take it yet this will follow The godly and their seed are the noblest plants and choisest persons Such as are godly Doctr. The godly are the choisest chiefest such are most excellent n Psal 16.2 3. My goodnesse saith Dauid extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Where see how that Kingly Prophet honoureth such as are Saints with the name of Excellent and Worthies of the earth And Solomon his sonne affirmeth as much when he telleth vs o Prou. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour i. he is better beloued and graced of God and hath that in him which maketh him more honourable than any other who is vnrighteous and sinfull And our Prophet Isaiah calleth the godly in plaine termes p Isay 4.5 The glory Vpon all the glory saith he shall be a defence Thus as the godly goe before all other in virtue so they goe before them in honour and as they exceed others in pietie so they surmount them in excellencie Reason And that this is truth viz. That the godly are the noblest and choisest persons may appeare further if we consider 1. Their Race and Pedigree for they are descended q 1 Pet. 2.9 of the bloud royall they r 1 Iohn 3.9 are borne of God being Å¿ 2 Cor. 6.18 sonnes and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And whereas other men are called children of the earth or t Colloss 3.6 children of disobedience or u Hos 10.9 children of iniquitie or * Ephes 2.3 children of wrath or x 1 Sam. 26.16 children of death or y Iohn 8.44 children of the Deuill or z 17.2 children of perdition or a Matth. 23.15 children of Hell we shall finde that all the godly are called either b Iohn 12.36 children of light or c Acts 3.25 children of the Prophets or d Rom. 9.8 children of the Promise or e Mark 2.19 children of the wedding chamber or f Matth. 8.12 children of the Kingdome Thus for birth and bloud they exceed all other of the earth besides 2. Their kindred are vere rich and noble For their Father they haue him g Psal 95.3 in whose hands are all the corners of the earth and the strength of all hills is his also h 4.5 The Sea is his for he made it and his hands prepared the dry land A great God is he and a great King aboue all gods For their Mother they haue a great i Psal 45.9 Queene who hath Kings daughters and honourable women for her attendants k vers 13. being clothed in rayment of gold and needle worke For their Brethren they haue Christ the great heire of the world l Heb. 2.11 who is not ashamed to call them Brethren and all Saints vpon the earth besides Now m 1 Sam. 18.23 seemeth this a light thing vnto you 3. Their Place and Dignitie is very great they are in high place and office being made by Christ n Reuel 1.6 Kings and Priests vnto God his Father They are in high authoritie to command and rule like Kings and Priests who haue the chiefest roomes of all 4. Their Attendants are honourable The o Psal 34.7 91.11 glorious Angels that are aboue and which excell in strength doe euermore wait vpon them and are become p Heb. 1.14 ministring spirits sent forth to minister for those who are heires of saluation Yea Kings and Queenes q Isay 49.23 are but as nurses to them and they must doe them homage worshipping with their faces towards the earth and licking vp the dust vnder their feet What shall we need to speake of other things wherein one man is wont to excell another and thereby wax glorious and become renowned Who are wise besides these Are not these only r Deut. 4.6 A wise prudent and vnderstanding people Who are valiant but these Are not these the Å¿ 2 King 2.12 13.14 Chariots and horsemen of Israel Who goe fine but these Are not these they t Reuel 3.5 19.8 who are arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining Doe not these goe clothed with the golden and silken robes of Iesus Christ and of his Spirit Who fare so well as these Are not these fed u Iohn 6.33 with Manna the bread of life Haue not these prepared for them * Isay 25.6 A feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified Who are out of debt but these Hath not Christ discharged them of all their x Matth. 6.12 sinnes which are called debts and y Coloss 2.14 cancelled the bonds Who haue peace within and without but these z Rom. 5.1 â—hil 4.7 2 Cor. 5.19 God is now reconciled with them so that they haue peace not only with God himselfe and his creatures but also with themselues in their owne soules and consciences Who enioy health but these Their soules are sound and well and daily they goe on a Psal 84.7 from strength to strength till they appeare perfect in Sion Who speakes so pure a language as these Their language is the b Isay language of Canaan out of their mouths c Coloss 4.6 no filthy vnsauourie nor rotten communication doth proceed What shall I say more Who can compare with these who haue the heauens for their d 1 Pet. 1.4 inheritance the Scriptures for their euidences the Sacraments for their seales and the Holy Ghost for their assurer e 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Who haue all things theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods Vse 1 Now if this be so that The godly are the choisest plants and chiefest personages why then are such most contemned and accounted according to S. Pauls saying f 1 Cor. 4.13 as the filth of the world and off-scowring of all things But let me say to worldlings as the Apostle of those great ones who put the Lord of life to death g 1 Cor. 2.8 If they had knowne they would not haue crucified the Lord of life and glory So didst thou but know who these are and what manner of persons they are whom thou thus despisest thou wouldst more respect them yea loue and reuerence them nay kisse the very ground they goe vpon Indeed they seeme outwardly blacke and weather-beaten but what then Yet vnder that basenesse and blacknesse is hid great honour and beauty Within that leather purse is a pretious pearle In those earthen pots is abundance of golden treasure As meane and base as they seeme in thy eyes they are children of God great Heites and Princes and shall one day reigne with Christ in glory Be therefore well aduised and disdaine them not Had h 2 Sam. 16. Shemei euer thought that Dauid should euer haue recouered
Church It was S. Iohns honour to be called g Luke 1.76 a Prophet of the most High and therefore it cannot be a disparagement to any to serue the same Master The blessed Apostles S. Paul S. Peter S. Iames S. Iude c. amongst all their titles count this to be the most honourable that they are the h Rom. 1.1 2 Pet. 1.1 Iames 1.1 Iude 1. Seruants of Iesus Christ and therefore the two former set that first and then Apostles after What shall we say to Noah He was a Prince of the world and yet a i 2 Pet. 2.5 Preacher of righteousnesse To k Heb. 7.1 Melchisedech who was King of Salem and yet a Priest vnto the Lord To Samuel a Iudge To Dauid a King and yet l 1 Sam. 3.20 7.15 1 King 3.12 Prophets both And to wise Solomon his sonne before whom there was none like him neither after him shall euer any rise like vnto him who amongst all his titles and that in his wisest and best dayes did count this to be the most honourable to be called m Eccles 1.1 Luk. 2.9 10. Phil. 2.6 a Preacher And to the glorious Angels of heauen who haue not refused to be publishers of the glad tidings of peace And to Christ himselfe who though equall in glory with the Father disdained not the title of a n Rom. 15.8 Minister How then can it be thought a thing not beseeming the worth of any to be the Lords Prophet Besides these examples weigh the Reasons Reas 1 Such serue the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is higher than the highest greater than the greatest richer than the richest nobler than the noblest and can it be any disgrace to serue such a Master If it were such a noble priuiledge to be a subiect vnto Caesar o Acts 22.25 28. 1 King 10.8 Psal 107.40 And so happy a thing to be a seruant vnto Solomon How much greater is their priuiledge and how much happier are those seruants who serue such a Lord as doth at his pleasure pull downe one and set vp another vpon the throne Reas 2 Such are employed about that worke which is the highest holiest the heauenliest and greatest of all other workes viz. the saluation of mens soules By Ministers God worketh faith p Rom. 10.14 1 Cor. 3.5 1 Tim. 4.16 by them he conuerts by them he comforteth sanctifieth saueth By them he declareth to men their righteousnesse preacheth repentance free forgiuenesse and perfect saluation to all that truly beleeue in Iesus Christ In which respect saith Iob A good Minister is q Iob 33.23 one of a thousand A good Lawyer may be one of ten A good Physitian one of twenty A good man one of a hundred Perk. dutie and dignitie of Ministers But saith a Reuerend Diuine a good Minister exceeds all for he is one of a thousand A good Lawyer may declare vnto thee the true state of thy cause A good Physitian may declare vnto thee the true state of thy bodie But no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse but a true and faithfull Minister The Lawyer then in caring for thy cause and the Physitian in caring for thy bodie are both inferiour to the Minister who careth for thy soules saluation No maruell then if the Apostle requires that they should be r 1 Thess 5.12 esteemed highly euen for their workes sake Such shall haue the greatest wages of any other for Reas 3 Å¿ Dan. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament but they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer and euer All good men shall haue glory yea great glory They shall shine as the firmament But such as labour in the word and doctrine shall shine and that with no ordinarie glory but as the starres which haue a brighter glory than the firmament Seeing then the Master which they serue is the highest The worke which they doe is the holiest The wages which they haue is the greatest It may beseeme the worth of any to be the Lords Prophet How guilty then are such as thinke basely of so honourable Vse 1 an office and function as the Ministerie is Oh cursed times wherein prophane liuers doe account no mens persons no mens callings so base and vile as ours The name it selfe of Priest and Minister by such is cast in our faces as termes of infamie and reproach and vsed no otherwise amongst vs than the name of Christian is amongst the Barbarians in Russia by way of disgrace And the very weed and garment of a Minister is enough to procure contempt though otherwise he himselfe be free enough from all contempt This is one of the blots of this our Nation that a Minister is seldome spoken of but with diminution And the simplest in a multitude though he be not able to giue the meaning of one petition in the Lords prayer yet hath eloquence enough to disgrace their persons and their callings A horrible confusion it was that was foretold by this our Prophet which should come on Israel t Isay 3.5 The childe should behaue himselfe proudly against the Ancient and the base against the honourable Who sees not that this confusion is befallen this generation Who almost so vile but thinks himselfe a better man than the ablest Minister What Gentleman so meane but thinks his childe too good for this Priestly trade Yea his whole house disgraced his bloud and familie disparaged if either his daughter be matched with a Preacher or his sonne entred into that calling But be it knowne vnto thee who thus basely iudgest That God hath honoured the poorest Minister farre aboue thy selfe and taken him to serue at his owne table when he hath reiected thee and thy fathers house Be not then any more so much deceiued as to thinke the calling of the Ministerie to be base and beggerly and not meet for any but the poore to liue by fit only for the lame and such as are disfigured for younger brothers blunt-headed schollers and such as are good for no Trade else when Princes Peeres and Nobles and such as haue beene of the royall bloud haue held it as an honour to be employed in the seruice of the Lord. u Dan. 1.3 Nebuchadnezzar would haue only such to wait vpon him as were of the Kings stocke and comely witty and euery way well qualified both for lineaments of body and ornaments of minde none of the refuse must come into his presence And shall they that come before the Lord to administer in his presence be the scum and off-scowring of the people What is this but to serue the Lord with the * Mal. 1.8 blinde and lame which he abhorres Certainly this dishonour of the Ministerie threatneth the departure of the word and therefore let vs pray hard that this sinne of contempt and base esteeme of Gods Ministers and their callings may not be laid vnto
mouthes boldly to make knowne the mysterie of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. What is it for vs to come vnto you richly laden and to be as full of good matter as euer Elihu was i Iob 32.18 if God be not with our mouthes as he promised Moses k Exod. 4.12 and teach vs what to say Pray therefore oh pray earnestly to God for vs that he would excite vs stirre vs vp and enable vs to vtter such holy things as we haue studied and thought vpon For l Pro. 16.1 the preparations of the heart are in man but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord and therefore except he doe to vs as he did to Ieremiah m Ier. 1.9 stretch out his hand and touch our mouth and put his words into it there is small hope that our tongues should so set out those wonderfull workes of God and those great things of his Law n Hos 8.12 as that the soules of Gods people may haue any cause to blesse God that euer they did heare vs. Thirdly what cause haue such to blesse God as are Vse 3 vnder such clouds and liue vnder such Ministers whose Doctrine drops as the raine Deut. 32.2 and whose speech distils as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse Oh that men knew but this gift of God and were answerably thankfull for so great a gift Satan grudges yea enuies the Church this gift and sets himselfe by all meanes to withhold these clouds from dropping as knowing full well what a great disaduantage they are vnto his kingdome hence is it that all Ephesus is in an vp-roare vpon Pauls teaching and hence is that out-cry of our people Neuer was merry world since so much Preaching Oh! how cursed a generation are we fallen into who repine at that as if it were some heauie plague for which we are bound to blesse God for as a speciall blessing A day will surely come when such will wish to haue but one drop fall from these clouds to coole the heat and horror of their consciences and to case the agonies they are perplexed withall but shall not obtaine it And lastly this may teach vs who are Ministers of Vse 4 the word to seeke abilitie and libertie from the hands of God that we may be enabled to deliuer vnto our people what we haue thought vpon and meditated on before for if he will giue libertie who can restraine it and if he will silence who can enlarge it Let vs then not be ouer-confident of our owne abilitie but if we be to speake of matters of moment be more carefull to craue Gods aid and direction than trust to our owne readinesse or prepararation And so much for this I hope a word to the wise will be sufficient We haue done with the Parable The Application followes The Vineyard of the Lord of Hoasts Text. is the house of Israel Verse 7 and the men of Iudah his pleasant plant and he looked for iudgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry Diuision Here we haue the Allegory explained and applied by shewing First who this Vinitor is and he is God himselfe who is here described by his Titles and Epithites first Lord secondly Lord of Hoasts Secondly who this Vineyard was and they are first the house of Israel secondly the men of Iudah euen all the whole body of them Thirdly what were the fruits first which he expected and they were iudgement and righteousnesse secondly which they returned and they were Oppression and a crie Expos The Vineyard We haue seene before in the beginning of the Parable the reason why the Church is compared to a Vineyard with the seuerall concurrences wherein he comparison stands which is needlesse here againe to recite therefore thither I referre you Of the Lord God is called a Lord because of his absolute power dominion and authoritie that he hath ouer all creatures for as we know he is properly called the Lord of any thing that hath interest authoritie and gouernment ouer the same Now seeing God hath an absolute free and eternall right to all things both in heauen and in earth this title of Lord is truly and properly giuen to him Of Hoasts He is called not only a Lord but Lord of Hoasts First because his creatures are many and a multitude as an armie consists of many troupes Secondly in regard of their order which is admirable as order makes an armie beautifull Thirdly and especially in regard of their obedience for no souldier is so ready prest at the command of his Captaine as all creatures are ready to fulfill the will of God Is the house of Israel This name Israel God for honours sake gaue to Iacob p Gen. 33.38 vpon a speciall occasion mentioned in his storie and it signifieth a Prince or preuailer with God And he thought it an excellent blessing to haue his children called by his name Israel as we may see in that his praier made for Iosephs two sonnes Ephraim and Manasseh q Gen. 48.16 The Angell which redeemed me from all euill blesse the lads and let my name be named on them c. And this name was giuen to Iacobs seed as a title of honour See Rom. 9.4 So that by the house of Israel is meant the seed and posteritie of Israel they who came of that house and issued from his loines And the men of Iudah Though Israel was a common name to the twelue Tribes while they were but one kingdome which was from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Solomons yet after they were diuided into two kingdomes they were called by these two names Israel and Iudah When and how this rent was made we finde expresly deliuered both in the bookes of the r 1 Kings 12. Kings and Å¿ 2 Chron. 10. Chronicles For the time it was after the death of king Solomon and not before And for the Manner thus Rehoboam king Solomons sonne censured by Iesus the sonne of Sirach t Eccles 47.23 to be euen the foolishnesse of the people and one that had no vnderstanding succeeding in his fathers throne did vpon aduice giuen him by his young councellors threaten sharpe vsage and hard measure vnto his people so that his little finger should be heauier than his fathers loines and whereas his father did burden them with a grieuous yoake he would make it heauier his father did chastize them with rods but he would correct them with scourges Which vnkinde intreating of his people caused a rebellion and reuolt Tenne of the twelue Tribes much discontented breake forth into speeches of impatiencie What portion haue we in Dauid we haue no inheritance in the sonne of Iesse To your tents O Israel Now see to thine owne house Dauid So they forsooke Rehoboam their rightfull Lord and set vp Ieroboam sonne of Nebat to be king ouer them Two Tribes viz.
