how they were separate for the day of slaughter and all killed in one day then wee would make choise rather with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Heb. 11.25 and with David rather to be a doorekeeper in the house of God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Psal 84.10 Fourthly Achab worshiped Baall In the scripture wee reade of three sorts that were diversly affected to Baal Three sorts that were diversly affected towards Baal first those who pleaded against Baal as Gideon called Ierubaal of Ierubashâ—th 2 Sam. 9.23 and Elijah secondly those who stoop for Baal as Ahab and Iezebell and the Priests of Baal And thirdly those who halted betwixt God Baal in the politickes they were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dion said of Cicero because he now clave to the people and now to the Senate and Homer called such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he who cleaves to this point and now to that and this was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the mind is carried now this way now that way Quest Which of those two was worst An Those who halted betwixt God Baal therfore the Lord sayes Reve. 3. I would thou wert hot or cold but because thou art lukewarme I wil spue thee out of my mouth lukewarmenes here is not the midst betwixt hotte and cold as it is in Physicall things but it is farthest from the vertue heate the Lord detests more the lukewarme then the cold The Phylosopher Ethic. 7. markes foure sorts of men the first is continens temperans The worst sort of all were those who halted betwixt God and Baal the second is incontinens intemperans the third is temperans incontinens the fourth is continens intemperans Continens temperans is hee who bridles his passions suffers them not to burst forth into action Incontinens inteÌ„perans is he who rules not his passions but suffers them to burst forth into action Incontinens teÌ„perans is he who rules not his passion but yet suffers not his passion to burst forth into action as hee that suffers not the sun to goe down upon his wrath Psal 4. Be angry but sin not as if hee should say when ye are angry for to this passion of anger all men are prone sin not that is execut not this your anger with a deliberate purpose the fourth is continens intemperans and he refraines his passion and bridles it yet executes it in action as he who killes in cold blood Quest Which of these foure sorts are worst Answ A man would thinke that hee were worst who were both incontinent and temperate but yet it is not so for hee that is continent and bridles his passions and intemperate and refraines not from the action hee is the worst sort of men for hee does deliberately sinne and not miscarried by his passion so hee that is luke-warme in the service of God is farther from the vertue then he that is cold and hee that halts betwixt God and Baal is by the Lord more abhorred then he who directly stands for Baal The people that were brought from strange nations to Samaria they are said to have feared the Lord and worshipped their owne Gods 2 King 17.33 yet because they worshipped both it is said ver 34. that they feared not the Lord for the Lord detests those most of all so those lukewarme people are most hated of him and as the stomacke cannot brooke lukewarme things so well as it does hot or cold for hot or cold things do contract the stomack and make it keepe things the better but lukewarme things delates the stomacke and makes it spew them out so the Lord spewes out these lukewarme people and cannot brooke them by any people Elijah reproved Ahab to his face Now Elijah who opposeth himselfe to Baal and to Ahab the maintainer of Baal comes and reprooves Ahab to his face and says that it was hee that troubled Israel So Paul came and withstood Peter to his face These are called the faithfull woundes of a friend The Physitians call the woundes opposit to these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfaithfull Those that are given behind a mans backe as detraction or backbiting are most dangerous wounds Elijah contesteth with the Pristes of Baal for the worship of God The second thing which Elijah did here was his conteste with the Priests of Baal There was a great dispute heere about Religion and to end the controversie they will try it this way that the Lord would be pleased to send downe a fire from heaven to burne their sacrifices who were accepted of him but not upon theirs who were not excepted By this signe of sending down fire upon the sacrifices The people knew that God accepted of their sacrifices when he sent downe fire from heaven to burne them the people of God knew when their sacrifices were accepted it is said