siluer your gold your wealth againe It is the price of bloud but shall finde no better answer than that they gaue him What is that to vs thou shouldst haue looked to it Secondly is God such an absolute Lord hauing power and domnion ouer all let this serue for our Instruction and teach vs all to shew our alleageance to him in the practise of these duties First in carrying in our hearts a feare and reuerence of his maiestie euen such a feare as doth proceed from loue this God requireth A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If then I be a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord Almighty Secondly by an open profession and acknowledgement that he is our Lord. Euen as seruants by their liuerie make knowne to all men whose they are and whom they serue So doe thou both by words and deeds make knowne to whom thou dost belong and be not ashamed of thy master thou hast no cause He is farre from being a faithfull seruant that can stand by and be dumbe in case his master be dishonoured Thirdly in giuing him absolute and vniuersall obedience cheerefully subiecting our selues in all things and at all times to his commands Here must be no reasoning about no inquiring into his commandements as may be into mens for they must be obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command any thing contrary to his will but he must be obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will reuealed His sayings must be our doings Ipse dixit must be sufficient Fourthly by acknowledging our selues to be accountable vnto him for all our waies and workes Still remembring the goods we vse are none of ours they are our Lords and we are but stewards who must shortly be called to a reckoning He that spendeth his owne need care the lesse but he that hath a matter of trust committed into his hands and cannot spend but out of anothers stocke had need to looke about him because he must be countable and so enforced to make good whatsoeuer he commeth short in in his reckonings Aske then thy selfe what haue I that I haue not receiued of my Lord and Master Whence had I these gifts of bodie minde health wealth c. but of him And so carry thy selfe in the vsing of these as that thou maist be able to hold vp thy head before the Lord in that day of reckoning And thus we see some particulars wherein we are to testifie our loyalty and obedience Lastly this may be a ground of moderation and meeknesse for all superiours in their dealings with their inferiours and such as are vnder their gouernment seeing as they are Lords ouer others so they haue a Lord aboue them This the Apostle putteth Masters in minde of and on this very ground stirres them vp to iust and equall dealing with their seruants because they also haue a master in heauen As if he should say Beware that you abuse not your authoritie for know that you haue a supreme Lord and Master aboue you as you are aboue these who hath more power ouer you than you haue ouer them and therefore looke vnto your cariage The second attribute giuen to him is Lord of Hoasts The reasons haue beene before rendred and this
haue none to inhabit it The people of the land shall be swept away with the sword and the earth shall be robbed of all her goodly ornaments It shall neither be inhabited by men nor adorned with her beautifull fruits as it were with her princely coat of diuers colours but become as a desolate and forsaken wildernesse This is the meaning And hence note we the miserie of warre War is that miserable desolation which findes a land before it like Eden and leaues it behinde like Sodome a desolate and forsaken wildernesse The fiercenesse rage of it Moses expresseth and describeth when he telleth the Israelites of a Nation that should come from farre as swift as the Eagle fleeth and of fierce countenance who should not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the young who should eat the fruit of their cattell and the fruit of their land vntill they were destroied who should not leaue them either corne wine or oile nor-increase of Kine nor flockes of Sheepe but should besiege them in their gates vntill their high and fenced walls came downe wherein they trusted throughout all their land by reason whereof they should be driuen to eat the fruit of their owne bodie the flesh of their sonnes and of their daughters which the Lord their God had giuen them in the siege and in the straitnesse wherewith their enemies should distresse them So that men should haue euill or couetous eyes towards their brethren and wiues of their bosomes and their children which they should leaue in not giuing to any of them of the flesh of their children which they should eat for feare lest they should haue none left for themselues in the straitnesse of the siege And the tender and delicate women who would not aduenture to set the sole of their feet vpon the ground for delicatenesse shall be as niggardly towards their husbands and towards their sonnes and daughters and towards their young ones For they shall eat their children secretly and in corners that none might get any part away from them because of the siege wherewith their enemie should distresse them Fearefull threatnings But is it possible that the miserie or mischiefe of warre should be so great Were not these threatnings made to keepe them in obedience only Surely nothing is there threatned but warre hath brought forth To instance in that vnmatchable instance of the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespasian who besieged it for the space of fiue months threescore and eleuen yeeres after Christs incarnation or thereabouts In which time there passed many assaults and skirmishes much slaughter and bloudshed being made both on the one side and other The famine meane while afflicting the City was such as no Historie can parallel Horses Asses Dogs Cats Rats were good vnto their tastes But this food failing they were driuen to eat courser fare yea those things which vnreasonable creatures would not eat as the leather of their shooes and of their targets of their bridles and of their girdles and the like Oxe dung was a pretious dish vnto them and the shreddings of pot-herbes cast out and trodden vnder foot and withered were taken vp againe for nourishment What miserable meat was this And yet as miserable as it was the childe would snatch it from his parent and the parent from his childe euen from out his iawes Yea some to prolong their liues would not sticke to eat vp that that others had vomited and cast vp And yet harken to a far more lamentable accident than all this yet The mother takes her owne childe from her brests a harmelesse suckling silly infant and thus speakes to it Little infant poore wretch in war in famine in sedition for whom shall I preserue thee for whom shall I saue thee aliue If thou liue thou must be a slaue vnto the Romanes but famine preuents thy seruitude yea and the mutinous Iewes are more cruell than either the Romans or the famine Be thou therefore meat to me a furie to the mutinous and euen a mocke of the life of man And when shee had thus spoken shee kild it and boyled the dead bodie of it and eat the one halfe and reserued the other for another time The mutinous Iewes drawne by the sent and sauour of this meat brake into this womans house and threaten to slay her if shee bring it not forth vnto them Shee tels them shee hath meat indeed but shee had reserued it for her selfe neuerthelesse seeing they did so vrge her shee would bring it to them So shee brings them the reliques of her sonne at which sight they standing amazed and shrinking backe with feare and horrour the mother said thus vnto them This meat you see is indeed part of my owne sonne it was my deed to kill it eat yee of it for I haue eaten Will you be more tender than a woman more pitifull than a mother Eat I say for I haue eaten If you will not eat it shall remaine for me his mother Oh fearefull horrid inhumane act The famine still continuing they are compelled to begin to issue out of their Citie gates and no sooner were they out but they were still taken and crucified vpon Crosses and Gibbets set vp before the walls that they who were within might by beholding of this spectacle be moued to giue ouer but yet they continued obstinate and would not Fiue hundred a day were thus hanged vp till there were neither trees to be gotten nor any more space left to set them in and desire being made to know the number of dead carkasses which were carried out of the Citie for want of buriall to bee throwne in ditches as dung vpon the earth they found the number to be numberlesse so that no way could it certainly be knowne but out of one Gate the keeper had noted an hundred and fifty thousand dead bodies to be carried out And thus what with the extremitie of the famine what with the furie of the sword and what with sicknesse during the time of this warre there perished in Ierusalem and the Prouince adioyning as some credible Authors affirme about six hundred thousand able men to beare armes or as others hold who were present at the warre there died eleuen hundred thousand besides others taken captiue to the number of ninety seuen thousand The Iewes thus dead and scattered what became now of their glorious Citie Their holy Temple it was burnt their strong and high walls were throwne downe all the Citie became waste and desolate and so it remaines to this day And thus we see what Moses there threatned is here fulfilled to the vtmost both which proue my doctrine and make it good That albeit warre finde a land like Eden it will leaue it like a Sodome a desolate and forsaken wildernesse If these be not sufficient reade the whole booke of Ieremiahs Lamentations and there we shall finde that the mercies of warre are