these be not true but they are all certaine and euermore to bee remembred Therefore our wantonnesse our wickednesse our idlenesse our infidelitie our beastlinesse and our securitie if they be not amended by the examples of the scriptures they shall be condemned by the ensamples of the scriptures You ancient fathers which haue liued long seene much and heard the woonders in old time meditate them in your mindes and deliuer them to your posteritie euen as you woulde haue vs to continue your names because you are our fathers so doe you remember the works of God for he is the father to vs all Secondly another reason of this doctrine is this because the rehearsall of these workes of God done before our time either vnwritten or especially recorded in the word doe terrifie our proud harts when we heare them declared vnto vs. The church of Corinth being happy by the Apostles preaching grew insolent in diuisions loose in opinions and intolerable in manners the Apostle to remedie this 1. Cor. 10. 5 6 7 8. vers bringeth in the tragedie of the Israelites destruction shewing them how for the like offences thousands and ten thousands perished in displeasure to terrifie and humble them by these woonderfull works of God that they might knowe howsoeuer they were not yet executed yet they were as guiltie of condemnation as those that were destroyed Dauid saith of himselfe Psal 119. 120. that the hearing of the Lordes iudgement wrought feare in his soule and trembling in his body And therefore wee may many times reade and heare the storie of wars wherein as in a glasse we may behold the miseries of our liues to see princes massacred noble men murdered the common people butchered like bullocks in a slaughter house Let vs often rehearse the storie of famines and robberies wherein we may see the vncertaintie of our wealth to see our houses burned our barnes emptied our estates impouerished our liues famished our children left breathlesse and our wiues left comfortles Let vs often meditate on the diseases of our bodies to mitigate our pleasures to see how some haue died sodainely other haue liued so long in sickenes that their friends forsooke them their phisitions gaue them ouer and the stinking sauours of their owne bodies haue taken away their liues Let Traitors thinke on Achitophell rebels on Absolon proud persons on Haman corrupt iudges on Samuell sonnes idle ministers on Eli wicked magistrates on Shebna fornicators on Zimry couetous persons on Achan disobedient persons on Ionah prophaners of the sabaoth on the sticke gatherer swearers on the Aegyptian Israelite and despisers of the Gospell ministery sacraments and all true religion on Simon Magus and the Lord graunt that their punishment may be our amendment The vses which arise from this doctrine are these first seeing that we must often call to remembrance the old wonders in times before passed declared to the world then let vs as often meditate on our owne particular liues which we haue spent lead in our former daies as the scripture exhorteth Heb. 10. 32. Call to your remembrance the daies that are passed Let vs looke throughout all the yeeres of our life and make as diligent a search as the woman in the Gospell did for her money and begin at our birth and first being in the world in infancie behold our weakenes and God his kindnes in youth looke on our wantonnes the Lords bountifulnes in ripe age viewe our wickednes and the Lords long suffering and in olde age marke our vnthankfulnes and the Lords pardon Call to remembrance the daies that are passed in infancie we could not serue God in youth we cared not for God in ripe yeeres we did not feare him in our old age we did not know him in our infancie we were more helplesse then all creatures in youth we were more gracelesse then beastes in our middle age more foolish then godly and in olde age more desperate then reformed in infancie wee euer cryed in youth wee euer feared in our middle age we liued in care and our olde age spent in sorrow in our infancie our wants which we could not expresse made vs miserable in our youth the rod scourged vs in our ripe age the world disquieted vs and in our old age the graue which we coulde not auoide tormented vs woulde not these considerations offer long discourses to tame our wildenesse to reforme our prophanenes and to ouercome our vnrulinesse might I not hereby take occasion like a deuine philosopher to paint out the miserie of mankinde to cause all mens eies to bewaile infants in their cradles boies in their schooles yoong men in their pleasures and old men to their graues might not I heere stirre vp your affections to shewe you the vnhappie condition of a bare naturall life babes to be brained children to be cursed yoong men to fall by the sworde women to be rauished and olde men to be without all honour and pittie murdered surely in these we are of al men most miserable But now seeing I haue searched the register and records of nature let me also shewe you how you shall looke on the court-rolles of grace and begin with that saying of the Apostle Ephes 2. 11. Wherefore remember that you were in times past Gentiles in the flesh and called vncircumcision that you were without Christ aliants from Israell strangers from the promise without hope and without God in this worlde Heere you may search for your seuerall estates and admit you haue all naturall benefites attendant when you are yoong pleasure when you are youthfull riches when you are strong quietnes and wisedome when you are olde what are these to a condemned soule Take a theefe appointed to the gallowes and before he go to execution let the king cal him sonne let him be apparelled with silke let him haue a chaine on his necke bracelets on his armes bring him into your treasurie of abundance of golde and siluer bid him take his fill carrie him to most delicate fare and bid him eate cheerefully and strike vp most pleasant musicke bid him be merrie but tell him anone he must be hanged how ioyfull would his hart be at all this pleasure when he knoweth presently after his chaine shall be changed into a halter his garments to a winding sheete his carcase to wormes meate his throne into a gallowes his seruants into executioners and his money taken all from him before he can spend a penie euen so are the best of vs all by nature condemned and we finde no comfort in our parentage or pleasure in our wealth or profite in our clothing or benefit in our meat or ioy in our bodies so long as we know that after a little while al these shal be forgotten and we in destruction Now remember what you are without grace that is by nature wrath is our father heathens are our brethren or rather diuels vncircumcision is our garment that is a peece of rawe cloth
God continued Then euery father of a familie was a magistrate to punish a prophet to instruct a prince to gouerne his owne houshould Then was there no writing but much religion few bookes but many faithfull harts all studied in vnitie to preserue vnfained veritie But in Moses time the church grewe to a nation and therefore although as Ierome saith it were Maior numero yet it was Minor virtute the number of professors grew to be greater yet the zeale and power of godlinesse grewe to be lesser And therefore nowe was it to be put in writing or else all had beene cleane forgotten for the harts of men began to be deceitfull and the words of God coulde not safely lodge in the brests of all and therefore coulde not easilie and effectually bee conueied from one to another The Lorde first of all wrote his lawe then grewe the church to another gouernment more generall then before wherein the priestes did publikely care for the seruice of God and soules of the people and euery father and master priuately for himselfe and his familie and euermore this is to bee remembred that the children praied to the God of their Fathers meaning the same God whome their Fathers taught them to serue And this beloued putteth vs in minde what manner of men fathers and masters ought to bee euen such as are able to commend the true worshippe of God vnto others for sithence the worship of God became publique and generall the priuate neglect of this dutie in the gouernours of families hath wrought the poyson of all mankind and the vndoing of all religion For now the common sort thinke that they must not pray but in a church that they are not bound to teach others but the whole charge dependeth on the minister that the preachers and not the people must learne the word and finally it maketh no matter for their faith and manners if their pastours and teachers haue the knowledge of the Gospell Oh lamentable men Oh lamentable maners which onely is to be imputed vnto this neglect of parents duety By this onely gentilisme and heathenisme grow for if Noahs sonnes had taught that to their children which they learned of their father the world had not beene wearied with many diuelish Idolatries if Dauids children had serued that God which Dauid taught them their throne had