shall receiue them and such large ones too as none can be larger For as God is greater then all so are his gifes larger then all Thinke on these things for your good and so let vs passe from this first point whereby Christs kingdome is set out and come to the second which is the inuincible power thereof For as his kingdome is large reaching ouer all the world so it is powerfull being able to beate downe all opposition that is made against it This is set downe in the 9. verse in these words Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell The speech is allegoricall being drawne part of it from kings as mention is made here of a king who are armed with authoritie and power to punish those that do offend or rise vp in rebellion against them in regard whereof some scepter noting out the same is wont to be carried before them and here this scepter is sayd to be of iron rather then of gold siluer brasse wood or the like because iron is the strongest and fittest to beate downe all things before it And part of it also from potters who do many times so breake their earthen vessels into peeces which they do dislike withall that they can neuer be soudred fast together againe By this then is meant that the enimies must be destroyed and that in such a fearefull manner as that they may neuer be able to recouer their former estate againe or haue any the least hope left vnto them for the same And marke you here how God doth enioyne this duty vpon Christ his sonne and command him for to do it There are other vses of the power of Christ For this inuincible power is granted vnto him as well for the defence and good of his subiects who are loyall and faithfull vnto him as for the destruction and ouerthrow of his aduersaries But yet this latter is onely touched here because mention was made before onely of his aduersaries and nothing was spoken of his friends So that when the Lord doth command him to crush and breake them in peeces he doth not vnderstand by the word or name of them all the heathen whatsoeuer which he gaue vnto him for his inheritance nor all the ends of the earth which he bestowed vpon him for his possession but he meanes onely such rebels as did rise vp against him which were touched in the three first verses those he must destroy and bring to nothing but the rest he was to fauour and to do good vnto Looke then how Dauid gaue his sonne Salomon a charge when he lay as we say vpon his death-bed and was ready to depart out of this world touching Ioab that slue Abner and Amasa and touching Shimei that cursed him and threw stones at him when he fled from Absolom his sonne conspiring against him that he should not suffer their hoare heads to come to the graue in peace as it is in the beginning of the second chapter of the first booke of the Kings So doth the Lord here giue his sonne Christ Iesus a charge touching those as did rebell against him that he should not suffer them to liue but vtterly to destroy them for euermore accordingly as they had deserued But here two questions may be moued the one is whether Christ did it the other is the manner how he did it For the first it is answered in a word that He did it as was shewed before and therefore not now againe to be stood vpon And as for the second the manner was manifold For some of his enimies he doth destroy with some sudden and extraordinary death Others he doth torment with griefes and wounds of soule which are almost intollerable and by the meanes whereof they haue no peace within themselues but do lie in continuall despaire of their owne saluation Not a few of them are tortured in their bodies by horrible diseases and made also desolate and poore for wealth hauing no maintenance to relieue them Thousands and ten thousands he giues ouer to hardnesse of heart that they commit sinne with all greedinesse and make themselues fat against the day of slaughter But to passe all other wayes whether of infamie or the like which happen vnto them here in this world that is the wofullest way of all when he throwes them downe into hell and there doth keepe them in flames of fire that cannot be quenched boyling and rosting for euermore And this all of them shall be sure of as we may see in Math. 25.41 when he saith vnto them Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his angels For as his kingdome is not of this world so commonly are not his punishments in this world but in the world to come in that hideous and euer-tormenting place As we stood not vpon the vniuersality and largenesse of Christs kingdome in the former verse so will not we stand now vpon the inuincible power and might of his kingdome in this verse neither yet presse any further the destroying of his enimies spoken of therein First because mention was made of them before and secondly because occasion will be offered to speake somewhat of them againe hereafter in the end of this Psalme Here at this time Doct. in that God the Father doth commaund his Sonne to destroy his enimies we may obserue this doctrine that malefactors and euill persons that do offend must not be spared but must be punished according to their deserts and wretched wayes Betimes saith Dauid will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord as it is in Psal 101.8 so that he would spare none that were wicked and licentious and did rebell with an high hand against the Lord. Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron was greatly commended for his zeale towards the Lord when he executed death vpon the adulterer Zimri the Israelite and the adulteresse Cozbi the Midianite and did runne them both through with a speare euen through their belly as they were in the tent committing the act of their filthinesse together as it is in Numb 25.7 c. The law of the Lord was amongst the Israelites and in the policy of their gouernment the equity whereof doth belong to all common wealth and states of gouernement whatsoeuer though the bodie of that people be dissolued and their policie came to an end that idolaters blasphemers disobedient children to their parents murtherers adulterers witches and other notorious sinners should be put to death and be cut off from amongst men as we may see at large in the booke of Moses Exodus Leuiticus Numbers and Deuteronomie and as for other faults there were other punishments appointed according to the qualitie of the offence and the trespasse therein committed By all which we may see that God had a speciall care from time
murmure against any of these is to murmure against God himselfe because all of them haue their calling from God and do supplie his roome and place nor against any worke or word of the Almightie whether you be in aduersity or in prosperity but be quiet waite vpon the Lord praying alwayes for the redresse of things that are amisse but neuer murmuring for any thing And so I passe from the acts of the people and come to the Prophets wondring at the same He doth demand and aske the question saying Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine And this he doth by way of admiration as wondring at them for this their so doing Sometimes we aske a question when we doubt of a matter or know it not So the Apostles asked of Christ why he did speake to the multitude in parables Matth. 13.10 Sometimes we aske a question when we know a thing our selues and would gladly teach it to another So one of the Elders whom Iohn saw standing about the throne of God asked of Iohn what they were and wherehence they came which stood before the throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Reuel 7.13 Sometimes we aske the question for neither of these ends but to tempt or to entrap So the Herodians asked Christ whether it were lawfull to giue tribute to Caesar or no. Math. 22.17 Sometimes we aske a question when we would checke or reproue one for some thing which is either spoken or done amisse So God asked of Caine where his brother Abel was Gen. 4.9 Sometimes we aske a question when we would expresse a thing with the greater force and vehemency So Paul asked of the Romanes how they that were dead to sinne should yet liue therein Rom. 6.2 Sometimes we aske a question when we would stop his mouth that doth propose vnnecessary or vnpleasing matters vnto vs. So Christ asked the chiefe Priests and Elders of the people whether the baptisme of Iohn were from heauen or from men Math. 21.25 Sometimes lastly we aske a question when we maruell or wonder at a matter So Dauid asked what man was that God did so regard him and extoll him aboue the rest of his creatures Psal 8.4 Thus you see that questions are proposed vpon sundrie considerations and for diuerse ends But the end why the Prophet here doth propose this question is for wondrings sake for he saw such madnesse and foolishnesse in the heathen and people for their raging and murmuring against the Lord that he could not but maruell and wonder at the same If a man should attempt a thing that is either vnpossible to be done as to cary a Church vpon his backe or else which being done will be altogether hurtfull vnto him as to kicke his heeles against sharpe needles we should wonder and maruell at him much for it thinke that he were mad and out of his wits So was it with the Prophet in this case he saw first that they went about a thing impossble that which could neuer be brought to passe for who can remoue the Lord out of his throne or displace him out of his kingdome none no not all the inhabitants of the world Againe he saw in the second place that as this was impossible so it was a thing altogether vnprofitable for them and most hurtfull in euery respect For whether we respect Dauid or Christ they could not haue the like king againe in all the world For as it is recorded of Dauid that he was a man according to Gods owne heart and that he executed iudgement and iustice vnto all his people as it is in 2. Sam. 8.15 so it is chronicled of Christ that he was the very ingraued forme of his Fathers person and that the scepter of his kingdome was ascepter of righteousnesse he louing righteousnesse and hating iniquitie Heb. 1.2.8.9 And as though this were not a commendations great enough of him that he should reigne as a king and prophet execute iudgement and iustice in the earth marke what the Lord doth adde further to this in Ier 23.6 when he saith In his dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse that so thereby we might know that all those are in a most happie estate who are vnder him and his dominion In regard of both which things you may see that the Prophet might well wonder and maruell as here he doth at their rebelliō Whereout shortly obserue this doctrine Doct. That the acts of the world and the people thereof are such oftentimes that a wise and godly man such as the Prophet was may well wonder and maruell at them It is noted in Esay cap. 59. v. 16. that God himselfe did wonder at the dealing of the world that there was no man found in it that would offer himselfe to helpe the Church in these words And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himselfe But what may the reason of this be Reason that we may draw quickly to an end In few words it is this because they haue no good groūd nor reason for that which they do but either haue or might haue many good reasons to the contrary The which thing we may see as in other things so in the conspiracy of our traytors whether against our former Queene of blessed memory or against our present King of holy reputation For I dare protest that none of them had euer any iust cause giuen vnto them whereby they might be moued to their treason or rebellion but they had many excellent reasons still to stay them from it as their peace their wealth their honor and the like which they did alwaies in great abundance enioy but chiefly the word of God which did charge them not to touch the Lords annointed no not though the had bin persecuted to the death as Dauid in a manner was by Saul daily experiences by the which they did see that all their plots frō time to time were euermore in vain did still turne to their own ruine destructiō Wherefore seeing the acts of the people are acts so farre voide of reason vnderstanding Vse that a good holy man may wonder at them do you neither approue of them your selues neither yet ioyne with them in any of their wayes that are of such a nature or qualitie but follow you that which is wel pleasing vnto the Lord remēbring alwayes what God said to the Prophet Esay in the like case when he tooke him by the hand taught him that he should not walke in the way of the people saying Say ye not a confederacy to al them to whom this people saith a confederacy neither feare you their feare nor be afraid of them but sanctifie the Lord of hosts let him be your feare and let him be your dread Esay 8.11.12.13
The third and last is a kinde and louing exhortation stirring vp and calling vpon these traitours and rebels to leaue their treason and rebellion and to become faithfull and trustie subiects vnto the Lord their king with an insinuated promise that they shall be pardoned for that which they had done already amisse and be rewarded for all their good seruice which they shall doe for the time to come These are the three maine points on which the whole Psalme doth spend it selfe Wherfore let vs also stand a little while spend some time in the due consideration thereof before we come vnto the seuerall branches that are included in either of them Of the first point It is apparant by the three first verses that there is no estate found here in this world amongst men but that in the same some or other haue stood vp against the Lord and his Annointed for al sorts of persōs are brought in rebelling first the meaner sort such as the common people are in the first verse then the better sort as we terme them such as Kings and Princes are and the states of the land in the two next verses But you may demand was this true first in Dauid the shadow then in Christ the body The answere is that it is true in respect of them both For Dauid you may see in the second book of Samuel from the end of the first chapter vnto the beginning of the twentieth one His enemies if you will haue the catalogue of them were these First Abner the sonne of Ner that was Captaine of Sauls hoast For he tooke Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul and brought him to Mahanaim and made him king ouer Gilead and ouer the Ashurites and ouer Izreel and ouer Ephraim and ouer Beniamin and ouer all Israel So that none did cleaue to Dauid but the house of Iudah who annointed him king at Hebron and did euermore take his part and here through this contention there was a long war betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid but Dauid waxed stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker Chap. 2. 3. Secondly when Dauid was made king ouer all Israel and Sauls house was ouerthrowne the Iebusites the inhabitants of Ierusalem resisted him when he came vnto them and would not permit him as it were to enter into their cittie but with an impossible condition in their conceipts saying vnto him Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither thinking that Dauid could not come thither Chap. 5. vers 6. Thirdly when he was established in his throne and had taken Ierusalem and dwelt in Zion as in a stately palace the Philistines came against him with a great army of souldiers to take him but they sped no better then the former did Chap. 5.17 c. Fourthly when Dauid had smore the Philistines and subdned them he was troubled with many other outlandish nations that waged warre against him as with the Moabites the Ammonites the Aramites and the Amalckites Chap. 8. Chap. 10. Chap. 11. Fiftly when all forreine warres were ended and the nations round about him were conquered and many of them made tributaries vnto him his owne sonne Absolom rose vp in armes with all Israel with him a few onely excepted to take his kingdome from him Chapter 15.16.17 18. Lastly when this conspiracy of his sonne was ended and all matters quieted about the same a wicked man named Sheba the son of Bichri a man of Iemini blew the trumpet and said We haue no part in Dauid neither haue we any inheritance in the sonne of Ishai euery man to his tents ô Israel So euery man of Israel went from Dauid and followed Sheba the sonne of Bichri but the men of Iudah claue fast vnto their king from Iordan euen to Ierusalem Chap. 20. vers 1. c. In consideration of all which conspiracies and warres Dauid might well cry out and say Why doe the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine The kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed saying Let vs breake their bands cast their cords from vs. Now for Christ that these things are true also of him the history of the foure Euangelists doth declare for all of them penning his life and acts doe make mention of his troubles and do shew that from his birth vnto his death he was neuer free from one crosse or other but that either some wrong was offered vnto him through slanderous tongues or else some insurrection was made against him through villanous hands So soone as euer he was borne and the wise men that came from the East to Ierusalem had enquired for him saying Where is the king of the Iewes that is borne for we haue seene his star in the East and are come to worship him as all Ierusalem was troubled presently vpon it so Herod Ascalonites the king intended his death and laid a plot out of hand which way to murther him Mat. 2. vers 1.2 But after he was once baptized and began to goe about his Fathers businesse by preaching and working of miracles his troubles and aduersaries waxed more and more and they grew to be innumerable Few there were that did truely beleeue in him or with a sincere heart follow him chiefely of the greater sort and therefore it is said by some of them in Iohn the seuenth Chapter and vers 48. Doth any of the rulers or of the Pharises beleeue in him Nay these made a law that if any man did confesse that he was the Christ he should be excommunicated out of the Synagogue Ioh. 9.22 But as for his aduersaries they I say were innumerable and their dealing towards him was too abhominable and not to be endured first for their words then for their deedes For their words because they did scornefully vpbraide him for his stocke and kindred saying Is not this the carpenter Maries sonne the brother of Iames and Ioses and of Iuda and Simon and are not his sisters here with vs Mark 6. ver 3. Then secondly because they did shamefully belye him and lay slanderous things to his charge whereof he was cleare and innocent in that they said Behold aglutton and a drinker of wine a friend vnto publicanes and sinners Math. 11.19 This man casteth the diuels no otherwise out but through Beëlzebub the Prince of the diuels Math. 12.24 He hath blasphemed what haue we any more need of witnesses Behold now ye haue heard his blasphemy Math. 26.65 For their deeds because they were vngratefull inhumane treacherous and bloudy When he had preached among them at Nazareth where he had bene brought vp they filled with wrath against him rose vp and thrust him out of the citty and led him vnto the edge of the hil whereon their citty was built to cast him downe headlong though he passed through the midst of them and went his way Luke 4.29 When
