cast off the yoak of Rome and God caused a light to shine in darknesse and ever-since a face of the Church hath appeared gathering more and more fresh beauty and now we may say truly of our times the light never shone more clear in this Land then now it doth never more learning and never more communicated then now But beloved this will not serve our turne God must have as well a rule of our hearts as of our eares of our hands as of our heads Let us look to our example in my Text when God had restored this people to their land they established his Kingdome With publick Assemblies with fasting and humbling of themselves before God with confession of sinnes with weeping and mourning with solemne Vowes to performe all the Commandements of God They spent their time not all in hearing but in worshipping also of God They vowed not to make any marriages with such as were no profest subjects of the Kingdome of God such as was the marriage of Solomon with King Pharaohs daughter They vowed to keep the Sabbath holily to the service of God to deale charitably with their poor brethren To honour God with their riches setting apart a portion to maintaine the worship and publick service of God And all this must we do if we will advance the Kingdome of God amongst us not only in outward profession but in inward subjection You may know a true subject of Gods Kingdom by his walk and by his pace for he walketh 1. Circumspectly fearing danger before him to meet him behind him to follow him above him to presse him downe under him to blow him up temptations on his right hand provocations on the left hand therefore he loseth no time but redeemeth it to the service of God 2 He walketh in holines as in the sight of God who searcheth the hearts and reines and cannot be deceived with false semblances and emptie shadows and seemings of false and hypocriticall shewes but requireth truth in the inward parts He walketh in righteousnesse that is in the obedience of the Second Table of the Law living in the practise and exercise of his knowledge to the uttermost of that measure of grace that is given to him as it becometh the Saints For these know that they were therefore delivered from the hands of their enemies that they might more freely attend the service of God and the saving of their own soules Amongst such as these God reigneth and hath put on his glorious apparrel and is acknowledged God as their King Idolatry and false worship doth unking and dethrone God and trespasseth the majesty of our King swearing and blasphemy maketh the name of God which is the safety of his subjects for our help is in the name of the Lord like to a broken hedge Breach of the Sabbath which is Gods holy day is a trespasse against his moderate prerogative claiming some part of our time for his publique service and the exercise of Religion Contempt of the word is a trespasse against the Lawes of this kingdome Injury in any kind to our brethren is breach of peace amongst the subject of this kingdome Gluttony drunkennesse pride be wastfull sins and consume the outward treasures thereof and they also seem to quench the Spirit of God and to kill all good motions in our selves and others Let us remember our prayer adveniat Regnum tuum Let thy kingdome come And seeing God hath graciously establisht a Church amongst us in peace which he hath watered with early rain in the first coming thereof in this Land and with a later raine in the Government of two incomparable Princes truly called defenders of the Faith against Heresie and Schisme Let the kingdome be the Lords let our obedience to his Law bear witnesse of our Faith and let our peace amongst our selves give testimony of our charity and let us walk all one way like the horses of Pharoahs chariot let us all fight as one man against sin and Sathan against the Devil and the Pope tanquam acces ordinata For if the Lord be our King we shall have cause to be glad thereof For Blessed are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 2. Let us look as farre as we can by Saint Pauls prospective there will be a time when Christ our grand Captaine shall overcome all his enemies even death which is the last enemy and then shall he deliver up the kingdome to God even his Father then Israel shall have judged Esau the Church the world Then Christ resigneth his office of a Mediator and then God is all in all For then all his enemies shall be in prison in the chains of darknesse all his Elect shall be fastened together and united with Christ their head in glory God shall then have none to contest with him for sway and domination his glory shall then be great in the Salvation of his Church and in the Victory of his enemies Thus have I in a few months gone through this short but full and pithy Prophecy of Obadiah I know with what great comfort light and delight in mine own meditations I hope not unprofitably for you If you desire many houres work in a few minutes of time this is the Analysis of it It was divided into two parts 1. Titulus the Title 2. Vaticinum the prophecie 1. The Title shewed 1. Whose Obadiah 2. What. 1. Whose Obadiah Doctr. God stirreth up his servants the Prophets to give warning of the Anger to come 2. What a Vision Doctr. The faithfull Minister must see before he say and take instructions from God before he undertake to teach others 2. The Prophecie this hath two parts 1. Against Edom ad finem ver 16. 2. For the Church ver 17. ad finem In the first observe three things 1. The subject of this Prophecie Edom. 2. The suggestiorus of it The Lord. 3. The Prophecy it selfe 1. Of the subject Edom. Doctr. Riches strength honour Victory are not so pretious things as many do value them oftentimes they go away with them all a long time whom God hateth he saith I have hated Esau yet he had all these 2. Of the suggestour of the Prophecy The Lord saith thus Doctr. Gods Ministers must deale faithfully with the Church saying no more or lesse and in the same manner as God speaketh to them 3. The Prophecy that hath foure parts 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1 2. 2. The despaire of all Edoms hopes ver 3 ad 9. 3. The cause provoking God ver 10 ad 14. 4. Gods revenge ver 15 16. 1. The judgement intended contains 1. The discovery 2. The rumour it selfe 3. The effect 1. The discovery by a rumour from the Lord an Embassador sent among the heathen Doct. 1. The decrees of Gods judgement upon the wicked be constant and unchangeable Doct. 2. The consent of Embassadours all declaring the same judgement sheweth that the
storm it is gone saith David The wisdom of God in man is ever at the best in the greatest tempest of danger and sense of sin The Disciples when they are brought before Kings and Rulers are promised Dabo vobis sapientiam I will give you wisdom and further Dabitur illâ horâ it shall be given in that houre Steven at the houre of his death not distracted with the fury of them that stoned him dyed calling upon God calling on him for them that killed him God takes away wisdome from them that know not how to use it Such as are wise to do evil but to do good have no understanding Wisdom in an ungodly man is armata nequitia armed wickednesse and therefore David prayeth against it let not their wicked imagination prosper It was Davids wisdom Audiam quid loquaturin me Deus I will heare what the Lord will say For he will speak to our hearts peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He will uphold us with his counsell the feare of the Lord is the beginning of our wisdome 2. The Assurance Thus saith the Lord. For the trust in wisdome is so confident that the holy Prophet though he had called his prophecy his Vision and though he had begun his whole Prophecy with Thus saith the Lord yet the more to assure the events threatned he resumeth this authority 1. He bringeth in God himselfe despersing their first hope I have made thee small the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee 2. In their second hope which was in the strength of their habitation he bringeth in God speaking to Edom I will bring thee down saith the Lord. 3. Now again in this third hope of theirs in the wisdome of their wise men two things do meet in this verse to fortifie the assurance 1. The authority of him that saith and doth those things Thus saith the Lord. 2. His appeale to them for he doth not say I will destroy the wise men out of Edom but he appealeth to their own hearts saying Shall I not destroy them q. d. Do you think that I will be over-reached by your wise men No they shall not have wit enough to save themselves much lesse to save you For I will destroy them Which peremptory declaration of the will of him who is judge of all the world doth leave no place for evasion for the Psalmist saith of him that He doth whatsover he will in heaven and in earth and in all deep places By vertue of this certaine word of God we do gather this assurance against all the enemies of the Church in all ages thereof for he hath said it by the mouth of Iob How often is the Candle of the wicked put out Job 21.17 And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrowes in his anger What though the execution of this wrath be deferred he addeth God layeth up his iniquity for his children that is the punishment of his iniquity ver 19. as there is a decree against them in the counsell of God and word against them declaring the decree of God so dies erit there shall be a time 3 The time in that day Our days and times be all in the hand of God and they be hid in his own power who in his secret wisdom hath appointed them when that day should come he hath not yet revealed to Edom in this Prophecie God is so patient and long-suffering that he doth not punish presently for vengeance is his he may take his time when he will and no man can resist him The point here considerable is That God in his secret wisdome hath designed a particular day for every execution of his will yea the Scripture goeth so far as to the houre even to a moment the least fraction of time This declareth that the wisdome of the world and of flesh hath but its time there is a period fixed wherein it must detertermine Ahitophels counsels went for Oracles till this day then God turned his wisdom into folly and destruction So God threatned Ierusalem with a day in which the Lord would take away from them the mighty men Isa 3.2 and the men of warre the judge and the Prophet the prudent and the ancient This he doth two wayes One by turning all their knowledge into ignorance and their wisdome into folly Another by destroying their persons either by his sore judgements or by leading into captivity here both are threatned for he will destroy both prudentes wise men and prudentiam their wisdome in that day This may remember us of that great day of which St. Paul preached to the Athenians Act. 17.31 that God had appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnes by that man which he hath appointed For as the day of Ierusalem and the day of Edom and the time of Gods particular judgements is set and fixt so is the day of the last judgement in which every man shall give an accompt to God of himself and all our works shall come to judgement What manner of men then ought we to be expecting this day and providing for it This Doctrine of the set day of particular execution of Gods threatned wrath against sinners doth teach 1. Holy patience in waiting the Lords leasure and as the Apostle admonisheth Cast not away therefore your confidence For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Heb. 10 35 36 37. For a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And blessed is he that endureth to the end This living under the rod of the ungodly and this beholding the prosperity of the wicked doth much disquiet even the Saints of God on earth as is the example of David we see Therefore we have need of patience to sweeten the sorrows of life to us and to clear our eyes that we may not mourn as men without hope 2. It teacheth faith for the same Author saith Ver. 38 Now the just shall live by faith for he that hath promised is faithfull and no word of his shall fall to the ground unfulfilled Faith cometh by hearing let us then use it as the best remedy against the oppressions of the ungodly to be swift to hear the word of God that we may get the shield of faith to bear off all the darts of Satan so David in that disquiet went to the house of God there he was taught the end of those oppressors 3. It teacheth holinesse for seeing the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against the enemies of the Church there is no safety but in the Church of God and that is the Congregation of Saints these are safe in that day he hideth such under his wings his faithfulnesse and truth is their shield and buckler There shall no evill happen to them neither shall any plague come nigh their dwelling So long as we make conscience of our
full from the communion of the Church of England pretending the great corruptions that be some in the doctrine but most in the Discipline thereof Is Sion the Mountaine of the Lord still although both sinne and vengeance have left it desolate Did Christ call the Temple his fathers house when the ungodly prophaners of it had made it a den of theeves I dare not say now though that Mountaine of the Lord and the place whre Gods honour did sometimes dwell and wherein God tooke delight hath almost endured sixteen hundred yeeres desolation and is now the cage of uncleane birds inhabited by Turks and Saracens and for the profit of both by Popish Idolators which make prize of Pilgrims resorting to visite the places sometimes hallowed by the presence of Christ and his Mother and his holy servants I dare not say that God hath lost his interest therein or resigned all his right thereto Nullum tempus occurrit regi I remember the Prophecy of Zacharie But it shall be one day Zac. 4.7 8 which shall be knowne to the Lord nor day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Ierusalem A Prophecy not yet fulfilled for though Interpreters doe commonly attribute this to the coming of Christ in the flesh and the light of the Gospel beginning at Ierusalem and shining over all the world the words of the Text do directly confute that exposition for this prophecy is determined to the evening time that is to the latter end of the world and Christ came in the fulnesse of time And at the coming of Christ in the flesh it was not as here is said Nor day nor night for then Lux magna orta est the sunne of righteousnesse arose in our hemisphere the very night was lighted to the shepherds with an extraordinary clarity And such a light shone in Ierusalem as not only lighted them but it was a light to lighten the Gentiles it shone to the East upon the Magi there and all the ends of the world soon saw the salvation of their God Therefore I conclude that this prophecy is to be fulfilled towards the end of the world when God shall call againe his people from far and his dispersed from the ends of the earth When the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in then shall God call again his people and remember the oath that he sware unto Abraham and the sure mercies of David Then shall he set his name again in Ierusalem and displant the intruders upon his possession and settle his habitation once again upon the Holy mountain at the end of the world Yet I do not affirm that there shall be again a Common-wealth of the Jewes or a distinction of Tribes as heretofore that wall of partition is taken down and the bond of Christian Religion shall be the bond of peace and God hath said it Tros Tyrius ve mihi nullo discrimine agetur Both Jew and Gentile all shall be alike But God hath layed such claime to this mountain and professed so much love to it that I dare not beleeve that he can forget it for ever but that when the time the appointed time shall come he will have mercy upon Sion and will pitty the ruines and dust thereofâ—â—â— But when here Sion is called Mons sanctus meus my Holy mountain here is a quaere how any place can be called Holy and what kind of holinesse it is which is ascribed to any place Surely if it be Sanctus quia meus what place is it where God is not he is in the valley of the shadow of death he is present over men in the nethermost hell But God is said to sanctifie some places here on earth because he is present there 1. Secundum specialem curam in respect of his speciall care and protection 2. Secundum specialem cultum in respect of his speciall Worship Ierusalem was the place which God took into his speciall protection and where he placed his speciall worship for the Lord God was well known in Sion at Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion 1. And for the speciall care that he had of that place He loved the gates of Sion more c. And though the earth was the Lords and all that therein is yet of Sion he said here do I dwell I have a delight herein And this Spiritualis cura Spiritual care so sanctified that place that when Israel had polluted the worship of God and Heathen came in upon Gods inheritance and defiled his Sanctuary yet ceased not that place to be Holy not by any inherent holinesse as the Roman Church suggesteth but only secundum specialem curam because it was not yet out of Gods speciall protection and only thus it is holy at this day 2. Propter specialem cultum for his speciall worship when any place is dedicate to Gods worship and separate from common use it is an holy place and God vouchsafeth there specialem praesentiam a special presence For I am not of Mr. Calvins mind who saith Templa non sunt propria Dei habitacula unde aurem propius admoveat For God hath a speciall interest in those places which are separate to his special worship and the very place is fearful to them that have any sense of Religion and as Damascen saith plus participat gratiae operationis Dei they partake more of the powerfull operation of God For why is Heaven the Throne of God more then the earth but because God doth there more expresse his glory then he doth here And for the interest that God hath in those consecrated places consider Gods challenge in my Text Sion though in the Land of the Chaldeans is the Mount of God Churches and Lands once given to God do remain his for ever for unlesse God shall manifestly reveale his resignation to man what man on earth hath any assignment from him of his right Beloved we have power to give to God of his own but we have no power on earth for revocation when it is once Sacred and God hath enclosed it no man can lay it common But the fat of the Church hath fed so many of all degrees in this Land to that grouth and strength that this Doctrine is a Paradox and we are but laught at when we plead the right of God to things sacred For if Sacriledge be a sinne what rank of men in this or our neighbour kingdome doth not live in sin and by sin The Mount of Sion is challenged here to be the holy Mountain of God in whose hand soever the possession thereof be and all that invade the right of God in things sacred shall heare him complain Prov. 20.25 Ye have robbed me and though they make it strange and aske wherin have we robbed thee Solomon will tell them It is a snare for a man to devoure that which is Sanctified
spoyled Edom by his people whom they preserved And the Kingdome shall be the Lords that is God will declare himselfe to be King in the government and protection of his Church and in the victorious conquest of the enemies thereof he will settle his Church and worship at Jerusalem as in former times for then is God said to have the Kingdome when his word is a Law to his people to rule them and when the people live in the obedience and awe thereof As appeareth performed by them of the returne from the captivity who made a Covenant with God and sealed the same For we read that the children of Israel did assemble themselves with fasting and sackcloth Nehe. 9.15 and earth upon them They stood up in their place and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day Ver. 3. and another fourth part of the day they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God Note here how hearing and worshipping are distinguished they do hear first and thereby they learn to worship Then followeth their commemoration of the great mercies of God to their Fathers which David calleth Gods mercies of old and his former mercies they do also to the praise of this mercy confesse the transgressions of their Fathers Then they confesse their own sins for which they were carried away captive they acknowledge the just judgement of God upon them And now being restored again to their possessions they make a sure Covenant with God cap. 10. They entred into a Curse and into an Oath to walk in Gods law Verse 29. which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord and his judgments and statutes In particular they vowed Not to give nor take daughters to wife with strangers which I understand to be in respect of the difference of religion Ver. 30. because there can be no good marriage between Beleevers and Infidels between the sons of God and the daughters of men between the sons of God and the daughters of Belial that was the same that first corrupted the old world and at last followed the floud God is not acknowledged King where such marriages are 2. For observation of the Lords Sabbath they covenanted to keep it strictly and not to buy any thing of the people of the Land on that day for where the Sabbath is not kept there God is not acknowledged King 3. For forgiving of debts every seventh yeere which was a Judicial constitution and did onely binde them yet the equity of that constitution remaineth in the Church that men should lend freely and where there is no ability of repayment extremity must not be used if God be our King 4. They charged themselves yeerly every man with the third part of a Shekel for the maintenance of the service of the house of God for God is denyed his kingdome there where his holy worship hath not fit maintenance to support it from every person according to his ability for they conclude we will not forsake the house of our God Verse 39. And this they vowed to performe 1. In the maintenance of the material Temple 2. In the just provision for the Offerings of all sorts to be made unto God there 3. In the true payment of Tythes for the maintenance of the Levites that served at the Altar This was the summe of the Covenant which the people made with God and bound themselves by a Vow with a Curse to observe it as the Apostle saith taking God to record against their soules if they observed it not that the curse of God might come upon them And they sealed this Covenant to binde themselves the more yet was all this no more then they were bound before to do by the Law of God yet they vow to make the bond greater This is the literall and Historicall Exposition of these words the learned Interpreters of this Prophecy have well conceived that this Prophet this Seer did look further into the purpose of God for his Church and they say that Mount Sion doth here also signifie the whole Church of God De civ Dei l. 18.31 all the world over Saint Augustine understandeth by Mount Sion the Church of the Jews and by Edom the Church of the Gentiles and meeting with an ill translation and not understanding well the originall he perverteth the meaning of the Prophet as if the salvation of God should go out of Sion to the Edomites whereas there is a plaine prophecy of judgement against Edom in particular and therefore Edom whom God did threaten to destroy utterly in this prophecy cannot be a figure of that part of the Church which was by the preaching of the Gospel to be gathered together out of the Gentiles Lyranus gives another exposition for by Sion he understandeth Jerusalem by the Saviours he understandeth S. Peter and S. Paul and the chiefe of the Apostles as he calleth them by the Mount of Esau he understandeth Rome and by judging the Mount of Esau he understandeh their application to Constantine the first Christian Emperour who setled Christianity in the Romane Empire And by the kingdome which shall be the Lords he understandeth that Rome shall be head of the Church for that point of learning they can collect from all texts to make the Church of Rome the onely true Church I like nothing in that exposition but his resemblance of Rome to Esau for that doth fit most properly for they are the persecutors of Iacob even of all true worshippers and God hath promised them a destruction The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Master Calvin hath a learned observation upon this place for understanding it of the state of the Church under the Gospel he saith that these Saviours here spoken of are but ministeriall and so this place pointeth out the Messiah to whom these Saviours are subordinate For the expected Messiah is such a one as by whom all the other Saviours are sent and for whom all others work whom all others do serve and observe And this is the extent of this prophecy in the judgement of M. Calvin Iunius and Arias Montanus that Christ shall leave in his Church his Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel to shew to men the way of salvation in such sort aâ— that the Kingdom of God shall be advanced in the Church God ruling by his Word Others by Saviours on Mount Sion judging the Mount of Esau understand the last and finall judgement wherein the Saints shall judge the world and then the Kingdome shall be the Lords of which S. Paul saith He shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father when hee hath put downe all rule and all authority and power I like those expositions that take the wings of a Dove and fly to the uttermost part of the text non relinquit locum surely this is Gods promise to his Church that it shall
A BRIEF Commentarie OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophecy of OBADIAH TOGETHER With usefull Notes delivered in sundry Sermons preacht in the Church of St. James Garlick-Hith LONDON By EDWARD MARBURY the then Pastor of the said Church Psal 101. Ver. 1. My song shall be of Mercy and Judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for George Calvert and are to be sold at the Signe of the Halfe-Moone in Watling-street neere Pauls-stump 1649. To my worthy friends the Citizens and Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Iames Garlickhith London all the blessings of this life and that which is to come I Have not without good cause inscribed this Commentary unto you First those Sermons were Preach'd amongst you Secondly some of you have heretofore often importuned the publication of this and some others of my Labours Thirdly you were my First fruits and therefore the First Commencement of my Labours in this kind doth properly belong to you As then it is justly Dedicated unto you so I desire it may have your favourable acceptance and passe under the Convoy of your worthy names I have by me an Exposition of three other of the the Small Prophets viz. Habakuk Zephanie and Haggai which together with this are Licensed and intended for the Presse but the charge of Printing being great and the number of Buyers of Bookes in these times if we may beleeve the Stationers very small I thought fit to send forth this as Joshua did the Spies to see what encouragement the rest may happily finde to follow after it I am of Saint Austins minde who accounted nothing his owne but what he did communicate and professed himselfe to be of that number qui scribunt proficiendo scribendo proficiunt that write what they have learn't and learne more by writing and if the graine be good it is fitter for the Market then for the Garner What entertainment this will finde there I know not for mine owne part I have taken the Councell of the Wise neither to praise nor dispraise my owne doings the one he saith is vanity the other folly others will be ready enough to save me that paines to whose uncertaine censure I submit my selfe to stand or fall before them Yet thus much I will make bold to say for my selfe that I have done little or nothing herein without consulting the best Authors both Ancient and Moderne to which I have added that light which God by his Spirit revealeth in my understanding to discerne what his will is and to suggest what I shall French in his Church as the Bee gathereth Hâ—ny and storeth her Hive out of severall sorts of Flowers for the Common-good so have I out of these Collected and Gathered sundry Honey-Combes of truth for the use and benefit of the Publick All my desire is to doe all the good I can and to that end my Tongâ—e being suspended for some time I have taken this opportunity to supply the defect thereof by my Pen. I am loth to lose our Crowne of rejoycing in the day of the Lord. Animae servatae the saving of Soules will procure us a better Garland at the coming of Christ then Cives servati the saving of Citizens did the Ancient Romanes That is the onely marke we aime at and if we be light and not smoake in the Church of Christ the onely Subject and Matter of all our Preaching and Writing And the saving of your Soules a part of that bounden duty and debt which by the just bond of thankfulnesse I owe unto you especially Testis est mihi Deus quomodo cupiam vos omnes in visceribus Jesu Christi God is my witnesse how much I have desired the good of you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ and if I have not been able to doe for you what I would yet that I have desired and endeavoured it what I could may deserve acceptance or at the least will satisfie my owne Conscience In a word to see the welfare and happinesse of you and yours how much will it revive his heart who professeth himselfe You affectionate Friend and Servant in the Lord EDW. MARBVRY A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the PROPHECY of Obadiah VERSE I. The Vision of OBADIAH THis short prophecie calleth to my remembrance the words of David concerning God with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward v. 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people Psal 18.26 but wilt bring down high looks For in the former part of this prophecie God thundereth with the terrours of his judgements in the latter part we hear the whisper and still voice of his mercy 2 Things set consideration a work at First 1. The title which sheweth 1. Whose 2. What. 2. The Prophecie it self 1. Whose Obadiah Whether this were the proper name of a man or a notation onely to expresse the calling of him that wrote this prophecie we may doubt for Abad servus a servant and Jah Dominus a Lord may denote this prophet in his function a servant of the Lord and so are all the ministers of the word in a speciall service concerning the building up of the house of God That which Lyranus saith to be the judgement of most Ecclesiasticall writers that this was the same Obadiah that was steward of king Ahabs house 1 Reg. 18.4 and hid the prophets in the cave and fed them with bread and water and was contemporary with Elias that how great authours soever it hath is so clearly confuted in the words of this prophecie that we resolve against it For the prophecit it mentioneth the taking of Jerusalem was 800 yeers after Ahab It is likely that it was the proper name of the prophet and Dorotheus thinketh him the same that lived in Ahabs time which cannot be as I have shewed It must suffice us that we know this prophecie to have been ever received in the Canon of the Church Melitâ— in his epistle to Onesimus Euseb 4.25 naming the books of Canonicall Scripture doth name one book of the twelve prophets whereof this is one And I never read the authority of this prophecie doubted of in any age of the church he was one of those holy men 2 Pet. 2. who wrote and spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The maid that came to the door when Peter knockt Act. 2.14 knew him by his voice and surely the Majesty and weight that is in the Canonicall Scriptures doth declare them to be the voice of God which wanteth in all the Apocryphall Assuments as a reader diligently exercised in the Scriptures may easily discern These holy writings addressed to the perpetuall light of the Church are spare in their inscriptions Who wrote the books of Joshua Iudges Ruth Samuel Kings Chronicles Ester They are written they are ours the wisdom of God is seen in them the grace of God is confirmed by them the church of
to 16. 2. For the Israel of God 17. to the end The title of the first part is my text Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom. Consider here 1. The subject of the prophecie Edom. 2. The authour of it Diciâ— Dominus Thus saith Lord. 1. Of the subject Edom. Isaac had two sons by Rebâ—â—â—a Esaw and Jacob. Esau was called Edom the reason of that name is thus given Jacob had made red pottage and when Esaw came from the field hungry and faint he said to his brother Jacob Feed me 〈◊〉 pray thee with that red with that red pottage Gen. 25.30 for I am faint Therefore was his name called Edom because he so affected that red colour being himself also red and very hairy This name doth maintain the memory of a quarrell for he bought that red pottage dear enough with the sale of his birth-right Esau and Jacob are a figure of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Sathan for they strove in the womb of their mother so that Rebeeca wondered at it saying v. 12. If it be so why aâ—â— I thus The blessing how soever usurped by â—sau be longeth to Jacob and when Jacob hath his right Esau is angry From this naturall Antipathy between these two brethren and the grudge that the elder should serve the younger From the sentence of this difference which was I have loved Jacob and I have hated Esau there was ever mutuall war and hatred between Israel and Edom in their succeeding posterities for the posterity of Esau did encrease both in number and wealth and grew both many and strong Thus doth the world gather riches and strength and armeth it self against the Church of God and therefore the Church is called Militant Concerning Edom is this part of the Prophecie declaring both Gods quarrell against them and his judgement threatened We may take notice here of one point by the way Edom is a mighty people a strong and rich nation able to molest the Lords Israel that God from heaven undertaketh the quarrell of his Church Do you not see that they whom God hates may have riches and honour and strength and may encrease and grow into multitudes how cometh it then to passe that so many in the world do measure the love and favour of God by these outward things as one flattered his Prince O nimium dilecte deo tibi militat aether What though their oxen be strong to labour what though their sheep bring forth thousands and though they have the fruits of the womb of the herb and purchase lands donec non siâ— locus till there be no room what though they have power and high places all this had Edom whom God hated and doth not our Saviour make it an hard thing for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Outward things are the gifts of God and he doth not value them at so high a rate as we do He doth not care if his enemies have them His own Son when he took upon him our flesh had none of them more then for necessity and his Apostle perswadeth us if we have food and raiment to be therewith content For there be snares in these outward things and if God give not a blessing with them they be the rods of God to scourge the sons of men and great impediments to godly life There is an Holy use may be made of them but they are not our happinesse seeing they whom God hateth may have them in a greater abundance then those whom God loveth best 2. The authour of the Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. This is the assurance of the truth of all that followeth in this Prophecie and it is the ground of our faith to beleeve what is here revealed it is no passionate motion in the heart and affections of the Prophet against Edom but it is the word of the Lord. These be the bounds that are set to the Prophets and Holy ministers of the Lord we may go no further then the word of the Lord. Christ himself saith often The word which thou gavest me I gave them And Balaam did his office and calling right when he told the king of Moab Lo I am come unto thee Num. 22. v. 38. have I any power to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord hath put in my mouth 23 12. All that the Lord speaketh that must I do v. 26. Cap. 24.12 And Balaam said unto Balak Spake I not to thy messengers saying If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own minde but what the Lord saith that will I speak When God designed Jeremie to the office of a Prophet who did fear to undertake that great employment God said to him Say not I am a childe Jer. 17. for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee shalt thou speak When our Saviour sent forth his disciples he so limited them Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 20.20 And accordingly Saint Paul doth professe First of all I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 15.3 that which I also received Thus doth the Apostle again professe being accused of the Jews I obtained help of God and continue unto this day Act. 26.22 Witnessing unto to small and great saying no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come 1. This limitation we finde in the titles of our office for we are the Lords workmen and we must do his work not our own the Lords builders he provideth the materials we work not by great but day-work We are the Lords Messengers and Embassadors we may not digresse from our instructions the messenger of the Lord must speak the Lords message 2. This is necessary in respect of those to whom we are sent for the seeling of their faith so the Apostle hath declared it And my speech and my preaching was not in the entising words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There is nothing that giveth faith firm footing but the word of God That is the Lords fan which purgeth away the chaff and trash from the good corn That is the bread of our fathers house words of mens brains be the husks that the prodigall gathered up in his famine That is the two edged sword that divideth between the bone and the marrow that is the medicine that searcheth the soars and diseases of the inward man Humane wisdom put into the best words is but as a woodden dagger it may dry beat it will never kill the body of sin it
scourge Edom. This rumour of warre is terror Domini the terror of the Lord And it stirreth up and awaketh those that are in danger to look to themselves which doth shew that this judgment threatned against Edom shall not surprise them suddenly they have warning to stand upon their guard and to arme themselves against invasion This is therefore declared as I conceive to shew the carelesse security of Edom that would take no warning for that is exprest in the prophecy of Isaiah in the burthen of Dumah contempt and scorne of their warning for he calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night Watchman what was in the night As deriding the Prophet who had foretold their night of calamity which should put out their candle and leave them darkling For if the voyce of the Prophets will not move them how will they take it when they shall hear the nations sending Embassadours one to another to confederate against them But the wicked are despisers they will take no warning The old world made a scorne of Noahs preaching and building and thereby vexing his righteous soule even to the day that the floud came and swept them all away They of Sodom even the sons in law of Lot when he warned them of the wrath to come did despise the warning Yet God to make their judgment more heavie when it cometh and to make their scorne more inexcusable threatneth them with the rumour first before be smiteth them The pride and vanity of these times the drunkennesse and prophanesse the contentions and all the clamorous and loud voyced sinnes which over-grow into excesse they do all arise from the contempt of the word of God and from a negligence in observing the course of Gods justice in the punishing of these sinnes and from a scornfull undervaluing of those Embassadors whom God doth send into the world to reconcile the world to himself The Apostle saith We as Embassadours from God do beseech you But the Ministers of Gods word have very harsh welcome in the World for the prophane despise them all and will not hear their message the precise will hear but some of them they despise others they that be for Paul will not hear Apollo and they that be for Peter will hear neither Paul nor Apollo nor Jesus Christ himself But consider Embassadours are not sent but upon serious occasions this is such to awake and stir us up against our common enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil and to tell us of our great danger For we shall not fight against Flesh and Blood onely but against Powers and Principalities if we despise the noise of this rumour these enemies may take us at advantage Edom would take no warning no more will they whom God hath delivered over to the guidance of their own lusts 2. The effect of the message and rumour being the judgement it self 1 Judicium 2. effectum Judicij Numb 24.18 Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell When I compare these words with those of Balaams prophecie Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Out of Jacob shall he come that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city I finde here from whence the Embassadour cometh even from the house of Jacob And Israel shall stir up the Heathen against Edom and Israel shall have dominion over them This appeareth in Ezekiels prophecie And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom Eze. 25 14 by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to my anger according to my fury they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God So the people of God shall stir up the Heathen Nations against Edom. From whence we do learn these lessons 1. That all wars are ordered by God 2. That God punisheth one evil man by the hand of another and so one evil Nation 3. That war is one of Gods punishments by which he chasteneth men for sin 4. That the people of God may lawfully make war 1. Doctrine All wars are ordered by God It is the word of the Lord that these Nations shall come together in War against Edom. The horse is prepared for the day of battell Pt. 21.31 but the victory is of the Lord. He teacheth my hands to fight Psa 144.1 and my fingers to battell Melchisedech saith to Abraham after his victory in the rescue of Lot Blessed be the most high God Gen. 14.20 which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand When Israel prevailed against Benjamin for abusing the Levites concubine Judg. 20.35 Jud. 7.20 it is said The Lord smote Benjamin before Israel Gedeons cry was The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon The reason hereof is in sight Reason 1 1. By the generall providence of God who ruleth all things and all persons psa 113.6 for he abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and in earth Reason 2 2. By the particular interest that God hath in wars for he is called Dominus exercituum the Lord of Hosts The uses follow Use 1 1. In all wars to have respect unto the cause not to put our selves into an unjust quarrell let the cause be Gods and we may promise our selves to have God on our side The wise man saith pro. 20.18 pro. 24.6 By counsell wars must be enterprised By wise counsell thou shalt make thy war prosperous If Jehoshaphat joyn with Ahab against Ramoth in Gelead he shall speed accordingly The sword of the Lord first then of Gideon Use 2 2. The cause being good and warrantable we must not trust to our strength neither must we neglect the means presuming on the defence of God 1. Not trust our own strength for some trust in Charets and some in horses as Benhadah did in the multitude of his men so great that the land against which he fought was not enough to give every one of theâ— an handfull Put David saith A king is not saved by the multitude of an host psa 33.17 neither is the mighty man delivered by much strength an horse is a vain help 2. It is another extream to cast all upon God and not to use the means first the sword of the Lord and then with it the sword of Gedeon Use 3 3. This serveth to take off all fear from our hearts when we fight the Lords battells it was a cheerfull speech of Joah encouraging the people when he had divided his army part against the Syrians and part against Ammon Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people 2 Sam. 10.12 and for the cities of our God and the Lord do that which seemeth him good It was Davids resolution I will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Arise O Lord save me my God Psal 3.6 for thou smitest all mine enemies
it he looketh that it should bring forth grapes not fair and spreading branches onely not large and green leaves not shewes and semblances and seemings of godlinesse but grapes not labruseas not soure grapes But fructus dignos poenitentia fruits worthy of repentance These be the best presents we can make to God the best ensigns of our peace Otherwise the calamities of peace will fall on us worse then those of warre idlenesse wantonnesse fulnesse of bread drunkennesse and all the wormes of prosperity which will destroy our vine Doctr. 4 Because Ieremih saith Arise ye stirring up others to battel and addeth we will arise I conclude Doctr. That it is lawful for the children of God to make war For a defensive war nature provideth for that is no more but se tueri to defend himself But this is an offensive war against Edom their enemy and this is lawfull The Land of promise though given so many yeeres before to the sonnes of Sem in the line of Iacob yet was possessed by the sonnes of Cham of whose sonne Canaan took name and Israel came into the possession of that Land by the sword They had Gods own warrant for it Deut. 7.2 When the Lord bringeth thee into the Land whither thou goest to possesse it and shall root out many Nations before thee then thou shalt smite them thou shalt utterly destroy them c. Yea he doth not only allow of a just war but David saith He teacheth my hands to fight Reason 1 Moses from God Psa 8.34 Num. 25.17 saith to Israel vexe the Midianites and smite them 1. Because as I taught before war is one of the judgments of God one of the arrows of his quiver one of his rods wherewith he doth chasten the wicked therefore the faithfull may and must arise when they are called forth into battell In such a case it was said Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Curse ye Meroz curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of the Lord Jer. 48.10 Curse ye the inhabitants thereof bitterly because they came not to the help of the Lord Judg. 5.23 to the help of the Lord against the mighty There it is called helping the Lord because men be the hands of execution in these lawfull wars by whom God doth punish his enemies and because God is holpen in those that are by just means maintained Reason 2 2. Because an offensive war is revenge of injuries and God hath said Vengeance is mine so that the Lord is called Lord of hosts and just Wars are called The battels of the Lord they that sight in such wars God covereth their heads in the day of battell The wars of Israel against Amalek were offensive they were the Lords vengeance against Amalek for smiting the hindermost and weakest of them in their passage to the promised land This war against Edom was such as it followeth Gods revenge upon Edom for their cruelty towards Israel Reason 3 3. We finde that when the Israelites came to John Baptist and asked What shall we do he did not bid them leave the profession of arms but onely said to them Do violence to no man accuse no man falsly Luk. 3.13 and be content with your wages Wherein he required of them fair wars without injury to any for none but unjust violence is there forbidden And we shall finde in the catalogue of the faithfull Gedeon Heb. 11.32.33 Barak Samson Jephthah David which through faith subdued kingdoms c. The Vses follow Seeing the faithfull may make lawfull Wars Use 1 1. We are taught to satisfie our conscience before we undertake any war that it is lawfull and just for else we cannot either promise our selves good successe or solicite God for his aid 1. It is a lawfull war to preserve our right against them that invade it as was ours in eighty eight against the Spaniard then our enemy who prepared himself for the invasion of this Kingdom 2. The Judges of Israel did redeem Israel from their oppressours that had invaded them and redeemed their own right So Abraham made a just war against those that had wronged the king of Sodom and took Lot prisoner 3. To chasten and destroy the common enemies of entercourse and trade between Nation and Nation such is the sea-war intended against the Pirates and sea-theeves that hinder the trade of Nations by their Piracies wasps and drones that rob the hives of painfull bees 4. To defend confederate Nations from the oppression of their enemie for so Joshuah will not suffer the Ammonite to vex and wrong the Gibeonites because the oath of God is between them Thus for the common peace it is lawfull for Christians to confederate with Turks and Infidels for Protestants to make leagues of peace and civil society with Papists Catholikes with Hereticks And when the league goeth no further then the just defence of them in their rights we may borrow and lend help each to other For the common love of humanity teacheth us to do as we would be done to Chron. 12 18 and the Apostle biddeth as much as in us to have peace with all men But to assist Infidels and Heretiques in their unjust wars it is utterly unlawfull so Jehoshaphat joyned with Ahab against Ramoth in Gilead and the Prophet of the Lord reproved him for it And Jehu the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him Chron. 19.2 and said to King Jehoshaphat Wouldst thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing is the wrath of the Lord upon thee If the league between the godly and ungodly Nations have these bonds 1. To assure one another against injury from each other 2. To defend each others rights without prejudice of Religion 3. To maintain commerce between them I see no cause why it may not be lawfull for Christians and Infidels to confederate 1. For defence against injury of others if the Oxe of an Infidell or his Asse should fall into a pit ought I not to shew him mercy in his beast and to save him if I can shall I do this to his beast and shall I not do it to him If thieves would rob him shall I passe by and see him rifled and shall I not give him aid what duty one man oweth to another that doth one Nation owe to another this is preservation of Justice suum cuique 2. For binding our selves not to do Infidels any hurt unjustly it is the Law of God we must not only abstaine from robbing them but we must preserve their right we may not take away from them their lives their wives their goods or any thing of theirs we may promise interchangably to do them no wrong 3. For commerce Pâ—rk cont aur in 2. Praecept some of our late Divines affirme it unlawfull to sell to Infidels or Heretiques any commodity which they may abuse to any idolatrous use For example to sell the
The reason why he doth destroy them It is a righteous thing with God to render tribulation to them that trouble you 2. Psal 136.15 When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth the complaint of the poor His mercy endureth for ever 3. The enemies of the Church are Gods enemies Exurget Deus dissipentur inimici sui let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordeined strength because of thine enemies that thou mayest still the enemy and avenger Use 1 The Vse 1. It teacheth us to exercise our patience in all afflictions as Christ saith Rom. 5.3 Rev. 14.12 Fear not them that can kill the body c. Patience bringeth forth experience and experience hope Here is the patience of the Saints Use 2 2. It stoppeth any course of revenge that we may think upon that is Gods title O Lord God the avenger O God the avenger Ps 94 1. shew thy selfe clearly Dearly beloved avenge not your selves Use 3 3. It ministreth matter of joy to the Church Rom. 12. and of thanksgiving to God when the ungodly fall The feast of Purim was kept with joy for the fall of Haman and the delivery of the Church There is great joy at the fall of Babylon Use 4 4. This ministreth matter of terrour to the ungodly Hest 9 17. Rev. 19. to hear that the Lord Jesus comethwith thousands of his Angels he will render vengeance unto them with flaming fire and punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes 1.6 7 8. and from the glory of his power Gather together on heaps O ye people and yee shall be broken in peeces hearken all ye of far Countries gird your selves Isa 8.9 10. and yee shall be broken in peeces take counsell together yet shall it be brought to nought pronounce a decree yet shall it not stand for God is with us So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but they that love him shall be as the Sun when he riseth in his might Jud. 5.31 2. But this is not done all at once God doth judge the wicked by little and little ofttimes The reason is Reason 1 1. In respect of the wicked themselves that they might finish their unrighteousnesse suffer ye the tares to grow till the harvest When the harvest is yellow then he putteth in the sickle and tarrieth as David saith Till their abominable wickednesse be found worthy to be punished Reason 2 2. In respect of his Church that he may exercise the patience of his Saints If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 Therefore God said he wouâ—d not cast out before Israel any of the Nations that Joshuah left Jud. 2.20 That through them he might prove Israel whither they will keep the way of the Lord to walke therein or not Reason 3 3. In respect of himself for the glory of his justice for his justice is not speedily executed upon them that do evill all the world shall see that God hath awaited the repentance of the wicked and given them time for it and because they will not repent he doth whet his sword and he prepareth instruments of death Use This teacheth us to tarry the Lords leasure the sons of thunder were too quick with Christ to offer to pray to God for fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans This is our common fault when any one offendeth us that we strait fall to cursing wishing the pox and the plague the vengeance and curse of God upon them If our fury had the managing of Gods vengeance who should live take heed of provoking the patience of God that justice that thou doest awake by thy curses owes thee a punishment for thy impatience and uncharitablenesse 2. We are taught that the reward of pride is fall and contempt So David faith thou Wilt bring down high looks no sooner doth God make the great ones of the world small but they are greatly despised It needs no proof where examples of great falls do fall so thick as they have done on this side the Alpes within these few yeers Never ran the streame and current of Suitours more strong to rising and growing and growen greatnesse then it ranne away from the fall thereof and sought another channell And they that flattered these in their spring and tendered them service and made them their gods in their fair weather in their fall of leaf forsake them and then humble petitions turne to scornfull libels I may say of our times truly as Hecuba Non unquam tulit Documenta fo rs majora Sen. Tioâ—s quam fragili loco starent superbi Thus men lay by the walls the ladders that they climb by and like those people of whom Boemus writeth they blesse the rising but curse the setting Sun Every man seeks the face of the Ruler so again low hedges are troden on This is the language of this Prophecie and Edom is one example hereof this point is throughly pressed afterwards Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall There is a naturall evill eye which beholdeth the prosperity of rising men with much envy that eye is glad of the fall of great ones observe the text how soone it followes I have made thee small Thou art greatly despised so soone doth contempt follow after a fall Let Edom be Sathan and let God bind him in chaines and give us faith to resist and overcome him how do we despise him and scorn him disarmed Let the world be Edom and let God declare the vanity and casualty that is in all these things that Satan tempteth men withall and we shall see the servants of God will despise it and use it as though they used it not Let a mans own corruptions be the Edom the lusts of the flesh that fight against the soule that make a man forget his piety to God his charity to his brother but let God by his word reveal to us the body of sin and by his law humble us under the mighty hand of God we shall despise and contemne the desires of our heart and we shall say I will go and returne to my first love for then I was better then now This making small is ruine to the ungodly it is medicine to the just the narrow gate that leadeth to life is easily entred by them whom God hath made small in their own eyes and estimation of themselves Christ made himself of no reputation not only ad sacrificium to a sacrifice but ad exemplum to an example that we might walk as he walked Small threads will passe through a Needles eye great cables are too big God resisteth the proud a small womb containeth us a small tomb burieth us and never doth the favour of God shine more on us or the attending service of Angels more minister unto us then when the world despiseth our
shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered This is matter of comfort for the Church of God it is joy in the tabernacles of the righteous for they say the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe It serveth also to mingle some trembling with their joy and some fear with their faith to keep it from overgrowing to presumption therefore the Elect of God upon consideration of the severe judgements of God do feele in themselves a renewed fear of the Majesty of God which humbleth them as Habacuk confesseth When I heard my helly trembled my lights quivered at the voyce rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Hab 3 16. This is the sweet fruit of that consideration for it prepareth rest for the soules of them that feare the Lord. Therefore let fortunes and times delicate minions the daughters of ease and plenty which study nothing but trimme and bravery and wast the pretious moments of time which should be spent in the contrite repentance of their sins in the curious dresse of their bodyes Let them read the judgement of God upon the daughters of Sion see how fine they were and how God threatning them with the scab with discovery of their nakednesse Isa 3.16 with stinke with baldnesse with devesting with sack-cloth Let the drunkards of our time heare what God threatned Ephraim Isa 28.3 The Crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trode under foot Let the Schismatical resisters of authority which despise Moses their King Num. 1â— 1 and Aaron their Priest and think much to be subject to the Ordinances which are set down remember Miriam the sister of Moses who resisting Moses was punished with a Leprosie and though Aaron besought God for her could not be healed till she had been shut out of the Camp seven dayes Read and study holy Scriptures whatsoever is there written is for our learning our God is the same and his years fail not he hath the same eye that once he had to find out sinners he hath the same hatred that once he had to sin he hath the same Justice that once he had to censure it and the same right hand to execute his wrath All Scriptures will tell you that he doth it severely his sword is sharp and his arme is strong O Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Ver. 7. All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border The men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee and prevailed against thee They that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee There is no understanding in them The third confidence of Edom diappointed This point is Rhetorically amplified 1. In the persons in whom Edom trusted 2. In the failing of them The persons are called 1. Men of their confederacy such as had entred into League with them saying your friends shall be our friends your enemies shall be our enemies we will engage our strength mutually with you we will seek our good in the common good of both as in the Proverbs one purse one Army 2. The men that were at peace with her that had promised them love from themselves and all offices of humanity 3. They that eat thy bread Such as did communicate with them in the necessities of life as Iudas did with Christ Commensales convivae Table Guests Their failing is also amplified 1. They have brought thee even to the border that is whilst Edom trusted to their help they came forth of their strong holds to meet with their enemies in the borders of their territories who but for their trust in them might have been more safe in their own Fortresses For trusting to their help whom they found perfidious they left their habitations and strong Castles empty to keep the enemy from coming upon their borders whilst their false friends expose them to invasion and their gates to direption in their absence Relinquentes prodentes Thus they gave their enemies advantage against them to keep them from returning again into their strong holds 2. They have deceived thee and prevailed against thee For they that were trusted as friends to Edom betrayed them to their enemies and fought against them and prevailed 3. They have layed a wound under thee that is they have secretly conveied under thee an instrument to wound thee therefore others read posuerunt insidias subter te Declaring how cunningly their false friends had concealed their malice how dangerously they had layed their plot for the overthrow of Edom so neer as under them even to blow them up Like our Powder Traytors for they layed wounds under the Parliament-house instruments and means to wound and to destroy all And therefore he concludes of Edom There is no understanding in him that is Edom was blinded and be fooled with this vain confidence to trust in the perfidious friendship of their false friends From this place these Doctrines arise 1. It was Edoms sin against the first Commandement to put confidence in man and therefore God punisheth them by those whom they trusted From whence ariseth this Doctrine That God punisheth one sin by another The sinne of injury and oppression of Israel by the sinne of false confidence in men 2. Consider against whom Edom offended even against Israel their brother for was not Esau Iacobs brother therefore God punisheth their perfidiousnesse to their brother with the perfidiousnesse of their friends to them From whence we conclude That God requiteth the wicked with the same measure which they have meated to others 3. Whereas the friends and confederates of Edom turn enemies and Traytors to them we conclude that There can be no true peace nor bonds of love between wicked men 4. From all these Antecedents we may conclude that those who trust in men have no understanding 1. Doctrine God punisheth one sin by another Edom first sinned against the second Table of the Law in wrong and violence and then he sinned in vain confidence in man against the first Table and God by this severe sin punished the first It is the manner of Sathan after a speeding temptation to one sin to suggest another to hide or to defend and beare up the other our lying comes in to conceale fraud as in the case of Ananias and Saphira And so cursing and swearing come in to maintain the credit of a lye as in Peters denyall of his Master So there needs a great many lyes to maintain one if interrogatories do presse the Lyer far If it were no more but so that one sin doth drive us into another even in this consideration one sin doth punish another because the more sin is committed the more punishment is deserved but this is much more that sinne is punished with sin Thus Edom first breaketh the second Table of the Law in doing wrong to his brother and fearing that this will one day cost blows
church with their best learned in points wherein the Jesuits at this day accuse us of Heresie Therefore one observed well that the Religion of Rome was like Nebuchadnezzars image the height of it was 60 cubits and the breadth was but 6 that is without any proportion for never could they make the parts of it symmetricall Therefore first we are comforted against all the enemies of our Religion their strength may be great and their malice greater but they cannot unite themselves with the bond of true Peace and the God of peace is not their tutelary God In the damnable conspiracy of the Powder-traytors God by one of themselves diverted the Treason I deny not but Turks have had many great prevailings against Christians Papists against Protestants and their confederates have held fast with them So had Moab and Ammon Geball the Assirians Philistines the Chaldeans against Israel But God found a time to consume these Nations by their own strength and their own confederates were the ruine of them We have heard that war is one of the sore judgements wherwith God scourgeth offendors At this time a great part of the Protestant Church is hostilly attempted with war we have many of our countrymen noble generous and valiant voluntiers engaged in that cause I hope we shall do a charitable Christian duty to God and them to pray God to cover their heads in the day of battaile to beseech him whom Job cals the preserver of men to save them from all evill Thou Lord preservest man beast do thou save them let their eye have its desire upon their enemies And for our selves we say O Lord be gratious unto us we have waited for thee be thou their arme every morning Isa 33.2 our Salvation also in the time of trouble God is called Lord of Hoasts and so he can master his enemies the stars in their courses by their influences the Elements fire as in Sodom ayre as in the Pestilence in Davids time water as in the deluge earth as in Corahs transgression to smite sinners He can punish man by Frogges by Flyes by Lice by Grasse-hoppers and such like armies of his Yet he chose to destroy the army of the Midianites by themselves rather then by any other means The Lord set every mans sword against his fellow throughout all the hoast Jud. 7.22 He could have employed other executioners to have done vengeance upon blaspheming Senacherib King of Assyria but he would shew that no bonds of society or nature can hold them together whom God hath not joyned Therefore it came to passe as he was worshipping in the house of Nisâ—ock his God Isa 37.38 that Adrameleck and Sharezer his sons smote him with a sword 2. We are therefore taught to unite our selves in the Lord by the bonds of â—ue love for all other bonds will be like the new cords wherewith Sampson was tied break in sunder and we shall cast them from us The great friendship that is made by bribes cannot be sincere for 1. The receiver of them knowes that his love is a dear penny worth to his friend it is not a gift but a perquisite and therfore he cannot call it sure 2. The giver knoweth his mony not his love made the friend and if this friendship bear him out of the hands of justice his conscience will still tell him that his money not his innocency acquitted him if this friendship prefer him his conscience within him will say that his money not his worthinesse hath advanced him Therefore the frienship thus made is not sincere But they whom Religion and the fear of God doth unite are of one heart and of one soule here is no lack of any thing Acts 4.32 if any of them may supply it the wounded man shall have both the oyle and wine of the Samaritane out of his vessels and the help of his hand and of his beast and of his word and of his purse Our Saviour Christ saith Go thou and do the like How can we say we are neighbours when we are so far from healing our brethrens wounds that we rather set them into a fresh bleeding and open them wider we rather make more in the whole and sound flesh we rather take away their oile and wine and beast and money wherewith they should help themselves and instead of putting them into an house we take their houses over their heads and expose them to stormes The God of peace sanctifie us throughout that his peace may knit us together in him Doctr. 4 Those who trust in men have no understanding Here on earth we do much value the wisdome and judgment of man by his choyce of adherence and dependance and we judge them unwise that addresse themselves to such as cannot either support them as they are or put them on farther But the word of the Lord saith there is no understanding in Edom to trust in man and the Psalmist Non relinquat hominem he adviseth Trust not in Princes nor in any son of man for there is no help in him God goeth farther in my text there is treason in him subducet auxilium super inducet exitium He will bring thee to thy uttermost borders and there he will leave thee Jun. reads Cujus vulneris non erit intelligentia as pointing out so great a plague upon Edom ut ipsam nequeat mens humana comprehendere nedum curare arte intelligentia Joannes Draconites readeth the text thus Ante proderis hostibus quà m animadvertas But the sense is easie God censureth them for fools that put their trust in man For God himself saith they commit two great evils They forsake God the Fountain of living waters Jer. 2.13 and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water The Philistims trusted in their great Champion Goliah 1 Sam. 17.10 and they desied the hoâ—st of Israel and despised David the Aramites sent Israel word that the dust of their land should not be enough to give every one of their Army an handfull 1 Reg. 20.10 The reason of this folly is the god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeve not 2 Cor. 4.4 for Satan worketh strongly in the children of disobedience he hath strong illusions for them to make them beleeve lies They that trust in lying vanity saith Jonah do forsake their own mercy It is a lying vanity to trust the false gods of the Heathen Deut. 32.38 God upbraideth the Apostate Jewes so Let them rise up and help you let them be a refuge It is a lying vanity to trust in any confederacie against God It is Gods woe Woe to the rebellious children that take counsell but not of me that cover with a covering but not of my spirit Isa 33.1 that they may adde sin unto sin That walk to go downe into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and
to trust in the shadow of Egypt Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion He declareth this folly in the next chapter Now the Egyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand Isa 31.3 he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they all shall fail together This sheweth want of faith when we trust in the vain help of friends It is true that we must use all good means to further Gods providence but we must not put any trust in these means there may be help by them there is no help in them David setteth these two in opposition and declareth the differing successe of them Some trust in chariots and some in horses Ps 20 7 8. but we will remember the name of our Lord. They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright Is it not folly for man to run himself upon the curse of God God hath said it Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Jer. 17. The Poets the Prophets of the Heathen can tell us what ill successe the Gyants of the earth had which their confederacie against the gods Non est consilium contra Dominum The Use of this point is Let us all labour and pray for understanding 1. To know the impotencie of the creature that we may not trust to it 2. To know the omnipotencie of our Creator that we may not oppose it but seek our rest under that shadow This will change our vain confidence into a strong faith and faith is a shield in all our wars VERSE 8. Shall I not in that day saith the Lord even destroy the wisemen out of Edom and understanding out of the mount of Esau Their fourth hope despaired Doctr. They trusted to their wisdome God doth threaten to destroy both the wisdom and the wise men of Edom. In this paslage consider we 1. The judgment upon Edom Destruam sapientes I will destroy the wise men 2. The assurance Dicit Dominus saith the Lord. 3. The time in that day 1. Concerning the judgment we are taught that humane wisdome and counsels without God are no fense for a State Here is the mother disease of humane nature Eva heard that wisdome was to be gotten by eating the forbidden fruit and she aspired in the pride of her heart to be like God knowing good and evill ever since man hath much affected wisdome therefore God who hath revealed the true wisdome to his Church hath ever professed himself an enemy to the wisdome of this world it hath two titles inimicitiae apud Deum stultitiae enmity and folly The true and saving wisdome is Christ he is made unto us of God wisdome and his word is sufficient to make the man of God wise unto salvation Eccl 9 14 There was a little City and few men within it and there came a great King against it and besieged it and built a bulwark against it Now there was found in it a poor wise man and he by his wisdome delivered the City This little City is the Church of God the few men in it be the little flock of Gods chosen the enemy that assaulteth it is Satan the Prince of darknesse the god of this world The poore wise man in it is Jesus Christ the Carpenter the son of poor Mary of whom the Scribes and Priests said Is not this the Carpenter he by his wisdome saved his Church This wisdome directeth to the whole Armour and teacheth how to fit it to us that we may be able to resist Sathan Ephes 6. But the wisdom that is of the world that studieth how to carry things on without God sometimes against God for God is not in all their wayes and this was ever a broken reed it doth both deceive and wound him that leaneth on it For The wisdom of the flesh cannot be Subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 yet it striveth in vaine For There is no wisdom nor understanding Prov 21.10 nor counsel against the Lord for it is written Job 5.13 He taketh the wise in their own craftinesse 1 Cor 3.19 1. The reason is given by the Prophet Yet he also is wise meaning there the wisdom of direction Jsa 31.2 and counsel for that belongs to him only the wisdome of obedience and sequence is that which we most seek Therefore God resisteth and destroyeth all those that usurpe his wisdome but take counsell and not of him Jsa 30.1 and cover with a covering but not of his spirit that is seek protection and coverture against evils but not consulting his spirit who alone claimeth right in that title to be custos hominum the preserver of men 2. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to destroy the wise the reason is given 1 Cor. 1. â—7 That no flesh should glory in his presence ver 19. God is the only subject of glory properly in himself we give it to him in our Lords Prayer Tuum est regnum potentia gloria Thine is Kingdome c. He is a jealous God he hath sworn that he will not give his glory â—oany creature wisdom is one of his glories 1 Cor. 1.25 For The foolishnes of God is wiser then men And for this cause God will destroy the wise men of Edom both their persons and their wisdom as he did Achitophel the Oracle of those times he defeated him for he turned his wisdom into folly and left him not wisdom enough to save himselfe from the halter Vse Therefore by Edoms example let us learn not to trust to humane wisdome flattering our selves that we can do any thing without God for even the wicked when they oppresse the Church and hurt the Saints do it not without the counsell and wisdom of God so he saith before thus saith the Lord an Embassadour is sent to the Nations Arise ye against him in battaile It is God that maketh their confederates forsake Edom and the men of their peace be the sword of God drawn out against Esau Reviling Rabshakeh the Generall of Senacheribs forces against Ierusalem Isa 36.10 could say and he said truly And am I now come up without the Lord against this Land The Lord said unto me go up against this Land For God stirred them up and animated them to fight his battails against Israel The wisdome of the world is not worth the seeking because it may be lost and taken from us the wisdome of God which is from above God giveth to his chosen and he cannot take it away from us because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance But the wise men of the world when they have most cause to use their wisdome then it faileth them like the Sea-mans cunning in a violent
words and thoughts and wayes and labour our sanctification and strive against sin we need not fear in the evil day holinesse is our dore mark and our forehead mark the destroying Angel shall passe over VERSE 9. And thy mighty men O Teman shall be dismayed to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter 5. Their last hope is in the strength of their own mighty men this is addressed to Teman Which word as it signifieth the coast to which the Idumaeans lay from Jerusalem i.e. the east so it is the name of one of the Nephews of Esau Gen. 36.11 whose posterity inhabited a part of Arabia called also by his name He was the eldest son of Eliphaz the eldest son of Esau and under his name here the whole Nation of the Idumaeans is threatned And as the hope the Idumaeans had in the wisdome of their wise men faileth them for they have trusted to false friends and all their providence for their safety miscarrieth So shall they fail in the hope that they have in their own strong men for they shall not be able to preserve them from a finall destruction even so great that every one of the mount of Esau shall be cut off by slaughter Excellently is their judgment set forth for their confederates shall turne perfidious to them abroad and their strong men at home shall be dismayed Two things make wars advantagable to a Common-wealth Consilium fortitudo counsel and strength in the former verse God befools their wisdome in this he enfeebles their strength The reason is he hath decreed that every one of the mount of Esau shall be destroyed And when God turneth enemy neither head nor hand neither wisdome nor force can resist him David and his sling shall discomfit Goliah and his armour his sword and spear and admired strength The two little flocks of Israel the great armies of the Aramites It is worth our noting that God working by means and directing our operations so even in this work of overthrow threatned to Edom doth destroy them by disabling to them all the meanes of their safety as before he turneth the hearts of their friends against them He destroyeth the wisdome of their wise men and now he takes away all heart and courage from their strong men To teach us that all the outward means of safety are not sufficient to keep us from ruine except the Lord be on our side Therefore we pray Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done And we acknowledge Thine is the Kingdome power and glory And this enforceth upon us the law of the first Table to have no other gods but one to give him outward worship to sanctifie his Sabbath not to abuse his name And this filleth us with faith saying Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem I beleeve in God c. For as David saith Domine quis similis tibi Lord who is like to thee There is no wisdome or strength not that which is in the god of this world the Prince that ruleth in the air but it is a beame of the heavenly light can God suffer any of his own gifts to be abused against him to turn edge and point against the author of them There is a time when God winketh at the outrage of the ungodly for the exercising of the patience of his servants but when he intendeth