Iames speaketh No maruell then if God doe so much set by the practise of these duties Vse Which serueth to reproue such as bring forth faire leaues of profession in the first Table but are little or nothing at all in the duties of the second Table In the outward and publike exercises of religion they are very diligent as in repairing to the Congregation hearing the Word receiuing of the Sacraments and the like But looke on them in those things which concerne men and there you shall finde them exceedingly faulty being vnmercifull vniust and vnrighteous in their dealings Certainly the religion of these men is in vaine their best seruices doe stinke in Gods nostrils when righteousnesse towards man is wanting Let all such as are in the place of iustice for to them this is especially intended aduisedly consider of this and beware how h Amos 5.7 and 6.12 they turne iudgement into gall and wormewood as Amos speakes and the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlocke I would such would often put Iobs question to their soule i Iob 31.14 What shall I doe when God riseth vp and when he visiteth what shall I answer him It would be a good meanes to make them take vp his practise k Verse 16. Not to with-hold from the poore his desire nor cause the eies of the widow to faile Verse 21. not to lift vp their hand against the fatherlesse though they saw their helpe in the gate and might doe it vndiscerned Yea let vs all consider this and endeuour to bee conscionably iust and vpright in our dealings betweene man and man When the question is made to God what manner of men should dwell in his Tabernacle and rest in his holy Mountaine i. which should haue a good estate here and an habitation in heauen for euermore he describeth them by their innocent and harmlesse behauiour towards their brethren l Psal 15.2 3. He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart Certainly hee regardeth that worke very much which hee rewardeth with such and so great wages And hee is well pleased with that person in this life whom hee will receiue to dwell with him in euerlasting life But I will be sparing in prosecuting this in regard of the neere affinity which it hath with the succeeding Doctrine to which I hasten But behold oppression Text. The cleane contrary was found to that which God expected He looked to haue the poore defended and their causes heard by such as were in place but by none so much as they were they iniured and oppressed A sinne beyond thought or expectation and therefore set out with a note of admiration Behold oppression c. Hence our note shall be Doct. Oppression is a crying sinne Oppression of the poore especially by such as ought to be defenders and releeuers of the poore is a sinne hainous grieuous In the first Chapter of this Booke we finde it to be of a bloudy nature m Isay 1.15 Your hands are full of bloud And in the third Chapter to make the former good we shall finde oppressors charged with n Cap. 3.15 beating the people to pieces and grinding the faces of the poore And in the fourteenth Psalme o Psal 14.4 with eating them vp as one would eat vp bread The Prophet Amos p Amos 8.4 chargeth oppressors with swallowing of them vp And Micah chargeth Princes and Magistrates yet further to wit q Micah 3.3 with eating the very flesh of his people and flaying their skins from off them and breaking of their bones and chopping them in peeces as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron How fearefully was Iehoiakim threatned for this sinne r Ier. 22.13 -20. Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers by wrong that vseth his neighbours seruice without wages and giueth him not for his worke c. Shalt thou reigne because thou clothest thy selfe in Cedar Did not thy father eat and drinke and doe iudgement and iustice and then it was well with him He iudged the cause of the poore and needy then it was well with him But thine eies and thy heart are not but for thy couetousnesse and for to shed innocent bloud and for oppression and for violence to doe it Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Iehoiakim the sonne of Iosiah King of Iudah They shall not lament for him saying ah my brother or ah my sister they shall not lament for him saying ah Lord or ah his glory He shall be buried with the buriall of an Asse drawen and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem These are proofes fufficient for my Doctrine strongly confirming what I haue now taught viz. Oppression of the poore especially by such as ought to defend and releeue the poore is a hainous and grieuous sinne For first it is a sinne against Nature and Race Beasts Reas 1 wee see molest not their owne kinde Saeuis inter se conuenit vrsis Lions fight not with Lions Serpents spend not their venome vpon Serpents and therefore it is more than brutish for man to deuoure man by this sinne of oppression This made Cyprian seeing it practised by some to cry out with wonderment and admiration Ferae parcunt Aues pascunt Homines saeuiunt Cypr. ser 6. Oh the detestable cruelty of mans malice The fierce Lions spare Daniel in the Den the rauenous birds doe feed Eliah in the Wildernesse but one man exerciseth cruelty vpon another and only man to man is become pernicious Secondly it is a sinne against Religion and Grace Reas 2 For Å¿ Tit. 2.11 12. the grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto all men teaching vs that denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world And this was prophesied of long since that in the time of the Gospell t Isay 11.6 the Wolfe should dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard should lie with the Kid c. and that none should hurt and destroy in all the mountaine of the Lords holinesse Thirdly when it is practised by great men it is a Reas 3 sinne against Place Now as there is no impiety to that impiety which is committed u Ier. 7.11 2 Chron. 36.14 Inter leges ipsas contra leges delinquitur Cyp. ad Donat. lib. 2. epist 2. in Gods Sanctuary so there is no iniustice to that iniustice which is committed and practised in the very seat and sanctuary of iustice and whereby men amidst the Law sinne against the Law as Ananias the High Priest did * Acts 23.3 in commanding Paul to bee smitten contrary to the Law It therefore being a sinne against Race Grace and Place I doubt not but on all sides it will be confest to be most hainous Vse 1 Which doctrine serues first for Reprehension euen of all those who vse any kinde of iniustice either by
consonantia voluntatū quà m vocum Bernard Dauid before thou speakest For when the mouth singeth man hath musicke but when the heart sings we make God melodie that is the best Organ tune that and all is well God heares not words without it Non vox sed votum non Chordula Musica sed cor Non cantans sed amans cantat in aure Dei Not voice but will he brings no Harp but Heart prepares No songs but Loue he sings whom the Almighty heares As it must be with the heart so secondly with grace in the heart i. we must exercise the graces of Gods holy spirit in singing as well as in praying or in performing any other of Gods ordinances The disposition of the heart must be suited to the nature and qualitie of the song If it be a Psalme of praise then are our affections to be sutable our spirits must be cheerefull If of promises then must we stirre vp our faith and trust in Gods mercies If of threatnings then must our hearts be strucke with an awe and feare of Gods greatnesse If of petition then must our affections be feruent If of confession then the Soule must be humbled And this doth the Apostle meane by Grace in the heart Thus for the Manner The End is now to be considered which is 1. Gods glory 2. The edification of our selues and others First we must direct our Songs to God for singing Psalmes is a part of his worship and his glory he will not giue vnto another The Papists then are much to blame who rob God of this his right and giue it to the Virgin Mary in singing songs of praise to her And as much to blame are they who sing to their owne glory delighting most in sweet voyce cleare throat c. This is singing to our owne selues and senses not to our Makers praise Secondly in our singing our owne and others edification and profit is to be respected r 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is profitable for our instruction and whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning The booke of Psalmes then must needs be profitable for this purpose Thus edifie thy selfe by applying the matter sung to thy owne heart and examine thy selfe after the Psalme is ended what thou hast thereby profited as well as after thy hearing of the word preached Here likewise that manner of singing vsed amongst the Papists in a strange and vnknowne tongue as also that kinde of singing Psalmes wherein the words and sentences are broken and diuided which hinders the edification of the hearers is not iustifiable Thus we haue seene the rules propounded to vs What now remaines but that a watchfull care be had that they be put in practise by vs and the rather for that amongst all the exercises belonging to a Christian God is most dishonoured by this For few sing but as it may well be feared take Gods name in vaine in singing because they doe not so performe it as Gods word enioynes The more subiect then this dutie is to be performed amisse the more cause haue we of care for the right performance of it when euer we set vpon this holy exercise Text. To my well-beloued Here is the Dedication of the Prophets Poem From whose practise learne we our dutie Doctr. All our labours are to be dedicated to the Lord. viz. To consecrate all our labours vnto God Thus Moses and the children of Israel write a song and sing it ſ Exod. 15.1 vnto the Lord. And in that sweet Swan-like song which that man of God sang a little before his death t Deut. 32.3 He will publish the name of the Lord So Dauid spake vnto the Lord in that same Psalme of Thanks-giuing u 2 Sam. 22.1 which he made for Gods powerfull deliuerance of him out of the hands of all his enemies The like did Solomon Hannah Hezekiah Mary Zachary Simeon with other of Gods Saints dedicate their labours in this kinde to Gods eternall praise And so the Apostles as euidently appeares by that doxologie or forme of praise which they continually vse in their Epistles * Rom. 16.27 Ephes 3.21 1 Tim. 1.17 6.16 Iude 25. To God only wise be glory c. Vnto him be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus Vnto the King immortall inuisible the only wise God be honour and glory To God only wise our Sauiour be all glory c. And hereunto tend those generall exhortations x 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drinke or whatsoeuer you doe doe all to the glory of God And againe y Coloss 3.17 Whatsoeuer you doe in word or deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus And thus this truth is strengthned Reason Besides there is good Reason for it For the first thing in Gods intention should be the first in ours But this is the first in his He predestinated vs saith the z Ephes 1.5 6. Apostle to the praise of the glory of his grace a Prou. 16.4 He hath made all things for himselfe saith the Wise-man yea euen the wicked for the day of iudgement b Isay 43.6 7. Bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth euen euery one that is called by my name for I haue created him for my glory And againe we reade c Coloss 1.16 All things were created by him and for him Seeing then God himselfe proposeth his owne glory to himselfe for the end of all his works man should make the glory of God the end of all he doth But ah Lord God how little is thy glory thought Vse vpon How few make it the supreme end of all their labours Shouldst thou d Psal 14.2 looke downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men to see if there were any that would vnderstand and seeke after thee to honour thee wouldst thou finde one amongst a thousand that did truly doe it We all can say with Saul e 1 Sam. 15.30 Honour me I pray thee before the Elders of my people when notwithstanding we turne thy glory into shame f Psal 4. louing vanitie seeking after lyes Oh that we could once be brought to learne this Vse 2. lesson That we would not suffer any part of the repute or honour of any of our acts or labours to rest vpon our owne heads but repell it forcibly from our selues and reflect it carefully vpon our Lord and Master It is the g Matth. 6.9 first grace which Christ teacheth vs to begge of God and it ought to be the chiefest ayme of our whole liues yea we should prefer it before our liues or the saluation of our soules wherefore it is made the first petition and set before the desire of daily bread and the petition that is made for remission of our sinnes Now at length then learne to prefer it before all the world and promote it by our best meanes Consider we for this end