did eate he should not perish but haue life euerlasting Ioh. 6.41.60.61 As thus you haue heard what they did so now heare what was the euent of their doing All was in vaine but in vaine saith the Prophet by which word he doth signifie that all their indeauour was to no purpose For a thing is said to be in vaine which cannot be brought to passe but shall lacke his effect In Hebrew the word is in the singular number called Rijk and it doth import a vacuitie or emptinesse and such a vanity of things as haue no substance in them no more then a dry pit hath water or an empty house hath stuffe But in Greeke the word is of the plurall number termed Kena and in signification is all one with the former sauing onely that this doth shew more fully as it were by the plurality of it that all the things which they did meditate vpon in their hearts murmuringly mutter forth with their tongues were frustrated and brought to nothing being in this respect like vnto sicke mens dreames which haue no truth or verity in them Here might many things be obserued As first that raging in a tumultuous manner and murmuring though in a secret sort are diseases and sores euermore to be found among the common people and the meaner of the world Secondly that by raging and murmuring resistance is made against the Lord and his Annointed Thirdly that all attempts which are made against the Almighty those whom he doth set vp whether by the one of these meanes or by the other shall be broken and come to nought Fourthly that the multitude and vulgar sort are alwaies enimies to the wise and gracious gouernement of our God And lastly that raging and murmuring themselues are two notorious euils which are alwaies to be abandoned by the holy and blessed Saints of the most High who doe purpose truely to serue the Lord and to go to heauen But as a man entring into a shop where is great variety of wares will buy onely that which is necessary for himselfe and his vses let the rest alone Or as a man sitting at a table where are sundry dishes will in wisedome feede onely on them which will agree with his body best and doe him most good and not meddle of the rest So let vs stand vpon those points alone which are most commodious for vs and may turne to our greatest good and let passe the rest And they are in number the two last which also are intended most if not onely by the Spirit of God in the text it selfe vnlesse it be the third respecting the vanitie of all such attempts as shall be made against the Lord whereof wee haue spoken already in the generall view of the whole Psalme and so are not now againe to speake thereof at this time First then in that the heathen do thus rage the people do thus murmure against Christ and his kingdome as we haue heard we gather this doctrine Doct. that the multitude and the whole body of the Commons will euermore be enimies vnto the Lord and his truth If we peruse the writings of the Prophets or runne ouer the Acts of the Apostles or cast our eies vpon the conuersation of the whole race of mankind we shall easily finde this to be most true and certaine Noah found it so when for all his preaching in sixscore yeares together he could not conuert any vnto the Lord but they would notwithstanding his preaching continue in their sinnes till the floud came and drowned them all 1 Pet. 3.20 Lot found it so when he vexed his righteous soule from day to day with the vnlawfull deedes and vncleane conuersation of the Sodomities 2. Pet. 2.7.8 chiefly then when they compassed his house about from all the quarters of the citty both yong and old with murthering hearts to kill those men or rather Angels that came to lodge with him Gen. 19.4 c. Aaron found it so when all the Israelites fell to idolatry and compelled him to make them a golden calfe to worship it or as they termed it Gods to goe before them Exod. 32.1 Isay found it so when he said of the whole people of Israel that they were a sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children that they had forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel against them yea they were gone backeward and that there was nothing found in them from the sole of the foote vnto the top of the head but wounds swelling sores full of corruption Isay 1.4 c. Ieremy found it so when he said of the same people that they were a wicked people and that they did refuse to heare the word of God but would walke after the stubbornnesse of their owne heart and walke after other gods to serue them and to worship them Ier. 13.10 Dauid found it so when he said of all mankind that they were all of them gone out of the way that they were all corrupt and that there was wone that did good no not one Psalme 14.3 Finally to omit almost infinite examples Paul and Silas found it so when they were at Philippy a chiefe citty in Macedonia where all were set against them both people and gouernours and did not onely beate them sore with rods but they cast them also into prison and commanded the gaoler to keepe them surely there from all escaping away Acts 16.22.23 Hitherto you haue heard what the people do Reason euen rebell still against the Lord and his blessed word Now heare what are the reasons of this their so doing and marke what moues them thereunto There are many reasons of it but these foure are the chiefe and principall The first is there foolishnesse or ignorance For they not knowing the Lord nor vnderstanding his waies aright but being in this respect worser then the Oxe that knoweth his owner and the Asse that knoweth his maisters crib as the Lord doth complaine of them in Isay 1.3 they cannot but doe as Paul did in the time of his ignorance euen oppose themselues against the Almighty or those of whom Christ doth say that they shall thinke they do God good seruice in putting his Saints to death Ioh. 16.2 For this cause the Lord doth make his moane for the foolishnesse and ignorance of his people as of the wel-spring of all their rebellions against him in Ier. 4.22 in these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue none vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to do well they haue no knowledge The second is their impatiency or angry waywardnesse who cannot waite vpon the Lord with any patience or beare any crosse quietly For this doth cary them away to horrible rebellions as we may see by daily experience and by the example of the children of Israel in the wildernesse who being angry for their crosses and impatient of thirst of
hunger and other calamities which fell vpon them they broke out into murmuring and blasphemous speeches against God and into open rebellion and insurrection against Moses and Aaron their gouernours insomuch as they had stoned them to death had not God by an out-stretched arme preserued thē Numb 14.10 The third is their wilfulnesse or obstinacie For they being with Narcissus in loue with themselues and doting vpon their owne waies will not hearken vnto the charmer charme he neuer so sweetly as appeareth by Christs speech in Math. 11.17.18.19 But as Ieremy doth well obserue of them in Chap. 5.3 They make their faces harder then a stone and do refuse to returne In regard whereof the Lord sending foorth his seruant Ezechiel to preach vnto his people he tels him that they will not heare him and that because they are impudent children and stiffe-hearted Ezech. 2.4 The fourth and last is their vnbeliefe or vnfaithfulnesse For as Christ doth well obserue of his owne Disciples that they were dull of heart and slow to beleeue Luke 24.25 So they distrusting God and not relying vpon him with a stedfast faith do depart away from him and commit grieuous abominations against him according to that in Ier. 5.23 But this people hath an vnfaithfull and rebellious heart they are departed and gone So then these foure vices reigning amongst them do like a violent streame carry them to all kind of rebellions The causes of their rebellion being thus touched Vse now let vs come to the vses of the doctrine They are in number foure For first here we may learne in that all do thus rebell that the greatest number in the world is not the best but the worst The flocke of Christ is a little flocke according to his owne words in Luke 12.32 when he saith Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a kingdome But the flocke of the diuell is a great flocke according to that in Reuel 20.8 Where his armie that he gathered together against the Saints of God out of the foure quarters of the earth euen Gog and Magog is compared to the sands of the sea for number Oh weigh this well and with a religious heart and let neither Popery tell you of multitude which they make to be a marke of Gods Church nor the carnall Gospeller of the generality of the world which they make to be the rule of their liues but euer looke for truth and goodnesse in the smallest number For many according to Christs words do go in at the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and but few at the straight gate and narrow way that leadeth vnto life Math. 7.13.14 Secondly here we may learne that we must not care for the loue liking of the world nor hang vpon the multitude for their applause fauour for they are against the Lord not for him Surely as they are most vnconstant in their waies turning vpon euery small occasion like the weather-cocke at the blast of the wind this day one being a man with them to morrow a beast this day none better with them to morrow none worse this day a god with them to morrow a diuell as we may see by their dealing towards Christ Paul So their loue and fauour must needes be bent towards the worst seeing they themselues are bad and do oppose thēselues against the Almighty Remember alwaies what Christ said vnto his Disciples about this matter If ye were of the world saith he in Ioh. 15.19 the world would loue his owne but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Wherefore as they that runne at tilt looke to the iudges what they say and not what the vulgar people say so I beseech you looke you euer what your iudge in heauen doth allow or approue and care not what the world and the people thereof do thinke or say Thirdly here we may learne that the multitude and the common people will be enimies vnto you and labour to resist you whensoeuer you shall go about to serue the Lord aright If you shall once begin to seeke Christ and to come vnto him they shall stand in your way to hinder you as they did stand in Zacheus way when he went foorth to see Christ Luke 19.3 If you be once in his presence do begin to call vpon him for mercy helpe they wil rebuke you as they did the poore blind man who cryed vnto him saying Iesus the Son of Dauid haue mercy on me Luke 18.39 If you be sicke or dead in your sins trespasses and Christ doth begin to come home to the houses of your soules to heale you and to raise you vp from the death of your sins they will stop his passage and entrance in if they can as they did when Christ came to the Rulers house to heale his daughter that was sicke yea dead when he came Math. 9.23 But as Christ turned them there out of dores saying Get you hence so must you shake them all off and not communicate with flesh bloud in the matters of your God But do as Abraham did when he sacrificed to God the fowles of the heauen fell on the carkeises which he had prepared for the sacrifice but he droue them away Gen. 15.11 So if any do begin to molest you whē you are going about any spirituall sacrifice resist them and driue them away saying with Christ vnto Peter Auoid satan Math. 16.23 Lastly here we may learne to take heede of the people and in any case not to do as they do For seeing that they do rebell against the Lord and the whole world as Iohn doth say 1. Ioh. 5.19 doth lye in wickednesse we must not follow them nor go after their waies to prouoke the holy one of Israel against vs as they do Fashion not your selues saith Paul like vnto this world but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minds that you may proue what is the good will of God and acceptable and perfect Rom. 12.2 The number and multitude must not mooue vs. For what saith the Lord Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrow the truth Exod. 23.2 Wherfore do I beseech you as Wisedome doth counsell vs for to do If sinners do entice vs to go with them let vs not walke in the way with them but refraine our feete from their paths Prou. 1.15 And as Paul doth require of vs let vs not be companions with them nor haue any fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but let vs rather reprooue them Ephes 5.7.11 Hitherto of the first point Now followes the second In that this their rebellion was wrought by raging and murmuring and these were the chiefe heads thereof Doctr. we are taught this doctrine that raging and murmuring are two great and notorious 〈◊〉 alwaies to bee
auoided by euery good Christian and those that would be the faithfull children of the most high God of heauen But on the former of thē I will not now stand partly because all do confesse that to be a most hainous offence and partly because we are somewhat cleare and innocent from it but I will stand onely vpon the latter as vpon a thing more doubtfull and wherein we are intangled most The which to be a most grieuous sin in the sight of the Almighty howsoeuer man doth iudge lightly of it appeareth euidently by three things First by his often condemning of it in his word Secondly by his branding of them with a note of great infamie or reprobation who were subiect vnto it And thirdly by his seuere punishing of them who were guilty in it If we peruse the word we shall finde many places condemning the same but I will presse two or three alone Do all things saith Paul in Phil. 2.14 without murmuring and reasonings And againe writing to the Corinthians in 1. Cor. 10.10 he saith Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured making mention there of the Israelites and were destroyed of the destroyer Likewise Peter well agreeing with him saith in 1. Pet. 4.9 Be ye harborous one to another without murmuring If we search the Scriptures we shall finde againe that murmurers therein are brought in as the leawdest and vilest people that be Iude in his Epistle speaking of vngodly persons who are a staine vnto true religion euen of such as were ordained of old vnto eternall condemnation as appeareth in the 4. Vers of that Epistle doth amongst other things set them out by this marke that they are murmures and complainers walking after their owne lusts as it is in the 16. verse thereof Whereby we see that God doth brand them with the note of reprobation as I said before In like manner as Kain is recorded to be a murtherer a runnagate a vagabond and a damned wretch who was a murmurer and one that did repine and grudge that God should respect his brother Abel aboue himselfe Gen. 4.5 c. So are all the Israelites who did so often murmure and grudge against the Lord and Moses his seruant in the wildernesse reputed for most vile and notorious sinners and that by God himselfe in these words Forty yeares haue I contended with this generation and said They are a people that erre in heart for they haue not knowne my waies Wherefore I sware in my wrath saying suerly they shall not enter into my rest Psal 95.10.11 Lastly if we carefully obserue the story of sacred Oracles we shall find that most heauy plagues iudgements haue bene excuted vpon offenders in this respect But to touch one or two it is not vnknowne that though Miriam were an excellent woman and one of great account amongst all the people of God yet the Lord did not spare her but did strike her with the Leprosie a cursed an odious disease for her murmuring against Moses Numb 12.10 Againe it is apparant that though God made choise of Israel to be his people before all the nations of the world and did carry them as it were in his bosome as a mother doth carry her child in her bosome yet he did destroy many thousands of them by the Amalekites the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountaine of their wandring for their murmuring and repining yea and more then that hee debarred them all from entring into Caanan that came out of Aegypt except two viz. Iosuah and Caleh as we may see at large in the 14. Chap. of Numbers But yet his hand staid not there For besides all that he cast most of them downe to hell and would not suffer them to come to heauen which is the plague of all plagues and the heauiest iudgement that can be as the Apostle doth obserue in the 3. and 4. Chapters of his Epistle to the Hebrewes As thus you heare that murmuring is a sinne Reason so peraduenture you would gladly vnderstand the cause why it is a sinne In few words it is a sinne for two causes The one is because it hath an errour in it whereby we iudge amisse of the Lord and his wayes whether workes or words For whensoeuer we murmure for any matter we iudge and thinke that that matter is out of order and that it might be better disposed of then it is As for example when the maister of the vineyard gaue vnto euery one a penny at night that laboured in his vineyard the enuious man grumbled at this because he thought here was no iustice and equity obserued in that all of them were made equall in their wages who were vnequal in their labours So when we murmure against God we do dislike with something in God and so we do controll him and preferre our selues who are foolish and wicked before him who is most wise and holy as though we our selues in the like case could do better then God hath done then which blasphemy what can almost be more hainous The other cause is because it hath some rebellion in it as a cursed effect arising from the wickednesse of that former cause whereof we haue already spoken For when the soule is thus corrupted with a wrong iudgement the heart that begins to boyle and rise against God in many angry and foolish passions and the tongue oftentimes is loosed with most vile and reprochfull words that I may not speake of the hands and the rest of the members all which are much out of order by this meanes and carried ouer to a sea of corruptions as we may see in those murmurers and many others who were mentioned before Wherefore when Moses went about to draw the people from their murmuring he wils them to rebell no more as though to murmure to rebell were all one Numb 14.9 And when God doth reproue them he doth demand How long they will prouoke him and how long it will be yer they doe beleeue him in the 11. verse of the same Chapter as though there were no difference betweene murmuring and prouoking of God or not beleeuing in him So that then if it be an abhomination before the Lord to condemne the innocent in our thoughts and to rebell against the gouernours of the land it is apparant and euident that murmuring must needes be a great sinne seeing it hath these two great euils in it the one of iudging amisse of the Lord the other of rebelling against his maiesty But to passe the causes let vs come to the vses They are in number two The first of them sheweth the great impiety of our land Vse 1 for seeing that murmuring is a great euill and we haue murmurers in euery place and amongst all estates we may see that our land is wicked and naught In it reigne many sinnes as swearing lying whoring theeuing quaffing gormandizing contempt of the word and the faithfull embassadours thereof with many other notoriousvices such as couetousnesse
And so I shut vp this point in a few words and make an end THE THIRD SERMON vpon the second Psalme PSAL. 2. VER 2. 3. The Kings of the earth band themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs. HAuing spoken in the first verse of the Commons and the meaner people of the world he comes now in these two verses to speake of the Nobles and the great States of the world Though the former did rebell against Christ and his kingdome yet haply these as a man might thinke will not For these are wise and religious and see what is good for themselues But out alas they do it as well as the former they haue the like treacherous and rebellious hearts within them For they band themselues together with all their power and strength But yet there is some difference betwixt them For these go as it were warily to worke and are very circumspect in their wayes they take deliberation and time they haue their meetings and consultations they lay their heads together and take aduice what is best to be done But in the end they conclude vpon this That they will be subiect no longer to Christ and his kingdome nor suffer themselues to be bridled any more by his lawes which they accounted to be an intollerable burthen and such bands and cords as were not in any case to be endured but to be broken asunder and to be cast behind their backes like dung and filthinesse which they could not abide to looke on And whereas good subiects should prouoke one the other vnto all dutifull obedience and loyall subiection vnto their dread Soueraigne they as apert and open enimies do encourage one the other vnto plaine and manifest treason and rebellion saying Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. In summe then you haue nothing else to remember Summe here in these two verses but the rebellion or conspiracie which the great men of the world do make against Christ Iesus our Lord King Wherein note first what they do then secondly what they say Their deedes are set out in the second verse and that two wayes first by the thing it selfe which they-do then by the persons against whom they do the same Their words in the third verse containing an exhortation in them and the matter whereunto they do exhort Of these we will speake in order and say somewhat of each of them by Gods good grace Touching the first of them which doth concerne their deeds we will obserue this methode in handling the same that first we will see the meaning of the words then the truth of the storie and lastly the vse and benefit that we may make thereof The meaning of the words standeth thus By Kings are vnderstood such as were in highest place and authoritie amongst men and by Princes such as were next them for rule and gouernment ouer the people but by them both are vnderstood all persons whatsoeuer of chiefe place and state for this world by the figure called Synecdoche when some sorts or kinds are put for all Howsoeuer these are here sayd to band themselues and to be assembled together but in Acts chap. 4. vers 26. they are sayd to assemble and to come together the reading is somewhat diuerse but yet it is all one in sence For the meaning is nothing else but this that they ioyned hand and head together in power and counsell against the Lord and his Christ Where by the name of the Lord you must vnderstand the Almightie euen the first person in the Trinitie God the Father and by the name of his Christ first Dauid whom God did annoint king of Israel Then secondly Iesus the sonne of the Virgin Mary whom the same God did annoint king ouer his Church For against both of them was this conspiracie made The word in the Hebrew tongue called Meshihho coming of Mashahh to annoint and the word in the Greeke tongue called tou Christou autou coming of chriô to annoint do signifie his Annointed And seeing that both Dauid and Iesus were annointed by God the Father either of them may be noted out by this word and be called His Annointed or his Christ which is all one For annointed or Christ is all one in sence though not in sound of words in our English tongue Thus you see in few words the meaning of the place how that the great states or chiefe men of the world bid band themselues wholy against Dauid whom the Lord had chosen to be the King of Israel and against our Sauiour Iesus Christ whom he had chosen to be the gouernour of his Church and the only ruler thereof But yet before we come to see the veritie of this matter which is to be touched in the next place a question here may be moued and a man may aske how these men did ioyne hand and head together against the Lord himselfe For can any like the Giants make warre against the Almightie Yes Many haue done it and do daily still do it For all those are sayd to warre against the Lord himselfe who do oppose themselues against his will and pleasure and withstand such matters as do tend to his glorie and the good of his Saints but chiefly those that do resist the higher powers and rebell against such as the Almightie hath set ouer them to be their rulers and gouernors either in the Church or Common-wealth As we may se by the words of the Lord to Samuel when Israel would haue a king in 1. Sam. 8.7 where the Lord doth say vnto him Heare the voyce of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee for they haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away that I should not reigne ouer them As we may see by the words of our Sauiour to his Apostles in Luke 10.16 when he saith vnto them He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that hath sent me As lastly we may see by Pauls words to the Romanes in Rom. 13.2 when he saith Whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement Wherefore in that they did resist Dauid and Christ whom the Lord had set vp it is apparant that they did resist the Lord himselfe Oh that all traytors and rebels did well consider of this point and lay it neare vnto their soules For our owne parts let vs looke vnto it alwayes remembring what the Lord doth say Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme But to passe this matter and to come to the truth of the story that we may see how true euery thing is which is here reported and not to stand vpon Dauid the figure whose storie you may reade at large in the first booke of Samuel where you
