spoyled Edom by his people whom they preserved And the Kingdome shall be the Lords that is God will declare himselfe to be King in the government and protection of his Church and in the victorious conquest of the enemies thereof he will settle his Church and worship at Jerusalem as in former times for then is God said to have the Kingdome when his word is a Law to his people to rule them and when the people live in the obedience and awe thereof As appeareth performed by them of the returne from the captivity who made a Covenant with God and sealed the same For we read that the children of Israel did assemble themselves with fasting and sackcloth Nehe. 9.15 and earth upon them They stood up in their place and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day Ver. 3. and another fourth part of the day they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God Note here how hearing and worshipping are distinguished they do hear first and thereby they learn to worship Then followeth their commemoration of the great mercies of God to their Fathers which David calleth Gods mercies of old and his former mercies they do also to the praise of this mercy confesse the transgressions of their Fathers Then they confesse their own sins for which they were carried away captive they acknowledge the just judgement of God upon them And now being restored again to their possessions they make a sure Covenant with God cap. 10. They entred into a Curse and into an Oath to walk in Gods law Verse 29. which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord and his judgments and statutes In particular they vowed Not to give nor take daughters to wife with strangers which I understand to be in respect of the difference of religion Ver. 30. because there can be no good marriage between Beleevers and Infidels between the sons of God and the daughters of men between the sons of God and the daughters of Belial that was the same that first corrupted the old world and at last followed the floud God is not acknowledged King where such marriages are 2. For observation of the Lords Sabbath they covenanted to keep it strictly and not to buy any thing of the people of the Land on that day for where the Sabbath is not kept there God is not acknowledged King 3. For forgiving of debts every seventh yeere which was a Judicial constitution and did onely binde them yet the equity of that constitution remaineth in the Church that men should lend freely and where there is no ability of repayment extremity must not be used if God be our King 4. They charged themselves yeerly every man with the third part of a Shekel for the maintenance of the service of the house of God for God is denyed his kingdome there where his holy worship hath not fit maintenance to support it from every person according to his ability for they conclude we will not forsake the house of our God Verse 39. And this they vowed to performe 1. In the maintenance of the material Temple 2. In the just provision for the Offerings of all sorts to be made unto God there 3. In the true payment of Tythes for the maintenance of the Levites that served at the Altar This was the summe of the Covenant which the people made with God and bound themselves by a Vow with a Curse to observe it as the Apostle saith taking God to record against their soules if they observed it not that the curse of God might come upon them And they sealed this Covenant to binde themselves the more yet was all this no more then they were bound before to do by the Law of God yet they vow to make the bond greater This is the literall and Historicall Exposition of these words the learned Interpreters of this Prophecy have well conceived that this Prophet this Seer did look further into the purpose of God for his Church and they say that Mount Sion doth here also signifie the whole Church of God De civ Dei l. 18.31 all the world over Saint Augustine understandeth by Mount Sion the Church of the Jews and by Edom the Church of the Gentiles and meeting with an ill translation and not understanding well the originall he perverteth the meaning of the Prophet as if the salvation of God should go out of Sion to the Edomites whereas there is a plaine prophecy of judgement against Edom in particular and therefore Edom whom God did threaten to destroy utterly in this prophecy cannot be a figure of that part of the Church which was by the preaching of the Gospel to be gathered together out of the Gentiles Lyranus gives another exposition for by Sion he understandeth Jerusalem by the Saviours he understandeth S. Peter and S. Paul and the chiefe of the Apostles as he calleth them by the Mount of Esau he understandeth Rome and by judging the Mount of Esau he understandeh their application to Constantine the first Christian Emperour who setled Christianity in the Romane Empire And by the kingdome which shall be the Lords he understandeth that Rome shall be head of the Church for that point of learning they can collect from all texts to make the Church of Rome the onely true Church I like nothing in that exposition but his resemblance of Rome to Esau for that doth fit most properly for they are the persecutors of Iacob even of all true worshippers and God hath promised them a destruction The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Master Calvin hath a learned observation upon this place for understanding it of the state of the Church under the Gospel he saith that these Saviours here spoken of are but ministeriall and so this place pointeth out the Messiah to whom these Saviours are subordinate For the expected Messiah is such a one as by whom all the other Saviours are sent and for whom all others work whom all others do serve and observe And this is the extent of this prophecy in the judgement of M. Calvin Iunius and Arias Montanus that Christ shall leave in his Church his Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel to shew to men the way of salvation in such sort aâ— that the Kingdom of God shall be advanced in the Church God ruling by his Word Others by Saviours on Mount Sion judging the Mount of Esau understand the last and finall judgement wherein the Saints shall judge the world and then the Kingdome shall be the Lords of which S. Paul saith He shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father when hee hath put downe all rule and all authority and power I like those expositions that take the wings of a Dove and fly to the uttermost part of the text non relinquit locum surely this is Gods promise to his Church that it shall
cast off the yoak of Rome and God caused a light to shine in darknesse and ever-since a face of the Church hath appeared gathering more and more fresh beauty and now we may say truly of our times the light never shone more clear in this Land then now it doth never more learning and never more communicated then now But beloved this will not serve our turne God must have as well a rule of our hearts as of our eares of our hands as of our heads Let us look to our example in my Text when God had restored this people to their land they established his Kingdome With publick Assemblies with fasting and humbling of themselves before God with confession of sinnes with weeping and mourning with solemne Vowes to performe all the Commandements of God They spent their time not all in hearing but in worshipping also of God They vowed not to make any marriages with such as were no profest subjects of the Kingdome of God such as was the marriage of Solomon with King Pharaohs daughter They vowed to keep the Sabbath holily to the service of God to deale charitably with their poor brethren To honour God with their riches setting apart a portion to maintaine the worship and publick service of God And all this must we do if we will advance the Kingdome of God amongst us not only in outward profession but in inward subjection You may know a true subject of Gods Kingdom by his walk and by his pace for he walketh 1. Circumspectly fearing danger before him to meet him behind him to follow him above him to presse him downe under him to blow him up temptations on his right hand provocations on the left hand therefore he loseth no time but redeemeth it to the service of God 2 He walketh in holines as in the sight of God who searcheth the hearts and reines and cannot be deceived with false semblances and emptie shadows and seemings of false and hypocriticall shewes but requireth truth in the inward parts He walketh in righteousnesse that is in the obedience of the Second Table of the Law living in the practise and exercise of his knowledge to the uttermost of that measure of grace that is given to him as it becometh the Saints For these know that they were therefore delivered from the hands of their enemies that they might more freely attend the service of God and the saving of their own soules Amongst such as these God reigneth and hath put on his glorious apparrel and is acknowledged God as their King Idolatry and false worship doth unking and dethrone God and trespasseth the majesty of our King swearing and blasphemy maketh the name of God which is the safety of his subjects for our help is in the name of the Lord like to a broken hedge Breach of the Sabbath which is Gods holy day is a trespasse against his moderate prerogative claiming some part of our time for his publique service and the exercise of Religion Contempt of the word is a trespasse against the Lawes of this kingdome Injury in any kind to our brethren is breach of peace amongst the subject of this kingdome Gluttony drunkennesse pride be wastfull sins and consume the outward treasures thereof and they also seem to quench the Spirit of God and to kill all good motions in our selves and others Let us remember our prayer adveniat Regnum tuum Let thy kingdome come And seeing God hath graciously establisht a Church amongst us in peace which he hath watered with early rain in the first coming thereof in this Land and with a later raine in the Government of two incomparable Princes truly called defenders of the Faith against Heresie and Schisme Let the kingdome be the Lords let our obedience to his Law bear witnesse of our Faith and let our peace amongst our selves give testimony of our charity and let us walk all one way like the horses of Pharoahs chariot let us all fight as one man against sin and Sathan against the Devil and the Pope tanquam acces ordinata For if the Lord be our King we shall have cause to be glad thereof For Blessed are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 2. Let us look as farre as we can by Saint Pauls prospective there will be a time when Christ our grand Captaine shall overcome all his enemies even death which is the last enemy and then shall he deliver up the kingdome to God even his Father then Israel shall have judged Esau the Church the world Then Christ resigneth his office of a Mediator and then God is all in all For then all his enemies shall be in prison in the chains of darknesse all his Elect shall be fastened together and united with Christ their head in glory God shall then have none to contest with him for sway and domination his glory shall then be great in the Salvation of his Church and in the Victory of his enemies Thus have I in a few months gone through this short but full and pithy Prophecy of Obadiah I know with what great comfort light and delight in mine own meditations I hope not unprofitably for you If you desire many houres work in a few minutes of time this is the Analysis of it It was divided into two parts 1. Titulus the Title 2. Vaticinum the prophecie 1. The Title shewed 1. Whose Obadiah 2. What. 1. Whose Obadiah Doctr. God stirreth up his servants the Prophets to give warning of the Anger to come 2. What a Vision Doctr. The faithfull Minister must see before he say and take instructions from God before he undertake to teach others 2. The Prophecie this hath two parts 1. Against Edom ad finem ver 16. 2. For the Church ver 17. ad finem In the first observe three things 1. The subject of this Prophecie Edom. 2. The suggestiorus of it The Lord. 3. The Prophecy it selfe 1. Of the subject Edom. Doctr. Riches strength honour Victory are not so pretious things as many do value them oftentimes they go away with them all a long time whom God hateth he saith I have hated Esau yet he had all these 2. Of the suggestour of the Prophecy The Lord saith thus Doctr. Gods Ministers must deale faithfully with the Church saying no more or lesse and in the same manner as God speaketh to them 3. The Prophecy that hath foure parts 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1 2. 2. The despaire of all Edoms hopes ver 3 ad 9. 3. The cause provoking God ver 10 ad 14. 4. Gods revenge ver 15 16. 1. The judgement intended contains 1. The discovery 2. The rumour it selfe 3. The effect 1. The discovery by a rumour from the Lord an Embassador sent among the heathen Doct. 1. The decrees of Gods judgement upon the wicked be constant and unchangeable Doct. 2. The consent of Embassadours all declaring the same judgement sheweth that the
