give them honour and favour and riches and abundance though they never keepe condition with him Fools and blinde who know they cannot live except they eate not reap except they sow not recover health except they use physicke and the means appointed And yet thinke without performing the grand meanes and condition with God they shall have what he hath promised and so happily they may But as Israel had a King in Gods wrath and quails in his displeasure And as the Physitian gives his patient liberty to eate what he list when he is out of all hope and despaires of ever recovering him Many a man perswades himselfe that God will save him though he never was able to performe the condition of the Law neither ever endeavoured to performe the condition of the Gospell Truly this is not to beleeve but deceive himselfe with an opinion of faith he neither having the knowledge of the promises the ground of it nor workes the answerable fruits of it And so hath but a vaine foolish and dead faith But he shall know his folly when God shall manifest unto him that he is not bound to perform promise because he never kept condition To teach every man that hath any desire that God should performe covenant with him Vse 3 to endeavour to performe conditions with God * Cum dominus promittis ne dubites sed illa fac per quae tales attrahere poteris promissiones Chry. hom 25 ad popul Anti. He must first Week to know what they are God requires of him and then do them for without that he cannot do And his searching for knowledge must not onely be for the generall but for the particulars of his place what command is sent to him and then faithfully do it that Gods covenant may stand We must repent beleeve and obey the Gospell and Commandments of God For it is godlinesse that hath the promises and shall have the performance Let such a one remember 1 Tim. 4.8 and Prov. 21.21 Yea he may assure himselfe that if he apply himself to that which God requireth of him and he hath covenanted for he shall be sure to finde him that hath been a willing promiser a most faithfull performer For parum erat promissio etiam scripto se teneri voluit Aug. in Psal 119. And so no good thing that he hath promised shall faile but shall all be made good Joshua 22.15 My covenant with Levi. Here is the honour and dignity he had bestowed upon them having made a speciall agreement and covenant with them The Lord hath specially honoured his messengers and servants the Priests in the old Doctrine and the Ministers in the new Testament for he hath not onely made the generall covenant with them I will be their God they my people but hath made a particular and speciall agreement and covenant with them So here and Numb 8.13.14 Thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons and offer them as a shake offering to the Lord. Thus thou shalt separate the Levites from among the children of Israel and the Levites shall be mine 1 Sam. 2.28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my Priest to offer upon mine Altar and to burn Incense and to weare an Ephod before me and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel Joh. 15.15 2 Cor. 3.6 Because they are of his privy counsell and know his secret Reason 1 Amos 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Privy counsellours are specially honoured and have a particular covenant made with them Because they are his messengers his embassadours Reason 2 2 Cor. 5.20 they are specially honoured and new sworne a new covenant No reason why the great and rich men of the world should contemne the ministry for their children as too base a thing Vse 1 and not fit for their sonnes when as God hath thus honoured it and taken them so neere unto himselfe In respect of which Amos who was beleeved to be the brother of Azariah the King of Judah thought it no base thing his sonne shoule be a Prophet neither Christ himselfe to be a preacher This may be a caveat for men to take heede how they abuse or injure the ministers who are so neere unto him Vse 2 and whom he hath thus honoured certainly they ought to honour him though it goe against the haire and stomacke with them as with Haman because he would have them honoured but if not but they abuse and disgrace them and use them as the Ammonites did Davids servants Let them take heede they stinke not in his nostrils for if Princes be tender hearted and stone affected with the injuries of their common subjects and will revenge them what will they doe for their counsellours their embassadours And yet meane men will now abuse them in words and contemne as farre as they can for the law of man if they sing not placentia if they teach crosse to their humours but their portion is with the Lord and so is theirs who so abuse them And one day they shall both know whether is better to reprove and lift up his voyce and spare not or to spare and reforme nothing It may comfort the minister against contempt when he is faithfull Vse 3 yet to be still so and bold remembring his honour God hath given him which is better then all the honour man can affoord And though men may thinke their faithfulnesse may hinder them from honour as Balaak said to Balaam Numb 24.11 Therefore now flee unto thy place I thought surely to promote thee to honour but loe the Lord hath kept thee back from honour yet it is not so for that is the true honour which God gives and will give and no man can take and they ought as it is 2 Cor. 3.12 seeing they have such hope to use boldnesse of speech This may teach what manner of men Ministers ought to be Vse 4 how sanctified of what puritie and integritie seeing God hath taken them to be so neer unto himselfe therefore ought they to be carefull that offer them to God and they that receive them when they offer and when they receive not for favour or money or kindred or any such thing A man will be marvellous carefull whom he commendeth but for a common servant to a mean man his friend more to a Prince most to be so nigh to him If the Steward of a house be permitted and trusted to admit such as are fit how carefull will he be If the President of a Princes Councell to take in such as are able men how vigilant and inquisitive will he be that they be such as be competent for the place So should it be in this the like care should be had and wo unto him that hath not And men that are in the place ought to looke marvellous
provoked to anger and heavy displeasure by their sinnes the Monarch of the whole world Wherefore he being thus displeased sent against them Nebuchadnezar who tooke them and carried the King his Princes and the whole people into Babel after that he had spoyled their stately Temple destroy'd their strong Walls and laid waste Jerusalem it selfe where they endured 70. yeares exile and banishment which yeares expired they were againe brought to their Countrey when and where better things were expected from them both in way of thankefulnesse and in remembrance of their former Captivity lest a worse thing should afterwards befall them But they forgetfull of former things both beatings benefits as children are returned to their sinnes polluted the Divine worship gave themselves to divers vices began to make marriages with Infidels againe embraced Polygamy took up the custome of giving bills of divorce committed sacriledges cast out strange contempts against God and blasphemies By all which the Lord being againe provoked sent the Prophet Malachy to reprove them sharply and to threaten them severely with certaine new judgments and to the impenitent certaine finall destruction yet in the meane time cheering up the good with comforts provoking them to Repentance perswading them to faith in Christ refreshing them with many sweet promises Now it is no hard thing to make the Comparison and apply these things to our times that it may appeare the handling of this is no unfit thing but apt to the time For the sinnes of the Land God was displeased and gave over the people to captivity though in their owne Land somewhat lesse than this yet it was both of body and soule to a new Nebuchadnezar which makes it the greater the Church and spirituall Jerusalem much defaced the Reliques of it partly put to flight partly to the fire But see how good God was after a time he brought againe our Captivity After which he looked for better things from us and haply had them while the benefit was fresh and the bondage yet felt But see these are worne out of minde and we againe have committed great sins against God by which we justly have provoked Gods indignation against us yea and alas we cease not to provoke it for how great contempt of the service of God is there in every place what prophanenesse what corruption of manners what unfaithfulnesse in covenant breaking what uncleanenesse in marriage what horrible oaths what fearefull perjuries what execrable blasphemies against the Highest not in meane persons but of the highest rankes not in Countries only but in famous Cities not in meane mens Cottages onely but in noble mens places and Palaces in Church and Common-wealth so that the Lord may say to us as he said to Israel by Malachy Chap. 16. because neither honour nor feare be performed to him So that not onely just are those plagues that are come upon us pestilence to the body now almost three yeares and famine to the soule begun and threatned more but also particular generall judgments Whatsoever is in this Prophesie may justly both be threatned and executed upon us when it is just with God where like sins are to bring upon them like punishments This is the reason of my choyse as also the summe and argument of this Prophesie The parts of it are divers After the Inscription or Preface we have 1. Expostulations with the people and Priests touching their great and grievous sins 2. Threatnings of punishments deserved by them 3. Prophesies of the calling of the Gentiles and the comming of Christ 4. Exhortations to Repentance and exercise of the duties of piety All which are to be found promiscuously and intermixed one with another the particular resolution of which is better in their place and more profitable than now to spend time in pointing out every particular where it is to be found The time when this Prophesie was written is in generall after they were returned from their captivity more speciall after Hagge and Zachary the two Prophets of the Church and yet more after the building and finishing the Temple about some 24. Ezra 6. yeares for it was built in the sixt yeare of Darius King of Persia Hagge and Zachary the second yeare of Darius after some 41. yeares interruption of the worke all the time of Artashashte or Artaxerxes Longimanus prophesied and perswaded the people to build it who by the favour and exhibition of the King did finish the worke in his sixth yeare who reigned in all 30 after the finishing of the Temple 24. After whose dayes in the time of Artaxerxes Darius his successour our Prophet began to prophesie being the last of all such as did prophesie till the fore-runner of Christ John the Baptist AN EXPOSITION UPON THE WHOLE Booke of the Prophesie of Malachy delivered in certaine Sermons CHAP. I. THE burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the ministery of Malachy 2 I have loved you sayth the Lord yet yee say Wherein hast thou loved us Was not Esau Jacobs brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob 3 And I hated Esau and made his mountaines waste and his heritage a wildernesse for dragons 4 Though Edom say We are impoverished but we will returne and build the desolate places yet saith the Lord of Hostes They shall build but I will destroy it and they shall call them The border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever 5 And your eyes shall see it and ye shall say The Lord will be magnified upon the border of Israel 6 A sonne honoureth his father and a servant his master If then I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hostes unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say Wherein have we despised thy Name 7 Ye offer uncleane bread upon mine Altar and you say wherein have we polluted thee In that ye say The Table of the Lord is not to be regarded 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice it is not evill and if ye offer the lame and sick it is not evill offer it now unto thy Prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hostes 9 And now I pray you pray before God that he may have mercy upon us this hath beene by your meanes will he reward your persons saith the Lord of Hostes 10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doores and kindle not fire on mine Altar in vaine I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hostes neither will I accept an offering at your hand 11 For from the rising of the Sunne unto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hostes 12 But ye have polluted it in that ye say
some accident of which Deut. 17.1 of this is meant in this place as the 8. verse sheweth And so here seemes to be a double fault taxed by the Spirit of God one in the people and the other in the Priests and so a double duty exacted of them the peoples fault was in bringing of polluted offerings and presenting them unto the Priests their duty was to have brought such as were sound entire and perfect the Priests fault was in receiving them at their hands and not reproving and prohibiting them his duty was to have instructed them what sacrifice they were to bring and to reject that which was uncleane and not according to the Law Now these sacrifices were to be cleane and pure and perfect ad typum capitis to shew the perfect purity of Christs humane nature 2 Cor. 5.21 1 Pet. 1.17 Secondly ad typum corporis to shew what they should be who are members of him and that offer these sacrifices unto God that they should be perfect to every good worke 2 Tim. 5. and Rom. 12.1 3. So that then besides that which hath been spoken for the sacrifice we may gather out of the peoples fault comparing outward things with inward the type with the truth that seeing God reasons on this sort if they who bring polluted offerings unto me contemne me then such as come polluted in themselves much more They who come to the publique service of God Doctrine and come to offer him any sacrifice must not be uncleane and polluted in their hearts and lives but must come with holinesse and purity for if their sacrifice must be such then themselves and the sacrifices were commanded to be such because they themselves ought to be such When God reproved Israel for it Isaiah 1. and 66.3 and Jerm 7.9 10. he sheweth what he required of them and of others to this purpose is Psal 4.4 5. Gen. 35.2 Joshua 24.16 19 23. Because God else will not accept their service for he first looks to their person Reas 1 and then their service Gen. 4.4 for the sacrifice doth not sanctifie the person but the person it as Haggai 2.13 14. Proverb 15.8 Because else that which God offers and gives to them Reas 2 is made hurtfull unto them not that God gives any evill but because they are evill that receive it As the Sacrament to Judas Christ gave not that which was evill nor did he being the Physitian give the poyson but Judas being wicked it became evill unto him for as the spyder and the adder turn good meat into poyson and as a corrupt stomacke abounding with choler and such like turneth the meat they eate into choler and the finer the meat is it is the sooner turned to corruption so is it in this thing Titus 1.15 Vnto the pure are all things pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mindes and consciences are defiled To reprove all such as have no care to purge and purifie themselves before they come unto the house of God Vse 1 to his service that come without repentance without preparation full of their drunkennes whoredomes usuries adulteries and such like sinnes They are more guilty of contempt against the Lord then if they withdrew themselves altogether from his obedience and house A man having committed some offence against his Prince being summoned to appeare personally in his presence if he refuse to come at him and shun his sight may well be condemned of contumacy but not of contempt for he may do it out of fear and contempt and fear cannot stand together in one subject but if he shall confidently come appeare before him as if he had done no such thing or not offended him shew no sorrow for his offence make no promise of amendement nay shall rather stand in it with an impudent face avow it professe to persist in it this must needs be judged a grosse outragious contempt Now the place of Gods worship is his presence and he that commeth thither commeth to look God full in the face as Cain was cast out from the face of the Lord. Gen. 4.16 If he come nor he shall suffer as contnmax as rebellious and disobedient but he that commeth polluted with the filth of his sin unrepented of with a purpose to persist he shall be punished as a contemner They who refused to come were shut out but he that came in his old cloathes was bound hand and foot cast into utter darknes Math. 22. he that is willfully absent excluding himselfe from the society of the Saints in the time of grace shal be barred their company in the time of glory for ever but he that presumeth to appeare there with the guilt of his sinne on him shall have a farre greater portion in Hell fire he shall suffer as in case of contempt like an insolent rebell that bourdeth his Prince to his face in his owne Palace and in the mean time all their prayers are unaccepted yea they are turned into sinne to them they obtaine nothing of God more then he would give them though they never prayed with which he feeds them but for the slaughter yea and hence we profit not them by preaching but make them worse wee are not the savour of life unto them but of death by the word they are hardned in their sins by this two edged sword they are daily wounded because their sinnes are not wounded their persons are and the more fearefully because their wounds are not sensible yea by the Sacraments the Devill as upon Judas so upon them taketh more sure possession and raignes in them To teach every one to labour to be holy when he commeth to Gods house Vse 2 holines becomes it to put away iniquity and sin farre from him when God cals him cast of his patched cloak as did blinde Bartimaeus Mark 9. we deal so when we go before Princes as Joseph did Gen. 41.14 much more we ought to doe so with God Moses and Joshua were commanded to put off their shoes when they approached to God and were to stand upon holy ground we are hereby taught saith Ambrose Ep. 16. to shake off the dust and scoure off the soyle that our soules and lives gathered by fleshly occasions and worldly courses ere wee come to tread the Courts of Gods house There was a Laver of brasse Exod. 30.18 19. for Aaron and his sonnes to wash in before they offered any thing at the Altar to shew what we should doe being made the Lords Preists to this David alluded Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and compasse thine Altar And this ought we to doe that our prayers may be heard and be acceptable that our hearing and receiving of the Sacraments may be fruitfull unto us else Psal 66.18 If I regard wickednesse in mine heart the Lord will not heare me and we being corrupt this must needs be hurtfull unto us unlesse we
to God if they were preserved and if God would returne in mercy to the City that they might in safety follow their callings againe for I cannot thinke but that most men specially when God came any thing nigh them were affected and touched for the present which usually brings forth such thoughts and such motions If any were not I think their case is marvellous fearefull to be in the fire and no relenting Then you that did remember your vowes and see where is the performance of them it may be sought for but not early seene or seen in a very few And what is to be expected but these curses and more heavy than we have had If your children or servants all the time you are correcting of them and holding the rod over them promise to learne their books better and doe their worke more diligently whereupon you spare them if they after deale deceitfully with you will not your displeasure be doubled and your anger be increased and you thinke lawfully too thinke Gods waies are more equall and just If thou wouldest avoid this then doe as David said and did Psal 66.13 14. I will goe into thine house with burnt offerings and I will pay my vowes which my lips have promised and my mouth hath spoken in my affliction If a man vow when he is in custody or restraint that when he getteth liberty he will goe and dwell in a place where the Word is if the Word goe from thence he is not bound Ruth 1.16 17. Againe in cases of necessity as a man bound to abstaine from Wine yet if Physitians counsell it for his health he may use it as Jer. 35.11 yet so as hee have a speciall eye to the maine end for which his vow was made as suppose Timothy 1 Tim. 5.23 to abstaine yet for his often infirmities he may drinke For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hostes There is Gods first reason why they ought not to corrupt his worship and deale thus deceitfully with him his greatnesse and power who is able to punish them for evill doing Men ought to obey God Doctr. and to avoid evill and corruption as generally and in all things so in his worship for feare of his power and justice Vide vers 6. where is my feare And a great King It is the Kingdome of power not grace he by his power is absolute King great and the greatest The Lord he is the absolute King of all men and Angells Doctr. and all creatures in the world they are all his subjects so is he here called a King and that 2 Chron. 20.6 Dan. 2.21 This his commanding of all creatures sheweth and their obeying Psal 104.4 Isaiah 37. Joshua 10.12 13. Exod. 14.21 Matth. 8.26 Dan. 3.6 Because he hath created and doth sustaine all Reas 1 it is reason he should be their King and they his subjects Because else there would be no order Reas 2 but all confusion Lactantius de falsa religione lib. 1. cap. 3. hee gives this as a reason for the order of things because there is but one God that governes all For as in an Army if there were as many Generalls as there are Bands Companies and Wings of the Battell it could neither be instructed nor governed because every one would stand upon his owne wisedome and counsell and such dissention would rather hurt than profit So in this world if there were multitudes of Governours if God were not the sole King and Governour there would be nothing but confusion and disorder Uses of this we have before Vse vers 4. The Lord of Hosts FINIS THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE PROPHET MALACHY AND now Oye Priests this commandement is for you 2 If ye will not he are it nor consider it in your heart to give glory unto my Name sayth the Lord of hostes I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye doe not consider it in your heart 3 Behold I will corrupt your seede and cast dung upon your faces even the dung of your solemne feasts and you shall be like unto it 4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandement unto you that my covenant which I made with Leyâ— might stand saith the Lord of hostes 5 My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave him feare and he feared me and was afrayde before my Name 6 The law of truth was in his mouth and there was no iniquity found in his lippes he walked with me in peace and equity and did turne many away from iniquity 7 For the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts 8 But ye are gone out of the way ye have caused many to fall by the Law ye have broken the covenant of Levi sayth the Lord of hosts 9 Therefore have I also made you to be despised and vile before all the people because ye kept not my wayes but have beene partiall in the Law 10 Have we not all one father hath not one God made us why do 〈◊〉 transgresse every one against his brother and breake the covenant of our fathers 11 Judah hath transgressed and an abomination is commited in Israel and in Jerusalem for Judah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord which he loved and hath married the daughter of a strange god 12 The Lord will cut off the man that doth 〈◊〉 both the master and the servant out of the Tabernacle of Jaacob and him that offere◠〈◊〉 oâ—â—ering unto the Lord of hostes 13 And this have ye done againe and covered the altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with mourning because the offering is no more regarded neither received acceptably at your hands 14 Yet yee 〈◊〉 Wherein Because the Lord hath beene witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy 〈◊〉 against whom 〈◊〉 hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wiâ—â— of thy covenant 15 And did not 〈◊〉 take one yet had he abundance of spirit and wherefore one because he sought a godly seede therefore keep your selves in your spirit and let none trespasse against the wife of his youth 16 If thou hatest her put her away sayth the Lord God of Israel yet he covereth the injury under his garment sayth the Lord of hosts therefore keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not 17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him When ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them Or where is the God of judgement VERS I. And now O yee Priests this commandment is for you THE parts of this Chapter are Curses and Judgements threatned against 1. the Priests 2. the People In the first verse is noted the preface to the Priests He applieth his doctrine to the Priests It is the dutie of the
