be taken in that sense but in another sense as there is a speciall use of it in the Scripture when it speaketh and dealeth of some new secret disposition of things as Jer. 31.22 And so it is used Isaiah 65.18 of such a speciall creation is it here meant where love and dutie is specially due unto those who are of the same religion with us who follow the lawes and statutes of the same Creator and Author Why do we transgresse every one against his brother It is taken by some to be the reproofe of their vice though closely or not so openly as vers 11. it is set downe i. seeing we are of one kindred descended from one father why do we thus transgresse one against another either putting away or refusing our owne kindred in respect of strangers and aliens Brother here some interpret either the sister or daughter of our brother or rather accorrding to the use of the Scripture and Hebrew which by brother understand the female as well as the Male. And the application according to the occasion either both or but the one Both as Jam. 1.2 and the one as here upon this occasion must needs be the female And breake the covenant of our Fathers Some think that this is applied unto the second reason because the covenant of the Fathers was That they all and their whole posterity should acknowledge and worship one God onely and one people should be consecrated to one and the same God Others thinke by covenant is meant the Law of God a thing usuall in the Scriptures and that Law which God gave unto our Fathers that they should not take the daughters of a strange God to wife or of another nation Others thinke the reason stands thus making a third reason of it because God when he made covenant with the Israelites did it not with those more then with these with one more then with another but with all alike so that they who despise others violate the common covenant as if it were onely a covenant made with them The conclusion of all is thus framed If you be all one in body and soule and by Law why do you contemne one another Generally in that he used reason and not the bare authoritie of God which had been that hee well might wee observe this Doctrine 1 Men who perswade others to good or disswade them from evill must use all those reasons that may any way cause it to take hold and put an edge to it Have we not all one Father But in this verse as I said I take not to be reproved any particular sinne but generally their injuring and dealing unequally and unjustly one with another And this the first reason by which it is reproved condemning this because it was against nature they being all of one parent all one flesh Doctrine 2 Nature it selfe and humanity though men have no other bonds to linke them together ought to keepe men from hurting and injuring or transgressing one against another and to binde them to be helpfull and profitable and doe good one to another So reasoneth the Prophet heere And to this I apply that which is Levit. 18. When it is given so often a reason to disswade from injuring as vers 7. for she is thy mother for it is thy fathers shame 10. thy shame 12. she is thy fathers kinsewoman 13. mothers kinswoman To this may that be used Acts 7.26 Hereto that Gen. 50.16.17 and Isai 58.7 Reason 1 Because unreasonable creatures as beasts and birds fishes and fowles love their owne kinde and by nature are taught not to hurt and injure them but to do them good Hence is deemed the reason why those beasts that feed on flesh will not eate the flesh of their owne kinde taught as it were by nature lest they should eate and devoure their owne brood or breeders how much more then unreasonable men Reason 2 Because it is the rule and voice of Nature Quod tibi non vis alteri ne feceris Vse 1 To condemne men not onely as irreligious and voyd of pietie and godlinesse but as beastly and unnaturall men and voyd of humanity who injure and wrong transgresse against others and oppresse them I meane not such as may sometimes doe it carried by passion or affection in ignorance and want of information but I speak of such as live in it and to satisfie their owne lust and desires care not whom they wrong injure they will despise defraud deceive and oppresse any in buying and selling in letting or fetting by manifest usury and other oppression All is fish that comes to net with them of such I speake and how rich soever they may grow or be whatsoever otherwise yet are they unnaturall men and void of humanity And may reprove them as the Apostle the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.14 So doth not nature teach that if any man injure others it is a sinne unto him it is against the very light of nature And though there were no word of God neither Law nor Prophets nothing that might reprove them in the mouth of the Minister which they now spurne against and could be content there were none that they might sinne without controulment yet should they not without condemnation for even that Rom. 2.12 will here have place and shall condemne them by the very light of nature and now double condemne them because the light of the Word hath shined in a darke place and they have loved darknesse more then light Vse 2 To teach every man that if there were nothing else to binde him to do good to others or avoyd the hurting of others yet nature ought and he ought to be thus a law to himselfe though he had no written Word from God Whether he be a husband or parent or master or è contra or a private man nature and humanity ought to keep him from the one and hold him to the other * Omnia animalia naturalibus munimentis providentia coelestis armavit Homo accepit pro istis miserationis affectum qui plane vocatur humanitas qua nosmet invicâ—m tueremur Lactant. de falsa sapientia lib. 3. cap. 20. The heavenly providence hath armed all beasts with naturall defences but man instead of them hath the affection of pitty which is called humanity by which we are defended This very thing ought then to bind men It is hard from many men when they reprove others for transgressing and injuring others It is not for your profession it doth not become a man of that zeale and profession as you doe If they speake it that they are more bound it is true but if to excuse themselves or others as if it were little or no sinne in them then it is their corruption and is false For wherein doth their profession binde them which nature it selfe and humanitie bindes them not to do or from doing Undoubtedly in nothing though it binde more he is as well bound that is bound in
the wife the particular here spoken of and è contra putting one another way or taking others with them when they promised the contrary but of that after Many forsaking one another in extreamity and sickenesse when they promised and that without exception of any sickenesse still to cleave to them In many as it is infidelity to God so is it perfidie to their husbands and so è contra Many masters unfaithfull to their servants not teaching not bringing them up as they promised not providing for them things necessary in health and sickenesse Many servants unfaithfull to their Master like Iudas like Sion more then Gebezâ—i that 〈◊〉 but the gaine his master refused they that which is proper to the master Many men one with another deale unfaithfully promising things they either cannot or never meane to performe or know cannot be so many a seller promiseth his ware shall prove thus and thus when he knowes the contrary Many a buyer to pay at such and such a day when he never intends it and knowes before hand he shall not be able Many promising onely to bee free from the importunity of some or trouble of others onely is a matter of complement without any conscience of it when it is once passed them they are guilty of perfidie and unfaithfulnesse and besides are drawne to many wicked and rash oathes for deceiving they are not beleeved which makes them adde to confirme their credit heady and rush oathes Vse 2 To perswade every one to avoide this and to labour to deale faithfully one with another and to be faithfull and true in promises husband to wife c. Seeing it is coÌ„mended unto us 1. from the example of the Lord himselfe whose fidelity in keeping of his promise is to be imitated of us if we would be repured his children 2. From the testimony of the holy Ghost where it is made one of the notes of Gods children Psal 15.4.3 The promise of a great blessing Pro. 28.20 And coÌ„manded to us not amongst matters of small importance but amongst the weightier points of the law Math. 23.23 Not when it is in great matters but in lesse for as all disobedience is more displeasing when the thing commanded is small because the obedience was so easie August So unfaithfulnesse in the smallest things is the most displeasing to God when fidelity was so easie therefore must we be carefull to performe in all things that we promise and therefore be carefull how we promise that it be of things in our owne power or probability like to be in our power In many things whether we will promise or no it is in our power as Acts 5.4 but when it is made we are bound to the performance of it yea though it cannot be performed without great losse and hindrance And breake the covenant of our fathers That is offend against that law which God gave unto our fathers it being usuall in Scripture to call the law by his name and covenant Psal 119. And this is the royall law according to that James 2.8 Why doe we transgresse c. And break the covenant of c. It is therefore accounted a sinne because it breakes the covenant the law which God hath given unto his people Doctrine Every thing is good or evill righteousnes or sin lawfull to be done or unlawfull not as it is profitable or hurtfull not as it may benefit men or may by Gods