it he looketh that it should bring forth grapes not fair and spreading branches onely not large and green leaves not shewes and semblances and seemings of godlinesse but grapes not labruseas not soure grapes But fructus dignos poenitentia fruits worthy of repentance These be the best presents we can make to God the best ensigns of our peace Otherwise the calamities of peace will fall on us worse then those of warre idlenesse wantonnesse fulnesse of bread drunkennesse and all the wormes of prosperity which will destroy our vine Doctr. 4 Because Ieremih saith Arise ye stirring up others to battel and addeth we will arise I conclude Doctr. That it is lawful for the children of God to make war For a defensive war nature provideth for that is no more but se tueri to defend himself But this is an offensive war against Edom their enemy and this is lawfull The Land of promise though given so many yeeres before to the sonnes of Sem in the line of Iacob yet was possessed by the sonnes of Cham of whose sonne Canaan took name and Israel came into the possession of that Land by the sword They had Gods own warrant for it Deut. 7.2 When the Lord bringeth thee into the Land whither thou goest to possesse it and shall root out many Nations before thee then thou shalt smite them thou shalt utterly destroy them c. Yea he doth not only allow of a just war but David saith He teacheth my hands to fight Reason 1 Moses from God Psa 8.34 Num. 25.17 saith to Israel vexe the Midianites and smite them 1. Because as I taught before war is one of the judgments of God one of the arrows of his quiver one of his rods wherewith he doth chasten the wicked therefore the faithfull may and must arise when they are called forth into battell In such a case it was said Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Curse ye Meroz curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of the Lord Jer. 48.10 Curse ye the inhabitants thereof bitterly because they came not to the help of the Lord Judg. 5.23 to the help of the Lord against the mighty There it is called helping the Lord because men be the hands of execution in these lawfull wars by whom God doth punish his enemies and because God is holpen in those that are by just means maintained Reason 2 2. Because an offensive war is revenge of injuries and God hath said Vengeance is mine so that the Lord is called Lord of hosts and just Wars are called The battels of the Lord they that sight in such wars God covereth their heads in the day of battell The wars of Israel against Amalek were offensive they were the Lords vengeance against Amalek for smiting the hindermost and weakest of them in their passage to the promised land This war against Edom was such as it followeth Gods revenge upon Edom for their cruelty towards Israel Reason 3 3. We finde that when the Israelites came to John Baptist and asked What shall we do he did not bid them leave the profession of arms but onely said to them Do violence to no man accuse no man falsly Luk. 3.13 and be content with your wages Wherein he required of them fair wars without injury to any for none but unjust violence is there forbidden And we shall finde in the catalogue of the faithfull Gedeon Heb. 11.32.33 Barak Samson Jephthah David which through faith subdued kingdoms c. The Vses follow Seeing the faithfull may make lawfull Wars Use 1 1. We are taught to satisfie our conscience before we undertake any war that it is lawfull and just for else we cannot either promise our selves good successe or solicite God for his aid 1. It is a lawfull war to preserve our right against them that invade it as was ours in eighty eight against the Spaniard then our enemy who prepared himself for the invasion of this Kingdom 2. The Judges of Israel did redeem Israel from their oppressours that had invaded them and redeemed their own right So Abraham made a just war against those that had wronged the king of Sodom and took Lot prisoner 3. To chasten and destroy the common enemies of entercourse and trade between Nation and Nation such is the sea-war intended against the Pirates and sea-theeves that hinder the trade of Nations by their Piracies wasps and drones that rob the hives of painfull bees 4. To defend confederate Nations from the oppression of their enemie for so Joshuah will not suffer the Ammonite to vex and wrong the Gibeonites because the oath of God is between them Thus for the common peace it is lawfull for Christians to confederate with Turks and Infidels for Protestants to make leagues of peace and civil society with Papists Catholikes with Hereticks And when the league goeth no further then the just defence of them in their rights we may borrow and lend help each to other For the common love of humanity teacheth us to do as we would be done to Chron. 12 18 and the Apostle biddeth as much as in us to have peace with all men But to assist Infidels and Heretiques in their unjust wars it is utterly unlawfull so Jehoshaphat joyned with Ahab against Ramoth in Gilead and the Prophet of the Lord reproved him for it And Jehu the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him Chron. 19.2 and said to King Jehoshaphat Wouldst thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing is the wrath of the Lord upon thee If the league between the godly and ungodly Nations have these bonds 1. To assure one another against injury from each other 2. To defend each others rights without prejudice of Religion 3. To maintain commerce between them I see no cause why it may not be lawfull for Christians and Infidels to confederate 1. For defence against injury of others if the Oxe of an Infidell or his Asse should fall into a pit ought I not to shew him mercy in his beast and to save him if I can shall I do this to his beast and shall I not do it to him If thieves would rob him shall I passe by and see him rifled and shall I not give him aid what duty one man oweth to another that doth one Nation owe to another this is preservation of Justice suum cuique 2. For binding our selves not to do Infidels any hurt unjustly it is the Law of God we must not only abstaine from robbing them but we must preserve their right we may not take away from them their lives their wives their goods or any thing of theirs we may promise interchangably to do them no wrong 3. For commerce Pâ—rk cont aur in 2. Praecept some of our late Divines affirme it unlawfull to sell to Infidels or Heretiques any commodity which they may abuse to any idolatrous use For example to sell the
church with their best learned in points wherein the Jesuits at this day accuse us of Heresie Therefore one observed well that the Religion of Rome was like Nebuchadnezzars image the height of it was 60 cubits and the breadth was but 6 that is without any proportion for never could they make the parts of it symmetricall Therefore first we are comforted against all the enemies of our Religion their strength may be great and their malice greater but they cannot unite themselves with the bond of true Peace and the God of peace is not their tutelary God In the damnable conspiracy of the Powder-traytors God by one of themselves diverted the Treason I deny not but Turks have had many great prevailings against Christians Papists against Protestants and their confederates have held fast with them So had Moab and Ammon Geball the Assirians Philistines the Chaldeans against Israel But God found a time to consume these Nations by their own strength and their own confederates were the ruine of them We have heard that war is one of the sore judgements wherwith God scourgeth offendors At this time a great part of the Protestant Church is hostilly attempted with war we have many of our countrymen noble generous and valiant voluntiers engaged in that cause I hope we shall do a charitable Christian duty to God and them to pray God to cover their heads in the day of battaile to beseech him whom Job cals the preserver of men to save them from all evill Thou Lord preservest man beast do thou save them let their eye have its desire upon their enemies And for our selves we say O Lord be gratious unto us we have waited for thee be thou their arme every morning Isa 33.2 our Salvation also in the time of trouble God is called Lord of Hoasts and so he can master his enemies the stars in their courses by their influences the Elements fire as in Sodom ayre as in the Pestilence in Davids time water as in the deluge earth as in Corahs transgression to smite sinners He can punish man by Frogges by Flyes by Lice by Grasse-hoppers and such like armies of his Yet he chose to destroy the army of the Midianites by themselves rather then by any other means The Lord set every mans sword against his fellow throughout all the hoast Jud. 7.22 He could have employed other executioners to have done vengeance upon blaspheming Senacherib King of Assyria but he would shew that no bonds of society or nature can hold them together whom God hath not joyned Therefore it came to passe as he was worshipping in the house of Nisâ—ock his God Isa 37.38 that Adrameleck and Sharezer his sons smote him with a sword 2. We are therefore taught to unite our selves in the Lord by the bonds of â—ue love for all other bonds will be like the new cords wherewith Sampson was tied break in sunder and we shall cast them from us The great friendship that is made by bribes cannot be sincere for 1. The receiver of them knowes that his love is a dear penny worth to his friend it is not a gift but a perquisite and therfore he cannot call it sure 2. The giver knoweth his mony not his love made the friend and if this friendship bear him out of the hands of justice his conscience will still tell him that his money not his innocency acquitted him if this friendship prefer him his conscience within him will say that his money not his worthinesse hath advanced him Therefore the frienship thus made is not sincere But they whom Religion and the fear of God doth unite are of one heart and of one soule here is no lack of any thing Acts 4.32 if any of them may supply it the wounded man shall have both the oyle and wine of the Samaritane out of his vessels and the help of his hand and of his beast and of his word and of his purse Our Saviour Christ saith Go thou and do the like How can we say we are neighbours when we are so far from healing our brethrens wounds that we rather set them into a fresh bleeding and open them wider we rather make more in the whole and sound flesh we rather take away their oile and wine and beast and money wherewith they should help themselves and instead of putting them into an house we take their houses over their heads and expose them to stormes The God of peace sanctifie us throughout that his peace may knit us together in him Doctr. 