that our special care should be to give God his due to seek first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all other things shall seek us Cicero Caetera aut aderunt aut caetera non oberunt But most people are so busied about their own houses their cottaeges of clay the body that Gods house 2 Cor. 5.1 the soul lies wast and neglected the lean kine eat up the fat the strength of the ground is spent in nourishing weeds Earthly mindednesse sucketh the sap of grace from the heart as the Ivy doth from the Oake and maketh it unfruitfull Men are so taken up about the world that they think not on Gods kingdome as the Duke of Alva told the French king Fren. Hist who asked him whether he had observed the late great Eclipse No said he I have so much to doe upon earth that I have no leisure to look toward heaven But is not one thing necessary and all other but by-businesses And have we not in our dayly prayer five petitions for spirituals and but one for temporals Are we not taught to make it our first request that Gods name may be hallowed though our turnes should not be served Is not Esau stigmatized for selling his birth-right for a messe of broth And is not Shemei chronicled for a foole Heb. 12.16 who by seeking after his servants lost his life Pope Sixtus for a mad man that sold his soul to the devil to enjoy the Popedome for seven years what shall it profit a man to win the world and lose his own soul to win Venice and then be hanged at the gates thereof as the Italian proverb hath it Surely such a mans losse will be 1. Mat. 16. Incomparable 2. Irreparable for what shall a man give in exchange of his soul It was no evill counsel that was given to John the third King of Portugal to meditate every day a quarter of an hour on that divine sentence It would be time well spent to ponder as oft and as long together on this Text Is it time for you O ye that are so sharp set upon the world so wholly taken up about your private profits your pleasures and preferments to sit in your ceiled houses as Ahab once did in his ivory Palace or Nebuchadnezzar in his house of the kingdome as he vain-gloriously calleth it Dan. 4.30 and Gods house lie waste and his service neglected to whom we owe our selves 1 Cor. 6.19 our lives Mat. 16.25 our parents children friends means Mat. 19.29 our gifts and abilities 1 Cor. 4.7 our honours and offices Psal 2.10 11 12. all that we are and have How justly may God curse our blessings Job 16.15.16.18 21. 1 Cor. 12.21 as he threateneth these selfe-seeking God-neglecting Jews both here and Mal. 2.2 scatter brimstone upon our houses drp up our roots beneath and above cut off our branches drive us from light into darknesse and chase us out of the world with his terrours Col. 3.2 Phil. 2.21 Surely such are the ceiled dwellings of the wicked and this is the place of him that knoweth not God that inverteth the order appointed of him by coveting not the best guists but an evil covetousnesse Hab. 2.9 by setting his affections not on things above but on things on the earth by seeking their own things every man and not the things of Jesus Christ Verse 5. Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Haggai was but a yong man saith Epiphanius Now therefore lest any one that heard him should despise his youth and slight his doctrine he shews his authority he comes to them cum priviligio he delivers not the conceptions of his own brain but the Word and mind of God For as Chrysostom saith of St. Paul so may we say of all the rest of the pen men of the Holy Scripture Cor Pauli est cor Christi their heart is Christs own heart and their words are to be received reverenced and ruminated not as the words of mortal men but as they are indeed the words of the everliving God 1 Thes 2.13 Greg. in Reg 3 Excellently spake he who called the Scripture Cor animam Dei the heart and soul of God It is every whit of it divinely inspired or breathed by God saith the Apostle and is profitable both for reproof and for instruction in righteousnesse 2 Tim. 3.16 See an instance hereof in this Text together with the Prophets rhetorical artifice in first chiding and now directing them to reprove and not withal to instruct is to snuffe the lamp but not powre in oyle that may feed it consider your wayes Heb. set your hearts upon them diligently recogitate and recognize your evil doings and so shall ye soon find out the cause of your calamity Judge your selves so shall ye not be judged of the Lord accept of the puntshment of your iniquity so iniquity shall not be your ruine your ruth but not your rums Capite consilium ex rebus ipsis velexperiment is Learn at least by the things ye have suffered Let experience the mistrisse of fooles reduce you to a right mind Lay to heart your manifold miseries those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one calleth them Free Schoolmasters curst enough and crabbed but such as whereby God openeth mens ears to discipline and eyes to observation of his works and their own wayes Job 36.8 9 10. according to that of Ezechiel chap. 40.4 Son of man behold with thine eye and hear with thine ears and set thy heart upon all that I shall shew thee c. the senses must be exercised that the heart may be affected with the word and works of God according to that mine cye affecteth my heart Lam. 3.51 and Solomon gat much of his wisedom by observation as appeareth by his Ecclesiastes which some have not unfitly called Solomons Soliloquy It is but little that can be learn'd in this life without due and deep Consideration which is nothing else but an act of the Practical understanding whereby it reflects and staies upon its own intentions and comparing them with the rule it proceeds to lay a command upon the will and Affections to put them in execution Thus David considered his wayes and finding all out of order he turned his feet to Gods testimonies Psal 119.59 And to still Gods enemies Psal 4.4 he bids them commune with their own hearts and be still or make a pause viz. till they have brought their consideration to some good upshot and conclusion For when consideration hath soundly enlightened a mans mind informed his judgement according to that light that candle held to his mind and determined is will according to that judgement it must needs bring forth sound resolutions purposes and practises as it did in the Ninivites Ephraim Ier. 31.19 Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.27 the Prodigal Luke 15. the Church in Hosea chap. 2.6.7 She considered she was crossed and hedg'd in with afflictions and resolveth to return to
several Kings reigns as did likewise Athanasius and Latimer Jeroboams especially the second of that name and here only named when six other Kings of Israel in whose time Hosea prophesied are not once mentioned but lie wrapt up in the sheet of shame because wicked idolaters such as God took no delight in and hath therefore written them in the earth And in the dayes of Jeroboam the son of Joash Not the son of Nebat that ringleader of the ten Tribes revolt from the house of Dauid but another little better and yet very prosperous and victorious 2 King 14.25 28. He reigned also fourty one years and did great exploits yet is Hosea sent to contest with him to declaim against his sin and wickednesse and to proclaim heavy judgements against him and his people This the Prophet did for a long while together with all fidelity and fortitude when the King was triumphing over his enemies and the people were not only drunk but even mad again by reason of their extraordinary prosperity as Calvin expresseth it Non tantum temulenti erant sed etiam prorsus insani Calvin Now that so young a Prophet should so sharply contend with so fierce a people in the ruffe of their pride and jollity that he should so rouse and repple up these drunkards of Ephraim with their crown of pride Esay 28.1 this shews him to have been of an heroical spirit Jonah his contemporary flinched when sent against Nineveh Micah the Morasthite another of Hosea's contemporaries prophesied in the dayes of Hezekiah King of Judah and spake to all the people of Judah saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Zion shall be ploughed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house the high places of a forest Yet did not Hezekiah King of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death c. Jer. 26.18 19. He and Hosea though they prevailed little with the people they preached to yet they were better dealt with then the Prophet Esay their contemporary too of whom Hierom tels us out of the Rabbines that he was sawn asunder because he said he had seen the Lord and secondly because he called the great ones of Judah Hieron in Isa 1. Princes of Sodom and rulers of Gomorrah Isaiah 1.10 Verse 2. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea Heb. In Hosea to note that the Lord was both in his mind and mouth in his spirit and speech God spake in him before he spake out to the people His prophesie must therefore needs be divine and deep That 's the best discourse that 's digged out of a mans own breast that comes a corde ad cor from the heart to the heart And blessed are the pleople saith one that have such Ministers that shall speak nothing to them but what hath been first spoken by God in them saying with David and Paul We believe therefore have we spoken we also believe 2 Cor. 4.13 and therefore speak we have experimented what we deliver we believe and are sure that God is in us of a truth and that we preach cum gratia privilegio The beginning Hence some gather that Hosea was the first Prophet Hoseas videtur tempore majestate aliis prior saith O Ecolampadius Certain it is he began before Esay because he prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam who was before Vzziah whether before Amos or no is not so certain Di praep Evang l. 20 â—ulut Eusebius tels us there was no Greek History extant before Hosea's time Well therefore might that ancient priest of Egypt say to Solon You Grecians are all boyes and babies in matters of Antiquity neither is there one old man amongst you Samuel is counted the first Prophet Acts 3.24 Plato in Timâ—o but Hosea was the first of those that lived in these Kings dayes and likely held out longest see the Note on Verse 1. as did father Latimer preaching twice every sabbath day Act. Mon. though of a very great age and rising to his study winter and summer at two of the clock in the morning Others read the words thus At the beginning when the Lord spake by Hosea he said to Hosea himself Go take unto thee c. An uncouth precept and a rough beginning for a young preacher whose youth might be despised and whose sharpnesse might be disgusted But truth must be spoken however it be taken and a preacher should take the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit sin Esay 58.1 Hierom was called fulmen Ecclesiasticum the Church thunderbolt And our Mr Perkins applied the word so close to the consciences of his hearers that he was able to make their hearts fall down Mr Fullers Holy State and their hairs almost to stand upright But in old age he was more milde and delighted much to preach mercy as did also our Prophet Hosea whose prophesie is comminatory in the fore-part consolatory in the latter part And the Lord said to Hosea This is now the third time inculcated for more authority sake which the people so rubb'd and menaced would be apt enough to question He therefore shews them his commission and that he hath good ground for what he saith that they may have no cause to cavil Melch. Ad. but reply as that good Dutch Divine did if God would give them a heart so to do Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus ei sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let the word of the Lord come yea let it come and we will submit there unto though we had six hundred lives to lose for so doing Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms An arrant whore a stinking strumpet Calvin scortum obsoletum a known and trite harlot such as were Thais Lais Phryne c. yea and such a one as after marriage with a former husband at least went astray after other sweet-hearts for so the application of the figure to the subject Chap. 2. requireth it to be understood Whereby it appears saith Diodate that all this was done in a vision Others infer as much from that phrase in this verse The beginning of the word of the Lord in Hosea that is saith Polanus appearing and speaking to him by an inward vision as it were in an extasie Besides in the third chapter and three first verses the Prophet is bidden to marry another harlot to buy her for his own use and to keep her at his house for a time Now scimus hoc non fuisse completum saith Calvin we know that this was never really done It follows therefore that this figure was only proposed to the people that they might perpceive in the looking-glasse of this allegory first their duty toward God second their disloyalty thirdly their penalty for the same It is not an historical narration but a Prophetical vision Children of fornication a bastardly brood such as this evil and adulterous generation is
hypocrite he will not yeeld though never so clearly convinced but will have still somewhat to say though to small purpose as had Saul to Samuel 1 Sam. 15. and these Questionists here to God whom as before oft and again after they put to his proofs See the Note on chap. 1. verse 2 6. and his answer is ready Because the Lord hath been winesse between thee and the wife of thy youth The Heathen could say Maxima debetur pueris reverentia siquid Turpe paras And again Turpe quid acturus te sine teste time We should not do wickedly if but a child be by And when thou art about to do ought amisse fear thine own conscience which is a thousand witnesses But if God be by as a witnesse should not men fear to offend him Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob. He that dares sin though he know God be an eye-witnesse is more impudent in sinning then was Absalom when he spred a tent upon the top of the house and went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel and of the Sunne These treacherous husbands could not but know that they had entred into a covenant of God Prov. 2.17 when they married that the bond was made to God and that upon the violation of it he would be ready enough to take the forfeiture for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.3 That God had been witnesse Protestatus est or had protested so Montanus renders it and withall had by interposing of his own authority confirmed the contract and compact saying verbis concept is as Hos 3.3 Thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee and not for another woman till God shall separate us by death Indeed if the husband or the wife be dead Rom. 7.2 the surviving party is at liberty to marry again whatsoever the Canonists say against bigamy Hierome tells us of an old man in Rome that had buried twenty wives which hee had married one after the death of another and that he had taken to wife the one and twentieth who also had buried nineteen husbands And that Hier. apud Lonicer in Theat histor p. 734. burying that wife too he followed the corps to the Church so his neighbours would needs have it with a garland of bayes upon his head in manner of a triumpher But against Polygamy which is when a man or woman couples himself or her self in marriage to more then one here are an heap of arguments in the text which we shall take as they lie in order Mean-while it is worthy our observation that the first Authour of Polygamy was that Thrasonicall Lamech noted for a profane and wicked person as was likewise Esan another Polygamist Laban though he had cheted Jacob into the having of his two daughters to wife yet he could not but confesse it to be a sinne against the light of Nature Hence at parting he takes a solemne oath of Jacob Gen. 31.50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters or if thou shalt take other wives besides my daughters no man is with us see God is witnesse betwixt me and thee Some of the Fathers were herein faulty as Abraham David c. and some say it was their priviledge but that 's not likely Rather it was their ignorance or incogitancy they considered not that it was a breach of the first institution of marriage or as some conceive it was their meer mistake of that Text Lev. 18.18 Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister to vex her Confer Ezek. 1.9 to uncover her naked esse besides the other in her life time Here they took the word sister for one so by blood which was spoken of a sister by nation as those clauses to vex her and daâ—â—ghter life do evince One thing was the commonnesse of the sinne and the 〈◊〉 custome of it So long had it continued and was grown so fashionable that it seemed to be no sinne But debt is debt whether a man know of it or not And sin as a debt may sleep a long time and not be called for of many years as Sauls sin in killing the Gibeonites slept fourty years and Joabs killing of Abner slept all David's dayes c. Another thing that might cause desire of many wives was want of love and chast affection to the wife of their youth Isaac is noted for a most loving husband to his Rebecca and he never desired more wives then her Re oyce in the wife of thy youth Let her be as the loving Hind and pleasant Roe c. This will keep thee from being ravished with a strange woman or ombracing the bosomc of a stranger Prov. 5.18 19 20. The Hind and the Roe are most loving to their mates and therefore most faithfull to them So among birds are the turtle-dove and the stork The former they say as he keeps close to his mate while she lives so when she dies he groans and moans continually and never sits upon a green bough The later are chast and severe in punishing those of the kind that are not It iscredibly reported by some that have seen it that whole flocks of Storks meeting in a medow they have set in the middest of them two of their company that have been found disloyall Sphiâ—â— Philos pag. 231. and runnning upon them with main force have killed them with their beaks So that the company breaking up and all the rest flying away the two offending Storks onely have been found dead in the place against whom thou hast dealt treacherously viz by superinducing another wife contrary to thy covenant This is not a simple injury against thy lawfull wife but such as is joyned with contumely which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the children that come of such copulation they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are subject to contumelies The Hebrews call them brambles Aâ—imelech was such an one Iudg. 9.14 a right bramble indeed who grew in the base hedge-row of a concubine and scratcht and drew blood to purpose Lo this is the Prophets first argument against Polygamy it is treachery against both God who is deeply interested in the marriage-covenant and against the true wife who is hereby extremely desrauded and defeated Follows not the second yet she is thy companion thy compeer and copartner thy consort and fellow-friend such another as thy self so the woman is called Gen. 2.18 a second-self a mate meet for thee a piece so just cut out for thee as answereth thee rightly in every point in every joynt A wife is not a slave saith One but a companion a yoke-fellow standing on even ground with thee though drawing on the left side From the left side say some she was taken where the heart is to teach that hearty love should be betwixt married couples Made she was of a rib a bone of the side
1 Sam. 7.6 met together at Mizpeth drew water and poured it out before the Lord Page 803 2 Kings 18.4 Hezekiah brake the brazen serpent and called it Nehushtan Page 434 1 Chron. 17.23 24 25. See how David improves Gods promise and works upon it Page 390 1 21.12 And there came a writing to him from Elijah the Prophet Page 392 2 34 28. Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace Page 228 Ezra 2.62 therefore they were as polluted put from the priesthood Page 622 Nehem. 3.16 And to the house of the mighty Page 579 Esth 8.7 Because he laid his hands on the Jews Page 373 Job 13.10 He will surely reprove you if you secretly accept persons Page 645 14.17 Mr transgression is sealed up in a bagge Page 101 38.31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion Page 253 Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and look up Page 176 7. Title Davids words concerning Cush the Benjamite Page 287 32.4.5 for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me Page 607 36.1 2 3 4. the transgression of the wicked saith within my heart Page 805 806 65.1 2. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion unto thee shall the vow be perfor Page 891 68.21 He shall wound the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on in trespasses Page 870 76.3 there he broke the arrows the shield the sword and the Battle Page 211 12. He cuts off the spirit of Princes Page 513 80.2 3 7. Stir up thy strength and come and save us Page 676 V. 3. Turn us again O God and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved V. 7. Turn us again O God of hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 102.13 14. Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion for the set time is come Page 505 V. 14. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof Page 505 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voyce Page 608 119.56 This had I because I kept thy precepts Page 684 Prov. 5.18 19. Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving bind Page 652 10.25 As the whirlwind passeth so is the wicked no more Page 393 11.7 When the wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish Page 256 24.25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight Page 701 Eccles 7.16 17. Be not righteous over-much neither make thy self over-wise Page 705 Ver 17. Be not over-much wicked neither be thou foolish Page 705 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and nayls Page 816 Cant. 2.14 That art in the clefts of the Rocks in the secret places of the stairs Page 582 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister and my spouse Page 826 Esaiah 25.11 He shall spread forth his hands as he that swimmeth Page 243 26.16 They poured forth a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Page 110 305. They are but vaine words I have counsell and strength for warre Page 527 54. â—1 I will lay thy stones with fair colours and thy foundation with Saphyrs Page 49 66 1â—.20 And I will set a signe and send to Tharshish Pull and Lud Page 623 Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan c. Page 920 16. â—1 Thou hast slain my children and delivered them to the fire Page 214 29 1â— Every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled Page 216 37.16 Take thou one stick and write upon it for Judah Page 603 38.17 Art thou he of whom I have spoken in ancient times by my Prophets Page 514 Dan. 2.4 Tell thy servants the Dream and we will shew the interpretation Page 533 3.14 It is true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my God Page 99 Hosea 13.1 2. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself Page 928 Matth. 16.18 The gates of hell shall not prevail against it Page 879 21.20 How soon is the sig-tree withered away Page 626 23.35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth Page 496 24.7 for nation shall rise against nation Page 477 Luk. 1.74 75. that he would deliver us from our enemies that we may serve him Page 945 75. in holinesse and righteousnesse all our lives Page 945 18.2 3. there was in the city a Judge that feared not God nor man Page 218 Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted outwhen the times of refreshing come Page 844 Rom. 8.19 Expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons c. Page 889 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All things are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Page 926 1 12.4 Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit Page 209 1 12.31 Covet earnestly the best gifts yet I shew to you a more excellent way Page 428 2 5.14 For the love of Christ constrainethus Page 893 Phil. 4.6 Be carefull in nothing but let your requests be made known to God Page 836 Col. 4.6 Knowing how to answer every man Page 822 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of God was exceeding abundant Page 145 1 4.2 Having their consciences seared with a hot iron Page 668 Heb. 11 6. For he that commeth to God must beleeve that he is Page 698 11.21 Jacob worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff Page 69 Jam. 1.9 10. Let the brother of low degree rejoyce that he is exalted Page 909 4.8 9 10. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Page 832 1 Pet 1.11 searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ Page 504 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that you might beleeve on God Page 700 Rev. 10.1 And a rain-bowe was on his head Page 390 13.7 fear God and give glory to him for his hour of judgement is come Page 879 18. Court the number of the beast for it is the number of a man Page 261 16.14 15 16. for they are the spirit of Devils working miracles Page 411 17.1 I will shew to you the judgement of the great whore Page 15 18.2 Babylon is fallen Babylon is fallen Page 84 18.9 The Kings of the earth shall lament for her Page 264 21.16 He measured it 12000 furlongs Page 600 Books formerly published by this Authour 1 GOds love tokens and the Afflicted mans Lessons in a Treatise upon Revel 3.19 2 The true Treasure c. A Discourse concerning the Divinity and Excellency of the holy Scriptures Out of Heb. 1.1 3 A Commentary upon the four Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles The second Edition much enlarged by the Authour and printed in Fol. 4 A Commentary upon all the Epistles of the Apostles and upon the Revelation together with a Decad of Common-places 5 A Commentary upon the Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses 6 A Commentary upon the holy Writings of King Solomen viz. Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song of
Iehu upon the house of Ahab as so many murders see 1 King 16.7 2 King 9.24 31. 10.11.17 This God did not presently but that 's nothing Nullum tempus occurrit Regi nedum Dâ—â— He is slow but sure Et tarditatem supplicij gravitate compensat Val. Max. as the Heathen could say the longer he holds the harder he strikes and visits Iehu's house for by-past sins that they made little reckoning of Sin may sleep a long time like a sleeping debt not called for of many yeers As Sauls sin in slaying the Gibeonites not punished till fourty yeers after as Ioabs killing of Abner slept all Davids dayes as Amalec perished for their ill usage of Israel many hundred yeers after It is ill angring the Ancient of dayes He that saith Vengeance is mine I will repay it takes his own time for the doing of it and who shall prescribe to him It is dangerous offending him whose displeasure is everlasting Vapours that ascend invisibly come down again in stormes and showers A sinner of an hundred yeers shall be accursed and made to possesse the sins of his youth It is not the last sand that exhausts the hour-glasse nor the last stroak that fells the Oak Iehu's house is visited and his progeny extinguished in the fourth generation for Iehu's offences Gods work must be done truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving But Iehu as he had not that true heart spoken of by the Apostle Hebr. 10.22 but was double minded Iames 1.8 4.8 like that mad Neapolitan that said he had two hearts one for God and another for him that would So he fulfilled not after God or he followed not God fully as Caleb did Numb Implevit post mi. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14.24 he did not all Gods wills as David Acts 13. he served him not with a perfect heart as Asa 2 Chron. 15.17 He reformed the State but not the Church or if he did something toward it yet he was not thorow in it He had a dispensatory conscience for though he rooted out Baals-worship yet the golden Calves must continue piety must give place to policy It was a just complaint of Chemnitius Principes regionem potiùs quam religionem quaerunt pauperes panem potiùs quam Christum All men seek their own but not the things of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.21 And yet piety hath ever proved to be the best policie and the very Philosopher in his Politicks gives this golden Rule Arist. pol. l. 7. c. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First take care of Divine things Iehu seemed at first to be as zealous a Reformer as Iehosaphat but though his fleece was fair his liver was rotten In parabola ovis capras suas quaerebat he was like the Eagle which soareth aloft not for any love of heaven her eye is all the while upon the prey which by this means she spies sooner and seizeth upon better He seems to have been of Machiavels minde viz. that vertue it self should not be sought after but onely the appearance because the credit is a help the uâ—e a cumber Am. Marcel Confuso quodam temperamento miâ—ta Camd. Finally of Iehu it may he said as Marcellinus saith of Iulian that by his hypocrisie and double-dealing Obnubilabat gloriae multiplices cursus he stained his many praise-worthy practises Or as Camden saith of King Henry the eight Fuerunt quidem in eo rege c. There were in that King great vertues and no lesse vices mingled or rather jumbled together Or lastly as Folieta Galeazo reporteth of Sfortia Duke of Millain that he was a very monster made up and compact of vertue and vice See more verse 5. And I will cause to cease the Kingdom This fell out after 76 yeers which God counts and calls here but a little while A thousand yeers with him are but as one day What is our life but a spot of time betwixt two eternities Jam. 4.14 It is even a vapour saith S. Iames that appeareth for a little time Heb. 4.1 and then vanisheth away Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us and a door now opened of entring into Gods rest any of us should seem to come short or to come lag andlate as did Esau the foolish virgins those that come a day after the fair an hour after the feast Agree with your adversary quickly prepare to meet thy God Chrysol O Israel Currat poenitentia ne praecurrat sententiae Repent a day before death and that may be this day before the next make Gods judgements present in conceit ere they come in the event prevision is the likeliest way of prevention the surest means of mitigation whereas coming on the sudden they finde weak mindes secure make them miserable leave them desperate Verse 5. I will break the bowe of Israel though it may seem to have a back of steel and though it be drawn by Iehâ— himself with his full strength as once against Iehoram to the piercing of his heart 2 King 9.24 He means God will blast all the power of their Ammunition defeat their likeliest projects and practises and make the strongest sinew in the arm of flesh to crack He breaketh the bowe and cutteth the spear in sunder c. Psal 46.9 He rendreth the weapons vain or successefull Isai 54.17 Ierem. 50.9 as he did when the Rats and Mice were sent into Sennacheribs Army in great abundance to gnaw and devour their quivers Herod l. 2. bowe-strings belts bridles shields as Herodotus relates to shew that the shields of the earth belong to the Lord that the Militia of the World is his that he orders the Ammunition Ier. 50.25 And the like was done by this Lord of Hosts or Armies when the winde and weather fought for Theodosius in that famous battle against the tyrant Maximus Aug. de civ Dei l. 5. celebrated by Claudian As also when the Spanish Armado was defeated and discomfited by the English in 88. That was very remarkable and for our purpose apposite which fell out in the battle between Edward the third of England and Philip of France Philip enraged with a defeat resolves presently to revenge it and hardly had patience to stay in Abbeville one day while the Bridge to passe over his Army was repayring And with this precipitation and fury into the field he marcheth elevated with an assured hope of triumphant Victory Daniels Works 237. But it fell out otherwise for there fell at the instant of the Battle a piercing shower of rain which dissolved their strings and made their bowes unusefull In the valley of Iezreel A city neer to Maximinianopolis saith Hierom. Of the valley wherein this City was scituate see Iosh 17.16 Iudg. 6.33 It was in the tribe of Manasseh and bordered upon Issachar Josh 19.18 It was ten miles long and two miles over being called also the plain of Galilee and was fit for a fight for
a pitcht battle Here iâ— was saith Adrichomius that Gideon fought the Midianites Iudg. 6.7 Saul the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. Ahab the Syrians 1 King 20. And here Zachary the last of Jehu's line was slain and with him the kingdom of Israel received such a wound that it could never rise again Monaâ—chies have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine Junius renders it Propter Vallem Jericho I will break the bow of Israel because of the wall of Jezreel that is saith he because of the slaughter of Ahabs house there made by Jehu 2 King 10 Jehu's Tent in that execution was rewarded as an Act of Justice quoad substantiam operis and yet punished as an Act of policy quoad modum for the perverse end Finibus non officijs a vitijs discernuntur virtutes saith Augustine By the ends and not by the works done are vertues distinguished from vices Two things make a good Christian and declare him so good Actions and good Aimes And although a good aime doth not make a bad Action good as in Vzza yet a bad aime makes a good action bad as here in Jebu There may be then we see malum opus in bona materia a work materially good which yet may never prove so formally and eventually sc when there is a fail either quoad fontem or quoad finem A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottenness Blazing comets though but comets as long as they keep aloft shine bright But when they begin to decline from their pitch they fall to the earth and infect the Air. So when Illuminates forsake the Lord and minde onely earthly things being all for self they lose their light and go out in a snuffe Jehu's golden calves made an end of him and his though he made an end of Ahabs house and Baals worship His rooting out of Ahabs race was but to settle the crown better upon his own head Like unto him was our Richard the third who well knowing saith the Historian it was no pollicy to play the villaine by half-deal is resolved to leave never a rub to lie in the way Daniels hist 218. that might hinder the true running of his bowle Like unto him also saith Master Calvin upon this text was our king Henry the eighth who cast off some degree of Popery so farre as would serve his own turn but there were the six Articles in force that whip with six cords as that Martyr called it for which many suffered at that time Acts Mor. And whereas like Sylla he commanded others under great penalties to be no Papists himself was either Papist or Athiest jearing at some for their old Mumpsimus and at others for their new Sumpsimus as he profanely called the Reformation hanging Papists on the one side of the hedge for denying his Supremacy and burning Protestants on the other side thereof for denying Transubstantiation c. And hence it may be thought is that dreadfull and dismall ruine that is now in these our dayes and in the fourth generation or succession befaln the royall family The house of Jehu fareth the worse for Jehu Offa king of East-Saxons lived in the time of Charles the great and was a potent Prince But the many injuries he did and the murther he committed in his house upon Ethelbert king of East-Angles coming to him under a publike faith and a suitor to his daughter were justly revenged upon his posterity which after him declining in the end lost all But to return to Jehu we shall find 2 Kin. 10.30 Daniels hist p. 111. that God said that because Jehu had shed the blood of Ahab in Jezreel that he would reward him for it and that his children to the fourth generation should sit upon the throne of Israel and govern that Kingdom And yet for miscarriage in the manner justly plagueth his posterity As Xerxes crowned his Steeresman in the morning and yet hanged him in the afternoon of the same day And as Marescal de Thermas the French Generall first Knighted a French souldier in Scotland who first mounted a besieged Fort by that means taken and then hanged him within an hour after for doing it without order See more of this in the Note upon the former verse Verse 6. And she conceived againe To shew in a continued allegory the weak and wofull estate of the ten tribes when the Assyrian took from them all the land of Gilead and Galilee together with all the land of Nepthali and carried them captive subduing in a manner five tribes of Israel to wit those without Iordan who as they had first their inheritance given them so they were now first carried captives and the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthali who were seated in the land of Galilee And this was the first captivity of Israel see 2 Kings 15.29 Esay 9.1 And bare a daughter This age is compared to a daughter because from that time forward after the bow of Israel was so broken as Verse 5. they should be no more able to defend themselves than if they were a common-wealth of women Their spirits should be so cowed out and emasculated their backs so bowed down with unsupportable burdens and bondages Vt de Ctanmerâ— Melc Ad. that there was scarcely place left of a worse condition nor hope of a better Like them were those we read of Esay 51.23 that yeelded to such as would but say to them Bow down that we may go over you Hom Jl. sic Virg Phrygiae neque enim Phryges Or as those in Nahum 3.13 Their men shall be as women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timerous and cowardly like Issachar's Asse Gen 49.15 whose lot fell in Galilee Iosh 19.18 or those fugitives of Ephraim Iudg. 12.4 that therefore bare a brand of dishonour because they would not rather die bravely then live basely Of such it may be said as of Harts and Stags they have great horns and strength but do nothing with them quia deest animus because their spirits are imbased as the Israelites in Egypt were of old by Pharoah and as the Grecians are at this day by the Turk call her name Loruhamah When God once calls a people or a person by this name we may well write upon their dores if any place be yet left for prayer any good to be done by it Lord have mercy upon them their condition is deplorable if not desperate Vade frater in Cellam et dic Miserere mei Deus Brother go into thy Cell and say Lord have mercy upon me said Crantzius to Luther when he began to declaime against the Pope for he looked upon him as an undone man Scultet Annal. and yet he was not But those are doubly undone to whom God shall say as here to Israel I will no more have mercy Heb I will add no more to shew mercy but my so oft abused mercy shall turn into fury That it
carried captive young and old naked and barefoot even with their buttocks uncovered c. as it is said of their confederates the Egyptians Esay 20.4 and as it shall be done at length to that purple whore of Rome who shall be stript naked broil'd and eaten Revel 17.16 A cold sweat stands already upon her limbs and for a presage of her future ruine it is observed that Rome since it became Papall was never besieged by any but it was taken As for their late Masculine attempts and atchievements if any it is but as here in the Kingdom of Israel a lightning before death as the blaze of a candle a little afore it goes out the bulging of a wall that 's ready to come down or as it was said of Carthage a little afore it was taken Morientium bestiarum violentiores esse morsus dying beasts bite cruelly Verse 9. Call his name Loammi Nomen extremum deploratum saith Pareus the last and most lamentable name of all containing a most heavy but spiritual and therefore lesse sensible punishment viz. an utter abjection and abdication from the covenant from grace from God from life eternall For ye are not my people But being totally cashiered and discovenanted Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me O children of Israel saith the Lord Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt and the Philistims from Caphtor Amos 9.7 and the Syrians from Kir q. d. True it is I have brought you up out of Egypt and therein you greatly glory but have I not done as much as all this for those profane Nations here mentioned with and amongst whom henceforward I shall reckon you for you are no people of mine but discarded and dispeopled Till the Covenant made with Abraham all Nations were suffered to walk in their own wayes as fishes passe at liberty thorow the paths of the Seas Psal 8.8 One person was no more respected then another But as soon as it was said I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee the Church became as fish cast into a Pond for peculiar use and was divided from other Nations Act. 14.16 no otherwise then light was from darknesse in the first creation or then Goshen was from Egypt in that wonderfull separation But here God seems to rescind his own act to cast off the people of his purchase and utterly to disown them as once before he also did when he fathered them upon Moses saying Thy people which thou hast brought out of Egypt c. Exod. 32.7 But this we must know is no other then mutatio rei non Dei effectus non affectus facti non consilij not a change of Gods will but onely of his works For hath God indeed cast away his people God forbid Rom. 11.1 2. God hath not cast away his people whom he foreknew Thus saith the Lord God If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. Jer. 31.37 And albeit by an angry Aposiopesis he say here I will not be your God The word God is not in the Original ab irato omittitur saith Mercer yet to shew that he is Bagnal Chemah One that can rule his wrath as Neb. 1.2 he subjoyneth here verse 10. Verse 10. Yet the number of the children of Israel i. e. of the Israel of God those Jews inwardly the Circumcision indeed which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus putting no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Bern. but saying each for himself as that good Father did Horreo quicquid de meo est ut sim meus All my care is to be found in Christ sc when sought for by the justice of God not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the law Beza but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 Lo to such Israelites indeed and of such it is here promised the Lord in Judgement remembring Mercy that they shall be the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbered This was first promised to Abraham and afterwards confirmed with an oath Gen. 22.16 It began to be fulfilled when by the preaching of the Apostles so many of both Jews and Gentiles came in and were converted to the faith of the true Messiah as S. Paul expoundeth this text Rom. 9.24 25. and he had the mind of Christ It shall have its full accomplishment when the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in and all Israel shall be saved Rom. 11.26 Then the Church shall be as the stone that smote the Image it shall become a great mountain and fill the whole earth Though the beginning of it be small yet the later end of it shall greatly increase Job 8.7 for all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Christ he shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Psal 72.8 11 17 Great is the paucity of Gods people for present but let us by the help of this promise get above that stumbling block Cosmographers tell us that if we divide all the known world into thirty parts the Heathens part is as nineteen of this thirty the Mahometans as six the Christians as five only And of those five more then the one half is held by idolatrous Papists But let not this discourage us it will be otherwise one day for the Scripture cannot be broken And although God may seem utterly to have abandoned his ancient people the Jews the ten Tribes especially yet they as well as the rest shall be vouchsafed this honour to be called to the participation of Christ Ezek. 37.16 19. Jer. 3 12 13 c. Esay 11.12 13. Obad. 20. Zach. 10.6 Rom. 11.26 If God after so dreadful a threatning come in with his non-obstante as he doth likewise Psal 106.8 and elsewhere and say yet the number of the children of Israel shall be c. who shall gain say him Their interpretation is too narrow that understand this text of the increase of this people in all their dispersions until the time of their conversion And that of Rabbi Ezra is pretty though not proper that as the sand keeps the waves of the sea from breaking in and drowning the world so doth Israel preserve man-kind from perishing by the waves of Gods wrath It should have been considered by him and the rest of those refractary Rabbines that at that general conversion of the Jews here plainly foretold there shall be some stubborn spirits that will not even then stoop to Christ but will be filled with envy as those cankered Pharisees their fore-fathers were Acts 13.44 45. to see almost the whole City come together to hear Christ Yea they will be ready to say as John 12.19 perceive ye how ye
horse-leech Give give and may fitly be compared to the ravens of Arabia that full-gorged have a tunable sweet voice but empty they screech horribly Corpus opes animum famam vim lumina Scortum Debilitat perdit necat aufert tripit orbat Idolatry also is no lesse costly witnesse this harlots habit verse 13. and the purple whore of Rome with all her trinckets and those masses of money that she drains out of many parts of Christendome for the support of her state Muscipulata res Otto one of her Mice-catchers as the story calleth him sent hither into England by Gregory the ninth after three years raking together of money for pardons and other palterments at last departing he left not so much money in the whole Kingdome as he either carried with him or sent to Rome before him What will not men part with to purchase heaven Bellarm. Now they perswaded the poor people and still they do that good works and what so good as to gratifie the Pope with great summes were mercatura regni coelestas the price to be given for heaven Idolaters are all Merit-mongers they will have heaven as a purchase they lay claim to it as wages for their work They say with that wretched Monk Redde mihi aeternam vitam quam debes Luke 15. Give me eternal life which thou owest me Give me the portion that belongeth to me God forbid saith another Papist that we should enjoy heaven as of meer alms to us On the other side the godly disclaim their own merits beg hard for mercy expect a recompence of reward from him but all of free-grace accounting all that they can do for God but a little of that much that is due to him and that they could well beteem him they do all righteousnesse but rest in none they know that Gods kingdom is partum non paratum that their reward is the reward of inheritance and not of acquisition and that if they could do any thing this way yet would it be mercy in God to reward every one according to his work Psalm 61.12 and I will make them a forrest See this more fully set forth Isai 5.5 6. Such is the hatred God beareth to sinne that he makes bloody wailes as it were upon the backs of the insensible creatures for mans sake A fruitfull land turneth he into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107.34 Thus he dealt by Sodom which was once as Egypt yea as Eden but is now a place of nettles and salt-pits By Iudea that once Lumen totius orbis now laid desolate as Babylon where Strabo saith their Barley yeelded three hundred-fold increase and their Palm-tree three hundred and sixty severall sorts of commodities as bread honey wine vineger c. but what devastation befell it by the Modes see Esay 13.19 c. It were easie to instance in the seven Churches of Asia the Palatinate and other parts of Germany in Ireland and now Scotland and what may England look for Shall we altogether passe unpunished Shall we still sit safe under our vines and fig-trees and not be forrested and by those wilde beasts of the field devoured Sure it is that no beast of the field doth shew it self more raging or ravenous then do the wicked when God suffers or rather sends them to break into his vineyard Witnesse those breathing devils the Irish Rebels more cruel then any Cannibals Cursed be their wrath for it was cruel transcendentâ—y so extending it self both to the living and the dead Vrsi non saeviunt in cadavera but these bears Psal 58.4 boars Psal 80.13 lions leopards c. did rage against dead carcasses and tore them with their teeth Histories tell us that the first founders of Rome were nourished by a Wolf Certain it is that the off-spring of that people have the hearts of Wolves being savage and cruel above measure Their citie was first founded in blood and so was the Papacy for the foundation of that See was laid when Phocas slew his liege Lord and Emperour Mauricius whom he stewed in his own blood Whence the Poet wittily Suffocas Phoca imperium stabilisque Papatum The habit of that harlot is according to her heart purple and scarlet and her diet is the diet of the Cannibals Rev. 17.6 I saw her drunken with the blood of the Saints They are wholly bloody both in their positions and dispositions their plots and practises The Pope is said to be a Leopard or Panther with his feet like a Bear and his head like a Lion Revel 13.2 See the Note there And of their S. Dominick the father of the Dominicans it is reported that when his mother was with childe of him she dreamed that she brought forth a Wolf with a fire-brand in his mouth and he prooved accordingly Ezek. 21.31 Habac. 1.2 3. a bruitish man skilfull to destroy to devour the man more righteous then himself by his bloody inquisitors I pray that God would deliver his turtle from these savage creatures that he would cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land Ezek. 34.25 that the beasts of the land may no more devour them vers 28. Verse 13. And I will visit upon her the dayes of Baalim That is I will punish the sins committed in those dayes wherein they went after those multitudes of Heathenish gods 30000. In Theog In Georg. lib. 1. of them Hesiod reckons up in his days And Servius upon Virgil telles us that for fear of offending any of them they used to close up their petitions with Dijque Deaeque omnes All ye gods goddesses c. Some of the Hebrews by Baalim understand Dominos domuum the Lords of the houses for the planets are said to have thir houses Oecolampadius understands it of those Idols which they worshipped under the name of the Stars called elswhere the Queen of heaven or the heavenly constellations Others by Baal conceive to be meant their chief God called also by them Baal-samen or the Lord of Heaven by Baalim their under-gods mediozuma numina inter mortales caelicolasque vectores This was Plato's Demonogy See the Note above upon verse 8. of this chapter Saint Paul is thought to have been well read in Plato's writings his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.6 is verbùm Platoineum and to have alluded to him in that passage 1 Cor. 8.5 6. Though there be that are called Baalim signifieth Lords whether in heaven or in earth as there be gods many and lords many but to us there is but one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ that is but one Mediatour betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who indeed in regard of his humane nature is inferiour to the Father but yet such a Lord by whom are all things and we by him The Papists acknowledge but one God but they have many Baalims many Lords and Mediatours both of intercession and of Redemption too But
for then was it better with me then now I will repent for the kingdome of heaven is at hand c. Lo this is the right way of reasoning sc from mercy to duty from deliverance to obedience 2 Cor. 5.14 Tit. 2.14 Ro. 2.4 Ro. 12.1 Ezra 9.14 The love of Christ constraineth us saith Paul the grace of the Gospell teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and to live godly c. the kindnesse of God leadeth to repentance if besought by the mercies of God to present our bodies for a sacrifice to God how can we do otherwise If God bring vineyards out of wildernesses comforts out of crosses meate out of eaters honey out of the rock Deut. 32.13 and oyle out of the flinty rock that is mercies out of difficulties they must needs be very hard-hearted that are not melted and mollified thereby And the vally of Achor sor a doore of hope The vally was neer unto Jericho that city of Palmtrees and was fertile fat and full of vines Isai 65.10 thought to be the same with Engeddi which is often mentioned in the Canticles This vally was a kinde of dore or inlet into the promised land and here they began first to eate of the fruits of the land which they had so much longed for Josh 5.10 and now hoped for the enjoyment of the whole whereof that vally was a pledg and earnest Hereby then is covertly promised to Gods people deliverance by Christ together with the first-fruits and earnest of the spirit whereby they shall be brought to an assured hope of the harvest of happinesse of the whole bargain of Christs benefits Spes in humanis incerti nomen boni spes in divinis nomenest certissemi Heb. 11.1 this is hope unfaileable as proceeding from faith unfained which can believe God upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible It can take a man out of the vally of Achor that is of trouble see Josh 7.6 and set him on the everlasting mountains where as from Pisgah he may have a full prospect of heaven the hope where of maketh absent joyes present wants plentitudes and beguiles calamity as good company doth the way yea lookes upon it as an in let to mercy a promise whereof to apostatizing Israel some make this fat vally of Achor to be dotis nomine as a dowry in allusion to the manner of the Jewes in their marriages to give some piece of ground to the spouse as a pledge and she shall sing there As rejoycing in hope Rom. 12.12 Et res plena gaudio spes Psal 65.13 as Bernard hath it They shall shout for joy they shall also sing Some think the Prophet here alludeth to that custome of the Jewes to sing in the time of their vintage See Judg. 9.27 Esay 16.10 Others will have it to be an allusion to their marriage-songs that being the time of the rejoycing of a mans heart Cant. 3.11 Viz. at the recovery of his lostrib The Septuagint render 〈◊〉 shall be humbled and indeed the word signifieth both to be humbled and 〈◊〉 Some are humbled but not humble low but not lowly these must look for more load But they that mourn in a godly manner are sure to be comforted God will turn all their sighing into singing they shall sing aloud upon their beds which they have soaked in teares Gosr in rit Epist l. 1. Conf. l. 6. c. 12. and made to swim againe as David Psa 6. A reconciled condition is a singing condition Bernard was so over-joyed at his conversion that he was almost beside himself Cyprian telleth his friend Donatus that his comforts then were inexpressible Austin saith the like of himself The Saints cannot but sing at this dore of hope though they be not yet got in at it See Psal 138.5 they shall sing in the wayes of the Lord Psal 119.54 though they be yet but viatores Gods statutes are their songs even in the house of their pilgrimage as hoping to sing shortly in the height of Zion to flow to the bountifulnesse of the Lord Jer. 31.22 As in the dayes â—f her youth and in the day when she came up c. Out of a low countrey but a lower condition being shiftlesse and succorlesse Then did God put Timbrels into their hands and ditties into their mouths See Exod. 15. And so it is here said he will do againe in the time of the gospell Let our Nonsingers here take notice that singing and that joyntly with others is a Gospell-ordinance and for further proof let them read Mr. Cottons excellent treatise upon this subject Verse 16. And it shall be in that day A sweet promise of a thorow reformation much like that Zach. 13.2 God will turne to his people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one shoulder Zeph. 3.9 For which end he formes their speech for them tutours them here how to terme him Ishi they must call him but not Baali my husband So Tyrannus fur sophista but not my Lord Not that there was any hurt in the word my Baal or Lord but because it had been abused and given to Idols God would have none of it or because it was grown among the better sort a name of contempt like as for the same reason the word Burden is rejected Jer. 23.36 Or lastly lest the people whilest they spoke of one thing should think of another and naming Baal should be put in minde of an Idol This is Hieromes reason Some distinguish thus betwixt the 2 words Lyra. Oecelamp that Ish is a name of love Baal of feare Others observe that Ish signifieth an excellent man and is therefore made choyce of as every way better then Baal or Lord. Augustus forbad men to call him Lord and desired rather that more amiable name of Father of his countrey It is wisdome when we call upon God to make choyce of fit titles not onely such as he in his word hath warranted but also such as may be suitable to our requests and helpfull to our faith in prayer such as wherein we may see the thing prayed for comming towards us as it were This will notably excite devotion Instances of it see Psal 80.1 Act. 1.24 and 4.24.25 c. Note there and in the next verse that there is no small danger in words and names What a deale of mischief hath the word Huguenot done in France and Puritan here Anno 1572. Cardinall Allen at Rhemes instructed his emissary-seducers sent over hither to divide the people under the names of Protestant and puritan provoking them thereby to reall and mutuall both hate and contempt His Rhemists in their anotations on 1 Tim. 20. warn their readers of using the words of Hereticks so they call us though they have no great hurt in them and hold to their old termes of masse pennance Priest c. they call us
