righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them 2 Pet 2 21. Those who are Christ's enimies are thus threatn'd He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh The Lord shall have them in derision Ps 2 4. Oh fearfull threat how sad is the conditon of those men at whose calamitie God rejoyceth or at whose wickednesse he laughes suffering them to run on in their sinnes because he seeth that their day of punishment is coming Ps 37 13. Give me any anger rather then a laughing anger whether of God or man See the threats Ps 59 8. Prov 1 26. Those to whom Christ is a scandal Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken Mat. 21 44. In Luke you have the same words cap. 20. 18. The like threat you have in Isaiah cap. 8. 15. Many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken Blessed is he saith Christ himselfe whosoever shall not be offended in me Mat. 11 6. If a man shall be blessed only for not being offended at or not disliking him whom he is bound to like and whom it is for his owne good to like and whom he hath no cause to dislike how can his condition be better then cursed who notwithstanding all this is offended at him and disallow's him and rejects him as unsit to build upon Those who have no Vnion or Commumunion with Christ Verily verily I say unto you except ye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you Joh 5 3. Ye have according to Beza's translation and not ye shall have according to Erasmus and the Vulgar because saith Beza otherwise it may be thought that Christ did not give life to us but only keep it for us I apply not this to those who do not imitate Christ especially in his passion as Grotius does for as upon most other places he endevor'd to be as little mysticall and spirituall as he could be so I think upon this he was more Socinian then he should be for thus he speakes Hoc ergo est edere bibere Christi uti exemplo Christi perfestisimum est exemplum tum virtutum aliarum tum praecipuè dilectionis quam imitari Compendium est praeceptorum Nam sicut cibus potus in corpus admissi hominem nutriâ—nt ita bona exempla in animum admissa eum mirabiliter confirmant But whereas he sayes Christ was a most perfect example of love and makes imitation of him to be the highest thing intended in the Gospel for doubtlesse eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood was expressed as the highest and most principle of christianity let me aske wherin this love which he ackowledges did appeare I believe I shall not be answer'd by those of his mind in his dying a Sacrifice for us for then certainely example and imitation cannot be the thing hee came for And yet that in this chiefly both his love the love of the Father did consist appears by the words of John Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ep 4 10. To conclude If eating Christs flesh and drinking Christs bloud be imitating his example how did our Fathers imitate him who were before him and yet did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall rock that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1 Cor 10 3 4. Church not heard If he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican Saith our Saviour to his Disciples concerning one Christian offending another Mat 18. 17. Clothes of men and Women promiscuously worne The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God Deut. 22 5. Some do make this prohition to belong to the second Commandement and for these two reasons First because the word which we translate abomination is usually spoken of Idolatry but this is no reason for it is as usually spoken of other things both in the Proverbes and elsewhere Secondly Because Maimonides saith it was the custome of Idolatrous Jewes if they were men to stand with the â—mbrodered garments of women before the starre Venus and if they were women with mens armour before Mars another of the Planets in imitation of the Heathen That there was such a custome is very likely and there seemes to be somewhat spoken in â—avour of this report in Deuteronomy ch 17. because in the second verse both sexes are mention'd If there be found c. man or woman c. and in the verse immediately following there is mention made of worshiping the Sun or Moone or any of the host of heaven as if it had been said or any of the Planets such as Mars and Venus and the rest but however if they make the prohibition to relate to this custome onely because they thinke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated here that which pertaineth to a man to signifie nothing but armour I shall not take this for a reason neither for they cannot deny that this word hath of it selfe a more generall signification even as generall almost as when we say a man's or woman's things as may appear by twenty places which being so methinkes it is farre better to make the more speciall word used for the woman viz. garments to expound this rather then this which is a more generall word to exclude that at least let it be that which containes armour and clothes too viz. the Habit of a man Communicating or partaking of Christs body in the Sacrament unworthily It is threatned with being held guilty of the body and blood of Christ as if he who does not care to remember him in the best manner he can now he is dead if he had lived when he did would have been little troubled to have seen him put to death Whosoever shall eat this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty or shall be held guilty for he is guilty already of himselfe of the body and blood of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 27. It hath been punished with sicknesse and death For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleep 1 Cor. 11 30. Chrysostome speakes of some possessed with the divell after it and Cyprian hath recorded divers examples of men thus punished one way or another for the most part they were sure to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some judgement or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be judged or punished and it was well for the Saints they were for it may be otherwise they might have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quite and cleane condemned or damned as the men
enough in Scripture-account to make it so many dayes but yet because he did not that which doubtles he knew was the Prophet's meaning viz tarry out the full seven dayes it argues he cared little to obey his command or follow his councell and therefore he must suffer accordinly So againe chap 15 23 he tels him thus Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity * and Idolatry Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath also rejected thee frō being King Rejected or Slighted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had said thus Thou wouldest be thought to hate Witchraft and Idolatry as most abominable crimes But I tell thee in Disobeying God's expresse command thou doest Slight and Reject God as much as he that doth worship an Idol or goe to a witch and therfore God hath also Slighted thee thought thee unworthy to be King any longer Here we read of no other fault but Disobedience neither viz in sparing Agag the King of the Amalekites and the best of the spoile vers 9 whereas he was cōmanded to destroy every thing without exception v. 3. Yet perhaps he thought to do God better service in reserving some for sacrifice therefore some observeupon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished Idolatry verse 23. but signifying Images which they used to divine and know things by and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished stubbornesse but as they say signifying to sinne by adding to God's command and serving him another way then he commands that in the verse before mentioned Saul was told thus much viz That by serving God one way wben he commanded another as if he knew better himselfe what way was best to serve him he was as bad as they that neglecting to seek to God sought to their Images or Teraphim But his serving of God in his owne way when God commanded another was but will-worship and I may say of obedience as God himselfe saies of mercy Hos 6. 6 God desireth obedience and not sacrifice even knowledge only as it is in the same place he desireth MORE then burnt offerings but he desireth obedience and mercy and NOT sacrifice If you have no knowledge I shall accept your offerings the worse but if you doe not performe obedience to me I will not accept of your sacrifices or your prayers at all And therefore as Solomon sayes Eccles 5 1 Be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles you will but play the foole and loose your labour in offering sacrifices so long as you refuse to heare and obey 5 In whole nations Conquest and Captivity The King of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria 2 Kings 18 11 and it followes v. the 12. Because they OBEYED not the voice of the Lord their God They were DISOBEDIENT and rebelled against thee c. Therefore thou deliveredst thē into the hand of their enimies c. thus said the Levites in their praier at the time of the fast after the returne to Jerusalem Neh 9. 26 speaking concerning the old Israelites 6 Cutting off from the congregation by the Leviticall Law Whosoever eateth that which is leavened even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of the Israel Ex 12 19. surely it must be only for Disobedience to a strict command for otherwise doubtlesse such an action was in it selfe indifferent 7 Destruction and death God told the Israelites by Moses before they went into Canaan As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face so shall yee perish because you would not be obedient to voyce of the Lord your God Deut 8 20. and he told the same people by Jeremy after their returne from captivity If they will not OBEY I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation Jer 12 17. Saul's one Disobedience in sparing Agag and the spoile is mentioned for the chiefe cause of his death So Saul died for his trangression as if it were said that his grand transgression of Disobedience which he committed against the Lord even against the word of Lord which he kept not 1 Chr 10 13. against the Lord even against the word of the Lord. for if it had not been against the word of the Lord that is if the Lord had not commanded him to doe what he did not it had not been against the Lord. What fault was there but Disobedience in the Prophet of Judah in eating and drinking with the old prophet of Bethel 1 Kin 13 21. and yet it is there said that while they sate at table the word of the Lord came to the man of God that came from Judah saying For as much as thou hast DISOBEYED the mouth of the Lord c. thy carcasse shall not come unto the Sepulchres of thy Fathers verse 20 21 22. and accordingly a Lion met him and killed him v 24. but he was not suffered to eate him v. 28. belike lest such an example of Gods anger against Disobedience might be too soone forgotten What other fault could there be in him who refused to smite the Prophet when the Prophet himselfe bad him 1 King 20 35 and yet that Prophet because he bad him in the name of the Lord told him Because thou hast not OBEYED the voyce of the Lord behold as soon as thou art departed from me a Lion shall teare thee which accordingly came to passe vers 36. Even of the righteous when God hath made use of affliction to open their eares to discipline Job saies If they OBEY NOT they shall perish by the sword and they shall dye without knowledge Job 36 12. without knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because being instructed they would not learne or were Disobedient Lot's wife was to blame indeed for her curiosity but there is no fault of hers mentioned besides Disobedience to the Angel's command of not looking backe Gen. 19 17. and yet shee was turned into a pillar of salt verse 26. Jonah for refusing to goe to Nineveh when God commanded him was made to lie for it no lesse then three daies in the belly of hell Jon. 2 2. Lastly Those who were destroyed by the Flood it seemes Disobedience had a great part of the cause of their punishment for the terme that S. Peter gives them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sometimes were Disobedient 1 Epist 3 20. Disobedience to God's command in some cases is threatned worse then in others according to the quality of the person by whom it was delivered c. If the command were delivered by the mouth of a Priest it is threatned with Death The man that will do presumptuously and will not hearken to the Priest c. evē that man shall die Deut. 17 12. If it were delivered but by the letter of an Apostle with Excommunioation If any man OBEY NOT our word by this Epistle note that man and have no fellowship
viz with making it loathsome to them Num 11 20. I believe this is a usuall punishment with Drunkards before they die 2 Want of those creatures Isaiah having spoken those wordes above mention'd c. 5 11 afterward addes Their honourable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst verse 13. 3 Poverty and want of other creatures also For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23 21. come to poverty in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also to be dispossessed or disinherited but with this punishmeÌ„t wine it self will punish them disposessing them of themselves disinheriting them of their naturall estate of reason and causing their Parents to disinherit them of their civill estate Sometime they are and it were good if they were oftner punished thus by their Parents The word in the Hebrew viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies wine seems to be compounded of two other Hebrew words viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie thou shalt be Poor of these two words for that which signifies poore some put another like it viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Cheife the word will admit of both etymologies in like manner as wine produces both effects acording as it is well or ill used The richest wine is most dangerous in this regard because it hath most power to tempt thee to tarry long at it and therefore as I would have thee to come to all pleasant meates and drinkes with Feare so especially would I have thee be afraid to Looke upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it moveth it selfe aright Prov 23 31. 5 Sudden Death if Priests and when they went about their office Doe not drinke wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy Sons with thee when ye goe into the Tabernacle of the congregation least ye die It shall be a statute for ever throughout thy generations Lev 10 9. Some thinke that Nadab and Abihu were Drunk when they took common fire instead of consecrated as you may see verse 1. of that chapter and that this Law was made upon that occasion because it is mentioned presently after now their punishmeÌ„t was also death viz by fire from the Lord as you may see verse 2. Either Sudden death or Surprizall by the day of judgment But and if that evill seravnt shall say in his heart my Lord delaieth his comming such speeches of security are common with Drunkards and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eate and drink with the Drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him c. Mat 24 48 49 50. shall begin If â—e be thus threatned for but beginning to drink c. what must he expect if he have practis'd this wickednesse for many yeares 6 Exclusion out of heaven Nor theeves nor coveteous nor DRUNKARDS shall inherit the Kindome of God 1 Cor 6. 10. See Mat 24 49 51. Such as make others Drunken are thus threatned Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him the Prophet could not forbeare to come from the third person to the second for anger which is best expressed in that person and MAKEST HIM DRVNKEN also that thou mayest look on their nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy foreskin be uncovered the cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee and shamefull spuing shall be on thy glory Hab. 2 15 16. Duties of Religion c. Duties of religion such as performe them with resolution to retaine their sinnes THEY are threatned First with non-acceptance as 1. in Fasting and humiliation When the Jews demanded of God Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we aflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge He made them this answer Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours Isa 58 3. 2. In Prayer or seeking to God Yâ— pollute your selves with all your Idols even unto this day and shall I be inquired of by you O house of Israel as I live saith the Lord God I will not be enquired of by you Ezek 20 31. By you in the originall t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you which will expres both senses more anger I will neither heare you nor any body else for you See Zach 7 5 6 7. Mic 6 6 7 1. So Amos 5 22 23. Though ye offer me burnt offerings I will not accept them c. But let judgment run downe as water c. verse 24. As if he had said though you offer me never so many offerings c. I will not accept them as long as you doe not execute judgment See Jer 7 9 10. 3. In Believing God's word or believing in God or in preaching or reading But unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee Ps 50 16 17. God's house is not a Den for theeves c. Jer 7 11. and as long as we reject his ordinances to obey them we have nothing to doe with his ordinances to enjoy them 2. Severe punishment For every one of the house of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from mee c. And cometh to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answere him by my selfe And I will sett my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverb c. Ezek 14 7 8. Samuel told Saul for all his sacrificing to the Lord because he disobeyed his command in not tarrying at Gilgal till he came Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee For now would the Lord have establish'd thy Kingdome upon Israel for ever But now thy Kingdome shall not continue 1 Sam 13 13 14. God's Altar was not allowed for a refuge for him that slew his Brother with guile Exod. 21 14. An earthly Father though his Son behave himself never so respectfully and shew him never so much reverence in his language and deportment yet if he be Disobedient is so farre from accepting of it that he likes him the worse Enemies of God's Children Enemies of God's children threatned and punished First with God's enmity against them especially when his children are dutifull for thus he speaks to rhe Israelites concerning the Angel whom he would send before them If thou shalt indeed obey his voyce and doe all that I speake then I will be an Enemy unto thine Enemies and an adversary unto thine adversaries Exod. 23 22. Secondly a Curse Isaac when he blessed Jacob thus spake Cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be hee that blesseth thee Gen. 27 29.