Gen. 4. that the Lord looked upon Abel and upon his sacrifice Aquila translates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee set it on fire so when the tabernacle was erected the Lord sent downe a fire upon their sacrifices and when the temple was erected he sent down a fire upon their sacrifices and ordinarily when there sacrifices were burnt to ashes then they knew that God accepted of them Psal 20.3 Remember all thy offerings and turne to ashes thy burnt sacrifice There came downe a fire burnt Elijah his sacrifice The fire came downe foure times upon the Altar to burne the sacrifices this fire came downe foure times from heaven upon their sacrifices First upon Abel his sacrifice secondly upon the sacrifice of the Tabernacle when they had sacrificed seven dayes Le. 8.33 Then the glory of the Lord appeared on the eight day and the fire came down upon their sacrifice Levit. 9.23 24. Thirdly the fire came down upon their sacrifice when the Temple was erected and fourthly the fire came downe upon Elijah his sacrifice But the fire came not downe in the second Temple to burne the sacrifices Quest. How was their sacrifices then accepted in the second Temple The Hebrewes hold that the fire in the tabernable went up to heaven againe from whence it came downe 2 Chro. 7.1 seeing the fire came not downe from heaven to burne them Answ The Prophets and the Preists consecrated this fire in the second Temple and then it was an heavenly fire and whosoever brought any other fire into the altar that was strange fire The fire in the first temple was divinohumanus ignis How the fire in the second temple was accepted when it came not downe from heaven that is it came from heaven but it was maintained by wood as our fire is but the fire in the second temple was humanodivinus that is it was at the first but humane fire which came not from heaven but being
warmed himselfe and of another peece of the tree hee made a God and worshipped and so the heathen mocked these worshippers of Idols Seneca Quid inquit brutalius est quam statuis sacrifices statuarium vero mensa tua excludas apud statuam genua tua flectis pictorem aperto capite coram te stantem despicis negligis what is more senslesse and brutish saith Seneca then for thee to sacrifice to an Idoll and yet thou will not suffer him who made the Image to come to thy table thou bowest thy knee before the Image and yet thou suffers him who made the Image to stand baâ—â—â—ded before thee and him thou despisest and â—â—gâ—â—cts So Diagoras jested at the Idolls of old and when he saw the Image of Hercules he pulled it downe and threw it into the fire and said this shall be the thirteenth labour of Hercules Thus we see every man a beast in his owne knowledge No sinne hath so many shifts for it as Idolatry hath Ier. 10.14 There is no sinne that hath so many shiftes for it selfe as this sinne hath as the whore wiped her mouth and said she did it not Prov. 30.20 So they denie extenuate and cover this sinne therefore it is that the Lord when he describes this spirituall whoredome Why the Lord describes Idolatry in such plaine tearmes hee describes it in more plaine and open termes then he doth bodily whoredome Ezech. 16.15 Thou powrest out thy fornications upon every one that passeth by his it was and verse 25. Thou hast opened thy feete to every one that passeth by and verse 26. Thou hast committed fornications with thy neighbour great of flesh and Chap. 23.30 Shee doted upon their paramoures whose flesh is as the flesh of asses and whose Issue is as the issue of horses but when the Lord speakes of bodily adultery he speakes in more covered termes as Prov. 9.17 Stolen waters are sweet So hee describeth by eating She eateth and wipeth her mouth Prov. 30.20 and the reason is because men are more sensselesse in taking up this spirituall adultery and they use moe shifts to hide it and therefore the Lord sets it downe in such plaine termes The Lord saith What signifies to set up an image before God Yee shall not make to thy selfe any graven image gnal pani before me gnal panai signifieth either continuance of time or noteth a place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First continuance of time that so long as I am So long as the Lord lives no image must set up before him ye shall not choose another god Num. 3.4 And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the Priests office in the sight of Aaron their father gnal peni Aharon vivente adhuc Aarone So 1 Sam. 31 1. and the child Samuel ministred unto the Lord before Eli lipne gneli ante Eli that is while Eli was alive Deut. 21.