The Table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meate is not to be regarded 13 Ye said also Behold it is a wearinesse and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hostes and ye offered that which was torne and the lame and the sick thus ye offered an offering should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord 14 But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am agreat King saith the Lord of Hostes and my Name is terrible among the Heathen The parts of this Chapter are two 1. A Preface or Inscription 2. The Oracle or Prophecy 1. The Preface in the first verse generall to the whole 2. The Prophecy in the rest 1. An expostulation with the people and Priest for their ingratitude and corrupting of his worship from verse 2. to the 9. 2. A Commination of judgment deserved by it or a Commination of divers judgments from vers 9. to the end In the Preface or Inscription we conceive two things The substance and circumstance of it 1. The substance being the subject or matter of the whole is in that it is called a Burden 2. The Circumstance of the person which is three-fold 1. From whom as the Efficient 2. To whom as the Object 3. By whom as the Instrument VERSE I. The burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by the ministery of Malachy THE Burden Here is the matter or subject of this Booke or Prophecy He calleth it a burden usuall with Prophets in their writings all almost in some place or other But Nahum Habakkuk and Malachy thus begin their prophecies It signifies as Hierome a woefull and sorrowfull prophecy full of threats and judgments called therefore a Burden because it presseth those against whom it is spoken the hearts and spirits of them as a burden the body and suffers them not to lift up their heads and themselves as in former times Some thinke it signifies not onely this but also the Commandement of the Lord by which the Prophet was burdened as from the Lord that he should declare it in so many words unto Israel which they thinke follows thence because it is to Israel not against but I feare this is somewhat nice for it was so to them as it was against them for their sinnes and that which is against is as much as a burden to the Prophet but this must be understood Tropicè here being a Synecdoche for the whole Prophecy is not a burden or threatning of punishment but part onely of it and so the whole is denominated of the part The punishment of sinne Doctrine the affliction God inflicts upon men for their sinnes and transgressions is a burden not a light one not such as are the feathers of a bird onus sine onere but as a talent of Lead spoken of Zach. 5.7 heavy and grievous so is it here and in many places of the Prophets as Nah. 1.1 Hab. 1.1 Jerem. 23.33 fine he shewes what is the burden I will cast you off and send you into Babel captives vers 36. that is whosoever shall say The burden he shall for that word beare his burden that is be punished of the Lord it is proved further by Matth. 7.9 Galat. 6.8 Hence is the complaint of David Psal 32.4 Thy hand was heavy upon me Because sinne the deserving and procuring cause Reas 1 is a very grievous burden Psal 38.4 Matth. 27.38 that is to living men and such as have the use of their sences not to dead and benummed men then the punishment is grievous Because the wrath and displeasure of God Reas 2 which is the efficient cause of it is very heavy and grievous The displeasure of a Prince is heavy the Kings wrath is as the roaring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 Now hence are afflictions heavy and burdensome Because none can give ease in it or deliver from it Reas 3 save God onely Hos 1.6 1 Sam. 2.25 2 King 6.26 27. The wound that is had by the biting of a Scorpion is grievous when nothing can cure it but the ashes of that Scorpion much more this This may teach us what to judge of those men who are in some affliction under a judgment and yet finde no burden Vse 1 but goe as light under them as a bird doth under her feathers and sometimes make advantage of them as beggers doe make gaine of their sores they are senselesse they are benummed they are dead men In common sence if any have halfe an hundreth weight laid upon his hand or foot and pressing him sore and he feele it not what judgment is to be given of it but to be a mortified and a dead member so alas how many dead men are in our times and daies The burden not of the Word onely but of the rod of the Lord not threatned but executed hath beene upon our Land and Church by the fearefull Plague now well towards three yeares wee have walked in the land of the dead we have beene in the house of mourning Indeed the living hath laid it to his heart but so few have done it that the dead are more than the living not onely our wanton women and voluptuous men to whom that 1 Tim. 5.6 They are dead while they live but our worldly men our ambitious and others all dead for this they have not felt We sorrowed for fifty odde thousands that dyed in the former yeare we have as much need to sorrow for so many thousands yet living and dead amongst us they never indeed felt nor yet doe feele this burden Their irreligious carriage when it was here amongst us both at home abroad in the City and abroad their small conformity since to the Law of God little reforming of their corruptions nay their monstrous deformity in themselves wives and children perswades my heart as 't is Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart there is no feare of God before my eyes so that they had no feeling of this at all for they who truely felt it would grow somewhat better if not altogether reformed If an heathenish people who knew not God at the burden of the Word of the Lord did so humble themselves that the Lord said Jonah 8.10 He repented of the evill he said he would doe to you and did it not what shall be thought of Christian men by profession living in the Church of God if at the burden of his Word they repent not nor depart from their evill wayes but Isaiah 8.8 Though they be stricken revolt more and more it is because they are dead men and cannot feele it Oh then weepe not for me but for your selves and children as those not for the departed but for the living dead for if it be true The beginning of the remedy is the sence and acknowledgment of the malady how farre are they from cure that have not yet the feeling
if faith and holinesse of life be wanting here it is apparent in these Priests not accepted for all the dignity of their office Cain was the first borne and had that priviledge yet for all that God received not his offering but Abels Gen. 4. so betwixt the Pharise and publicane Luke 18.10 c. as betwixt the rich men and the widdow Marke 12.41 42 43. Because he is no accepter of persons Acts 10. that is Reas 1 for any outward thing for he accepts for inward It is borrowed from Judges who being corrupt are swayed not with the uprightnesse of the cause but with the person his place his honor his riches and such like which being denyed in God shewes why he accepts not the wicked Because he looks not as man looks Reas 2 upon outward things This will serve to check a corruption in our times Vse 1 and not in ours onely but that which hath ever beene in all ages great men nobles and Princes wealthy and worshipfull personages perswade themselves so are soothed up by their flatterers that a little thing from them is greatly accepted of God a few cold prayers a little devotion a carlesse hearing shall be accepted from them though they never trouble themselves for the true feare of God and to worke righteousnesse whereas first in reason there is more due to God where he hath given more But why should he accept lesse from them because they are great as if he were an accepter of persons or as if they were or could be great in respect of him Let no estate hinder a man from this service Vse 2 for the best excuseth not the meanest makes us no lesse acceptable VERSE X. Who is there even among you that would shut the doores and kindle not fire on mine Altar in vaine I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand WHo is there among you Here is the rejecting of them and their sacrifices threatened which is the maine point in the verse but in the former part as divers of the learned doe so take it he returnes unto his former expostulation reproving the priests for their ingratitude and corruption of his worship And then it will be read who is there among you that will shut the doores or doe you kindle fire on my altar for nothing And some expound it that the Priests would not so much as shut the doores till they had their wages payed others that they did nothing in Gods service but they were rewarded for God arguing their unthankfulnesse to him by his bounty to them But others take the words as they are here read both more agreeable to the originall as also more squaring to the present matter to shew how he rejected them and their sacrifice when he wisheth that some body would shut the doores of the Temple or that they would offer none at all and so keepe out the Priests that they could not come to sacrifice any thing upon his Altar which he did so distaste and dislike and so it is I would rather you should not offer at all then as you doe For the particular words And kindle not fire upon mine Altar q.d. that yee might not come to offer upon mine altar kindle not my altar so in the originall a Metonymia In vaine id est to no end the word signifieth freely Job 1.9 for nothing so unjustly without cause Psal 69.5 so scotfree without punishment Prov. 1.11 to no end or purpose Job 2.3 Pro. 1.17 so here I have no pleasure in you The former is a wish this is the reason of the wish All is in vaine and to no end because I like not you and will none your sacrifices he shews that he esteemed not these offerings not from the nature but from the minde of him who did offer them If he were indued with piety and holinesse God would accept his offerings and service If otherwise God would take no delight in them for all their offerings Neither will I accept an offering at your hands These offerings he simply refuseth not being things he had commanded but because they were offered by them qd I am so farre from accepting at your hands these corrupt and imperfect sacrifices that if they were never so perfect and agreeing to the lawes of men prescribed yet I would not accept you please me not your gifts and offerings cannot be accepted of me here is first a wish and the reason of it he wished that they would offer no sacrifices to him at all rather doe him no service then doe it as they did The Lord had rather have no service done unto him of the sonnes of Men Doctrine then to have it done carelessely and negligently corruptly and not as he hath commanded it So is it manifest from this place as from that Isaiah 1.11 12 13 and 58.1 2 and 66.3 Math. 7.22 and 6.1 5 16. Because this argues contempt of God and as we may speak Reas 1 of his person yea often times more contempt then not to doe the works of his service at all for where any man is duly respected either for love or feare there the duties and offices to bee performed unto him are done neither negligently nor carelesly as the child that honours his father the servant that feares his master doe with all diligence and care their dutyes Where they are done coldly or cursarily there is not the respect of the person that should be Againe dutyes may be omitted without contempt as of ignorance not knowing what a man ought to doe of infirmity or an erronious conscience because hee thinks he may not doe that which he can not doe in all perfection But to doe them carelesly and that wittingly with corruption can have no such excuse and so more contempt Because the Lord hath no need of the sacrifice and service of men a man cannot be profitable to him Reas 2 as hee may be to his neighbour It is nothing to him that thou art righteous that thou prayest or performest any other service unto him Job 22.2 May a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himselfe therefore he as a rich King values not the gift but the mind of the giver he looks more to the manner of doing than the deed he respects more the heart than the hand the inward affection than the outward action No marvell then if he had rather have nothing than carelesly and corruptly done And this made him esteeme more of the Widows two farthings and mytes than of the rich mens treasure * Deus puram magis conscientiam exaudit quà m preces August contr lit Petil. Donat. lib. 2. cap. 53. God rather heares a pure conscience than prayers Phil. 1.15 Object 16 18. better Christ be preached any wayes than not at all It is better in regard of others Sol. who have the benefit of it and to whom by such leaden and
the Lord should translate his worship from the Jewes to the Gentiles and then should they bring holy offerings And this is after the comming of Christ who should take away the Ceremonies and abrogate the forme of the Jewish worship and bring in pure and spirituall sacrifices Now by this is noted the place that is through all the whole world Psal 113.3 The Lords Name is praised from the rising of the Sunne unto the going downe of the same Not that it should be at one time in all places of the world for that never was nor shall be but as among the Jewes so in the whole world before Christs comming the greater part of them were wicked Idolaters and prophane men Isaiah 17.6 and 6.13 but successively now in one place now in another it shall be spoken and preached in all the parts of the world before Christs second comming Matth. 26.13 Psal 2.8 Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession My name shall be great Here is the ground of Gods worship The Name of God signitying diverse things in this place may be taken either for himselfe as a mans name is put for his person Acts 2.21 or for his excellency majesty and glory as Name for fame Exod. 34.5 6. Phil. 2.9 Gen. 11.4 Is great Not that God is great or lesse Magnum parvum sunt ex iis quae sunt ad aliquid Aristot but shewed or declared or acknowledged to be great as the word sanctified is used Math. 6.9 and the word justified Math. 11.19 Jam. 2.21 Among the Gentiles The persons by condition Gentiles or Nations taken sometime generally for a company of People consisting of many families gathered together Isaiah 1.4 Ioh. 11.52 Secondly more particularly for all people besides the Iewes all Infidels Gods people being taken from among them only Isaiah 49.6 And so it is amongst those who were not Gods people before amongst them whom the Iewes accounted fooles and did extreamely hate spoken as it were to provoke them to make more care of the worship of God according to the denouncing Deuter. 32.21 And in every place incense shal be offered unto me The matter of this offering or worship is first said to be incense by which is understood prayer invocation and thanksgiving as Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be directed in thy sight as incense and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice Revel 5.8 Secondly It is said to be an oblation or offering by which is not understood the Leviticall offering abrogated by Christ neither the sacrifice of Christ upon the crosse which none can offer but he and which only was to be performed and offered upon the crosse before the gate of Jerusalem nor the sacrifice of the Masse as shall after appeare but by this is understood a mans selfe every faithfull man with all that he hath for every one of Gods ought both to consecrate himselfe to the spirituall worship of God and as it were sacrifice himselfe and also offer up the sacrifice of prayer and praise and of repenting justice almes and other things pleasing to God Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.5 Heb. 13.15 16. Psal 4.6 and 5.19 And of this Irenaeus Tertullian and diverse other understand this place Pure not simply without spot Isaiah 64.6 but as the Church is called holy and without spot Cant. 6.9 first in regard the person offering it is in Christ and as his person hath his obedience and righteousnesse applyed and imputed to it so his obedience hath Christ to cover the wants of it Heb. 13.15 1 Pet. 2.5 Secondly In regard of inward sanctification the ground of it the party being regenarate by the worke of his spirit and so every action in him part holy and good and well pleasing to God as comming and proceeding from his Spirit though having a taste and sent of our infirmities as water passing by a Pipe or Chanell Rom. 8.26 and 15.16 Acts. 15.9 This though a threatning yet is according to that Deuter. 32.21 and so a kind of provocation to the Israelites provoking them from the example of the Gentiles with a holy emulation in piety and the worship of God The Iewes embraced not sincerely the worship of God but putting it as it were from them the Gentiles received it When one Church maketh not account of the truth and worship of God or doth reject it another shall embrace it Doctrine From the rising of the Sunne unto the going down of the same The Lord though he had shewed much mercy and goodnesse upon the Jewes he is not emptyed by it but hath the like in store for others the Gentiles The Lord is marvelous rich in mercy and liberall in giving his goodnesse to the sonnes of men neither weary in giving Doctr. nor ever wasted with giving manifest from this example and I am 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Rom. 10.12 for there is no difference betweene the Jew and the Grecian for he that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him he gives at all times Luke 22.12 his ability is great Ephe. 3.20 the effects prove it giving more then they aske to to Abraham for one sonne desired he gave a seed as the starres in the heavens To Isaac Gen. 25.21 22. to Jaacob Gen. 48.11 To Solomon Kings 3.11 Vberior est gloria quam precatio Ambrose in loc Because he is creator and Lord of all Reas 1 and by creation they are his sonnes he their father Therefore as a father he will provide for all his their portions as Abraham did Gen. 25.6 yea and such is his care that he cannot endure their want Now they are in themselves continually wanting though he give one thing they have need of another as a ship and a net that must still bee mending Because it is agreeable to his magnificency and greatnesse to deale thus liberally Reas 2 as it is agreeable and becommeth a Prince to deale according to his magnificence and greatnesse Because it might be manifest the things they receive come to them not for their deserts or the merit of their prayers Reas 3 or any things else but of his love and mercy when he dealeth so bountifully Vse 1 Prayers are not meritorious I am 1.5 Vse 2 If any want he himself is cause of it Ibidem to all men Vse 3 An encouragement to aske To learne to be liberall and not weary of well doing Vse 4 Gallat 6.9.10 From sunne rising to the sun setting in all places and nations is the worship and word of God propagated The Church under the times of the Gospell Doctrine and since Christ is not as it hath been limited to one Nation as to the Jewes Psal 147.19 20. Iohn 4.22 but those limits are plucked up and it is inlarged to all the Gentiles