fulfilled at the restitution of all things which they make to be at the time of the call of the Jewes But when I find Nebuchadnezzar and other enemies of the Church to be called Lions Leopards Wolves c. as Jerem. 5.6 and elswhere I cannot but think that these might be here meant in part at least Virg. ponentque ferocia Poeni Corda volente Deo according to Peters vision Act. 10. and that God will so meeken the spirits of his converts that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all his holy mountain Esay 11.9 The literall sense is very good I grant but yet it is still to be taken as all such promises are 1. with exception of the cross here 2. with expectation of the full accomplishment hereafter in the state of perfection And I will break the bowe and the sword and the battle out of the earth These words seem to be opposed to that threat Chap. 1.5 I will break the bowe of Israel c. And it is as if he should say After that I have broken their power and tamed their pride by the enemies forces then I will punish those enemies and so take order with them that they shall not hurt my people by any of their hostilities Lo peace is a piece of Gods Covenant and covenant-mercies are very sweet when all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Psal 25.10 Not mercy onely but truth too that comes by vertue of a covenant Mark what God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.20 21. I have blessed Ishmael twelve Princes shall he beget but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac And in the same Chapter Divines observe that in ten verses thereof God repeateth his Covenant which he made with Abraham thirteen times to note thus much that that was the mercy indeed that must satisfie Abraham in all his troubles sorrows and afflictions For the Covenant of Gods peace shall not be removed no not when the mountains shall depart and the hils be removed Esay 54.10 The Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psal 29.11 and will make them to lie down safely Being gathered under my wings they shall repose themselves upon my power and providence committing themselves to me in well-doing All true and solid security whether inward or outward all true peace whether of countrey or of conscience floweth from Gods favour Psal 3. 4. Hence the Apostle wisheth grace and peace and the Angels sang Ephes 1.2 Luke 2 14. Deut. 33.16 Glory be to God on high and peace on earth even the peace of good-will toward men the good-will of him that dwelt in the bush The Lord is with me saith David I will not fear what man can do unto me I will sleep and wake and wake and sleep again Psal 3. for the Lord sustaineth me No wonder I slept so soundly and safely said King Philip when Antipater watched me Abner watched not so well when David fetcht away Sauls spear and pitcher and was barely told of it Phil. 4.7 1 Pet. 1.5 Lev. 26.5 Psal 116.7 Ishbosheth was slain whiles he slept The Saints go ever under a double guard the peace of God within them and the power of God without them and may therefore in utramque aurem dormire lie down safely See Ier. 23.6 call their souls to rest Verse 19. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever This because it could not be easily beleeved is thrice repeated We beleeve not what ever men may dream to the contrary without much ado and many conflicts When faith goes about to lay hold on Christ the devils raps her on the fingers and would beat her off Hence she is fain to take great pains for it to work hard for her living The Apostle speaks more then once of the work of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 1.3 and 2 Epist 1.11 And it is no lesse difficult say Divines to beleeve the Gospel then to fulfill the Law No man can come unto the Son except the Father draw him the soul naturally hangs back and had as lief put off its immortality as put on Christ Joh. 6. The devil also doth his utmost to hinder The contest was not so great betwixt Michael and him concerning Moses his dead Body as it is here betwixt the beleever and him concerning Christs living body And should not God mightily assist the businesse would never be done Hence faith is called the faith of Gods power Tarnan Col. 2.12 the faith of his operation and what an Almighty power God doth therein put forth is elegantly described by the Apostle in that sixfold gradation Ephes 1.19 which shews it to be more then a morall swasion Betroth thee I will I will I will saith God here and some think the Sacred Trinity is here though darkly according to the manner of those times brought in betrothing the Church in this trina repetitio And mark that he doth not say I will be reconciled unto thee and receive thee again after thy foul-playes with me for Reconciliationes ferè sunt vulpinae amicitiae inter homines Men are seldom reconciled heartily but I will espouse thee marry thee unto me and that for ever I will null the Bill of divorce love you no lesse then if you had continued true to me or were now a pure Virgin Quis hanc Dei bonitatem dignè collaudet saith Drusius Who can sufficiently set forth this goodnesse of God When God once pardoneth sin he will remember it no more he will not come with back-reckonings Discharges in justification are never repealed or called in again Peccata non redeunt is a true axiom and it is no lesse true that peccata non minuunt justificationem God can pardon sins of all sizes and assoon disperse the thick cloud as the cloud Esay 44.22 See the matchlessnesse of his mercy to a repenting adulteresse Jer. 3.5 What greater love can he shew to her then to marry her again and rejoyce over her as a bridegroom rejoyceth over his bride Esay 62.5 Yea to rest in his love and to joy over her with singing Zeph. 3.17 and to do this for ever as it is here promised so that there shall be no more breach of conjugall love and communion for ever betwixt them Ama amorem illius Oh love this love of his saith Bernard and reciprocate And as the wife will keep her bed onely for her husband saith Mr. Bradford Martyr although in other things she is content to have fellowship with others Acts Mon. fol. 1503. as to speak sit eat drink go c. so our consciences which are Christs wives must needs keep the bed that is Gods sweet promises alonely for our selves and our husband there to meet together to embrace and laugh together and to be joyfull together If sin the law the devil or any thing would creep into the bed and lie there then complain to thine husband
Christ and forthwith thou shalt see him play Phineas part And again if Satan should summon us saith he to answer for our sinnes or debts in that the wife is no sutable person but the husband we may well bid him enter his action against our husband Christ and he will make him a sufficient answer Thus Mr. Bradford in a certain letter of his unto a friend In righteousnesse and in judgement in loving kindnesse c. These are the gems of that ring that Christ bestoweth upon his Spouse saith Mercer These are those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or love-tokens that Christ the Bridegroom giveth to his Bride the Church saith Tarnonius Here he promiseth to performe to her and to work in her all those offices and requisites due from married couples in that estate the one to the other God will both justifie her by the imputation or Chriâ—â—s righteousnesse and sanctifie her by the spirit of judgement that is or sanctification See John 16.10 11. Matth. 12.20 and the Note there And because the best have their frailties and although they be vessels of honour yet are they but earthen vessels and have their flawes their cracks therefore it is added I have betrothed thee unto me in loving-kindnesse and in mercies q. d. My heart and wayes towards you shall be full of gentlenesse and sweetnesse without moâ—osity or harshnesse My loving-kindnesse shall be great Neh. 9.17 marvellous great Psal 31.21 Excellent Psal 36.7 Everlasting Esay 54.8 Mercifull Psal 117.2 Multitudes of loving-kindnesse Psal 36.5 Esay 63.7 as for my mercies or bowels of compassion towards you they are incomprehensible as having all the dimensions Ephes 3.18 Thy mercy O God reacheth unto the heavens there 's the height of it Great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowermost hell there is the depth of his mercy Psal 86.13 The earth is full of thy goodnesse there is the breadth of it All the ends of the earth have seen thy salvation there is the length of it O pray to see that blessed sight Ephes 1.18 and 3.18 that beholding as in a glasse this glory of the Lord shining bright in his Attributes you may be transformed into the same image 2 Cor. 3.18 from glory to glory and as in water face answereth to face as lead answereth the mould as tally answereth tally Indenture indenture so may we resemble and expresse the Lord our Husband in righteousnesse holinesse loving-kindnesse tender mercies and faithfulnesse that as the woman is the image and glory of the man so may we be of Christ For our encouragement it must be remembred that the Covenant that Christ maketh with us is a double Covenant to performe his part as well as ours to make us such as he requiretâ— us to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse for which end also we have a â—uplicaâ— of his Law written in our hearts Jer. 31.33 a law in our mind answerable to the law of his mouth Rom. 7.23 In a word he graciously undertaketh 〈…〉 parts therefore is the Covenant everlasting and the fruits of it are sure merâ—â— compassions that fail not In foedere novo nihil potest incidere quo miniss sit â—â—â—raum quum non sit ei adjecta conditio saith Mercer upon this Text that is In the new Covenant there can nothing fall out whereby it should not be everlasting sith there is no condition required on our part That faith or faithfulnosse mentioned in the next verse God requireth not as a mutual restipulation of our part as works were in the old covenant But here it is rather a declaration of his pleasure what he would have us to do and whereto he will enable us It is not a condition to endanger the Covenant but an assurance that he will give us strength to keep it Verse 20. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse Tremellius Drusius and Tarnonius render it in fide in faith and interpret it of de fide vera et salvifica of that true justifying faith whereby we are united to Christ And for this they urge the next words as an Exposition of these And they shall shall know the Lord alledging some other texts of Scripture wherein saving knowledge is put for justifying faith as Esay 53.11 Jer. 31.33 Job 17.3 The Septuagint also render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tarnou in exer cit Biblic See Master Dugards treatise called The change Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the New Testament is oft used for saving and growing faith Tit. 1.1 Col. 2.1 and 3 10. which indeed is the bond of the spirituall marriage and is it self nothing else but a fiduciall assent presupposing knowledge For man is a rationall creature faith a prudent thing comprehending in it self these three acts 1 knowledge in the understanding 2. Assent or rather Consent in the Will 3. Trust or confidence in the heart certainty of Adherence if not of Evidence The Papists fasten faith in the will as in the adaequate subject that they may the mean while do what they will with the understanding and the heart To which purpose they exclude all knowledge detest Trust in Christs promises expunging the very name of it every where by their Indices Expurgatorij A blind belief as the Church beleeves is as much as they require of their misled and muzzled Proselytes Bellarmine saith that faith may far better be defined by ignorance then by knowledge But how shall men beleeve on him of whom they have not heard Let us leave to the Papists their implicit faith and their blind obedience and cry after Christ as that poor man did Lord that mine eyes might be opened and that I may know the Lord yea grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ These things have I written unto you saith Saint John to those that were no Babyes or Zanyes in faith or knowledge that beleeve on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may yet more beleeve in the Son of God 1 John 5.13 David though he had proceeded further in the discovery of Divine truthes then those before him Psal 119.99 yet he was still to seek of that which might be known ver 96. Even as those great discoverers of the new-found lands in America were wont to confesse at their return that there was still a Plus-ultra more yet to be discovered Vers 21. And it shall come to passe in that day In that time of grace and reconciliation fitly set forth by the name of a day in regard of 1 Revelation 2 Adornation 3 Consolation 4 Distinction 5 Speedy Preterition I will hear saith the Lord of Hosts that is I that have the command of both the upper and nether springs and forces Sun Moon Stars c. Deut. 4.9 those storehouses of Gods good treasure which he openeth to our profit Deut. 28.12 and therehence makes a
scatter of riches upon the earth by their influence I that stop and unstop those bottles of the skie the clouds which there hang and move though waightie with their own burden I that make the earth to bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and meat to the eater Esay 55.10 c. I will hear the heavens Heb. I will answer that is I will so hear as that I will answer so will not great ones sometimes or if they do yet the poor man speakes supplications but the rich answereth him roughly Solyman 2 The grand Signior when many thousands of his poor Christian subjects Prov. 18.23 to be eased of their heavie taxations fell down before him and offered to turn Mahumetans rejected their conversion and doubled their taxations God hath here a great sort of suppliants Blunts voyage 111. Hom. The Poets fam that Litae or Supplications are alwayes about Jupiter the heaven the earth the corn c. and he heareth and speedeth them all Never any humble petitioner went sad out of his presence Never said he to the house of Israel Seek ye me in vain The Heathen-idols may do so but He scorns it Are their any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain or can the heavens give showers Surely they cannot till God have heard and answered them Jer. 14.22 The genealogie of rain of corn and wine is here resolved into Jehovah and he promiseth to endow his beloved Spouse with them as part though the least part of her joynture All are yours for you are Christs 1 Cor. 3.23 In marrying with the heir you have right to All. Here is omnium rerum ubertas ob Deisemen Christum saith Hier. plenty of all things for Christs sake who where ever he comes cometh with a Cornucopia a horn of salvation besides a largesse of outward comforts This was very necessary doctrine at all times to be taught in the Church lest pressed with miseries men should faint in their minds Christ knowes we have need of these things also and therefore not only bids us pray but promiseth to give us our daily bread by a concatenation of causes by a ladder of providences which the Heathens called Destiny but the Saints call it the harmony of the world agallant description whereof we have Ezâ— 1. far different from the Stoikes Fate or the doctrine of Plato and Aristotle and other of the worlds wizzards concerning the divine providence which they either denied or imbased and they shall hear the earth which being chapt and scorcht seemeth to sollicite showers and fattening influences by an elegant Prosopopoeia as if these insensible creatures understood what they did when men are once in covenant with God all the creatures will be serviceable to them yea greedy to do them good they wil even cry for it Vinum pendulum i.e. vuas Verse 22. And the earth shall hear That is shall bear great store of corn wine and oil new and fresh oil the word signifies newly exprest clear and shining such as is called golden oil Deut. 28.14 Zech. 4. Gods dear children shall have the best of the best Esay 55. Even the kidneyes of wheat or whatsoever dainties the earth can afford them They shall suck honey out of the Rock or if it be but water yet it shall be to them as sweet as hony because therein they taste and see the Lords goodnesse and they have meat to eat that the world wots not of and they shall hear Jezreel that is they shall answer the pains and prayers of Gods people who are here called Jezreel still though the Septuagint â—ead it Israel not to upbraid them with their former wickedness and calamities thereby procured which yet was the first reason of that name given them Ch. 1. but rather to set forth the riches of his grace imparted to such a graceless people And withall to shew that nothing could hinder them from partaking of those covenant-mercies and that happy communion with God whereto they were now restored This very name of theirs once their shame should now turn to their glory Oâ— Jezreel scattered by God which is one signification of the name they should become Jezreel a seed of God which is another that they might comfort themselves with the hope of Christ the promised seed and know that their posteritie should not to degenerate into Gentility but that many of them should embrace Christ and inherite the promises as did Araunah the Jebusite who became a samous Proselyte Zack 9.7 see the Note there and as Jether the Ismaelite 1 Chron. 7.17 〈…〉 saith and religion called an Israelite 2 Sam. 17.25 and as Christ â—â—â—â—eth himself 〈◊〉 of Nazareth as a title of honour which was once cast upon him as a reproach Verse 23. And I will sow her unto me in the earth Not in the â—ir as once when they were scattered into the four winds of heaven but in the earth which the heavens should hear verse 21. the inhabitants whereof should â—â— multipâ—â—ed and become as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbred Chap. 1.10 See the Note there and Jer. 31.27 Ezek. 36.37 The Preaching of the Gospel iâ— a kind of sowing of seed Psal 129.7 1 Pet. 1.23 and this seeding is in the earth that they may be gathered into heaven where the mower shall fill his hand and he that bindeth sheaves his bosom And although Gods eâ—ect lie here for a time under the cloâ—s yet at length they shal fructifie and many spring from them by whom the name of Christ shall be so propagated He shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Esay 53.10 and I will have mercy upon her Her unhappy name Lorubamah shall be done away and the contrary come in place Lo this is as it were the collogue of the Sermon and it is very comfortable The Sun of righteousness loves not to set in a cloud Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull Be it that he is once righteous yet he is both gracious and mercifull for it Psal 116.5 The Jewes for their seventie years captivity in Babylon had seven seventies of yeers set forth by Daniels weeks granted for the enjoying of their own country Gods mercie bear the same proportion to his punishments when he hath to deal with his elect people which seven a complete number hath to an unity This promise here made the Apostle testifieth Rom. 9.25 to be begun to be fulfilled in his time by the conversion of some Jewes and calling of some Gentiles The full accomplishment thereof we daily expect and pray for and I will say to them that is I will make them so as when he said to Lazarus come forth of the grave he brought him forth together with his word there went forth a power and they shall say Dicere nstrum est fides et
obedientia nostra saith Pareus here we say thus when we beleeve and obey There shall be restored therefore between God and his people a most sweet harmony and an intimate conjunction such as he had before described to be betwixt himself and all the second causes for his Churches sake And truly it is never will with us indeed till the heavens answer the earth till Christ the Sun of righteousness so shine into our hearts that we melt and comply as here and as Zach. 13 9. See the Note CHAP. III. Verse 1. THen said the Lord unto me Go yet c. This Yet is emphaticall and it is as if he had said Go over the same subject again in a shorter discourse and lay before them the same truthes but in more lively colours that the obstinate may be left without excuse and the penitent may not be left without comfort Iterum abi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Go to them once more and be instant with them or stand over them as Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. 4.2 and as Saint Paul doth in crying down the Jewes conceit of being justified by the works of the law and in disgracing the sin of fornication so common at Corinth Chrysostom at Antioch having preached sundry Sermons against swearing was at length asked when he would preach upon another subject He answered when you leave swearing I le leave preaching against swearing Austin would have a preacher so long to pursue and presse the same point De Doct. Christian. Deut. 6.7 Shanan et Shanah repetere sicut in acuende untill by the gesture and countenance of the hearers he perceive thaâ—â—hey understand it and will practise it This is to whet the word of God upon peâ—â—le as Moses his phrase is by going oft over the same thing as the knife doth thâ— whet-stone A like type to the former is here first propounded secondly expounded that at length it might fasten A preacher must not desist though at first he prevail not as some from this second injunction collect that this Prophet would have done but he must turn himself into all shapes and fashions both of speech and of spirit to win people to God with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.2 And this the Lord here teacheth Hosea to do by his own example of patience and tolerance notably set forth in this ensuing type Love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulteresse This was an harder task then to take her chap. 1.2 in hope she would prove honest But now that she hath plaid the adulteresse and so deserved to be discarded yet to love her yea and that when she is habituated and hardened in her lewd practises as the Hebrew word signifieth Durus est hic sermâ— who can bear it If none else can Nontam actum quam habitum significat Rivet yet God both can and will as appeareth by this whole Parable wherein the Prophet is commanded to represent God as in the former type Chap. 1. and by loving that wife which he had taken before though she had plaid false with him to shew what was the love of God toward Israel She forsaketh me saith He who give her all the good she either hath or hopeth for and followeth after those that put bottles of wine to her mouth she loves those flagons c. Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity c. howbeit I will not relinquish her but will love her freely as if she had never offended me O matchless mercy O concio plena consolationis Mercer O most comfortable Sermon God so loved the world the Mundus immundus that he gave his onely begotten Son c. This was a Sic withouta Sicut there being nothing in nature that can possibly parallel it See Rom. 5.8 God loveth Apostates idolaters adulterers yet not as such but as he intendeth and respecteth their conversion to himself which nothing will sooner effect then the sense of such an undeserved love I am not ignorant that another sense is set upon these words as thus Go yet love a woman not married as yet but espoused unto thee who may hereafter be thy wife but is for her adultery rejected for a long season so God loved the Israelites as an adulterous spouse and therefore for a long while neglected but yet at length to be taken by him to wife according to Chap. 2.15.19 Beloved of her friend sc of some paramour as Jer. 3.1 thou hast played the harlot with many lovers These the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-friends the whore was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so they flattered their own vices putting gilded names on them as our blades name drunkenness good-fellowship harlots she-sinners c. The Septuagint render it a woman that loveth naughty things or naughty packs But I like the former interpretation better and it is agreeable to the Chaldee Paraphrast Who look to other gods Look and lust ut vidi ut perij the mind lodgeth in the eye and looketh out at that window of wickednesse If I beheld the Sunne when it shined Job 31.26 27. or the Moon walking in brightnesse And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed my hand c. Job alludeth to the practise of those old Idolaters which was to kisse their Idols if they could reach them as 1 King 19.18 Cicero tels of the image of Hercules cujus mentum osculis adorantium attritum fuit and the Papists so kisse their pictures that hard Marble is worn with it Spec. Europ saith Sir Edwin Sands an eye-witnesse But when they could not come at the Idol to kisse it they looked up and kissed their hand in token of homage and this was called adoration Quast applicatio manus ados This looking to other gods imports a turning toward them Se Deut. 31.18 20. a loving them a longing after them and an expectation of some good from them No wonder therefore that such whorish hankerings and honings were offensive to the jealous and just God but the unjust knoweth no shame Zeph. 3.5 men are forbidden so much as to lift up their eyes to their Idols Psal 121.1 Ezek. 23.27 And shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills saith David as some read that Text as if from thence came my help Absit Christs Spouse hath a Doves chast eye and he would have her like that Persian Lady Cant. 4. who being at Cyrus his Wedding and asked how she liked the Bride-groom How saith she I know not I saw no body there but my husband and love flagons of wine See Judg. 9.27 Amos 2.8 Bechive of Rome Luxury is the ordinary companion of Idolatry as Exod. 32.6.1 Cor. 10.7 Rovel 18.13 14. O monachi vestri stomachi c. At Paris and Lovain the beshin vine is called Vinum Theologicum the Divinity-wine it is also called Vinum Cos â—we caloris odoris saporis optims Those Clergy-Locusts lick up
slipperinesse in contracts and covenants nothing is more common amongst men it s counted a peccadello But the God of truth the faithfull and true witness as Christ is called counteth it not so See Ezekiel 17.15 c. 1 Tim. 4.2 and 2 Timothy 3.3 There are that take truth here for justice according to Zech. 8.16 and so it suites well with that which followeth Nor mercy These two are set together Mic. 6.8 to do justly nad to love mercy as the summe of the second Table Mouth-mercy there was enough Jam. 2.15.16 such as was that in St. Iames his dayes But there is not any one that taketh Zion by the hand Esay 51.18 that draweth out his soul to the hungry and dealeth his bread to such Esay 58.7 10. Sodom had fulnesse of bread but would part with none to strengthen the hands of the poor and needy Ezek. 16.49 Therefore she had judgement without mercy that had shewed no mercy Iames 2.13 Esay 23.18 Whereas Tyrus when once she left heaping and hoarding and brought forth her merchandise for them that dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing is renowned and reckoned among those that came to Christ with their desirable things as some read that Text Hag. 2.7 Colligent omnes suos thesauros so Calvin readeth it they shall come with strong affections with large contributions as those primitive Saints did Acts 4.34 The same Hebrew word Chasid signifieth both Saint and Mercifull and it comes of Chesed the word here rendred mercy or bounty The tender mercies of the Almighty shed forth abundantly upon such leave a compassionate frame upon their hearts as in the Gaoler Acts 16. Their thoughts steeped in the mercies they have received are dyed of the same colour as cloth is in the dye-fat Col. 3.12 This Text after no mercy fitly addes nor knowledge of God in the land Heb. And no knowledge of God or because there is no knowledge of God in the land Did men but know God savingly had they but tasted and seen how good the Lord is they would not be so hide-bound and strait-handed to their poor brethren but ready to distribute willing to communicate They are the dark places of the earth that are full of the habitations of cruelty Psal 74 20. 1 Tim. 6.18 But in the kingdome of Christ they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain saith the Lord 〈◊〉 why For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Esay 11.9 St. Paul thanks his ignorance for his persecutions and blasphemy 1 Tim. 1.13 and resolves the sinne of those Kill-Christs into their not knowing of him 1 Cor. 2.8 Surely as toads and serpents grow in dark and dirty sellars So doth all sin and wickednesse in an ignorant and blinde soul Hence in this Text after no knowledge of God in the land followeth that black bed-roll of abominations in the next verse By swearing and lying and killing and stealing c. As blinde Ale-houses are sinks and sources of all villany so are blind hearts In the land Though it were a land of light a very Goshen in comparison of the rest of the world Though in Judah was God known and his name great in Israel Psal â—6 1 Men may remain grossely ignorant amidst a multitude of means and in a land of righteousnesse deal unjustly and why they will not behold the Majesty of the Lord Esay 26.10 verse 1. They will not see They are willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 2. Joh. 3. Job 24.17 saith St. Peter Vt liberiùs peccent libenter ignorant saith Bernard They hate the light saith our Saviour It is unto them as the shadow of death saith Job Hence they shut the windowes lest it should shine upon them or if it do they rebel against it rush against it as Bats do against torches in the night That light they have by nature or otherwise as a Prophet from God they detain and imprison in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 Their knowledge of God if any is onely apprehensivè and not affectivè cognoscitiva non vitae directiva illightning not transforming into the same image so as to make them children of light It is notionall knowledge not experimentall and practicall Hence such outrages in their lives such errours and enormities For Verse 2. By swearing and lying and killing and stealing Heb. To swear and lie and kill and steal and commit adultery To do all this is held licitum solenne lawfull or at least pardonable It is grown to a common practise and custome of sinning hath taken away sense of sin By swearing Heb. by cursing or swearing with an execration and cursing which was commonly added to an Oath to confirm it the more Deut. 29.12 21. Nehem. 10.29 And indeed in every lawfull oath God is called to witnesse to blesse us if we swear right and to curse us if otherwise Such an oath is a speciall part of Gods worship and is oft put for the whole as here false and frivolous oaths are put for the violation of the whole first Table and set in opposition to the knowledge of God in the Land like as lying is opposed to truth and killing stealing whoring to mercy or kindnesse Before God had complained of their defects or omissions here of their commissions and flagitious practises Swearers but especially false-swearers are traytours to the State as appeareth here and Jer. 23.10 they bring a curse nay a large roul of curses ten yards long and five yards broad upon their hearts and Zach. 5.2 and shall one day howl in hell The same word that is here rendred swearing signifâ—eth also to howl Joel 1.8 Go to now therefore ye swearers weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you Iames 5.1 12. Weep here where there be wiping handkerchiefs in the hand of Christ better do so then yell with devils who have borrowed your mouthes to utter horrid blasphemies Swearing is of the devil saith our Saviour Matth. 5.37 and it brings men to the devil saith St. Iames Chap. 5.12 They object that they swear nothing but the truth But that 's not alwayes so Swearing and lying are here set together as seldom sundred The marvel if he that sweareth commonly do not forswear frequently for he sweareth away all his faith and truth But say they swear truth yet that excuseth not Truth is but one circumstance of an oath Ier. 4.2 Men as they must swear in truth so in righteousnesse not rashly furiously and in judgement not in jest Swear not in jest lest ye go to hell in earnest It is the property and duty of a godly man to fear an oath Eccles 9.2 and not to forbear it onely As on the other side no surer signe of a profane person then common and customary swearing It were well if such were served as Lewis the ninth of France served a citizen of Paris he seared his lips for swearing
rather Sharkes Are they protectours and not rather pillagers Latrones publici publike robbers as Cato called them These shields of the earth belong to God saith David Psal 47.9 should they not then be like him 2 Chron. 19.7 Now there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor accepting of persons nor receiving of gifts neither by himself nor by his man Elisha nor by his mans man Gehezi without distaste By one period of speech by one breath of the Lord are they both forbidden Deut. 16.18 19 20. Thou shalt not respect persons nor receive a gift For why A gift doth blind the eyes of the wise yea it transformes them into walking Idols that have eyes and see not eares and heare not onely it leaveth them hands to handle that the very touching whereof will infect and venom a man as Pliny writes of the fish Torpedo Let such therefore shake their hands from bribes Isay 33.15 as Paul shoke off the viper and be so far from saying Give ye that he should rather say to those that offer it Thy mony perish with thee he that hateth gifts shall live Prov. 15.27 Jethro's Iustice of peace should be a man of courage fearing God hating covetousness Exod. 18. not bound to the peace as one phraseth it by a gift in a basket nor struck dumb with the appearance of Angels c. Verse 19. The wind hath bound her up in her wings The evill spirit saith Hierom hurries them towards hell which is the just hire of the least sin how much more of these fore-mentioned abominations Take it rather to be spoken of the suddennesse swiftnesse and unresistablenesse of Gods judgments set forth by mighty winds rending the rocks and tearing up the mountaines by the roots Job 38.9 How then shall wicked men compared to chaffe or dust of the mountaines stand before the tempest of Gods wrath the thunder of his power Well they may applaud and stroke themselves for a time but the wind shall bind them up in her wings God shall blow them to destruction Job 4.9 his executioners have the wings of a stork large and long and wind in those wings to note their ready obedience Zech. 5.9 And although Ezek. 1. God be represented as sitting upon a throne to shew his slowness to punish yet that throne hath wings hands under those wings to shew his swiftness readinesse to do seasonable execution upon his enemies and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices wherein they trusted but now see themselves disappointed their idols not able to help them Then shall they cast their idols of silver and of gold which they have made each for himself to worship to the moles and to the bats to go into the clefts of the rocks and into the tops of the ragged rocks Isay 2.20 21. See also Isay 30.22 If they be not thus ashamed of their former fopperies they are the more to be pittied Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor He is an undone man that shames not shents not himself for his evill practises that blusheth not bleedeth not before God for them lying down in his shame Jer. 3.25 as fully ashamed of his former hopes Psal 119.116 which now he seeth how far they have abused him CHAP. V. Verse 1. HEare ye this ye Priests For you are not so wise Prov. 1.5 but that ye may heare and increase learning Chap. 4.6 and besides from you is profanenesse gone forth into all the land Jer. 23.15 For you therefore in the first place I have a citation to appeare before Gods tribunall to heare your sin your sentence Jac. Ren. de vit Pont. your crime your doom God cited Adam immediately by himself Gen. 7.9 Adam where art thou so he did Cain Laban Nabal others when he sends for them by death saying as once to that Pope Veni miser in judicium Come away and heare thy sentence Centum revolutis annis Deo respon debitis mihi Mediately he citeth men by the mouth of his ministers as he did the Councill of Constance by his faithfull martyr John Husse and his word stood and as he doth here the three Estates of the kingdome Priests People and Princes by the Prophet Hosea That was very strange and extraordinary that Mr. Knox reporteth in his history of Scotland Hist of Scot. of one Sr. John Hamilton murthered by the kings meanes that he appeared to him in a vision with a naked sword drawn and strikes off both his armes with these words Take this before thou receive a finall payment for all thine impieties and within 24 houres two of the Kings sons died It is indeed but part of their punishment that wicked men here receive seem it never so grievous when God entreth into judgment with them as here it is said for judgment is toward you that is â—am about to pronounce sentence against you and to do execution and therefore hear harken and give-eare the first second and third time I admonish you that ye may know that my citation is serious and peremptory and that your damnation sleepeth not Priest and people are set before the house of the king Salvian because theirs was sedes prima vita ima an high place but a low life And besides Courtiers and great men though they be in other cases forward enough to take place of others yet in point of punishment they slink back and are well content that others should go before them God regards none for his greatnesse Potentes potenter torquebuntur neither spareth he any for his meannesse or because they were born down either by the lawes or lives of their Superiours The people are here placed betwixt the Priests and Princes and with them appealed and impeached to shew how frigid and insufficient their excuse is who plead that they did but as they were taught by their Ministers and as they were commanded by their Governours Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement because hâ— willingly walked after the commandement as it is in the eleventh verse of this chapter See the note for judgement is toward you Vengeance is in readinesse for the disobedient be he what he will kesar or caytiffe Lord or losell Priest or people every whit as ready in the Lords hand as in the ministers mouth 2. Cor. 10.6 neither shall multitudes priviledge or secure them Though they be quiet or combined and likewise many yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass through Nah. 1.12 yea though they be briers and thorns that set against him in battle and those never so much confortuplicated and sharpened yet God will go through them and burn them together Esay 27.4 he will cut off the spirit of Princes and destroy a whole rabble of rebels that rise up against him because ye have been a snare on Mizpah That God may be justified and every mouth stopped a reason is here rendred of his most
of the earth as swift as the Eagle flieth to which Text the Prophet here seemeth to allude as indeed all the Prophets do but comment upon Moses and draw out that Arras which was folded together by him before against the house of the Lord that is the house of Israel called Gods house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.5 and Gods land Hos 9.3.15 and their Common-wealth is by Iosephus called a Theocratic And although they were now become Apostates yet they gloried no lesse then before to be of the stock of Abraham and of the family of faith like as the Turks call themselves at this day Musulmans that is the true and right beleevers especially after they are circumcised which is not done till they be past ten yeers of age following the example of Ismael Grand Signior Serag p. 191. whom they imitate and honour as their Progenitour alledging that Abraham loved him and not Isaac and that it was Ismael whom Abraham would have sacrificed because they have transgressed my Covenant and trespassed Sin is the mother of misery and the great Makebate betwixt God and his creature It moves him when we ask bread and fish to feed us as verse 2. to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a serpent to bite us The sin of this people was the more hainous because they were covenanters and confederate with God It was his covenant that was in their flesh Gen. 17.13 and he had betrothed them to himself and betrusted them with his Oracles but they like men transgressed the covenant and dealt treacherously against him Chap. 6.7 See the Note there they performed not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3.21 they trespassed against his law As if it had not been holy and just and good Rom. 7. precious perfect and profitable grounded upon so much good reason that if God had not commanded it yet it had been best for us to have practised it Esay 48.17 I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit c O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandements c. q. d. It is for thy profit and not for mine own that I have given thee a law to live by But they have trespassed or praevaricated and this out of pride and malice as the word signifieth and as before he had oft convinced them of many particulars and more will do therefore are they justly punished Verse 2. Israel shall crie unto me It is their course and custome to do so they will needs do it though I take no delight in it Hypocrisie is impudent as chap. 5.6 and Ier. 3.4 5. No nay but it will despite God with seeming honour and present him with a ludibrious devotion Israel though revolted and degenerated into Iezreel chap. 1. shall crie yea cry aloud vociferabuntur cry till they are hoarse as criers do and unto me but not with their heart chap. 7.14 It is but clamor sine side fatuus an empty ring that God regards not For not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord c Mat. 7.21 Many leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come unto us Mic. 3.11 who yet shall hear Discedite Avaunt ye workers of iniquity I know you not Wo then to all profligate professors carnall Gospellers their prayers shall not profit them neither shall they be a button the better for their loud cries to the most High Pro. 1.28 and odious fawnings My God we know thee When their hearts are far from him Of such pretenders to him and his truth it is that the Apostle speaketh Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God which yet God denies Hos 4.1 5.4 but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate To come and call God Father the guide of our youth and then to fall to sinne this is to do as evil as we can We cannot easily do worse Jer. 3.4 5. To cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord and then to steal murther and commit adultery c. this is painted hypocrisie Ier. 7.4 9. when men shall take sanctuary and think to save themselves from danger by a form of godlinesse as the Jews fable that Og king of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark when they are perfect strangers to the power of it this is to hasten and heap up wrath Iob 36.13 Religion as it is the best armour so the worst cloak and will serve hypocrites as the disguise Ahab put on and perished Castalio maketh this last clause to be the speech of the blessed Trinity We know thee O Israel q. d. Though thou collogue and cry My God yet we know thine hypocrisie and the naughtinesse of thy heart But the former sence is better though the placing of the word Israel in the end of the verse seem to favour this for thus it runs in the Hebrew To me thy shall cry My God we know thee Israel Verse 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good Heb. The Good as first the good God who is good originall universall All-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and fitting to our soul He both is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and that both naturally abundantly freely and constantly Good thou art O Lord and ready to forgive saith David Psal 86.5 And the Good Lord be mircifull 2 Chron. 30. c. saith Hezekiah in his prayer for the people To speak properly there is none good but God Ase elonganit ' â—ipulis saith our Saviour Matt. 19.17 but Israel cast him or rather kickt him off procul à se rejecit as the word signifieth So do all grosse hypocrites they are rank Atheists practicall Atheists though professionall Christians Secondly they reject Christ as a Soveraigne though they could be content to have him as a Saviour they send messages after him saying We will not have this man to rule over us they will not submit to the lawes of his kingdom nor receive him in all his offices and efficacies they are Christlesse creatures as without God so without Christ in the world Thirdly hypocrites reject the good Spirit of God as David calleth him Psal 143.10 the fruit whereof is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5.9 When God striveth with them by his good Spirit as Neh. 9.20 they by yeelding to Satans suggestions grieve that holy Spirit and by grieving resist him and by resisting quench him and by quenching maliciously oppose him and offer despite unto him and so cast themselves into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.29 31. Lastly they cast off the good Word and true Worship of God those right judgements true lawes good statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 they put the promises from them and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 they hate instruction and cast Gods words behind them Psal 50.17 In a word bee hath left off to
heart according to the good pleasure of his will he loved them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. and 10.14 in the wildernesse especially where they grieved him fourty years together and tempted him ten times Num. 14.22 But God had said of Israel He is my sonne even my first-born Exod. 4.22 and so higher then the kings of the earth Psal 89.27 He had chosen him for his love and now loved him for his choice This sonne of his he called out of Egypt to keep a feast to the Lord in the wildernesse Exod. 5.1 that is to serve him Exod. 4.23 to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 to set up his pure worship according to his own prescript in the Mount Exod. 25.40 This was altogether as delightfull to God as grapes in the wildernesse are to a wearied parched traveller And this the rather because it was the kindnesse of their youth Vno anno septies fructus sufficit the love of their espousals which was as the first ripe of the figs in the first time at the first bearing for the fig-tree bears twice a year and the Egyptian fig-tree seven times a year saith Solinus Now the first-ripe-fruits are Ladies-meat we say or longing-meat Gods soul doth even long after the first-ripe-fruits Mich. 7.1 as we prize even Nettle-buds when they bud out first If the Vine do but flourish the Pomgranates bud the tender grapes appear Cant. 6.11 7.12 he will pour his spirit upon the seed and his blessing upon the buds Esay 44.3 Hee liketh not those arbores autumnales Jude 12. that bud at latter end of harvest he made choice of the Almond-tree Ier. 1.11 because it blossometh first So he called for first-fruits of the trees and of the earth in the sheaf in the threshing-floor in the dough in the loaves yea for ears of corn dried by the fire and wheat beaten out of the green ears Lev. 2.14 to signifie how pleasant unto him is the primrose of our age but they went to Baal-peor See Num. 25.3 with the Note Heb. they went in to him which obscoenum quid turpe denotat as Gen. 16.2 so Psal 106.28 They joyned themselves also to Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead that is sacrifices offered to the infernall Gods or to Pluto the Devil whom the Phoenicians called Moth or Death in the behalf of the dead and separated themselves Heb. Nazarited themselves ad religiosè colendum they became Votaries to that shame i.e. to that shamefull and abominable Idoll that blushfull Priapus Tarnâ—â— qui referebat viri pudendi speciem and whose worshippers are brought in saying Nos pudore pulso stamus sub Iove coleis apertis c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we rake a dunghill as Cyril speaks in like case in discoursing of such dunghill-deities Isidor interpreteth Baal-peor simulachrum ignominiae an image of ignominy and most sure it is that idolaters left off their Idols in deepest dangers shall be ashamed of their expectation of help from them Jer. 3.19 and 11.13 and their abominations were according as thâ— loved Or according as they listed so some interpret it or according as they loved the Moabitish women more or lesse so they worshipped their Idols Solomon did the same Or they became as detestable as their very Idols which they loved and worshipped Or I abominate them as much now as ever I loved them before and how much that was he had shewed in the beginning of the Verse Now there is nothing that goeth more to Gods heart then the losse of his love upon an unthankfull people He had healed their back-slidings in Egypt where they had worshipped Idols Ezek. 16. hee had loved them freely and immensely Now therefore that they should so slight such a love to go after such a shame and so to undo themselves for ever this was monstrous ingratitude this was an unsufferable injury Verse 11. As for Ephraim their glory shall flee away as a bird Heb. Ephraim by a Nominative absolute Or O Ephraim as with a sigh or a shriek for grief and horrour of their ensuing calamity exilium excidium exitium The Lord afflicts not willingly nor grieves the children of men Lam. 3.33 It goes as much against the heart with him as against the hair with us witnesse this patheticall expression See also chap. 11.8 Their glory that is their God as in the next verse Or Hier. Epist 7. their children as in the next words They worshipped Baal-peor for fruitfulnesse but it shall not do For either they shall be punished with barrennesse or else with a luctuosa foecunditas as Hierom saith of Loeta who buried many children a dolefull fruitfulnesse their glory shall flee away as a bird Suddenly swiftly irrecoverably shall their numerous posterity which they looked upon as themselves multiplied and eternized be cut off be snatcht away by the hand of death so that Rachel like they shall refuse to be comforted because her children were not or as Cratisiclea in Plutarch Plut. in viâ— Cleom. who seeing her dear children slain before her and her self ready to be served in like sort uttered onely this word Quò pueri estis profecti Poor children what 's become of you From the birth and from the womb and from the conception In all these states shall the curse follow them close Either they shall not conceive or die in the womb or be stifled in the birth they shall all prove Icabods It is God that gives strength to conceive as he did to Sarah Hannah Elizabeth c. It is he that formeth us in the womb and that by the book Psal 139.15 16. and preserveth us there Job 10.8 when neither we can shift for our selves nor our parents provide for us It is he that taketh us thence Psal 22.9 10. as a nurse or midwife doth the new-born babe It is he that keepeth us in the cradle and in childhood when we are subject to a thousand deaths and dangers for puerilitas est periculorum pelagus it is a just wonder that any childe attains to maturity But if wicked mens children do so as oft they do for they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17.14 yet it follows Verse 12 Though they bring up children yet will I bereave them If his children be multiplied it is for the sword and his off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread Iob 27.14 This was fulfilled in Ahabs seventy sonnes beheaded together 2 King 10.6 in whom he had vainly promised himself the establishment of his house which God had threatned to root out In Iehu and his posterity after the fourth generation Those Romans that went out against the enemy at the Porta scelerata as it was thereupon called and never returned again and that Eckins Raschachius a German Captain at the siege of Buda Anno 1541. whose sonne a valiant young Gentleman being got out of the army without his fathers knowledge bare