it to be a little sin because ther is little said in the Scriptures against it for the greatest sinnes there are least spoken of Glory Those that give it to themselves are threatned 1 With God's great displeasure and severe punishment marke his angry expressions to the King of Egypt Son of man set thy face against Pharaoh King of Egypt and prophecy against him and against all Egypt speake and say Thus saith the Lod God Behold I am against thee Pharaoh King of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the middest of his rivers which hath said My river is mine owne and I have made it for my selfe But I will put hookes in thy Jawes and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales c. Ezek 29 2 3. Those Hookes as it is likely were the Chaldeans by whom the King of Egypt was taken and all his Subjects like fish destroyed together with him 2 Severe punishment and the taking away of their glory I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high lookes for he saith by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisedome for I am prudent c. Isa 10. 12 13. and it followes vers 16 under his glory he shall kindle a burning c. The Jewes say that the Angel smote his army with a secret fire which burnt their bodies without hurting their cloathes or their armes and that there were not ten men that escaped alive Hierom See Jer. 50 29 30. 3 Discovery of their weaknesse and frailty by suffering from others Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee I am God but thou shalt be a man and not a God in the hand of him that slayeth thee Ezek. 28 9. Those that take it when it is given them by other men and do not turne it off to God Have cause to feare severe punishment for it is said of Herod when the people gave a shout after he had made an Oration to them and said It was the voyce of a God and not of a man that immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up of wormes and died Act. 12 23. Gave not God the Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Glory viz. which the people gave him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not-giving THE Glory or not refusing Glory already made and given must not looke to be unpunished being wilfull sinne and neerer to sacriledge then receiving stolne goods is to theft if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not-giving glory to God or not-bringing Glory to God of our owne making have beene so severely threatned and punished For so it was First in the Israelite priests with Cursing of their blessings If ye will not heare and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name saith the Lord of Hoasts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart Mal. 2 2. 2 In Belshazzar with The losse of his Kingdome at least it had a great hand in that punishment for Daniel when he told him of his sinnes whereby he had provoked Gods anger against him assoone as he had said The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy wayes thou hast not glorified presently added THEN was the part of the hand sent from him and this writing was written Dan. 5 23 24. Gluttony Gluttons are punished or threatened 1 With Inconsiderate and selfe-hurtfull actions Esau was so greedy of and so gluttonously taken with the curious red red pottage which his brother had made that he sold him his birthright for a messe of it Gen. 25 30. whence he was afterward called Edom i. e. Red and his posterity Edomites 2 Loathing of that which they loved The full soule loatheth the hony-comb Prov 27. 7. 3 Sicknesse The Israelites wherein their God was their belly for they chose to serve that before God although they had no worse fare then the Angels Ps 78. 25 like so many swâ—ne snuffed at the pearle and as if they had been in such a lamentable case ready to starve for want of meat fell a weeping and crying who shall give us flesh to eat Num 11. 4. But how did God answer theÌ„ 't is true he gave them their owne desire but as the Sabines did Tarpeia who when she had desired of theÌ„ what thâ—y had in their left hands meaning no more then their rings put upon her rings and shields and all and pressed her to death with the weight For thus was Moses bid to answer them Seeing ye are so earnest for flesh ye shall have flesh but you shall have it with a vengeance for ye shall not eat one day nor two days nor five daies nor ten days nor twenty dayes but even a whole month untill it come out at your nostrills and it be loathsome unto you v. 18. 19. 20. I believe this punishment was inflicted upon them in a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an unsatisfied craving of the stomack in eating It is often threatned to the wicked in Scriptures perhaps sometimes in another sense in these words ye shall eate and not be satisfied as Levit 26 26. Isa 9. 20. Mic 6. 14. as on the contrary it is promised as a blesing to the Godly to eate and be satisfied Deut 14. 29. Ps 22. 26. and the reason is because they have other food to eate with it heavenly food with which a man may be satisfied if he have no other without which nor food nor any thing else will satisfie a man 4 Taking away or Marring of those creatures which they have abused When the Israelites gathered Manna if any were so greedy as to gather more then they could eate that which was left till the next morning bred wormes and stank Exod 16. 20. 5 Hunger and want For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov 23. 21 The Prophet Isaiah having told the Jewes of their Feasts which they kept in honour to their Idols chap 65. verse 11. in the 13 verse thus threatens them Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold my servants shall eate but ye shall he hungry behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty Our Saviour saith Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Luk 6. 25. and so it came to passe in the Prodigall Son who wasted his substance in riotous living Luk 15. 13. for afterward it is said v. 16. he would faine have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eate and no man gave unto him 6 Shortnesse of life Ordinarily by their owne intemperance breeding diseases in their bodies and this every man sees and knows See Ecclus 37. 30 31. Extraordinarily by the hand of God thus Hophni and Phinehas who out of gluttony and
greedinesse violently tooke what they pleased of the flesh of the offerings while it was raw to roast it were punished not onely in themselves by dying both and shortly after and in one day 1 Sam. 2 34. but in their posterity also For thus saith God to Eli There shall not be an old man in thine house v. 31. which threat is repeated v. 33. with this augmentation for ever as if God himselfe tooke this for a great punishment would have him take notice how greatly he had offended by the greatnesse of his punishment A short life hath beene alwayes counted among the Jewes for a very great punishment from God and therefore it is that to this day they have a custome when they come to 60 yeares of age to hold a Feast because at that time they say old age begins the number of 60 being contained in the letters of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Job ch 5 26. where it is reckoned for a peculiar blessing of the godly to come to his grave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a full age like as a shock of corne cometh in his season 7 Vntimely death Job's sons and daughters thus suffered While he was yet speaking there came also another and said Thy sonnes and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers house And behold there came a whirlewind from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of the house and it fell upon the young men and they are dead Job 1. 18 19. If they were not gluttons then they who are gluttons have the more cause to feare the like punishment No sooner had the rich man said to his soule Eate drinke and be merry Luk. 12. 19 but God said to him Thou foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee v. 20. It is said of the Israelites before mentioned Numb 11. 33 While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great slaughter Whether they died of a disease contracted by eating too much of the flesh or whether it were by a more immediate hand of God it is not expressed but the former seemes to be more likely from those words before mentioned vers 19 20. That gluttonous lust of the Israelites was so odious to God that as if there were no other or as if it were the worst lust of all his spirit hath set it downe under the generall name onely of lust They lusted a lust v. 4. And so to make the sin the more odious to men also the place where they buried the men that were punished with death for this lusting was called Kebroth-hattavah i. e. the graves of lust because saith the text there they buried the people that lusted v. 34. Among the Jewes the Son that was to be stoned to death upon the complaint of his parents the only vices to be mētioned in the complaint besides stubbornesse were gluttony and drunkennesse which is a kind of gluttony or as they call it intemperantia circa humidum Deut 21. 20 21. 8 Surprisall by the day of judgment or The worse usage when they are surprised Take heed to your selves least at any time your heart be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Luk. 21. 34 see Mat 24. 39. But especially have Gluttons cause to fear God's wrath if they are such in times of mourning and publique calamities for then they are sure to be punished without hope of pardon In that day did the Lord God of hoasts and yet they were not afraid to disregard him call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eate and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of hoasts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of hoasts Isa 22. 12 13 14. God Speaking ungodly for him Shall have no thankes but anger and punishment also unlesse the anger be appeased For thus God spake to Eliphaz one of Job's friends who unjustly accused him in the defence of God's justice My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the tbing that is right as my servant Job hath Therefore take unto you now seven Bullocks and seven Rams and goe to my servant Job and offer up for your selves a burnt offering and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept lest I deale with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right as my Servant Job hath Job 42. 7 8. Seven Bullocks and seven Rams A great offering and therfore doubtlesse they had Sinned greatly Folly There is much of this foolish hypocriticall Zeal amongst professours both doing and speaking more then they should in defence of religion In that ye have not God repeats the fault and therefore certainly he was much offended with it Observe how sharply Job took up his freinds for their uncharitable Zeal c 13. Will ye speake wickedly for God and talke deceitfully for him verse 7. Gospel Such as oppose it They are in the same condition with Selfemuderers For Paul said to the Jewes that opposed him at Corinth Your blood be upon your heads I am clean c. Act 18. 6. Nay with fighters against God who are sure not only to have the worst but to be beaten also for fighting Gamaliel told the councell of the Jewes when he disswaded them from medling with the Apostles If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest happily yee be found to fight against God Act 5. 39. They are punished 1. With corporall blindnesse Elymas Barjesus the sorcerer resisting Paul and Barnabas and disswading Sergius Paulus the Deputy of Paphos from hearkning to them was imediatly stricken with blindnesse Act 13. 11. What fearfull expressions did Paul use when he denounced this judgment against them O full of all subtilty and all mischeife thou child of the Divell thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord vers 10. He that would keep the light from another was justly punisht not to see the light himselfe Spirituall darkenesse both by the removall of the light of the Gospel as in the place afore quoted From hence forth I will goe unto the Gentiles Act 18. 6 and by utter rejection of the men themselves for so much seemes to be implyed in Paul's shaking his raiment to the Jewes of Corinth that opposed him in the same place As if he had said with all So God shake off you and every one that withstand the truth even thus let him be shaken out and emptied For such words Nehemiah used
destroyed And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you And there ye shall serve gods the worke of mens hands wood and stone which neither see nor heare nor eate nor smell But if from thence thou shalt seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule Deut. 4. 25 to 29. 10 Shame viz for being guilty of such desperate folly and madnesse Confounded or ashamed be or shall be all they that serve graven images Ps 97. 7. And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel Jer. 48. 13. 11 Death temporall by vertue of a Law He that sacrificeth unto any god or unto god for so much onely is expressed in the originall save unto the Lord onely if he worship God yet if he worship an image too it is nothing he shall be utterly destroyed Exod. 22. 20. See Deut. 13. 13 14 15. This Law was executed by Elijah upon the Prophets of Baal 1 King 18. 40. And when the Kings neglected to execute it upon their subjects because they were addicted to Idolatry themselves it was executed upon themselves by God by the hands of their subjects and serants For so died Kings of Israel 1 Zachariah 2 King 15. 10. 2 Pekahiah v. 24 25. 3 Pekah v. 30. Kings of Judah 1 Amon 2 King 21. 21 23. 2 Amaziah 2 Chron 25 27. whose idolatry was the worse and is so taken notice of that he worshiped the Idols of those people whom he had conquered and those Idols which he had brought away by violence and which he found by his own experience could not deliver their owne people out of his hand vers 15. See a most angry threat Ezek. 14. 8. denounced in very angry expressions 12 Death eternall Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 6. 9 10. See Rev. 21. 8. These are the Punishments wherewith they are punished Themselves But there are punishments likewise inflicted upon their Families after them or if you will upon Them in their families according to the threat in the second Commandements Read the extirpation of the family of Jeroboam threatned by Ahijah the Prophet 1 King 14. 9 10 11 fulfilled by Baasha his successour who left not to Jeroboam any that breathed no not so much as a dog to pisse against the wall ch 15. 29. The Odiousnesse of this sinne in the sight of God and the dangerousnesse of it to those that commit it may be gathered out of the Scriptures severall other wayes viz 1 By the Severity of the punishment inflicted upon those that enticed others to it who were to be stoned to death Deut. 13 10. neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceale him But thou shalt surely kill him c vers 8 9. Surely In the vulgar translation it is presently And they say that whereas in the execution of punishment for ordinary crimes the malefactor had a day and a night after sentence pronounced to thinke what to speake for himselfe for this and so likewise for being a false Prophet for stealing things out of the Temple and for lying with an Idolatrous woman or if a Priest had medled with holy things being uncleane the custome was to put the malefactor to death forthwith 2 From the Curse pronounced even against such as should either make an Idol themselves Cursed be the man that maketh anygraven or moltē image an abomination unto the Lord the worke of the hands of the craftsman and putteth it in a secret place Deut. 27. 15. Or but onely keep it in their houses when it had been made by others Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thy house lest thou be a cursed thing like it c. chap. 7. 26. 3 By the Passionate expressions if I may so speake of God in his threats against it such as those of wiping Jerusalem as one would wipe a dish 2 King 21. 13. Plucking them up by the roots 2 Chron 7. 02. and such like 4 By the passionate actions and expressions of godly men in detestation of it Such was Moses his breaking the two Tables which God himselfe gave him and wherein were the ten Commandements written with God's owne finger out of extremity of anger for the molten Calfe Exod 32. 19. And such was that prayer of Isaiah against the Jewes That God would not forgive them ch 2. 8 9. Their land is also full of Idols c. Therefore forgive them not 5 And lastly By the names that are given 1 To the sinne it selfe as Adultery Whoredome Fornication Jer 1. 16. c. 3. 17. Not that these sinnes are greater but that the Jewes accounted them greater or to shew that God was as angry with his people for committing this sinne as a man will be with his wife whom he loves for committing adultery whence his anger is usually called Jealousy and he a Jelous God being as jealous of worship as married people are of love and not giving his glory to another Isa 42. 8. 2 To the Idols Those names that are giuen to the Idols some expresse their odiousnesse such as 1 Semel Hakkinah the Image of Jealousy Ezek. 8. 3. 2 Gillulim which signifies dung Ezek 22. 3. So the God of the Ekronites otherwise called Beelzebu B i. e. the God of flies 2 Kings 1. 3 in the Gospel is called Beelzebu L i. e. The God of dung or dirt Mat. 10. 25. 3 Aven which signifies iniquity Isa 66. 3. 4 Hhetzeb which signifies griefe because God is grieved with them Jer 22. 28 or because they bring griefe to men also at last according to that in Ps 16. 4. 5 Tizrim which signifies tortures for the same reason Isa 4. 5 16. 6 Tohhebah which signifies abomination because God does and men should abominate and loath them The Jewes in the detestation of Christ call him Tahuth i. e. an Idol Other names expresse the hurtfulnesse of them such as 1 Michshol a stumbing blocke Ezek 14. 3. 2 Mokesh a Snare Exod 23. 33. 3 Bosheth Shame either because men should be willingly or because they shall be by force at last ashamed of them Hos 9. 10. 4 Miphletzeth Horrour or a Bugbeare because men should be afraid to come neere them 1 Kings 15. 3. I will conclude with an expression or two of such as were neither Jewes nor Christians against Idolatry 1 Against the Idolatry of the Egyptians worshiping herbs and beasts Cotta in Cicero Ecquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescatur deum credat esse doe you think any one so mad as to believe that which may be meat can be a God 2 Against the Idolatry of the Roman-Heathen worshiping men and women Xenophanes being asked of the people of Elea
shall eat Yee shall not eat one day nor two dayes nor five dayes neither ten dayes neither twenty dayes But even a whole month till it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you because that he have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him saying why came we forth out of Egypt Num 11 18. 19 20. Because yee have despised the Lord which is among you c. as if he had said because yee have so undervalued me and my being among you chusing even to goe back againe into Egypt so you may eat flesh rather then goe along with me into Canaan without it Impatience under the want of temporall blessings God takes as a dâ—spising or thinking slight of him as if he were not a sufficient portion without them So distrusting of Gods providence at such a time is a polluting of his name making it common and vile as if hee were no more to be trusted then a creature and therefore those that believe him are said to sanctify him in the eyes of others Num 20 12. The Chald par at those words above cited sayes because the word of the Lord was loathsome to you or because you were weary of it to intimate the neere resemblance of their punishment to their sinne as if because they had loathed or were weary of the word of God or rather the Manna which he sent theÌ„ v. 6. they should be brought to loath even that which they so earnestly desired as it is said and as the Chaldee also renders as if he thought it to be thus meant till it be loathsome to you 2. Death and that first by fire from God as in the Israelites for complaining as 't is thought of their toylesome travelling And when the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed in the uttermost parts of the Campe Num 11 1. Secondly by a fearefull judgement not specified for the murmuring formerly spoken of And while the flesh was yet in their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague vers 33. I know some * interpret this plague to be the fire spoken of vers 1. and the murmuring to have beene the same and the rather because of what is said Ps 78. 20. 21. But why then is it said The children of Israel wept againe v. 4. And why should the same place be called Taberah in the beginning of the chapter and Kibroth Hattaavah before you come to the end Mark how earnest hasty God was to punish this sinne He had promised they should eat flesh for a moneth v. 20. and therefore to be as good as his word would not doe it sooner but let them have a full moneth of daies as it is in the Hebrew v. 20. but as soone as ever the moneth was out he did it presently so that though they tooke the meat into their mouthes they had no time to chew it While the flesh was yet in their teeth the fire of the Lord was kindled c. Thirdly by fiery serpents for tempting God as the Apostle's expression is 1 Cor. 10 9. to send other bread and not being contented with but loathing the Manna which he provided for them And the people spake against God against Moses Wherefore have yee brought us up out of the land of Egypt to die in the wildernesse for there is no bread neither is there any water and our soule loatheth this light bread And the Lord sent fiery serpents and they bit the people and much people dyed Num. 21. 5 6. Lastly by Severall wayes for murmuring at the journey into Canaan upon the report of the cowardly spies who were themselves stricken with sudden death Num. 14. 37. For because of this sin their entrance into Canaan was prorogued for 40 yeares during that time they wandered up down in the wildernesse so long till all that were numbred at the time of the murmuring and were above 20. yeares old were dead according to the threat v. 29. 30 All that were numbred of you according to your whole number from 20 yeares old and upward which have murmured against mee Doubtlesse ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein In the New Testament you shall find it threatened 1 With Not being owned by Christ Whosoever doth not beare his crosse come after mee cannot be my disciple Luk. 14. 27. 2 Not having a crowne or reward for not striving Lawfully And if a man strive for masteries he is not crowned except he strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2. 5. The Apostle had before exhorted Timothy to patience v. 3. Strive lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unlesse he fight a good fight 1 Tim. 6. 12. unlesse he strive justum legitimum certamen doing every thing as he should You may pati suffer yet you may not be patiens patient in persecution You must be sure that you suffer justly as well as suffer unjustly as you must suffer well and take it patiently or else your suffering for doing well will not be acceptable to God 1 Pet. 2. 20. In James we have impatience threaten'd with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemnation though it be but Impatience of what we suffer from men though it be never so wrongfully What is there then for impatience under what we suffer from God who alwayes punisheth us lesse then we deserve Grudge not one against another lest yee be condemned Jam. 5. 9. Not only if ye wrong first but if you returne wrong for wrong you may be condemned in the opinion of all good men who would else justifie you and commend you The law gives an action against him that strikes again as well as against him that struck first And here in this place even for grudging we have a Judge ready to punish Behold the Judge standeth at the doore The word in the Originall for grudge not is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it is meant of impatience may be gathered by the verses immediately before and after Be yee also patient stablish your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh vers 8. Take my brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience vers 10. Impenitence is threatened in generall termes 1 With Certaine punishment for God will whet his sword so that it shall be sure to cut If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready Ps 7. 12. 2 With Severe punishment where there hath been extraordinary meanes used to reclaime Then began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty workes weere done because they repented not Woe unto
to be false Now it is more likely that he who judgeth shall be judged then that he who judgeth not shall not be judged because there are other faults for which he may be judged And so is iâ— more likely then that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged which notwithstanding is the saying of the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 31. Besides in Matthew it is said c. 7. 1. judge not that yee be not judged Now if not judgeing be the way to avoid judgement judging must needs be a way to incurre it Judgement I say not only of Men for every body will be sure to judge him and spie and catch at every litle fault in him and will be glad to see him miscarry but of God too and such as will be damnatory even 2 Condemnation against which he cannot complaine for he hath condemned himselfe in condemning others for sinne being a sinner himselfe even in thus condemning which he thinkes not of even as David did when he condemned the rich man in the parable of Nathan 2 Sam 12. 5. so that he hath nothing to say and therefore saith the Apostle Thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that JUDGEST for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest doest the same thing Rom. 2. 1. In judging others he doth as it were shew God the way of Judging him and in a manner challenge him to do the like Condemnation I say yea and 3 Greater condemnation perhaps then else he should have had Be yee not many masters knowing that yee shall receive the greater condemnation c. Jam. 3. 1. viz. as for other sinnes and for this to boot No sooner had the Scribes Pharisees taxed the Disciples of Christ for transgressing the tradition of the Elders in eating with unwashen hands but presently Christ reproves them for transgressing the commandements of God in keeping the tradition of the Elders Mat. 15. 2 3. So the same men had no sooner condemned the Disciples for breaking the Sabbath in plucking eares of corne to satisfie their hunger but presently Christ condemnes them both for unmercifulnesse in not pitying the hungry and denying a little corne and for injustice to boot in condemning the guiltlesse ch 12. 7 and finding fault where there was none a thing usuall with them that are given to judging and censuring Iudgment day Take heed how you put it fâ—rre away and so be Secure in sinning for thus saith our Saviour But if that evill Servant shall say in his heart My Lord delayeth his comming and shall begin to smite his fellow Servants and to eate and to drinke with the Drunken The Lord of that Servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an houre that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder c. Mat. 24. 48 49 50 51. 'T is the only way to make you neglect to get oyle in your lamps the Danger whereof you may see in the Parable of the Foolish Virgins c. 25. 3 12. It will be in vaine to plead non putaram I was not AWARE Foolishnesse will be no excuse you slighted your Master and the Bridegroome while he was your Advocate and now there will be no more pleading no more place for an Advocate I remember a saying of Cicero speaking of Minos and Rhadamanthus whom the Poets make to be universall Judges in the life to come apud quos nec te L. Crassus defendet nec M. Antonius c. before whom thou shalt not have either Crassus or Antony two famous Oratours of Rome to plead for thee l. Tusc Q Kings and Governours threatened and punished 1 For Destroying their people with Woe Wo be unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture saith the Lord Jer 23. 1. The people are God's sheep and not theirs Rulers are but Shepheards for that is the usuall name they have both in Hebrew Greek therefore have no right to them nay they are Shepheards and therefore are bound to feed them and therefore woe must needs be to them if they destroy them 2 For Oppression with Removall from their places Requiring the Flock at their hands Thus saith the Lord God behold I am against the Shepheards and I will require my Flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock neither shall the Shepheardsâ— feed themselves any more for I will deliver my flock from their mouth that they may not be meat for them Ezek 34 10 see Zach 11 3 compared with v. 5 to the 8. see likewise the title Oppression 3 For Injustice with God's unappeasable Anger The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will powre my wrath upon them like water Hos 5. 10. seeing they have removed the bounds of their Injustice I will also remove the bounds of my wrath 4 For Bribery with Shame from men and judgment from doe* love or doe love that which is a disgrace to them Give ye Hos 4 18 and it followes c. 5. 1. Heare this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ye eare ye house of the King for judgment is toward you because you have been a Snare in Mizpah and a Net spread upon Tabor Her Rulers In the Hebrew her Shields to intimate what they should have been It is a signe that God is very angry especially in his threatenings when he calls men by such names as expresse that duty which they have not performed as you may observe the Kings are for the most part threatned under the name of Pastors such as they should bee A Snare in Mizpeh As others translate viz not Mizpeh as a proper name but as the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Jerome Speculationi that is the Watch making it an appellative or as the Paraphrast your Teachers this place may be better applied to that which many Kings and Governours are guilty of the hindering of the Ministers who are God's Watchmen in the worke of the Gospel See more in Bribery 5 For Feeding themselves and not the flock with Woe Sonne of man prophecy against the Sheepheards of Israel prophecy say unto theÌ„ thus saith the Lord God say unto the Sheepheards Woe be to the Sheepheards of Israel Should not the Sheepheard feed the flock Ezek 34. 2. 6 For Deserting their flocks with the Losse or Destruction both of their power and wisdom Woe be to the Idol Sheepheard that leaveth the flock the sword shall be upon his arme and upon his right eye his arme shall be cleane dried up and his right eye shall be utterly darkened Zach 11 17. Our English Paraphrast agreeing with Hierom in the exposition of this and the former verse who applied it to Antichrist thus speakes Woe be to that False Pastour which only carries the name and semblance of an Evangelicall Shepheard who leaveth the flocke to be wasted and spoiled the just
and would have also slaine Elijah 1 Kings 19. 14 was throwne out at window by her servants and troden under foot by her enemies and eaten up by the dogs 2 King 9. 36. according to Elijahs prophecy 1 King 21. 13. 2. Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptist Mat. 14. 10 was banished into France and there murdered as he was a hunting You may marke the end also of Herod Agrippa who imprison'd Peter and James although his death be by Luke attributed to another cause Act 12. 33. The Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of wormes and gave up the ghost 3 Nero who caus'd Paul to be put to death he call's him the Lyon 2 Tim. 4. 17 had been drawn through the city and whipped to death according to the sentence of the Senate but that he cut his own throat before Lastly Domitian called also Nero by the people who banished John the Evangelist into the Island Patmos was conspired against and murdered by his own wife and some of his friends and after his death both his name and all his Acts were eras'd and abolished by the decree of the Senate But what doe I talke of persecuting by offering violence when as Such as Mocke at them are punished 1 With Wrath unappeaseable But they mocked the messengers of God and dispised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2 Chron 36. 17. Against his people c. whom he was loath to be so angry with bâ—t being thus provoked he could not forbeare 2 Severe punishment both on them and theirs The Jewes because the Prophets had told them so many prophecies of God's judgements for their sinnes and of nothing else and because they saw none of those prophecies yet fulfilled at length began to mock at them when they met them and to aske them in derision because with those words usually they began their prophecie especially of Gods judgements What is the burden of the Lord and their false Prophets and Priests would doe the like But they are thus threatened by Jeremy And as for the Prophet and the Priests and the people that shall say the burden of the Lord I will even punish that man and his house Jer. 23. 34. So v. 36. Every man's word shall be his burden viz. either because God would burden them with heavie judgements for thus speaking or because it should lye as a burden upon their consciences hereafter when those prophecies should be fulfilled to have thus derided them 3 Reproach for their reproach And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon them and a perpetuall shame which shall not be forgotten Jer. 23. 40. We all know the proofe of this The very name of a Jew is to use the Scripture language a reproach a by-word and a curse to this day though I believe these words are rather meant of their unhappinesse then of their wickednesse 4 Violent death by wild beasts As Elisha was going up to Bethel There came forth little children out of the city and mocked him and said unto him Goe up thou bald head Goe up thou bald head And he turned backe and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord and there came forth two shee beares out of the wood and tare forty and two children of them 2 Kings 2. 23 24. Children what must the elder sort expect then Some make this Allegory which I mention because what is said is not impertinent to the subject in hand Christ a Crucifying was Elisha the Jewes mocking him and saying If thou be that Christ the Sonne of God come down from the Crosse were the children and Titus and Vespasian who shortly after destroyed both them and their City the two bears though in the masculinâ— gender because they were so fierce that they had better have met with a beare robbed * of her whelps then them Such as Despise them or sleight them Shall be punished as despisers of Christ himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. Just as Moses told the Israelites Exod. 17. 2. Why chide you with me wherefore doe ye tempt the Lord. And ch 16. 7. he heareth your murmurings against the Lord. For what are wee that you murmure against us Let them put it off how they will viz that they despise not God but the men their distinction will not serve For he that truly respects me will respect any one that comes from mee for my sake Further Such as Believe them not have been punished and threatned 1 With violent death That Lord that would not believe Elisha who when Samaria was besieged by the Syrians even in the extremity of the famine prophecied that the next day a measure of fine flowre should be sold for a shekle c. was by him threatned that he should see it indeed with his own eyes to his conviction but he should but see it to his griefe for he should not eat of it which fell out accordingly for the next day hee was troden to death by the hungry greedy people as they pressed out at the gate to take the spoile of their enemies camp to satisfie their hunger 2 Kings 7. 2. 17. 2 Being worse dealt with at the day of Judgement then Sodome and Gomorrah and how bad is that like to be Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words when yee depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for that city Mat. 10 14 15. Further Such as will not suffer them to reap their carnall things One may conjecture their Condition is not safe by the strictnesse of the charge given to the Israelites concerning the Levites Take heed to thy selfe for thou wilt hurt thy selfe most that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upoÌ„ the earth Deu. 12. 19 as long as thou livest upon the earth Come what will poverty or any condition yet be sure to remember him and that as long aâ— thou art upon the earth though thou art led captive out of thine own countrey See the charge repeated Deut. 14. 27. after which it is added vers 29. That the Lord may blesse themin all the worke of thine hand which thou doest Which seemes to be spoken as if otherwise hee would not in this manner blesse them Nay further yet Such as doe not stand by them in persecution Have cause to to feare as may be gathered by what Paul saies of those who deserted him At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16 See the ch of Not-helping the godly at the end Ministery Such
sinne it must expect a great punishment Give me leave to produce what a heathen speakes in commendation of the practise under the golden age When although men had no other law besides that of nature yet he saies they counted it a capital crime if a young man did not rise up as the phrase is here used likewise in the Hebrew to an Old man though a poorman Credebant hoc grande nefas morte piandum Si Juvenis vetulo non assurrexerit si Barbato cuicunque puer licet ipse videret Plura domi farra majores glandis acervos Tam venerabile erat praecedere quatuor annis But the present age is of another mettall Wherein the disrespect commonly shewed not only to old men but to old parents and such especially for then doe we slight them most when we should most respect them makes this report concerning those times almost incredible so that I may use the words of the Historian speaking of an army how the younger bands gave place to the elder Vix ut verisimile sit parentum quoque hoc saeculo vilis levisque apud liberos autoritas Of the respect given and commanded to be given to old men in Scriptures See Job 29. 8. Chr 32. 4 6 7. Rom 16. 3. 1 Tim 5. 1 2. Opportunities of Grace such as neglect them threatned 1 With Hardening Exhort one another while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. See Ps 32. 6. Isa 55 6. 2 Cor 6 2 2 Removall of the meanes afforded them Yet a litle while the light is with you walke while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh 12. 35. 3 Not being suffered to have any more though they desire it Our Saviour told his Disciples The day will come when yee shall desire to see one of the dayes of the son of man and shall not see it Luk 17. 22. See c. 13 24. 4 Being suffered to dye in their sinnes I goe my waies and yee shall seek me and shall dye in your sinnes whither I goe yee cannot come Joh 8. 21. Because it is not your desire to seek me when I may be found it shall bee your punishment to seek me when I may not Now seeing it is thus I will exhort you in the words of Jeremy to the Jewes Give glory to the Lord your God by repenting and believing before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the darke mountaines and while yee look for light he turne it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse Jer 13. 16. And if you will not heare it I am sure I shall have cause to mourne as hee had saying it with confidence as if the punishment were already inflicted Because the Lord's flock is carried away captive vers 17. because through your inward darknesse in the midst of so much light you are led captive by Satan into outer darknesse whence there is no returning to all eternity Oppression Oppressours of the Poore threatned 1 In generall with Punishment great and sure enough For God goes solemnly about it as if he made it his businesse to keep an assize of purpose for them The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancient of his people and the Princes thereof for yee have eaten up the vineyard the spoyle of the poore is in your houses Isa 3. 14. The spoile of the poore c. which is like the gold of Toloze for none can prosper that have it Nay he is so earnest at it that he riseth off his seat to execute it For the oppression of the poore for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12. 5. 2 Poverty and losse of their estates which they have gotten by oppression Solomon hath a Proverb for it He that oppresseth the poore to encrease his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to a want Prov. 22. 16. Hee that oppresseth in the Septuagint the Paraphrase and the Vulgar he that falsly accuseth onely Amos hath a prophecie for it Forasmuch therfore as your treading is upon the poore and yee take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stone but yee shall not dwell in them yee have planted pleasant vineyards but yee shall not drinke of them ch 5. 11. This is a great punishment and matter of much vexation much more then if the houses or vineyards had been bought or given It is a punishment often mentioned in the Scripture viz. not dwelling in an house that a man hath built not eating or gathering of the grapes of the vineyard which a manhath planted See Deut. 28. 30. ch 20. 6. 3 Destruction 1 Of their persons Hee shall judge the poore of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour Ps 72. 4. Break in pieces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he expresses that which he often uses and the Scripture intimates as much in allusion by using the same words as I have often said his retaliating or doing to them as they have done to others for it is said of these oppressours Is 3 15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they beat or break in pieces my people grinde the faces of the poore 2 Of their countrey for the Prophet Amos cha 8. after complaint made of some that swallowed up the needy v. 4. and that bought the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes v. 6. thus threatens Judea The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Judah Surely I will never forget any of their workes Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourne that dwelleth therein c. vers 7. 8. Shall not c. as if he had said If the land have cause to tremble at any time it hath now under the weight of such heavy Oppressours Or I cannot chuse but make it tremble now unlesse I will be God no longer Oppressors of the Fatherlesse Widdows Strangers and Servants Are threatned with speedy punishment perhaps the more speedy because their oppressours put it so farre away for these were the words of the Jewes Where is the God of judgement Mal 2. 17. But in the following Chapter you have this threat And I will come neere to you in judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers c. and against these that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the fatherlesse and that turne aside the stranger from his right feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts vers 5. And feare not me saith the Lord of hoasts or feare not me who am the Lord of hosts and therefore able nay who am a father of the fatherlesse and a judge of the widowes Ps 68. 5. a preserver of the stranger Ps 146. 9. and
