of the clean contrary viz that it would be both unprofitable and exceeding hurtfull Secondly By Gods aggravating the wickednesse of such as commit other sinnes by complaining of this They have taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also speaking of Achan Josh 7. 11. Dissembledâ— or lyed So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alsoâ— Marke the gradation And therefore ch 22. 20 where we render commit a trespasse in the accursed thing he Chaldee paraphrast saies lyed a lye So likewise in Ezekiel Chap. 17. 20. where complaint is made of Pharoah's breaking his promise to help the Jewes that which we render for his trespasse which he hath trespassed against me the paraphrase renders for his lye which he hath lyed and the word in the Hebrew is the same in both these places 3 By God's aggravating so much as he does the punishment of other sinnes when this is joyned with them If a man had taken or detain'd ought of his neighbours he was to restore it againe but if he had lyâ—d and denied it with an oath he was to adde a fifth part more to it Lev 6. 5 And they say that whereas at the offering of oâ—her offerings only a generall confessioÌ„ of sins sufficed at the offering of the oblation for this sin a particular confession of the sinne and a particular acknowledgement of deserving death which the creature offered suffered for theÌ„ was required If you say the punishment was not aggravated for lying but for lying with an oath or swearing falsly I have only this to answer that I believe the contrary because in Num 5. 6. you have the same punishment without mentioning any oath for it is said only If a man or woman shall commit any sin which the Chaldes Paraphrase renders shall lye a lye as in the places before quoted which I doe not alleage to prove that speaking falsely is as bad as swearing falsely but only to shew how much a sinne is aggravavated by denying it though it be not with an oath in regard of the hurt deceit thereby wrought which may be all as much And therefore Cicero a heathen could say that the Gods were as angry for lying as for perjurie and had provided the same punishments I could wish we were as carefull against lying as the Jewes would seeme to be who have a saying in their Talmud that none must say to a child I will give thee such a thing if â—e mean not to give it him for feare of teaching him to LYE But I may say of them also notwithstanding this that they are not so carefull against Lying as they should be if they forbid it only to a Jew allow it to a heathen as they say they doe just as the Papists doe to any whom they please to call Hereticks They may seem to have encouragement from those words in Ecclus 7. 12. devise not a lye against thy brother c. But I am confident to use the expression there used whâ—soever thus ploweth upon what ground soever it be his harvest will be nothing but his own cutting down to be burnt in everlasting fire Marriage with Idolaters c. Was punished with the Drowning of the world if the most common conjecture be true For in Genesis c. 6. 2. immediatly before mention made of God's resolution to doe it it is said That the sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wives of all which they chose i. e. according as their lust led them without any regard had to religion or goodnesse By the sonnes of God saies Chrysostome others is meant the sonnes or Seth so called either from their godlinesse and goodnesse of nature or from their goodâ—inesse and greatnesse of stature according to the use of the Hebrews adding the word God when they meane to expresse the greatnesse of any thing But they conceit that the posteritie of Cain through their intemperance and for their wickednesse had both their growth hindered and their strength impaired so that their children which they begat were for the most part daughters and that therefore it is said the daughters of men and of men or Adam for that is the word in the originall because they were altogether earthly and carnall in their affections Since that it hath been threatened or punished In the persons themselves 1 With being seduced from the true worship of God For it was said to the Israelites concerning the seven nations Neither shalt thou make marriages with them c. For they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other Gods Deut. 7. 3 4. Examples hereof you may see in Solomon 1 Kings 11 3. 4 5 in Ahab Ch 21. 25 and in Joram 2 Kings 8. 18. of which three the Scripture speaks expressly that they were seduced by their wives 2 Oppression Losse of their estates They have dealt trecherously against the Lord for they have begotten strange children Now shall a month devoure them with their portions Hos 5. 7. There can be no lesse herein threatned then what I mentioned whether you interpret with the Paraphrast I will bring people every month that shall devoure the fruit of the ground or with others would have it to be meant of a morthly tax put upon the Israelites by Menahem King of Israel to recruite his treasure 2 Kings 15. 20. for Hosea prophecied in his time long after which came to a thousand talents of silver I might adde hereunto 3. Destruction being an ordinary consequent if not a punishment It is said in the place above quoted For they will turne away thy sons from following me that they may serve other Gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddainly Suddenly or in hast lest they should beget children and teach them Idolatry too In their children it is threatned and punished with Wickednesse and Misery to the trouble and greife of the parents As you may see in Absalom and Tamar David's children which he had by Maacha daughter to the King of Geshur an Idolater 1 Chr. 3. 2. Tamar was forced by Amnon 2. Sam. 13. 14. Absalom caused Amnon to be murdered vers 29 rebelled against his father ch 15. and in that rebellion miserably died chap. 18. In the Prophet Malachi in whose time viz after and about the building of the second temple this sin very much reigned among the Jewes you have this threat Judah hath prophaned the holinesse of the Lord which hee loved and hath married the daughter of a strange god The Lord will cut off the man that doth this the master and the scholler out of the tabernacles of Jacob ch 2. 11 12. where instead of the master and the scholler he Paraphrast translates the son and the nephew which suits better with that which goes before it being in the Hebrew cut off To the man
Which puts me in mind of a saying among the Jewes The doore that is not opened to the poore shall be opened to the Physicians Vnfruitfullnesse God punisheth men for it 1 With leaving them to the wide world What could I have done more to my vinyard that I have not done in it wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes and now goe to I will tell you what I will doe to my vinyard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe Isa 5. 4 5. 2 Taking away the means of making them fruitfull It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briars and thornes I will also command the cloudes that they raine no raine upon it ib. v. 6. 3 Taking away the power and meanes of being fruitfull gifts and talents Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him that hath ten talents Mat. 25. 28. So that for unfruitfullnesse the sinne they have unfruitfullnesse the punishment When he saw a fig-tree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and said unto it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat. 21 19. 4 Cutting downe as trees that have left bearing It was John the Baptist's doctrine every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Mat. 3. 10. And it was our Saviours too in in the same wordes chap. 7. 19. Luk 13. 7. He that had hid his talent in the ground had his doome to be cast into outer darknesse Mat. 25. 30. Vnthankfull sinning I meane sinning against more then ordinary mercy For otherwise all sinning hath Vnthankefulnes in it It hath been threatned 1 With God's anger although the party were one that God loved exceeding well Hezekiah rendred not againe according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. 2 God 's not pardoning them or forbearing to punish them How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forâ—aken me sworne by them that are no Gods When I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses Jer 5. 7. 3 God's punishing them severely You only have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Am. 3. 2. How tenderly does God take it to have hatred thus returned him for his good will even as a father does to be hated by his children whom he hath not onely begotten but bred up with a great deale of love and paines and care One may plainly see it in the manner of his expressions Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons of his daughters Deu 32. 18 19. Because of the provoking of his sons and his daughters If they had been strangers their Provoking had not been so odious nor their Sins so provoking Deu 32. 18 19. Heare O heavens and give eare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Isa 1. 2 3. Heare O Heavens As if creatures onely naturall would be sensible of such an unnaturall thing viz for children to forget him that nourished and fed them In that place of Deuteron last quoted where we translate formed the Sept. translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nourished thee So in Hos 11. 3. in the Latine translation the words are I as Ephraim's nursing father bare them in my armes And indeed these expressions viz of nourishing and a nursing father doe aggravate ingratitude much more then making or begetting or being a father For many fathers doe hate their children and many cause them to be made away as soone as they are borne Being a father is not so much a matter of love At least there is no love in so being but only from unlesse it be by adoption so as God is a father in Jesus Christ For they to whom he is so may well say Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 Joh 3. 