continued as long as heauen and earth endured neither had so many women beene husbandlesse so many children beene motherles so many old men beene helples and so many of all sorts and degrees beene vtterly destitute of all worldly ease and heauenly blisse the decay of their faith wrought the destruction of their blood If Christians had taught that religion to their children which they receiued without all corruption from Christ and his Apostles so many countries had not been conquered so many cities had not beene laide euen with the earth so many famous churches had not beene buried in obliuion popery had not so much preuailed Mahomet had not so long prospered wicked ceremonies had not raigned in the place of holy truth and where now is the synagogue of Sathan there had beene the Temple of our Sauiour And I feare me beloued least this parents faulte bring foorth once againe the childrens folly and then oh then will the diuels banner aduance it selfe against Christs standard and so that when the Lord shall come he shall finde no faith on the earth Looke to this you fathers of our bodies and let not the blood of our soules cry vengeance against the parents of our liues teach vs what you haue learned charge vs on your blessing and God his blessing as we will answere before the Iudge of men and angels to saue the soules of our children by the precepts of your doctrine The reasons of this doctrine may be these first bicause as Dauid witnesseth that the workes of God are great and ought to be sought out of all that loue them So that this is an argument of vnfeined affection and true loue to the workes of God when with diligence we obserue them and with conscience we declare them and also it is an assurance of sincere pietie and reuerence towards God when as the same prophet speaketh all the day long we meditate on his iudgements and speake his praises This loue of men to the workes of God is then prooued and approoued when they teach them to those whose liues are in their hands and also it is the playnest token of true loue to your children when you keepe no part of the counsell of God from them which you know your selues For the Lords doings are of that maiestie and authoritie that by them tender hearts are nourished wauering harts confirmed and stubburne mindes are perswaded Your kindest friends will be more kinde vnto you when you shew them the kindnes of the Lord and your deadly foes will be more afraide of you when they shall see and heare the workes of God in your mouth and the word of God in your hands Therefore my beloued in the Lord Iesus seeing we haue no more plainer way to know the Lord then by his workes then haue we also no surer token that we loue the Lord then when we loue his doings Let vs seeke them in the cradles of our childhoode and the beds of our old age making as much of the Lords iudgements as we doe of our children whom we desire to leaue behind vs to the ende of the world euen so let vs leaue the Lords works in remembrance for euermore Secondly another reason of this doctrine is declared by Salomon Eccles 3. 14. That what God doth it standeth for euer that men might feare before him The workes of God are affected not as the ground is ploughed which serueth one for one season but as the earth was established which standeth for euer The Lord in euery age accomplisheth many wonderful things and different the one from the other that men might feare him for his iudgements and honor him for his power And therefore being not willing at all times to make triall and shewe of his omnipotencie hee willeth vs to remember the things that are done vnlesse we would haue him once againe open the fountaines of waters that the whole world might be destroyed or once againe raine fire and brimstone from heauen to confound vs as he did the Sodomites or once againe bring a vniuersall darknes ouer our land as he did ouer the land of Iudea or else once againe suffer our fathers to be burned our goods to be rauened our wiues to be shamed and our selues to be murthered for his sake as some haue bin before vs. Therefore by how much more easie it is for our hearts to consider those things then for our eies to behold them so much more carefull let vs be to instruct others by word of mouth least we our selues our posterity feele in ful measure that heauy hand of his wrath then Oh then
vs and ioyneth vs to God The Lord in this worke is the builder the ministers are the carpenters the worde is the axe the griefe of heart is the stroke and regeneration maketh vs the frame otherwise we are stones refused of the builder Another reason because in our vnrepentant estate wee cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. seeing we cannot please him we run from him we forsake and denie him This would make ones hart to melt to consider that all actions not grounded on a new life doe swarue from God Some obiect if God did not like them they could not doe them So may a thiefe an adulterer or rauisher of women defend his iniquitie but it will not goe for payment for God suffereth you to follow your pleasures against his pleasure that your pleasures may taste of euerlasting paynes Therefore labour for repentance that you may be brought into the Lords sheepefold and be incorporated into his congregation and saued by his deerely beloued sonne then shall your waies be altered and your pleasures ouerturned and you shal pray with Christ Not our will but thy will O heauenly father bee done Being in an vnrepentant estate wee runne away from God yet let vs looke backe on God as Isay exhorteth Isa 45. 22. and then we shall be saued If thou be running from God through a lewd life giuing ouer thy selfe vnto libertie yet looke backe vpon him often the children of Israel if they were stoong by serpēts by looking on the brazen serpent recouered presently And although the sting of thy sinne is greater then the sting of adders yet the Lord is mightier and wholesomer then the brazen serpent therefore looke vnto him if thou wilt be healed Old Simeon so soone as he had seene Christ presently desired to die for ioy and Zacheus hauing but a minde to see him was made that day a notable christian Looke often on the Lord for by beholding him thou maist grow in loue with him wish continually to be with him as the Iewes which being captiues in Babell yet made their praiers toward Ierusalem Esau at the sight of Iacob fell to weeping loued him the better euer after so if thou wilt cast thy eies to heauen behold his glorie then looke vpon the world and see his gouernment then behold the earth and consider his benefits learne his Gospell and note his truth and life thy eyes to Christ to marke his mercie thou wilt surely turne the saile of thy wicked life and come with the Sabaean Queene to worship in his church Consider his workes for they defend thee thinke vpon his iudgements for they threaten thee marke well his kindnes for it maintaineth thee and beleeue his worde for it shall conuert thee cast but one of thy eies vpon the Lord and thou shalt winne him looke often vpon him least minde and eies be both blinded and neuer see him more Another vse wee must lament the plague of our sinnes raigning among vs Isa 59. 9. 10. when the Prophet had shewed them their danger he bringeth them in mourning on this wise Therefore is iudgement farre from vs neither doth iustice come neere vs we waite for light but loe it is darkenes we grope for the wall like the blinde grope as one without eies we stumble at the noone day as in the twilight we are in solitary places as dead men we roare allike beares mourn like doues c. Thus must men that are not yet regenerate re count their miseries after they heare them condemned by the word saying vnto themselues Howe blinde are our eies that we cannot see the glorious light of the Gospell wee are quite forsaken of the Lorde who keepeth vs from beleeuing of his truth wee haue no power to performe the least part of that Gospell to walke in any tollerable obedience sanctification goeth against the haire and though we like it yet wee cannot doe it wee see that hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a praie therefore let the Lord come and reforme our liues and adorne our mindes with righteousnes that wee may bee deliuered from this slauerie of sinne let him turne the heartes of children to their fathers and turne our course vnto himselfe Moreouer think what deadnes is in your soule what sinfulnesse is in your life and what wrath of God hangeth ouer your heads for assuredly except you confesse in this sort you shall be confounded before you be conuerted Let your harts be awaked betimes that wrath ouertake you not and let whatsoeuer may further you to God although it be shame or iudgement or nakednes or pouertie or death bee most speedily receiued The xxij Sermon YOur God After all this preaching of repentance nowe hee beginneth to comfort their distressed mindes which coulde not but be grieued grieuouslie and therefore he putteth them in minde that the Lord is their Lorde and God Howe may this bee if he be theirs then they are his and will he suffer them to bee made a pray vnto brute beasts and to make the heauens to thunder their destruction what comfort haue they by his seruice or what pleasure hath he in their cries verie much for sometimes a tender nurse and louing mother wil make hir childe weepe bitterly that it may loue hir the better so the Lorde to trie his owne casteth them into a bed of sorrowes From hence wee must gather that in our greatest calamitie and aduersitie God is our mercifull God Artthou tormented with sorrowe that it is bitter to thee to liue and better for thee to die or art thou vexed with sore sicknes and intollerable imprisonment hast thou no meat for thy selfe and thy tender babes and seest thou a whole nation in an vprore yet for all this acknowledge with Dauid Psalm 22. 