commendation of this famous Citie There is no Nation vnder heauen more respects these Voices if they be the Lords Voices indeed then the more graue and discreeter Citizens And as for the rest they loue them too but not with so good discretion for they loue them in a manner as the Ape doth her yong ones they loue them so importunately that they kill them And therefore it were to be wisht they would loue them a little more in louing them a little lesse while they giue the Voices a breathing time to follow the Apostles rule to his beloued Timothy 1. Tim 4.13 To giue attendance to reading and to exhortation and to doctrine that there may be a breathing while for the Voices to giue attendance to reading as well as all to exhortation and to doctrine For the Voices they will be so much the better able to teach others by their doctrine when they haue first taught themselues by their reading Now as wee are bound to loue the Lords Voices so can we not better expresse our loue vnto them then in cherishing them For farre bee it that the Lords Voices should be fedde like meere voyces indeed onely with ayre and that their maintenance should bee the peoples courtesie and beneuolence for this it were a dishonour vnto God and a great abasing to the Ministerie The very Heathens tell vs as much Ptut Mor. For Plutarch tels vs of a Laconian who seeing a Collector going about and gathering the peoples deuotions for the gods O saith he I will now make no more reckoning of the gods so long as I see them goe a begging and to bee poorer then my selfe And would not thinke you many a churlish Nabal and repining Laban of these dayes bee ready to fall into the same disdaine of God and of his Voices if the Offals onely of their reuenues and cruell mercies of their purse were the stay and maintenance of the Ministers life This it were great pitie it should be so and hope suggests the best that it wil neuer be For were it so as in the same Plutarch we reade Plut. Mor. of one Philippus a Priest amongst the Heathen so poore that hee beg'd for his liuing and yet hee would goe about and tell how happy he should be When quoth one will this be When I am dead saith he Why then poore fellow quoth the other thou art too blame thou diest not quickly that thou mayst be happy Euen thus should the Lords poore Voices bee flouted of the world The Lord is our portion say the Voices and wee shall bee happy but when saith the world shall you haue this portion that ye may be happy When we dye say the Voices Why then sayes the world yee are too blame ye dye not quickly to be happy in Heauen whom the world hath tooke an order with neuer to bee happy on earth But this it is the voice of the sonnes of Belial who haue euill will at Sion and had rather put a Church into their purse then empty their purse vpon the Church For you beloued the Lords Voices are perswaded better things of you how regardfull of them you haue alwayes beene and how carefull you be 2. Reg. 4. not onely with the good Shunamite to prouide them a Chāber a Table a Stoole when they turne in vnto you but to send them away as Ioseph did his Brethren Gen. 42. with their Sacks full of Corne and euery man his money in his Sacks mouth meat for the belly and money for the back For which care of yours in cherishing the Lords Voices the blessing of Heauen and the farnesse of the earth be your great reward And may they euer liue registred in the Kalendar of Saints who already haue or hereafter shall more like the Primitiues of old then the hold-fast Possessiues of these times thus bring in part of their Possessions and lay it downe at the Apostles feet bringing an offering to the worke of the Tabernacle to this so worthy a Worke. Now as wee are to loue and cherish so are wee also to obey the Lords Voices And this is it the Apostle exhorts you vnto Heb. 13. Verse 17 Obey them which haue the ouer sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue account for them vnto God that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you You are then to obey Gods Minister because God hath set him as a watchmā ouer your soules he must giue an account to God for your soules Now if ye doe what hee commands you from God his shall be the ioy and yours the crowne But if yet will be stiffenecked and not obey though his bee the griefe to see his Ministerie take no better effect amongst you yours shall be the perill For if hee giue vp his account of your soules with griefe of heart for your disobedience to the Gospell of Christ this it is vnprofitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you and not for him And therefore as you tender your soules obey the Lords Voices which watch ouer your soules Giue an obedient eare to the Lords Voices to heare them and an obedient heart to the Lord himselfe to feare him that yee may be blessed For in the 30. of Deuteronomie Verse 20 there be three wayes set downe the three rodes by which we come to blessednes the first is by louing the Lord thy God the second by obeying his Voice and the third by cleauing vnto him so that if thou loue the Lord because he is thy Father if thou cleaue vnto him because he is thy Saniour if thou obey his Voice because hee is thy Lord thou and thy Seed shall liue and bee blessed vpon earth For if thou obey diligently the Voice of the Lord the Lord in the 28. of Deut. pronourices thee Blessed