4 Those who trust in men have no understanding Here on earth we do much value the wisdome and judgment of man by his choyce of adherence and dependance and we judge them unwise that addresse themselves to such as cannot either support them as they are or put them on farther But the word of the Lord saith there is no understanding in Edom to trust in man and the Psalmist Non relinquat hominem he adviseth Trust not in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in him God goeth farther in my text there is treason in him subducet auxilium super inducet exitium He will bring thee to thy uttermost borders and there he will leave thee Jun. reads Cujus vulneris non erit intelligentia as pointing out so great a plague upon Edom ut ipsam nequeat mens humana comprehendere nedum curare arte intelligentia Joannes Draconites readeth the text thus Ante proderis hostibus quà m animadvertas But the sense is easie God censureth them for fools that put their trust in man For God himself saith they commit two great evils They forsake God the Fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water The Philistims trusted in their great Champion Goliah 1 Sam. 17.10 and they desied the hoâ—st of Israel and despised David the Aramites sent Israel word that the dust of their land should not be enough to give every one of their Army an handfull 1 Reg. 20.10 The reason of this folly is the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeve not 2 Cor. 4.4 for Satan worketh strongly in the children of disobedience he hath strong illusions for them to make them beleeve lies They that trust in lying vanity saith Jonah do forsake their own mercy It is a lying vanity to trust the false gods of the Heathen Deut. 32.38 God upbraideth the Apostate Jewes so Let them rise up and help you let them be a refuge It is a lying vanity to trust in any confederacie against God It is Gods woe Woe to the rebellious children that take counsell but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit Isa 33.1 that they may adde sin unto sin That walk to go downe into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and
of his countenance shineth on us let us walke worthy of this light 2. Let us serve the Lord in fear and pray to God that the thoughts of our heart which are only evill continually may be forgiven us 3. Let us receive with meeknesse the word of truth and suffer it to be graffed in us that we may bring forth no longer our owne sins with the fruits of evill works but the fruits of the word 4. Let us pray that God would passe by our offences and establish us with grace and pluck up sin within us that root of bitternesse which bringeth forth corrupt fruits of disobedience that God would continue upon us the light of his countenance 5. Let us not flatter our selves and say none of these things shall come upon us because we have so long enjoyed the favours of God for Iudah where God put his Sanctuary and Sion where he made himself a dwelling was not spared The righteous Judge of the world is not such a one as we though he hold his peace a while our provocations may make him whet his sword and prepare against us instruments of death Observe the cruelty of the Edomite he not only joyneth in open hostility but in secret insidiation to cut off all root and branch all in a day he is implacable Such is the hatred of the Romish Church to ours did we not see it in the attempt in 88 for Invasion and possession did we not see the heart of Antichrist in the Powder Treason plotted to a perfect and full destruction Surely David had cause to pray to God let me not fall into the hands of man This is further declared in the next circumstance Neither shouldest thou have delivered those of his that remained in the day of distresse 4 Depopulation For if any remained whom neither the Invasion had met with in the City nor the insidiation without those the Edomite found out and delivered into the hands of their enemies Of those some fell off to the enemy others were carried away captives others of the poorer sort were left in the Land to serve the enemy there to be Vine-dressers and Husbandmen This is called sweeping with a Besome and wiping as one wipeth a dish Two things do aggravate this cruelty of Edom 1. against thy brother Iacob For a Turke to oppresse a Christian an Infidell a Believer is but a trespasse against humanity for Hebrews to strive and one Christian to afflict another woundeth Religion also The Papist calleth himself a Christian and pretendeth great love to Christ he is our unnaturall brother and he casteth us out by excommunication he hateth us in our affliction yet he saith let the Lord be glorified But for us to wound and smite one another of us Protestant against Protestant this is seven spirits worse then the former Brethren by Nation brethren by Religion should live as brethren by nature live as brethren and our father will be angry if we do not and the God of peace will fight against us 2. Another circumstance of time is much urged and it maketh weight for when was Edom so bloudy you shall see that in the time and you will say with Solomon that the mercies of the wicked are cruell Verse 11. In the day that strangers carried away captive his forces and forreiners entred into his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem Ver. 12. In the day that thy brother became a stranger in the day of their destruction in the day of distresse Verse 13. Thrice named in the day of their calamity Verse 14. In the day of distresse 1. Observe in this how their cruelty is aggravated by the time the wofullest time that ever Ierusalem had called therefore the day of Ierusalem when all things conspired to make their sorrow full then in the anguish and fit of their mortall disease then did Edom arme his eye his tongue his heart his hand and joyne all those with the enemy against his brother 2. Observe that God taketh notice not only what we do one against another but when for he will set these things in order before thee for the God of mercie cannot abide cruelty To strengthen the hand of affliction and to put more weight to the burthens of them that be over-charged this is bloody cruelty as To oppresse the poor is alwayes abominable to God but to oppresse him in his tender and orphane infancie or in his feeble and decrepid age doubleth the offence To hinder the willing labourer from his labour at all times it is a crying sin and they are men of bloud that do so but in times of dearth or in times of his greatest expense to deprive him of his labour or his pay this God considereth for he knoweth wherof we are al made and he observeth our carriage towards one another of us VERSE 15 16. For the day of the Lord is neere upon all the heathen as thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall return upon thine own head 16. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain so shall all the heathen drink continually yea they shall drinke and they shall swallow down and they shall be as though they had not been This is the fourth part of this Section containing Gods revenge upon Edom which is before threatned particularly against Edom. Ver. 2. Behold I have made thee small among the heathen thou art greatly despised And after further declared it despeiring all the hopes of Edom. 1. The pride of their heart 2. The strength of their confederacie 3. The strength of their situation 4. The hope of their wise men 5. They hope in their own strong men Yet further Ver. 10. He saith Shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever But now as Edom was not alone in that sin but joyned with others so are they all joyned together in the punishment The words are somewhat obscure For the day of the Lord he meaneth the day of vengeance to repay the violence done to his own people called the day of the Lord because God will shew himself who hath lyen concealed as it were all this while and been a looker on whilest his people did suffer punishment for their sins The time of Ierusalems chastisement was called the day of Ierusalem because their sins deserved that day to come upon them but the day of the heathen is here called the day of the Lord because now God doth awake as one out of sleepe and sheweth himselfe cleerly to his enemies This day the Prophet telleth them is now at hand and neere to them This is neere upon all the heathen Not only upon Edom but upon all those with whom Edom joyned himselfe against the people of God The Prophet Ieremie foretelling this day Jer. 25. nameth the heathen upon whom the wrath of the Lord was to come And the judgement is eye for eye tooth for tooth Lex talionis wherein he telleth her As thou hast done it
shall be done to thee c. And after Metaphorically he expresseth the retaliation As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountain hereof we observe the change of the manner of speech that is here used we shall cleere the Text from that difficulty that hath distracted interpreters so that they have failed in the right meaning of these words For whereas before the Prophet speaketh to Edom here he bringeth in God himselfe speaking to Ierusalem comforting them in the declaration of his just judgement against her enemies for he saith to Iacob As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountains so shall all the heathen drink continually By the Metaphor of drinking which is referred to that which is called the cup of the Lords indignation of which David saith In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the Wine is red c. By this figure then the cup of affliction is understood the phrase was used after by our Saviour Let this cup passe from me again If thou wilt not let it passe but that I must drink thereof thy will be done We use that phrase to drink of the cup of God So the threatning runneth in this sense that as the people of God upon Gods holy mountaine have drunk of the cup of Gods wrath and have had their draught thereof which was but for a time So shall all the heathen drinke and their judgement shall not have end they shall drink continually there shall be no end of their affliction they shall swallow down the wrath of the Lord untill they be utterly destroyed for they shall be as though they had not been In which words is contained 1. A judgement against the Heathen 2. A consolation to the Church In the judgement observe 1. The certainty thereof the day is set 2. The propinquity of it it is neere 3. The extent of it to all the heathen 4. The equity of it as thou hast done 5. The certainty of it they shall drinke c. 6. The duration of it continually In the comfort note 1. He speaketh of it as of a judgement past and gone at ye have drunk thereof 2. He calleth their dwelling though thus punished My Holy Mountain 3. He revealeth to them his severe vengeance against their enemies 1. Of the judgement 2. Of the certainty The Lord hath set down and decreed a day for vengeance threatnings of woe at large do move but little but when the punishment is denounced and the day set for the execution thereof this cannot but pierce and draw blood And being here called the day of the Lord that is a day designed by the Lord for this execution it is more quick and penetrating There is no sin which is committed on earth but God hath both made a Law against it to forbid the doing of it and he hath declared his judgement against it yet hath he given us the light of his word or the light of the Law which his finger wrote in our hearts to declare it to us and he hath given us time also to repent and amend it and he is patient and long-suffering in his expectation of our amendment But where it is not amended he doth set down a day for the execution of his just judgement for he will not he cannot suffer his truth to faile His patience and mercy will take their day first and his justice will also have her day Saint Iames advertizeth us Let patience have her perfect work