1. that God is thy God although thou seeme forsaken Oh sweete mercy of a father and glorious condition of a sonne whom no pouertie no miserie no iniquitie can part in sunder though he chasten vs yet he loueth vs though wee be helpelesse yet hee remembreth vs though we be in death yet he saueth vs. God is euermore the father of his church and of euery member therein he scorneth not their parentage he refuseth not their pouerty he regardeth their sufferings and desweth their saluation Let vs then say with Iob that although hee slaie vs yet we will trust in him death shall not driue vs in sunder but conioyne vs togither The reasons are First bicause in prosperitie he will bee knowne to maintaine vs and in aduersitie to comfort vs Esay 51. 12. If men would or coulde vndergoe all the former euils without comfort then might they haue some colour torefuse and distrust God but they are not able neuer is any man at one time distressed in bodie and distracted in minde or oppressed outwardly and not comforted inwardly If thy minde be heauie thinke on the comforts of this life if thy bodie bee vexed then confider
6. 6. and therefore so ought we to be sacrifice winneth him therefore let mercie ouercome vs euen those mercies which we read in his word and note in our liues that wee may pull downe more and more vpon vs. Oh I feare seeing of long time we haue had so little regard of mercie and all of iudgement now the thing wee were afraide of is come vpon vs namely wrath for we feele it in our liues in our times making many mens harts to tremble and the bodies of some to die Yet for all this the time of mercie is not all spent therefore let mercie draw vs vnto God and the former and late receiued kindnes from him bee as bands of steele to keepe vs in obedience Seeing the mercies of God must mooue vs to repentance then I beseech you let not our eares be deafe at his sweete promises least the Lord complaine of vs as he did of his owne time Matth. 11. 19. that we are like to children neither dauncing with them that sing nor weeping with them that mourne Austeritie is too hard for vs and mercie is too soft if wee preach the law then men say we speake of malice of else giue iudgement vpon them if we shew them libertie that maketh them woorse and woorse so that our times are like a thiefe being in prison he complaineth of crueltie and being at libertie runneth to robbing againe The mercie of God is much called for and being obtayned is much abused they make it a charter to sinne and thinke if they haue one pardon all their villanie afterward is forgiuen The deepe wounds of Christ doth not asswage their heat of sin but encreaseth their desire O my deere brethren if gentlenes will not winne rigour most perswade You are the Lords schollers learne you must the rod is your tormentor or else you shal be expelled his schoole Make much of mercy while you may haue mercie for if the gate of mercy be shut and the date expired your teares shall be drops of blood and your wounds as windowes for your bones to looke thorough your flesh shall feede the fowles of the ayre and your soules shall feele the torments of hell Secondly seeing mercie must winne vs let vs be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull Luk. 6. 36. which is needfull to bee vrged in these hard times wherein are many poore and many complaints for if wee looke to haue mercie of God when we pray vnto him let the poore find mercie in vs when they cry vpon vs. Be mercifull as our heanenly father is mercifull His hand is euer giuing his spirit is euer comforting his mercie is euer pardoning and his liberalitie is euer feeding therefore giue thou to the poore comfort the sorrowfull forgiue thy offenders and let many hungrie soules feede on thy meate Mercie is better then sacrifice hotter then coales of fire softer then liquide oyle and sweeter then pleasant hony Offer this sacrifice kindle this fire touch this oyle and eate this honie thou shalt finde mercie in iudgement in thy death-bed in thy graue and in thy resurrection it shall couer thee as a garment comfort thee as a guide carrie thee as a mother and crowne thee as a king God delighteth in it Angels reioice at it men looke for it and bruite beastes loue it Therefore with mercie delight thy creator reioyce the Angels and satisfie man and beast And bee mercifull to men to beastes and to thy selfe to man for God requireth it to beastes for nature craueth it and to thy selfe for thy soule challengeth it the first is of charitie the second of equitie and the last of pietie therefore practise mercie that christian loue godly kindnes and glorious religion may euermore maintaine thee Of great kindnesse and long suffering This is another argument to perswade them to repentance By the which we may note that God doth not alway take vengeance of sinne so soone as it is committed but winketh at it and deferreth till we repent or growe incurable This thing the Apostle noteth Rom. 2. 4. that God by his bountifulnesse and long suffering leadeth vs to repentance Although for example sake he slew Er and Onan Vzzah and Ananias and Saphira and many other in the verie act of sinning yet he doth not alway take this course For fower hundred yeeres togither did hee beare with the abhominations of Canaan Gen. 15. 18. Let not men thinke bicause they are not killed so soone as they haue blasphemed or denied God or committed adulterie or prophaned the Sabbaoth or the like that therefore their deedes shall go vnpunished no verily for the longer before they reckon the greater shall be their account and the farther a man runneth backwarde the farther hee leapeth forwarde and so the longer that God forbeareth our sinnes the heauier shall bee his stroke for wee shall beare double blame the one for breaking his lawe the other for abusing his patience It were needfull for vs to consider in our soules this singular fauour of God that wee might vse it as the prophet heere doth to further our repentance for let vs be well assured if peace and long suffering doe not prepare vs for God it will annoint vs for destruction The first reason bicause God will bee exalted in sparing vs Esay 36. 18. The Lorde which is most excellent in all his workes is most excellent in forbearing the malice of men for who coulde endure to be denied plainely reuiled openly and blasphemed boldly saue onely the Lorde or who coulde abide to see his workes reproched his worde rebuked and his liberalitie scorned saue onely the Lorde who filleth all in all and beareth much with all or else all woulde bee confounded But this is sufficient that the prophet saith he is exalted in sparing vs that is it magnifieth his honour while hee regardeth not his vengeance nor his maiestie nor his wrath nor his power but his mercy that his chiefe glory might be through clemencie Another reason bicause his chiefe desire is that not one shoulde perish 1. Pet. 3. 9. So that if men woulde or coulde laie holde on repentance they shall finde sufficient time to amende after they haue sinned So deare is the loue of God towardes vs his creatures that for his part he omitteth not any dutie to recall vs We haue the word for the meanes his workes for our helpes his mercies for our comfort and his long suffering for the time of our conuersion so that all thinges are discharged on the Lordes part and nothing on ours In this saying of Peter we must not vnderstande that any were damned contrarie to the Lordes will but rather that hee is vnwilling thereunto for a man may doe that vnwillingly which is not contrarie to his will Let vs not abuse the long suffering of God and although he bee willing to spare yet let not vs be willing to sinne Luk. 12. 46. If the euill seruant shall say in