Ely and the wrath of God was kindled against him for the iniquitie of his sonnes which he saw in them and staied them not and so honoured them aboue the Lord. When Nebuchadnezzar d Dan. 4.30 31. vaunted vaine gloriously of that great Babel which he had built by the might of his power and to the honour of his Maiestie how was he debased his kingdome was taken from him he was driuen from amongst men and sent to grasse with the beasts of the field for seuen yeares space vntill he was made to know that the most high God ruleth in the kingdome of men And lastly remember Gods hand on Herod e Acts 12.22 23. who taking to himselfe the glory which was due vnto the Lord when the people applauded his eloquent oration was immediatly smitten by the Angell of God and was eaten vp of wormes and so gaue vp the Ghost f 1 Cor. 10.11 Now all these things happened vnto them for ensamples vnto vs and they are written for our admonition vpon whom the ends of the world are come to the intent that we should not doe as they haue done lest g 1 Sam. 2.30 despising him we be despised as they were Let these things be laid to heart and kindly worke vpon vs so as that whatsoeuer we are we may be it h Rom. 11.36 A loue principium Virg. Eglog 3. In him through him and for him Begin all your workes in God and end in God yea dedicate your selues vnto him No Tradesman can endure to haue any of his chiefe tooles which he hath made or wherewith he worketh vsed to a wrong end Man is one of Gods chiefe instruments whom he hath made for his owne honour and therefore cannot endure that he or any of his members should be instruments of wickednesse to his dishonour And let all good Christians take heed lest they doe any thing which may cause God or his Gospell to be blasphemed The lewd life of one professor doth more harme and tends more to Gods dishonour than the lewd life of an hundred Atheists as daily experience maketh good Let a prophane wretch that neither feareth God nor reuerenceth man liue in the grossest sinnes that can be thought of there is hardly one word of reproofe or dislike vttered Let another that professeth religion be ouertaken through infirmitie and that but once in all his life then are the mouthes of all the prophane multitude opened against the very truth and profession it selfe These are your Bible-bearers your professors your men of the holy house see their fruits Thus euery little aberration in a Professor is noted when outragious wickednesses of prophane wretches is nothing at all regarded When the lesser starres be eclipsed none takes knowledge of it but if the Sunne be once then euery one obserues it what cause therefore haue all such to be carefull of their cariage Looke to thy selfe therefore thou that art a professor of the Gospell thou dippest in the same dish with Christ and therefore thou of all other shouldst be farthest off from dishonouring his name Dauid tooke it more to heart that those who did eat bread at his table did despise him than that others did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Absolom should seeke his life than that Shemei should rayle vpon him And thou my sonne Brutus art thou one of them said Iulius Caesar to his son when he saw him to be amongst them that murdered him this pierced deeper into his soule than the swords of all his enemies did or could So the sinnes of such as come neere vnto the Lord in a holy profession of whom he looketh to be sanctified is more grieuous to him than the grosser sinnes of other men To such he will one day say as Caesar to his sonne Art thou one of them What in the habit of a professor and liue like a beast One in shew that loues me and yet a worldling a drunkard or the like On how wilt thou answer it Thou that gloriest in the name of a Professor and yet liuest like a Pagan Vt nemo de nobis malè loqui absque mendacio possit Hier. can God endure it Surely no. See then thou so liuest as that none may speake euill of thee but that all the world may see he lieth Yet further this would be pressed to all callings and conditions Let Magistrates minde this and doe what lyes in them to establish the Churches peace and continuance of the Gospell let godlinesse be countenanced sinne punished and the faithfull be by them incouraged i Deut. 4.6 It shall be their wisdome and glory in the sight of the people thus to doe Let Ministers be carefull in a speciall manner of this Oh! how difficult a thing is it for vs not to lurch away some part of our Masters praise A glorious and comfortable thing it is indeed for a Minister to be able to say that he hath beene Gods instrument to bring one soule to the obedience of Christ yet for him to ayme at his owne vaine-glory euen in gaining of soules to Gods kingdome suits not with that sincere affection which ought to be in him to promote not his owne but the praise glory of him that sent him Let vs then not suffer any part of the repute or honour of any of our labors to rest vpon our own heads but repell it forcibly frō our selues and reflect it carefully vpon the Lord Iesus saying with S. Paul Not I not I but the grace of God in me Yea let euery one of what calling or condition soeuer so carry his course of life as that God may be honoured in all things And here let me bring to minde Ioabs commendable cariage in taking of the Citie Rabbah with which I will conclude the point for when he had fought against it and tooke the Citie of waters that is the waters of the Citie so called by a figure and cut off the conduits Hypallage Praecisis aquae ductibus Ioseph by which his policie he brought the people into such distresse as that they could no way escape he sends this message vnto Dauid k 2 Sam. 12.28 Gather the rest of the people together and encampe against the Citie and take it lest I take the Citie and it be called by my name i. lest it redound to my honour and that victorie be ascribed vnto me Doubtlesse this was his great praise so to order the battell as that his Lord and King might haue the glory of the day and not himselfe Should not we doe thus Are not we more bound to God than Ioab was to Dauid Ought not we more to respect our God than he his King What good thing therefore soeuer we doe or haue giue him the glory of it saying with the Psalmist l Psal 115.1 Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name be the praise Text. Welbeloued We haue before seene whom the Prophet meaneth
an excellent meanes to enflame our hearts also with a loue to him The last helpe is Praier For z Iam. 1.17 Euery good and perfect gift commeth from aboue Aske it therefore at Gods hands for a Vers 5. he giueth liberally to all men and vpbraideth no man These are some helps for the attainment of this grace which if we conscionably practise I doubt not but we shall soone finde kindled in our bosomes to our endlesse comfort And that is our second vse A third we now inferre but briefly and that for Vse 3 Consolation of such as loue the Lord esteeming him as their best beloued setting their whole hearts and soules vpon him In so doing they haue performed a worthy worke and such a worke as in the end brings peace Oh the priuileges the superexcellent priuileges that belong to such a one b Iob. 14.21 He that loueth me shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him and manifest my selfe vnto him saith our Sauiour So that we see here is no loue lost Christ will respect them most graciously for euermore and alwaies doe them good Yea euery thing shall further their good and welfare and so saith the Apostle c Rom. 8.28 All things worke together for good to them that loue God Euery thing the least ens and being any thing that can be named or conceiued shall worke thy good thy good of grace here and glory hereafter so that the Deuill in the end shall get nothing by tempting thee to sinne but the greater ouerthrow of his owne kingdome and thou thereby shalt grow the better it shall make thee more humble lowly watchfull carefull c. Thus blow what winde can blow the illest winde shall blow thee good hap what happen may it cannot make thee miserable Thou standest in a Center the Circumference is mercie whatsoeuer commeth to thee be it losse crosse paine sicknesse death it must first come through the circumference of mercy and so taste and relish of mercy before it come at thee or touch thee Oh! what a priuilege is this how excellent how admirable This is thy priuilege who louest God for to thee it is made and to none else besides Can we maruell now at the Apostles words e 1 Cor. 2.9 Eie hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Many excellent and beautifull obiects hath the eie beheld and the eare hath heard relation made of things farre surpassing those which the eie hath seene but the heart is able to conceiue of things more excellent than either eie hath seene or eare hath heard yet neither eie hath seene nor eare heard nor yet can the heart conceiue saith he the things that God hath prepared for such as are louers of him He hath promised saith S. Iames f Iam. 2.5 a kingdome vnto such and g Cap. 1.12 a crowne of life which they shall receiue Let then the loue-sicke hearts of the godly be cheared vp for God doth not forget their labour and loue but he will recompence it with an euerlasting loue Let it serue likewise to enkindle our loue so that where it is now but in the sparke it may breake out into the flame louing him with all our soule strength and might desiring nothing aboue him equally with him or without him louing him for himselfe and all things else for him And so to end the point and vse with that sweet meditation of Austine h August 4. Confess Blessed is he O Lord who thus loueth thee and his friend in thee and his enemie for thee for onely that man cannot lose any thing which he loueth who loueth nothing but in thee who cannot be lost And thus much for the first reason that is giuen for this Title or Appellation come we now to the second and see whether we can be briefer there In a more particular respect also might the Prophet call the Lord his welbeloued viz. in