Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A57640
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Balaams better wish delivered in a sermon / by William Rose.
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Rose, William, fl. 1647-1648.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing R1940; ESTC R25527
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34,950
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42
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BALAAMS BETTER WISH Delivered in a SERMON BY WILLIAM ROSE PROV 14.32 The wicked shall be driven away in his wickednesse but the righteous hath hope in his end MAY 8. 1647. I Have perused this fruitfull and profitable Sermon on Numb 23.10 and judge it worthy to be printed and published JOHN DOWNAME LONDON Printed by R. L. for SAMUEL MAN at the signe of the SWAN in Pauls Church yard 1647. To the RIGHT WORSHIPFULL Sir EDMOND BACON Knight and Baronet Right Worshipfull IT pleasing GOD in a gracious dispensation of mercy to lay his hand of visitation upon me so as I have been disenabled to that publike function of the Ministery to which I am set apart I boldly adventured on this more publick course willing to give some testimony of my desire to do my GOD the best service I was able though with the hazard of mine own repute being never such as I fear to be a loser May it please my good GOD to accept of these my weak endevours whose glory and his Churches good be ever my ayme and may you daigne them a gracious patronage for the unweighed censures of the many I passe not much Mine own sicknesse first pitched me on this subject and while I considered your body so enfeebled through infirmities and your many years the two most certain fore-runners of approching death it emboldned mee to tender this Dedication hoping you would willingly entertain such a wish and make it yours The ship that draws water but at one leak may be repayred but when it breaks in on all sides it threatens speedy wrack when the crazed aged body is become a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucian a living sepulchre it portends the grave is neer We are at best but of b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. ad Apoll. a days continuance and you by the blessing of GOD have lived to the evening of age to the Sun-set of mans life it is now high time to think on sleep and making your bed in the dust I am confident diviner thoughts have long since deaded your affections unto the world Length of days c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Olym. Od. 1. the cleèrest witnesses of wisdom have given you experience of the Wisemans conclusion Vanity of vanities and you who in your yonger years have had a care to live well now make it your chiefe to dye so It is not the thought of your end will draw it neerer nor the meditation of death will one minute shorten your life if so who might not feare a publick odium that should move you to such a thought For You d Deus amorem viri quem diligit in animos hominum dignanter resudit Malm. de reb gest Aug. lib. 4. who by the goodnesse of GOD have lived so generally beloved cannot dye but much lamented though there be neyther solemne Funerall to rayse the pomp nor mourning women e Horat. de art Poet. ut quae conductae plorent in funere Your endeared friends the poor whose wants have been by You relieved and widows will make lamentation In that desires cannot prolong your days on earth here shall be my Amen When the set period of your life is come may you lye down in comfort rest in peace arise to glory be happy to eternity So prays Your worths true honourer and humble servant in Christ William Rose BALAAM'S better Wish Numb 23.10 Let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his THe LORD being now about to settle Israel in the land of Canaan the lot of their inheritance which he had entayled upon them by promise to their father Abraham their Prince and Priest Moses and Aaron for tempting the LORD at Meribah and the whole number of the men of strength for their infidelity must not take possession so he wears them out by long journeys for forty yeers in the Wildernesse and consumes them by fatall wars while they were wasted Yet to make his word good to their posterity hee drived out and destroys the Amorites before Sâ—hon and then King with Og the King of Bashan their army coasting about the Wildernesse did now verge upon the borders of Moab Balaac being somwhat surprised with feare as successe strikes dread into the hearts of adversaries casts about to secure himself Poore man had he been quiet he might have been secure but his feare which made him forecast to prevent might betray him to a future ruine The LORD had not said it Israel had no commission signed against Moab but if he will oppose himself an enemy to them he may justly provoke GOD and them against him Hee sends to the Midianites with whom hee was inleague to consult for their future safety Who together sent Elders with the Ambassadours of Balaac to Balaam on whom they so doted as if he had commanded the power of Heaven and could curse and blesse whom he pleased Foolish thoughts the mannage and order of men and their affairs is from no other but from the wisdom and order of an eternall providence who giveth victory to some and layeth the honours of other in the dust Who is pleased to reveal the purpose of his proceedings to particular men which neither yet are principalls in the successe nor any way carry on the designe though he gives them to foreknow the event To Balaam GOD gives to foresee the happy and flourishing estate of Israel under the grace of divine protection and their successe ordered by Heaven which caused him to break forth into this patheticall peroration Let me dye c. The wicked man as wicked men may have had good words in his mouth the Wizzâ—rd had a good wish I dare joyn with him in his prayer praying it may be with a better spirit and affection My hearty desire to Heaven shall be when I shall have accomplished as an hireling my dayes and shall return unto my dust I may dye the death of the Righteous in the mean time the LORD grant mee the guidance of his grace I may so live that my last end may be like his The text presents us with Balaams wish concerning his end of this present life and the happinesse of his future being When we shall have premised somthing of this Balaam what hee was and a word or two of the phrese of speech wee shall fall upon these three mayn quaeries of the text 1 Who is the righteous man 2. What is the difference between the death of the righteous and the wicked 3 The ultimate end of either which will fully discover unto us the reason and cause of this his desire 1 To derive his pedegree to describe his countrey to descant on his name were but a dry discourse which would have more of pomp then weight more bulk then substance I shall onely touch at his condition to term this Balnam a Prophet is a better character then the Scripture yields him which entitles him at best but a Divinour