Oh how doth this magnifie religion the professors therof vnto the which they are more indebted then to their own liues let vs offer this sacrifice for the Lord will take any thing at our hand in good part ifit be little because we haue but little he maketh much therof if it be much because we haue much he maketh more thereof then say we all If God doc thus accept then will we giue it Let vs not reason with him as the woman of Samaria did Iohn 4. when hee asked for water but let vs speedily giue him his request as Rebecca did to Abrahams seruant who asking but a little yet she gaue him more Another vse let vs serue the Lord before our liues for else we make our selues gluttons and feede our bellies and the Apostle saith of this kinde 1. Cor. 6. 15. Meate for the belly and the belly for meate but God shall destroy both it and them Wilt thou spende all on thy belly and nothing on the Lorde thinkest thou that thou possessest all for thy selfe and nothing for the Lorde doest thou so liue to thy meate and with thy meate as if thou were onely borne for it and that were onely made for thee then surely take thou heede for God shall destroy both it and thee Giue therefore to him and to his vses in his church if thou faile thy store shall faile and if thou repent not thy life shall perish Who was euer famished for meate that gaue it to the Lord or begged for his bread which spent it at the altar or was empouerished by maintaining religiō surely none but with them was the saying of Salomon performed There is that giue and haue nothing the lesse Eate not I beseech you your destruction in your meat and drinke not your damnation in your abundance if you will saue your life you shal lose it but if in this case for the Lords cause you wil lay downe your life you shall finde it If when wee haue but little we giue from our selues to the Lorde we do as poore Iacob did which sent his store into Egypt with his sonnes where was more store but through his little hee gained both his sonnes he saued his owne life and sustained all his familie so let not vs doubt or feare to bestow on the Lord for looke what wee loose we sowe for more encrease what we giue we shall gaine and what in peasure we dispende in paine we shall lament The xxiiij Sermon Vers 15. 16. Blowe the trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the brests let the bridegroome go foorth of his chamber and the bride out of hir bride chamber OF the blowing of the trumpet wee haue spoken in the beginning of this chapter so also we haue handled the proclaiming of a fast the calling of an assemblie both of the people and of their elders al which to stande vpon againe were but needlesse Therefore wee will to the next wordes The yoong children and them that sucke the breasts That is euery one among you from the least to the most Some will saie vnto me what good can the sucking children do in the Lordes seruice I grant in sight they cannot but seeing Dauid saith that the brute beastes do seeke their meate at God which they doe not by praying or speaking so may Ioel assigne the yoong sucking babes to want their meat that with their mothers they might poure foorth most lamentable teares and terrible cries into the eares of the Lord and for this cause to increase mourning doth the prophet inuite them to the fast From hence we may obserue that the wrath of God must bee appeased with a generall repentance Olde men and babes yoong men and maidens rich and poore prince and people must all bee humbled at the Lordes anger as we may reade Ion. 3. 8. Yea the very cattle of the Niniuites were couered with a mourning weede wherein wee may see that it is no maruaile if the Lorde were so long angrie with vs bicause we were not generally humbled If parents haue repented yet children haue not sorrowed if children mourne parents haue beene dissolute if the old men were humbled the yoong men rebelled Therefore our misery remaineth bicause some remaine obstinate The reasons First bicause the Lord hath a quarrel against al sexes ages degrees and conditions of men Ierem. 12. 12. the which ought to be a sufficient cause to haue euery one to be humbled and let not one escape I muse much that many christian parents haue so little regarde to their children that they care not with what vanities and toies they delight and allure them thinking they are not bounde to any exercise on Sabbaoth daies nor that any oath or foolish talke doth annoy them But heere wee see not onelie those which can speake must practise religion but also if they bee able to crie let them feele the Lordes commandement Some will thinke that these little children are innocent and therefore neede no repentance for it is a common saying if it goe not well with children howe shall it goe with olde men meaning that children are without sinne Vnto which I answere that they are sinfull by nature euen the heires of wrath Eph. 2. 2. and if they were not yet bicause God requireth it who dare refuse it and the rather bicause the brute beastes are inuited thereto which neither can nor euer shall sinne Another reason bicause whosoeuer doth not thus humble himselfe shall be iudged of God 1. Cor. 11. 31. We know it an vsuall thing in the worde of God to spare neither man woman nor childe and to take the sucking babes and to dash their braines against the wall If they be subiect to punishment why not to religion if to death why not to the Lordes seruice Therefore let all bee humbled children because they are borne in sinne olde men bicause they are weary of sin yoong men bicause they liue in sin and striplings bicause they grow in sin or else shall euerie one die in condemnation Let vs not therefore prouoke the Lord 1. Cor. 10. 22. but consider how fearefull it is to stirre a lion from his den or to meete a Beare robbed of hir whelpes or to prouoke a prince to displeasure of which it is saide That the anger of a king is the messenger of death but I saie if the Lorde more fierce then a lyon more raging then a Beare and more powerfull then a prince bee stirred vp to strike vs wee can hardely hurt him hee can easilie destroie vs wee can hardlie mooue him but more hardly pacifie him See you not that the newe borne babes shall repent it yea sometime they feele it before they bee borne Oh thinke vpon it the blood of olde men the strength of yoong men the beautie of women and the loue of children
contrarie to al reason and nature For God which seeth more then we see can doe more then we can doe Therefore feare not thy worldly ioy which is as deere to thee as euer was Isaac to Abraham for God can raise it out of the pits of deepest sorrowe into the throne of euerlasting pleasure The xxviij Sermon Vers 22 Be not afraid yee beasts of the field for the pastures of the wildernes are greene for the tree beareth her fruit the fig-tree and the vine doe giue their force HAuing finished the generall exhortation now followeth the speciall whereof this first is directed to the beasts of the field bidding them not be afraide for now the fruits are budded out of the earth as they had already tasted of mans punishmēt which commeth by sin so now they should taste of mans blessing which commeth by repentance We must not so take this speech of the prophet as if the beasts did or could vnderstand but by a vsuall figure of the scripture whereby a person is fayned to do a thing that it cannot doe as in that of Ieremie Heare ô heauens hearken ô earth c. For as God calleth things that are not as if they were so he speaketh to things that vnderstand not as if they did From hence that the Prophet speaketh to bruit beasts we may note that it is the word of God that gladdeth both man and beast Gen. 1. 22. for when the word of comfort is withdrawen then they mourn as we heard in the former chapter but when it standeth then they reioice and when it waineth then they fal away The first reason because they doe reuerence thereunto now their reuerence proceedeth not of fear but of nature whereby the creature reioiceth in his creator Isa 45. 21. Againe their whole life doth depend thereon Psalm 36. 6. and therefore their whole care or rather their naturall incliation is to glorifie their creator Let vs also which are the creatures of God partakers of their natures as we haue a spirit with the angels sence and flesh with the beasts life and motion with trees and solide substance with the stones be glad and ioyfull with the earth in much fruit with the trees in a quicke and growing obedience with the beasts in a liuely sence of the Lords grace and with the angels in an euerlasting lauding of his maiestie or else he will take his word from vs and giue it to them which wil beare more fruit for although we be all destroyed yet is God able of the stones of the street to make liuing soules to sit with angels in his kingdome and let vs cast away all vncleannes Iam. 1. 