shall finde both Kings and Princes as well domesticall as forreine banding and assembling themselues against him it is apparant by the record of all the Euangelists that as the whole body and Commons of Israel were set against our Sauiour Iesus Christ so were the States of the land and the chiefe men of place therein most deadly foes and enimies vnto him As they banded themselues together to make their faction and side strong against him so they had their often assemblies and meetings for counsell and aduice which way to bring him vnto his death Herod and Pontius Pilate two kings as it were amongst them though they did iarre and disagree betwixt themselues yet now they could ioyne together against Christ and become friends as we may see in Luk. 23.12 in these words And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together for before they were enimies one vnto the other Here is the banding of the Kings of the earth together when these two agree in one like good friends who were before at ods and do assemble together at Ierusalem against our sweet Sauiour the Lords Annointed For now at this time both of them were at Ierusalem and so as well together in place as in heart as it is in the 7 verse of the same chapter of Luke But for their consulting together and the meeting of their Princes in assemblies for counsell and aduice against him there are many places in the Euangelists declaring the same but I will touch onely two at this time The one of them is in Iohn the 11 chapter and 47 verse with some others following For there we find that after Christ had raised vp Lazarus from the dead the high Priests and Pharisees who were the chiefe rulers of the people and as Princes among them gathered a Councell and assembled as it were in a Parliament against him plodding and deuising what were best to do vnto him and as it is in verse 53 of the same chapter from that day forth consulting together to put him to death The other of them is in Math. 26.30 where we reade that the chiefe Priests and the Scribes and the Elders of the people assembled together into the hall of the high Priest called Caiaphas and consulted how they might take him by subtiltie and kill him In regard of all which things now shortly touched you see that this is most true which is here recorded namely that the Kings of the earth banded themselues and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed The which thing the faithfull that liued after Christ was ascended into heauen and were eye-witnesses of those things which were done vnto him do in their prayer to God acknowledge and confesse saying For doubtlesse against thine holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to do whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done Acts 4.27.28 Hauing thus shewed the meaning of the text and confirmed the truth thereof let vs now come to the vse and benefit which we may make of the same Out of it we may gather two principall doctrines One from the persons rebelling the other from the manner of their rebellion Out of the persons rebelling we collect this doctrine Doctr. That great States mighty men of this world are oftentimes enimies vnto the truth and deadly foes vnto holy and vpright courses This the Prophet Esay doth shew when he doth call the Princes of Iudah and of Ierusalem the Princes of Sodome Esay 1.10 for Sodome was a city so wicked and the Princes thereof so leude and filthie that God could not spare them but for their abhominations he brought downe fire and brimstone from heauen and consumed them all as we find in the 19 chapter of Genesis This Ieremie doth shew when he saith I will get me to the great men and will speake vnto them for they haue knowne the way of the Lord and the iudgement of their God but these haue altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Ier. 5.5 This Hosea doth shew when he saith They are all hot as an ouen and haue deuoured their Iudges all their kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth vnto me saith the Lord. Hos 7.7 This Amaziah though a wicked man doth shew when he said to Amos the Lords Prophet O thou Seer go flye thou away into the land of Iudah and there eate thy bread and prophesie there but prophesie no more at Bethel for it is the kings Chappell and it is the kings Court Amos 7.11.12 This the story of the Acts of the Apostles doth shew when they were apprehended cast into prison beaten and put to death by Herod by the high Priests and other officers and states men for gouernment as we may see in the 4.5.12 and other chapters of the same booke This the complaint of the Church doth shew when she doth say The watchmen that went about the citie found me they smote me and wounded me the watchmen of the wals tooke away my veile from me Cant. 5.7 for by watchmen here are meant the chiefe rulers of the Church who should watch ouer her for her good and not thus persecute her and wound her as they did This the storie of the ten persecutions doth shew when Nero Domitian Traian Antonie Seuerus Maximinus Decius Valerian Aurelian and Dioclesian most bloudy Emperours of Rome did make hauocke of the Church of God and persecute to the death such as did call vpon his holy name This lastly the example of all ages doth shew and daily experience with men of our time when we with our owne eyes do see and with our owne eares do heare what bloudy things are decreed in the Church of Rome in Spaine and in other places against true Protestants and the sincere seruants of the Lord euen by them that are in the highest roomes and do beare the chiefest sway amongst men in those dominions But how may this come to passe Reason may some man say that the highest persons and the chiefest for wealth and authoritie do thus oppose themselues against the Lord and his most holy and blessed wayes For of all men in the word they are most beholding vnto God and haue greater causes as one should iudge to loue him and to worship him then the meaner and poorer people haue For first they are daintily educated and with great charges brought vp in all good literature and learning Secondly they haue abundance of riches and worldly wealth to supply their wants at all times Thirdly they haue great honor and reputation amongst the sonnes of men in all places for gouernment and the matters of this world Lastly they excell all others for the most part in their persons both for wit and other naturall qualities of the mind and also for pulchritude and other goodly properties of the body Surely for all these causes
and many more they are much bound vnto the Almightie and in regard of them it is their part and duty to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their liues they being euermore seruent in the spirit and most zealous of all good workes For the more kind and bountifull that any is vnto vs the more louing and obedient should we be againe vnto him But through their corruptions it is farre otherwise with them For these things make them the worse and not the better and like a violent floud they carrie them to all kind of abhominations First because they make them proud and arrogant in their hearts for pride is the roote of all euill as it cast the Angels out of heauen Adam out of paradise Nabuchadnezzar out of his kingdome so it doth still deceiue men and make them rebell against the Almightie The wicked man saith Dauid is so proud that he seeketh not for God he thinketh alwayes there is no God Psal 10.4 And the Lord saith to Edom who was a bitter enimie to him and his people The pride of thine heart hath deceiued thee thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rockes whose habitation is high that saith in his heart Who shall bring me downe to the ground Obadiah verse 3. Secondly because they make them riotous and licentious in their liues For intemperancy of body and abundance of fleshly pleasures do cause them to forget the Lord and to spurne against him that made them But he saith God that should haue bene vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele thou art fat speaking to Israel thou art grosse thou art laden with fatnesse therefore he forsooke God that made him and regarded not the strong God of his saluation Deut. 32.15 Againe you know it is said of the voluptuous man in the parable that though others made their excuses for not coming vnto the feast whereunto they were bidden yet he made none but said peremptorily I haue maried a wife and therefore I cannot come Luk. 14.20 declaring there by that the pleasures of this life are most forcible meanes to withdraw vs from the Lord and from all such duries as do belong vnto him as also from our owne eternall happinesse which is in the heauens aboue Thirdly because they make them most stiffe and obstinate against the most holy and powerfull ministery of the word For the contempt of the word is the very leprosie of the soule and the killing plague of the body Wherewith saith Dauid shall a young man redresse his way In taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 And the wise men as Ieremy saith are ashamed they are afraid and taken Loe they haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ier. 8.9 So that without the word there is no goodnesse in men Yet they say when faithfull messengers come to them as Moses came vnto Pharaoh Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce and let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Exod. 5.2 What say they shall these command vs and shall we do according to their sayings No no but downe with them downe with them let them not liue but die or as it is in Ieremy chap. 18.18 Come and let vs imagine some deuice against them for the law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet come and let vs smite them with the tongue and let vs not giue heed to any of their words Fourthly because they make them to prosper and to carry out all matters for this world according to their owne hearts desire For prosperitie and good successe in our wayes doth harden mans heart exceedingly against the Lord and all holy proceedings His wayes saith Dauid speaking of the wicked vnto God alway prosper thy iudgements are high ouer his sight therefore defieth he all his enimies Psal 10.5 And we find in Mal. 3.14.15 that many did refuse to serue the Lord and to keepe his commandements and chose rather to be lewd and wicked because as they said the proud were blessed and they which wrought wickednesse were set vp and such as tempted God were deliuered Fiftly because they make them to haue a false opinion of themselues as if they were in good case and were in the high fauour of God when it is nothing so For this false perswasion of theirs doth rocke them fast asleepe in their sinnes so bind the cords of their iniquity that they can hardly euer be brokē againe Surely as they say in their harts they shal neuer be moued nor be in danger as it is in Ps 10.6 or as it is in Ps 49.11 They thinke their houses and their habitations shall continue for euer euen from generation to generation and call their lands by their names So this doth cause them not to returne vnto the Lord but to go on stil in their sinnes against him as we may see in Ieremy chap. 5.12 in these words They haue denied the Lord and said It is not he neither shall the plague come vpon vs neither shall we see sword or famine and as it may also be collected out of Chapter 7. ver 4. where the Lord saith vnto Israel who thought themselues deare vnto the Almightie and free from all plagues in that respect Trust not in lying words saying The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. Lastly because they make them to be attended vpon by many flatterers who will smooth them on in their sinnes and to be accompanied by such as will giue vnto them wicked counsell as the young men did vnto Rehoboam when he caused ten tribes to reuolt from him For flattery and euill counsell are the bane of all good manners and forcible spurres to driue men forward to all wickednesse For as Paul doth say Euill words corrupt good manners 1. Cor. 15.33 so the Lord doth testifie that flattering teachers and euill counsellors do strengthen the hands of the wicked that they cannot returne from their wickednesse in ser 23.14 Thus you haue sixe reasons in particular of their rebellion and conspiracie The first is the pride of their hearts who are puft vp with their estate and swolne like a blowne bladder with the vaine wind of their outward pompe The second is the intemperancie of their liues who liue in all kind of excesse for diet apparell and other worldly pleasures most sweete and delightfull vnto the flesh The third is the contempt of the word who meditate but seldome vpon the law of God and come but now and then to the place where it is soundly and vnpartially diuided The fourth is the prosperity of their wayes who flourish like the Bay tree and are not in trouble as other men or plagued as they be but do liue at ease are strong and lustie and haue more then heart can wish The fift is the false
for him and beseech him most earnestly vpon the knees of our soules that he would alwayes keepe him in his feare that he may neuer fall but abide euermore in his holy integritie amongst vs but beware we that we neuer forget our dutie vnto him but remaine alwayes faithfull and louing vnto him vnto the end And so I passe from this first doctrine and come vnto the second Out of the manner of their rebellion and conspiracie in that they did band themselues and sit in Councell against the Lord and his Annointed Doctr. we collect this doctrine that there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord and cleane contrary vnto his truth as for his truth This we may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the old Testament as first in the dayes of Omri when cruell and wicked statutes were made against the Lord and his people as may be gathered out of Micha chap. 6.16 Secondly in the dayes of Ahab when all the men of Izreel euen the Elders and gouernors thereof the Nobles and others did assemble together and pronounce death against innocent Naboth for his vineyards sake which he had before denied vnto the king 1. King 21.8 c Thirdly in the dayes of Ieroboam when he tooke counsell and made two calues of gold for diuine worship the one whereof he set in Bethel and the other in Dan. 1. King 12.28.29 Lastly in the dayes of Nabuchadnezzar to passe ouer others when a golden image was set vp in the plaine of Dura in the prouince of Babel for all men to worship vnder paine of extreme punishment euen to be cast into the midst of an hot firie furnace Dan. 3.1 c. This you may see by those Councels which were held in the time of the new Testament in the dayes of our Sauiour and his Apostles For in them the Iewes did not onely excommunicate all those that did confesse Christ Ioh. 9.22 and forbid the Apostles to preach any more in his name Act. 4.18 but they did also in their solemne Councels condemne him to death Math. 26.66 and so caused the Lord of glorie to be crucified Lastly this you may see by those Councels which were held since that time vntill our dayes as by the Councell which was held at Antioch when Athanasius was condemned and the Arrian heresie approued by the Councell held at Ephesus when Eutyches heresie was allowed by the Councell held at Neocasarea when second mariage was forbiddē by the Councell held at Nice when it was concluded that in holy Churches the images of Saints should be worshipped by the Councell at Constance when they were excommunicated that did receiue the Sacrament in both kinds and to let go others by the Councell held at London when in the dayes of Queene Mary open idolatry was commanded and established by law Well then you see this is a matter most cleare and euident that assemblies and Councels are as well against the Lord as for the Lord. But what may the reasons thereof be will you say They are in number these two The one is Reason because the wicked and vngodly haue their assemblies and councels as well as the godly and holy ones as all Chronicles do manifest vnto vs. For as no man doth gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles so no good thing can proceed from them but onely that which is naught and wicked being enmitie to the Lord and all holy wayes according to the qualitie of their crooked and peruerse nature from whence it doth proceed The other is because the godly themselues who haue also their Councels and Assemblies are not perfectly holy but many imperfections do still remaine in them while they are here in this world according to the tenor of the whole Scripture and that saying of Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 13.9 c. For we know in part and we prophesie in part and so forth For they failing through these their imperfections sometimes in iudgement for want of a discerning and vnderstanding spirit and sometimes in affection through the predominant passions of the soule which are not yet rectified according to the word it must needs be that now and then they erre and misse and establish such matters as haue no sanctitie or holinesse inherent in them For this is a most sure ground both in diuinitie and in philosophie that as the cause is such is the effect and therefore seeing the cause here is bad the effect cannot be good but be bad also It is good for vs to thinke on this point Vse and to fasten this doctrine deeply in our soules which now we haue handled For it will be seruiceable vnto vs many wayes For out of it first we may learne contrary to the doctrine of Rome that Councels may erre and be deceiued They hold they cannot and for this wicked assertion of theirs they abuse certaine places of holy Scripture as that in Acts 15.28 It seemed good to vs and the holy Ghost that in Math. 28.20 I am with you to the end of the world and that in Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me So then thus they argue Councels are neuer without the Spirit of God therefore can they not erre A silly argument as though the Spirit of God were at their commandement or were tied to places and persons or being present did leade men into all truth as it did the Apostles whose preachings and decrees are now and were then the rules of our faith and manners Tush Councels are now and then without the Spirit of God as consisting either onely of wicked persons or of a mixt number both good and bad whereof the greater part is the worse as theirs also seemed to be at Rome vnder Iohn the 23 when there appeared a great Owle which stared and outfaced the Pope who blushed at the matter and fuming rose vp and departed and when others whispered one in anothers eare saying That the spirit appeared in the likenesse of an Owle And as Councels are without the Spirit oftē so when they naue it they haue it not in fulnesse or perfection as we touched before and therfore doth not keepe them from all error or mistaking but they may erre notwithstanding the presence of the Spirit which is within them Let this suffice for the confutation of the Papists In the second place we may here learne that seeing there are Councels and Parliaments held as well against the Lord as for the Lord that we must not rashly approue of all things which are established decreed by Councels and Parliaments but we must first examine them whether they be agreeable to the word of God or no. Try all things saith Paul in 1. Thes 5.21 and hold fast that which is good The like counsell Iohn doth giue vs saying Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1. Ioh.