stones that they die Deut. 22 23 24. and by burning with fire If she were a Priests daughter And the daughter of a Priest if shee profane herselfe by playing the whore shee profaneth her father she shall be burnt with fire Levit. 21 19. There is one who herein a Paraâ—phrast if in nothing else expoundeth it of hot Lead powred into her mouth which indeed was practis'd in after times In imitation of Gods manner of punishing by fire which they say was by burning the parts within and not hurting the outer part of the body as in that example of Nadab and Abihu and others The punishment of Adultery by death had been executed by God before this Law was made if the sin had been committed as it seemes by what he said he would doe to Abimelech If thou restore her not knowe that thou shalt surely die thou and all that are thine Gen. 20. 7. Speaking of Sarah And by what he did to Pharaoh whose house he punisht with great plagues for detaining her in his house though as it is probable he knew her not and though he knew not that she was Abraham's wife Gen. 12. 17. It seems those people hated Adultery more then Murder For it is said that Abraham gave out that Sarah was his sister lest otherwise they should have killed him that so they might have the better liberty to enjoy her without adultery It was executed upon the Shechemites when Simeon and Levi put all their male to the sword for Shechems lying with their sister Dinah Gen. 34. And it was executed upon the Benjamites of Gibeah for abusing the Levite's Concubine when he lodged there for the Israelites slew of the Benjamites five and twenty thousand and burnt the citty Judg. cap. 8. cap. 9. Judah being told that his daughter Tamar had plaid the harlot gave sentence to have her burnt before hee knew that it was with himselfe Gen. 38. 24. See the punishment of Zedekiah aud Ahab for this and other sins Jer. 29 22. 23. It has been executed upon the child begotten in adultery as upon the child begotten by David upon the wife of Vriah Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die 2. Sam. 12. 14. Disgrace and Infamy is the least evill that befalls such children In Job cap. 31. 10. where he sayes Let my wife grind unto another man and let others bow downe upon her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint render the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let my children be abased It hath beene observed that the posterity of Adulterers are usually short-lived see Wisd cap. 3. 16. If those that commit adultery escape death à thousand to one that they escape these ensuing punishments viz. 2. Retaliation or being done to as they have done to others thus David was punished Thus saith the Lord behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour And he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of the sun 2 Sam 12. 11. this threat was fulfilled by one that was his neighbour with a witnesse for his owne sonne Absolom lay with his concubines upon the top of the house in the sight of all Israel cap. 16. 22. Job even in the chapter of his justification acknowledges it had bin justice for him if he had been guilty of adultery to be thus dealt withall c. 31. 9 10. Let my wife grind c. 3. Continuall feare They know not the light for the morning is to them even as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death He is swift as the waters Their portion is cursed in the earth he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards Job 24. 17 18. He alwaies goes swiftly for fear of being overtaken and he never goes in usuall wayes for feare of being seen 4. Disgrace A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Prov. 6. 33. 5. Wasting of the body It was Lemuels advise Give not thy strength to women nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth Kings Prov. 31. 3. In Job cap. 31. 12 that which we render a fire that burneth to destruction the Septuagint render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fire that burnes in all the members The women under the law found experience of this punishment if they had been guilty of the sinne and had drunke of the bitter water It was given for triall in case of jealousie at the drinking therof the priest pronounced this curse The Lord make thee a curse and an oath amongst thy people when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rott and thy belly to swell Num. 5. 31. Galvin sayes by the thigh in this place is meant the power of child-bearing because oâ— the contrary it is said if she were not guilty she should conceive seed vers 28. 50. Pareus upon Rev. cap. 19. 16. where it is said hee had on his thigh this name written King of Kings saies hereby is shewed that Christs name should be propagated by a long posterity Both cursing others unlawfully being cursed lawfully as by excoÌ„munication the Jews thought it had great effects upon mens bodies See the chapter of cursing the Cabbalists observe upon the word Cherem a curse that the letters therof being one way transposed make it Rachem mercy because if hee that is cursed do repent it proves a mercy to him but being plac'd another way they make the word Ramach a dart the letters of which word will stand for 248. which they say is the number of members in a mans body because say they if he doe not repent the dart or the curse pierced thorow all his members thorow all his members say they and I may adde especially thorow his Liver by consumptions c. for so the Jewes expound that place in the Proverbs c. 7. 23. he goes after her straightway till a dart strike thorow his liver saying that lust is chiefly lodged in the liver and that it is Gods usuall manner in punishing offenders to make them suffer most in those parts wherewith they have committed most sinne 6. Wasting of the estate It is a fire that consumeth to destruction and would roote out all mine encrease Job 31. 12. See Whoredome 7. Hell But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell Prov. 9. 18. Be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor adulterers c. shall enter into the kingdome of heaven â— Cor. 6. 9 10. See the threat against 〈◊〉 if it be not meant of spirituall adultery Rev. 2. 22. and Heb. 13 3. Tertullian in his booke de pudicitia sayes that those Churches which admitted into Communion those who had fallen after baptisme notwithstanding
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. 4 God forsaking of them which is but retaliation for their forsaking of him God said to Moses concerning the Israelites When thou art dead this people will forsake me break the covenant which I have made with them Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them and they shall be devoured c. Deut. 31. 16 17. The spirit of God in Azariah thus spake to King Asa The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him hee will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you 2. Chron. 15. 2. See chap. 12. 5. 5 Conquest and Captivitie In the book of Judges in most places where there is mention made of any Conquest had over the Israelites you shall find this mentioned for a reason viz. that the people forsooke or forgat the Lord their God See chap. 3. 7. and chap. 10. 6 7. 9 10. 11. c. When Rehoboam had establishd the kingdome and had strengthned himselfe he forsook the Law of the Lord and all Israel with him it came to passe that in the fift yeare of Rehoboam Shishak King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. 2. Chr. 12. 1. 2. See vers 5. So the spirit of God in Zachariah told King Ioash and his Princes Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you 2. Chron. 24. 20. and according to his word the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their Fathers So they executed judgement against Israel vers 24. 6 Destruction Thou hast forsaken mee saith the Lord thou art gone backward therfore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee I am weary with repenting Jeremiah 15. 6. T is spoken to the Jews so chap. 16. 11. the Prophet is bid to answer the people if they asked him the reason of Gods judgements upon them thus Because your Fathers have forsaken me saith the Lord and have walked after other Gods and have served them and have worshipped them and have forsaken me and have not kept my law Forsaken me is repeated as if it went very neere Gods heart to be forsaken by a people whom he had chosen or as if going to other Gods did not anger him so much as going from him or forsaking him Under the old Testament when God made the Law that if any one enticed another to worship Idols he should be stoned to death hee added this for a reason of the punishment or at least for an aggravation of the sin viz because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage Deut. 13. 10. See the words of Hezekiah 2. Chron. 29. 6 7 8. Psal 13. 27. Particular persons as Kings and others have been punished or threatned 1 With being murdered And he forsook the Lord God of his Fathers and walked not in the way of the Lord. And the servants of Amon conspired against him and slew the King in his own house 2. King 21 22 23. Speaking of Amon King of Israel After the time that Amaziah did turne away from following the Lord they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but tbey sent to Lachisb after him and slew him there 2 Chron 25 27. 2 Being left to ruine themselves in their owne wayes The backe slider in heart shall be filled with his owne wayes Proverbs 14 14. 3 Impenitency and incurablenes It is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and and were made pertakers of the holy ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come who have gon so farre and received so many good things If they shall fall to renew thē unto repentance Hebr 6 4 5 6. If they shall fall c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not fall forward viz remaining still in the right way but fall aside into another way fall off or fall away viz by a totall defection and revolting from the Faith for otherwise if it should be ment of only sinning againe as the Syriack translation renders unlesse it mean that great sin whereof we speake called in Hebrew Maal a Sin and usually renderd by the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Apostacy it were a very hard saying and who could heare it 4 Rejection if thou continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt bee cut of Rom. 11 22. 5 Noe pardon if they sin wilfully and against knowledge For if wee sin wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Heb 10. 26. and so verse 38 If any man draw back my Soule shall have no pleasure in him David in his charge to his Sonne Solomon told him If thou seek him hee will be found of thee But if thou forsake him hee will cast thee of for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. 6 Distruction temporall and eternall Consider this yee that forget God least I tea◠you in peices and there be none to deliver Ps 50 22. Wee are not of them that draw back to perdition Heb 10. 39. Those wandring starres to whom is reserved the blacknesse◠of darknesse for ever Jude 13. are by the glosse interpreted Apostates and it 〈◊〉 thought to be meant of the Corpocratian◠who denie the Divinity of Christ No◠only if a man doe returne back but if h◠doe but looke back it may bee as much a◠his life is worth as it was with Lots wife Remember Lot's wife Luke 17. 32. Noe man having put his hand to the Plow and looking back if fit for the Kingdome of God Luke the 9. 62. How grevious a thing Apostatizing or back sliding is in the sight of God may be gathered by his angry expressions concerning it especially such as we find in the Prophets directed to the Jewes calling them grievous revolters Jerem 6 28 Trecherous Judah four times in one chapter viz chap 3. v. 7. 8. 10. 11. verse 20. He compares them to a wife that leaves her husband And therefore his anger against this sin being exceeding great is usually called by the name of Jealousy which is the greatest anger that can be and the hardest to be appeased as you may see in an hundred places Deut. 32. 16. c. The very heathen their constancy to their Idols will rise up in judgement against them that forsake God Hath a Nation changed their Gods which
are no Gods But my People have changed their glory for that which doth doth not profit Jer. 2. 11. I will punish all such as are clothed in strange apparell Zeph. 1. 8. Se Isa 3. 18 to the end Jonathan the Chaldee Paraphrast makes these words to have been spoken of Idolatry sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated qui perstrepunt ad cultum Idolorum that make a noyse at the worsbip of Idols I believe hee meanes shouting and clapping of hands and such like expressions of exultation and joy in use not only amongst the Gentiles but among the Jewes themselves when they went about Divineworship Psalme 55. verse 14 where wee translate wee walked into the house of God in Company the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with consent the Vulgar in terrore infeare the anonymous Paraphrast in hast the word in the Original is of the same roote with the word which this Paraphrast here useth viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies also noise it is not unlikely that the Prophet meant it of no other noise then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shouting clapping of hands that which he so often speakes of make a joyfull noise unto the Lord c. Ps 66. 1. Ps 95 1 2. Ps 98 4 6. Ps 100 1. Ps 47 15. I beleive we may doe well if we joine the exposition of this Paraphrast for such his Paraphrase is many times being nothing neer so bare a translation as that of Onkelos with our translation and thence gather a reproofe both of Idolatry and and wearing strange apparell together In regard it is not unlike that the Jewes had learnt of the Gentiles to worship the Moone whom they both called the Queene of Heaven the men in womens and the Woman in Men's apparell the reason whereof was because they tooke the Moone whom they made the same with Venus to have been both a man and a woman for she is as well one as the other and you shall finde in old Authors Lunus as well as Luna Ashamed of Christ and religion Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation then we ought to be lest asham'd when we are apt to think we have most cause of him also shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels Mark 8 38. Luke hath almost the same words cap 9 26. This sinne is in part very often committed by many godly men in conversing with the men of the world they are ashamâ— to set them upon praying or hearing oâ— reading fearing or thinking it absurd 〈◊〉 word that occasions many a sinne and hinders many a good duty to interrupt theiâ— filthy coÌ„munication with godly discourse They are as much ashamed to talke oâ— God and Christ as they would be to goâ— into company that have gaudy clothes with a torn suit But take heed of doinâ— worse then he who said he knew not tâ— man by thus disowning Christ as if he weâ—â— a contemptible man now he has made it appeare that he is a powerfull God nay thâ—â— can'st not sinne lesse to be ashamed of Chriâ—â— notwithstanding his greatnesse and after 〈◊〉 exaltation then the Jewes did to scorâ— him for his meannesse in the time of his â—â—miliation Thou never loved'st thy freâ—â— truly if thou art ashamd to owne himâ—â— any company whatsoever Beloved Sins see Sins Blasphemers against God not pardoned in this world but punisht with Death for God made it a law that they should be ston'd to death upon occasioâ— of the blasphemy spoken by the sonne of the Israelitesse woman Lev. 24. He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely bee put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him vers 16. He that blasphemeth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that doth expresly name say some according to the use of the word Num. 1. 17. and Gen. 30. 28 and the translation of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that nameth the name of the Lord the Chaldeâ— Paraphrast goes further and saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that shall any way expresse which yet me thinks does not so wel agree with what the Jewes commonly speak of the Schem Hamphorash whereby they meane the name Jehovah as if it were a thing allowable Pherosch to imparle or expresse the name Jehovah in other words but not Nekoâ— to pierce it thorow and thorow as I may say or speak it downe right As for them perhaps they gather something though I have not read so much for this distinction of Pherosch and Nekob from those words of this chapter vers 12. where the word Pherosch is used for the text saies they put him in ward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they may render according to their Rabbinisme that it might be expounded to them according to the word of God c. expounded I say for even the witnesses against such 〈◊〉 Blasphemer when they testified what hee said were not to speak the name as he spake it but only to explaine it or expound it some other way Now they explain'd it or paraphras'd it Sometimes by his other names as Adonai or Elohim which are names deriv'd from his power and strength and not from his very essence and therefore allow'd to be used and applied likewise to Angells Men. Sometimes by a certaine number of Letters made into one or more namesâ— and sometimes by severall words wherein the letters of the name were contain'd which were used only by some certain men of the wiser sort and by them privately convey'd by mouth to their own posterity Such receipts of words and letters the moderne Jewes say their Fathers made use of as charmes and spells for the defence of themselves and annoyance of their enemies you may call their practise the naming over a man the name of Jehovah or the schem Hamphorash as it is said the Jewish exorcists named the name of the Lord Jesus over these that had evill spirits Act. 19. 13. With such a charme they say Moses slew the Egyptian Exod. 2. 11. whose son they report this blasphemer above mentioned to have been and they ground their opinion up-these words in the 14 vers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render intendest thou but the words signifie speakest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian and whereas it is said vers 12. that Moses looked this way and that way and when he saw there was no man hee slew the Egyptian they say he feared if there had been some body present hearing what he said he might speake the same to him kill him in the like manner Now as I told you before how that sometimes they used a certaine number of Letters so they say Moses at that time made use of two and fortie which they have no other ground for but because the letters of the word