Jer. 1. â— We have a faire example of God for this For he will not let the work of his patience be unperfect he will forbear us till the very day of his justice designed for punishment Though all the masters of Assemblies all the Ministers of the word be continually striking at this naile we cannot drive it into the head to make men beleeve that God hath set a day for punishment of all our sins The promise of grace to the penitent doth so comfort us generally that we hope we shall have time enough to put off that day by our repentance and then again we often take that for repentance which is not it For it is not enough to remember our sins with a God forgive me Repentance is a putting off of sinne an hatred of it and a change of life and manners every sorrow is not such But were it that this day were thought upon with that feare and trembling that is due to it it would put sin out of countenance and the sinner out of hope The sinner that beleeves not this doth make God a lyar whose word of truth hath revealed the certainty of this day to us 2. It armeth the lusts of the flesh against the soule for who is he that liveth without fear that will bridle his affections or stop the swift current of nature in himself but runneth into sinne as an horse rusheth into the battaile But when we do consider upon every sin that we commit that the day of the Lord shall declare it the day of the Lord shall punish it this maketh us afraid of our secret sins for feare of shame and of all sins for feare of punishment The certainty that this day will come the uncertainty when it will come is the greatest motive to hasten repentance that may be 2. The Propinquity it is neere If our Consciences be convinced of the certainty of this day and the judgement thereof Sathans next allusion is to flatter us that it is afarre off and shall not come yet and there will be time enough to repent us of our sin If we tell you indefinitely that it is neere yet you may hope not so neere but that we may prevent it For the Apostle hath told his brethren long-agoe of the last day The end of all things is at hand But it is 1600 yeers since 1 Pet. 4.7 and where is the promise of his coming But let not that comfort thee in sin for even that day is neer seeing time is nothing to eternity but thy day wherein God shall visit thy sinnes with his judgements may be much sooner If we had Commission to tell you it is but forty dayes and the next day is the day of the Lord as Jonah did peradventure it would warn you but we have no Commission to say it is so it is a good proofe that it is neere when none can promise that this very day shall not be it Yet we see there were some that took the day of their death neere themselves cras moriemur yet they made evil use of it Edamus bibamus as the Epicure Dum vivimus â—rvamus For the sensuall and carnall man maketh that evil use of his neere end to live more sensually Post mortem nulla voluptas In every particular mans case St. John doth admonish us all well Now also is the Axe layed to the root of the Tree I learn a parable of Christ Do but consider thine own field and see the Com that grows upon it and observe
to 16. 2. For the Israel of God 17. to the end The title of the first part is my text Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom. Consider here 1. The subject of the prophecie Edom. 2. The authour of it Diciâ— Dominus Thus saith Lord. 1. Of the subject Edom. Isaac had two sons by Rebâ—â—â—a Esaw and Jacob. Esau was called Edom the reason of that name is thus given Jacob had made red pottage and when Esaw came from the field hungry and faint he said to his brother Jacob Feed me 〈◊〉 pray thee with that red with that red pottage Gen. 25.30 for I am faint Therefore was his name called Edom because he so affected that red colour being himself also red and very hairy This name doth maintain the memory of a quarrell for he bought that red pottage dear enough with the sale of his birth-right Esau and Jacob are a figure of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Sathan for they strove in the womb of their mother so that Rebeeca wondered at it saying v. 12. If it be so why aâ—â— I thus The blessing how soever usurped by â—sau be longeth to Jacob and when Jacob hath his right Esau is angry From this naturall Antipathy between these two brethren and the grudge that the elder should serve the younger From the sentence of this difference which was I have loved Jacob and I have hated Esau there was ever mutuall war and hatred between Israel and Edom in their succeeding posterities for the posterity of Esau did encrease both in number and wealth and grew both many and strong Thus doth the world gather riches and strength and armeth it self against the Church of God and therefore the Church is called Militant Concerning Edom is this part of the Prophecie declaring both Gods quarrell against them and his judgement threatened We may take notice here of one point by the way Edom is a mighty people a strong and rich nation able to molest the Lords Israel that God from heaven undertaketh the quarrell of his Church Do you not see that they whom God hates may have riches and honour and strength and may encrease and grow into multitudes how cometh it then to passe that so many in the world do measure the love and favour of God by these outward things as one flattered his Prince O nimium dilecte deo tibi militat aether What though their oxen be strong to labour what though their sheep bring forth thousands and though they have the fruits of the womb of the herb and purchase lands donec non siâ— locus till there be no room what though they have power and high places all this had Edom whom God hated and doth not our Saviour make it an hard thing for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Outward things are the gifts of God and he doth not value them at so high a rate as we do He doth not care if his enemies have them His own Son when he took upon him our flesh had none of them more then for necessity and his Apostle perswadeth us if we have food and raiment to be therewith content For there be snares in these outward things and if God give not a blessing with them they be the rods of God to scourge the sons of men and great impediments to godly life There is an Holy use may be made of them but they are not our happinesse seeing they whom God hateth may have them in a greater abundance then those whom God loveth best 2. The authour of the Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. This is the assurance of the truth of all that followeth in this Prophecie and it is the ground of our faith to beleeve what is here revealed it is no passionate motion in the heart and affections of the Prophet against Edom but it is the word of the Lord. These be the bounds that are set to the Prophets and Holy ministers of the Lord we may go no further then the word of the Lord. Christ himself saith often The word which thou gavest me I gave them And Balaam did his office and calling right when he told the king of Moab Lo I am come unto thee Num. 22. v. 38. have I any power to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord hath put in my mouth 23 12. All that the Lord speaketh that must I do v. 26. Cap. 24.12 And Balaam said unto Balak Spake I not to thy messengers saying If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own minde but what the Lord saith that will I speak When God designed Jeremie to the office of a Prophet who did fear to undertake that great employment God said to him Say not I am a childe Jer. 17. for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee shalt thou speak When our Saviour sent forth his disciples he so limited them Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 20.20 And accordingly Saint Paul doth professe First of all I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 15.3 that which I also received Thus doth the Apostle again professe being accused of the Jews I obtained help of God and continue unto this day Act. 26.22 Witnessing unto to small and great saying no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come 1. This limitation we finde in the titles of our office for we are the Lords workmen and we must do his work not our own the Lords builders he provideth the materials we work not by great but day-work We are the Lords Messengers and Embassadors we may not digresse from our instructions the messenger of the Lord must speak the Lords message 2. This is necessary in respect of those to whom we are sent for the seeling of their faith so the Apostle hath declared it And my speech and my preaching was not in the entising words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There is nothing that giveth faith firm footing but the word of God That is the Lords fan which purgeth away the chaff and trash from the good corn That is the bread of our fathers house words of mens brains be the husks that the prodigall gathered up in his famine That is the two edged sword that divideth between the bone and the marrow that is the medicine that searcheth the soars and diseases of the inward man Humane wisdom put into the best words is but as a woodden dagger it may dry beat it will never kill the body of sin it
is an unguent it corrodeth not 3. Great is the danger of those that shall speak any thing but the word of God to Gods people or shall conceal any thing of that which is given them to speak So God saith to Jeremiah Thou therefore trusse up thy loiâ—s Jer. 1.17 arise and speak vnto them all that I command thee be not afraid of their faces lest I destroy thee before them And to Ezek. Eze. 3.18 If thou sound not the trumpet nor give warning to the wicked man of his wicked way his blood will I â—â—â—pire al thy hand This is not our own trumpet but the Lords ours giveth an uncertain sound the Lords trumpet awaketh men to the battell From hence both the Minister and the people have their lessons 1. The Minister We are taught to exercise our selves in the Holy studies of the word of God that we may be able â—o divide the word of God aright that we may wifely understand the word of God to be able to minister the word of God in due season The ignorant and unlearned man is no â—it man for this imployment to such saith God Because thou hast refused knowledge Hos 4 6 I will also refuse thee thou shalt be no priest to me For why should any dare to intrude himself into this great service to teach others in the Word seeing himself untaught for the priests lips should preserve knowledge and the people must seek the law at their mouth Mal. 2.32 Doth any man send a lame man of his errand or put his message into the mouth of a dumb man We are the Lords messengers Doth any man set an unskilfull man to build that knoweth not how to use his tools we are the Lords builders Doth any man set an unexperienced man to take charge of his sheep we are the Lords shepherds of his flock Jeroboam took the right way to destroy true Religion and to set up Idolatry He made of the lowest of the people priests of the high places whosoever would he consecrated him 1 Reg. 13.33.44 and he became one of the priests of the high places And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth Surely such ministers though they have the outward calling of the Church yet do they want the inward calling of God and being darknesse they possesse the place of light and they are blinde leaders of the blinde as Christ calleth them Two sorts of ministers are here excluded 1. Those that know not what the Lord saith and therefore use the Holy calling of the Ministery but as a means for their maintenance without care or conscience of feeding the flock of Christ and wo is to them because they preach not the Gospel they usurp the wooll and milk of the flock and have no right to the inheritance of God that is the tithes of the People 2. Those who know not understand not the word of the Lord yet