doth giue vnto his people for them to obserue and keepe that so they might not liue according to their owne phansies and pleasures but according to his will and pleasure they euermore auoiding those things which he hath condemned and performing those things which he hath commanded But behold here these men scorne those lawes and statutes and refuse altogether to be obedient vnto them They would cast them off for euer and breake them all to peeces if they could And because they would make all things odious in respect of the Lord his Annointed whether Dauid or Christ and very plausible and colourable in regard of themselues they forge a very grosse and palpable comparison for they do compare themselues as it were to certaine beasts and vnreasonable creatures and these lawes and statutes of the Lord published by Dauid and Christ vnto certaine bands and cords insinuating thereby that they are no better vsed then the very beasts of the field or other vnreasonable creatures that must be tied fast with bands and cords for feare of hurting people or wandring abroad whither they should not For as these beasts are bridled and restrained by their bonds and cords so were they by these lawes and statutes so that they could not do what they would do In regard whereof they go now about to be loosed from this bondage and subiection which was in their opinion altogether intollerable and not to be borne or suffered any longer Wherefore their meaning in these words when they say Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs is nothing else but this Let vs obserue and keepe their lawes and statutes no more nor be any longer subiect and obedient vnto them or their authoritie Out of this we may collect two doctrines Doct. the one is that mans nature is against the law of God and vnwilling to be subiect or obedient thereunto according to the example of these men The other is that when men do resist the law of God oppose themselues against the same then do they rebell against God himselfe and become traytors vnto him as these were for this is noted as the maine point wherein their treason stood in that they did thus reiect the lawes and statutes of the Almightie and withstand the same to the vttermost that they could On these two let vs stand a little The first is Doct. that mans nature is against the law of God and vnwilling to be subiect or obedient thereunto The whole story of the Bible doth shew this but one place at this time shall be alleaged for all as containing many ages vnder it and that is in Ieremy 7.23 c. when the Lord saith by his seruant there But this thing commanded I them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walke yee in all the wayes which I cōmanded you that it may be well vnto you But they would not obey nor incline their eare but went after the counsels and the stubburnnesse of their wicked heart and went backward and not forward Since the day that your fathers came vp out of the land of Aegypt vnto this day I haue euen sent vnto you all my seruants and Prophets rising vp early euery day and sending them yet would they not heare me nor incline their eare but hardned the necke and did worse then their fathers As thus Israel dealt so deale all men at all times we find it so still by daily experience as well as by andient records So that a good man may cry out and say as it is in the same prophesie of Ieremy Chap. 6. verse 10. Vnto whom shall I speake and admonish that they may heare behold their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the word of the Lord is vnto them as a reproch they haue no delight in it But what is the reason of this as God said to Israel What iniquitie haue your fathers found in me that they are gone farre from me and haue walked after vanitie and are become vaine Ieremie 2.5 so may we say to these men What iniquity haue they found in the lawes and statutes of the Lord that they do so spurne at them or what euill is lurking in them that they do so reiect them What are they not iust and vpright Yes as we may see by Deut. 4.8 where Moses saith And what nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day What! are they not good and profitable Yes as we may see by sundry places of diuine Writ namely by the testimony of Dauid in Psal 19.11 when he saith that in keeping of them there is great reward What! are they not lastly easie and pleasant Yes as we may see by Christs owne words in Math. 11.30 when he saith For my yoke is easie and my burden light and by the saying of Dauid who reports them to be sweeter vnto him then the hony or the hony combe Psal 19.10 How chance then are they reiected and for what cause are they so cast off The causes thereof are these First because they are contrary to their natures and to all the affections of their soules which are wholly bent against them in so much as Wisedome her selfe is an enmitie vnto them as Paul doth teach vs in Rom. 8.7 saying Because the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be For they cannot loue or like that by any meanes which doth crosse their natures and controll the affections of their hearts that is euen death to them Secondly because they condemne their sinnes which are sweet and profitable vnto them and threaten eternall iudgements against them for them For they cannot endure to heare of their faults and of Gods curses belonging vnto them for the same Thirdly because they are not accustomed to them For we like not of things which we neuer vsed and they are tedious and burthen some vnto vs as a new straite doublet is to a child which neuer wore any before according to Dauids saying when he had Sauls harnesse on his backe I cannot go with these for I am not accustomed 1. Sam. 17.39 Lastly because they are vnable for to obserue to keepe them as wanting Christ to helpe them and the spirit of the Lord to assist them For we grieue and murmure against all those which require vnpossible things at our hands and we abhorre the burden which we cannot carry or safely vndergo The reasons of this doctrine thus touched Vse the vses of it are these First hereby we may see what a downfall man did receiue by Adams fall He is not a little maimed or hurt in some parts of his soule or body alone but he is wholly corrupted and made a deadly enimie vnto his maker Some there are that do extoll man too highly they say that he is
harme The which thing the Almighty doth see full well for he is not afraid of them but as a man that is carelesse of his enimie whom he knowes cannot hurt him doth nothing but laugh and deride at him so doth he laugh and deride at them he hath them in derision and so shall haue them still in derision This were enough to dismay them if there were any grace in them But yet this is not all For as man is offended with those that rise vp against him and doth withall punish them according to their deserts if it lie in his power to do it so is the Lord offended with them and in his appointed time he will plague them His wrath is greatly kindled against them and his hand shall be stretched out in a most wofull manner to torment them Then at that time shall they know with a seeling and tormenting soule what he is against whom they are risen vp for God shall then disclose it vnto them saying I haue set my king vpon Zion mine holy mountaine He tooke not this honour vnto himselfe to be the head and ruler of my people neither was he aduanced to this throne of gouernment by any humane authority or created wight but I euen I that am the Lord whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe placed him in his roome made him to be the supreme gouernor of my people how then durst you rebel against him or lift vp either tongue or hand to speak or do any thing which might be cōtrary vnto him The summe of these three verses is nothing else but a description of the Lord or the first person in the godhead against whom the former treason or rebellion was wrought Summe Wherein before we come to the parts of it obserue in a word or two the elegant Antithesis that is made betwixt him and his aduersaries First they are many but he is but one Secondly they are on the earth but he is in heauen Thirdly they rage murmure band and consult but he laughs and smiles Fourthly they intend an ouerthrow to him but he prepares plagues for them Lastly they say Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs but he saith I haue set my king vpon Zion mine holy mountaine So here is God against man and heauen against earth Iudge you now who shall haue the victorie But to the parts the Lord here is described out two manner of wayes The one is in regard of that which his enimies do to him The other is of that which he will do to them In the former of these consider the place where he is then his deriding or laughing at his enimies both which doe shew that all their forces can do him no harme but shall be frustrated and be brought to nought First because he is out of their reach hee being in heauen and they vpon the earth Then secondly because he doth not feare as men do who are in some perilous danger and too weake for their aduersaries but doth laugh and deride at them as we are wont to do when we are merrie and sure of safetie and do see how to frustrate all such deuices as are intended against vs. This is set downe in the fourth verse as the other part is in the two next verses following But he that is in heauen saith the Prophet doth laugh Here I will stand a little vpon the seuerall members and afterward conioyne them both together in pressing the doctrine and vse of the place God here you see is not plainely named but he is see out by a certaine periphrasis or circumlocution euen by one that dwelleth or as others reade it by one that sitteth in heauen the Hebrew word Iosheb affoordeth either of them for it comes of Iashab which signifieth indifferently to dwell or to sit as also to stay and to abide in a place Howsoeuer it is a notable description of God whereby the Prophet meaneth to shew that his enimies are not able to do him any hurt or mightie enough to stand against him that is so farre aboue them For as it is euermore a great aduantage in warre to haue the vpper and higher place in fighting against the aduersarie as to be on a hil whē he is below on a valley so is it vnpossible for those who are vpon the earth to reach them with any blows or strokes that are in heauen For betwixt these 2 places heauen earth as the Astronomers do cōiecture there are seuen score eighteene thousand foure hundreth and sixtie three miles And what arrow or shot of gun can flie so farre But here it may be demanded Obiect whether God be onely in heauen and not vpon the earth also The answer is Ans that he is as well vpon the earth as in the heauens according to his owne words in Ieremy 23.24 where hee tells vs that hee doth fill both the heauen and the earth And this you must hold as a ground infallible that he is in all places for as Salomon doth confesse of him in 1. King 8.27 that the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine him so Dauid doth teach vs in Psal 139.7 c. that he is euery where as well in the sea and earth and other places as in the heauens themselues And the manner how he is thus in all places is well expressed in an old verse which is this Est Deus essenter praesenter vbique potenter That is God is euery where by his essence by his presēce by his power By his essence or diuine being because it is he that immediatly worketh al things both in heauen earth For we liue moue haue our being in him as it is in Acts. 17.28 By his presence because he seeth beholdeth all things euery matter is naked opē to his eies as those are to ours that stand in our presēce before vs as it is in Heb. 4.13 By his power because he doth sustaine and hold vp al the creatures in the whole world their strēgth vertue being nothing else but as a small portion flowing from that welspring of all fulnesse which is in him as it is in Hebr. 1.3 and Math. 4.4 So that by this it is apparant that God is not tied vp in the heauens as hauing nothing to do here vpon the earth or sea as Atheists and Epicures iudge who thinke that all things do fall out by the course of nature chance fortune as they call it and the policy of man You see that he is in all places he is present with vs wheresoeuer we be he doth consider of all our workes he doth know our sitting downe and our rising vp he doth vnderstand our thoughts a farre off he doth compasse our paths and he is accustomed to all our wayes as we may see most excellently in the beginning of that 139. Psalme which was quoted before And therefore euery man should take heed how he
being in heauen the other of his laughing at his aduersaries euen to shew that that conspiracy which was made against him his annoynted should not prosper or preuaile but vanish come to nothing So that the doctrine is rightly collected out of the text and it may be proued vnto vs out of sundry places of sacred Writ but I wil touch some two or three onely at this time and so passe it ouer The first is out of the Prophet Isay in the 8 chapter of his prophesie and the 9. and 10 verses thereof when he saith Gather together on heaps ô yee people and yee shall bee broken to peeces and hearken ye of farre countries Gird your selues you shall bee broken in peeces gird your selues and you shall bee broken in peeces Take counsell together and it shall be brought to nought pronounce a decree yet shall it not stand for God is with vs. The second is in the 33. Psalme the 10. 11. verses thereof where the Prophet Dauid saith The Lord breaketh the counsell of the heathen and bringeth to nought the deuices of the people The counsell of the Lord shall stand for euer and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages The third and last is the 12. chapter of the Reuelations and the 7. and 8 verses thereof where Iohn saith And there was a battell in heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels But they preuailed not neither was their place found any more in heauen Thus you see that nothing can stand against the Lord but all doth come to nought that is raised vp against him And the reason thereof is this partly because he is wiser then all seeing which way to preuent his enemies and to bring his owne purpose to passe and partly because hee is stronger then all being able to doe whatsoeuer hee will both in heauen and earth according to Pauls words in 1. Cor. 1.25 when hee saith For the foolishnesse of God is wiser then men and the weaknesse of God is stronger then men The vse of this doctrine is manifold Vse but yet it standeth chiefly in three things The first is to teach vs what shall bee the end of all the plots which the wicked haue in their soules against the Lord and such as do cleaue vnto him They shal vanish and come to nothing being like in this respect as the child in the mothers wombe that there doth perish and neuer come aline into this world or like vnto his dreame who is busie all the night in his sleepe about gold and rich preferments and yet in the morning is as poore as when he went to bed In a word they do but lose their labour as he doth who goeth about by washing to make a Black-moore-white or by teaching to make an asse play vpon an harpe Let this be a continuall meditation with vs euery day and night The second is to pull vs backe from all such matters as doe tend any manner of way against the Lord. For let vs assure our owne soules that if we attempt any such thing wee shall haue no good successe therein but our endeuours shall bee brought to nought I beseech you remember what Gamaliel said and follow his counsell which he gaue vnto the Iewes when they stroue against the Apostles and went about to hinder all preaching in the name of Christ Men of Israel saith he take heede to your selues what you intend to do touching these men refraine your selues from them and let them alone For if this counsell or this worke be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot destroy it lest ye bee found euen sighters against God as it is in Acts 5 35 c. But some may say Obiect None of vs are so beastly as to fight against the Lord himselfe Ans Ans Let no man be deceiued For we doe all of vs warre against him many wayes and as in generall when wee doe violate and breake his statutes refusing to doe that which he hath commanded vs for to do so in particular we doe it foure manner of waies The one is when we oppose our selues against the Magistrates of the common wealth whom hee hath set ouer vs for to rule gouerne vs For to resist them is to resist God himselfe as Paul doth shew in Rom. 13.1.2 Another is when we doe oppose our selues against the Ministers of the Church whom he hath raised vp to teach and instruct vs. For to resist them is to resist God himselfe as Christ hath taught vs in Luke 10.16 The third is whē we do oppose our selues against the word of God and such heauenly ordinances of his as he hath bestowed vpon men for his owne worship and the saluation of mans soule For to resist them is to resist God himselfe as Gamaliel doth insinuate in the place of the Acts. before quoted The fourth and last is when wee doe oppose our selues against the children of God and the members of lesus Christ For to resist them is to resist God himselfe as Zecharie doth declare in Zech. 2.8 All these wayes do men in euery place almost lift vp themselues against the Lord but beware we that we ioyne not with them therein but let vs cary our selues holy and reuerently in all these respects as we ought to do otherwise we shall be crost in our purposes and pay most dearely for it at the last The third and last is to comfort vs who haue such a strong and wise God on our side that nothing can preuaile against him It is a great comfort vnto a man to serue such a maister as will alwaies take his part see him wronged by no man but then especially is his heart exhilerated with much ioy alacritie when he doth vnderstand that none is able to make his part good with his maister but he doth alwaies preuaile against all What a consolation then and ioy of spirit ought it to be vnto vs seeing our maister Lord whom we serue is not only omnipotēt in himselfe being stronger then all but also so louing to vs that hee doth alwaies take our part and so assist vs from time to time that we shall still ouercome our foes and not bee vanquished by them Oh let vs ponder often on this poynt For it will be a good cordial medicine vnto vs in all diseases whatsoeuer and it will reuiue vs like Aqua vitae or rosa Solis when we are ready to faint or sinke Hitherto you haue heard a description of the Lord in regard of that which his enimies do to him Now you must marke how he is described in respect of that which he will do to them And that is also two manner of waies the one is by his workes the other is by his words by his works in the first verse and by his words in the fixth verse His workes containe his anger against them and