shall be upon such as it was upon Balaam Satans spelman they shall be a portion for foxes Psal 63.10 as those that Astutam vapido servant sub pectore vulpem because of their own counsels He that goeth to school to his own carnall reason is sure to have a fool to his master an ignis fatuus that will bring him into the bogges and briers The wisdome of the fiesh is enmitie to God Nemo laeditur nisi à seipso See the Note on chap. 10. vers 6. Vers 7. My people are bent to backsliding from me they have a principle of Apostacie in them as those Galathians had of whom the Apostle I marvaile that you are so soon removed unto another Gospell Gal. 1.6 and as those old Apostates in the wildernesse who so soon as Moses his back was turned almost cryed out to Aaron Make us golden Gods This people was before accused to be acted by a spirit of fornication a certain violent impetus a strong inclination to whoredome and to be apt to backslide with a perpetuall backsliding all their recidivations and revolts were but a fruit of the bent of their spirits which were false and unsettled not resolved whether yet to turne to God though they were beset with so many mischiefs they hangd in suspence and rather inclined to the negative then else Suspensi sunt so Calvin Pareus and others read this text My people are in suspence or in a mamering whether to turne to me or not they hang in doubt as the same word is rendred Deut 28.66 God liketh not that his people should stand doubtfull as Sâ—â—pticks and adhere to nothing certainly to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way ready to goe which way soever the staffe falleth but that they should strive to a full assurance in what they beleeve Luk. 1.4 to be fully perswaded as ver 1. and to a firm purpose of heart in what they should practise Act. 11.23 Irresolution against sin or for God can hardly consist with the power of Godlinesse be not off and on with him halt not hang not in doubt what to do but follow God fully as Caleb did come off freely as David who had chosen Gods precepts when he was solicited to have done otherwise Psal 119.173 And again I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements have I laid before me ver 30. I have waighed them and am resolved to keep them I am come to a full determination Mr. Deodate senseth the words thus They desire and expect that I should turn in favour to them and relieve them whereas they should turn to me by repentance which they will not do and herein he followeth Arias Montanus Thus those stiffnecked Jewes in Jeremy expected that God should still deale with them however they dealt with him according to all his wondrous works chap. 21.2 presuming and promising themselves impunity and thus Judas also had the face to ask Mat. 26.25 as the rest did Is it I as resting upon Christs accustomed gentlenesse and that he would conceale him still as he had done certain daies before though they called them to the most High They that is the Prophets as vers 2. called them with great importunity upon every opportunity to the most High to God in opposition to those Dii minutuli petty deities whom they doted on See chap. 7.16 to come up to him to have high and honourable conceptions of Him not casting him in a base mould as those miscreants did Psal 50.21 but saying as David and with a David-like spirit Thous Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods and there-hence inferring Ye that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.9.10 I am God Almighty walk before me and be upright Gen. 17.1 The God of glory appeared to Abraham Act. 7.2 he so conceived of God and hence his unchangeable resolutions for God none at all would exalt him Heb. together he exalted not scarce a Hee a single man that would do it that would lift up his head to listen to such good counsel so some sence it or that would exalt and extol the most High who though he be high above all praise as Neh. 9.5 and cannot be praised according to his excellent greatnesse Yet is he pleased to account himself exalted and magnified by us when considering the infinite distance and disproportion that is betwixt him and us we lay our selves low at his feet for mercy we set him up in our hearts for our sole Soveraign 2 Sam. 18.3 we esteem him as the people did David more worth then ten thousand we give him room in our soules and with highest apprehensions most vigorous affections and utmost endeavours wee bestow our selves upon him as the only Worthy Now this is done but of a very Few and well done but of fewer yet so drossy and drowsy are mens spirits and so little is the Lord liâ—ted up by the sons of men See the Prophet Esay his complaint chap. 64.7 Vers 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim Here beginneth the second part of this chapter full of many sweet Evangelicall promises and here if ever Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cervix or treadeth on the very neck of it as St. James his word importeth chap. 2.13 The Lord seemeth here to be at a stand or at strife with himself about the destruction of this people fore-threatened which well might have been a gulf to swallow them up and a grave to bury them in for ever being most worthy to perish as were the Cities which God destroyed in his wrath Gen. 19. Howbeit God in the bowels of his mercy earning and taking pitty of his Elect amongst them for he had reserved 7000. hidden ones that had not bowed their knees to Baal spareth to lay upon them the extremity of his wrath and is ready to save them for his mercies sake Heare how father-like he melts over them how should I expose thee O Ephraim how should I deliver thee up O Israel How should I dispose the as Admah how should I set thee as Zeboim q. d. Justice requires that I should lay thee utterly wast and even rain down hell from heaven upon thee as once upon Sodom and her sisters But Mercy interposeth her four several How 's in the Originall two onely expressed but the other 2. necessarily understood and by Interpreters fitly supplied foure such patheticall Interrogations as the like are not to be found in the whole book of God and not to be answered by any but God himself as indeed he doth to each particular in the following words My heart is turned within me that is the first answer The second My repentings are kindied together The third I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath The fourth I wil not return to destroy Ephraim And why First I am God and not Man Secondly the Holy One in the middest of thee My heart is turned or
Hebrew hath it with his good help that thou shalt turn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely cry unto him Turn us Lord and we shall be turned draw us and we will run after thee c. Of turning to the Lord see the Note on Zach. 1.3 Keep mercy and judgement Those magnalia legis those weightier matters of the Law as our Saviour calleth them Matth. 23.23 which Ephraim had made light of chap. 4.1 He is therefore called upon to evidence the truth of his turning to God by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 such as are tantamount and weigh just as much as repentance comes to Optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther The best and rightest repentance is a new life universall obedience to both Tables of the Law Mercy and judgement are here put by a figure for the duties of the second Table as constant waiting upon God for the duties of the first for the Prophet here observeth not the order of nature Donande Condonands but of our knowledge when he instanceth first in the second Table as doth also the Prophet Micah chap. 6.8 Mercy must be kept and exercised by 1 Giving 2 Forgiving This God prefers before sacrifice Hos 6.7 This Chrysostom saith is a more glorious work then to raise from the dead And here let those that would keep mercy and not shew it onely sometimes when they are in a good mood steep their thoughts in the mercies of God and so strive to be mercifull as their heavenly Father is Matth. 6. Judgement also must be kept and justice done Esay 56.1 after the example of God who is said to exercise loving-kindnesse but withall judgement and righteousnesse in the earth Ier. 9.24 Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is mercifull Psal 116.5 the mixture of mercy and judgement is very comely as in publike persons Psal 101.1 where we see that Davids ditty was composed of discords which made an excellent harmony so in others of all sorts Prov. 21.21 who are required to be mercifully just and justly mercifull in all their enterdealings according to that golden rule given by our Saviour Luke 6.31 Whatever ye would that men should do unto you do ye to them likewise This is the standard and wait on thy God continually First beleeve Him to be thy God by a particular individuating faith and then thou wilt be easily drawn to wait upon him who waiteth to be gracious or to draw near unto him as the Seventy here render it and come boldly to the throne of grace Heb 4.16 for as the Ark of the Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Mercy-seat were never separated to neither is the mercy of God from those that are in covenant with him and can truely call him Theirs Hope is compared to a line the same Hebrew word that signifieth the one signifieth the other and waiting on God is nothing else but Hope and Trust lengthened or drawn out Sure it is that Trust in God at length will triumph and all his dispensations will appear beautifull in their season Hold out therefore faith and patience Wait upon the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart Wait I say upon the Lord. Psal 27.14 Ponder that sweet promise Habak 2.3 not delivered only but doubled and trebled for more surety And then consider first thy distance from God in worth and degree next thy dependance upon him thine undone condition if he desert thee and then thou wilt be content to wait upon him continually to stay his leisure as David did for the kingdom and as those in Esther did for deliverance to say with those good souls in the Acts The will of the Lord be done Verse 7. He is a merchant Heb. He is Canaan that is a meer naturall man Ezek. 16.3 a money-merchant who so he may have it careth not how he comes by it he is more like a Canaanite then a Jacobite Jacob said I have enough my brother but Ephraim is sick of the plague of unsatisfiablenesse and instead of keep mercy and judgement as in the former verse he keepeth false ballances in his hand and false weights in his bag Deut. 15.13 14 15. Lev. 19.36 Prov. 11.1 and 16.11 and 20.10 See the Notes there He that hath his hands full of the ballances of deceit and will not loose them to take hold of God will not part with his fat and sweet as the Vine and Olive in Iothams Purable though it be to raigne in heaven how can it be expected that he should turne to God or that he should love to be his servant Esay 56.6 when hee loveth to oppresse To get gain if not by fraud and cunning contrivance then by force and by forged cavillation as Luke 19.9 Sic quaecunque potest arte nocere nocet And all this he loveth to do he delights in it he not onely is pleased with it but pleadeth for it and opposeth with crest and brest whatsoever standeth in the way of his own heart exercised with covetousnesse as S. Peters phrase is 2 Pet. 2.14 which he constantly followeth as the Artificer doth his trade Let such Canaanites read that flaming text 1 Thess 4.6 and take heed lest while they get all they can by wrench and wile lest while they count all good fish that comes to net they catch at length the Devil and all lest they receive no lesse summes of curses then of coyn lest screech-owls of woe cry aloud from the beams of their chambers c. See the Note on chap. 7.1 Verse 8. And Ephraim said yet I am become rich Sed mihi plande domi I have it howsoever though I hear ill for it though the Prophet inveigh against my covetousnesse yet I am rich while he and his companions are poor and indigent yea I have found me out substance An idol so the Vulgar renders it Ephes 5.5 and indeed every covetous man is an idolater and performs both outward and inward service to his Mammon of unrighteousnesse to his golden-calf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substance hee here craekes of and rest to his soul as the Seventy render it in opposition happly to the aery notions as he accounted them of the Prophets invectives against his covetous practises and the terrours of his own conscience which he endeavoured to corrupt and bribe See to like purpose Esay 57.10 Thou hast found the life of thy hand that is a livelihood by thy labour therefore thou wast not grieved thy heart is hardened and thou art insensible of thy sin-guiltinesse thou settest the gain against the guilt and then all is hall with thee Felix scelus virtus vocatur Tul. de divin lib. 2. Prosperous wickednesse is accounted vertue Leah because fruitfull and successefull rejoyced in that whereof she had greater reason to repent So did those Idolaters Ier. 44.11 Dionysius after the spoil of an idol-Temple finding the winds favourable in
his Navigation Lo said he how the gods approve of sacriledge It is no better that Ephraim here deals with the Almighty Surely saith he if God disliked my courses so much as the Prophet would make beleeve I should not gather wealth as I do but the world comes tumbling in upon me therefore my wayes are good before God This is an ordinary paralogisme whereby wicked worldlings deceive their own souls hardning and heartning themselves in their sinfull practises because they outwardly prosper But a painted face is no signe of a good complexion Seneea could say That it is the greatest unhappinesse to prosper in evil In all my labours so he calleth his fraudulent and violent practises as making the best of an ill matter They shall find no iniquity in me Though they search as narrowly as Laban did into Jacobs stuff What can they find or prove by me Am I not able either to hide mine ill-dealings or to defend them Can they take the advantage of the Law against me Why then should I be thus condemned and cried out of as I am Thus the rich man is wise in his own conceit Prov. 28.11 and covetousnesse is never without its cloak 1 Thess 2.5 which yet is too short to cover it from God who is not mocked with masks or fed with fained words whereof the covetous caitiff is sull 2 Pet. 2.3 witnesse Ephraim here with his pretences of innocency In all my labours that is mine ill-gotten goods the fruit of mine hard and honest labour saith he they shall find none iniquity no crimen stellionatus no craft or cruelty That were sinne Piaculum esset that were a foul businesse farre be it from me to stain my trading or burden my conscience with any such misdeed I would you should know I am as shie of sinne as another neither would I be taken tripping for any good Thus men notoriously guilty may yet give good words yea largely professe what they are guilty of to be an abominable thing And this is a sure signe of a profane and cauterized conscience of an heart that being first turned into earth and mud doth afterwards freez and congeal into steel and adamant Verse 9. And I that am thy Lord God from the land of Egypt This seemeth to be interlaced for the comfort of the better sort that trembled at the former threatnings for as in a family if the dogs be beaten the children will be apt to cry so is it in Gods house Hence he is carefull to take out the precious from the vile and telleth them that he hath not cast off his people whom he foreknew but would surely observe his ancient covenant made even in the land of Egypt toward his spirituall Israel I will yet make them to dwell in tabernacles c. i. e. I will deliver my Church from the spiritual Egypt and make her to passe thorow the wildernesse of the world Diodâ—e in particular Churches aspiring toward the heavenly Canaan even as my people dwelt in Tents in the wildernesse the remembrance whereof is celebrated in the feast of Tabernacles Lev. 23.43 See Zach. 14.16 with the Note Verse 10. I have also spoken by the Prophets And not suffered you to walk in your own wayes Esay 30.20 as did all other Nations Acts 14.16 The Ministery is a singular mercy however now vilipended and I have multiplied visions whereby I have discovered thy present sins and imminent dangers though thou hast said They shall finde none iniquity in me c. The wit of Mammonists will better serve them to palliate and plead for their dilectum delictum their beloved sinne then their pride will suffer them once to confesse and forsake it though never so plainly and plentifully set forth unto them and used similitudes by the ministery of the Prophets Heb. by the hand which is the instrument of instruments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher so is the ministery of the word for the good of souls It is called a hand because it sets upon mens souls with the strength of God and a certain vehemency Did not my word lay hold upon your fathers Zach. 1.6 See the Note there It is said Luke 5.17 that as Christ was teaching the power of the Lord was present c. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God Rom. 1.16 It is his mighty arm Esay 53.1 Now it was ordinary with the Prophets to use similitudes as Esay 5.2 Ezek. 16.3 which is an excellent way of preaching and prevailing as that which doth noth notably illustrate the truth and insinuate into mens affections Galeatius Caracâ—â—olus an Italian Marquesse and Nephew to Pope Paul the fiâ—t was converted by Peter Martyr reading on 1 Corinth and using an apt similitude Ministers must turn themselves into all formes and shapes both of spirit and of speech for the reaching of their hearers hearts they must come unto them in the most woing winning and convincing way that may be Onely in using of Similies they must 1. Bring them from things known and familiar things that their hearers are most acquainted with and accustomed to Thus the Prophets draw comparisons from fishes to the Egyptians vineyards to the Jews droves of cattle to the Arabians trade and traffique to the Egyptians And thus that great Apostle 1 Cor. 9 24. fetcheth Similies from runners and wrestlers exercises that they were well acquainted with in the Isthmian Games instituted by Thesus not far from their city 2. Similies must be very naturall plain and proper 3. They must not be too far urged we must not wit-wanton it in using them and let it be remembred that though they much illustrate a truth yet Theologia parabolica nihil probat There are â—nterpreters of good note that read this whole verse in the future tense and make a continuation of that promise in the verse afore I will speak by the Prophets sc in the dayes of the Gospel when great was the company of those that published it Psal 68.11 I will multiply visions See this fulfilled Acts 2.17 with Joel 2.28 I will use similitudes teach in parables and illustrate therewith grave sentences and doctrines as Christ and his Apostles did and as the best Preachers still do that they may thereby set forth things to the life and make them as plain as if written with the Sun-beams Verse 11. Is there iniquity in Gilead What in Gilead a city of Priests See chap. 6. ver 8. with the Note yea Gilead is a city of those that work iniquity a very Poneropolis a place of naughty-packs chap. 4.15 Now there is not a worse creature on earth then a wicked Priest nor a worse place then a wicked Gilead The Hebrew hath it thus Is Gilead iniquity Or as Luther Drusius and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certè verè profectè Surely it is so Confer Mich. 1.5 Gregory Nazianzen reports of Athens that it was the plaguiest place in the world for superstition Our
to come out of the filth of his sins or to be washed from his wickednesse Rather then be regenerated without which there is no heaven to be had Ioh. 3.5 or freedom from deadly dangers upon earth he will venture to stay a while at least as the Text here hath it in the mouth of the matrix though it cost him a choaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such Ephraims we have not a few that proceed no further then to conviction debarring themselves of the benefit of a thorow conversion These go as far as Kadesh-barnea they are nigh to Gods kingdom they are almost perswaded to be true Christians they are come as far as the place of the breaking forth of children but there they stick and are stifled they are never brought forth from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive remission of sinnes and inheritance among the saints and sonnes of God Acts 26.18 Oh make much of the least beginnings of grace saith a Reverend man even those called repressing since they prepare the heart for conversion There is a faith in the true convert of no better perfection then that in the Temporary though he stay not there as the other being an unwise sot doth c. And although we bring forth good things saith Another as Sarah's dead womb brought forth a child it was not a child of natures but of the meer promise yet it cannot be denied that a naturall man though he be Theologically dead yet he is Ethically alive being to be wrought upon by arguments and that grace doth for the most part prepare naturals before it bring in supernaturals and if we hide our talent we are not allowed to expect the spirit of Regeneration As if we die in the wildernesse of preparatory antecedaneous works we never get to Canaan Verse 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave c. Some read it thus Calvin Tigurin Isid Clar. Danaeus Drusius I would have ransomed them c. I would have redeemed them c. had they been wise or oughts as we say had not their incurable hardnesse and obstinacy hindered had they put forth into my hands as unto a midwife c. But alas it is no such matter therefore that that will die let it die repentance shall be hid from mine eyes I am unchangeably resolved to ruine them Or repentance should have been hid from mine eyes my goodnesse toward them should never have altered c. But let us rather look upon the words as a most sweet and comfortable promise of a mighty redemption and glorious resurrection to the Remnant according to the election of grace whom God would not have to want comfort I will ransom them Here therefore he telleth his Heirs of the promises that he will bring them back out of captivity wherein they â—ay for dead as it were and that this their deliverance should be an evident argument and sure pledge of their resurrection to life eternall To which purpose the Apostle doth aptly and properly alledge it 1 Cor. 15. and thereupon rings in Deaths ears out of this Text and Esay 25.8 the shrillest and sharpest Note the boldest and bravest challenge that ever was heard from the mouth of a mortall Death where is thy sting Hell where 's thy victory c Oh thanks be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and thereby hath made us more then conquerours that is Triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 But to return to the Text. Be it saith the Prophet that the Common-wealth of Israel both mother and child must perish for want of wisdom as was threatned in the foregoing verse yet let not the penitent among them despair for I the Lord Christ will ransom them by laying down a valuable price so the word signifieth from the power Ephdem Heb. hand of the grave or of hell that though hell had laid hands on them yea closed her mouth upon them as once the Whale had upon Jonas yet I would open the doors of that Leviathan and fetch them thence with a strong hand I will redeem them from death by becoming their near kinsman according to the flesh whereby I shall have the next right of redemption But how shall all this be done After a wonderfull manner O death I will be thy plagues Not one but many plagues even so many as shall certainly do thee to death The Vulgar rendreth it Ero mors tua O mors morsus tuus O inferne The Apostle for plagues hath sting for the plague hath a deadly sting and so hath sinne much more the guilt thereof is by Solomon said to bite like a serpent and sting like a cockatrice Prov. 23.32 Now Christ by dying put sinne to death Rom. 1.25 Ephes 1.7 Heb. 2.14 We read of a certain Cappadocean Sphinx Phil. pag. 750. whom when a Viper had bitten and suckt his blood the Viper her self died by the venemous blood that she had suckt But Christ being life essential prevailed over death and swallowed it up in victory as Moses his serpent swallowed up the sorcerers serpents or as Fire swalloweth up the fuell that is cast upon it yea by death he destroyed him that had the power of death the devil whose practise it was to kill men with death Rev. 2.23 this is the second death O grave or O hell I will be thy destruction thy deadly stinging disease joyned with the pestilence Psal 91.6 Death to a beleever is neither totall nor perpetuall Rom. 8.10 11. Christ hath made it to him of a curse a blessing of an enemy a friend of a punishment an emolument of the gate of hell the portall of heaven a postern to let out temporall but a street-door to let in eternall life And to assure all this Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes i. e. there shall be no such thing as repentance in me for all things that are at all are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 The meaning is I will never change my minde for this matter my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89.34 Confer Psal 110.4 Rom. 11.29 Some render it but not so well Consolation is hid from mine eyes and so make them to be the words of the Church q. d. I see not this promise with mine eyes but I receive it and accept of it by my faith Verse 15. Though he be fruitfull among his brethren In allusion to his name Ephraim which signifieth fruitfull and flourishing Gen. 41.52 Confer Gen. 48.16 19 20 c. 49.22 See the like allusions Am. 5.5 Mic. 1.10 An East-winde shall come which is violent and hurtfull to the fruits of the earth the winde of the Lord a mighty strong winde meaning that most mercilesse and impetuous enemy the Assyrian sent by the Lord to avenge the quarrell of his
we are dayly and hourly delivered It is good to keep a catalogue of Gods providences and to transmit them to posteritie such as was that of the Gun-powder-plot and before that of the Reformation begun by Henry the eight and carried on by his son to the ridding of the land of those popish Locusts Which Reformation how imperfect soever to be done by so weak and simple meanes yea by casual and cross meanes against the force of so puissant and politick and adversary is that miracle which we are in these times to look for An out-lander speaketh thus of it Ecclesiae Anglicanae reformationem desperasset aetas praeterita admiratur praesens obstupescet futura This was the Lords own work Sculiet det 2. d Ep. dediâ— and it is marvelous in our eyes Oh that the same Lord would be both Author and Fmisher and as he hath in good part cut off the names of the idols out of the land so that they shall be no more remembred so he would cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to passe out of the land that he would send all false doctrine and heresy packing to hell from whence they came Fiat Fiat and will drive him into a land barren and desolate Or dry and forlorn where he shall perish for want of food The body of this Army shall be driven into the wildernesse the vantagard into the lake of Sodom toward the East and the rereward into the Mediterranean Sea toward the West for the Western Ocean was hardly known to the Hebrewes as neither was it to the Romanes till the dayes of Julius Cesar and his stink shall come up and his ill savour c. sc by reason of their dead carcasses covering the earth and infecting the ayre The old Hebrewes understood this text concerning the destruction of the devill in the dayes of the Messias Oh that God would once destroy that first-born of the devill that King of Locusts Abaddon the Pope and dung his vineyard with the dead carcasses of his incurable complices that their stink might ascend and their ill savour come up into all mens nostrills Matthew Paris an ingenuous Papift speaking of the court of Rome long since said Hujus faetor usque an nubes fumum teterrimum exhalabat Her filthinesse hath sent up a most noysome stench to the very clouds of heaven as Sodoms did And Theodorcus Vrias another of her good sons in Germany complained Anno 1414. that the Church of Rome was become ex aurea argenteuÌ„ ex argentea ferream ex ferrea terream superesse ut in stercus abiret of gold silver of silver iron of iron earth and that she would next become of earth dung c. She is so already and stinks alive worse then any carrion rotting in its slime Oh that God would once put into the hearts of the kings of the earth to loath her and burn her for an old stinking baud as is prophecyed they shall Rev. 17.16 because he hath done great things Heb. he hath magnified to do he hath made great spoil and havock he hath revelled in the ruines of Gods poor people and so hath hastened his own destruction and their deliverance The Saints are many times more beholden to their enemies outrages then to their own deserts or duties for deliverance Some Interpreters as Castalio Leveley c. understand the Text of God and render it Quia magnisicè aget for the Lord shall do great things as it is also in the following verse there being here the same anomaly or change of person as is Esay 22.19 And I will drive thee from thy station from thy state shall he pull thee down Verse 21. â— tellus culta Fear not O land O red earth or O tilled land that hast layen bedridden as it were under the heavy curse of God ever since the fall of Adam and wast never beautifull or cheerfull since that time Gen. 3.17 Thou that hast lately been under that great and very terrible day of the Lord Ioel 2.11 who hath made bloody wails upon thy back and laid thee as a desolate wildernesse verse 3. to thy great grief and terrour Cheer up now and fear not Thine inhabitants are Poenitents and Repentance hath turned their crosses into comforts as scarlet pulls out the teeth of a serpent as wine draweth a nourishing vertue from the flesh of vipers as the Philosophers-stone they say turns all into gold See 1 Pet. 1.7 God will turn all thy sadnesse into gladnesse neither shalt thou any more lye to those that manure thee as the Scripture phrase is Habak 3.17 that is disappoint and frustrate their expectation but thine enemies shall be found liaers unto thee Deut. 33.29 for the Lord will do great things Spem mentita seges Virg. Victum seges aegra negabat Horat. Magnificentiùs aget Deus far greater things God will do for thee then the Locust hath done against thee so that thou shalt gain by thy losses and say Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone Wherefore be glad and rejoyce with inward and outward joy And because Fear is a passion opposite to Joy for fear hath torment 1 Joh. 4.18 and that was a rare mixture in those good women that returned from our Saviours sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 See Psal 2.11 therefore Fear not O land quit thine heart of that cowardly passion and be as merry as mirth can make thee for the Lord hath done great things for thee whereof thou hast good cause to be glad Faith in Gods Power quelleth and killeth distrustfull fears filling the heart with unspeakable joyes 1 Pct. 1.8 and full of glory Verse 22. Be not afraid ye beasts of the field q. d. Ye shall have no cause to fear for the future though hitherto ye have suffered hardship Chap. 1.18 Beasts and birds do in diem vivere as Quintilian saith of them and take no further thought then for present sustenance But by a prosopopoeia as before the land so here the beasts that till it are forbidden to fear want for God the great House-keeper of the world will provide them their meat in due season Psal 104.27.28 and severall meats according to their severall appetites He will hear the heaven the heaven shall hear the earth the earth shall hear all kinde of fruits both naturall as herbs of the field and grasse of the wildernesse and such as are sowen and planted as wine oyl figs so that neither man nor beast shall want any thing ad esum vel ad usum but have plenty without penury c. It shall be said of Judea as Solinus saith of Spain In Hispania nihil infructuosâ—m nibil sterile that there is no unfruitfulnesse in any part of it or as it is said of Campania in Italy that it is the most fruitfull Plat of earth that is in the Universe the fig-tree and the vine that before had been barked and wasted chap. 1.7
the vengeance and wash his feet in the blood of the wicked So that a man shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous see verse 4. Chaldeus R. Salmon Mercer verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth as in the valley of divine judgement so some render Jehosaphat here as if it were an appellative called verse 14. the valley of decision and the words that next follow seem to favour and I will plead with them judicio agam judicially plead with them there for my people which word also God useth when he foretelleth the destruction of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel So that the valley of Jehosaphat saith Mercer is the place wheresoever God shall please to punish the enemies of his people As for that conceit of Lyra and others who gather out of this Text that this valley neer Jerusalem shall be the very place where Christ shall sit to judge the world at the last day and for confirmation alledge Acts 1.11 Mercer judgeth it to be a clâ—idish conceit and Luther asketh where all mankind shall have room to stand in so small a valley Though others judge it not unlikely that it shall be thereabouts because Jerusalem is in the middle andabout the center of the earth and besides it will be the more for the glory of Christ to sit there as Judge where himself was judged But it is probable he will sit in the air neer the earth whither the Elect shall be rapt up to meet the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 that the devils may be subdued and sentenced in the air where they have ruled and played Rex Ephes 2.2 and that the wicked may be doomed on the earth where they have offended for my people and for my heritage Israel All was His and the wrongs done to them were done to Gods self as the injury done to the Subject is said to be done to the Soveraigne his crown and dignity See Acts 9.4 Matth. 25.45 So that ye cannot tread upon the least toe in Christs mysticall body but the head cries out from heaven Why hurtest thou me The Saints sufferings are his Col. 1.24 their reproach his Heb. 13.13 Manet compassio etiam cum impassibilitate Bern. Christ retaineth still compassion though free from personall passion and though without feeling yet not without fellow-feeling He doth condolere proportionatè ad miseriam as Pareus rendreth the Apostle Heb. 5.2 condole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that proportionably to his peoples misery and for mine heritage Israel Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Mercer the people of Gods purchase that comprehend all his gettings and are much more dear to him then Naboths inheritance was to him He sets them before his face for ever Psal 41.12 as loving to look upon them yea upon the very walls of the houses where they dwell Esay 49.16 They are his portion Deut. 32.9 his inheritance Esay 19.25 the dearly beloved of his soul Ier. 12.7 his glory Esay 46.13 dear to God though despised of and dispersed in the world He may suffer them to be Anathema secundum dici as Bucholcer said but not secundum esse whom they have scattered among the nations The Jew-Doctours referre this to Titus and Adrian the Roman Emperours The first carried 97000 of them captives saith Iosephus The second drove them utterly out of Jewry and by Proclamation commanded them not so much as look toward that land from any tower or high mountain But all this was for their sedition and other wickednesses And ever since they have continued a disjected and despised people See Deut. 28.64 exiled out of the world as it were by a common consent of Nations specially for their inexpiable guilt in murthering Christ and persecuting his people Concerning whom therefore this Text is to be understood See how Christians were soon scattered abroad thorowout the regrons Act. 8.1 Iam. 1.1 1 Pet. 1.1 where they are called Strangers of the dispersion Afterwards the Heathen Persecutours relegated and confined them to Isles and mines and scattered them into corners So did the Pope and his Agents forcing them to flee for their lives c. And parted my land As Salmaneser did to his new colonies as Senacherib also designed to do had not God prevented him as the Pope taketh upon him to do those countries whom he counteth hereticall He gave this land in Hen. 8. his time Primo occupaturo to him that could first seise it He declared Iohn King of Navarre a schismatick an heretick an enemy to the sea Apostolick and gave his kingdom to the Spaniard Guicciard lib. 11. because he took part with the French and would not suffer the Spaniard to march through his kingdom against the French And what work he hath lately made in the Palatinate and other parts of Germany who knowes not Verse 3. And they have cast lots for my people Impiously and imperiously domineering over them as those rude souldiers that cast the dice upon our Saviours Coat at his passion It was ordinary to divide by lot the enemies they had taken in fight Nah. 3.10 Obad 11. Lam. 3.53 Judg. 5.30 but at base rates thus to sell Gods people ignominiously and that to satisfie their lewd lusts this was unsufferable and have given a boy for an harlot Heb. that boy as afterwards that girl with an emphasis a son and daughter of Israel those earthly angels Angli quasi Angeli as Gregory the Great once said of the English-boyes presented to him Thou hast slain my children and delivered them to cause them to passe thorow the fire said God not without very great indignation to their idolatrous parents Ezech. 16.21 His they were more then theirs by vertue of the covenant he had made with that people Hence Deut. 14.1 Ye are the children of the Lord your God and can he bear with your misusages Should he deal with our sister as an harlot said they with a courage as the great Zaijn in Zonah importeth Gen. 34.31 So here should they give a boy such a boy for an harlot that is for the hire of an harlot and to gratifie such abhorred filths In the reigne of Henry 2. of France Anno 1554 many precious sonnes of Zion were burned there for religion not without the indignation of honest men Hist of Counc of Trent fol. 387. who knew that the diligence used against those poor people was not for any piety or religion butto satiate the covetousness of Diana Valentina the Kings Mistresse to whom he had given all the confiscations of goods made in the kingdom for cause of Heresie and sold a girl for wine Prov. 4.17 that they might drink the wine of violence drink and be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more Ier. 25.27 Worthy therefore to be served as that drunken Turk was by that severe Bashaw who caused a ladlefull of boyling lead to be poured down his throat God will turn a worse cup down their wide gullets
past imagination and the heavens and the earth shall shake The heavens with thunder the earth with earth-quake to the terror of the wicked but comfort of the godly Hag. 2.6 for the Lord will be the hope or harbour of his people they shall have a good bush on their backs in the greatest tempest they shall not be afraid though the earth be removed and though the mountaines be cast into the middest of the sea Psal 46.2 fractus si illabatur orbis Hora◠Impavidos ferient ruinae O the force of a lively faith and the privy armour of proof that beleevers have about their hearts O the dignity and safety of Gods people in the worst of times Hab. 3.18 19. Happy art thou o Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help the sword of thine excellency and thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places Deut. 33.29 Verse 17. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God you shall experiement that which during your deep afflictions ye made some doubt of and were ready to say as Gideon did to the Angell If the Lord be for us why is it thus with us or as your unbeleeving forefathers in the wildernesse Is God amongst us as if that could not be and they athirst dwelling in Zion Defending my people and dispensing my best blessings to them The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psal 134. ◠The blessings that come out of Zion are farr beyond those that otherwise come out of heaven and earth then shall Ierusalem be holy with a double holinesse Imputed and Imparted the profane being purged out here in part but heareafter in all perfection This our Saviour sweetly sets forth in those 2. parables of the tares and of the draw-net Mat. 13. Or It shall be holy that is deare to God and under his care favour and protection from the dominion direption and possession of profane Heathens and there shall no strangers passe through her any more either to subdue her and prejudice her as the proverb runs of the great Turk that wherever he sets his foot no grasse growes any more such havock he makes or to fasten any filth or contagion upon her See Rev. 21.27 where St. Iohn alludeth to this text as all along that book he borroweth the elegancies and flowers of the old Testament to set out the state of the New in succeeding ages If this promise be not so fully performed to us as we could wish we must lay the blame upon our sins whereby the Reformation is ensnarled and our prosperity hindred Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Esay 59.1 2. Nothing intricates our actions more then sin this is that devill in the ayre that hinders our happinesse this is that Make-bate Hell-hag Trouble-town charme this devill and make him fall from his heaven which is to do hurt and we shall inherit the promises The godly man only prospers Psal 1.3 Verse 18. The mountains shall drop down new wine By these hyperbolicall expressions is promised plenty of all things pertayning to life and godlinesse such a golden age as the Poet describeth Flumina jam lactis jam flumina nectaris ibant Flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella Ou Metam Where it must be observed that spirituall good things are promised under the notion of temporall as of Must Milk c. Ob populi infantiam by reason of the infancy of that people of that time The mountaines i. e. the most barren places shall drop down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without our labour shall yeild plentifully New wine strong consolations and Scripture-comforts for strong Christians And the hills shall flow with milk that unadulterated sincere milk of Gods word for his babes 1 Cor. 2.2 1 Pet. 2.2 And all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters Sanctuary-waters wholesome doctrines such as have a healing cooling quenching quickning property in them Esay 44 3. and a fountain shall come forth viz. Baptisme that laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 that fountain opened Zach. 13.1 that pure river of water of life clear as chrystal that washeth away sin Rev. 22.1 Acts 22.16 and shall water the the valley of Shittim That dry valley in the borders of Moab neer to Jordan Num. 25. Josh 2. and not far from the dead Sea Here it was that the Israelites defiled themselves with the daughters of Moab as Jarchi noteth but shall bee purified and sanctified with the washing of water by the word Ephes 5.26 Tarnovius renders the Text Qui irrigabit vallem cedrorum which shall water the valley of cedars those choisest trees planted in the paradise of God Psal 92.13 For saith He as the Tabernacle was built and garnished of old with Shittim-wood for the most part Exod. 25.5 26.15 27.1 30.1 so is the spirituall temple with these spirituall cedars Verse 19. Egypt shall be a desolation By Egypt and Edom are meant all Christs adversaries whether they be professed open enemies as were the Egyptians or false brethren as the Edomites Romists have been both and shall therefore be desolated Rev. 17.16 with 11.8 For the violence against the children of Judah From the very cradle of the Church Exod. 1. yea sooner for Esau in the very womb justled his brother Jacob and offered violence against him that he might lose no time because they have shed innocent blood in the land The Saints blood is called innocent blood 1. Because their sinnes are remitted 2. Because they are causelesly killed And this is a land-desolating sinne The innocent blood spilt by Manasseh brought the captivity the Marian times our late troubles The blood of the Martyrs shed by Turk and Pope whom the Jew-Doctors understand by Egypt and Edom here shall be the ruine of them both Verse 20. But Judah shall dwell for ever Perpetuitas Ecclesiae declaratur saith Mercer The perpetuity of the Church is declared and assured The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church Christ is with his to the end of the world and those Roman persecutours who sought to root out Christian Religion and erected pillars in memory of what they had done or rather attempted that way what got they thereby but perpetuall ignominy besides the irrepairable losse of their souls bodies and fortunes Tu vero Beza Herodes sanguinolente time The Church as the Palm-tree spreadeth and springeth up the more it is oppressed as the bottle or bladder Duris ut ilex tonsa bipennibus Horat. Cur. 4.4 Plin. l. 18. c. 16. that may be dipt not drowned as the oak that taketh heart to grace from the maims and wounds given it and sprouts out thicker as
upon you and the people not be afraid or run together to make resistance Jer. 5.22 Psal 114.7 Will ye not then tremble at my threats saith the Lord Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob. Fear is an affection of the soul shrinking in it self from some imminent evil God is the proper object of it whence hee is called Fear in the abstract Psal 76.11 and those that come on his errand should bee received with reverence yea with fear â—and trembling as was Titus 2 Cor. 7.15 and before him Samuel by those Elders of Bethlehem 1 Sam. 16.4 as suspecting it was the purpose of some judgement that brought him thither Commest thou peaceably said they It is a good thing to stand in awe of Gods Messengers and to tremble at his judgements whilest they yet hang in the threatnings It appeareth by this Prophet that carnall security was grown epid emicall and had over-spread the land chap. 6.2 3. Some there were that said God had not sent the Prophets to denounce those evils but that they had done it of their own heads as we say Others doubted of the certainty of those evils denounced chap. 6.3 against whom He here disputeth by these fore-going similitudes and in the next words plainly asserteth the Divine providence and the authority of the Prophets Gods privy-Counsellours Shall there be evil in a city Understand it of the evil of punishment See Lam. 3.37 Esay 45.7 Mic. 1.12 Eccles 7.14 1 King 9.9 and 21.29 See my Treatise called Gods love-tokens pag. 3 4. c. and the Lord hath not done it Although God doth it not but onely as it is bonum Justitiae good in order to his glory That which we are here advertised is that it is not Luck and Fortune that doth tosse and tumble things here below but that God sits at the stern and steers the affairs of the world The Gentiles indeed held Fortune as a goddesse representing her by a Woman sitting upon a Ball as if the whole world were at her command having with her a razor as if she could at her pleasure cut off and end mans happinesse bearing in her right hand the stern of a ship as if she could turn about all things at her pleasure and in her left hand the horn of abundance as though all plenty came from her This was abominable idolatry to be shunned by Christians yea the very name of Luck or Fortune is to be spet out of their mouthes with utmost detestation It repented Austin that ever he had used that wicked word Fortuna Aug. Retract Verse 7. Surely the Lord God will do nothing i. e. Hardly any thing He lo-veth to foresignifie to warn before he wound and this meerly out of his Philanthropie Howbeit sometimes and in some cases he is more sudden and still in his revenges that he may thereby First maintain his honour and glory the eyes whereof are by some sinnes extraordinarily provoked as Acts 12.23 And secondly to teach men not to continue in sinne no not for a moment sith they may bee presently cut off from all further time of repentance acceptation and grace for ever This made Austin say that he would not be an Atheist no not one half hour to gain all the world See Luke 17.32 and 12.20 Pharaoh had warning of the first and second plagues not so of the third and again of the fourth and fifth but not of the sixth and yet again of the seventh and eight but not of the ninth And when neither warning nor no-warning would do good then came that sweeping plague Tandem prototocos ultima plaga necat But he revealeth his secret to his servants the Prophets Gods Prophets then are his meniall servants not his underlings or inferiour hinds but of noblest employment about him Every faithfull Minister is servant to the king of heaven Act. 27.23 whose I am and whom I serve this the Devil denied not Act. 16.16 17. yea his Steward Embassadour Herald as here by whom he proclaims warre but first proffers pardon and proposes conditions of peace A practise usuall not onely among the people of God by his appointment Deut. 20.10 but also among the Heathens as Histories informe us The Romans had their Lex Facialis by their Heralds they sent to such as had wronged them Caduceum Hastam as Ensignes of peace and warre that within thirty dayes they might take their choice within which time if they did them not right the Herald presently denounced warre against them casting forth a dart in token thereof Alexanders course was when he sat down before a city to set up a torch to shew that if they would come in and submit before that torch were burnt out they should have hearing Tamerlan hang'd out first a white flag then a red and lastly a black And the Turks at this day Turk hist. 344. first make to their enemies some offer of peace how unreasonable soever it matters not Gods offers in this kinde are all of grace and for our good If it were otherwise what need he give warning and why doth he not as Absalom did when intending to murther Amnon hee spake neither good nor evil to him Well might the Lord say Fury is not in me O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self As I live I desire not the death of a sinner c. If he did why might he not rush suddenly upon such and confound them at once as he did the reprobate Angels even in the very act and first moment of their sinne Why comes he first in a soft still voyce when he might justly thunder-strike us and why sendeth hee his Heralds to proclaime warre but yet with articles of peace and reconciliation open in their hands Chrysost Why was He but six dayes in making the world and yet seven dayes in unmaking and destroying one city Jericho Was it not to shew that the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and of great kindnesse And this he hath commanded his Prophets to make known Psal 103.8 that the goodnesse of God may lead men to repentance As if they turn his grace into wantonnesse and pervert his patience to presumption Rom. 2.4 their commission is to declaim against such practises with all authority Tit. 2.15 and to proclaim hell-fire in case men amend not Necessity is laid upon them so to do and wo be to them if they preach not law as well as Gospel that when they return up their commission they may report the matter saying Behold we have done as thou hast commanded us Ezek. 9.11 True it is that perverse people question the Prophets and quarrell them for this plain-dealing as Ahab did Eliah for a troubler of Israel and Amaziah our Prophet Amos for a trumpetter of rebellion But this is as great folly as if some fond people should accuse the herald or the trumpet as the cause of their warre or as if