trusting to their own naturall parts do boldly step up and usurp the chair of Moses and are imperitorum magistri teachers of the unlearned before they have been peritorum discipuli Schollers of the learned And these are the more dangerous of the two better an unpreaching Minister that readeth the Word of God distinctly then an ignorant preacher that presumeth ex puris naturalibus from his pure Naturalls to deal with those things which are too high and deep for him 2. Ministers are taught their great duty of faithfulnesse of which the Apostle saith Moreover it is required of stewards that a man be found faithfull He must say 1 Cor. 4 2. Thus saith the Lord. That is He must say 1. Quod dicit Dominus What the Lord saith is the truth 2. Omne quod dicit All that all the truth 3. Quomodo dicit In the same manner Thus. 1. For we may not go from our instructions to speak of our selves any thing but we must first receive from the Lord and then we must speak that It was Nathans errour when David did open to him his purpose for building of the Lords house that before he had understood the will of God therein he encouraged him saying Do all that is in thy heart and therefore he was sent again to him to unsay it 2. Neither may we suppresse any thing of that which is put into our mouths Act 4.20 the Apostle saith We cannot but speak those things which we have seen and heard And Saint Paul saith to the Elders of Ephesus I take you to record this day Acts 20.26 27. that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have concealed nothing but have revealed to you all the counsell of God For surely as God told Ezek It is as much as our salvation is worth to leave any part of Gods revealed will in Scripture untaught 3. Neither may we change the manner of Gods speakings for there is a form of Doctrine delivered to us and there is a form of words we must not only say This but Thus saith the Lord. For so Saint Peter admonisheth If any man speak 1 Pet. 4.11 let him speak as the oracles of God Not mingling humane fancies with divine Doctrines not mingling words of humane wisdom with Holy exhortations not mingling our own spirit of contradiction with our confutations of the adversary not mingling any of our own spirit of bitternes and passions with our just reprehensions of sin drawing against Satan and sin no other sword but the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Thus shall we be unto God the sweet savour of Christ 2 Cor. 2. i 3. in them that are saved We shall meet with many discouragements in this our office and we shall lose a great deal of labour but so did our Master it is his complaint Though never any were so sufficient for this service as he was Isa 49.4 v. 1. 1. For his calling The Lord hath called me from the womb from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name 2. For his fitting to that calling v. 2. He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shaft Yet he complaineth Then I said I have laboured in vain v. 4. I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Yet his comfort was Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work or my reward with my God Here some think that the limitation of us to Thus saith the Lord doth so restrain the minister of the word to the word of God that it is not lawfull to mention the names either of the ancient Fathers of the Church or of any Heathen writers in our sermons A point toucht somewhat to the quick by a great and learned Divine even upon this text in print To which my moderate and just answer is 1.
scourge Edom. This rumour of warre is terror Domini the terror of the Lord And it stirreth up and awaketh those that are in danger to look to themselves which doth shew that this judgment threatned against Edom shall not surprise them suddenly they have warning to stand upon their guard and to arme themselves against invasion This is therefore declared as I conceive to shew the carelesse security of Edom that would take no warning for that is exprest in the prophecy of Isaiah in the burthen of Dumah contempt and scorne of their warning for he calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night Watchman what was in the night As deriding the Prophet who had foretold their night of calamity which should put out their candle and leave them darkling For if the voyce of the Prophets will not move them how will they take it when they shall hear the nations sending Embassadours one to another to confederate against them But the wicked are despisers they will take no warning The old world made a scorne of Noahs preaching and building and thereby vexing his righteous soule even to the day that the floud came and swept them all away They of Sodom even the sons in law of Lot when he warned them of the wrath to come did despise the warning Yet God to make their judgment more heavie when it cometh and to make their scorne more inexcusable threatneth them with the rumour first before be smiteth them The pride and vanity of these times the drunkennesse and prophanesse the contentions and all the clamorous and loud voyced sinnes which over-grow into excesse they do all arise from the contempt of the word of God and from a negligence in observing the course of Gods justice in the punishing of these sinnes and from a scornfull undervaluing of those Embassadors whom God doth send into the world to reconcile the world to himself The Apostle saith We as Embassadours from God do beseech you But the Ministers of Gods word have very harsh welcome in the World for the prophane despise them all and will not hear their message the precise will hear but some of them they despise others they that be for Paul will not hear Apollo and they that be for Peter will hear neither Paul nor Apollo nor Jesus Christ himself But consider Embassadours are not sent but upon serious occasions this is such to awake and stir us up against our common enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil and to tell us of our great danger For we shall not fight against Flesh and Blood onely but against Powers and Principalities if we despise the noise of this rumour these enemies may take us at advantage Edom would take no warning no more will they whom God hath delivered over to the guidance of their own lusts 2. The effect of the message and rumour being the judgement it self 1 Judicium 2. effectum Judicij Numb 24.18 Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell When I compare these words with those of Balaams prophecie Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city I finde here from whence the Embassadour cometh even from the house of Jacob And Israel shall stir up the Heathen against Edom and Israel shall have dominion over them This appeareth in Ezekiels prophecie And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom Eze. 25 14 by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to my anger according to my fury they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God So the people of God shall stir up the Heathen Nations against Edom. From whence we do learn these lessons 1. That all wars are ordered by God 2. That God punisheth one evil man by the hand of another and so one evil Nation 3. That war is one of Gods punishments by which he chasteneth men for sin 4. That the people of God may lawfully make war 1. Doctrine All wars are ordered by God It is the word of the Lord that these Nations shall come together in War against Edom. The horse is prepared for the day of battell Pt. 21.31 but the victory is of the Lord. He teacheth my hands to fight Psa 144.1 and my fingers to battell Melchisedech saith to Abraham after his victory in the rescue of Lot Blessed be the most high God Gen. 14.20 which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand When Israel prevailed against Benjamin for abusing the Levites concubine Judg. 20.35 Jud. 7.20 it is said The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel Gedeons cry was The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon The reason hereof is in sight Reason 1 1. By the generall providence of God who ruleth all things and all persons psa 113.6 for he abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and in earth Reason 2 2. By the particular interest that God hath in wars for he is called Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts The uses follow Use 1 1. In all wars to have respect unto the cause not to put our selves into an unjust quarrell let the cause be Gods and we may promise our selves to have God on our side The wise man saith pro. 20.18 pro. 24.6 By counsell wars must be enterprised By wise counsell thou shalt make thy war prosperous If Jehoshaphat joyn with Ahab against Ramoth in Gelead he shall speed accordingly The sword of the Lord first then of Gideon Use 2 2. The cause being good and warrantable we must not trust to our strength neither must we neglect the means presuming on the defence of God 1. Not trust our own strength for some trust in Charets and some in horses as Benhadah did in the multitude of his men so great that the land against which he fought was not enough to give every one of theâ— an handfull Put David saith A king is not saved by the multitude of an host psa 33.17 neither is the mighty man delivered by much strength an horse is a vain help 2. It is another extream to cast all upon God and not to use the means first the sword of the Lord and then with it the sword of Gedeon Use 3 3. This serveth to take off all fear from our hearts when we fight the Lords battells it was a cheerfull speech of Joah encouraging the people when he had divided his army part against the Syrians and part against Ammon Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people 2 Sam. 10.12 and for the cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good It was Davids resolution I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Arise O Lord save me my God Psal 3.6 for thou smitest all mine enemies
no necessity it was a temporall practise in those times when the gift of healing was in the Church instead whereof we have prayers both in private and in publike Congregations The Grace of Baptism we hold sufficient for the whole life to sanctifie it and in the Elect of God it is not it cannot be lost The true Sacrament of Confirmation is the Lords Supper for that representeth to us the body that was broken for us and the blood that clenseth us from all our sins that is often repeated to call us to repentance and to strengthen our Faith If we flatter our selves that the act of receiving doth sanctifie us that is a deceiving of our own hearts for the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth We know that it may be eaten to condemnation if there were carnall presence of Christ none could eat of it but he must be joyned so with Christ as he could not perish Lastly for the Sacrament of orders they deceive themselves in the pride of their hearts thinking that God hath given them the Kingdome of Grace and of glory to bestow where they will We are the Ministers of God sent forth as Gods Embassadours to carry his pardon to such as are penitent the pardon doth set forth who are capable of it we are the Ministers of God to make tender of the means of Grace to such as are capable of them We cannot make a man capable either of Grace or Salvation yet none can have either but by our Ministry except God will shew his Prerogative and say Ecce ego creabo rem novam in terra Behold I create a new thing upon earth Humility deals truly with us for it I be humble I am content with that I have and think it more then I deserve I do not envy either greater graces in others or higher places for I know mine own weckâ—dnesse and my sins are ever before me and therefore I think it happy with me and acknowledge it a great mercy that I am not consumed I do not glory in mine own knowledge but with Agur the son of Jakeh I say and