the effects thereof which are fearefull plagues tormenting them The speech is allegoricall and drawne from man as was touched before for the Prophet doth speake of God according to man and as hee is well able to conceiue of him not that there is any passion of choler or anger in God as there is in man for he is free from all passions whatsoeuer but the meaning is that God was much offended with them for their rebellion and so are displeased with them for it And whereas man is angry and wrathfull he wil strike and lay on and take reuenge vpon such as do offend him so the Lord would be reuenged vpon them and plague them according to their deserts as being highly offended with them for their euill wayes and rebellion against him Then shall hee speake vnto them in his wrath saith the Prophet and vexe them in his soare displeasure That is ouer besides his former deriding of them or laughing at them he shal be exceeding much offended with them in his soare displeasure against them he shal confound them and bring such iudgements vpon them that they shall bee vexed with the cruell paine and remedilesse griefe thereof So then here is set downe how the Lord takes the matter at his enimies hands and how they shall speede for the same though he doth laugh yet he is angry and much offended with them for it and though they be many great ones yet they shall not escape vnpunished but be plagued according to their wretched waies For Gods speaking here vnto them is not by word of mouth but by stroake of hand Sometimes he speakes by word of mouth vnto men as he did heretofore by his Prophets and Apostles and as hee doth still vnto vs by the holy Scriptures and the faithfull expositors thereof Otherwhiles againe he speakes to men by the stroakes of his hand as euer he hath done and daily doth when he doth punish them for their sinnes and lay some iudgements vpon them for their iniquities Of this manner of speaking doth Elihu make mention in Iob cap. 33. vers 14. and so forward where hee doth shew that God doth not onely speake to men by dreames and visions of the night pulling them as it were by the eares and leauing euen in their minds an impression of those great punishments which hang ouer their heads to this end that he might warne and teach them to lay aside those things which they were intended to do and that he might for bid them to continue in their wicked enterprises but also when man will not take heed by these warnings he goeth on the second time to speake vnto him by his stroakes and iudgements in laying some grieuous sickenesse vpon his body whereby he is brought as it were to deaths dore being daily tormented with grieuous paine euen as he lyeth on his bed and being so changed through leannesse and the rage of his disease that he is rather like to them that lye in the graue then to any of the liuing Now after this manner is the word here to be taken as the circumstance of the place doth shew and as the words following doe declare And the word also here vsed in the Hebrew tongue called Iedabber comming of the root Dabar doth signifie as well to destroy as some iudge as to speak So that a man may translate it if he will after this sort Then shall he destroy them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure But howsoeuer you see the sense and meaning is all one and that the Prophet doth intend no other thing hereby but to shew that they shall be ouerthrowne and come to some fearefull ends that did so rise vp against the Lord and his Annoynted as you heard in the beginning of this Psalme And that this also did fall out accordingly and in the same manner as the text doth here speake was at large deliuered vnto you in my first lecture vpon this Psalme when I did runne ouer the whole body thereof at once together and therefore I will not now stand vpon it againe but referre you onely vnto that which was then spoken hoping that you haue it in good remembrance still to your sweet comfort and holy instruction The doctrine of the place at this time to be considered is this Doct. That the enimies of Gods Church shall be ouerthrowne and be confounded by the breath of the Almighty for their rebellion against him euen as the enimies of Dauid and Christ here were for their resisting of him Surely as they came to fearefull ends so shall those that rise vp from time to time against Gods children they euen they also shall come to fearefull ends The Lord that is at their right hand shall wound Kings in the day of his wrath he shall be iudge among the heathen he shall fill and with dead bodies and smite the head ouer great countries as it is in Psal 110.5.6 You know what God doth saith to Edom. For thy cruelty saith he against thy brother Iacob shame shall couer thee and thou shalt be cut off for euer Obadiah vers 10. You know what God doth say of Moah and of the children of Ammon I haue heard saith he the reproach of Moab and therebukes of the children of Ammon whereby they vpbraided my people and magnified themselues against their borders Therefore as I liue saith the Lord God of hoasts the God of Israel Surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorah euen the breding of nettles and salt-pits and a perpetuall desolation the residue of my folke shall spoile them the remnant of my people shall possesse them This shall they haue for their pride because they haue reproached and magnified themselues against the Lord of hoasts people in Zeph. 2.8.9.10 You know what God doth say to Abraham I will also saith he blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee in Gen. 12.3 And what he saith to his whole people of Israel Behold saith he I will bruise all that afflict thee so that none shall be spared in Zeph. 3.19 Lastly you know to pretermit other places what God doth to that huge army of Gog and Magog that compasseth the Saints and holy citty about spoken of in Reuel 20.9 But fire saith the text there came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them To this we might adde many examples if neede did so require as that of Aegypt who were plagued with ten seuerall plagues from heauen one comming after another and in the end were drowned the most of them in the redde sea for setting themselues against the Lords people the children of Israel As that of Haman who lost all his dignity and the great honour which he had in the end was hanged vpon a gallowes for seeking the ouerthrow of Mordecay and those of the Iewes as did belong to the Lord. As lastly that with diuers others of the whole nation of
the Iewes themselues who were sundry times plagued by God from heauen and by men from the earth and in the end came to the woefullest calamitie as euer pen did put to paper for killing the Prophets from time to time and for murdering Christ and such as did appertaine vnto him So that whereas they cryed out and said His bloud be vpon vs and our children as it is in Math. 27.25 his bloud indeed fell vpon them for they were so punished for it that they were murdered most of them at the destruction of Ierusalem their bloud running about the streets like a riuer of water and they are now to this day in great contempt amongst all nations as many thousands of them also do lye boyling in hell and there shall remaine in their torments for it for euermore O misery of all miseries Great was their calamitie when their citty was besieged at what time they were driuen to eate the leather of their shooes the leather of their girdles the leather of their bucklers and targets the dung of their stables and in the end their very children Woefull was their case when they began to issue out compelled with famine when they were still taken and crucified vpon crosses and gibbets set vp before the wals that they which were within might see them and giue ouer but yet they would not fiue hundred a day were thus hanged vp till there were neither trees to be gotten nor any more space left to set them in Fearefull was their estate when certaine of them getting meate for compassion sake in the campe of the enimes were yet so persecuted with the anger of God that when they hoped their liues were in some safety suddēly in the night by the bloody souldiers imagining that sure they had Gold and Iewels within them which they had swallowed to conuey them for their vse were miserably flaine and slit vp their bowels taked in for that which haply was not there to the number of two thousand in one night Pittifull was their condition when there was a desire to know the number of dead carkasses carried out of the citty for want of buriall to be throwne into the ditches as dung vpon the earth but the number was numberlesse and no way to know it certainely but out of one gate the keeper had noted to be carried out an hundred and fifty thousand dead bodies Who can speake or heare of these matters almost with dry eyes But yet this is not the worst for the damnation of their soules and bodies in hell doth go far beyond it where is weeping and gnashing of teeth for euermore Alas alas our hearts may breake out into drops of bloud to thinke vpon that their misery For first their paine there is intollerable farre worse then the burning of any fire with vs let it be a thousand times hotter then it is Secondly it is eternall and euerlasting neuer to haue any end like that fire which doth alwaies burne and can neuer be quenched And thirdly it is continuall without any intermission or ease comming betwixt it they lying in torments euery day and euery night and not hauing so much as one minute of an houre in a million of yeares to rest in Thus doth God speake to them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure The reason hereof is this Reason because he is offended with them for their sinne which they doe commit herein against him and hath the same in great hatred and detestation For as Dauid doth tell vs in the 5. and 11. Psalmes that the foolish shall not stand in the Lords sight nor him that speaketh lies but shall be destroyed and that vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup so he doth teach vs withall what is the cause thereof in the same places namely this because he is not a God that loueth wickednesse nor iniquitie neither shall euill dwell with him but he is one that loueth righteousnesse and hateth iniquity and such as worke the same The places aboue quoted doe touch this matter and shew the particular sinne for which these iudgements come But yet a man may aske say Why is God so much moued for the wrongs that are offered to his children Wherefore doth the sinne committed against them so stirre him to wrath and indignation against the offenders therein Cannot he be quiet whilst he himselfe is not touched and so lightly passe ouer the matter No no he cannot in any sort For if you touch them once you touch him He that toucheth you saith Zechariah to Gods children in Zech. 2.8 toucheth the apple of his eye I trow if a man take in your eyes you will set him further if you can and teach him what it is to medle with that tender member that is so deare vnto you So doth the Lord deale with these because his children are deare and precious vnto him he cannot see them wronged but must needes take their parts and be reuenged vpon their aduersaries for such abuses as they do offer vnto them Because thou wast precious in my sight saith the Lord to Israel and thou wast honorable and I loued theee therefore will I giue man for thee and people for thy sake as it is in Esay 43.4 And as though this were not enough the Prophet Nahum doth tell vs That he is iealous ouer his people that he reserueth wrath for his enimies that he will take vengeance on his aduersaries and make an vtter destruction of them comming like a fire vnto them as vnto thornes folden one in another and as vnto drunkards in their drunkennesse so that they shall be deuoured as stubble fully dried Nahum 1.2.9.10 This is the cause and reason wherefore the Lord doth so take on in regard whereof Christ said vnto Paul when he did molest and trouble such as did beleeue in him Saul Saul Why dost thou persecute me as it is in Acts 9.4 taking that to be done to himselfe which was done to them Wherefore out of this place we may learne Vse first to abstaine from all such things as are iniurious vnto Gods Saints and hurtfull vnto such as do belong to him What do you imagine saith Nahum the Prophet against the Lord he will make an vtter destruction affliction shall not rise vp the second time Chap. 1.9 Because the Lord will destroy those that imagine euill against his people therefore the Prophet doth thinke it to be meere foolishnesse and madnesse to attempt any thing against them and good wisedome to be quiet and to let them alone One reason we had before for this which is our not preuailing against thē but this is more strong forcible then that For all men by nature do desire most their ease and safety but here is a thing which will bring woe and destruction vnto vs it will take away our ease and safety cleane plunge vs into a sea of
be so as plainly as euidently as if they heard the Lord speaking from heauen vnto thē by word of mouth His destroying confoūding of them shal cry like a shril voice in their eares that it was he himselfe no created wight euen he himselfe that is the God of Gods the Lord of hoasts that did set vp Dauid to be King of Israel Christ his Son to be King of his Church whom they had so rebelliously resisted laboured to haue displaced out of their thrones Here is a great Emphasis it is as much as if he had said What shal I set vp a King will you ô ye rebels go about to put him downe How dare you do this What shall I place one ouer my people make him to be their Lord and chiefe gouernor will you ye traytors refuse to yeeld obedience vnto him ioine hand and head together to ouerthrow him and to remoue him out of his kingdome O impietie neuer heard of O wickednesse most intollerable Know you know you that for this cause I cannot beare with you but I must needes speake to you in my wrath and vexe you in my sore displeasure as now I do By Zion here his holy mountaine the kingdome of Israel is vnderstood if we referre it vnto Dauid but if we referre it vnto Christ the Church is meant thereby Zion was the citie of Dauid and the place where his Court was vsually held and kept as it is in 2. Sam. 7.7 But here it is put figuratiuely for the whole kingdome of Israel whereof that was a chiefe and principall part And it is tearmed withall the holy mountaine of God because it stood on high vpon a mountaine or hill where the Lord did manifest his holinesse vnto his people as by the presence of his arke which was there so also by the exercises of pure religion which were held in the Tabernacle and Temple that were built in that place and feared vpon that mountaine or hill Thus literally this place is to be referred vnto Dauid and it is true of him that God did set him vp as King ouer this kingdome of Israel as we may see in 1. Sam. 16.12 13. But sacramentally and after a spirituall maner these thing are to be referred vnto Christ and his Church For Zion also was a type thereof as we may see in Esay 2.3 and in Heb. 12.22 And Christ we know was chosen of his Father to bee the head and King thereof as anone by Gods grace shall more fully appeare And as the earthly Zion was tearmed the mountaine of Gods holinesse so may this heauenly Zion well beare that appellation or name For I. it is most like vnto a mountaine then 2. the Lord doth manifest his holinesse more there then in any other place It is most like a mountaine in 3. respects First for the exaltation and supereminencie of it for as a mountaine is an high place aboue other places so the Church of God is exalted aboue other congregations and that for Gods delight in it and most excellent blessings vpon it which are either present or to come Secondly for the manifestation and aptnesse of it for as a mountaine is in open sight view of all men so the Church of God stands in the eie-sight of all persōs euery mans eye is bent to mark diligently what they do as his eare is open to listen to that which they speake Thirdly for the strength and stablenesse of it for as a mountaine is a strong thing and vnmoueable so the Church of God is so strong and inuincible that all the powers of the world and of hell below cannot ouerthrow it but it shall remaine firme and stable notwithstanding the same for euermore I beseech you by the way make vse of all these things By the first looke vpon your honour and great aduancements wherunto you are exalted aboue all others As Salomon saith in the Prouerbs 31 29 Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all so you may say Many congregations in the world are exalted on high but we the true Church are lifted vp aboue them all By the second be moued to haue an holy care of your liues that you may walk circūspectly at all times in the waies of godlines that your light may so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen And by the third and last be secretly comforted and grow to a full resolution that nothing shall be able to separate you from the loue of your God but that you shall remaine firme and stable in his fauour for euermore Now for the other poynt as the Church is like to a mountaine so it is holy as the mountaine Zion was First for the Lords being in it who is holinesse it selfe for though he be in all the world yet hee is more especially in his Church then in any other place besides according to that in Psal 68.16 and 48.1.2 Secondly for the holy exercises of religion and the goodly works of Gods worship which are found therein for there is prayer singing of Psalmes reading and preaching of the word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like all which are workes of holinesse and purity Lastly for the sanctification of men and women which are therein for they are not prophane and licentious as in other places but they are sanctified made holy by the bloud of Christ the working of the Spirit Our of these things also gather some short notes as we go along Let the first of thē make you reioice be glad that you haue so good a God that though he be full of maiesty glory yet he is content to come home to your houses and to dwell in the chambers of your soules and there to quiet himselfe in your loue and to reioyce ouer you with ioy as Zephany doth speake in Zeph. 3.17 As Elizabeth said when the virgin Mary came to her Whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me Luke 1.43 so may we say at the Lords comming to vs What a fauour and dignitie is this that the Lord of heauen and earth should thus come to vs Let the second of them stirre you vp to frequēt holy exercises and to throng to the house of praier and to such places where the Lord is rightly worshipped As the nations say in Mich. 4.2 Come and let vs go vp to the moūtain of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob so let vs say Come let vs go to the Church congregatiō of God to praier to the preaching of the word to other holy exercises of pure holy religion Let the third and last of them admonish you of that purity holinesse which ought to be in you that so you may neuer giue rest vnto your eies vntil you see your selues washed frō your sins by the bloud
