of the former rule of decorum in their comparisons than the holy Prophets are Thus hath the Lord spoken unto mee saith Esaias cap. 31. vers 4. Like as the Lion and the young Lion roring on his prey when a multitude of shepheards is called forth against him hee will not bee afraid of their voice nor abase himselfe for the noise of them so shall the Lord of hosts come downe to fight for mount Sion and for the hill thereof Saint Austin hath noted three sorts of errors in setting forth the divine nature of which two go upon false grounds the other is altogether groundlesse Some saith he there be that seeke to measure things spirituall by the best knowledge which they have gotten by sence or art of things bodily Others doe fit the Deity with the nature and properties of the humane soule and from this false ground frame many deceiptfull and crooked rules whilest they endeavour to draw the picture or image of the immutable Essence A third sort there be which by too much straining to transcend every mutable creature patch up such conceipts as cannot possibly hang together either upon created or increated natures and these rove further from the truth then doe the former As to use his instance He which thinkes God to be bright or yellow is much deceived yet his errour wants not a cloke in as much as these colours have some being from God in bodies His errour againe is as great that thinkes God sometimes forgets and sometimes cals things forgotten to minde yet this vicissitude of memorie and oblivion hath place in the humane soule which in many things is like the Creator But hee which makes the Divine nature so powerfull as to produce or beget it selfe quite misseth not the marke onely but the Butt and shoots as it were out of the field for nothing possible can possibly give it selfe being or existence 5 But though in no wise wee may avouch such grosse impossibilities of him to whom nothing is impossible yet must we often use fictions or suppositions of things scarce possible to last so long till we have moulded conceipts of the Essence and Attributes incomprehensible more lively and semblable then can be taken either from the humane soule alone or from bodies naturall To maintaine it as a Philosophical truth that God is the soule of this universe is an impious errour before condemned as a grand seminary of Idolatry Yet by imagining the humane soule to be as really existent in every place whereto the cogitations of it can reach as it is in our bodies or rather to exercise the same motive power over the greatest bodily substance in this world that it doth over our fingers able to weild the Heavens or Elements with as great facility and speed as we doe our thoughts or breath We may by this fiction gaine a more true modell or shadow of Gods infinite efficacy then any one created substance can furnish us withall But whilest we thus by imagination transfuse our conceipts of the best life and motion which we know into this great Sphere which we see or which sute better to the immutable and infinite essence into bodies abstract or mathematicall we must make such a compound as Tacitus would have made of two noble Romanes Demptis utriusque vitiis solae virtutes misceantur The imperfections of both being sifted from them their perfections onely must be ingredients in this compound Yet may we not thinke that the divine nature which we seeke to expresse by them consists of perfections infinite so united or compounded We must yet use a further extraction of our conceits ere wee apply them to his incomprehensible nature CHAP. 2. Containing two philosophicall Maximes which lead us to the acknowledgement of one infinite and incompreâ—ensible Essence VNto every Student that with observance ordinary will survey any Philosophicall tract of causes two maine springs or fountaines doe in a manner discover themselves which were they as well opened and drawne as some others of lesse consequence are wee might baptize most Atheists in the one and confirme good Christians in the other The naturall current of the one directly caries us to an independant cause from whose illimited essence and nature the later affords us an ocular or visible derivation of those generall attributes whereof faith infused giveth us the true taste and relish The former wee may draw to this head Whatsoever hath limits or bounds of being hath some distinct cause or author of being As impossible it is any thing should take limits of being as beginning of being from it selfe For beginning of being is one especiall limit of being 2 This Maxime is simply convertible Whatsoever hath cause of being hath also limits of being because it hath beginning of being for Omnis causa est principium omne causatum est principiatum Every cause is the active beginning or beginner of being and an active beginning essentially includes a beginning passive as fashionable to it as the marke or impression is to the stampe Or in plainer English thus Where there is a beginning or beginner there is somewhat begunne Where the cause is praeâ—xistent in time the distinction or limits of things caused or begun are as easily seene as the divers surfaces of bodies severed in place But where the cause hath onely precedence of nature and not of time as it falleth out in things caused by concomitance or resultance the limits or confines of their being seeme confounded or as hardly distinguishable as the divers surfaces of two bodies glued together Yet as wee rightly gather that if the bodies be of severall kindes each hath its proper surface though the point of distinction bee invisible to our eyes so whatsoever we conceive to have dependance upon another wee necessarily conceive it to have proper limits of being or at least a distinct beginning of being from the other though as it were ingrafted in it But whether we conceive effects and causes distinctly as they are in nature or in grosse so long as wee acknowledge them this or that way conceived to be finite and limited wee must acknowledge some cause of their limitation which as we suppose cannot be distinct from the cause of their being 3 Why men in these dayes are not Gyants why Gyants in former were but men are two Problems which the meere naturalist could easily assoyle by this reason for substance one and the same The vigour of causes productive or conservative of vegetables of man especially from which he receiveth nutrition and augmentation is lesse now then it hath beene at least before the Flood though but finite and limited when it was greatest Why vegetables of greatest vigour ingrosse not the properties of others lesse vigorous but rest contented with a greater numericall measure of their owne specificall vertues is by the former reason as plaine For in that they have not their being from themselves they can take no more then is