respect of his office and calling as he was a Prophet to whom the charge of Christs Queene the Church was committed And in regard of this Ministers are called Christs friends according to that saying of S. Iohn i John 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome but the friend of the Bridegroome which standeth and heareth him reioyceth greatly because of the Bridegroomes voyce where by friend he vnderstands himselfe and in himselfe all other Ministers both Prophets and Apostles and that both because they labour to make the mariage betweene the Church and Christ as also endeuour to hold fast the Church vnto Christ being iealous ouer her for his sake lest shee should be seduced Calu. Vrsin Moller Trem. Iun. Taking this as a reason which indeed is the vsuall reason rendred by our Expositors for this Appellation by good consequence it will follow that Ministers are Christs Paranymphs Doctr. Ministers are Christs Paranymphs In a speciall manner they are his friends to wooe the Church and winne the Church vnto himselfe to fit it and prepare it for himselfe So witnesseth the Apostle when he saith k Coloss 1.28 29. We warne euery man and teach euery man in all wisdome that we may present euery man perfect in Christ Iesus whereunto faith he I also labour And writing to the Corinthians he thus speaketh l 2 Cor. 11.2 3. I am iealous ouer you with a godly iealousie for I haue espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin vnto Christ By whose practise we see the Ministers dutie dignitie and office both to fit and prepare the Church for Christ as also to hold fast the Church vnto Christ that shee breake not her mariage-couenant with him I hasten to the Vses for in this I haue promised breuitie Vse 1 Let vs Ministers hence learne our duties And seeing we haue the Church committed to our care and are so farre honoured as to be betrusted with Christs Queene let vs vse all possible meanes that we may deliuer vnto the Bridegroome a pure and chaste virgin When m Gen. 24. Abraham sent his seruant to fetch a wife for his sonne Isaac he brought him godly and beautifull Rebeccah We are the Lords seruants sent to fetch a wife for Iesus Christ the Sonne of God O let vs be as faithfull to God the Father and to Iesus Christ his Sonne as that good seruant was to Abraham and Isaac Let vs doe our message with diligence and execute our charge with faithfulnesse and prayer Let vs speake of Christ and only of Christ making him the scope and subiect of all our preaching And as is the old Embleme of S. Christopher vnder which our ancient Mythologists haue described the good Pastor wade through the sea of this world staying on the staffe of faith and lifting vp Christ aloft to be seene of men n Iohn 3.14 as the brazen
doth shall prosper Oh! what a large extent is here of Gods goodnesse towards such a one He shall prosper not in some things but in all things whatsoeuer he vndertakes or goes about q Deut. 28 2-10 Blessed shall hee be in the City and blessed in the field blessed in the fruit of his body and in the fruit of his ground and in the fruit of his cattell and in the encrease of his kine and in the flockes of his sheepe Blessed in his basket and in his store In his comming in and going out yea the Lord shall blesse him in all that he shall set his hand vnto And thus it was with Ioseph that r Gen. 49.22 fruitfull bough ſ Cap. 39.23 The Lord was with him saith the Text and that which he did the Lord made it to prosper As it is thus with him in whatsoeuer he vndertaketh by action so shall it be with him in whatsoeuer he vndergoeth by passion or by suffering His losses crosses troubles persecutions or what else betides him shall be t Rom. 8.28 for his good as the Apostle witnesseth and tend to the furthering him with that eternall weight of glory Let tortures torments fire gallowes u Verse 35. tribulation persecution famine nakednesse perill sword or any such like befall him yet they shall neuer wrong him but proue an aduantage vnto him and he at length shall proue a noble and a worthy conquerour ouer them they will but helpe him sooner to that crowne which he hath so long striued for And to vse the words of blessed Bradford * Fox Martyr Fol. 1492. If there be any way to heauen on horse-backe this is the way So that these shall neuer hinder him in his iourney Me thinkes this consideration should worke effectually with vs and vpon vs all and if I should say no more this were enough to make euery one that is not setled on his lees to resolue to become fruitfull for who would not doe any thing to haue such a priuiledge as this is What man would not himselfe follow and set his childe vnto such a vocation in the which euery action would bring profit and great commoditie Againe if wee be fruitfull bringing forth fruits of the Spirit x Gal. 5.22 23. There is no law against vs for so witnesseth the Apostle An excellent priuiledge this is indeed there is no law to condemne such nor domineere ouer such Though there is a law for them which is as a rule vnto them of obedience yet there is no law against them for such are freed First from the obligation and rigour of it as it bindeth vs to perfect obedience in our selues and by our selues for the obtaining of eternall life according to the tenour thereof Doe this and thou shalt liue And secondly from the curse of the Law for any breach thereof either in thought word or deed so y Rom. 8.1 that there is no condemnation belongs vnto them though the best doe things worthy of condemnation and haue need to vse Dauids Prayer z Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord yet they shall neuer be condemned Stay Christian meditate a while of this priuiledge before thou proceedest further ponder it well in thy minde and consider the excellencie hereof Art thou a fruitfull branch Why then thou hast libertie to liue and serue God without feare of damnation Luke 1.74 when as otherwise thou canst not but quake and feare vpon the thought of hell and iudgement and as the Apostle speaketh a Heb. 2.15 All thy life-time must needs be subiect to feare and bondage Hence likewise thou maist comfort thy selfe in thy desires and weake endeuours to obey b Isay 1.19 which God will accept at thy hands for obedience it selfe because thou art freed from the rigour of the Law so that thy many weaknesses and imperfections in doing good duties need not discourage thee for the Lord will not examine thy actions according to the strict rule of his Law but according to the purpose desire and endeuour of thy soule will he reward thee and c Mal. 3.17 spare thee as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him But on the other side so long as thou continuest fruitlesse the Law hath power ouer thee to require exact and personall obedience at thy hands vnto it and to accuse and condemne thee for the least breach of it Thy desires thy endeuours thy meanings thy purposes cannot stand thee in stead nor defend thee from the wrath of a reuenging God no whither canst thou flie for succour or releefe thy case is fearefull Againe thou maist d Rom. 5.3 reioyce in tribulation and sing in the very stockes e Act. 16.25 with Paul and Silas though thou be persecuted and afflicted railed vpon and reuiled by euill men yet seeing there is no law against thee and the curse which maketh these things bitter is remoued from thee thou needest not feare them before they come nor be discouraged when they are come but è contra if thou bring not forth the fruits of the Spirit then assure thy selfe that whatsoeuer losse or crosse befals thee they fall vpon thee with a curse the venome and sting is in the taile of them they tend to thy perdition Were these things well weighed by vs how could we then but labour to be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Men of this world commonly comfort themselues with this that how euer they faile yet the Law cannot take hold vpon them Be thou a fruitfull branch and this comfort thou maist haue for the Law Morall is no killing letter to thee Fourthly The circumstance of time cals vpon vs to bring forth the fruits of obedience Our Master hath suffered vs our first yeare already yea our second f Luke 13.7 nay our third or rather our third score yeare for is it not rather three times twentie yeares than three yeares since the Lord hath spared vs as he spared the Fig-tree For as much then as he hath yeare by yeare for so long succession of yeares sought for fruit of vs and found none it is now high time to looke about vs and bring forth plentie or else with feare and trembling it is to be expected that we shall stand no longer but be stubbed vp and haue that sentence passed against vs which was sometimes passed against the Fig-tree Cut it downe why cumbereth it the ground Besides these Motiues our blessed Sauiour vseth many more in that same sweet Sermon g Iohn 15. which he preached to his Disciples a little before his departure from them and as some thinke in the way betweene the place where he did eat the Passeouer and the Garden wherein he was betrayed Herein saith h Vers 8. he is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit Our fruit-bearing tends much to Gods glorifying and in glorifying him our glory doth consist for the glory
21.24 Ierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles vntill the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled But we may better vnderstand thereby Idolatry and superstition with other errors and abominations that for want of Gods husbandry should as afterwards there did grow vp amongst them And thus sinnes and transgressions are compared to thornes and briers b Heb. 6.8 elsewhere in Scripture And that fitly 1. For their wounding and pricking those that handle them for whom doth not sinne wound whom hath it not stung that euer dealt with it 2. For their holding together and twining one within another Sinnes grow in heapes and where you finde any you may finde many And therefore when the Apostle speakes of them hee couples them c Rom. 13.13 Chambering and wantonnesse gluttonie and drunkennesse strife and enuying thus they grow like thornes in hedges by companies 3. Because they choake the plants and hinder them from the Sunnes heat and influence of heauen thus the seed is choaked by these thornes d Matth. 13. as our Sauiour teacheth And therefore S. Peter willeth to e 1 Pet. 1.1 lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisie and enuies and euill speakings those cursed thornes and briers and then As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word to grow thereby Vers 2. Cald. Paraph. Hect. Pint. I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine vpon it By clouds vnderstand we the Prophets and by raine the Word The Metaphor is vsuall Moses thus begins his Song f Deut. 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the raine my speech shall distill as the dew as the small raine vpon the tender herbe and as the showres vpon the grasse And so the word of the Lord came to Ezechiel and said g Ezek. 21.2 Sonne of man set thy face towards Ierusalem and drop thy word towards the holy places and prophesie against the land of Israel And thus Amos speaketh to Amaziah h Amos 7.16 Thou saiest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac In which places it is apparant that Gods Prophets are as clouds and their words or prophesies like drops of raine Now in comparing the raine and the word we shall finde good resemblance in sundry particulars as 1. In regard of cooling heat 2. quenching thirst 3. cleansing the aire 4. allaying the windes 5. mollifying and mellowing the parched and heat-hardned earth In each one of which if wee should spend time we should finde an excellent agreement but especially in a sixth respect It is a principall meanes and subordinate cause that all things fructifie and grow And therefore this must needs be a heauy iudgement and argue Gods hot displeasure against his Vineyard in commanding the clouds to raine no more raine vpon it according to that charge giuen to Micah i Mic. 2.6 Prophesie ye not vnto them seeing that without it it was impossible the Vine should grow or flourish Thus we see that as by briers and thornes the Plants should be choaked so for want of raine their very roots should wither And thus much for the literall exposition Now to come to some particular obseruation And now goe to Text. Doct. God doth warne before he smite I will tell you This is the vsuall manner of Gods dealing To warne before he strikes and foretell the iudgement before he inflicteth it He punisheth none before he hath admonished them smiteth none before he hath forewarned them That of the Prophet Amos makes this good k Amos 3.7 Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets He sendeth his Heralds to proclaime warre before he makes it and foretels them of such iudgements as he is purposed to inflict that they may forewarne others Take the old world my brethren for an ensample did hee not foretell the destruction of it vnto l Heb. 11.7 Noah before he brought that great Deluge vpon the earth And was not Noah m 2 Pet. 2.5 a Preacher of righteousnesse vnto them whose hand taught them as much as his tongue His businesse in building the Arke was a reall Sermon to the world wherein at once were taught mercy and life to the beleeuer and to the rebellious destruction And did he not the like by Sodome and Gomorrah vnto whom hee sent his seruant Lot n 2 Pet. 2.8 whose righteous soule was vexed from day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Was not this likewise his dealing with Pharaoh and his people did he not o Exod. 8.2.21 9.3.14.19 10.4 againe and againe admonish them and threaten them by his seruants Moses and Aaron that if they would not let his people goe he would doe thus and thus vnto them And so with the Niniuites vnto whom he sent Ionah with this crie p Ionah 3.4 Yet fortie daies and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne And with Ierusalem q Matth. 23.37 which was often forewarned by his Prophets and by our Lord himselfe of her destruction before it fell Reason 1 Two reasons may be rendered for this truth the one is in regard of the godly and such as feare the Lord that they may not be taken at vnawares but may be awakened out of their securitie and timely preuent those iudgements threatned as those did who vpon the hearing of that plague of haile which Moses foretold would fall on Egypt r Exod 9.20 sent their seruants to fetch their cattell into their houses Reason 2 The other is that the wicked may be left without excuse in the day of wrath Å¿ Iohn 15.22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had had no sinne but now they haue no cloake for their sinne saith our blessed Sauiour These may be some reasons why God giues a Caueat before his Capias and doth warne before he wound And is this Gods vsuall dealing why then are wee Vse 1 smitten plagued punished Were we not forewarned of iudgement Oh our wilfulnesse and folly On whom oh man canst thou lay the fault whom wilt thou charge with thy smart Canst thou iustly say Gods silence was any cause thereof Hath not he shot off many a warning peece and sounded many an alarum before he set himselfe in battell-array against thee In the secret of thy soule thou knowest he hath done thus Often and often he hath by his seruants the Ministers warned thee of danger at the doore and by thy owne conscience many a time reproued thee and premonished thee of future vengeance He hath not played the part of a subtill enemie and stollen vpon thee at vnawares but as Tamberlane that warlike Scythian displayed first a white Flagge in token of mercie and then a red menacing and threatning bloud before that blacke Flagge the messenger and ensigne of death was hung abroad Accuse not the Lord then of any hard dealing but the hardnesse of thy owne heart which
this is the portion of their cup. He will indeed iudge the iust man for his transgressions in this life but m Psal 68.21 hee will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy pate of him that walketh on in his trespasses Yea in n 2 Thess 1.8 9. flaming fire shall God come taking vengeance on them that know him not and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power o Reuel 6.15 16 Then shall the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bond-man and euery free-man whose names are not written in the Lambes Booke hide themselues in dens and in the rockes of the mountaines And say to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe But as it was with the old world when God rained from heauen the greatest showre that euer the earth did or shall sustaine their shifts were bootlesse so will it now be They then thought to ouer-climbe the iudgement and haste vp to the highest mountaines and being there with some hope looke downe on the swimming valleyes But alas the water begins to ascend to their refuged hilles and within a small time the place of their hopes becomes an Iland now they hitch vp higher to the tops of the tallest trees but soone after the waters following ouertake them halfe dead with hunger and with horror Thus those mountaines could not saue those in that day of water nor these mountaines these in this day of fire for the very heauen p Verse 14. shall depart as a scrowle that is rolled vp together and euery mountaine and Iland shall be moued out of their places and what hope then remaines in them of securitie or refuge Tremble tremble at this all you vngodly ones q Psal 4. Stand in awe and sinne no more A iudgement is reserued for you deceiue your selues no longer Weaknesse in Gods children must be corrected and shall wickednesse in you escape vnpunished Is it possible you should thinke it Mee thinkes it is a thing impossible you should be so senselesse No no if God thus afflict his children he will neuer suffer disobedient bastards to goe free hee whips the one with rods hee will scourge the other with Scorpions For r Prou. 11.31 Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth and therefore much more the wicked and the sinner And this for the first vse A second followes This serues for admonition to the best that they beware Vse 2 of sinne for if they will take libertie to breake Gods lawes let them looke for stripes God loueth his like a wise Father aiming at their good and chuseth rather to profit than to please and not fondly and effeminatly like some foolish mother who giues her selfe to follow the foolish lusts and appetite of her childe he hath his rod lie by him and will discipline vs and if we enter into a course of sinning he will reclaime vs by his chastisements And therefore let no man thinke nor say he is safe because he hath some assurance of his election and therefore cannot be depriued of saluation For though thou beest in the state of happinesse for the life to come yet thou maist fall into great misery in this life present Dauid was as well elected as thy selfe and as safe from being condemned as thou art or canst be and yet such calamities befell him as made him Å¿ Psal 32 4. groane and crie yea roare so that his bloud was dried vp and his moisture was like vnto the drought in Summer yea he felt as great anguish as if his bones had beene broken or all out of ioynt and therefore be not high minded but feare For it is not the vertues that thou hast that can be a warrant to thee to fall in vice nor yet thy profession or religion no nor yet election that will keepe the rod from off thy backe if thou play the foole in committing folly I confesse God will not wipe out those whose names he hath written in the booke of life nor damne any of his elect which are in Christ yet if they or any of them wax wanton hee will whip them to the purpose and make them tame The Magistrate wee know hath many punishments for offenders besides death and gallowes hee hath the stocks the whipping-post the pillory the gaole And so hath God more iudgements besides damnation hee hath his stocks his whip his little-ease his purgatory for his owne in this world though hee doe not reprobate them yet hee may so hide his face and conceale their pardon from them as that they may finde little difference betwixt a reprobate and themselues t Psal 2.10 11 12. Be wise now therefore oh yee Christians bee instructed all yee godly of the earth Serue the Lord with feare and reioice with trembling Kisse the sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Vse 3 And lastly from hence much Comfort may bee gathered in as much as afflictions doe not disable vs from being Gods It was Gedeons weaknesse to argue Gods absence by them u Iudg. 6.13 If the Lord be with vs why then is all this befallen vs saith he Fond nature thinkes God should not suffer the winde to blow vpon his deare ones because her selfe makes this vse of her owne indulgence But wee shall reade * Heb. 11.36 37. that none out of the place of torment haue suffered such or so many afflictions as his dearest children There is no reason then why we should imagine that Gods fauour is the lesse towards vs when we are exercised though with great and heauy afflictions for x Prou. 3.10 whom he loueth he doth chastise and neerest to God fullest of sorrowes as one saith y Clem. Alexand. well Hence is it that the Apostle enformeth vs after this sort z Heb. 12.5 13. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes For what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not But if you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not sonnes Furthermore we haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits and liue For they verily for a few daies chastened vs after their owne pleasure but he for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse Now no chastening for the present