impouerish his subiects by exacting of them grieuous subsidies and taxes but he doth greatly enrich them by bestowing large giftes and benefites vpon them Ephe. 4.7.8 c. The last is loue or mercy for he doth beare that kind affection towards his people that all their miseries doe touch him Heb. 4.15 and for to do thē good he was content to die for them Ephe. 5.2.25 Where all these things do concurre meet together there is a party well qualified for gouernement A man may be couragious yet not fearing God if fearing God yet not dealing truely if dealing truely yet not hating couetousnesse if hating couetousnesse yet not wise if wise yet not diligent if diligent yet not bountifull if bountifull yet not louing if louing yet not couragious But where shall all these be found together Surely in none but in Christ Iesus for in him they are in the highest degree of perfection and therefore did the Lord make choice of him before all others to goe in and out before his people and to be the Head or gouernour of his Church Here we must take heed of some abuses Vse we must not collect from hence either that Christ is inferiour to his Father or that he was made King as he was God for he is equall with his Father in glory Maiesty touching his diuine nature or God-head as the Apostle doth shew in the beginning of his 2. chap. to the Philippians True it is that he is inferiour to his Father in respect of his humane nature and as he is man but not otherwise as he is God of the same substance or being which he hath together with the Father frō all eternity Againe whereas he is made King this is done in respect of both his natures together as he is God-man and Man-God and not simply in respect of one of them alone for so to affirme of either of them were absurd if not blasphemous But leauing the abuses the true vses are these First hereby we may learne to reuerence Christ the more because he is established in his throne by his Father For if Dauid were pricked in heart onely for cutting of Sauls garment who was a wicked man and his deadly enimy too because he was the Lords annoynted with what reuerence and care should we carry our selues towards Christ Iesus our Sauiour who is holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe and one that loues vs well seeing the Lord hath annoynted him and made him to be our King But alas our carriage is such towards him as if he had vsurped this place vnto himselfe by tyranny or were set vp in his throne by some created authority but let vs looke to ourselues and amend this our fault In the second place here we may learne that seeing God hath set vp his Sonne in his kingdome he will still defend him and aide him in the same as also bring fearefull iudgments vpon all such as shal go about to resist him And this is the chiefest end wherefore this sentence is here alleadged and therefore let all men take heed what they do and let all those know also who are in lawfull authority that so long as they carry themselues worthy of their places the Lord will alwaies stand about them for their defence and protection as here he did about his Sonne Christ and blessed Dauid the King Lastly here we may learne by the example of Christ that it is not good to run into a calling but to stay vntill the Lord doth place vs in the same A great complaint is made in Ieremy by the Lord against men in this respect that they did run before that he did send them as we may see at large in the 23. chapter of Ieremy But beware we that we doe not the like For shall Christ that had the Spirit of God without all measure stay and waite his Fathers leasure and shall we mortall and sinnefull creatures who haue not the Spirit almost in any measure yet runne and goe before our commission is drawne out and sealed by the Almighty More things might be spoken vpon these matters but let these short obseruations minister an occasion vnto you to contemplate more at large vpon these points The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON vpon the second Psalme PSAL. 2. VER 7.8 9. I will declare the decree that is the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of yron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell IN the former verses mention was made of God the Father whose maiestie and power was excellently set out for the confounding of such wicked aduersaries as did rise vp against him But now these verses do intreate of God the Sonne who is also most liuely described in the same by a certaine inuincible power and maiestie as being one sufficient to ouerthrow all such resistance as is made against him And that his enimies might be daunted the more as his friends receiue the greater ioy and consolation he comes in himselfe speaking and vttering his voyce vnto them declaring plainely amongst them all what is the very decree and ordinance of God his Father concerning him and his kingdome the summe and substance whereof he tels them is this The Lord the great God of heauen who hath created all things and who doth continually preserue the same he euen he sayd to me Thou art my sonne yea my naturall and onely sonne most deare and precious vnto me Thy workes which thou doest continually in working strange and admirable miracles do shew that I haue begotten thee but chiefly that day is an argument thereof vnto all the world wherein thou didst arise from the graue and returne againe from death vnto life And because thou art so neare vnto me and one on whom I haue set my whole delight and pleasure aske of me what thou wilt and thou shalt haue it I will not say to the halfe of my kingdome but to all my kingdome if thou shalt aske the whole I will bestow it vpon thee yea I will giue thee all power both in heauen and in earth and thou shalt reigne not in a small compasse alone but in a most spacious and large circuite euen throughout all the world from the one end thereof vnto the other And whereas there are many rebels and traytors that do daily rise vp against thee thou shalt not take pity and compassion vpon them to forgiue them but thou shalt punish them throughly according to their deserts with thy scepter or mace of iron wherewith thou art armed thou shalt destroy them And herein deale thou with them as the potter doth with his vessell as he doth dash that all to peeces when it is once broken and seruiceable for no vse so do thou so confound them that they may
for many chapters together So did Dauid when Michall his wife did mocke him for dauncing in a linnen Ephod before the Arke of the Lord. It was saith he in 2. Sam. 6.21 before the Lord which chose me rather then thy father for she was Sauls daughter and all his house and commanded me to be ruler ouer the people of the Lord euen ouer Israel and therefore will I play before the Lord. So did Amos when Amasiah the Priest of Bethell went about to perswade him to flie away out of the land of Israel vnto the land of Iudah and there to eate his bread and to prophesie but not to prophesie any more at Bethell where was the kings chappell and the kings court Then answered Amos and sayd to Amasia I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman and a gatherer of wild figges and the Lord tooke me as I followed the flocke and the Lord said vnto me God prophesie vnto my people Israel c. Wherein you see he doth stand stoutly vpon his calling and doth presse it well to stop such a caytifes mouth as that Amaziah was This is in the 7. chapter of Amos his Prophesie and the 12. verse thereof with some others following So in a word did all the Prophets from time to time as is apparant in their prophesies This was a common phrase or stile with them The burden of the Lord or Thus saith the Lord of hoasts or The word of the Lord came to me As Ieremy saith The words of the Lord that came to Ieremy the Prophet in Ieremy 47.1 As Hosea saith The word of the Lord that came vnto Hosea the sonne of Beeri Hos 1.1 As Ioel saith The word of the Lord that came to Ioel the sonne of Pethuel Io. 1.1 As Ionah saith The word of the Lord came also to Ionah the sonne of Amittai Ionah 1.1 And as Micha saith to omit the rest The word of the Lord that came to Micha the Morashite But in the new Testament Paul is very frequent in this matter he doth presse his calling oftentimes and standeth very stoutly vpon the same to the defiance of all his enimies to the cōfort of all such as did cleaue fast vnto Iesus Christ such doctrine as he did deliuer vnto them in his name But amongst all other places I commend vnto you at this time onely three the first is in the 26 Chap. of the Acts of the Apostles where he did answere for himselfe before Agrippa the King The second is in his second Epistle to the Corinthians and eleauenth Chapter wherein he doth make a comparison betwixt himselfe and other Apostles and doth preferre himselfe before them all The third is in his Epistle to the Galathians and the beginning thereof where he proues that his doctrine which he had taught the Galathians was not humane but diuine he being taught the same by the reuelation of Iesus Christ who called him immediately from heauen to be an Apostle and so had his office not from man but from God as also his Gospell or the doctrine which he taught them Thus you see good men from time to time haue stood vpon their places and callings And the reasons also wherefore men should do it are these Reasons First that none through ignorance might contemne them or set light by their callings but haue them in good veneration according to their worth and excellency A man may passe by a king without any reuerence done vnto him if he know him not the country peasant we know doth trample many an wholesome herbe vnder his feet which the skilfull Apothecary doth gather vp and make good reckoning of because he knowes not the vertues and medicinable vses thereof as the Apothecary doth And so may men be despised and their callings be passed ouer without due reuerence and obedience yeelded vnto them by others vnlesse they know what they be and wherehence they haue their authority therefore it is good that the same should be made knowne vnto them Secondly that all persons may be left without excuse and haue their mouths stopped if they shall rebell and disobey for then they cannot pleade ignorance and say We knew not that they came from God or had lawfull authority committed vnto their charge to doe those things which they tooke vpon them for to do As God doth make himselfe knowne by the visible creatures of the world to leaue all mankind without all excuse which will not feare and worship him so the same God will haue men to goe in his name vnto others and to make knowne their authority and callings that if they will not obey they may be left tongue-tide as we say and without any answere for themselues as we may see in Ezechiel Chapter 2. verses 4.5.6 Say vnto them Thus saith the Lord God but surely they will not heare neither indeed will they ceasse for they are a rebellious house yet shall they know that there hath bene a Prophet among them Thirdly that they might approue and iustifie themselues in their waies and stoppe the malignant tongues of their aduersasaries who are ready wrongfully to accuse them as if they vsurped their places and did things without lawfull authority from aboue For as Zidikijah smote the Prophet Michaiah on the cheeke and said When went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speake vnto thee as it is in 1. Kings 22.24 so from time to time doe many arise vp to impeach the credit of those whom God hath raised vp and to make the world beleeue that the Lord did neuer bestow those places of dignity vpon thē which they do challenge vnto themselues For as Paul and the rest of the Apostles together with the Prophets and others found this oftentimes too true as we say in regard of themselues so Iude doth shew in his Epistle and eighth verse thereof that there are many wicked dreamers that doe despise gouernment and speake euill of them that are in authoritie Lastly that they might put courage into their owne hearts and with due care and conscience goe about the workes of their callings not fearing what man can do against them but looking alwaies vpon God who placed them in their roomes and who will neuer faile them vnlesse they be wanting vnto themselues therein For as the Spirit of God came down vpon Cornelius his friends whiles Peter was speaking vnto them as it is in Acts 10.44 so whiles they doe meditate vpon their places and are pressing the same vnto others in a zeale towards God and in a care to do them good a certaine heauenly courage and boldnesse from aboue comes down into their soules whereby they are made more stout and valiant then euer they were before and doe become in this respect like vnto the fire when it is blowne with the bellowes that doth burne more and more So that here are foure reasons to mooue men to respect their callings and to stand
fast in the defense thereof whereof two of them do concerne others and the other two themselues By this we are taught Vse first to examine our selues what giftes and callings we haue of God that so we may be able to stand vpon them when any iust occasion is offered vnto vs thereunto for all men haue not their callings from God The Lord speaking of the Ministers of the word doth complaine in the 23. chapter of the Prophecy of Ieremy that many did runne whom he did neuer send and making mention of Kings in some other place he doth say that they did reigne but not by him And surely daily experience doth teach vs that many of them do vsurpe that authority to themselues as Athalia the Queene did of whom you may reade in 2. Chron. 22. and 23. chapters thereof whom the Lord did neuer establish in their throne by his kind louing approbation But here it may be demanded how a man may know whether his office or calling be from God or no that so he may stand stoutly vpon the same and labour with all care conscience to discharge it in the feare of the Lord The answere is that ye may know it by foure things The first is by his minde with the which he did enter into it The second is by his ability whereby he is enabled to discharge it The third is by the liking of the people by whom he is approued for it And the fourth and last is by his successe whereby he doth prosper and do good in it For if he shall finde these foure things in himselfe first that he entred into his calling not with a corrupt minde as for honour praise gaine or the like but with a single heart desire to glorifie God and to doe good to his people Secondly that he hath graces and giftes sufficient for to discharge those duties which are required at his hands Thirdly that he be approued of the Church or common wealth wherein he doth liue they outwardly bestowing this calling vpon him And lastly be assisted from time to time by the gracious hand of the Almighty to haue good successe in his calling and to prosper therein doubtlesse then he hath his calling office from God himselfe and not from man alone Secondly by this we are taught to iudge charitably of all such as do speake largely now and then of their owne gifts and those places wherein the Lord hath set them For here we may see a man may doe it with a good soule and discharge but an honest godly dutie in so doing it True it is as Salomon doth say in Prou. 27.2 Let another man praise thee and not thine owne mouth a stranger and not thine owne lippes For is not seemely for a man to praise himselfe but yet a man may stand vpon his calling and publish abroad such gifts as the Lord hath bestowed vpon him For this is not to praise himselfe but rather to praise the Lord and to bring honour vnto his name Yea the case may so stand as we may see by Pauls words in the 11. Chap. of his 2 Epistle to the Corinthians as in other places also that a man may praise himselfe with his owne mouth and set out his giftes and graces to the vttermost and yet be no transgressor of Salomons precept therein For Salamon there doth meane such a praising of our selues wherein we aime chiefly at our owne glory but there is another praising of our selues wherein we haue not so much an eye to our selues as vnto the Lord and his honour and the good of all such as do belong vnto him Now if any shall praise himselfe after this sort we are to thinke reuerently of him and not to censure him as a proud and vaine glorious person for it no more then we do humble and blessed Paul who did the like Lastly by this we are taught what we our selues should do in these wicked and vnbridled daies of ours wherein many vngodly persons do take vpon them to condemne vs much and to lay slanderous things to our charge whereof we are cleare and innocent The Brownists or Separatists as they call themselues to make instance in one point alone do accuse vs as if we were no true Church of God here in England and as if our Ministers were no Ministers of God but rather the Ministers of Antichrist the arch and chiefe enimy of God But we must not let them goe on thus still with their vile and slandering speeches against vs but display vnto them their abhominations who do so vnchristianly beyond all the bounds of holy charity condemne vs proue that we are the Lords owne inheritance and the people whom he hath chosen vnto himselfe to haue his holy name called vpon amongst vs and that our Ministers are his true and faithfull seruants and such whom he hath sent forth and doth take his delight pleasure in Easily might these matters be confirmed if we were to enter into any congresse with them about the same but now at this time we haue other matters in hand yet I will presse one argument and so leaue them It standeth thus Wheresoeuer the word of God is so preached and the Sacraments so celebrated that by their meanes a true and sound conuersion is wrought in the hearts of men towards the Lord Almighty that they do beleeue in him aright and walke with carefull soules in the paths of his commandements to bring honour vnto his name to attaine blessednesse for themselues there there I say is the true Church of God and there also are his faithfull and trusty Ministers But here in England with vs the word of God is so preached and the Sacraments so celebrated that by their meanes a true and sound conuersion is wrought in the hearts of men towards the Lord Almighty that they do beleeue in him aright and walke with carefull soules in the paths of his commandements to bring honour vnto his name and to attaine blessednesse for themselues Therefore here in England is the true Church of God and here also are his faithfull and his trusty Ministers When they shall answer this argument I will frame some more for them to worke vpon but I thinke that will neuer be for they cannot answere it is so strong inuincible and a knot so hard twisted that they cannot by any meanes vnloose it Thus farre the publishing of Gods decree hath stretched it selfe Now let vs come to the parts whereof it doth consist and they are in number two the one doth respect the person of Christ the other his office or kingly power His person in the seuenth verse and his office or kingly power in the eighth and ninth For his person remember two things the first is whose Son he is the second how it is proued that he is his Sonne He is the Sonne of God this is set downe in these words That is the Lord hath said vnto me Thou