providence be turned to his glory and make for it but as it is agreeable or repugnant to the law and word of God Thus he reproveth these because they had gone against the law This is manifest by that 1. John 3.4 Whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth also the law for sinne is the transgression of the law And by that Rom. 7.7 Reason 1 Because the Law and Word of God is the perfect rule of all actions and so ordained of God now in an art whatsoever is according to the rule is good but what is different must needes be corrupt so in this Againe the law is Gods will now every thing is as he willeth or nilleth it good or evil for they are not such and then he willeth or nilleth them but his willing or nilling them maketh them such Reason 2 Because whatsoever is just is good what unjust is evill but whatsoever is agreeable to the law of justice is just and è contra Reason 3 Because whatsoever is agreeable to charity which is the sum of the law is good whatsoever repugnant evill Vse 1 This will confute apoint of Popery whereby they allow things to be done though contrary to the law so they be done with a good intent or with a good zeal for a good end for so it is in the glosse upon Gratians decrees Malum factum excusatur per bonam intentionem And againe Excusatur malum si sit bone zelo propter bonum And upon this ground they allow murdering of Princes massacring of people treason in subjects treachery in servants disobedience in children that they may dishonour their parents deny them and forsake them so it be bono zelo propter bonum And be lawfull to doe any thing And this must make it good contrary to the apparent word of God here and that Rom. 3.8 so contrary is the spirit of Antichrist to Christs spirit Vse 2 To convince amongst our selves men who allow and maintaine many sins because they are profitable to others not hurtfull to them and therefore they think they may be done though they be contrary to the law One or two instances Many hold an officious lye lawfull because it may stand with charity when it is profitable for their neighbour But if against the law and word of God which forbiddeth lyes how should it not be sinne and unlawfull to be done besides they must understand that charity which is the summe of the law hath reference towards God towards our neighbour towards our selves And so is this against charity though helpfull to thy neighbour in whose favour it is told First because it is repugnant to verity and therefore to charity for God who is Truth hath forbidden all untruth as that which is opposite to him and so cannot stand with the charity and obedience we owe to God Secondly it is to the hurt of the teller because Psal 5.6 The lying mouth destroyeth the soule So it cannot stand with love which a man oweth to himselfe Now then though a man may helpe his brother and neighbour with the losse of his goods and hinderance that way but not necessary with the hazard of his life at all times but never with the hazard of his soule as every lyer shall doe Againe things must first be considered whether lawfull or no whether agreeable to the word and then whether profitable or hurtfull that is a second affection of things and a second consideration They cannot be lawfull but they will be profitable though not in our carnal apprehension nor unlawfull
bill of divorcement and put it in her hand and send her out of his house To which I answer and oppose Math. 19. so that if it were lawfull then yet not now neither doe I herein make Christ contrary to the decrees of God by Moses but we must understand that that law in Deuteronomy was a civill and judiciall law And Christ he meddles not with civill or judiciall courses but morrall things For they who governe common wealths propound this end unto themselves that if two evills or two inconveniences happen and meete they admit the lesse lest they fall into the greater As in some Cities they have admitted stewes and harlots to avoide as they say greater evills which the law of God will not suffer in his common wealth And so to this purpose of marriage when unhappy unfit and unequall marriages are made the one of these two inconveniences seemed to be necessarily that they who hated their wives would either perpetually afflict and vex them and at length kill them or they must have liberty to put them away The permission argues no simple lawfulnesse This latter was thought more tolerable therefore it was allowed in that common wealth but so allowed as if God by it would make them keepe their wives and use them better For first God would have him make a bill of divorce by that to affect so hard cruell a husband to drive him to consider what an unfit unworthy a thing it was for him to put away one he had enjoyed so long for we use to weigh more those things we write then those we speake Secondly that if he put her away he was not allowed atall to take her againe and therefore to make him not to doe it but advisedly when happily upon second thoughts he would not doe it Thirdly if he gave her a bill of divorce it must expresse the cause why he did it clearing her that it was not for adultery and accusing himselfe that it was for some other slight cause which he ought and would if there had been any love in him at all have covered All which sheweth that God did it for their infirmities and would have restrained them from it by this meanes and that he granted unto them was onely judiciall that is so much as might free them from the hand of the Magistrate that they were not punishable by him but not that which made it no sinne against the law morrall and before him they were onely freed in foro civili non conscientiae It is like to our law of usury which frees men from punishment of the law if they take not above such a summe but frees them not from sin before God providing for the good of the borrower both that they might borrow and when they did not be too much oppressed but so he that lends is an usurer and so a thiefe before God So in this For the Lord as a wise law-giver in his judiciall lawes permitted in a civill respect some things evill in themselves for the avoiding of a greater mischiefe not to allow or justifie the same from the guilt of sinne as before him in the court of conscience but to exempt the same from civil punishment in the external court before the Magistrate such is this we speake of Hence it is that we read not in the Scripture of any man of note for piety and holinesse which ever used this or ever gave any wife a bill of divorce For whereas Abraham put away Hagar and Ismael it is not against this for as he did it by the counsell of the wife so by the commandement of God Gen. 21.12 And none that were godly using or practising it once though they were subject to the same inconveniences that others were and so shewes that they held it not simply and in conscience lawfull Againe they say that 1 Cor. 7. the Apostle allowes divorce for another cause It is answered that the Apostle speaketh not of a divorce but of a disertion not of putting away the wife for any fault of hers but when she forsakes the husband for the faith and piety that is in him and so è contra for the Apostle onely saith if the unbeleeving depart let him depart But allowes not the beleever in any sort to put away the unbeleever nay commands him to live with her if she will abide with him And so onely enjoyneth him to suffer a disertion not to make a divorce And so this establisheth no other cause Againe they say if for adultery then much more for crimes greater then it and so there are more causes of divorce This will be answered out of the former for if the Apostle allow not for infidelity then not for greater for that is sure farre greater and if their reason were good then would this follow infidelity is a greater sinne then adultery therefore ought a man to be put to death for that becauses for this he owes to dye by Gods law Againe adultery doth not make the divorce because of the greatnesse of the sin but because of the opposition of it to marriage it is far more contrary to it The reason is because in marriage man and wife ought to be one flesh Now adultery is that which doth divide them and make not one but two And so doth neither infidelity blasphemy idolatry neither any such sin For these and the like sins are more repugnant to God and separate men from him more then adultery but it is more opposite to Matrimony which is manifest because amongst infidells idolaters and blasphemers marriage is good and lawfull though not holy Other things they object as coldnesse and inability of some incurable disease if the one goe about to kill or poyson the other if the civill lawes allow it But they are answered that some of these may hinder a marriage it be not not breake it when it is In others the Magistrate is to be looked to for helpe The lawes of Magistrates causing divorce for other things if they be capitall they ought put them to death and so end the controversie If criminall of lesse force their law is against the law of God and not tolerable Vse 2 To reprove and condemne all those who practise contrary who though the law allow not other divorces but for adultery yet they upon dislike they take at their wives or liking of others make nothing to send them home to their friends and live separated from them and onely for their lusts sake beare more indignity and discontent from a harlot in a yeare then they had from their lawfull wives in many yeares before hearkening to such bad counsellors as Memucan was to the King Ahashuerosh Ester 16.19 perswading him to put away Vashti for one disobedience and for some miscarriage to send her away and take another in her place forgetting as S. August speaketh to Polletius that they are Christians and therefore that they ought to be prone and inclinable