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee may not make the sonne of the beloved first borne before the sonne of the hated gnal peni ben juxta faciem filij exosae that is so long as the sonne of the hated liveth So Exod. 20. Ye shall have no other Gods before me gnal panai ante seu coram me that is so long as I live So it is taken for a place In no place an image must be set up before him ye shall neither set up an Idoll before me either privately or publickely for Gods face is every where privately the Lord forbiddeth them Deut. 27.15 Neither privately Cursed be he that maketh any graven or molten image an abhomination of the Lord the worke of the hand of the craftsman and putteth it in a secret place So the Lord abhored the chamber of their imagerie Ezek. 8.12 Neither publickely and he forbids them publickely to commit that Idolatry in the visible Church Cain fled from the face of the Lord Genes 4.16 That is from the visible Church So the propitiatorie in the Church of Ierusalem was called the face of God Exod. 25. they were called panes facierum because they stood before the propitiatory the face of the Lord therefore the Lord forbids to set up an Idol before him It was a great malapertnesse in the Iewes to set up their Idoles in mount Olivet just under the Lords nose therefore it was called 2 Kings 23.23 not mens Oliverum hamishka unctionis but chamishceth perditionis Elegans paranomafia God never looked out of the holiest of all but he saw this vile Idolatry to set up this image of jealousie in the sight of the Lord was a vile abhomination Ezek. 18. Before my face the lawes of men at the first commanded if the husband should apprehend the adulterer with his wife then he should kill them both as Solon and Draco his Lawes ordained Plutarch in the life of Solon Codice titulo l. Gracchus Covaruvius de matrimonio 2. p. c. 7 7. but the Law of the twelve tables mitigates this afterward Maechum in adulterio deprehensum necato si vilis est the husband might kill the adulterer with the adulteresse if he was a base person So when the Lord apprehends his Church committing abhomination with these Idols and apprehends her in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may he not justly kill the adultresse Before my face the Schoolemen have a good axiome Bonum nisi ex causa integra maluÌ„ vero ex quocunque defectu pessimum vero ex defectu maximo Circumstances doe much exaggerat a sin for as in man it is not enough that the body have all the compleate parts to make up the perfection of it but there is requisite likewise proportion colour situation of partes and if any of these be wanting then a man is thought an uncomely man Bonum hic ex integra causa nascitur but if any thing bee wanting then that breedes defect but the greatest defect ariseth of the greatest want and which is farthest from the good It was a great sinne in Absalon to lye with his fathers concubines in any place but to lye with them in the sight of the sunne before all the people this was a double sinne and a deformitie 2 Sam. 16.23 So for Cozbi and Zimri to commit their wickednesse in any place was a great sinne but to commit this sinne in the sight of Moses and of all the congregation when all the people were weeping before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Num. 25.6 this was a fearefull sinne So to commit this Idolatry in a private place was a great sinne but for the Israelites to have committed this sinne before the Lord in the sight of the whole Congregation this was a sinne committed with a high hand against the Lord. SECT 3. Of the division of Idolaters AN Idolater is either a formall Idolater A formall Idolater and a materiall Idolater or a materiall Idolater the formall Idolater is he who hath a false conception of God and worshippes him falsely The conception of God
him Now their Idolatry was mightily increased when they served the gods of all the nations round about them It is a question in the Ethickes whether a man may keepe intire and true friendship with many or not So we may aske what 〈◊〉 of worship could the Iewes performe to all these gods They served Baalim and Ashtaroth When the Hebrewes joynes the masculine and the faeminine together then they signifie many it is usuall wâ—â—â— the Hebrewes when they joyne the masculine and the faeminine together to comprehend the whole oâ— very many of the kind which they speake of as Gen. 5.7 He begat sonnes and daughters that is many children So Eccles 2.8 I got me men fingers and women fingers than is diverse sorts of Musitians So they worshipped Baal and Ashtaroth that is sundry sorts of Idols They served gnashteroth the gods of Syria 1 King 9.5 and they are put in the faeminine gender 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they fained to themselves as