to time that sinne should not go vncontrolled but be iustly punished according to the nature of it either more or lesse as it did deserue In consideration whereof you perceiue malefactors must not be spared but be duly punished for their faults and offences And the reasons hereof are foure First Reasons that the malefactors themselues who do offend may be brought to the sight of their sinnes and to the leauing of them if it be possble for as Salomon doth say in Prou. 20.30 The blewnesse of the woundserueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly or else if they will not amend that they may be taken away by death to sinne to more against their owne soules or to pollute the land any longer wherein they dwell And this was the cause wherefore God would haue idolaters to be stoned to death as we may gather from his words in Deut. 17.7 when he saith So thou shalt take the wicked away from among you Secondly that others may learne by their examples to take heed of the like offences lest they be made partakers of the same punishments with them For punishments executed vpon some are oftentimes great terrors vnto others and do bridle them from their licentious wayes as daily experience and all Chronicles of the world do shew But at this time remember one example alone and that is of the third Captaine with his fiftie men spoken of in the first Chapter of the second booke of the Kings for he so profited by the iudgements that came vpon the two former Captaines with their fiftie men apeece when fire came downe from heauen and consumed them all that he submitted himselfe to the Prophet Elijah and fell to intreate him for the safetie of his life as it is in the 14. verse of the same Chapter And this was the cause wherefore God would haue the Iudge to do vnto euery man as euery man thought to do vnto his brother as we may see by his words in Deut. 19.20 when he saith And the rest shall heare this and feare and shall henceforth commit no more any such wickednesse among you Thirdly that the good and innocent may not be corrupted by their company and bad example For as euill words do corrupt good manners so much more do euill deeds and bad conuersation The life and example of one incestuous man was sufficient to corrupt all Corinth And this was the cause wherefore Paul would haue the Corinthians to excommunicate that incestuous person out of their holy fellowship as we may well collect out of his words in 1. Corinth 5.9 when he saith Purge out therefore the old leauen that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are vnleauened For Christ our passeouer is sacrificed for vs. Lastly that the Lords anger who is offended with their sinnes and transgressions may be appeased and not breake out against all for the same For as the sinne of man doth pollute the whole land as the story of the Cananites do shew Leui. 18.24 c. and set all things out of order as we may see by the sinne of Ahab that troubled Israel 1. Kings 18.18 and by the sinne of false apostles that troubled the Galathians Gal. 5.10 as also by the sinne of the prodigall sonne which put him besides himselfe for he repenting of his sinne is sayd to haue come to himselfe Luke 15.17 So it doth driue the Lord away from him and from others for his sake vntill he be duly punished for his sinne as he ought to be as we may see most excellently in the seuenth chapter of Iosuah For there we find that God did leaue Israel for a time for Achans sinne but after he was put to death for the same he did helpe them againe and gaue them a notable victory ouer their enimies And this is the cause wherefore the Lord would haue Moses to put the adulterers to death as we may perceiue by his words in Numb 25.4 when he sayd vnto him Take all the heads of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the Sunne that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel Out of these things thus layd downe Vse we may obserue many profitable things for our instruction For first thereby we may see that seeing malefactors must be punished that we must not storme nor chafe if the Magistrate and superiour powers inflict vpon vs punishment after that we haue sinned against the lawes of the Lord our God and haue transgressed the good and lawfull statutes of the land Then then I say we must take all things patiently and acknowledge that we haue but our due and that our gouernours therein do but discharge an holy duty which the Almightie doth require at their hands Let children and seruants amongst others marke this well that so when they are corrected and chastised by their parents and maisters for their faults they may possesse their soules with patience and learne thereby to amend and not to fall to murmurings and discontentments as many vngracious children and seruants are wont to do What praise saith Peter to seruants in 1. Pet. 2.20 is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently but and if when ye do well ye suffer wrong and take it patiently this is acceptable to God Whereby he shewes vs that this is a necessary duty belonging to all that haue offended quietly and with patient soules to beare such punishments as are layd vpon them for their offences Secondly by it we may see what Magistrates and men of authority ought to do who beare the sword not in vaine as Paul doth speake in Rom. 13.4 but to take vengeance on him that doth euill They must not see offences committed in the land but they must draw out their swords for the punishment thereof A wise king saith Salomon in Prou 20.26 scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them His meaning is that good Princes and godly Magistrates cannot away in any hand with wicked persons but they must needs roote them out For vnder the word wheele he alludeth to the manner of threshing vsed among the Iewes in those times The saying is old and true Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri It is as great a vertue to keepe what is gotten as first to get it And euen so it is as good a duty in a Magistrate to see lawes executed and kept as at the first to make them And since they will not be kept of all without punishments therefore punishments are most necessary Ill then and wickedly deale they that haue authority in their hands to cut downe sinne and yet will let it grow and flourish still and neuer punish the offenders thereof The grieuousnesse of which sinne you may see notably in the examples of Ely the Prophet and Saul the King For the Lord had brought most terrible iudgmēts vpon thē both and vpon their posterity
of speech after the manner of a story but now commeth an exhortation to hand wherein all the former rebels standing in most woefull case and dreadfull perill of their liues are graciously called vpon to returne and to submit themselues vnto the Lord and his Annoynted against whom they made their former rebellion and insurrection Great was the sin which they had committed yet the Lord whose mercy hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands together but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this place fauourably vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true feeling of their faults and so they turne be spared He cals vpon them all for true repentance and amendment of life shewing vnto them both wherein it doth stand and also when it must be yeelded vnto him It standeth in two things the one is an heauenly wisedome and an holy knowledge of the Lords waies The other is a loyall subiection and a faithfull obedience vnto his commandements Both these he doth require of them First that they be wise and learned in his word or statutes then secondly that they be subiect and obedient vnto him and his Sonne in performing such duties as do belong vnto them And as for the time when these things are to be done it is straight and out of hand they must not deferre them no not so much as one day but presently they must goe about them whithout any delay or procrastination whatsoeuer This is the summe of this verse with the two next following But to leaue them at this time and to stand onely vpon this marke the paraphrase thereof it runneth after this manner Now therefore saith the Prophet while there is time before the iudgement before spoken of do ouertake you and consume you to nothing labour you to get true wisdome and vnderding plant you the word of the Lord in your soules and be well seene and learned in his statutes that you may know your selues and vnderstand aright what the Lord your God doth require at your hands for all matters which do respect his worship and your owne peace And here I speake not alone to the small ones and the baser sort of the people but I speake to you all and chiefly to you that are the great ones and the states of the land euen to you that are Princes and haue the chiefe stroke in matters of gouernment and to you that are Iudges and haue authority to sit vpon life and death and to censure all matters and persons that are brought before you to you I say do I chiefly speake and therefore looke to your selues deferre not your repentance any longer but presently while you haue time be wise and learned So that the summe of this verse is nothing else Summe but an exhortation vnto the first part of repentance which standeth in the true knowledge of the Lord and his wayes wherein remember two points Part. First the persons to whom the exhortatiō is directed then secondly the matter to the which they are exhorted containing first the time when the duty is to be done which he doth require of them then the thing it selfe wherein it doth stand or consist The persons to whom the exhortation is directed are the kings and iudges of the land The Spirit of the Lord doth single them out by name from all the rest not meaning thereby that they alone were to do the things that here and after he doth require of them but his meaning is by them to vnderstand all of what degree soeuer they were by the figure Synecdoche when some are put for all For he would haue all to repent and to submit themselues vnto the Lord who before did rebell against him But yet he nameth them onely who were thus the Kings and Iudges of the land for sundry causes As first because they were deepest in rebellion and had trespassed most therein as being the ringleaders of all the rest Secondly because they bad more things to stay thē backe then others had and a greater meanes to pull them from the performance of the exacted duties And lastly because they being conuerted would easily draw all others after them and cause them to do as they had done For the multitude commonly doth depend vpon the higher powers and looke what they do the same doth content them well according to that in 2. Sam. 3.36 And all the people knew it speaking of Dauids mourning and fasting for Abner and it pleased them as whatsoeuer the king did pleaseth all the people For these causes and the like the holy Ghost might well direct his speech by name vnto the Kings and Iudges and not speake in generall vnto all though he did meane all and his purpose were to haue euery one to do the things here exacted of them and not that the Kings and Iudges should doe them alone Here by the way we may obserue a notable good instruction which is this namely that Magistrates and men in chiefe authority should first of all turne vnto the Lord and be as the captaines of all the rest in performing loyall and faithfull obedience vnto him in all dutifull manner as it doth become them For first and foremost they are more bound as we say vnto God then others are as hauing larger benefites and greater giftes bestowed vpon them then any besides them haue for the more bountifull that any is to vs the more dutifull should we be to him a gaine Secondly because they for the most part go beyond all others in sins and trespasses for number and greatnesse for the more and greater our sinnes and trespasses be the more speed and hast should we make to leaue them and to turne vnto the Lord from them lest they bring destruction vpon vs before we are aware Finally because all others do hang vpon them as the dore doth on the hinges and turne as they doe turne for whom also they must answere at the dreadfull day of iudgement when all secrets of mens hearts shall be disclosed and euery one shall receiue according to his waies For the more that we may bring to God and the heauier charge we haue to answere the more forward should we be to do those holy duties which do belong to vs that we might saue many and not be damned our selues Oh that gouernours would lay this neare vnto their hearts and make a good vse thereof vnto themselues Blessed yea twise blessed then should both they and we be Abraham Iosuah Samuel Dauid Asa Iehosaphat Hezechia Iosiah and others that were men of great place and authority haue done this long before our daies The Lord grant for his mercies sake that our rulers and chiefe men for gouernment may do it alwaies do it in our daies in the daies of our posterity after vs. But if they should faile herein which God forbid yet let vs who haue some authority ouer others looke
shall preserue thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therfore and aboue all thy possessiōs get vnderstanding He is very frequent with the like exhortations in many places also of the same booke Reade them I pray at your leasure and marke them well Paul in like manner writing vnto the Ephesians doth stir them vp to the same duty saying Wherefor be yee not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5.17 Dauid also inioined the same duty vpon his son Salomon towards the end of his dayes saying vnto him as followeth My sonne know thou the God of thy fathers and serue him with an vpright heart and willing minde as it is in 1. Cron. 28.9 Finally the Lord himselfe doth oftentimes make his moane and complaint for the want of this wisdome and knowledge in his people which is here required of vs all teaching vs thereby how necessary it is for euery one and how well pleasing to himselfe But at this time two places alone to shew the same shall content vs. The one is in Esay 1.3 when he saith The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israel hath not knowne my people haue not vnderstood The other is in Ieremy 4.22 where you haue these words For my people is foolish they haue not knowne me they are foolish children and haue no vnderstanding they are wise to do euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge By all which places we may clearely see what doth belong to vs euen a sauing knowledge of Gods will and an holy vnderstanding of his waies Wee must not be like to the horse or mule that haue no vnderstanding as Dauid saith in Psa 32.9 but we must be changed by the renewing of our minds that we may know what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God as Paul doth teach vs in Rom. 12.2 And the reasons hereof are many Reasons First because euery man by his owne knowledge is a very beast before the Lord as Ieremy doth witnesse of vs in Ieremy 10.14 and as Dauid doth confesse of himselfe in Psalme 73.22 saying So foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee Secondly because we shall neuer obey the Lord aright vntill we know him and vnderstand his will nor yeeld any faithfull seruice vnto him as it doth become vs. For the ground-worke of all religion the foundation of all true pietie is the knowledge of the Lord and his wayes As on the contrary side the cause and fountaine of all disobedience against God is the ignorance of his will and the vnlearnednesse of the same as we haue heard in this Psalme already and as we may see by Hosea his complaint in the beginning of the fourth chapter of his Prophesie where hee doth make his moane that men did lie and steale and commit adultery and that bloud did touch bloud and assigneth this reason of it euen because there was no knowledge of God in the land And surely where men know not God what can bee looked for else but all impietie against God and all vnrighteous dealing against men Lastly because all such as are ignorant of the Lords will doe not onely erre while they are here committing grieuous sinnes against him but shall be damned also hereafter for euer My people saith the Lord in Hosea 4.6 are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And Paul doth shew in 2. Thess 1.8 that when Christ shal come to iudgement and shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire he shall render vengeance vnto them that doe not know God which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power So that if we ponder of all these reasons well we shal easily grant that there is cause sufficient why euery man should labour and striue to plant some heauenly knowledge within his soule and to become wise and learned in the statutes of the Almightie In regard whereof we see first in what great fault the world is in For there is ignorance in euery place Alas alas most men know not aright either that God who hath made them or themselues who are made by him And as for the grounds of true religion and the rules of the Lords worship they are as a sealed and clasped booke vnto them We dwell in a nation and country wherin the word of God hath bene freely read preached many yeares together yet it is pittifull to heare vnderstand what ignorance is still amongst men and how vnwise vnlearned they be in the statutes of the Lord. God amend vs. But here some may say that there was neuer more knowledge in this land then now is at this present To this I answer first that our knowledge is nothing to our long and continued teaching For in regard thereof we ought to be teachers our selues who yet are taught of others and haue need also to be instructed in the very first principles of the word of God and are become many of vs at the least such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate as the Author to the Hebrews doth speake in the latter end of his fifth chapter Secondly that our knowledge for the most part is not a sauing or sanctifying knowledge but talkatiue and discoursing It hangs vpon our tongue and swimmes about in the circumference of our braine but it sinkes not downe into the bottome of the heart as it ought to do to bring forth a reformed life For we haue many talkers but few true walkers and sundry there are who can discourse at large in matters of religion but few there are who feele the power and force thereof being deaded by the meanes thereof vnto their sinnes and quickened vp vnto all fruitfull workes of righteousnesse whereby God may be honoured and man edified Secondly by this we may see that that doctrine which is most currant at Rome those places where Popery doth beare sway to wit that Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion is most false and erroneous and to be abandoned by vs that are true and holy Christians As Christ doth say to the Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God in Mat. 22.29 making there ignorance the cause of error which is cleane cōtrary to their doctrine so he saith to the Iewes Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me in Iohn 5.39 imposing there this dutie vpō all that do intend to be saued at the last to be conuersant in the Scriptures which is dissonant altogether to their practize and teaching If I would stand vpon such a common place as this is I could alledge both places and reasons enough to ouerthrow them in this respect who are herein most like vnto those cursed and hypocriticall Scribes and Pharisies who did shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men neither going in thēselues nor suffering