afford them time to pray unto God unlesse it be to mumble a few prayers when they are washing their hands as Papists or other like or putting on their apparell But upon the Lords day the service of God must permit them unnecessarrily to doe things that might have been before or may be done after or have no necessity to be done at all All the perswading a man can use yet shall he not prevaile in a weeke to perswade them to spend some houres in reading and praying in keeping the bookes of their consciene in good order when as upon the Lords day no perswasion needeth to make them keepe at home and bee busie in their account of the world ever against the service of God they object their calling their children their wives profits pleasures and such like but never the service of God against them doe they not shew they are uncalled unconverted To instruct as many as are called and converted Vse 2 how carefull they ought to be of the worship and service of God yea to shew and seale up their calling by this Peters wives mother delivered from her feaver presenly administred unto Christ when Elijah did but cast his mantle over Elisha 1 Kings 19.19 20. he ranne after him to serve him they must then remember Gods end and not defeat him of it They must remember what they were and see his mercy what they are and acknowledge his bounty who hath of bondslaves made them free of servants sonnes If he had but delivered them all a man could doe were little enough more that he hath thus advanced them Therefore must they doe him the more honor and be more zealous of his service and worship and if they be upbraided for it they must answer as David did 2 Sam. 6.21 22. Then David said unto Michal it was before the Lord which chose mee rather then thy father and all his house and commanded me to be ruler over the People of the Lord even over Israel And therefore will I play before the Lord and will yet be more vile then thus and will be low in mine owne sight and of the very same maid servants which thou hast spoken of shall I be had in honor Incense and an offering By the reall and outward sacrifice of the Jewes he understandeth the spirituall sacrifice of the Gentiles and Church under Christ Under the Gospell Christians are freed from all outward Doctr. and reall sacrifices to be offered immediately to God and of them are only required spirituall sacrifices as their soules and bodies their prayers and praises their repentance and almes Rom. 12.1 Hebr. 13.15 16. 1 Pet. 2.5 Phil. 4.18 Iohn 4.23 Because their priesthood is only spirituall Reas 1 therefore is his sacrifice only spirituall such as the priest such his sacrifice 1 Pet. 2.5 And yee as lively stones he made a spirituall house an holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Because all those outward ceremonies were shadows types Reas 2 now the body and truth being come they are abolished Because ceremonies and sacrifices were given the Church for her infirmities Reas 3 and onely as a help to keep her from the corruptions of Idolaters til she had received the spirit of God in a larger sort and measure Si quis uxorem habet propensam ad impudicitiam eam certis locis concludit cubiculis conclavibus ut ei non liceat vagari pro arbitrio addit praetere à Eunuchos pedissequas ancillas qui eam diligentissimè custodiant ut fides ejus non amplius esset suspecta ita Deus cum Judeis Hos 2.19 verum ille populus admodum fuit infirmus ac debilis ad adulteria idolatriae ultra modum proclivis Quare Deus eam separavit à caeteris nationibus in terra Canaan seorsim habitare voluit à ceremoniis ritibus undique ceu à paedagogis custodiri ut fides ejus non esset amplius suspecta ita ut maritus sic Deus cum jam spiritum sanctum per Christum ecclesiae donavit custodiam ceremoniarum ab ea removit Chrysost St. Chrys compares the Church to a wife and God to a husband and thus expresseth his purpose If a man have a wife wantonly disposed he confines her to some certaine places to her chambers and private roomes that shee may not gad abroad at her pleasure and appoints her Eunuches chambermaids diligently to attend her that her honesty may not be suspected so God dealt with the Jewes Hosea 2.19 that people was much inclined to adultery of false worship therefore God shut them up from other Nations and made them dwell alone in Canaan and kept guard upon them with rites and ceremonies as so many pedagogues that their faith to him might not be suspect But now when God had given his holy Spirit by Christ unto his Church he removed from her the custody of ceremonies Our bodies are reall sacrifices so are our almes Object The first is not outward Solut. the second is not immediately offered to God And the sacrifice is not the thing given but the affection as appeares by the difference which Christ put betwixt the widow and the rich rulers in their offering to the treasury Then are there now no externall reall Priests Vse 1 such as were under the Law because no externall reall sacrifice he who tooke away the sacrifice tooke away the sacrificer And as he was the end of the Law that is of the morall Law because he was the consummation perfection of it working and perfecting that the Law could not so was he the end of the ceremoniall law as death is the end of all living creatures because by it they cease to be so so Christ their period for by him they are abolished And if they then the Priesthood he being the last externall and reall Priest for otherwise the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never used in the new Testament but either to Christ in respect of his propitiatory sacrifice or to all true Christians in respect of their spirituall sacrifices and never applyed to any Ecclesiasticall order or function of men as we commonly take the word for a sacrificer but as by the etymology of it it signifies an elder a Presbyter or Priest To meet with a generation that lives upon the earth who being carelesse of God his worship and service Vse 2 as he hath prescribed and commanded the same doe pretend that if he would require such sacrifices as were in use under the law they would be at any cost with the Lord like those hypocrites Mich. 6.6 7. Where with shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with calves of a yeare old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression even the fruit of
in all honor and high esteeme that if God for the generall doe remove it yet his sinne be not a provocation to it The removing of it will be griefe enough more when he shal be guilty himselfe as a procurer of it As sicknesse and trouble is heavy so more when a man is guilty by his own intemperancy or miscarrying of himselfe by surfetting and such like he hath brought it upon himself and pulled it with his own hands upon him so in this In that you say the table of the Lord is polluted This is the first particular their thoughts according to the phrase often used in this Chapter whence it is not only manifest that the Lord knowes the thoughts of Men and the things they doe in secret but he reveales them to others his liefetenants upon earth his Ministers and Magistrates to reprove or correct and punish Table polluted They contemned the Table because it was but rudely built and the offering because it was burnt to ashes Hierom. The thing that makes men contemne holy duties Doctr. and the worship of God is because they looke too much upon the basenesse of the meanes Vide vers 7. ut ante And the fruit thereof even his meate not to be regarded The Priests part they thought any thing would serve them contemning Gods worship they contemned the meanes of his worship The contempt of Gods worship Doctrine and the contempt of his Ministers goe together they are in one people one age one place the fruit of the Altar and the meate of it despised together So it is here so 1 Sam. 2.17 It is all one whether the cause be just and they justly despised or no. 2 Chron. 36.14 15 Reas 1 16. Nehem. 13.10 11. Because all the honour and account that the Ministers can have or looke for is for their worke for the worship and service of God they performe amongst them 1 Thes 5.12 13. Now if their worke once grow into contempt and disgrace they needs must which was the reason why Demetrius pleaded so hard for the honour of Diana for their owne gaine and honour knowing that they were honoured for her who if once dishonoured would make them to be dishonoured Acts 19.24 c. so in this of the true worship Because the corruption of man is such Reas 2 that when he should respect the Minister for his worke the chest for the treasure he respects the worke for the Minister the treasure for the chest Therefore if he once grow to dislike him he will dislike it This noteth the cause why the worship of God and his service is in these dayes in that contempt that we find it to be in all places Vse 1 it is amongst us still God hath not taken away the Arke of his presence but it is in small account little esteeme and reverence It is no marvell seeing the Lords Ministers are in such contempt as they are what difference or distinction soever men make of them yet herein they differ not but are all in contempt No sort nor condition of men no men of any profession in the Land are any thing like neere in the like generall contempt and disgrace that they are by Courtiers and Countreymen by Citizens and men abroad by rich and poore by old and young they are as 2 Chron. 36.16 marked despised misused Is it then any marvell if the worship of God be contemned when the Embassadour is contemned the embassage will and must be worse liked of when the Physitian the physick he brings Nothing that Micha can say or doe can be liked Ahab dislikes his person And againe è converso this layes out unto us why the Ministers are in such contempt the worship it selfe is in contempt They are deprived of their double honour in the most part because the most honour not the Word and worship of God When as the message of David sent by his servants is misconstrued by the Ammonites then are his messengers abused 2 Sam. 10. so when the worship of God then the Ministers These are two twinnes as it were the contempt of the one and the contempt of the other it is hard to tell which first comes forth happily some may thinke the one some the other as with the twinnes Gen. 38.28 c. This must instruct the Ministers of God Vse 2 if they have any desire that the worship of God should be had in account and reverence and not in contempt that they carry themselves wisely and discreetly sincerely and soberly both in the worke of their Ministery and in other carriage of their life that they give no just cause of contempt of the Word but that they may rather adorne it So Saint Paul perswades both Timothy and Titus and in them other Ministers for his charges were not personall nor temporary 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Tim. 4.5 Titus 2.7 8. for if all must so live and carry themselves that the Gospell of God may be well spoken of and his worship regarded if servants Titus 2.10 if women even young women verses 4 5. if all professors Titus 3.8 much more ought Preachers they ought so to handle those mysteries and worship of God that they may strike reverence and esteeme into the people so to carry themselves that they may get account and estimation to themselves and so to the worship of God for when the Ministers of God handle the Word simply and profitably and other parts of Gods worship with great reverence and when they practise it carefully then will it be better affected and reverenced of others but when they handle them corruptly and carelesly when they are not the same men in their lives they seeme to be in the Pulpit they make the ordinances of God to be out of request and to be loathed as Elies wicked sonnes made men abhorre the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 both by their using of it and carriage of their lives for even wholesome meate-men loath an unwholesome and sluttish huswives or Cookes dressing This may admonish all those who contemne the Ministers of God who doe scoffe deride and disgrace them most Vse 3 who seeke most that the worship of God should be had in honour whatsoever profession they make outwardly it is yet manifest they have no inward love to religion nay that they contemne and despise the worship of God They may use the works of his service and performe worship for the outward act but it is without any love and reverence to it but as the Heathen man would have his Tyrant to seeme religious that his people might feare him because they might think the Gods would helpe him if they should rebell or rise against him so these for one sinisterrespect or other It hath beene a continuall portion of the Ministers of God Doctr. to be contemned and not regarded to be basely thought of and spoken of though in this place it may seeme to be a just judgement upon these yet the best and the
most sincere Ministers have beene no better esteemed or regarded 2 Kings 9.11 Jer. 29.26 Acts 2.13 and 26.24 Matth. 11.18 1 Cor. 4.9 ad 14. Because it befell to Christ Reas 1 who was many wayes evill spoken of John 10.20 Matth. 11.19 then no marvell if his Ministers and members be in the same condition for Matth. 10.24 25. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master is and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold Because the Ministers of God must deale with and reprove the sinnes of men Reas 2 and not spare them but threaten them for them Now when they are as Basil speaketh like Physitians who make warre not with their patient but with his disease and passion so not with them but their sinnes they thinke hee is their enemy and maketh warre against them therefore they speake evill of him To teach us not to be offended Vse 1 if we finde now many mockers and scorners of the Ministers and Ministery many who regard them not but contemne them and raise up all manner of evill speeches against them it is no new thing for there is none under Heaven It was prophesied it should be 2 Pet. 3.3 mockers 2 Tim. 3.3 despisers of them who are good and therefore still will be while the accuser of the brethren doth rule in the Ayre and is Prince of this world and doth rule in the children of disobedience he will make them mock and despise contemne and slander and oftentimes such as would make reasonable men affraid lest their slanders should be found false yet that troubles them not because they still hope it will make for their advantage he instructing them who taught Machiavill * Detrahe audacter aliquid adhaerebit Machiavil Slander one confidently and somewhat will sticke to him If that be true which Tertullian writeth Adversus Gent. Apol. cap. 1. * Nihil iniquius quà m ut oderint homines quos ignorant etiamsi res meretur odium Tertul. Nothing is worse than to hate men whom they know not though they deserve to be hated What is it then that they should slander men whom they know not when the thing deserveth great honour Vse 2 This must teach the Ministers patiently to abide the base conceits and opinions of men It is no new thing if they did it to the greene tree what will they doe to the dry if to those who have lived before more to these It is that whereunto they were appointed 1 Thes 3.3 that of Christ will be true Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Name falsely Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you which if any incurre not lesse or more in his portion he may feare and suspect himselfe whether he be Christs or no seeing Christ so speaketh Luke 6.26 Woe unto you when all men shall speake well of you for so did their fathers to the false Prophets he may suspect himselfe rather false than true That of Plinius Cecilius which he was wont to set upon his Schooles may be applyed Sciamus eum pessimè dixisse cui maximè sit applansum Wee know he that hath most applause hath made the worst Oration VERSE XIII Ye said also Behold it is a wearinesse and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of Hostes and ye offered that which was torne and the lame and the sick thus ye offered an offering should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord YE say also behold it is a wearinesse The second corruption here reproved is outward pollution which is double in speech and gesture The speech some expound as spoken by the Priests taking up the breast or shoulder of a carrion sheepe which was his due Levit. 7.31 32. see what I have for my labour but the Priests themselves had a hand in this sinne This speech is expounded as if it were spoken by a crafty dissimulation and arrogant bragging See how I am wearied with carrying this weighty sheepe when a man might have blowne it over or they say they are marvellously weary with carrying so weighty and tidie a beast upon their shoulders and that they might faine it by their gesture they shew it by panting and fetching their breath deepe and drawing of it short Montanus Some expound what a toile is this that we spend all in the service of God the complaint of the people that they were at great toile and paines and excessive cost and charge in Gods service as over-wearied with labour and eaten out and undone with expences especially comming so raw and bare home and therefore God was to content himselfe with it though worse You have snuffed at it Either you blow and pant as tyred with bringing a tidie beast still their arrogant dissembling continued or by a disdainfull and contemptuous gesture you shew your unwillingnesse to serve God and how vile and tedious it is to you it is the gesture of one refusing a thing with disdaine and contempt as Psal 10.5 Saith the Lord of Hoasts Who is most good and pure and a powerfull and just revenger of all such wickednesse And ye offered that which was torne Their practice and dealing their Sacrifice faulty two wayes they brought blind and lame or if any good not their owne First in manner of getting of it it was such as was stolne some expound raptum spoiled and wearied with beasts raptus ex ore lupi which was dainty among the Heathen as finer meate and the tenderer so Calvine If by chance a sheepe or other beast were wearied or so they would be content to bestow it on God But this is not like for Sacrifices were brought quick not dead But raptum rather furto rapina quaesitum as Lyra they brought such to God as was gotten by evill meanes thinking to stop his mouth as mans with part of the booty Psal 50.21 Behold it is a wearinesse The complaint of the people thinking too much of that they did in the service of God Hypocrites Doctr. naturall and wicked men doe thinke all time too much all paines too great all cost too chargeable spent upon the service of God and his worship Amos 8.5 Isaiah 58.3 for it carrieth a kind of repentance in them for that they had done all that in the service of God when they aimed not at his service but their owne profit This is that which was in Judas John 12.5 6. Why is this waste murmuring at it and made a good colour for it that he might also infect others pretending it for the members of Christ against the Head by which hee brought the Disciples into the same sinne with him Matth. 26. Because love is the
esse subjecta regulis Donati To say nothing I say of their shew of service nor of the lay Papists who make great shew of great service by the account of their prayers upon their beads when few of them undestand what they say To say nothing of these who are without and so what have I to doe to judge them how many have we within who are here convinced of sinne because they make great shew and yet doe nothing lesse Many make great shew of serving God in prayer others in hearing of the word and therefore come panting and blowing and sweating about such things but doe nothing lesse because it cannot be they can make account of Preaching who regard not Prayer nor they of Prayer who reverence not Preaching because he can not delight to hear God speak that delights not to speak to God and so è contrà And as Bernard said betwixt prayer and fasting so say I of this prayer obtaineth the power of fasting Oratio virtutem impetrat jejunandi jejunium gratiam orandi noc illam corroborat illa hoc janctificat Bernardus and fasting the grace of prayer this strengthens that and that sanctifieth this Finally they who come to the service of God as Ezek. speaketh shall be answered as he saith for they make shew and doe not To teach every man to take heed of hypocrisie Vse 2 and making shew of diligence and devotion in the service of God when there is no such thing in the heart for that will not go currant with God but wil be severely both censured and sentenced by him as amongst other things it was in this people one principall cause of removing the worship of from them so of the Gospell from us for in shews and colours and pretences may hee deceive men but he cannot God That which St. Hierome saith ad Rusticanum Epist 4. Honor nominis Christiani fraudem facit magis quam patitur quodque pudet dicere sed necesse est ut saltem sic ad nostrum erubescamus dedecus So is it true in in respect of men but it cannot be so of God who sees the inward parts Hebr. 14.13 but such deceit shall verily suffer from him who cannot endure hypocrisie for such sonnes and servants he cannot endure who will say and make great shew but doe nothing Therefore ought every one if not to be as the windows of the Temple were wider within then without yet to be no more in shew then they are in truth and to labour to doe every thing they make shew of And yee offered that which was torne Their practice and here the first fault of their sacrifice that they brought none of their own but such as was gotten by unlawfull meanes Things taken from others by deceit Doctr. violence oppression and wrong are not fit matter for sacrifice to God to be given to the poore to good religious or charitable uses this is reproved in these hereto tends the commandement Deuter. 23.17 18. there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel Thou shalt neither bring the hyre of a whore nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow for even both these are an a bomination unto the Lord thy God Isaiah 61.8 I hate robbery for burnt offering Luke 11.41 Ephe. 4.28 Because every man ought to offer unto the Lord of his owne not others Reas 1 now only all that is a mans own which is gotten and had by lawfull means that which is gotten by unlawfull means is anothers not his Because this were to make God partaker of the sinne as much as in them lyes Reas 2 and whereunto he should be accessary if he should accept any such thing as receivers of stoln wares Luke 16.9 Object And I say unto you make you friends with the riches of iniquity that when yee shall want they may receive you into everlasting habitations Then is it lawfull thus to dispose of a mans goods though gotten by iniquity Christ indeed cals them riches of iniquity Answ which he shews not only of riches unjustly gotten but of those which are lawfully gotten seeing the Doctine we have taught is true They are called thus as some thinke because they are inaequalitatis unequally divided or because they were gotten by the sins of the grandfathers or great great fathers or because they are matter of sinne and iniquity not that they are either such of themselves nor by Gods ordinance who hath made them remedia humanae miseriae non instrumenta voluptatis superbiae but they are such by the corruption and infirmity of man as wine good and neat put into a musty caske will in time smell mustily like the vessell so that as often as a man drinks of it he saith it is musty So riches good of themselves yet possessed by a corrupt heart grow evill that thou mayest call them wicked riches because they are causes of wickednesse as the Apostle speaketh of evill times and so Christ calleth them here not perswading them of the riches they have gotten by iniquity to offer sacrifices unto God on the Altar of the poore or any otherwise to procure favour from God but perswades them that those riches which men commonly so use to pride or voluptuousnesse and other sinnes that they would use well to procure favor and good will unto themselves both of God and man This serveth to shew that many mens sacrifices and liberality is unlawfull and no waies acceptable to God Vse 1 because it is of such things as are evill gotten by unlawfull meanes Such is the liberality and hospitality of many men in the Country maintained by oppression racking of rents dispeopling of towns and such like Such is the liberality of many Citizens who in many yeares get together a great deale of wealth by fraud oppression the cursed trade of usury and at their deaths leave a little to religious or charitable uses franke at their deaths of that they cared not how they came by it in their lives things which are not their owne but other mens of which they ought to have made restitution as Zacheus did Luke 19.8 and out of the remnant have given to good uses when a mite had been better and would have beene better accepted then a Million without it and for which now though the loins of many blesse God for that they left yet are they burning in Hell for it if that be true of August Ep. 54. Macedo as true it is according to the Analogie of the Scripture Sires aliena propter quam peccatum est cum reddi possit non redditur non agitur poenitentia sed fingitur si autemveraciter agitur non remittitur peccatum nisirestituatur ablatum sed ut dixi cum restituti potest August Epist 54. Maced If the thing for which the sinne was committed may bee restored and is not the man doth not
