sought and worshiped even in every place appointed by publike authoritie for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God given his Church a 1. Cor. 12 27. some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and evident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue would haue the societie fellowship company of your sweet Saviour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Knowe this you cannot be right worshippers of God in private if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assemblie the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoever doe for none or for smal occasions absent your selues from this place this house of God at appointed times where when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouÌ„cing of al sects and societie with idolatrie and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare avouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing St Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these daies finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will bee ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this soare I know somewhat and you knowe more then I how backward many of you haue beene froÌ„ doing God due service in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreverence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you invite your neighbour to sup with you but once he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almightie the mightie creatour of Heaven of Earth of all you that heare mâ— this day invite you many times to come and suppe at the table of his blessed Sonne and you refuse it Beleeue it hee cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoever therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grievously as a learned b Bucanus Loc. 48. Divine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a divine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloved lay vp these things in your harts let this day be the beginning of your reformatioÌ„ resolue from hence forth to perfourme your due obedience to God in this place to poure forth your praiers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table whereby faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenes of your sinnes your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of SION and IERVSALEM the place from whence God will speake vnto yâ—â— exhorted every one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Servants For old and yong should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel. 2.15 16. Calla solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the childreÌ„ those that suck the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua cha 24.15 I my house will serue the LORD Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children servants to your neighbours also strangers if they come in your way This we may learne out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zacharie First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies we wil walke in his pathes for the law shall go forth of SION and the word of the Lord from IERVSALEM Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachary chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall go vnto another saying vp let vs go and pray before the LORD seeke the LORD of hoastes I will go also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE FIFTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither OF the speaker place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spokeÌ„ Now proceed we to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time bee the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall Hebrew copie we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepheards haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepheards did vse in the wildernesse neere vnto such fields pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might bee at hand to defend their harmelesse sheepe from savage and ravenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places
A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST Chapter of the Prophecy of AMOS delivered in XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEISEY HAMPTON in the Diocesse of Gloucester BY SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD DOCTOR of Divinity and fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford HEREVNTO IS ADDED A SERMON vpon 1. Cor. 9.19 wherein is touched the lawfull vse of things indifferent EPHES. 5.16 Redeeme the time because the daies are evill Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit 1613. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD AND MY VERY GOOD LORD IOHN KING BY the Divine providence L. Bishop of London S. B. wisheth all grace and happinesse RIGHT REVEREND AND HONOVRABLE I Haue adventured this second time to commend my poore laboures to your Honourable protection My former were involued in a few paper leaues In presenting them to your Lordship I seemed not much vnlike the Samian Poet Choerilus who presumed to offer to great ALEXANDER a few harsh verses Your then favourable acceptance of that litle Sermō hath emboldned this larger volume to presse into your L. presence It conteineth coūtry Sermons They intend principally the reformation of māners in such as desire to liue a godly life in this present world This is the mite which for this time I cast into Gods treasurie If I haue done it with your Honoures good liking I shall the lesse regard what bitter tongues shall say Censurers I will not heed I know whose liveries they walke in It must be an admirable piece of worke that shall haue their approbation Against such I oppose a wall of brasse VVhat I doe I doe it only to discharge some little parte of that duty which I owe vnto Gods people through my Ministery I may not longer detaine your Lordship God Almighty so blesse your governement in his Church among vs that the bounds of the Gospell of CHRIST may be enlarged that faithfull Pastors may be comforted that the enimies of true religion may be suppressed that the glory of God in all may be advanced YOVR HONOVRES in all duty and service to be commaunded SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD From my Study in CORPVS CHRISTI COLLEGE in OXFORD Iuly 5. 1613. The Preface to the Christian Reader GENTLE READER These sermons were provided for the Pulpit not intended for the Presse Yet sith I liue in a prodigall age of the world wherein too many with their vnprofitable if not obscene Pamphlets doe runne a Ad prelum tanquam praelium to the Presse as a horse to the battell and are entertained with applause I haue the more willingly now published them to thy view Thou wilt say There is already great store of Sermons abroad more then we can well vse I deny it not Yet to the fulnesse of this Sea I adde more and repent not Is abundance a burden to thee If thy soule may be fed with variety as well by the eie as by the eare hast thou any reason to finde fault But weake stomackes may surfet at the sight of too much Let such favour their eie-sight They may easily looke of and please themselues with their old choise There is no reason that their daintinesse should prejudice that profit which others might reape from this abundance Wee that are called to be labourers in the Lords harvest must resolue with the LORD of the Harvest His resolution was b Ioh. 9.4 I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke Our day is our life time the only time for vs to worke in If now in this our day time we will insteed of working onely treasure vp knowledge in our hearts as that horder in the c Cap. 11.26 Proverbs did his corne in his storehouse or will wrap vp the gifts wherewith God hath blessed vs in wast papers as the slothfull servant in the * Luk. 19.20 Gospell did his talent in a napkin the night will come vpon vs and we shall not worke Suffer vs therefore while it is our day to worke Our worke consisteth in the preaching of the Gospell The Gospell is preached as well d Ambo-verbū praedicant hic quidem scripto ille verò voce Clem. Alex. stromat lib. 1 interprete Gentiano Herveto p 57 edit Basil in fol. An. 1556. paulò pòst Praedicandi scientia est quodammodo Angelica vtrovis modo iuvans seu per manum seu per linguam operetur There is not any thing PVBLIKELY NOTIFIED but wee may in that respect rightly and properly say it is PREACHED Luk. 8 39. 