large be shewed if it were needfull But let the Example of Abraham suffise who thinking that the feare of God was not in Gerar vtterly despaired of any other vertue and therefore moued his wife to say that she was his sister Gen. 20.11 In this respect the feare of God is both by Dauid in Psal 111.10 and also by Salomon in Pro. 1.7 called the beginning of wisedome that is the roote and fountaine of all goodnesse and therefore of the whole worship and seruice of God spoken of here in this place So that there is good cause why the Prophet should require of vs to serue the Lord with feare Where-hence let vs collect this doctrine Doct. that as we must serue the Lord so we must feare the Lord and stand in great awe and reuerence of him Thou shalt feare saith Moses to Israel in Deut. 6.13 the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt sweare by his name Esay doth require the same duty of his people in chapter 8.13 when he saith vnto them Sanctifie the Lord of hoasts and let him be your feare and let him be your dread But to passe other places marke what Salomon doth say of this in Eccles 12.13 Let vs heare saith he the end of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man There are diuerse reasons to moue vs hereunto Reasons As first the greatnesse of his power and might aboue vs. Secondly his authority and iurisdiction which he hath ouer vs. Thirdly his goodnesse and mercy which he doth shew vnto vs. Fourthly his Maiestie and glory which doth shine and glister round about vs. Fifthly his puritie and holinesse that is in his eyes beholding vs. And lastly the great blessings which the feare it selfe being had will bring vnto vs. For all these things may iustly worke a feare in men Meane men we find by experience do feare great men those that are too mighty for them and they dare not in any case displease them Children feare their parents and such as haue a ruling tuition ouer them Workemen feare their maisters by whom they liue and are maintained and looke who are most bountifull and prodigall vnto them to them againe do they become most obseruant and obsequious as being afraid to offend them in any thing Simple persons feare great states such as excel in glory maiestie aboue thēfelues though other wise they owe no homage or subiection vnto them Loose liuers and wantons feare graue religious persons and such as are zealous for Gods glory earnest for the saluation of mans soule as being ashamed to powre out their euil words or to cōmit their wicked facts before them in their presence Lastly euery one by nature is forward to apply himselfe to those things which he doth know will bring great profit and benefit vnto himselfe as being desirous to be out of misery and to liue in happinesse and prosperity all the dayes of his life Now to apply this to God to our selues first he is of power and might we are no body vnto him in that respect he is able to pay vs home if we do displease him This reason our Sauiour doth vrge in Math. 10.28 when he wils his Apostles not to feare men who can kil but the body but to feare the Lord who is able to destroy both body and soule in hell Secondly he hath authority iurisdiction ouer vs we are his he hath made vs and he may do with vs what he will as the potter doth with his vessell or as the master doth with his seruant This reason the Lord himselfe doth presse in Malach. 1.6 saying A son honoreth his father and aseruant his maister If then I be a father where is mine honor if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of hosts vnto you ô Priests that despise my name Thirdly he is good and kind to vs his benefites which we do enioy from him are infinite we haue all that we haue from him euen our liues and all the rest This reason Dauid doth touch in Psal 130.4 when he saith vnto the Lord But mercy is with thee that thou mayest be feared Fourthly he is a God of infinite Maiesty and we are but poore simple creatures made of the dust and clay of the ground the heauen of heauens cannot containe him neither can the Angels themselues stand before him for his brightnesse vnlesse they couer their faces with two of their wings This reason doth Moses glance at in Exodus 20.20 when he shewes the end wherefore the Lord did publish his law in that glorious and maiesticall maner as he did in thunders lightnings and the like saying For God is come to proue you and that his feare may be before you that ye sinne not Fifthly he is holy and righteous his eyes are pure eyes and cannot abide to behold sinne and iniquity This reason is laid downe before the eyes of the Israelites oftentimes in the old Testament by the Spirit of God when he would draw them to the true feare and seruice of the Almighty from all such manners as were found among the Gentiles For then still his holinesse and puritie was enforced vpon them Finally the cōmodities which the feare of the Lord being once had wil bring vnto vs are exceeding large and great For first it will make vs holy and frameable vnto Gods will in auoiding those things which he hath condemned and in performing those things which he hath commanded The feare of the Lord saith Salomon in Prou. 8.13 is to hate euill as pride and arrogancie and the euill way Where he sheweth that in what measure any one feareth God in the same measure he doth loath and detest all euill yea not onely the open abhominable sinnes which the world doth condemne but the most secret and hidden For he saith not to hate euill as murther and adultery but pride arrogancy which lie in the heart and do not shew themselues to the world yet he that feareth God will hate them Secondly it wil make vs blessed and happy in all our wayes Blessed saith Dauid in Psal 128.1 is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes This reason the sweet Singer of Israel hath alleaged in Psal 34.9 when he saith Feare the Lord ye his Saints for nothing wanteth in them that feare him nothing he meanes which is good and wholesome for them as he speakes elsewhere saying The Lord will giue grace and glorie and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke vprightly Psal 84.17 So that the feare of the Lord brings with it alwayes a plentie of all good things comes laden with the blessings of God whersoeuer it comes For all these causes now rehearsed should we feare the Lord and in reuerence endeuor to please him The vse that we must make of this Vse is first to condemne those that haue not the true feare of the Lord
also doth shew in chap. 9.3 that it is like the ioy in haruest and as men reioyce when they diuide a spoyle True it is that religion doth cut off all wicked and prophane mirth and ioy but as for that which is holy and good consisting in the Lord and vpright waies it doth bring that in and daily increase it in our soules For as Paule doth teach vs in Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God standeth not in meate and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost As here is righteousnesse in the Church or Kingdome of God so here is peace and ioy which the holy Ghost doth worke in the hearts of men You may see in Psal 68.3 Psal 106.5 that reioycing doth belong to the people of God But the righteous saith the Prophet in the former of these two places shall be glad and reioyce before God yea they shall leape for ioy And againe he saith in the latter of them Remember me ô Lord with the fauour of thy people visit me with thy saluation that I may see the felicity of thy chosen and reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glory with thine inheritance The musicke that was vsed vnder the Law in the Temple may well declare this thing for that was typicall and figured out the true ioy and mirth which should be in the Christian Church where is the assurance of the remission of sinnes and life eternall Surely to speake all in one word Gods children haue more ioy of heart then the wicked haue as Dauid doth declare in Psal 4.6 and this their ioy also is of longer continuance for it shall neuer be taken from them as our Sauiors words do import in Ioh. 16.22 Finally out of this we may learne to stzine against our sorrow and pensiuenesse that so we may reioyce still in the Lord and his wayes For seeing we are called vpon for this duty we must performe it We must reioyce and be glad in the Lord as the Church doth speake of her selfe in the Canticles Chap. 1. ver 3. Howsoeuer we may mourne sometimes for our sinnes and be pensiue for our transgressions yet we must not suffer our sorrow to ouercome vs but we must ouercome it and breake out into ioy and mirth before the Lord. And this our ioy and mirth must not be in feasting in playing and in wickednesse according to the course of this world but it must be in spirituall matters and in the holy exercises of religion which do belong vnto the Lord. We must go about the businesse of our God and his holy seruice as chearfully and as willingly as if we went vnto a feast and take as great delight and pleasure therein as we do in any banquet whatsoeuer according vnto the example of Dauid and others spoken of in Psalm 42.4 who are said there to go into the house of God with the voyce of singing and praise as a multitude that keepeth a feast And that this may the better be performed of vs we must first labour to be fully reconciled vnto God to be assured that he is become our God and Sauiour For otherwise we shall neuer reioyce in him aright but rather detest and abhorre him Secondly we must know and remember that the seruice which he doth require of vs is a reasonable sernice and that there is a great reward layd vp for them which shall do the same For otherwise it will be grieuous and irksome vnto vs but this will make it easie and pleasant and as sweet to vs as the hony or hony combe as Dauid doth speake of it in regard of himselfe in Ps 19.10 Wherefore looke I pray vnto both these things that so the Lord and his seruice may be vnto you the very ioy and reioycing of your hearts And in any case be neuer quiet or at rest vntill you haue brought your hearts to this euen to reioyce in the Lord your God as it is here in our text required of you For this ioy being once had will be maruellous commodious and beneficiall vnto you For first it will bring comfort vnto you in the midst of all your troubles and take away the sharpnesse thereof from your soules Secondly it will helpe the good estate of your bodies and make them the more strong and healthfull For a ioyfull heart saith Salomon in Prou. 17.22 causeth good health but asorrowfull minde drieth the bones Thirdly it will fit you for the seruice and worship of the Almighty and cause you to be very prompt expert in doing the same For the heart is fittest for holy duties when it doth reioyce as Elisha was to prophesie when the musitian plaied 2. King 3.15 Finally it will confirme you in your holy religion and so establish you in the same that you shall neuer shrinke away from it while you liue For we are neuer weary of that wherein we do reioyce but the more we do the same the more greedy still are we for to do it and it is a kinde of death vnto vs for to leaue it And yet wil you not for all this reioyce in the Lord Remember your selues and labour for to do it and giue no rest I say vnto your soules vntill you can bring it to passe And so I come vnto the last poynt which is Trembling As we must reioyce in the Lord nothing doubting of his loue and good will towards vs so we must tremble before him carrying our selues with all reuerence and lowlinesse towards him as it doth be come vs. And therefore the Prophet doth adde in trembling Reioyce saith he intrembling It is manifest in the former part of the Psalme that they were high-minded and stout against the Lord in that they did take vp weapons and armes against him but now the Prophet would haue them to tremble and quake before him and to do all seruice vnto him with humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde Where there is ioy and gladnesse of heart there oftentimes do men forget themselues and become too bold and malapert Now lest they should do the like they are commanded here not onely to reioyce in the Lord but also to tremble before him that so there might be found in them no lightnesse or wanton behauiour but all reuerence and graue carriage whatsoeuer with an humble soule not lifting vp themselues in any of their workes but euen trembling before him that is the Iudge of the world Whence we collect this doctrine Doct. that euery person must quake and tremble before the Almightie Paul shewes in Philipp 2.12 that we must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling There are two great euils which do hinder mans saluation The one is carnall securitie the other is the pride of the minde Carnall securitie makes a man too negligent in the doing of good workes and doth cause him oftentimes to fall into many offences and sinnes And pride doth make him too arrogant in his good workes when he hath done them
and causeth him often to attribute that vnto himselfe which doth belong onely vnto the Lord and his grace Herein the diuell hath a great stroake and skill First he laboureth to keepe vs from good workes by making vs secure and carelesse Then secondly if he cannot preuaile therein he endeuoureth to make vs proud of our good workes by lifting vp our soules with an high conceipt therein Against both these doth the Apostle here go about to arme the Philippians First setting feare against carnall securitie then trembling against the pride of minde And as there the Apostle dealeth so doth the Prophet here in our text He would not haue vs onely to feare the Lord but also to tremble before him The like in effect we haue in Hebrewes 12.38 Where the Apostle sheweth that seeing we doe receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken it is our part to haue grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence and feare So that nothing must bee done in the seruice of God lightly or arrogantly but all with great reuerence and humblenesse of minde whereby we tremble before him and feare his iudgements The reasons hereof are two The one is Reasons because the Lord doth delight in such and regard them much as we may see by his words in Esay 66.2 when he saith And to him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words For we must alwaies do that which will be well pleasing vnto God cause him to take a delight and pleasure in vs considering that his loue is better then life it selfe Psal 63.3 The other is because the Lord doth resist the proud and such as be arrogant and cannot in any case endure them as may be seene by our Sauiours words when he made mention of the bragging Pharisie poore Publican in Luk. 18.9 c. For after he had shewed what both of them had done and how the latter of them was more iustified in the sight of God then the former he gaue this reason of it saying For euery man that exalteth himselfe shal be brought low he that hūbleth himselfe shall be exalted For we must euermore auoyde that which will cast vs out of the fauour of God and bring his iudgements vpon vs. This then may serue to pull them downe who are proud and hautie Vse Behold saith Habakuk in chap. 2.4 he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him There is no goodnesse in such They can neuer serue the Lord aright but they will alwaies marre euery good thing which they take in hand Looke vpon thē euen in holy assemblies if they tremble not before the Lord nor quake at his iudgements you shall finde them enermore vnreuerent therein They will neither be attentiue neither yet will they bow and becke as they ought to do either they will talke or sleepe or gaze about or reade of some other matter in a booke then of that which is in hand or thinke on things at home or abrode or go out before all is ended or laugh and grin when they should rather mourne and weepe or do the like yea when they should kneele lowly vpon their knees they either fit or stand or bow their bodies but a little Such vnreuerence and stoutnesse is found amongst them from time to time But here for our selues we must learne to be humble and lowly as Christ our Sauiour was And as we looke to be respected by God and not to be plagued by him we must labour to draw our hearts vnto a trembling and a quaking before him that so we may carry our selues reuerently in his worship at all times and when we haue done all that we can doe not trust in any thing but think our selues to be vnprofitable seruants and to come too short of our duties by many degrees But what shall we do will you say to attaine to this We must performe these things First we must pray to God that hee would humble vs and bestow vpon vs meeke and lowly hearts For by nature all of vs are proud and arrogant like to Euah our first mother who would not be subiect to God but be as God herselfe and of our selues we cannot be humble and lowly when we would be but God must humble vs and make vs lowly who said in Zophonio 3.12 Then will I leaue in the mids of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Secondly we must consider often with our selues how base and vile we our selues are and how glorious and full of Maiestie the Lord is For by this consideration it may come to passe that we shall cast our selues downe before him in most humble submissiue maner as Abraham did when he acknowledged that he was not worthy to speake vnto the Lord because he was but dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 And as Esay did when he cried out and said Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell in the mids of a people of polluted lips For mine eyes haue seene the King and Lord of hosts Esay 6.5 Thirdly we must alwayes remember that all the seruice which we can do vnto the Lord is due vnto him that our best righteousnes is as a polluted garment that if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs to reward vs according to our wayes we could not answer him one for a thousand or be able to stand before him or appeare iust in his sight Lastly we must set before our eyes all the iudgements of the Lord which he hath executed vpon men for their transgressions and which he hath in great store for all such as shall stand stoutly out against him and breake his commandements For they may quaile vs and breake the stony rocke of our soules to peeces and make vs cry out with Habakuk saying When I heard my belly trembled my lips shooke at the voyce rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in myselfe that I might rest in the day of trouble For when he commeth vp vnto the people he shall destroy them Hab. 3.16 Remember these things and performe them Thus farre for the duty belonging vnto God the Father now followeth the duty which belongeth vnto God the Sonne Wherin consider first what must be done vnto him then the Reasons to moue vnto the same The duty to be performed is this they must Kisse the Sonne The vse of a leisse in the holy Scripture is twosold one of subiection as in 1. Sam. 10.1 where it is sayd that Samuel did kisse Saul when he annointed him to be king of Israel for this was in token of his subiection vnto him And in this sence also is it taken in 1. Kings 19.18 where the Lord told the Prophet Elijah that he had left 7000 in Israel whose knees had not bowed vnto Baal and whose mouth had not kissed him