1. He did not love us as fathers love their naturall children which is usually by force of nature so that they cannot help it But he bestowed his love upon us freely To have been indeed the sons of God had not been matter of love but being not the sons of God but the children if wrath yet to be called the sons of God here was love It may be seen likewise viz how tenderly God takes sinning against his love in another comparison which God often useth viz of a wife forsaking her husband Among other places I refer you especially to Ezek. 16. 32. For in that Chapt. the Prophet seems to have made it his businesse to set forth the greatnesse of the peoples ingratitude recounting first Gods mercies from vers 4. to 14. and after that their sins notwithstanding those mercies See the complaint concerning Ephraim Hos 7. 13. 15. and the threat pronounced against them vers 16 See also Ch. 11. 3. 4 Deniall of mercy under punishment which is a very sad thing When the Israelites cried ro the Lord for help being invaded by the Ammonites his answer was this Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and yee cryed unto mee and I delivered you out of their hand Yet yee have forsaken mee and served other Gods wherefore I will deliver you no more Judg 10 11 12 13. It hath been punished and threatned 1 With many sorts of judgements Such as the Jewes at severall times met with before theiâ— captivity The Levites in their confession at the time of the fast after the peoples returne to Jerusalem relating the manner of God's dealing with their ancestors by mercies and punishments and their behaviour towards him still made the cause of their punishments to be their sinnes after the receit of mercies as you may see in Nehemiah c. 9. Not once nor twice nor twenty times in the Old Testament when there is either an exhortation to the Jewes to remember or a reproofe for forgetting the Lord their God their deliverance out of the land of Egypt is presently mentioned in these words Which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt See 2 King 17. 6 7. Deut. 13. 5 10. c. The mention of this mercy alone God knew
possibly thou canst for thou canst never live a merry life with it The saying of the Jews is very true for the most part There are three whose life is no life the overpittifull man the angry man and the sad man especially the angry man that will be a long time angry for such are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their owne greatest tormenters Aristotle though he would not say of anger as he said of the rest of the passions that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow for he speakes little in discommendation of this passion in his Rhetoricks and somewhat in commendation of it in his Ethicks yet he could not say but it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with sorrow and more then so he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is usually for a seeming slight or neglect now if the cause may be a small matter but a slight and that which is onely seeming so and if small matters be many and that which is seeming be subject to be multiplyed and encreased how can it otherwise be but the angry mans sorrow must needs be much and his punishments many Antichrist Then shall that wicked one be revealed whō the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his comming 2 Thess 2. 8. Destroyed he will be sure enough and to the purpose and therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of destruction or perdition vers 3. yet perhaps not so much because of a decree of his destruction as if he were a child to whom his father had allotted destruction for his portion for as to that I thinke though the word be Son the sense may as well be Father because his destruction came at first from himselfe according to that of Peter 2. ep 2 1. spoken of such as he is Shall bring upon themselves swift destruction He may be so called for other reasons as 1. Because of the certainty of his destruction as David said The man that hath done this thing shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a son of death or as we render it shall surely di◠2 Sam. 12. 5. The end may be as certaine where there is no intention as where there is upon supposition that such meanes are us'd as I may say when I see a Father let his child alone to his owne will that such a child is a son of destruction because he is sure to be spoyled though his father should intend never so well to him And no doubt many places of Scripture are meant only of the end or the issue which we take to be meant of the intention 2. Because of the greatnesse of his destruction as if we might say after the Hebrew fashion in the plurall number he shall come to destructions or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miserè periturus est he shall be miserably destroyed Matth. 21 41. thus the Hebrew useth the words Ben sonne and Sera seed with the Genitive case of that thing the greatnesse or abundance whereof is intended to be expressed as Beni Belial Sonnes of wickednesse 1 King 21. 13. Ben Schemen a Son of fatnesse or as we render it a very fruitfull field Isa 5. 1. and Sera Shaked a seed of falshood Isa 57. 4. 3. Because of the destructive things that are in him and committed by him and the destructive courses which he takes which Saint Peter calls destructions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2. 2. Speaking of false teachers whose destruction is begun already and slumbreth not for they shall never leave destroying and being destroyed till they be destroy'd for all eternity What some deliver concerning the place where Antichrist shall be destroyed viz. on the mount of Olives I know no firme ground they have for it in Scripture no more then they have for assigning the time when Christ shall come to judgement viz. five and forty dayes after Antichrist's destruction Apostacie threatned Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. See Epist 2. c. 3. and 2 Pet. 2. 1. Even while our Saviour was yet upon the Earth many of his Disciples went back and went no more with him Joh. 6. 66. Depart from the faith we translate and not from faith because as Beza also saith it is meant of the faith or beliefe of the Gospell and not of faith or beliefe of election and salvation They that have this faith cannot lose it though sometimes it may be to◠seeking because they cannot be lost and they cannot be lost because by it they are tyed fast unto God as by a chaine that cannot be broken and kept as safe as in a garrison that cannot be taken for such a kind of comparison Peter's word in the greeke seems to intimate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1 4. Apostacy punisht Apostates even whole nations may justly feare 1. Gods heavy wrath Ezra told the King of Babylon the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him that is that seek him constantly for it follows but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Ezra 8. 22. his power his wrath c. If Gods wrath edge his power and his power back his wrath then wo to that man or nation with whom he is angry See also Psalm 78. 57. 58. where they are compared to a broken bow 2 Vnavoidable punishment though their apostacy be never so secret If we have forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange God shall not God search this out For he knoweth the secrets of the heart Ps 44. 20 21. And yet sometimes Gods anger against this sin is so great that as if punishment were too good for it he resolves to throw away the rod and not to punish which is the worst punishment of all They have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger they are gone away backward why should yee be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Isa 1. 4. 5. 3 Being depriv'd of Gods ordinances publike worship God appeared to Solomon in a vision by night and told him But if ye turne away and forsake my statutes and commandements which I have set before you and shall goe and serve other Gods and worship thē then will I pluck them up by the roots them insteed of you Mark how he changes the Pronoune as if he were so angry at the very mention of this sin as to turne away from them out of my land which I have given thē and this house which I have sanctified for my name will I cast out of my sight and will make it to be a Proverb and a by-word to all nations 2. Chron. 7. 19. 20. It was said to the Angel of Ephesus Neverthelesse I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love
are no Gods But my People have changed their glory for that which doth doth not profit Jer. 2. 11. I will punish all such as are clothed in strange apparell Zeph. 1. 8. Se Isa 3. 18 to the end Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast makes these words to have been spoken of Idolatry sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated qui perstrepunt ad cultum Idolorum that make a noyse at the worsbip of Idols I believe hee meanes shouting and clapping of hands and such like expressions of exultation and joy in use not only amongst the Gentiles but among the Jewes themselves when they went about Divineworship Psalme 55. verse 14 where wee translate wee walked into the house of God in Company the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with consent the Vulgar in terrore infeare the anonymous Paraphrast in hast the word in the Original is of the same roote with the word which this Paraphrast here useth viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also noise it is not unlikely that the Prophet meant it of no other noise then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shouting clapping of hands that which he so often speakes of make a joyfull noise unto the Lord c. Ps 66. 