in the Citie Verse 3 and blessed in the field Verse 4 blessed in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of the ground Verse 6 blessed in thy comming in and in thy going out Verse 8 blessed in thy storehouses blessed in all thou set'st thine hand vnto Thus shall the man bee blessed that obeyes the Voice of the Lord. And therefore all ye who desire blessednes heare and obey that yee may eate the good things of the Land And thus now you see how for the Lords sake whose Spouse the Church is you are to loue to cherish and to obey the Lords Voices Now let euery faithfull Christian which is a member of the true Church the Spouse of Christ plight faith to Christ the Husband of this Spouse for the performance of this Christian dutie which God so requires at our hands And so from the Voice come we to see the nature of the Voice It is a crying Voice The Lords Voice Cryoth and neede had the Voice be a Crying Voice for it hath a Citie to Cry in and a whispering still Voice
from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Now as the City Hierusalem had need of this crying Voyce euen so hath our Hierusalem this City of ours Our Citizens complaine It is now a dead world a dead time and there is little stirring in the world little trading but they may more iustly complaine in another sense that it is a dead world indeed men carrying about with them liuing bodies but dead soules and There is little stirring in the world for iniquity hath got the vpper hand and iets aboue honesty euery where so that honesty stirres little abroad for she hath little trading in the world while wicked men who make a trade of sinning by their euill customes make the greater part of the world their customers and therefore if euer the Lords crying Voyces cryed to dead mens eares to heare the word of the Lord now is the time for the greater part of men like the widow which liueth in pleasure 1. Tim. 5.6 are dead while they liue And could you but euery weeke haue bils brought you in to signifie within the City liberties and without how many soules dye in a weeke some of a surfet of drunkennesse some of a swelling tympany of pride some of the burning feauer of malice some of the dropsie of couetousnesse some of one or other disease of the soule you would blesse your selues to see most mens bodies to be but liuing Sepulchers for dead soules and you would pity the great taske which is imposed vpon the Lords crying Voyces to heare them cry to dead mens eares which hearing will not heare and to dead mens harts which will not vnderstand and therefore blame we not the Lords Voyces for their importunate crying in our eares crying vnto vs in season and out of season crying at all seasons for they cry most vnto dead men And well saith Saint Augustine Quam difficile sargit quem moles male consuetudinis premit sed tamen surgit post vocem magnam August in Joan. tract 49. Hard it is to awake a sinner whom custome hardens in his sinne and yet such a sinner hee may bee wakened if you often call vpon him for repentance At much and often crying then euen the dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Cry then still yee Voyces of the Lord whom God hath made the Cities Criers to cry lost children home againe to him their heauenly Father by repentance and spare not to cry whilest voyce and breath doe serue to cry and though ye cry to dead mens eares yet is not your labour in vaine in the Lord for Truth it selfe hath said it in the fift of Iohn for the comfort of your labours Verily verily I say vnto you Vers 25 the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shal liue And this is also comfort for the sinner that though he be dead in sinnes nay with Lazarus dead foure daies Dead the first day by delight in sin dead the second day by consent to sinne dead the third day by the act of sinne dead the fourth day by a customary sinning so that it may bee said of him as of Lazarus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he now stinkes in the nostrils of the Lord yet if this dead sinner will but heare the Voyces of the Lord crying and crying againe in precept vpon precept exhortation vpon exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come forth thou sinner how come forth why S. Angustine tels thee how quando consiteris procedis August in John ibid. when thou dost confesse thy sinne to God thou commest forth of the graue of sinne And if the sinner thus come forth vomiting vp as it were his sinnes which are a burthen to his conscience the stomach of his soule by an humble confession vnto God Truth it selfe hath said it this dead sinner he shall liue And though hee come forth of the graue of sinne bound like Lazarus hand and foot bound with the chaines of his sinnes yet Christ shall giue his Ministers charge ouer him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loose him from his sinnes absolue him and let him goe in peace And therefore to draw vp all vnto an end Let not Gods Voyces despaire of doing good though they cry most vnto dead men because Truth hath said it for the comfort of their labour The dead shall heare the Voyce of the Sonne of GOD and let not dead men men dead in sinnes and trespasses if they heare the voyce of the Sonne of God despaire of mercy for Truth hath also said it to their comfort They that heare the Voyce of the Sonne of God shall liue they