wisedome thought that Cadmus intending to make himselfe King of Boeotia could not take a wiser course to destroy his enimies then to sow this seed among them which the Poet Ovid describes by the sowing of vipers teeth in the ground which accordingly had its effect A viperous and poysonous seed indeed it is as destructive in the body of a coÌ„mon-wealth as any poyson can bee in the body of a man Id unum venenum eam labem civitatibus opulentis repertam ut magna imperia mortalia essent t is the only mortall dissease that a Kingdome can be sick of 4 Exclusion out of the kingdome of God Hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envyings c. what a company of names this sin hath or what a compound of sinnes it is of the which I told you before as I have also told you in times past he could never tell them too much of it that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Gal 5 20 21. Follow peace therefore with all men if not the peace of freindship the peace of good will Even the most wicked men although thou doest not seek peace with them yet if they seek it with thee let them be sure to find it Though the Israelites might not seek the peace of the Ammonites Deut 23 6. yet might they not distresse theÌ„ c. 2 9. Though they might not seek the peace of the Ammonites with themselves that is make a mutuall league of amity and association yet they must seek their owne peace with the Ammonites that is not begin to contend with them in battell Follow your own peace love and good will with all men though not their peace with your selves because it must not be gotten with enmity with God and it cannot be had without it Discouraging of men in Godly enterprises It is like to be Severely punished For The men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land Even those men that did bring up the evill report upon the land the sin is repeated to shew how great it was esteemed died by the plague before the Lord Num 14 36. Before the Lord. as if the Lord was so earnest to have this sinne punished that he would stand by and see it done himselfe Disobedience to God either meerly Disobedience without any other sinne or as being the maine provoking part of other sinnes threatned and punished 1 With God's Anger The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses Exod 4 14. and it is likely it had burnt him if he had still stood it out not obeyed at last for denying to goe to Pharoah three severall times when God bid him ver 1 10 13. Even Artaxerxes himselfe was sensible how it provoked God to be Disobeyed and therefore when he gave commission to Ezra to build the Temple he gave this charge Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for why should there be wrath against the realme of the King and his Sons Ezra 7 23. and his Sons he feared it would not be forgotten but that God would visit such an iniquity of the Fathers even upon their Children after them 2 God's Curse I sett before you this day a blessing and a curse a blessing if ye obey c. and a curse if ye will not obey the commandements of the Lord your God saith Moses Deu. 11 27 28. See Jer 11 8. Thus were Adam and Eve punished cheifely if not meerly for Disobedience at least in the act it selfe was nothing sinfull but Disobedience for what sinne could there be in in eating of a little fruit unlesse God had commanded them to the contrary And therefore when God pronounced judgment against them all that he laid to their charge was that they had eaten of the Tree of which he commanded them that they should not eate Gen 3 See what he sayes to the woman v. 11. and likewiâ—e to the man vers 17. almost the same words When Paul would shew how we were made sinners in Adam he sayes not by the Vnholynesse or by the Intemperance or by the pride or the like but by the Disobedience of one man many were made sinners Rom 5 19. so on the other side he sayes not we were made righteous by Christs holinesse or by his patience or by his meeknesse nay nor by his sufferings for he might have suffered without command and then he had merited nothing at his Fathers hand but by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous in the same place Adam's Disobedience was as pure disobedience as could be and Christ's Obedience What Christ did or suffered was neither duty in it selfe nor desert but meerely as he said to doe the will of God or to perform what the father had imposed upoÌ„ him 3 God's Setting himselfe against them If ye will not OBEY the voice of the Lord but rebell against the commandement of the Lord then shall the hand of the Lord be against you saith Samuel to the Israelites 1 Sam 12 15. voyce and commandement or as it is in the originall mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebell against or provoke the Mouth of the Lord the aggravation is in the word mouth for if they should doe things not according to his mind it were not so much but when they shall do them against his mouth when he hath given them a charge with his owne mouth to the contrary this is unanswerable as our Saviour sayes If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not * had sinne but now have they no cloake for their sinne John 15 22. In Jeremy yon may see the sinne of Disobedience often aggravated by these expressions I spake unto you rising early and speaking but ye heard not c 7. 13. and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not harkâ—ned chap 25 3. and so chap 35 14. you have the same words Oh lit must needs anger God exceedingly as it would any earthly Father to speak and speak and speak and no body regard to hearken to him Then shall the hand of the Lord be against you His power shall be employed only against you to hurt you and not at all for you to protect you O heavy Judgment 4 In Kings in their Heires with the Losse of their Kingdomes Samuel told Saul Thy Kingdome shall not continue c. Because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee 1 Sam 13 14. Yee read of no other fault reproov'd but meere Disobedience to one command onely of the Prophet's viz To tarry seven dayes for him at Gilgal chap 10 8. This perhaps he thought was a matter indifferent or he thought that he would not come or that he had obeyed his command having tarried till seven dayes were fully come which is
that begat him shall say unto him Thou shalt not live for thou speakest lies i◠the name of the Lord and his Father and Mother that begat him shall thrust him thorow when he prophecieth chap. 13. 3. Hananiah for prophecying to the captive Jewes their returne from Babylon within two yeares was threatned by Jeremie to die within a year after dyed accordingly Jer 28. 16 17. There is abundance of anger to be read in the expressions which the Prophet used when he threatned him The Lord saies he hath not sent thee but thou makest this people to trust in a lie Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will cast thee off from the face of the earth verse 16. I will cast thee in the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will Send thee as we say I will send thee going with a witnesse as if he had said For going when thou wast not sent thou shalt be sent when thou woudst not goe I have elsewhere observed that it was usuall with the Prophets in their threats to make use of such words wherewith they had expressed the sinne which they threatned even as it was usuall with God in punishments to make them have a resemblance with the nature of the sinnes which he punished Shemaiah prophecying in the same manner both he and his whole family were threatned to be cut off chap. 29. 32. Ahab and Zedekiah prophecying in the same manner and disswading the Jewes from obedience to the King of Babylon were by Nebuchadnezzar rosted to death c. 29. 22. And after their death it became an usuall curse among the people whom they had thus indeavoured to deceive The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon rosted in the fire verse 22. When the Councell of the Jewes would have put the Apostels to death as being false Prophets Gamaliel advised them to forbeare as reckoning that if they were such indeed they would be sure to perish though they should doe nothing to them he produced also his examples for it as first Theudas who was slaine saies he and all that obeyed him were scattered and brought to nought Acts 5. 36. Secondly Judas of Galilee he also perished sayes he and all even as many as obeyed him were dispersed Acts 5. 37. This Judas was otherwise called Judas the Gaulonite and those that adhered to him Gaulonites or Galileans Some of his sect were slaine by Pilate as they were sacrificing for themselves because they forbad sacrificing for the safety of the Romane Empire and therfore it is said He mixed their blood with their Sacrifices Luke 13. 1. The first beginning of this sect was at the time when Cyrenius was sent from Augustus for raising of a taxe in Syria and Judea For Judas then disswaded the people from paying it telling them they were tributary to none but God You have read of the death of 450. prophets of Baal at one time 1 King 18. And you may read of the miserable end of Arrius and divers other such Hereticks 6 Speedy destruction if not damnation for so the English translations renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose judgment now of along time lingreth not and their damnation slumbreth not 2 Pet 2. 3. Lingreth not not as if time could goe away faster or that time when their judgment should be executed come any sooner but to shew that the long suffering of God which had waited a great while and not pronouncd judgment till he saw they would not repent resolved now to tarry no longer God may be said to hasten a thing in ' its time or although it have an appointed time Ezek 60. 22 because he doth not deferre it although men fear or hope that he wil. Lingreth not Hence forward their judgment lingreth not or is not idle It is not at a stand either in going or growing but grows greater and greater according as they treasure up wrath against the day of wrath By their Destructive courses which they take or their Doctrines which they teach if they doe not upon others they certainly bring upon themselves swift destruction verse 1. I say destructive courses for so I think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well be rendered in the verse following though it signifies destructions and we render it pernicious waies In the Spanish edition saith Beza and in six manuscripts 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar translate it luxurias we may english it lascivious courses now as Beza saith that this reading agrees well with the description which followes in this chapter of lascivious Nicolaitans so doe I say it agrees very well with the practise of most of your false teachers of these times both in this and other countries most of them walking after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse verse 10. Swift destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or destruction in a short time as it is chap. 1. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies word for word the leaving of my Tabernale is swift But we translate it shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle Bring upon themselves swift destruction any hurt that men bring upon themselves must needs be swift because they doe not use the meanes to prevent it In Ezek. 13. 14 it is said to those false Prophets that daubed up a wall of security for the Jewes bearing them in hand that they should be safe enough from their enemies whatever God had threatned to the contrary So will I break down the wall that ye have dawbed of untempered morter and bring it downe to the ground so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered and it shall fall and ye shall bee consumed in the midst thereof and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So that they shall die suddenly as with the fall of a wall or if they died not when the wall fell they should not live long after In the ninth verse they are thus threatned And my hand shall bee upon the Prophets that see vanity and divine lies They shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord God For whether by being written in the writing of the house of Israel be meant being written by God afore among those that should returne againe to Canaan out of Babylon as God seemes to have had a booke of those who should enter into it in the time of Moses Exod 32. 32. or whether it be meant of being written afterward by men among those who did return again out of Babylon as you may see an account taken by Ezra Ez 8. as there was an account taken by Moses when they came out of Egypt Num 2. or whether somewhat more then so be meant in those words I know not but it is cleare by the words following which it may
when he shook his lap in the same manner in indignation against the Jewish Usurers that detained the morgaged lands Neh 5. 13. 'T is likely shaking off the dust of the feet had the like signification It was used by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch where they were persecuted by the Jewes Act 13. 51 and prescribed or at least permitted to the Apostls by our Saivour not only in case of resisting but in case of not receiving them Mat. 10. 14. 4. Indignation and wrath But unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom 2. 8. Governours Such as resist them They will certainly rue it one way or other for that is the least that can be meant by the words of the Apostle They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom 13 2. The word which we translate damnation is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies judgment See 1 Cor 11. 29. 1 Tim 5. 12. They have been punished 1. With Conquest Thus the five Kings were punished that rebelled against Chedorlaomer Gen 14. The Moabites who paid tribute to King Ahab but rebelled against Jehoram 2 King 3. 5 and 25. Yea though the Governers were heathen and the Subjects the people of God for so was Hosea King of Israel punished and the Israelites carried away captive viz. because he made himselfe servant and triburary to Shalmaneser the King of Assyria and yet afterward denyed him tribute and sent to the King of Egypt to joyne with him against him 2 Kings 17. In like manner Zedekiah King of Judah was punished as yon may see 2 Kings 25. 1 c It is said of him Through the anger of the Lord it came to passe in Jerusalem Judah untill he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon 2 Kings 24. 20. Nabuchadnezzar against home he rebelled tooke his Citty and led him away captive and put out his eyes chap 25. 2 Vntimely death Sheba who rebelled against David and drew all the ten tribes after him was besieged by him in Abel and had his head cut off by the advice of a woman and throwne out to him 2 Sam. 20 22. Amasa who was Generall to Absalom in his rebellion against his father was treacherously slaine by Joab pretending to kisse him vers 10. The Amalekite that said he had slaine Saul though he had not slaine him and though he said that Saul bid him and though Saul were no righteous person as David saith of Ishbosheth in opposition to Saul 2 Sam 4. 11. and though he were David's mortall enemy was notwithstanding presently put to death at the command of David saying thus unto him How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord 's Anointed 2 Sam. 1 14. And here I cannot but adde also David's words in his Epicedium upon Saul's death because Ambrose and others thinke it to be a curse and that those hils of Gilboe where Saul was slaine were accordingly barren ever after Yee mountaines of Gilboa Let there be no dew neither let there be raine upon you nor fields of offerings For there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away the shield of Saul as though he had not beene anointed with oyle chap. 1. 21. See in the Title of Murder examples of such as seeke their places by murdering them murdered themselves for it cannot be safe when our spirit riseth against them to take their places if when their spirit riseth up against us we may not forsake our owne places but of this by and by Eccles 10 4. If the spirit of a Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place c. Jeroboam indeed prospered against Rehoboam and got away ten of the Tribes to be subject to him 1 Kings 12. but God had revealed thus much to him before by the Prophet Ahijah 1 King 11 31. otherwise perhaps he would hardly have ventured for notwithstanding this his successe against the son we have these words of the father still upon record which we owne for Scripture viz. My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and medle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both Prov. 24 21 22 Such as resist Powers and the Ordinances of God though in appearance they resist but men yet indeed they resist God and shall be accordingly punished The murmurings of the Israelites against Moses are both spoken of and punished as murmurings against God and Moses tels them they were accounted no other Ex. 16. 8. So Num. 20 13 it is said The people chode with Moses for water and yet v. 13 it is said that the water was called the water of Meribah because the children of Israel strove with the LORD Hananiah perswaded the Jewes to revolt from the King of Babylon onely and yet it is said that he taught rebellion against the LORD Jer. 28. 16. You may not speake wickedly though it be for God Job 13 7. and I would wish you beware of striking rulers especially or although it be for equity Prov. 17 26. Such as speake against them Have cause to feare severe punishment for Miriam was punished with Leprosie for speaking against Moses Num. 12. 10. At first indeed she spake against him for that which might seeme to be justly blamed as usually in such things the first pretences are the best viz. his marriage with an Ethiopian woman vers 1. But afterward for appropriating that to himselfe which she said was common also to her and Aaron viz to be the mouth of God vers 2. But marke how quickly God was moved herewith And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses c. vers 4. Suddenly as it was said before their calamity shall rise suddenly Prov. 24. And marke how much he detested it so that he could not endure to tarry in the place with them The anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed and the cloud departed from off the Tabernacle vers 10. This Leprosie as it was no ordinary disease so it is conceived it was no ordinary Leprosie such as others now have but peculiarly inflicted by God upon the Jewes when they had committed some notorious crime and especially disobedience to the Priests and Levites as it seemes by what is said in Deut. ch 24 8. Take heed of the plague of Leprosie that thou observe diligently doe according to all that the Priests and Levites shall teach thee OF Leprosie not In as we translate so the vulgar and the Chaldee Paraphrase and perhaps better for these two reasons First because the charge is to the people viz. to doe as the Priests shall teach them in other things whereas for those things that are to be done in the businesse of the Leprosie the charge is directed altogether to the Priests Lev. 13. 2 Because it follows in the next verse
Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam vers 9. who was stricken with Leprosie for her murmuring against Moses who was no Priest In Exod. chap 22. 28 where we render Thou shalt not revile the Gods the Chaldee Paraphrase saith Thou shalt not vilifie and for curse the ruler the Septuagint say speake evill against By speaking evill against them is not only meant speaking evill against them to their faces but any speaking evill of them behind their backs in any manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Peter calls it 2 Ep 2 10. i. e. word for word to blaspheme glorys and to speake indignely of dignities or to disgrace them who are in places of honour Jude saith that Michael although he were Archangell yet durst not do so to the very Devill himselfe Jud 9. to whom we have nothing to say unlesse it be to defend our selves from him In that place of the Proverbs before quoted for Them that are given to change the Latin renders Detractours and wheras it is added the ruine of them both Hierome interprets it thus both of him that detracts and him that willingly heares him So that he makes it reach further even to the hearer See concerning Korah in the chap of Ministers Such as doe contrary to their Sentence Are threatned with Death And the man that will doe presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel Deut 17. 12. Such as did not Serve them though they were Heathen With sword and famine and pestilence And it shall come to passe that the Nation and Kingdome which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezar the King of Babylon that will not put their neck under the yoak of the King of Babylon that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the sword and the famine and with pestilence untill I have consumed them by his hand Jer 27. 8. Such as perswade men to revolt from them Are punished with Death So those Prophets who spake to the Jewes of breaking the yoak of Subjection to the King of Babylon as namely Ahab Zedekiah who were rosted to death by Nebuchadnezar Jer. 29 22. Shemaiah whose whole family was likewise extirpated v. 32. Hananiah who was threatned by the Prophet Jeremy to dye the same yeare and died accordingly c. 28. 16 17. and besides this the wooden yoake was turned into an iron yoake v. 13 14. Such as doe not endeavour to preserve their lives In Davids opinion are sons of death For thus he spake to Abner and the rest that were with Saul when he tooke away his speare and his cruse of water as they lay asleep This thing is not good that thou hast done as the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die or according to the Hebrew ye are sons of death because ye have not kept your Master the Lord 's anointed 1 Sam. 26 16. I have beene the longer upon this subject chiefly for these two reasons 1 To shew that however the true religion be accused of sedition and faction and perhaps there are too many of those that professe it that are sons of Belial yet it doth not defend them 2 That those who are not of the true religion might no longer be scandalized as they have beene for prevention whereof our Saviour himselfe payed tribute which else he was not bound to doe Matth. 17 27. nor the name of God and his doctrine blasphemed as it hath beene very much by such practises 1 Tim. 6 1. Threatning and punishing with Vnfit Governours I will give children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them Isaiah 3. 4. With Wicked Governours In the 2 Booke of the Kings ch 17. after complaint of the disobedience and Idolatry of the children of Israel you have these words in relation of their punishment for it And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of the spoylers untill he had cast them out of his sight For he rent Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat King and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord and made them sinne a great sinne vers 20 21. Threatning and punishing Of Wicked Governours With punishing their Subjects Because thou obeyed'st not the voyce of the Lord c. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines 1 Sam. 28. 18 19. That three yeares Famine which was in Israel in the raigne of David the Lord himselfe said was for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21. 1. See 1 King 14. 16. Other wayes of punishing them may be seen in the chapters of their Sinnes especially Injustice and Oppression Grace Refusing of it threatned punished 1 With Conquest by enemies Our Saviour told Jerusalem The day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on every side And shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children with thee and thou shall not have in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Luk. 9. 43 44. 2 Desolation O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy childreÌ„ together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate Mat. 23. 37 38. it is likely by house is ment the Temple by being Desolate having no more Prophets and messengers from God because he addes verse 39 For ye shall not see me henceforth c. which if it be you may apply this place to the punishment which immediately followes viz. 3 Deniall of the meanes of grace such as Preaching c. Paul and Barnabas told the Jewes at Antioch It was necessary that the Word of Gâ—d should first have been spoken unto you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46. Imagine they had said thus We were coÌ„manded to speak to you first whether you would heare and whether you would forbeare you were to have the refusall of the Gospel and we had commission withall if any were not worthy to let our peace returne to us Matt. 10. 13. now as for our parts we did not judge you unworthy We judge nothing before the time 1 Cor. 4. 5. but seeing by rejecting our letters of pardon you yourselves have therein judged your selves to be those who are unworthy we take the word we are now at liberty to goe to the Gentiles 4 Deniall of Grace it selfe If thou hadst knowne even thou at lest in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but
A third punishment that the Scripture reports to have befallen men for this sinne is Death The Israelites after their fight with the Benjamites according to the oath which they had made that whosoever came not up to Mispeh to joyne with them in revenging the abuse of the Levite's Concubine Judg. 19. should be put to death Judg. 21. 5. when they found none of the city of Jabesh-Gilead there they presently sent thither twelve thousand men and put them all to the sword men women and children vers 10. onely fourehundred virgins were suffered to live whom they gave for wives to the Benjamites upon their comming in to them v. 14. because they themselves had every one sworn before not to give his daughter to a Benjamite v. 18. Nabal that churle denying to help David's army with provision was threatened with the slaughter both of himselfe and all his familie 1 Sam. 25 10 22. And although David were restrained by the entreaty and liberality of Abigail his wife from avenging him with his owne hand v. 33. yet in a very little while after the hand of God found him out and stroke him to death And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the Lord smote Nabal that he died v. 38. Certainly Not-joyning with the Godly in their godly designes and especially those which they undertake upon God's command God cannot take it well and it is a thousand to one but hee punisheth it in whomsoever it be Methinkes I heare Moses angrily expostulating with the Reubenites and Gadites for desiring leave to take up their abode on this side Jordan and not goe over the river with the rest of their brethren Shall your brethren goe to warre and shall yee sit here And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land Num. 32 6 7. How angrily doth God by the Prophet Ezekiel threaten and in his threat aggravate by expressions the Egyptians their not helping Israel according to their promise And all the inhabitants shall know shall know viz. by sad experience That I am the Lord and therefore have power and authority to revenge because they have beene a staffe of reed to the house of Israel when they tooke hold of thee by the hand thou didst break he changes the person for anger and rend all their shoulders and when they leaned upon thee thou brakest and madest all their loynes to be at a stand cap. 29. 6 7. Though he punished the Israelites for trusting in the Egyptians Isa 30. 3. yet will he punish the Egyptians for not being trustie to the Israelites Another man's wickednesse is no excuse for mine Paul prayed for those that forsooke him when he came to his answer before Nero that it might not be laid to their charge 2 Tim. 4. 16. and therefore surely he feared that it would The words in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to import as much as if it had been said I would or Oh if it might not or I should be glad it might not be laid to their charge but I feare it will I have beene the longer upon this subject because I perceived what an odious sin the Scripture made it in the Ammonites and Moabites and because I see how the best of us make it a very little or no sinne at all not to help God's people so long as we doe not hurt them Helping of the VVicked Helpers of the Wicked are punished or threatned 1 With God's anger Jehu the Seer told Jehoshaphat for helping of Ahab Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chr. 19. 2. That hate the Lord. The Septuagint translate whom the Lord hates If we may not hate I am sure we must not love those whom the Lord hates I meane we must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as their word is associate with them in friendship We usually take it unkindly to see our friends loving to them that hate us Do not I hate them that hate thee saith David Ps 139. 21. Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred v. 22. 2 Non-successe in other designes Then Eliezer the sonne of Dodonah of Mareschah prophecied against Jehoshaphat saying Because thou hast joyned thy selfe with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy workes and the ships were broken that they were not able to goe to Tarshish 2 Chr. 10. 37. Heresie See False Teachers Hinderers of the good workes of others Are as sure to be punished as they that doe those workes are to have their prayers heard and surer too Nehemiah prayed that God would thinke upon Tobias and Sanballat onely for endeavouring to affright him from building the wall of Jerusalem with reports that his enemies conspired to kill him Neh. 6. 14. And as they are sure to be punished for their sinne so for the most part they have no successe in their endeavours That Baal-zephon spoken of Exod. 14. 2. is thought by the Jewes to have beene an Idol made by the Egyptian witches and placed in the wildernesse to hinder the Israelites in their departure from Egypt But it seems it could do nothing upon them for all it 's looking * and staring for the name comes from Tsapha to looke or watch but the Israelites out lookt him and had a speciall command from God to encamp just over against him as it were on purpose to shew they cared not for him Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel or any other of God's people especially when they are going to the land of Canaan or are doing that for which they have God's commission and command to warrant them Read the history of God's severe punishing the Philistins for detaining the Arke 1 Sam. 5. Hindering Conversion Hinderers of the Conversion of others Threatned With Woe Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men for ye neither goe in yourselves neither suffer them that are entring to goe in Mat. 23. 13. Ye affright them from being my Disciples by your censures of Excommunication and yee keep them from the knowledge of the Messiah by not permitting the reading of the Prophesies to any but your selves for this was the practise of the Scribes and Pharisees Beza thought that Christ in these words alluded to that sort of traditions amongst them which the Talmudists call Sig Lethorah that is sepimentum legis the hedge or fence of the Law because forsooth by the use of them they kept men from transgressing the Law whereas it was rather a Blind to keep them from the knowledge of the Law And indeed there seemes to be the more ground for this conceit of his because our Saviour calls them Hypocrites as if he had reproved their Hypocrisie in carrying the keyes pretending to keep the Law for the people when they kept it from them Just as the dog that
revenge of God shall be both upon the power and policie of that man of sin his power shall be abated and utterly weakened by the breath of the mouth of God and his craft and policy shall at the last end in disappointment and confusion But Grotius a most sagacious Oedipus and one that had a Lyncean sight himselfe only his endeavour was to make the Prophets look as little way as possibly he could though I know not whether he deserve somuch blame here makes it to be spoken of Manasses who left Jerusalem and went and set up a Temple at Garizim saying that his arme was then dried up when the Souldiers of his father in law Sanballat by whose assistance he did his work were all carried away captive by Alexander the Great into Egypt and that by his right eye is meant the Knowledge of Divine things which in short time was very much darkened and made almost quite blind 7 For Not judging the Fatherles the Widow c. with Removall from their places c In abundance of anger They judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the cause of the Widow come unto them Isa 1. 23 which was no sooner mentioned but the threat could be no lonber kept in for it presently follows Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of Hoasts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine enemies the enemies of God's people are his enemies and those that oppresse them oppresse him I will ease mee And I will turne my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne And I will restore thy Judges as at the first c. verse 24 25 26. Nay 8 For Ignorance when insteed of being Sheepheards they are SHEEP themselves bruitish and sottish especially in things concerning the worship of God Not prosperity and losse of their Subjects For the Pastors are become brutish and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered Jer 10. 21. Law righteousnesse Such as trust to it are thus threatened Christ is become of none effect to you Whosoever of you are juistified by the law ye are fallen from Grace Gal 5. 4. Are justified It is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Beza says or it is a Hebraisme viz for SAY you are justified for justified indeed the Jewes or any other could not be otherwise it had been no threat as the Apostle delivers it ver 3. to be a Debtour to doe the whole Law and yet they both thought they could boasted that they were able which opinion and boasting of theirs was as false and vaine as the present opinion of the Rabbines that whosoever professeth Judaisme let him live how he will shall have a portion in the world to come Leaving of men by God threatned I will teare and goe away Hos 5. 14. and v. 14. I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence c. Then is a punishment of the Sense of affliction truely deplorable when it is aggravated with the Losse of God's presence God himselfe who best knowes both our happinesse and our misery hath said Woe also unto them when I depart from them Ch. 9. 12. Libertinisme The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished But chiefly thē that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanesse and despise government Presumptuous are they self-willed c. 2. Pet. 2. 9 10. It follows likewise v. 12. But these as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed speake evill of the things that they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption Love The want of it is punished with Non-acceptance of Not being the better by any thing we doe though it be never so specious Though I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball 1. Cor. 13. 1. or I am nothing ver 2. or It profiteth me nothing vers 3. Lovers of Life more then Christ threatned With the Losse of it Whosoever will save his life shall loose it saith Matthew c. 6. 25. Whosoever shall seek to save his life saith Luke ch 17. 33. though he have not what he seeks for nay further yet according to the title he that LOVETH his life shall loose it saith John though he never sought to save it Ch. 12. 2. If thou doest but in thine heart where I might have left out the but because that which is least with men is most almost all with God preferre this life before thy Saviour with what sense canst thou presume to have him thy Saviour or with what face canst thou expect to have that life which thou hast by overmuch affection to this sleighted and rejected Lovers of the world They are thus spoken to by James Ye◠adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a freind of the world is the enemie of God c. 4. 4. God's anger against such men as against adulterers is Jealousy and he will not spare in the day of vengeance If a wife should have many husbands and yet commit adultery who can excuse her God is to us as good as many husbands In Isaiah Ch. 54. 5. where it is said thy maker is thine husband in the originall 't is husbands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew what an excellent husband he is Lukewarmnesse The Angel of Laodicea was thus threatned Because thou art lukewarme and neither hot nor cold I will spew thee out of my mouth Rev. 3. 16. God does loath a halting religion as much as a stomack doth lukewarme water Lying threatned and punished 1. With not prevailing at the least as in false witnesse and slander when men speak one thing and know the contrary A false witnesse or a witnesse of lyes shall perish but the man that heareth speaketh constantly or speaketh to prevaile conquer in his cause Prov. 21. 28. 2 Discovery in a little time The Lip of truth shall be established for ever but a lying tongue is but for a moment Prov. 12. 19. 3 Being put to silence at the lest Let the lying lips be put to silence Ps 31. 18. Perhaps it is meant by putting them inter silentes or causing them to be silent in the grave by death as in the verse next before 3 Gods Hatred as in flattery when men speak one thing and doe the contrary Lying lips are abomination to the Lord but they that deale truly are his delight Prov 12. 22. 4 The Hatred of Men refusing to admit such as are guilty of it either into their service or societie He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house he that telleth LIES shall not tarry in my sight Ps 101. 7. 5 A Curse