21. that with them we may be cleere of sinne and readie for immortalitie I might also in this verse take occasion to shew you how all the creatures of God reioyce in his benefits the oxe for the grasse the foule for seeds the fishes for raine the Bee for the dew the horse for the pasture and the angels for the conuersion of men therefore let man bee conuerted that hee abuse not that which these honour and despise not that which saueth vs all Be glad then ye children of Zion and reioce in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you the raine of righteousnes and he will cause to come downe for you the first raine and the latter raine in the first moneth This verse containeth another speciall exhortation to the members of the church vnder the name of Zion as hath beene alreadie declared bidding them also to reioice for as there is a time to mourne so there is a time to reioise And the reasons of their ioy are rehearsed First because as raine so should righteousnes come downe vpon them 23. Secondly for fruitfulnes which should fill all their barnes 24. and fully recompence their former losses 25. and lastly that they should comfortably eate thereof vers 26. When he biddeth the children of Zion to be glad we may note that it is onely God that reioiceth our hearts Eccl. 2. 24. for as before he had bid them rend in sunder their hearts so now he biddeth them to sow them togither againe and he himselfe doth giue a plaister to make them whole for euermore Thus worketh repentance first by teares and then by ioyes as a woman that first groneth and afterward laugheth with her child in hir armes and like to old Iacob who went a long iourney into Egypt to see his sonne Ioseph and their first meeting was nothing but teares The reason because God onely taketh away sinne Prou. 29. 6. therefore our sinnes make vs sorrowfull when they are wantied to vs as a burthen to a horses backe and then they reioice vs when they are taken from vs but sinnes are not onely burthens on our backes but prickes in our sides and thornes in our eies which keepe vs from all rest and hinder vs from all sight of goodnes They play with vs for a season as the diuell seemeth to play with witches but alas in the end their mating faces are all turned into sorrowfull woes Another reason because God onely humbleth and raiseth vp and therefore he onely giueth sorrow and ioy Psal 51. 10. Let vs therefore knowe when we are heauie that God hath laid his hand vpon vs and feare his name Psal 86. 10. and not seeke extraordinarie meanes as Saul did by musicke to remooue from vs that dumpish greefe that presseth vs downe but rather take the exhortation of Iames when we be sorrowfull to lift vp our selues in praier for as those which were stoong with serpents must looke on the brazen serpent before they could bee whole so must wee which are stoong with sorrowe looke to the Lorde which wrought our sorrow before we can reioice Againe let vs seeke for those lawfull meanes in the creatures of God which may any way cause vs in the time of our sorrowes to lift vp our selues in praise to God Psal 70. 5. There is not any creature but it may put vs in minde of some benefite or other so that so often as we behold the same so often wee may reioice in the workmanship of our creator and truly as it is a great fault not to mourne when God calleth for lamentation so is it no lesse fault not to reioice when God biddeth to reioice Let vs therefore learne to be so affected that by the plentifull hand of God we may be stirred vp to praise but by withdrawing his benefites we may bee mooued to repentance Againe when hee speaketh to the church vnder the name of the children of Zion we are taught that the members of the church must be as children Matt. 18. 3. Children are euer growing so must we in grace children often hunger so ought we after the foode of our soules they take no care but their parents prouide for them no more ought we for God careth for vs their natures are pure so must ours be
they haue seldome sicknesse so ought wee seldome to sinne The reasons are first because children are without malice 1. Cor. 14. 20. for he is no member of the church that is malicious but a murderer againe children honour their parents so ought the members of the church to honour their God Mal. 1. 6. But alas malice hath deuoured the loue of man and the honour of God and we shall hardly finde one among a thousand that is not maliciously bent against one or other But let vs learne to leade our liues in feare seeing we are the children of God 1. Pet. 1. 17. for else we may be children but stubborne children and such as the Lorde will neuer acknowledge Againe let vs learne to doe the will of our heauenly father Matt. 21. 28. For not euery one that can say Our father which art in heauen or Lord Lord Christ our Sauiour and our redeemer shal enter into the kingdome of heauen Oh let vs be sanctified for this is the will of God euen our sanctification for except wee doe that which he biddeth and bring that which he calleth for we shal come to confusion as Babel did wherein when the builders called for stone they brought morter and when they called for morter they brought bricke so when we should doe one thing we doe another and when God calleth for holinesse we run to prophanenesse Againe when he biddeth them to reioice in the Lorde their God we may note that the ioy of good men is onely in God and spirituall things Psal 53. 7. it is not in masking and mumming piping and dauncing marrying or monkering eating or drinking hawking or hunting riding or running but in this that God is theirs and they are his and this is the best part which cannot be taken from them The first reason because he looketh on the estate of the poore abiect Isa 29. 19. but the world will not acknowledge a brother if he be in pouertie or a friende if hee bee in danger Againe God openeth his most secret goodnes to his saints Cant. 1. 4. bringing them into his cellars of wine who can but reioice in him that reioiceth in them and who can withholde his hart from him that gaue him hart and soule and life and all For one benefite or good turne Dauid tooke Abigaijl for his wife but if we hauing so much kindnesse from the Lorde doe refuse him from being our husband let vs beware least the wrath of God fall vpon vs as the wrath of Dauid shoulde haue fell on Nabal that hee would not leaue man woman or childe aliue of his posteritie Let vs not reioice in our workes Luc. 10. 20. nor in the world which is but transitorie nor in riot which is but labour nor in riches which are but vanitie nor in eating which is but necessitie nor in garments which are but shadowes of sinne nor in any thing but in God who hath registred our names in the kingdome of heauen Let vs also reioice with Iohn Baptist Ioh. 3. 29. That wee haue heard the voice of the bridegroome that his Gospell hath bin preached to vs his graces haue bin poured on vs his blood hath beene shedde for vs his death hath redeemed vs and that hee hath bought vs to serue him without feare all the daies of our life The raine of righteousnesse This is the first reason of his exhortation to ioy for as before they had wanted fruites through want of raine so they had wanted goodnesse through want of grace and nowe he promiseth both namely righteousnesse and fruitfulnesse for this raine of righteousnesse doth signifie abundance of righteousnesse wherein by the metaphor raine I might tell you from whence commeth grace righteousnesse iustification and sanctification from aboue as the raine doth and many other waies I might vrge the figure but I rest not in figures I will goe to the plaine wordes And seeing in the first place he promiseth them the raine of righteousnesse wee may note that religion and holinesse is better for the church then any riches Prouerb 28. 6. There is not any thing more needefull for a man then to liue vnder the winges of God and there is not anie thing more needfull for him that liueth vnder the wings of God that is in his church then the knowledge and practise of the pure worship of God The paradice where Adam was the riches of Salomon the peace of Augustus Caesar the glorie of Dauid or the pompe of Agrippa are nothing so needfull for the church as is preaching and hearing and praying and weeping Dauid was neuer farther from God then when he was most at ease The rich man was neuer so neere distresse as when his barnes were fullest The Israelites were neuer in more danger then when they were pampered with quailes and Noah was safer in the arke then on the drie lande And so are we all in better estate when the worlde thinketh vs to be miserable then when it iudgeth vs to be happie The reasons First bicause the things of this life doe drowne vs in miserable temptations 1. Tim. 6. 9. but religion quieteth the minde establisheth the conscience driueth away the diuell cutteth off manie sinnes is readie for death and is assured of saluation Againe all the good wee receiue by abundance is this that we shall haue no consolation in the life to come and therefore God hath better prouided for vs that we should liue here a little while in pouertie and euer after in glorie rather then heere a little while in riches and euer after in hell fire Let vs therefore bestowe all the labour wee can that we may haue religion and grow in graces 1. Cor. 1. 5. thereon aduenture thy money for thy merchandise shall bee warranted If there bee any man that hath religion buy some of him if there be any meanes to obtaine it vse them earnestly if there bee any faire or mart where it may be bought trauaile thither The ministers are the men that haue it praiers are the meanes to get it and the church is the place where thou maiest buie it the persons are noted thou maiest easilie finde them the meanes are cheape thou maiest speedily vse them the place is neere thou maiest quickly and often goe for thy store Oh trauaile for righteousnesse and grace and holinesse for all these are solde togither Bee not poore in religion but rich that thou maiest rather bee able to giue then to receiue As there be some very poore and make no spare for age or sicknesse so there bee some which haue little or no religion which onely take so much as will saue them from present danger of law or infidelitie and neuer thinke what they shall doe when they come to their graues Yet let these bee also warned that they labour to be rich in religion for a poore man may be rich in righteousnesse and a rich man may be poore in goodnesse
hee may remember thee in thy death for as thou seruest thou shalt be serued againe The xxxj Sermon Vers 30. And I will shew woonders in the heauens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke 31. The sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the moone into blood before the great and terrible daie of the Lorde come 32. But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued for in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath saide and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call NOw we are come to the last parte namely the manifestation of the power of God by great and fearfull signes in heauen and secondly by giuing saluation to the faithfull Concerning the great and feareful woonders much hath already beene spoken and nowe the lesse shall suffice For the interpretation take thus much That when Christ is come and ascended into heauen and the worlde conuerted from infidelitie vnto him then shall appeere manie extraordinarie tokens of the Lordes power both in the heauens and in the earth the lights shall bee most fearefully ecclipsed being in shew turned into darkenesse and blood the aire shall bee troubled and many terrible and strange things shall be seene So that heerein is described the constitution and euent of all thinges at the change of the worlde when God shall come to take vengeance on his enimies as it is in the chapter following I will briefely touch euery thing that I purpose to handle in this vers First in that hee telleth vs of these fearefull woonders presently to succeed or rather to accompanie the preaching of the Gospell the powring foorth of the spirite and conuersion of the worlde we may learne that God will giue vs temporall calamities with spirituall benefits Luk. 21. 9. So that there is no maruaile that in our times there haue been seene so many terrible things in heauen and earth seeing the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs for calamities make vs to beleeue it more willingly Hos 5. 15. And if the Gospell bee not shadowed in this trouble and wee not ouerthrowne by them then haue wee a notable triall of the Lordes promise towarde vs Luk 21. 18. For as Gedeons fleece was drie when all the earth about it was wet so shall we be safe when many shal be cast down Let vs learne to commit our soules vnto him 1. Pet. 4. 19. that although the heauēs fall down the earth be remooued the sea be dried and the light be darkened yet we may possesse our soules and our soules may possesse our Sauiour for it is God that sendeth woonders ruleth all signes the same cloude did leade the Israelites to Canaan that brought other to destruction the same signes are for our saluation which are for other mens condemnation Secondly when hee saith hee will set woonders in heauen wee are taught that God will manifest his wrath before it commeth Rom. 10. 18. Heauen is in the sight of all and naturally we are inclined to looke vpward so that whatsoeuer we there see we know it commeth from God and therefore there are the signes manifested because euery one might see them The reasons first because wee may either confesse them or be confounded by them Isai 2. 18. Secondly that the greatest enimies of God may be stilled Psal 8. 2. Therefore learne so soone as you see the rod to feare him that ordained it Mich. 6. 9. Againe let vs make a good vse of the signes that wee haue alreadie seene and not trie the Lords patience any longer or tempt the power of God any more Amos 5. 18. The wicked Iewes would haue had Christ shewe them a miracle when he was on the crosse and then they woulde beleeue him but yet they were wicked and so you which desire more tokens of the Lords power that you may be amended are still wicked for if you cannot beleeue the liuing word you shall not beleeue the dead miracles Thirdly when he saith that all these shall come before the great and terrible day of the Lord we must note that all the woonders and signes in the aire must prepare vs to iudgement Isa 29. 6. Oh how can the Lorde change vs when he thus changeth the world and how doth hee prouide for our safetie and preach our repentance by all the woonders of heauen and earth Darknesse putteth vs in minde of hell fire putteth vs in minde of the latter day blood putteth vs in minde of destruction smoke doth admonish vs of the vanitie of our life the earth would moue vs to repentance by remoouing her selfe the light would couer our sinnes in darknesse by withdrawing it selfe and the cloudes would call vs to heauen Let vs learne to feare the power of God more earnestly in his creatures that if these strange things come vpon vs yet we may not forget our Sauiour who shall come in the cloudes But whosoeuer Least wee should thinke that these troubles shoulde ouerturne and ouercome all in the world when there shall be no light but darknesse no peace but thunders no comfort but fires nor any appeerance but wrath and iudgement the prophet in these words telleth them that then euen in those most desperate miseries God would remember to heare the praiers of his children for the godly cannot choose but feare mightily when they should see all the world in an vprore and heauen and earth roaring to their destruction Whereby I might note that good men must endure the feare of those euils which shall come on the world Isa 33. 4. because they loue their life too much Psal 119. 108. and because their whole life must bee mortified and mangled with many sorrowes Rom. 8. 36. yet let vs not so feare that we despaire how neer soeuer we seeme to destruction Isa. 41. 14. but be obedient as Noah was Heb. 11. 7. though the waters and cries of all the world be as neere to vs as they were to him First when he saith that all that call on the name of the Lorde shall bee saued we may note that saluation must bee praied for before we can haue it Heb. 7. 25. Saluation commeth not as honour came on Dauid which made him a king before hee thought on it but it must come on vs as cleannesse and health came on Naaman which he trauelled for and praied for and washed for seuen times in Iorden before he could be cleansed And as the poore Canaanitish woman entreated Christ a good while before he would graunt so the Lord looketh that men should entreate for saluation many daies and nights and times with many teares and sighes and grones thorough many sorrowes and cares and troubles before they can be saued The reasons first because saluation is the Lords Psal 3. 8. and therefore it must be praied for secondly we must be saued by faith now faith is no faith that praieth not for grace Ephes
verie sorie to execute his wrath vpon the wicked for so our Sauiour expressed his griefe for Ierusalem Luk. 13. 34. when hee cried out O Ierusalem Ierusalem howe often woulde I haue gathered thee c. The which thing putteth vs in minde of the infinite loue of God whereby hee woulde pittie our losse reuoke his sentence silence his wrath and saue vs from heauie destruction But such is our nature as is the nature of children in their birth which thinke not vpon the paines of their mothers in trauaile although they die in extremitie yet they forget them when they bee olde and so doe we both the anger and the loue of God we regarde not his mercies nor his iudgements nor his gospell nor his teares nor the bloud of our Sauiour The reasons of this doctrine First in regard of vs because we knowe not the things that belong to our peace Luke 17. 42. So wretched is the estate of men that they are not able to discerne when God blesseth them or curseth them when hee wisheth them well and when he wouldeth them euill This is cleerer then the sunne for Christ and his Gospell being offered to the worlde and preached to euery degree of men you shall see nothing more vilely esteemed or basely regarded insomuch as wee may say that the men of our time doe not knowe the thinges that belong to their peace For if the Lorde threaten them then they spurne if he blesse them then they are wanton if he punish them then they murmure if hee honour them then they are proude and euerie one thinketh that the Gospell serueth but for a time and they shall doe as well without it as with it They knowe not that nowe is their visitation or that nowe they worke their death or life or that nowe they are married to God or the diuell Surely if men beleeue not the Gospell and walke not thereafter they are sathans bond-slaues although their wealth be as great as Salomons and their authoritie as great Hamans but if they ioyfullie embrace it in the ministerie of the worde then are they the wife of the lambe and the elected heires of grace Another reason secondly in regard of God because hee rather willeth repentance then vengeance of this wee haue often spoken Let vs make this vse First when we see the froward and wicked disposition of the world that will not bee reclaimed by any warning or any mercy of God let vs doe as Christ doth for the Pharisies Marke 3. 5. Mourne for the hardnesse of their heartes It is the custome of some vaine professours for so I may terme them to raile odiously at them that will not bee ruled by their wordes and so it is of some cholericke and vnwise preachers who will take libertie in their pulpits rather to reuile men then to reclaime them except at the first they come and lay their hands vnder their feete in the one it is foolish zeale in the other vaine folly Learne therefore by our Sauiour how to be affected when thy people or thy children or thy seruants or thy friends or thy neighbours will not bee gouerned by thy instruction namely to mourne for their hardnes of hart and no maruell for thou seest God to mourne for them when thy words can no longer preuaile then let teares and if they will not be mooued by warning let them be by mourning Hardnes of hart is a sickenes sent by God and it lyeth not in the power of man to cure the same therefore cast not away a man when he is sicke not a soule when it is hard but let sorrow and prayer speake for it to God when there is no helpe in mans phisicke Another vse seeing God is vnwilling and therefore mourneth for our destruction and so do all good men also oh let vs not despise and neglect all their sorrowes and cares and teares which they powre foorth for vs it is vngodlines not to regard the Gospell but it is vnnatural not to regard the sorrowful In heauen is nothing but ioy oh wretches that wee should make the Lord sorrowful for vs in the church there is al sorrow oh vnkinde and pitilesse men that we should encrease their sorrow and mourning and teares and adde to their affliction but that which is worst of all wee are hardened and will not care for their cries Be mooued to repentance and conuersion and holines and religion for God and men do mourne for thy rebellion let their teares make thee weep in this life or else they will make thee roare in another life Secondly we may obserue in this verse when hee calleth vpon the multitude to come to destruction that God careth no more for a multitude then for one man and will as easily cast many into hell as one soule as we may see in the drowning of the old world Gen. 7. 21. The reason because all are but flesh Gen. 6. 3. that is but vile made of earth but weake wanting strength and abhominable corrupted with sinne Now what should the Lord striue and stand with earth or weaknes or sinne he hath not an angell but it is stronger then a world and therefore a multitude are as easily giuen to damnation as one or two Let vs learne not to doe euill after the example of a multitude Exod. 23. 2. Although many be blasphemers or Atheists or heathens or papists or whooremongers or neglecters of the Gospell despisers of preachers and such like yet bee not thou so for it is no ease to haue company to hell Againe when he calleth them to come into the valley of threshing meaning the place of wrath vsing no other meanes to draw them thither but his call we may note that the onely word of God shal bring men to iudgement Psalm 50. 1 2 3. and the reason is because he is strong that giueth the word Ierem. 30 7. Oh therefore that the same word might stirre vs vp to saluation which shall prepare vs to condemnation and iudgement 2. Thess 3. 1. For verily if it be so powerfull as to bring all the world in one companie togither and to raise the dead out of their graues and make liuing men out of the dust of the earth in whom I beseech you is the fault that it gathereth not vs to heare it when the Lord speaketh in the congregation and rayseth vs not vp to the life of righteousnes surely as the Lordes hand is not shortened so his word is not weakened The xlj Sermon Vers 15. The sunne and the moone shall be darkened and the starres shall withdraw their light 16 The Lord also shall roare out of Zion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the heauens and earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel AS in the former chapter when the destruction and calamities of the Lords owne people the Iewes were threatened the heauens were said to be
soule that it may stande in all stormes swimme in all seas abide in all dangers liue in all deathes and raigne in all glorie So you shall know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and no strangers shall goe through her any more Now the Prophet drawing to a conclusion of his Sermons shutteth them vp with many sweete promises of the Lords fauour as first of all his presence then his bountie his presence in this verse which shall sanctifie them and keepe them from enimies Concerning the former part of this verse where the Prophet saith they shall know him to be their God dwelling in Zion sufficient hath beene alreadie spoken and I will not stand any longer thereon but referre you to the former chapter This therefore his promise vnto Ierusalem that it should be holy teacheth vs the perfection or greatest honour of the church namely Holines Ephes 1. 4. when the Lord promiseth that his church should bee holy hee thereby teacheth vs that all gifts and goodnes and mercy and glorie and dignitie of the church proceedeth from this that she is holy neither can the Lord in this world bestow any greater benefit vpon his church then hir sanctication This Holines consisteth not in learning nor in studying nor in knowledge nor in prophesie nor in miracles nor in church-offices but in a good life and in all them so that a holy man is a perfect christian Now verily when the Lord promiseth Ierusalem to be Holy he giueth hir all things for he giueth hir grace to be righteous his fauour to be honorable and his benefits to be glorious Without holynes men are heathens but with it they are christians without it they cannot enioy the earth but with it they may enioy the heauens without it they are sathans slaues but with it they are the Lords sonnes and to conclude Holines is the will of God the ende of our redemption the fruit of the Spirit the cloathing of our soules the ioy of the godly and the perfection of the church By Holynes landes are established euil is banished kings thrones are maintained and it maketh a nation dwell without danger no enimie can touch them no famine can dismay them no misery can ouerthrow them because they be holy and so may euery mans soule by Holynes driue away the diuell continue in the church and obtaine the kingdome of heauen The first reason because in nothing do we resemble God more then in holines Exod. 22. 23. who is only holy Reuel 15. 4. Holines and righteousnes was the image wherein God created vs and therefore he caused to bee wrote vpon the breast of the high Priests roabes Holines to the Lord. Contrarie vnto this holines is prophanesse when men abuse whatsoeuer is appointed to be holy whereby I see that they are verie iustly termed prophane men who haue no maner of shew of holines God his fearefull name which is holy they blaspheme the sabbaoths which are holy they prophane religion which is holy they contemne the congregation which is holy they persecute praiers which are holy they seldome vse and to be briefe al the lawes of God which are holy they violate these are carnall men these are miserable men these are subiect to all abhominations So that as there is no blessing but it belongeth to the holy so there is no curse but it belongeth to the prophane Another reason is because holynes is freed from sin hell Isa 11. 8 9. now to be freed from sin is the greatest blessing in this world to be freed frō hel is the greatest blessing in the world to come indeed one followeth another for whosoeuer is freed from sin is also freed from hell But there are many that thinke it a great paine vnto them to be free from sin because they cannot endure to be free from the meanes of sinning yet let vs know that this is or ought to be our prayer that wee may once be freed from committing of sinne that whereas we haue a minde to idolatrie or Poperie it may be turned from it or if we be inclined to swearing we may fall to leaue it and hate it and if we be addicted to be enuious we may be charitable or to lusts we may be chaste or to falshood we may bee true or to couetousnes we may be liberall or ignorance of the scriptures we may be learned in them and finally if to any vaine or vnlawfull thing we may no more desire it then children do the rod oh happy were we if we were thus cleansed from sinne that we might be thus sanctified Let vs learne that exhortation of the Apostle 1. Pet. 1. 