ye say The Table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meate is not to be regarded 13 Ye said also Behold it is a wearinesse and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hostes and ye offered that which was torne and the lame and the sick thus ye offered an offering should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord 14 But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hostes and my Name is terrible among the Heathen The parts of this Chapter are two 1. A Preface or Inscription 2. The Oracle or Prophecy 1. The Preface in the first verse generall to the whole 2. The Prophecy in the rest 1. An expostulation with the people and Priest for their ingratitude and corrupting of his worship from verse 2. to the 9. 2. A Commination of judgment deserved by it or a Commination of divers judgments from vers 9. to the end In the Preface or Inscription we conceive two things The substance and circumstance of it 1. The substance being the subject or matter of the whole is in that it is-called a Burden 2. The Circumstance of the person which is three-fold 1. From whom as the Efficient 2. To whom as the Object 3. By whom as the Instrument VERSE I. The burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by the ministery of Malachy THE Burden Here is the matter or subject of this Booke or Prophecy He calleth it a burden usuall with Prophets in their writings all almost in some place or other But Nahum Habakkuk and Malachy thus begin their prophecies It signifies as Hierome a woefull and sorrowfull prophecy full of threats and judgments called therefore a Burden because it presseth those against whom it is spoken the hearts and spirits of them as a burden the body and suffers them not to lift up their heads and themselves as in former times Some thinke it signifies not onely this but also the Commandement of the Lord by which the Prophet was burdened as from the Lord that he should declare it in so many words unto Israel which they thinke follows thence because it is to Israel not against but I feare this is somewhat nice for it was so to them as it was against them for their sinnes and that which is against is as much as a burden to the Prophet but this must be understood Tropicè here being a Synecdoche for the whole Prophecy is not a burden or threatning of punishment but part onely of it and so the whole is denominated of the part Doctrine The punishment of sinne the affliction God inflicts upon men for their sinnes and transgressions is a burden not a light one not such as are the feathers of a bird onus sine onere but as a talent of Lead spoken of Zach. 5.7 heavy and grievous so is it here and in many places of the Prophets as Nah. 1.1 Hab. 1.1 Jerem. 23.33 fine he shewes what is the burden I will cast you off and send you into Babel captives vers 36. that is whosoever shall say The burden he shall for that word beare his burden that is be punished of the Lord it is proved further by Matth. 7.9 Galat. 6.8 Hence is the complaint of David Psal 32.4 Thy hand was heavy upon me Reas 1 Because sinne the deserving and procuring cause is a very grievous burden Psal 38.4 Matth. 27.38 that is to living men and such as have the use of their sences not to dead and benummed men then the punishment is grievous Reas 2 Because the wrath and displeasure of God which is the efficient cause of it is very heavy and grievous The displeasure of a Prince is heavy the Kings wrath is as the roaring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 Now hence are afflictions heavy and burdensome Reas 3 Because none can give ease in it or deliver from it save God onely Hos 1.6 1 Sam. 2.25 2 King 6.26 27. The wound that is had by the biting of a Scorpion is grievous when nothing can cure it but the ashes of that Scorpion much more this Vse 1 This may teach us what to judge of those men who are in some affliction under a judgment and yet finde no burden but goe as light under them as a bird doth under her feathers and sometimes make advantage of them as beggers doe make gaine of their sores they are senselesse they are benummed they are dead men In common sence if any have halfe an hundreth weight laid upon his hand or foot and pressing him sore and he feele it not what judgment is to be given of it but to be a mortified and a dead member so alas how many dead men are in our times and daies The burden not of the Word onely but of the rod of the Lord not threatned but executed hath beene upon our Land and Church by the fearefull Plague now well towards three yeares wee have walked in the land of the dead we have beene in the house of mourning Indeed the living hath laid it to his heart but so few have done it that the dead are more than the living not onely our wanton women and voluptuous men to whom that 1 Tim. 5.6 They are dead while they live but our worldly men our ambitious and others all dead for this they have not felt We sorrowed for fifty odde thousands that dyed in the former yeare we have as much need to sorrow for so many thousands yet living and dead amongst us they never indeed felt nor yet doe feele this burden Their irreligious carriage when it was here amongst us both at home abroad in the City and abroad their small conformity since to the Law of God little reforming of their corruptions nay their monstrous deformity in themselves wives and children perswades my heart as 't is Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart there is no feare of God before my eyes so that they had no feeling of this at all for they who truely felt it would grow somewhat better if not altogether reformed If an heathenish people who knew not God at the burden of the Word of the Lord did so humble themselves that the Lord said Jonah 8.10 He repented of the evill he said he would doe to you and did it not what shall be thought of Christian men by profession living in the Church of God if at the burden of his Word they repent not nor depart from their evill wayes but Isaiah 8.8 Though they be stricken revolt more and more it is because they are dead men and cannot feele it Oh then weepe not for me but for your selves and children as those not for the departed but for the living dead for if it be true The beginning of the remedy is the sence and acknowledgment of the malady how farre are they from cure that have not yet
adversity and to keepe himselfe unspotted of the world To which we adde 1 Pet. 2.9 Rom. 6.13 Vse 1 This condemneth all late repentance all deferring of repentance from day to day till a man be sicke or a dying because where repentance is not a turning from sin to God there can be no holinesse at all for where sin raignes there holinesse can have no place One heaven can better have two suns and one kingdome two kings then one man and one heart these two while then they remaine impenitent and doe it ex professo they must nedes be impure And hath marryed the daughter of a strange God This is their sinne that they had marryed with Idolaters with them who were of a false worship and worshipped a false God Doctrine It is a sinne and impiety for Christians and Gods people to make marriages with Infidells those who are of a diverse and contrary Religion which are not the servants and professors of the God of their fathers the true God and true Religion And this is manifest by inhibition first in generall Exod. 23.32.33 Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their Gods Neither shall they dwell in thy land lest they make thee sinne against me for if thou serve their Gods surely it shall be thy destruction In particular Deut. 7.3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them neither give thy daughter unto his sonne nor take his daughter unto thy son 2 Cor. 6.14 Be not unequally yoked with the Infidels for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse The proposition of the Apostle is generall forbidding all society and fellowship with them much more then this then which nothing is more strict and by none men are so firmely knit together as by this And by the name of yoking he seemeth to allude to the type of the law when God commanded that men should not plow with an Oxe and an Asse together Deut. 22.10 whereunto also belongs the prohibition of the like Levit. 19.19 which God spoke not for them but to teach man Reason 1 Because it is dangerous lest by that meanes through their continuall society and cohabitation the beleever and godly party may be drawne from their piety to impiety and from the true worship to the false It fell out with Solomon and Iehoram 2 Chron. 