12.3 Hooker Eccl. Polit. l. 5. § 18. pag. 28 Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles were in their times all PREACHERS of Gods truth some by WORD some by WRITING some by BOTH Hooker ibid. § 19. pag. 29. The Apostles in WRITING are not vntruely nor vnfitly said to PREACH Hooker lib. 5. § 21. pag 39. vide ibid. plura Evangelizo MANV SCRIPTIONE Rainold de Rom. Eccles Idololat Praef. ad Com. Essex pag. 7. by writing as by speaking as well by pen as by tongue The word spoken for the time is most piercing but the letter written is of most continuance I shall account it my happinesse if I may doe good both waies My place in that worthy Foundation whereof I am an vnworthy member wearing me out in the reading of HVMANITIE now the fourteenth yeare hath hindred mee from doing that good I wished to haue done the one way by my speaking by my tongue If the other way by my writing by my penne I may redeeme the time past and by these my poore labours may doe some good not only to * The inhabitants of MEIS BY HAMPTON MARSTON and DVNFIELD in the Diocesse of Gloucester them among whom I first sowed this seed but also to other Congregations of my Country I haue enough If deare CHRISTIAN thou find in these my Sermons the same things iterated marvaile not thereat I haue my Prophets warrant for it He in this first chapter repeateth the same things fiue times over May not I after his ensample doe it once or twise I must professe vnto thee good CHRISTIAN that my cheefe intent in this Commentarie is the destruction of sinne If to any of the learned J seeme to haue failed of my purpose my earnest desire is that they will bee pleased to take the paines to amend it The rest who to this poore labour of mine shall afford their gratious and favourable good liking I heartily entreat to help me with their godly prayers that this worke whatsoever else of like kinde I shall hereafter attempt to publish to the censure of the world may wholy redound to the glory of God and good of his Church Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord JESVS that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the everlasting covenant sanctifie thee throughout that enioying the peace
in the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life Even so be it blessed father for thy welbeloved sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whoÌ„ with thee in the vnitie of the holy spirit be all praise and power might and Maiestie dignity and dominion for evermore Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the â—op of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloved in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esâ—â—â— father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is hee was a heardman or shepheard 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a litle village in the confines of the kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2. Chr. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepheards walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implyed in these worder The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. revolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the daies of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquake After my exposition given vpoÌ„ those fiue parts of that text I recald to your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepheard became a blessed prophet to carry a terrible word and fearefull message from the living God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Therevpon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mightie That doctrine proved I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good providence Poore shepheards and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignitie in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither empire nor kingdome nor place in theÌ„ of dignity priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industrie wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie The second was to stop blasphemous mouthes such as are ever more open against the God of Heaven to affirme that all things belowe the moone are ruled by their blinde Goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your heartes might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet never sleeping care over vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the lest moments titles in the world that you can imagine to a handful of meal to a cruse of oile in a poore widdowes house to the falling of the Sparrows to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of Hindes to the cloathing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reverence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth ver 2. And hee said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice froÌ„ Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lorde shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking He shall roare and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence he speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepheards The dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardmaÌ„ or shepheard whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Even the words which he saw vpoÌ„ Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reveiled vnto him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloved wee may learne whence the holy scriptures haue their soveraigne authoritie Their authoritie is froÌ„ aboue eveÌ„ from the LORD whose name is IEHOVAH whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heaven of heavens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man possesseth his secret reines and divides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great IEHOVAH God almightie spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Hebr. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1. chap. ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any private motion Marke his reason vers 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holie men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the LORD came vnto me The LORD God hath spoken Thus saith the LORD and the like This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnes of time when he sent his Sonne to coÌ„summate perfect the work of mans redeÌ„ption speak by his blessed Evangelists Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. § At non At non tenentur Christiani immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion 4. x Ibid. § At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloved remēber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to bee recommended at this time vnto you is the LORD speaking The LORD shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉
die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by CHRIST their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their LORD their duties of obedience of faithfull service and of profitablenes to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoever service is enioyned them and to procure advantage of glory to their LORD Beloved I doubt not but that all we who are now religiously assembled in this place are the elect of God chosen by him in Christ Iesus * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world to bee holy and without blame before him in loue yet I feare me should wee enter into our owne hearts and examine our selues how we haue walked in dutifulnesse towards him our best course will bee to runne vnto him with a PECCAVIMVS in our mouthes LORD we haue z Luk 15.18 sinned against heaven and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy servants By the first branch of â—ur dutie we are required to be obedient servants but we haue beene a Ezech. 2.4 hard of face and stiffe hearted a rebellious ofspring like vnto our fathers By the second branch of our dutie we are required to be faithfull servants but wee haue made a covenant with b Rom. 6.19 vncleanenesse and iniquitie to serue them By the third branch of our dutie we are required to be profitable servants but when we should haue c Mat. 25.27 put our Lords mony to the exchangers for his greater vantage wee haue d vers 25. hid it in the earth LORD enter not into account with vs e Iob. 9.3 we cannot answere thee one of a thousand Now dearely beloved suffer a word of exhortation let the remembrance of your holy duties by you to bee performed to the LORD your God be like f Ecclus. 49.1 the compositioÌ„ of the perfume that is made by the arte of the Apothecary sweete as hony in your mouthes and as musicke at a banket of wine Bee it vnto you g Ezech. 16.11.12 as bracelets vpon your hands as chaines about your necks as frontlets vpon your faces as earings in your eares as beautifull crownes vpon your heads let it be written in your hearts as h Ierem. 