1. Ps 95 1 2. Ps 98 4 6. Ps 100 1. Ps 47 15. I beleive we may doe well if we joine the exposition of this Paraphrast for such his Paraphrase is many times being nothing neer so bare a translation as that of Onkelos with our translation and thence gather a reproofe both of Idolatry and and wearing strange apparell together In regard it is not unlike that the Jewes had learnt of the Gentiles to worship the Moone whom they both called the Queene of Heaven the men in womens and the Woman in Men's apparell the reason whereof was because they tooke the Moone whom they made the same with Venus to have been both a man and a woman for she is as well one as the other and you shall finde in old Authors Lunus as well as Luna Ashamed of Christ and religion Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation then we ought to be lest asham'd when we are apt to think we have most cause of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels Mark 8 38. Luke hath almost the same words cap 9 26. This sinne is in part very often committed by many godly men in conversing with the men of the world they are ashamâ— to set them upon praying or hearing oâ— reading fearing or thinking it absurd 〈◊〉 word that occasions many a sinne and hinders many a good duty to interrupt theiâ— filthy coÌ„munication with godly discourse They are as much ashamed to talke oâ— God and Christ as they would be to goâ— into company that have gaudy clothes with a torn suit But take heed of doinâ— worse then he who said he knew not tâ— man by thus disowning Christ as if he weâ—â— a contemptible man now he has made it appeare that he is a powerfull God nay thâ—â— can'st not sinne lesse to be ashamed of Chriâ—â— notwithstanding his greatnesse and after 〈◊〉 exaltation then the Jewes did to scorâ— him for his meannesse in the time of his â—â—miliation Thou never loved'st thy freâ—â— truly if thou art ashamd to owne himâ—â— any company whatsoever Beloved Sins see Sins Blasphemers against God not pardoned in this world but punisht with Death for God made it a law that they should be ston'd to death upon occasioâ— of the blasphemy spoken by the sonne of the Israelitesse woman Lev. 24. He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely bee put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him vers 16. He that blasphemeth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that doth expresly name say some according to the use of the word Num. 1. 17. and Gen. 30. 28 and the translation of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that nameth the name of the Lord the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast goes further and saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that shall any way expresse which yet me thinks does not so wel agree with what the Jewes commonly speak of the Schem Hamphorash whereby they meane the name Jehovah as if it were a thing allowable Pherosch to imparle or expresse the name Jehovah in other words but not Nekoâ— to pierce it thorow and thorow as I may say or speak it downe right As for them perhaps they gather something though I have not read so much for this distinction of Pherosch and Nekob from those words of this chapter vers 12. where the word Pherosch is used for the text saies they put him in ward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they may render according to their Rabbinisme that it might be expounded to them according to the word of God c. expounded I say for even the witnesses against such 〈◊〉 Blasphemer when they testified what hee said were not to speak the name as he spake it but only to explaine it or expound it some other way Now they explain'd it or paraphras'd it Sometimes by his other names as Adonai or Elohim which are names deriv'd from his power and strength and not from his very essence and therefore allow'd to be used and applied likewise to Angells Men. Sometimes by a certaine number of Letters made into one or more namesâ— and sometimes by severall words wherein the letters of the name were contain'd which were used only by some certain men of the wiser sort and by them privately convey'd by mouth to their own posterity Such receipts of words and letters the moderne Jewes say their Fathers made use of as charmes and spells for the defence of themselves and annoyance of their enemies you may call their practise the naming over a man the name of Jehovah or the schem Hamphorash as it is said the Jewish exorcists named the name of the Lord Jesus over these that had evill spirits Act. 19. 13. With such a charme they say Moses slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 11. whose son they report this blasphemer above mentioned to have been and they ground their opinion up-these words in the 14 vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render intendest thou but the words signifie speakest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian and whereas it is said vers 12. that Moses looked this way and that way and when he saw there was no man hee slew the Egyptian they say he feared if there had been some body present hearing what he said he might speake the same to him kill him in the like manner Now as I told you before how that sometimes they used a certaine number of Letters so they say Moses at that time made use of two and fortie which they have no other ground for but because the letters of the word
was wroth Isa 57 17. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse the iniquity of covetousnesse is much and commonly there is much iniquity also goes with it especially in men that exercize trades or are in places of power and trust I will stretch out mine hand upon the Inhabitants of the land saith the Lord for from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse Jerem 6 13. In the eighth chapter vers 10. he shewes how he would punish their coveting to have more with the losse of what they had and their wronging others with being wronged themselves which is an usuall punishment of covetous men I will give their wives unto others their fields to them that shall inherit theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall disinherit them may seem a better translation for so the Hebrew word is used sometimes with the accusative case of the person as Zachâ— 9 4. and elsewhere so that them shall relate to the men not to the fields unlesse you had rather say to their heires that is to the heires of those that marry their wives so the vulgar and the Chald Paraphrast 3. Exclusion out of the company of the Saints in this world or excommunication for so Paul would have them punished I have written unto you not to keep company If any man that is cal'd a brother be a fornicator or covetous c. With such a one no not to eat 1 Cor. 5 11. 4. Exclusion from their company in the world to come Nor theeves nor covetous men nor drunkards c. shall inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor 6 10. The very rust of their mony which they have greedily gathered and niggardly kept if their owne consciences would not confesse their covetousnesse will come in judgment against them and testify it to their faces Your gold and silver is canker'd and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasures together for the last dayes Jam 5 3. Covetousnesse must needes be severely punished if it be Idolatry as the Apostle sayes it is Col 3 5. Indeed it may well be counted so rather then other sins yet not so much because covetous men love their wealth more then God for so the gluttons love their belly and voluptuous men their pleasures and other sinners other things as because usually they put their hope and confidence in it which are acts to be exercised upon nothing but God and because they think their life consists in the abundance of things which they possesse for somuch our Saviour intimated in affirming the contrary when he charged the people so earnestly to beware of covetousnesse doubling the caveat Take heede and beware of covetousnesse for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth Luk. 12 15. doubtlesse those who are guilty of this sinne have cause to feare God's severe punishment for else our Saviour had never spoken in this manner I might produce many instances of severe punishments of other sinnes of which this sinne was the occasion as Samuel's sons 1 Sam. 8. Saul chap. 15. Nabal chap. 25. and Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. But of these in their places Cruell men are threatned and punished 1 With hurting themselves The mercifull man doth good to his owne soule but he that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh Prov. 11 17. 2 A Curse or the prayers of godly men against them Jacob a little before he died thus cursed Simeon and Levi for being brethren not only in bloud but in blouds or bloudy-mindednesse and cruelty towards the Shechemites Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49 7. for thus joyning in sinne division and scattering shall be their punishment 3 Like Cruelty from others Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off gathered their meat under my table as I have done so God hath requited mee Thus Adonibezek himselfe a heathen confessed when the Israelites of the tribes of Judah and Simeon tooke him prisoner and cut off his thumbs toes Judg. 1 6 7. 4 Gods anger Heare me therefore and deliver the captives againe which yee have taken captive of your brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you thus spake Oded the Prophet to the Israelites for keeping the Jewes whom they had taken in warre in slavery 2 Chron. 28 11. and so vers 9. he tels them that in the battell also they had exercised such cruelty as called to heaven for vengeance Ye have slaine them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven 5 Certaine punishment without remedy though the cruelty be exercised upon wicked men Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pity and his anger did teare perpetually and he kept his wrath for ever Amos 1 11. and thus the Moabites ch 2 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgrâ—ssions of Moab and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they burnt the bones of the King of Edom in Lime Some say that that Son whom the King of Moab kill'd and offered for an offering upon the wall 2 Kings 3 27. was the King of Edoms Son whom he had taken prisoner when he endevourd to break thorough his army and apply this threat to him adding to this act of his cruelty here express'd that he burnt his bones into lime one more viz that he made use of this lime to plaister his palace withall 6 Severe punishment without mercy to cry him quits He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy James 2 13. Where it is added For mercy rejoyceth over judgment as mercy rejoyceth over judgmentâ— and love covereth a multitude of sinnes so judgment shall rejoyce over cruelty and where hatred is not one sin of a multitude but shall be discovered Cruelty even towards malefactors how odious it was among the Jews appears both by what they required in those that were to be Judges and by what they allowed to them it was required among other conditiâ—ions that those who were Judges should neither be Eunuchs nor such as had never any children because such were more likely to be cruel and it was allowed the malefactor even after he was sent to execution if he had any thing more to say then what he had said already to come back againe foure or five times Curiosity especially in Divine things Threatned The Lord said unto Moses Goe down charge the people lest they break thorow unto the Lord to gaze many of them perish Exod 19 21. Charge the people in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testify to