repent but dissemble but if he deale truely the sin shall not be remitted unlesse restitution if it may be be made and onething there is which is yet more unacceptable to God and justly reproved that they leave behind them for such uses monies to be imployed by usury by their companyes and other wherein they are like to lewd voluptuous men who having lived in wantonnesse all their lives leave their goods and make their bastards their heires that their shame might never be put out but they might be like Absolons pillar to all posterity so these that their infamie might remaine and their reproach bee never put out If that conceit of some were true that Pauls glory increaseth as the number of them increaseth who are wonne by that he writ I should then thinke that both their glory increaseth who get their goods well and have left it to good uses by lawfull meanes and their woe and torment who got it by unlawfull meanes and left it by unlawfull meanes to encrease for the benefit of others But I have no such warrant only I say if restitution made passage for salvation to come to Zacheus house Non-restitution makes passage for condemnation to come to these men or they to it Let no man thinke I speak this to discourage men from doing good but to direct them to doe good after a good manner and to free my selfe from participating in future sins of such men remembring how confidently Augustine speakes it Illud fidentissimè dixerim qui adse confugientem quantum honestè potest ad restituendum non compellit socium esse fraudis criminis To informe men for time to come to doe that they doe Vse 2 and offer to God to doe it of their owne not others such as they lawfully come by not by unlawfull meanes David that holy man of God would not offer to God of anothers not taken by violence from him but though he would give it him freely happily fearing lest it would not be so acceptable when it was not of his owne though not gotten unlawfully 2 Sam. 24.24 So should every man doe that would have his offering acceptable to God they ought not to take from one to give to another but of their owne to give to God either mediately or immediately for men may not doe evill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 Thou art lying upon thy sick-bed it may be thy death-bed which is the time when men distribute things of moment and perpetuity Think with thy selfe that after death comes judgment Hebr. 9. and know that thou must give an account of thy goods how thou hast got them and how thou hast left them Therefore if thou hast oppressed or wronged or defrauded any by any meanes make him restitution to the full and if thy ability be such more than full and of the rest give to the poore and to good uses for if thou thinkest the giving of these will excuse thee to the Judge for the other thou deceivest thy selfe it were as if a Theefe being arraigned for a robbery should thinke to answer the Judge and escape sentence of death because he gave much of it to the next poore he met so in this for the Lord hates robbery for a burnt offering and if thou wouldest have a blessing Eccles 11.1 Cast thy bread upon the waters and leave it to be imployed lawfully though lesse benefit come to the poore and a shorter time not by that which is odious to God and man for an Usurer is a reproach amongst men God casting that shame upon him for how canst thou answer Christ at that judgment how thou hast left thy goods Now these Jews bringing such sacrifices of such things as were thus corruptly come by did it to appease Gods displeasure against them for the sinne and thought so as it were to stop his mouth whence some gather this point not unnaturally It is the custome and false conceit of a naturall man to think he may make God a friend Doctr. or pacifie him with part of that he hath wickedly gotten or by some outward thing as his riches and substance and other ceremonies as here and Amos 2.8 They lye downe upon clothes laid to pledge by every Altar and they drinke the Wine of the condemned in the house of their God It is spoken of Idolaters in respect of their Idols yet it serveth to shew the nature of men who in their corruption thinke no better of the true God than a false god Micha 6.6 7. To this purpose may we apply that Deut. 23.17 18. for Gods forbidding insinuates the pronenesse of mans nature to it as in all the Commandements Because God appointed sacrifices Reas 1 and propitiatory sacrifices in the Law of the outward things and they neither learning more nor looking forward not seeing that it was not these which did appease God but that which they signified still relyed upon them and so thought that outward things would doe it and in proportion naturall men from them Because they think corruptly and wickedly of God Reas 2 that he is as themselves or as a corrupt Judge who will be reconciled by gifts not caring how it is come by so his hand be filled Because it must be needs a vaine and false conceit to imagine that should appease him Reas 3 when it is a meanes to bring the sinne to remembrance seeing God knows what it is and how it was come by as well as himselfe This may let us see the notable policy of the Church of Rome Vse 1 who seeing the nature of man to be such as that they both think to appease the wrath of God and would thus reconcile his favour rather than with true repentance and turning to God to the end they may keepe a multitude still with them and not a little enrich themselves have taught them that with such bodily exercises and temporall things they may appease God and buy out their sinnes as the building of Chappell 's Monasteries religious houses appointing of Masses buying of pardons and bestowing upon the Church whether living or dying nay if they be not able or carelesse of themselves others may for money purchase such things for them Hence it is that the Church as they call it is so glorious and rich that is those Church-men that Nummum addunt nummo in marsupium suffocantes matronarum opes venantur obsequiis Sunt ditiores Monachi quà m fuerunt seculares possideant opes sub Christo paupere quas sub locuplete diabolo non habuerant susp ret eos Ecclesia divites quos mundus tenuit ante mendicos And Epist 4. to Rustic Contra omnem opinionem plenis sacculis moriuntur divites qui quasi pauperes vixerunt Hieron ad Heliod Epist 3. as St. Hierome said to Heliod Epist 3. They adde money to money and stuffe their purses and purchase womens goods by flattery they are richer Monks than they were Seculars and possesse wealth
have but bring the contrary upon us many and strange and grievous plagues Men we feare and avoid to provoke them when they are of power and yet often we hold them at defiance because we know their worst is but to take our place livings credit or liberty from us at the worst but our lives and can then not hurt us but God can goe further not onely deprive us of that we have and all that is deare to us and take away life but lay cro2ses infinite upon us in this life and the life to come If men much more he is to be feared Matth. 10.28 if Jacob was affraid of Isaacs curse Gen. 22.12 much more of Gods being reall things and not verball for so is mans onely he is but the mouth of God and sure they are they will light where he will lay them To instruct every man who finds Gods judgments Vse 2 that he is deprived of any good thing he hath to humble himselfe and seeke to God and search his owne wayes that he may turne unto him lest he bring curses upon him for as it is both just and usuall with God when men profit not by the lesse judgment to bring greater as a father when his sonne bowes not with a twigge to beate him with a greater rod so it is when men turne not to him by his private judgments to bring positive curses upon them as Princes who first withdraw their favours from Traytors confiscate their goods restraine their liberty and after lay upon them some fearefull punishment Hath God then taken any thing from thee that thou hast or that was beloved of thee as thy goods children or any such thing thinke seriously of it and impute it not to secondary causes though they may be greatly faulty but looke unto the Lord and turne unto him thinke not to make it good againe or recover thy selfe but thinke of the other curses God hath threatened and know these must come if the other doe not reforme thee yea though he love thee Physitians that desire the health of their patient if they can will happily recover it by injoyning them abstinence and fasting and a strict dyet if not they will to purging bleeding and such like so with God much more if he hate thee If thou be freed from any curse be not secure Vse 3 he hath variety of curses The contempt of his worship he hath threatened with the deprivation of it the taking of it way now it may be thought this would not much trouble them who thought it a wearinesse and could happily be content with it and in their corruption account it a blessing he therefore threateneth the punishng of it with positive curses and plagues The contempt and corruption of Gods worship the means of it as of the Word and Sacraments and such like Doctr. sacrifice and Prayer the Lord will sometime punish with the taking of it away and sometime with it and other fearfull curses and plagues both spirituall temporall which as it is here threatened so was it performed to this people who are now not only without the meanes of his worship but are under many fearefull judgments as any Nation in the world It is that was threatened Deuter. 28.47 48. 2 Chro. 36.16 17. Math. 21.41.1 Cor. 11.30 2 Thessal 2.11 12. 1 Sam. 2. Elies sonnes Acts 20.9 Eutychus Because most men finde no judgment in it at all Reas 1 to be deprived of that they love not as they account that no blessing to have that they delight not in and so as in this they will never be drawn to see the mercy and favor of God so not in that his justice and displeasure that they might come to the sight of their sins when as then those judgements open the eyes of their minde the better and cleare their spirituall sight the Lord doth it more to torment them and affect them Because these being most sensible men are by them usually made more carefull of his service either in hypocrisie Reas 2 as Ahab and Saul and others or in truth as Manasses This may teach us a point which few men have thought of Vse 1 but many have felt it the cause why God hath so afflicted us with with the plague and pestilence his curses have been upon us many have happily thought of many sinnes of their owne and others but few have thought of this sinne that therefore it was because the word was contemned amongst us and his worship corrupted by us such wearinesse in his service such great shews and nothing indeed such offering of sick lame and blind unto the Lord such offering of corrupt things unto him If this bee true that such are accursed of God then the other must needs be certaine The Philistims had the Arke of Gods presence 1 Sam. 5. But because they used not it as they ought therefore verse 6. they were smitten so had the men of Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 6. but because they used not it as they ought therefore the Lord slew among them fiftie thousand threescore and ten men verse 19. The Gospell the meanes of his worship as the Arke of his presence hath been amongst us but we have not used it well therefore hath the hand of God been heavy upon us as upon the Philistims the number the Lord hath slaine hath surmounted the number of them of Bethshemesh If it were just upon them it is so upon us And though this be removed yet we cannot but feare that the curses of God hang over our heads still seeing this sinne is not repented of nor amended amongst us This serveth to meet with the corruption of those Vse 2 who could not nor cannot be wakened with the former judgment and think it a blessing rather then a curse whether they delight in Popery or prophanenesse they affected a superstitious worship or a loose life they would be without controulement and so take themselves not to be hurt because that is but as they desire that the word and worship of God should be gone yet let this feare such a one that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it he is an accursed man and all the curses of God hang over his head he is so in the decree of God and he shall be so in the execution what a fearefull condition is he in that is in ease and prosperity sitting at a rich banquet lying in a bed of doune and Ivory having what his heart could desire and yet having over his head a sharp sword with the point down-ward hanging by the smallest haire ready with every blast and every touch to fall upon him How if he had thousands more he that hath these curses over his head as Isaac said I have blessed him and he shall be blessed God hath accursed him and he shall be accursed Cursed be the deceiver The parties upon whom this curse must fall they are accounted deceivers they deale deceitfully in the service of God not serving of
parties fall after the marriage into heresie whether stands the marriage good or whether ought there to be a divorce Papists generally thinke there should be a divorce à Thoro non à vinculo a divorce unknowne to the Scriptures Celestinus thought à vinculo though Innocentius was much against him Many of our learned men thinke it will breake a contract not a marriage onely they hold liberum divortium That is when all the meanes and wayes are taken to bring them from their errour and heresie and the party infected will not dwell with the other or not without blaspheming or reproaching of Christ they may freely with consent one depart from the other but if he will abide in peace with the sound party he or she is not to put him or her away which by proportion is gathered from that 1 Cor. 7.13.14.15 which place though it be understood of those who were found in their heathenish marriages and visited so of the grace of God And so as Tertullian saith allowes not the faithfull to make marriages with the unbeleevers yet it affoords some equity and direction when they are once made and so that they are lawfull marriages de facto though not lawfully made de jure VERS XII The Lord will cut off the man that doth this both the master and the servant out of the Tabernacle of Iaakob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hostes THE Lord will cut off the man that doth this In this Verse the Prophet threatneth the judgement of God against them for this sinne even the cutting of them off from the tents of Iaakob whosoever commits any such thing whether he that teacheth or is instructed Priest or people whether he stand out obstinately or hypocritically he would seem to appease his anger by some offering The Lord will cut off The Lord will not put up this injury done to him and his daughters but whatsoever he be that either shall doe this hereafter or hath done it and repents and reformes it not every one of them will I cut off and destroy Hierom observes it here as worth the observation that he cuts not men off from pardon or the hope of it for he saith not the Lord curseth him that doth this but hee that shall doe it prolonging his curse as it were for the time to come that he might provoke the offendours to repentance Will cut off It is a phrase like that Gen. 17.14 Exo. 12.15 which Tremelius thus interpreteth that is both here and in the world to come he shall be cut off from the company society of the Saints faithfull The Metaphor as some probably thinke is borrowed from Physitians who cut off the body putrified and rotten members and have often occasion and necessity so to doe As if the wicked were but rotten and putrified members in the Church The man that shalt doe this A sentence without exception whosoever he be it shall be all one to him who accepts no mans person Both the master and the servant and particularly both master and servant The Interpreter in the Latine hath Master and Disciple or Scholar following rather the signification then the originall for that is either he that watcheth and answereth or he that exciteth and answereth But for the meaning some difference there is some understand by the watcher or exciter the teacher who watcheth that he may teach true things unto his scholars or hearers and excite their mindes by the answerer the scholar or hearer who followes the master and for further instruction ansereth to his demands or questions And so by this should be signified that both the people and the Priests who were authours and warranters or assurers of their course by precept or practice should perish together Others take it more generally and more probably The meaning is one and other and all not one man of those shall escape who are defiled with these profane marriages no not any one of those families shall be left alive but be cut off Out of the Tabernacles of Iacob That is from Gods people or Gods Church some thinke it is taken for the Cities of Iacob as they thinke it to be taken Psal 87.2 But all is to one purpose for those Cities were part of the Church And him that offereth an offering unto the Lord. Some understand these words particularly of the Priest who as we may read Ezra 9. and 10. were not free from this So the Chaldie Paraphrast interpreteth it and Cyril shewing that though he came nigh to the hornes of the Altar yet should he not be there safe with his sins But some understand it more generally though they should be very liberall in offerings unto me and think so to escape my wrath yet though they should be as liberall as the hypocrites Micha 6. yet should not that help for they shall perish with their offerings The Lord will cut off Though the Magistrate will not looke to this evill being carelesse or corrupt though he cannot because many are wrapt in it and the multitude too strong for him or howsoever it be not punished by man yet the Lord will not let it escape his hand but he will cut him off When men Doctrine and they who are in authority to whom the sword of justice is committed do not punish the corruptions and sinnes of their subjects whether they omit it for feare or favour by the greatnesse or the bribery of the offenders or any such meanes then will the Lord take his rod in hand to punish and gird his sword unto him to cut off every one so sinning and so spared So here So when Adam the Prince of the earth and Magistrate of his sonnes let passe the murther of Abel because Cain was his first borne and his possession yet the Lord did lay to his hand and did punish him Gen. 4.11.12 c. So of the sonnes of Eli 1 Sam. 2.23.24 and 4.11 not simply a judgement to fall in battell but because it was prophesied of them Chap. 2.34 This is manifest further out of the story of Achan while by ignorance of the fact Ioshua did not punish it the Lord did it in the whole people but after the knowledge of it when Iosua had punished it the Lord put up his sword and his wrath ceased Josh 7. To these we may adde that of Numb 25.3.4 c. the cause of the great famine 2 Sam. 21. was the Kings not punishing of a sinne committed by Sauls house which done the famine ended Because as Iehosaphat told the Judges Reason 1 their judgements were his which if they executed he will not because he will not punish one fact twice but if not they then will he because he is just and else should be unjust as well as they for if it be injustice in them to spare the wicked it would be in him Because impunity from the Magistrate Reason 2 makes impenitencie in the offenders and brings them on to hardnesse
Physitians who finding what kinde of physicke their patients passet doth best rellish though it be neither of force to preserve or recover him yet to keepe themselves in request and practice ever prescribe him that though he die for it in the end Such Physitians are they of no value If any man thinke I slander them because they talke much of pennance and confession and such things I answer I doe not to instance in one The schoole-men teach that salvation is in the sacrament or sacrifice of the masse as health is in a medicine which cures though the party doe nothing to helpe never beleeve only receive it They teach then that these reconcile without repentance I deny not that our latter Papists when they find things written scanned and so prove scandalous they have helped things with their late expositions but it is one thing what they are forced to say by argument another thing what they commonly teach to the people who have the one taught to them without the other They deale like some Physitians who when they have to deale with common patients who favour no religion and thinke indeed health is in their power and their medicines they promise them simply and absolutely health by them But when they have patients that know religion or finde a Minister with them who knowes health is not in their power or medicine then they tell them they must looke to God and reconcile themselves to God and then by his blessing they shall doe them good So these To let us see the folly of those men Vse 2 who thinke by those outward things outward meanes to appease and escape and when they have once performed them rest as sure as if they had the band in statute Marchant he should not touch them The Church is full of these fooles for how many are there who if they heare by the Word or see by the shaking of the rod that the Lord is angry thinke by an offering giving almes to the poore by fasting and bowing themselves by a little more frequenting of prayer or comming to heare the Word to escape well enough though they never repent and forsake their sinnes or if God smite them that they are sicke upon their beds and draw neere to the buriall if they give somewhat largely to hospitals and holy uses to Schooles and Churches though they never truly sorrow before God nor satisfie the injuries done to men by restitution and such like yet God will be well pleased with them and they shall not be cut off but enjoy the everlasting Tabernacles of Iacob But fools blinde why should they imagine that should help them which will not another neither ever would Is not he the same and is there not still the same meanes to appease him that which could not then can it now If the body be to be cured if any thing be brought unto them they enquire who ever used it and what effect it had with them and if they heare of many who did use it and none ever recovered by it they will never trust to it and yet for the soule they will go contrary But if these doe not appease him why are they commanded or why is that Heb. 13.16 To doe good and distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased I answer they are commanded for other purposes as duties and testimonies and signes of thankfulnesse for it followes not that there is no use of them unlesse this be God ordained them for other purposes And as it is in salves they cure that they were ordained for saith Chrysostome For the salve for the eye cannot cure the cut of the hand And for that Do and live that is understood of the whole and of perfect doing which is impossible for any because of their weaknesse Rom. 8. And that of the Hebrewes doth not tell us that that doth appease God when he is angry but that they please him after he is appeased and reconciled for then he accepts them graciously and favourably For so much riseth out of Heb. 13.15 Let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruit of the lips confesse to his Name Where he makes mention of Christ shewing that they please him comming from faith in Christ But when a man lies in his sinne and so purposeth and is without faith and without Christ all the sacrifices of such a wicked man are abomination to the Lord more when they are offered with a wicked minde of deserving at his hands and derogating from Christ and making him to justifie the wicked To teach us now that the Lord shewes himselfe displeased Vse 3 and threatneth to cut us off not to thinke by any outward things to appease and escape it it is not offering and almes not fasting and prayer that will doe it though they are such things as God calls us unto by such judgements as Isaiah 22.12 But in vaine shall we trust unto them if we remaine in our sinnes without repentance and forsaking of them In vaine trusts any man to the Chyrurgion and his salves to cure his disease all the while there is in the wound within the flesh iron remaining August de rectit Catholicae conversat So shall not his prayers and other things prevaile all the while hatred and other sinnes remaine All the while that Achan and his execrable bootie was in the Lords Campe the teares and prayers of the whole prevailed nothing Joshua 7. but he taken out of the way and stoned they prevailed To prevaile then with God and to have him reconciled and to escape his displeasure these cannot doe it unlesse we cast out the execrable thing If Moses and the Rulers will hang up the heads of the people before the sunne and Phineas execute justice the plague shall cease if every one will doe so with his sinnes he shall not be cut off or if he die he shall live The Marryners who were in a storme Jonah 1. tooke the contrary course to helpe themselves and save their lives by unlading their Ship and casting all into the sea but it served not the turne nor helped them till Ionas was cast into the sea upon whom the lot fell who had offended so in this many may give their goods c. and yet it will not serve cast lots it will light upon thy sinnes and if that will not be cast into the sea thinke that there will be no calming of it Now before we leave this verse it may be some Papists will gather hence as from the like places that the Church standeth not of the elect and predestinate onely as we affirme for none elected can be cut off from it specially if we understand the cuting of them off from the everlasting Tabernacles Therfore they now condemne this in us as the counsell of Constance condemned Iohn Husse and burnt him But this neither any the like place confuteth that we hold who doe not