15 16. That seeing God which hath called vs is holie so let vs bee holie that wee may purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirite And surely this reason of the Apostle is very effectuall to mooue vs vnto holinesse when hee telleth vs that God which called vs is holie Therefore looke to thy selfe that hearest the Gospell preached and leadest a lewde and prophane life for I tell thee that this very call of God whereby thou art seuered from Iewes and Turks shall at the latter day tell thee of thy euill which wouldest not walke in holinesse although God which called thee were holie The first image of God created in thee is decaied and it can neuer be repaired but by holinesse wouldest thou be glorified thou must first be sanctified thy bodie must be holy abstaining from pleasure thy soule must be holy not yeelding to temptation thy affections must be holy not corrupted with vanitie and thy life must be holy not drowned in sinne Oh be holy as God is holy it is a part of his essence so let it be of thine it is neuer parted from him so let it be euer with thee it is alway found in him so let it be alway found in thee God is holy in the earth so be thou he is holy in the church so be thou he is holy in the day so be thou he is holy in the night be thou so also and he is holy in heauen oh that we may be so his iudgements are holy so let thine be his words are holy so ought thine to be and his works are holy so let thine be Oh that we could be holy as he is holy that we might be perfect as he is perfect holy without sinne holy without want holy without loue without sinne that they were pardoned without want that all graces might be supplied and without loue that life and health and world and pleasure and lands may giue place to holinesse for holy people are redeemed of the Lorde but the wicked and prophane are damned to hell Another vse is that now we are exhorted to holinesse let vs learne how to bee holy which Iohn teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 3. 2 5. which is first by expectation of Christs
any blood Secondly the nature of it is to crie for vengeance in the eares of God Gen. 4. 10. as the Lord saide to Cain and therefore I thinke verily there will come a day that our recusants which are the ofspring of many bloodie persecutours shall haue the blood of the Lords saints reuenged vpon them But if the blood of saints shall be so reuenged then much more shall the blood of Christ Heb. 10. 29. There are only two kinds of people vpon whom the Lord wil bring the blood of his son the Iewes whom we see scattered ouer all the world being accounted a verie miserable and forlorne people the other are the contemners of the Gospell which make no account to be saued thereby who are in a maner as guiltie of the death of Christ as were the soldiers Iewes that nayled him on the crosse Wherfore God will not forget how they tread vnder their feete his pretious blood Againe let vs take occasion to praise the Lord which letteth not the blood of his children be shed in vaine Deut. 32. 43. as he blesseth them that take reuenge vpon his enimies make them fall to the earth so he curseth thē that cause any of his seruants to com to their latter end Again by this verse we may note that the blood of the Lords saints is innocent 2. King 21. 16. whatsoeuer lawes of princes or decrees of men be laide to their charge yet this must stil comfort them that if they die for the Lords cause they are innocent and shall certainly receiue life eternall The reasons because thorough hatred and malice of the world are they deliuered Ioh. 17. 4 Secondly being the seruants of righteousnes they cannot bee iustly executed for the same Rom. 6. 18. Let vs bee heereby encouraged not to feare death 1. Pet. 2. 19. for if we die naturally we die happily and if we die violently we die innocently Againe let not any of vs that are Christians suffer for our euill doing 1. Pet. 4. 15. but rather let vs watch ouer our liues that no sinful danger of humane lawes doe euer ouertake vs. But Iudah shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation For I will clense their blood that I haue not clensed and the Lord shall dwell in Zion These verses containe the last promises of the Lord vnto his church grounded vpon the presence of God among them First for their perpetuitie Secondly for the declaration of their innocencie which hee noteth when he saith that he will clense their blood c. when as vpon the report of the iniuries receiued in the former verse he presently addeth that they shall dwell for euer we may note that the wrongs which good men in this life endure shall bee one meanes to forwarde their rest and glorification Psa 12. 5. For this is the fruit of our afflictions to perswade the Lord for our immortalitie for as when the Israelites cried in Egypt then the Lord brought them into Canaan so when wee crie for our wrongs we are readiest for heauen The reasons God euermore hath an eie to the afflicted Psal 9. 13. Secondly then are we most like to the sonne of God and when we are likest to him on earth wee are neerest to him in heauen Let vs so beare our afflictions and wrongs as if we were borne for them 1. Cor. 4 9. for we see they shall turne to our greater ioy But of this matter we haue spoke often I might also remember out of this verse when he saith that Iudah and Ierusalem shall dwell for euer hee meaneth not the citie Ierusalem for that is long agoe destroied but he meaneth that the Iewes shall neuer be vtterly destroied but many of them shal be saued in the world to come When he saith that he wil clense their blood that is hee will manifest to all the worlde that they were not iustly executed but vniustly murdered whereby we may see at length that the wicked whether they were wilfully blinded or ignorantly affected in persecuting good men yet they shall know and so shall other that they murdered them vniustly as the Iewes which shall see Christ whom they pearced Reuel 1. 7. Mat. 27. 3 4. for wilfull murders cannot be euerlastingly concealed and it is al one before God to steale by authoriti◠or without law to kill by law or without authority Lastly we may see when he saith he will dwell in Zion that the presence of God preserueth the church Reuel 1. 13. how can it euer perish when the Lord maintayneth it Surely sathan told Christ that he could not do amisse for the Angels watched about him and held him vp that at no time he should dash his foot against a stone If the helpe of Angels in the diuels conceit was so great to preserue Christ then much greater is the presence and hand of God to vphold his church Hee alone buildeth it that it fal not keepeth it that it fade not dresseth it that it may be holy preserueth it that it may be godly so that so long as the Lord endureth so long shall the church stand maugre the might of all the diuels in hell To the which God euerlasting immortall and onely wise the most glorious Trinitie the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost let vs render all praise ascribe all maiestie and giue our whole spirits soules and bodies that he may be glorified in vs and we be glorified in him Amen Amen FINIS Cassianus Ioseph de antiq lib. 12. Herod lib. 7. Sabel Enn. lib. 9. Enn. 5. Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 24. Stobaeus ser 96 Fulg. lib. 1. 2. Cypr. aduers Demetr Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 7. cap. 11. Sab. lib. 4. Ennead 6. Plutarch Boeth lib. 8. Eurip. Plut. de amore Duditius de cometis The time of this prophesie The scope of this labour The diuision of this prophesie Cap. 1. vers 1. The prophets sermons are the Lordes owne words Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. If God did not send his word none would aske for it Reas 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Men preferred before angels in the preaching of the word Reas 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The ministers must call on the people to heare Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 The greatest men should be the greatest professors Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. a Principes cum ad limen delubri veniunt proinde sunt atque priuati 2 None must liue in the Church vnlesse they outwardly bee subiect to the Gospell Reason 1. 2 Vser 2 God his works must be perpetually remembred Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 We must tell our children what God hath done in our daies Reason 1. 2 Vse 1 2 Be carefull what we commit to posteritie Reason 1. No impiety but it will find some followers 2 Vse 1. 2 A speciall iudgement to increase hurtfull beastes Reason 1. 2 Vse 1. 2 Euery little beast can ouercome the welfare of man * Ecce me inquit qui vobis Deus videor