a cutting off by slaughter of his enemies in that day the Lord will be known to be God These things are written for our sakes for the enemies of our Church are here threatned to be cut off by slaughter even Antichrist the man of sin who sitteth in the place of God as God and is worshipped whom God shall scatter with the breath of his mouth that is by the power of his word preached and we have comfort against him that neither his wit nor his force shall prevaile against us We have two examples which I hope no time will ever forget to praise God for till the second coming of Jesus Christ The power of Antichrist was defeated in 88. when the Pope gave away the Kingdomes of England and Ireland to the King of Spaine who sent his Invincible Armado hither not as a Challenger but as a Conquerer to take possession of these Lands They had speciall revelations to assure their victory and the prayers of the Popish Church were all in armes against us But as it is in my text their mighty men were dismayed their strong Ships either sunk in the sea or well beaten or constrained to flie because God meant to cut them off by slaughter and the power of Spaine so weakned and the coffers of their treasure so emptied that nothing was more welcome to them then the newes of peace with England The wisdome of Rome had no better successe in the yeere 1605. for when some men of bloud the sons of Belial had layed a plot for the destruction of the whole Church and Common-wealth then in Parliament by powder We cannot deny but the Serpent put his best wits to the rack to stamp a devise with his own image and superscription never was there nequitia ingeniosior a more witty wickednesse then to bring so many precious lives to the mercie of one excutioner who had nothing to do but to put fire to the train Yet in the very act of preparation and the night before the intended execution God put fire to his own train layed for them and discovered things hidden in darknesse and cast them into the pit which he had digged for them and their wit and policie proved hanging and quartering to the conspirators and declared the Papist our secret enemies such whom we must carefully look to for if by strength or wit he can destroy the state of the Church and Common-wealth the mercies of his heart are so cruell that we can expect no favour That is now the cause why his Majesty intending a Parliament doth require so strict a survey of the land for the detection of all Popish Recusants as now is both by the Ecclesiasticall and Civill Magistrate urged For they have given us fair warning that if they can do any thing by wit or force they will abate nothing thereof to the prejudice of this Church But as the confounding of the wisdome of Edom and the disabling the strength of Edom did fore-run their fall so our faith is that Antichrist Gods enemy and ours hath now but a short time and every one of the mount of Esau of the City built upon the hills shall be cut off by slaughter The pride of their own hearts who think they have the keyes of heaven and of hell not only Peters keyes but Davids also who bear the world in hand that they can save or condemn shall deceive them The rock of their habitation shall prove to them like an undefenced City Their confederates and men of their peace that eat bread with them shall
of his countenance shineth on us let us walke worthy of this light 2. Let us serve the Lord in fear and pray to God that the thoughts of our heart which are only evill continually may be forgiven us 3. Let us receive with meeknesse the word of truth and suffer it to be graffed in us that we may bring forth no longer our owne sins with the fruits of evill works but the fruits of the word 4. Let us pray that God would passe by our offences and establish us with grace and pluck up sin within us that root of bitternesse which bringeth forth corrupt fruits of disobedience that God would continue upon us the light of his countenance 5. Let us not flatter our selves and say none of these things shall come upon us because we have so long enjoyed the favours of God for Iudah where God put his Sanctuary and Sion where he made himself a dwelling was not spared The righteous Judge of the world is not such a one as we though he hold his peace a while our provocations may make him whet his sword and prepare against us instruments of death Observe the cruelty of the Edomite he not only joyneth in open hostility but in secret insidiation to cut off all root and branch all in a day he is implacable Such is the hatred of the Romish Church to ours did we not see it in the attempt in 88 for Invasion and possession did we not see the heart of Antichrist in the Powder Treason plotted to a perfect and full destruction Surely David had cause to pray to God let me not fall into the hands of man This is further declared in the next circumstance Neither shouldest thou have delivered those of his that remained in the day of distresse 4 Depopulation For if any remained whom neither the Invasion had met with in the City nor the insidiation without those the Edomite found out and delivered into the hands of their enemies Of those some fell off to the enemy others were carried away captives others of the poorer sort were left in the Land to serve the enemy there to be Vine-dressers and Husbandmen This is called sweeping with a Besome and wiping as one wipeth a dish Two things do aggravate this cruelty of Edom 1. against thy brother Iacob For a Turke to oppresse a Christian an Infidell a Believer is but a trespasse against humanity for Hebrews to strive and one Christian to afflict another woundeth Religion also The Papist calleth himself a Christian and pretendeth great love to Christ he is our unnaturall brother and he casteth us out by excommunication he hateth us in our affliction yet he saith let the Lord be glorified But for us to wound and smite one another of us Protestant against Protestant this is seven spirits worse then the former Brethren by Nation brethren by Religion should live as brethren by nature live as brethren and our father will be angry if we do not and the God of peace will fight against us 2. Another circumstance of time is much urged and it maketh weight for when was Edom so bloudy you shall see that in the time and you will say with Solomon that the mercies of the wicked are cruell Verse 11. In the day that strangers carried away captive his forces and forreiners entred into his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem Ver. 12. In the day that thy brother became a stranger in the day of their destruction in the day of distresse Verse 13. Thrice named in the day of their calamity Verse 14. In the day of distresse 1. Observe in this how their cruelty is aggravated by the time the wofullest time that ever Ierusalem had called therefore the day of Ierusalem when all things conspired to make their sorrow full then in the anguish and fit of their mortall disease then did Edom arme his eye his tongue his heart his hand and joyne all those with the enemy against his brother 2. Observe that God taketh notice not only what we do one against another but when for he will set these things in order before thee for the God of mercie cannot abide cruelty To strengthen the hand of affliction and to put more weight to the burthens of them that be over-charged this is bloody cruelty as To oppresse the poor is alwayes abominable to God but to oppresse him in his tender and orphane infancie or in his feeble and decrepid age doubleth the offence To hinder the willing labourer from his labour at all times it is a crying sin and they are men of bloud that do so but in times of dearth or in times of his greatest expense to deprive him of his labour or his pay this God considereth for he knoweth wherof we are al made and he observeth our carriage towards one another of us VERSE 15 16. For the day of the Lord is neere upon all the heathen as thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall return upon thine own head 16. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain so shall all the heathen drink continually yea they shall drinke and they shall swallow down and they shall be as though they had not been This is the fourth part of this Section containing Gods revenge upon Edom which is before threatned particularly against Edom. Ver. 2. Behold I have made thee small among the heathen thou art greatly despised And after further declared it despeiring all the hopes of Edom. 1. The pride of their heart 2. The strength of their confederacie 3. The strength of their situation 4. The hope of their wise men 5. They hope in their own strong men Yet further Ver. 10. He saith Shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever But now as Edom was not alone in that sin but joyned with others so are they all joyned together in the punishment The words are somewhat obscure For the day of the Lord he meaneth the day of vengeance to repay the violence done to his own people called the day of the Lord because God will shew himself who hath lyen concealed as it were all this while and been a looker on whilest his people did suffer punishment for their sins The time of Ierusalems chastisement was called the day of Ierusalem because their sins deserved that day to come upon them but the day of the heathen is here called the day of the Lord because now God doth awake as one out of sleepe and sheweth himselfe cleerly to his enemies This day the Prophet telleth them is now at hand and neere to them This is neere upon all the heathen Not only upon Edom but upon all those with whom Edom joyned himselfe against the people of God The Prophet Ieremie foretelling this day Jer. 25. nameth the heathen upon whom the wrath of the Lord was to come And the judgement is eye for eye tooth for tooth Lex talionis wherein he telleth her As thou hast done it
shall be done to thee c. And after Metaphorically he expresseth the retaliation As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountain hereof we observe the change of the manner of speech that is here used we shall cleere the Text from that difficulty that hath distracted interpreters so that they have failed in the right meaning of these words For whereas before the Prophet speaketh to Edom here he bringeth in God himselfe speaking to Ierusalem comforting them in the declaration of his just judgement against her enemies for he saith to Iacob As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountains so shall all the heathen drink continually By the Metaphor of drinking which is referred to that which is called the cup of the Lords indignation of which David saith In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the Wine is red c. By this figure then the cup of affliction is understood the phrase was used after by our Saviour Let this cup passe from me again If thou wilt not let it passe but that I must drink thereof thy will be done We use that phrase to drink of the cup of God So the threatning runneth in this sense that as the people of God upon Gods holy mountaine have drunk of the cup of Gods wrath and have had their draught thereof which was but for a time So shall all the heathen drinke and their judgement shall not have end they shall drink continually there shall be no end of their affliction they shall swallow down the wrath of the Lord untill they be utterly destroyed for they shall be as though they had not been In which words is contained 1. A judgement against the Heathen 2. A consolation to the Church In the judgement observe 1. The certainty thereof the day is set 2. The propinquity of it it is neere 3. The extent of it to all the heathen 4. The equity of it as thou hast done 5. The certainty of it they shall drinke c. 6. The duration of it continually In the comfort note 1. He speaketh of it as of a judgement past and gone at ye have drunk thereof 2. He calleth their dwelling though thus punished My Holy Mountain 3. He revealeth to them his severe vengeance against their enemies 1. Of the judgement 2. Of the certainty The Lord hath set down and decreed a day for vengeance threatnings of woe at large do move but little but when the punishment is denounced and the day set for the execution thereof this cannot but pierce and draw blood And being here called the day of the Lord that is a day designed by the Lord for this execution it is more quick and penetrating There is no sin which is committed on earth but God hath both made a Law against it to forbid the doing of it and he hath declared his judgement against it yet hath he given us the light of his word or the light of the Law which his finger wrote in our hearts to declare it to us and he hath given us time also to repent and amend it and he is patient and long-suffering in his expectation of our amendment But where it is not amended he doth set down a day for the execution of his just judgement for he will not he cannot suffer his truth to faile His patience and mercy will take their day first and his justice will also have her day Saint Iames advertizeth us Let patience have her perfect work Jer. 1. â— We have a faire example of God for this For he will not let the work of his patience be unperfect he will forbear us till the very day of his justice designed for punishment Though all the masters of Assemblies all the Ministers of the word be continually striking at this naile we cannot drive it into the head to make men beleeve that God hath set a day for punishment of all our sins The promise of grace to the penitent doth so comfort us generally that we hope we shall have time enough to put off that day by our repentance and then again we often take that for repentance which is not it For it is not enough to remember our sins with a God forgive me Repentance is a putting off of sinne an hatred of it and a change of life and manners every sorrow is not such But were it that this day were thought upon with that feare and trembling that is due to it it would put sin out of countenance and the sinner out of hope The sinner that beleeves not this doth make God a lyar whose word of truth hath revealed the certainty of this day to us 2. It armeth the lusts of the flesh against the soule for who is he that liveth without fear that will bridle his affections or stop the swift current of nature in himself but runneth into sinne as an horse rusheth into the battaile But when we do consider upon every sin that we commit that the day of the Lord shall declare it the day of the Lord shall punish it this maketh us afraid of our secret sins for feare of shame and of all sins for feare of punishment The certainty that this day will come the uncertainty when it will come is the greatest motive to hasten repentance that may be 2. The Propinquity it is neere If our Consciences be convinced of the certainty of this day and the judgement thereof Sathans next allusion is to flatter us that it is afarre off and shall not come yet and there will be time enough to repent us of our sin If we tell you indefinitely that it is neere yet you may hope not so neere but that we may prevent it For the Apostle hath told his brethren long-agoe of the last day The end of all things is at hand But it is 1600 yeers since 1 Pet. 4.7 and where is the promise of his coming But let not that comfort thee in sin for even that day is neer seeing time is nothing to eternity but thy day wherein God shall visit thy sinnes with his judgements may be much sooner If we had Commission to tell you it is but forty dayes and the next day is the day of the Lord as Jonah did peradventure it would warn you but we have no Commission to say it is so it is a good proofe that it is neere when none can promise that this very day shall not be it Yet we see there were some that took the day of their death neere themselves cras moriemur yet they made evil use of it Edamus bibamus as the Epicure Dum vivimus â—rvamus For the sensuall and carnall man maketh that evil use of his neere end to live more sensually Post mortem nulla voluptas In every particular mans case St. John doth admonish us all well Now also is the Axe layed to the root of the Tree I learn a parable of Christ Do but consider thine own field and see the Com that grows upon it and observe
if it be not white and ready for the fickle observe thine own wayes and works and see if they do not tell that the day of the Lord cannot be farre off There be that put this day far off from them that is by flattering themselves in their sins they make themselves beleeve that they shall not yet come to punishment Repentance only lengtheneth this day and suffereth it not to approach to us Such an one feareth not in die malo in the evil day 3. The extent of this judgement over all the Heathen Meaning heâ—e all those that have joyned together in warre against the Jewes See Jer. 25. Here is a Quaerie Did not God stirre them up against Jerusalem In this Prophecy he declareth how Jerusalem was chastened by the Heathen and doth not the Holy story say Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Iudah 2 King 24.3 Iudah well deserved this punishment and God justly inflicted it and the heathen were the rod of God wherewith he chastened Iudah yet this execution done upon Iudah by the heathen was impious in them for they made warre against Gods Church and sought the ruine of Religion it was covetous they robbed Ierusalem it was cruel they delighted in the blood of the Lords people it was proud they insulted over them It is true that these heathen do not go without God to invade Iudah true that he sent them to punish the transgressions of his people true that they are the rod and sword of God for so David confest that God bade Shimei to curse him The Lord hath sayed unto him curse David 2 Sam. 16.10 As in the Creation God separated the waters from the face of the earth and called the gathering together of the waters Seas yet David sayes God hath set them their bounds which they cannot passe nor return to cover the earth Yet they would cover the earth Surely the wicked are resembled to the Sea in every consideration the Church may be compared to the dry land God holdeth the wicked in that they cannot droune this dry land yet this they would do for there is a naturall antipathy in the heathen to the Church of God When the Church sinneth God openeth a gap and letteth his Sea break in he suffereth the wicked to scourge the Church when it defaulteth for both their sakes that he may execute his judgement upon both and as Augustine saith Vtitur Deus malis bâ—â—â— In the story of the Iudges we read how the Concubine of Micah the Levite was abused to death in Gibeah which being complained of to the rest of the Tribes by the Levite they sent unto Benjamin to deliver up to them those men of Belial that had done the villany Jud. 20.13 that they might put away the evil from Israel But Benjamin would not heare their Brethren but prepared to put themselves in Armes and to go out to battail against the children of Israel The children of Israel arose and went to the house of God ver 18. and asked counsel of God and said which of us shall go up first to the battaile against the children of Benjamin And the Lord said Iudah shall go up first They went and Benjamin destroyed that day two and twenty thousand men The children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord untill even and asked counsell of the Lord saying ver 23. Shall I go up in battaile against the children of Benjamin my brother And the Lord said go up against him They did so the second day and the children of Benjamin destroyed of Israel eighteen thousand men Here was nothing done without consulting of God God bade them go and yet they prospered not yea they lost in all forty thousand men There is no cleere expression in this story to declare why God punished Israel with this great effusion of blood Plain it is that Gods purpose was to punish Israel and first the Tribe of Iudah but the Text sheweth 1. That the cause of this warre was a just provocation there was villany done in Israel 2. That the end of this war was godly for it was to remove evil from Israel 3. That they did nothing herein without Gods expresse warrant for they began to take counsell of the Lord. Yet before God would revenge the fault of the Benjamites upon them by Benjamin he punished the Tribe of Iudah first and then the rest of the Tribes with losse of so many men and effusion of so much blood And I must tell you that I find not the reason thereof exprest It may be that the Holy Ghost hath suppressed it that we might rest in the feare of God and not search further it is enough for us to know what God doth and not why for as Augustine saith Iudicia Dei occulta esse possunt injusta non possunt esse Gods judgements may be secret but never unjust And we must be very tender how we call God to accompt for what he doth for God is whatsoever his will is of which we must not seek to know more then is revealed for that is prying into the Arke and costeth death God is accomptable to none for what he doth The third day he gave Israel a full victory against Benjamin by Benjamin He first scourged Israel and by Israel he after destroyed Benjamin and left of them but six hundred men So may we say of this example in my Text God useth the heathen to scourge his Church and after destroyeth the heathen in his just but secret judgement Yet let me tell you what some learned judgements have conceived of that great example of justice in that story of Israel and Benjamin Rabbi Levi saith that Israel might provoke God at first because they came to God to aske who should go first against Benjamin and did trust to their own strength and did not beseech God to give them victory Rabbi Kimchi saith it was because that Israel had suffered Idolatry in Dan and had never taken the cause of God to heart to aske counsell of God against them iâ—â— but now in a private injury done to a Levite they were provoked and sought revenge 3. Others conceive that this was the cause They came too slightly to God at first for they did only bluntly enquire who should go first against Benjamin Not whether they should go or not Not enquiring by what way he meant to punish their brother But the second time they went up to the Lord they wept till even and then they asked counsell Shall I go up again in battaile against my brother Yet even then being commanded to go they lost eighteen thousand men True but they came not the second time with that preparation which became them that would sight the Lords battails to remove evil out of Israel for the third day they mended all Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept ver 26. and
sate there before the Lord and fasted that day untill even and offered burat offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. Then they enquired of the Lord for there was the Arke and there was Phineas the sonne of Eleazer the sâ—nne of Aarâ—n standing And they said shall I yet go again to battaile against the children of Benjamin my brother or shall I cease And then God promised them victory It may be that they offended in the two first dayes in their preparation they were not enough humbled before the Lord or in the manner of their consultation with God But I must tell you plainely all these are the conjectures of some learned judgements concerning this question God hath left no accompt to us of his proceedings therein Neither hath he done the like in the example in my Text why he punisheth all the heathen for smiting Ierusalem seeing himselfe set them a worke Vse Therefore let not our prevailings against our brethren swell us up with pride making us presume that we have God our friend because we have had the upper hand of our enemies for God may punish our brethen and make us his rod to whip others and he may burne the rod when he hath done with it This is one of Gods strange workes that he doth upon earth he foretelleth one of them by his Prophet Habakuk and saith Behold ye among the beathen and wonder marvellously for I will worke a worke in your dayes Hab. 1.5 which you will not beleeve though it be told you and what is that For lo I raise up the Caldeans that bitter and hasty Nation which shall march through the breadth of the Land to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs They are terrible and dreadfull their judgement and their diguity shall proceed of themselves Their horses also are swifter then the Leopards and are more fierce then the evening wolves c. These are sent of God and they prevaile and when they have done they thanke their owne god for the victory But the Church is comforted against them O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement thou hast established them for correction Therefore the example of Israel having overcome Benjamin in the former story is excellent for when they had conquered their brother they did not say in triumph we have prevailed nor bragged of their victory But the people having fulfilled the will of God in that warre Came to the house of God Jud. 21.2 and abode there till even before God and lift up their voyces and wept sore They were sorry that God had used their sword and arme to their brother 4 The equity of this judgement As thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall returne upon thine owne head ver 15. The law of nature written in our hearts is Do as thou wouldest be done to For Aristotles abrasa tabula is not true Divinity Seeing the heathen will not do this the justice of God putteth it upon them They shall be done to as they doe Of this point see before 5 The Contents of this judgement They shall drinke yea they shall drinke and swallow downe and they shall be as though they had not been The old heathen had a fashion of capitall punishment by death to give the offender a potion of poison to drinke The Prophet here speaketh of the punishment of Edom and the Heathen in that very phrase alluding to that of David Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest Psa 11.6 Psa 63. that shall be the portion of their cup. And Thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drinke of the wine of astonishment this is the Cup that David speaketh of For in the hand of the Lord there is a Cup and the wine iâ— red it is full of mixture Psa 75.8 and he poureth out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drinke them Wine immoderately drunken doth set the body on fire it infatuateth the braine it maketh the parts of the body uselesse that neither head nor hand nor foot can doe their severall offices Drunkennesse is such a disabling to man that God hath chosen to expresse the severity of his wrath in the similitude of drunkennesse and the Prophet Jeremie hath used the very phrases thereof upon like occasion Take the wine of this cup of my fury at my hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it Jer. 25.15 16. And they shall drinke and be moved and be mad Yet more fully 27. Drinke ye and be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more Let drunkards behold themselves in this glasse and see how loathsome and how dangerous a sin they sin Every cup they drink immoderately is a cup of Gods wrath every Health they drink drunkenly is a disease even unto death drunkennesse maketh men the emblems of Gods indignation the very Images and pictures of divine vengeance In this phrase God often in Scripture doth expresse his judgement and his fury and vengeance against evil doers Therefore Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you would do no more so if any of you have by occasion been overtaken with that Epidemicall and popular fault do no more so wickedly sin not against your own bodies Morbus est it s a disease sin not against your good name it is a foule blemish to be called a drunkard they that are so are very impatient of that name Sin not against Gods creatures they were given us for use and service not that we abusing them should become servants to them and be overcome of them Sinne not against your brethren by evil example or by tempting them to this sin Above all God forbid that you should do this great wickednesse and so sin against your God You see he can and and will set you a drinking off his cup and he will make you doffe it as you call it and do him right to drink all even to the bottom till you fall and rise no more till as my Text saith You be as though you had not been The phrase of my Text hath carryed me thus far out of my way but I must do so if I will meet with drunkards for they are so brain-crased that they cannot keep the right way I return to the contents of this judgement thus exprest in the phrase of drinking Thâ—se Nations have filled the cup of affliction full for Jerusalem and Jerusalem hath drunk deep thereof now God will change the object of his fury he will take away his cup from the Church and he will give it to her enemies as Isaiah hath sweetly and fully declared it to the great griefe of the Nations the great joy of the Church 21 Heare thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine 22. Thus saith the
in summa pericula misit Venturi timor ipse mali fortissinâ—â—â— ille est Qui promptus metunda pati The feare of evil to come hath endangered many he is the most valiant that is ready to suffer what is feared 2. It tryeth our faith Christ said to Peter Cur times exiguâ fide praedites when he so felt himselfe sinking in the waters God promised I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Do we beleeve him Dare we trust him as Christ Do you beleeve in God beleeve also in me 2 My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Jam. 2. 3. Knowing this that the trying of your Faith worketh patience 4. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing 1 Pet. 1 7. That the tryall of your Faith being much more precious then of gold which perisheth though it be tryed with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ c. 3. This setteth before our eyes the great appearance that our enemies shall make before us either in this world when our eye shall have our desire on them that hate us or in the last day when the Saints shall judge the world which serveth to admonish us with the Prophet To commit our wayes to the Lord and to trust in him for he shall bring it to passe Excellent is the story of Elisha whom the King of Syriâ— sent an Army to take and they beset Dothan where he lodged but Elisha prayed and God smote the whole Army with blindnesse and he whom they sought offered himselfe to them to be their guide and he brought them into Samaria and then God opened their eyes and they saw themselves in the hand and power of their enemies Thus doth God blind the eyes of the enemies of his Church and when ther malice is at the height they find themselves set at the Barre to be judged by his Saints then Iacob shall judge the Mount of Esau Methinkes I see the great appearance of the boisterous Tyrants of the earth whose eyes did sparkle fire in the faces of Gods servants whole tongue spake proud words whose foot trode upon Gods Saints whose hand spared them not whose countenance darted against them scorne and disdaine and whose swords were made drunke in the bloud of Gods Holy ones With what a feareful trembling and horrible dread they come to this judgement against their wils where they shall see the Saints all in long white robes like a flock of sheep that come from the washing in whose glorified faces they shall behold their owne shame and dishonour in whose place and joy they shall behold the bloudy persecution wherewith they have oppressed them in their life and in whose setled happinesse they shall read their doom of eternall woe And as Saint Peter saith How shall the wicked and ungodly appeare there needs no more evidence against them bring them to judgement and that sight shall convince them 3. The issue and effect of all And the Kingdome shall be the Lords This is the proper fruite of our deliverance from the hands of our enemies that the Kingdome of God may be established on earth in Gods Church 1. For so long as the enemies of God do tyrannize and fill all with their grosse