righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them 2 Pet 2 21. Those who are Christ's enimies are thus threatn'd He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh The Lord shall have them in derision Ps 2 4. Oh fearfull threat how sad is the conditon of those men at whose calamitie God rejoyceth or at whose wickednesse he laughes suffering them to run on in their sinnes because he seeth that their day of punishment is coming Ps 37 13. Give me any anger rather then a laughing anger whether of God or man See the threats Ps 59 8. Prov 1 26. Those to whom Christ is a scandal Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken Mat. 21 44. In Luke you have the same words cap. 20. 18. The like threat you have in Isaiah cap. 8. 15. Many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken Blessed is he saith Christ himselfe whosoever shall not be offended in me Mat. 11 6. If a man shall be blessed only for not being offended at or not disliking him whom he is bound to like and whom it is for his owne good to like and whom he hath no cause to dislike how can his condition be better then cursed who notwithstanding all this is offended at him and disallow's him and rejects him as unsit to build upon Those who have no Vnion or Commumunion with Christ Verily verily I say unto you except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you Joh 5 3. Ye have according to Beza's translation and not ye shall have according to Erasmus and the Vulgar because saith Beza otherwise it may be thought that Christ did not give life to us but only keep it for us I apply not this to those who do not imitate Christ especially in his passion as Grotius does for as upon most other places he endevor'd to be as little mysticall and spirituall as he could be so I think upon this he was more Socinian then he should be for thus he speakes Hoc ergo est edere bibere Christi uti exemplo Christi perfestisimum est exemplum tum virtutum aliarum tum praecipuè dilectionis quam imitari Compendium est praeceptorum Nam sicut cibus potus in corpus admissi hominem nutriâ—nt ita bona exempla in animum admissa eum mirabiliter confirmant But whereas he sayes Christ was a most perfect example of love and makes imitation of him to be the highest thing intended in the Gospel for doubtlesse eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood was expressed as the highest and most principle of christianity let me aske wherin this love which he ackowledges did appeare I believe I shall not be answer'd by those of his mind in his dying a Sacrifice for us for then certainely example and imitation cannot be the thing hee came for And yet that in this chiefly both his love the love of the Father did consist appears by the words of John Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ep 4 10. To conclude If eating Christs flesh and drinking Christs bloud be imitating his example how did our Fathers imitate him who were before him and yet did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall rock that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1 Cor 10 3 4. Church not heard If he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Saith our Saviour to his Disciples concerning one Christian offending another Mat 18. 17. Clothes of men and Women promiscuously worne The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God Deut. 22 5. Some do make this prohition to belong to the second Commandement and for these two reasons First because the word which we translate abomination is usually spoken of Idolatry but this is no reason for it is as usually spoken of other things both in the Proverbes and elsewhere Secondly Because Maimonides saith it was the custome of Idolatrous Jewes if they were men to stand with the â—mbrodered garments of women before the starre Venus and if they were women with mens armour before Mars another of the Planets in imitation of the Heathen That there was such a custome is very likely and there seemes to be somewhat spoken in â—avour of this report in Deuteronomy ch 17. because in the second verse both sexes are mention'd If there be found c. man or woman c. and in the verse immediately following there is mention made of worshiping the Sun or Moone or any of the host of heaven as if it had been said or any of the Planets such as Mars and Venus and the rest but however if they make the prohibition to relate to this custome onely because they thinke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated here that which pertaineth to a man to signifie nothing but armour I shall not take this for a reason neither for they cannot deny that this word hath of it selfe a more generall signification even as generall almost as when we say a man's or woman's things as may appear by twenty places which being so methinkes it is farre better to make the more speciall word used for the woman viz. garments to expound this rather then this which is a more generall word to exclude that at least let it be that which containes armour and clothes too viz. the Habit of a man Communicating or partaking of Christs body in the Sacrament unworthily It is threatned with being held guilty of the body and blood of Christ as if he who does not care to remember him in the best manner he can now he is dead if he had lived when he did would have been little troubled to have seen him put to death Whosoever