31.6 yea with the whole people of God Num. 25.2 Now that which fell out with such great men and with such multitudes is danger it may fall out with others inferior fewer simpler and weaker Nay the Lord saith without any may bees that it shall befall unto them Deut. 7.4 For they will cause thy sonne to turne away from me and to serve other Gods then will the wrath of the Lord wax hot against you and destroy thee suddenly And the reason of that is because being confident in their owne strength they tempt God And so it is just he should give them over to see their owne weakenesse Reason 2 Because it cannot be but that the service of God which every beleever is bound to performe even in his private family must either be omitted altogether because the man not beleeving will not suffer it or interrupted greatly because the wife will be a scoffing and mocking as Michal And to this may I apply that of Chrysostome * Sicut mulier adjutrix est sic saepè insidiatrix fit sicut portus est conjugium ita saepè naufragium parit Chrys hom de libel Repud As the woman is an helper so she often becomes a traytor and as marriage is an harbour so it often causes shipwracke Reason 3 Because it must needes be prejudiciall to the education of their Children When the parents consent not betwixt themselves how should the children be brought up in piety the fear of the Lord Nay the children will ever follow the worse side though it happen to be the weaker because nature is so capable of error and false worship over that it is of the true Hence hardly an Idolatrous King made mention of in the stories of the Scriptures but their mothers are named with them as they who prevailed with them for false worship more then the fathers did or could for the true But against this Doctrine there are certaine objections by which some would prove that it is lawfull to marry with those who are of a contrary Religion Object And first for the places alledged out of Exodus and Deuternomy they say that they are not to be taken generally as forbidding all matching with such but particular prohibiting to match with those seaven nations of the land of Canaan Answer Those inhibitions are generall for all of a diverse religion because it is a certaine and true Rule where the reason is generall there the precept is but the reason of it is generall There being still as much danger as ever was lest by the unbeleever the faithfull may be drawne from the true God and pure worship Object Salmon one of the Princes of Iudah married Rahab the harlot It may be there was some mystery in that of Rahab to shew that Christ wold not onely save that which was lost but honour them also a Canaanite Math. 1.5 Iudah married a Canaanite also Gen. 38.2 Moses the daughter of Iethro Ioseph of Potiphar Solomon the daughter of Pharoah Answer Solomon is condemned for it by the Scriptures Iudah was a wicked man no matter what he did Ioseph and Moses went before the law but yet no doubt they had them to embrace the true Religion and they were converted As the Scripture speakes manifestly of Rahab And so it might be lawfull Though there be of the learned who thinke that they might not marry any of those nations though converted because God hath so utterly banished those nations from his people that without some speciall dispensation they might not marry with the converted Deuter. 21.11 Therefore lawfull to marry such Because it is lawfull by a speciall warrant and dispensation therefore it followes it was simply unlawfull for else there needed no dispensation Againe all the signes set downe in that place shew rather that the Lord did dislike it then approve it and that he did yeeld so much it was because of their incredible wantonnesse and corruption First she must shave her head that whereas the haire is an inticer or that which gaineth the uncleane affection he liking her in that when she was shaven might beginne to dislike her and her nailes must be pared to make her more deformed and her garments must be changed that whereas some garish apparell was as a snare to an unchaste heart shee being put in modest apparell and plaine he might lesse affect her And she must mourne thirty dayes that if for her pleasantnesse and chearefull carriage she deceived and delighted him now in her mourning and dejected countenance shee might lesse affect him finally if he disliked her he might neither
followes part of it The sinne is that which is against the ordinance and institution of God that ought not to be done such is this Now it is against his institution because it is against that covenant whereof hee is both Author and witnesse The way of setting down this is by way of question and answer from the people to them from God depending upon the former The Lord had told them it made their prayers to be rejected They aske why it should be so yet ye say wherin or wherfore for what cause or what reason there was why their offerings should be rejected and why he would not receive their prayers As men that would not acknowledge that there was any sin or fault in them but put him to his proofe how he would make it good and shew them wherein they had offended not willing to confesse unlesse he can wrest it from them Because the Lord hath beene witnesse The Lords answer shewing directly that there was cause because they had beene injurious not onely against their wives but against God who was witnesse of the Covenant they made betwixt themselves which Covenant as it was Gods ordained by him that they should be one flesh so was it made he being present called upon by him as witnesse when he bound himselfe to take her for his onely wife So that witnesse betweene thee and thy wife is witnesse of that Covenant that is passed betwixt thee and thy wife and which he ordained Who is the wife of thy youth One whom thou hast had from thy youth who hath beene long delightfull comfortable and amiable unto thee by her beauty helpes and chearefulnesse and other fruits of her youth and of marriage when thou being in thy youth married her a young Virgine And so it is no new reason nor yet any strange and obscure name of your duty mutually to be performed that it may be accounted either a small thing or is to be denyed and lightly regarded but it is most ancient and of long continuance even from your youth neither is there any thing committed by her why thou shouldest violate thy faith and breake thy covenant with her for so that against whom thou hast transgressed Is to be read with whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully breaking thy covenant Those words hath beene witnesse Some understand as if it were meant that he were witnesse of the injuries and indignities done against them And that howsoever some would lessen things yet the Lord tooke notice of them as great injuries yet this meaning the very tenor of the words will not carry it for it is not he is witnesse of you have been unfaithfull to them but between thee her with whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully Others would have it he is witnesse That is he hath contested betwixt thee and her that is hath commanded how thou shouldst carry thy selfe towards thy wife when he said Gen. 2.24 Therefore shall man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh But though some of the learned as Hierom and Cyril incline to this it seemeth to me somewhat violent Yet is she thy companion This is added to amplifie the crime of unfaithfulnesse because she was united to him in nighnesse of blood being flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and in society of life admitted to a partaking of his government and goods or companion of his bed and government and that by a covenant made betwixt them whereunto he had bound himselfe Yet is she saith the Prophet that is for all that she is thus thou hast dealt thus and so with her Some for all thou hast dealt thus with her yet is she thy companion c. and not that other thou hast taken and put her away or forsaken her company Because the Lord hath been witnesse between thee Gods answer shewing their sinne in a more heynous degree not against their wives and selves but against him Doctrine They who breake covenant and deale unfaithfully with their wives are not onely injurious to their wives but also sinne against God Let the injurie be the maine one here spoken of or let it be lesse wherein the covenant of marriage is broken And now that which is of the husband to her must be understood of the wives to him So the Prophet here condemnes the mans perfidiousnesse as a sin to God And as much Solomon insinuates for the woman Prov. 2.17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God That a leud woman dealing unfaithfully with her husband sinned against God in breaking the Covenant whereof he was Authour This is further proved because their naturall duties are commanded of God as Ephes 5.22.25 Collo 3.18.19 and other places Reason 1 Because whatsoever is against the Commandement and Word of God is a sinne against him though immediately it hurts man Nay indeed it is onely a hurt to man and the sinne against God seeing he is onely the law giver James 4. Now as the tenor of indictments run you did such a thing against the Crown and dignity of the Kings Majesty The hurt is to the private person but the transgression is against the Prince so in this Reason 2 Because God gave him to her and her to him and joyned them together therefore to transgresse one against another is to transgresse against God which I gather by proportion from that of Deut. 22.15 ad 20. where recompence is to bee made to the father for the injury that is done to the daughter for if there be an injury against him that is but in Gods stead and his vicegerent what to himselfe Vse 1 To perswade husbands and wives not to transgresse or injure one another not to deale unfaithfully one with another For besides that it is uncomely and most unnaturall to see that a man should hurt his owne flesh and so a woman That the body should annoy the head and the head the body it is against God therefore as Ioseph disswaded his Mistresse restrained himselfe Gen. 39.9 so should they one with another when occasion and opportunity is given or infirmity is ready to over-sway they should say one to another How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God The duties of the husband conditioned at the Covenant were to love his wife to be faithfull to her in his body and goods to dwell with her to governe her to instruct her be an example to her give her due benevolence of maintenance and imployment and such like And of the wife to love and be faithfull to him to feare and obey him In any one of these to faile is to transgresse against the Lord. And though sometimes in their corruption they could consent to transgresse one against the other as the husband that his wife should be a harlot and prostrate her for gaine to another or that he might without her reproofe be an adulterer