Fiat without toole or toyle Esay 40.28 This the blind Heathens saw Plutarch de Iside Oâ—yr and thus hieroglyphically set forth In Thebe a town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortall And how painted they him In the likenesse of a man blowing an egge out of his mouth to signify that he made the round world by his word and createth the wind The worlds beesome as Rupertus calleth it wherewith God sweepeth his great house and whereby he setteth forth his inexpressible power See for this Psal 18.11 and 148.8 Iob. 28.25 Ier. 10.12 Senec lib. 5. Nat quaest cap. 18. And although we cannot tell whence it commeth or whither it goeth Iob. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet can we with Cruciger contemplate the footsteps of God in this and other creatures saying with Paul that God is so neer unto us that he may be almost felt with our hands and declareth unto man what is his thought what language he hath in his heart quid sermocinetur quidve cogitet Drus what he talketh within himself as the rich fool did Luk. 12.17 Jesus knew the Pharisees thoughts yea thou understandest my thoughts afarr off saith David Psal 139.2 even before I conceive them Hierom and Theodotion referre the affix to God Eloquium suum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy reade thus Who declareth unto man his Christ sensu pio et egregio saith Mercer sed alieno for Ma-sicho they reade Meshichio perperam that maketh the morning darknesse As he did at Sodome whereon the Sun shon bright in the morning but ere night there was a dismall change So in Egypt Exod. 10.22 so in Jury at Christs death Mat. 27.45 Let this learne us to blesse God for the light both naturall Gen. 1.4 and supernaturall 2 Cor. 4.4.5 and to pray that our Gospell-sun may not set at noon-tide nor our light be put out in obscure darknesse but rather that he would make our darknesse morning for so the words may be read here by clearing up those truthes to us that yet lye in part undiscovered Oh cry after Christ as the poor man in the Gospell Lord that mine eyes might be opened Oh that thou wouldest give me sight and light Sun of righteousness shine upon my dark soule and treadeth upon the high places of the earth As being Higher then the highest Excelsus super Excelsos Eccles 5.8 terrible to all the kings of the 〈◊〉 those dread soveraignes Psal 76.12 the most high God Gen. 14.18 and 22. that hath heaven for his throne and earth for his foot-stoole yea those highest places of the earth the tops of mountains and rocks inaccessible But who is this King of glory The Lord the God of Hosts is his name Give therefore unto the Lord O yee mighty give unto the Lord Psal 29.1 glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse c. Exalt yee the Lord our God Psal 99.5 and worship at his footstool for he is holy CHAP. V. Verse 1. HEar ye this word A new sermon as appeareth by this new Oyer not unlike that of S. Paul Act. 13.16 Men of Israel and ye that fear God give audience or rather that of Diogenes who cried out at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O ye men And when as thereupon a great sort of people resorted to him expecting some great matter he looked about him and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I called men and not varlets They were no better surely that our Prophet had to deal with Isai 1.4 Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil-doers children that were corrupters they had forsaken the Lord provoked the Holy One of Israel they had increased revolt Hence this onerosa prophetia this word this weighty word this burdensome prophecy which I take up against you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onus Heb. lift up being scarce able to stand under the burden of it See the Note on Mal. 1.1 And it is against you not for you but that 's your own fault for do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Mic. 2.7 Excellently Austin Adversarius est nobis quandiu sumus ipsi nobis c. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves neither doth it condemne any but those that shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord except they repent But we have in a readinesse to revenge all disobedience saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.6 and if any man will hurt Gods faithfull witnesses for discharging their duties fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed Rev 11.5 for Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19.17 And when Elisha unsheatheth and brandisheth his sword it is a fair warning that the sword of Jehu and Hazael are at hand See Hos 6.5 Jer. 1.18 even a lamentation Heb. a very bitter lamentation Ezek. 19.14 like those of Jeremy for Judah or of the mourners in Jerusalem Ezech. 9.4 or of Christ weeping over that city Luke 19.41 42. Or of Paul bewailing his wretched countreymen Rom. 9.3 and 10.1 or of the two witnesses clothed in sackloth Rev. 11.3 the habit of mourners or of Athanasius who by his tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine sought to cure the leprosie and prevent the misery of that tainted age Heu heu Domine Deus was the cry of the ancient Christians Flete nefas magnum nam toto flebitis orbe Their books are like that in Ezekiel written on both sides Cardan and there was written therein lamentations and mourning and wo Ezek. 2.10 This of Amos was a sad song a dolefull ditty a lamentable prophesie of Israels utter destruction as it followeth in the second verse where Prophet-like hee speaketh of it as already done notwithstanding their present prosperity and tranquillity And have not Englands Turtles groaned out for a great while the sad and lamentable tunes of wo and misery to this sinfull nation and plainly foretold what we have felt already and have yet cause enough to fear Ah! great be the plagues that hang over England Act. Mon. 1667. said Mr. Philpot Martyr long since Happy shall that person be whom the Lord shall take out of this world not to see them c. And the like said Rogers our prâ—to-martyr Bradford Ridley Lever c. besides the concurrent predictions of Gods faithfull servants a-late whose hearts and tongues he hath so guided as that they all as one man have denounced heavie judgements and taken up loud lamentations against us Now as before great stormes cocks crow loud and thick so is it here and so it should be Exod. 32.31 32. Jer. 18.20 Ioel 2.17 else God will be displeased Ezech. 13.5
therefore here a sinfull kingdome wholly given to Idolatry as Athens was Act. 17.16 which is that sin with an accent that wickednesse with a witnesse Exod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 32.21 1 King 12.30 and 15 3 30. that land-desolating sin Jer. 22.7 8 9. Psal 78.58 59 62. and I will destroy it See here the venomous nature of sin and shun it else we shall prove traytours to the state and have our hands if not upon the great cart-ropes yet upon the lesser cords that draw down vengance upon the land And here some one sinner may destroy much good Eccle. 9.17 how much more a rabble of rebbels conspiring to provoke the eyes of Gods glory saying that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob A remnant shall be left for royall use See Jer. 30.11 reliquas faciam reliquias and so make a manifest difference remembring my promise Lev. 26.40 which is a speciall text touching the rejection and conversion of the Jewes as is also this in some mens judgments For here say they is a threatening of extream desolation with some comfort enterlaced of a remnant to be reserved amongst whom it is further promised 1. that the kingdome of David thorough Christ shall be set up as glorious as ever it was before in the most flourishing times of David or Solomon ver 11.2 Next other nations shall joyne with them and be made partakers of one common inheritance ver 12. So doth James Act. 15.16 17. expound it 3. Thirdly there is promised the fruitfulnesse of their land ver 13. the inhabiting in their own countrey ver 14. and the perpetuity of their abode there ver 15. But all this others think to be optabile magis quà m opinabile little better then a golden dreame Verse 9. For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel It is not without Gods command and good leave that evill spirits and men can sift the saints as Satan desired to have done Peter He desired it as a challenger desireth one of the other side to combate with so he beg'd leave to sift Iob and so he tempted David to number the people but it was by Gods permission Up therefore and pray that ye enter not into temptation Luk. 22.31 46. or that ye may come cleer out of it Rom. 16.20 and more then conquerours even Triumphers the enemy is stinted yea Christ will tread him under your feet shortly and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations The ten tribes among the Assyrians who were Emperours of the whole East and whither since they are scattered whether into Shina Tartary West-Indies or other countries is not known The whole twelve-tribes those also that once instantly served God day and night Act. 26.7 are now wofully disjected and dissipated being cast out of the world Aug. in Psal 58. as it were by a common consent of Nations and generally slighted and hated The Romanes permitted other nations to call themselves Romanes after they had conquered them but so they would not suffer the Iewes upon any termes to do lest there should be some blot stick to the glory of the Romanes by that odious and sordid people The Pope useth them as spunges the Turk as slaves c. like as corne is sifted in a sieve Or by a fann to the same sense as that Zach. 13.9 for as here a sieve so there fire serveth to denote Affliction with the use of it sc to purge Gods people specially of those two troublesome choke-weeds High-mindednesse and Earthly mindednesse Cribratione Dei non perditur sed purgatur frumentum saith Zanchy Gods good corne is not lost but made cleane by the sifting they suffer Jer. 23.28 yet shall not the least grain Heb stone fall upon the earth As the chaf and dust shall Augustin Mat. 3.12 for what is the chaf to the wheate saith the lord Improbi nobiscum esse possunt in horreo sed non in area Christ hath his fan in his hand and will surely discriminate he will take out the pretious from the vile he will drive the chaffe one way and the wheat another and take care that not the least grain of weighty wheat that had good tack in it as a stone hath though but a little stone shall be lost He will turn his hand upon the little ones and secure them Zech. 13.7 Verse 10. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword The flagitious presumptuous persons Deut. 29.19 that blesse themselues when I curse them saying We shall have peace though we walk every man in the imagination of his heart and take his full swinge in sin Such sinners in Zion Esa 33.14 such sacrificing Sodomites Esa 1.10 such profligate Professours shall die by the sword either by the hand of the enemy or which is worse gladio spiritali saith Mercer by the spiritual sword being blinded and rejected by God so that their preservation is but a reservation to a greater mischief Whereas on the other side some of Gods elect might in a common calamity perish by the sword but then Josiah-like they died in peace though they fell in battle their death was right pretious in the sight of the Lord and a plentifull amends made them in heaven which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us Or for our sakes by our default If affliction do find us out yet we have not deserved it Begnaden◠propter nos common occurrences we cannot be against Thus the wicked man flattereth himself in his own eyes untill his iniquity be found to be hatefull Psa 36.2 In all my labours they shal find none iniquity in me that were sin Hos 12.8 Yet thou sayst Because I am innocent surely his anger shal turn from me behold I wil plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned Jer. 2.35 Ver. 11. In that day wil I raise up the Tabernacle of David A most sweet conclusion of the Prophesie by sundry Evangelicall promises after so many very severe and sharp menaces the Sun of righteousnesse liketh not to set in a cloud In that day that happy day whensoever it shall dawn that Christ shall come for the Prophets knew not the certaine time when but made diligent enquiry as far as they might with sobriety 1 Pet. 1.11 and well knew that the Law which they preached and explained was an introduction to a better hope Heb. 7.19 which they saw afar off and saluted Heb. 11.13 wil I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is the kingdome of the house of David saith the Chaldee Paraphrast meaning of the Messiah whom the sounder sort of Rabbines from this text call Ben Niphlei the repairer of the breach Galatin the restorer of pathes to dwell in Now the Church is here called the Tabernacle of David because that once stately Palace of David was by many desolations reduced to a tent as it were and that ready to drop
incompleat it was an imperfect thing the better part of it was yet wanting Next that till that chare were done he could not be at peace within himself he could not be quiet for vowes are debts and debts till they be payed are a burden to an honest minde and do much disease it Salvation is of the Lord. Salus omnimoda as the Hebrew word having one letter more then ordinary in it importeth Jeshugnathah all manner of salvation full and plentifull deliverance is of the Lord who is therefore called the God of salvation unto whom belong the issues from death Psal 68.20 A quo vera salus non aliunde venit This Ionah speaketh as he doth all else in this holy Canticle not by reading or by rote but out of his own feeling and good experience his whole discourse was digg'd out of his own breast as it is said of that most excellent 119. Psalme that it is made up altogether of experiments and it therefore hath verba non legenda sed vivenda words not so much to be read as lived as One said once of it Dives thought that if one went from the dead to warne his wicked brethren they would never be able to resist such powerfull Rhetorick Behold here is Ionah raised from the dead as it were and warning people to arise and stand up from dead courses and companies that Christ may give them light why do they not then get up and be doing at it that the Lord may be with them Shall not the men of Nineveh rise up in judgement with this evil generation and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Jonas Mat. 12.41 but these do not though they have many Jonas's that both preach and practise non verbis solum praedicantes sed exemplis as Eusebius saith Origen did that live sermons and not teach them onely Verse 10. Dci dicere est facere Aug. And the Lord spake unto the fish He spake the word and it was done He is the great Centurion of the world that saith to his creature Do this and hee doth it Yea he is the great great Induperator to whom every thing saith Iussa sequi tam velle mihi quà m posse necesse esse Lucan I am wholly at thy beck and check Jonah spake to God and God to the fish It may be said of faithfull prayer that it can do whatsoever God himself can do sith he is pleased to yeeld himself overcome by the prayers of his people and to say unto them cordially as Zedekiah did to his Courtiers colloguingly The king is not he that can deny you any thing Prayer is of that power that it can open the doors of Leviathan as wee see here which yet is reckoned as a thing not feisible Iob 41.14 yea of the all-devouring grave Heb. 11.35 If the Lord pricked on by the prayers of his people set in hand to save them and shall say to the North Give up and to the South Keep not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Esay 43.6 they shall come amain and none shall be able to hinder them Come therefore with those good souls in Hosea who had smarted for their folly as well as Ionah and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn Hos 6.1 2. and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight A time we must have to be in the fire in the fishes belly as in Gods Nurturing-house but hee will take care that wee be not there overlong what 's two or three dayes to eternity Hold out faith and patience Yet a very little little while Heb. 10. and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry and it vomited up Ionah upon the dry land And here Death was defeated and wiped it was much more so when it had swallowed up Christ Quantum in devoratione mors laetata est tantum luxit in vomitu Hieron and little dreamt that it self should have been thereby swallowed up in victory But then was fulfilled that of the Prophet O death I will be thy death And as there so here in a proportion and as a type omnia jam inversa saith Mercer all things are turned t'other way Before the fish was an instrument of death now of life and serves Jonah for a ship to bring him to dry land This fish useth not to come neer the shore but to sport in the great waters howbeit now he must by speciall command vomit up Ionah upon the dry land Why then should it be thought a thing incredible with any that God should raise the dead The Sea shall surely give up the dead that were in it and death and hell deliver up the dead that were in them Acts 26. S. Sen. Nat. quaest l. 3. c. 26 27 28 29 30. and they shall be judged every man according to his works Rev. 20.13 This some of the Heathens beleeved as Zoroastres Theopompus and Plato And the Stoikes opinion was that the world should one day be dissolved by fire or water and all things brought to a better state or to the first golden age again But we have a more sure word of Prophesie and this that is here recorded may serve as an image and type of our preservation in the grave and our resurrection from the dead by one and the same Almighty power of God CHAP. III. Verse 1. AND the word of the Lord came unto Ionah the second time Ionah is a sinner but not a cast-away God layes him not by as a broken vessel treads him not to the dung-hill as unsavoury salt but receives him upon his return by repentance and restores him to his former employment gives him yet a name and a nail in his house yea sends him a second time on his message to Nineveh and counting him faithfull puts him again into the ministery who was before a runagate a rebel c. But he obtained mercy c. 1 Tim. 1.13 as did likewise the Apostles after that they had basely deserted our Saviour at his passion and Peter after he had denied him See Ioh. 20.22 23. and 21.15 16 17. Quem poenite peccasse poenè est innocens Sen Agam. The poenitent are as good as innocent Return ye back-sliding children saith the Father of mercies and I will heal your back-slidings Ier. 3.22 The Shulamite returning is as lovely in Christs eye as before and all is as well as ever betwixt them Cant. 6.4 There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostasie and falling after repentance But had they known the gift of God and who it is that saith to them Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee they would have conceived strong consolation Verse
neighbourhood Jerusalem would take it in high scorn likely to be matched with Samaria so much slighted and shunned by her Ion. 4.9 as Papists now do to be set by Protestants Turks by Christians the word of a mussulman beares down all other testimony amongst them But this Prophet is very bold as it is said of Isay his coaetaneus Rom. 10.20 binds them both up in one bundle and spareth not to shew Judah their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins Verse 2. Heare all ye people He beginneth as Esay in a lofty and stately stile powring himself out in a golden flood of words as Tully speaketh of Aristotles Politicks and calling for utmost attention and affection as knowing that he had to do with men more deaf then sea-monsters and more dull then the very earth they trod on which is therefore here commanded to hearken sith men that habitable part of Gods earth Pro. 8.31 will not heare and give eare wherein they are worse then the insensible creatures Psal 119.91 and let the Lord God be witnesse against you Here he turneth his speech to the refractary Jewes speaking to God as a righteous judge and swift witnesse Judex Judex vindex against them if they hearkened not to his message nisi pareant ideoque pereant the Lord from his holy temple that is let him testifie from heaven Psal 11.4 that he is displeased with you and that I have carefully sought your soules-health Or from his temple at Ierusalem wherein ye glory and where ye think ye have him as fast bound to you as the Tyrians had their idol Apollo whom they chained and nailed to a post that he might not forsake them when Alexander besieged their town and took it The Heathens had a trick when they besieged a city Macrob. lib. 3. cap. 9. Virg. Aeâ— 2. to call the Tutelar gods out of it by a certain charme as beleeving that it could not otherwise be taken In a like sense whereunto some have interpreted the following verses here Verse 3. For behold the Lord commeth out of his place that is say they out of Iudaea and his temple there leaving it to the Chaldaeans and Assyrians See Ezech. 3.12 and chapters 9.10 and 11. where God makes divers removes from the Cherubins to the threshold from thence to the East-gate from thence to mount Olivet quite out of the city chap. 11.23 and when God was gone then followed the fatall calamity in the ruine of the city But by Gods comming forth out of his place here I conceive is meant his descending from heaven to do justice on this hypocriticall nation Esay 26.21 and because hypocritis nihil stupidius hypocrites resting on their externall performances and priviledges will hardly be perswaded of any evill toward them Mic. 3.11 Is not the Lord say they amongst us none evill can come upon us therefore we have heare an emphaticall Ecce Behold the Lord commeth he is even upon the way already and will be here with the first He will come down as once at Sodom when their sin was very grievous Gen. 18.20 when they were overcharged with the superfluity of naughtinesse God came from heaven to give their land a vomit And so he would do here for Unregenerate Israel was to God as Ethiopia Am. 9.7 as the Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah Esay 1.10 and tread upon the high-places of the earth the High and mighty Ones that having gotten on the top of their hillocks as so many Ants think themselves so much the better and safer repose confidence in their high places and strong-holds as Nebuchadnezzar did in his Babel Edom in his clifts of the rocks munitions of rocks Obad. 3. the rich fool in his heapes and hoards Luk. 12. these with their false confidences God will tread down in his anger and trample them in his fury as the mire of the streets he will bring down their strength to the earth and lay their honour in the dust Isa 63.3 6. Verse 4. And the mountaines shall be molten under him This is to the self-same sense Though men swell in their own eyes to the hugenesse of so many mountains and though gotten upon their hill of ice they think they shall never be moved Psal 30.6 7. yet when God with his devouring fire and everlasting burnings comes in presence these craggie mountains shall soon dissolve and melt as wax they shall be as waters poured down a descent they shall flow as a land-flood c. By which similitudes and familiar comparisons is notably set forth the irresistible wrath of God for the affrighting of hard-hearted sinners that they may take hold of his strength and make peace with him Esay 27.5 The valleys also shall be cleft The poorer sort also shall have their share in the common calamity God will neither spare the high for their might nor the base for their meannesse but Lords and losels together shall be as wax before the fire c. Wax is a poor fence against fire sticks and stubble against a strong torrent so humane force against divine judgements Verse 5. For the transgression of Iacob is all this Lest they should think either that these things were threatned in terrorem onely and would never be inflicted or else that they had not deserved such severity but that God should pour out his wrath rather upon the Heathen that knew him not and upon the families that called not on his name The Prophet here sheweth that Jacob was become a just object of Gods indignation by his transgressions or rebellions and the whole house of Israel by their sinnes there was a generall defection and therefore they must expect a generall destruction I or why the just Lord is in the middest thereof he will not do iniquity he will not acquit the guilty morning by morning doth he bring his judgements to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame will take no warning which is a just both presage and desert of his ruine What is the transgression of Iacob say they in a chatting way like these miscreants in Malachy that so worded it with God chap. 1. and 3. Is it not Samaria saith the Prophet in answer to that daring demand of theirs So what are the high-places of Iudah viz. the superstitions and carnall confidences thereof Is it not Jerusalem saith the Prophet Are not their capitall cities become their capitall sinnes Read we not of the calf of Samaria Hos 8.5 and did not her kings set up idols at Dan and Bethel and Gilgal and Beersheba As for Jerusalem had she not turned the very Temple into an high-place by resting in her ceremoniall services and sacrifices Did not some of her best kings wink at the high-places And Ahaz that stigmaticall Beliâ—list shut up Gods Temple and set up strange worships How then could these frontlesse fellowes ask What is the transgression c and What are the high-places c The Prophet goes not behind the door
could not outlast the Temple as may be gathered from Mat. 24.3 But they some of them lived to see themselves confuted and our Saviours words verified There shal not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Vers 2. and the mountain of the house that famous house that was worthily reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world and stood upon mount Moriah As the high places of the forrest As wooddy and desert places fit onely for wild beasts Lege Luge saith one speaking of Jerusalems desolation CHAP. IV. Vers 1. BVt in the last dayes it shall come to passe God reserveth his best comforts till the last as that Ruler of the feast did his best wine Ioh. 2.10 and as the sweetest of the honey lieth at the bottome These last dayes are Gospel-dayes Heb. 1.2 times of Reformation Heb. 9.19 of Restitution Act. 3.21 called the World to come Heb. 2.5 that new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 that new Jerusalem that is all of gold Rev. 2.1 Ezekiels new Temple bigger then all the old Jerusalem and his new Ierusalem bigger then all the land of Canaan chap. 40.41.42 c. Let Popish buzzars blaspheme that description of the Temple and City Sanct. Argum. cap. 40. calling it as Sanctius doth once and again insulsam descriptionem a senselesse description so speaking evil of the things that they know not Jude 10. We beleeve and are sure Joh. 6.69 that God hath provided some better thing for us then for those under the law Heb. 11.40 viz. that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 who should again restore the kingdom to Israel the spiritual kingdom to the Israel of God as is here foretold in the self-same words with those of Esay chap. 2.1 2. whence he is not ashamed to take it That the mountain of the house of the Lord The Church 1 Tim. 3.15 called elsewhere the mountain of the Lord and his holy hill Psal 15.1 and 24.3 and 48.2 Esay 30.17 both for its sublimity Gal. 4.26 and firmnesse Psal 46.3 and 125.1 winde and stormes move it not no more can all the power and policy of hell combin'd prevail against the Church Mat. 16.18 She is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kingdom that cannot be shaken and may better then the city of Venice take for her Posie Immota manet Shall be established in the top of the mountains Constituetur firmiter shall bee strongly set upon a sure bottom upon munitions of Rocks yea upon the Rock of Ages Mat. 16.18 Jer 31.35 Esay 33.20 Some by the house of the Lord here understand the Church and by the mountain of this house Christ whereon it is built and whom Daniel describeth by that great mountain that filled the whole earth Chap. 2.35 that stone cut out without hands that smot in pieces the four Monarchies ibid. And hence it is that this mountain of the Lords house is exalted above the hils the Church must needs be above all earthly eminencies whatsoever because founded upon Christ who therefore cannot be exalted but shee must be lifted up aloft together with him God who is rich in mercy saith that great Apostle hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. The Church is mysticall Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 she is his wife and wheresoever hee is Caius she is Caia she shineth with his beams and partaketh of his honours union being the ground of communion and people shall flow unto it As waters roul and run toward the Sea but that these waters should flow upward flow to the mountain as here is as wonderfull as that the Sun should send his beams downward to the earth when as it is the property of all fire to aspire and flie upwards This is the Lords own work and it is marvellous in our eyes Chrysost Hom 8. ad Hop Antioch The metaphor of flowing importeth the coming of people to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel 1. Freely Psal 110.3 2. Swiftly as the waters of the river Tigris swift as an arrow out of a bowe See Esay 60.8 3. Plentifully by whole Nations turned to the faith and giving up their names to Christ 4. Joyntly as verse 2. and Zach. 8.21 5. Zealously bearing down all obstacles that would damme up their way 6. Constantly and continually as rivers run perpetually by reason of the perennity of their fountains and are never dried up though sometimes fuller then some quin ut fluvij repentinis imbribus augentur saith Gualther as rivers swell oft with sudden showres and overflow the banks so beyond all expectation many times doth God take away tyrants and propagates his truth enlarging the bounds of his Church with new confluxes of Converts Verse 2. And many nations shall come and say The conversion of the Gentiles is here foretold a piece of that mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 The Jews usually call Christians in contempt Gozin the word here used and Mamzer Goi Bastard-Gentiles But either they must come under this name themselves or deny that they are the posterity of Abraham Gen. 12.2 Where God saith I will make of thee a great Nation Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord The wicked have their Come Prov. 1.11 and would not go to hell alone Should not the Saints have theirs should they not get what company they can toward heaven The Greeks call goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it doth as it were invite and call others to it and every man is willingly to run after it and to the house of the God of Jacob to the publike ordinances where wee may hear and beleeve and be sealed with that holy spirit of promise as those Ephesians were chap. 1.13 We read that Marcellinus Secundanus and some others were converted to Christianity by reading Sibylla's oracles of Christs birth and that by Chaucers Book some were brought to the knowledge of the truth But either this was not so or not ordinary for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached which therefore the people of God do so prize as Luther did who said Acts Mon. 767. He would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible and that without the preaching of the word he could not live comfortably in Paradise as with it hee could live and enjoy himself though it were in hell and he will teach us of his wayes Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet saith Austin All true Converts are taught of God Joh. 6. and then quà m citò discitur quod docetur saith the same Father how soon are men discipled how soon learn they the wayes of God whereby to serve him here and be saved by him hereafter For it
is false that some contend for sc that every man may be saved in his own faith be it right or wrong For none can come to the Father but by the Son Joh. 14.6 Neither is there any other name but His under heaven whereby men must bee saved Acts 4.12 See Joh. 17.3 and 6.40 Heb. 11.6 whatsoever the Huberians affirme of Universall Election or the Puccians of a naturall faith and we will walk in his paths which are all paved with mercy and love so that the saints run therein and faint not walk and are not weary Esay 40.31 They are all Peripateticks ever in action Gen. 17.1 they are Currists not Quaerists Ambros saith Luther elegantly they do not reason but run the pathes of Gods precepts Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia For the law shall go forth of Zion The law or doctrine as Prov. 13.14 Understand here the Gospel that Law of God Psal 19.7 that Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 that perfect law of liberty Jam. 1.25 a counter-pane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people Jer. 31. whereby they become as it was once said of the Thracians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law to themselves Herod as being transformed into the same image with the Gospel like as the pearl by the often-beating of the Sun-beams upon it becommeth radiant as the Sun and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Not from Africa at first as the brethren of the rosy-crosse would have it though 't is thought the Gospel was received and the Christian faith professed even from the Apostles time in that large region of Nubia in Africk But repentance and remission of sinnes was preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.41 The Jews were Gods Library-keepers and the Apostles sent and went from Jerusalem to plant Churches abroad the world and to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed Ioh. 11.52 Verse 3. And he shall judge among many people We had before Christs Propheticall Office here we have his Princely and elsewhere his Priestly This seems to have been the effect of that old prophecy among the Easterlings that Judaea profecti rerum potirentur some that came out ofâ— Jury should conquer all Vide Sueto in Vespas Tacit. lib. 21. wherein both the former are founded for he is the true Trismegist and Melchisedech was a right type of him He is the onely judge and needs no Vicar upon earth such as the Pope claims to bee Esay 33.22 no such Officers to see his lawes executed as the Ephori were among the Greeks and the Censores among the Romans The Lord that sent the rod of his strength out of Zion as verse 2. doth also give him to rule in the middest of his enemies whiles his people are willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holinesse Psal 110.3 willing that Christ should send forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20 that is perfect his own work of grace begun in their hearts To which end as it here followeth He shall rebuke or convince strong nations Convince them I say by his Spirit of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement â—oh 16.8 Of the lothesomnesse of sin of the necessity of getting righteousnesse by Christ and repentance from dead works that men may serve the living God and as much as in them is Acts 17.30 live peaceably with all And they shall beat their swords into plowshares i. e. their fierce and fell natures shall be mansuefied as Esay 11.6 7 8 9. and if they wage warre it shall be non nisi coacti either for the just punishment of Delinquents whom they cannot otherwise come at or for their own necessary defence and that they may establish peace with truth But if men would live by the lawes of the Gospel they need not wage warre or want peace either of countrey or of conscience but they might take for their Motto that of David Ani shallom I am peace and have for their portion that peace peace Esay 26.3 even a perfect sheer pure-peace a multiplied peace with God with themselves and with others this is a main piece of Christs kingdom upon earth Florus who is the Prince of peace and came in a time of peace viz. in the raigne of Augustus when as there was Totius orbis aut pax aut pactio saith Florus a generall peace or truce thorowout the whole world neither shall they learn warre any more To make a trade or a gain of it and so to earn a curse Deut. 27.25 to delight in it Psal 68.30 and make a sport of it as Abner did 2 Sam. 2.14 and Pyrrhus king of Epirots to wage it without weighty reason rashly If we Princes said our Hen. 7. should take every occasion that 's offered the world should never be quiet but wearied by continuall warres We may also here take warring as St. Iames doth chap. 4.1 for jarring and jangling for private discords and dissentions Now these the people or God are so farre from learning that they utterly lay them aside and are kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave them Ephes 4.32 Verse 4. But they shall sit every man under his vine seeding upon the fruit that shall even fall into his mouth saith à Lapide Sit they shall under Christ the true Vine saith Hugo and under the holy Ghost as a fig-tree whose fruit is farre sweeter then any honey But these are coynt interpretations saith Gualther I should rather expound this Text by that 91. Psalm wherein the safe and happy condition of the godly is at large described Vineyards and fig-yards were ordinary in those countreys and hence this proverbiall expression to set forth doubtlesse the spirituall security and that peace of conscience chiefly that is granted to Christs subjects a peace farre beyond that under Solomon which is here pointed at or that under our Queen Elizabeth not to be passed over without one touch at least upon that string which so many years together sounded so sweetly in the ears of our Fathers Then it was if ever that the mountains brought forth peace and the little hills righteousnesse Psal 72.5 The great ones defended their inferiours Westmer in Psal 72. and the inferiours blessed their superiours the Magistrate righted the subject and the subject reverenced the Magistrate and none shall make them afraid God they know will not hurt them man cannot he may take away their heads but not their crowns their lives but not their hopes for the righteous hath hope in his death his Posie is not onely Dumspiro spero but Dum expiro Let the wicked have a trembling heart and failing eyes while he lives Deut. 28.65 and when he dies crie out as a great man was heard to do Spes fortuna valete Farewell life and hope together The servant of Christ as he sits mediis tranquillus in undis all his life long
so when he dies he can call his soul to rest and sing old Simeons Nunc dimittas Lord now let thy servant depart in peace c. for the mouth of the Lord of hosts And what better assurance can we desire sith God can neither die lie nor denie himself Sith secondly he is the Lord of Hosts and so armed with power to make good what he hath spoken Peter had a will to deliver Christ from the Jews but wanted power Pilate had power to have done it but wanted will God wanteth neither of these to do for his people and to deliver them out of danger Courage therefore Verse 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god They will do so they are resolved not to alter their religion as Tully said Me ex ea opinione quam à majoribus accepi de cultu deorum nullius unquam movebit oratio I will never be disswaded by any one from that way of divine worship which I have received from my forefathers How wilfull at this day are Jews Papists Pagans Heretikes And how much easier a matter do we finde it to deal with twenty mens reasons then with one mans will A wilfull man stands as a stake in the middest of a stream le ts all passe by him but hee stands where he was Nay but wee will have a king say they when they had nothing else to say Nay but I will curse howsoever though against my conscience said Balaam and do not the Popish Balaamites as much as this many of them As for the Vulgar sort of them they are headlong and headstrong resolved to retaine contra gentes the senselesse superstitions transmitted unto them by their Progenitours But what saith the Oracle Rev. 14.7 Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come and what ever your ancestours did worship you him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God This was well resolved and is as well practised by all Christs faithfull people who dare not follow a multitude to do evill Exod. 23.2 dare not walk by their fathers practise Iosh 24.2 14 15. for they consider that no commandement doth so expresly threaten Gods judgements upon posterity as the second They therefore resolve to walk in the name that is by the lawes and under the view of the Lord their God who is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God a mighty and a terrible as Moses describeth him in opposition to all other deities whether so reputed or deputed Deut. 10.17 for ever and ever We will not only take a turn or two in his wayes as temporaries who are hot at hand but soon tire and give in but we will hold on a constant course of holinesse and not faile to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Psal 1.2 Ioh. 8.12 and 10.4.14 Rev. 7.17 As for those Apostates that change their God that change their glory for that which doth not profit as they therein commit an horrible wickednesse such as the heavens have cause to be astonished at Ier. 2.11 12 13. so they could not chuse out for themselves a worse condition Heb. 10.37 38. for why they put the son of God to an open shame chap. 6.6 like as those that are carted amongst us are held out as a scorn and do in effect say that they have not found him such as they took him for Verse 6. In that day sc of grace and of the Gospel It is called a day and that day by an excellency in regard of Revelation Adornation Consolation Distinction speedy Preterition saith the Lord Whose word cannot be broken Ioh. 10.35 and is therefore the best security 2 Cor. 1.20 will I assemble her that halteth Heb. that goeth sideling that is maimed disioynted lamed Esa 35.3 torn Psal 35.15 and tired out with long journeys into captivity as the Jewes were by the Babylonians Greeks and Romanes before Christs comming that they might breath after those dayes of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Mal. 3.1 and I will gather her that is driven out Or rejected thrust away with a force that is the Gentles suffered to walk in their own wayes Act. 14.16 and carried away unto dumb idols even as they were led 1 Cor. 12.2 and her that I have afflicted Both Jewes and Gentiles the whole community of people for God shooke all nations then when the desire of all nations Christ Heb. 12.25 was to come Hag. 2.7 See verses 22 23. Junius after the Septuagint rendrâ—th it ut veniant desiderati omnium gentium that the Saints those desirable ones out of all nations may come for unto Shiloh in a most afflicted time when the scepter was departed from Judah c. was the gathering of all people to be Gen. 49.10 Esa 26.8 9. See Esay 66.20 rather in litters as lame people are carried should they come then not at all rather on one leg with Jacob should they wrestle then not prevaile Verse 7. And I will make her that halted a remnant Yea a renowned remnant Zeph. 3.19 Not many Jewes were converted in comparison of the Gentiles hence they are called a remnant They both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets they have also persecuted us saith the Apostle or cast us out as by an Ostracisme and they please not God and are contrary to all men 1 Thess 2.15 16. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles c. Thus the generality of them then and so to this day they continue crosse and cursing Christ and his followers thrice a day in their synagogues Hieron in Esai l. 12. c. 49. l 14. c. 42. Buxtorf Synag Howbeit at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 and that remnant became the seminary of the Christian Church and her that was cast far off a strong nation Numerous and valorous Vide fidem passionem martyrum de gente robusta non ambiges saith Hierome here Consider the faith and patience of the Martyrs and you will easily yeeld them to be a strong nation indeed Christians have shewed as glorious power in the faith of Martyrdome as in the faith of miracles They can do that which others cannot turn their hands to they can suffer wrongs best of any Compell them to go a mile they 'le be content to go two yea as far as the shooes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry them There is nothing that they date not undertake and undergo for the glory of their God Thi courage in Christians Heathens counted obstinacy Tertull. in Apologet. but they knew not the power of the spirit nor the privy armour of proof that the Saints have about their heart which maketh them insuperable more then Conquerours and the Lord shall raigne over them in mount Zion i. e. In the Christian
his people shall stand and fall together But he shall stand at the later day upon the earth Iob 19.25 yea he shall set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth Rev. 10.2 as Lord of sea and land maugre the malice of all that sought to supplant him who shall there-hence fall and never rise up againe Am. 8.14 Verse 13. Arise and thresh O daughter of Zion Go in this thy might wherewith thou so lustily threshest out thy wheat by the wine-presse said the Angell to Gideon Judg. 6.14 and thresh the Midianites another while thou shalt smite them as one man ver 16. thresh them as the sheaves of the floore that lie ready for the flaile or as the custome of those countries was Deut. 25.4 1 Cor. 9.9 1 Tim. 5 18. for oxen to tread out or the wheel to turn over Esa 2.28 for I will make thine horne iron c. So that thou shalt do great exploites by mine assistance against Sennacherib Antiochus and other enemies subdued and threshed down to straw by the valiant Macchabees Spiritualiter etiam hoc intelligendum saith Sa. here this is also spiritually to be understood of converting people to the faith separatâ paleâ infidelitatis This the Apostles did vigorously and effectually being furnished by Christ with hornes of iron and hoofes of brass with spirituall courage and metall whereby they did soon beat in peeces many people and brought them to Christ by the obedience of faith together with all their wealth and substance which they cheerfully consecrate unto the Lord of the whole earth This was typified of old by the Tabernacle built with the spoils of the Egyptians and by Davids dedicating to the Lord the gold and silver which in great abundance he had taken from the enemies 2 Sam. 8. It is prophecied of Tyrus that being converted she should find another manner of merchandise then formerly viz to feed and cloth Gods poore with durable cloathing The Centurion Esa 23.18 Luke 7. when once he became a Proselyte built the Jewish Synagogues that had been thrown down by Antiochus Constantine the Great was bountifull to the Church above measure insomuch as that he was by the heathens in scorn called Pupillus as if he had wanted a guardian to over-rule and order his expences Sed refriguit hoc studium hodiè in magistratibus plerisque as Gualtheâ— â—re complaineth and not without cause The Church is not only scanted but spoâ—ed of her revenues and that which was piously consecrated is impiously converted to other uses c. Thus He. CHAP. V. Ver. 1. NOw gather thy self in troopes O daughter of troopes Here the Virgin the daughter of Zion despiseth her adversaries of Assyria and Babylon and laughes them to scorn the daughter of Ierusalem shaketh her head at them Isa 37.22 and bearing her self bold upon the foregoing promise chap. 4.13 that she should beat in peeces many people she taketh liberty to taunt the Assyrian Monarch with all his troopes beleaguering her and basely abusing her Judges telling him that the Babe of Bethlehem would shortly take an order with him And although she were but a Virgin yet having such a Champion as Christ who is in love with her that will take her part and fight her quarrell she doubteth not to say Now gather thy self in troopes c. Nunc turmatim coito ô turmaria Increase thine army and come forth Gather your selves and ye shall be broken in peeces gird your selves and ye shall be broken in peeces Take counsel together Isai 8.9 10. Isai 33.22 and it shall come to naught speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us Jehovah is our Juge Jehovah is our Champion Jehovah is our king he will save us Lo this is the Churches confident boasting in Christ this is the triumph of her trust in him Psal 32.7 The thought of his birth swalloweth up all her fears and discontents and compasseth her about with songs of deliverance He hath laid siege against us And already devoured us in his hopes but if we do but turne us to Christ and say Behold she whom thou lovest is distressed the Assyrian as a strong river is come up over all his channels and reacheth even to the neck yea the stretching out of his wings filleth the breadth of thy land O Immanuel Esay 8.7 8. he will soon bestir himself he will besiege our besiegers he will smite them upon the cheek-bone Psal 3.7 and break the teeth of those ungodly that smot the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek for a reproach to the whole people Hugo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bacillis ceciderunt Beza by this Iudge of Israel understandeth Christ who was indeed at his passion contumeliously buffetted and smitten with rods upon the cheek Mat. 20.6 7. But this though it be true yet cannot be the sence of this text Verse 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah Not so called from Ephratah Calebt wife 1 Chron. 2.19 50 51. but from its fruitfulnesse whence also it had the name Bethlehem Joh. 6. that is the house of bread where Jesus that Bread of life that came down from heaven was born in the fulnesse of time as is here first foretold by this Prophet that great mystery of godlinesse being revealed to the world by degrees in severall Ages Here was Christ born by meer accident in regard of his parents who were brought hither by a tyrannicall Edict of Augustus Luk. 2.2 but yet by a sweet providence of God that this Scripture might be fulfilled and our faith in Christ setled Though thou be little among the thousands of Iudah Or Art thou little c q.d. No such matter and so it agreeth with Mat. 2.6 Or thus And thou Bethlehem Ephrata it is a small thing to be among the Princes of Judah Out of thee shall come a Ruler c. q. d thou hast a dignity above this and above them all in that out of thee shall come a Ruler c. Take tsagnir in the Neuter gender as Scultetus after Osiander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Forster doth and then the â—eeming difference betwixt the Prophet and Evangelist is taken away Some make St. Matthew to relate the words of the Scribes to Herod as they had varied the Text before him But we finde not that they are any where taxed for altering or corrupting the Text but for misinterpreting it onely Mat. 5. Besides that they were by their office Text-men to look to the letter of the Scripture and to keep it pure 1 Cor. 1 20. where they are distinguished from teachers of traditions and teachers of Allegories yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to God the Father that we may know that the coming of Christ in the flesh was a plot of Gods own contriving He came not by câ—â—â—ce but by counsel him hath God the Father sealed anointed and appointed to the work Joh.
6.27 This is comfortable to consider of that is to be Ruler in Israel Matthew rendereth it a Captain that shall feed my people Israel Mat. 2.6 See the Note there whose goings forth have been from of old This is spoken of Christs eternal generation which none can declare Esay 53.8 What is Gods name and what is his Sons name if thou canst tell Prov. 30.4 The Scripture usually speaketh of this grand Mystery by way of circumlocution It is here spoken of in the Plurall number for the excellency of it Adoro plâ—niâ—udinem scripturarum Aug. In this Text then we have a description of Christ in his natures and offices See the like Rom. 1.3 4. and adore the fulnesse of the Scriptures Verse 3. Therefore will he give them up As a little before the day springeth it is darker then ordinary so before the day-spring from on high visited Gods people they were under very hard and heavy pressures and miseries whereby their desires after him were increased and ineagered The enemy oppressed them by Gods permission yea by his active providence that they might pant after a Saviour and sigh out with old Jacob their father Gen. 49.18 O Lord I have waited for thy salvation untill the time that she which travelleth hath brought forth She that is the Virgin Mary say some Or she that is say others the afflicted Church according to chap. 4.9 10. See the Notes there Shee must have a time of travell of trouble before she can bring forth and be delivered Luther saith well that the Church is haeres crucis and that every Christian is a Crucian we must suffer before we can reigne and bear the crosse or ere we wear the crown Then the remnant of his brethren i. e. the converted Gentiles whom Christ is not ashamed to call his brethren Heb. 2.11 12. shall return unto the children of Israel shall be proselyted and conjoyned to the elect Jews that there may bee one sheep-fold under one shepherd And the Lord shall be king over all the earth In that day there shall be one Lord and his name one Zech. 4.9 See the Note there Verse 4. And he shall stand and feed or rule in the strength of the Lord He shall stand and none shall be able to stirre him there shall be lifting at his government but it stands firm and fixed Earthly Monarchies have their times and their turnes their ruine as well as their rise The Roman Empire fell under the weight of its own greatnesse The Turkish although it be indeed very strong yet is it by many probably thought to be on the declining hand But Christ shall stand when all earthly greatnesse shall lie in the dust And He shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord neither shall any ravenous Lion or grievous Wolf pluck them out of his hand because He and the Father are one Joh. 10.39 and God hath laid help on one that is mighty Psal 89 19. and in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God that is by the power of Gods word called his name Acts 9 15. and elsewhere This word hath a singular majestie in it whereby it aweth and affecteth mens consciences to the propagating of Christs kingdom viz when it is accompanied with the Spirit of God called his strength in the former clause And that these ever go together in all the subjects of Christs kingdom see Esay 59 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon them and my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds sâ—ed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth Now that is ere long in Gods due time which oft seems long because we are short apt to antedate the promises in regard of the accomplishment to limit the Holy One of Israel and to set him a time to set his Sun by our diall Jer. 8 20. help they would have that Summer at furthest But as God never fails in his own time so he seldom comes at ours We must live by faith Hab. 2.2 and stay Gods leisure as David did for the kingdome and those in Esther for deliverance Gods promises will at length take their way over all Alpes of opposition but we have need of patience c. For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10 36 37. Verse 5. And this man shall be the peace The man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 that man that shall be as an hiding place from the winde and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Esay 32.2 Winds and tempests will arise and that upon the Church Assyrians and Babylonians Nimrods brats will invade and infest her but that famous He afore-mentioned shall bee her peace her Prince of peace Esay 9.6 who giveth her pacem omnimodam peace internal external eternal called by the Apostle life and peace Rom. 8.7 This peace peace as Esay calleth it chap. 26 3. that is a multiplied renued continued peace this peace Regionis Religionis of Countrey and of Conscience as God hath promised and Christ hath purchased He merited and made it through the blood of his Crosse Col. 1.20 Esay 53.5 Ephes 2.16 And hence it was that as he was brought from heaven with that song of peace Luke 2.14 so he returned up again with that farewell of peace Joh. 14.27 left to the world the doctrine of peace Ephes 2.17 whose Ministers are messengers of peaceâ— Râ—m 10 15. whose followers are the children of peace Luke 10.6 whose unity is in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 and whose duty is the study of peace Rom. 12.18 and to whom God hath promised I will give peace in your land c. And ye shall chase your enemies c. If any ask Lev. 25.6 7. how peace and pursuit of enemies can consist It is easily answered You shall have civil peace amongst your selve and besides an ability to quell and quiet forraigne enemies Or you shal have peace and if it hap that war arise you shall have the better in batteâ—â— If the Assyrian come into your land he shall be a loser by it if he tread in your palaces he shall retreat with shame and defeatment as it befell Sennacherib Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds that is a competent number of Chieftains and Champions with their victorious forces which shall repell the enemies and secure the Church Christo duce auspice Christo under Christ the Arch shepherd This some understand of the Apostles those anointed or authorized Ones as the word here signifieth the weapons of whose warfare were not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-holds 2 Cor.