that heare Christs Surgite mortui Arise ye dead in this life and liue the life of Grace in this world shall heare Christs Surgite mortui Arise ye dead after this life and liue the life of glory in the world to come And so come we to the third and last Reason why the Voyce it is a crying Voyce and that is to take away al excuse from the City of Nunquā audiuimus We neuer heard the voyce For man such is his folly when once sin layes open his nakednesse he flatters himselfe all is well if hee haue but a cloake to cast vpon his sinne for so our first Parents no sooner had they sinned but they seeke for a cloake to palliate their sinne Gen 3. and Eue shee must be the cloake for Adams sinne and the Serpent the cloake for Eues sinne And all we Adams sinfull posterity haue worne this cloake of excuse euen almost thred-bare by long vsage of it in palliating of our sinnes And we cloake Drunkenness with good fellowship wee cloake Couetousnesse with good thriftinesse wee cloake Pride with decency and comelinesse there is no sinne but wee haue a cloake for it or else if wee want a cloake for our sinne we are ready to fetch a cloake from heauen and euen to accuse God himselfe to excuse our sinne As Sr Thomas Moore tels vs of a prisoner at the Barre who being conuict of felony pleads his pardon vpon this how that God had so ordained him to be a Thiefe and therefore he could no other doe but steale For who euer resisted the will of God But the Iudge answered him very well If God hath ordained thee to bee a Thiefe and to steale God hath also ordained mee to bee a Iudge and to hang thee for thy theeuerie Now as we spare not thus to accuse God to excuse our sinne So are we most ready to excuse our selues by accusing of Gods Word and the whole world is set on this And some Nations in the world thinke it excuse sufficient for their sin that they neuer had these crying Voices of the Lord to sound his Word and precepts in their eares but Saint Paul tels them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.1 Thou art inexcusable O man who makest this thy Plea For thou
Lord God putteth into his mouth euen Balaam in the 22. of Numbers tels him as much where hee tels vs no not for a house full of gold and siluer he can speake a word good or bad but onely the Word which GOD putteth into his mouth to speake that and no other can he speake So that euery Minister of God he must in humilitie acknowledge and confesse what Iohn the Baptist before him stood not vpon to vtter Iohn 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am but the voice of him that cryeth of God that speaketh by mee For that which was matter of pride in Herod to heare the acclamation of the people The Voice of God and not of Man must be matter of humilitie in the Ministers of God when they heare The Voice of God and not of Man sith they be but Gods Voices Acts 12.22 the Word God puts it into their mouth what they shall say And therefore in the second place in that Gods Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods Word and hee is but the Voice to publish it This condemnes the great folly of the world which is so ready to taxe the Minister And if his Doctrine like the Arrow shot at peraduenture which smote wicked Ahab betweene the ioynts light vpon some Ahab 1. Reg. 22.34 some vngodly man entring thorow as the Word of GOD is liuely and mighty in operation Heb. 4.12 to the diuiding asunder of the soule the Spirit the ioynts and marrow This wicked Ahab 1. Reg. 22.8 this vngodly man he will hate the Lords Michaiah for this hee will hate the Lords Voice for this because he prophecies he preaches not good but as he conceitsit euil vnto him whereas sond man he considers not with himself how that the word it is Gods Word and the Minister he is but the Lords Voice to publish it and the Voice neither can it vtter good or bad but what the Lord God putteth into the mouth to say as Micaiah told the Messenger of Ahab who entised him to accord with the false prophets and to bring in his omnia bene with the rest Surely saith Micaiah as the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me be it good or be it bad 2. Reg. 22.14 that and no other can I speake And therefore as we blame not the Bow if the Arrow hit vs but rather the hand which directed toward vs so let not men storme against the Voice which carries but the word vnto our eares But what then shall we storme against the hand of God which aymes the Word directly vnto vs Why storme we if we will but Dauid tels vs in his second Psalme wee rage and murmure but in vaine if our rage be not the sooner ouer God shal vex vs in his displeasure and breake these vessels of Clay these bodies of ours like a Potters Vessell be we wise therefore and be we learned in Gods feare and take we heed henceforward how wee storme against Gods Voices as wee doe Verse 39 lest as Gamaliel tels vs Acts 3. we be found fighters against God And take we heede withall how we censure Gods Voices as we doe bringing with vs cutious eares which heare more to descant on the Minister then to profit by his ministerie For in that we censure the Minister of God we seeme to censure God himselfe such the Minister he is but the Lords Voice the Word it is Gods owne Word and the Minister he is but the voice to publish it And therefore as Dauid tooke the indignities done to his Embassadours by the Princes