17.1 with a peÌ„ of yron or point of a Diamond never to be raced out Shall I deliver this your dutie vnto you in blessed Paules words In blessed Paules words this is your duty to i 1. Thes 2.12 walke worthy of the Lord Coloss 1.10 To walke worthy your vocation Ephes 4.1 To walke as children of the light Ephes 5.8 To walk in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 To walke in loue Ephes 5.2 To haue your conversation as it becommeth the Gospell of CHRIST Phil. 1.27 To behaue your selues honestly towards them that are without 1. Thess 4.12 To walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 If you take thought k Rom 13.14 for your flesh to fulfill the lusts of it if your eyes are l 1 Iohn 2.11 blinded with m 2 Tim. 3 4. loue of pleasures if you haue n Ephes 5.11 fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse you are out of the way and doe much faile in the performance of your holy duty And to keepe you the better in the right way let me plainly tell you out of 1. Cor. 6.9 and Ephes 5.5 That neither Idolaters nor the covetous nor extortioners nor theeues nor adulterers nor fornicators nor buggerers nor wantons nor drunkards nor raylers shall haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Haue not some of vs beene such yet to such there is ministred a word of comfort 1. Cor. 6.11 First is our accusation Such were some of you then followeth our comfort but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God Is this true beloved Are we washed and sanctified and iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God why then resolue we to follow St Paules advise Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there bee any vertue or praise resolue we to thinke on these things thinke wee on these things to doe them and we shall well performe our holy duties to our LORD Thus farre of my first note touching the speaker who speaketh Now followeth my other note How hee speaketh He shall roare and vtter his voice The metaphor of roaring with reference vnto God is frequent and much vsed in holy Scripture You shal find it as here so Ierem. 25.30 ioined with the voice of the Lord The Lord shall roare from aboue thrust out his voice from his holy habitation And so againe Ioel. 3.16 where you haue the very words of my text The LORD shall roare out of SION and vtter his voice from Ierusalem You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice Hos 11.10 The LORD shall roare like a Lion when hee shall roare then the children of the west shall feare You shall find it with application Amos 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid The LORD God hath spoken who can but prophecie St Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth for as much as it is fit for every man to vse in his speech such examples and similitudes as are most familiar to him in his owne art dayly course and trade of life It s fit for a sea faring man to compare his heavinesse to a tempest his losse to a shipwracke his enimies to contrary windes fit for a souldier to tell of his sword his buckler his coat of male his launce his helmet his musket his wounds his victories sit for a husbandman to be talking of his oxen his kine his sheepe his grounds Not vnfitly then doth Amos our Prophet sometimes a shepheard one that kept his sheepe in the wast wildernesse of Tekoa where many a time he had heard the Lyons roare compare the terrible and dreadfull voice of the living God to the roaring of Lyons The Lord shall roare By this hyperbolicall forme of speech the holy Spirit convinceth vs of stupidity and dulnesse as vnable to entertaine any admonition from God except he speak vnto vs after an extraordinary maÌ„ner For this reason even for our dulnesse sake is God here in my text compared to a Lyon He shall roare The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words He shall vtter his voice It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeall and spirituall essence devoid of such parts of nature by which we are enabled to speake may himselfe be said to speake and vtter a voice That hee spake it is well knowne to them to whom the Scriptures are not vnknowne He spake with Adam Eue the serpent with Noah with Abraham 8 times with Isaac with
cals vs now to obedience O the crookednes of our vile natures Our stiffe neckes will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answere like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but wee answere like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good LORD vnto thee and we shall be turned Good LORD open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against vs in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy we may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknes of trouble of vexation of anguish thou LORD wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darkenesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexatioÌ„ shall be no more a place of endlesse vnspeakable ioies where anguish shal be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Even so be it THE FOVRTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence he speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The LORD shall roare from Sion vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the top whereof was another mouÌ„taine e Drusius observ 14.21 Not. Iuniê° in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the LORD Before it was called the f 2. Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enimies Against these Iebusites King David came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of DAVID owne City as appeareth 2. Sam. 5.9 This is the city of David so much h 2. Sam. 5.7 1. King 8.1 1. Chron. 11 5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his own City mount Sion David accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2. Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the LORD with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harpes as is plaine by the storie 1. Chron. cap. 15. 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be observed in this city of David mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the LORD of hoasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description coÌ„mendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of David the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1. King 8.27 2. Chron. 6.18 Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken litterally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King over Sion the hill of his holynesse SioÌ„ there is not to bee vnderstood the terrestiall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it even the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniversall multitude of beleevers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obvious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149.2 Psalmes of David in n Cantic 3.11 Solomons song in the prophecies of o Esa 3.16.17 Esai 4.4 Esay and p Ioel 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heaven as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text observeth The like observation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the LORD is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ whereof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walles are salvation and gates praise or the Heaven of Heavens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyâ— in 2. Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iebus and SaleÌ„ supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distiche Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distiche 9 names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius Observat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diversly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of David the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of
the honour of this city they that were aliue wheÌ„ Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48 1â— numbred her towers to haue considered her walles to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarsly to haue beene beleeued This we knowe by Psal 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they marvelled they were astonied and suddainely driven backe Thus is Ierusalem taken literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heaven For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1 God did choose Ierusalem aboue al other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the companie of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2 Ierusalem is a city Å¿ Ps 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuarie the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserved till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 throne of David So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of CHRIST figured by the Kingdome of David 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Revel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudea the u Ps 46.4 City of God even the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heaven Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the LORD is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother city of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an exposition of Sion The LORD shall roare from Sion that is in other words The LORD shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloved in the LORD The LORD shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holines and hee shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatrie but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the puritie of Gods worship did gloriously shine Wee may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainely This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is served and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guid This guid is a King and leads you the way the blessed King David I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O LORD of hoasts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for thy courts Mark his loue Psa 26.8 O LORD I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnes of his zeale Psal 42.1.2 As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King David be that patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrumeÌ„t and meane to nourish and begâ—t you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else do gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is every mans duty the dutie of everyone that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the LORD Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond the free betweene the male and the female for our LORD who is LORD over all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your heartes it is repeated vnto you Mat. 21.