well women gods as men gods diverse feâ—â—s are onely for preservation of mortall kindes but they held their gods to be immortall why then should they imagine male and female amongst them Yet the Platonickes held that there were male and female amongst them and Trismogish 〈…〉 faeminiâ—â—â— They worshipped the gods of Syria There were many gods in Syria according to the severall divisions of it There were many of the gods of Syria according as it was diversly divided Syria interamâ—â—â— or Mesopotamia So Syria Seba and Syria Macha and Syria Damascena These had all sundry gods 2 Chro. 23. They worshipped the gods of the Philistines and of the Ammonites and yet the Ammonites and Philistines oppressed them eighteene yeares Iudges 10.8 Marke a difference betwixt the true religion and the false A difference betweene the true religion and the false when they came to serve the gods of the Philistines and the Ammonites they were their deadly enemies but when they turned from the false religion to the true then they cherished and loved them When men came from Gentilisme to Judaisme they were called proselytes and the Iewes shewed them all the favours that they did to any Iew So when they were converted from Iudaisme to Christianitie they called them fratres Iudai Act. 15. accounted of them as their brethren So when men were converted from Gentilisme to Christianitie then they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.6 and they cherished them as young plants therefore the Lord saith to Ieremie 15.19 Goe not thou to them but let them come to thee When they cryed unto the Lord in this trespasse the Lord answered them with a bitter tant Iudges 10.14 Goe and cry unto your Gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Bernard saith well Quod deus dicit cum risu tu debes audire cum luctu The decrease The decrease Iudges 10.15 when the children of Israel said unto the Lord We have sinned doe thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day and ver 16. And they put away the strange gods from amongst them and served the Lord and his soule was grived for the misery of Israel In the originall it is Anima ejus fuit contracta and opposit to this is 2 Cor. 6.11 Our heart is inlarged Verbum kum contiâ—â—â— alteri verbo absque copula praemissum agilitatem expeditionem notat atta takum Heere is the nature of our gratious God showne to us who is slow to anger and soone pacified and at whatsoever time a sinner repents him hee will put away all his sinnes out of his minde then the Lord arose and had mercie upon Sion Psal 102.13 The seventh increase The seventh increase of Idolatry Iudg. 17.4 when Micah sets up molten gods and graven gods to be worshipped Rabbi David observes that this word God in all this part of Scripture which entreates of Micah his Idolatry is alwayes prophanum nomen a prophane name taken for Idols except onely in two places The first in these words all the time that the house of the Lord was in Shilo The second is Iudges 18.10 The Lord hath given the Land into your hands Micah consecrated one of his sonnes to be a Priest to him Many irregularities in this when Micah consecrated his sonne to be a Priest verse 5. Here concurres many irregularities contrary to the Law in the consecration of this his sonne The first irregularity is in him who consecrates The second in him who was consecrated The third in making an Ephod to him to serve who was consecrate The fourth in the place where he served after he was consecrated and that was in a private house The first irregularitie was this The first irregularitie that hee tooke upon him to consecrate his sonne No man takes this honour upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron Que. How could Moses consecrate Aaron and his sons Levit. 8.12 13. seeing he was not of the sonnes of Aaron Moses was first a Priest and consecrated the Priestes to the Lord. The common Answere here is this that he did it at the commandment of God extraordinarily at the first establishing of the Priesthood But there is more in it then this for Moses was a Priest of God Psal 99.6 Moses and Aaron amongst the Priests Heere David tearmes Moses a Priest as well as Aaron and Moses Gerundensis saith that he was a Priest and therfore offered incense first and the Hebrewes call him Sacerdotem Sacerdotum the greatest Priest and that Moses offered a burnt offering on the Altar it is cleare Lev. 8.28 and Hiscuini saith that all the seven dayes Moses offered and in the eight day he said to Aaron from henceforth come thou and serve in this ministrie after that Moses had consecrated Aaron and his sonnes Moses children are not reckoned amongst the Priests but amongst the Levites 1 Chron. 