of the children of Ammon 2. Sam. 10. as done vnto himselfe and so reuenged them so though euen Princes neuer so great ones of the world wrong and abuse the Embassadours of the Lord these Voices of the Lord God he will take the abuse as done vnto himselfe and will one day repay it home Henceforth then let the people take heed how they heare sith it is Gods Word they heare deliuered onely by mans voice And let the Minister also take heed how hee speake since it is Gods Word and not his owne which hee is to speake that so there being this sweet harmony betweene the Hearer of Gods Word and the Speaker there may be more true deuotion in the heart and lesse censuring prattle with the tongue And so frō the Ministers dutie proceed we onward to the Peoples It is so you see that the Minister he is the Lords Voice and therefore as it is all our duties to reuerence the Lord so is it also our duties to beare respect vnto his Voices For the Church it is Christs Spouse and the Congregation of the faithfull the Church of God cannot better expresse her loue to Christ her Husband who is in Heauen then by a due respect vnto his Voices who are heere on earth Now the due respect of a louing Wife vnto her Husband consists in three maine duties First to loue him Secondly to cherish him Thirdly to obey him All which the Church of God and Congregation of the faithfull because she is the Spouse of Christ is bound to impart vnto his Voices for they are Christs receiuers heere ouearth to receiue for him these pledges of our loue And so also saith our Sauiour he that receiueth you receiueth me Math. 10.40 Now we are first to loue Christs Voices and this is the thing the Apostle beseecheth at our hands to haue them all in singular loue 1. Thes 5.12 13. who labour amongst vs who are ouer vs in the Lord who admonish vs to loue such with a more then ordinarie with a singular loue for their workes sake and we are bound to loue them in two respects First because they are Christs his Embassadours sent vnto vs with an Ambassie of Peace beseeching vs in Christs stead 2. Cor. 5.20 to bee reconciled vnto God Now if we loue the Prince of Peace needs must we loue these Embassadors of Peace and if we loue CHRIST IESVS who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word needs must we loue them who are the Voices to publish and proclaime this Word Secondly we are bound to loue them because they loue vs they watch ouer our soules nay they loue many a man better then hee loues himselfe for these Voices Hier. 9.1 they oftentimes with Ieremy carry about with them whole fountains of teares in their head and in their heart draw from these Wels with the two Buckets of their eyes such abundance of teares that their eyes shead teares day and night for their sinnes who seldome or neuer shead a teare for their owne sinnes And therefore good reason haue we to loue these Voices or at leastwise not to hate them as too too many doe who little better esteeme of them Gen. 16.12 then of Ishmael their hand against euery man and euery mans band against them I will say thus much to the honour and
LONDONS VVARNING BY JERVSALEM A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE ON MID-Lent Sunday last By Francis White Mr. of Arts and sometime of Magdalene Colledge in OXFORD Devt 32.29 Oh that they were wise then they would understand this they would consider their latter end LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Richard Flemming and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the three Flower-de-Lâ—â—â—s in Saint Pauls Alley neere Saint Gregories Church 1619. Vox index animi Vox index esto libelli Vox clamans titulum Signat amans animum TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RELIGIOVS Lady MARY Lady HVNSDEN as also to her truely Noble and most vertuous Sonne Henry Lord Hunsden the blessing of Heauen and earth be multiplyed Right Honorable PResuming on your fauours I am emboldned to present you with the firstlings of my endeuours who may best chalenge them beeing the first who gaue life and breath in your incouragements to these my intendements For neuer had I engaged my selfe so farre in these more publique imployments but had contented my selfe in an obscure retire on my rurall Charge but that the experiments of your fauour did for a while dictate another course vnto me which since good considerations haue altered it being aswell your religious desire as my care to feede mine owne flocke at home though but a very little one beeing in a place altogether dispeopled rather then to intend anothers Charge abroad I had sometime thought the desolatenes of the place had been sufficient priuiledge for absence but I finde it otherwise many being ready to find fault as Eliab did with Dauid for leauing 1. Sam. 17.28 though but a few Sheepe in the Wildernesse And therefore to giue offence to none I will seeke no farther excuses for my absence but returne vnto mine owne and sith my absence can no longer suffer mee to performe that seruice to your Honors which I could wish I shall leaue this small Present with you as a pledge of that duty seruice which I owe making vp in my dayly prayers to God for your Honors what shal bee wanting in the performances of my seruice to you desiring the God of Heauen to blesse your Honors with the blessings of this life and blessednes of a better Your Honors