enter The like protection haue all Gods people whereby they are so fenced that neither the Deuill nor any of his limbes can hurt any of them without speciall warrant and commission from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which wee reade of in the Acts d Acts 4.27 Doubtlesse against thy holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel hath determined before to be done And that answer of our Sauiour vnto Pilate e Iohn 19.11 Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue For as our Sauiour saith elsewhere Reas f John 10.29 My Father is stronger than all all power and strength is of him and from him originally according to that in Daniel g Dan. 2.20 Wisdome and might are Gods He can giue and take away at his pleasure Which being so this discouers vnto vs a notable delusion Vse 1 of the Deuill in that he perswadeth Witches and Wizards that he can do all things The Deuil cannot doe harme to any to gratifie a Witch vnlesse God permit and at their request or command will lame and kill men or beasts and whatsoeuer they bid him doe or hire him to doe that shall be done with which conceit also many of our people are possessed which causeth them to be so afraid of Witches as that they dare not any way displease them or giue them a foule word for feare they should send their spirits to torment their bodies destroy their goods lame their cattell or doe them some other mischiefe And thus are thousands deluded by the Deuill yea and bewitched before they be aware and led into all manner of error and of falshood That there are Witches by whom the Deuill worketh I deny not Scriptures and experience doth make it euident but that these Witches can send the Deuill to kill or lame either men or beasts when they list and where they list I vtterly deny Reasons For first we are to know that the Deuill hath of himselfe no power ouer the least flie the high prouidence of the Almightie hath so chained and bridled him vp as that he cannot plucke off a fether from the wing of a little Wren or Sparrow without leaue and power giuen him from God It followes then that he at his pleasure cannot doe the least harme to man or beast to gratifie a Witch neither doth the sending of the Deuill by a Witch giue him any power and commission to doe any thing for God must giue way before any euill can befall according to our doctrine deliuered Secondly The Deuill is more forward and readie to doe euill than any Witch can be for he is like h 1 Pet. 5. a roaring Lion going about seeking whom he may deuoure and like i Reuel 12.3 a red or fiery Dragon burning in malice against Gods Church and people so that hee needs not to be stirred vp or sent by a Witch hee being so forward and watchfull of himselfe to doe mischiefe Whence it followes there is no more nor lesse hurt done than would be done if there were no Witches for as the Deuill can doe nothing to hurt the poorest creature before he haue power granted vnto him from the Lord so when he is permitted and hath his power granted he is not so sottish as not to execute his power except some Witch doe send him true it is if he can he will doe it as intreated and sent by Witches so cunning and craftie is hee that hee may doe the more harme vsing them but for a colour to draw on worser matters Thirdly the Deuill is the commander the Witch is but his drudge and seruant He is the god of this world and ruleth with power in the hearts of the children of disobedience shee is but his slaue and subiect to serue him and not command him and vsing her as his instrument hee wholly directeth her heart vnto the wickednesse And therefore whereas there be many naturall causes in the bodies of men and beasts of tortures lamenesse and of death it selfe which though the learnedst and most expert Physitian cannot espie yet hee can see and know and can coniecture very neere the time when they will take effect he plyeth it with the Witch and enflameth her minde with malice and moueth her to send him against that partie vpon which sending the man or beast suddenly and strangely are tormented fall lame and die and then hee telleth her that he did it vpon her sending and command when indeed shee obeyeth him being led by his suggestion and not he her The like is his practise when God giues him libertie to strike with bodily plagues any of the godly for the triall of their faith and patience hee couets if hee can to bring it thus about So that wee see shee is but his drudge and not he her seruant Let vs not then bee so deluded by this deceiuer neither stand in feare of any witch or sorcerer but of God alone for neither one or other can any way molest or hurt vs vntill God please to giue way and suffer them For a second vse seeing none can hurt vs vntill God Vse 2 giue way let this serue for Admonition vnto vs all that would liue in safety that we keepe in with God for if he be our friend what need wee care who be our enemies k Rom. 8.31 If he be with vs who can be against vs Be then of Dauids resolution to make l Psal 3.3 and 91.2 God thy shield and buckler thy refuge and thy fortresse and thus being in Dauids taking thou maiest be in Dauids tune m Psalm 27.1 The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid n Psal 3.5 I will not bee afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about o Psal 27.3.5 Though an hoast should encampe against me my heart shall not be troubled though warre should rise against me in this I will be confident For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pauilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me hee shall set mee vp vpon a rocke I end this vse as Dauid ends that Psalme * Vers 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue to daunt the hearts and proud spirits of the wicked who insult ouer the godly because they are so few so meane so simple and so weake and pride themselues oftentimes in the conceit of their owne geeatnesse power policy and malicious intendments against the godly But these grosly deceiue themselues for let them know their rage and power is limited by the Lord so that they cannot
be admonished not to trust those too farre who are irreligious a Lion is a Lion though he be chained it is good not comming within his reach though he seeme to fawne a Wolfe is a Wolfe though he be in sheeps clothing and at length will shew his woluish disposition they haue the voice of Iacob but the hands of Esau words of a brother but hands of an enemie they can salute with a kisse but persecute with the sword The Fisher baits the hooke when he would deceiue the fish and the Fowler sings swetly when hee would deceiue the bird So the enemies of the Church when they pretend greatest curtesie then they intend greatest villanie when they offer treaties of peace leagues of mariages and such like confederacies then is it to be feared the net is a spreading and the snare a laying It is wisdome therefore not to trust them No faith saith the Papist is to be kept with heretikes and we are ranke ones as they say therefore no faith to be kept with vs. Take heed therefore of them and though they seeme now to be Foxes passant and Dogs couchant yet were time and opportunitie offered which Lord for thy mercy sake neuer suffer they would shew themselues to be Lions rampant seeking only our ruine and desolation And secondly seeing the enemies of the Church are Vse 2 so outragious when they are suffered to enter into Gods vineyard making strip and waste of all oh then let vs all striue with God by earnest prayer that we may be deliuered and preserued from such a 2 Thess 3.2 vnreasonable men whose wrath and malice knoweth no end nor measure being of Hannibals minde in whose eyes no sight was more pleasing than a ditch swimming ouer with mans bloud And seeing that by reason of our sinnes we haue deserued great plagues which we may daily looke for and expect let vs pray with Dauid b 2 Sam. 24.14 that we may rather fall into the hands of God than of man because with him is mercy yea in his very correction c Hab. 3.2 he remembreth mercy But if we be giuen ouer into the hands of the wicked there is no mercy to be looked for no moderation to be expected They can neuer finde in their hearts to say that to themselues which God did to his destroying Angell d 2 Sam. 24.16 It is enough put vp thy sword Hitherto God hath taken the rod into his owne hand and smitten vs himselfe by famines pestilence inundations of waters and the like but if he should deliuer vs into the hands of our bloudy enemies the Papists we should then soone discerne the difference betwixt the louing chastisements of a father and the bloudy strokes of an enemie Let vs therefore turne to God with Israel and pray with their words e Iudg. 10.15 We haue sinned O Lord we haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer seemeth good to thee deliuer vs only we pray thee this day Why shouldst thou sell vs into the hands of idolatrous Papists who will giue thine honour to stocks and stones and not vnto thy maiestie who giueth them the victorie For thy names sake be mercifull to vs our God and if we must fall by reason of our fearefull sinnes let thine owne hand cast vs downe not theirs for there is mercy in thy blowes Doe thou then take vs to doe O God and shew thy selfe a tender and indulgent father towards vs by correcting vs thy selfe as hitherto thou hast done and deliuer vs not to that mercilesse generation whose f Psal 30.14 57.4 teeth are swords and their iawes as kniues who know no end of scourging vs till they haue also made an end of vs whom they scourge So shall wee sing praises to thy name and say g Psal 124.6 Blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen vs as a prey vnto their teeth Text. And I will lay it waste Or I will make it a desolation so that it shall haue none to inhabit it The people of the land shall be swept away with the sword and the earth shall be robbed of all her goodly ornaments It shall neither be inhabited by men nor adorned with her beautifull fruits as it were with her princely coat of diuers colours but become as a desolate and forsaken wildernesse This is the meaning And hence note we the miserie of warre Doct. Warâ—â— is the forerunner of desolation War is that miserable desolation which findes a land before it like Eden and leaues it behinde like Sodome a desolate and forsaken wildernesse The fiercenesse rage of it Moses expresseth and describeth when he telleth the Israelites h Deut. 28.49 58. of a Nation that should come from farre as swift as the Eagle fleeth and of fierce countenance who should not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the young who should eat the fruit of their cattell and the fruit of their land vntill they were destroied who should not leaue them either corne wine or oile nor increase of Kine nor flockes of Sheepe but should besiege them in their gates vntill their high and fenced walls came downe wherein they trusted throughout all their land by reason whereof they should be driuen to eat the fruit of their owne bodie the flesh of their sonnes and of their daughters which the Lord their God had giuen them in the siege and in the straitnesse wherewith their enemies should distresse them So that men should haue euill or couetous eyes towards their brethren and wiues of their bosomes and their children which they should leaue in not giuing to any of them of the flesh of their children which they should eat for feare lest they should haue none left for themselues in the straitnesse of the siege And the tender and delicate women who would not aduenture to set the sole of their feet vpon the ground for delicatenesse shall be as niggardly towards their husbands and towards their sonnes and daughters and towards their young ones For they shall eat their children secretly and in corners that none might get any part away from them because of the siege wherewith their enemie should distresse them Fearefull threatnings But is it possible that the miserie or mischiefe of warre should be so great Were not these threatnings made to keepe them in obedience only Surely nothing is there threatned but warre hath brought forth To instance in that vnmatchable instance of the destruction of Ierusalem by Titus and Vespasian who besieged it for the space of fiue months threescore and eleuen yeeres after Christs incarnation or thereabouts In which time there passed many assaults and skirmishes much slaughter and bloudshed being made both on the one side and other The famine meane while afflicting the City was such as no Historie can parallel i Fame impellebantur vt vel equorum lora suos baltheos calceos coria comederent Pontan Bibl. conc ToÌ„ 4.