would not pardon 2 Kings 24. 3 4. They are punished in their Posterity By Death or some other great calamity as you may see 1 In Joab according to David's threat to him For when Joab had trecherously murdered Abner who came over to him by taking him aside to speak with him thus he spake I and my kingdome are guiltles before the Lord for ever from the bloud of Abner the sonne of Ner let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his fathers house and let there not faile from the house of Joab one that hath an issue or that is a leper or that leaneth on a staffe or that falleth on the sword or that lacketh bread 2 Sam. 3. 28 29. See also Solomon's threat concerning him 1 Kings 2. 33. after which it is said also that hee himselfe was slaine by Benaiah at the command of Solomon even when he hung upon the altar 1 Kings 2. 28. to 34. For God will not be a refuge for murderers neither were the cities of refuge appointed for them Deut. 19. 11 2 In David for the murder of Vriah according to Nathans threat Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house because thou shast despised me and hast taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife 2 Sam 12. 10. 3 In Saul for murdering the Gibeonites For when the Gibeonites were asked by David what satisfaction they desired they demanded seven of Sauls sonnes and hung them all up with his consent 2 Sam 21 9 4 In Ahab for murdering Naboth For Joram his son King of Israel was by Jehu who was already anointed king in his stead shot to death with an arrow as hee sate in in his chariot 2 Kings 9. 24. See what he sayes when he had kil'd him v. 25 26 It was not long after ere Jehu put to death all the rest of his familie causing the heads of seventie of his sonnes to be brought to him at one time to Jezreel in baskets c 10. 7. Thus you see how loud and how long bloud crieth and how deeply it staineth so that nothing but bloud will fetch it out again especially if it be in a place where the true religion is professed for then the punishment will be as to one that hath defiled God's dwelling which must needs anger him exceedingly Num 35 33 34. So yee shall not pollute the land wherein yee are for bloud it defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the bloud that is shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it DEFILE not therefore the land which yee shall inhabit wherein I DWELL for I the Lord DWELL among the children of Israel The Odiousnesse of this sinne and how certaine it is to be punished may be further gathered out of the Scriptures thus 1 By the strictnesse of God's requiring the blood shed as if it were a thing more his owne then other things even at the hand of a beast that hath neither hand nor reason Gen. 9. 5. For if a beast killed a man yea though it were an Oxe the most usefull beast of any it was to be stoned to death and none of his flesh was to be eaten Exod. 21. 28. 2 By the strictnesse of God's inquiring after it I doe not read of his making inquisition for any thing but this and for this he allowes times of purpose as if it were a businesse which he constantly does and which he will not by any meanes omit When hee maketh inquisition for blouds be remembreth them Ps 9. 12. No wonder then there are such strange discoveries of murder so deeply concealed so long agoe committed Sithence he who is the searcher even of hearts maketh inquest for it and shall not he search it out See Isai 26. 21. I might produce many examples of such discoveries if it were not beyond my bounds 3 By the strictnesse of the Enquiry which he prescribed to the Elders of the Israelites when they found a man slaine and it was not knowne who kill'd him As likewise by the forme of prayer given them wherein they wereto desire God not to lay even such a man's bloud to their charge Deut. 21. 1. 4 By Davids charge to Solomon concerning Joab for murdering Abner and Amasa Let not his hoary head goe downe to the grave in peace 1 Kings 2. 5. 5 By the punishment which the Shechemites suffered for helping Abimelech in the murder of his brethren viz the slaughter of themselves and the utter ruine of their city by the hand of Abimelech himselfe Then God sent an evill spirit betweene Abimelech and the men of Shechem and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubaal might come and their blood come upon Abimelech thir Brother which slew them and upon the men of Shechem which aided him in Killing of his brethren Judg. 9. 23 24. 6 Lastly by what is said of the importunate cries of such as have been murdered which are sure to be heard Rev 6. 10. How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth What ever thou doest let the life of a man be precious in thy sight If thou hast the invitation of an opportunity to Save it as thou hatest bloud doe it For there are but two waies To Save life or to Kill Mark 3. 4. If thou hast the provocation of an injurie to destroy it as thou lovest life doe it not For if thou hast not hated bloud even bloud shall pursue thee Ezek 35. 6. Take heed of a bloudy hard heart How many Murderers are there that never lifted up their hand to hurt a man Oathes Such as doe not keep them or take them fasly threatened With Certaine punishment Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine Exod 20 7. Name What an account doth the meanest of us make of his name and how tender are we of it and how doe we listen when we heare another mention it Thy God thou wouldest be wary of using the name of thy King or thy Master or thy Father in their hearing and why not of thy God who heareth at all times and places is then most quick of hearing when his name is used In vaine or for a Lie For that the word in Hebrew for vaine will signifie and is so used and that when the meaning is only of assertion and not of promise For whereas in this chapter vers 16 the word for false witnesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deut c. 20. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know they usually say that these wordes are cheifely meant of promissory oaths because of our Saviours words Mat. 5. 33. speaking only of the forbidding of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is forswearing And as if this word were properly
But they that will live godly who are resolved they will live godly notwithstanding all rubs and hinderances dangers they shall suffer for so living Nay there is also a threat of persecution even out of zeale for God such as is too usuall the more is the pity Yea the time commeth that whosoever killeth you will think that he does God service Joh. 16. 2. But there is also a threat against theÌ„ Your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my names sake said The Lord be glorified but he shall appeare to your joy and they shall be ashamed Isa 66. 5. which cannot be well interpreted but of these latter daies since Christs time Pity Not pitying others in their misery threatned With Suffering the like Woe to them c. That drink wine in bowles anoint theÌ„selves with the chiefe ointments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they goe captive with the first that go captive c. Amos 6. 6. 7. They are not grieved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint Nihil patiebantur lat i.e. they suffered nothing or they were not moved whereas if one member suffer all the members should suffer with it 1 Cor 12. 26. God is so much for tender heartednesse in this kinde that he would have us not to have the heart to looke upon them For he tells Edom Thou shouldst not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that hee became a stranger Obad. 12. Pledges of things necessary Such as keep them Have cause to feare what may come of the prayers of him that pawned them For thus it is spoken If thou at all take thy neighbourâ—s raiment to pledge thou shalt deliver it to him by that the Sun goeth downe For that it is his covering only it is his rayment for his skin wherein shall he sleep And it shall come to passe when he cries unto me that I will he are for I am gracious Exod. 22. 26 27. God would have us be very tender of taking pledges of any kind as you may see Deut 24. 10 11. but especially of such things as are necessary for the sustenance of life such as a milstone vers 6. expressedly forbidden Politicians punished 1 With Infatuation of their mindes so that their counsells are to their hurt The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived they have also seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every work thereof as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit Isa 19. 13 14 see v. 11 12. Those that counselâ—d Pharaoh to help the Jewes against the Assyrians did it to his and their owne ruine for the Assyrians thereupon invaded Egypt 2 Frustration of their counsells so that their desires are not accomplished He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize Job 5 12. Let them be never so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perplexedly knit and twisted they shall all be unravelled See Ps 33 10. Isa 19. 3 4. Jer. and the example of the builders of Babel Gen 11. 6 7 8. Upon the certainty of this punishment Gamaliel advised the Councell of the Jewes to let the Apostles alone For saies he If this counsell or this worke bee of men it will come to naught Act. 5. 38. But especially they are thus punished if their counsells are not only ungodly but against the godly For in the frustrating of such counsells God hath appeared very notably severall waies As 1. By discovering them himself in a dream or some such way As he did to Joseph Herod's designe of killing all the children in Bethleem whereby he preserved the life of our Saviour Mat 2. 16. And to Nehemiah Sanballat's designe of killing the builders of the wall of Jerusalem as they were at work Neh 4. 11. with the 15. 2 By causing those whom they entrust to discover them As he caused Jonathan Sauls own sonne and Michal his own daughter to discover Sauls designe of killing David 1 Sam 19. 2 11. 3 By Contriving strange waies of getting the godly out of their power As he did for David and Paul who when their enemies had beset the house to apprehend them were let downe at a window and so escaped 1 Sam 19 12. 2 Cor 11. 33. And for Baruch and Jeremiah concerning whom when Jehoiakim had sent men to put them to death it is said The Lord hid them Jer 36. 26. which some conceive hee did by striking the men with blindnesse as he did for Elias 2 Kings 6. 18. or by making him invisible so as they conceive our Saviour did for himself Joh 8. 59. 4 By causing their counsells to be slighted as he did that notable councell of Ahitophel to Absalom to chuse out 12000 men and goe suddenly in the night after David and take him unprovided which in any man's judgement was the wisest way that possibly could be taken And therefore it could never have been that Absalom should rather hearken to Hushai one that came from his enemies and to such counsel as his was to take such a tedious course of gathering all Israel from Dan to Beersheba 2 Sam 17. 11 but that the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsell of Ahitophel to the intent that the Lord might bring evill upon Absalom as it is said 2 Sam 17 14. 5 By raising up enemies against them As hee did for Ahaz King of Judah against Rezin king of Syriah and Pekah king of Israel who had a designe to conquer his kingdome and set up another king Isa 7 6. But according to the the prophecy vers 7. their councell was frustrated for Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came against Rezin and slew him 2 Kings 16. 9. and not long after Shalmaneser King of Assyria subdued Samaria cap. 17. 3 Destruction of themselves by their owne hands For so Ahitophel because his councell was not followed and because he knew David had intelligence of what he had done went presently and hung himselfe 2 Sam. 17. 23. Or at least by their owne councels I say by or with and not onely in and it will stand very well with the frequent use both of the Hebrew Greek so to translate although the more ordinary signification be in in these following places viz. Job 5. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 19. He taketh the wise with their owne craftinesse Which it is easie for God to doe being wiser then they as it is easie for one that knoweth the foxes cunning in taking such a secret way to take him sooner so then if he went more openly All wicked men as I have often shewed are as thorns and briars and their own wickednesse as fire Isaa 9. 18. They are like a garment and their wickednes like a moth Job 13. 28. in regard destruction
I may make you more seriously then usually we do to think of these two things one as great an evill as we can be delivered from viz. Temptation and the other as necessary a duty as we can practise viz prayer against it which I never heard practised since the disuse of the Lord's Prayer 1 In the 40. v. of this ch it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be otherwise translated then it is viz. without a point after Pray Pray that yee enter not into temptation 2 In the 31. v. our Saviour saith that Satan had desired yea and obtained liberty to tempt them 3 In the 32 v. he saith that hee had prayed for Peter that in that temptation his faith might not faile 4 He had told them all the day before what danger they should be in that night of being offended at him through temptation and he had absolutely told Peter being confident to the contrary that he should deny him 5 He himselfe had prayed for the same in effect viz. That the cup might passe from him v. 39. And I must confesse I doe not think that by the preposition in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant as some say their being delivered up to temptation but only their coming into that temptation in which our Saviour already was viz. of being put to it either to depart from God or to part with life 6. There was not any thing which they had so much need to pray against at such a time as that was viz. when the shepheard himselfe should be smitten then that the sheep might not scattered from him and forsake him 7. It was that which the shepheard had long before prescribed to them especially to pray for viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would not LEAD or BRING them into temptation Matth. 6. 13. an expression to which this answers that ye may not enter into temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And whereas it is there presently added And deliver us from evill so in this chapter it is said that Satan that evill one had begged them to winnow them therefore now if ever they had cause to pray to be delivered from him 8 The words added immediately after these Mat 26. 41. The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake seeme to make much for it For I doe not thinke as some doe that they are spoken in a favourable manner to excuse their drowzinesse because the contrary appeares by the verse next before where there is a reason mentioned why they were not to bee excused viz because Christ had as yet watched but one houre which was urged by our Saviour very sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What or is it possible could yee not watch with mee one houre But rather in a friendly monitory manner to minde them of their weaknesse especially because hee saw how confident they were of their strength to hold out in temptation as if hee had spoken the whole thus Doe yee sleep as if you were secure against and as if you would expose your selves to temptation you had more need watch and pray that you may not be tempted and all litle enough I deny not but according to your profession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to will may be present with you and you may be resolv'd in the spirit to hold it out with me even to die with mee But know this your flesh is weak So that unlesse my father doe extraordinarily strengthen you when it comes to you will not tell how to finde in your heart to perform what you would therfore by all means pray that ye may not be brought to temptation So that If to be free from Temptation it be needfull not only to pray but to pray against it you have no cause to wonder if They who doe not pray do meet with it Preaching of the VVord threatened to be removed Behold the dayes come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it Am 8. 11 12. A famine of bread or A hunger for bread So the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the threat is not only of a want or scarcity but of an hunger earnest desire proceeding from that want as is plaine by the 12 verse by the word for of hearing which signifies literally To heare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which aggravates the punishment very much for they shall have paine and griefe whiles they hunger and in the end shal be starv'd to death for want of what they would have And yet as we render it famine it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull because it implies a necessity of this food for the life of the Soule For we doe not call it a famine although other things be never so scarce and deare unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne or bread which we cannot be without Such as Hinder it have cause to feare 1 Removall of good preachers and havinâ— bad in their stead which is a worse punishment then if they had none Prophecy yâ— not say they to them that prophecie They shâ— not prophecie to them that they shall not taâ—â— shame Mic 2. 6. And it follows vers 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe lyâ— saying I will prophecie unto thee of wine 〈◊〉 of strong drinke he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉 this people If you translate this verse witâ— the vulgar thus I could wish I were not man that had the spirit that which I speak were not true but yet I will prophecy to you 〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with winâ— even a full cup of judgments which I shall denounce unto you it will amount to thus much viz that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word from preaching the truth God will punish them with fearefull judgements and make even those very Ministers in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy In the originall it is drop in both verses And it is not unlike the people did indeed use this very word in a jeere because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek 20. 46. ch 21 2. Even as they did the words Line upoâ— Line Isa 28 10. The burden â—f the Lord Jer 23 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word c. 2 Death and ruine of their families That Amaziah but now mentioned who was a Priest of Bethel in Jeroboam's time is thus threatened by Amos Thou sayest Prophesie not and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack Therefore thus saith the Lord thy wife
shall be an harlot in the city and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt die in a polluted land c. ch 7. 16 17. Preparation before medling with God's Ordinances Such as neglect it may justly feare severe punishment For thus it was said under the Old Testament and doubtlesse there is as much need of preparation for Gospell services as there was for those of the Law Let the Priests also which come neere to the Lord sanctifie themselves lest the Lord breake footh upon them Exod 19 22. The Septuagint say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest the Lord depart away from them as being a holy God and therefore not enduring any unholy thing to come neere him which I take to be a worse punishment then the former Especially after the commission of some fowle sinne whereby we are defiled For then we had need to wash our selves first with teares of humiliation and repentance The man that shall be uncleane and shall not purifie himselfe that soule shall be cut off from among the congregation c Num 19. 20. See the practise of Job ch 1. 5. The Priests before they went into the Tabernacle were to wash their hands their feet upon paine of death Exod 30. 20. What a charge did God give of preparing the people to hear him when he intended to speak upon mount Sinai even two daies before Exod 19. 10 11. See Gen 35. 2 concerning the practise of Jacob. And Job 11. 13 I wish we were as strict in preparing for all manner of duty as the Jewes were and yet are in externall preparations for the keeping of the Sabbath or that we were as punctuall to wash our hearts before we go to sit down at the Lords table as they were to wash their feet and the Pharisees their hands before they would sit downe at their own tables Presumptuous Sins See Sins Presumption of Perseverance punished Both with Sinne and Sorrow Peter told our Saviour Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Mâ—tth 26. 33. but our Saviour presently threatned him Verily I say unto thee that this night before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice vers 34. Shalt not wi lt so that if it be a prophecie it is a threatning one Marke how these words of our Saviour answer to Peter's in every expression of his praefidence as were of purpose to make him see his exceeding great weaknesse Whereas he was so confident of the continuance of his fidelity that all should be offended in Christ rather then he he tells him none but him most peremptorily to the contrary VERILY I SAY unto thee c. Whereas he was confident that hee should not be so much as offended in Christ which notwithstanding Christ had said should be the lot of all of them vers 31. He tells him that he should not onely be offended in him but even quite deny him Whereas hee was confident that he should never deny Christ not once so much and not once for ever not only that night he tells him cleane contrary This night and BEFORE the Cok crow thou shalt deny me THRICE Now you may see this threat fulfilled vers 70. 72. 74. and in the next verse after Peters sin you may read his sorrow For there it is said that upon the crowing of the Cocke being put in mind of Christs words he went out and WEPT BITTERLY Professours in Hypocrisie punished 1 With Deceiving of themselves Non-acceptance of their religion Trust yee not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Jer 7. 4. Lying words Because they call'd it the Temple of the Lord when it was not for the Lord would no longer dwel in it nor owne it So it seems to be interpreted if we translate with the Latin v. 7 Then I will dwell with you in this place But I rather take lying words for words that would deceive them vaine and unprofitable words as it is interpreted and as the Latine it selfe also translates ver 8. thus yee trust in lying words which will not profit you You will deceive your selves exceedingly if you think you are a jot the better for going to the house of God hearing the word of God living with the people of God and having the name of God upon you if your lives be not answerable 2 Being given over to death in Sin especially if they pretend to more then others and take the name of figtrees upon them which is the greatest fruit bearing tree of any our Saviour When he saw a figtree in the way hee came to it found nothing thereon but leaves onely and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever and presently the figtree withered away Mat 21 19. 3 Being given over to death in Hell Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Divells and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquity Matt 7. 22 23. Work iniquity What doe all these great things and yet work iniquity Yea prophecy cast out Divells preach well pray well even to admiration and yet work iniquity There is too often experience even of such hypocrisie Such as are not professours will rise up in judgement against such men and condemne them Shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfill the law judge thee who by or in the letter and circumcision doest transgresse the Law Rom 2. 27. Prosperity Such as abuse it to Sinne through wantonnesse confidence security Threatened 1 With Not-being pardoned How shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forsaken mee and sworn by them that are no gods when I had fed them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troopes in harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. Froward children will be most froward when their parents are most loving But nothing will anger a parent more When I fed them to the full As full-feeding on meat disposes the body to corporall adultery so doth being full fed with prosperity dispose the soule to spirituall adultery But withall it is as certaine that as diseases are the fruits of the former so punishments are the reward of the latter 2 Removall of those things which they abused and wherein they put their confidence As they were encreased so they sinned against me or according to the Chald. par As I multiplyed their fruits so they multiplyed to sinne Therefore will I change their glory into shame Hos 4. 7. So in Jeremy The complaint is I spake unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidest I will not heare c. 22. 2. even in Adversitie we doe not heare but in