most deuoted Chaplaine FRANCIS WHITE TO THE WORTHY SOCIETIES OF CITIZENS in this famous Citie of LONDON in especiall to his louing friends of the Parish of St. Sepulchres WHat was sometime preached to the eare is now presented to the eye and the rather this because the more may take notice of it if any thing there be which any wayes may concerne the Peace of our Hierusalem Nothing there is at all which may deserue the Printing but if any thing there be which any wayes may auaile the soules good the Lord Print that in the Heart which is all I ayme at or can desire I hope it will be offence to none but to such onely who put the gaine of Deceit into a broken Bagge for whom I passe not that our Prophets Inuectiue against the scant measure wicked Balances and the bagge of deceitfull weights is renued in these times and some of the Citie corners not exempted from it which Discipline in time no doubt will redresse and purge That glorious things may euer bee spoken of thee Psal 87. thou Citie of God and the Lord may still loue the habitations of Iacob where his Name is called vpon and his will obserued Thus seeke wee still the peace of our Hierusalem breaking off our sinnes by repentance being at peace with God that the God of peace and loue may establish for euer peace within our Walles and set plenty within our Palaces to his glory and the comfort of vs all in Christ Iesus Yours in all Christian Offices and seruices of loue FRANCIS WHITE LONDONS WARNING MICAH 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie and the man of wisedome shall see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it MAiestie in this Chapter seemes to parly euen with misery God parlies with man and that the quarrell of a gracious God with an vnthankfull people may appeare most iust Heauen and earth the dumbe creatures of God which in the nineteeneth Psalme are stiled the silent Preachers of Gods glory mercy vnto man are heere cited to be eare-witnesses of mans vnthankfulnes vnto God For in the second verse Heare ye O Mountaines and yee mightie foundations of the earth the Lords quarrell against his people The witnesses thus produc't Rockes and Mountaines to conuince the hardnesse of mans heart and height of rebellion against his God God he begins his plea and shewes the ancient euidences of his loue Verse 5 O my people Verse 4 saith God what haue I done vnto thee or wherin haue I grieued thee testifie against me Is it because I brought thee out of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of seruants and led thee like a flocke Verse 5 by the hand of Moses and Aaron Is it because I turned Balaams curse into a blessing vnto you Is it because from Shittim vnto Gilgal nay from Egypt vnto Canaan I made knowne to you my mercy my power to your enemies Is it this that ye lift vp the heele against mee Is it this my kindnes which makes you thus vnkind vnto me Remember O my people these great mercies of your Sauiour and so acknowledge the righteousnes of the Lord. This is Gods gracious plea with his vnthankefull people which did so wound and abash their guiltie conscience that they cry out in the sixt verse Verse 7 In quo occurram wherewith shall I come before the Lord And now God he shall haue burnt offerings hee shall haue thousands of Rammes nay ten thousand Riuers of Oyle nay their first-borne child the fruit of their body for the sinne of their soule And all this now if the Lord he will be but pleased But this God well he knowes to be but crusted obedience much like vnto a wound which deceitfull skill gathers to a skin while within 't is putred and rankles to the bone For so this seeming obedience it doth often palliate the rancour and malice of an euill heart and therefore indicauit tibi O homo God he shews thee O man in the 8. Verse what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humbly with thy God which is the full summe of the Decalogue and the whole dutie of Man And all burnt-offerings thousands of Riuers of Oyle the fruit of the body for the sinne of the soule they are all but splendida peccata they are but glittering sinnes if this be wanting to doe iustly man with man which is the one halse dutie of man and to walke humbly with thy God which is the other This therefore being the very life and soule of our obedience without which our obedience like a dead carkase stinkes in the nostrils of
the Lord that you may all of you take notice of it and not content your selues with imperfect Comma's of obedience to doe some part of that which God commandeth nor yet with imperfect Colons of obedience to doe the one halfe of that which God commandeth but that you may still endeuour to conclude all your actions with full Points of obedience to doe all which God commandeth not mans but the Lords voice cryeth this in your eares For the Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie and the man of wisedome shall see thy name Heare ye the Rod and who hath happainted it Which Text of holy Scripture seemes to haue in it the composure of a Syllogisme The Maior Proposition in these words The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie The Minor in these words The man of wise dowe shall see thy name that is shall see and consider the glory of Gods name his Maiestie and his power and so with reuerence attend vnto his voice The illation or Conclusion by way of