conduct of Constantine carried it against them they shall lay their hand upon their mouth Be struck dumb as if they had seen Medusa's head they shall not be able to contradict the Gospell or to hinder the progresse of it Valens the Arrian Emperou comming upon Basil while he was in holy duties with an intent to do him hurt was not only silenced but so terrified that he reeled and had fallen Greg. orat de laud. Basil had he not been upheld by those that were with him their cares shall be deaf With the sudden bursting forth of Gods wonderfull and terrible works saith Mr. Diodate Verse 17. They shall lick the dust like a scrpent that is be reduced not only to extreme hunger and penury but to utmost vility and basenesse of condition so as to lick the very dust And whereas it is added like a sâ—â—pent he puts them in mind of that old malediction Gen. 3. and gives them to know that as like that old serpent they have lifted themselves up against God so will God cast them down again to the condition of serpents and abase them to the very dust See Psa 22.30 and 72.9 Es 49.23 they shall move out of their holes like wormes or creeping things of the earth They shall tumultuate and be all on an huddle as ants are when their molehill is thrown up with a spade The Hebrew word imports great commotion and bustle they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall feare because of thee O God or O Church terrible as an army with banners Impiety triumpheth in prosperity trembleth in adversity and contrarily saith holy Greenham Since the fall we tremble before God Angels and good men What have I to do with thee thou man of God said She Art thou come to call to mind my sin and to kill my son At the siege of Mountabove in France the people of God within the wals ever before a sally sang a Psalme with which holy practise of theirs the enemy comming acquainted when they heard them singing would so quake and tremble crying they come Spee belli sal 282. they come as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them Verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee No God surely whether so reputed or deputed whether heathen deities heavenly Angels or earthly Rulers can compare with our God or come neare him for pardoning of sin Indeed none can do it at all but He as the blind Pharisees saw and could say Men may pardon the trespasse but God alone the transgression But say they could do something that way yet nothing like our God who maketh his power appear to be great Num. 14.17 in pardoning such offences as no God or man besides would pardon See Jer. 3.1 Neh. 9.31 he forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 7. that is all sorts of sins to all sorts of sinners without excertion Mat. 12.31 This is the expresse letter of Gods covenant which we ought not either to obliterate or to interline but to beleeve it in the full latitude and extent We are apt to cast Gods pardoning-grace into a mould of our own and to measure it by our modell But against this we are cautioned Isai 55.8 God must be magnified in our thoughts his quarters there enlarged high and honourable conceptions are to be had of him or else we wrong him no lesse then we should do a King by respecting and receiving him no otherwise then we would do another ordinary man He is set forth here as a God imparallell and that not without an interrogation of admiration O! who is a God like unto thee Thy mercy is matchlesse thy grace aboundeth even to an overflow 1 Tim. 1.14 it is more then exceeding it hath a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle there Surely as the Sea swallowes up hugest rocks and as the Sun scattereth greatest mists so doth He pardon enormities as well as infirmities and blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 Jam. 2 His mercy rejoyceth against or glorieth over judgment and is ready to say of a great sinner indeed Jam dignus vindice nodus The more desperate the disease is the greater glory redoundeth to him that cureth it Our Saviour gat him a glorious name by curing incurable diseases and gained greatest love by franckly forgiving Mary Magdalens and others sins Luk. 7.42 47. which were many and mighty or bony as the Prophets word signifies Amos 5.12 Adams Apostacie Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest Davids blood-guiltinesse Manasseh his idolatry and witch-crast Peters thrice denying and abjuring his master Pauls blasphemy and persecution All these sins and blasphemies have been forgiven to the sons of men neither can they commit more then he both can and will remit to the penitent Note this against Novatus that proud heretick and strive against that naturall Novatianisme that is in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sins of Apostasie and falling after repentance and to say as those Unbeleevers of old Can the Lord prepare a table for us in the wildernesse So Can he forgive such and such iniquities so oft reiterated This is a question no question what cannot our God do in this kind who pardoneth sin naturally Exod. 34.6 and therefore freely as the Sun shineth or as the Fountaine casteth out waters who doth it also abundantly Isai 55.7 multiplying pardons as fast as we multiply sins and lastly Constantly Psal 130.4 Ioh. 1.27 Zach. 13.1 It is his perpetuall act and it should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts We should go on our way toward heaven as Sampson did toward his parents feeding on this hony-comb that pardoneth iniquity Heb that taketh away sheere away non ne sit sed ne obsit not sin it self but the guilt of it the damning and domineering power of it this David calleth the iniquity of his sin and saith that this God forgave him Psal 32.5 pronouncing himself and all such happy as are so dealt with verse 1.2 and passeth by the transgression Heb Passeth over it taketh no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of businesse seeth not things afore him his mind being upon another matter he neglects all else besides that As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lamenesse or any other defect or deformity so God beholding in his people the image of his son winks at all faults that he might soon find in them That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affirmed of God Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias He forgetteth nothing but the wrongs that are daily done him by his and as it is said of our Henry 6. that he was of that happy memory that he never forgat any thing but injury c. so here Daniel 198. of the remnant of his
money Demetrius Phalereus complaineth of these Alchymists long agone not without indignation quod certis consumptis incertorum gratiâ Athenaeus quae se capturos sperabant non ceperunt quod verò habebant abjecerint that they cast away certainties for uncertainties that they attained not what they hoped for but cast away what they had Julius Scaliger also Fornaculas ist as odi Ad Cardan exerc 83. p. 100. saith He odio plus quam Vatiniano Sunt enim noctuae ad aucupia crumenarum I cannot abide those fornaces indeed they are pick-purses c. know there is a true Alchymy called by some the Spagirick art being in great use in physick This I condemne not so it be warily and wisely dealt in But this by the way only It seemed to some an impossible thing that Babylon should so suddenly be destroyed as was foretold verse 7. It will be done certò citò penitùs suddenly surely severely saith the Prophet for the Lord of Hosts hath undertaken the doing of it Annon ecce à Domino exercituum so the Hebrew hath it by an emphaticall Aposiopesis Is it not look you of the Lord of Hosts The people shall labour in the very fire the nations also shall weary themselves for very vanity Viz. in seeking to save Babylon which by a divine decree is to be destroyed without remedy Psa 137.8 So is Rome that other Babylon Rev. 18.2 citò itidem casura De rem ut fort dial 118. si vos essetis viri said Petrarch long since It would soon be down would you but stand up as men Neither shall the Jesuites that ultimus diaboli crepitus be able to uphold it there is a cold sweat upon all the limbes of Antichrist already Verse 14. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord c. He shall make himself a glorious name among the nations of the earth by executing vengeance upon Babylon and so pleading the cause of his oppressed people whom he seemed during their captivity there to neglect that men shall have cause to say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 as the waters cover the sea the chanell of the sea that is plentifully and abundantly See a like promise Isay 11.9 but to another purpose That 's a famous promise of the comming and kingdome of Christ and so some Interpreters apply this Wherein though they seem to be mistaken considering the context yet the Ancients rightly here-hence argued that Christ would certainly come again to judgement because many wicked men escape in this world without condigne punishment which then they shall be sure of 2 Thes 1.6 9. Then all shall be set to right though now they may seem lesse equally carried and the reason of Gods proceedings with men shall be cleared up which now also we are bound to beleeve to be sometimes secret but ever just At the day of judgement we shall see an excellent harmony in this discord of things and all obscure passages shall bee made as plain to us as if they were written with the most glittering Sun-beam upon a wall of Chrystall Then shall this sweet promise have its full accomplishment The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea in greatest abundance and redundancy Verse 15. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink The Babylonians among other their flagitious practises afore-mentioned were much addicted to drunkennesse as is recorded by Herodotus Ctesias and others Their land was sick of drink and would therefore spew them out Themselves were men of wine verse 5. See the Note and should therefore drink deep of the wine of Gods fierce wrath They drank to their neighbours or companions not in a way either of curtesie or charity but purposely to intoxicate them to make them drunk that they might either deride them or abuse them to filthy pleasure or both they buckt them with drink and then laid them out to be sunn'd and scorned as Noah was by his graceâ—esse sonne Therefore as he cursed Ham though Scaliger excuse him and it stuck to his posterity for ever so doth God here denounce a woe to drunkards and so sets it on as no creature shall ever bee able to take it off that puttest thy bottle to him Not thy bowle onely but thy bottle that he may drink and be drunk and spew and fall c. Jer. 25.27 This is ordinarily practised by our Roaring-boyes as they will needs be called by a wofull prolepsis Here for hereafter in their Cyclopicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either by perswasions or threats the bottle is set to the mouth and must be emptied ere it come thence The civil sober and temperate man is urged and it may be forced to swallow down long and needlesse draughts as a horse doth a drench by domineering drunkards that they may see his nakednesse triumph over him as laid up or as the new terme is satisfied Their courses are here graphically and in lively colours described by the holy Ghost to set forth the hatefulnesse thereof and how wofull will be the issue There are that read the words thus That puttest thine anger to him thy fervour and thy fury viz. if he pledge thee not whole-ones and drink not all the Ou ts as they call them Domitius the father of Nero slew Liberius Sueton. an honest Roman because he refused to drink so much as he commanded him Others read it That puttest thy poyson to him and indeed Ebrietas est blandus daemon dulce venenum suave peccatum c. Drunkennesse is a fair-spoken devil a pleasant poison a sweet sinne which he that hath in him hath not himself and which he that runs into runs not into a single sinne but is wholly turned into sinne How often saith a grave Divine have I seen vermine sucking the drunkards blood as fast as he that of the grape or mault yet would he not leave his hold or lose his draught Gualther reads it Conjungens fervorem tuum Joyning thine heat inflaming thy self that thou mayest drink him under the board De sua bobacitate librum conscripsit seu potius evomuit â—erod This was great Alexanders sinne and ruine so it was M. Anthonies who wrote a book of his abilities to drink down others and before them both Darius's as Athenaeus hath left recorded How much better his successour Ahashuerosh who made a law at his great feast that every man should drink according to his pleasure Esth 1.8 So Minos king of Creet ordered that his subjects should not drink one to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto drunkennesse Quinetiam Spartae mos est laudabilis ille Vt bibat arbitrio pocula quisque suo Among the old Germans diem noctemque continuare potando nulli probrum saith Tacitus It was no disgrace to drink night and day together It
to him as a Sea of glasse a clear transparent body he shines and sees throw it Gods hand or side is said to be horned in the sense that Moses his face was Exod. 34.30 And there was the hiding of his power Not the revealing of it but velamen symbolum integumentum the veil the cover such as God put over him when he shewed Moses his glory He could see but his back parts and live we need see no more that we may live God is invisible incomprehensible and dwelleth in light unapproachable How little a thing doth man here understand of God Iob 26.14 the greatest part of that he knoweth is but the least part of that he knoweth not Surely as a weak eye is not able to behold the Sun no nor the strongest eye without being dazled we cannot look upon it in rota but only in radiis so here we cannot see God in his Essence but onely in his effects in his works and in his Word where also we have but a shew but a shadow of him we see but his train in the Temple as Esay the holy Angels cover their faces with their wings as with a double scarfe before Gods brightnesse which would put out their eyes else â—s 6.3 see Psal 104.2.1 Tim. 6.16 Verse 5. Before him went the pestilence Dever the word signifieth such a disease as cometh by a divine decree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Hypocrits call the pestilence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because sext by God in a spiritual manner a stroke of his own bare hand as it were Here it is made one of his Apparitours or pursivants sent before him to destroy the Canaanites as it had done the Egyptians And burning coals went out at his feet Or the carbuncle burning bile Deut. 32.24 The Vulgar translateth it the devil Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deadly inflammation whereof good Oecolampadius died and was lamented by Melancthon But Luther very uncharitably the best have their failings wrote that he beleeved Oecolampadixm ignitis Satanae telis hastis confossum Lib. de Missae privat subitanea morte periâ—sse that Oecolampadius died suddenly being stabb'd to death with the fiery darts of the devill Verse 6. He stood and measured the earth Not Joshuah but God brought his people into the promised land and divided it amongst them Psal 78.55 Like as also he had divided the whole earth by bounds and borders to the several Nations Psal 74.17 and doth still appoint men the bounds of their habitations Act. 17.26 He beheld and drove asunder the Nations He did it with his looks as it were that is with very little adoe Let the Lord but arise onely and his enemies shall be scattered Camd. Elis let him but frown and they fall before him If Augustus could frown to death Asinius Pollio and Queen Elizabeth her chancellour Hatton what shall we think of Gods bended browes And the everlasting mountains were scattered i. e. those kingdomes of the Canâ—anites that were held firm and unmoveable as the mountains yea rivetted as it were upon eternity see Num. 13.21.31 22. These were scattered dissilierunt fell in peeces and leapt this way and that way as stones broken with a great hammer God threshed these mountains and beat them small he made the hills as chasse Isay 41.15 No worldly height could stand before him By mountains here some understand Kings and Princes as by hills those of inferiour rank His wayes are everlasting Heb. his walks or journies that is his government of the world by his power and wisedome is perpetual he never casteth off the care thereof There are that referre the word his to the Canaanites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who had of old possessed the land without disturbance But the former sense is the better Verse 7. I saw the Tents of Cushan King of Mesopotamia who tyrannized over Israel eight years after Joshua's death God selling his people to him for naught and not increasing his wealth by their price Psal 44.12 Judg. 3.8 But delivering them in the end by that valiant Othniel who brought the tents of Cushan under affliction or vanity Some render it propter iniquitatem because of iniquity and set this sense upon it It was for sinne that God sold his people into the hands of Cushan Riskathaijm and yet afterwards sent them a Saviour why then should they now despair of a seasonable return out of captivity though by their sinnes they have provoked the Lord to wrath sith if they returne unto him and seek his favour there is yet mercy with the Lord that he may be feared Loe this is the right use of histories and this is our duty to make observations to our selves as did the Prophet here I saw the tents of Cushan I considered the thing that hath been it is the same which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done c. Eccles 1.9 Historiae fidae monitrices Dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble Cortinae vel pelles c. When by the sword of the Lord and of Gideon they were cut off and discomfited Judg. 7.7 c. Verse 8. Was the Lord displeased against the Rivers As Xerxes that brutish man was against the Hellespont for battering his bridge of boates beating it and casting a pair of fetters into it Was God thus angry against Jordan and against the red-Sea No such matter If God seem angry at any time against the reasonlesse or livelesse creatures it is for a punishment of mans sin But here his end and purpose was to shew that he did ride upon those horses and charets the rivers and sea for the salvation of his people He did so when time was and that he will do so again when time shall serve this question in the text shews that there is no question to be made of it Verse 9. Thy bowe was made quite naked sc Out of the case He meaneth thy power was clearly manifested and powerfully exerted against the nations above mentioned so that all men might see plainly that thou wert that man of warre Exod. 15.3 which shootest thine arrowes at a certainty and never missest thine enemies thy but-mark See Job 16.12 according to the oathes of the tribes even thy word i. e. according to thy promises to thy people confirmed with oathes even those sure mercies of David or assured to David Some render it according to the oathes those props of thy word His word is sure and sufficient of it self but for our better settlement and as a prop to our faith He hath bound it with oathes that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 For now we may say with Solomon For thy words sake nay more For thine oathes sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all this 2 Sam. 7.18 21. Thy love moved thee to make
birds and fishes not by way of Hyperbole as the Rabbines dreams but because in common calamities in warlike tumults and when God will destroy a people indeed the beasts also are killed up the foules hunted away the fish-pooles wasted c. Let those that will not beleeve this look into Illyricum Thracia Macedonia Greece and divers parts of Turky laid utterly desolate and empty both of men and other creatures Hierome upon this text and likewise upon Hos 4. affirmeth the same of his native countrey wasted so with Warre ut praeter coelum coenum crescentes vipres condensa sylvarum cuncta perierint that besides ayre and earth and briars and forrests all was destroyed And that we may not wonder at this severitie of God hear what the same Father saith elswhere of his ungracious countrymen In mea patria de us Ven er est in dâ—em vivitur sanctior est ille qui ditior In my countrey their belly is their god Epis ad Chremat their glory is in their shame they minde earthly things and so their end hath been destruction and utter desolation as Phil. 3.19 Gualthers Note here is very good herein we may observe saith he the judgement of God and his wonderfull providence that whereas we see in populous places rivers and pooles to abound with fish woods and fields with birds and beasts though they bee continually caught and carried away yet where there want men to make use of them there are few or none to be found For as they were all made for man so when men are consumed they also are consumed as is here threatned Non ita temerè fieri putemus c. Let Gods hand herein be acknowledged and his anger appeased by faith in Christ Jesus and repentance from dead works that our land may be sowed with the seed of men and of beasts And the stumbling-blocks with the wicked Those Balaams blocks In lib. Reg. those moments and monuments of idolatry that so much offend God and cause offence and ruine to those that worship them as Eucherius interpreteth it who are here called wicked with an accent and by a specialty And I will cut off man from off the land Even the better sort of men too who shall be wrapt up together with the wicked in the common calamity The good figges as well as the bad are packt to Babylon but with this difference that God will there set his eyes upon the good for good Ier. 24.6 as the corne is cut down as well as the weeds but for better purpose Saith the Lord who hath spoke it twice that you may once well observe it and lay it to heart Verse 4. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah To whom I have so long stretcht out my hand in vain to reclaime them Esay 65.2 Prov. 1.25 If God do but put forth his hand to afflict as Satan sollicited him to doe against Job chap. 1.11 and 2.5 who can abide it but if he stretch it out as here woe be to those that must feele the waight of it His hand is a mighty hand 1. Pet. 1.6 the same that spannes the heavens and holds the earth as a very little thing Esay 40. Lord saith David who had felt it in part who knoweth the power of thine anger Even according to thy fear so is thy wrath q. d. Let a man fear thee never so much he is sure to feele thee much more who falleth under the stroke of thine heavy hand Oh keep out of his fingers who can crush us to death before the moth Job 4.19 And upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem who are therefore worse then others because they should be better and shall fare the worse for their external priviledges wherein they glory And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place That which remained since Josia's reformation 2 King 23.3.4.5 saith Diodate shall a Nation be born at once Esay 66.8 And the name of the Chemarims Baals chimney-chaplaines They are translated idolatrous priests 1 Chron. 23.5 But because we find them here mentioned as distinct from the Priests therefore many Expositores hold that they were certain Ministers of their idolatry different from the priests such as the Monks are among the Papists The vulgar rendereth it Aedituos Underlings to the other Priests Elias in Tijby saith they were such as were shut up in cloisters Chemarim Atrati thy are called either from their black garments or because they were smutched with burning incense or from the brand-markes they had superstitiously set upon their bodies or because of their pretended fiery zeal and fervency in their religion such as are the Saorisici Seraphici among the Papists who falsly and foolishly call them the Lights of the World sc to light them into utter darknesse Verse 5. And them that worship the host of heaven upon the house tops Called elsewhere the Queen of heaven the constellations and heavenly bodies whom they thought to worship so much the more acceptably if in an open place and on high in the very sight of the starres Observent ista qui hodie Astrologiam judiciariam prositentur saith Gualther Let those amongst us observe this who professe judiciary Astrologie for these worship the starres no lesse then did the heathens of old and doe openly bring in Heathenisme again whiles first they call the starres by the names of those heathenish deities that ought to be abolished and next they subject to those starres all events of things yea man himselfe as touching all his manners and fortunes which the Scripture affirmeth to depend upon the eternal providence of God alone This is intolerable impiety and they that fall into it shall not escape the just judgement of God And them that worship and that swear by the Lord or to the Lord consecrating themselves as by oath to his service and that swear by Malcham that is by their King Epec. Eur. as the Egyptians did of old Gen. 42.15 The Spaniards at this day in the pride of their Monarchy are grown also to swear by the life of their King There are a sort of mongrell Christians in the East called Melchites Niceph. as one would say Of the Kings Religion because they resolved to doe as Melech the King commanded them though it were to make a mixture of religions as these in the text would and as our late Modelatours Sancta Clara and others of whom one said well that they had made a pretty shew had there been no Bible to tell us that the jealous and just God hateth and plagueth halting betwixt two lukewarmnesse and neutrality in religion all dow-baked duties speckled birds plowing with an Oxe and an Asse mingled seeds linsey-wolsey garments Lev. 19.19 Upon which text the Doway Doctours note is Here all participation with heretiks and schismatiks is forbidden But by Malchâ—â— most understaud here an Idoll of the Ammonites otherwise called Mosecâ— served in Tophet near
get them praise and fame in every land c. So that glorious things shall be spoken of thee O city of God As thy sin shall be remitted so thy name shall be healed thy fame spread per era hominum volitabis I will fashion mens opinions of thee so that those that formerly shamed and shunned thee shall highly esteem thee and stand for thee Verse 20. At that time will I bring you againe And this I tell you againe that you may the better beleeve it only you must wait my time for in time will I bring you againe and in time will I gather you and in time will I make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth as before I promised but you must give me time to do all this He that beleeveth maketh not hast The vision is yet for an appointed time Habac. 2.3 See the Note there Limit not the Holy One of Israel set him not a day say not Now or never wake not your beloved till he please He is a God of judgement and waiteth to be gracious Esay 30.18 Have patience therefore yea let patience have her perfect work Iam. 1.4 that ye may receive a full reward 2 Ioh. 8. For behold I come and my reward is with me to give you an expected end Ier. 29.11 when I turn back your captivity Heb. Captivities that is all foure captivities together For the Jews were carried captive to Babylon 1. under Manasseh 2 Chron. 33.11.2 Next under Jehojachim 2 Chron. 36.6.3 under Jechonias 2 King 24.12 and 2 Chron. 36.10.4 Lastly under Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.17 2 King 25.6 All these shall be brought back together by an eminent and signal deliverance before your eyes Those eyes of yours that failed almost for my salvation and for the word of my righteousnesse Psal 119.123 shall see the accomplishment thereof and be satisfied Psal 54.7 and 92.11 Dexter tibi prae laetitia saliet oculus saith the Lord This is the seale of all and security sufficient for Dei dixisse est fecisse God will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lipps Psal 89.33 34. Laus Deo in aeternum A COMMENT OR EXPOSITION Upon the Prophesie of HAGGAI CHAP. I. Verse 1. IN the second yeer of Darius the King Not of Darius the Mede Gâ—aâ—b Chronol as Genebrard doteth for he was predecessour to Cyrus Dan. 5.31 And Haggai prophecied after Cyrus and Cambyses Ezra 4.5 and 5.1 Neither of Darius Nothus as Scaliger in his book De Emend temporum the doctrine whereof is almost wholy fictitions saith One and founded upon the confines of Nothing but of Darius son of Hystaspes who succeeded Cambyses in the kingdome of Persia being chosen king by the Peeres Herdot in Thaliâ— upon the neighing of his horse first as Herodotus testifieth Whether this Darius were the husband of Queen Esther as some affirm or her son as Others and was therefore so favourable to the Jews I undertake not to determine Onely take notice that by Heathen Historians it is said Herod that the wife of this Darius was called Atossa which sounds in part somwhat like Hadassah that is Esther chap. 2.7 Hadassah was her own Hebrew name and after she was made Queen she was called Esther He is called Darius the King as if he were the Onely King on earth His successour Darius in his proud Embassy to Alexander called himself the King of Kings and Cousin of the gods and for Alexander he called him his servant But Alexander soon after became his Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato lib. 3. de l gib Prov. 21.1 For the Kingdome of Persia was lost by that Darius as it had been restored by this to its former splendour after the havock made by Cambyses who among other vile acts of his as Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked according to the preverb of the Ancients 1 Sam. 24.13 forbad the building of the Temple Ezra 4.12 But He who sets up Princes at his pleasure and turns their hearts whither soever he will as the plow-man doth the water-course with his paddle or the gardiner with his hand turned here the heart of this great King to his people the Jews so that he made a new decree for the advancement of the building Ezra 5.8 God also seasonably stirred up Haggai and Zachariah to quicken the people who were soon after their return from Babylon grown cold again and careless and so blessed their Ministery that the House that is the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies was finished in four years space or thereabouts Ezra 6.14 The outward Court and so the whole Temple in three years after that Antiq. l. 11. c. 4 as Josephus witnesseth In the sixth moneth In the 3444. year of the world Func Chronel as Funccius computeth it in the Calends of September confer chap. 2.19 when the Jewes were ingathering their harvest and fruits and found a dearth toward This the Prophet makes use of pressing it upon the people as a just hand of God upon them for slighting and slacking the rebuilding of his house It is good for Gods Ministers to set in with him to strike while the iron is hot to cry Hear ye the rod Mic. 6.9 and who hath appointed it for as iron is very soft and malleable whiles in the fire and as molten metals ar fit for the mould so when men are under the crosse they are more easily wrought upon they will hearken to instruction that before laught at it as the wild asse doth at the horse and his rider Job 39.18 The wild asse that is used to the wildernesse though she kick up her heels and snuffe up the wind at her pleasure so that they that seek her will not weary themselves yet there is a time when she may be taken in her moneth they shall find her Jer. 2.24 In the first day of the moneth Heb. In one day One for first is ordinary in both Testaments Gen. 1.5 Num. 29.1 Dan. 9.1 Mat. 28.1 Joh. 20.1 1 Cor. 16.2 The time of this Prophecy as of others Isa 1.1 Jer. 1.2 3 c. is precisely noted to teach us what account we should make of Gods Oracles and inspirations and how God will one day eckon with us for the helps we have had and the time we have enjoyed them He sets down all how much more should we and live up to our means mercies propagating our thankfulnsse into our practise Jeremy prophecied forty years but with ill successe it was his unhappinesse to be Physician to a dying State Tunc etiam doctâ plus valet arte malum The Holy Ghost sets a speciall mark upon these fourty years of his prophecying Ezek. 4.6 by bidding the Prophet lye fourty dayes upon his right side and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah fourty dayes a day for a year came the word of the Lord i. e. he began to prophecy
Iohn 10.30.38 and 14.23 2. As having the incommunicable names and attributes of God Iohn 8.58 and 20.28 Eternity Iohn 1.1 and 17.5 Infinitenesse Iohn 3.13 Omniscience Iohn 2.24 and 21.27 3. As doing the works of God such as are Creation Iohn 1.3 Conservation Iohn 5.17.3 miracles c. 4. As taking to himselfe divine Worship Iohn 9.38 and 20.28 and 14.1 This truth men must hold fast as their lives and be rooted in it getting strong reasons for what they beleeve The second ground wanted depth of earth The seed was good and the earth was good but there was not enough of it therefore the heat of the sun scorcht in up Christ is here called the Lord of Hosts and the Lord of glory Isay 6.1 with John 12.41 Jam. 2.1 Yet once it is a little while c. Adhuc unum pusillum This little little while this inch of time was the better part of five hundred years viz. Galatin lib. 4. cap 9 10. till Christ came in the flesh Heb. 12.26 the Jew-Doctours say no lesse A long time to us is but a little while to God A thousand years is but as one day to the Ancient of dayes His Prophets also being lifted up in spirit to the consideration of eternity count and call all times as indeed they are in comparison moments and points of time Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus could the Poet say D. Hall Peaâ—m What is that to the Infinite said a certain Noble-man of this Land to one discoursing of an incident matter very considerable but was taken off with this quick Interrogation So say we to our selves when under any affliction we begin to think long of Gods coming to deliver us What is this to Eternity of extremity which yet we have deserved Tantillum tantillum adhuc pusillum Yet a very little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry as in the Interim the just must live by faith Heb. 10.37 Gods help seems long because we are short We are short-breathed short-sighted apt to antedate the promises in regard of the accomplishment We also oft find it more easie to bear evil then to wait till the promised good be enjoyed Those beleeving Hebrews found by experience that the spoiling of their goods exercised their patience but staying Gods leysure for the good things he had promised them required more then ordinary patience or tarriance Heb. 10.36 Take we heed of prescribing to the Almighty of limiting the Holy One of Israel of setting him a time with those Bethulians and I will shake the heavens Not the earth onely as at the giving of the Law to purchase reverence to the Law-giver but the heavens also viz by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel whereby Satan was seen falling from heaven Luke 10.18 that is from mens hearts and the Saints set together in heavenly places or priviledges in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 For he that hath the Son hath life hee hath heaven aforehand 1. In pretio 2. In promisso 3. 1 Joh 5 1â— In primitiis Here then the Prophet encourageth these builders telling them that under this second Temple how mean soever it seemed he would first send Christ called the Desire of all Nations vers 7. and Peace vers 9. with Ephes 2.14 to grace it with his presence Secondly he would cause the Gospel to be preached in a pompous and powerfull manner I will shake c. Shake them to settle them not to ruine them but to refine them shake their hearts with sense of sin and fear of wrath that they may truly seek Christ For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 And the end of this universall shake was to shew saith Chrysostome Hom. 14. in Matth. that the old law was to be changed into the New Moses into Messias the Prophets into Evangelists Judaisme and Gentilisme into Christianisme When Christ was born we know how Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Matt. 2.3 What a quire of Angels was heard in the air at Bethlehem and what wondering there was at those things which were told them by the shepherds Luke 2.18 Eusebius tells of three Suns seen in heaven not long before his birth Orosius tels of many more prodigies The Psalmist foretelling our Saviours coming in the flesh breaks out into this joyfull exclamation Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulnesse thereof Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with truth Psal 96.11 Lib. 18. de C. D. cap. 48. 12 13. and Psal 98.7 8 9. This I know is by some but not so properly understood of Christs second coming to judgement And both Augustin and Rupertus construe this text also the same way But the whole stream of Interpreters old and new carry it against them and some of them tell us of sundry strange and stupendious commotions that fell out even according to the letter in heaven earth and sea about the time of Christs birth death resurrection and soon after his Ascension when he rode about the world upon his white horse the Apostles and their successours with a crown on his head as King of his Church and a bowe in his hand the doctrine of the Gospel whereby the people fall under him Psal 45.4 and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Vers 7. And I will shake all Nations First by the civil warres between the Triumviri not long before Christs Incarnation Secondly by the generall taxe Luke 2.3 when all went to be taxed every one into his own city Thirdly by the preaching and miracles of Christ and his Apostles whereby the Nations were shaken out of their sinfull condition and brought to the obedience of faith by effectuall conversion Thus a Lapide I will shake all Nations with wonder at so great a mystery with joy and with newnesse of life saith Sa. The Gospel saith Forbes on Revel 14. hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men First it falleth to mens ears as the sound of many waters a confused sound which commonly bringeth neither terrour nor joy but yet a wondering and acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power Mar. 1.22 23. Luke 4.32 Job 7.46 This may be in the reprobate Act. 13.41 The second effect is the voice of thunder which brings not onely wonder but fear This may also be in a reprobate as Felix The third effect proper to the Elect is the sound of harping while the Gospel not onely ravisheth with admiration and shaketh the conscience with terrour but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy Hitherto He. Certain it is that the Gospel maketh a stirre where it cometh and brings an earthquake
among the princes of Judah Mat. 2.6 because Christ was born there The tribe of Nepthali is first reckoned of those by Rachels side because at Capernaum in this tribe Christ inhabited Rev. 7.6 in which respect also this town is said to be lifted up to beaven Mat. Gen. 42.4 11.2 3. Benjamin is called the beloved of the Lord Gods darling as their father Ben amin was old Jacobs because God dwelt between his shoulders sc in his Temple built upon those two mountaines Moriath and Zion Deut. 33.12 The glory of that first Temple was that the Majesty of God appeared in it covering it self in a cloud The glory of this later house was greater because therein the same divine Majesty appeared not covered with a cloud but really incarnated For the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 In this flesh of ours and under this second Temple Christ not only uttered oracles did miracles and finished the great work of our redemption but also laid the foundation of the Christian Church Jam. 1. For the Law that perfect Law of liberty the Gospell came out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem to all the ends of the earth Esay 2.3 Psal 110.1 From hence it was that the Lord of glory whom the blind Jewes had crucified sent out his Apostles those messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ as they are called 2 Cor 8.23 to gather together unto him those desirable ones his elect verse 7. See the Note there whom he calleth the glory Esa 46.13 the house of his glory Esay 60.7 a crown of glory Esay 62.3 the throne of glory Ier. 4â— 21 the ornament of God Ezek 7.20 the beauty of his ornament ib. and that set in majesty ib. a royall diadem in the hand of Jehovah Esay 62.3 and in this place will I give peace Even the Prince of peace and with him all things also Rom. 8.32 pacem Pectoris Temporis Peace of countrey and of conscionce this later especially seemeth here to be meant For the former viz. outward Peace was not long enjoyed by these Jewes and their second Temple was often spoyled by the enemies Ioh. 14. and at length burnt and overturned But the Peace of God that passeth all understanding is that Legacy which the world can neither give nor take from Gods people And of this inward Peace the Septuagint according to the Roman edition taketh the Text and so doth Ambrose Haec est pax suâ—er pacem saith He. Christ as he was brought from heaven with that song of Peace Luk 2.14 Onearth peace good will toward men which is the same with that salutation of St. Paul who learned it belike of those Angels Grace be to you and Peace so he returned up againe with that farewell of peace Ioh. 14.27 and left to the world the doctrine of peace the gospell of peace Eph. 2.17 whose Authour is the God of peace 1 Cor. 14.33 whose Ministers are ministers of peace Rom. 10.15 whose followers are the children of peace Luk 10.6 whose unity is in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 whose duty is the study of peace Rom. 12.18 and whose end is to enter into peace to rest in their beds their soules resting in heaven their bodyes in the grave till the joyfull resurrection even every one walking in his uprightnesse Esay 57.2 Psal 37.33 Verse 10. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month in the second yeer of Darius This diligence of the Prophets in noting and noticing the precise time of Gods hand upon them Scultet Annal. should teach us to do the like See the Note on chap. 1. ver 1. Melch. Adam in vit Bugenhà g The churches in Switzerland kept that day yearely as an holiday whereon the Reformation began amongst them Bugenhagius kept a feast every yeer on that day of the month wherein he and some other Divines had finished the Dutch Bible and called it The feast of the Translation of the Bible Philipp Pareus in vita Dau. Parei The University of Heidelberg kept an Evangelicall Iubilee three whole dayes together Anno Dom. 1617. in the Calends of November in the remembrance of the renowned Reformation of religion begun by Luther a just hundred yeers before Hereby Gods name shall be sanctified our faith strengthened and our good affection both evidenced and excited By the time here described it appeareth that they had now been three moneths building and the Prophet meane-while had given them great incouragement thereunto But forasmuch as he found that they stuck in the bark as they say rested in the work done thought they should therefore win upon God because they built him a Temple the Prophet gives them to understand that there is more required of them then a Temple viz. that therein they worship the Lord purely and holily in spirit and in truth that their divine worships bee right both quoad fontem quoad finem for principle and end of intention for else they impure all that they touch and are no whit better but a great deal the worse for all their performances This the Prophet teacheth them in the two following oracles propounded by way of demand to the Priests How apt are men to lose themselves in a wildernesse of duties To dig for pearls in their own dunghils to think to oblige God to themselves by their good works to spin a threed of their own to climbe up to heaven by to rest in their own righteousnesse to save themselves by riding on horses Hos 14.3 The Prophets designe is here to beat them off from such fond conceits telling them that the person must be accepted ere the service can bee regarded as Abels To the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 saith the Apostle Calvin upon this Text saith no more and yet Cor. a Lapide is very angry with him for saying so much Aug. de vera innocent c. 56. There is in Peter Lumbard this golden sentence eited out of August inc The whole life of unbeleevers is sinne neither is any thing good without the cheifest good This sentence Ambrose Rybera a Poprsh Postiller censureth for harsh and cruell But doth not God here say the same thing Crudelis est illa sententia Certain it is that good actions from bad men displease as a man may speak good words but we cannot hear because of his stinking breath The facrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 Charity is nothing unlesse it flow out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Verse 11. Ask now the Priest concerning the Law For who should know the law better then the Priests And who so fit to
then with any thing that befell himself It is said of Melanâ—thon that the miseries of the Church made him almost neglect the death of his dearest children and put him upon many prayers and tears which Idem in vita Melanch like musick upon the water made a most melodious noise in the ears of God When Luther in a certain Epistle checked him and chod him for his exceeding great care of the Churches welfare calling him pertinacissimam curarum hirudinem c. he meekly replied Si nihil curarem nihil orarem If I should not care so I should not pray so God seemeth sometimes to have lost his mercy as here How long wilt thou be unmercifull to Jerusalem and then we must find it for him He seems to have forgot his people we must remind him He seems to sleep delay we must waken quicken him with How long Lord Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come saith Daniel Psal 102.13 14 who is probably held to be the Pen man of that excellent Psal 102. Confer Dan. 9.2 and he speaks it with as much confidence as if he had been in Gods blessed bosom the while This also he spake not now by a spirit of prophecy or speciall revelation but by way of argumentation or necessary demonstration For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof They pity her and melt over her therefore thou Lord much more sith all their tendernesse is but a spark of thy flame a drop of thine Ocean against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten yeers There is much ado among Interpreters about Jeremies 70 and Zacharies 70 whether one and the same or different one from another That of Scaliger is most unlikely who reckoneth these yeers of the captivity from the first year of Xerxes with his father Darius unto the fourth year of Darius Nothus Lib. 6. de Emend Temp. How much better our countreyman Lydiat whom yet Scaliger so much scorned saying Quis est ille ex ultima Britannia Canis qui Ios Scaligerum audeat allatrare who concludes it to be 70 years from the last destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldees Lyd. Emend Temp. Anno M. 3485. to this second year of Darius Hystaspes wherein Zachariah prophecyed That of A Lapide upon this Text I cannot passe by Moraliter idipsum dicamus idipsum oremus obsecremus pro Anglia c. Let us say the same pray the same for England Scotland c. that the Angel here doth for Jerusalem How long Lord wilt thou not have mercy upon England where Heresie hath prevailed now these hundred years and upwards The English fugitives beyond-seas write upon their Colledge and Church-doors in great golden letters Jesu Jesu converte Angliam Fiat Fiat Jesu convert England Amen Amen Why yet this is somewhat better then that of Pererius the Jesuite upon Genes 15.16 If any man marvell saith He why England continueth to flourish notwithstanding the over-flow of heresie and cruel persecution of Catholikes just execution of Catholikes he should have said wee answer because their iniquity is not yet full God grant it Ier. 28.6 Sed veniet tandem iniquitat is complementum But the time is not far off and forbearance is no quittance c. Vers 13. And the Lord answered the Angel How should God do otherwise then answer his welbeloved Son with good and comfortable words sith he is all in all with the Father and can do any thing with him Father saith he Joh. 12. I know thou hearest me alwayes Did God hear Abraham for Ismael nay for Sodom Did David hear Ioab interceding for Absolom Acts 12.20 Did Herod hearken to Blastus making request for those of Tyre and Sidon with whom he was highly displeased And shall not God give ear to his Son praying for his people that are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Good and comfortable words he doth surely answer him such as were once those Joh. 12.27 28. when Christ had thus prayed Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I to this hour Father glorifie thy Name Then came there a voice from heaven Bath-chol the Rabbins call it saying I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again So when he shall say in his daily intercession for he ever liveth to make request for us at the right hand of the Majesty on high It irketh me that the whole earth is at rest and my Church at so much unrest Return O Lord Psal 90.13 how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants Save now I beseech thee O Lord Psal 118.25 O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity How can God do less then answer as Isa 33.10 Now will I arise now will I be exalted now will I lift up my self Or as in the words next following here which indeed are all along good words and comfortable words I am jealous for Jerusalem c. The Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet chuse Jerusalem Yet for all the sorrow he shall do it Ier. 30.17 and for all that Others called her an outcast saying This is Zion whom no man seketh after and she her self concludeth her dolefull ditty with Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us Lam. 4.22 Verse 14. So the Angell that communed with me See the Note on ver 10. cry thou saying q. d. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God Speake ye comfortably to Jerusalem speake ye to her heart and cry unto her saying that her appointed time is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned and so the quarrell is ended for she hath received of the Lords hands double for her sins Nothing so much as I have deserved saith she Ezra 9.13 twice so much as she hath deserved saith He. O sweet contradiction O beautifull contention The same Hebrew word signifieth to repent and to comfort 1 Sam. 15.35 Esay 40.1 Gods care is to comfort those that are cast down His command to his Prophet is to cry comfort to the penitent with an extraordiny earnestnesse from the God of all consolation I am jealous for Ierusalem and for Zion with a great jealousie Love is strong as death zeal or jealousie for the same word signifieth both is hard as hell Cant. 8.6 Non amat qui non zelat saith Augustine He loves not that zeales not And Basil venturing himself very farr for his friend and by some blamed for it answered Ego aliter amare non didici I cannot love a man but I must do mine utmost for him When one desired to know what manner of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dreame to him a pillar of fire with this motto Talis est Basilius Lo such an one is Basil It is certaine that our
seen the afflictions of my people in Egypt c. Behold I will engrave the graving thereof Hae coelaturae dona stigmata Christirepraesentant saith A Lapide These gravings represent the gifts and wounds of Christ Lib. 4. in allusion to the polished corners of the Temple Coelum dictum est quod coelatum id est signatum sideribus saith Varro Heaven hath its name in Latine from its being enameled and bespangled with glistering starres as with curious workmanship or costly furniture Of the third heaven the habitation of Saints and Angels Heb. 11.10 God is said to be by a specialty the builder and maker or as the Greek hath it the cunning Artificer and publike Architect A great deal of skill and workmanship he laid out upon it but nothing so much as upon the Humane nature of Christ wherein as in a Temple dwelt all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col 2.9 that is personally by vertue of the Hypostaticall Union For the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth John 1.14 full full to the very brimme full with a double fulnesse Vasis Fontis of the Vessell and of the Fountain Hence He was fairer much fairer double fairer as the Originall importeth then the sonnes of men sc with the beauty of wisdome and holinesse grace was poured into his lips God had anointed him with the oil of gladnesse above his fellows Ezek. 28.7 Psal 45.2 7. The Priests in the Law were consecrated first with oil compounded and confected of diverse precious spices so was Christ with gifts and graces of the Spirit Act. 10.38 and 4.27 Esay 61.1 not by measure as we are Ephes 4.7 but without measure as much as a finite nature was capable of particularly he was furnished and polished with wisdome as a Prophet against our ignorance with holinesse as a Priest against our guilt and with power as a King against our corruptions These and all other endowments he had well heapt pressed down and running over poured into his bosome Next as the Priests under the Law were also consecrated with blood so was the Lord Christ with his own blood when his Father engraved him with graving or as the Hebrew hath it here opened him with opening in his bloody passion baptized him in his own blood stewed him in his own broth as it were when in a cold winters-night hee sweat great clods of blood which thorow clothes and all fell to the very ground When after this they digged his hands and his feet Psal 22.16 and made his heart melt in the middest of his bowels verse 14. Wounded he was in the head to cure our vile imaginations In the hands to expiate our evil actions in the heart and feet for our base affections and unworthy walkings Tormented he was for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him tanquam pulcherrima corporis caelatura and by his stripes or bloody wails we were healed Adam signifieth Man red-earth or Bloody Esay 53. â— Christ was Man in his Incarnation and bloody all over in his passion This death of Christ therefore look on saith Master Bradford Martyr as the very pledge of Gods dear love towards thee see the very bowels of it as in an Anatomie See Gods hands are nailed they cannot strike theo his feet also he cannot runne from thee his arms are wide open to embrace thee his head hangs down to kisse thee his very heart is open so that therein look nay even spie and thou shalt see nothing therein but love love love to thee c. Cernis ut in toto corpore sculptus amor and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day I will remove i. e. remit and pardon the iniquity both guilt and punishment Of that land i. e. Of the Church that pleasant land more dear to God then all the earth besides In one day i. e. together and at once suddenly and in an instant See Esay 66.8 Verse 10. In that day saith the Lord of hosts shall yee call c. i. e. Yee shall have peace Regionis Religionis of countrey and of conscience Christus auferet iniquitatem afferet pacem Christ as he saveth his people from their sinnes so from the hands of them that hate them When this Prince of peace was born in the dayes of Augustus Vniversa gentium erat aut pax aut pactio Luc. â—lor l. â— there was a generall either peace or truce among all Nations And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into the land thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian c. Mic. 5.5 6. But behold a better thing This Shiloh this Tranquillator Pacificator by removing iniquity createth peace of conscience like as after Jonah was cast over-board the sea became calme Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end Esay 9.7 Where Christ ruleth there is peace peace Esay 26.3 that is perfect sheer pure peace with God our selves and others and the more Christs government increaseth in the soul the more is peace renued continued multiplied Psal 119 16â— Great peace have all they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them saith David And thou hast been a strength to the poor a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat c. Esay 25.4 better then that of the broad-leaved Vine and fig-tree very cooling and comfortable in those hot countreys See this in righteous Noah who being justified by faith had peace with God and therefore was medijs tranquillus in undis How securely doth he ride out that uproar of heaven earth and waters He hears the pouring down of rain above his head the shrieking of men the bellowing of beasts on both sides him the raging and threats of the waves under him He saw the miserable shifts of distressed unbeleevers in the mean time sits quietly in his dry cabbin not feeling nor fearing evil How happy a thing is pardon of sinne and peace with God! what a quiet safety what an heavenly calme doth it lodge in the soul what earnest pantings and strong affections to the salvation of others Ye shall call c. CHAP. IIII. Verse 1. ANd the Angell that talked with me See the Note on chap. 1. ver 9. came again After some absence as it may seem and a new vision or revelation received from God to be imparted to the Prophet and waked me as a man that is wakened c. It fared with the Prophet notwithstanding the former visions as with a drowsie person who though awakened and set to work is ready to fall asleep at it So Peter James and Iohn those pillars as they are called Gal. 2. fell asleep at their very prayers Mat. 26.40 such dull metal are the best men made of and so weak is the
simple means Spec. Erop yea by casual and crosse means this saith one is that miracle which we are in these times to look for For they shall rejoyce Or But they shall rejoyce or Nay they shall rejoyce nay they shall see viz. that which they despaired of ever seeing and were therefore much cast down about the perfection of the work and its glorious accomplishment And this shall be surely effected by Gods powerful and watchful providence called here those seven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro thorow the whole earth called elsewhere the seven spirits of God Rev. 5.6 and 1.4 and Gods spirit here Verse 6. so guiding and managing all affaires and occurrences that all the rayes and beames of providence issuing from those eyes might be seen to meet in the accomplishment of this as their ultimate ayme and scope See the Note on Chap. 3.9 Verse 11. Then answered I and said unto him No mean measure of understanding would content the prophet but he is still enquiring and incroaching upon the Angel so doth Moses upon God Exod. 33. He had not been long out of the Mount but he is asking God to shew him his glory which when he had seen yet he resteth not satisfied but must have more and yet more So David though deep-learned is ever and anon at it teach me thy statutes Spiritual learning is infused by degrees our hearts are as narrow-mouth'd vessels and God delights oft to hear of us Whither I go thou canst not come now but thou shalt afterwards Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know provided that ye beg and dig Prov. 2.3 4 5 and beat as the foul doth the shell to get out the fish and be discontentedly contented till ye come to see as ye are seen a spe ad speciem c. What are these â—w olives c. And. Verse 12. Joh. 13. Hos 6.3 What be these two olive-branches c. See the Notes on verse 3. and verse 7. Verse 13. Knowest thou not what c. See the Note on ver 5. Vers 14. These are the two anointed ones Heb. sonnes of oyl See the Note on verse 7. that stand by the Lord of the whole earth because by the candlestick and utensils of the Temple and Type of the Church which is at Christs right hand Psal 45. as he at his Fathers right hand Rom. 8. He is with all his to the end of the world and it is a part of his joy that we shall be one day where he is This Lord of the whole earth soveraigne over all but takes delight onely in such as Esther like he purifies and perfumes for royall use and these he loveth so affectionately as never any Lord did his subjects Zech. 3.17 He loves the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacoh Psal 87.2 CHAP. V. Verse 1. THen I turned me and lifted up mine eyes i.e. I prepared me to the receiving of a new vision nothing so comfortable as the former but no lesse necessary that the people by sense of sinne and fear of wrath might be taken off their wicked practises redeem their own sorrows and be accounted worthy to escape all those things that should otherwise come to passe as verse 11. and to stand before the Son of man at that dreadfull day This seemeth to bee the mind of the Holy Ghost Luke 21.36 in these two visions here recorded which while some Interpreters attend not in toto vaticinio neque coelum neque terram attingunt saith Calvin they are utterly out and behold a flying roll Or volume as Psal 40.10 or scroll of paper or parchment usually rolled up like the web upon the pin mi convolvuntur nostrae Mappae Geographicae as our Mappes are rolled up saith A Lapide and as in the publike Library at Oxford the Book or Roll of Esther an Hebrew Manuscript is at this day to bee seen D. Prid. Orat. 4. Amem Antibarb lib. 3. Volans velocissimum astionâ—s incursum significat Chrysost but here flying Not onely because spread wide open as Rabshakeh's letter 2 King 19.14 and as that Book of the Prophet Esaias Luke 4.17 but also as fleeting along swiftly like a bird ready to seiz on her prey Nemo scelus gerit in Pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo The Heathens thens named Nemesis their Goddesse of Revenge to take punishment of offend ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man can possibly escape her They tell us also that their Jupiter writeth down all the sinnes of all men in a book or scroll made of a goatspelt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word whereby Aquila and Theodotion two Greek Translatours do render the Hebrew of this Text. See Dan 7.18 Rev. 20.12 Symmachus turnes it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Chapter or Abstract of a larger Book full of sinnes and Woes and yet it is of an unheard of hugenesse verse 2. and of very sad contents like that book of Ezechiel chap. 2.9 10. lamentation and mourning and woe or the first leaf of Bishop Babingtons book which he turned over every morning all black to inmind him of hell and Gods judgements due unto him for his sinnes Vers 2. What seest thou q. d. Mark it well and let thine eye affect thine heart let these things be oculis commissa fidelibus I see a flying book See the Note on verse 1. Some read it A double book according to the Chaldaick signification of the word as containing double that is manifold menaces and punishments of sinne But the Chaldee Paraphrast Septuagint and others render it flying as hasting and hovering over the heads of wicked persons the length thereof is twenty cubits c. Ten yards long and five broad Neither let men say that words are but wind as they did Jer. 5.13 For 1. Even wind when gotten into the bowels of the earth may cause an earth-quake as when into the bowels of the body an heart-quake 2. God threateneth those scoffers verse 14. that he will make that word which they tearmed wind to become fire and themselves fuel to feed it And as fire flyeth upon fuell fully dried Nah. 1.10 and consumeth it in an instant so Gods flying roll will lick up the evil-doers no otherwise then the fire from heaven after it had consumed the sacrifice the wood the stones and the dust licked up also the water that was in the trench 1 King 18.38 The threatnings of Gods Law the same with this Roll are as Erasmus saith of Ezek. 3.18 fulmina non verba lightbolts rather then words or if words yet they are as One saith Verba non legenda sed vivenda Words not to be read onely but lived at least not to be read as men do the old stories of forraigne warres wherein they are nothing concerned but as threatening themselves in every threat cursing themselves in every curse c. nor as
and the ceremonious observation 〈…〉 wherein ye placed so much holinesse abolished 〈…〉 on the duties of Piety and 〈…〉 your selves and though of a good 〈…〉 an evil 〈…〉 much adoe about them with neglect or the one thing necessary And now learn and 〈…〉 the love of the truth that ye may he saved 2 Thes 2.10 to speak the 〈◊〉 love Eph. 4.15 to do the truth 1 John 1.6 〈…〉 lest your lives give 〈…〉 the lie So will God say Surely they are my people children 〈◊〉 will not 〈…〉 will be your Saviour Esay 63.8 So shal there 〈…〉 your 〈◊〉 Should we have peace upon any tearms peace without truth it world be 〈…〉 short 〈◊〉 between the Egyptian plagues Peace we may 〈…〉 yea peace we may have to buy turth but we may not give truth to 〈…〉 He purchaseth peace at too dear a rate that payes his integrity to get 〈…〉 it be passible Rom. 12. Esay 32. as much in you lies have peace with all menâ— But if you 〈…〉 but with loss of truth and ship-wrack of conscience let it go And 〈◊〉 long the 〈◊〉 righteousnesse shall be peace God wil make thine enemies to be at peace with thee The Historian tells us that Numa's Temple of 〈◊〉 had this inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Temple of faith and peace But Faith frist and then Peace Keep in with God that he be not a terrour to thee as Ieremie prayes and then seek peace with men and ensue it 1 Pet 3.10.11 as ever thou desirest long life and good dayes cheerful feasts as here in the text called good dayes Esth 8.17 as ever thou hopest to have the Calender of thy life crowned with many festivals Verse 20. It shall yet come to passe that there shall come people The Prophet cannot shut up with the former Corollary but further comforts the Jews with a promise of the conversion and conflux of the Gentiles to the Church yea Christs people shall be willing in the lay of his power Psal 110.3 they are like the Isles that wait for his law Esay â— 8 Esay 66.20 Mar. 12. they are set upon 't to come for an offering to the Lord upon horses in chariols and in litters to make any shist rather then not come in litters rather then not at all The kingdom of heaven shall suffer violence and the violent take it by force Verse 21. 〈…〉 of one city shall go to another Not onely come upon them when they light on them and they have a fit opportunity but they shall go on purpose one city to another to gain them to Christ Propriissimum opus viventis est generare sibi simile saith the Philosopher It is the most proper work of every living creature to 〈◊〉 his own kinde The Divine saith the same Grace is communicative charity 〈◊〉 churl Birds when they come to a full heap of corn will chirp and call in for their fellows let us go speedily As so many heavenly Cherubims winged creatures as the doves to their windows with wearinesse of flight as counting him happiest that 's first there Many amongst us fall publikely and shamefully in want of care to come time enough to God 〈◊〉 It will be long enough ere such men beg Davids office of 〈…〉 of his 〈◊〉 for the door-keeper of Gods of house was to be first in and last outâ— but these clean contrary Mr. Fox speaking of out godly Ancestours at the beginning of the Reformation here To see saith he their travels earnest seekings burning zeal readings watchings sweet assemblies resort of one neighbour to another for conference and mutual confirmation 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 7â—6 may make us now in these our dayes of free profession to blush for shame to pray before the Lord To see his face in Zion to partake of his ordinances what gadding is these by Popish pilgrims to Hull Loretto c. Sic videmus in Italia 〈…〉 ac se invicent coheort ari ad visitandam 〈…〉 .i. e. So we see whole towns and villages 〈…〉 and to call one upon another to visit the Lady of Loretto and to stuff her Churches with vowed presents and memories though all the thank they have for the same from God is who required these things at your hands 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 to be informed of the right way and 〈…〉 instanted as 〈…〉 I will 〈◊〉 Act. and Mon. 〈…〉 as my old 〈◊〉 will 〈…〉 Go ye 〈…〉 others with duty but themselves would do nothing Mâ—t. 23.4 〈…〉 good souls in the text every of whom was as forward for himself as zealous for another There are that make these to be the words of the well-affected in answer to the former invitaion Let us go speedily say some citizens Agreed say the others I will go also Verse 22. Yea many people and strong nations c. The most populous and potent people subdued by Christ 2 Tim. 1.7 Esay 16.1 not by an army nor by power but by Gods Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind shall send a lamb to the Lord of the whole earth submit to the scepter and lawes of Christs kingdome yeeld the obedience of faith and be proselyted to the Church and to pray before the Lord Heb. to intreat his face which they behold in his Ordinances those visible signes of his presence Popish pilgrims though used hardly and lose much of their estates yet satisfie themselves in this I have that I came for viz. the sight of a dumb Idol What then should not men do or suffer to see God in his Ordinances Verse 23. Ten men shall take hold out of all languages Ten that is many out of all languages therefore not by compact or fraudulent convention for they were farre asunder and of diverse languages nam quisque alijs est barbarus saith Calvine of the nations for God manifested in the flesh was preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world c. 1 Tim. 3.16 shall take hold even take hold as children do on their mothers garments of him that is a Jew who shall not shake them off as bastard Gentiles worthy even the very best of them to have their heads bruised with the serpent as the moderne Jewes say of us Come unto me saith Christ Therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord Phil. 4.1 my dearly beloved saith Paul we will go with you Be of your religion not for fear or any other by-respect as those Persians Esth 8.17 Josephus relates of the Jewes that they were very carefull how they received Proselytes in Solomons time because then their state flourished but out of sound conviction and good affection for we have heard And by hearing tasted 1 Pet. 2.3 that God is with you Of a truth as that plain Corinthian confesseth 1 Cor. 14. â—5 CHAP. IX Verse 1. THE burden i. e. the bitter and burdensome Prophecy See the Note on Mal. 1.1 In the
the Hebrew and had joyned their forces in translating the Prophets into the Dutch tongue But oh how few such as these and of that sort of people shall a man meet with now-adayes Copp indeed that Arch-Ranter Venereus ille furcifer Cleri dehonestamentum is said to have newly set forth his Recantation which I have not yet seen and therefore cannot tell what to say to it Onely I wish he deale not as Bernard Rotman that first Anabaptist and Islebius Agricola that first Antinomian did in Germany who both of them having condemned their own errours and recanted them in a publike Auditory printing their revocation Sleidan Horndorf yet afterwards they relapsed into the same errours and stoutly stood to them when Luther was dead and more Liberty was afforded So hard a thing it is to get poison out when once swallowed down and having once said yea to the devill though but in a little to say him nay again when a man pleaseth such a man especially quem puduit non fuisse impudentem Augustin 2 Thes 2.12 who hath gloried in his shame and taken pleasure in his unrighteousnesse qui noluit solita peccare as Seneca saith of some in his time that is none of the ordinary sort of sinners but hath sought to out-sin others as unhappy boyes strive who shall goe furthest in the dirt I will not say but such by the almighty power of God may be reclaimed and made to see that there is no fruit to be had of those errours and enormities whereof they are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 22 sith the end of those things in the desert of them is death But now being made free from sin and become servants to God they will have very great cause to be thankfull to God for the cure sith Jealousy Frensy and Heresy are held hardly curable the leprosy in the head concludes a man utterly uncleane and excludes him the camp Heresy is by the Apostle compared to a precipice vortex or whirle-poole that first turns a man round and then sucks him in And by others to the Syrens bankes covered with dead mens bones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.9 to Goodwins sands that swallow up all ships that come neare them or to the Harlots house whence few or none return alive Pro. 7.26 27. Verse 5. But he shall say I am no Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am no Monk no Clerk I am not book-learned was the ignorant mans plea in Chrysostomes time and so it is still to this day though it serves not his turne But here the like speech is taken up for a better purpose Hoc et enim principium est resipiscentiae saith Calvin here Here begins their repentance viz. in a free acknowledgement of their ignorance and utter unfiâ—nesse for the office they had usurped Si ventribene si lateri Horat. I am no prophet as for self respects that my belly might be filled and my back fitted I sinfully took upon me to be one but I am an husbandman and can better hold the plow then handle a text feed and follow a flock of sheep then feed the flock of God that have golden fleeces precious soules taking the oversight thereof not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth q.d. Shephardy and husbandry I have been ever trained up to and can better therefore skill of then of Preaching which is certainly Ars artium scientia scientiarum the Art of Arts the science of sciences as One said Whereunto Melancthon addeth that it is the misery of miseries And of the same minde was his Colleague Luther when he said An housholders pains is great a Magistrates greater but a Ministers greatest of all and afterward added that if it were lawfull for him to leave his calling he could with more ease and pleasure dig for his living or do any other hard labour then undergo a Pastorall charge The mystery thereof is not an idle-mans occupation an easie trade as some fondly conceit The sweat of the brow is nothing to that of the brain besides dangers on every hand for the works sake and armies of cares that give neither rest nor respit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 11.25 agmen subinde irruens Illyr but are ready to overwhelme a man This made Luther affirme that a Minister labours more in a day many times then a husbandman doth in a moneth Let no man therefore in taking up the ministery dreame of a delicacy Neither let slow-bellies either invade it or hold it as popish asses and some impudent Alastores now-adayes do to pick a living out of it It was an honest complaint of a Popish writer we saith He handle the scripture tantum ut nos pascat vestiat only that it may feed us and cloath us And Cardinall Cajetan not without cause cryes out Com in Mat. 5. that those amongst them that should have been the salt of the earth had lost their savour and were good for little else but looking after the rites and revenues of the Church Now for such as these that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies that like body-lice live upon other mens sweat or like rats and mice do no more but devoure victuals and run squeaking up and down good is the counsell of the Apostle Let him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Eph. 4.28 let him earne it before he eate it 2 Thess 3.10 This is hard to perswade those Abby-lubbers that live at ease in cloysters feeding on the fat and drinking of the sweet and those Idoll-shepheards that feed themselves and not the flock O Monachi vestri stomachi Erasmus truely told the Electour of Saxony that Luther Scultet Anna. pag. 52. by medling with the Popes tripple crown and with the Monkes â—â—t paunches had procured himself so great ill will amongst them One of them brake out in a sermon into these angry words If I had Luther here I would teare out his throat with my teeth Act. and Mon. and then make no doubt with the same bloody teeth to eat my maker at the Eucharist How much better were it for such false prophets with quietnesse to work and eat their own bread 2 Thess 3.14 then to drink the blood of other men with their lives as David spake in another case yea with their soules which perish by their insufficiency and gastrimargy Sed venter non habet aures 1 Chr. 11.19 But the belly hath no eares Ease flayeth the foolish Non minus difficulter à deliciis abstrahimur quam canis ab uncto corio Among other scaudals and lets of the Jews conversion this is not the least that they must quit their Goods to the Christians Spec. Europ And the reason is for
sacrifices and services But more especially those that come hand over head and without due preparation to the Lords supper are guilty of polluting Gods holy things and of crucifying afresh the Lord of glory putting him to an open shame Dum enim sacramenta violantur ipse cujus sunt Sacramenta violatur saith Hierome When the Sacraments are violated he also whos 's the Sacraments are is no lesse violated And as these in the text are said to pollute God in that they offered polluted sacrifices though they never touched God himself so unworthy Receivers are guilty of the Lords body and blood 1 Cor. 11.27 although they never touched either his body or blood with their impure mouthes They are as very Kill-Christs as Judas was in a proportion And look whatsoever blasphemies irrisions scorns contumelies reproaches the miscreant Jews belched forth and practised corporally against Christ the same are spiritually repeated and iterated by the unworthy Receiver who polluteth the very outward elements that he toucheth and so offereth indignity to Christ whom they represent like as he that doth rent deface trample under foot and villanously abuse the image scal or Letters Patents of a Prince or State is guilty of high treason so is it here The Donatists that cast the holy Elements to dogs did it to the disgrace of Christ and by a just judgment from him were themselves afterward devoured of dogs Dr. Monton reports a story of his own knowledge of one Sr. Booth a Batchelor of Arts in St. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge who being Popishly affected at the time of the Communion took the consecrated bread and forbearing to eate it convei'd and kept it closely for a time and afterwards threw it over the Colledge wall But a short time after Instit of the Sacr. lib. 5. cap. 3. Sect. 5. not enduring the torment of his guilty conscience he threw himself headlong over the battlements of the chappel and some sew hours after ended his life God seemeth to say of every one that commeth to the supper of his son as sometime Solomon said of Adoniah If he will shew himself a worthy man there shall not an bair of him fall to the earth but if wickednesse shall be found in him he shall die 1 King 1.52 in that ye say The table of the Lord is contemptible God 's infinite patience in vouchsafing not only to reply to these malapert Priests but thus to rejoyne and to approve the Assumption of the last Syllogisme which they so shamelesly denyed is much to be admired How justly might he have answered them with blowes instead of arguments and have dealt with them as he did with Pharaoh that sturdy rebel that proudly asked who is the Lord Hereunto God made a large reply by a great many plagues one after another till Pharaoh was forced to answer himself The Lord is righteous but I and my people am wicked And as Gods patience appeareth in his proceeding with these Priests in the text so hiswisdome too in his thus instancing in particulars of their sins that he might the sooner evict them and bring them to a saving sense and sight thereof Thus he dealt by our first parents in paradise and afterwards by Cain Whereas without any more adoe the Lord God said unto the serpent Because thou hast done this cursed art thou c. Gen. 3. He was not so much as questioned or convinced because God meant him no mercy but presently doomed because of meer malice he had offended ye have said i. e. ye have thought as Psa 32.5 and 30.7 and as good ye might have spoken out for I hear the language of your hearts I understand your thoughts long before Psal 139.2 or at a great distance the table of the Lord that is the Altar of burnt offerings See Ezek. 41.22 which is therefore called a table because by their sacrifices God did as it were feast the Lord as is above noted And as God prepared the Israelites a table in the wildernesse so they also in a sense prepared him a table Hence Moses tells Pharaoh Exod. 5.1 that they must go to keep a feast to the Lord. And how God accepted of their kindnesse See Hos 9.10 I found Israel saith He like grapes in the wildernesse which to a wearied parehed traveller how welcome are they And how the good soule still entertaineth her Christ as Esther once did Ahashuerosh at the banquet of wine is sweetly set forth in many passages of Solomons song See cap. 1.12 with the Note is contemptible Or lightly set by Some are poor and cannot others are prophane and care not to cover Gods Altar with their sacrifices Hence the whole ministery is slighted because impoverished For ad tenuitatem beneficiorum necessario sequitur contemptus Sacerdotum Panormit Horat. R. David Lean benefices make contemptible Incumbents And Nil habet infelix paupertas c. Poverty rendreth men ridiculous Or thus The table of the Lord is contemptible so they esteemed it because the fat and blood powred upon the Altar were things but base and despicable in themselves and they considered not for what end God had appointed these sacrifices and how they were to be led to Christ by them For the ceremoniall law was or ought to have been their Gospel it was Christ in figure And this if these Buâ—zards had seen they would never have counted the Table of the Lord contemptible as holding forth the Lord Christ unto them that Pearl of Price who is better then Rubies and the Altar or Table that typified him or presented him to his people was not an oyster-board as the Papists in K. Edw. 6. Act. and Men Joseth Antiq. lib. 12. cap. 2. Cedron comp hist pag. 817. time scornfully termed our communion-table but far more precious then either that rich table sent by Ptolemy Philadelph to Eleazar the Jews high-Priest or that costly communion-table that had in it all the riches of land and sea offered up by Justinian in the temyle of Sophia in Constantinople Ver. 8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice c. Their prophanesse in polluting Gods Altar is here further evinced and evidenced 1. By the Illegallity of their practise whiles they offered the blind and lame as good enough for such a contemptible Altar 2. By the incivility and indecency thereof whilest they presented that to the Emperour of the world that they would have been ashamed or afraid to present to some petty Prince that had any power to punish such an affcont The Law for sacrifices see Levit. 22.20 Deut. 15.21 A blind sacrifice he offereth who worshippeth he knoweth not what Ioh. 4.22 that is to seek and grope in the dark Act. 17. when they yeeld not the obedience of faith bring not to God an intelligible reasonable service Rom. 12.1 such as whereof they can render a sound reason out of the word of God who binds us not to any blind obedience as the Popish
kind of people Before they pray men should see whether they are persons fit to pray for God accepts not of a good motion from an ill mouth Jer. 11.10 11. Joh. 9.31 1 Joh. 3.22 Psal 66.16 A wicked man wants contrition humility faith hope feeling fervency he hath not a spirit of grace and supplication to endite his prayers he hath not an Intercessour in heaven to present and perfume his prayers The breath wherein our prayers ascend should be like pillars of smoke perfumed with Christs myrrhe and incense Otherwise our words will be like the Egyptian pots recking out the strong smelling onions and garlick of our own corruption such as God can take no pleasure in neither will he accept such an offering at our hands Verse 11. For from the rising of the sun c. where as they might object If you will not have service from us you can have none at all for other people walk every one in the name of his God Mic. 4.5 and the Gentiles have their vanities and doctrines of vanities Ier. 14.22 and 10.8 wherewith they are wholy taken up Take you no care for that saith God here for from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles I will provide for mine own great Name that is for my glory for so Gods Name is used in that sense Exod. 9.16 Psal 8.1 I will be no loser by your rejection for I have other people that will more reverence me and do me better service so that I need not be beholding to you I have from East to West those that will make hard shift but I shall have service done me I can set a signe and send to Tarshish Pul and Lud c. that have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory Isa 66.19 20. and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses and in charrets and in litters c. that though sick weakly and unfft for travell yet they shall come on end and rather in litters then not at all they shall be content to suffer any hardship for heaven as the stone will fall down to come to it 's own center though it break it self in an hundred peeces The Gentiles once converted shall fly as a cloud Isa 60.8 that is with greatest pernicity and swistnesse yea they shall in such flocks come to the Church as if a whole flight of doves driven by some hawk or tempest should scour into the columbary and rush into the windowes There are that have observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Dieu Gott c. that the name of God in all the maternall languages confisteth of foure letters to intimate that he hath his people in all the foure quarters of the earth out of all countries nations and languages Deut. 6.4 Heare O Israeh The Lord our God is one Lord. In the Original the last letter of the word Heare is greater then the rest as calling for all possible heed and attention So likewise is the last letter in the word One which being Daleth and standing usually for Four as a numerall letter signifieth say the Hebrew-Doctours that this One God shall be worshipped in all the four corners of the earth This Cyprian hath also gathered from the Greek letters of the name Adam A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which do severally signifie the four quarters of the world East West North and South to teach that Christ the second Adam will fetch his people from all parts and hath therefore built his Church his new Ierusalem four-squar Rev. 21.16 and placed on the East three gates on the North three gates on the South three gates and on the West three gates ver 13. that all from all parts may have free and open accesse unto him Babylon was in like manner built four square as Heredotus testifieth Lib. 1. and Constantinople is so scituate betwixt Europe and Asia as if it were fatally founded to command both This is much more true of Vranople the city of the great King Turk hist. 1153. open to all commers as the Aedilis or Chamberlains house in Rome was O thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come saith the Psalmist come with a courage Psal 65.2 sith they are sure as of accesse so of successe in all their suites thorough Christ the Mediatour who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 and hath broken down the middle-wall of partition between Iews and Gentiles This the perverse Jews could never abide to heare of nor can they to this day And therehence is it that they have in their expositions basely depraved this text and corrupted the true sense of it as is to be seen in the Chaldee Paraphrast and David Kimchi calling us still Goi Mamzer bastard Gentiles and cursing us in their daily prayers which are not sure that pure offering mentioned in this verse and interpreted by them of the prayers of the holy Jews every where disperst The rejection of the Jews and acception of the Gentiles into grace and favour is a hidden mystery such as maketh the Apostle of the Gentiles cry out O the depth 1 Rom. 11.23 yea it is a part of that great mystery of Godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 that God manifested in the flesh should be preached unto the Gentiles and beleeved on in the world Let us pitty the poor hardened Jews and pray the rending of the vail that is yet spread over them that the rebuke of Gods people may be taken away from off all the earth Isa 25.7 8. Let us also praise God who hath made us Gentiles meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 And take heed that we sin not away our light and cause God to take his kingdome from us giving it to a nation that will bring him better fruit Mat. 21.43 we have a fair warning given us by the example of the Jews Rom. 11. Seest thou another shipwrack look to thy tackling from the rising of the sun from the East of Judaea the sun of Christs Gospel passed by the south of Greece to the West of the Latine Church and these Islands of ours that lye in the Sea Vide Scapul in Them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into which the Sun is said to go down or to lye down as in its tabernacle of rest which is an expression of the old Greek Poets and the Originall word here used agreeth to it All the danger is lest the Gospell in this it 's Solar motion be travelling for the West of that other world the American parts and quitting it's present places of residence and unworthy possessours And then sarewell England Oh let us pray that that dismall day may never arise wherein it shall be said that the glory is
and make them know and rue his breach of promise Num. 14.34 Surely if Jacob was afraid when he went about to seek a blessing lest his blinde father should discern him and his deceit in dealing with him Gen. 27.12 and so he might get a curse instead of a blessing How ought men to take heed and fear to dissemble or deal deceitfully with the All-seeing God especially since he is so great a God see him set forth in his greatnesse Deut. 10.17 and therefore lesse patient of affronts and indignities he lookes to be served like himself and according to his excellent greatnesse for I am a great king saith the Lord of Hosts Yea a great King because Lord of Hosts See the Note on Chap. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is absolute Monarch of the whole world and by him it is that all other kings reign and Princes rule Prov. 8.15 All other Soveraignes are but his substitutes his Viceroyes he makes them and unmakes them at his pleasure as proud Nebuchadnezzar was forced to acknowledge Hence he is rightly stiled a great King a title anciently given to the kings of Persia Dan. 4 and now to the Grand Signior yea Joh. Manl. loc com he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in another sense then Maximilian the Emperour of Germany said that he was because the Princes and cities of the Empire were free states and yeelded him little obedience God hath all the Kings of the earth at his beck and check Constantine the great Valentinian and Theodosius three Emperours called themselves Vasallos Christs the vassals of Christ as Socrates reporteth And well they might inasmuch as all nations taken together are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket and as the dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing as one would take up a feather at his foot And if a sacrifice fitting for him should be prepared Lebanon would not be sufficient to burn nor all the beasts thereof for a burnt-offering All nations to him are as nothing c. Act. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esau 40.15 16. Simon Magus gave out that he was some great matter and the world hath been troubled with Alexander the Great and Pompey the Great c. But what 's now become of all these Grandees with their swelling titles and loud bragg's Hath not God long since cut off the spirits of these petty Princes and become terrible to the kings of the earth Psal 76.12 where the word rendered cut off signifieth that he slips them off as one would slip a flower betwixt ones fingers or a bunch of grapes off the vine The kings of Persia were wont to give laws to their people sitting in a chaire of State under a vine tree of gold that had as it were bunches of grapes made up of sinaragds or em'ralds and other stones of greatest price Athenâ—us lib. 12. The King of heaven sits upon a throne far more costly and stately as may be seen Ezek. 1. Esai 6. Dan. 7. Omnino igit ur â—portet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestem in qua Rex Regum stellato sedet solio c. as Bernard excellently inferreth it behoveth us therefore at prayer-time to enter into the Court of heaven Bern de divers 25. where the King of Kings sits in his starrie and stately throne environed with an innumerable number of glorious Angels and crowned Saints with how great reverence therefore with how great fears with how great humility ought a poore base toad creeping and crawling out of his ditch to approach so dreadfull a presence and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen It was ever so from the very distinction of men into Hebrews and Heathens At the first before the covenant made with Abraham all Nations were alike before the Lord. But as soon as it was said I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee the Church was evidently divided from the world as light was from darknesse at the first creation The Heathens God suffered to walk in their own wayes Neverthelesse he left not himself without witnesse but his Name was ever terrible and tremend amongst them Act. 24.16 17. The Hittites honoured Abraham as a Prince of God Pharaoh was raised up on purpose that on him God might get him a name throughout all the earth Exod. 9.16 Jethro heard of his doings in Egypt and became a Proselyte The hearts of the Canaanits melted and they were made to say The Lord your God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath Josh 2.11 The Philistins were woe-begon when they beheld the Ark of the God of Israel brought into the field and were ready as worms to wriggle into their holes The king of Babylon sent Embassadours and a present to Hezechiah because he had heard that for his sake God had caused the Sun to go back Daniel records what a Name God had gotten him in his dayes all the world over And after the captivity neer Malachi's time the famous victories gotten by the Maccabees were far and neer discoursed of Judis M ccabaeus had his name from the capital letters of this motto written in his Ensigne Mi camocha Elohim Jehovah who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods But besides and above all this Gods name is dreadfull among the Heathen in a special manner now since the calling of the Gentiles and the conversion of so many nations to the faith of Jesus Christ Maugre the malice of earth and of hell This made Calocerius an Heathen say Verè magnus esâ— Deus Christ anorum the God of the Christians is a great God indeed And another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your God is a most Majestick God What a mouth of blasphemy then opened that desparate Papist John Hunt in his humble appeal to King James The God of the Protestants saith he whom he knowes to be the Father Son Chap. 6. of that Pamphlet and holy Ghost is the most uncivil evil-manner'd God of all those who have born the name of gods upon the earth yea worse then Pan God of the clowns which can endure no ceremonies nor good manners at all True it is that humane inventions in his service and Popish will-worships our God will not away with Such strange fire if any presume to bring before him they may look to speed as Nâ—dab and Abihu Core and his complices did but he expects and requires that all his worshippers should come before him with reverence and godly fear For even our God no lesse then the Jews God is a consuming fire He is terrible out of his holy places Psal 68.35 Heb. 12.28 And albeit he loves to be acquainted with his people in the walkes of their obedience yet as a great King he takes state upon him in his ordinances and wil be trembled at in his word and Sacraments Hence Chrysostome
But they do better that expound it by that of Solomon Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 and by that of the Apostle Mortific therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. Col. 3.5 These are those that defile the man Mat. 15.19 20. These make his heart a filthy dunghill of all abominable lusts and his life a long chain of sinfull actions a very continued web of wickednesse therefore take head to your spirits that is to your affections keep those pure and chaste abstain from fleshly lusts that fight against the soul Take heed where you set gunpowder sith fire is in your heart Austin thanks God that the heart and temptation did not meet together Look well to the affections for by those maids Satan woes the mistresse Look to the cinque-ports the five senses shut those windows that death enter not in thereby Take heed to thy fancy we allow an horse to praunce and skip in a pasture which if he doth when backt by the rider we count him an unruly and unbroken jade So howsoever in other creatures we deny them not liberty of fancy yet wee may not allow it in our selves to frisk and rove at pleasure but by reason bridle them and set them their bounds that they shall not passe The Lord quieteth the sea and turns the storme into a calme Psal 107.29 If then the voluptuous humours in our body which is but as a cup made of the husk of an acorne in respect of the Sea will not be pacified when the Lord saith unto them Be still every drop of water in the sea will witnesse of our rebellion and disobedience and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth He had convinced them of this sinne before verse 14. Now he admonisheth them to abrenounce and abandon it Lo this is the true method and manner of proceeding in administring admonitions The judgement must be convinced ere the affections can be wrought to any thing like as in the law the lamps were first lighted before the incense was burned First know thine iniquity and then turn from it Jer. 3.13 14. Exhortation is the end of doctrine science of conscience reformation of information conversion of conviction and wo be to those that being convinced or reproved for their faults get the bit between the teeth as it were and run away with their rider When I would have healed Ephraim then his iniquity brake out as if it were to crosse me like the leprosie in his forehead Hos 7.1 what can such sturdy rebels expect better then that God should resolve as Ezek. 24.13 as if he should say Thou shalt have thy will but then I will have mine too I shall take another course with thee sith thou refusest to be reformed hatest to be healed thou shalt pine away in thine iniquities Levit. 26.39 O fearfull Verse 16. For the Lord the God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away Heb. Put away q. d. God hates that Put her away Put her away that is so much in your mouthes For because you are justly reproved for Polygamy for keeping two wives you think to mend that fault by putting away your old ones and plead you may do it by a law licensing divorces But the Lord would ye should know that he hates such your practises and the rather because you maliciously abuse his law as a cloke of your wickednesse Divorce is a thing that Gods soul hateth unlesse it bee in case of adultery which breaks the marriage knot and malicious perpetuall desertion This last was the case of that noble Italian convert 1 Cor. 7.15 Galeacius Caracciolus Marquesse of Vico as is to be seen in his life written by my much honoured brother Mr. Samâ—el Clark in the second part of his Marrow of Ecclesiasticall history pag. 101. who by the consent of Mr. Calvin Peter Martyr and other learned Divines who met and seriously debated the case sued out a divorce against his former wife who had first maliciously deserted him and had it legally by the Magistrate at Geneva granted unto him after which he married another Anno 1560. The Civill Law of the Empire permitted divorce for diverse other causes And these Jews for every light cause if but a blemish in the body or crookednesse of manners pretending to hate their wives would write them a Bill of divorce and turn them off Our Saviour deals against this matth 5. and 18. See the Notes there This sinne was also rife among both the Athenians who were wont to put away their wives upon discontent Archcol Attic. 140. or hope of greater portions c. and the Romans whose Abscessionale or Writ of divorce was this onely Res tuas tibi habeto Take what is thine and be gone It is ordinary also among the Mahometans But the Lord God of Israel saith here that he hateth it and it appeareth so by his practise to his Spouse the Church See Jer. 3.1 Joh. 13.1 and then say that Gods mercy is matehlesse and that he takes not advantages against his revolting people but follows them with his favour no otherwise then as when a man goes from the Sun yet the Sun-beams follow him shine upon him warm him c. Zanchy and some others reads the text thus If thou hatest her put her away in that discourse of divorces which he wrote upon occasion of Andreas Pixzardus his divorce as indeed agreeing best with the matter he undertook to defend But in another book of his he utterly disliketh the doings of Luther and some other Dutch Divines who advised Philip Lantgrave of Hesse to marry alteram hoc est Zanch. Misc Epist dedit adulieram his former lawfull wife being yet alive Archbishop Grindall by cunning practises of his adversaries Leicester and others lost Queen Elizabeths favour Camb. Elizab. Arslibishop Abbots also died in disgrace for opposing Semmersets abhorred match with the Countesse of Essex Figuier as if he favoured Prophecyings c. but in truth because he had condemned an unlawfull marriage of Julio an Italian Physician with another mans wife whilest Leicester in vain opposed against his proceedings therein for one covereth violence with his garment This Text had been easie had not Commentatours the Hebrew Doctours especially made it knotty Rabbi David in opening of it obscurior videtur quam ipsa verba quae explicare conatur seems to be more obscure then the words themselves which he undertaketh to open saith Figueir who also reciteth the expositions of severall Rabbines Concerning which I may say as One did once when being asked by another whether he should read such a Comment upon Aristotle answered Yes when Aristotle is understood then read the Comment The plain sence is this These wicked Jews pretended the Law of God as a cloke and cover of their sinne that it might be no sinne to them And though the Lord had protested to hate their divorces
for confirmation wills them as once he did wicked Ahaz Ask thee a signe of the Lord thy God Ask it either in the depth or height above they churlishly answer him in effect as he did I will not ask neither will I try the Lord. Whereupon the Prophet that made the motion in an holy indignation Heare ye now saith He ye house of David Is it a small thing for you to weary men but ye will weary my God also Isa 7.12.13 if I will no open you the windowes of heaven Vulg. the cataracts or flood-gates or spouts of heaven meaning the clouds those bottles of raine which God here promiseth to shour down abundantly Gorn Lapid tantâ copiâ impetu fragore ut ruere potius quam fluere videatur A phrase noting great plenty 2 King 7.2 for in those hot countries drought ever made a dearth Hence the proud Egyptians whose land is watered and made fruitfull by the overflow of the river Nilus were wont in mockery to tell the neighbour nations that if God should forget to raine they might chance to starve for it They thought the rain was of God but not the river God therefore threateneth to dry it up Ezech 29.9 Isa 19.5.6 and so he did Creditur Aegyptus caruisse juvantibus arva Imbribus Ovid. atque annis sicca fuisse novem To teach both them and us that both plenty and scarcity drought and rain are his work he carries the keyes of the grave of the heart and of the windows of heaven the clouds under his own girose Vessels they are as thin as the Equâ—â—â— which is contained in them There they hang and move though weighty with their burden How they are upheld and why they fall here and now we know not but wonder at it as Gods handy work In the island of â—t Thomas â—â—â—â—s Grg. pag 251. on the backside of Airike in the middest of it is an hill and over that a continuall cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered In the middle region of the air God 〈◊〉 made drukâ—esse his secret place has pavilion round about 〈◊〉 is dâ—â—k 〈…〉 cloude of the skie Psal 18.11 These he weighes by measure so that not a drâ—â—â— falls in vain nor in a wrong place Job 28.15 When he uttereth his voice 〈◊〉 is a multitude or noise or waters in the heavens and he causeth the 〈◊〉 to ascend from the ends of the earth he maketh lightenings with rain c. Job 10. â—â— A wonderfull thing surely that out of the middest or water God setcheth 〈◊〉 and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapours This is the Lords own doâ—â—â— and it is worthily marvellous in our eyes Are there any among the vanitâ—â—â— or the Gentiles that can given rain or can the heavens give snowres So the â—â—â—â—ralisis will needs have it but what saith the Prophet 〈…〉 Gad therefore we will wan upon thee for 〈…〉 Jer. 〈◊〉 A pious resolution surely and that which the Lord here would have this people to take up viz. in the way of his judgements to wait upon him Esay 25.3 and work bâ—â—â—â—â— him to honour him with their substance and with the first fruits of alâ— their increase So should their barnes be filled with piency and their presses burst out with new wine Prov. 2.9 10. The 〈…〉 〈◊〉 shall be 〈…〉 Prov. 11.25 God will poure him our a blessing because he 〈…〉 as the Hebrew hath it in that place of the Proverbs last cited and he shall have rain 〈…〉 plâ—vâ—a erir as Kâ—â—chr rendreth the last words there â—e shall be a sweet and 〈◊〉 showre to himself and others Theresore they shall 〈…〉 of Zion and shall flow together to the goodnesse of the Lord for wheâ—◠〈…〉 and for oil and for the young of the stock and of the heâ—d and their 〈…〉 a waâ—ered garden and they shall not sorrow any more 〈…〉 Gen. 31.12 O precious promise every syllable whereof drops myrrhe and merey 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 so we may call him as the 〈…〉 the â—ather of Vows because he is the first we read of in Scripture that vowed a vow unto the Lord had this promise of abundance plentifully performed unto him So had 〈◊〉 the first Christian Emperour the Churches great Benesactour 〈…〉 De civ Dei i 5. c 25. faith Aâ—gâ—stine Constimum Alagnum 〈…〉 mullus under et The good Lord filled 〈…〉 with so many temporall blessings as never any man durst with for There shall not be 〈…〉 〈…〉 Nop tanâ—â—m quod sufficiat sedâ—ti mquod supersit Rah Drvil Vltra sufficiens Montat so that you shall say It is enough Thus the Chaldee rendreth it 〈…〉 shall hove more then enough as the areptan had â— King 〈◊〉 the cruse never ceased running till there was no room Borrow of 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet but shâ—â— the doors 〈◊〉 It was time to shut the doors 〈◊〉 One when many greater vessels must be supplied from one little one shee had a Prephets reword with a witnesse And so had the Shunamite Her table and bed and stool was well bestowed That candlestick repaid her the light of her future life and condition that table the means of maintenance that stool a seat of 〈…〉 bed a quiet rest from the common calamities of her nation So 〈◊〉 a pay-master is God his retributions are more then bountifull he will not be overcome by his creature in liberality Jam. 1.5 They shall be sure to have their own again with usury either in money or moneys-worth What they want in temporalls a sufficiency whereof they shall be sure of if not a 〈◊〉 he will a 〈◊〉 up in spirituals joy and peace through beleeving as much or more then heart can hold Some holy men have so over-abounded exceedingly with joy that they have been forced to cry out Hold Lord stay thine hand c. their spirits were even ready to expire with an exuberancy of spirituall ravishment as the Church in the Canticles was sick of love and therefore calls to the Ministers Cmt. 2.5 to stay her from sinking and swooning to bolsier her up being surprized with a love-qualme as the Queen of Sheba rapt with admiration had no more spirit in her as Jacobs heart saintd Godfr in ult Bern. Epist I. 1. Confess l. 6. e. 22. when he heard the good news of Joseph alive Bernard for a certain time after his conversion remained as it were deprived of his senses by the excessive consolations he had from God Cypran and Austin testifie the like of themselves Veâ—se 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes Caterpillars Canker-wormes and such hurtiull creatures Gods terrible army as they are notably set forth in their march and mischief Joel 2.2 3 4 5 c. with chap. 1.4 to tame his rebels to ease him of his adversaries and to avenge him of his enemies Esay 1.24 These he will rebuke for every creature is at his beck and check as
as boyling and swelling with spite and spleen against God and his people deal arrogantly and insolently doing wickedly with both hands earnestly Exod. 18.11 and 21.11 and working their own ends confidently and daringly these we call and count happy because wealthy and well underlaid as they say because they live in the height of the worlds blandishments But the whole book of Ecclesiastes is a clear and full confutation of this fond conceit had they but ever read or regarded it How can the proud person be happy that hath God for his profest enemy what was all Hamans honour to him when the king frown'd upon him what was Ahah the better for his ivory palace his gold and his jewels in every place when the heaven was brasse above the earth iron beneath Surely God abhorreth pride as an abomination of desolation Psal 31.23 and though he preserveth the faithfull yet sooner or later he plensifully rewardeth the proud doer Like metall in the fire when they shine brightest they are nearest to melting and like a bulging wall they will shortly fall Swelling is a dangerous symptom in the body so is pride in the soule Telluntur in altum ut lapsu graviore ruant Neither are they therefore to be reputed ever awhit the more happy because they come not in trouble like other men but prosper in their wickednesse For God is never more angry with such then when he seemes best pleased Pharaeh had fair weather made him till he was in the middest of the Sea fatting cattle are but fitting for the shambles Never was Jerusalems condition so desperate as when God said unto her My fury shall depart from thee I will be quiet and no more angry Ezek. 16.42 Nor Ephraims as when he said I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom And Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone Hos 4.14 17. sc till I come and setch my full blow at him Clem. Alexandrinus cites Plato expressing himself thus Although a righteous man be tormented although his eyes be digged out yet he remains a blessed man and the contrary they that work wickednesse are set up Heb. they are built up sc in posterity and prosperity of all sorts The Psalmist expresseth it thus They are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes Psal 17. Thus God built the midwives houset that is he gave them children for their mercy to those new-born-babes Exod. 2.21 Thus he builded David an house 2 Sam. 7. And thus those that return to the Almighty have a gracious promise that they shall be built up Iob 22.23 That these stout and stift Stigmaticks were built up and prospered though after so sweet an invitation they turned not to him that smot them we need not wonder sith it is their portion as David sheweth all they are like to have or must everlook for Besides Is not God the true proprietary of all Is not the earth the Lord purse with the sulnesse thereof Mat. 20.13 and may he not do with his own as he pleaseth Add hereunto that what wicked men have they have it with a curse and for mischief their table is a snare to them they are like to pay dear for their sweet morsels as Haman did for his wine at Esthers banquet Bernard calles the wicked mans prosperity misericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem In Psal 91. a merey more cruel then any adversity Austin affirmeth Nullum mare tam profundum quam est Dei cogitatio ut mali floreant c. No sea is so deep as the divine dispensation that good men should suffer bad men prosper They are built up with blessings as they say the Phenix builds her nest with hot spices wherein she is afterwards burned They build as those at Babel and feather their nests as if their lives were rivetted upon eternity but as their foundation is laid upon fire-work so brimstone is scattered upon their habitations Iob 18.15 If the fire of Gods wrath but touch it all will be quickly consumed Dioclesian that bloody persecutour despairing of ever rooting out the Christian religion as he had endeavoured to do gave over his empire in a discontent and decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he could not escape so For after that Fuseb de vita Constant lib. 5. his house was wholy consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven he hiding himself for fear of the lightening died within a little after Their inward thought is saith the Psalmist of such wicked Atheists that their houses honours riches nephews shall continue for ever and their dwelling place to all generations they call their houses after their own names as Cain called his new-built city Enoch after the name of his son that he might leave him Lord Enoch of Enoch Neverthelesse man being in honour abideth not he is like the beasts that perish Psal 49.11 12. The use to be made hereof see ver 16. Be not thou afraid when a wicked one is made rich when the glory of his house is increased c. yea they that tempt God are even delivered Still these Miscreants are grunting out their grudges aginst God What this sin here instanced viz. of tempting God is hath been shewed before in the note on ver 10. of this chapter Here it is to be taken for an audacious daring of God to take vengeance as Num. 15. These very worst fort of sinners are sometimes not only spared but prospered Ier. 12.1 c. Their Epha is not yet full their iniquity not found to be hatefull enough yet But the wicked is kept by the patience of God unto the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wrath as condemned Malefactours are to execution some by posterns and by-gates others thorough the market place so here He that hath stollen a good hoâ—se ride gallantly mounted for present till shortly after followed close by Huâ— and cry he is soon apprehended sentenced and brought to condign punishment And this is the very state of presumptuous sinners and will be I know well that because sentence is not presently executed therefore the hearts of the sons of men are set in them to doe wickedly Felix scelus virtus vocatur as we see here The proud are called happy Eccles 8. Cicero because for present in prosperity See the like Ier. 44.11 Gen. 30.18 Dionysius after the spoile of an Idol-temple finding the winds favourable in his navigation Lo said he how the Gods approve of Sacriledge But the weaknesse of this argument see set forth by Solomon Eccles 9.1 2 3. with the Notes there God gives outward things to the wicked no otherwise then as if a man should cast a purse full of gold into a jakes He gives them riches to furnish their inditement out of them as Joseph put his cup into their fack to pick a quarrel with them and lay theft to their
charge The sunshine of prosperity ripens their sin apace and so fits them for destruction Let God therefore be justified and every mouth stopped Verse 16. Then they that feared the Lord c. Then Gen 6.12 Hos 4.1 when all flesh had corrupted their wayes and the whole world turned Atheists Then when there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land none to speak of but that it was even darkened with profanenesse as Egypt was with those very grievous locusts that covered the eye thereof Exod. 10.14 15. Then when the faithfull city was become an harlot Esay 1.21 22. her silver turned into drosse her wine mixt with water her people not dilute onely but dissolute her self exaurea facta est argentea ex argented ferred ex serred terrea as One once said of Rome of gold become 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 iron of iron earth or rather muck 〈…〉 the Lord Those few names that had not desiled their garments in so 〈◊〉 a season Rev. 2.4 1 Jch. 5.18 but had kept themselves unspotted of the world undefiled in the way so as that that wicked One had not touched them had not thrust his deadly sting into them had not transformed them into sins image These stood up to stickle for God to stop the mouth of blasphemy and to stablish one another in perswasion of Gods holy truth and constant care of his dear children spake often one to another Montanus renders it Tune vastati sunt timentes Deminum sc ab impijs Atheis impune cos invadentibus That is Then were those that seared the Lord Wasted and destroyed viz. by those wicked Atheists who fell from fierce words to bloody blows so the word is used 2 Chron. 22.10 Psal 2.5 But this is far set and nothing so agreeable to the mind of the Holy Ghost here as our English after other approved Translations It is the same word that is used verse 13. Those spoke not so much against God as these did for him and about him to each other Heb. 12.13 for mutuall confirmation that that which was halting haply might not be turned out of the way but healed rather Great is the benefit of Chrillian conference for strengthening the weak knees and comforting the feeble minded Job 6.25 How Forcible are right words One seasenable truth falling upon a prepared heart hath oft a strong and sweet operation as some speeches of Staupicius had upon Luther Lise of Lâ—â—k by Mr Clack pag 85. Of whom it is also storted that he was much cheared up by conference with an old Priest discoursing about 〈…〉 by faith and explaining the Articles of the Creed to him Latimer likewise was much furthered by hearing Bilneys confession and having frequent conference with him at Heretikes-Lill as the place where they most used to walk in the fields at Cambridge Acts Mon. fol. 1574. was called long after Surely as a little boat may land a man into a large Continent so may a sew good words suggest matter sâ—â—â—â—ient for a whole lives meditation This 〈◊〉 well knows and therefore as he did what he could to keep God and Daniel asunder Dan. 6.7 So he doth still to keep the saints one from another that they may not build up themselves in their most Loly faith pray in the holy Chost pull one another out of the fire c. How were the Apâ—â—ies persecuted for their Christian meetings the primitive Christians banished and confined to Hes and Mines Jude 2â— 23. where they could not have accesse one to another as Cyprias complains the poor faints here in times of Popery 〈…〉 meeting as they could for mutuall edification and therefore accused of sedition for prevention whereof it was ordained that if 〈◊〉 should flock secretly together above the number of six they should be attached of treason 〈…〉 so the Protestants at Milcenburg in Cermany were forbidden upon pain of death to speak together of Scripture-matters And at Nola the Jesuites straitly charged the people not to talk of God 〈…〉 either in good sort or in bad See more of this in my Treatise on these words called The kighteous mans Recomponse Chap. 4. Docl. 3. annexed to this Commentary and the Lord hearkened and heard He not onely heard but hearkened or lisiened Gist us hit est diligenter auscultantis Esay 32.3 It imports not onely attention of body but intention of minde as when a man listeneth as for life and makes hard shift to hear all and retention of memory For which purpose also a booke of remembrance is here said to be written before him or by his appointment Liber monnmemi A book of Acts and Monuments in allusion to the custome of Kings See Esth 2.23 Tamerlan that warlike Scythian had alwayes by him a catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants Turk hist sol 227. which he daily perused and whom he duely rewarded not needing by them or any others in their behalf to be put in remembrance Much lesse doth the Lord who bottles up the tears of his people files up their prayers puts all their holy speeches and practises on record that he may make all honourable mention of them at the last day in that great Amphitheatre that generall Assembly not once remembring any of their misdeeds Mat. 25.35 Heb. 8.12 See more of this in the Righteous mans Recompense Chap. 5. 6. and that thought upon his Name That had God before their eyes Psal 10.8 that minded his glory 1 Cor. 10.31 that thought upon his commandements to do them Psal 103.18 that can truly say with the Psalmist How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summe of them Psal 139.17 See more of this verse in my Righteous mans Recompense Chap. 7. Doct. 16. Verse 17. And they shall be mine by peculiar right Et suum cuique pulchrum we all affect and admire our own things most God chuseth them for his love and loves them for his choice I will be a Father unto them and they shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 which is all one with that here They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts Concerning all which see my Righteous mans Recompense Part 2. Chap. 1. and 3. In the day when I make up my jewels viz. from the worlds malignities and misusages They shall not plunder him of his Jewels rob him of his chief treasure None shall take or pluck them out of Christs hands Job 10.29 they that attempt it shall find it a work not seisable When one desired to see Great Alexanders treasure he bade one of his servants shew him not his gold and silver but his friends Liban progâ—â— Chria 1. Henceforth I call you not servants but I have called you friends Joh. 15.15 And a friend is as a mans own soul Deut. 13.6 The Church is the dearly beloved of Gods soul Jer. 12.7 yea his dearly
Octoginta sex annos illi servio nec ulla in re me unquam laesit quomedo possim maledicere c. Euseb Eccles hist l 4. c. 15. Of Origâ—â— who chose rather to continue a poor Catechist at Alex indâ—â—a in daily danger of his life then with Ploâ—â—nus his fellow-pupill to live at Court in great authority and favour would he but with him have reneagued Christ and renount'd the Faith c Erasmus in vita Grig oper praesixa It were easie to come lower and nearer our own times and to bring upon the stage a great fort of such as held forth the word of life by a bold and wise profession in the darâ—est mid-night of damned popery and Satans universall raigne d Legatur Illyrâ—â—â— Catalogue testium Dr. â—sher graviss quaesti Cade c. But I shut up with 〈◊〉 that notable Champion of Christ and stickler for the truth to the defence whereof he stood stoutly when all the Christian world besides was turn'd Arâ—â—aâ— e Ingemuit orhis mirabatur se facâ—urn esse Arrianum Hieron centrae Lucrferianos Iste vir totius orhis impetum sustinuit as a Father phraseth it Whence it went abroad of him That the whole world was set against Athanasius and Athanasius against all the world A brave commendation a stately praise Such honour have all his Sâ—unts f Psal 139 ult Wisdome ever hath been you see and ever must be justified of her children g Marth 11.19 against all obloquies and oppositions of the mad multitude * Haud peâ—â—ndâ— in crimme incendij quam Oâ—io Hâ—mâ—ni generis convicti sunt Sic de Christianis sub Nerone whis incensae falso accusatis Tacit lib. 15. Et Fertallianus in Apologet. ait in Christianis nomen damnari puniri non criâ—â—n scoelus ever besides it selfe in point of salvation SECT II. The point confirmed by yeasons 1. from God 2. scom men both 1. good 2. and bad ANd there 's good reason for it too as you shall soon see whether ye look up ward or downward to God or men the saints themselves or others All which Reasons are grounded upon our Text and shall be therehence gathered For God first his people should therefore strive then to be best when others are at worst 1. Because he graciously accepts it he hear kgns and hears Ver. 16. saith the text 2. He plentifully rewards it for there is a book of remembrance c. that this their labour of love may never be forgotten H. b. 6 For themselves next Gods saints shall hereby well approve that they are 1. True Christians fearing the Lord. 2. Zealous Christians such as think upou his name Lastly for others 1. Good men shall be thereby notably confirmed whiles they speak often one to another for mutuall quickning and encouragement 2. Bad men shall be utterly confuted and confounded while they return that is change their minds and discerne perforce a plain and palpable difference between themselves and Gods servants Yea whiles they are constrained by the testimony of their own evil consciences and by the evidence of their own evil experiences to see and say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth b Psal â—8 11 Here then to begin with the first Reason taken from God and therein not to urge his command which yet is reason suâ—â—cient and tacitely implied in the text for what the Lord approveth and rewardeth that he certainly willeth and requireth sith his approving and prescribing will are though distinct yet not different the one from the other but to make use of so much onely in the text as lies above ground for our present purpose First the Lord doth curiously observe Resâ— 1. and graciously accept of such his servants as continue constant with him in depraved times in a generaâ— declension when sinne is grown usuall and almost â—â—versall The Lorab kâ—uâ—d and heard saith the text It imports that he was much taken with their sweet conferences and those savoury speeches that fell from their mouthes No noise so delightfull no musick so melodious to his heavenly ears which therefore he applies close and layes near to their honey lips i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Nestore suo Homerus as loth to lose any part of that precious language Well might Saint Peter say out of the Psalm The eye 's of he Lord are upon the righ cour and his care are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we read are 〈◊〉 to their prayers k 1 Fet. 3.12 Psal 34. Reas 2. but the Originall is more emphaticall his ears are unto their prayers or rather into their prayers so farre is he affected therewithall And look what the Apostle speaks there of their prayers by way of Instance the same is as true of their whole Christian practise Not a prayer they make not a good work they do not a good speech they utter nay not a good thought they take up but he both notes it well he hea kâ—ed and hâ—aâ—d and sets it down in his note-book too for a book of remembrance was wrâ—tion besere the Lord for them that but thought vpon his Name in an evill time when mens words were stout against God verse 13 14. and their thoughts Atheisticall verse 15. But what will the Lord do for such which is the second branch of this first Reason drawn from God It follows in the Text And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts c. His not by a generall right onely as his creatures but by a speciall title as his saints such as have made a covenant with 〈◊〉 by sacrifice l Psal 50.5 and he interchangeably made a covenant with them of salt m Mam. 18.19 2 Chron. 13.5 that is permanent and inviolable And both sides hy a mutuall stipulation that he will be their God and they shall be his people he shall be their portion and they his for the Lords portion is his people n Dent. 32.9 saith Moses they are his proper goods and most esteemed treasure o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 text Peculium proprium fingulare thesaurus the top of his wealth the best of his gettings the people of his purchase p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.9 Such as compreheud all his gettings as Saint Peter after the Septuagint renders the word here found in our Text in summe his Jewels whom he will highly prize and safely set up by him in the golden cabinet of his speciall providence and fatherly protection Not casting them out for every small flaw nor lesse esteeming them for every little dust that falls upon them and fouls them but prizing them aright to their utmost value and giving them their allowance as men deal by light gold he will take them for currant And wherein they come short of what they should be he will spare them as a man spareâ—h
14.26 as it did distressed David u Psal 119 38 and fainting Habakkuk w Hab. 3 16 17. who after he had poured forth his soul before God with reverence and godly fear rose up off his knees as confident as might be that Although the fig-tree shall not blossome nor fruit be found in the vines the labour of the olive should fail and the fields yeeld no meat the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord saith he I will joy in the God of my salvation The Lord God is my strength c. So true is that of Solomon In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his children have a place of refuge x Prov. 14.26 And this is that fear of God that speaks a man truly religious Apply your selves now every one to the rule and search and see in some of you an utter nullity in othersome a fearfull deficiency of this reverentiall fear of God SECT VI. Vse 3. Exhortation to get and grow in this holy Fear with six Motives Vse 3 and three Means tending thereto ANd for a third Use of the point learn we all first to get and then to grow in this grace Let the fear of the Lord be upon you and do it y 2 Chro. 19.6 Give all diligence to fashion your hearts to this reverent regard of God considering the terrour of the Almighty which we must needsly know either as slaves or sons but better as sons that in the day of distresse he may spare us as a man doth his own sonne that serveth him z Mal. 3.17 Motives to the fear of God If yet ye look for further Motives to this duty Consider that the fear of God is 1. But equall and reasonable 2. Gainfull and profitable 3. Needfull 4. Honourable 5. Acceptable 6. Comfortable 'T is equall first for it is our bounden duty sith he hath so often commanded and required it upon our allegeance a Psal 2.11 psal 33.8 prov 3.7 Esay 8.13 Heb. 12.28 besides that it of right appertaineth unto him as a due though he should never have called for it Bring presents unto him that ought to be feared b Psal 76.11 saith David and who would not fear thee ô king of nations for to thee doth it apprtain because there is none like to thee c Jer. 10.7 Eccles 12.13 It is then you see and act of justice to fear the Lord. And when we have done our utmost that way we have done no more then was our duty to do d Luke 17.10 Secondly 't is a practise no lesse gainfull then equall whatever those profane miscreants above the text blasphemed to the contrary Profitable it must needs bee for it hath the promises of both lives In the life present he that hath the fear of the Lord shall not be visited of evil e Prov. 19.23 in generall Not of the evil of sinne for te fear of the Lord is to hate that evil f Prov. 8.13 Nor of pain for the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to escape the snares of death g Prov. 14.27 Say hee meet with troubles without or terrours within yet he that feareth God shall come out of them all h Eccles 8.12 Thus for evil And for good both to us and ours after us By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life i Prov. 22.4 Esay 33.6 One would think that were enough yea but then here 's more then enough They that fear the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good k Psal 34 Ob. Sol. Ey but what shall their poor children do when they are gone Well enough for their seed shall be mighty upon earth and their generation blessed Psal 112. thoroughout Thus for temporalls they are provided for And for spirituall blessings in heavenly things l Ephes 1.3 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him m Psa 147.11 he will teach such a one in the way that he shall chuse n Psal 25 12 guide them he will with his counsell and afterwards receive them to his glory o Psal 73 24 Surely Gods salvation is nigh them that fear him p saith David and the covenant of life and of peace was with Levi because he feared God q Mal. 2.5 saith Malachy Lo thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord r Psal 128.4 Thirdly this holy fear is wondrous needfull for it inciteth and inableth to all Christian duties Whence it was that the Lord both delivered his Law at first in a fearfull manner ſ Exod 19. and afterward wished that the hearts of his people might bee season'd with his fear that they might keep his commandements alwayes t Deut. 5.29 Serve the Lord with fear saith David u Psal 2.11 yea he thou in the fear of the Lord all day long w Prov. 23.17 saith Solomon The primitive Christians walked in the fear of the Lord saith St. Luke x Acts 9 31 and it is a spot in your feasts to eat an drink without fear y Jude 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Jude Fourthly 't is honourable for besides that God takes himself highly honoured by it and therefore calls for it in this Name If I be a father where is mine honour and if a Master wher 's my fear z Mal. 1.6 we our selves are not a little dignified hereby The woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised and though many daughters had done vertuously yet she excelled them all a Pr. 31.29 30 This grace winnes a man a wonderfull deal of respect both from God and men as it did Job of whom God himself boasted b Job 1.8 and Abraham who was a Prince of God to the Heathenish Hittites c Gen. 23 6 Fifthly 't is a grace very acceptable for it gives grace and vertue to all other graces and duties which else are unpleasing to the Almighty For to him will I look even to him that trembleth at my word d Esay 66.2 3 as to none else be his sacrifice never so specious or costly And to shew how highly God esteemeth this fear you shall find it not seldome set for the whole service of God in holy Scripture as was said before Lastly it is exceeding comfortable for it freeth the heart of all base fears which vanish out of sight before this as the lesser lights before the Sun and fills it with strong confidence and consolations making the man in whom it is to hold up his head in the greatest hurly-burlie and to walk about the world as a conquerour void of all fear what man or devil can do unto him e Psal 3 thoroughout You see that this holy fear comes commended unto you by many names what remains but that ye set your selves in all good earnest
for the attaining thereunto in a diligent use of the means These are among others First Means of getting the fear of God set on serious meditation and first upon your selves Reflect and see 1. your own miserable condition by reason of sin imputed to you sin inherent in you and sin issuing from you together with the deserved punishment all torments here and tortures hereafter which are but the just hire of the least sin f Rom. 6. ult 2. Your utter inability to free your selves either from sin or punishment From the former you can no more free your selves then the blackmore from his skin or the leopard from his spots g Ier. 13 23 And for the later there 's no power wit or any other meanes in our selves or the creature either to abide or avoyd it This meditation made Peters converts cry out for fear Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved h Act. 2 3â— Next busy your thoughts upon God be thinking upon his name with those in the text See him as he stands described 1. in his word 2. in his works The word sets out God for our present purpose 1. as a God of transcendent excellency and surprissing glory and thence inferrs a necessity of his fear Who would not fear thee O king of Nations i Ier. 10 7 c. saith Ieremy And thou art more glorâ—ous and excellent than the mountains of prey that is then the flourishing Assyrians with all their goodly Monarchy therefore as a consectary â—ring presents unto him that ought to be seared k Psa 76.4 11 2. As omnipresent and omniscient one that beholdeth and taketh knowledge of all we doe as much as of any thing in his own heart for all things consists in him l Collos 1.17 And the wayes of a man are before the Lord he ponderâ—th all his paths m Prov. 5 21 And will ye not tremble at my presence saith the Lord n Ier. 5.24 Ioseph did and so kept himself untouchâ— and Iob did and so frighted his conscience from sin by this wholesome consideration o Iob 31 1 2. 3. As armed with infinite power and might to reward us if we fear him and to punish us if we neglect him Shall servants â—ear their masters because the have power over the sleâ—h p Colos 3 23. and shall not we â—ear him that is aâ—le to cast body and sonle to hell q â—at 10 29. No man will puâ— his hand into a fiery crucible to setch gold 〈◊〉 because he knowes it will be râ—e hiâ—â— did we as truly beleeve and fâ—ar the fire of hell c. 4. As infinitely just and singularly carefull to punish sin where ever he finds it be it in the â—earest of his own nay in his onely son who being maâ—e sin for us r 2 Cor. 5.21 and found in the shape and stead of sinfull fleâ—h Å¿ 3 〈◊〉 8 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Liturg. Graec. was made to undergo those dolorous and â—â—concerveable sorrowes that drew clotted blood t Lue. 22.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his body and were joyn'd with a temporary desertion to his soule yet the very pâ—â—es of hell which he selâ—â—or a season u Ps 22.1 c. Who would not therefore fear before this just and impartial God See that sweet song of the triumphant saints that had overcome the beast by the blood of the lamb Iust and true a e thy wayes c. who shall not feâ—r thee O Lord and gloâ—ifie thy name w Rev. 15 4 c. 5. As abundantly and unâ—peakeably kind and loving to us in Christ This property in God throughly thought upon will inflame our hearts with his love and so make us fearfull to displease him as the dutifull spouse her loving husband or the gratious child his indulgent father This is to fear God and his goodnesse x Hos 3 5 to fear God through delight in his wâ—es y Psal 112.1 to reioyce in fear z Psal 2 11 and therefore to fear to offend him with hope because there is mercy with hâ—m a Psal 130.4 as the psalmist hath it Thus meditate on the attributes of God set forth in the word In the world next you may see God in his workes And first those standing miracles the hanging of the earth upon nothing b Iob 26.7 the bounding of sea that it cannot transgresse his word c Ier. 5.24 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth He gâ—thereth the waters of the sea together as a heâ—p he laveth up the depth in storehouseâ— Let all the earth seâ—â— the Lâ—â—d let all the 〈…〉 of the world stand inâ—awe of him For he spake and it was done he commâ—nded and iâ— stood fast d Psal 33 6 7 8 9 c. Secondly turne your eyes and thoughts upon the judgments of God and first particular executed upon others for our warning and learning The righteous hall see this and fear e Psal 52.6 as David speakes and as Dâ—vâ—d did too as himself testifieth my stâ— harembleth for fear of thee and I am aâ—â—aid of thâ— udg ments f Psl 119 120 When one child is whipt in a schoole the rest will tremble so it should be with us when we see others pun shed which because 〈◊〉 did not g Dan. 5 21 22.27 Dâ—scite justâ—iâ— am monai non temnere c. Pâ—ndit Herodotus suo temnore conspâ—ctam esse in Aegvpto statuam Sâ—na heribâ— cum hac insâ—â—ptinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when his father was turn'd a grasing therefore was he found too light in the ballance and his kingdome given to his neighbour that was better then he 2. Premeditate upon the generall judgment and the unconceivable terrour of that dreadfull day when the heavens shall passe awâ—â— with a greâ—â—nose â—nd the elâ—ments shall mslt with fervent heaâ—â— the earth also and thâ— workes thâ—t are theâ—ein â—halâ— burnt up h 2 pet 3 10 Faelix though a pagan trembled at Pâ—â—ls discourse of this great day i Act 24 25 The devils when they think of it shake and shadder the joynts of their loines are loosed with Belhizzar and their knees smite one against another k Dan 5.6 And can any man think seriously of this last judgment and not be moved with fear Fear God saith Solomon and as a help hereunto consider that God will bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill l Eccles 12.14 And this is the first meanes of getting Gods holy fear viz. Meditation The second is like unto it and that is faithfull and fervent prayer to the father of lights m Jam. 1.17 for it is a supernaturall gift to fear God as a father Thus David goes to God for this gift Vnite my heart which of
5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lastly like bellowes to blow up that sparke e 2 Tim. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the spirit in another mans breast into a lively flame that else like a dull-seacoale sire if it be not now and then blowne or stirr'd up though there be no want of fuell yet will of it self at length dye and go out We will remember thy loves more then wine saith the spouse therefore the Virgins love thee f Can. 1.4 This fruit commeth upon the remembring and mentiong Christs loves that his Saints are confirmed and increased in it Those daughters of Ierusalem that at first wondred g Cant. 5.9 why the Church should make such adoe about Christ when they had conversed with her awhile and heard her speake with such a deal of admiration and affection they are inflamed and induced to seeke Christ with her h Cant. 6.1 God usually fines and siles the tongues of his upright ones to be trumpetters of his glory and beauty In setting forth whereof they have words at will their tongues never linn but become as the pen of a ready writer in speaking forth the things they have made concerning the king till such time as Gods people accord together to praise him for ever and ever i Ps 45.1 ult Reas 6. Contra sycophantae morsum non est remedium Seneca Lastly bad men shall be hereby 1. confuted the mouths of 〈◊〉 shall be stopt as are ever complayning of and accusing Christian meetings to be not for the better but for the worse scarce to any other purpose but to detract defame slander censure c. Or if such mouthes will not be shu yet the consciences of christians may rejoyce in their contrary innocency and not be dejected by such false testimony 2. they shall be deseated and disappointed hereby of their devilish purposes and practises of casting down starrs from heaven k Rev. 12.4 and deceiving if it were possible the very elect l Mat. 24.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So far forth as to be led away by the errour of the wicked and so to fall from their owne stedfastnes m 2 Pet. 3.17 All ungodly persons and they have it by kinde too from their father the devill n Ioh. 8.44 are strangly ambitious of sending the plague to their neighbours with the Ekronites o 1 Sam. 5. Hab. 1.13 of drawing others into partnership of their condemnation of devouring the men more righteous then themselves p Mat. 23 15 They compasse sea and land saith our Lord to make a Proselyte which when they have done they make him two-fold more the children of hell then themselves p Mat. 23 15 The devill also is a busie walker q 1 Pet. 5.8 a great compasse r Iob 1.7 Pecora fratris tui errantia jubet ut redueas fraâ—ri tue nedum ipsum sibi Tertul. seeking whom he may devour And is it not good reason that we should walke as fast and compasse our weake brethren round seeking whom we may deliver from the devill and his instruments who like a wall-nut-tree roote labour to imbitter all the rootes that are about them SECT III. Vse 1. Reproof of idle and evil speakers together NOw for Application First take notice with me by this point Vse what cause we have all to cry out with David Help Lord for the godly man ceafeth for the faithfull fail from among the children of men They speak indeed and speak often but alasse 't is vanity they speak every man to his neighbour with slattering lips and with a double heart do they speak Å¿ Ps 12 1 2 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Inter mille secularium sermonumtalenta vix cemum denarios peteris invenire spiri tualium verboborum imo nec decem q idem obolos Cassiod in cap 1. Mat. How much better were it for such to keep silence then so to vent themselves as most men do in their carnall conventicles and good-fellow-meetings nay in their trading and trafficking and ordinary commerce and inter-dealing Wherein what shall a man hear from them the whole day throughout but words at the best waste and idle but for the wost part grossely wicked and evil vile and venemous speeches rotten and stinking communication t Ephes 4.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—trefio men bringing up their excrements as it were by a peristaltick motion as Physicians call it in the disease they terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thorow the dung-port u Neh. 3.13 of their foul mouthes to the annoying of some and corrupting of others For evil words corrupt good manners x â—C 1.15.33 They are the Devils drivel Thus it is with the more rude and outragious And for the civiller sort of those that are not yet fanctified the plague of the serpent fies sore upon them alwayes to be feeding upon dust y Gen. 3 15 talking of trash altogether They are of the earth they speak of the earth and the earth hears them z 1 Joh. 4.5 3 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terram redolet Beza terrenus est Eâ—asm terra est August Amidst all which let a man seek to charme their tongues interrupting and bespeaking them as once the Prophet with O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord a Ier. 22.29 Ye that are earth by creation earth by corruption earth by resolution for dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne b Gen. 3.9 Hear and give ear bee not proud for the Lord hath spoken it Give glory to the Lord your God c Jer. 13.15 16 c. they turn the deaf ear with the perverse adder to such wholesome enchantments d Psal 58.5 and grow as sick of such a one straight as the Gergesites were of our Saviour e Mat 8 Good conference they count plain babbling as the Athenians esteemed Pauls preaching f Acts 17.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metaph ab aviculis quae garâ—itu perpetuo sunt molestae they find no more rellish therein then in the white of an egge or a dry chip Nay they hold it the onely marre-mirth as one speaks able to damp all the jollity and to cast the whole company into dumps of Melancholy Which to prevent they do their utmost to drown the shrikes of their awakened consciences with a louder volley of the language of hell pouring out themselves in a great deal of froth and filth refuse and rotten speeches * Cyprianus notavit inter omnes partes divuis â—llius de quo habetur parabola Luk. 16 24. â—â— linguam perpeti acerbissima tormenta quia plus lingua ore peccaverat Epist l. 1 ep 3 base and bedlam talk oathes and blasphemies scoffes and scurrilities against the power of godlinesse and professours of Religion Lo this is all that many men do toward the practise of the point in hand â—nstead of strengthening the
a Psal 77.9 and that Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me b Esay 49.14 The Butler may forget Ioseph and Ioseph his former toyl and fathers house c Gen. 41.51 but God cannot forget his people whom he hath chosen d Rom. 11.1 Can a woman forget her sucking childe e Esay 49.15 possibly she may some tigresses have proved unnatural to their own birth and bowels f Rom. 1.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so cannot God He is not unjust to forget your labour of love g Heb. 6.10 or if he should as I abhor to imagine beold there is a book of remembrance written before him for them that fear the Lord and that think upon his name A borrowed speech for our better apprehension from kings and great personages who use for memories sake to keep a catalogue a calendar of such as whom they minde to reward for some special service as Ahasuerosh did Mordecai when he had read his name in the roll of those that had deserved well of the king h Est 6.3 So Tamerlane had alwayes by him a catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he daily pernsed Knol Tu r hist p. 227. Those stout rebels above my text were grown so bold and bedlam as to give out that Gods service was nothing worth and that it was a course of no profit to keep his ordinances i Mal. 3.13 14 15. The contrary whereunto is here vouched and the truth vindicated God saith our prophet both hearkened and heard the holy language of his people and so sealed up his dear respect unto them for present and also caused a book of remembrance to be written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and so setled it in his heart to requite them for the future That like as in the work of creation there went with Gods dixit his benedixit and with his ordinavit his ornavit so in the administration of all things especially in that which is special and proper to the elect with his remembrane there goes a recompence and with his regard a reward Note hence That God doth perfectly remember Doctr that he may plentifully requite all the good srvices done him by his saints and people SECT I. The truth confirmed by Scripture HE not only harkened and heard what good things passed between them here but registred up and ingrossed the same in his book of remembrance called elsewhere the book by a specialty k Dan. 12.1 the writing of the house of Israel l Ezek 13.9 the writing to life in Jerusalem m Isa 4.3 the book of life n Philip. 4.3 the book of life of the lamb o Rev. 21.27 wherein he records and where-out he will relate at last day all the good works of his children p Mat. 25. not once mentioning their sins and infirmties which he hath promised to remember no more q Heb. 8. Our labour of love he will not forget but be ever mindfull of his covenant r Psal 115.5 The Lord hath been mindfull of us saith the Church and as an effect thereof he will blesse us He will blesse the house o Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron He will blesse them that fear the Lord both small and great ſ Ps 115.11 12 Cornelius for instance he feared God winh all his bouseholde and he made good proof thereof for he gave much almes to the people and pray'd to God alway and therefore both his prayers and his almes came up for a memoriall before God t Act. 10.1 2 4 Thus God remembred his Noah u Gen. 8.1 Abraham x Gen. 19.20 Rachel y Gen. 30.22 Joseph z Psa 105.20 whose fetters he changed into a chain of gold his rags into fine linnen his stocks into a charret his goal into a palace Potiphars captive into his Masters Lord the noyse of his chains into Abrech and all because heremembred his Creatour in the dayes of his youth a Eccles 12.1 and thereby kept himself pure from the great Transgression b Psal 19.13 SECT II. The truth confirmed by six Reasons THe ground of which gracious dealing in God is first his incomprehensible wisdome Reas 1 and fore-knowledge The Lord hath the Idoea the perfect platforme and paern within himself of all persons and things together with the severall occurrences of either Hence it is that he knowes all things Simul semel together and at once not successively or by discourse collecting one thing from another as we do but in one simple and eternall act knowing and comprehending all things He need but reflect upon himself and there he seeth all things before him as in a glasse So that to speak properly there is neither foreknowledge nor remembrance in the Almighty all things both past and future being ever present with him Tine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them c Ps 139.16 In this fore-knowledge of God so we call it for teaching sake as in a book are recorded the persons birth quality and death of every man and woman together with their severall deeds and practises that they may receive according to what they have done in the flesh whether good or evill d 2 Gor. 5 And this is our first ground of this point Known to the Lord are all his works from the begining e Act. 15 18 The Lord knoweth them that be his f 2 Tim. 2.19 Yea he knowes the whole way of the righteous g Psal 1. ult And this his knowledge of them and their good works is a knowledge of singular apprbation yea of infinite delight and complacency which makes him wait to shew them mercy h Esay 30.18 Heremembreth saith the Psalmist when he writes up the people when he makes up his jewels i Mal 3.17 that such a man was born k Psal 87.5 6 there and that being born by a second birth and having followed him in the regeneration l Mat. 19.28 they shall not lose the things they have wrought but receive a full reward m 2 Ich. 8. Secondly Reas 2 God is just and faithfull hence his remembrances and remunerations of his peoples services Not of duty I must tell you but of mercy it being a mercy in God even to reward men according to their works n Psal 62.12 were they better then they be or can be To thee O Lord belongeth merey for thou rewardest every one according to his works n Psal 62.12 But this by the way We were drawing a second reason for the point from Gods justice and faithfulnesse And this we borrow fom the Apostle Heb. 6.10 God saith he is not unrighteous to forget your works and
Presse them to works of mercy and liberality to Gods poor alasse say they we are poor men our selves and have many to care for A man cannot tell what shall come after him and what shall come after him who can tell f Eccles 6.12 O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have afore-time spoken t Luk. 24.25 Hath not God said The liberall man deviseth liberall things and by liberall things he shall stand u Esay 32.8 not fall or come to ruine That he is able to restore any Amaziah more then the one hundreth talents come to x 2 Chro. 25.9 lost or rather laid out for Gods sake and in is service that whosoever forsaketh all and follows Christ shall receive a hundred-fold here and heaven hereafter y Mark 10.30 Ruth for instance she while Orphah wants bread in her own countrey is grown a great Lady in Bethlehem and advanced to be great-grand mother to the King of Israel nay to Christ the heire of all But the ground of this perversnes and misjudgment made by men of Gods work and is wages is that damned infidelitie that is rooted in our natures cansing that we dare not rely upon God nor trust his bare word without a pawne but think 't is beft every man to shift for one that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush as the prodigall that called for his portion here and that carnall Cardinall that wouldnot part with his part in Paris for his part in Paradise that wherever we see God 't is best tusting to our selves which what is it better then to give God the lie Cardinall Burbon to charge falshood upon the Almighty should some man promise me an hundred pound doing some small chare for him though I told him not plainely he did but seek to gull me with words yet if I should go my way from him turn againe and laugh in his face and never make use of his offer or triall of his curtesie I should in effect say as much as all that comes to Think the same of such as reject Gods just precepts and despise his large promises slighting his work and slandering his wages what do they lesse then put the lie upon him in grossest manner then the which I know not what greater indignitie can be offered to the God of truth Whereat though he seemes to wink for a season and they conceive basely and absurdly of him thereupon as if he were altogether such a one as themselves yet he will shortly reprove them and set their sins in order before their eyes z Psal 50.21 as they stand recorded in the roll of remembrance For as there is a book of remembrance written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name so no lesse for them that despisd the Lord and set light by his Name That therein as in a table they may run and read their own destiny written faire and so returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not SECT IIII. Vse 2. The wicked shall be surely and severely punished Use 2 ANd that 's a second use of this point and 't is for terrour to all gracelesse and profane persons that serve not God but Mammon not the Lord Christ but their own bellyes a Rom. 16.18 that forsake their Maker and pursue after lying vanities b Jon. 2.8 that say after all The Lord hath for sakenthe earth he will neither do good nor evill c Ezek. 9.9 Zeph. 1.12 He hath said in his heart quoth David of the Atheist God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it d Psal 10.11 And again by way of complaint Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they bluster and speake hard things and all the workers of iniquitie boaft themselves They break in pieces thy people c. Yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it e Psal 94.3 c. They hide God from themselves and then think themselves hid from God * Struthiocamelo cum delit escendum est solum caput penitus in condenso loco seu frutice occultat reliquum corpus in aper to relinquit Ita dum in capite seeurus est nudus quâ— mâ—â—or â—â—t capitur totus 〈◊〉 Capite Plin. â— 10. tap 1. Impiorum dicta et facta similiter in Dei commentariis referuntur c. Gualth in textum Whose folly we can better revince then in the following words Vnderstand ye bruitish among the people and ye fooles when will ye be wise He that planted the eare shall not he hear He that formed the eye shall he not see He that chastiseth the heathen shall not he correct He that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know Yea the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity He knowes them and ponders them he records and writes them down particularly in his ook of remembrance The sin of Iudah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond f Jer. 17.1 Behold it is written before me and I will recompence it into their bosomes g Esay 65.6 saith the God of recompence h Jer. 51.56 And as he writes up their actions for future vengeance so as men do their chief evidences which they are most carefull to keep safe God is said to lay up these records in store with him and to keep them seal'd up among his treasures i Deut. 32.34 And for what end doth he this but that he may produce them as so many swift witnesses against the workers of iniquity in that day Her sinnes have reached to heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Reward her therefore even as she hath Rewarded you and double unto her double k Mal. 3.5 according to her works said that mighty angel concerning Babylon l Rev. 18.5 6 Jacob Revlus in hist Pontific p. 177. Lente gradu ad vindictam sui divina procedit â—Ì„ura tarditatemque supplicij gravitate compenset De Dionysio Val. Max. Iib. 1. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same sai th the mighty God concerning all impenitent persons well they may shuffle for a season and shift rom side to side as Balaams asse before the punishing Angel but surely their sin will finde them out and ring them such a heavie peal as Pope Innocent the fourth heard once from heaven and was found dead the next day in his nest Veni miser in judicium come thou wretch and receive thy judgment What though the Lord defer the execution of his sentence The master of that evilservant shall come in a day when he looks not for him and at an houre when he thinkes not and shall cut him in twain rend his soul from his body and appoint him his portion
Lord often of his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob b Exod. 32.13 and treats with him to that purpose by his Name Jehovah that emphaticall and comfortable Name c Exod. 6.3 so when he had foretold a plague to the Aegyptians or the remove of it yet he omitted not to pray the accomplishment And the later when he had by warrant from heaven promised rain to Ahab after three yeers draught yet he went afterward to the top of Carmel and prayed earnestly d Jam. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. James he prayed toughly lustily laboriously he strained every vein of his heart as it were in prayer for he stoopt and stretcht and put his face between his knees saith the story and this for a great while together till at length a cloud and after this a cataelysme of raine and waters came of it when once he had prayed to purpose e 1 Kin. 18.42 and not till then For the Lord though he be liberall yet he is not prodigall and although he reject not our weak services yet he throwes not away his mercyes upon such as hold them not worth whistling after as they say Be his children never so deare unto him yet they shall know their distance and their duty and although he love to be acquainted with them in the walkes of their obedience yet he taketh state upon him in his ordinances and wil be sought unto for his mercies Seek the Lord saith the Prophet and then will he raine righteousnesse upon you f Hos 10.12 For like as the Sun drawes up vapours from the earth not to retaine them but to return them to the moistening and so fattening of the same so doth the Lord draw from us our devotions and other duties not for any benefit of his own but to raine them down againe upon us in so many blessings SECT VIII LAstly this me thinks should mightily encourage good peoples hearts and strengthen their hands in well-doing to consider that the Lord doth perfectly remember plentifully to requite whatsoever service The pains cannot be cast away that we resolve to lay out nay to lose for Christ Master saith Peter we have laboured all night and have taken nothing Neverthelesse at thy word wee will let down the net g Luk. 5.5 6 And he sped accordingly for he enclosed a great draught of fishes even to the breaking of the Net c. So true is that of the Apostle Heâ— that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him h Rom. 10.12 He gives exceeding abundantly even above all that we ask or think i Ephes 3.20 Thus David asked life of the Lord and he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever k Psal 21.4 Solomon asked wisdome not wealth and he had wisdome and wealth too Hezekiah asked one life and God gave him two added fifteen yeers to his dayes which we count two mens lives and a yeer over The palsie man seeking health at Christs hands had health and heaven to boot Zacheus striving to see Christ not onely seeth him but heareth him spealâ—ing salvation to him and his Yea may some say God may crown his people with salvation Ob. John Baptist was without any law right or reason beheaded in Prison as though God had known nothing at all of him George Marsh Martyr Act. Mon. fol. 1423. Sol. but they are hardly put to 't in the mean while many of them and sorely vexed by the oppressions of their enemies who make pitifull havock of them and God regards it not First this is not for their diligence but negligence rather in the work of the Lord lazy servants must be quickned Secondly God hereby tryeth the truth and soundnesse of their graces makes it appear that they serve him for himself and not meerly for provender or for a whole skin as the Devil accused Job l Iob. 2.4 Thirdly God in humbling them remembreth them for his mercy endureth for ever m Psa 136.23 Is Ephraim my dear sonne is he a pleasant child for since 1 spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord n â—er 31.20 Lastly heaven will pay for all and the lesle they take up of their wages before hand the more they shall receive at the quarter day It we suffer together with him we shal be glorified together o Rom. 8.17 This made Abraham content to dwell in tents because he looked for a more enduring city p Heb. 11.9.10 Moses chose the repreach of Christ the worst part of him before the honour of Pharaoh's court this when he was no baby neither but at mans estate q Heb. 11.24 c. and therfore knew well what he did and all because he had respect to the recompence of Reward This made the beleeving Hebrewes suffer with joy the spoiling of their goods as knowing that they had in heaven abetter and more enduring substance r Heb. 10.34 Nudus opum sed cui coelum terraeque paterent De Archimede suo Silius lib. 14. Ezekiel willing to deliver an unpleasing message and suffer for it too because God took him up and let him heare the noise of a great rushing saying Blessed be the glory of the Lord Å¿ Ezek. 3 12 Nay our Saviour Christ helped himself over the hardship of his crosse by casting his eye upon the Crown leaving us an example to follow a copie t â— Pet. 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to write after And indeed it is a matter passing difficult to obey God when carnall reason suggesteth likely hood or damage or other danger But if it were a sufficient reason to move Jacob to neglect his stuffe in the land of Canaan because Pharaoh promised him the best things of Egypt u Gen. 45.20 How much more should the assurance of heaven that true treasure make us carelesse of this earthly trash How should the very fore-thought of that exceeding exceeding weight of glory x 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There ye have an elegant treble Antithefis double hyperbole beyond englishing A superlative transcendent phrase saith one such as is not to be found in all the Rhetorike of the Heathens because they never wrote of such a theme nor with such a spirit make us plentifull in Gods worke cause and even compell us to hear much pray much live holily deale uprightly be constant and abundant in well-doing what ever come of it Not standing upon the worlds censure who are apt enough to call thee foole for thy forwardnesse and two fooles for thy foole-hardinesse so they usually call and count the care of good conscience and courage in a good cause let them work on and spare not but scare thou God and against all their * Nigro carbone notandus Juven black coles comfort thy self with bis white
profitably of him the whole week after Our infinite week-day wandrings and wofull trisling out our golden hours in idle and evill thoughts comes much-what from our customary and carnall keeping of Gods holy-day z Esay 58.13 Sixtly exercise your selves in the word of life be swift to hear and 〈◊〉 Gods holy word Search and study the scriptures a Ioh. 5.39 These will 1. free the heart from impure lusts Wherewithal shall a young man one that is in the heat of his passions cleanse his way b Psal 119.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rub off his filth It is a metaphor from glasse which though rub'd never so clean will soon gather dust again Answer is made there by taking heed thereto accrding to thy word 2. It will fill the head with good notions of God and his nature his word and his works c. * Hieronymus de Nepot vit cum assiduâ lectione meditatione diuturnâ pectus suum bibliothecam christi effecisse Cogitationes innumerae sunt uno die cas quis colliget quis corriget quis reprimet quis exprimet Sphinx philos so that no rome shall be left for worse thoughts which else will be stirring For the thoughts of a man are never idle as ye know save when he sleeps nor then many times but are like a mill that turns round uncessantly while it hath water and if it want other grist will grind and grate upon it self Lastly to sett all the former awork add hearty prayer to him that is both the heart-maker and heart-mender too Pray him to make the meditations of our hearts ever acceptable in his sight c Psal 19. and when we are in a good frame to keep it ever in the imagination of the thoughts of our hearts and to prepare our hearts unto himself d 1 Chron. 19.18 as David beggs in the behalf of his people Pray him to open your understandings to sanctify your wills and affections to raise up and ravish your hearts to fix your quicksilver as one speaks that is in meditating upon good things to grant you strength of memory stedfastnesse of imagination staâ—ednesse of minde sharpnesse of conceit soundnesse of judgement and all other necessary gifts and abilities that ye may so meditate upon Gods precepts that withall ye may have respect to his wayes e Psal 119 15 16. SECT XII The Conclusion LOe this is the way walk in it And 's as many as walk after this direction peace shall be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God f Gal. 6.16 For Do they not erre that devise evill but to them that think upon good things shall be mercy and truth g Prov. 14.28 Mercy and truth be with you h 2 Sam. 15.20 Amen The Righteous mans Recompence OR GODS JEWELS MARKT AND MADE UP FROM MENS MISUSAGES The Text MALACHI 3.17 And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels And I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him CHAP. I. The Text divided GODS gracious acceptation of his people and their holy services hath been hitherto described and discovered Followes now his righteous remuneration and rich respects to their persons which he highly prizeth for They shal be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels 2. To their performances which he bountifully rewardeth And I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him Then shall ye return and discern c. The former without forcing points us to these three positions 1. That God is the Lord of Hosts 2. That this Lord of Hosts will have his day to do good to his people and to make them up as his Jewels from the worlds misusages 3. That this people of his shall be gratiously owned and greatly honoured in that day SECT I. That God is Lord of Hosts What these Hosts are why called Hosts what it is to be Lord of Hosts FIrst God is the Lord of Hosts So he is frequently stiled in the old Testament Doct 1 Lord of Sabaoth which is all one in the New thought this more seldome because the old Law was given in fear the new in love as Hugo will have it Now touching this title here and elswhere given to God let us see 1. What these Hosts or Armies are whereof he is Lord. 2. Why they are called his Hosts 3. What it is to be Lord of these Hosts and what honour accrues and is a scribed to God by this Attribute In treating whereof I must intreat my Reader the same that the Oratour did His when he spake of Socrates Vt majus quiddâ—m de â—is quà m quae â—â—ripta sunt suspicarentur Cic. 3. de Oratore Loquimur de Deo non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus Gratian. Imperator and Lucius Crassus that they should imagine some greater matter then here they finde written forasmuch as in speaking of God we speak not what we ought but what wee are able as that Emperour hath well observed in his Epistle to Ambrose First then these Hosts whereof God is said to be Lord Soveraigne are all creatures heaven in earth and under earth 1. In heaven there are 1. Angels which are calâ—ed The Host of heaven 1 King 22.19 An heavenly Army or the multiâ—ude of the heavenly Host Luke 2.13 the armies that are in heaven following the Lord Christ upon white horses c. Rev. 19.13 The Authour to the Hebrews calles them the heavens as some conceive it Chap. 7.26 Not because they were coworkers with God in the creation of the world as the Rabbins will have it Goodw. Child of Light c. 102. for though Angels are called Elohim Psal 8.5 yet it was Jehovah Elohim onely that made all things of nothing Gen 2.4 Esay 45.24 Neither yet because they move the heavens and governe the whole world as the Jews after the Platonists beleeved and thereupon fell into the sinne of Angel worship Ratione pluralis Elohim ex Hebrais aliqui existimant so iarchum Deo Angelos in opere creationis c. Pareus in Gen. 1.1 Hebrai Platonicis imbuti opinionibus Angelos coelorum motores tâ—tiusque mundi gubernatores esse putabant c. Pareus in Heb. 2.5 intruding into those things that they had not seen Colos 2.18 and curiously prying into those secrets whereof there is neither proof nor profit Howbeit that they have under God a main stroke in ordering the course of naturall and civil affairs it may be proved out of Ezekiel Chap. 1. where the beasts are said to stir the wheels as themselves are stirred by the Spirit of God And for the manner of their motion every one of them is said to have four faces that is they can look every way at once and to have calves feet round that is they are apt to go every way and this with the greatest facility that
Hosts by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Hierome Ornatus for order makes an army beautiful 3. For their obedience which is no lesse admirable then their order amiable No souldier is so obsequious so active so ready prest at the command of his captain as all creatures are at the command of God So well disciplined are they and trained to it not by rules of art but by instinct of nature Psal 119.91 that if he say but to any go he goeth if come he cometh if do this he doeth it Never was any Emperour so observed as he is even to a nod or beck Psal 123.2 Fiftly therefore is he stiled somtimes Lord of Hosts and other times Lord God of Hosts to denote and set forth his infinite and irresistible power and that there is no standing before him thus armed and appointed if his wrath be kindled yea though never so little which is an answer to the third quaere Beza in Rom. 9.29 exauditi sunt domino multo potentiore quam ipsi sitis Ad infinitas ipsius vtres copias explicandas Beza in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sets forth his absolute power and soveraignty over all creatures whence he is called the one or onely Lord. Ephe. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est dissipare perdere quod victori conâ—enit imprimis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc epitheto summa tribuitur Deo potentia saith a grave and learned interpreter Chiefest power and soveraign authority is given and ascribed to God by this attribute For this it is often used and urged in the old Testament as in the new the very Hebrew word Sabaoth is retained for more Emphasis Iam. 5.4 The cryes of them that have reaped your fields and yet received no wages are entred into the eares of the Lord of sabaoth that is they are graciously heard by a Lord far more mighty then you are any saith the same interpreter And in his larger Annotations this saith he is added to shew his infinite forces and matchlesse might The like may easily be collected from Rev. 4.8 compared with Esay 6.3 Where the holy Ghost rendereth Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts by Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely such a one as hath not the sole command alone but the whole command of all the creatures In heaven he hath good servants in hell bad in earth both The other Apostles call him Lord it is Gorrans observation Iudas calls him not so but Rabbi Mat. 26.22 25. because he had shaken off the yoke of obedience but they that will not bend must break as he did when shortly after he became his own deathsman after that he had delivered up his master and all by the determinate counsel of God the might strong God as he is stiled Esay 9.6 the Al-sufficient God Gen. 17.1 Aben Ezra renders it The conquerour and the Lord Christ is said to go forth riding on his white horse conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 The Septuagint render it Self-sufficient able to do all without help of any how much more when having such hosts at command Aquila renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong lusty valiant Pagnine and Iunius Omnipotent Now dicitur Omnipotens quia omnium tenet potestatem saith Isidore And this David the King acknowledgeth in all ample manner yea Nebuchadnezzar the tyrant Dan. 4.37 Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty For all that is in the heaven is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all c. 1 Chron. 29.11.12 SECT II. The Pope will needs be Lord of Hosts Vse 1 VVHat meaneth then that man of sin that mouth of blasphemy that I may apply to speak so great things of himself Rev. 13.5 2 Thes 2. Psal 100. Fran. Zabar Bellar. lib. 4. de Poâ—t Roquia in omnibus admirabilis stuper mundi to boast himself so much in mischief Psal 52.1 to lift up himself above all that is called God sitting in Gods temple and shewing himself there as if he were Lord of Hosts For although he hath but some angle and not all the corners of the earth though he is but a fox in a hole yet his discreet doctors say of him that he can do all that Christ can do that God hath put all things in subjection under his feet the beasts of the field that is men living on the earth the fishes in the sea that is souls in purgatory the fouls of the aire that is the souls of the blessed It sufficeth not Mosconius to derive Pape of Papae the interjection of admiring because the Pope is the worlds wonderment Rev. 13 3 Admiratio peperit philosophiam sic et Antichristianismum habens in toto mundo utrunqe gâ—adium c. Dulia adorandus De ministr milit Eccles l. 1. cap. 1. Os papae eâ—t eulus diaboli in eodem sunt praedicamento Jgnatij Con. clavs pag. 139. vide Pareum in Apoc. 13.3 Orâclis vocis mundi moderaris habenas et merito in ter ris diceris esse Deuâ— Super Angelos eleuatier papa adeo ut eos excommunicare possit ait Joh. 23. in extravag Luk. 4.6 Dr. Featly his Transub exploded that beast he should have said in the Revelation that all the world wondered after and Pontifex because he makes men a bridg to blessednesse but he will have him to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords having the power of both swords throughout the world yea command over all reasonable creatures Boniface the 8. wrote to Philip K. of France that he was Lord of all both temporals and spirituals in all countries which is one of the divels titles Math. 4. Valladerius shames not to say of Pope Paul 5. that he was a god lived familiarly with the Godhead heard Predestination it self whispering to him had a place to sit in councel with the most divine Trinitie And another of the same Popes parasites dedicates a book to him thus To Paul the 5. Vice-God the most invincible Monarch of the Christian common-wealth the most mighty defender of the Pontifician omnipotency Our Lord God the Pope saith a certaine Canonist And to thee is given all power in heaven and earth said the Councel of Lateran the very year before Luther stood up against that Romish Antichrist who weares a triple crowne in token that he is Lord of heaven where he may canonize saints of hell where he may free soules out of purgatory of earth where he saith as once the divel did All power is delivered unto me and unto whomsoever I will I give it But how haps it then that he gives no more to many of his best servants To instance in some of our own fugitives Allin had a Cardinals hat but with so thin lining meanes to support his state that he was commonly called the starveling Cardinall Stapleton was made professour
locusts c. Till Pharaoh was compelled to answer for him The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked This was a faire confession but extorted for he was no sooner off the rack but he bit it in again and became more hard and hardy as water grows more cold after a heat And such for all the world was the forced and fained obedience of those Israelites im the wildernesse while God slew them by fiery serpents and others his warriors then they sought him yea they returned and enquired after God Psal 78.34.36 as if they would have done the deed Neverthelesse they flattered him with their mouthes and lied unto him with their lips So must not we do if ever we mean to do well but throwing away our weapons lay our selves low before his foot-stool unfainedly submitting to the scepter of his kingdom obeying from the heart that form of doctrine whereunto we have been delivered For what a shame is it for us not to do that homage to God Rom. 6.17 that all other creatures so gladly pay perform what a monstrous thing that man amidst al Gods handy-works that revere the Almighty and readily do his will that he I say should prove a great Heteroclite an open rebel a profest adversary to God his soveraign Lord his crown and dignity Oh send a lamb in token of homage and fealty to the ruler of the world Vow and pray to the Lord your God bring presents unto Fear that is to him that ought to be feared And for as much as with your ten thousand you are not able to encounter this great King that comes against you with twenty thousand times twenty thousand send an embassage quickly of prayers and tears whiles he is yet on the way Irent propè ne remorando iram victores exasperarint Tacit hist lib. 2 Mittamus preces lacrymas cordis legatos Cyprian 1 Kin. 20.32 The British Embassadours came in torne garments with sand on their heads in the time of Valentinian the third Daniels hist of Eng. The Callice men came to Ed. 3 bare headed bare-footed in their shirts with halters about their necks c. lib. p. 240. Psal 27. and desire conditions of peace Luk. 14.32 You know how Jacob disarmed that rough man Esau that came against him with 400. cutthroats at his heels how Abigail appeased that enraged man David that had desperately vowed the death of so many innocents how the Syrians prevailed with that non-such Ahab for the life of their Lord Benhadad Having heard that the kings of Israel were merciful men they put sackcloth upon their loines and ropes upon their heads and in this form of humble suppliants they came to the King and said Thy servant Benadad saith I pray thee let me live And a like addresse we read of in our own histories of the old Brittones to Aetius the Roman Governour and of the Calice-men to one of our Edwards Oh let their practise be our pattern We have heard abundantly that there is a matchlesse mercy in God for all penitent persons above that ever was found in the best king of Israel this mercy we have a promise of if we submit to the condition in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy Hos 14 3. So had not the Syrians their best encouragement was a general hear say This condition is no more then what every man will yeeld to be reasonable viz. that we lay down the bucklers first that we come before him in lowliest manner with ashes on our heads so they of old as unworthy to be above ground with sack-cloth on our loyns as unworthy the coursest cloathing with ropes about our heads as deserving to be destroyed yet humbly begging that we may live in his sight with Ismael yea that we may serve in his presence with Moses and dwell in his house with David all the dayes of our lives to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple This is all that God requires and this was that one thing that David beg'd so dearly at Gods hands Psal 27.4 and accordingly obtained it Hence he so confidently calls his soul to rest amidst a multitude of molestations and incumbrances Hear him else Psal 3. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about I laid me down and slept I awaked c. He never brake his sleep for Absalom and all his forces the up in arms against him For why salvation saith he is of the Lord his blessing is upon his people Ver. 5 6 8. whereof I am one and shall therefore be in safety Behold I have blessed him and he shall be blessed said Isaac of Iacob saith the God of Iacob of all those that rest confidently upon his power for their preservation that hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh saith Eliphaz neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Iob. 5.22 23. SECT VII Set his power awork by prayer The power of prayer LAstly is God Lord of Hosts how should this consideration quicken and call us up to a constant instancy in prayer to that God Eph. 3.21 2 Cor. 8 Phillip 4 Oratio fidelis omnipotens est Luther Est quaedam omnipotentia precum Alsted syst Theol. lib. 4. cap. 2. Luk. 18.6 who is able to do for us above that we are able to ask or think that we having all sufficiency alwayes in all good things may abound unto every good work through Christ that strengthneth us Many and glorious things are spoken of the power of prayer in the book of God Indeed there is a kinde of Omnipotency ascribed unto it and not without cause For certainly whatsoever God can do prayer can do sith prayer sets God awork God sets his power awork and Gods power sets the creature awork as at Peters enlarge ment and then what wonder the thing come on an end though never so difficult For shal any thing be too hard for God or shal not God avenge his praying people that cry day and night unto him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Asa and Iehosaphat prayed down their enemies so did the Jewes in Esthers time the Saints in the acts the thundering legion The death of Arrius Acts 4. Secrat lib. 1. cap. 15. was precationis opus non morbi He was brought to confusion by the prayers of Alexander the good Bishop of Constantinople Luther had obtained of God that whilst he lived the enemie should not plunder his countrey when I am gone said he Acts Mon. let those pray that can So when the states of Germany were once assembled to consult
haec locutio Deo esse suam opportunitatem c. Calvin in locum Baiom in isto die Jom significat per Synechdoch tempus certum atque id praecipuè cum de juturo agitur Shindl. pentag 2 Thes 1 10. 1 Thes 5.2 2 Thes 2.2 2 Pet. 3.12 Rom 2 5.16 Guaâ—â—ber Figuter Alii 1 Tim. 5.24.25 This Lord of Hosts will not fail to finde a fit time for the making up of his jewels from the worlds misusages There is a day here specified in the text a set and solemn day a particular time a certain season wherein God will make himself glorious and to be admired in all them that beleeve in that day So speaks the Apostle of that last day called elsewhere the day of the Lord the day of Christ the day of God and the day of the declaration of the just judgement of God according to the Gospel And of this last and great day of general judgement the most interpreters understand this text And truly I beleeve it is partly if not principally intimated and mainly though I cannot think onely here intended Some mens sins are open afore-hand going before to judgement and some men they follow after Likewife also the good works of some are manifest before hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid Some sinners are here punished that we may acknowledge a providence and yet not all that we may expect a judgement But a day there will be as sure as day whether sooner or later I have not to determine wherein God will take out the precious from the vile the corn from the chaffe the sheep from the goats the good fish and good figs from the bad wherein he will set a price upon his pearls make up his jewels advante his favorites his darlings his peculiar people and put away all the wicked of the earth as drosse Psal 119.119 And albeit he delay haply to do it because his hour is not yet come yet his forbearance is no quittance to the bad Vide Calvin in loc nor deniance to the better sort God first writes things down in his book of remembrance and then afterwards executes them which requires some time between But a time he will finde and that must needs be so for these reasons some respecting God and some the saints themselves but both sorts grounded upon the text and there-hence borrowed SECT I Reason 1 From Gods providence Reas 1 FOr God Sic spectat universos quast singulos sic singulos quasi solos Aug. 1 Tim 4.10 Curiosus plenus negotij Deus Tull. de nat deor first there be many things in Him that may well infer the point in proof as his providence power Faithfulnesse Goodnesse and Justice First his good providence which like a well-drawn picture eyeth each one in the room Neither is he a bare spectatour onely but as chief Agent he wisely ordereth all the worlds disorders to the good of his children He saveth that is he preserveth all men but especially those that beleeve saith the Apostle he is curious and full of businesse saith the Heathen my father worketh hitherunto and I also work saith our Saviour And this is meant by those seven eyes of the Lord Zech. 4.10 That run to and fro thorow the whole earth causing that none shall have cause to despise the day of small things Gods jewels are little in bulk great in worth for as small as they are they shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubb bel with or by those seven And the eyes of the Lord saith another Prophet run to and fro thorow the earth to behold the evil and the good and not so only but to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him and to give them an expected end And this reason is secretly couched in that clause of our text There was a book of remembrance writâ— before him Est autem hic liber providentiae 2 Chron 16.9 Jer. 29.11 saith Polanus this is the book of Gods providence wherein as all our members are written which in continuance of time were fashioned had he left out an eye in his common-place book thou hadst wanted it so are all our services Polan in loc Psal 139.16 that they may be recompensed yea and all our sufferings too that they may be remedied and revenged when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Act. 3.19 Thou tellest my wandrings saith David put thou my tears into thy botile are they not in thy book And there-hence he rightly concludes the point in hand ver 9. Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call this I know that God will be for me Psal 56.8.9 or that God will be mine as the same phrase is rendered in this text SECT II. Reason 2. From Gods power NExt there is an almighty power in God called therefore Lord of Hosts in the text exerted and exercised for the relief and rescue of his poor people trampled on by those fat buls of Basan with the foule feet of contempt and cruelty whereby he taketh course that they be not over-trod or too long held under by the insolencies and insultations of their enemies But when they shall seem to themselves and others utterly forlorn and undone so that salvation it selfe cannot save them which was good Davids case Psal 3.2 then shall the Lord be a shield for them their glory their strong tower and the lifter up of their head Ver. 3. And this he shall do with a great deal of ease and expedition as being Lord of Hosts that is of all creatures by the hands of whom he shall send from heaven and save them from the reproach of him that would swallow them up Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth Psal 57.3 SECT III. Reason 3. from Gods Truth ANd that passage points us to two other reasons for the point God will send forth his mercy and truth And first his truth I meane his faithfulnesse intimated also in these words of our text Saith the Lord of Hosts These things saith he that is faithfull and true they shall be mine in the day c. I will have a time to make up my Jewels in much mercy Now hath God said it and shall he not accomplish it Is not his decree his facere shall he not fulfill with his hand what he hath promised with his mouth God is not as man that he should lye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mal. 3.6 neither is he unconstant as other friends that he should change no nor yet unmindfull that he should forget least of all is he unfaithfull that he should falsify God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. 1 Cor. 10. He will give patience under the temptation a good use of it and a good issue from out of it in the best time SECT IIII.