shall eat this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty or shall be held guilty for he is guilty already of himselfe of the body and blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 27. It hath been punished with sicknesse and death For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11 30. Chrysostome speakes of some possessed with the divell after it and Cyprian hath recorded divers examples of men thus punished one way or another for the most part they were sure to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some judgement or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be judged or punished and it was well for the Saints they were for it may be otherwise they might have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quite and cleane condemned or damned as the men
for a prey and never so loud as then The cry of the Oppressed is a very lowdlong-lasting cry God heareth it saith Job chap. 34. 28 and forgetteth it not Saith David Ps 9. 12. and therefore they are sure to be avenged The Odiousnesse of this sinne in the sight of God and the danger of it may be further gathered out of the Scriptures thus 1 By the Odious names given to it Such as Grinding the faces of men Isa 3. 15. eating them Psal 14. 4. Devouring them Hab. 3. 14. Plucking off their skinne and their flesh from their bones Nay breaking their bones and chopping them in pieces as for the pot Mic. 3. 2 3. Blood which is the life and they that take away a man's livelyhood in effect take away his life almost every where in the Prophets Isay 3. 15. Ezek. 22. c. 2 By the odious names that are given those that practise it as of Lyons and Wolves Zeph. 3. 3. Ezek. 22. 27. Psal 10. 9 10. 3 By the greatnesse of God's anger even for not helping those that are oppressed and that speedily for thus it was said to Zedekiah King of Judah Execute judgement in the morning and deliver him that is spoyled out of the hands of the oppressour lest my fury goe out like fire and burn that none can quench it Jer. 21. 12. 4 Lastly by the greatnesse of the reward promised to those who doe not onely abstain from it for that they may out of policy onely but hate it For though it be not enough for such a reward yet it is the maine thing mentioned He that despiseth the gaine of Oppression that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes c. He shall dwell on high c. Isa 33. 15. What ever they thinke Princes can never be so safe nor so secure when they have the feare as when they have the love of their subjects I have been the longer upon this subject because I see it is a sinne so much practised in most countries even which I am ashamed to speake of Christiandome Parents their Duty Such as Correct not their children rewarded 1 With Shame and sorrow The rod and reproofe give wisedome but a child left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame Prov. 29. 15. 2 Continuation of punishments inflicted for their childrens sinne which might else have been taken off In that day I will performe against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house When I begin I will also make an end For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sonnes made themselves vile and he restrained them not And therefore I have sworne unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not bt purged with Sacrifice nor offering for ever 1 Sam. 3. 12 13 14. He restrained them not in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not bend his brow upon them He reproved them indeed because he would give content to the people and herhaps God punished him partly for his hypocrisie herein but in such a manner as any other body might doe and as if hee were loath to crosse them Marke his words ch 2. 23. Why doe yee such things c. and Nay my sonnes for it is no good report that I heare c. v. 24. There is too much of this counterfeit reproofe and correction in use both among Parents Magistrates And he restrained them not And therefore I have sworne c. I had but told him before but now I have sworne The iniquity of his house shall not be purged or thus The punishment of his house which I have threatened viz. ch 2. 21. shall not be taken off For I am not of their mind who gather from this place that Eli was damned Yet let me tell you thus much that though it may be charity in you to thinke the best of others yet I count it wisedome in you to feare the worst of your selves Parents their Due Such as Curse them threatened 1 with Death Every one that curseth his Father or his mother shall surely be put to death he hath cursed his father or his mother of whom he had his life his blood shall be upon him Lev. 10. 9. He shall be put to death he hath cursed his father c. Certainly God accounts this a hainous sinne for he seemes to have thought that he gave sufficient reason for the greatnesse of the punishment of it onely by repeating it Children might forbeare to curse their parents even out of malice for no doubt God will prosper them the better and blesse them the more The Jewes when they speake of a child's cursing his parents by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresse it by Barach a word which signifieth Blesse 2 Blacknesse of Darknesse as some compare the following expression with that in Peter 2 Epist 2. 17. Jud. 13. Who so curseth his father or his mother his lamp shall be put out in obscure darknesse Prov. 20. 20. When the godly die it is no more then if a man's candle should be put out when the day breakes I used the word cursing in the Title because it is so in our translation but yet I believe a smaller matter then wee usually understand by cursing will deserve punishment yea though it be meant onely of evill speaking for so in Leviticus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated by the Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that shall speake evill To or OF So in Marke 9. 39. we translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SPEAKE EVILL OF me The word is the same which we translate curseth ch 7. 10. where this statute in Leviticus is cited in these words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evill speaking I said but I meant not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as that 1 Pet. 2. 1 i. e. obtrectation and slander but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as that Eph. 4. 31. i. e. vilifying or disgracing by reports though true So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word used in this statute and translated curseth shall be that thing in words which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred despiseth in Deut. 27. 16. may be in any other way viz in mind or behaviour Such as make Mocks of them or give them ill words 1 With a curse upon their posterity viz. of serving their brethren For Noah though he deserved sufficiently to be mocked for his folly because his sonne Cham finding him naked went and made sport of it or perhaps onely complained to his brethren of what his father had done whereas children should cover their parents failings in this sense thus saith of his son Canaan as some thinke because he first saw it and told his father who told it to his brethren Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren Genes 9. 25. with 22. Cursed be or cursed is So the Hebrew rather as if he did
doings c. they did but trust in lying words which would deceive them to say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord though they sayd it never so often Jer 7. 4 5. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heaven Matt. 7. 21. Workes of God not regarded Because they regard not the workes of God nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Psalm 28. 5. See Psalm 78. 32 33. World Those that love it punished 1 With a short enjoyment of what they love which is no punishment to them that doe not love it And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 31. 2 Vexation of mind I have seen all the worke that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1. 14. 3 Not being able to be Christ's disciple Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple Luk 14. 33. That forsaketh not and vers 26. That hateth not his father c. Much lesse then can they that love and cleave to the world be Christ's disciples Paul saith he counted all things but dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so he could but that he might winne Christ as if else he could not See Phil. 3. 8. 4 Surprizall by the day of Judgment Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeting and drunkenesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34. Worship of God neglected Yee looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it Why saith the Lord of hoasts Because of mine house that is wast and ye runne every man to his owne house Hag. 1. 9. APPENDIX READER I intreat thee to lend mee the reading of a few lines more which partly by the Printers fault and partly by mine own having done my work in loose papers were left out in the book P. 31. Before Destruction Read 6 Shame O Lord the hope of all Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountaine of living water Jer. 17 13. Pag. 32. read The Jewes when they heard any one blaspheme God's name either out of indignation against the party for the affront as Joshua and Caleb did at the murmuring of the people Num. 14. 6 or else out of griefe for God's dishonour as it was their custome to doe in times of mourning used to rent their cloaths And this they would doe whosoever he were that had blasphemed but especially if he were one of their own nation and had professed himselfe to be in covenant with him whose name hee blasphemed oh I could teare my haire to see Professours of godlinesse dishonourers of God For this reason and because he spake in the Hebrew tongue the Iewes conjecture Rabsbacheh at whose blasphemy the people in Jerusalem did rent their cloaths 2 Kings 18. 37. to have been formerly of their religion Yea they thought the practice of this custome so warrantable upon such an occasion that even the Priests who were expresly forbidden to use either this or any other custome used in times of mourning yea though their owne daughters should be burnt to death for whoredome Lev. 21. 9. 10 yet notwithstanding as it seemes upon the hearing of blasphemy thought they might lawfully perhaps were ambitious to use it as they were to doe many other things whereby they might seem to be over righteous P. 75. before Those who have no union c. this chapter Threats and Examples of his being a Scandal He shall be for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem Isa 8. 14. Behold this child is set for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel c. Luk 2. 34. See Pet. 2. 8. Rom. 9. 33. This stumbling at Christ was to the Jewes 1 A punishment of their disobedience And therefore Jonathan the Paraphrast in the place of the Prophet before quoted before he mentions the threat prefixes these words If ye shall not obey 2 A fruit of their blindnesse and ignorance for certainely had they seen never so little they could not possibly have stumbled in so great a stone as he was No instead of going on till they dasht th◠selves against him if they had perceived him to be a rock of refuge as indeed he was they would have got up upon him and have made him their Sanctuary Had they known what a pretious corner stone he was even chosen of God and laid in Sion of purpose as the fittest in whom the building of either sides viz of themselves and Gentiles might be fitly knitted together Eph 2. 21 for a living and a Holy Temple for God to dwell in by the Spirit insteed of their temple made with hands which must perish doubtlesse they would never have rejected him and have let him lye in the way for themselves to fall in Or if they envied so much good to the Gentiles as to make him a corner stone yet they would have made him their foundation stone and have built upon it themselves And as they stumbled at him both Jewes Gentiles because of the meannesse of his quality because of the danger of believing in him so because they liked not his do ctrine as for other reasons so especially for these 1. Because of the Spirituality of the expressions and language thereof seeming strange uncouth to them Pilate said what is truth John 13. 38. He wondered what Christ meant by truth Festus tooke Paul for a mad man Acts 26. 24. Nicodemus could not conceive how a man could be born again unlesse he could enter into his mother's wombe and so be borne Joh. 3. 4. So when he told them that unlesse they did eate his flesh and drinke his blood they had no life in them they sayd how can this man give us his flesh to eate Joh. 6. 52. Nay many that were his disciples before tooke such offence at this hard saying as they called it vers 60 that they went backe and walked no more with him And thus the Pharisees were offended when he told them that Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man but that which goeth out of the mouth Matt. 15. 12. They could not believe that that which went out of a man or that which proceeded from a man 's own selfe should defile himselfe Many other such like things there were in his doctrine which as Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 24. they could not
considering that God's booke still is and their bones also may be to use Job's expression ch 20 11. Full of the sinnes of their youth before they die In vaine doth the Adulterous woman wipe her mouth and the murtherer wash his hands and the Drunkard sweep away his vomit looking the world in the face with boldnesse as if they had done nothing and presuming of impunity because sentence is not presently executed They shall one day find that Sinne has too wide a mouth to be stopt with the narrow hand of a man and that it is of too deep a die to be gotten out only with wiping and washing Yea they shall find that not only the sinne of the Blasphemer is but even the lest of theirs let it seem never so venial without true repentance will 〈…〉 eternal sinne 〈…〉 Blesings turned into curses If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart Mal. 2. 2. these words are spoken to the Piests and so perhaps the meaning may be rather of actions then things though in that sense also it will serve for my purpose viz. that the Priests for not giving glory to God's name perhaps it is meant by Confession of sinnes which is usually expressed by giving glory to God Josh 7 19. 1 Sam. 6 5. should lose that priviledge of Benediction which good Priests and Prophets were wont to have viz that those whom they blessed should be blessed and those whom they cursed should be cursed As Balak told Balaam Num. 22 6. The prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov. 1 32 of fooles c. it is an ordinary thing with fooles i. e. wicked men to have that which David either prayes for or prophecies of fulfilled upon thē Let their table become a snare before them and that which should have beene for their welfare let it become a trap Ps 69 22. evē spiritual blessings shall become thus unto them for to such has Paul applyed those words in the epist to the Rom. c. 11. v. 9. as appeareth by the words before and after that verse Indeed Grotius who perhaps sometimes makes too much use of that excellent vaine which he had of finding out the literall sense as in exponding that place of Isaiah A Virgin shall conceive c. of Hezekiah's wife who was once a virgin for which Rivet hath sufficiently taxed him and likewise in expounding many other places sayes that David speaking of those familiar friends of whom he complained before Ps 41. 