exhortation in these words Heare ye therefore the Rod He that is a man of wisedome amongst you let him lend his eares and heart to heare of a Rod which the voice denounceth vnlesse ye turne from the euill of your waies which God hath appointed most certainely to bring vpon you vnlesse you preuent his punishments with your penitence In the Maior consider we 1. Cuius hac vox whose voice this is it is the Lords voice 2. Qualis what manner of voice it is It is a crying voice The Lords voice cryeth 3. The vbi the place where it cryeth and that is the Citie The Lords voice cryeth vnto the Citie In the Minor consider we 1. Quibus to whom this voice is directed to men of wisedome The man of wisedome shall see thy name 2. The reason why the voice is directed onely vnto such and that is because they see Gods name they haue an awefull feare and reuerence of the great Maiestie of God which tunes their eares and hearts and makes them tuneable to this voice to attend with reuernce vnto the voice of so high a Maiestie In the Conclusion consider we Quid clamat What the voice cryeth It tels vs louingly of a Rod from God Heare yee the Rod and who hath appointed it These be the parts of this Text and you haue the Lords voice in the front of it and the Lords Rodde in the conclusion or shutting vp of it to shew how that they who will not heare the Lords Voice at the first shall be sure to feele his Rod at the last Let vs therefore in the first place attend vnto that which is first proposed which is Psal 29. Vox Iehouae the Lords voice The Lords voice saith the Prophet Dauid is a mighty voice it makes Heauen and earth to shake And so terrible is this voice to flesh and bloud that in the 20. of Exodus Verse 19 the children of Israel cry out vnto Moses Speake thou with vs and we will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die Adam before his fall could well enough endure to heare the voice of God but no sooner had hee transgrest but as you reade Genesis 3. when hee heares the voice of God he is afraid Verse 10 I heard thy voice in the Garden and was afraid And this is the condition of vs all since the fall of our first Parents we are so afraid to heare the voice of God that we cry out with the Israelites Let man speake with vs and wee will heare but let not God speake with vs lest we die And therefore though in my Text mention be made of the Lords voice this voice it is not the Lords voice which ye are afraid to heare lest ye dye But the Lords Prophet is the Lords voice in this place which if ye heare not ye die this it is no new thing for the Lords Prophet to bee stiled the Lords voice For in the first Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the voice Christ he is the Word Saint Iohn the Baptist Christs Herauld hee is the voice to publish and proclaime this word So that Saint Iohn he was the Lords voice to proclaime vnto the Iewes verbū Dominum the Word which is God And our Prophet Micah in this place he is the Lords voice to publish vnto the Iewes verbum Domini the Word of God the Word of the Lord. Now it is not said to be the Prophets voice which publishes the message but the Lords voice because the people should attend with reuerence to the Prophets Gods Ministers voice euen as they would to the Lords owne voice sith Gods Messenger he is no other but vox Iehouae the Lords voice Man indeed is the voice because wee are confounded when God himselfe doth speake but not mans but the Lords is the voice because though man vtter them yet wee should take the words as spoken from God who else would speake the words vnto vs himselfe but that our infirmitie cannot away with the Maiesty of the Speaker who therefore makes man the voice because man may well away to heare what man doth speake and therefore though he make man the voice yet will not haue the voice acknowledged to bee mans voice but the Lords voice because wee should attend to what is spoken as spoken from God and not from man who is onely the Lords voice And thus now you see who is the Lords voice in this place See we withall what instructions we haue by this why first we haue Gods mercy commended to vs who vouchsafes to send a voice before a rodde a voice to premonish before a rod to punish Secondly wee haue Gods Ministers dutie set before vs in that he is vox in that he must be a voice Thirdly and lastly we see Gods Ministers dignitie in that hee is vox Iehouae the Lords voice For the first Gods mercy in that he sends a voice to premonish before a rodde to punish And this mercy of God it is euery where commended vnto vs in holy Writ from the Alpha to the Omega from the beginning to the end The first man Adam no sooner had hee lost himselfe straying in forbidden pathes from his Gods command but the voice of mercy seekes him out in the third of Genesis Vbies Adam where art thou Wicked Cain he murthers a righteous Abel and the voice of mercy straight vpon the murther cals vpon him to strike him with remorse for his sinne Vbi est VVhere is thy Brother Abel Alas Gen. 4. what hast thou done that thy Brothers bloud cryes in mine eares for vengeance The old world 1. Pet. 3.19 20. though now euen drowned with the ouerflowings of vngodlinesse yet it perished not by the floud but it had first a voice to admonish it righteous Noah was sent vnto it a preacher of righteousnes Nineueh that great Citie God he had purposed