viz with making it loathsome to them Num 11 20. I believe this is a usuall punishment with Drunkards before they die 2 Want of those creatures Isaiah having spoken those wordes above mention'd c. 5 11 afterward addes Their honourable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst verse 13. 3 Poverty and want of other creatures also For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23 21. come to poverty in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also to be dispossessed or disinherited but with this punishmeÌ„t wine it self will punish them disposessing them of themselves disinheriting them of their naturall estate of reason and causing their Parents to disinherit them of their civill estate Sometime they are and it were good if they were oftner punished thus by their Parents The word in the Hebrew viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies wine seems to be compounded of two other Hebrew words viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie thou shalt be Poor of these two words for that which signifies poore some put another like it viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Cheife the word will admit of both etymologies in like manner as wine produces both effects acording as it is well or ill used The richest wine is most dangerous in this regard because it hath most power to tempt thee to tarry long at it and therefore as I would have thee to come to all pleasant meates and drinkes with Feare so especially would I have thee be afraid to Looke upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it moveth it selfe aright Prov 23 31. 5 Sudden Death if Priests and when they went about their office Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy Sons with thee when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the congregation least ye die It shall be a statute for ever throughout thy generations Lev 10 9. Some thinke that Nadab and Abihu were Drunk when they took common fire instead of consecrated as you may see verse 1. of that chapter and that this Law was made upon that occasion because it is mentioned presently after now their punishmeÌ„t was also death viz by fire from the Lord as you may see verse 2. Either Sudden death or Surprizall by the day of judgment But and if that evill seravnt shall say in his heart my Lord delaieth his comming such speeches of security are common with Drunkards and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eate and drink with the Drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him c. Mat 24 48 49 50. shall begin If â—e be thus threatned for but beginning to drink c. what must he expect if he have practis'd this wickednesse for many yeares 6 Exclusion out of heaven Nor theeves nor coveteous nor DRUNKARDS shall inherit the Kindome of God 1 Cor 6. 10. See Mat 24 49 51. Such as make others Drunken are thus threatned Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him the Prophet could not forbeare to come from the third person to the second for anger which is best expressed in that person and MAKEST HIM DRVNKEN also that thou mayest look on their nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy foreskin be uncovered the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shamefull spuing shall be on thy glory Hab. 2 15 16. Duties of Religion c. Duties of religion such as performe them with resolution to retaine their sinnes THEY are threatned First with non-acceptance as 1. in Fasting and humiliation When the Jews demanded of God Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we aflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge He made them this answer Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours Isa 58 3. 2. In Prayer or seeking to God Yâ— pollute your selves with all your Idols even unto this day and shall I be inquired of by you O house of Israel as I live saith the Lord God I will not be enquired of by you Ezek 20 31. By you in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you which will expres both senses more anger I will neither heare you nor any body else for you See Zach 7 5 6 7. Mic 6 6 7 1. So Amos 5 22 23. Though ye offer me burnt offerings I will not accept them c. But let judgment run downe as water c. verse 24. As if he had said though you offer me never so many offerings c. I will not accept them as long as you doe not execute judgment See Jer 7 9 10. 3. In Believing God's word or believing in God or in preaching or reading But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50 16 17. God's house is not a Den for theeves c. Jer 7 11. and as long as we reject his ordinances to obey them we have nothing to doe with his ordinances to enjoy them 2. Severe punishment For every one of the house of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from mee c. And cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will sett my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverb c. Ezek 14 7 8. Samuel told Saul for all his sacrificing to the Lord because he disobeyed his command in not tarrying at Gilgal till he came Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee For now would the Lord have establish'd thy Kingdome upon Israel for ever But now thy Kingdome shall not continue 1 Sam 13 13 14. God's Altar was not allowed for a refuge for him that slew his Brother with guile Exod. 21 14. An earthly Father though his Son behave himself never so respectfully and shew him never so much reverence in his language and deportment yet if he be Disobedient is so farre from accepting of it that he likes him the worse Enemies of God's Children Enemies of God's children threatned and punished First with God's enmity against them especially when his children are dutifull for thus he speaks to rhe Israelites concerning the Angel whom he would send before them If thou shalt indeed obey his voyce and doe all that I speake then I will be an Enemy unto thine Enemies and an adversary unto thine adversaries Exod. 23 22. Secondly a Curse Isaac when he blessed Jacob thus spake Cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be hee that blesseth thee Gen. 27 29.
but see more to this purpose in the chapter of Discord Or at least Suspending their malice against those whom they persecute When the Scribes and Pharisees fell out upon occasion of Paul's mentioning the Resurrection the Scribes who held the resurrection which the Pharisees deny spake to have him acquitted Acts 23 7. Secondly A strange Pertinacie in prosecuting their malice and with this they are punished that they may be punished the more So the Canaanites were punished There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon all other they tooke in battle For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israell in battle that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favour for favour they were to shew them if they had made them answers of peace when they were summoned Deut. 20 11. but that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses Josh 11 19 20. In like manner was the King of Egypt punished that he might be punished the more as God professed it was his intention before hand Exod. 10 1. againe and againe but especially at the red Sea when he resolved to pursue the Israelites For certainly he could not thinke that he who was for them was for him too and if he were not it was strange he would not thinke that having made the water to stand on a heap against nature to preserve his friends he could and would make them returne to their naturall course to destroy his Enemies Thirdly A strange Feare when they come to act their designes even of those whom before they esteemed contemptible whereof they can give no reason It was Moses his Prophecy concerning the Canaanites FEARE and DREAD shall fall upon them by the greatnesse of thine arme for the greatnesse of Gods arme or power appeares most in his working upon the heart as by sudden passions or otherwise They shall be as still as a stone till thy people passe over O Lord till the people passe over which thou hast purchased Exod. 15 16. FEARE and DREAD so Deut 2 25. The FEARE of thee and the DREAD of Thee and chap. 11 25. The FEARE of you and the DREAD of you to shew it should be a meere feare whereof they could give no cause being greater in number strength Therefore it is said it should fall upon them that is come upon them they knew not from whence nor wherefore See Josh 2 9. and Esth 9 3. It was God's Promise I will send my Feare before thee Ex. 23 27. repeated Deut. 2 25. and chap. 11 25. This Prophesie and Promise were fulfilled and performed according to Rahab's confession to the spies I know that the Lord hath given you the Land and that your terrour is fallen upon us and that all the Inhabitants of the Land faint because of you Josh 2 9. The like had God done for their Fathers before them viz Jacob and his sonnes when they journeyed from Shechem to Bethel For although they had lately killed the Shechemites and so had more cause to be afraid themselves of revenge and although they were flying from Esau yet it is said that the Terrour of God was upon the cities that were round about them and they did not pursue after the sonnes of Jacob Gen. 35 5. The terrour of God the Feare of the Israelites but the terrour of God or a terrour from God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. A Consternation sent from him Indeed it might be rendred a Great Consternation or terrour Such as could come from no lesse power then God's it was so great or such as could come frō none but God there being no cause of feare from man such as this was because the power of man was so small It is usuall you know in Scripture when the intention is to expresse the greatnesse or strength of a thing to adde the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. of God as you may see Gen 30 8. 