a term admitting a worse sense The Hebrews say be had been a Prophet but the ambition of preferment lost him the honour of prophecie and hee wannow onely a Divinour and so they apply to him that Proverbe The Camell seeking horns lost her eares the Closse says in plain terms he was a Magitian and did foretell things by the ministery of the Devill That hee spake here Prophetically it cannot be denied but that was by an especiall a Dispensative contigii illi sermo non pro merito sed pro teporis opportunitate Bal. Proem in es dispensation for the present which proves him no more a Prophet then the act of speech did prove his Asse a man though once he spake more reason then his master Nor does it conclude him such that GOD ordinarily revealed himself unto him and put words into his mouth who may and doth make known his truth by b Prophetae daemonum nonnunquam vera dicunt quae tamen non propriae ab ipsis sed potius à Spiritu Sancto profiscuntur Aquin. 2. 2 ae q. 173. art 6 conc wicked men The phrase of Scripture may seem to put a difference between them who were not and them who were the Prophets of the LORD When it speaks of the first sort it says and the LORD came to Laban and the LORD came to Abimelek and the LORD came to Balaam When it speaks of the second sort it lays The word of the LORD came unto them thus sayth the LORD the hand of the LORD is upon me This may in part fatisfie but the discovery of his affections shew him wholly vile At the first time he was lent for by Balaat berefuses to go it was well yet hee would not stirre ere GOD would figne him his Commission The King not here resting as it is no easie matter to satisfie fear and jealousie sends again the second time Larger proffers are propounded and the promise of great promotion to him c 2 Pet. 2.15 Who loved the wages of unrighteousnâ—sse was a sharp spur to set him forth The Kings countenance Court honour on his own terms over-weighed his ambitious affections and wrought upon his coverous desires to run greedily for reward Jude 11. which bee conceals and it must rest whether yet he LORD will give him leave to go Did he think him changeable in his counsels or could he imagine to move GOD by an importunity to abet his iniquity had his heart been right with GOD as he would pretend he would never have tempted him the sâ—cond time after so deâ—r an intimation of his will and purpose it is no piety to tempt GOD by an importunity to what he is not willing but when hee gives a flat denyall it is high temerity there not to cease May my corrupt affections be eversilent while my soul utters it self unto my GOD. Lest they prompt mee with unjust desires which may neyther stand with his glory or my good May a religious feare ever bound my peritions that GODS grant may be a free act of grace that hee gives mee not nor permits me in his anger what in his gracious pleasure hee would deny Balaam would wrest a grant and go hee shall GOD permits him but how hee was thereat offended is evident in that he would rather work a miracle and open the Asses mouth then there should want one to reprove the masters madnesse and when Balaam came thither what ever his heart was there was a spirit that moved his tongue d Chap. 22.25 and put words into his mouth other then which hee could not utter Nothing pleasing unto the King or which might much implead him upon his promise e Antiq. Jud. lib 4.6.6 Josephus frames Balaam this excuse to Balaac Thinkest thou that it is in us so oft as we speak the fates what we will say and wherein we will be silent who are inspired with the Holy Ghost which utters what words and oracles it pleases wee not knowing or thinking of them Who so soon as he enters into our breasts there remayns nothing of ours there The last words must be laid hold of because I perceive them a setled opinion in after times which the sounder Fathers opposed Some say f Proem in Jes says Basill that the divinely illuminated do prophesie their humane soule being swallowed up of the Spirit but it abhorreth from the professed truth and goodnesse of the divine presence to make him a mad man who is inspired by GOD. And when hee shall begin to be filled with divine Oracles that then he should be out of his own wits What is there such an antipathy between a man qualified by the Spirit of GOD heavenly endued with those rare and excellent gifts of knowledge and understanding and between divine inspirations that he must be wholly emptied of the former that the latter may be infused Must the Oracles of divine wisdome be uttered by men beside themselves Does the eternall wise GOD so provide for the salvation of his people that the sober truths of heavenly knowledge must be preached by mad men they spake not themselves but as the Spirit gave them utterance Acts 2.4 yet not what they understood not g Prophetia primo principaliter in cognitione consislit secondario autem in loquutione Aquin. 2. 2. ae q. 173. art 1. concl How is it then a prophecy I can allow it of Caiphas whom yet I will not so readily grant to be a Prophet though as high Priest hee spake prophetically Who as hee spake not of himselfe so neither understood hee the burden of his Word His minde meditated on one thing the Spirit intended another h Dum crudelitatem necis appetiit redemptionis gratiam prophetabit Greg. Mor. 23.3 hee thirsted for bloud and thought on murther while hee prophecied of the grace of our Redeemer But wee sayes the Apostle have a sure word of prophecy as a light shining in a darke place 2 Peter 2.19 and therefore Saint Paul calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an illumination or manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 I read of an Idoll in i Quest Rom. qu. 56. Carmeata quasi carens mente Plutarch who was called Carmenta her Worshippers Carmentae the deduction of the name is a fit expresse of such fool Idolaters The Devill by objecting phantasmes may elude the understanding and distract the rationall faculties but the good and wise GOD works not so What Hosea speaks the Prophet is a fool the spirituall man is mad Hosea 9.7 Ezekiel explains it that prophecy out of their own hearts feolish Prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing Ezek 13.2 3. Such Montanising mad Enthusiasts that pretend to divine inspirations the World hath known that I may not say this age hath too many I grant some Prophets might be in an extasie and rapture at the admiration of divine revelations But there is a k Fuerunt prophetae in extasi