23.14 Quâ—st 1. Aaron and his sonnes were those who consecrate who was it then that consecrate when the Priesthood was out of the right line from the time of Eli who descended from Ithamar and not from Eleazar â— Chron. 24.3 to the time of Sadock who was restored by Salomon to the Priesthood The Priesthood in the wrong line in Eli his time in Ahitob his time in Ahiâ—â— his time and his brother Abimelech his time in Abiather his time and the restored to the right line in Sadock The Priests who came of Ithamar and did consecrate being in the wrong line peccarunt usurpatione tituli yet there consecration was valid Answ These Priests although they were not in the right line when they entered into the preisthood and although there entrie was by usurpation yet being entred their consecration was lawfull for even as a tyrant Peccat usurpatione tituli yet he sinnes not in Iudging and giving out sentence and the subjects are bound to obey
in the firmament as Ioshua did This error conditionis joyned with the two former errors is deadly They deny that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh then they hate the Lord Iesus Christ deadlie and they expect still a worldly King therefore miserable are they Cursed is he that loves not the Lord Iesus Christ saith Paul 1. Cor. 16.22 Let him bee Anathema maranatha The Apostle curses them here in two languages to show that this is a peremptorie curse to bee divulgat through the world And as the Lord would have Christs death knowne through the world therefore the inscription over his head when he hang upon the crosse was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine to signifie that the Lord would have his death knowne through the world so the Lord would have this curse written in Hebrew and Greeke to signifie that hee would have this curse knowne through the world To be accursed as to be separate and set apart or appointed to evill so that these Iewes who love not the Lord Iesus Christ are separate and set apart that no man should meddle with them and as the Saints are set apart that no man might hurt them so are they set apart that no man may doe them good Isaac said of Iacob Gen. 28.35 Iacob have I blessed and he shall bee blessed so the Lord sayes of the Iewes the Iewes have I cursed and they shall be cursed SECT 5. Of the horrible crueltie of the Jewes in killing the Lord of Life THe Prophet Amos cap. 1. before hee comes to denounce the Iudgements of God against Israel for their sinnes hee sets downe first foure horrible sinnes of the countries about for the which the Lord denyes that he will pardon them and he sayes for three sinnes and for foure I will not pardon which is like unto that of Salomon Praescriptum numerum corigit auget scriptura Pro. 30.18 There be three things hid from me yea foure things which I knew not so v. 21. for three things the earth is moved yea for foure it cannot sustaine it selfe so Pro. 6.16 Sixe things doth the Lord hate yea his soule abhorreth seven that is hee most detests the seventh so Psal 18.1 The Lord delivered him out of the hands of Saul and the hard of all his enemies that is especialie out of the hands of Saul So search the land and Iericho Ios 2.1 that is especially Iericho so tell the Disciples and Peter Mar. 16.10 that is especially Peter because hee had fallen from the Lord this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So for three transgressions and for foure that is especially for the fourth when many transgressions concurre together and the last is the greatest then he will not spare The sinne of Damascus was this The cruelty of Damascus against Gilead That they threshed Gilead with instruments of Iron Amos 1.3 and this they did when Hazael smote the land of Gilead 2 King 10.33 and they threshed them with instruments of Iron as they had beene beating out the corne and cutting the straw with their wheeles made with teeth of Iron This was the cruelty of Damascus to Gilead their neighbours Then he comes to the sinne of Gaza The cruelty of Gaza which was one of the five Cantones of the Philistines v. 6. Their sinne was that they carried away the whole captivitie that is they left none uncaptivated whether this be understood of Israel or of Iudah it is not expressed but they sold them to their barbarous enemies the Edomites It was a cruel thing to carry away people captive and to carry them all captive but most of all to sell them to their enemies the Edomites The third was the sinne of Tyrus vers 9. because they delivered the whole captivitie to Edom The sinne of Tyrus and remembred not the brotherly covenant There was no brotherly covenant betwixt them of the captivitie and Gaza when they led them captive but there was a covenant betwixt them and Tyrus for Salomon and Hiram made a covenant together 1 Kings 9.13 So the sinne of Tyrus exceeded the sinne of Gaza The fourth is the sinne of Edom The sinne of Edom surpassed the sinne of Tyrus his sin surpassed the sinne of Tyrus for he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pitty and his anger did teare perpetually and he did keepe his wrath for ever v. 11. Edom was Israel his brother because their predecessors were one yet hee cast off all naturall affection as Esau hated Iacob so did Edom his posterity hate the Israelites Esau hated Iacob and thought to have killed him returning out of Mesopotamia So when he desired liberty to goe through Edom his Countrie hee withstood him So 2 Chron. 28.27 And his anger did teare perpetually Then he comes to the cruelty of the sinnes of Ammon verse 13. Who did rippe up the women with child of Gilead The cruelty of Ammon exceeded the cruelty of Edom. that they might inlarge their borders that they might possesse a land voyde of people that they might revenge that cruelty This cruelty of the children of Ammon exceeded the cruelty of Edom for they killed the women and they killed their posterity The Lord forbiddes to kill the dame sitting upon the egges to take both the young and the old It was a cruelty in Rechab who killed Ishbosheth in his owne house lying upon his bed 2 Sam. 4.6 To kill a man in his owne house which should be a place of refuge to him is a great sinne but to kill him in his bed that is a greater cruelty but to kill the children in their Mothers belly being in their first Mansion and at rest there that is the greatest crueltie of all and then to kill them that they might possesse and inlarge their inheritance then occiderunt possiderunt So that their sinne was greater than the sinne of Edom Then he comes to the sinne of Moah chap. 2. verse 1. because he burnt the bones of the King of Edomes sonne into lime The sinne of Moab exceeded the sinne of Ammon this was a greater cruelty than the cruelty of the sonnes of Ammon first hee burnt the bones then the bones of a Kings sonne and then burnt them into Lime while they were turned into ashes and as the Hebrewes say they sparged the walls with them Then he comes to the sinne of Iudah The sinne of Iudah is greater than the sinne of Moab ver 4. Because they kept not the Commandements of the Lord and their lyes caused them to erre after the which their fathers have walked They kept not the Commandement he seemes to say lesse here than he spake before but it is not so for the Hebrewes use by denying a thing to affirme the contrary the more strongly as they say Exod. 20. He will not hold him guilt lesse that taketh his name in vaine that is he will punish them severely So riches not well gotten profit not
now they have no such priviledge Sixtlie in the other captivities they were but caried captive to Babylon and some of them to the Medee and Persians but now they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scattered throught the whole corners of the earth through Asia India Persia and Babylon Seventhly in their captivity in Babylon they had learned Vniversities and famous Schooles as Nehardigna Sora and Pambeditha and those were in the place of the great Synedrion to them at that time and then the dispersed Iewes consulted with them Rab. Abraham In Iâ—chasin Fol. 38. pag. 1. but now they have no such Vniversities nor schooles of learning Eightly when they were in the other captivities the expectation of the true Messias comforted them And this they illustrate by this parable A certaine man while hee was carying a lampe in his hand in the night the winde blowes it out R. Moses Hadarsan in gen cap. 1 Psal 36. ver 9. but hee blowes it in againe and kindles the light againe and this hee doth foure or five times then he saies to himselfe How long shall I strive this waies ever while the morning starre Lucifer appeares So they say they were captives in Egypt there the light was put out but by the ministrie of Moses and Aaron it was lighted againe so they were oppressed by the Philistines by Iabin and by Sysera then the light was put out but by the helpe of the judges they were delivered and the light was kindled againe so they were carried to Babylon there the light was put out and they were delivered by Cyrus there the light was lightened againe Iacob sayes Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation The Caldee paraphrast paraphraseth it thus Non expecto Salutare Gedeon filij Ioaz qua salus transitoria est Sed expecto redemptionem filij David qui venturus est accersendam sibi filios Israel cujus redemptioneÌ„ desiderat anima men I waite not for the â—eliverance of Gideon the sonne of Ioah whose deliverance is but transitorie but I waite for the redemption of the sonne of David who is to come and to gather the sonnes of Israel to him and for this redemption my soule longeth the expectation of the Messias onely comforted them in all their captivities therefore he was called the consolation of Israel Esay 49.3 then they waited for the morning starre Christ 2 Pet. 1.19 who should free them altogether Isa 11. I shall take away the yoake of your captivity for my annointed sake But now they dispite the true Christ therefore what comfort can they have in their captivity If any man should aske a Iew now why this their captivitie lasts longer then any of their former captivities they answere that this is the sinne of the golden calfe which our fathers worshipped that hath procured this captivitie upon us and they have this saying commonlie in their mouthes Non accidit tibi O Israel ulla ultio in qua non sit uncia de iniquitate vituli That is there is no punishment which befalles thee O Israel In which there is not one ounce weight of the sinne of the golden calfe But God visits not the sinnes of the fathers upon the children unlesse they follow their fathers footsteps and approve their sinne But the Iewes at this day abhorre all Idolatry Romans 2.22 wherefore this cannot bee the cause of their long captivity But all the Iewes to this day approve their predecessors fact in killing the Lord of glory therefore it is for this bloody fact that they are so long in captivity and servitude now The fourth Iudgement is the Iudgement upon their land Canaan which was before like the garden of Eden The fourth Iudgement upon their land Ezech. 36.35 and a land which the Lord God cared for and his eyes were upon it from the beginning of the yeere to the end Duet 11.12 and so fertile that it brought forth thirtie sixtie and a hundred fold Mat. 13.8 But the Lord turned it to a barren wildernesse for the wickednes of them that dwelt in it Psal 107.34 If the mountaines of Gilboa were accursed because Saul and Ionathan were killed their that neither dew nor raine should fall upon them for the field of offering 2 Sam. 1.21 much more was this land cursed for the killing of Christ Before they killed the Lord the plow man overtooke the reaper and the treader of grapes him that sowed seed Amos 9.3 that is the old reached to the new but now small is the increase of that land when they sow an Homer It was first terra intactasive virgo before they manured it Secondly terra maritata and thirdly terra vidua they get an ephah Esay 5.10 that is but the tenth graine now where they had great increase before See Hag. 2.16 Before terra erat maritata Esa 62.4 their land was maried when it was manured and laboured but now it is terra vidua and rests her Sabbothes now no Iew possesseth a foote broade in Canaan nor in any part of the earth have they any possession they are not onely cursed from the heaven but also from the earth that is there is a curse upon their very earthly things Lastly there was a curse upon their goods because of the divers taxations and tributes which was laid upon them for first they were taxed Luke 2.21 under the president Cyrenus in Syria then more particularly by Quirinus but after the destruction of Ierusalem they were hardly tasked where ever they lived as under Hadrian the Emperour Suetonius in Domitiano cap. 12. insomuch that they searched a Iew who was 99. yeares of age whether he was circumcised or not to make him pay his tribute Nerva the Emperour being ashamed of this prohibited that they should be searched after this manner as is evident by the inscription upon his coyne Calumnia fisci Iudaici sublata yet he released them not of their tribute So they were heavily taxed in Mesopotamia under Trajan and in Beteir under Hadrian Object But wee see many of the Iewes very rich and abounding in earthly things Answ The riche which the Iewes possesse now have Gods curse mingled with them These earthly things which they possesse in the midst of their plentie there is a curse upon them as Abimelech had a kingdome yet there was a curse upon it that never ceased untill he was rooted out of the kingdom So upon the quailes which the Israelites had there was a curse So Ahabs vineyard had a curse with it so Gehezi his mony and thus the Lord joynes a curse with those temporall things which hee bestowes upon the Iewes that they are not comfortable to them When the Lord was to reject the Iewes hee wrote the bill of divorce but he gaue it not presently after to them for there intervened a time betwixt the writing of the bill and the giving of the bill to the partie divorced he gave not this bill of divorce to them