1 Sam 14 15. Psalm 36 7. Jon 3. 3. c. There are other very notable examples of this terrour as 1 The Philistins for though they knew that unlesse it were with Saul and Jonathan there was neither sword nor speare found in the hand of the people 1 Sam 13 22. which was because they would not suffer them to have any Smiths that might make them yet it is said of them chap. 14 15 that assoone as Jonathan his Armour-bearer had made an assault upon the garison there was trembling in the Host and in the field and among all the people the garrison the spoylers they also trembled and the earth quaked so it was a very great trembling And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah looked and behold they melted away and they went on beating downe one another perhaps not knowing what they did out of extreme feare 2 Saul who was afraid of David before ever he went from the court or had any with him to helpe him For it is said 1 Samuel 18 12. Saul was AFRAID of David because the Lord was with him and was departed from Saul This is also an example of the like feare without cause for I take the reason which is added viz. Because the Lord c. to be given by him that wrote this booke and not as Saul's reason for had it beene so it is likely it would have beene said Was departed from HIM sibi reciprocally and not FROM SAUL 3 The Assyrians For it is said of the Jewes when Ahasuerus had given them leave to kill those who would have murdered thē in comparison of whom doubtles they were of a very contemptible number And no man could withstand them for the FEARE of them fell upon all the people Esth 9. 2. But that which is more strange yet it is said verse 3. of the same chapter that the FEARE of Mordecai of one single Jew whom even now they had appointed to be hang'd fell upon all the Rulers of the Provinces and the Lievtenants and the Deputies and Officers of the King Lastly Judas and his company of souldiers who when they came to apprehend our Saviour Assoone as he said unto them I am Hee went backward and fell to the ground John 18 6. I may say of all these in the words of David There were they in great feare where no feare was Psal 53 5. no feare that is no cause of feare A cause of feare there was indeed for as he sayes Psal 14 5. God is in the generation of the righteous but none in their account I might produce many places out of the Prophets and elsewhere which speake largely of God's way of punishing his Enemies with fearfulnesse but I will onely referre you to these three which you may read at your leasure viz. Isa 19 17. Mic. 17 17. Zach. 12 2. 2 Chr. 14 14. Fourthly Strange Sottishnesse and
it to be a little sin because ther is little said in the Scriptures against it for the greatest sinnes there are least spoken of Glory Those that give it to themselves are threatned 1 With God's great displeasure and severe punishment marke his angry expressions to the King of Egypt Son of man set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt and prophecy against him and against all Egypt speake and say Thus saith the Lod God Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the middest of his rivers which hath said My river is mine owne and I have made it for my selfe But I will put hookes in thy Jawes and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales c. Ezek 29 2 3. Those Hookes as it is likely were the Chaldeans by whom the King of Egypt was taken and all his Subjects like fish destroyed together with him 2 Severe punishment and the taking away of their glory I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high lookes for he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisedome for I am prudent c. Isa 10. 12 13. and it followes vers 16 under his glory he shall kindle a burning c. The Jewes say that the Angel smote his army with a secret fire which burnt their bodies without hurting their cloathes or their armes and that there were not ten men that escaped alive Hierom See Jer. 50 29 30. 3 Discovery of their weaknesse and frailty by suffering from others Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God but thou shalt be a man and not a God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Ezek. 28 9. Those that take it when it is given them by other men and do not turne it off to God Have cause to feare severe punishment for it is said of Herod when the people gave a shout after he had made an Oration to them and said It was the voyce of a God and not of a man that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up of wormes and died Act. 12 23. Gave not God the Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Glory viz. which the people gave him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not-giving THE Glory or not refusing Glory already made and given must not looke to be unpunished being wilfull sinne and neerer to sacriledge then receiving stolne goods is to theft if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not-giving glory to God or not-bringing Glory to God of our owne making have beene so severely threatned and punished For so it was First in the Israelite priests with Cursing of their blessings If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart Mal. 2 2. 2 In Belshazzar with The losse of his Kingdome at least it had a great hand in that punishment for Daniel when he told him of his sinnes whereby he had provoked Gods anger against him assoone as he had said The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes thou hast not glorified presently added THEN was the part of the hand sent from him and this writing was written Dan. 5 23 24. Gluttony Gluttons are punished or threatened 1 With Inconsiderate and selfe-hurtfull actions Esau was so greedy of and so gluttonously taken with the curious red red pottage which his brother had made that he sold him his birthright for a messe of it Gen. 25 30. whence he was afterward called Edom i. e. Red and his posterity Edomites 2 Loathing of that which they loved The full soule loatheth the hony-comb Prov 27. 7. 3 Sicknesse The Israelites wherein their God was their belly for they chose to serve that before God although they had no worse fare then the Angels Ps 78. 25 like so many swâ—ne snuffed at the pearle and as if they had been in such a lamentable case ready to starve for want of meat fell a weeping and crying who shall give us flesh to eat Num 11. 4. But how did God answer theÌ„ 't is true he gave them their owne desire but as the Sabines did Tarpeia who when she had desired of theÌ„ what thâ—y had in their left hands meaning no more then their rings put upon her rings and shields and all and pressed her to death with the weight For thus was Moses bid to answer them Seeing ye are so earnest for flesh ye shall have flesh but you shall have it with a vengeance for ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five daies nor ten days nor twenty dayes but even a whole month untill it come out at your nostrills and it be loathsome unto you v. 18. 19. 20. I believe this punishment was inflicted upon them in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an unsatisfied craving of the stomack in eating It is often threatned to the wicked in Scriptures perhaps sometimes in another sense in these words ye shall eate and not be satisfied as Levit 26 26. Isa 9. 20. Mic 6. 14. as on the contrary it is promised as a blesing to the Godly to eate and be satisfied Deut 14. 29. Ps 22. 26. and the reason is because they have other food to eate with it heavenly food with which a man may be satisfied if he have no other without which nor food nor any thing else will satisfie a man 4 Taking away or Marring of those creatures which they have abused When the Israelites gathered Manna if any were so greedy as to gather more then they could eate that which was left till the next morning bred wormes and stank Exod 16. 20. 5 Hunger and want For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23. 21 The Prophet Isaiah having told the Jewes of their Feasts which they kept in honour to their Idols chap 65. verse 11. in the 13 verse thus threatens them Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my servants shall eate but ye shall he hungry behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Our Saviour saith Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Luk 6. 25. and so it came to passe in the Prodigall Son who wasted his substance in riotous living Luk 15. 13. for afterward it is said v. 16. he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eate and no man gave unto him 6 Shortnesse of life Ordinarily by their owne intemperance breeding diseases in their bodies and this every man sees and knows See Ecclus 37. 30 31. Extraordinarily by the hand of God thus Hophni and Phinehas who out of gluttony and
Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam vers 9. who was stricken with Leprosie for her murmuring against Moses who was no Priest In Exod. chap 22. 28 where we render Thou shalt not revile the Gods the Chaldee Paraphrase saith Thou shalt not vilifie and for curse the ruler the Septuagint say speake evill against By speaking evill against them is not only meant speaking evill against them to their faces but any speaking evill of them behind their backs in any manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter calls it 2 Ep 2 10. i. e. word for word to blaspheme glorys and to speake indignely of dignities or to disgrace them who are in places of honour Jude saith that Michael although he were Archangell yet durst not do so to the very Devill himselfe Jud 9. to whom we have nothing to say unlesse it be to defend our selves from him In that place of the Proverbs before quoted for Them that are given to change the Latin renders Detractours and wheras it is added the ruine of them both Hierome interprets it thus both of him that detracts and him that willingly heares him So that he makes it reach further even to the hearer See concerning Korah in the chap of Ministers Such as doe contrary to their Sentence Are threatned with Death And the man that will doe presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel Deut 17. 12. Such as did not Serve them though they were Heathen With sword and famine and pestilence And it shall come to passe that the Nation and Kingdome which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezar the King of Babylon that will not put their neck under the yoak of the King of Babylon that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and the famine and with pestilence untill I have consumed them by his hand Jer 27. 8. Such as perswade men to revolt from them Are punished with Death So those Prophets who spake to the Jewes of breaking the yoak of Subjection to the King of Babylon as namely Ahab Zedekiah who were rosted to death by Nebuchadnezar Jer. 29 22. Shemaiah whose whole family was likewise extirpated v. 32. Hananiah who was threatned by the Prophet Jeremy to dye the same yeare and died accordingly c. 28. 16 17. and besides this the wooden yoake was turned into an iron yoake v. 13 14. Such as doe not endeavour to preserve their lives In Davids opinion are sons of death For thus he spake to Abner and the rest that were with Saul when he tooke away his speare and his cruse of water as they lay asleep This thing is not good that thou hast done as the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die or according to the Hebrew ye are sons of death because ye have not kept your Master the Lord 's anointed 1 Sam. 26 16. I have beene the longer upon this subject chiefly for these two reasons 1 To shew that however the true religion be accused of sedition and faction and perhaps there are too many of those that professe it that are sons of Belial yet it doth not defend them 2 That those who are not of the true religion might no longer be scandalized as they have beene for prevention whereof our Saviour himselfe payed tribute which else he was not bound to doe Matth. 17 27. nor the name of God and his doctrine blasphemed as it hath beene very much by such practises 1 Tim. 6 1. Threatning and punishing with Vnfit Governours I will give children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them Isaiah 3. 4. With Wicked Governours In the 2 Booke of the Kings ch 17. after complaint of the disobedience and Idolatry of the children of Israel you have these words in relation of their punishment for it And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of the spoylers untill he had cast them out of his sight For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sinne a great sinne vers 20 21. Threatning and punishing Of Wicked Governours With punishing their Subjects Because thou obeyed'st not the voyce of the Lord c. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines 1 Sam. 28. 18 19. That three yeares Famine which was in Israel in the raigne of David the Lord himselfe said was for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21. 1. See 1 King 14. 16. Other wayes of punishing them may be seen in the chapters of their Sinnes especially Injustice and Oppression Grace Refusing of it threatned punished 1 With Conquest by enemies Our Saviour told Jerusalem The day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on every side And shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children with thee and thou shall not have in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Luk. 9. 43 44. 2 Desolation O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy childreÌ„ together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate Mat. 23. 37 38. it is likely by house is ment the Temple by being Desolate having no more Prophets and messengers from God because he addes verse 39 For ye shall not see me henceforth c. which if it be you may apply this place to the punishment which immediately followes viz. 3 Deniall of the meanes of grace such as Preaching c. Paul and Barnabas told the Jewes at Antioch It was necessary that the Word of Gâ—d should first have been spoken unto you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. Imagine they had said thus We were coÌ„manded to speak to you first whether you would heare and whether you would forbeare you were to have the refusall of the Gospel and we had commission withall if any were not worthy to let our peace returne to us Matt. 10. 13. now as for our parts we did not judge you unworthy We judge nothing before the time 1 Cor. 4. 5. but seeing by rejecting our letters of pardon you yourselves have therein judged your selves to be those who are unworthy we take the word we are now at liberty to goe to the Gentiles 4 Deniall of Grace it selfe If thou hadst knowne even thou at lest in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but
would not pardon 2 Kings 24. 3 4. They are punished in their Posterity By Death or some other great calamity as you may see 1 In Joab according to David's threat to him For when Joab had trecherously murdered Abner who came over to him by taking him aside to speak with him thus he spake I and my kingdome are guiltles before the Lord for ever from the bloud of Abner the sonne of Ner let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his fathers house and let there not faile from the house of Joab one that hath an issue or that is a leper or that leaneth on a staffe or that falleth on the sword or that lacketh bread 2 Sam. 3. 28 29. See also Solomon's threat concerning him 1 Kings 2. 33. after which it is said also that hee himselfe was slaine by Benaiah at the command of Solomon even when he hung upon the altar 1 Kings 2. 28. to 34. For God will not be a refuge for murderers neither were the cities of refuge appointed for them Deut. 19. 11 2 In David for the murder of Vriah according to Nathans threat Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house because thou shast despised me and hast taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife 2 Sam 12. 10. 3 In Saul for murdering the Gibeonites For when the Gibeonites were asked by David what satisfaction they desired they demanded seven of Sauls sonnes and hung them all up with his consent 2 Sam 21 9 4 In Ahab for murdering Naboth For Joram his son King of Israel was by Jehu who was already anointed king in his stead shot to death with an arrow as hee sate in in his chariot 2 Kings 9. 24. See what he sayes when he had kil'd him v. 25 26 It was not long after ere Jehu put to death all the rest of his familie causing the heads of seventie of his sonnes to be brought to him at one time to Jezreel in baskets c 10. 7. Thus you see how loud and how long bloud crieth and how deeply it staineth so that nothing but bloud will fetch it out again especially if it be in a place where the true religion is professed for then the punishment will be as to one that hath defiled God's dwelling which must needs anger him exceedingly Num 35 33 34. So yee shall not pollute the land wherein yee are for bloud it defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it DEFILE not therefore the land which yee shall inhabit wherein I DWELL for I the Lord DWELL among the children of Israel The Odiousnesse of this sinne and how certaine it is to be punished may be further gathered out of the Scriptures thus 1 By the strictnesse of God's requiring the blood shed as if it were a thing more his owne then other things even at the hand of a beast that hath neither hand nor reason Gen. 9. 5. For if a beast killed a man yea though it were an Oxe the most usefull beast of any it was to be stoned to death and none of his flesh was to be eaten Exod. 21. 28. 2 By the strictnesse of God's inquiring after it I doe not read of his making inquisition for any thing but this and for this he allowes times of purpose as if it were a businesse which he constantly does and which he will not by any meanes omit When hee maketh inquisition for blouds be remembreth them Ps 9. 12. No wonder then there are such strange discoveries of murder so deeply concealed so long agoe committed Sithence he who is the searcher even of hearts maketh inquest for it and shall not he search it out See Isai 26. 21. I might produce many examples of such discoveries if it were not beyond my bounds 3 By the strictnesse of the Enquiry which he prescribed to the Elders of the Israelites when they found a man slaine and it was not knowne who kill'd him As likewise by the forme of prayer given them wherein they wereto desire God not to lay even such a man's bloud to their charge Deut. 21. 1. 4 By Davids charge to Solomon concerning Joab for murdering Abner and Amasa Let not his hoary head goe downe to the grave in peace 1 Kings 2. 5. 5 By the punishment which the Shechemites suffered for helping Abimelech in the murder of his brethren viz the slaughter of themselves and the utter ruine of their city by the hand of Abimelech himselfe Then God sent an evill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Shechem and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubaal might come and their blood come upon Abimelech thir Brother which slew them and upon the men of Shechem which aided him in Killing of his brethren Judg. 9. 23 24. 6 Lastly by what is said of the importunate cries of such as have been murdered which are sure to be heard Rev 6. 10. How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth What ever thou doest let the life of a man be precious in thy sight If thou hast the invitation of an opportunity to Save it as thou hatest bloud doe it For there are but two waies To Save life or to Kill Mark 3. 4. If thou hast the provocation of an injurie to destroy it as thou lovest life doe it not For if thou hast not hated bloud even bloud shall pursue thee Ezek 35. 6. Take heed of a bloudy hard heart How many Murderers are there that never lifted up their hand to hurt a man Oathes Such as doe not keep them or take them fasly threatened With Certaine punishment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine Exod 20 7. Name What an account doth the meanest of us make of his name and how tender are we of it and how doe we listen when we heare another mention it Thy God thou wouldest be wary of using the name of thy King or thy Master or thy Father in their hearing and why not of thy God who heareth at all times and places is then most quick of hearing when his name is used In vaine or for a Lie For that the word in Hebrew for vaine will signifie and is so used and that when the meaning is only of assertion and not of promise For whereas in this chapter vers 16 the word for false witnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deut c. 20. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know they usually say that these wordes are cheifely meant of promissory oaths because of our Saviours words Mat. 5. 33. speaking only of the forbidding of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is forswearing And as if this word were properly
when God resolves to punish a man after that manner as he sins against him when he will walke contrary to them that walke contrary to him and shew himselfe froward with the froward or as it is here when he scorneth the scorners If one scorner or one froward man meet with another woe to him that is weakest The more proud the more resistance the more resistance the more paine and enraging of the adversary for the present and the greater punishment to come God takes a kind of delight to deale with such men as a valiant souldier doth to deale with a stubborn enemy whom he hopes to conquer If all the Kings of the earth should set themselves against him it would be but so much laughing matter to him Psal 2. 2 4. Me thinkes I see God like a challenged enemy after long provocation as it were entring into the lists against Babylon when I read those words of his Behold I am against thee O thou most proud Jer. 50. 31. AGAINST thee or To thee so the Hebrew as if he should say Have at thee or Come on Babylon now I am for thee now I see thee proud now thou art a fit object to exercise my full strength upon God doth not punish any so deliberately as I may say or with such resolution as he doth a proud man The Lord of hosts hath purposed it or upon consultation determined to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Is 23. 9. And no wonder if it be according to that saying of the Jewes In whomsoever is haughtinesse of spirit God saies of him I and he cannot dwell together in one world So that the next thing he must expect is 5 Certaine punishment in spite of all his strength and endeavours to the contrary for to thus much the words will amount expound them how you will Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord though hand joyne in hand he shall not be unpunished Prov 16. 5. The punishments which the Scripture mentions are 1 Abasement It was a common saying among the Jews Whosoever exalteth himselfe shall be abased and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Our Saviour belike used it often Luke speakes of twice as c. 14 11. c. 8. 14. Abasement I say both by and with God whether it be pride towards him or towards men For one of those times our Saviour used it upon occasion of the Pharisee's justifying himselfe c. 18. the other upon occasion of a mans taking the uppermost seat at a feast without entreaty c. 14. Evills of punishment doe not spring out of the ground They come all from above and therefore no wonder that the highest things beare the brunt and the lowest escape The day of the Lord of hoasts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and hee shall bee brought low And upon all the Cedras of Libanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan and upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up c. Isa 2. 12. to 18. See c. 5 15. c. 13. 11. c. 14. 13. Job 40. 12. Infinite many more texts for such like threatning expressions might be brought against pride But I am oath to offer you to many lest you resolve to take none at all There be likewise many examples of men people that have beene abased for their pride wherof I will only namea few in whose relation pride is chiefly mentioned they are 1 the Sodomites Ez 16. 49. 2 Nebucadnezar Dan 5. 20 21 3 Belshazzar his son ibid. vers 23. 4 The Tyrians Ezek 28. 6. 5 The Assyrians Ezek 31. 10. 6 The Moabites Isa 16. 6. So likewise examples of evills occasioned by pride doubtles I might produce many but that it is not agreeable with my purpose to speak of consequents except such as are necessary or immediate However I will name one viz Amaziah King of Judah who being lifted up for his victory over the Edomites when he had no occasion given him would needs challenge Joash King of Israel to fight with him and was overthrowne and taken prisoner and both the Court and Temple plundered 2 Chron 25. 19 22. And I referre you to three or foure more the like instances in the Chapter of Despising 2 Shame an attendant of the former punishment When pride commeth then commeth shame Pro 11. 2. and indeed shame cannot come without pride for a humble man befall him what will hath no cause of shame if he have of griefe Shame I say not onely as we usually take the word being ashamed but as the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shame of reproach When a proud man falls many will reproach him and no body will pity him See Ps 119 78. As likewiâ—e the punishment of proud women Isa 3 17. and the parable of the guest who was made with shame to take the lowest roome Luk 14. 9. 3 Diseases upon their bodies which they have too proudly clothed or carried Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walke with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe and making a tinkling with their feet Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crowne of the head of the daughters of Sion c. Isa 3. 16 17. with the following verses Joash King of Israel was punished with very loathsome diseases so that no body could endure to come near him 2 Chr. 24 25. And he is thought to have been thus punished chiefly for his pride viz. in suffering men to adore him worship him as a God For this Hierom and others conceive to be meant by those words v. 17 of the aforesaid chapter After the death of Jehoiada because say they it could not be suffered while Jehoiada was living came the Princes of Judah and made obeysance to the King now saith one by this filthines uncleannes of his body through diseases God did mind him of the uncleannesse of his soule through pride The Septuagint in Prov 16. 5 where we render abomination translate uncleane 4 Ruine and destruction Upon their persons Hee that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction and that is easie enough to be found Prov 17. 19 As surely as he that exalteth his gate as we call it in going and takes no notice of his way is sure to fall See Mal 4. 1. Upon their Families The Lord will destroy the house of the proud c 15. 25. Pride will have a fall is so true a saying that if we once see a man proud we may conclude whereto he will For he is fallen with God already dead in Law there wants only execution 'T is God's way when hee will destroy a man to the purpose to let him get up high and then his fall will bee the greater
I may make you more seriously then usually we do to think of these two things one as great an evill as we can be delivered from viz. Temptation and the other as necessary a duty as we can practise viz prayer against it which I never heard practised since the disuse of the Lord's Prayer 1 In the 40. v. of this ch it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be otherwise translated then it is viz. without a point after Pray Pray that yee enter not into temptation 2 In the 31. v. our Saviour saith that Satan had desired yea and obtained liberty to tempt them 3 In the 32 v. he saith that hee had prayed for Peter that in that temptation his faith might not faile 4 He had told them all the day before what danger they should be in that night of being offended at him through temptation and he had absolutely told Peter being confident to the contrary that he should deny him 5 He himselfe had prayed for the same in effect viz. That the cup might passe from him v. 39. And I must confesse I doe not think that by the preposition in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant as some say their being delivered up to temptation but only their coming into that temptation in which our Saviour already was viz. of being put to it either to depart from God or to part with life 6. There was not any thing which they had so much need to pray against at such a time as that was viz. when the shepheard himselfe should be smitten then that the sheep might not scattered from him and forsake him 7. It was that which the shepheard had long before prescribed to them especially to pray for viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would not LEAD or BRING them into temptation Matth. 6. 13. an expression to which this answers that ye may not enter into temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas it is there presently added And deliver us from evill so in this chapter it is said that Satan that evill one had begged them to winnow them therefore now if ever they had cause to pray to be delivered from him 8 The words added immediately after these Mat 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake seeme to make much for it For I doe not thinke as some doe that they are spoken in a favourable manner to excuse their drowzinesse because the contrary appeares by the verse next before where there is a reason mentioned why they were not to bee excused viz because Christ had as yet watched but one houre which was urged by our Saviour very sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What or is it possible could yee not watch with mee one houre But rather in a friendly monitory manner to minde them of their weaknesse especially because hee saw how confident they were of their strength to hold out in temptation as if hee had spoken the whole thus Doe yee sleep as if you were secure against and as if you would expose your selves to temptation you had more need watch and pray that you may not be tempted and all litle enough I deny not but according to your profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will may be present with you and you may be resolv'd in the spirit to hold it out with me even to die with mee But know this your flesh is weak So that unlesse my father doe extraordinarily strengthen you when it comes to you will not tell how to finde in your heart to perform what you would therfore by all means pray that ye may not be brought to temptation So that If to be free from Temptation it be needfull not only to pray but to pray against it you have no cause to wonder if They who doe not pray do meet with it Preaching of the VVord threatened to be removed Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Am 8. 11 12. A famine of bread or A hunger for bread So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the threat is not only of a want or scarcity but of an hunger earnest desire proceeding from that want as is plaine by the 12 verse by the word for of hearing which signifies literally To heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which aggravates the punishment very much for they shall have paine and griefe whiles they hunger and in the end shal be starv'd to death for want of what they would have And yet as we render it famine it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull because it implies a necessity of this food for the life of the Soule For we doe not call it a famine although other things be never so scarce and deare unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne or bread which we cannot be without Such as Hinder it have cause to feare 1 Removall of good preachers and havinâ— bad in their stead which is a worse punishment then if they had none Prophecy yâ— not say they to them that prophecie They shâ— not prophecie to them that they shall not taâ—â— shame Mic 2. 6. And it follows vers 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lyâ— saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine 〈◊〉 of strong drinke he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉 this people If you translate this verse witâ— the vulgar thus I could wish I were not man that had the spirit that which I speak were not true but yet I will prophecy to you 〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with winâ— even a full cup of judgments which I shall denounce unto you it will amount to thus much viz that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word from preaching the truth God will punish them with fearefull judgements and make even those very Ministers in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy In the originall it is drop in both verses And it is not unlike the people did indeed use this very word in a jeere because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek 20. 46. ch 21 2. Even as they did the words Line upoâ— Line Isa 28 10. The burden â—f the Lord Jer 23 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word c. 2 Death and ruine of their families That Amaziah but now mentioned who was a Priest of Bethel in Jeroboam's time is thus threatened by Amos Thou sayest Prophesie not and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack Therefore thus saith the Lord thy wife
shall be an harlot in the city and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land c. ch 7. 16 17. Preparation before medling with God's Ordinances Such as neglect it may justly feare severe punishment For thus it was said under the Old Testament and doubtlesse there is as much need of preparation for Gospell services as there was for those of the Law Let the Priests also which come neere to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord breake footh upon them Exod 19 22. The Septuagint say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest the Lord depart away from them as being a holy God and therefore not enduring any unholy thing to come neere him which I take to be a worse punishment then the former Especially after the commission of some fowle sinne whereby we are defiled For then we had need to wash our selves first with teares of humiliation and repentance The man that shall be uncleane and shall not purifie himselfe that soule shall be cut off from among the congregation c Num 19. 20. See the practise of Job ch 1. 5. The Priests before they went into the Tabernacle were to wash their hands their feet upon paine of death Exod 30. 20. What a charge did God give of preparing the people to hear him when he intended to speak upon mount Sinai even two daies before Exod 19. 10 11. See Gen 35. 2 concerning the practise of Jacob. And Job 11. 13 I wish we were as strict in preparing for all manner of duty as the Jewes were and yet are in externall preparations for the keeping of the Sabbath or that we were as punctuall to wash our hearts before we go to sit down at the Lords table as they were to wash their feet and the Pharisees their hands before they would sit downe at their own tables Presumptuous Sins See Sins Presumption of Perseverance punished Both with Sinne and Sorrow Peter told our Saviour Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Mâ—tth 26. 33. but our Saviour presently threatned him Verily I say unto thee that this night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice vers 34. Shalt not wi lt so that if it be a prophecie it is a threatning one Marke how these words of our Saviour answer to Peter's in every expression of his praefidence as were of purpose to make him see his exceeding great weaknesse Whereas he was so confident of the continuance of his fidelity that all should be offended in Christ rather then he he tells him none but him most peremptorily to the contrary VERILY I SAY unto thee c. Whereas he was confident that hee should not be so much as offended in Christ which notwithstanding Christ had said should be the lot of all of them vers 31. He tells him that he should not onely be offended in him but even quite deny him Whereas hee was confident that he should never deny Christ not once so much and not once for ever not only that night he tells him cleane contrary This night and BEFORE the Cok crow thou shalt deny me THRICE Now you may see this threat fulfilled vers 70. 72. 74. and in the next verse after Peters sin you may read his sorrow For there it is said that upon the crowing of the Cocke being put in mind of Christs words he went out and WEPT BITTERLY Professours in Hypocrisie punished 1 With Deceiving of themselves Non-acceptance of their religion Trust yee not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer 7. 4. Lying words Because they call'd it the Temple of the Lord when it was not for the Lord would no longer dwel in it nor owne it So it seems to be interpreted if we translate with the Latin v. 7 Then I will dwell with you in this place But I rather take lying words for words that would deceive them vaine and unprofitable words as it is interpreted and as the Latine it selfe also translates ver 8. thus yee trust in lying words which will not profit you You will deceive your selves exceedingly if you think you are a jot the better for going to the house of God hearing the word of God living with the people of God and having the name of God upon you if your lives be not answerable 2 Being given over to death in Sin especially if they pretend to more then others and take the name of figtrees upon them which is the greatest fruit bearing tree of any our Saviour When he saw a figtree in the way hee came to it found nothing thereon but leaves onely and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat 21 19. 3 Being given over to death in Hell Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Divells and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Matt 7. 22 23. Work iniquity What doe all these great things and yet work iniquity Yea prophecy cast out Divells preach well pray well even to admiration and yet work iniquity There is too often experience even of such hypocrisie Such as are not professours will rise up in judgement against such men and condemne them Shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law judge thee who by or in the letter and circumcision doest transgresse the Law Rom 2. 27. Prosperity Such as abuse it to Sinne through wantonnesse confidence security Threatened 1 With Not-being pardoned How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forsaken mee and sworn by them that are no gods when I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troopes in harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. Froward children will be most froward when their parents are most loving But nothing will anger a parent more When I fed them to the full As full-feeding on meat disposes the body to corporall adultery so doth being full fed with prosperity dispose the soule to spirituall adultery But withall it is as certaine that as diseases are the fruits of the former so punishments are the reward of the latter 2 Removall of those things which they abused and wherein they put their confidence As they were encreased so they sinned against me or according to the Chald. par As I multiplyed their fruits so they multiplyed to sinne Therefore will I change their glory into shame Hos 4. 7. So in Jeremy The complaint is I spake unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidest I will not heare c. 22. 2. even in Adversitie we doe not heare but in