deny that wicked men and reprobates may be of particular Churches but not of the Catholique of particulars because to be in a particular Church is nothing else but for a man to joyne himselfe in that society which professeth true religion But to be of the Catholique Church is to be joyned to Christ as his member and to draw life from him so that he doth not neither can perish In a particular Church then may wicked and reprobates be as bad humours and rotten members are in the body but not in the Catholique Church which is Christs body which as his naturall body could not see corruption neither can it have any such corrupts parts and as no part of it could be cut off no more of this for where the head is there shall all the members be whereas then they shall never come where Christ is they cannot be members of him and so no parts of the Catholique Church But are they not parts of the particular they are but yet it followes not that every one in them is part of it for as every ward or streete of London is part of the whole yet followes it not that every one in them is part of it for forrainers and strangers may be in it There is none of the Catholique but he either is or hath beene in some visible and particular Church yet it followes not that all that are in it are of it And by this may be answered all those parables and other places they bring out of the Scriptures to prove that wicked men are of the Catholique Church for they are all understood of particular Churches where the wicked are mixed inseparably with the good as Chaffe is with the Wheate in the field and barne as Lees with the Wine in the Terse and Hogshead yet is neither the Chaffe Wheate nor the Lees Wine neither they the Church VERS XIII And this have ye done againe and covered the Altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with mourning because the offering is no more regarded neither received acceptably at your hands AND this have ye done againe The Prophet proceedeth to a second sinne in this people and to reprove it going from their strange wives to their having of many wives to multiplicity of them which is reproved in this verse and 14. and 15. Of the whole we have two parts 1. his reproofe 2. his exhortation to the contrary fine v. 15. In the reproof as the vice is checked but not so openly as the former yet necessarily out of the 15. verse it followeth that the grieving of their wives was by taking other wives to them Now the amplification of this sinne or the haynousenesse of it is set forth two wayes First because it was injurious to their wives and themselves verse 13. Secondly because it was against the institution and ordinance of God verse 14.15 Now the first against their wives because they grieved and vexed them and against themselves because they made their own offerings to be rejected of the Lord. And this have ye done againe And this sinne have you commited in the second place which comes here to be reproved a mongst these particulars you have taken not onely strangers but you have joyned them to your lawfull wives and taken them with them and made them to mourne and weepe And covered the Altar of the Lord with teares The Israelites women or their owne proper and lawfull wives finding that they tooke others to them and finding them in their places where they ought to have beene and who had onely the right unto them they wept day and night before the Altar of the Lord as it were accusing his providence that he did not releeve and redresse their injuries Ye have covered He accuseth not those who did weepe but those who were the cause of their weeping Ye have covered That is you have made your wives by your carriage and dealing towards them to cover So Cyrill interpreteth these words and that both because the place must needs have it so interpreted as also from a common and usuall kinde of speech For when we doe any thing compelled or drawne to it either by some vehement love or hatred or pitty of any man or by some other affection he is said to doe it by affection of whom we are compelled or drawn to it As if a man could not beare the desire he hath to his absent friend or his dead sonne we say his sonne or his friend will not let him rest or be in quiet for he is often said to doe that doth so worke and moveth him either by counsell or command or implusion though by another That instance in this case we may give Zach. 11.13 Cast it into the Potters field It is a Prophesie of the money which Iudas should take for the betraying of Christ and what he should do with it And when he was to do it did cast it into the Temple Math. 27.5 It is spoken here as if Christ did it or should doe it not that he personally did it but because he moved Iudas and after a sort compelled him to doe it Now the greatnesse of these womens sorrowes are increased or amplified that they were so affected that teares came from them and if it be thought that it is easie for that sex to shed teares yet this comes not from the composition but the extreame griefe they sustained when they came to so many as it were cover the Altar of God even that Altar where they sought for ease and comfort And further to amplifie it it is said with weeping and mourning that is their teares were joyned with sobs and sighes and outcryes by which the sorrow and anguish of their minde was increased when as God would have his Altar without all spot or injury most pure sacred and consecrated to him insomuch as he forbad the stones of it to be wrought or cut with any instrument of iron it must needs be ungratefull and unacceptable to him when it was covered and compassed with teares sighes and lamentations of those who were in misery vexed by their husbands and their concubines The Altar of the Lord This amplifies further their sorrow that they came to the Altar of the Lord to complaine as being without all hope of helpe from man and all meanes and had onely God to flye to and his helpe for it is a figne of great oppression when as men miserable and affected with injury come mourning and lamenting to Gods Altar to complaine to him as those who have no helpe no defence in the counsells or helpe of men none in the Judges and Magistrates of the time against such injuries Because the offering is no more regarded Or so that your offering It is that which containeth the injury to themselves for by these tears lamentations of the wives the anger of the Lord was so stirred up against them that he saith all their sacrifice offerings were not accepted or
please themselves but one another The good things that are in her he must cherish for as in children or servants so in the wife nothing incourageth her more in any good thing then that her husband observeth and approveth those good things are in her The evill things ordinary infirmities he must rather intreat God for them then reprove her but if either he must take his fittest time for it as with Physitians observe her nature as they their patients and do it in love not passion with a grave yet cheerfull countenance letting her see her fault out of the Word rather then from his will and dislike And though he be master Bee and have a sting yet must he seldome or never use it unlesse extremity drive him and that by her peevishnesse rather then his passion or folly in handling of the matter And so may he have comfort by her and fruit of her for shee is therefore compared to a vine which by the care and diligence of the Gardiner in carefull pruning and underpropping it and dressing of it brings forth fruit even grapes whence comes wine which rejoyceth the heart otherwise it will but wallow on the ground and remaine fruitlesse But to conclude provided alwayes that she be dutifull and kinde loving and obedient unto him or else she forfeits her right and then if he be bitter and unkinde to her I do not warrant him but I lesse blame him If she be to him not a turtle Dove but a chattering Pye full of brawlings and contentions because every thing must not be as she would have it I lesse blame him if he delight abroad seeing Salomon hath said Prov. 21.9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house Prov. 19.13 The contentions of a wife are as a continuall dropping If she be as one saith like a vine that were planted in the flowing sea which prospereth least when the water is lowest so his fellowship sweetest when he is furthest off If as many women who tell us they make themselves fine and trim to please their husbands and yet are least trim when they onely enjoy them but onely when they are to shew themselves abroad which in many is rather to please others then their husbands I censure not all so they have no cheerfulnesse and loving carriage in them when they and their husbands are alone never so merry as when he is absent never so solemne and drooping as with him as if his company were a burden and his presence a clog unto them who can to any body else put on cheerfull lookes have lively spirits and finde talke enough but with their husbands can finde none but sit heavie a whole dinner and supper while and not a word from her no token of her joying in his company And upon every discontent be strange a day two or three looking he should seeke to her I say by such dealings she hath forfeited her right and though it bee Summum jus and so summa iujuria to take it such a forfeiture or rather it is indeed injustice yet if het do take it it is but just upon her and though he be not fit to do it yet she hath deserved to suffer it And covered the Altar of the Lord with teares The generall of these words we have heard the particulars we must examine These women though heavie in heart and full of grief yet would they not desist from praying to God and performing their service and offerings to him neither doth he for that reject them and their offerings though he be their husbands afterwards who were the cause of their griefe Though men cannot performe the service and worship of God with that cheerfulnesse and perfection which he requireth Doctrine who loves a cheerfull giver and so a cheerfull worshipper and being Perfection it selfe would have things in perfection yet must they performe them as they are able and he will accept them in their imperfection Manifest as here so by that reproofe of Moses to Aaron Levit. 10.16 The practise of Nehemiah Nehem. 1.4 of David Psal 42.5.6 of Zacharie Luke 1.22 of Christ who might stand for all Matth. 26.38.39 Because many so have obtained a blessing Reason and God hath given it them as Psa 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy as the Goaler Acts 16.29 came trembling to Paul and Silas but departed with joy of heart vers 34. Vse 1 Not let our infirmities hinder us from prayer Vse 2 To come confidently to God And covered the Altar of the Lord. These did not seeke to revenge themselves they resisted not by giving injury for injury dealing with their husbands as they had dealt with them but patiently bore it and committed it to the Lord. Men who re injured Doctrine oppressed and hardly dealt withall by others ought to beare it patiently and not to revenge themselves and to resist by force and violence To teach every man to beare patiently the injuries done unto him Vse if he have received them do not require them but rather with well-doing let him go to Gods Altar and with Hezekiah spread the letter of the King of Ashur before God with Ioseph carry the hard speeches of his brethren to his father If he have the same spirit he must have the same minde which was in the Lord Jesus and leave vengeance and recompence to him to whom it belongs Thou art injured deprived of thy goods beaten reproached and greatly hurt this way expect the sentence of the Judge If another mans servant shall reproach thee thou wilt not beat him thy selfe but complaine to his master how much more ought thou to do this in respect of God who hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Chrysost hom 22. ad pop Antioch But thou art desirous to be revenged that is the way not to revenge for that is a true though a strange position and speech That they are onely hurt and injured who hurt others and injure them And the injury which is done to others hurts none but those who do it so those who suffer do not repay or be brought to sinne For example what was more unhappy then Cain The death he brought upon Abel hath made him that suffered it to be accounted just in all ages and him that did it a parricide and murtherer What was more miserable then Herodias who desired Iohn Baptists head in a dish and so plunged her owne head in the eternall fire and flames of hell What worse then the Divell who by his malice made Iob more famous that as his glory increased so did the others torments So now And if men be not brought to commit sinne and this in particular what hurt have they by it It is another truth that there is no man hurt but of himselfe for admit a man have his goods taken from him Nemo laditur nisi aseipso Chrys or other injuries done to him
if he fall not into sinne by it keeping the injury boiling in his stomacke or falling to revenge impatiently or blaspheme or such like if he do then is he hurt and greatly not of another but of himselfe Example Iob and Paul These and the like should perswade us to patience and not to resist And why should such things be hard If I let him alone he will be worse Hast thou more care of him then of thy selfe But are not these words of corruption and pride who establish things against God Admit he be hurt yet God ought to be obeyed Neither ought we to make lawes against that which God hath ratified but it will hurt neither thee nor him for Prov. 15.1 A soft answer putteth away wrath but grievous words stirre up anger And if thou wouldest do thy selfe and him good the more he is in choler and heat the more yeeld thou for this heat had need of the greater remedy And the more reproaches there are there is the more need of patience and gentlenesse And when the feaver is hottest there is most need of cooling so when a man is angriest of yeelding But this will be a reproach and there is no manhood in it Nay it is no reproach but compassion and humanity Finally in all these things thou shalt finde that true of Abigail to David 1 Sam. 25.31 Then shall it be no griefe unto thee nor offence of minde unto my Lord that he hath not shed bloud causelesse nor that my Lord hath not revenged himselfe And when the Lord shall have dealt wel with my Lord remember thine hand-maid And of him touching her verse 32.33 Then David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood and that mine hand hath not saved me Because the offering is no more regarded Or more plainly So that I will no more regard your offerings The second reason condemning Polygamy because it makes their worship and service unacceptable to God while the injuries they did to their wives and their sighes and teares came before him and were in his ears as the bloud of Abel calling rather for vengeance and a curse then a blessing Now a generall from this is this They who come to performe any service to God Doctrine 1 and would have it accepted must be holy and uncorrupt and not uncleane and polluted Vide Malach. 1.6.7 Further a more speciall thing hence may we observe They who grieve oppresse and injury others whatsoever he be Doctrine 2 and they to him whether he be Husband or Magistrate or Master whether rich or his Landlord or howsoever shall finde that their prayers and worship of God shall not be accepted nor finde any place or favour with God So here and Isaiah 1.15 and 58.3.4 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not we have punished our selves and thou regardest it not Behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your will and require all your debts Behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shall not fast as yee do to day to make your voyce to be heard above To this purpose may that be applied Prov. 27.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall also cry and not be heard And that may shadow it Luke 16.24 Old Isaac accepted the prayers of Iacob and his voyce the better because of his rough and hairy hands but with our Isaac it is cleane contrarie Because they are in their sins Reason 1 and that which is more they are not capable of remission of sins seeing Christ hath said Mat. 6.15 But if ye doe not forgive men their trespasses no more will your father for give you your trespasses For if they who remit not other mens injuries against the mare uncapable what are they who doe injure others and oppresse and wrong them Nay if they had had remission yet the guilt of them would returne Rediunt dimiss a peccata ubi fraterna charitas non est As the parable sheweth Matthew 18.34 Now where a mans sins are there his prayers must needs be unaccepted Because the cryes of those who are oppressed and injured are in his eares James 5.4 speaks of one kinde Reason 2 And though his ears are not subject to any prejudice yet when they are justly possessed with injustice and injury they stop them against the prayers of the oppressour The judgements of God are upon us and that justly Vse because of these grievances oppressions and injuries that are amongst us we pray to have them removed we prevaile not but it increaseth and spreadeth is it any ma rvaile how should our prayers finde favor in his eares when the cryes of the oppressed and injured have filled them for these grievances are amongst us then no marvaile if they are come upon us and that God is come to revenge them and that neither their prayers nor the prayers of his Ministers can prevaile James 5.4 VERS XIV Yet ye say wherein because the Lord hath been witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant YET ye say wherein The second thing by which the Prophet condemneth this sinne of poligamy is that it is against Gods ordinance which is set downe in this verse and that which followes part of it The sinne is that which is against the ordinance and institution of God that ought not to be done such is this Now it is against his institution because it is against that covenant whereof hee is both Author and witnesse The way of setting down this is by way of question and answer from the people to them from God depending upon the former The Lord had told them it made their prayers to be rejected They aske why it should be so yet ye say wherin or wherfore for what cause or what reason there was why their offerings should be rejected and why he would not receive their prayers As men that would not acknowledge that there was any sin or fault in them but put him to his proofe how he would make it good and shew them wherein they had offended not willing to confesse unlesse he can wrest it from them Because the Lord hath beene witnesse The Lords answer shewing directly that there was cause because they had beene injurious not onely against their wives but against God who was witnesse of the Covenant they made betwixt themselves which Covenant as it was Gods ordained by him that they should be one flesh so was it made he being present called upon by him as witnesse when he bound himselfe to take her for his onely wife So that witnesse betweene thee and thy wife is witnesse of that Covenant that is passed betwixt thee and thy wife and
God by which they may see what he hath done that he regardeth or to see the time to come that he will doe it but onely looking to the present view are thus deceiued and erre To teach us when we heare many men wrangling and jangling against the providence oif God Vse 1 and denying his administration and governement of things here below even from this that those who walke uprightly are under the winde and they who contemne God despise or at least neglect his worship live in Atheisme or irreligion and prophanesse yet they flourish and have all things in abundance as heart could desire for if he did how would he not remedy this and rectifie this confusion Such quarrelling as this is but the old sophystry of Satan and the old corruption of man which hath beene a thousand times confuted in every age and place since it was first invented which might have stopped the mouth of all iniquity in this case were not Satan wonderfull malicious and the nature of man marveylous weake not able to looke to things past or forsee things to come To teach us to take heed oif any such corruption as this is Vse 2 to deny or question about the providence of God when we looke abroad and consider things and finde things thus disposed of which seemes so contrary to the course of the world and to stay us we must consider two things The first is that howsoever other arguments and reasons of Gods divine providence and mercy towards all and particular men is to be seene and is manifest of all both in their lives past and present in all places yet are not the examples of his judgement alwaies to be seene but to be expected in their due time such as are reserved for time to come so that though a man may judge by the time past and present and finde nothing nor to part of mans life without apparent proofes of the power wisedome and mercy of God because he still makes his sun to shine and his raine to fall on good and bad yet that part of providence which is in judgements is to be expected in a fit time but it is the future and time to come And that he will manifest unto every one that he certainely doth governe This advice is given Psa 37.1.2.9.10.35.36 And that Job 27. from 7. to 14. and vers 30. Therefore must we with David goe into Gods Sanctuary and consider not the beginnings nor the present state but the ends of these men which will manifestly prove his providence Gods dealing with them and his owne like to Princes with their Hawke and Partridge oir their states being like the Partridge and the other as the Hawke The second is the time present that this divers dealing of God with them argues his providence because it is the way to salvation for the one and to destruction for the other As it argues the skill of the Physitian and his wisedome having to deale with two patients one desperately sicke and he cares not for his health the other so sick as he may be recovered he useth divers dyets and manner of usage So God deales with his THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE PROPHET MALACHY BEhold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts 2 But who may abide the day of his comming and who shall endure when he appeareth for he is like purging fire and like fullers sope 3 And he shall sit down to trie and fine the silver he shall even fine the sons of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in-righteousnes 4 Then shall the offerings of Juda and Jerusalem be acceptable unto the Lord as in old time and in the yeers afore 5 And I will come neer to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the soothsayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keep backe the hirelings wages and vex the widow and the fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of hosts 6 For I am the Lord I change not and ye sons of Jaacob are not confirmed 7 From the daies of your fathers yee are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them returne unto me and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of hosts but ye said wherein shall we returne 8 Will a man spoyle his gods yet have ye spoyled me but ye say Wherein have we spoyled thee In tithes and offerings 9 Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have spoyled me even this whole nation 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and proove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you and powre you out a blessing without measure 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground neither shall your vine be barten in the field saith the Lord of hosts 12 And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a pleasant land saith the Lord of hosts 13 Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say What have we spoken against thee 14 Ye have said It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his commandement and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts 15 Therefore we count the proud blessed even they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God yea they are delivered 16 Then spake they that seared the Lord every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name 17 And they shall be to me saith the Lord of hosts in that day that I shall do this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 18 Then shall you returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not VERSE I. Behold J will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts IN this Chapter are two things laid down one an answer to the blasphemies reproved vers 17. of the former which is contained in the 6. first verses The other an expostulation or contestation with them of their prophanesse obstinacy and other impiety ad finem For the first The sum of it is thus Hitherto hath God so shewed himselfe a most equall and upright Judge that yet before
either perfectly which is either in this life by imputation of his holinesse putting on his garments upon them as Ionathan did to David after their league or else in the life to come by full perfection inherent when they shall be like him in holinesse and glory Or it is partially and begunne in this life whereas they are inlightned as the Moone by the Sunne yet have their spots their errors so are they sanctified and put in a new hew as the fuller doth a cloth or garment yet the old threeds appeare in them Of this is it here spoken and for this is he thus called and to this tends that 1 Corinthians 1.30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption And Cap. 6.11 and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Heb. 2.11 Ephes 5.26 VERS III. And he shall sit downe to try and fine the silver he shall even fine the sonnes of Levi and purifie them as gold and silver that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in righteousnesse AND he shall sit downe to try He shall sit downe to try and fine the silver The third similitude by which Christ is described is from the Goldsmith The summe is that as he sitting in his shoppe by his fornace doth purge the drosse and corruption from the silver so will Christ purge corruption from those which are his He shall sit Noting the dilligence and constancy and care of Christ in this worke i. He shall not doe it lightly or cursorily but seriously and dilligently being marveylous attentive upon the worke for then we sit when we would doe any thing seriously and with all care and endeavour So Psal 1.1 and 50.20 And fine the silver Septuag and fining as silver or as a man that fineth silver for the Hebrewes often omit the note of similitude and the people some thinke is compared to silver because they are so excellent in respect of others which are but iron to them Some because silver hath this of it nature that it is most mixed with other mettalls and mineralls and by the fire is made most pure so they by the vertue of Christs death And he shall purge the sonnes of Levi. The parties whom he should purge understanding not those who were such by nature but such as were spirituall Priests such as were true and lawfull Priests dedicated to the perpetuall and holy service of God And purifie them as gold and silver Hee expresseth the same thing againe and againe that it might be more certaine and firme and to shew that their purity should be very great for these mettals are of all others most accurately purged with the fire lest any rust or drosse should remaine with them That they may bring offerings Here is an effect of Christ purging of them that their sacrifices being polluted and corrupt before should now be pure and holy and be made acceptable to the Lord. In these words are noted the purity of them in the next the acceptablenesse of them Christ is to his as a Goldsmith Doctrine or Goldfiner he that purgeth and purifieth them from their drosse of sinne and corruption which is as the former perfectly in the life to come when as all blots and every spot shall be removed Ephes 5.27 or partially in this life where as all is pardoned so purged but not whole sinne neither if it were can he be perfectly free because living in an infected ayre they cannot but draw in some corruption which though it prevaile not to death yet it will corrupt them still and infect them But Christ he purgeth them and hence is washing of us given unto him Revel 1.5 and cleansing 1 John 1.7 And the baptisme of spirit and fire Matth. 3.11 that as fire he takes away drosse and rust Hence he is said to be Iesus Matth. 1.21 because he saves his people from their sinnes not à culpa onely and à poena but à contagione Hence that Rom. 6.3 we are partakers of his death to make us to dye to sinne and sinne to dye in us Galat 6.14 Because he might make way for holinesse and purity Reason 1 for else the new man cannot be put on unlesse the old man be destroyed men cannot be renued in the spirit of their mindes unlesse they cast off the old man and he be taken from them As the Serpent cannot receive new strength unlesse she first put off her old skin or coate passing and pressed by the straitnesse of her denne or hole So cannot we put on the new unlesse we put off the old August de doct Christi lib. 2. cap. 16. Therefore to make way for that Christ first must purge us from sinne Because he might make us like him Reason 2 he was made like us in all things save in sinne this makes us unlike this then will he take and purge from us that we might be as he without sinne Because we might serve him Reason 3 he desires to have service from us which cannot be unlesse he purge away sinne and destroy it in us for else we shall serve it and we cannot serve two masters Therefore hee destroyes this that wee might not serve it Rom. 6.6 And so might be free to serve him Luke 1.74 To try and fine the silver Drosse is not easily separated from mettall and silver but with the violence and heat of the fire is it tryed and fined insinuating unto us by this how hardly and with what force sin is separated from us how close it sticks by us and with what a doe it is separated The sinnes and corruptions of Gods children sit close to them Doctrine and cleave fast are not to be separated but with much force and violence As drosse to silver Heb. 12.1 To shew this belong those speeches of sacrificing Galat. 5.24 Of mortifying Collo 3.5 of cutting off and pulling out the right hand and right eies Mat. 5.29 30. proved also by that Jer. 13.23 Can the blacke Moore change his skin Or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evill And Mich 6.7 Men wil give any thing rather then part with sin Because it is naturall unto them as to others Reason 1 brought into the world with them Now as the proverbe That which is bred in the bone will hardly out of the flesh And as naturall and hereditarie diseases stricke the fastest and most heard to be cured so it is of sinne Because besides nature Reason 2 custome and continuance in them is adjoyned now custome is another nature and things bound with such a twofold cord both so strong will hardly be separated Custom oftentimes prevailes much and jura didicit immitare naturae Saint Chrysost But when custome and nature are joyned together who or what shall alter them No
wonder so much preaching and so little prevailing with men to remove their sins and the Ministerie so unacceptable Mich. 6.7 and Mal. 2.6 To teach every man not to looke to be separated from his drosse Vse and corruption without violence and that he must offer violence to them to be rid of them The silver The Church and Gods people thus compared in respect of their excellency because it and they are more excellent then any other society The Church is the most excellent society in the world Doctrine Rev. 2.1 Golden candlestickes The Churches of Asia among other reasons were said to be golden in regard of their excellency and dignity which they have in Gods account that as gold is the most pretious mettall and much accounted of men so is the Church much set by of God It is dear unto him as the apple of his eie Deut. 32.10 Zach. 2.8 It is a Diamond among an heape of pebles the members of the Church are Jewells as we have it afterwards verse 17. Out of this place of fining and purging some Papists catching at shadowes when they have no substance would prove and establish their purgatory where a company of soules are holden in with paper walls and grievously tormented with painted fire which poeticall fiction and Papall fancy as we deny so cannot this place possibly induce us to believe it seeing God himselfe hath taught us no such thing neither in this place nor in any other For what if S. August and some others have applied this place to purgatory for he was never resolved there was such a place but thought it credible and not impossible there might be such a place but never once definitively determined of it Euchri ad Laurent 69. besides Epist 54. Maced p. 2. * Morum corrigendorum nullus alius est quam in hac vit a locus nam post haue quisque id habebit quod in hac sibimet acquie sir et Epist Ma. ced 54. p. 2. There is no other place of amendement but in this life for after this every one shall have what he merited here Now this place is apparently understood of purging men from the sin and corruption and not from the punishment And so cannot be understood of their purgatory where only the punishment is satisfied for Besides the end of this purging is that they may be fit to offer up lawful sacrifice to God but in theirs the soules offer up no sacrifices say no Masses there Besides this purgation is onely by Christ through the sanctification of the holy Ghost being the onely purgation that the scripture acknowledgeth therefore this cannot be an impeachment of that Iohn 1.29 Iohn seeth Iesus comming unto him and saith Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world Arguing a want and weaknesse in his paiment if after it men must pay for it But that there can be no such thing neither can any such thing stand with the Justice of God I prove thus By a reason which Tertul. deresurrectione carnis and other of the Fathers use to prove the resurrection of the body For if in course of justice it be necessary that the body which hath been partaker with the soule of all that hath been done either in righteousnesse or sin be also partaker of the reward of either and hereby there be inforced necessarily a resurrection of the body to be joyned with the soule to be partaker thereof We must from the same principle of justice conclude that if there be a Purgatory it should be as well for the body as the soule because the body hath been partaker of those pleasures and delights for which they tell us that the soules pay deare in Purgatory fire But they deny any Purgatory for the body therefore they cannot truly affirme there is any for the soule For thus shall the judgements of God be just saith Epiphanius in Ancorat whilst both participate either punishment for sin or reward for vertue which just judgement they greatly impeach by laying upon the soule only the punishment of those sins which have been committed by the whole man He shall even fine the sons of Levi. The parties whom he should purge and fine his owne called the sons of Levi because they were and are spirituall Priests All they who are Christs are truely spirituall Priests Doctrine 1. Pet. 2.9 Revel 1.6 And purifie them as gold and silver Thus Gods people and his Church are compared and resembled not to base but to the most excellent and most pretious mettalls That they may bring offerings unto the Lord. Here is the end why they are purged and purified by Christ to offer up sacrifices pure ones and such as should be acceptable Verse 4. Now these offerings are Evangelicall not Legall their persons prayers prayses almes and such like vide Cap. 1.11 offering Offerings in righteousnesse Their sacrifices shall be pure opposite to the sacrifices of the Iewes which were corrupt and polluted The works and worship of such as are purged Doctrine are pure and holy Vide Cap. 1.11 A pure offering Offerings in righteousnes Some of our Papists understand this place as that Cap. 1.11 of the sacrifice of the Masse and the offering up of Christ in it But by these reall and outward sacrifices are understood the spirituall sacrifices of the Gentiles and Church under Christ Under the Gospel Doctrine Christians are freed from all outward and reall sacrifices to be offered immediately to God and of them are onely required spirituall sacrifices vide Cap 1.11 VERS IV. Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be acceptable unto the Lord as in old time and in the yeares a fore THen shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be acceptable In this verse is noted the acceptablenesse of their sacrifices the summe is that if every any of the sacrifices of old offered by Abel Abraham and other of the Patriarkes were acceptable then undoubtedly these those being onely the figures and shadowes of the other Of Iudah and Ierusalem By these is understood the whole Church wheresoever in Cities or Countries so that some particular should be figured by these as by Iudah the universal Church dispersed by Ierusalem the Metropolitane City the Apostles sea and seat that is Rome is boldly affirmed but barely proved by Ribera for why this more then Antioch where Peter first sate or Ierusalem it selfe where Iames was or Constantinople and other Cities where other of the Apostles were it is more then he can give us any reason for As in old time in the yeares afore Shewing that God is the same to his and will receive as acceptably their sacrifices and offerings as ever he did in former times As in this place hath not the force of comparison or equality but of indication or shewing or as some of correspondency of the thing figured Sicut signifies similitudinem non aequalitatem as Levit. 19.18 Some would have it to have the force not of
similitude but certainty That as they were acceptable to the Lord and Scripture which is truth hath said it so as certainly shall these sacrifices be accepted Then When they are pure and their offerings pure not else though they be Iudah and Ierusalem whatsoever their number glory and dignity is God accepts no mans prayers Doctrine and service moved by any outward things as dignity of persons vertue or place or office nor outward priviledges if they want faith and holinesse vide Cap 1.9 Then shall they be acceptable When they are purged and not before A mans prayer shall not be accepted unlesse he be purged Doctrine and clensed reconciled to God and justified and sanctified è con tra vide Cap. 1.10 As in old time and the yeares afore Here is amplified the former the acceptation of their offerings either by similitude as those so these or the certainty set downe that as certainly as they were received and were acceptable so certainly should theirs be It is as certaine a truth that God will graciously Doctrine and favourably accept the offerings prayers almes and other the spirituall service of those under the Gospel as it is certaine he did graciously accept the offerings of Abel Abraham Iaacob the holy Patriarkes and other of the forefathers now this is certain for it is apparently set down in the Scriptures as Gen. 4. and 22. and such then the other the 11. to the Heb. proves the one and is applied Cap. 12.1 to prove the other manifestly unto us For they are brought onely for a provocation to those duties but as an assurance of the like acceptation To this purpose for prayers is that Jam. 5.16.17.18 Because God as he is ever one and the same in himselfe Reason 1 so is he to all those who are his the like affected to them as a father loves all his children and will accept the service of one as of another will heare the request of the yongest as the eldest Because they have the same thing Reason 2 which made their prayers and workes pleasing and gave them boldnesse to the throne of grace Heb. 11.4.6 Which is faith Because they have the same spirit helping their infirmities Reason 3 Rom. 8.26 And the same Mediator giving them favour in his eies boldnesse and entrance Ephe. 3.12 Yea and the spirit in greater measure and more abundance and the Mediator more manifested unto them Then have we no need at all to pray Vse 1 and invocate the Sâ—ints departed that they would commend our prayers to God and pray for us when we are certaine our prayers may be heard as well as theirs Upon this ground sure it was that in all the Scriptures we find not any thing touching this no succeeding ages praying to their predecessors not Iaacob and the Patriarkes to Abel or Abraham not the posterity ever to them not the people to their Prophets departed not in the Gospel ever found either Precept or Practice of it nor in the Primitive and first Church for divers hundred years after Christ If Bellar. l. 1. de sancto beatit C. 20. give us it for a reason why the Fathers before Christ neither prayed in particular for the Church upon earth neither were prayed to because they were absent from God and did not enjoy his sight and presence but were in Limbus and not in heaven The same reason can e give them that for a long while after Christ there was none because it was doubted in the Church whether the faithfull departed out of this world be immediately received into heaven and enjoy the happy presence of God or whether they remaine and stay in Abrahams bosome or some place of rest till the day of the resurrection yea Iraencus Iust Martyr Tertullian and others thought that they abode in some part of hell or in some hidden and invisible place sequestred from the presence of God til the second comming of the son of man Therefore must it follow that invocation is but an innovation But to conclude seeing they know not our wants nor can take notice of our prayers heare us neither can we have any certainety of it if it were so and are certaine from the word of God that our prayers shall be heard as well as theirs We have not need to pray to them nor reason to induce us to it we neither in this nor any other thing adore them but as S. August de verâ religione 55. We honour them for imitation but adore them not for religion This teacheth us the priviledge Vse 2 those who are reconciled justified purged and sanctified have above others because they may both have accesse to God and have assurance to be heard To encourage every one that is Gods Vse 3 to doe service unto him to bring offerings and offer up their prayers being assured before-hand that they shall be accepted not onely heard but graciously heard not onely received but favourably received therefore ought they to come with confidence and boldnesse unto the throne of grace And if at any time they be fainting and doubing whether they shall be accepted or no let them call to mind how God hath received others and their offerings and apply this unto it and so strengthen and encourage themselves with assurance to be graciously accepted seeing they know God is the same now that before he that is not onely as a father like affected to his children but that which a father is not able to doe that to oft as to another to the youngest as to the eldest to the children of the Church of the Gentiles as it were his second wife as of the Jewes his first wife Provided they have the same faith the same spirit the same mediator when they come unto him which others have had who have beene graciously accepted then shall they be certainely received If they object that they are not so worthy as others have not such strength of faith such greatnesse of grace and such like I answer first this smells of infirmity and pride that as they thought to be heard for their much babling so these for their great worthinesse And secondly that children who seeke any thing from their father and hope to receive as others have done doe not looke upon their worthinesse but the naturalnesse of their fathers love VERS V. And I will come neere to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the sooth-sayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages and vex the Widow and the fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of bosts AND I will come neere unto you in judgement The Prophet having spoken of the effect of Christs power touching the godly and faithfull and in them he speakes now of it in respect of the wicked whom he would judge and condemne neither should there be any evasion from his judgements neither any way to
and the Ninivites and such like Now I say remoove or mitigate because they are not alwaies taken away when the party repenteth After Davids repentance the child died and the sword departed not from his house And the Prophet Mich. 7.9 brings the people humbling themselves under a corporall punishment Because God is just Reason 1 Now justice punisheth not where there is no sin or not twice a sin punished before now he that repents hath taken away sinne * Peccatum genuit dolorem dolor contrivit peccatum ut lignum vermem vermis Ilgnum Chrysost Reason 2. Sin begets sorrow and sorrow destroies sin as the wood breeds the worme and the worme eates the wood yea repentance punisheth 1. Cor. 11.31 repentance prevents or remooves punishments Yet though the punishment be mitigated it is not alwaies remooved because in his love and wisdome he discernes it good it should still remaine as a chastisement not punishment both to humble them and prevent sin in them to be a terrour and an example to others and to justifie himselfe before men To see the necessity of repentance and to exhort us to fall upon the practice of it eriously and speedily That that is threatned may be prevented so that we take the right course Rev. 2.5 I will come unto thee quickly and will remoove thy candlesticke out of his place There is the threatning against the Church of Ephesus but the next words shew us the way of prevention Except thou repent But ye say wherein shall we returne The Prophet having reprooved them in the generall in the beginning of the verse proceedeth now to particulars in these words and this by occasion of the former words which noteth out to us their spirituall pride that conceived of themselves to have no need of repentance for they were righteous and had not any such sin in them that they need returning Spirituall pride Doctrine when men conceive of themselves they are rich and righteous and have no need of repentance of Christ is an odious and vile sinne Revel 3.17 I am rich I stand in need of nothing VERS VIII Will a man spoyle his gods yet have ye spryled me but ye say Wherein have we spoyled thee In tithes and offerings WIll a man spoyle his gods The Prophet proceedeth to other sins and a great one horrible and impious sacriledge which was committed by these in detaining from God his tithes and first fruits and in reprooving this he argueth first from the generall right then from the fact and thirdly from the event The generall right is no man ought to spoyle another or defraud him fraud and rapine is a heynous kinde of injury and so the more great grievous when it is joyned with greatest audaciousnesse and contempt as if they defraud and rob him to whom they owe much whose authority they ought to reverence and whom they ought greatly to honour As the Prince and the King the Judge and the Priest The force of this reason stands in the interrogation will a man spoyle his gods An argument from the comparison of the persons betwixt man and God the one so common and meane the other so excellent and great It is a sinfull thing and blame worthy for men to injure men even the meanest much more an honourable man as the Prince but most wicked and impious to deale so with the great and glorious God their Prince and Governour Yet have ye spoyled me Here is their fact amplified from the persons who and to whom ye me you whom I have enriched with so many great and extraordinary blessings and benefits and who ought specially to honour and worship me give me all that you possibly can The word translated spoyling is used among the Hebrewes to signifie the taking away of another mans goods and specially by fraud As in that Prov. 22.22.23 And so the meaning is will a man spoyle his God that is take away by fraud that is his Gods but you have done so to me you have taken away my goods and the things that belong to me by fraud and deceit But ye say wherein This is the exception of this people against that the Prophet hath accused them of and it is by denying the fact and thinke so to reject the fact from themselves and put God to prove when and wherein they had done any such injury to him In tithes and offerings The Lord proceeds and replies shewing them wherein they had spoyled him and were sacrilegious in that the tenths first fruits which the Lord had appointed for his Priests and the officers of the Temple they had fraudulently or violently or howsoever detained from them By offerings is here understood the first fruits which they were to bring and offer to the Lord towards the maintenance of the Tabernacle and the offices of it He reprooves them here of sacriledge against God and his worship and in condemning of this to aggravate the greatnesse of it he shewes how affectioned Idolaters and superstitious men are unto their false and feigned gods to give to them and and not to dispoile or take any thing from them for so much the interrogation sheweth Will he He will not but deale most liberally with him Idolaters at all times are and have been very liberall Doctrine and bountifull to their Idols and their service and their false worship so far from taking from them as they have thought nothing too much for them so much the Prophet insinuates here and as much is manifest Ezek. 16.16.17.18.19 And thou didst take thy garments deckedst thine high places with divers colours plaiedst the harlot thereupon the like thing shall not come neither hath any done so thou hast also taken thy faire Iewels made of my gold and of my silver which I had given thee and madest to thy selfe images of men and did dest commit whoredome with them And tookest thy broidered garment and coveredst them and thou hast set mine oile and my perfume before them My meat also which I gave thee as fine flower oile and honey wherewith I fed thee thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour Thus it was saith the Lord God Exod. 32.3 They brake off and gave away their golden ear-rings to make an Idoll 2. Kings 16.3 and 17.17 They bestowed their children on Idols Judg. 17.3 The mother of Micha gave 200. shekels of silver to the founder to make a graven and a molten Image Because this is a voluntary and free service of their own heads and inventions now we see in all things men spend more freely Reason 1 and more liberally upon their owne inventions then upon those things which they are tied unto Men bestow more upon their own children Because Idolatry and superstition is naturall and sensible agreeable to nature and sense and so more pleasant and delightfull Reason 2 on things that are delightfull and pleasant men bestow more time more tendance and more goods Because
Idolatry is accounted adultery an Idol a harlot an Idolater an Adulterer passim in Scripturis Now as one saith Reason 3 non minor superstitionis quā libidinis impetus adrapiendos homines Men are as mad upon an Idol as upon a harlot and as they will spend all to satisfie their lust so to follow their superstition This may serve to reject Vse 1 and justly the suite of our Papists for favour and forbearance upon this ground because of the great cost which their ancestors they say have bestowed upon this land in building of Schooles Colledges and Hospitalls and endowed them with rich possessions D Bishop prefat they must first presuppose and indeed prove that it is the truth which they professe and that theirs is the true religion else may any idolater in the world make the same reason for himselfe and so may an adulterer plead for favour because he hath been at such cost charges with his harlot and endowed her and hers with such great riches but if not the one why the other why might not the Canaanites by the same reason have pleaded for favour from the Israelites Deuter. 6.10.11 Yet it was not any motive to bring favour unto them nay for all that they were commanded to destroy them And can the Church have a better guide and Christian common-wealthes a better example But it may be that they suppose that this should prove that their superstition is true religion because they thus decked it bestowed infinite cost otherwise upon it By the same reason may any idolater in the world plead that it is the truth and the true worship of God seeing their bounty towards their false Gods hath beene equall in most things and superiour in divers to this of theirs yea by this reason might many a harlot plead against the lawfull and just wife that she was not so but her self because she lives in the house is maintained daintily gorgeously when the other is excluded and shut out in poverty and misery but if not this why that but in all this I grant them but that which may easily be proved to the contrary that our ancestors in the first institution of these things did not intend the Popish faith and relition Then is it not to be wondred at Vse 2 if we see the great liberality of our superstitious Papists towards their superstitions and idolatry for it hath beene so with all idolaters whatsoever and no reason but it should be so with this which is more naturall and fitting the humours and corruption of nature then any other superstition in the word And as some say to Manna that it fitted and was tastfull to every pallate according to the humour of it so may we more certainely say of this as hath beene divers times shewed that it is fitting to the ambitious covetous voluptuous licentious and every one of what affection soever is it any marvaile then though men be marveilous liberall when as every man that hath it cares not what he bestowes upon his humour besides their doctrine of merits hath brought them in no small gaine specially from men who lie a dying who to inrich them though they laboured all their life to inrich their wife and children yet care not how poore they leave them then because they are so taught that by such meanes they may redeeme their soule and satisfie for many things they else might suffer what will not a man give to save his life when he is upon the gallowes more in this Yet ye have spoyled me Their fact and offence in the relation and comparison which standes thus they that is idolaters will not spoyle but they will cleave fast unto their Gods and be very devout yet ye have not done so to me Idolaters often cleave faster Doctrine and are more devout to their Idols and their worship then they who professe the truth cleave or are devoted to the Lord. It should teach us in that to imitate them lest they rise up in judgement and condemne us Vse Let it be our resolution as it is in Mic. 4.5 For all people will walke every one in the name of his God and we will walke in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Have ye Upon whom I have bestowed many and great things yet have ye spoiled me and so makes their sinne the greater They who have received more from God then others Doctr. if they contemne and injure him and take from him his due or any such like they offend more then the rest vide Cap. 1.12 but ye have polluted it Spoiled me They tooke away and with-held the maintainance of his Ministers who were the instruments and meanes of his worship therefore he accounts himselfe to be injured and spoiled Hence a generall doctrine The injury contempt and abuse committed against the meanes of Gods worship is held to be done against God himselfe Doctr. Thus God takes this done to his Ministers vide cap. 1.7 The table of the Lord is not to be regarded In tithes and offerings This is that wherein they had offended and God complaines he was spoiled because the portion of their goods which was due to him they had kept from his house and Ministers It is a sacrilegious and impious thing Doctrine for men to with-hold or withdraw the maintenance of the Ministers So much the Prophet affirmeth here so much all those places prove which command such things to be given to the Ministers As Num. 18.21 For behold I have given the children of Levil all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their servie which they serve in the Tabernacle of the congregation Deuter. 12.19 Beware that tho for sake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth And 14.27 Nehem. 13.10.11 And I perceive that the portions of the Levites had not beene given and that every one was fled to his land even the Levites and singers that executed the worke Then reproved I the Rulers and said why is the house of God forsaken and I assembled them and set them in their place Luke 18.12 1 Cor. 9.7.9.10.11.13.14 Gal. 6.6 1 Tim. 5.17.18 Because this is to rob and spoile God Reason 1 as it is here affirmed and proved by that where the Ministers maintenance being tithes is called the Lords holy to the Lord Lev. 27.30 Also all the tith of the Land both of the seed of the ground and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords it is holy to the Lord. Things are said to be the Lords either by a common duty as it were the homage that all creatures owe unto the Lord as their Creator or in respect of his rule governement of them for this all things are his both good and bad of which that is Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lord and all that therein is the world and they that dwell therein Or in respect of a propriety and immediate right he hath in them and so
loc This hath beene by your meanes or From your hand so Hebr. Chald. Lxx. The Tigur and Tremell This evill hath beene done by your meanes So our old authorised English doth expresse it and it seemes to answer to the interpretation of S. Hierom and his followers This hath not beene so much your Fathers sinne as yours not so much the peoples as yours the Priests Therefore you that have angred the Lord doe you Pray Will hee regard your persons Wee had the same phrase in the former Verse see it there Onely the Vulg. taking this whole Verse for a councell not an Ironie reades If by any meanes he may receive you Others If by any meanes hee may take his face 1 his anger from you And the word will beare that too for Nasa is Auserre as well as suscipere Theodoret yet otherwise Doe you thinke God will receive you to favour without repentance and Prayer Others will he regard you more then the rest will he be partiall no you shall smart also Secondly hee threatens the rejecting of their sacrifices Verse 10 ver 10. Who is there even among you that would shut the dores for naught neither doe you kindle fire on my Altar for naught I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Winkleman thinkes hee passes here to a new reproofe to condemne their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeking dishonest gaine even in Minutissimis And so it seemes the composer of the short notes in our old large Eng. bibles thought whose margine hath onely this Against all those that follow Religion for lucres sake Sr. Cyrill and Sr. Hierom seeme to take it as a provocation of them to serve God better you doe nothing in my service but you get by it why then doe you neglect it If nothing else the reward might make you diligent But most take it as a rejecting of their sacrifices though they goe not the same way because they differ in the reading of the Text. Who is there among you that would shut the dores that yee might not kindle mine Altar in vaine So the Chald. Lxx. Theod. Vatabl. I would some body would shut the doores that they might not offer these polluted sacrifices to no purpose Who is there that would shut the dores And kindle not fire on my Altar in vaine So the Geneva and their note is God desires they would rather shut the dores then receive and burne such offrings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The author of the following commentary followes that In which I must depart from him because wee in our last and the best English translation reade the words otherwise as above Wee supply the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For naught out of the following sentence as Piscator also doth Who is there that would shut the dores for naught Unto which I will offer a double sense 1. There are none of your that would or did serve mee without recompense and therefore being so ingaged to serve mee and yet withall so unthank full I have no pleasure in you or your sacrifices Or 2. Who is there even among you any of you for I will even make your selves the Judges that would so farre gratifie the people as to open the dores of the Temple to pray for them or to kindle the Altar to sacrifice to make atonement for them and yet not be respected by them but doe all this for naught they bringing you the refuse tythes poore meane and corrupt offerings as good as if they brought none at all But so yee deale with mee and despise my name Therefore I have no pleasure in you nor will accept your offering Who would shut the dores 1 of the Temple The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The double dores The difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ianua and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ostium see in Genes 19.6 Lot went out at the doore ad ostium id est aperturam The dore place and shut the dore Ianuam The opening dore after him The Greeke expresseth the difference more clearely Lot went out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the porch or outward dore And shut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dore the inner dore after him But to returne to the Text in hand these two-leaved dores of the Temple were daily to bee opened by the Priests of the familie of Korah where they wayted as it were to watch their watches there See Cron. 16.38.26.1.2 Cron. 35.15 Henr Mollerus in Psalmū 84. ver 11. Neither doe yee kindle fire on my Altar illustrate my Altar so Tremell or as Montan. hath it Cause my altar to shine which is also to the sense of our translation because things kindled or set on fire doe shine According to that of Virgil. Collucent ignes and Maenia respiciens quae jam infelicis Elisae _____ Collucent flammis The Lxx render it as we doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee kindle The Chald. paraphrase expresseth the meaning too yee offer upon my Altar I have no pleasure in you The Italian I doe not esteene you a jot I will not accept an offering c. The word here is Minhha of which see the next verse in which Thirdly he threatens the remoovall of his worship ver 11 12 13. where we consider I. The translation in the word of illation For Tremell reades it Verse 11 But and Piscator therefore would have it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we need not so supply the originall in which wee have a cleare context in which God passeth from the former threatning to this as alleadging this as a reason of the former I will not accept their offering for I have other people that more reverence me II. The threatning it selfe let downe by a comparison of dissimilitude betweene the Iewes and the Gentiles where 1. The proposition she wing the Gentiles care of his worship ver 11. 2. The reddition shewing the Iewes neglect and profaning of it ver 12.13 First the proposition shewing the Gentiles care of Gods Worship and respect unto it ver 11. From the rising of the Sunne to the gowing downe of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall bee offred unto mine name and a pure offering for my name shall bee great among the heathen saith the Lord of Hosts I will abolish your sacrifices impure and bounded in one narrow land my name and my worship shall not bee confined in Iudaea but the whole World shall bee my Temple and all Nations shall worship with pure offerings for my name shall and will be magnified among them every where From the rising of the Sunne to the going downe that is every where from East to West And what if these Westerne parts of the World be particularly prophesyed of to enjoy the worship of God after the Iewes which were in the East Or what if these Islands
of ours that lie in the Sea into which the Sunne is said To goe downe which is an expression of the old Greeke Poets see Ioh. Scapula in Them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Prophet here useth such a word in the other originall when the West is called according to the vulgar conceit The Sun-set or The sunnes going downe or Going in introitus solis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lie downe or Goe in My name great the Gen. supplies IS we supply it shall be great Gods Name what it is we saw ver 6. Shall bee great Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glorified Among the Gentiles in the end of the verse they are cal'd The heathen but the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Iewes theselves are also ordinarly called Gojim Esa 9.3 Thou hast multiplied the nation Hagoi The Thargum there the people of the house of Israel Ezek. 2.3 I send thee to the children of Israel to a rebellious Nation Gojim Nations called so in the plurall because though they were but one people they were many tribes or divided into many factions But when the word is opposed to the Jewes as here it denotes other people that are not of the seed of Abraham who in the new testament are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Math. 10.5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.11 Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word the Lxx use here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though this word also be used for the Iewes even in the new Testament Luc. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee loved our Nation That is the Iewes But the Iewes used the word ordinarily to signifie another people and a people of another worship and to this day they use to call a Christian Goi A gentile As wee now also doe use the words Heathen Gentiles Pagans for such people as are without Christ or are without the covenant At in the Apostles time they ordinarily called all such as were not of the Church or which used to bee called Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greekes because the greatest part of the East Country spake Greeke and that people were the principall among the Gentiles which were knowne unto the Iewes But the Syriacke of the new Testament instead of Grecians usually turnes it Aramaeans see Tremell Marg. ad Act. 20.21.21.28 Rom. 29. And the difference of the Graecian and Graecist in the language of the new Testament see in Goodwyn Mos Ar. lib. 1. cap. 3. And in every place incense offered So also the Lxx. Arab. Syr. Pagn The Tigur Arias Mont. For Kitter and Ktora Ktoreth and the word that is here Muktar doe all signifie Incense or Perfume It is spoken in the language of the Leviticall Law which is ordinary with the Prophets to set out the spirituall worship of God under the time of the Gospell Yea under the Law it selfe Prayer was resembled by the Psalmist unto Incense Psal 14.1.2 And the same resemblance is used in the new Testament Apoc. cap. 5.8 Offered and so the Lxx Pagn Tigur Put so the Syr. the Arab. of Antioch Made but the other Arab. reades it Brought All agreeable both to the signification of the word Muggash of Nagash To drawe neare Or To come neare that which is offred it Drawes neare unto God and to the use of Incensing Onely the Vulg. Lat. translates it Sacrificed but improperly Yet the popish interpreters make use of that translation for their purpose in the interpreting of the next words of the Sacrifice of the Masse though without reason as wee shall see And a pure Offering This I say the Pontificians interpret of the Masse for say they the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minhha signifies specially that offering of fine flower Levit. 2.1 which was say they a type of the Eucharist But I Mincha doth not alwayes signify a sacrifice as wee shall see afterwards And. 2. The words of the Prophet cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally bee understood of the Masse for the popish Priests doe not offer Fine flower and oyle and frankincense which goe all to the making of this Mincha of which see the place Levit. 2.1.2 and Maimon Tr. de Sacrif cap. 13. s 5. And for farther answer to this interpretation see the following commentary fully together with Chemnit Examen parte 2ª lib. 6. de Missa arg 8. There are diverse other interpretations The roote of this Hebr. word is Manahh an Arabique verbe signifying To give and Minhha is any solemne gift or present To man as Genes 32.13 Iacob tooke Mincha a present for Esau So Genes 43.11.1 Sum. 10.27 and 2 Sam 8.6 The Syrians became servants to David brought gifts He. Mincha gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But especially it is a present or gift to God which when it is of cattel it is called Korban and when of things inanimate as flower cakes wafers c. it is called Mincha So Gen. 4 3. Cain brought of the fruite of the ground Mincha an offring to the Lord. But most strictly it signified those particular kindes of meate offerings mentioned Lev. 2. There were five kinds of thē in that Chapter and among them that of fine flower which was to be offred every morning and evening Exod. 29.38.39.40.41 This Mincha was primarily a figure of Christs Oblation who gave himselfe for an offering to God for us Eph. 5.2 So Heb. 10.5 c. The Apostle openeth the 40th Psalme A type of Christ but not of the Eucharist Secondly it figured the persons of Christians who through Christ are sanctifyed to bee pure Oblations to God Prophecyed of Esa 66.20 The Gentiles shall bee brought for an offring Mincha to the Lord. To which place or rather to this of the Prophet Malachy the Apostle seemes to allude Rom. 15.16 where hee calls the convrtsion of the Gentiles through the Gospell An oblation or offering or Sacrificing of the Gentiles unto God in which respect also hee calls his preaching a Sacrifice as Erasmus reades it also Sacrificans Evangelium Though the phrase be obscure Hugo's interpretation here was of the Proselytes who should be an offring to the Lord to the Temple Ex omni loco from every place But it is not so in the Text but In every place And this sense agrees better with the conversion of us the Gentiles Thirdly it figured the fruites of grace and good works particularly Prayer The Iewish interpeters say this pure offering is meant of the prayers of the holy Iewes every were disperst So the Chalde paraphrase I will receive your prayers and it shall bee like a pure offering before mee But the place speakes of the Gentiles Therefore it is that Tertullian occasionally and Vatabl. and Calvin ad Loc. understand it of Christians their performing of worship to God in the dueties of holinesse and love Hence dueties of love are called Sacrifices Hebr.
here is this Iudah the sonne of praise or confession as wee finde the reason of the name in the imposition Genes 29.35 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confessus est laudavit he even Iudah the sonne of praise and he in whom I am well knowne Psal 76.2 hee hath done that which is unto my dishonour Secondly from the subject place In Israel and Ierusalem of Israel see verse 1. Ierusalem was the Metropolis of Iudaea It was first called Salem where Melchisedec was King Genes 14.18 Afterwards it was called Iebus Judg. 19.10 being in the hands of the Iebusites which made our Minsheiu compound it of Iebus and Salem as if the name were Iebusalem and for better sound the B changed into R. But when David got it out of the Iebusites hands he called it Ierusalem of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videbunt pacem They shall see peace And I the rather assent to this derivation then to that of G. Pasor in his Etyma nom propr at the end of his Lexic in N.T. who would derive it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timete Schalemum Feare yee Salem A name as hee thinkes given by the Iebusites to the place out of the confidence of their strength which cannot bee made evident neither doe his other reasons hold See the place in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I the rather I say assent to the former derivation because David built to the old City of Iebus or Salem a new addition unto mount Sion which was mount Moriah lying in the midst betwixt Sion and Salem the very place which Abraham long before had named Iireh will See as it is Genes 22.14 Hee called the name of that place Iehovah-Iireh The Lord will see Which haply is the reason why the name of this City hath a duall forme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ordinarily without Iod as it is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it bee singular because it was made up of two parts or two Citties the upper and lower Concerning the Situation see I. Weemse Expos of Moses Lawes vol. 2. lib. 1. Exercit 6.7 and Lud. Capell Hist Apost pag. 146 c. The meaning of the place as it is an aggravation of their sinne is cleare enough of it selfe Thirdly From the qualitie of the sinne Iudah hath dealt treacherously An abomination is committed And hath married the daughter of a strange God Their marrying of strange women the worshippers of an heathen Idoll was a treachery against the wives of their owne tribes and against God an Abomination or an hatefull thing in Gods sight a thing that he loathes Concerning the question De disparitate cultue whether it bee to bee reckoned Inter Impedimenta Matrimonii besides what we shall finde in the following commentary I referre to Reginald praxis Fori lib. 31. cap. 21. Num. 168. and other Casuists who answer negatively So doe the Geneva Divines in their answer to the 8 questions proposed to them which are inserted among Zanchy's epistles lib. 1 ad finem Epistolae 58. and Lucas Osiander ad hunc loc This question divided S. Augustine and S. Hierom as P. Mart. affirmes comment in 1. Reg. 3.1 Where hee hath a very large discourse against marriage contracted by those of diverse religions yet allowes it in conclusion so that both parties doe meet in the beliefe of the maine Articles of the Creed which he saith hee puts in for the mitigation of the severer sentence which yet was the sentence of the Ancients admitting no marriage with any of another faith as it collected by Gratian cansa 28. qu. 1. cave c. and non oportet c. But of this obiter Hath married 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vnlg. Hath had Pagn Hath had to doe with Montan. Hath tooke to wife Piscat Hath had an husbandly dominion over The Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath loved Schindler Deamavit hath greatly beloved The word will beare all these and more but ours have translated it according to the prime and most used signification of the word The daughter of a strange God They are called 1 King 11.1 strange women As the heathen Idolls are called Gen. 35.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strange Gods No nation formerly but the Iewes did worship the true God so that any woman of another Nation might bee called The daughter of a strange God which I suppose was the reason of Deodates note A woman of a strange Nation or religion The Lxx here take no notice of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filia or seem to have mistaken it for some other word and have rendred the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath beene diligent towards other Gods Fourthly the last aggravation of their sinne is from the effect of it For Iudah hath profaned the holinesse of the Lord which hee loved Or ought to love Kodesch The Holines that is the holy and separate land of Iudaea the Country that God had chosen to bee holy and peculiar to him they had defiled and their owne dignity who were a people holy unto the Lord and beloved This interpretation is given by the commentary which is that also of S. Hier. Remigius Hugo c. There are others the Vulg. reades The Sanctification Pagnin and the Tigur the holy place The Chalde Paraphrase They have defiled their owne soule which was sanctified to the Lord or before him and beloved of him The Lxx The holy things Some understand the Temple so Osiander some the Law some Their Religion and the worship of God some as Vatabl Piscat and many others The holy or sanctified ordinance of Marriage made by the Lord. I assent to S. Hierom as above II. The sinne thus discovered is threatned Verse 12. Verse 12 The Lord will cut off the man that doth this the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts He threatens an utter dispersion even of the whole families of such The Lord will cut off The Lord will scatter him so the Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or cut him downe or loppe off his boughes Piscator expresseth it thus The Lord will cut off his children that doth thus the children that he begets of the daughter of a strange God Haply hee had respect to those Rabbins who interpret this phrase To be cut off To dye without children which the Reader may see in a peculiar discourse of Sixt. Amama Antib Bibl. appendice ad Genes 17.14 pag. 954 c. Where there is more of this phrase Our commentary makes it a Metaphor from the use of Physitians who cut off rotten members or of the Sword or Axe which cuts off the head and so wee have the word 1. Sam. 31.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They cut off his head The man that doth this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is faeminine but used Neutrally and so it is by all interpreted The
liquor or liquid matter is transmitted or streined thorough a narrow vessell seive or cloth so that the purer part may goe through and the dreggy may bee left The Lxx Hee shall powre forth as metall which is melted Pagn Hee shall melt them Montan. Hee shall boyle them The Chald reades as we doe He shall purge them Theodoret understood this of the conversion of many Levites to the Faith of Christ as Ioses Acts 4.36 and many Priests Acts 6 7. S. Hier. Remig. Rupert Eyr c. understand it of a new order of Levites to bee instituted for the service of the Gospel And we know that the Ministers of the Gospell are prophecyed of under that name and of Priests Esay 66.21 See the learned conference with Hart chap. 8. divis 4. pag. 470. But Ioh. Deodate interprets it of all true Christians and refers to Apo. 1.6 Rom. 12.1 Him I assent to Secondly the end of his worke in purging them That they may offer unto the Lord an offering The Geneva that they may bring offerings The word is Mincha here too of which see before Hee still speakes in the propheticall phrase They shall be purged that they may serve God purely and acceptably or offer an offering 1. Pure 2. Acceptable I. A pure offering That they may offer an offering in righteousnesse that is holily and purely performed according as is required See the phrase Ps 51.19 II. An acceptable offering ver 4. Verse 4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord. And so the Vulg. Acceptable so the Geneva Chald. shall bee entertained freely Vatabl. and Pagn shall bee sweete So wee have rendred it Ierem. 6.20 Nor your sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweet unto me That the place is meant of the Service of the Church as it is Now I doubt not but that Judah is the Latine Church and Ierusalem Rome as Ribera would have it I passe as a partiall fancy of a Romish interpreter As in the dayes of old and in the former or ancient times As acceptable as were the Sacrifices which Abel Noah Melchisedec Abrabam Moses Aaron c. Offered 2. The effects of his comming in respect of the wicked exitiall and terrible ver 5.6 where wee may consider 1. The judgement ver 5. 2. The certainty of the judgement ver 6. I. Verse 5 The judgement ver 5. where 1. What it is 2. Against whom First what the judgment is And I will come neare to you in judgment and I will bee a swift witnesse against c. you said where is the God of judgment I will make it appeare unto you that I am hee The Tigurine I will come and I will draw neare A phrase like that Genes 18.21 I will goe downe and see that I may punish A metaphor from the custome of Itinerarie Iustices or Iudges that hold Assises in their Circuits I know this most interpreters ancient and others who understand the former of Christs first Comming doe thinke this is meant of his Second for which I cannot see reason but rather thinke this to bee the sense Though the comming of the Messiah bring so much comfort along with it and bring salvation to the World yet against such as continue in their sinnes and thereby encrease the guilt of them the more by how much more grace is offered unto them against such I will come to judgment and will bee a swift witnesse against them And thus I make it to bee the speech of God taken Substantialiter who is in the end of the Verse againe called The Lord of hosts as all along the prophecie and not Personaliter for Christ Which interpretation notwithstanding I doe submit as I doe all the rest And I will bee a swift witnesse against An hasty witnesse so the Tigur Vatablus Ready Tremel most speedy The Lxx as we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A swift witnesse The Trope here also is a Metaphor and the affection of the Metaphor seemes to be a Catachresis witnesse being put for Iudge I will soone upon the evidence of your fact give judgement against you Among men the witnes and the judge must be distinct That of Ioh. Bodin De republ lib. 6. pag. 1185 is generally received If the fact be onely knowne to the judge he may bee a witnes of it but a judge hee cannot bee And to the question whether a judge be bound to give sentence Secundum allegata probata The Canons speake affirmatively Gratian. Caus 2. qu. 1. et 7. plerunque c. and so also to omit others it is determined by the learned Henr. Bocerus de Iurisdict cap. 6. sect 34. and by Ioh. Weems Exercit. vol. 2. lib. 2. cap. 17. And there is reason it should be so among men But God being infinitely present an eye-witnesse of every fact and infinitely wise free from all possibility of error and infinitely holy out of all suspicion of being corrupted may be and is both witnesse and judge See for further light Gene. 31.50 Iud. 11.10.1 Sam. 12.5 Iob 16.19 Ierem. 29.23 Ioh. 8.16 17 18. See also Ioh. Buxtorf in Comment Masoret cap. 14. in Litera ◠We have seen thus what the judgment is 2. Against whom it is against 1. Sorcerers 2. Adulterers 3. False swearers 4. Oppressors of hirelings 5. Oppressors of Widdowes and fatherlesse 6. Oppressors of strangers 7. Such as feare not God First Against the Sorcerers The Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sorcerers or Poysoners But of Pharmaci and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Rhodigin Antiqu. Lect. lib. 6. cap 12. lib. 9. c. 23. the Hebr. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is He that exercises delusions and jugling sleights so that a thing is made to appeare otherwise unto ones eyes then indeed it is Exodus 7.11 12. Upon which two verses the Reader may satissie himselfe in the second disputation and the nine following of Ben. Pererius in cap. 7. Exod. to whom and to Delrio and Wierus I refer him for curiosities of this argument The word is here translated A Sercerer but usually a Witch as Exodus 22.18.2 Chron. 33.6 Dent. 18.10 in which one text are reckoned up the severall sorts of Divination that are forbidden all which are fully explicated by M. Gataker in his Tr. of Lots and all which are to bee understood here under this one head Concerning which and the severall cases about them besides the Popish Casnists Cajetan Peccat Summ. in verbo Divinatio Silvester in eod Tit. Tollet instructio Sacerd. lib. 4. cap. 14 15. Guil. Cantarell Var. Quaest lib 2. Num 474. Bizozerus Sum. Cas pt 2. cap. 4. Memb. 5.6 Fumi Armil Aurea Verbo Divinatio Reginald praxis fori poenit lib 17. cap. 16 17. Martin Bresser de Consc lib. 6. cap. 21. And ours M Perkins of Witchcraft Ioh. Alsted Theol. Cas cap. 13. sect 11. Andr. Rivet Praelect in Exodus 20. pag. 20. Gasper Brockmond System Theol. Tom. 2. arti 18 cap. 18. Cas 11
regarded of him i. The tears of your oppressed wives are as a vaile upon my Altar and do all so cover it that your sacrifices and oblations cannot be seene or make me not accept them when their cryes and their prayers come both before me they doe so trouble and corrupt your prayers and so hinder that they are not heard of me at all Ye have done againe In the second place adding this sinne to the former a greater to the lesse Some who were single tooke strange wives and when others saw that was borne withall and the magistrates did not controule and punish it they proceed to this that having wives of the daughters of God they tooke to them the daughters of a strange God Corruptions suffered in the whole Church and particular members and not reproved punished and corrected Doctrine whether they be in doctrine or manners will soone grow greater or bring in greater And covered the Altar of the Lord with teares The first reason condemning this poligamy is drawne from the grief of the wives and it stands thus That which is a griefe to the wife and fills her heart with forrow and anguish even then when shee comes to Gods Altar Gods service ought not to be done by the husband but such is this The husband ought not to doe that which will grieve and vex his wife and make her unfit for duties to himselfe Doctrine and service to God It is here the force of the Prophets reason And this is the commandement of the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.7 Collo 3.19 This Laban saw by the light of name which made him take an oath of Iaakob Gen. 31.50 If thou shall vex my daughters or shal take wives beside my daughters there is no man with us behold God is witnesse betweene thee and me This made Rebekah so urge Isaac for the departing of Iaakob Gen. 27.46 Because a man must not do that which may grieve or offend a weake brother to drive him backe Reason 1 or make him lesse fit and chearefull in the fervice of God and following of him much lesse a wife Because she is the weaker vessell 1 Pet. 3.7 Reason 2 The weakenesse of the sex craves more indulgence and care As we more easily pardon children if they offend in any thing by reason of the tendernesse of their years and ignorance of it So the infirmity of their sex ought to make men they be not rough and severe with them Some translate it Instrument And as Luther speakes of it as a Knife with a tender edge men will not cut stones brasse or iron with it Because she is partaker of the same and manifold graces of life Reason 3 as some books have it 1 Pet. 3.7 Seeing God hath made her partaker with him of baptisme and of those things that are had by Christ and made her heire of Heaven with him God having thus equalled her it shold restrain him off from grieving her for if we respect the inward man and as every one is in Christ all are equall and there is no difference betweene man and wife yet because God hath so ordained things he must be head and governe and she must be subject and be governed yet in his governement and superiority because God hath thus honoured her he must not be grievous to her To reprove all such husbands as make no care at all of grieving and vexing their wives Vse 1 sometimes when they are present with them sometimes when they are absent and by it And oftentimes such as are ready to cry out of an offence or an occasion of grief which a man is forced to give to his brother yet they care not to grieve their owne flesh in a neerer conjunction By their absence they grieve them seldome at home with them but taking more delight in riotous and dissolute company more in Tavernes and Ordinaries where there are lewd and veine exercises then in the society of their loving and kinde wife making her sit sighing and sobbing at home mingling her meate with teares and her prayers if she savour religion with mourning and weeping or else which falls out with too many for want of their husbands cōpany they fall into the snares of Satan have instruments suggesting to them that their husbands do not love them by which many a woman that otherwise would be honest falls into folly and uncleanenesse which the husbands care loving company would have prevented which commeth at the length to the ruine of them and their houses If they tell me they must goe abroad and have their pleasure and sports I tell them that their necessary going abroad I restraine not but their unnecessary And if they must why may not the wife say so too but I will not be comely to excuse her wandring neither will it be born with there is no reason it should for they looke she should accept their company and be willing to be with them and reason good And why then should not they be as willing to dwell with them and to give them comfort and content and not to vex them by their unnecessary absence which because they were so apt to doe by name they are commanded to dwell with them 1 Pet. 3.7 but the woman onely by implication and consequent but some bide alwaies at home but better for their wives they were absent they are never content with any thing they do but disgrace them before their servants and company and be bitter unto them in word deed and provoke them to unkindnesse distemper by strange cariage of theirs it may be sometimes taking Sarahs may de as Abraham did though Sarah never give her him and so driving them into divers passions distractions making them forget both their sex their duty and hence comes oftentimes so many complaints of wives when the husband is the cause of it As if the head should lead the body through fire water through myre dirt through woods and thickets where it receives much hurt and then complaine of the hurt and paine that it suffereth so many by their strange behaviour draw themselves into contempt and make their wives undutifull and then exclaim against them when they should condemne themselves they have gone against the rule of God and so have brought the curse of God upon them To instruct every man to abstaine from vexing and grieving his wife either by his absence or presence but to dwell with her Vse 2 and delight in her company not withdrawing himselfe from her but upon a good calling and a good cause and then so as she may perceive he takes no delight nay that it is a griefe to him to be an occasion of her griefe and that yet he leaves his heart behinde with her When he is present he must live lovingly and amiably with her abstaining from all things that may grieve her so shall he give her an example to do so to him For they ought not to