prosperity we are apt to say we will not heare The threat presently followes vers 22. The wind shall eate a up all thy pastours thy lovers shall goe into captivitie c. So likewise vers 23. it is said O inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars thinking thy selfe as secure as the eagle in his nest Jer. 49. 16. But it is presently added in the same verse How gratious shalt thou be now when pangs come upon thee Or if you will How shalt thou be gracious and obtaine favour and mercy when adversity cometh having beene thus lifted up with prosperitie See the like complaint Hos 10. 1. where Israel is compared to a vine that bringeth forth fruit only for it selfe perhaps only leaves for it 's own covert not for the use of the owner 3 Most severe punishments without mercy According to their pasture so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten mee Therefore will I be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will will I observe them I will meet them as a beare robbed of her whelps and will rent the cawle of their heart and there will I devoure them like a lyon the wild beast shall teare them It is spoken of the Israelites Hos 13. 6 7 8. As a Lyon Seeing they have beene like idle beasts to mee onely growing fatt with my blessings as beasts doe with pasture till they kick against their master I will be like a cruell beast to them even like a Lyon and punish them without mercy as a ravenous beast will I observe them and chuse out the fattest of them for my prey I will destroy the fat and the strong Ezek. 34. 16. Full and high fed horses and such as have layen long idle breake and grow unruly but they are sure to be hampered for it And there will I devoure them There that is saith one in the heart as if the threat were thus As the Lyon when he kils a beast falls upon the HEART chiefly and the blood and the fat that is about it and leaves the rest of the body to be devoured by other beasts So I will first punish the Israelites in their hearts with sorowes and feares and afterward deliver them to the Assyrians to punish them in their bodies with oppression and violence In the places hitherto cited you have had God's punishments for abused prosperity upon the Israelites his owne people for Judgement usually beginneth at the house of God Now I shall shew you how he threatened and punished the heathen as 1 The Moabites who for trusting in their treasures Jer 48 7 their Idols v. 13 for their ease* obstinacy in their wickednesse in Keeping their Sent like wine setled upon the lees because they had no Changes and because no enemy molested them vers 11 in the 12 vers are thus threatned I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander and shall empty his vessels break their bottels 2 Chaldea who for being overjoyâ—d with successe upon her enemies growing fatt with the spoyle of Gods people Jer 50 11 is threatned to be dealt with her selfe as she had dealt with others Chaldea shall be a spoyle all that spoyle her shal be satisfied vers 10. 3 Sodome the maine occasion if not the cause of whose fearefull punishments was her idle security and her proud confidence for her fulnes of bread Ezek. 16 49 50. Idlenes as well as ful feeding will breed dsieases in mens bodyes draw down judgement upon their persons Security confidence if they be not the causes why men suffer punishments are the occasions why they doe not escape them for like hypnotick potions they bring men asleep with the doores open upon them so tâ—at misery and all sorts of misery may come upon them and take them napping in one day as it is said of Babylon Whose threat because it is so pat to my purpose I will produce How much shee hath glorified her selfe and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queene and am no widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine for she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rev 18. 7 8. Worldly men as they abuse prosperity so they are abused by it and deceived viz by becomming so proud as to think they can never be removed But see how Edom is threatned for his pride thus occasioned Jer 49. 16. Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart c. Be more afraid in and of prosperity then adversity They who are too much taken with it will be quickly taken by it and ensnared For it is no better to worldly men then a baited snare Proud men Have cause to feare 1 God's slighting and neglecting of them for however some translate yet the place is most easily thus interpreted the context seemes to require it Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect to the lowly but the proud he knoweth a farre off Psal 138. 6. He knoweth them well enough and that they shall know one day but he doth not acknowledge nor respect them Thinke it not strange The higher men are the further from heaven See more in sect 4. 2 God's anger and resolution to punish them for it is said even of Hezekiah though he were onely too glad or as we say proud of a mercy the recovery of his health His heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chr 32. 25. This wrath was executed after his death and it had beene executed before had he not humbled himselfe for having exalted himself Hezekiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart c. So the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the daies of Hezekiah verse 26. 3 God's hatred Both when it is expressed in behaviour These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look c. Prov 6. 17. And when it is only in the heart as there are too many proud hearts with dejected looks Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord c 16. 5. And no wonder for God knoweth whereof he is made and that he is but dust Ps 103 14. How doe our stomacks rise when we see a man proud whom we know to come of a very meane descent 4 God's setting himselfe against them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble I believe this was an ordinary saying in the times of the Apostles like a proverb Both Peter and James have it in their Epistles 1 Pet. 5. 5. James 4. 6. It was one of Solomon's proverbs long before Surely he scorneth the scorners but giveth grace to the lowly Prov. 3. 34. It is a fearfull thing
shall not be quenched Jer 17. 27. Even entring in Though the things were carried into the ciâ—y for which there might bee more use and necessitie pleaded Yea and though they were carried by strangers whom they ought to have hindered Ezekiel in ch 20. relating to the Jewes the story of their fathers carriage in the wildernesse how they walked not in God's statutes but despised his judgements for which they had severer judgements threatned them then those which were inflicted which were some of them very dreadfull ones mentions no sin but this as you may see vers 13 16 21. Only vers 24 Idolatry is mentioned along with it Nay in the Priests only negligence in seeing it strictly kept and conniving at the breach of it or hiding their eyes from the sabbaths as the expression is Ezek 22. 26. is reckoned for one of the causes of that severe punishment mentioned ver 31. Therefore have I powred out mine indignation upon them I have conâ—umed them with the fire of my wrath In the 23 Chap. of that prophecy where severall punishments are threatned and their causes declared Sabbath breaking is made an aggravation after adultery murder and idolatry for complaint being made of them ver 37. it is added ver 38. MOREOVER this they have done unto me they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day and have profaned my sabbaths Sacriledge It is threatned with a Curse Will a man rob God Yet yee have robbed mee But yee say wherein have we robbed thee In tithes and offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole nation Mal. 3. 8 9. It hath been punished 1 With Shortnesse of life As in the family of Eli whose sonnes Hophni Phinehas used to take away the flesh which the people brought for offerings to rost it for themselves But what said Eli of this sinne 1 Sam 2. 25. If one man sinne against another the judge shall judge him But if a man sinne against the Lord who shall entreat for him notwithstanding they hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay theÌ„ See the punishment denounced from v. 31 to the end of the Chapter 2 The death of the party Achan who at the taking of Jericho stole some of the gold and silver which was before consecrated for the Lords treasury Josh 6. 19. was by God's speciall sentence condemned to bee burnt ch 7. 15. and accordingly the people stoned him first and burnt him afterwards vers 25. 3 The conquest of the people to which hee belonged Josh 7. 5. Hitherto may you reduce the example of Belshazzar King of Babylon who upon a time in his jollity commanded to be brought forth to drink in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple at Jerusalem But it is said that before one hour passed the hand came forth and wrote in the wall those words that told him his kingdome was divided and given to the Medes Persians Dan 5. 2 5 28. If I would follow others I might give you for examples Asa and Jehoash Kings of Judah Shishak King of Egypt and Ananias and Sapphira But because I take the sin of the two last to be no proper sacriledge that it was not so much the detaining of the mony that was punished And because I meet with no particular relation of Shishakâ—s punishment as inflicted for this sinne And lastly because of the two first it is not onely not mentioned that they were punished for this sin but said that they were punished for other causes Asa for relying on the King of Syria 2 Cor. 16 7 and Jehoash for the blood of the sonnes of Jehoida the Priest 2 Chron. 24 25 I think it is not best to make this use of them I might also present to you for your use examples out of the Maccabees As I Alcimus a Commander under Demetrius who as he began to pull downe the wall of the inner Court and the works of the Prophets Haggai and Zachary by whose perswasions the walls were built was stricken dumb and died suddenly 1 Mac. 9. 54. 2 Heliodorus who when hee came to the treasury of the temple to take it away saw a strange apparition and was stricken to the ground 2. Mac. 3. 25. and 27. 3 Menelaus one who had committed much sacriledge first last Against him it is said the King of Kings moved the mind of Antiochus who caused him to be put to death after the manner as sacrilegioâ—s persons were wont to be at Berea 2 Mac. 13. 4. But because the faith of these relations is suspected I doe but name them Whether these and other examples that might be brought bee truly related or not of this you may be confident that hee who takes a thing sacrilegiously is most taken himselfe For It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy Prov. 20. 25 Being Scandalized 1 At the waies of God Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walke in them But the transgressours shall fall therein Hos 14. 9. 2 At the word of God Peter saies that our Saviour becomes a stone of stumbling to them which stumble at the word 1 Pet. 2. 8. 3 At God himselfe He shall be for a sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel Isa 8 14. See the Chapter of Christ Scandalizing dangerous For 1 It makes God punish a sinne which otherwise he had not punished David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David The Lord hath also put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is borne to thee shall surely die 2 Sam. 12 13 14. 2 It makes him to resolve immutably to punish when perhaps otherwise hee would repent especially if it be in his ministers For thus he speaks of the Priests of Bethel in Jeroboam's time Because they ministred unto them before their Idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity therefore have I lift up my hand against them saith the Lord God and they shall beare their iniquitie Ezek 44 12. In Malachy mention is made how God punished such ministers in his time viz. with the contempt of the people Yee have caused many to stumhle at the law yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Therefore I also have made you contemptible as you have made my ordinances contemptible and base before all the people according as yee have not kept my waies but have been partiall in the law Malach. 2. 8 9. How justly the Ministers of England by their scandalous life and doctrine have suffered doe still suffer this punishment I wish
opposition only to the evill of Sinne yet according to the use of the Hebrew word Tob it may be meant in opposition to both evills as if we said after our usuall phrase The soule without knowledge cannot doe well which will expresse both The Evills Punishmēts of ignorance more particularly expressed in the Scriptures are 1 Errour in opinion for hence proceeded the opinion of the Sadduces that there was no resurrection as our Saviour told them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God Mat 22. 29 see c. 12. 7. Osea 4. 1. 2. The power of God viz either to raise the bodies againe or to preserve the soules without them even as the heathen most of their errours both in judgment and practise proceeded frō their Ignorance of the nature of God if I may so speak Hinc primae scelerū causae mortalibus aegris naturam nesciredeum 2 Rejection Spirituall for not knowing God not being known of him 1 Cor 14. 38 If that which we render let him be ignorant be to be rendred shall not be known according to the vulgar and Erasmus and according to the use of the expression of God's knowing or acknowledging us Luk. 13. 27. and our being knowne of God 1 Cor. 8 3. But at lest of temporall rejection you have a threat without question in Hosea ch 4. 6. Because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no priest to me seeing thou hast forgoten the Law of thy God I also will forget thy children I might in the next place threaten them with more ignorance and produce my warrant those words of Paul in the place above quoted as we have rendered them If any man be ignorant for so I have seen them applyed as if the Ignorant were in those words threatned with the continuance of their Ignorance neither is it unusuall with God to punish sinne in this manner But I forbeare because with Beza I rather conceive it to be spoken either by way of slighting or else to exhort the ignorant person to acknowledge his ignorance and not to trouble the Church by speaking or teaching 3 Being Strangers to the life of God which they would count a very great unhapinesse did they know what a life that is Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Ephes 4. 18. 4 Being given up to sinne And even as they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge God gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe those things which were not convenient Rom 1. 25. 5 Captivity and misery Therefore my people are gone into captivity because they have noe knowledge * and their honourable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst c. Isa 5. 13. 6 No mercy It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them whom therefore for shame they should not have been ignorant of will not have mercy on them and he that formed them in whose favour alone his life will shew them no favour Isa 27. 11. 7 Destruction My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4. 6. Though he had mentioned many other sinnes before v. 1. 2 and this along with them yet in regard this was the worst or because it was the fountaine of all the rest he sayes they are destroyed for lack of knowledge It was told the King of Assyria when he had sent Idolaters to inhabit the Land of Israel instead of the Israelites The nations which thou hast removed and placed in the Cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the Land therefore he hath sent Lions among them and behold they slay them because they know not the manner of the God of the Land 2 Kings 17. 26. 8 Damnation When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God c. 2 Thes 1. 7 8. See severall punishments of him that knoweth not God related by Bildad Job 18. 5 to the 21. The danger of Ignorance may be gathered from many other places of Scriptures Our Saviour sayes He that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Luk 12. 48. and therefore he shall becertainly beaten As Paul obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly 1 Tim 1. 13 So he had not escaped the punishment but because he obtained mercy If our Saviour pray for his persecutors Father forgive them for they know not what they doe Luk 23. 34 then surely woe be to them who persecute him though they know not what they doe unlesse God pardon them And it is not improbable that in those words For they know not what they doe he meant not so much to extenuate their sinne as in a pitying manner to aggravate their sad and desperate condition in sinning so as they did through ignorance as if he had said They doe they know not what It was sayd under the Law If a Soule sinne c. though he wist it not yet he is guilty and shall beare his iniquity as well as others Lev. 5. 17 and without an offering it could not be forgiven him v. 18. See what God sayd to Abimelech Gen 20. 6. It may be aswell because they expected to be chid for their ignorance as for any other reason that the Disciples of Christ were so afraid to aske him the meaning of that which they understood not when he told them of his passion and resurrection Mark 9. 32. Luk 9. 45. Job speaking of the misery of mortall men concludes with this as the complement They die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that with out wisedome or in Ignorance c. 4. 21 even like the beasts Ecclesiast 3. 19. Ignorant men the best sort of them are compared to blind men and to them that walke in the night or in darkenesse and therefore they cannot but be in danger of stumbling and falling But there is a worse sort viz. those that love darknesse rather then light Joh. 3. 9 and their condition is worse and there is a worse then this againe those who should be lights of the world and leaders of the blind the condition of these men is worst of all for other blind men will but fall into the ditch themselves but these will fall and pull others upon them Mat 15. 14. I speake of Ignorant Pastors and Teachers For if thou givest him not warnning nor speakest to warne the wicked from his wicked way to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require way at thine hand Ezek 3. 18. Impatience and Murmuring In the Old Testament you shall finde it Threatned 1 With The grant of what is desired in anger which is a very sad punishment Thus the Israelites were punished for murmuring for want of flesh Therefore the Lord will give you flesh and yee