rejected and condemned afterwards and that very shortly Vse 1 This being a truth serves to confute all of the contrary minde as sometime was that Apostata Bernard Ochin who hath written certaine dialogues and laboured to establish this against the word of God Infinite it were to trouble you with all yet some The greatest is the examples of many of the holy Fathers as recorded in the Scripture who had many wives and are no where reproved I answer First it followes not Their reproofe is not set downe therefore it was not for seeing the Prophet Malachy reproves it why may it not be supposed others did so Besides many things were done that we never finde reproved which argues not the lawfulnesse of them The incest of Iacob and Lot Davids judgement against Mephibosheth and with Siba and such like Thirdly if it were not yet we live by precept not example Fourthly the multitude nor the greatnesse of offenders will excuse neither can antiquity prescribe against the word of God But as for the Fathers it is answered by the learned First that God remitted his law to them which appeares say they because he neither reproved it by his Prophets neither did he at the publishing of the Law expressely condemne it as he did some others as incest Levit. 19. before they thinke Iacobs marriage of two sisters was lawfull therefore he remitted his law yet so as they were not without all sinne in it For sinne they consider either as an aberration or turning aside from the perfect rule of God and so they sinned or else that which offends God so that it provokes him to punish and in this sense they sinned not God thus remitting the Law Others excuse the Fathers because they did it and God so permitted for the increase of the Church and not for any filthy unclean lust to satisfie it which was true in some though it hold not in others As Solomon and some others who cannot be excused of incontinencie Some excuse from some probable ignorance that either they knew not the Law or they thought not of it and so though not no sinne yet a lesse sinne Some the succeeding ages by their predecessors that though their examples make not sinne to be no sinne yet to be smaller sinnes to offend by their example who were otherwise good and holy men then when any thing is done with a wavering conscience and men are boldly the first that doe it for they are to be judged to sinne by error of judgement then perversity of affection Finally it is probable that God did winke at that in this people and their progenitours for the propagation of his people and to give passage to the fulfilling of his promise of the increasing of them and though God used that fact of the fathers well yet will it not follow that they sinned not when they turned aside from the word of God but if they sinned in it and so persevered and dyed impenitent what shall we thinke became of them It is probable they never repented either because they thought they sinned not or else because they well discerned not their sinne and yet might be pardoned it and were It is true to have Gods mercy for pardon requires repentance yet is it not necessary that every man should expressely repent himselfe of every particular sinne How many things are done which are not rightly done yet not done wickedly by us but in a conscience not well informed and so knew it not to be sinne And how many which are forgotten that they were done and yet by a mans generall humiliation for all his sinnes and craving pardon of unknowne sinnes Psal 19. pardon is obtained And those fathers often in their lives confessing themselves miserable sinners and humbling themselves no doubt that repentance and faith in Christ to come did save them But 2 Sam. 12.8 David had his masters wives It is answered by some that he did because God remitted his law to him But others it is never read that he took any one of them to wife neither is it said so but though the phrase into thy bosome is commonly understood of marriages yet it signifies there onely power and authority that is I have given thee all thy masters goods and have not excepted his wives that thou maist have them under thy power as other things Tremelius thus i. res personas etiam intimas charissimas eorum qui prius tui erant domini subjeci tibi But Deut. 25.5 the brother was to take the wife of his elder brother deceased It is answered by most that it was an extraordinary example and a speciall thing but no generall rule for else incest might be proved by it if it were generall Others answer that it must be taken and understood if he have not a wife before And so much they thinke those words carry if brethren dwell together And a reason of it is because it is not like that God would have a man to neglect his owne seed and his owne wife to raise up seed to others but onely he would have his brother substituted in his place I omit many more of no great weight though of some shew against all which the truth will stand and prevaile Vse 2 To perswade the men of our age against it for howsoever the forefathers escaped with it God either for the increase of the Church or by reason of their ignorance and rudenesse winked at it yet as in another case Acts 17.30 The time of this ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth all men every where to repent So may we say in this specially seeing Christ by himselfe and by others his Apostles hath declared us the law of the creation and brought it to the first institution he being as Revel 1. Alpha and Omega and as Hierom applies it to this when he found all things at his comming brought to Omega to an extremity and height he reduced them to Alpha to that which was in the beginning And if it were then granted to be no sinne yet will it be now They who excuse the fathers make as of man so of the world foure ages the childhood of it the youth the mans estate and the old age Now many things are fitting for children and may be tolerated in them which may not be in men of riper yeares as S. August saith in old time for men to goe with garments having long sleeves and skirts it was an argument of softnesse and wantonnesse But now if they should weare them with either they should be noted They say againe that that was the time of darkenesse ours of the light for though they were light in respect of the Gentiles they are darkenesse in comparison of us Now many things are tolerable in darkenesse which may not be borne withall in the light Then in this as in many other things we must not study what was done or borne withall but what is lawfull for us to doe and
that displease them and so noting how greatly God was displeased with these sinnes how they offend him Doctrine The blasphemies and other sinnes of men doe marvelously offend and vehemently displease the Lord which as it is affirmed here and the like Isaiah 43.24 So as many threates and menaces so many judgements executed sometimes upon the whole world sometimes upon generall Cities sometimes upon particulars persons through the holy story doth manifest no lesse because when men doe lay about them and smite and punish Irae in deo non est affectio sed poena in nos ea vocabulo nomi natur Chrysost it argues they are offended and displeased hereto belongs these and the like Psal 106.29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their owne inventions and the plague brake in upon them Isaiah 63.10 but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he fought against them Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God Reason 1 Because it is the transgression of his law Joh. 3.4 Now he gave his law to have obedience which is delightfull unto him 1 Sam. 15.22 He takes pleasure in obedience then disobedience and transgression must needs displease him Reason 2 Because he is most holy just and good yea goodnesse justice and holinesse it selfe Now as every man is more good so is he least suspicious of evill in another but when it is apparent he is most displeased with it for as things rejoyce and delight in their like so are they distasted and displeased with their unlike and that which is so contrary to them The more righteous the Judge is the more he hates iniquity and sinne he is righteousnesse it selfe The sunne is the greatest enemy to darkenes because it hath light of it selfe and as it were is light it selfe Reason 3 Because it workes the destruction of the creature which he loves Jam. 1.15 Now then loving his creature he must needs dislike and hates this parents hate and dislike those creatures men or beasts who worke the ruine of their children the fruit of their bodies and generally whatsoever a man loves he hates that which worketh the ruine of it Vse 1 For sinnes past which a man hath commited he must be grieved and displeased with himselfe that ever he committed any such things by which he hath grieved and vexed so holy and righteous a God And this ought he to do if either he have love to God or to himselfe Semper in amore cautella est nemò melius diligit quam qui maxime veretur offendere Sal. Ep. To God because where men love they are loath to offend and grieved when they have displeased them so that it is a note of a gracelesse child one without any love to his father that is never grieved when he sees his father grieved and vexed with his leudnesse and evill carriage he may be a child but he is a prodigall sonne and shall never be accepted till he returne and shew himselfe grieved that he hath grieved him True love seekes to please the beloved rather then it selfe and is more grieved that it hath displeased such one As Salvia Qui satis diligunt non citò offendūtur sed si nō facilè offendunt then if it had offended it selfe And whereas men are more displeased of the losse of their owne pleasure then to the displeasure of God how can it be but that selfe love is above Gods love As Salvia saith whom a man is loathest to offend he most loves of himselfe or God but where Gods love raigneth as it ought there this dislike and griefe will be And if this should not make them dislike and grieve yet if any man indeed love himselfe he will dislike and grieve for them because if he doe it not voluntarily he shall doe it by force and constraint for if he judge not himselfe and so take revenge of himselfe for his offending of God the Lord will and make him grieve though oftentimes not as he ought As Chry. of man qui fuerit su◠vinculis bonus nunquā erit profectò bonu◠simulac enim vi nulla cogitur liber ipse ad ingentum subito conversus iterum descesset So I of this griefe because such griefe in judgements is not alwaies true griefe yet he shall grieve as he would not for God will bring upon him that which will make him grieve some judgement or other to shew that as he loves them who love him so will he grieve those who grieve him which if it be come upon them they shall finde that true that a disease is not so soone removed as it is easily prevented So here And that it will grieve them as in diseases not the disease but that they neglected the meanes by which they might have prevented it Vse 2 For the time to come men ought to put away their sinnes and keepe themselves from committing new sinnes or renewing the old for it is that which is a griefe unto the Lord and his Spirit and should not men avoid the grieving of God not words and workes which are against God and doe displease him If sinne were a thing which God regardeth not and he were no waies affected or moved with it to griefe or displeasure lesse matter were to be made of it it were no great matter though men satisfied themselves and pleased themselves but being as it is so displeasing to the Lord such a grief unto him It is not only to be sorrowed for cōmitted but carefully to be avoided If he be a foolish son that is an heavnesse to his mother Prov. 10.1 What is he that is a grief to God his father how foolish and wicked is he One asked this question to one about to sinne Tell me what thou thinkest will he pardon thee or no whatsoever thou answer it shall be against thy selfe Ablatus erat à peccatoribus timor nè posset esse cautela And tanta animorum vel potius peccatorum caecitas fuit ut cum absque dubio nullus perire vellet nullus tamen id ageret ne periret Salvia if thou thinke he will not pardon thee what folly and desperatenesse is that to offend a mighty Prince without hope of pardon if thou thinke he will what ingratitude and impiety is it to offend so gracious and good a God so when thou art about to commit any evill or dost omit some good formerly practised and as thou wouldest be thought to have done it of conscience and so it may be though now asleepe Tell me I say what thinkest thou dost thou grieve and displease God or is it liking to him Answer what thou wilt thou shalt not avoyde but be taken If thou say or thinke it doth not displease him thou thinkest wickedly and shalt know it Psal 50.21 but if thou thinke it displease him what a desperatenesse is this to provoke such a great God so mighty a Prince And
though thy sinnes bring thee in never so much pleasure and profit for a time never so much contentment and satisfaction yet while God is displeased and offended yea grieved with it thinke the end will be worse for thee For doe they provoke me to anger saith God and not themselves to the confusion of their faces As if he said As Cyprian de lapsis Plus imò delinquit qui secunduÌ„ hominem DeuÌ„ cogitans evadere se poenaÌ„ criminis credit si non palam crimeÌ„ admisit suuÌ„ doe they imagine I will long beare my griefe and goe mourning away and not pay them home and ease my selfe yes they shall finde that I have said Isaiah 1.24 Therefore saith the Lord God of Hoasts the mighty one of Israel ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Therefore let men put away their iniquities cease of sinning and not grieve the Lord. Let no man imagine that this he will not part with but yet doe something which may please God As prophane Esau with his father Gen. 28.8.9 for if they doe it shall be with them as with him though his father meant to blesse him yet God would not have it so though men and the worke blesse them yet shall it not be so Vse 3 For imitation if God be grieved at the sinnes of others then ought they to be so too vide Mal. 1.6 in properties of filiall feare And if it doe grieve them indeed then will they not use familiarity with those whose words and workes are bitter and sharpe swords grieving God and grieving them where there is a necessity of a mans calling there to come when he shall heare and see such thing is one thing but where no such things he that can take pleasure or delight in their companies may feare he is not affected or is benummed by present condition if a little pleasure or profit of his owne make him indure much disgrace to God When ye say every one that doth evill in his sight Their blasphemy was spoken herein that they said God respected and loved the wicked Doctrine For men to thinke or speake that God loveth and respecteth the wicked maketh account of them and approveth them it is a wicked and blasphemous thought and speech against God Such was this And such is that Cap. 3. Such David confessed ceazed sometime upon himselfe Psal 73.12.13 This is that which Elihu chargeth Iob withall Job 34.9 For he hath said it profiteth a man nothing that he shouâ—d walke with God Reason 1 Because this is to make God wicked for no man but a wicked man and one in that he is wicked can or will approve of the wicked or wickednesse Many men may in outward shew and in hypocrisie approve and shew liking of holinesse and piety when themselves are not good but no man can or will approve of wickednesse but he that is evill and wicked he therefore that saith God favoureth the wicked must needs chalenge him for wicked but to say the righteous God is wicked is blasphemy c. Reason 2 Because he makes God to doe that which he accounts abominable in others and hath pronounced a woe against them that should doe it which is to justifie the wicked Isai 5.20 he must needs thinke wickedly and speake blasphemously against God Quest How then shall we excuse the Apostle from blasphemy affirming Rom. 4.5 that God justifies the ungodly Answ Well enough because the meaning is not that he justifies him so long and while he is wicked as if he accounted evill good and made his workes just which were wicked for this is against the law and forbidden by him and affirmed by him he never will doe it Exod. 34.7 But they are called wicked not because they are such when he hath justified them but because they were such before for he pardons their sinnes and heales their infirmities and gives them new hearts and makes them just and righteous and so is said to justifie them It may be shadowed to our capacity A Physitian is said to heale a man not that he is sicke when he hath healed him but that he was sicke when he begunne with him So in this But that is reproved as blasphemy in these is that they said God loved the wicked when he was such and approved of him being such Vse 1 To convince many of sin of this blasphemy not in that onely which oftentimes is heard from them that they censure and condemne and cast out of the favour of God and make them to be hated of God who indeed are in his love and bookes as if he did condemne the righteous and onely because their lives and carriage is reproved by their piety and study of holinesse and condemne them as hated because they strive to come most nigh God To whom we may apply that of Tertullian Apol. adversus gentes * Quantò magis hos denotasset Anacharsis imprudentes de prudentibus judicantes quaÌ„ immusicos de musicis Tertull Apol. adversus gentes How much more would Anacharsis have noted these men of folly being unwise yet taking upon them to censure the wise then for men unskilfull in musicke to censure musitians But this is not their expressed sin here though implyed but when they make affirm men to be in the favour of God and approved of him who are wicked and evill How many confidently glory of themselves that they love God and are beloved of him when some of them are like him Deut. 29.18.19 being knowne and noted for wicked men and yet boast of his love what is this but blasphemy to say God justifieth and approveth the wicked But if they be not apparently wicked but civill hypocrites and live in no grosse sinne of the second table but are voyde of the truth of any duty but are without all goodnesse specially in respect of the first whereby they are wicked for if it be true satis est hoc mali nihil boni fecisse then is he wicked that is not good and for such an hypocrite to flatter himselfe and boast of his love to God and God to him makes him so much the more wicked for he addeth to his former sinnnes this blasphemy chalenging God that he justifies the wicked ones and that he approves and likes of him being wicked Now as they are guilty of this in respect of themselves so are they for others for men that are their friends by whom they reape profit from whom they have countenance and of whom they are honoured and advanced be what they will be how wicked or how ungodly soever yet they tell them and so flatter them as the blessed and beloved men of God Vse 2 To teach every man to take heed of this blaspemy to thinke or speake thus wickedly of God either in favour of himselfe or others If a man may not lye for Gods cause he may not belye God for himselfe or in the behalfe
onely the place but notes the cause and end as well and so it is both to the Temple and for it noting the spirituall Temple to the materiall Temple and for the spirituall that the type this the truth Now the person of Christ is described First he is called the Lord that is King and governour of his Church of whom is that Psal 110.1 Which Lord the Prophet affirmeth that they desired the Jewes all of them some in one respect some in another desired him some as an earthly King and deliverer and some as a spirituall King and the true Messias who should be their redeemer and saviour from sinne and the wrath of God Luke 2.25.38 Even the messenger of the Covenant The second description of his person that he is the messenger or Angell so called because he was to reveale his Fathers will to his people and to be their Prophet to teach them what God requireth of them Called the Angel of the Covenant partly because he was promised and God did so Covenant with them to be their Prophet Deut. 18.15 16. and Rom. 15.8 and partly as some thinke because he it is that makes the Covenant betwixt God and his people being mediator of it and partly because he is the messenger of the new law or the new testament wherein heavenly blessings are promised unto us So St. August de civit Dei 18 35. Behold he shall come The conclusion for confirmation of the former to establish the certainty of it i. At the time appointed he shall certainly come so God hath decreed it and the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Some understand these words of his second comming as the others of the first As August and Theodoret But Cyril and Rupert otherwise as we and the third and fourth verses prove it because those things are exercises of the Church upon earth In the Prophesie we first observe what toucheth the forerunner That he is sent and the end of his sending I send Math. 11.10 It is said God the Father sendeth noting the unity of essence Doctrine 1 Christ is God equall to the Father and coeternall with him Revel 2.8 first and last Doctrine 2 Christ he sendeth Ministers and appoints them over particular charges as Pastors Re. 2.1 My messenger or Angel Iohn is the messenger of Christ one by whom he would make his will known and the spirituall and heavenly verity manifest unto his people which is not peculiar to Iohn but that which is given unto all the Ministers of God and so teacheth us a generall thing Doctrine The Ministers of God are his messengers and Angels to receive from him and reveale to and teach his people his will and pleasure those by whom he will convey unto them the knowledge of his divine Mysteries which is not to be understood exclusively as if they should have no knowledge of it by any other means But this is the principall means by which he hath ordained thus to manifest it Hence is this name of Angel or messenger so usually given unto them And that of Embassadours 2. Cor. 5.20 And that of any Interpreter Iob 33.23 And that they bring is called the Lords message Haggai 1.13 Hence that Math. 29.19 go ye and teach Luke 16.29 Abraham said unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Reason 1 Because of mans infirmity therefore he speakes not himselfe neither sendeth by an Angel which is one by nature knowing the naturall feare of a man that he is able to indure neither As that sheweth Deuter. 5.25 26. Now therefore why should we die For this great fire will consume us if we heare the voice of the Lord our God any more we shall die For what flesh was there ever that heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire as we have and lived Luke 1.11 12. Then appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord standing at the right side of the Altar of incense And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him As also his superstition who would leave attending the message and worship the messenger As Revelat. 22.8 But he willing to have the message rather regarded sends it in earthen vessells Reason 2 Because they might know better and more fitly to deliver and apply this word both with more compassion and with other affections seeing they are partakers of the like infirmities and so better know the infirmities of men It is the reason the Apostle giveth why the Priesthood was taken from men to be for men in things appertaining to God Heb. 5.1 2. Which is that the Apostle said 1. Cor. 9.20 Vnto the Iewes I become as a Iew that I may win the Iewes to them that are under the law as though I were under the law that I may win them that are under the law Which was saith Augustine * Compassione misericordiae non simulatione fallaciae fit enim tanquam aegrotus qui ministrat aegroto non cum se febrem habere mentitur sed cum animo condolent is quemadmodum sibi ministare vellet si ipse aegrotaret sic ipse aliis aegrotantibus ministrando compatitur August Epist Hierom Epist 9. In compassion pitying them not in dissimulation to deceive them He became as a sicke man himselfe to tend the sicke not feigning that he had a fever but with such a tender and condoling heart as he would be tended with if himselfe were sicke Vse 1 To confute those who thinke any sufficient for the Ministery to be Gods Messenger Vide. Cap. 2. verse 7. doc 1. use 1. Vse 2 To reprove all ignorant Ministers and to admonish men to take heed how they take this calling Vide ibid. verse 6. and 4. Vse 3 To confute those who thinke there is no necessity to heare Gods Ministers Vide ibid. doc 2. use 1. Vse 4 To teach men to make conscience to heare the Ministers Vide ibid. And he shall prepare the way before me Here is Iohns office alluding to an harbindger before a Prince whose duty it is to prepare the way for his Prince remove all lets and impediments that he may passe more easily and more freely So ought Iohn according to that Luke 3.4.5 And it is all one with that Luke 1.17 To make ready a people for the Lord. To whom he would come Iohns preaching then is the preparing of a people and Christ comes when men have entertained that Doctrine Men who would receive Christ must entertaine his word by his Ministers and be first prepared by it and then will he come Luke 1.76 and Rev. 3.20 If any heare my voice He shall prepare the way Iohn prepares the way for Christ by preaching repentance and bringing men to the sight and acknowledgement of their sins which is manifest by his preaching Matth. 3.2 3 7 8. Doctrine As Christ comes to none but such as have received the word So to none but to such who
the one they have none of the other for many seem marvelous carefull of the first Table and matter of religion they will heare the word they will be frequent in prayer they will not sweare an oath keep the Lords day hate Idolatry and such like but yet live in some breach of the second Table in hatred and malice lust or covetousnesse cruelty or oppression slandering and discontentment disobedience and disloyalty And these are religious hypocrites On the other side many there are who have care to deale justly to performe faithfullnesse to men are mercyfull liberall loving and kinde c. Yet care not or regard not the duties of religion Are swearers prophaners of the Lords day neglecters of the worship of God carelesse negligent drousie hearers and prayers have little hatred of Idolatry and lesse love of the truth And these are civill hypocrites Both these in the hypocrisie of their hearts perswade themselves that they are in the favour of God and shall escape the wrath of Christ when he shall come to judge either in this life or the life to come And these and none more lie censuring judging and condemning one another and remember not that the Judge standeth at the dore ready to judge and condemne them both seeing he commandeth both he will condemne for the neglect of either and the curse is to him that neglects religion and the first Table as well as the second and honesty Vse 3 To perswade these hypocrites to come out of their hypocrisie and both them and all others to take upon them the care of performing obedience to Christ in both be carefull of religion with honesty and of honesty with religion this must be done and the other must be lest undone Hast thou any knowledge of God any love of the truth any care of the Lords day any feare of his great name any love to heare or to pray See thou be carefull of justice chastity sobriety obedience fidelity and true love to men Or else for all that when thou thinkest to have Christ for thy Saviour thou shalt finde him but a swift witnesse and an irefull Judge against thee So on the contrary Many will easily grant me that if a man be never so religious so devout and carefull of the first Table yet if he be unjust an extortioner a murtherer and such like As they Acts 28.5 judged of St. Paul so the Lord will not suffer him to live but his judgements shall be upon him and condemnation in the life to come But if a man be just chast mercifull and such like though he know not religion be without the feare of God and care of his service though a swearer blasphemer a prophaner of the Lords day yet he may do well enough and no fear of perishing or judgement and so will they speake both in life and death which is all one as if they should thinke a man which is guilty of felony murder and such like must needs be judged by the law of the land but if not of these though he be a traytor to the Kings person yet is there no feare But if a traytor shall die though not guilty of felony and a felone though not culpable of treason by the justice of mans law much more they who shall separate these two Tables Therefore must we endeavour to be religiously honest and honestly religious to avoide the transgressions of both Tables and to do the duties of them lest if we separate these we lay our selves open to the judgements of God in this life and separate our selves from the comfortable and happy presence of the Lambe and him that sitteth upon the Throne Against the soothsayers The first particular whom he will judge and under this all of the like kinde Such Deuter. 