own greater glory to make himself a name in the earth when thus in a moment in the turning of a hand he turns the wheel causing light suddenly and sweetly to spring forth not onely in but out of deepest darknesse All that we have here to do is to leave the labouring Church in Gods everlasting armes Deut. 33.27 〈…〉 agens de 〈…〉 Melch. Adam Jer 8.20 Psal 90.13.14.15 Isai 45.15 as Moses speaketh crying out unto him day and night How long Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwel on the earth Lord how long shal the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long wilt thou not have mercy on Ierusalem and the cities of Iudah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore yeers Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Psal 102.13 The sight of the rubbish moved affections of prayer hence they knew the set time of help was at hand as when we bid our children ask us any thing it is because that we mean to give it them the harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeers wherein we have seen evil c. This was the course that Daniel took in like case when he understood by books the number of the yeers that the set and appointed time was now past he set his face by earnest prayer to seek out that God that hideth himself and so to draw him out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their cruelty and to plead the cause of his oppressed people Isai 26.21 A time there is set we all now for the fall of Antichrist Roma diu titubans vartis erroribus acta Corruet mundiâ— desinet esse caput Luk. 18.7 9 This cannot be far by all signes and tokens well nigh fulfilled and accomplished And for the elects sake should not those dayes be shortned would they but cry day and night to him that heareth prayers though he bear long with them I tell you that he would avenge them speedily And that he doth it no sooner may we not thank our own dulnesse and slacknesse to ply the the throne of grace with faithful and fervent prayer For when the son of man cometh to destroy that wicked one with the brightnesse of his coming shall he finde faith upon earth 1 Thes 2. such a vigorous and victorious faith as would make Gods remembrancers pray and faint not which is the drift of that parable of the importunate widow to make mention of the Lord and to give him no rest till he establish and make his Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isaiah 62. 6 7 SECT IX Comfort under personal crosses and grievances NExt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas apud Socrat. hist Eccles lib. 3. cap. 14. Isai 26 Heb. 10. Hab. 2 Rev. 22. Psal 37. Hab. 2. Heb. 10.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A military word from souldiers who recoyle and leave their standing Prov. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. here 's a word of comfort and encourragement to each particular Christian as touching his personal crosses and encombrances whatsoever Let none faint or shrink under the heaviest burden of their light affliction sith it is but for a moment as Paul hath it for a few dayes onely while you would say what 's this as Jacob computed it Mourning lasteth but till morning saith David for a very little while saith Esay for a smal pittance of time saith the Author to the Hebrews after Habacuc and then he that shal come will come and will not tarry Behold I come quickly saith Christ and my reward is with me But what shall we do in the mean while Feed on faith saith David The just shall live by faith saith Habacuc yea and make a good living of it too For 1. It will rein him in that he shall not run from his colours forsake his captain to seek for help of the God of Ekron to bring it in by the back-door that he shall not make more hast out of his present presures then good speed according to that He that beleeveth maketh not hast he can be content to wait Gods leisure and not to anticipate his time 2. Faith again fetcheth comfort and support as the merchants ship doth treasure from afar it makes a man look thorough the present durance to the furure deliverance which faith saluteth afar off and resteth as confident of the accomplishment of Gods promise by hope as if it were already in hand Faith taketh and individuateth the promise applies and appropiates that to it self He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee No devoratory evil as Tertullian termeth it shall touch thee tactu qualitativo as Cajetan hath it with a deadly touch Touch thee it may to thy smart but not at all to thy hurt Touch it may thy feet as Jordan did the Priests feet that bore the Arke but sure the proud waters shall not go over thy soule Psal 124.5 Psal 94.13 Ezek. 36.11 For God will give thee rest from the dayes of adversity untill the plt be diged for the wicked Yea I will settle you after your old estates will do better unto you then at your beginnings and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Now all these and the like promises saith takes for present pay counts them sure-hold and so lives upon them and the just by it 3. Faith puts a mans head into heaven gives him to walk with God in affliction sets him as it were into the upper region above all stormes as Henoch who seing and walking with him that is invisible was taken up even before he was taken up Here below are many changes of weather but above with God there is a continuall serenity Now the way of the righteous is on high saith Solomon and as waters abide not on ground that lyes high so neither doth the sense of afflictions lye long on mindes lifted up in heavenly contemplations I will not say but such may be surprized by a common calamity by a deluge of destruction that overspreads the whole land But usually God doth either hide his Jewels then in the golden cabinet of his gracious providence that they shall not be much the worse for it as he did the Israelites in Goshen the disciples in Pella the marked mourners in the hollow of his own hand Or if they be wrapt up in a common condition with others Psal 129 3â—4 yet God will make a manifest difference in that day For either he will give them their lives for a prey Thou hast afflicted me sore saith David
shall they say unto him Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name and eat and drunk in thy presence that is communicated at thy table and heard thee teaching in our streets But he o' to'ther side will as deeply disavow them as they do boldly lay claim to him Math. 7.23 for then will I professe to them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity And if they shall offer yet to make request for their lives with Hamâ—â— and to speak for themselves as once those Israelites we have sinned do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee deliver us onely we pray thee this day he will answer them according to the idols of their hearts as he did those of old Ezek 14.4 and say Ye have forsaken me and served other gods wherefore I will deliver you no more go and cry to the gods that your selves have chosen let them deliver you in the day of your tribulation Jud. 10 13 14 15. Formidaehilis erat Adamo Dei vox cùm lenitèr paternè eum alâ—oquehatur in paradiso in aura aurorae nedùm cum in furore turbine c. Ca â—w Heb. 9.27 Dan. 12.2 At the day of Iudgement secrâ—t things shall be brought to light as packs and fardels are not opened till they come to the fair or market D. Willet than the which I know not what more dreadful or direful sentence can possibly fall from Gods holy mouth unlesse it be that last irrevocable doom of damnation go ye cursed c. At the first hearing whereof their very heart strings shal crack and their hearts fall asunder in their bosoms like drops of water Well were it with the wicked in that day if they might trudge directly on to damnation and not be forced to see the face of the Judge that they have buffetted and to hear his voice that they have despised But alasse for their misery it may not be For after that all in vain they have tired out the deaf rocks and mountains with their continuate cryings Fall upon us cover us hide us dash us and quash us to pieces grinde us to powder do any thing to dispatch us they must perforce in person measure the place and race of judgement It is appointed for all men once to die and after death judgement Not a man that sleeps in the dust of death but must needs awake some to everlasting life and preferment and some to shame and everlasting contempt as those that have all their evil deeds as it were written in their fore-heads so that all shall see and say Behold the man and behold his works These and these things hast thou done will the Judge then say and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such as thy self but I will set thee down and set them down in an order before thee to thy perpetual confusion As the word goeth forth of the kings mouth their faces shall gather blacknesse and be covered as Hamans and themselves shall be speechlesse They shall be confounded and troubled for ever they shall be put to shame and perish That men may know that he whose name is Jehovah is the most high over all the earth Psal 83.17 18. Enoch foretold this day of judgement before Noah foretold the flood That day is longer ere it comes but shall be more terrible when it is come SECT VII Terrour to those that set themselves against the Saints Secondly Use 2 Doth the Lord graciously own and honour all that fear his name how should this terrifie and take off all those dogged dogs and bedlam Belialists that offer any manner affront or offence to such sith how mean soever and miserable in the worlds eye they are dearly beloved of God as Daniel highly favoured inheaven Dan. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7. Heb. 12. Rom. 8 Psal 45. 1 Cor. 4.13 Rom. 3.8 Nemo me impunè lacessit Irascipop Rom. nemo sapienter possit Tacit. as Mary dearlings to the Almighty as David faire to God as Moses and not only faithful as he in al Gods house as servants but such as have a naile a name there better then of sons and of daughters Esay 58.5 For they are the first-born whose names are written in heaven as free denisons yea they are heires of God and coheires with Christ who is not ashamed to call them brethren fellows friends favorites any thing every thing that may evidence the dear respects he bears unto them Now were it a wise-mans part to fall out with the Kings favourite to lowre upon his son and heir to deface his picture to tread under foot his Jewels to spit upon his royal robe or imperial diadem How as Balaam slain by the Lord for but wishing evil to his Israel Goliath for but defying his host Nabal for reviling his David which was scandalum Magnatum and in the new Testament termed blasphemy How was Cain schooled for but scowling upon Abel and Laban threatened for but following after Iacob and Abimelech plagued for but an unwittingabuse to Abraham Thus he suffered none to do them wrong yea he reproved even kings for their sakes Psal 105.14 will ye know the reason he remembred his covenant to Abraham and his oath to Israel ver 8.9 There is a straight league betwixt God and his people such as was that betwixt Jehosaphat and Ahab nay such as passed betwixt David and Abiatbar Look what David said once to him the same saith god to his Abide thou with me feare not for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me shalt thou be in safeguard He is a Sun saith the Psalmist to refresh his people 1 Sam. 22.23 Psal 84.11 and a shield to shelter them As the shield is betwixt the body and the dart so is God betwixt his people and their hurt He carrieth them on his wings as the Eagle doth her yong so that there is no wounding of them but through his sides Deut. 32.11 Aquilae pullos suos in alis portant alites reliqui inter pedes Munster â— ex rabbi Solomon Zach. 3.8 Acts 9.4 2 King 19.22 nay no touching of them but ye touch the apple of his Eye As the eye is vexed with the least mote that gets into it so is he with the least indignity done to his people If Saul tread upon the least toe in Christs my sticall body the head will try out from heaven why hurtest thou me If Rabshakeh raile upon Hezekiah Against whom hast thou railed saith God and whom hast thou provoked to wrath even the Holy one of Israel In pushing at any of these lively stones in Gods temple men spurne at the corner-stone it self and so kick against the prickes In offending the least of Christs little ones they presently proclaim open war against Him who keepeth all their bones bottles up all their teares yea numbreth all their haires not one of them
Esay 54.13 who 1. by his word makes them wise to salvation gives subtlety to the simple and to the youg man knowledge and discretion 2. by his spirit of revelation convinceth them of their false principles refells their fallacious reasonings unteacheth them the devils learning and then leads them into all truth and goodnesse for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth And of this teaching speaketh St. Paul 1 Thes 4.0 and St. Iohn 1 Epist 2.27 7. Next for their delight and recreation he allowes them his garden to walk into his wine-cellar to go down into He pleaseth himself wondrously in their company be they but two or three of them he is in the midst as once he made the third with those two going Emaus He sets them between his legs as it were so some read that text Deut 33.3 He loved tho people and as an effect thereof they sat down at thy feet or they were set between thy feet as the fathers darlings Moreover when he hath them there he rejoyceth over them with joy yea he rejoyceth ouer them with singing Zeph. p 3.17 like as earthly parents dandle dance and sing their little ones upon their knees Further he is wondrous choyce and chary of his children so that he cannot abide the cold wind should blow upon them The sun must not smite them by day nor the moon by night and what wind soever blow whether North or South and what more contrary then those they must blow good to Gods children Cant. 4. ult In a word he thinks nothing good that he hath to himself except they may share a part And is not this the part of a loving parent 8. Lastly for matter of maintenance and outward subsistence your heavenly father knowes that ye need these things also Mat. 6.32 and it 's enough for you that he knowes it He holds them to hard-meat sometimes but then they have it of free-cost when the wicked pay deare for their tid-bits and dainty morsels Their meat is sawced and their drink spiced with the wrath of God Iob 20.14 their very table is a snare to them The Inne-keeper gives his guests the bests dishes but reserves the inheritance for his children so here God gives his people mony in their purses so much as will serve turne to beare their charges home to buy them necessaries and to keep them true men at least though they have not to lavish and riot because he knows their weaknesse that way and therefore holds them mostly to straight allowance Not out of niggardize I must tell you for he could beteeme them more meanes and so he doth also to some of his better children that have grace to use it and make them friends with it But the less he allowes them here the more he layes up for them in heaven Psal 89.28 31 19. And when they are once come to the full stature of a man in Christ for now they are in their nonage the whole inheritance shall be given them of the father Rom. 8.16 They shall have power over all creatures Rev. 2.26 and possession of that new heaven and new earth 2. Pet. 3.13 And if these be not the expressions and provisions of a bountifull father pray y' what is SECT IIII. God no Father to the wicked what ever they pretend to him NOw for Application Doth God the Lord look upon such as sons and daughters as sincerely serve him Use 1 How then think we doth he look upon all such as serve not God but Mammon as serve not the Lord Christ but their own bellies their base lusts this present evill world nay the God of this world Matth. 6. Rom. 16. 2 Cor. 4.4 Ioh. 8. 1 Ioh. 3.8 Ver. 9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose works they do and will do and are therefore of their father the devill This saith St. Iohn entitles the devill to a man for he that commits sin is of the devill that 's flat And again In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill He that is borne of God doth not commit sin Well he may slip into it of infirmity and at unawares Gal. 6.1 A sheep may slip into a slough but delights not to wallow in it He doth not work iniquity on set purpose he doth not sell over himself to sin with Ahab Rom. 6. Eph. 4. he doth not hire out his members as weapons of wickednesse working all uncleannesse with greedinesse No this is not the guise of a childe of God but of an impe of hell of a brat of fathomlesse perdition They have corrupted themselves saith Moses Deut. 32.5 their spot is not the spot of his children they are a perverse and crooked generation And yet who so forward as these to claime kindred of the Almighty to fawn upon God and call him father Wilt thou not from this time saith He to Idolatrous Israel that had in this behalf an whores forehead a wainscot face hatcht all over with impudence wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father my father art thou not the guide of my youth Will he reserve his anger for ever will he keep it to the end Here were good words Sed quid verba quaero facta cum videam How canst thou say Judg. 16.15 Ier. 3.2 3 4 ◠thou lovest me when thy heart is not with me Behold saith God in the same place thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldest thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredomes and wickednesse and hast thou yet a sace to call me Father Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God 2 Ioh. 9. He that walketh not in the steps of Abrahams faith Obj. Sol. hath not Abraham to his father Rom. 4.12 what-ever he pretends to him with those braving Jews Ioh. 8. Tell me not here that God hath blessed you as a father sustein'd you with corne and wine Gen. 27.37 given you of the fatnesse of the earth and of the dew of heaven c. for Esau had as good a portion as this and yet a cast-away and Abraham gave the moveables to the children of the concubins whom he lesse respected but Isaac had the inheritance Oh but we are children of the free-woman Obj. Sol. borne and bred in the bosome of the church and enjoy many outward priviledges So did Esau and yet was hated of God so did Iudas and yet a firebrand of hell Obj. Sol. Mat. 3. Neither is it any such businesse as many make of it that they have had their Christendome For unlesse they be withall baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire with the spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4.4 whereby they have so put on Christ as that they are become the children of God by faith in him Gal. 3.26 27. It s pity that ever Font-water was spilt upon their faces Saul was circumcised and yet David calls him
him saith David that is whatsoever thou wouldst that God should bestow upon thee cast it first upon him by faith and it shall be effected Rom. 8. Qui misit unigenitum immimisit spiritum promisit vultum quid tandem tibi negaturus est Bâ—r. de tem he shall bring it to passe Away with the spirits of bondage to feare againe we have now received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father yea for an unquestionable pledge of his infinite love he hath given us his son how shall he not then together with him give us all things also That 's St. Pauls argument If ye which are evill can give good things to your children how much more wil your heavenly father give to them that ask of him that 's our Saviours argument Whereunto let me adde this God made himself known to be our gracious and provident Father Mat. 6 A Christian is crowned not only in his cradle with K. James but before he is born as Sapores K. of Persia was For his father dying left his mother with child and the Persian Nobility set the crown on his mothers belly acknowledging thereby her issue for their Prince Heyl. Geog. p. 64 Mat. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 23.3 before we could know our selves to be his children He formed us in the womb crudled us there like cheese curiously wrought us in those lowermost parts of the earth as an Artificer when he hath some speciall piece of work to do retires into some private room out of the sight of others whilest we were there he filled two bottles of milk for our entertainment into the world whereinto we no sooner came but he entred into covenant with us to be our God and Father hee signed and sealed this covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme the solemne seal of our adoption And all this before ere we knew what was done unto us And will hee now forget to do us good when we know and acknowledge him when we pray unto him and by faith depend upon him It is not possible He feeds the fowls and clothes the lillies to whom he is no father And will he not much more do so for you Oh ye mall faiths A child whiles he hath his fathers favour cares for nothing never troubles himself to think where he shall have his next meal or a new suit of clothes let him but please his father and those things shall be provided to his hand Again let a child walk in dark and dangerous places so long as he hath hold of his father he fears not Did we but stirre up our selves to take hold of God wee should be secure yea though we walked in the vale of the shadow of death with David we should never be heard to say as Heathens that have no interest in God What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed so long as our heavenly Father knows that we need all these things and will not fail to provide them in a competent measure The men of Gods hand it may be shall have more then wee because they have their portion here with the prodigall But we need not envie them that for it is but an estate for life granted them in the utmost and most remote part of our inheritance Psal 17 Will a child think much a father should give a pension for life out of this or that whiles he hath far greater things left him yea the inheritance also of that out of which an annuity is granted for a time to some other Children ought not to lay up for their parents but parents for their children saith the Apostle And Oh how great things saith the Prophet hast thou laid up in store for them that fear thee Now 2 Cor. 12.14 will he give us a crown and deny us a crust provide heaven for us and with-hold earth from us Ask onely and it shall be given you the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof In your Fathers house is bread enough Shall the prodigall call so confidently for his childs part shall Esau go so roundly to his father for the blessing Luk. 15.12 Gen. 27.34 And do we stand doubting whether we were best speak or hold our tongues and not fall down with Esther before Ahashuerosh or with Achsah before her father Caleb and beg the upper-springs of spirituall blessings and the nether-springs of temporall comforts which he with-holds haply for a time with an unwilling willingnesse that he may hear of us and have our prayers which though never so poor and imperfect yet he is much taken with as a naturall parent is with the pratling and stammering of his own above all the plain speech of all the children in the Town besides SECT XIV Comfort of Adoption where are shewed the Priviledges of sonnes privative and positive COmfort to all Gods faithfull servants Vse 5 they are sonnes and daughters to the Almighty and count you that a small matter Is it nothing to be son-in-law to a king saith David What pains did Jacob take night and day to be but sonne-in-law to Laban who changed his wages ten times and ever for the worse Joseph and Daniel were for their good service highly advanced but not adopted But every servant of God is a sonne and every sonne an heir Great was the glory of our first Parents in Paradise had they held it and yet if they had what had they gotten more then a confirmation of their present estate or at most the reward of their service wages for their work they could never have attained to this honour Joh. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the sons of God This St. Iohn in his gospell calls a dignity an eminency a royalty And in his first epistle he stands and wonders as transported with an extasy of admiration at it 1 Ioh. 3.1 And well he might For this saith the psalmist is to be set above the Kings of the earth it interesteth and inrighteth a man to the inheritance of heaven and earth The possession of the earth is as yet deteyned from God children by the wicked for a time as the promised land was from Israel by the Amorites but they have great things mean-while in reversion even heaven with all its happines whither they may comfortably look up and boast on better ground then Nebuchadnezzar did of his Babel 1 Pet 1.4 Is not this mine inheritance Am I not kept by the power of God to that salvation reserved for me in the heavens Yea they may comfortably lift up their eye as God bâ—d Abraham toward heaven and tell the starrs if he were able so they their glorious priviledges This Moses well understood and therefore chose rather to suffer as a son Heb. 11. then to scape as a bastard he preferr'd the reproach of Christ before the honour of being the son of Pharaohs daughter and the possibility of being heir to two
shall stop him If Salomon delight to search out the secrets of wisdom what shall be hid from him If Somson delight in Daliance what will h not dare to do for it if Ahashueroh delight in Esther what may not she have of him If the Lord delight in us saith Caleb then be will bring us into this land of giants and give it us As if he hath no delight in me said David behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him But now the Lord doth delight in every David and will shew him yea seal up unto him the sure mercies of day He delights in mercy saith the Prophet yea such a mercy saith the Apostle he rejoyceth against judgement and glories over it as over his adversary whom he hath subdued Hence it was that he erected himself of old not a judgment-seat but a mercy-seat in the midst of his people as one that settled himself to shew them mercy When the Judge sate him down in the gates of Israel it was to do justice Psal 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. When the scorner sits him down in the chair of pestilence he will scoff to some purpose so now that God sits in his mercy-seat he will surely shew mercy with ease yea a multitude of mercies When a man hath setled himself in his seat it 's supposed he is at ease and a small matter shall not raise him God is never more at ease as I may say and better pleased then when he is in his mercy-seat in his throne of grace Hence he is said to rise out of his place Heb. 4.16 to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Esay 26.21 and to do his work his strange work when he is to do justice Esay 28.21 It is an act neither so proper to him for it is his strange work nor so pleasant to him for he riseth out of his place to do it which is a kinde of diseasement and a pain to him especially from whom mercie flows as freely and as naturally as light from the sun hony from the comb water from the well-spring He quits himself in it as well apaid thereof he rests in his love and will seek no farther Zeph. 3.17 This mercy-seat was the cover of the Ark where the two tables of the Law lay to note the blessednesse of those that receive mercy their iniquity is forgiven their sin is covered Again from this mercy-seate Psal 32.1 scituate not between the Seraphim those flaming executioners of justice Isa 6. but between the Cherubims as ministers of mercy the Lord shewed himself Act. 7. and gave forth the lively oracles as St. Steven stiles them Once he spake from the burning bush or smoaking mountain so terrible that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake This was mount Sina in Arabia But we are come to mount Sion c. Heb. 12.21.22 and upon all the glory now there is a covering or mercy-seat Isa 4.5 The tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev. 21.3 Jerusalem which is from above is now called the throne of the Lord and all nations flock unto it Jer. 3. God puts them among the children of his love and saith to each of his Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me Jer. 17.19 Therefore are they before the throne of God answerable to the ancient mercy-seat serving him day and night in his temple Rev. 7.15 Where the Angel of his presence Jesus Christ offers their services powring in of his incense with the prayer of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne Rev. 8.3 And hence it is that the good Lord pardoneth every one that prepareth his heart to seek God 2 Chr. 30.18 19. though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary that he winks at small-faults shall I say and spares them as a man spares his own son that serves him nay that he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression or treason he retaineth not his anger for ever seem he never so much displeased and all because mercy pleaseth him which puts the prophet to his patheticall exclamation by way of wonderment Who is a God like unto thee c. SECT III. ANd that is the rise of our second Reason from God Reas 2 who therefore spares his people as a father his childe that they may 1. praise him for present yea for ever Cretae Jovis est imago auribus carens ait Plutarchus Non enim convenit audiri ab eo quenquam qui omnium dominus sit princeps Plut. Mor. Lucianus fingit cancellos in coelo per quos Jupiter certo tempore homines respiciat quo solummodo tempore petentes exaudiantur Psal 48.10 Tollens iniquitatem peccatuÌ„ scelus sic enim exprimitur magnitudo clementiae quod non levibus tantum delictis det veniam sed graviss quibusque sceleribus Calvin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim 1.14 that he may fill their mouths with laughter and their tongues with triumph that they may say among the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them that they may say among the saints Their Rock is not as our Rock our enemies themselves being judges Oh who is God like unto thee â— The Gods of the Nations are idols And we know that an idol is nothing and that of nothing nothing comes of such dung-hill deities no mercy is to be expected they cannot work beyond the sphere of their activity But our God is in the heavens and as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him He is a great God and a great King above all Gods And as himself is great so is his mercy and so also is his glory For according to thy name O Lord so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth Now what is Gods name Heare it from his own mouth Iehovah Iehovah God mercifull and gracious c. forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is all sorts of sins though never so heavy never so heinous Naturall pollution actuall transgression stifneckt presumption all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men saith our Saviour how much more the involuntary slips of the saints their unavoidable infirmities their sins of daily incuâ—sion for which also there is provided a pardon of course it needs no more but suing out It is the glory of a man to pass by a transgression saith Solomon Prov. 19.11 And it makes no lesse for the glory of God that he pardons the iniquity of his people that he multiplyeth pardons as they multiply sins Esay 55.7 that where grace aboundeth then doth grace superabound or abounds to flowing over as the word there signifieth that they cannot commit more then he will remit Surely hereby the power of our Lord appears to be exceeding great and as true as he liveth
all the earth is thereby filled with the glory of the Lord as it is Num. 14.17 19 21. He maketh his wonderfull works to be remembred saith the Psalmist and that in nothing more then this that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion Psal 111.4 This makes his people sing and shout Hallelujah O praise the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever SECT IIII. NExt Reas 3 as they praise him for the present so they trust him for the future which is the greatest honour they can do him as the thistle in Ionathans parable could tell Iudg. 9.15 sith every former mercy is a pledge of a future and every old mercy draws on a new as the links do one another in a chain if we break not off their course by our unbelief and diffidence Psal 36.10 O continue thy loving kindnesse saith David It is in the Hebrew O draw out thy loving kindnesse to the full length Gods mercies to his are a continued series there is a concatenation a connexion between them Eccles 1.8 As a spring runneth after it hath run so doth God spare his after he hath spared them The eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy Hence Gods servants have usually argued from what they have had to what they should have as David Paul and the church here in Micah She had praised God for his clemency in pardoning her sins and there hence confidently concludeth for power against sin If God will cover it certainly he will cure it The same mercy that moved him to pass by the transgression of his heritage will make him turne againe and have further compassion upon us say they in subduing our sins and casting them all as a stone into the mighty waters so that we shall see them no more any otherwise then the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore And all this he will do for his truth and mercies sake to Jacob and Abraham for his promise and covenants sake to our fathers of old Our father 's trusted in thee they hoped in thee and were not confounded Oh who is a God like unto thee c All nations will walk every one in the name of his God Mic. 4.5 we also will trust in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever And these are the reasons respecting God SECT V. 6. Reasons respecting the Saints themselves weo are 1. pure in heart 2. perfect in Christ A second rank of Reasons respect the Saints who are 1. Pure in heart 2. Perfect in Christ and therefore spared as a man spares his own son that serves him Reas 1 First Gods people are pure in heart they are washed they are justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Austin answered roundly when one upbraided him with the sins of his youth Quae tu reprehendis ego damnavi And when One twitted Beza with his youthly wanton poems he replied Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 they are sanctified by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God Now Yet God is good to Israel to the pure in heart Psal 73.1 Yet for all the sorrow Yet for all their faults and frailties which forasmuch as they disallow and disclaim bewail and out-grow therefore they are not laid to their charge Iob was a patient man yea he is set forth as a pattern of patience notwithstanding all his frowardnesse notwithstanding he made so many knots and brake his thread so oft as he did God accounts of him as if he had spun an even thread of patience all the time of his temptation David had his faults as great as another and yet because he was upright in the main God testifieth of him that he had followed him with all his heart and done only that that was right in his sight 1 King 14.8 Solomon at Gibeon climbes those disallowed hills the high-places and yet loves the Lord and is loved of him God will not see weaknesses where he seeth truth so pleasing a thing to him is sincerity in his service With one breath doth God report both these The high-places were not removed that was a great fault no doubt neverthelesse Asa's heart was perfect all his dayes Such is the mercy of our Gd to the pure in heart to those that study purity that he will not suffer our well-meant weaknesses to bereave us of his favour he rather pittieth then plagueth his children for the infirmities of upright hearts 2 Chro. 15.17 A slender service a small chare though but bungled at by child is much set by of the father And a bridegroom thinks nothing the worse of his bride for a little dirt she hath got being about some foul chare it being such especially as she may wash off at pleasure Zach. 13.1 1 Ioh. 2.1 We have a fountain alwaies open where we may wash and be clean and a dayly propitiation for dayly transgression even Jesus Christ the Righteous in whom SECT VII The Saints are perfect in Christ SEcondly our wants are covered and our works perfected and refined from all the filth and flesh that cleaves unto them Reas 2 For although the Saints are not so pure in heart but that their sanctification is still spotted and imperfect yet their justification by Christs righteousnes imputed is absolute and without blemish According to that He hath made him to be sinne or sinne-offering for us who knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Not that essentiall righteousnesse of God as Osiander vainly dreamt but that perfect obedience both active and passive of the Son of God performed unto his Father by whom he is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 Jer. 23.6 righteousnesse c. yea Jehovah our righteousnesse Which one Name of his would answer all our doubts and objections had we but skill to spell all the letters in it This righteousnesse of Christ made ours by imputation and acceptation is that white raiment Rev. 3.17 wherewith being clothed the shame of our nakednesse doth not appear for it is full broad large and wide enough to cover all our imperfections This is that broydered work and those bracelets wherewith the Church in Ezekiel being bedight and bedeckt became perfectly beautifull even to admiration These are those jewels of gold with studs of silver made us by the whole Trinity Cant. 6.9 that best robe of the prodigall that cloth of gold and needle-work-vesture of the royall daughter Psal 45.9 that fair mitre Zach. 3.4 5 and change of raiment of Jehoshuah the high-priest when the Lord took away his filthy garments and clothed him with better although Satan at the same time stood at his right hand had the upper hand of him because as some will have it his accusation was as true as vehement In short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the
and goodnesse able and ready to admonish z Rom. 15.14 and comsent one another in love The blessed Virgin could not conceal the comfort she had conceived upon the conception of her Saviour nor rest till she had imparted it to her cousin Elizabeth a Luk 1 3â— 40. The Apostles could not but speak the things they had heard and seen b Acts 4.20 they must do it And Saint Paul was so constrained by the love of Christ c Cor. 5.14 shed abroad in his soul that he could do no lesse then perswade other men to the like Christian coarse of life yea he had aimest perswaded Agrippa also to be a Christian d Act. 26.28 Fox Holy Bradford reckoned that hour lost wherein he had not done some good to other by tongue hand or pen. And how comes it then beloved brethren that such a sore deadnesse and dump of zeal and heavenly mindednesse doth haunt the hearts even of Gods hidden ones e Psal 83.3 in these unhappy dayes of security and forme that ye cannot finde your tongues in Christian company nor have a word hardly to utter there to any good purpose Is it because ye need not learn or be confirmed in the present truth that ye are so still is there nothing yet lacking to your faith or growth f 1 Thes 3.10 that ye are so tongue-tied God I am sure hath commanded another thing Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour and every one to his brother what haeth the Lord answered and what hath he spoken g Jer 23 25 And again They shall stand in the wayes and enquire for the old way h Jer. 6.16 c. If a passenger know not his way yet we say he hath a tongue in his head and he may seek direction and so he will if he be his own worthy Why then do not we that are travellers toward heaven use our tongues when we meet with company asking of one another the way to Zion with our faces thitherward going and weeping and seeking the Lord and sâ—ying Come and let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall never be forgotten i Jer 50.4 5 Is it fit to say to God with those in Job Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes k Job 21.14 or if we do desire are we too good to ask with the Eunuch l Acts 8 34 to seek with the Church in the Canticles m Cant. 3.1 to knock at the door of their lips for a spirituall alms who as liberall house-keepers feed many n Prov. 10.21 is it stiffenesse in us that we will not be beholding or bashâ—â—â—nesse that we would not be thought too forth-putting or is it not dulnesse rather and disaffection that we receive no more good and iron-boweld selfishnesse that we do no more good looking upon our own things onely with Cain as if we were not our brothers keepers oGen 4.9 bearing fruit to our selves onely with Ephraim p Hos 10.1 as if the Lord would be content with such empty vines living and lording it as if our lips were our own q Psal 12 and we not bound to serve one another in love r Gal. 5.13 yea and though free from all yet to make our selves servants to all that we might edisie some Å¿ 1 Cor. 9.19 I doubt not but dumb Christians are as well to be disliked and censur'd as dumb Ministers The manifefestation of the spirit is given to presit withall t 1 Cor 12.7 and the Philippians were all partakers or fellow-partners of St. Pauls geace u Philip. 1.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he else-where calls the gift bestowed on us for many x 2 Cor. 1.11 Why should any of us then hide his candle under a bushell thrust his hand into his bosom dig his talent into the earth shall it not be taken from us unlesse we improve it for common benefit and our selves be laid by as broken vessells whereof there is no further use How many have wee known in our little experience that once flourished like green bay-trees and yeelded much refreshing like Jonas his Gourd who yet ceasing afterwards from Christian exhortation have been blasted as sorward buds with untimely frosts and withered as Jonas his Gourd smitten with the worm How is the door of their lips as one justly complains that whilome was wont to open with the law of grace y Prov. 31.26 now lockt up from good words or moves as a door on rusty hinges with murmuring and complaining and speeches tending rather to the perverting of the hearers then godly edifying Oh look upon the fields of these slothfuil persons and when ye see them all grown over with thistles and nettles for want of manuring receive Instruction z Prov. 24.30 31 32 And that 's a third Use SECT V. Vse 3. Vse 3 Exhortation to be forward and free to godly Discourse INstruction I say and that in the Apostles words Let no corrups communication proceed out of your monthes but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers a Ephes 4.29 Covet after spirituall gifts but chiefly that ye may edisie b 1 Cor. 12.31 Let no man please himself but please every one his neighbour for his good to edisication c Rom. 15.2 being ready to distribute willing to communicate d 1 Tim. 6 18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad liberalem quorumvis bonorum cominunicationem respicit Scultet obser and exchange common comforts sweetest soul-secrets spirituall consolations and consultations with whatsoever Christians Bear ye one anothers burdens saith St. Paul and so fulfill the law of Christ e Gal. 6 2 What is that law hear it from his own mouth Little children yet a little while I am with you ye shall seek me and as I said unto the Iews whither I go ye cannot come so now I say unto you A new commandement give I unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you c f Joh. 13 33 34. Post consolationes quas ei cogitatio divinarum promissionum invocatio adferebant dicebat se non habere aliam levationem maestitiae nisi coll quia optimoruÌ„ fiatrum alierum bonestorum ac doctissimorum virorum De Georgio Principe Anbaltino Melchior in vita which seepch of his our Saviour shews that whereas they might be grieved at the losse of his bodily presence he had prescribed them a course for the supply of that comfort to wit as loving friends and fellow-members to sort together side together live together love together and by all means possible to delight themselves in a fruitfull fellowship one with another than the which I know not whether there be any thing in the whole earth more comfortable and glorious Sure it is if there be any heaven upon earth
next unto communion with God it is in the communion of Saints which differs onely in degrees from heaven for there the Lord commands his blessing saith David and life for evermore g Psal 133. ult Ne sitis negligentes corrigendis vestris ad curam vestram quoquo mâ—do pertinentibus monendo docendo hortando terrendo Aug. de verb dom ser 18. Away then with that sinfull retirednesse affected by some that neglect of profitable and comfortable fellowship with our brethren Did Christ leave heaven to converse with us and-shall we stie up our selves and live reclused Did he at his return to heaven lay this last charge upon us the very night afore his death to love one another as he loved us and do we neglect it He dwells still by the presence of his grace in the assemblies of his Saints h Psal 89.7 yea there he hath a delight to dwell Why should not we account it our happinesse yea our heaven that we may have leave to dwell where the God of heaven and authour of all happinesse loves to dwell The Church is called by Christ Chephsibah i Esay 62 4 And the Saints were Davids chephsibam k Psal 16 3 his darlings His eyes were upon the faithfull in the land that they might dwell with him l Psal 101 6 and he with them and although a king yet he held it no disparagement to be companion to all thâ—m that feared God and kept his statutes m Psal 119 63 though never so mean in the worlds eye and esteem Hence his thrift in the trade of godlinesse it being a course of incredible profit For when the misticall body of Christ is so fitly joyn'd together and compacted that every joynt makes a supply then there is a blessed increase of the whole body unto the edifying of it self in love n Ephes 4.16 As on the other side it is no better then a sinfull shamefastnesse or blancht-pride when Christians are so retired or reserved chusing rather to remain needy then to discover their poverty and like foolish and beggerly shop-keepers content themselves with a vain shew and a few painted papers stuft with straw or rags rather then they will use any spirituall trading with others or lose the name and opinion of wealthy men Ob. by taking up such wares as they want Oh but I am so barren of matter and unprovided of fit words when I come into good company that I am even ashamed to shew my head amongst them and exceedingly to seek Sol. To seek are you of what surely of affection rather then of expression of hearts rather then words For love makes eloquence * As in Croesus his sonne in Heredot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 KpoiÌ„oov as you may lee in the true mother of the child in controversie who though a harlot and of mean rank and breeding yet how doth she pour forth her self in a flood of rhetoricall expressions in pleading for her child before the king o 1 King 3.17 though a man of great majesty and a master of speech p Eccles 12 9 10 11. and all because she loved it it is the property of love to frame a mans tongue to a ready and easie discourse of the thing beloved as the scholler of his books the huntsman of his hounds c. and so the Saints of their God and the things of his kingdome as is well to be seen in the Church in the Canticles whose heart being inflamed with the love of Christ her tongue was as the pen of a ready Writer it ranne with great facility and skill while she spake of the things which she had made of the king q Psal 45.1 Let the blame therefore rest where it should hardly and learn here to fault your disaffection to goodnesse in case you prove barren and unfruitfull in godly conference SECT VI. Helps to an holy dexterity this way How to 1. get it 2. Use it BUt what 's to bee done when I finde my selfe dull and indisposed to this duty Quest First complain of it to God and entreat him to open thy lips Answ that thy mouth may shew forth his praise Complain of it also to others where thou comest For this at least will follow that thou shalt hereby minister occasion of godly conference to your mutuall kindling and quickning When Silas and Timotheus came Paul burn'd in spirit r Acts 18.5 who before perhaps was not altogether so forwardly You see how one stick kindleth another if laid together nay take me two flint-stones and smite them together and although both be naturally cold yet by mutuall collision fire will be expressed So 't will be here between Christian and Christian Let them be never so dry and dull to this duty if they but begin once to bewail betwixt themselves their present indisposednesle way will be made to a better temper For as when wicked men are mute and all amort as they say one evil word sets abroach many so will one good word draw on another among the godly to the singular advantage of the whole company Secondly make use of all Gods means for the greatning of this gift the want whereof ye so much bewail labouring to abound with the Corinthians in knowledge faith and utterance Å¿ 2 Cor. 8.7 being full of all goodnesse with the Romans able to admonish one another t Rom 15 or as these ancient beleevers in the text to be often speaking one to another by heavenly counsell confirmation in grace and spirituall encouragement For this purpose 1. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdome this will enable you to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and hymns u Colos 3.16 c. For there is edification also in the appointing of fit Psalmes x 1 Cor. 14.26 The holy Scriptures are therefore called the word among other reasons because they should be the matter and boundary of our words If any speak saith St. Peter let him speak as the Oracles of God y 1 Pet. 4 And whatever ye do in word or deed saith St. Paul after he had laid down this rule in speech do all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and according to his word dwelling richly in you z Col. 3.16 17 They are also called chieftains or leaders a Prov. 8 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Lords of collections b Eccles 12 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to some because they are as Leaders and Lords Paramount above all other words and writings of men that ever were collected into volumes Hence the Prophet sends us to the law and to the testimonies c Esay 8 20 those sound words d 2 Tim. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saâ—rae literae hominum animos imbuere solent hac arte sapiâ—è loquendi Nam in verbo sal ille recondiâ—ur quo sermones condiendi Vnde Apostoli verbo
doest fret Why doest faint Hope in God for I shall yet praise him c. Should I conclude that it will never be better with me either I should deny that I am Gods child and one of his Jewels which were to bely my self and deny the work of Gods grace in my soul or basely and blasphemously to joyne with those ranke Atheists above-mentioned that charge him with heedlesnes and improvidence as one that laid his Jewels at his heels and cared not what became of them Which were to set my mouth against heaven and like a breathing-devill to bely the Almighty whose secret is upon my tabernacle Iob 29.4 that is his secret and singular providence who ordereth my down-sitting and mine uprising Psal 139.2 who cutteth out my whole condition and not only keepeth my bones not one of them is broke but numbreth all my haires not one of them is missing Things are therefore numbred that none of them may be diminished Lo the hairs of our heads are numbred as the three childrens were in the Babylonish furnace not one of them can fall to the ground without your heavenly father And if not a hair much less the head it self Mat. 10.29 Zion may say The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lordâ—hath forgotten me But that was but her mistake and misprision of the matter Esay 49.14 Psal 94.14 For the Lord will not utterly cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance for ever For a small moment he may forsake them to their thinking but with great mercy will he gather them In a little wrath he may hide his face from them for a moment Esay 54.7 8 Esay 57.16 but with everlasting kindnesse will he have mercy on them He will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before him When the childe swouns in the whipping God le ts fall the rod and falls a kissing it to fetch life into it again In some diseases blood must be let usque ad deliquium till the patient faint again Yet it is a rule in Physick still to maintain nature so doth God uphold the spirits of his children by cordials of consolation in their deepest affliction This we should never doubt of but constantly shame and shent our selves in Gods presence for our forwardnesse and faintheartednesse SECT XI Exhortation to diligence in duty THe last use we shall put this point to for present Use 3 is an Exhortation to a double duty 1. Diligence in doing Gods will 2. Patience in suffering it For the first It 's encouragement enough to shew all good Conscience and fidelity in our generall and particular callings to consider that sooner or later God will not sail to requite our labour of love even to a cup of cold water or a bit of bread cast upon the waters and so cast away as a man would think but after many dayes thou shalt finde it Give a portion to seven and also to eight Eccles. 11.1 for he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he giveth will he pay him again Not down upon the naile it may be Prov. 19.17 but he is a sure and a liberall paymaster he gives double interest Mat. 19.29 nay a hundred fold here as Isaac had a hundred sold increase of the seed he sowed in the land of Canaan and eternall life hereafter When we have laid our grain in the ground we look not to see it the same day in the barne or garner as he saith of the Hyperborean people farr North that they sow shortly after fun-rising and reap before sun-set Heresbach de re rustica Spes alit agricolas spes sulcis credit aratis Semina quae magno foenore reddit ager Tibull for with them the whole half-yeer is but one continuall day but we are content to wait for a crop till the yeer be run about living in hope mean-while and therewith sustaining our selves And shall we not shew like patience in waiting Gods good leisure without being dismayed or dishartened though not presently requited light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Lo it is but seed-time with the saints while here and that 's commonly a wet time and dropping But they that sow in tears shall reape in joy He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing Psal 126.5 6 Ob. Sol. Rev. 22.12 Act. 13.36 Act. 13.25 2 Tim. 4.7 8 Gal. 6.9 1 Cor. 15. ulc bringing his sheaves with him Ey but when Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give unto every man according to his works David served out his time and it entred into his masters joy Iohn Baptist did up his work and is gone to take up his wages St. Paul finished his course and hath received his crown Wherefore let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall surely reap if we faint not Yea be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. SECT XII Exhortation to patience in misery NExt let this Doctrine of gods day of delivering and doing good to his people patient our hearts and quietly compose our spirits in an humble submission to Gods holy hand and a hopefull expectation of the day of grace walking and waiting in the midst of our houses till he come unto us Psal 101.2 It is but a little while that we have to wait that he futures us yet and comes no sooner it is for the more effectuall triall of our faith and patience and for the better exercise of our hope and prayerfulnesse When that 's once done He will send his Mandamus as Psal 44.4 by some swift Gabriel who brought an answer to Daniels prayers with wearinesse of flight Dan. Esay 64.1 9.21 Yea he himself will break the heavens and come down he will come riding upon the wings of the wind he will come leaping as a hind over the mountains of Bether all lets and impediments to our relief and release In the Courts of Princes there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 8 delayes and discardings But God is quick to help and constant in his care even when he seems to cast off hee hates putting away Jam. 5.7 whatever he makes shew of Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord saith St. James and sweeten your present tears yea though God should make you a diet-drink of them with the hope of future comforts Look upon the husband-man saith he who although his barn bee empty and his seed cast into the earth not yet appearing above ground yet hee waiteth for the crop and hath long patience for it untill he receive the former and latter rain Verse 8 And what of all this Be ye also patient therefore and stablish your hearts for the comming of
the Lord draweth nigh And to the same purpose St. Paul Philip. 4.5 Let your patient mind be known to all men Why the Lord is at hand to right your wrongs and plead your cause against an ungodly Nation Yea it may be God will look upon Davids affliction the sooner and do him good the rather for Shimei's cursing this day 2 Sam. 16.12 God gives over the wicked many times to exceed their commission that he may hasten deliverance to his chosen destruction to their enemies Gen. 15.16 their sinnes being once full See for this Psal 119.126 Jer. 51.33 34. Zach. 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease For I was but a little displeased with Israel my people but they helped forward the affliction that is they were excessively outragious above that they were bid to do I gave them an inch they took an ell Now therefore lest the righteous put beyond his patience should reach forth his hand to iniquity now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12.5 God seeth it but high-time to make us heavâ—e other-whiles with manifold afflictions But blessed is the man that endureth temptation for after hee hath suffered awhile he shall receive the crown of life For this light affliction which is but for a moment Jam. 1.12 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A levitate agilitate cervgrum nomen habet Chemnit Leve pondere â—â— pluma Cornel à Lapide Heb. 5.8 Luke 17 Psal 27.14 Eccles 3.1 11 Deut. 5 worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory An exceeding excessive eternall weight of glory is wrought out unto us by our short and light afflictions God will look upon us as those that have been judged already and account the present sufferings sufficient unto us 1 Pet. 4.13 Good therefore is the counsell of our Saviour who himself was perfected by sufferings In your patience possesse your souls And that of the Psalmist Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. He hath appointed a time for all and every thing is beautifull in its season The Israelites had their flesh at Even and bread in the Morning God will be waited on and give the consummation of his blessings at his leisure Their journey from Aegypt to Canaan might have been dispatcht in three dayes as Philo tells us but God led them up and down the wildernesse as if they had been treading a maze and held them sometimes a yeer together in a place to their grief no doubt but for their good that He might humble them and try them and do them good in their later end Water was not turned into wine till the wine failed Joseph was not set out of prison till the set time came The Israelites went not out of Egypt till the very last day of the four hundred yeers was well-nigh at an end Smyrna must be in prison ten dayes at least that she may be tried and that the trial of their faith being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth though tried in the fire might be found to praise honour and glory The day of the churches restauration by Christ here promised was not performed of 400. yeers after yet when the fulnesse of time was come Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 1.7 Gal. 4. God sent his son made of a woman made under the law c. Say it had been 4000 years a thousand years is to God but as one day because in him there is no flux nor motion Our purblinde eyes see nothing but that which toucheth the lid as it were when Gods quick sight vieweth that as present that is a world off But now when all was at worst in Church and common-wealth and scarce a Ioseph or a Simeon left that looked for the consolation of Israel scarce a Mary or an Anna that waited for salvation in Ierusalem then came the desire of all nations Hag. 2 then the sun of righteous broke out with healing under his whings What shall I say more Christ himself the Captain of our salvation was fourty dayes and fourty nights tempted by the devil before the Angels ministred unto him his soul was heavy unto the death ere his heart was glad and his glory rejoyced Math. 4 Psal 16.9 Rom. 8.17 We also must suffer together ere we can be glorified together as two pieces of iron cannot be fastned till both hath passed the fire SECT XIII Helps to patient waiting upon God for deliverance VVHerefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees Heb. 12.12 and for suport consider First that life it self in its full length and latitude is but short the afflictions therefore of life cannot be long To live saith one is but to lie a dying Venire me oper tet praeterire ut horam Epist Multos often dunt terris bona fata ultrà esse sinunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad l. 12. Thetis de Achille Dego à de ago Ita degimus quum quia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 minus fit nos unà Bèdman de Orig. Rev. 7.16 There is a time to be born and a time to die saith the wise-man He saith not There is a time to live for death borders upon life and a mans cradle stands in his grave Oh what a short cut hath the longest liver ab utro ad urnam from the womb to the tomb from the birth to the burial We chop into the earth before we are aware like a man that walking in a field covered with snow falls suddenly into a marle-pit Few and evil are the dayes of my pilgrimage saith old Iacob Evil they are but few and evil Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Troublesome his dayes are but soon determining sharp his sufferings but short withal as the paines of a travelling woman whereunto they are oft compared Every day we yeeld somewhat to death and death at utmost cures all diseases as that Martyr said Secondly this life once ended heaven begins and makes amends for all For they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more nor shall the sun light on them nor any heat but the lamb shall feed them and lead them to the waters of life and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes as a nurse doth from the eyes of her tender babe Now she is a sorry spouse saith one that cannot make shift with an uneasie horse while she rideth to see the consummation of her love with her betrothed husband I reckon saith that great Apostle that had seen as much of this and the other world as ever man saw that the afflictions of the present time are not worthy to be compared or are in no comparison worthy of the glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 For