saith the Lord that I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander and shall emptie his vessels and breake their bottles And Moab shall bee ashamed of Chemosh at the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence How say yee we are mightie and strong men for the warre Moab is spoyled and gone up out of her cities and his chosen young men are gone downe to the slaughter saith the King whose name is the Lord of hoasts The calamitie of Moab is neere to come and his affliction hasteth fast Ier. 48. 12 13 14 15 16 c. The horne of Moab is cut off and his arme is broken saith the Lord. Make yee him drunken for he magnified himselfe against the Lord. Moab also shall wallow in his vomit and he also shall be in derision For was not Israel a derision unto thee was he found among theeves for since thou spakest of him thou skippedst for joy ver 25 26 27. They shall howle saying How is it broken downe how hath Moab turned the backe with shame so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to al them about him For thus saith the Lord Behold he shall flee as an Eagle shall spread his wings over Moab Kerioth is takeÌ„ the stroÌ„g holds are surprised the mightie mens hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs v. 39. 40 41 As for Babylon if she were stupid and blinde without all foresight feare or apprehension of that hideous stormes approach wherein shee perished the wonder is lesse to any Christian then their stupiditie who thinke her destruction might by rules of policy have bin preveÌ„ted For though her defendants had beene more in number then her proud wals could containe though every one had beene more stout then Hector armed with more hands then Briarius had though every one of her staâ—gazing statesmen had had more politick eyes then Argos had all had beene one totidemque occulos nox occupatuna A messenger from the Lord of hoasts had called for a dimnesse of sight upon her Seers and sung a lullaby to her souldiers everlasting sleepe I will make drunke her Pinces and her Wisemen her Captains and her Rulers and her mightie men and they shall sleepe a perpetuall sleepe and not awake saith the King whose name is the Lord of hoasts Ier. 51 vers 57. So infallibly doth divine Iustice observe the rule of retaliation whereof I shall hereafter speake Though Babylon should mount up to heaven and though shee should fortifie the height of her strengh yet from me shall spoylers 〈◊〉 unto her saith the Lord. Ier. 51. ver 53. For seeing her people hath entred into the sanctuary of the Lords house the Lord wil doe judgement upon her grauen Images vers 52. 15 To conclude The reason of Babels stupiditie and whatsoever oversights the Politician can discover in her related by Xenophon or Herodotus was that the fulfilling of Ieremies Prophesies against her might become more manifest to succeeding ages How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations I have layd a snare for thee and thou art also taken O Babylon and thou wast not aware thou are founde and also caught because thou hast striven against the Lord. The Lord hath opened his armorie hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation for this is the worke of the Lord God of hoasts in the land of the Caldeans Come against her from the utmost border open her storehouses cast her up as heapes and destroy her utterly let nothing of her bee left Ier. 50. vers 23 24 25 26. For she had carried away all that was in Ezekias house all that his father had laid up in store nothing was left as Esaiah had foretold c. 59. v. 36. the exact fulfilling of whose Prophecie is registred by the sacred Historian 2 Chron. 6. verse 18. The sudden surprizall of the Citie and Court of Babylon made the finding of the treasure of Darkenesse and the riches of secret places which the Lord by his Prophet had promised to Cyrus more easie then if his entrance at that time had beene suspected or feared for so the besieged might have had leisure to have hid their treasure where the enemy should hardly have found it 16 But what speciall comfort is this to Sion that Cyrus had done to Babylon as Babylon had done to her This might satiate or somewhat allay the boyling heat of a revengefull minde But is the miserie of an enemy of like use unto Gods people as was the Brazen serpent Can the sight of it cure their griefe or beget true happinesse in such as looke on it It is very probable that Babylons spoiles did helpe to reedifie Ierusalem And albeit the God of Sion had other meanes in store more by many then man can number or conceive for reducing his people into their owne Land we may notwithstanding without censure of curiositie safely conjecture that the disgraces which Nebuchadnezzar his successors has done unto the royall seed of Iudah were the first seedes of their speciall favour and grace with Cyrus Of the plagues threatned by Esaiah unto Ezekiah for shewing his treasures unto the Babylonians it was one part that of his sonnes some should bee Eunuches in the Palace of the King of Babylon Is 39. 7. Now it is unlikely that Cyrus would eyther make the Persians Eunuches or trust the Caldeans about his bodie Daniel and other his fellowes of the royall seed of Iudah being made such unto his hand were men as fit for his purpose as hee could seeke And it was his purpose upon consultation as Xenophon tels us to have Eunuches next about him as men most likely to be trusty Daniel or others of good note amongst this people being admitted to favour for to be of Cyrus bedchamber would not bee defective in procuring their countries good And easie it was for him that causeth darkenesse to bring forth light that turneth the shadow of death into the morning to raise vp a blessing unto his people out of their expiring curse But whether by this meanes or others certaine it is that such of Iudah as escaped Nebuchadnezzars sword were detained captives to him and his sonnes untill the erection of the Persian monarchy 2 Chron. cap. 36. vers 20. Now in the first yeare of Cyrus King of Persia that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah might bee accomplished the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdome and put it also in writing saying Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia All the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given mee and he hath charged mee to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah who is there among you of all his people the Lord his God be with him and