confesse Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man Prov. 30.2 3. I have neither learned wisdome nor have the knowledge of the holy I do not glory in mine own righteousnesse but looking to mine heart within and into my wayes without I say with Saint Paul of Sinners I am cheefe An humble man hath this advantage of a proud man for he cannot fall his estate may grow both higher and fuller but his heart keepeth one point of elevation and is fixed at that he never graspeâ—h for wind to hold it he hunteth not after opinion he doth not flatter himself with vain hopes Well may an humble man suffer from others but he will keep so good a watch upon his own heart that that shall never deceive him by any information of self-wisdome But I commend a Virtue that but half keeps a living man in the earth saith the gallant true but as the root is deep embosomed of the earth which makes the Free bear a storm the better But this keepeth men from putting forth themselves where they may exercise their other virtues I but it joyeth all well-affected that Church and Common wealth aboundeth so in choyce that there is no need of me And those whom pride putteth forth have an evil edition 2. Their next confidence was in the siituation of their dwelling resembled to an Eagles building her nest in the clefts of a rock on high So there meets to make up their confidence strength and height of dwelling That is their confidence and that is dispersed in the fourth verse Thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord. This opinion of the strength of an impregnable habitation hath deceived many After David had reigned seven yeeres in Hebron The King and his men went to Jerusalem to the Jebusites the inhabitants of the land 2 Sam. 5.6 which spake unto David saying except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in thither Thinking David cannot come hither The Hebrewes have made a figurative construction of these words namely that the Jebusites did preserve two Images the one of Isaac who was blind the other of Iacob who was lame these two Isaac and Iacob made a Covenant with Abimilech in which League they comprehended the Iebusites therefore the league must be broken which was made with Isaac and Iacob if they did come thither to remove the Iebusites But this is vain and fabulous The true meaning is that the Iebusites did think their hold so strong that so long as there were any men therein though blind and lame they would be able to defend the place against David But that hope was dispaired for ver 9. David dwelt in that Fort and called it the City of David c. The like Example we have of Babylon Here her in her ruffe and in the pride of her heart Thou hast said in thy heart Isa 14.13 I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my throne among the stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the most high Which pride of heart smarted in them for it followeth yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell to the sides of the pit I deny not but this is litterally to be understood of Babylon Dr. Reynâ—â— on Obed. but it troubleth me that any learned man of our dayes should charge so many great judgements as have applyed this to the of the Angels with unskilfull application thereof I know The learnedst and gravest judgements have gone that way as far as we have any thing written of the fall of Angels And men of yesterday do not well to impute unskifulnesse to such expert Scribes But in the posthumous writings of great learned men the publisher may shuffle in some of his own brann amongst their Wheate For understand this either literally of Babylon or allegorically of the Angels that fell either of them thought their dwellings impregnable and therefore safe Jerusalem called the joy of the whole earth was compassed so with mountains that the prophet to expresse the safety of the Church resembleth it to Jerusalem As the mountains are about Jerusalem Psa 125 2 so is the Lord round about his people c. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount-Sion ver 2. Yet we know how it was destroyed David was gone far that way in presuming upon the safety of his person and state Dixi nunquam movebor I said I shall not be removed thou Lord of thy goodnesse hast made my mountain so strong All which examples and all experience meeteth in one point of Doctrine that it is a vain confidence to trust in the strength of our state and dwelling on earth A full
storm it is gone saith David The wisdom of God in man is ever at the best in the greatest tempest of danger and sense of sin The Disciples when they are brought before Kings and Rulers are promised Dabo vobis sapientiam I will give you wisdom and further Dabitur illâ horâ it shall be given in that houre Steven at the houre of his death not distracted with the fury of them that stoned him dyed calling upon God calling on him for them that killed him God takes away wisdome from them that know not how to use it Such as are wise to do evil but to do good have no understanding Wisdom in an ungodly man is armata nequitia armed wickednesse and therefore David prayeth against it let not their wicked imagination prosper It was Davids wisdom Audiam quid loquaturin me Deus I will heare what the Lord will say For he will speak to our hearts peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He will uphold us with his counsell the feare of the Lord is the beginning of our wisdome 2. The Assurance Thus saith the Lord. For the trust in wisdome is so confident that the holy Prophet though he had called his prophecy his Vision and though he had begun his whole Prophecy with Thus saith the Lord yet the more to assure the events threatned he resumeth this authority 1. He bringeth in God himselfe despersing their first hope I have made thee small the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee 2. In their second hope which was in the strength of their habitation he bringeth in God speaking to Edom I will bring thee down saith the Lord. 3. Now again in this third hope of theirs in the wisdome of their wise men two things do meet in this verse to fortifie the assurance 1. The authority of him that saith and doth those things Thus saith the Lord. 2. His appeale to them for he doth not say I will destroy the wise men out of Edom but he appealeth to their own hearts saying Shall I not destroy them q. d. Do you think that I will be over-reached by your wise men No they shall not have wit enough to save themselves much lesse to save you For I will destroy them Which peremptory declaration of the will of him who is judge of all the world doth leave no place for evasion for the Psalmist saith of him that He doth whatsover he will in heaven and in earth and in all deep places By vertue of this certaine word of God we do gather this assurance against all the enemies of the Church in all ages thereof for he hath said it by the mouth of Iob How often is the Candle of the wicked put out Job 21.17 And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrowes in his anger What though the execution of this wrath be deferred he addeth God layeth up his iniquity for his children that is the punishment of his iniquity ver 19. as there is a decree against them in the counsell of God and word against them declaring the decree of God so dies erit there shall be a time 3 The time in that day Our days and times be all in the hand of God and they be hid in his own power who in his secret wisdom hath appointed them when that day should come he hath not yet revealed to Edom in this Prophecie God is so patient and long-suffering that he doth not punish presently for vengeance is his he may take his time when he will and no man can resist him The point here considerable is That God in his secret wisdome hath designed a particular day for every execution of his will yea the Scripture goeth so far as to the houre even to a moment the least fraction of time This declareth that the wisdome of the world and of flesh hath but its time there is a period fixed wherein it must detertermine Ahitophels counsels went for Oracles till this day then God turned his wisdom into folly and destruction So God threatned Ierusalem with a day in which the Lord would take away from them the mighty men Isa 3.2 and the men of warre the judge and the Prophet the prudent and the ancient This he doth two wayes One by turning all their knowledge into ignorance and their wisdome into folly Another by destroying their persons either by his sore judgements or by leading into captivity here both are threatned for he will destroy both prudentes wise men and prudentiam their wisdome in that day This may remember us of that great day of which St. Paul preached to the Athenians Act. 17.31 that God had appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnes by that man which he hath appointed For as the day of Ierusalem and the day of Edom and the time of Gods particular judgements is set and fixt so is the day of the last judgement in which every man shall give an accompt to God of himself and all our works shall come to judgement What manner of men then ought we to be expecting this day and providing for it This Doctrine of the set day of particular execution of Gods threatned wrath against sinners doth teach 1. Holy patience in waiting the Lords leasure and as the Apostle admonisheth Cast not away therefore your confidence For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Heb. 10 35 36 37. For a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And blessed is he that endureth to the end This living under the rod of the ungodly and this beholding the prosperity of the wicked doth much disquiet even the Saints of God on earth as is the example of David we see Therefore we have need of patience to sweeten the sorrows of life to us and to clear our eyes that we may not mourn as men without hope 2. It teacheth faith for the same Author saith Ver. 38 Now the just shall live by faith for he that hath promised is faithfull and no word of his shall fall to the ground unfulfilled Faith cometh by hearing let us then use it as the best remedy against the oppressions of the ungodly to be swift to hear the word of God that we may get the shield of faith to bear off all the darts of Satan so David in that disquiet went to the house of God there he was taught the end of those oppressors 3. It teacheth holinesse for seeing the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against the enemies of the Church there is no safety but in the Church of God and that is the Congregation of Saints these are safe in that day he hideth such under his wings his faithfulnesse and truth is their shield and buckler There shall no evill happen to them neither shall any plague come nigh their dwelling So long as we make conscience of our
full from the communion of the Church of England pretending the great corruptions that be some in the doctrine but most in the Discipline thereof Is Sion the Mountaine of the Lord still although both sinne and vengeance have left it desolate Did Christ call the Temple his fathers house when the ungodly prophaners of it had made it a den of theeves I dare not say now though that Mountaine of the Lord and the place whre Gods honour did sometimes dwell and wherein God tooke delight hath almost endured sixteen hundred yeeres desolation and is now the cage of uncleane birds inhabited by Turks and Saracens and for the profit of both by Popish Idolators which make prize of Pilgrims resorting to visite the places sometimes hallowed by the presence of Christ and his Mother and his holy servants I dare not say that God hath lost his interest therein or resigned all his right thereto Nullum tempus occurrit regi I remember the Prophecy of Zacharie But it shall be one day Zac. 4.7 8 which shall be knowne to the Lord nor day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Ierusalem A Prophecy not yet fulfilled for though Interpreters doe commonly attribute this to the coming of Christ in the flesh and the light of the Gospel beginning at Ierusalem and shining over all the world the words of the Text do directly confute that exposition for this prophecy is determined to the evening time that is to the latter end of the world and Christ came in the fulnesse of time And at the coming of Christ in the flesh it was not as here is said Nor day nor night for then Lux magna orta est the sunne of righteousnesse arose in our hemisphere the very night was lighted to the shepherds with an extraordinary clarity And such a light shone in Ierusalem as not only lighted them but it was a light to lighten the Gentiles it shone to the East upon the Magi there and all the ends of the world soon saw the salvation of their God Therefore I conclude that this prophecy is to be fulfilled towards the end of the world when God shall call againe his people from far and his dispersed from the ends of the earth When the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in then shall God call again his people and remember the oath that he sware unto Abraham and the sure mercies of David Then shall he set his name again in Ierusalem and displant the intruders upon his possession and settle his habitation once again upon the Holy mountain at the end of the world Yet I do not affirm that there shall be again a Common-wealth of the Jewes or a distinction of Tribes as heretofore that wall of partition is taken down and the bond of Christian Religion shall be the bond of peace and God hath said it Tros Tyrius ve mihi nullo discrimine agetur Both Jew and Gentile all shall be alike But God hath layed such claime to this mountain and professed so much love to it that I dare not beleeve that he can forget it for ever but that when the time the appointed time shall come he will have mercy upon Sion and will pitty the ruines and dust thereofâ—â—â— But when here Sion is called Mons sanctus meus my Holy mountain here is a quaere how any place can be called Holy and what kind of holinesse it is which is ascribed to any place Surely if it be Sanctus quia meus what place is it where God is not he is in the valley of the shadow of death he is present over men in the nethermost hell But God is said to sanctifie some places here on earth because he is present there 1. Secundum specialem curam in respect of his speciall care and protection 2. Secundum specialem cultum in respect of his speciall Worship Ierusalem was the place which God took into his speciall protection and where he placed his speciall worship for the Lord God was well known in Sion at Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion 1. And for the speciall care that he had of that place He loved the gates of Sion more c. And though the earth was the Lords and all that therein is yet of Sion he said here do I dwell I have a delight herein And this Spiritualis cura Spiritual care so sanctified that place that when Israel had polluted the worship of God and Heathen came in upon Gods inheritance and defiled his Sanctuary yet ceased not that place to be Holy not by any inherent holinesse as the Roman Church suggesteth but only secundum specialem curam because it was not yet out of Gods speciall protection and only thus it is holy at this day 2. Propter specialem cultum for his speciall worship when any place is dedicate to Gods worship and separate from common use it is an holy place and God vouchsafeth there specialem praesentiam a special presence For I am not of Mr. Calvins mind who saith Templa non sunt propria Dei habitacula unde aurem propius admoveat For God hath a speciall interest in those places which are separate to his special worship and the very place is fearful to them that have any sense of Religion and as Damascen saith plus participat gratiae operationis Dei they partake more of the powerfull operation of God For why is Heaven the Throne of God more then the earth but because God doth there more expresse his glory then he doth here And for the interest that God hath in those consecrated places consider Gods challenge in my Text Sion though in the Land of the Chaldeans is the Mount of God Churches and Lands once given to God do remain his for ever for unlesse God shall manifestly reveale his resignation to man what man on earth hath any assignment from him of his right Beloved we have power to give to God of his own but we have no power on earth for revocation when it is once Sacred and God hath enclosed it no man can lay it common But the fat of the Church hath fed so many of all degrees in this Land to that grouth and strength that this Doctrine is a Paradox and we are but laught at when we plead the right of God to things sacred For if Sacriledge be a sinne what rank of men in this or our neighbour kingdome doth not live in sin and by sin The Mount of Sion is challenged here to be the holy Mountain of God in whose hand soever the possession thereof be and all that invade the right of God in things sacred shall heare him complain Prov. 20.25 Ye have robbed me and though they make it strange and aske wherin have we robbed thee Solomon will tell them It is a snare for a man to devoure that which is Sanctified
then was it better with me then now Therefore it is a great favour of God to his people to restore them their owne possessions againe that they may be as in yeares past for now they having wanted them do better know the favour of God then they did before in the use of them They would have esteemed it a greater favour in their captivity to have had but some ease of their burthens some liberâ—y to have eaten the fruites of their labours in great miseries every little breathing of ease is sweet and comfortable but here is a full restitution of them to their former possessions promised 2 But here is much more promised even dilatation of their borders they shall have more then they had they may call their place Rehoboth as Isaac called the Well when he had room to dig in Gen. 26.21 The Lord hath an open and a filling hand even in this also Multiplicat benefacere here is Copiosa redemptio copiosa restitutio For as it is another degree of favour to rise from restitution to dilatation so it may stand for a degree that he enlargeth their bounds out of the possession of their enemies and giveth away their Land to his people Let no man charge God with injustice herein for The earth is the Lords and all that therein is he giveth it where he will And Jesus Christ his Son hath promised the meek the inheritance of the earth for by right none but the Elect are true owners of the earth the ungodly are but intruders and usurpers thereof Thus much added to their owne to make them more territory and thus much taken from their neighbouring enemies the Edomites and the Philistims and given to them makes them gainers by their losse their banishment was a sowing in teares this is a reaping in joy David was so reasonable that he only desired of God saying Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeers wherein we have seen evill Ps 90.15 God is a more bountifull giver for he maketh his people glad not only with that which they lost but with much more he enpoverisheth their enemies to enrich them that they may take the labours of the people into their possession Job would have wisht no more then to be as he was in some months past Job v 2.10 and God not only restoreth him what he formerly had but he giveth him twise so much as he had before So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more then his beginning which Saint Gregory doth apply to the state of the Church in the last day when they shall receive full glory both in their souls and bodies in his Kingdome For in things temporal this doth not alwayes hold that God repaireth thus the losses of his children neither do they expect it for they have learned how to want but what wanteth in outward things is restored to them in spirituall graces in the gifts of patience and contentednesse in thankfulnesse and the spirit of supplications Doctr. 2 2. Doctr. God punisheth the enemies of his Church by those against whom they have prevailed for the house of Jacob shall be a flame and the house of Joseph a fire Not â—â—â—â—substant are into fire and flame as a Papist might prove as well out of this text as he hath the corporeal presence of Christ out of Hoc est corpus meum this is my body but by way of similitute and by reason of the effect that shall follow for they shall consume the house of Edom whom God will make as stubble for them easie to take fire It was Balaams Prophecy of the people of Israel then in distresse Num. 23.24 Behold the People shall rise up as a great Lyon and lift up himself 〈◊〉 a young Lyon he shall not lye down till he eate of the prey and drink the blood of the slain Which was begun to be performed by Moses continued by Joshuah further prosecuted by David fully accomplished by Christ Ps â—10 1 2 whom God made to rule in the midst of his enemies The Elect are built upon a rock in the sea of this world all the men of war that assault it shall dash themselves in the end against this rock Pro. 11.8 so Solomon The righteous escapeth out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead And again he saith Prov. 21.18 The wicked shall be a ransome for the righteous and the transgressor for the upright The reason of this is the equal law of Gods justice before mentioned that as it hath been done by them so it may be done to them and that their reward may fall upon them For he will avenge the blood of his servants and yeeld vengeance to his adversaries Deut. 31.43 but he will be favourable to his owne Land and be merciful to his own people Even this also must passe for a further degree of his love to overthrow the enemies of Israel by Israel for not only this Prophet but Balaam foretold it even this particular Seir shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Num. 24. â—8 19. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that City In Amoz God saith I will send fire upon Teman which shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Amoz 1.1 2 here Obadiah sheweth what fire Amoz meaneth the house of Jacob shall be that fire and the house of Ioseph that flame Both expounded in plain terms by the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 25.24 I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord. And what God threatneth the temporal and carnal enemies of his Church the same hath he also threatned to the spiritual enemies thereof The God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 It had been enough for us if God hâ—â— trodden him under his own feet but God will cover his enemies with shame and grief as well as smart and pain All the Elect have their part in this victory of the world for he that overcometh hath this promise such shall have power ever Nations so that they shall rule them with a rod of Iron Rev. 2.26 and as the vessels of a porter they shall be broken Which promise doth assure the Church that although here her enemies prevaile against her yet her Spouse whose power shall put down all rule and all authority and power shall conquer for her and she united to him by her faith shall by faith overcome all This admonisheth uâ— 1. Not to be troubled at the power and prevailings of the enemies of Gods Church though we see and hear evill news daily that toucheth us to the quick and all them that love the peace of this Land and the liberty of
That as there is authoritas Scripturae the authority of Scripture which is the ground of faith so there must be testimoniuâ—â— Ecclesiae the witnesse of the Church as Vincent Lirinensis well adviseth Cap. 2. Quia Scripturam Sacram non uno eodumque sensu universi accepterunt And in this case not having Antiquitatem ministrantem universall consent and we are put to it to search out what the most learned most sincere Divines in all ages have taught concerning this point here there is a necessity of consulting and declaring the constant judgement of the Church for the Testimony to the Truth 2. In all points of doctrine it giveth a great assurance to our hearers of our faithfulnesse if we declare our selves to be such as feed our hearers with the same Bread of Life which our fathers before us did break to their children 3. Whereas it is surmised that these citations of fathers be but a pride of our feeding and a vain boast of our learning It were more charitable to think 1. That our humility is such that we are not ashamed to professe by whom we learn any thing 2. That we have so unworthy an opinion of our own judgements that we chuse rather to apply the learned judgements of those that have gone before us then our own And who can deny but that our Preaching out of them is with the warrant of our Text. Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord if the Lord spake by them to his Church For the use of Heathen writers I onely say with S. Aug. Omnis scientia in gâ—nere bonorum est In arundine sterili potest una pendere Truth is the language of God and if ignorant men wicked men Devils do speak truth we may quote and write them and we may say truly Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord. The prophecie of wicked Balaam and of Caiaphas was the word of the Lord and the confession of devils testifying of Christ is a good confession there is no wrong done to the word Qui non est contra me mecum est He that is not against me is with me 2. The hearers lesson You are all taught to receive this wholesome doctrine which the Minister preacheth from the mouth of the Lord. It is not you that speak saith Christ he that hath ears to hear must hear Quod Spiritus dicit what the spirit speaketh When we tell the house of Jacob of their sins this is the word of the Lord. When we say unto you going in an evil way as Lot to the Sodomites Do not so wickedly Do not say Duruâ— est hic sermo he rayled to day against swearing or against drunkennesse c. I will tell you how you shall receive both comfort and great profit by our Ministery and the word is given to profit withall Mich. 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly recto judicio rectis moribus I will give you a fair example Israel said to Moses Go thou now neer Deu. 5 27.28 and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it God took it well and said to Moses I have heard the voice of this people they have well said all that they have spoken We must tell you that the Word of the Lord which he sendeth forth in our Ministery shall not return to him empty it shall finish the thing for which it was sent Therefore take you heed how you hear and consider what we say hide the Word that we Preach in your hearts that you sin not against God If we do our duty he that heareth us and receiveth us receiveth Jesus Christ that sent us and in these earthen vessels rich treasures are brought unto him He that refuseth us our Ministery refuseth him that sent us and the Word of the Lord which we bring to them will prove a rod correction to chastise them and although they feel not the pain presently it will be owing to them till affliction or Death assault them and then they will remember the Word of the Lord with much horrour Obadiah v. 1. We have heard a rumour from the Lord and an Embassadour is sent among the Heathen Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell We are now come to the Prophecie it self which holdeth to the end of the sixteenth verse The parts whereof are four 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1.2 2. All the hopes of Edom despaired v. 3.4.5.6.7.8.9 3. The cause provoking God to this severe processe against them v. 10.11.12.13.14 4. Gods revenge upon them v. 15.16 1. In the judgement intended observe 1. The discovery thereof 2. The effect of it 1. In the discovery observe 1. By whom it was discovered 2. How two wayes 1. By a rumour from the Lord. 2. By Embassadours 1. To whom this threatened judgement was discovered we have heard We that is the prophets of the Lord for although Obadiah writ this present Prophesie yet was not this judgement onely revealed to him but to many more of the Holy Prophets for so saith the Prophet Amos Surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets not unto one onely but to more And so fully was this revealed to Jeremiah Amos 3.7 that he doth prophesie even in the same words against Edom but under the name of Bozrah which was the name of a Principall city in Edom as appeareth Gen 36.33 the words of the Prophecie are these I have sworn by my self saith the Lord that Bozrah shall become a desolation Jer. 49.13 a reproach a waste and a curse and all the cities thereof shall be perpetuall wastes I have heard a rumour from the Lord an Embassadour is sent to the Heathen saying Gather ye together and come against her c. The margents of the Bibles refer you to that place The Lord gave great charge to Israel concerning Edom Deut. 23.7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother Yet because the Edomite was ever an enemy to Israel God revealed his judgement against them to many of his Prophets Balainâ— foretold their subjection to Israel And Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Num 24.18.19 Out of Jacob shall be come that shall have Dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city The Psalmist prayeth for their punishment Psa 137.7 Remember O Lord the children of Edom. It had not been lawfull for the Prophet to have provoked the justice of God against Edom unlesse God had revealed his purpose of judgement intended against them to him For Davids imprecations be all Prophecies The burden of Dumah that is of Idumaea Isa 21.11 He calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night c.
The sword of the Lord is filled with blood Isa 34.6 it is made fat with fatnesse c. for the Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Idumaea Rejoyce and be glad O daughter of Edom Lament 4. that dwellest in the land of Vz the cup also shall passe thorow unto thee thou shalt be drunken and shalt make thy self naked As to the young man Rejoyce O young man Iron q. d. Make thee merry whilest thou mayest for thou art like to have sorrow and care enough Amos also foretold as much Thus saith the Lord. Amos. 1.11 For three transgressions and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pity and did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever Which causes are after in this prophecie alleaged But I will send fire upon Teman which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah Thus saith the Lord God Ezech. Cap. 25.12 because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance and hath revenged himself upon them I v. 13. will also stretch out my hand upon Edom and I 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 lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord. Son of man set thy face against mount Seir Cap. 35.2 and prophesie against it And say unto it Thus saith the Lord God Behold O mount Seir I am against thee and I will stretch out my hand against thee and I will make thee most desolate c. I may say now as the messengers sent to bring Michaias to King Ahab said but in a Contrary 1 Reg. 22.13 Behold the words of the Prophets declare evil unto Edom with one mouth And now you see what reason this Prophet hath to say We have heard for God hath revealed this threatened judgement to his servants the Prophets and with one mouth they declare it From whence we are taught Doctr. 1. That the decrees of Gods judgement upon the wicked are constant and unchangeable Reason 1 1. For God is without variablenesse and shadow of alteration Hos 13.14 The word is gone out of my mouth it shall not return empty but it shall finish the thing for which it is sons repentance is hid from mine eyes God is not as man that he should repent he hath sworn in his wrath they shall not enter into his rest and The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Rea. 2 2. From the nature of the wicked against whom he threateneth judgement for they have hearts that cannot repent and therefore they heap up wrath against the day of wrath Gods hatred doth deprive them of all the means of grace and none can be effectuall in them or to them and he hath said I have hated Esau Sin is folly sinners are fools bray a fool in a mortar yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him therefore they are under the rods and scorpions of wrath and cannot avoid the same 3. From the faithfulnesse of his Prophets for the Prophets of the Lord that threaten these judgements from his mouth shall not be found liars seeing their Prophecies are no self-given notions but inspirations of his spirit which is the Spirit of truth You know how Jonah was troubled to be a messenger of judgement to Nineveh when he was perswaded that God would shew them mercy and so his Prophecie fall to the ground he could rather have looked on to see the utter destruction of Nineveh then that his Prophecie should be found unperformed therefore he went another way at first would not come to Nineveh when he had prophesied he went out of the city there expected the event of his Prophecie was angry that it succeeded not Quer. We finde that in that example God changed and repented him of the evil which he had threatened against Nineveh how then do we say that the judgements of God against the wicked be unreversable And God saw their works Ionâ—h 3.10 that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not Sol. To this we answer That Gods repentance was no change of his minde or any alteration of his counsell or decree but a deferring of the execution of his judgement The change was in Nineveh and the repentance was in them they humbled themselves before God and they both did the works of mortification and they also beleeved God Cap. 3.5 this was not a justifying faith which is Credere in Deum to beleeve in God but an historicall which is Credere Deo to beleeve God And God would have his Church see that if Ahab humble himself and go in sackcloth if Nineveh give over evil works and repent them of their sins he will turn from the fiercenesse of his wrath all to encourage repentance But Jonah was a true Prophet of Gods judgement their repentance was not poenitentia non poenitenda a repentance not to be repented of for they resumed their evil wayes and Nahum doth renew the threatenings of Jonah and declareth the Lords judgements against Nineveh For the repentance of the wicked is but for a season and as it is temporary so it removeth judgement for a time but they returning to their sins he returneth also to the execution of his intended punishment So Ahab was forborn for a time upon his humiliation but he escaped not the hand of judgement for God cannot lie His Prophets speak sure words as the Apostle saith We have a more sure word of Prophecie 2 Pet. 1.19 to which you do well if you take heed as to a light c. Que. When Abraham had heard the decree of God against the transgressing cities did not he know that Gods decrees of judgement were immutable how then did he solicite God for the reversing of the same did he well in so doing Sol. Abrahams plea doth clear this point for upon the first notice from God of his intended judgement he pleadeth for Sodom not to turn away the wrath from the ungodly there but he saith Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked c. Gen. 18.13 The care of Abraham was for the place and for the persons of the righteous he doth not solicite God for the wicked there Again to pray for the ungodly and wicked to divert judgement from them when God hath revealed his displeasure against them is not unlawfull 1. Because Christian charity hopeth all things beleeveth all things 2. Because many of Gods judgements are temporall and his anger against the sons of men continueth not long so that we may