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony changers doue-sellers whom he found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò devenit vt speluncam latronâ—m efficiat cam Whosoever vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer hee commeth thither to make it a denne of theeues Let vs take heed beloved in the Lord wheÌ„soever we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of thiâ— sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giuâ—â—â— a profitable caveat Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God intimating thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet iâ— Solomons caveat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where hee is chiefly to be
writ made mention of hath this saying Prov. 13.25 The belly of the wicked shall want True great Solomon The belly of the wicked man shall be emptie His Carmel the very best of his possessions shall yeeld him little profit To make an end of this discourse I would I could write it in your harts what the sweetest singer Psa 107.34 delivereth vnto you touching this point it is worthy your best remembrance A fruitfull land God turneth into barrennes for the wickednesse of theÌ„ that dwell therein This one place had I troubled you with no more would haue been a pregnant and sufficient proofe of my propounded doctrine What fruit can you look for out of barrennesse And by this one place you see that God turneth a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein You must then acknowledge the lesson commended vnto you to be good and true namely that for the sinnes of a people God will make their Carmel to wither that for the sinnes of a people God will make best grounds to yeeld them little or no profit Now let vs see what vse we may make of this doctrine for our further instructions A first vse is to admonish such as doe dwell in delectable pleasant well watred and fruitfull places that they boast not overmuch of their fertile and sweet possessions since there is no land so delectable to the eie or fruitfull to the purse but it may be turned into a wildernesse If for our sinnes God shall come against vs in the fiercenesse of his wrath we shall be as g Esay 1.9 Sodom and like vnto Gomorah our land shall burne with brimstone and h Deut. 29.23 salt it shall not be sowen nor shall bring forth neither shall any grasse grow therein O LORD deale not with vs after our sinnes neither reward vs according to our iniquities A second vse is to warne rich men the richer sort among you that weighing rightly the power of Almighty God by which he maketh the top of Carmel to wither turneth your fruitfull fields into barrennesse you will beware of insolencie and containe your selues in modestie and submission Know this there is no man hath a foote of ground or never so small a possession to dwel in but he hath it at Gods hand and vpoÌ„ this condition that he keepe his statutes and commaundements Which if you disobey contemne and cast behinde you assure your selues your riches are none of yours you are not the right owners of them but meere vsurpers The LORD of hoasts wil send an hoast of enimies against you Art thou rich in mony thou art in danger of theeues art thou plentifull in houshold stuffe thou art in danger of fire hast thou much gold the rust doth venime it and thee is thine apparell gorgious the moth will eate it hast thou store of cattell rottennesse may consume them is thy maintenance by husbandrie blasting and mildewes will hinder thee the i Ioel. 1.4 palmer worme will eate thy fruits that which the palmer worme shall leaue the grashopper shall eate that which the grashopper shall leaue the caÌ„ker worme shal eat that which the caÌ„ker worme shal leaue the caterpiller shall eate So many and many more enemies can the LORD of hoasts send to fight against you if you hate to be reformed and cast his commandements behinde you A third and the last vse of my propounded doctrine is to stirre vp my selfe and all you that heare me this day gratefully and thankfully to recount the mercifulnesse patience and long sufferance of our God Our sinnes haue deserved it at his hands that hee should make the top of our Carmel to wither that he should make our best grounds to yeeld vs little or no profit that he should smite vs with blasting and mildew that hee should make the Heaven over our head brasse and the Earth vnder vs yron that insteed of raine hee should giue vs dust and ashes that he should take from vs his corne his wine his wool his flax and whatsoever good thing else hee hath lent vs for our vse All this and much more haue our sinnes deserved and yet God withholdeth from vs his revenging hand O the depth of the riches of the mercifulnesse patience and long sufferance of our God Yet stay yee sonnes of Belial and imps of Hell yee wicked ones who serue vnder Sathans Banner Gods mercifulnesse patience and long sufferance is to you very smal advantage S. Basil treating vpon the wordes of the covetous rich man Luk. 12.18 those words I will pull downe my barnes and build greater tels you that God his goodnesse extended to you in your fields or elsewhere bringeth vpon you in the â—nde the greater punishment True great Basil God his iustice goeth on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slowly and in order Long before thy time was this lesson learned in Natures schoole k Lib. 1. c. 1. Valerius Maximus who lived vnder Tiberius Caesar recounting some of the sacriledges of Dionysius clearely carried with frompes and mockeries saith Lento gradu ad vindictam sui divina procedit ira the wrath of God proceedeth to the execution of vengeance with a remisse slow pace but evermore as he well addeth tanditatem supplicij gravitate compensat it recompenseth the slacknesse of punishment with the heavinesse thereof I wil not weary your religious eares with prophane though fit sentences for this argument out of l Lib. 3. od 2. Rarò antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo Horace m Lib. 1. eleg 9 Ah miser et si quis primò perjuria celat Sera tameÌ„ tacitis poena venit pedibus Tibullus n Lib. 3. Quis enim laesos impunè putaret Esse deos Lucan o Lib. de ijs qui tardè a numine corripiuntur Plutarch nor with those wel knowne proverbs Dij lenti sed certi vindices Diâ— lanâ—os pedes habent Tacito pede and Cunctabundus naturâ Deus From Natures schoole I recall my selfe to the God of Nature who though in his word of eternall truth he proclaimeth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a p Exod. 34 6. God slow to anger and is for such acknowledged by the never fayling testifications and reports of divinely inspired q Nehem. 9 17 Psal 86.15 Psal 103.8 145.8 Rom. 2.4 2. Pet. 3.9 Prophets and Apostles is notwithstanding in the same word noted to r Exod. 20.5 34.7 Deut. 5 9 Ierem 32 18. recompense the iniquity of the Fathers into the bosome of their children after them It must stand ever good Quo tardius eo gravius that the loÌ„ger God is before hee punisheth hee punisheth so much the more grievously Though for a time he bee pleased to hold his tongue and to walke as with woollen feet yet at length shall we or our posteritie find by wofull experience that hee hath a rod of yron to rule vs yea and to breake vs in