18.10 11. Let none be found among you that maketh his sonne or daughter go through the fire or that useth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of foules or a sorcerer or a charmer or that councelleth with spirits or a soothsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead Doctrine The Lord as he will judge and destroy all other Malefactors so will he soothsayers witches inchanters sorcerers Necromancers wizards and all such like so is affirmed here And if we loke to the old Testament and things that are past we shall finde it true Deuter. 18.12 For all that do such things are an abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee 2. Kings 17.17 18. And they made their sonnes and their daughters passe through the fire and used witch-craft and inchantments yea sold themselves to do evill in the sight of the Lord to anger him therefore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and put them out of his sight and none was left but the tribe of Iudah onely Mich. 5.12 And will cut off thine Inchanters out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more soothsayers In the new Gal. 5.20 21. Revelat. 21.8 Sorcerers shall have their part in the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Reason 1 Because they are grosse Idolaters and the art they use is grosse Idolatry for here is ever either the expresse invocating and calling upon the Devil seeking from him knowledge of things secret and to come helpe in trouble deliverance from danger and such like proper unto God or else some secret and covert invocation on him as under the name of the dead or under some barbarous tearmes which have no signification or by some superstitions and arts of slight invented by him Which Tertul. l b. de anima calleth second Idolatry for as in the first he fained himselfe to be a God so here an Angel or one that is dead and such like in both he seeks to be worshipped when as then they are worshippers of the devill taking from the Lord that was his most gratefull and acceptable to him invocation and his worship and giving it to his most deadly and greatest enemy How should he put it up and not be revenged of such a generation Reason 2 Because they bewitch and deceive many and draw them into the same sins and so bring them to destruction as is said of Simon Magus Acts 8.9 When as therefore they so strive against the glory of God and salvation of others no marvell if the Lord will judge and destroy them Vse 1 To stir up the Magistrate to draw forth the sword of justice against these and to cut off all such workers of iniquity from the City of God for they ought to do as the Lord would and will do seeing they have the commandement for it Exod. 22.18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live Levit. 20.27 And if a man or woman have a spirit of divination or soothsaying in them they shall die the death they shall stone them to death their bloud shall be upon them So did Saul while he was assisted of
should come to afflict and correct them it should be in compassion and love Doctrine The Lord when he afflicts and corrects his he doth it in compassion and love grieving to do it retaining ever his fatherly affection towards them Isaiah 27.4 Rev. 3.19 VERS XVIII Then shall you returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not THen shall you returne and discerne c. The third part of the answer to these threatning a judgement to these who spoke thus blasphemously against the Lord. The sum is that such a judgement should come upon them as should open their eies which they winked on now and make them see and acknowledge a difference as well in the things as in Gods affection betwixt the good and bad Then shall you who now blaspheme God and say you have found nor reaped any profit by my service Shall returne that is be smitten with a late and unprofitable yea damned repentance no true and serious returning And discerne Out of wofull experience when you shall feele your owne misery and see the happy estate and condition of the godly shall you know in how farre better estate the righteous that is he that is carefull and conscionable in all the duties of justice honesty and equity And the wicked him that hath no conscience at all but is unjust unfaithfull uncleane or any waies wicked yea you shall discerne and know how excellent his estate is that serveth God that is conscionable in all the duties of the first table and is studious and zealous of religion And him that serveth him not who hath no care of any such thing but is prophane and in all things irreligious You shall discerne you shall be made to know that God sleepeth not in Heaven when men doe give themselves to all licentiousnesse and iniquity even with greedinesse upon earth and by experience will perceive that men shall not go free for all their sinnes but shall come to an account and reckoning and so the meaning is that by their owne punishments which God shall lay upon them they shall discerne the difference for when as God shall spare them he shall rise in judgement against you and come armed upon you and then you shall know that he tooke notice of all things done by men and that he would not suffer sinne unpunished though he have dissembled as it were for a time You returne This may be taken for the sense of Gods judgement wherewith the wicked shall be affected though they shall not repent though their madnes against God may by this be repressed it breake not forth no more Doctrine The judgements of God shall make the wicked to acknowledge the providence of God that he governes and takes care of men and things which are done here upon earth So much is the scope and sum of this verse manifest by that Isaiah 28.19 and that Psal 58. per totum specially verse 11. the example of Pharoah shewes it and that Dan. 4.22.32 Isaiah 26.11 Reason 1 Because though all his mercies and blessings should draw them to it yet they doe it not even the best are apt to grow secure and fat under them whereas his justice and judgements doe more waken them those daube up these cleare as sharpe things especially clear the sight when they make the eies smart Reason 2 Because they shall see and feel themselves smitten when the other are spared as Egipt and Goshen or smitten otherwise then they Isaiah 27.7.8 Discerne between the righteous and the wicked c. That is how excellent one is above the other that whereas they thought this far more happy and honourable they should see their error and be made to confesse that the other is far more excellent happy and honourable Doctrine The righteous and he that serveth God he that maketh conscience of his waies both with men and God in righteousnesse and piety is farre more excellent happy and glorious then the wicked and him that serveth him not then he that is given to pride and contemnes God c. The Lord saith they shall discerne it then must it needs be so yea it is so though not discerned of them that of the Covenant sheweth it Gen. 12.2.3 And I will make of thee a great Nation and will blesse thee and will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing I will also blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed That of Balaam Num. 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous let my last end be like his Wishing the worst part as is commonly accounted and so shewing what he thought whose testimony is without suspition he being an enemy That of Isa 27.2 â—lias the Church a vineyard they as vines when the wicked are compared to thorns verse 4. hence that of Cant. 2.2 of the Church and members more excellent as the Lilly then the thornes Reve. 2.1 As gold is more excellent then other mettals yea as in the goldsmiths shop it surpasseth the iron tongs and the hammer the anvile and the coales so these all the rest Reason 1 Because they are in speciall favour and love with God and specially beloved of him whereas the other is in his high hatred In a State what subject more happy and excellent then he that is in the Kings favour who more miserable then he that is in the hatred of the King specially when there ever is matter found in him that he may shew his displeasure in justice How gracious and happy How ignominous and unhappy was Haman successively the book of Ester sheweth Reason 2 Because they are Gods sonnes they but his servants at best at the worst and in truth the slaves of Satan Sons better then the servants of a good King much more then the slaves of such a Tirant Reason 3 Because they are the members of Christ as the Church is his body then such an head must have glorious members whereas the other are the members of Satan The righteous and him that serveth God These two the Prophet joineth together as the other two opposites by these he teacheth this Doctrine There is no justice where there is not the worship and service of God no righteousnesse where there is not religion for these two go still together and hand in hand so much this conjunction of the Apostle sheweth as that Acts 10.35 He that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse Hence Micha 6.8 To doe justly and walke humbly with God are joined together Therefore as Saint Paul makes faith the establishment of the law A justifying faith containeth this faith of profession in it Rom. 3.21 So St. Iames makes workes and righteousnesse the perfection of faith James 2.22 That is that which shewes it to be sincere and lively or living Both that there is no faith without righteousnesse so no true righteousnesse without faith