actions the face of the Church is covered the Temples of God are defiled and demolished the worship of God seeketh private corners and sheweth not it selfe the Saints of God fly from the Sword of Persecution wandring here and there from one Nation to another people and it is hard to say where the Church of God is During the persecution under the cruell Emperours till Constantine aross and restored the Kingdome to God the Kingdome of God on earth was not abolished quite but it was in some sort invisible not that it was then hidden from all the faithfull as it was from the world therefore concerning the invisiblenesse of this Kingdome we do affirme 1. That though this Kingdome of God be so established on earth that the gaâ—â—â— of hell shall not prevails against it because God gave to his son that asked him the heâ—â—hen for his inheritance and the utmost part of the earth for his possession And Christ promised to give the Holy Ghost to his Church to abide with it for ever 〈◊〉 yeâ—at sometimes the faithfull may be so few in number and they so separated one from another in the pursuit of their owâ—â— sâ—â—â—ty that the world cannot easily discome the face of a Church This some of the Church of Rome have confessed affirming that about the time of Christs passion and the dispersion of his Disciples theâ—â— true faith remained onely in the blessed Virgin Mary But untruly◠〈◊〉 the Disciples though they fled from the persecution of that time they fled not froâ—â— the â—aith of Christ But was it not so in Eliahs time when he knew of no more but himselfe alone that served the true God yet God had knees that had never bowed to Baal even then 2. We affirme that Satans Kingdome may so farre dilate it selfe in power and spreading that the externall government of the Church may cease the succession of Bishops and Pastors may be interrupted the Discipline of the Church hindered and the outward exercise of Gods Worship suspended the sunne of righteousnes may suffer ecclipse and thus much the Rhemists do confesse in their notes upon 2 Thes 2.2 3. That which the common opinion doth embrace for the Kingdome of God may be Satans Kingdome whose doctrine is poison whose pastors are wolves in sheeps cloathing whose children are bastards of the Strumpet of Babylon This appeares in the Church story for when Româ— forsook her first Love and began to turne saith into faction and religion into carnall policy to establish a tâ—anscendent greatnesse on the face of the earth and to tyrannize over all that stood for the truth revealed in the word then was the candle of the Church put out so farre as they could prevaile and the word of God the light of our steps was taken away from the people Then did the faithfull subjects of Gods Kingdome hide themselves from the sword and the fire and the sundry persecutions which Rome devised to oppresse them then their heresy past for truth commonly their usurpers for lawfull Bishops their mercenaries for Pastors their legendes for Gospel and they boasted themselves the only true Church of God and Spouse of Iesus Christ And when by the ministry of Dr. Lurher the Church began to lift up the head againe and that one single man opposed the Pope and was a burning and shining Lampe to whose light many dayly resorted we see that ever since that time the Church hath come more and more in sight and growne both in number and strength Kings have been nursing Fathers and Queens have been Nurses and the Kingdom of God hath been gloriously advaanced on earth Then did England
them contrition and sorrow for their sinne and a broken and contrite spirit God cannot refuse he will not discourage the contrite and sorrowfull but will have them to know that their groanings and sighes come up even into his eares He putteth all their teares in his bottle 2. Afflictions do turne the children of God into prayers and supplications and he will not neglect them that pray to him that they may see the power and vertue of prayer that upon all occasions they may prostrate their hearts before God in prayer God hath said of the just man He shall call upon me in trouble Psa 91.15 Hos 5.15 and I will heare him yes I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him in their afflictions they will seek me diligently In the house of bondage he heard Israel Exo. 3.7 Then the Lord said I have surely seen the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry St Iames saith If any man among you be afflicted let him pray If that were not our comfort when all remedies faile us we were most unhappy for we can never be shut up so but we may send our prayers from us to heaven to plead our cause in the name of Iesus Christ 3 Sharp afflictions may be a strong temptation to make the children of God doubt of the love of God It was not lawfull for them in the judiciall Law to be immoderate in correction A trespasser might have forty stripes given him but not more lest if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes Deu. 25.3 then thy brother should seem vile unto thee God will not overdoe in his chastenings of his Church to prevent this danger lest his servant should think himselfe lost in the favour of God We see how David was put to it in this kind When his soar ran and ceased not his soule refused comfort yea once he complained My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea he thought upon God and was troubled Therefore God doth carry a favourable hand in his afflictions to prevent the despaire of his children for he knoweth whereof we be made 4. Sharp afflictions may be an occasion to harden the heart of man and make himful away from God to sinne and that reason is given by the holy Psalmist For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous Psa 125.2 lest the righteous put forth their bands to iniquity Indeed some that have been well taught and do understand well and have lived in some measure of good life and walked conscionably when God hath tryed them with wants have fallen into snares and embraced temptations Magnum pauperies opprobrium jubes quidvis facere pati vircutisquâ— viâ—m deserit arduae Shifts fraudes secret stealths borrowings without meanes or hope of repayment c. The wise son of Iakeh prayed to God Give me not poverty lest I be poor and steale Pro. 30.9 and take the name of my God in vaine Extremity of paine in sicknesse and soarenesse is a great temptation two great lights in the Church of God were ecclipsed by it Iob the example of patience fell into bitter cursings of the do of his birth so did holy Jeremy the Lords Prophet To these respects God is tender and suffereth not his chosen to be tempâ—â—d above their strength but doth give issue to their temptations Yet sometimes he suffereth his Elect to see their owne weaknesse by some fall that when he putteth to his helping hand they may be more wary to keep a better watch upon their hearts Reason 3 3. God doth not suffer his Church to be forsaken in afflictions lest the enemies thereof should too much insult over them It is Davids suite to God Let them not say we have prevailed When Saul and Ionathan were dead David lamented them with great lamentation The beauty of Israel is slaine upon the high places how are the mighty fâ—llon 2 Sam. 1.19 20. Tâ—ll is not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncirâ—â—â—tised triumph For this addeth to the ungodlinesse of the wicked they grow proud upon it Let not their wicked imagination prosper lesâ— they grow too proud Reason 4 4. The afflictions of the Church when they do grow sharpe and smarting cause the ungodly of the earth to blaspheme the name of God It is not for nothing that David doth pray so earnestly Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake Ps 143.11 for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soule out of trouble The ungodly Iewes and Romanes standing by the Crosse of Christ did speake contemptibly of God and took his name in vaine in derision of his son It is the manner of the ungodly to blaspheme if once they prevaile against the Church then the God they serve is thought unable to protect them and the Religion that they professe is scandalized for untruth These be great reasons why God doth not forsake his Church in affliction but giveth them a heavenly issue out of them This point teacheth its own use for it serveth both to 1. Informe 2 Convince 3 Exhort 4 Rebuke 1 Information This is a sure and infallible rule That whom God once loveth he ever loveth as he saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance his love is himselfe and he cannot deny himselfe he hath given us to his son Rom. 8 35 and of them that thou hast given me saith he I have lost none and no man can take them out of my hand What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus he nameth the greatest miseries of life Shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more then conquerors Cant. 2.4 through him that loved us The love of God to his Church is a banner over it 2 Conviction This Doctrine convinceth the Heathen who deny that there is a any Providence because the best men drinke deepest of the cup of affliction which maketh the profane say It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 True that they who make conscience of their wayes are despised their soule is filled with the scorne of the proud True Ver. 25. that they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God are delivered but the Elect say for thy sake we are killed all the day long Yet the comfort that the just have in their affliction doth assure that verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth And though for a time the wicked insult over the just the day will come
when they shall see their ruine 3. Exhortation 1. This doth admonish us to trust in the Lord for he never faileth them that put their trust in him trust is best exprest in a storme when the waves rage horribly when the sorrows of death compasse and the floods goe over our soule In faire weather when health and youth and plenty and power and pleasure make a calme in our life and we have the desire of our hearts it is no tryall of us to say surely God is good to Israel But in the furnace seven times heated in the den of Lions in the belly of the Whale in the vally of the shadow of death they that then trust in the Lord they declare their faith more then victorious In sicknesse and smart and paines of the body in want and misery those that then say to God Thou art my Rock and my Fortresse my strong hold and the God of my Salvation though thou kill me I will trust in thee These are more then conquerors by faith for they do not only conquer feare and all the temptations to despaire but they do advance instead thereof joy in the Holy Ghost rejoycing in tribulations and giving thanks to God for all their sorrows 2. This teacheth us patience for tribulation briâ—geth forth patience and patience must have a perfect worke to hold out to the end by our patience we possesse our soules for the impatient man is not his own man impatience is like drunkennesse it so staggereth our reason and drowneth our understanding in the deluge of passion and perturbation that our tongue speaketh our heart thinketh our hand worketh things that in the next casme we have cause to repent 3. Affliction is Cos orationis the whetstone of prayer it turneth us all into â—rayer as I have taught and maketh us call upon him who is Deus liberator God our deliverer 4 Affliction is Cos obedientia the whetstone of obedience so now I keep thy Commandements saith David Quia bonum est me affligi because it is good for me to have been afflicted I have gotten that good by it 5. It teacheth us commiseration of the sorrows of our brethren and filleth us with comforts wherewith we comfort them according as we have received comfort our selves in our sorrows So when we visite one another in sicknesse if we have had either some other or some like paines our selves we tell them how we found ease so the Apostle saith Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercy and God of comfort 2 Cor. 1.2 who comforteth us in all tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 4. Rebuke This doctrine chideth those that can receive good at the hands of God and not evill who upon every affliction fall out with God and murmure at his visitations and doubt of his favour as if temporall ease and prosperity were the measure of his love There is a root of bitternesse in us and the best of Gods Saints have declared themselves to be but men in this tryall afflictions are too strong for us we cannot well endure paine we cry to our Chirurgeon Tolle quia urit take it away it paineth me the plaister paineth us he telleth us Non tollam quia sanat I will not because I would cure you we see that this paine is soon over God continueth but a while in his anger this is the only Purgatory of the Elect and this sire is but for our drosse and this medicine is but for our disease 2. He calleth Jerusalem though thus wasted and overthrown My Holy Mountaine David saith He loved the Gates of Sion more then ill the habitations of Jacob. God sayed of it Here will I dwell for I have a delight therein The former doctrine declareth that God did not meane to cast off his people for ever and the next words ver 17. promise restauration Two things had met on this Mountain to corrupt it and unsanctifie it 1. The grievous and crying sinnes of the people of God provoking wrath 2. The barbarous cruelty of the enemies of the Church executing wrath These made no difference betweene holy and unholy but first robbed and pillaged the Sanctuary and carryed away the treasures and utensils the ornaments of the Temple and all that might yeeld them any profit and then put fire to that admirable pile of the curiousest structure for art and cost that ever the bright eye of heaven look't upon I cannot but stay your thoughts upon the way to consider with me what desolations sin may make upon the earth Here is blood spilt in Ierusalem the holy City no respect of the gray haires no compassion of the fairest Virgins no tendernesse either to new-borne or unborne children Here is deportation of others in numerous multitudes into Captivity to become Vassals to thy proud Conqueror the Assyrian Monarch Here is the City of God demolisht the very ring and jewel of the jewel of the world the Psalmist calleth it The joy of the whole earth here is the Temple the rich Diamond of that ring the place wherein God was served offerings were burnt therin to his name that now made an Holocust and Burnt-offering it selfe and sending forth lambentes sydera flammas flames ascerding to the stars The specious spacious Courts of that house Gods owne enclosure and all the holy mountain the glebe-land of the Church layd common The land emptied of her native inhabitants save some few reserved to be the drudges of the Caldeans to plough their grounds and to dresse their vines Beloved a greater example of the provocation of sin or the execution of justice no time not all the Bookes of time have ever shewed And what shall we say hath sinne lost the sting that it had wont to carry or hath God lost his seeling that we should equall that City in sins and not expect equall vengeance Every man shunnes it to be a Prophet of ill news and men had rather exhort then correct If we come with the rod which Paul threatned we may chance bansel it our selves Sinners be too bold to be under the check of Gods Ministers but there is one a loft that sayeth But I will reprove thee and set in order before thee the things that thou hast done The comfort yet is that this Mountaine of Sion though thus punished is called Gods mountaine still God vouchsafeth to owne it and call it his the enemies thereof have gotten the possession of it yet God will not lose the right of his inheritance there for he meaneth to build up againe what the enemy hath destroyed and returne againe those whom the enemy hath carried away captives as the next Section declares fully Let the brethren of Schisme and Separation lay this to heart who