the flowds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who made the dry land so f Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never mâ—â—e and can g Psal 104.6 cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Esai 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man Thus saith the LORD This powerfull IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floare to walke in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and fitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernes of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not do it hath he spoken shal he not accomplish it BalaaÌ„ confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repeÌ„t for he is not as maÌ„ that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or any one title of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of al other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecie of old is destitute of divine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 2. Peter 1.20 Know this that no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion He giveth the reasoÌ„ hereof ver 21. for the Prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The The word of the LORD came vnto me the LORD God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the LORD This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Evangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand ever true what is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and every parcell thereof is given by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man whersoever were the place whatsoever were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the LORD Howe then dare wee potters clay lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreverently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his voice from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull service of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a tast of the sweetnesse of the worde of the LORD conveied vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Evangelists Apostles It is the Lords most roial and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuarie the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsels milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre of the preface proeme or enterance making for the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the LORD Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherin I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The LORDS protestation against them verse the 3 I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God vers the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sinne set downe generally and specially Generally vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan Iustin lib 36 Stephan Adrichom Hieron Heb. quaest in GeÌ„ some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Apud Hier. ibid Ioseph antiq Iudaic lib. 1. cap. 7. Willet in GeÌ„ cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Where vpon Damascus was called also Aram as c In Esai 17. St Hierome witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquitie of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel
we learne this lesson It is neither wealth nor policie nor power nor preferment that can stood vs if Gods vnappeaseable angâ—â—â—reak out against vs for our sinnes The reason hereof we read Ierem. 4.4 It 's this Because of the wickednes of our inventions Gods wrath comes forth like fire and burneth that none can quench it The vse is to teach vs that wee despise not Gods iudgements nor abuse his mercies but that we tremble at the one and bee drawne to well doing by the other 3 In that the LORD sendeth a fire into the palaces of Benhadad to devoure them we learne thus much God depriveth vs of a great blessing when hee taketh from vs our dwelling houses The great commoditie or contentment that commeth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses doth experimentally make good vnto vs this truth The vse is to teach vs first to be humbled before Almighty God whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from vs. SecoÌ„dly since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory Thirdly to praise God day by day for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses It would tire you to heare these doctrines and their vses severally amplified and enlarged In the sequele of this chapter I shall haue occasion to repeat them to you THE NINTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivity vnto Kir WE are now come to the second braunch of the fourth part of this prophecie in the 5. verse wherein are set down more specially the punishmentes to bee inflicted vpon the Syrians for their sinnes And this is done in foure severall clauses In each wee may obserue three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his instruments 2 The pâ—â—ished the Syrians not of any one city only but of the whole country which we gather froÌ„ these names Damascus Bikeath-Aven Beth-eden and Aram. 3 The punishment the spoile of the country and ruine of the whole state The barre of Damascus must bee broken the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden must be cut of and the people of Aram must go into captivitie Of the words as they lie in order I will also breake the barre of Damascus I the LORD a Iob 9.5 6. c remoue mountaines and they feele not when I overthrow them I remoue the earth out of her place make her pillers to shake I command the sun it riseth not I close vp the starres as vnder a signet I my selfe alone spread out the heavens and walke vpon the height of the sea I make Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the climates of the South I the LORD who do great things vnsearcheable marvailous things without number b Amos 5.8 9.6 IEHOVAH is my name I the Lord IEHOVAH who haue resolved to send a fire into the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad I will also breake the barre of Damascus You know what a barre is in its proper signification an instrument wherewith we make fast the gates of our cities and doors of our houses against the violence of our enemies If the barre be broken the entrance into the city or house will be the easier Kedar is discovered to be weake for want of barres Ier. 49. â—1 And so are they against whom Gog and Magog were to fight Ezech. 38.11 they had neither barres nor gates Ierusalem had both and God made them strong Psal 147.13 Therefore praise the LORD O Ierusalem praise thy God O Sion for he hath made the barres of thy gates strong so strong that no enemy is able to breake them or to make any irruption into them A barre is also vsed to a figuratiue sense Metaphorically Synecdochically betokeneth munition fortification the forts strong holds of a country the strength of any thing To which sense the sea hath barres We read of them Iob 38.10 God hath appointed the sea her barres and dores saying hitherto shalt thou come here wil I stay thy proude waues And the earth hath barres We read of theÌ„ Ion. 2.6 And what are the barres of the earth but the c D. King B. of London in Ion. lect 27. strongest muniments and senses it hath her promontories and rockes which God hath placed in her frontiers to withstand the force of the waters And Moab hath barres Esai 15.5 There the barres of Moab are put for the forts in the borders of Moab And Egypt hath barres Ezech. 30.18 Where Egypts barres after the exposition of Illyricus in his d Verbo Vectis key of Scriptures are munitiones robur the fortifications and strength of Egypt So here the barres of Damascus are Damasci e Mercer robâ—r munitiones porta â—lâ—â—stra â—â—â—tissima the streÌ„gth of Damascus the munitions of Damascus the gates of Damascus the most fensed fortresses of Damascus Yea f Gualter Vniversum regni robur the whole strength of the kingdome of Syria is to be vnderstoode in these barrâ—s of Damascus Of Damascus no base or contemptible city Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome in his travaile to those esterne parts of the world a hundred yeares ago saw this city and admiring the marveilous beauty therof hath Navigat cap. 5. left a record of it to posterity It is saith he in manner incredible and passeth all beleefe to thinke how faire the city of Damascus is and how fertile is the soile This Damascus is a city of great antiquity g See my sixth lecture vpon this chapter built as some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 So that this city was built more then 3444. yeares agoe for h In the yeare of the world 2124. Funcc in Cronolog And this Sermon was preached A. C. 1606. Febr. 8. so long agoe Abraham died The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 Others holding the name of this city to haue been more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 wherevpon Damascus was called also AraÌ„ as S. Hierome vpon Esai 17. witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esai 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria The Prophet Ieremie giues it a high commendation chap. 49.25 where he cals it a glorious city and the city of his ioy Damascus in this place is not the bare city but i Tremellius tractus Damascenus sive Decapolitanus the whole cuntry about Damascus the coasts of Decapolis whereof we read Mark 7.31 I will also breake the barres of Damascus To breake in the Hebrew phrase by a Metaphore is to consume to destroy to wast to spoile In the 24 of Es vers 19.