defence against Senacherib who had surprised most of the strong Cities of Iudah and had made Lachish his seat of residence was significantly charactered by the Prophet Micah in the place forecited Evill came downe from the Lord unto the gate of Ierusalem but it entred into the gates of Lachish for so he addes O thou inhabitant of Lachish binde the charet to the swft beast she is the beginning of the sinne to the daughter of Sion for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountaines and burne incense upon the hills under Oakes and Poplars and Elmes because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with harlots therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall Hosea 3. 13 14. 3 The Children of Ammon of Moab and Edom did triumph more then other Nations in the day of Iudahs heavy visitatiō by Nebuchadnezzar and for this cause they have an heavier doome read by Gods Prophets which lived at that time then other Nations had Ezekiel 25. 2 c. Sonne of man set thy face against the Ammonites heare the word of the Lord God Thus saith the Lord God because thou saidst Aha against my Sanctuary when it was prophaned and against the Land of Israel when it was desolate and against the house of Iudah when they went into captivitie Behold therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East for a possession and they shall set their palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee they shall eate thy fruite and they shall drinke thy milke And I will make Rabbah a stable for Camels and the Ammonites a couching place for flocks and yee shall know that I am the Lord. For thus saith the Lord God Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with thy feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despite against the Land of Israel Behold therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee and will deliver thee for a spoile to the Heathen and I will cut thee off from the people and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries I will destroy thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God because that Moab and Seir doe say behold the house of Iudah is like unto all the heathen therefore behold I will open the side of Moab from the Cities from his Cities which are on his frontiers the glorie of the Countrey Beth jeshimoth Baal-meon and Keriathaim unto the men of the East with the Ammonites and will give them in possession that the Ammonites may not bee remembred among the Nations And I will execute judgements upon Moab and they shall know that I am the Lord. Thus saith Lord GOD Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Iudah by taking vengeance and hath greatly offended and revenged himselfe upon them Therefore saith the Lord I will also stretch out my hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it and I will make it desolate from Teman and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword And I will pay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall doe in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God 4 The doome of Moab is more particularly set forth by Ieremy chap. 48. 2. There shall be no more praise of Moab in Heshbon they have devised evill against it come and let us cut it off from being a nation so Moab had said of Israel also thou shalt be cut downe O mad men the sword shall pursue thee And againe verse 25 26 27. The Horne of Moab is cut off and his arme is broken saith the Lord. Make yee him drunken for hee magnified himselfe against the Lord Moab also shall wallow in his vomit and he also shall bee in derision For was not Israel a derision unto thee was hee found among theeues for since thou spakest of him thou skippest for joy The like doome of Moab is foretold by Zephanie chap. 1. 8 9 10. I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the Children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border Therefore as I live saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall bee as Sodome and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of nettles and saltpies and a perpetuall desolation the residue of my people shall spoile them and the remnant of my people shall possesse them This shall they have for their pride because they have reproched and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hoasts The Lord will bee terrible unto them for hee will famish all the gods of the earth and men shall worship him every one from his place even all the Iles of the heathen So farre wide were Moab and Edom in their divinations when they said the house of Iudah is like unto all the Heathen Ezek. 25. 8. that all the yles of the Gentiles were to become such as the house of Iudah had beene that is professed worshippers of the true God who had now appointed to make himselfe known to all the world by his judgements upon these proud Heathens which for their blasphemies have now forfeited their nationall interest in this blessing here promised to the Iles of the Gentiles for they ceased to bee Nations 5 Whiles Gods plagues are thus fitly suited to the matter or manner of mens sins the longer the punishments themselves are delayed the surer document they may afford unto the observant that there is a watchfull eye of an alseeing Providence without whose presence no fact can bee committed an attentive eare which never shuts alwayes readie alwayes able to take notice of every word that can bee spoken and to register proud blasphemous boastings in the indelible characters of an everlasting booke It is an observation worth the noting which a learned Commentator hath made upon the place last cited out of Zephaniah Verbum audivi suam Emphasim habet These words I have heard are emphaticall They intimate as much unto us as if in the name of the Lord the Prophet had said Though Moab saw not me yet I heard him for I was present with him when hee pronounced the coast of Israel waste And what I heard I cannot forget nor will I forgive according to his intentions against Israel at the time appointed will I doe to him 6 The cryers of Edom against Ierusalem when Ierusalem was drowned with her childrens teares which yet could not quench the fire then kindled in her pallaces were more bitter then the cry of Edom and Ammon against Iudah had beene Rase it rase it even to the