9. who being entertained at his table like true parasites and psycophants made his freedome of entertainment a snare to entrap him and carry tales to Saul doth in those words wish the like usage to them againe viz. that their table also might become a snare and a trap to them as his was to him and this by way of punishment or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a just reward to them for their ill rewarding him but under correction he interprets neither David's nor Paul's words nor does he set them downe for he leaves out the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and and reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let their table c. be made a stumbling blocke for a recompence and so it is easie enough for any one to interpret for it is not indifferent whether And be there or not seeing the removall thereof both changes the use of the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be rewarded and also the relation of the word recompence which whereas before it was related to table only now is related to the whole prayer But Beza methinks expounds this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or recompence otherwise For interpreting Table of the Law and saying that David in those words prophecy'd rather then prayed as he does no doubt many times in such expressions where the word Lett is us'd that As the birds are allur'd unto death by that in which they seek their life so the Jewes seeking life in the Law and rejecting the Gospel should by that meanes be ensnar'd and destroy'd he may seeme to have made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie as much as a bait layd before a snare or as a baited snare layd in the way before a creature to take it But to give you in a few words my owne conceit by way of comparison That peice of flesh wherewith the Faulconer couzens his hawk and takes him off from the bird that he may not eat it me thinkes may well be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such a hawke So may any thing which we put before a mans eyes to keep him from seeing another thing which we would not have him see If a man should give his child or his servant his choice either to take such a certaine portion or so much wages in hand or else to trust to his courtesie with an intention hereafter to give him a great deale more then such a portion or wages comes to if he refuse it but to give him no more if he take it If a friend or a servant having done such a courtesie or such a service and being given to his belly accept of a dainty dinner given perhaps of purpose to gull him for satisfaction If a child take a glittering piece of brasse to part with a piece of silver Either of these things which I have named may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a recompence or reward to the party that takes it And indeed it is a very great punishment for a man to have any thing from Gods hands now as a reward as it is the greatest punishment of all to have his reward or his portion in this life for so the wicked have Ps 17 14. Who have their portion in this life Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure The wicked filled with the things of this world are like one that hath filled his bellyupon courser meat set before him first it may be for that purpose so that he has no stomach either of strength or desire to eat of finer Seeing they are for this worlds goods they shall have their belly full but it is their reward and they must looke for noe more God seemes to have spoken to the Israelites when they murmurd for want of flesh after this manner Seeing you are so much for flesh and loath my Manna you shall have enough of it even till it come out of your nostrills But you shall have it for a reward you shall have it instead of Canaan and die as soone as you have eaten it Num. 11 20. This having a mans reward now our Saviour used as a scar-crow to affright men from shewing
it to be a little sin because ther is little said in the Scriptures against it for the greatest sinnes there are least spoken of Glory Those that give it to themselves are threatned 1 With God's great displeasure and severe punishment marke his angry expressions to the King of Egypt Son of man set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt and prophecy against him and against all Egypt speake and say Thus saith the Lod God Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the middest of his rivers which hath said My river is mine owne and I have made it for my selfe But I will put hookes in thy Jawes and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales c. Ezek 29 2 3. Those Hookes as it is likely were the Chaldeans by whom the King of Egypt was taken and all his Subjects like fish destroyed together with him 2 Severe punishment and the taking away of their glory I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high lookes for he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisedome for I am prudent c. Isa 10. 12 13. and it followes vers 16 under his glory he shall kindle a burning c. The Jewes say that the Angel smote his army with a secret fire which burnt their bodies without hurting their cloathes or their armes and that there were not ten men that escaped alive Hierom See Jer. 50 29 30. 3 Discovery of their weaknesse and frailty by suffering from others Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God but thou shalt be a man and not a God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Ezek. 28 9. Those that take it when it is given them by other men and do not turne it off to God Have cause to feare severe punishment for it is said of Herod when the people gave a shout after he had made an Oration to them and said It was the voyce of a God and not of a man that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up of wormes and died Act. 12 23. Gave not God the Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Glory viz. which the people gave him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not-giving THE Glory or not refusing Glory already made and given must not looke to be unpunished being wilfull sinne and neerer to sacriledge then receiving stolne goods is to theft if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not-giving glory to God or not-bringing Glory to God of our owne making have beene so severely threatned and punished For so it was First in the Israelite priests with Cursing of their blessings If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart Mal. 2 2. 