both their ends the end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22.38 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also and the end of Iezebel registred the 2. Kings 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all sauing her skull her feet and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the den of Lyons His accusers vnto Darius were the instrumeÌ„ts of his affliction These his accusers were the LORDS instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues children were cast into the den of Lyons the Lyons had the mastery of them brake all their bones in pieces ere ever they came to the grouÌ„d of the den The time will not suffer me to recal to your remembrances all the iudgements of God of this quality written down in the register of Gods works his holy word how what he reÌ„dred to g Ester 7.10 Haman to h 2. Kings 19.35 37. Sennacherib to i IereÌ„ 36.29 Ioachim to the k Ierem. 49.2 Ammonits to the l Ierem. 49.9 51.20 Chaldeans to the m Ezech. 35.2 Idumeans and other wicked worldlings for their hard measure offered to his childreÌ„ though they were therein his own instrumeÌ„ts The afore-meÌ„tioned instaÌ„ces of the Egyptians of Ahab his wife Iezebel of Daniel his accusers may serue for the declaratioÌ„ of my propouÌ„ded doctrine Though the LORD do vse his enimies as instruments to correct his owne servants children yet will he in his due time overthrow those his enimies with a large measure of his iudgments The reason hereof is because Gods iustice cannot let them escape vnpunished St Paule expresseth it 2. Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recoÌ„pense tribulatioÌ„ to theÌ„ that trouble you Let this be our comfort whensoever the wicked shall rage against vs. For hereby are we assured when the LORD shal shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire that theÌ„ to the wicked whose behaviour towards the godly is proud and dispiteous he will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition St Peter to make vs stedfast in this comfort disputeth this point Ep. 1. chap. 4.17 The point he proueth by an argument drawne à minori inferring from a truth to carnal mens vnderstanding lesse probable a truth of greater probabilitie Iudgement saith he beginneth at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarsly be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Our Saviours words Luk. 23.31 do coÌ„taine a like argumeÌ„t If they doe these things to a greene tree what shal be done to the dry To like purpose in Ierem. 25.29 saith the LORD of hoasts Loe I begin to plague the city where my name is called vpon shall you goe free Yee shall not goe free Hitherto I refer also one other text Esai 10.12 where it is said that God when he hath done dispatched all his worke vpon mount Sion will visite the fruite of the proud heart of the King of Assyria the meaning of the place is that God when he hath sufficiently châ—stised and corrected those of his owne house his beloued children wil turne his sword against the skorners of his Maiestie When God hath serued his owne turne by the wicked then comes their turne also howsoever for a while they flourish in hope to escape Gods hand and to abide vnpunished yet will God in due time well enough finde them out to pay them double The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to admonish vs that we spite not any of the wicked who now doe liue in rest because their turne to be punished must come and faile not The further it is put of from them the heavier in the end it will fall vpon them A second vse is to teach vs patience in afflictions for as much as God will shortly cause the cuppe to passe from vs to our adversaries But say he wil not Yet neverthelesse are we to possesse our soules in patience reioicing and giving thankes to God who hath made vs worthy not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake For we haue learned Act. 14.22 That through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God c. The Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs which were not only reviled and scourged but also beheaded cut in pieces drowned in water consumed in fire by other tyrannicall devises cruelly put to death they all by this way received the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate and entred into the kingdome of God And we vndoubtedly know 2. Cor. 5.1 That if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed wee haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens Thus farre of my second circumstance the circumstance of the punished the Aramites professed enemies vnto God yet by him employed in the correction of his owne children the Israelits are here themselues punished My doctrine was Though the Lord do vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne servants and children yet will he in due time overthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements The third circumstance is the punishment a going into captivitie amplified by the place This captivity bondage and slavery was to be in an vnknowne strange a farre country Kir in Media The people of Aram shal goe into captivity vnto Kir The doctrine is For the sinne of a land God often times sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Captivity to be an effect or punishment of sin king Salomon in his praier made to the LORD at his consecration or dedication of the Temple 1. King 8.46 acknowledgeth It 's expreslie delivered 1. ChroÌ„ 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressioÌ„s they were carryed away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy commandements Captivity is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places serving to this point my text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three traÌ„sgressions and for foure for their many sins for their sin of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of yron were to goe into Captivity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Into Captivity Into what kinde of captivity For there is a spirituall captivity and a corporall captivity a captivity of the minde and a captivity of the body Both are very grievous but the first more The first wich I call the spirituall captivity and a captivitie of the minde is a captivity vnder the Devill vnder the power of
to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne hee drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sinner plucke dâ—â—â—e froÌ„ heauen the more â—â—rtaine wrath and vengeanes of God vpon the sinners Oâ—â— vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfullnesse in all our waies that wee doe not by our many sinnes provoke Almightie God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplatioÌ„ of the wonderfull patience of Almightie God who did so graciously forbeare these Philistines of Azzah â—ll by three and foure transgressions by their many sinnes they had provoked him to indignation It 's true our God is a good God a gracious God a mercifull God a God of wonderfull patience yet may not wee thereby take encouragement to goe on in our evill doings The LORD who punished his Angels in heaven for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angrie word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the LORD Ananias with his wife Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost out of doubt wil not spare vs if we shall persist to make a trade of sinning day after day heaping iniquitie vpon iniquitie to the fulfilling of our sinnes If so wee doe it shall bee with vs as the Apostle speaketh 1. Thes 2.16 The wrath of God must come on vs to the vtmost Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued let vs walke in loue even as Christ hath loued vs. As for the workes of the flesh cast we them farre from vs adulterie fornication vncleanenesse wantonnes hatred debate emulation wrath contentions envie drunkennesse gluttonie such like for which the wrath of God commeth vpoÌ„ the children of disobedience let them not once