borne not only Iacob who was this Israel but also prophane Esau z Gen. 25.32 so branded as it were in the forehead by the Spirit of God a Heb. 12.16 for selling away his birth right for a messe of pottage And what shall I more say for the time would faile me to tell of b 1 Sam. 2.12 Ely and of c 2 Sam. 13.14 Samuel of d and 15.16 Dauid e 1 Kings 1.5 Iosiah and f 2 Kings 23.32 Reason Homo liberos gignit ex carne vetusta peccatrice non ex spiritu quocirca minime mirum si iustus iustos non gignat sicut peccator peccatorem Aug. con Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 9. Ezechiah with other men of God whose sonnes haue beene sonnes of Belial that knew not the Lord. The Reason is because that goodnesse which is in man he hath it not by nature but by grace Now man communicates to his children that which he hath of nature in begetting children according vnto nature and not that which he hath aboue nature by the grace of regeneration The graines of wheat which are sowed in the earth though they be neuer so well purged from all their superfluities hauing neither stalke nor eares nor chaffe yet when they spring vp againe bring all these with them because as one of the Fathers saith that purgation of the come is not made by nature but by the art of man So here in this Which being so let none thinke to be saued by their Vse 1 forefathers faith or goodnesse g Hab. 2.4 The iust shall liue by his owne faith saith Habakuk not by the faith of the father no nor of his fathers father How grosly then doe such deceiue themselues that runne into all excesse of riot and thinke to haue mercy shewed vnto them because of the godlinesse of their parents But we reade that the promise of remission of sinnes Obiect 1 and the gift of the holy Ghost is made to vs and to our children h Acts 2.39 Resp. True yet not to all of them but only to so many of them as the Lord our God shall call for so it followeth in the words immediatly following Obiect 2 i 1 Cor. 7.14 The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now they are holy Now if they be cleane and holy then are they vnder the election of grace Resp There is a double holinesse First of Regeneration Secondly of the Couenant In regard of the first they are rebellious but in regard of the second they are holy whereby they are receiued into the Church visible and made partakers of the outward priuiledges thereof as of the Word and Sacraments So then though thou be borne of godly parents this will not profit thee to saluation except thou beleeuest and repentest for as the sinne of the father preiudiceth not the beleeuing childe no more doth the righteousnesse of the father saue the vnbeleeuing Vse 2 Secondly let not parents be too much discouraged if it so happen that their seed be vntoward and vngracious seeing as we haue seene it hath beene the condition of the best and faithfullest yea God who is the Father of vs all complaines that k Isay 1.2 he had nourished and brought vp children but they had rebelled against him Grace is no inheritance it cannot be conueied by vs to our children as our land and houses can neither can we leaue it to them as we leaue them a possession to descend by a continued succession from the father to the sonne and so to the sonnes sonne in one race and generation It is Gods free gift and he giueth it where he pleaseth and to whom he pleaseth Only let vs vse the meanes to bring them vnto God for that we are bound to doe and then commit the successe to him with patience A three-fold dutie of Parents towards their children There is a threefold dutie that we owe vnto them which we must looke we faithfully discharge First that we haue a care of their education to bring them vp in the information l Ephes 6.4 of the Lord as Saint Paul requireth vs. Secondly that by a godly life we giue them good example For it is an euill great enough that we haue deriued sinne vnto them by propagation let them not draw it also from vs by imitation Thirdly that we be earnest in the Lord by praier for them A childe of so many praiers and teares cannot be lost as one said concerning Augustine the sonne of Monica that he would be pleased to giue them a new nature and to take away the corruption of the old which in their first generation we communicated to them which duties if we neglect we shall be guiltie of their blood but if we performe faithfully and conscionably we are free and haue deliuered our soules and may comfort our selues in the testimonie of a good conscience knowing that we only can vse the meanes it is God only that must giue the blessing thereupon Lastly hence let me giue a caution to euery one that Vse 3 they beware of ouer-rash censuring of parents for the loose cariage of their children we haue seene it cleared by a cloud of witnesses that reformed men haue had vnreformed children as circumcised parents begot children which were vncircumcised And though it be true amongst irrationall creatures that they euer bring forth their like Eagles haue Eagles and Doues Doues yet in mans progenie there is often found not so like a proportion as vnlike a disposition To condemne then the parent vpon this ground for that the childe is dissolute is too too rash for in so doing we may condemne the generation of the iust And thus much for this first point now a second followes These people as we see were called by the name of Israel and Iudah good names both and honourable one signifieth a Prince or Preuailer with God and the other signifieth Confession or Praise and yet this people were retchlesse dissolute Hence learne we Good names and titles profit nothing at all Doctr. Good names and titles nothing worth without grace if our liues be not conformable to those names and titles that are giuen vs. Caine a good name signifying a possession but what is he the better for it when he is a Murderer m Gen. 4.8 So Absolom which made warre against his father had the name and made goodliest shew to be his fathers peace and yet he proued to be his greatest n 2 Sam 18.33 heart smart Iudas his name was good and proclaimed him to be a Professor but what doth that auaile him when by his deeds he shewed himselfe a deuill o Iohn 6.70 Thus the Iewes bragged they were p Iohn 8.33 Abrahams seed but alas will it profit them when they are the seruants of sinne surely it cannot profit them at all
bethinke them and call to minde the horrible examples of Gods iudgements in former ages for it c Dan. 32 -7 Belshazzar king of Babylon abusing the holy vessels of the Temple to prophane vses was first wounded inwardly with terror of conscience and afterwards was cruelly murdered In both the bookes of the Maccabees we reade of Alâ—ymus d 1 Mac. 9.54 55 56. Hâ—liodorus e 2 Mac. 3.24 25. Lysimachus f 4.39 41 42. Antiochus g 5.15 16. cum 95 -11 Menelaus h 13 4.-8 and Nicanor i 15 30.-34 all notorious Church-robbers and all came to fearefull ends The example likewise of Ananias and Saphira k Acts 5.2 is not to be forgotten who for withholding part of that money which was consecrated to God by their own gift were by the seueritie of Gods iustice strooke dead as inuaders of Gods right thus according to Solomons prouerb l Prou. 20.25 It is a snare to a man that deuoureth holy things and as a snare first it catcheth suddenly secondly it holdeth surely and thirdly it destroieth certainly Let our Improprietaries apply it and learne to be wise by others harmes Let them beware how they Iewishly with the spoiles of Christ purchase fields of bloud for themselues and theirs For questionlesse the Churches goods haue proued more vnfortunate to the Gentrie of this land than euer did the gold of the Temple of Tholossa to the followers of Scipio of which whoeuer caried any part away neuer prospered after This hath beene as that cole which hung at the peece of meat which the Eagle stole from the Altar wherewith she fired her nest and burnt vp her selfe and young ones Had it not beene for this it may be thought many a faire Family had at this day stood which is now ruinated God is as iust as euer and detesteth this sinne as much as euer he did and therefore let such as will not leaue it and repent of it assure themselues that they shall speed as others haue done before them To you then that haue any Impropriations in your hands I say as Daniel did in the like case to Nebuchadnezzar m Dan. 3. Let my counsell be acceptable to you breake off this your sinne by righteousnesse Make restitution of that which most vniustly you haue so long deteined that so there may be a healing of your error Thou hast taken away the Churches dowrie and spoiled her of it now it were but reason if thou shouldest make her a iointer to recompence the wrong offered and the losse she hath sustained Moneo vt reddatis Deo sua vt Deus restituat vobis vestra Chrys in Matt. 3. But howeuer restore to God his owne that God may restore to you your owne For with what face canst thou expect an inheritance from Christ in heauen who deteinest away from Christ his inheritance vpon earth what you get by such a detiny shall be your fatall destinie you shall leaue the gold behinde you but carry the guilt with you to euerlasting fire Multi in hac vita manducant quod postea apud inferos digerunt Aug. And that which you deuoure here you are like to disgest in hell hereafter except by Restitution you vomit it vp before We doe not craue that you would with Zacheus restore foure-fold though it is apparant that the tenths were got in old time from vs by most false and forged cauillations we only craue our owne we would aske no more Mr. Crash epist Dedic to Perk. treat of the dutie and dig of Min. nor willingly take lesse for our whole dutie is still required then why should not our whole due be paid And yet that the world may learne of vs contentednesse as well by our practise as our doctrine we would for the present take in good part and rest contented with a part of our owne And some competent portions out of the Impropriations proportioned to the quantitie of the charge imposed and the gifts and paines required would for a time be a reasonable satisfaction in our Ministerie vntill our state found it selfe either better enabled or more straitly tied in conscience to full restitution And therefore let all such as haue Impropriations in their hands be hereby moued to make some restitution in whole or part as their estates may beare as some already haue done to the disburdening of their consciences and good example of others But here I looke to haue that counsell giuen me which one did once giue Luther when he first began to preach against the Popes vsurpation and tyrannie You had as good hold your peace this wickednesse is so powerfull that you will neuer preuaile against it Get you to your studie and say Lord haue mercy on vs and procure to your selfe no ill will Well if the worst come I can but speed as others haue done before me I feare indeed I doe but beat the aire for this deuill is not easily cast forth The sonnes of Zeruiah are too hard for vs vnlesse Christian Magistrates who are n Isay 49.23 nursing fathers to the Church doe by their power with good o Neh. 13.11 12. Nehemiah worke a reformation and compell them to bring their tithes againe into the house of God It is the Kings euill no hand but his can heale it But as the Prophet said in another case p Isay 62.1 For Zions sake I cannot hold my tongue and for Ierusalems sake for the poore Churches sake I cannot cease and I would to God that Gods Ministers were here Boanerges sonnes of thunder to thunder out Gods iudgements against this horrible sinne of sacriledge And that all we who haue any thing to doe with any of these persons how great soeuer would q Isay 58.1 cry aloud against them and not spare that if it be possible they might be rowsed and awakened out of this same sinne which in many places causeth prophesying to faile and consequently r Prou. 29.18 the people perish Leaue we now the Church and come we to the Common-wealth and there we shall meet with more of this bloudy generation First such as my text here especially speakes of corrupt Iudges and Magistrates Å¿ Isay 1.23 Who iudge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widowes cause come before them as Amos speaketh who t Amos 5.7 12. 6.12 turne iudgement into wormwood and gall and the fruit of righteousnesse into Hemlocke who afflict the iust take a bribe and turne aside the poore in the gate from their right These the Prophet Zephaniah is not afraid to call u Zeph. 3.3 roaring Lions and rauening Wolues And our Prophet Isaiah being * Rom. 10.20 very bold calleth them companions of theeues x Isay 1.23 and why so did they take purses by the highwaies No but they tooke bribes in their chambers Euery one loued gifts and followed after rewards c. And as the Prophet Hosea speaketh they