2 In Belshazzar with The losse of his Kingdome at least it had a great hand in that punishment for Daniel when he told him of his sinnes whereby he had provoked Gods anger against him assoone as he had said The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes thou hast not glorified presently added THEN was the part of the hand sent from him and this writing was written Dan. 5 23 24. Gluttony Gluttons are punished or threatened 1 With Inconsiderate and selfe-hurtfull actions Esau was so greedy of and so gluttonously taken with the curious red red pottage which his brother had made that he sold him his birthright for a messe of it Gen. 25 30. whence he was afterward called Edom i. e. Red and his posterity Edomites 2 Loathing of that which they loved The full soule loatheth the hony-comb Prov 27. 7. 3 Sicknesse The Israelites wherein their God was their belly for they chose to serve that before God although they had no worse fare then the Angels Ps 78. 25 like so many swâ—ne snuffed at the pearle and as if they had been in such a lamentable case ready to starve for want of meat fell a weeping and crying who shall give us flesh to eat Num 11. 4. But how did God answer theÌ„ 't is true he gave them their owne desire but as the Sabines did Tarpeia who when she had desired of theÌ„ what thâ—y had in their left hands meaning no more then their rings put upon her rings and shields and all and pressed her to death with the weight For thus was Moses bid to answer them Seeing ye are so earnest for flesh ye shall have flesh but you shall have it with a vengeance for ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five daies nor ten days nor twenty dayes but even a whole month untill it come out at your nostrills and it be loathsome unto you v. 18. 19. 20. I believe this punishment was inflicted upon them in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an unsatisfied craving of the stomack in eating It is often threatned to the wicked in Scriptures perhaps sometimes in another sense in these words ye shall eate and not be satisfied as Levit 26 26. Isa 9. 20. Mic 6. 14. as on the contrary it is promised as a blesing to the Godly to eate and be satisfied Deut 14. 29. Ps 22. 26. and the reason is because they have other food to eate with it heavenly food with which a man may be satisfied if he have no other without which nor food nor any thing else will satisfie a man 4 Taking away or Marring of those creatures which they have abused When the Israelites gathered Manna if any were so greedy as to gather more then they could eate that which was left till the next morning bred wormes and stank Exod 16. 20. 5 Hunger and want For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23. 21 The Prophet Isaiah having told the Jewes of their Feasts which they kept in honour to their Idols chap 65. verse 11. in the 13 verse thus threatens them Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my servants shall eate but ye shall he hungry behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Our Saviour saith Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Luk 6. 25. and so it came to passe in the Prodigall Son who wasted his substance in riotous living Luk 15. 13. for afterward it is said v. 16. he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eate and no man gave unto him 6 Shortnesse of life Ordinarily by their owne intemperance breeding diseases in their bodies and this every man sees and knows See Ecclus 37. 30 31. Extraordinarily by the hand of God thus Hophni and Phinehas who out of gluttony and
The horse that will not follow the reines and the traveller that will not hearken to him that tels him when he is Out especially where there are so many turnings how is it likely they can be in the right Shall die and that shamefullly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make a shamefull end so the Sept translate And this is often seen stubborne and self-willed men how are they ashamed to shew their faces when they miscarry having nothing to say for and nobody to speake against but themselves They miscarry shamefully and they miscarry suddenly for they must of necessity if they will not take warning He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck for he keeps going notwithstanding and every step brings him neerer to the pit shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. Basil being asked With what mind a man should take reproofe answered with the same that a man should take a medicine being in a dangerous disease Cyprian's punishment for such men is Excommunication Revenging God threatens to punish it severely 1 In the Edomites Thus saith the Lord God because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and hath greatly offended and revenged or hath greatly offended in revenging himselfe upon them Therefore thus saith the Lord God I will stretch out mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast c. And I will lay vengeance upon Edom c. Ezek. 25. 12 13 14. 2 In the Philistins Because the Philistins have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a despitefull heart to destroy it for the old hatred Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will stretch out my hand upon the Philistines c. and I will execute great vengeance c. Dealt by vengeance as if their dealing with the Israelites as they did had not been so bad if it had not bin in way of revenge Great Vengeance or vengeances so it is in the originall great and vengeances too Vengeance viz for vengeance after the usuall way in most of the threats in the Prophets of punishing like with like Riches Such as gaine them wrongfully threatned 1 With Not-being the better for them which is no small punishment considering what paines they are at in gathering them Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse delivereth from Death Prov. 10. 2. At least in the end they will be so punished An inheritance may be gotten hastily in the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed ch 20 21. See ch 21. 6. 2 The diminishing of those riches thus gotten as it is commonly seen that they moulder away they know not how Wealth gotten by vanity shal be diminished but he that gathereth by labour shall encrease Prov. 13. 11. 3 Poverty He that hasteth to be rich hath an evill eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him ch 28 22. wealth hastily gotten is like a child borne before his time which cannot be long-lived And indeed there are few rare-ripes but are soon rotten whether in wealth wisdome or learning He that hasteth There is little difference betweene him that hasteth to be rich and him that getteth riches wrongfully For he that is hasty and greedy if hee cānot do it by right yea though he can if that way be long about as usually it is will do it by wrong Poverty shall come upon him one way or other Either he shal be taken frō his riches by captivity or such like punishment as the Jewes were As the partrich sitteth on egges and hatcheth them not so hee that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and in the end shall be a foole Jer 17 11. Or else his riches shall be taken from him the same way that hee got them for so the Israelites are threatned Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces Therefore thus saith the Lord God an adversary there shall be round about the Land and he shall bring downe thy strength from thee and thy palaces shall be spoyled Amos 3 11. Store up violence and robbery The Scripture in diverse places calleth things that men have wrongfully gotten by the names of the sinnes indeed t is they that will stick longest with them See almost the like threat against the Chaldeans Hab. 2. 6 7 8. In the end shall bee a foole or shall appear to be so or be so accounted For the present he is only counted wise that hath worldly cunning to gett wealth and the simple-dealing man is counted a foole insomuch that honest simple are come to be used for the same with foolish But in the end it shall appeare who was indeede most wise and who tooke the wisest course 4 In his poverty in temporall things poverty likewise in spirituall things the onely thing that makes that poverty intolerable The Lord will not suffer the soule of the righteous to famish but he casteth away the substance of the wicked Prov 10 3. for though the Hebrew word for soule be most commonly meant otherwise then in a spirituall sense yet by the words * in the former verse it seems to be so meant here and so Jerom expounds it Casteth away He doth but gently take away a godly man's substance and put spirituall things in the roome for a supply But the wicked man's substance he casts away in anger lookes no more after him 5 The disposall of his wealth first or last 〈◊〉 the mercifull whom he never imitated and the poore whom he never reliev'd He that by usury and unjust gaine increaseth his substance hee shall gather it for him that will pity the poore Prov. 28. 8. These which I have nam'd are very usuall waies of punishing Such men I meane in the riches themselves which they have wrongfully gotten And although perhaps for the most part punishments of this sort are slowe of coming viz after the death of the parties Yet many times you may see them Speedily executed so that the parties themselves shall plainly perceive a curse attending their dishonest gain Such is that by the hād of God in not prospering those things in and about which their wrongs were practised such as Job speaks of If my Land cry against me or that the furrowes likewise thereof cōplain If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money or have caused the owners thereof to loose their life Let thistles grow in stead of wheat and cockle instead of barley They are his last words ch 31. 38 39. 40. After all this you may say that you often see the contrary and that such men come in no misfortune at all And I grant they may be punish'd either so invisibly as few or with such manner of punishments as none but discerning Spirits may take nocice of as inflicted for such a sinne But that hereafter and even now one way or other corporally or spiritually they shall be punish'd I may undertake