be named among vs as it becoÌ„meth Saints But the fruits of the Spirit let vs wholy delight in them hauing layd vp in the treasurie of our memories this lesson Three transgressions and foure Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath vengeance of God vpon the sinners It followeth Because they carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them vp in Edom These wordes are the third part of this prophecie doe 〈…〉 by which God was provoked 〈…〉 the men of Azzah 〈◊〉 the rest of the Philistiâ—â—◠〈…〉 the sinne of â—â—ailtie rigour vnmercifulnesse hardnesse of heart They carried away prisoners the whole captiviâ—â—â— to sâ—â—t 〈…〉 Here the abstract is put for the 〈…〉 or persons in captivitie aâ— Psal â—â— 1◠〈…〉 captiue The whole 〈◊〉 It 's well translated for the sense the word in the originall signifieth absolute perfect and compleat By this whole captivitie the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute perfect and compleat captivitie â—â—ram captivitatâ—â— apâ—rtam atque manifâ—â—â—â—â— saith Ariâ—â— Montaâ—â—â— a captivitie indeed open manifest such a captivitie faith Calâ—â—â—â— as wherein they spared not either â—â—men or children or the agâ—d they tooke no pitie no compassion vpon either sexe or age but all of al sorts male and female young and old they carried away prisoners What was their end and purpose in so doing Even to sâ—â—t theÌ„ vp in Edom that is to sell them for bondâ—â—â—ues vnto the Idameans In Edom Esau Iacobs brother and Isaackâ— son by his wife a Gen. 25.21 Rebekah for selling his birthright for a messe of b vers 30. red broath was surnamed Edom and of him lineally descended the Edomites or Idâ—means Gen. 36 4â— Of this posterity of Esau or Edom the land which they inhabited was called the land of EdoÌ„ or Idumaea and it was a southerne province of the land of promise devided as c Theatr. Terrae SaÌ„ctae Adricham and d Observat lib. 14 cap 13. Drusius haue observed out of Iosephus his â— book of the Iewish antiquities into two parts Idumaeam Superiorem and Inferior 〈◊〉 the higher and the lower Idumaea The higher wherein were two of the cities meÌ„tioned in my text Gaza and Askelon in the division of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the tribe of Iudah The lower Idumaea coÌ„monly known by the name of Idumaea fel to the lot of the tribe of Simeon and this lower Idumaea I take to be the Idumaea in my text Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posteritie of Esau the posterity of Iacob the Edomites were evermore most maliciously beÌ„t against the Israelites Here then appeareth the heinousnes of that sin wherwith the Philistines are charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to carry away any one froÌ„ his natiue couÌ„try but him that is so carried away to sell to his mortall enemy this is a cruelty then which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of those Philistines the inhabitants of Azzah They sold whether the Iewes or the Israelites the posterity of Iacob and servants of the living God to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policie that being carried far froÌ„ their own country they should liue in eternal slavery bondage without hope ever to returne home againe This very crime of cruelty is in the prophecie of Ioel also ch 3.6 laid to the charge of these Philistines The children of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue yee sold to the Grecians that yee might send them far from their border that is Gods inheritance his owne seed and servants the children of Iudah Ierusalem the cruell and hard hearted Philistines did mancipate and sell away for bondslaues to the Grecians dwelling farre of that with them they might liue in perpetuall servitude and slaverie without all hope of liberty or redemption Now in this that the LORD calleth the Philistines to a reckoning because they had solde away his people though they were their captiues vnto infidels we may learne this lesson It is not lawful to coÌ„mit the children of beleevers into the haÌ„ds of infidels The vnlawfulnesse hereof appeareth by the charge which Moses giveth the Israelites Deut. 7.3 His charge is coÌ„cerning the Hittites the Gergasites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hivits and the Iebusites that they should not at al make any covenant with them nor giue theÌ„ their children in marriage And why so Because by such covenants marriages they might be withdrawn from the true service of God to the prophane worship of Idols For so it 's saide verse the 4. They will cause thy sonne to turne away from me to serue other Gods The danger of such covenants and marriages S. Paule knew to be very great and therefore from such he dehorteth the Corinthians 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked with the infidels He vseth the similitude of Oxon coupled together The yoke holdeth them so together that looke which way the one draweth the other must
vpō the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5 We are brethren in evill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what do we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloved you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speach was vnto Christians in Christianisme diversity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therfore this reproofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Ps 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are given to vexe them of your owne house or shal backbite or sclander any know that Edom-like you do pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby every good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2. Ep. 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence David Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnitie Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnes pleasantnes of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his beard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnes and pleasantnes of vnity That sweet perfume ointment that holy oile powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweete smelling savour to all that were about him So is it with vnitie Is not only pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermō which fell vpon the moūtaines of Sion where the LORD appointed the blessing and life for evermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heaven vpō Hermon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit It makes them among whom it is sincerely observed it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men one of them towards another This vnity cōcord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it be vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnes in this life and of eternall ioies in the life to come One of the notes by which wee may bee assured of God his speciall loue and favour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iob. Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God Wee must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth chap. 5.1 Every one that loveth him which begat loveth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoever loveth God the Father hee loveth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christiā brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giveth vs chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue only but indeed in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not only in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule he giveth vers the 17 Whosoever hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloved be your direction Loue yee everie one that is called a Christian not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue yee him not outwardly in shew only but inwardly in heart in deed in truth Loue him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate but in his greatest need and be yee assured that the speciall loue and favour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that do reioice God saith Ecclesiasticus chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a mā his wife agreeing togither The first which is the vnity of brethren according to my former construction compriseth the other two All Christians are brethren in Christ a neighbour to a neighbour a husband to his wife a wife to her husband For as I said in Christ there is no differēce of sexe there is neither male nor female all are brethrē in Christ and therfore that neighbour that loveth not his neighbour the husbād that is at ods with his wife the wife that agreeth not with her husband they are guilty of the breach of brotherly loue That exhortation made by S. Paule to the Romanes cha 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be ye affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue I conclude this point with the same Apostles words 1. Cor. 1.10 and 2. Cor. 13.11 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our LORD Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there bee no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus far of the first branch in the description of Edoms sin and of the doctrine grounded therevpon The doctrine was It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues It was grounded vpon these words He did pursue his brother with the sword It followeth And did cast of all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneva translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reads it otherwise He destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it violaverit vterum and violated or abused the mothers wombe both do allude to the Greeke edition of the
rendred to Haman to Sennacherib to Ioachim to the Ammonites to the Chaldeans and other wicked worldlings for their hard measure offered to the godly though they were therein Gods instruments But I must hasten and the aforementioned instances of the Egyptians of Ahab and his wife Iezebel and of Daniels accusers are sufficient to worke terror to the wicked to the godly comfort and to assure vs when the LORD shall shew himselfe from heaven with his holy Angels in flaming fire that then to the wicked whose behaviour to the godly hath beene proud dispiteous hee will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition Thus farre of the first circumstance doctrine therevpon The second circumstance is the punishment I wil send a fire By fire in this place as vers 4 7 10. learned expositors doe vnderstand not so much a naturall fire as a figuratiue fire For in the name of fire they vnderstand the sword pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumptiō quamlibet speciem excidij every kind of destruction be it haile or thunder or sicknesse or any other of Gods messengers So large is the signification of fire taken figuratiuely The doctrine arising hence is this The fire whether naturall or figuratiue that is the fire all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked This doctrine hath heretofore beene commended and confirmed vnto you The vse of it is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visite vs with his rod of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much look to the instruments as to the LORD that smiteth by them If the fire or water or any other of Gods creatures shall at any time rage and prevaile against vs we must remember that it is God that sendeth them to worke his holy will vpon vs. Here he sent a fire vpon Teman and vpon Bozrah to devoure her palaces For thus saith the LORD I will send a fire vpon Teman and it shall devoure the palaces of Bozrah Here haue you the third circumstance the circumstance of the punished Teman and the palaces of Bozrah Teman was the metropolitan the chiefe city of Idumaea so named from Teman who was son of Eliphaz the son of Esau Gen. 26.10 11. Renowned and famous was Teman for her wisedome witnes the prophecie of Obadiah vers 8 9. and Ierem. 49.7 whereby it is credible shee omitted no opportunity no meanes to make her selfe strong by bulwarkes and fortresses against whatsoever incursion or siege of enimies Yet could shee not hereby be secured against the day of Gods visitation when for the complement of her sins God should lay his heavy rod vpon her What the wit of mā could invent for safety no doubt but Teman had it But what can mans wit do against the Almighty Behold here in my text thus saith the Almighty I will send a fire vpon Teman And can all the water of the huge Ocean quench the fire of the Almighty This resolution of the LORD for the overthrow of Teman is excellently set down by the Prophet Obadiah ver 8 9 10. Shall not I in that day saith the LORD even destroy the wise men out of Edom vnderstanding from the mount of Esau And thy strōg mē O Temā shall be afraid because every one of the moūt of Esau shall be cut of by slaughter For thy cruelty against thy brother Iacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut of for ever The Prophet Ieremie to this purpose chap. 49.7 bringeth in the LORD of heasts thus questioning with Edom Is wisdom no more in Teman Is counsaile perished from their children Is their wisedome vanished As if he had said the wisedome of Teman is become foolishnesse their counsaile is nothing worth And why But because as my text saith God will send a fire vpon Teman The doctrine hence arising is No wisdome no counsaile no humane invention can saue that city which God will haue destroyed The reason hereof is because there is no strēgth but of God from God The vse is to teach vs never to trust in any worldly helpe but so to vse all good meanes of our defence that still we relie vpon the LORD for strength and successe thereby Againe this fire of the LORD is sent to devoure the palaces of Bozrah This Bozrah was also a metropolitane and chiefe city seated in the confines of the lands of Edom Moab therefore in holy writ it is sometime attributed to Edom sometime to Moab Here to Edom. Prodigious was the feare and great the pride of Bozrahs heart Shee dwelt in the clefts of the rocke and kept the height of the hill But was shee thereby safe No. For thus saith the LORD vnto her Ierem. 49.16 Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee down from thence This iudgement of the LORD against Bozrah is denounced with an Ecce of admiration vers 22. Behold hee the LORD shall come vp and fly as the Eagle and spread his wings over Bozrah and at that day shall the heart of the strong men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in travell Will you haue it confirmed by an oath Then looke backe to the 13. vers I sweare by my selfe saith the LORD that Bozrah shall be wast and for a reproach and a desolation and a curse and all the cities thereof shall be a perpetuall desolation Thus elegantly is Gods fearefull iudgment against Bozrah described by the Prophet Ieremy which our Prophet Amos thus delivereth A fire shal devour the palaces of Bozrah Bozrah great Bozrah she who dwelt in the clefts of the rock and kept the height of the hill must she be devoured by fire from the LORD Must shee become a reproach a desolation a curse a vastity We may hence take this doctrine It is not the situation of a city vpon rocke or hill that can bee a safegard to it if Gods vnappeasable anger break out against it for her sinnes The vse of this doctrine is the same with the former even to teach vs now and at all other times to put our trust only in the Name of the LORD who hath made heaven earth It 's neither wit nor wisedome nor strength nor height of Teman or of Bozrah or of all the best defensed cities in the world that can saue vs in the day of visitation Wherefore let our song bee as Davids was Psal 18.2 The LORD is our rocke our fortresse he that delivereth vs our God our strength in him wil we trust our shield the horne also of our salvation and our refuge Thirdly in that the LORD sendeth his fire into the palaces of Bozrah to devoure them we may learne this doctrine God depriveth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling