the honour of this city they that were aliue wheÌ„ Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48 1â— numbred her towers to haue considered her walles to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarsly to haue beene beleeued This we knowe by Psal 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they marvelled they were astonied and suddainely driven backe Thus is Ierusalem taken literally It is also taken spiritually for the Church either militant here on earth or Triumphant in heaven For the Church Militant Psal 128.5 Thou shalt see the wealth of Ierusalem all thy life long And for the Church Triumphant Gal. 4.26 Ierusalem which is aboue is free The Catholique Church Militant and Triumphant is called Ierusalem because Ierusalem was a type thereof Ierusalem was a type of the Catholike Church in sundry respects 1 God did choose Ierusalem aboue al other places of the earth to r Psal 132.13 Psal 135.21 dwell in So the Catholike Church the companie of the predestinate God hath chosen to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe 2 Ierusalem is a city Å¿ Ps 122.3 compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of loue and order among the Citizens So the faithfull the members of the Catholike Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit 3 Ierusalem was the place of Gods sanctuarie the place of his presence and worship where the promise of the seed of the woman was preserved till the comming of the Messias Now the Catholike Church is in the roome thereof In the Catholike Church we must seeke the presence of God the word of life 4 In Ierusalem was the t Psal 122.5 throne of David So in the Catholike Church is the throne and scepter of CHRIST figured by the Kingdome of David 5 The commendation of Ierusalem was the subiection obedience of her citizens The Catholike Church hath her citizens too Eph. 2.19 and they doe yeeld voluntarie obedience and subiection to Christ their King 6 In Ierusalem the names of the citizens were inrolled in a register So the names of all the members of the Catholike Church are inrolled in the booke of life Revel 20.15 You see now what Ierusalem is literally and what spiritually Literally it is that much honoured City in Iudea the u Ps 46.4 City of God even the sanctuary of the tabernacle of the most High Spiritually it is the holy Church of Christ either his Church Militant on earth or his Church Triumphant in Heaven Now the Ierusalem in my text from whence the LORD is said to vtter his voice is either Ierusalem in the literall or Ierusalem in the spirituall vnderstanding it is either Ierusalem the mother city of Iudea or Ierusalem the Church of Christ Militant vpon earth or Ierusalem aboue the most proper place of Gods residence So that Ierusalem here is the same with Sion an exposition of Sion The LORD shall roare from Sion that is in other words The LORD shall vtter his voice from Ierusalem Marke I beseech you beloved in the LORD The LORD shall roare not from Dan and Bethel where Ieroboams calues were worshipped but from Sion the mountaine of his holines and hee shall vtter his voice not from Samaria drunken with Idolatrie but from Ierusalem the x Zach. 8.3 city of truth wherein the puritie of Gods worship did gloriously shine Wee may take from hence this lesson Sion and Ierusalem are to be frequented that thence hearing God speake vnto vs we may learne what his holy will is To speake more plainely This is the lesson which I commend vnto you The place where God is served and the exercises of his religion are practised must be carefully frequented That I may the more easily perswade you to come vnto and to frequent this place this house of God his holy Church and Temple I bring you a guid This guid is a King and leads you the way the blessed King David I beseech you marke his affection Psal 84.1 O LORD of hoasts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule longeth yea fainteth for thy courts Mark his loue Psa 26.8 O LORD I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth Marke the earnestnes of his zeale Psal 42.1.2 As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God Let this holy King King David be that patterne of your imitation Beloued you must haue an earnest loue and desire to serue God in the assembly of his Saints you must much esteeme of the publike exercise of religion It is Gods effectuall instrumeÌ„t and meane to nourish and begâ—t you to the hope of a better life In what case then are you when you absent your selues from this and the like holy assemblies when either you come hither carelesly or else do gracelesly contemne this place Here is Sion here is Ierusalem here God speaketh to you in the language of Canaan and here may you speake to him againe with your owne mouthes It is every mans duty the dutie of everyone that loues God to come vnto Gods house his house of prayer In this respect thus saith the LORD Esay 56.7 Mine house shall bee called the house of prayer for all people For all people there is no difference betweene the y Galat. 3.28 Iew and the Grecian betweene the bond the free betweene the male and the female for our LORD who is LORD over all z Rom. 10.12 is rich vnto all that call vpon him Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people To imprint this sentence in your heartes it is repeated vnto you Mat. 21.13 Where Iesus Christ to the mony changers doue-sellers whom he found in the Temple vseth this speech It is written mine house shall be called an house of prayer but yee haue made it a den of theeues Iunius his note vpon the place is good Qui domo Dei non vtitur ad orationis domum is eò devenit vt speluncam latronâ—m efficiat cam Whosoever vseth not the house of God for a house of prayer hee commeth thither to make it a denne of theeues Let vs take heed beloved in the Lord wheÌ„soever we come vnto the Church the house of God that we be not partakers of thiâ— sharpe censure Ecclesiastes chap. 4.17 giuâ—â—â— a profitable caveat Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God intimating thus much that of duty we are to enter into the house of God Though the Temple in Ierusalem and all the worship in ceremonies that was annexed to it are taken away yet iâ— Solomons caveat good for vs still Take heed to thy feet when thou enterest into the house of God For we also haue Gods house where hee is chiefly to be
in the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall bee swallowed vp of life Even so be it blessed father for thy welbeloved sonne Iesus Christ his sake to whoÌ„ with thee in the vnitie of the holy spirit be all praise and power might and Maiestie dignity and dominion for evermore Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the â—op of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloved in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esâ—â—â— father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is hee was a heardman or shepheard 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a litle village in the confines of the kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2. Chr. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepheards walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implyed in these worder The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. revolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the daies of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquake After my exposition given vpoÌ„ those fiue parts of that text I recald to your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepheard became a blessed prophet to carry a terrible word and fearefull message from the living God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Therevpon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mightie That doctrine proved I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good providence Poore shepheards and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignitie in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither empire nor kingdome nor place in theÌ„ of dignity priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industrie wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie The second was to stop blasphemous mouthes such as are ever more open against the God of Heaven to affirme that all things belowe the moone are ruled by their blinde Goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your heartes might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet never sleeping care over vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the lest moments titles in the world that you can imagine to a handful of meal to a cruse of oile in a poore widdowes house to the falling of the Sparrows to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of Hindes to the cloathing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reverence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth ver 2. And hee said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice froÌ„ Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lorde shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking He shall roare and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence he speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepheards The dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardmaÌ„ or shepheard whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Even the words which he saw vpoÌ„ Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reveiled vnto him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloved wee may learne whence the holy scriptures haue their soveraigne authoritie Their authoritie is froÌ„ aboue eveÌ„ from the LORD whose name is IEHOVAH whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heaven of heavens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man possesseth his secret reines and divides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great IEHOVAH God almightie spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Hebr. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1. chap. ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any private motion Marke his reason vers 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holie men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the LORD came vnto me The LORD God hath spoken Thus saith the LORD and the like This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnes of time when he sent his Sonne to coÌ„summate perfect the work of mans redeÌ„ption speak by his blessed Evangelists Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand
in the holy Scriptures This he doth in foure positions 1. ſ Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib 5. cap 7. § Probatur Tenentur Christiani non pati super se Regem non Christanum si ille conetur avertere populum à fide Princes if they goe about avertere populum à fide to avert their people from the faith the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all they may and must bee dispossessed of their scepters and regalities 2. t Ibid § Quod si Quod si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianū Iulianum Apostatam Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vites temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arian and other like tyrants id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis it was because they wanted power and force and were not strong enough for that attempt 3. u Ibid. § At non At non tenentur Christiani immo nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis tolerare Regē infidelem Christians are not bound to tolerate a king that is an infidell or a King not a Papist Not bound to tolerate him Nay saith Bellarmine they must not tolerate such a one cum evidenti periculo religionis if the toleration of him be an evident danger to their religion 4. x Ibid. § At non De iure humano est quod hunc aut illum habeamus regem It is by the law of man that we haue this or that mā to bee our King This last positiō is formerly avowed by the same author in the same booke but in the second Chapter with oppositiō and disgrace to the soveraigntie of the Lord of hosts y § Quod ad primum Dominium nō descendit ex iure divino sed ex iure gentium Kingdoms and dominions are not by the law of God but by the lawe of nations It is an impious blasphemous and atheologicall assertion From these positions of the great Iesuite by a necessarie inference doe follow these two conclusions 1 That the Papists woulde most willingly depriue our most gracious Soveraigne of his royall throne and regalitie if they were of force and power so to do 2 That all subiects of this land may stand in manifest rebellion against their King because he is no Papist Both which are summarily acknowledged by his royall Maiestie in his excellent speach the 5. of November z Ann. Dom. 1605. last The a C. 2. ◠Romish Catholiques by the grounds of their religion do maintaine that is lawfull or rather meritorious to murther Princes or people for quarrel of religion By the grounds of popish religion it is lawfull yea meritotorious for Papists to murther Kings which are not Papists You see his Maiesties royall acknowledgement of impietie in the grounds of Romish religion You will not doubt of it if you rightly esteeme that same late thrise damnable diabolicall and matchlesse plot conceived in the wombe of that religion with a full resolutiō to consume at once our pious King and this flourishing kingdome You perceiue now in what contempt and disgrace the popish faction holdeth the holy Scriptures the written word of God The written word of God expreslie requireth obedience vnto Princes as placed in their thrones by Gods sole authoritie But the Popish religion mainteineth rebellion against Princes as placed in their thrones by mans sole authority Which will you follow the holy word of God or the doctrine of the Romish Church Beloved remēber what I told you in the beginning of this exercise though Amos spake yet his words were Gods words remember that God is the author of holy Scripture and then for his sake for the authors sake for Gods sake you will be perswaded to take heed vnto it to heare it and read it with reverence obsequie and docility We the branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to whom by devolution the sacred Statutes of the eternall God the holy Scriptures are come must esteeme of them all for b D King B. of Lond. vpon Ion. lect 1. p. 2. Gods most royall and celestiall Testament the oracles of his heavenly Sanctuary the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsailes milke from his sacred breasts the earnest pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete c Ierem. 15.16 ioy of our harts d Lament 4.20 breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidence and deeds of our future blessednesse Behold the value and price of the words which Amos saw vpon Israel which God willing with all my diligence best paines I will expound to you hereafter as occasion shall be ministred Now let vs poure out our soules in thankfulnesse before the LORD for that hee hath beene pleased this day to gather vs together to bee hearers of his holy word and partakers of the blessed Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ thereby to confirme our holy faith in vs. We thanke thee therefore good Father and beseech thee more and more to feed vs with the never perishing food of thy holy word that by it being made cleane and sanctified wee may in due time haue free passage from this valley of teares to the city of ioie Ierusalem which is aboue where this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life So be it THE THIRD LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither VPon the preface to this prophecie these words and he said my last lecture was bestowed wherein because whatsoever Amos the heardman spake was the word of God I endeavored to shew forth the worth dignitie and excellencie of the word of God commonly called by the name of holy Scripture A point that yeeldeth a very harsh vnpleasant sound to euery popishly affected eare as then at large I made plaine our of popish mouthes practise Order now requireth that I goe on to the next generall part of this text to the prophecie it selfe The first point therein to bee recommended at this time vnto you is the LORD speaking The LORD shall roare and vtter his voice wherein I desire you to obserue with me who it is that speaketh and how hee speaketh Who speaketh It is the Lord. How speaketh he He roareth and vttereth forth his voice First of him that speaketh Hee is in the Hebrewe text called IEHOVAH which is the a D. King B. of London vpon Ionas Lec 11. p. 152. honorablest name belonging to the great God of Heaven Much might bee spoken of it would I apply my selfe to the curiositie of Cabalists and Rabbins as that it is a 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉
die eternally but the elect they are pardoned and restored to their former dignity and enabled by CHRIST their redeemer and reconciler to God to performe their duties to their LORD their duties of obedience of faithfull service and of profitablenes to obey the commandements of God to performe whatsoever service is enioyned them and to procure advantage of glory to their LORD Beloved I doubt not but that all we who are now religiously assembled in this place are the elect of God chosen by him in Christ Iesus * Ephes 1.4 before the foundation of the world to bee holy and without blame before him in loue yet I feare me should wee enter into our owne hearts and examine our selues how we haue walked in dutifulnesse towards him our best course will bee to runne vnto him with a PECCAVIMVS in our mouthes LORD we haue z Luk 15.18 sinned against heaven and before thee and are not worthy to be called thy servants By the first branch of â—ur dutie we are required to be obedient servants but we haue beene a Ezech. 2.4 hard of face and stiffe hearted a rebellious ofspring like vnto our fathers By the second branch of our dutie we are required to be faithfull servants but wee haue made a covenant with b Rom. 6.19 vncleanenesse and iniquitie to serue them By the third branch of our dutie we are required to be profitable servants but when we should haue c Mat. 25.27 put our Lords mony to the exchangers for his greater vantage wee haue d vers 25. hid it in the earth LORD enter not into account with vs e Iob. 9.3 we cannot answere thee one of a thousand Now dearely beloved suffer a word of exhortation let the remembrance of your holy duties by you to bee performed to the LORD your God be like f Ecclus. 49.1 the compositioÌ„ of the perfume that is made by the arte of the Apothecary sweete as hony in your mouthes and as musicke at a banket of wine Bee it vnto you g Ezech. 16.11.12 as bracelets vpon your hands as chaines about your necks as frontlets vpon your faces as earings in your eares as beautifull crownes vpon your heads let it be written in your hearts as h Ierem. 17.1 with a peÌ„ of yron or point of a Diamond never to be raced out Shall I deliver this your dutie vnto you in blessed Paules words In blessed Paules words this is your duty to i 1. Thes 2.12 walke worthy of the Lord Coloss 1.10 To walke worthy your vocation Ephes 4.1 To walke as children of the light Ephes 5.8 To walk in newnes of life Rom. 6.4 To walke in loue Ephes 5.2 To haue your conversation as it becommeth the Gospell of CHRIST Phil. 1.27 To behaue your selues honestly towards them that are without 1. Thess 4.12 To walke honestly as in the day Rom. 13.13 If you take thought k Rom 13.14 for your flesh to fulfill the lusts of it if your eyes are l 1 Iohn 2.11 blinded with m 2 Tim. 3 4. loue of pleasures if you haue n Ephes 5.11 fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse you are out of the way and doe much faile in the performance of your holy duty And to keepe you the better in the right way let me plainly tell you out of 1. Cor. 6.9 and Ephes 5.5 That neither Idolaters nor the covetous nor extortioners nor theeues nor adulterers nor fornicators nor buggerers nor wantons nor drunkards nor raylers shall haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Haue not some of vs beene such yet to such there is ministred a word of comfort 1. Cor. 6.11 First is our accusation Such were some of you then followeth our comfort but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God Is this true beloved Are we washed and sanctified and iustified in the name of the LORD IESVS and by the spirit of God why then resolue we to follow St Paules advise Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are true and honest and iust and pure and doe pertaine to loue and are of good report if there bee any vertue or praise resolue we to thinke on these things thinke wee on these things to doe them and we shall well performe our holy duties to our LORD Thus farre of my first note touching the speaker who speaketh Now followeth my other note How hee speaketh He shall roare and vtter his voice The metaphor of roaring with reference vnto God is frequent and much vsed in holy Scripture You shal find it as here so Ierem. 25.30 ioined with the voice of the Lord The Lord shall roare from aboue thrust out his voice from his holy habitation And so againe Ioel. 3.16 where you haue the very words of my text The LORD shall roare out of SION and vtter his voice from Ierusalem You shall find it without any mention of the Lords voice Hos 11.10 The LORD shall roare like a Lion when hee shall roare then the children of the west shall feare You shall find it with application Amos 3.8 The Lyon hath roared who will not be afraid The LORD God hath spoken who can but prophecie St Hierome acknowledgeth this metaphor to be very fit out of Amos his mouth for as much as it is fit for every man to vse in his speech such examples and similitudes as are most familiar to him in his owne art dayly course and trade of life It s fit for a sea faring man to compare his heavinesse to a tempest his losse to a shipwracke his enimies to contrary windes fit for a souldier to tell of his sword his buckler his coat of male his launce his helmet his musket his wounds his victories sit for a husbandman to be talking of his oxen his kine his sheepe his grounds Not vnfitly then doth Amos our Prophet sometimes a shepheard one that kept his sheepe in the wast wildernesse of Tekoa where many a time he had heard the Lyons roare compare the terrible and dreadfull voice of the living God to the roaring of Lyons The Lord shall roare By this hyperbolicall forme of speech the holy Spirit convinceth vs of stupidity and dulnesse as vnable to entertaine any admonition from God except he speak vnto vs after an extraordinary maÌ„ner For this reason even for our dulnesse sake is God here in my text compared to a Lyon He shall roare The meaning of this phrase is opened by the next words He shall vtter his voice It will be no lost labour to consider how God an incorporeall and spirituall essence devoid of such parts of nature by which we are enabled to speake may himselfe be said to speake and vtter a voice That hee spake it is well knowne to them to whom the Scriptures are not vnknowne He spake with Adam Eue the serpent with Noah with Abraham 8 times with Isaac with
sought and worshiped even in every place appointed by publike authoritie for publike assemblies Wherefore I pray you hath God given his Church a 1. Cor. 12 27. some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers Is it not as we are taught Ephes 4.12 for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edifying of the Body of Christ See you not here a forcible argument and evident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue would haue the societie fellowship company of your sweet Saviour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Knowe this you cannot be right worshippers of God in private if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assemblie the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoever doe for none or for smal occasions absent your selues from this place this house of God at appointed times where when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouÌ„cing of al sects and societie with idolatrie and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare avouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing St Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these daies finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will bee ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this soare I know somewhat and you knowe more then I how backward many of you haue beene froÌ„ doing God due service in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreverence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you invite your neighbour to sup with you but once he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almightie the mightie creatour of Heaven of Earth of all you that heare mâ— this day invite you many times to come and suppe at the table of his blessed Sonne and you refuse it Beleeue it hee cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoever therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grievously as a learned b Bucanus Loc. 48. Divine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a divine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloved lay vp these things in your harts let this day be the beginning of your reformatioÌ„ resolue from hence forth to perfourme your due obedience to God in this place to poure forth your praiers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table whereby faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenes of your sinnes your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of SION and IERVSALEM the place from whence God will speake vnto yâ—â— exhorted every one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Servants For old and yong should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel. 2.15 16. Calla solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the childreÌ„ those that suck the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua cha 24.15 I my house will serue the LORD Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children servants to your neighbours also strangers if they come in your way This we may learne out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zacharie First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his waies we wil walke in his pathes for the law shall go forth of SION and the word of the Lord from IERVSALEM Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachary chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall go vnto another saying vp let vs go and pray before the LORD seeke the LORD of hoastes I will go also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE FIFTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither OF the speaker place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spokeÌ„ Now proceed we to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time bee the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall Hebrew copie we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepheards haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepheards did vse in the wildernesse neere vnto such fields pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might bee at hand to defend their harmelesse sheepe from savage and ravenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places
the flowds shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst who made the dry land so f Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never mâ—â—e and can g Psal 104.6 cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so h Esai 24.20 rocke her that shee shall reele to and fro and stacker like a drunken man Thus saith the LORD This powerfull IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floare to walke in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and fitteth in the heart of man possesseth his secretest reines and devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thuÌ„der shaketh the wildernes of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not do it hath he spoken shal he not accomplish it BalaaÌ„ confesseth as much vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Samuel 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repeÌ„t for he is not as maÌ„ that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or any one title of Gods law shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Then out of doubt it must come to passe Hereby you may be perswaded of the authority of this Prophecie and not of this only but of al other the Prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this nor any other Prophecie of old is destitute of divine authority This point touching the authority of holy Scripture I delivered vnto you in my second lecture and therefore haue now the lesse need to spend time therein Yet a word or two thereof God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 not by the mouth of Moses only but by the mouths of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 2. Peter 1.20 Know this that no Prophecy in the Scripture is of any private motion He giveth the reasoÌ„ hereof ver 21. for the Prophecy in old time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Hence sprang those vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The The word of the LORD came vnto me the LORD God hath spoken and this in my text Thus saith the LORD This LORD who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when hee sent to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Evangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made vnto them Matth. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be given you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you It must stand ever true what is recorded 2. Tim. 3.16 the whole Scripture and every parcell thereof is given by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Here may you note the harmonie consent and agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man whersoever were the place whatsoever were the people the words were the Lords Thus saith the LORD Howe then dare wee potters clay lift vp our hands against him that fashioned vs How dare we absent our selues from his house of prayer where God in and by his holy word speaketh vnto vs How dare we when we are come to this place behaue our selues carelesly negligently irreverently But I will not at this time presse you any further with this point having heretofore in my fourth lecture occasioned by the Lords roaring out of Sion and vttering his voice from Ierusalem exhorted you in many words to the due performance of your dutifull service of God in this place For this present I will onely giue you a tast of the sweetnesse of the worde of the LORD conveied vnto vs by the ministeries of his sanctified Prophets Evangelists Apostles It is the Lords most roial and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuarie the only key vnto vs of his reveiled counsels milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feet ioy of our hearts breath of our nostrils pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidences and deeds of our future blessednesse Thus farre of the preface proeme or enterance making for the authoritie of this prophecie Thus saith the LORD Now followeth the prophecie against the Syrians wherin I commended to your Christian considerations foure things 1 The general accusation of the Syrians verse 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure 2 The LORDS protestation against them verse the 3 I will not turne to it 3 The particular sinne by which the Syrians had so offended God vers the 3. They haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron 4 The punishments attending them for this sinne set downe generally and specially Generally vers 4. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Ben-hadad Specially vers the 5. I will breake also the barres of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the people of Aram shall goe into captivitie vnto Kir Order requireth that I begin with the first part the accusation of the Syrians vers 3. For three transgressions of Damascus and for foure This Damascus was a very ancient citie built as a Arias Montan Iustin lib 36 Stephan Adrichom Hieron Heb. quaest in GeÌ„ some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 b Apud Hier. ibid Ioseph antiq Iudaic lib. 1. cap. 7. Willet in GeÌ„ cap. 15. Others holding the name of this city to haue beene more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 Where vpon Damascus was called also Aram as c In Esai 17. St Hierome witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquitie of this city it is plaine by Esa 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria I need not tell you what Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome saw in this city about some hundred yeares since as the place where Caine slew Abel
we learne this lesson It is neither wealth nor policie nor power nor preferment that can stood vs if Gods vnappeaseable angâ—â—â—reak out against vs for our sinnes The reason hereof we read Ierem. 4.4 It 's this Because of the wickednes of our inventions Gods wrath comes forth like fire and burneth that none can quench it The vse is to teach vs that wee despise not Gods iudgements nor abuse his mercies but that we tremble at the one and bee drawne to well doing by the other 3 In that the LORD sendeth a fire into the palaces of Benhadad to devoure them we learne thus much God depriveth vs of a great blessing when hee taketh from vs our dwelling houses The great commoditie or contentment that commeth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses doth experimentally make good vnto vs this truth The vse is to teach vs first to be humbled before Almighty God whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from vs. SecoÌ„dly since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory Thirdly to praise God day by day for the comfortable vse we haue of our dwelling houses It would tire you to heare these doctrines and their vses severally amplified and enlarged In the sequele of this chapter I shall haue occasion to repeat them to you THE NINTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivity vnto Kir WE are now come to the second braunch of the fourth part of this prophecie in the 5. verse wherein are set down more specially the punishmentes to bee inflicted vpon the Syrians for their sinnes And this is done in foure severall clauses In each wee may obserue three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his instruments 2 The pâ—â—ished the Syrians not of any one city only but of the whole country which we gather froÌ„ these names Damascus Bikeath-Aven Beth-eden and Aram. 3 The punishment the spoile of the country and ruine of the whole state The barre of Damascus must bee broken the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden must be cut of and the people of Aram must go into captivitie Of the words as they lie in order I will also breake the barre of Damascus I the LORD a Iob 9.5 6. c remoue mountaines and they feele not when I overthrow them I remoue the earth out of her place make her pillers to shake I command the sun it riseth not I close vp the starres as vnder a signet I my selfe alone spread out the heavens and walke vpon the height of the sea I make Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the climates of the South I the LORD who do great things vnsearcheable marvailous things without number b Amos 5.8 9.6 IEHOVAH is my name I the Lord IEHOVAH who haue resolved to send a fire into the house of Hazael and palaces of Benhadad I will also breake the barre of Damascus You know what a barre is in its proper signification an instrument wherewith we make fast the gates of our cities and doors of our houses against the violence of our enemies If the barre be broken the entrance into the city or house will be the easier Kedar is discovered to be weake for want of barres Ier. 49. â—1 And so are they against whom Gog and Magog were to fight Ezech. 38.11 they had neither barres nor gates Ierusalem had both and God made them strong Psal 147.13 Therefore praise the LORD O Ierusalem praise thy God O Sion for he hath made the barres of thy gates strong so strong that no enemy is able to breake them or to make any irruption into them A barre is also vsed to a figuratiue sense Metaphorically Synecdochically betokeneth munition fortification the forts strong holds of a country the strength of any thing To which sense the sea hath barres We read of them Iob 38.10 God hath appointed the sea her barres and dores saying hitherto shalt thou come here wil I stay thy proude waues And the earth hath barres We read of theÌ„ Ion. 2.6 And what are the barres of the earth but the c D. King B. of London in Ion. lect 27. strongest muniments and senses it hath her promontories and rockes which God hath placed in her frontiers to withstand the force of the waters And Moab hath barres Esai 15.5 There the barres of Moab are put for the forts in the borders of Moab And Egypt hath barres Ezech. 30.18 Where Egypts barres after the exposition of Illyricus in his d Verbo Vectis key of Scriptures are munitiones robur the fortifications and strength of Egypt So here the barres of Damascus are Damasci e Mercer robâ—r munitiones porta â—lâ—â—stra â—â—â—tissima the streÌ„gth of Damascus the munitions of Damascus the gates of Damascus the most fensed fortresses of Damascus Yea f Gualter Vniversum regni robur the whole strength of the kingdome of Syria is to be vnderstoode in these barrâ—s of Damascus Of Damascus no base or contemptible city Lewes Vertomannus a gentleman of Rome in his travaile to those esterne parts of the world a hundred yeares ago saw this city and admiring the marveilous beauty therof hath Navigat cap. 5. left a record of it to posterity It is saith he in manner incredible and passeth all beleefe to thinke how faire the city of Damascus is and how fertile is the soile This Damascus is a city of great antiquity g See my sixth lecture vpon this chapter built as some coniecture by Eliezer the steward of Abrahams house who was surnamed Damascus Gen. 15.2 So that this city was built more then 3444. yeares agoe for h In the yeare of the world 2124. Funcc in Cronolog And this Sermon was preached A. C. 1606. Febr. 8. so long agoe Abraham died The first mention of this city is Gen. 14.15 Others holding the name of this city to haue been more ancient then Abraham do attribute the building of this city to Huz one of the sonnes of Aram Gen. 10.23 wherevpon Damascus was called also AraÌ„ as S. Hierome vpon Esai 17. witnesseth Whatsoever were the antiquity of this city it is plaine by Esai 7.8 that it was the Metropolitane and chiefest city of Syria The Prophet Ieremie giues it a high commendation chap. 49.25 where he cals it a glorious city and the city of his ioy Damascus in this place is not the bare city but i Tremellius tractus Damascenus sive Decapolitanus the whole cuntry about Damascus the coasts of Decapolis whereof we read Mark 7.31 I will also breake the barres of Damascus To breake in the Hebrew phrase by a Metaphore is to consume to destroy to wast to spoile In the 24 of Es vers 19.
both their ends the end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22.38 In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also and the end of Iezebel registred the 2. Kings 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all sauing her skull her feet and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the den of Lyons His accusers vnto Darius were the instrumeÌ„ts of his affliction These his accusers were the LORDS instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues children were cast into the den of Lyons the Lyons had the mastery of them brake all their bones in pieces ere ever they came to the grouÌ„d of the den The time will not suffer me to recal to your remembrances all the iudgements of God of this quality written down in the register of Gods works his holy word how what he reÌ„dred to g Ester 7.10 Haman to h 2. Kings 19.35 37. Sennacherib to i IereÌ„ 36.29 Ioachim to the k Ierem. 49.2 Ammonits to the l Ierem. 49.9 51.20 Chaldeans to the m Ezech. 35.2 Idumeans and other wicked worldlings for their hard measure offered to his childreÌ„ though they were therein his own instrumeÌ„ts The afore-meÌ„tioned instaÌ„ces of the Egyptians of Ahab his wife Iezebel of Daniel his accusers may serue for the declaratioÌ„ of my propouÌ„ded doctrine Though the LORD do vse his enimies as instruments to correct his owne servants children yet will he in his due time overthrow those his enimies with a large measure of his iudgments The reason hereof is because Gods iustice cannot let them escape vnpunished St Paule expresseth it 2. Thess 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recoÌ„pense tribulatioÌ„ to theÌ„ that trouble you Let this be our comfort whensoever the wicked shall rage against vs. For hereby are we assured when the LORD shal shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire that theÌ„ to the wicked whose behaviour towards the godly is proud and dispiteous he will render vengeance and punish them with everlasting perdition St Peter to make vs stedfast in this comfort disputeth this point Ep. 1. chap. 4.17 The point he proueth by an argument drawne à minori inferring from a truth to carnal mens vnderstanding lesse probable a truth of greater probabilitie Iudgement saith he beginneth at the house of God If it first begin at vs what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarsly be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Our Saviours words Luk. 23.31 do coÌ„taine a like argumeÌ„t If they doe these things to a greene tree what shal be done to the dry To like purpose in Ierem. 25.29 saith the LORD of hoasts Loe I begin to plague the city where my name is called vpon shall you goe free Yee shall not goe free Hitherto I refer also one other text Esai 10.12 where it is said that God when he hath done dispatched all his worke vpon mount Sion will visite the fruite of the proud heart of the King of Assyria the meaning of the place is that God when he hath sufficiently châ—stised and corrected those of his owne house his beloued children wil turne his sword against the skorners of his Maiestie When God hath serued his owne turne by the wicked then comes their turne also howsoever for a while they flourish in hope to escape Gods hand and to abide vnpunished yet will God in due time well enough finde them out to pay them double The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to admonish vs that we spite not any of the wicked who now doe liue in rest because their turne to be punished must come and faile not The further it is put of from them the heavier in the end it will fall vpon them A second vse is to teach vs patience in afflictions for as much as God will shortly cause the cuppe to passe from vs to our adversaries But say he wil not Yet neverthelesse are we to possesse our soules in patience reioicing and giving thankes to God who hath made vs worthy not only to belieue in him but also to suffer for his sake For we haue learned Act. 14.22 That through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of God c. The Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs which were not only reviled and scourged but also beheaded cut in pieces drowned in water consumed in fire by other tyrannicall devises cruelly put to death they all by this way received the manifest token of their happy and blessed estate and entred into the kingdome of God And we vndoubtedly know 2. Cor. 5.1 That if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed wee haue a building of God an house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens Thus farre of my second circumstance the circumstance of the punished the Aramites professed enemies vnto God yet by him employed in the correction of his owne children the Israelits are here themselues punished My doctrine was Though the Lord do vse his enemies as instruments to correct his owne servants and children yet will he in due time overthrow those his enemies with a large measure of his iudgements The third circumstance is the punishment a going into captivitie amplified by the place This captivity bondage and slavery was to be in an vnknowne strange a farre country Kir in Media The people of Aram shal goe into captivity vnto Kir The doctrine is For the sinne of a land God often times sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Captivity to be an effect or punishment of sin king Salomon in his praier made to the LORD at his consecration or dedication of the Temple 1. King 8.46 acknowledgeth It 's expreslie delivered 1. ChroÌ„ 9.1 of the Israelites that for their transgressioÌ„s they were carryed away captiue vnto Babel In Deut. 28.41 among the curses threatned to all such as are rebellious and disobedient to Gods holy commandements Captivity is ranked and reckoned I let passe the multitude of Scripture-places serving to this point my text is plaine for it The Aramites for their three traÌ„sgressions and for foure for their many sins for their sin of cruelty for threshing Gilead with threshing instruments of yron were to goe into Captivity My doctrine standeth firme For the sinne of a land God oftentimes sendeth away the inhabitants into captivity Into Captivity Into what kinde of captivity For there is a spirituall captivity and a corporall captivity a captivity of the minde and a captivity of the body Both are very grievous but the first more The first wich I call the spirituall captivity and a captivitie of the minde is a captivity vnder the Devill vnder the power of
vpō the earth But it fareth with vs as it did with Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5 We are brethren in evill the instruments of cruelty are in our habitations They in their wrath slew a man and what do we If our wrath be kindled against our brother we will not sticke Edom-like to pursue him with the sword we will make our sword to be fed with his flesh and drunke with his bloud Thinke not dearely beloved you of the other sex thinke not your selues exempt from this reproofe because in it I haue not made any mention of sisters for vnder the name of brethren I meant you also My speach was vnto Christians in Christianisme diversity of sex maketh no difference So saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 Male and female all are one in Christ To you therfore this reproofe of brethren at variance doth also appertaine If you lay violent hands vpon any your husbands your children or other or if with your tongue which the holy Spirit Ps 57.4 calleth a sharpe sword you are given to vexe them of your owne house or shal backbite or sclander any know that Edom-like you do pursue your brother with the sword And take I beseech you my propounded doctrine as belonging vnto you also It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues A second vse is to worke in vs brotherly kindnesse that vertue whereby every good Christian embraceth the Church of God and the members thereof with the bowels of loue This brotherly kindnesse S. Peter 2. Ep. 1.7 commendeth vnto vs as whereto we ought to giue all diligence David Psal 133.1 stileth it with the sweet name of Vnitie Behold how good and comely a thing it is for brethren to liue in vnity And therefore commendeth it by two similitudes in the one shewing the sweetnes pleasantnes of it in the other the fruit and profit which commeth by it First it is like that precious ointment which was powred on the head of the high Priest and ran downe vpon his beard and so to the borders of his garments Behold the sweetnes and pleasantnes of vnity That sweet perfume ointment that holy oile powred out vpon the high Priest and his garment was not only pleasant and delightfull to himselfe but did also yeeld a sweete smelling savour to all that were about him So is it with vnitie Is not only pleasant to them who doe religiously esteeme and keepe it but to others also which are about them Secondly it is like the dew of Hermō which fell vpon the moūtaines of Sion where the LORD appointed the blessing and life for evermore Behold the fruit and profit which commeth by Vnity The dew and wet that fell downe from heaven vpō Hermon and Sion made those hils and the plaine countries neere them fertill so doth Vnity bring with it great fruit and profit It makes them among whom it is sincerely observed it makes them through Gods blessing fruitfull and plentifull in good workes towards God and in him and for him towards men one of them towards another This vnity cōcord brotherly loue mutuall consent and agreement if it be vnfeigned hath the promises both of this life and of that to come of peace and quietnes in this life and of eternall ioies in the life to come One of the notes by which wee may bee assured of God his speciall loue and favour is the loue of our brethren Now that we deceiue not our selues in this loue S. Iob. Epist 1. giues vs three rules to direct vs. 1 Christian brotherly loue must not be for any worldly respects or considerations but principally for and in God Wee must loue our brethren principally because they are the sons of God and members of Christ This rule he intimateth chap. 5.1 Every one that loveth him which begat loveth him also which is begotten of him that is whosoever loveth God the Father hee loveth also the sons of God his naturall son Christ Iesus his sons by grace and adoption all Christians 2 Christiā brotherly loue must not be outward in shew only but inward in the heart This rule he giveth vs chap. 3.18 Let vs not loue in word nor in tongue only but indeed in truth 3 Christian brotherly loue must be not only in time of prosperity but when most need is This rule he giveth vers the 17 Whosoever hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him Let these rules beloved be your direction Loue yee everie one that is called a Christian not because he is rich or in authority but because he is a Christian the son of God by grace and adoption Loue yee him not outwardly in shew only but inwardly in heart in deed in truth Loue him not only in his prosperous and flourishing estate but in his greatest need and be yee assured that the speciall loue and favour of God will be your shield and protection Three things there are that do reioice God saith Ecclesiasticus chap. 25.1 The vnity of brethren the loue of neighbours a mā his wife agreeing togither The first which is the vnity of brethren according to my former construction compriseth the other two All Christians are brethren in Christ a neighbour to a neighbour a husband to his wife a wife to her husband For as I said in Christ there is no differēce of sexe there is neither male nor female all are brethrē in Christ and therfore that neighbour that loveth not his neighbour the husbād that is at ods with his wife the wife that agreeth not with her husband they are guilty of the breach of brotherly loue That exhortation made by S. Paule to the Romanes cha 12.10 concerneth all of you all of both sexes without any difference Be ye affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue I conclude this point with the same Apostles words 1. Cor. 1.10 and 2. Cor. 13.11 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our LORD Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there bee no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus far of the first branch in the description of Edoms sin and of the doctrine grounded therevpon The doctrine was It is a thing very distastefull and vnpleasing vnto God for brethren to be at variance among themselues It was grounded vpon these words He did pursue his brother with the sword It followeth And did cast of all pity or after the Hebrew text did corrupt his compassions which reading is expressed in the margin of our Church Bible and the Geneva translation The English translation set out by Tyndall reads it otherwise He destroyed his mothers wombe and Winckleman reads it violaverit vterum and violated or abused the mothers wombe both do allude to the Greeke edition of the
of thy conscience in this world thou maist hereafter haue full fruition of that eternall peace of God in Heaven Thine vnfeinedly in the Lord for thy good S. B. THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS chap. 1. ver 1. The words of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tokoa which he saw vpon Israel in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake ONE of the Pharisees in the gospell as if he were vnwilling to be ignorant in so weightie a matter as is mans salvation in a tempting manner asked Christ this question Master what shall I do to inherit eternall life Our Saviour for answere put forth another question and said what is written in the law how readest thou Luk. 10.26 Where we may note that the law is written for man to read that so he may be instructed what he is to doe in discharge of his duty towards God The rich man in Hell prayed Abraham that Lazarus might be sent vnto his fathers house to testifie vnto his fiue brethren lest they also should come into that place of tormeÌ„t To whom Abraham answered They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Luk. 16.29 The parable teacheth vs thus much that vnlesse we delight in hearing the word preached we shall never attaine to the meanes of escaping eternall torments Two notable vses of the word of God Reading and hearing They lead man as it were by the hand to the very point of his felicity For what more blessed then to possesse eternall life Yet 〈◊〉 the Pharisee taught that by reading of the law life eternall might â—ee purchased And is it not a blessed thing to be freed from Hell torments Yet was the rich man told by Abraham that his fiue brethren by hearing of Moses and the Prophets might be saved It was a setled opinion of a Deut. 8.3 old though vttered in fulnes of time by our b Mat. 4.4 Luc. 4.4 Saviour that a man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The truth of which is confirmed by the practise of Godly men in former ages I wil noâ— trouble you with many instances Many and excellent worâ— the revelations which God gaue vnto the Prophet David yet notwithstanding all them as himselfe witnesseth cap. 9.2 he omitted not the reading of the prophecy of Ieremie Much doubtlesse for the spirituall food of his own soule yet for our ensample also that we should be conversant in the scriptures too It was a worthy commendation which Luke gaue the Romans Act. 17.11 for that as soone as they had heard the word preached by S. Paule they diligently conferred the scriptures to know whether it were so or no and thereby confirmed themselues in the truth which they had heard This their zeale and diligence should stirre vs vp also for the confirmation of our faith vpon the hearing of the word to search the scriptures That great heathen Lord Queene Candaces Eunuch as he was riding on the high way in his chariot did read the prophet Esay and the Lord of heauen had regard vnto him for it Act. 8.28 So. Daniel by reading the Beroeans and the Eunuch by reading and hearing of the word were spirituallie fâ—d and nourished vnto everlasting life To these holy exercises both of reading hearing the scriptures the scriptures are full of exhortations fit for all estates for VNâ—RLâ—â—â—ERS that they would search the scriptures because in thâ—â— they thinke to haue eternall life and they do testifie of Christ Iohn 5.39 for BELEEVERS that besides other parts of their spirituall armour they would take vnto theÌ„ the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Ephes 6.17 for YONG MEN that they would rule themselues after the word of God and so clense their waies Psal 119.9 for ALL MEN that they woulde meditate in the law of God day and night Psal 1.2 Now that the scriptures the sword of the spirit the word and law of God might be much vsed to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit of ioints and marrow it was decreed in a c Nirena Synodus decretis suis tavit ne 〈◊〉 è numero Christianorum sacris â—ibâ—iorum libris caroret Corâ— Agrippa de Van. Scient cap 100 De verbo Dei councell of Nice that no house should be without the holy Bible which d In cupiâ—â— Ieiunii Sire de Tempore Serm. 55 Feria quarta post Dominitam in Quinquagesima Sic etiam autor Sermonum ad fratres in in Eremo Serm 56. Non vobis debet sufficere quod in Ecclesia lectiones divinas audiatis sed in domibus in conviviis vestris quando dies breves sunt etiam aliquibus horis in noctibus LACTIONI divinae debetis insistere Vt in horreo cordis vestri spiritale poscitis triticum comparare c. S. Austen also entended saying Nec solum sufficiat quod in Ecclesia divinas lectiones auditis sed etiam in domibus vestris aut ipsi legite aut alios legentes requirite Let it not content you to heare the holy scriptures read vnto you in the church only but in your houses also at home either read them your selues or cause other to read them Vtinam omnes faceremus quod scriptum est serutamini scripturas It is e Homil 2. Vpon Esai Origent would to God we all did as it is written search the Scriptures Chrysostome f Homil 9 vpon the Epistâ—e to the Colossians saith Comparate vobis biblia animarum pharmacâ— seculares yea lay men get you Bibles for they are medicines of your soules Whereof the godly and first christened Emperour Constantine was well perswaded who therfore gaue g Euseb de vita Constantini lib. 4 ca. 36. Theodorit Hist Eccles lib. â— cap. 16. coÌ„mandement that the Bible should be written out and sent abroad into all the kingdomes countries and citties of his dominion And what other might the perswasion of h Iewel Replie Aâ—t 15. § 13. § 13. § 15. Babington vpon the Lords praier pag. 95. Before this K Alfrede began to translate the Psalter into English c. Foâ—e in Martyrol ad an 899. ex Guliel de Regib Angl. king Adelstane here in England be when he caused the Bible to bee translated into the English tongue that all might read it The much preaching often reading of Gods holy word in the congregations of this land in the daies of her whom of late you loved Queene ELIZABETH haue set vp established her never dying praises And is not God much to bee blessed for our good Iosiah our most dread soveraigne King IAMES His heart is from aboue replenished with a religious zeale to free the passage of Gods most holy Gospell His desire to haue God sincerely worshipped throughout this land is made known by the good order he hath takeÌ„ to
set before you al other his liege people Gods word if possible in greatest purity Let God be with the workmeÌ„ I mean the traÌ„slators of the old and new testaments i This sermon was preached in the yeare of our Lord 1605. Nov. 3. Since the Translation is perfected and published the exactest that ever this Land had Let God be with them in their holy labours and let the remembrance of our King for it be like the composition of the perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie Hitherto beloved I haue by way of preface exhorted you to the reading and hearing of Gods word and I doubt not of your obedience to it Yet if any of you shal except against the reading of it for the hardnesse of the phrase being of the Eunuches mind Act. 8.31 that you cannot vnderstande what you reade except you haue a guid let it be your comfort that his Maiesty in giving his royal assent to those laudable Canons Constitutions Ecclesiastical a greed vpon in the late k Begun at London Anno Do. 1603. Synod at London hath by the 45. 46. canons provided guides for you such as are soberly and sincerely to divide the worde of truth to the glory of God and the best edification of his people And now it being my lot to be sent vnto you to you I bring an vnestimable pearle the word of the Lord which the Prophet Amos saw vpon Israel In dividing it I promise you in the words of Paul 2. Cor. 12.19 by the help of God to doe all things for your edifying Wherefore beloved giue eare I beseech you with reverent regard and attention to the word of the Lord as it is written Amos 1.1 The words of Amos who was among the heardmen at Tekoa which hee saw vpon Israel in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmen 3 The place of his vsual abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deathes of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esays father To which opinion a learned and late Divine l Prolog in 12. proph nâ—n Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But St Hierome is against it and so are most interpreters So also is Drusius in his sacred observations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of ESAYS father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is evidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran avulsus one that is separated from others These divers interpretations of these two names the name of Esays father and this our Prophets name is evidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterer stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my text We find not any such surname giuen to Esays father Therefore our Amos is not Amos the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come to his condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words VVho was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as do vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepheards In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2. King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepheard and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambe and an hundred thousand rammes with the wool The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepâ— cattel aâ— sâ—e to their feeding safetie such we properly calâ— â—â—ardmâ—n 〈◊〉 shepheards and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnes himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepheard You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa this towne Å¿ Lib de vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulâ—n t Apud Mercerum R. David to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but St Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I choose to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iudae six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrachâ—m in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2. Chron. 12.6 rehearsed among al those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as St Hieromae observeth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2. Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepheards walke Here Amos for a time led a shepheards life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. VVhich he saw this adiectioÌ„ sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Ariaâ— Montanus observeth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls servant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the olde time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reveale
vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10 tribes Rhehoboam Salomons sonne could keep with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange division Israel divided from Israel tenne tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of David the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1. King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of David are in holy scripture called sometimes u Amos. 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem â— 1. Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of David The other tenne tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diverse appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethaven c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.11 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. revolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10. revolted tribes the kingdome of Israel Some mention is made of Iuda incidently and by the way but the scope of the prophecie is Israel The time which was my last circumstcanâ— followeth In the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel The time is she downe in generall and in particular First in generall thus In the daies of Vzziah c Vzziah or Ozias called also Azarias 2. King 14.21 succeeded his father Amazias in the throne of Iuda This he did in the 17th yeare of the reigne of Ieroboam in Israel as appeareth 2. King 15.1 That same Ieroboam that you may distinguish him from a former King of the same name is called in my text Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash Hereby we see in generall the time of his prophecie which is more particularly set downe in the last words two yeare before the earthquake Hee meaneth that same notable and famous earthquake mentioned also Zach. 14. â—5 Yee shall fly saith he like as yee fled from the earthquake in the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda In what yeare of Vzziahs reigne this earthquâ—ke happened it is not to be collected out of holy scripture Flavius Iosephus Lib. 9. antiq Iudaic. cap. 11. saith that this earthquake happened then when King Vzziah vsurping the Priests office went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense Ribera disproueâ— Iosephus his iudgement and saith that the earthquake happened within the fourteenth yeare of the reign of Vzziah Some doe hold it was in the 22th yeare And the Hebrewes whom Funâ—cius followeth in his Chronologie doe ascribe it to the 25. yeare For my part I say not in what yeare it happened Why should I speake where the holy spirit is silent It is out of doubt that there was such an earthquake in the daies of Vzziah witnesse the Prophet Zacharie two yeares after Amos had begun his propheticall function witnesse Amos here in my text Thus dearely beloved in the Lord haue I briefly run over the exposition of this first verse let me now vpon it build some doctrine for the building vp of our selues in our holy faith you will bee pleased to remember with mee that Amos of a heardmen or a shepheard became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word fearefull message from the living God to the King Nobles Priests and people of Israel The doctrine to be grounded herevpon I deliver in this proposition God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mightie Vile and despised persons I call such as to the world to humane wisdome and to the eye of reason are of no price esteeme or worth Such as Ioseph was when hee kept sheepe in Canaan with his brethren and was by them sold to the Ismaelites Gen. 37.2 27. Such as Moses was when first he was cast into the flags Exod. 2.1 Such as David was while he medled with sheepfolds and followed the ewes great with youÌ„g Psal 78.70 Such as were Peter Andrew Iames Iohn while they busied themselues about mending of nets and catching of fish Matth. 4.18 21. These Ioseph Moses and David shepheards Peter Andrew Iames and Iohn fishermen vile and despised in the accompt of the world were chosen by the wisdome of the great God of heaven one to be a ruler in Egypt another to be a leader of Gods people the third to be a King the rest to be Christs Apostles Heare now a word of eternall veritie and full of comfort You shall find it Psal 113.7 8. The Lord who is high aboue al nations and glorious aboue the heavens hee raiseth the needy out of the dust and lifteth vp the poore out of the dung to set him with Princes St Pauls discourse touching this point is more large and spacious You shall find it 1. Cor. 1.27 28. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise the weake things to confound the strong and vile things things despised and things which are not to bring to naught the things that are The reason of Gods dealing thus in the advancement of the foolish weake vile despised needy and poore to places of dignitie is expressed 1. Cor. 1.29 It is that no flesh should reioice in his presence that is that no man should glory before the Lord. In this reason are two things worthy our religious considerations as Musculus well observeth For hereby our God first suppresseth and beateth downe the pride of flesh takes from it all glory of wisdome power and nobilitie and secondly whatsoever glory there is of wisdome power nobilitie he doth claime and challenge it for his owne peculiar Thus haue you dearely beloved the confirmation of my doctrine The doctrine was God chooseth vile and despised persons to confound the great and mightie Be patient I beseech you while I point at some vses of it The first vse is to lift vp our mindes to the contemplation of Gods good providence Poore shepheards and fishermen God exalteth and advanceth into the highest places of dignitie in Church and common-wealth Hereby wee knowe that
neither Empire nor Kingdome nor place in them of dignitie prioritie or preeminence Ecclesiasticall or politique is gottē by the industrie wisedome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and governed by the deputation and ordination of the highest power God almightie A second vse is to stop blasphemous mouthes such as are evermore open against heaven with i Cic. de nat Deor. Epicurus and k Cic. ibid. Diagoras and their adherents to affirme that the God of heaven in as much as he is absolutely blessed is not to trouble himselfe with cares for this lower world that it standeth not with Gods maiestie to care for the vile abiect and despised things of this world This impious rabble and Sathans brood doe think that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind Goddesse Fortune and by Chance Heere must I beseech you to let your hearts bee ioined with mine in the consideration of God his sweet never sleeping care and providence over this lower world Let vs not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the vallies a God in the greater not in the lesser employments The holy scriptures doe teach vs that our God examineth the lest moments and titles in the world that we can imagin to a l 1 King 17.14 handfull of meale to a m Ibid. cruse of oyle in a poore widdows house to the falling of n Matth. 10.29 sparrows to the ground to the o Matth. 6.26 feeding of the birds of the aire to the p Psal 29.9 calving of hinds to the q Matth. 6.30 clothing of the grasse of the field to the r Luk. 12 7. numbring of the haires of four heads to the trickling of ſ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of luck fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto mee by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods providence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to devour Ionas may seeme to haue arrived in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lorde had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to this streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eies yet the prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diversity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way we may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall only agreed vpō by reason of the fit arrival of the merchāts while they were disputing and debating what they were best to do yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies then by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a travailer that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue delivered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may think it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man having bent his bow let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1. King 22.34 strooke the King but here wee finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise then in respect of vs for that the shooter did no more then was denounced to the King by Micheas from Gods owne mouth before the battaile was begunne 1. King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall then lottery yet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the providence of God disposeth them Prov. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with me the large extent of Gods good providence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good providence it is that this day we are here met togither I to preach the word of God you to heare it some of vs to be made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Let vs poure out our souls in thankfulnesse before God for this his blessing You are nowe invited to the marriage supper of the lambe every one that wil approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceived Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparell which Micah gaue once a year to his Levite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft cloathing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high Priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and book of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithful but a garment something like Elias Mantle which devided the waters 2. King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on who devideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enimies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40 yeares together they wandred in the desert yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shoes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnes lasteth for ever and his mercies cannot be worne out Having put on this your wedding garment doubte not of your welcome to this great feast maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to do it let him following S. Paul his coūsaile Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknes put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttonie and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife envying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and bee you lift vp yee everlasting doors that a guest so richly apparelled may come in sup with the King of glory And the king of glory vouchsafe so to cloth vs all that those gates and everlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shal haue free and easie passage
pulsabat Ecce adsum veniat Sp. Sanct. faciat id si potest iudicet me per hanc Scripturam condemnet me si potest per eam dicat si potest erras IACOBE GRETSERE tu causâ cecidisti id si dixerit statim transibo ad vestrum scamnuÌ„ non potest me Spiritus Sanct. iudicare per hanc ScripturaÌ„ Rang. ib. k. 2. a. Behold saith he we stand before the face of this Iudge with that he rose vp and tooke the Bible in one of his hands stroke it with the other wee stand saith he before the face of this Iudge See now I am here I vse his owne words as they are set downe by David Rungeus in his description of the forenamed Colloquie Ecce adsum behold now I am here let the holy Spirit iudge me if he can by this Scripture let him condemne me if he can by Scripture the holy Spirit cannot iudge me by Scripture he cannot let him doe it if he can he cannot condemne me by Scripture Increpet te Deus Sathâ—â— Gretser we doubt not but that the LORD hath or will rebuke thee Dearely beloved in the Lord Schollers can tell you of BroÌ„tes Steropes Pyracmoâ— Polyphemus and others of that rabble of Cyclops and Giants who made a head banded themselues together to plucke Iupiter from out his throne Behold in this Iesuite Venè Cyclopicam audaciam as great impudencie as ever was seene in any Cyclops face that a man by profession a Christian and among Popish Christians of the precise sect a sanctified Iesuite should challenge to a single coÌ„bat God Almighty who would thinke it Some that were at the Colloquie at Worms An. 1557 haue often remembred in their common talke c Rung Colloq Ratisb Q. 2 a. a newe insolent and vnheard of assertion maintained by the Papists Sacram Scripturam non esse vocem iudicis sed materiam litis that the holy Scripture is not a iudges voice but rather the matter of strife and contention It was indeed a strange assertion and by a consequent striking God himselfe the author of holy Scripture Yet you see it is by our modern Iesuits this day matched forasmuch as with their impious assertions touching holy Scripture they do directly strike the holy Spirit It is an old saying ex vngue Leonem A man may knowe a Lyon by his claw Surely let men of vnderstanding consider the audaciousnes impudencie and furie of railing with which those Iesuits before named haue beene throughly replenished they must acknowledge and confesse that those Iesuits were guided by the Spirit of lyes and blasphemies You alreadie see the readinesse of popish Doctors to tread Scripture vnder foot and to do it all the disgrace they can Yet giue me leaue I beseech you by some instance to shew the same vnto you The instance which I make choice of is Gods soveraignety over the Kings and Kingdomes of this world q Hereof I entreated in a Sermon vpon Hos 10.7 Kings and kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almighty A truth included within the generall doctrine commended by S. Paule to the Romans chap. 13.1 All powers that be are ordeined of God acknowledged by Elihu Iob. 34.24 God shall breake the mightie and set vp other in their steed expressed in the praier of Daniel chap. 2.21 God taketh away Kings setteth vp Kings proclaimed as in the Lords owne words Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings reigne by me princes nobles and iudges do rule This truth hath 3 branches displaied in so many propositions by Lipsius in his r In Monitis Politicis politique advertisements Lib. 1. c. 5. 1 Kings and Kingdomes are given by God 2 Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God 3 Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled governed by God All three are further made good in the infallible evidence of the written word of God The first was Å¿ Regna à Deo Reges dari Lipsius Monit Polit. lib. 1. c. 5. p. 24 Kings and Kingdomes are given by God Thus saith the LORD of Saules successour 1. Sam. 16.1 I haue provided me a King among the sonnes of Ischai and of the revolt of the ten tribes in the rent of the kingdome of Israel 1. King 12.24 This thing is done by me of the victories which Nabuchodonosor was to get over the King of Iudah and other his neighbour Kings the Kings of Edom of Moab of the Ammonites of Tyre of Zidon Ier. 27.6 I haue given all these lands into the hand of Nabuchodonosor the King of Babel my servant It is true which we learne Psal 75.6 Advancement is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the wildernesse Our God is iudge he alone advanceth You see now it is plaine by holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are given by God The second was t Regna à Deo Reges tolli Lips ib. pag. 28. Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God That Gods hand is likewise exercised in the removall of Kings translation of kingdomes it s wel known as by the aboue-cited texts of Scripture so by divine examples whereof I might make a long recitall would I remember you out of Gen. 14. of the fall of those Kings delivered into the hands of Abraham out of Exod. 14. 15. of Pharaohs overthrow in the red sea out of Dan. 4. 5. of Nabuchadnezzar Belshazzar his sonne dispossessed of their crownes and out of other places of the divinely inspired worde of like patterns It s plaine without any further proofe that Kings and Kingdomes are taken away by God The third was r Regna à Deo Reges temperari Lips Ibid. p. 34. Kings and Kingdomes are ordered ruled governed by God For proofe hereof I need no more but remember you of that which I recoÌ„mended to you in the beginning of this Sermon even of the wonderfull extent of Gods care providence to the least and basest things in this world as I said to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widdowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of hinds to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of tears down our cheeks Shall God care for these vile and base things and shall he not much more order rule and governe Kings and kingdomes Now beloved in the Lord you see by the evidence of holy Scripture that Kings and Kingdomes are wholy and alone in the disposition of the Almightie Giue eare I beseech you while I shew you how this doctrine and the holy word of God whereon it is grounded is in popish religion neglected disgraced troden vnder foot Romes chiefest champion Cardinall Bellarmine in his fifth booke De Rom. Pontif. cap. 7. doth exempt Kings and kingdomes from the disposition of the Lord of heaven notwithstanding the eternall truth
the Doue that descended vpon CHRIST the body and soule of CHRIST We are to consider two things their beginning and their end If we respect their beginning they are the workes of the whole Trinity common vnto all but respect we their perfectioÌ„ and end they are no more common but hypostaticall personall for so the voice is the Fathers alone the Doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes alone Besides these there are other workes of God as begunne so ended also EXTRA PERSONAS externally and they are of two sorts either supernatural such I cal the miraculous works of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preservation of the same and the government of it All these workes of which kinde soever whether miraculous or works of nature are common to the whole TRINITIE The Father worketh the Sonne worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preserving all things in governing all things Wherevpon followeth that which before I affirmed that as the Father is LORD so the Son is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD also So the LORD whom I commended vnto you for the speaker in my text is the Vnitie in Trinitie one God in three persons God Almightie the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Before I go on to shew you how he speaketh I must make bold vpon your patience to tell you of some duties necessarie duties to be performed by vs towards him as LORD God is the LORD we are his servants The duties we owe him in this respect are three to obey him to serue him to profit him The first duty required of vs is obedieÌ„ce vnto God his word lawes commandements This duty whosoever performeth shall easilie performe the second duty to wit faithfull service with all care and diligence to do whatsoever worke it pleaseth God to employ him in and shall not leaue vndone the thirde dutie but shall doe good and be profitable vnto the LORD All these duties were well discharged by our first parent Adam As long as he was invested with his roabe of innocencie he was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD Now if it wil be doubted here how a man should be profitable to God thus I answere That Gods riches doe consist in his glory and therefore if his glory be increased and enlarged his advantage is procured The parable of the talents Mat. 25.14 confirmeth this point The parable is there plainely delivered vnto you The meaning of it is that God giveth vs his graces to this end that we should vse and increase them for his advaÌ„tage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a covetous vsurer so greedy of gaine as that he reapeth where he sowed not and gathereth where he scatered not By all meanes he laboureth to gaine glory to himselfe Eliphaz in the 22. chapt of Iob ver 2.3 seemeth in worde to thwart and crosse this doctrine For saith he may a man be profitable vnto God Is it any thing to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it profitable to him that thou makest thy waies vp right I answere that God indeed is not so tied to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnes yea he can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnes and destruction of man yet I say that to stirre vp mâ—n to holynesse it pleaseth God in mercie to count only that glory gained which is gained by the obedience of his servants And therefore I saie againe that Adam in the state of his innocencie was perfectly obedient a faithfull servant and profitable to his LORD But alas maÌ„ once beautified with innoceÌ„cie with holynes with the grace of God is now spoyled of his roabes the Queene once cloathed with a vesture of needle works wrought about with divers colours is now stript of her iewels the soule of maÌ„ once ful of grace is now robbed of her ornaments rich attire My meaning is that man once able to present himselfe spotles and without blame before the lambe is now fallen from that grace The preacher Eccl. 7.20 doth assure vs that there is no man iust in the earth that doth good and sinneth not So much doth Solomons question import Prov. 20.9 Who can say I haue purged my heart I am cleane from my sin O saith Eliphaz vnto Iob cap. 15.14 What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Behold saith he God hath found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the heavens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man vnstedfast how much more abominable and filthy drinking iniquitie like water When the LORD looked down from heaven to see whether there were any childe of man that would vnderstand and seeke God Psa 14.2 could hee finde any one framed according to the rule of perfection which he requireth He could not This he found that all were gone out of the way that all were corrupt that there was none that did good noâ— not one Soe sinfull is man in his whole race sinfull in his conception sinfull in his birth in every deed word and thought wholy sinfull The actions of his hands the words of his lips the motions of his heart when they seeme to be most pure and sanctified yet then are they as vncleane things and filthy clouts Esay 64.6 So that that which is spoken of cursed Cain Gen. 4.14 may in some sense be applyed to man in generall that for his sinne he is cast forth from the presence of God and is nowe become a fugitiue and a vagabond vpon the earth I wil not prosecute this point of mans nakednes any farther By this which hath beene spoken it appeareth plainely howe vnfit man is to fulfill those good duties required of him by his LORD God For his first duty insteed of obedience he continually breaketh the commaÌ„dements of his God in thought word and deed For his second duty insteede of waiting vpon God to do him service he serveth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires For his third duty insteed of bringing any advantage of glory vnto God he dishonoureth him by all meanes leading his life as if there were no God You haue seene nowe the miserable and wretched estate of man by nature the vassall and slaue of sinne with whom it fareth as it did with Pharaohs servants when they had sinned against their Lord. Gen. 40. You know the story how Pharaohs chiefe butler was restored to his former dignitie when as the baker was hanged These two servants of Pharaoh may resemble two sorts of meÌ„ exiled from paradise and froÌ„ the presence of God because of their sinne to liue vpon the face of the earth as it were in a dungeon full of miserie namely the reprobate and the elect For the reprobate as they liue so they die in this dungeon and do
Iacob with Moses the Prophets with CHRIST and the Apostles But how hee spake that is disputed of by the ancient and learned Fathers St o In cap. 7. Esai Basil is of opinion that the Prophets did not at all with their outward eares heare God speaking to them but that the word of the LORD is said to haue come vnto them because their mindes were illuminated and their vnderstanding enlightned by the shining of the true light in great measure readily to conceaue what God would haue revealed faithfully to publish it according to the will of God St p De Genesi ad literam lib. 11. c. 33. Austine enquiring how God spake with Adam Eue writeth to this purpose It may be God talked with them as he talketh with his Angels by some q Intrinsecus inessabilibus modis internall and secret meanes as by giving light to their minds vnderstandings or it may be he talked with thē by his creature which God vseth to doe two manner of waies either by some vision to men in a trance so he talked with Peter Act. 10. or else by presenting some shape and semblance to bodily senses So God by his Angels talked with Abraham Gen 18. with Lot Gen. 19. St r Expos Moral lib 28. in cap. 38. B. Iob. cap. 2. Gregorie most accurately handleth this question to this sense God speaketh two manner of waies 1 By himselfe as when hee speaketh to the heart by the inward inspiration of the holy Spirit After which sense wee must vnderstand that which we read Act. 8.29 The spirit said vnto Philip goe neere ioyne thy selfe to yonder chariot that is Philip was inwardly moued to draw neere and ioyne himselfe to the chariot wherein the Aethiopian Eunuch sate and read the Prophecie of Esay The like words we find Act. 10.19 The spirit said vnto Peter Behold three men seeke thee the meaning is the same Peter was inwardly moued by the holy Spirit to depart from Ioppa and to goe to Caesarea to preach vnto the Gentiles to Cornelius his companie Where we may note thus much for our comforts that whensoever we are inwardly moved and doe feele our hearts touched with an earnest desire either to make our private requests vnto God or to come to the place of publike prayer or to heare a sermon we may be assured that the HOLY SPIRIT God by himselfe speakes vnto vs. 2 God speaketh to vs by his creatures Angelicall and other and that in diverse manners 1 In word only as when no forme is seene but a voice only is heard as Iohn 12.28 when Christ prayed Father glorifie thy name immediatly there came a voice from heaven I both haue glorified it and will glorifie it againe 2 In deed only as when no voice is heard but some semblance only is objected to the senses S. Gregorie for illustration of this second way of Gods speaking by his creatures bringeth for example the vision of Ezechiel 1.4 He saw a whirle winde come out of the North with a great clowd and fire wrapped about it and in the middest of the fire the likenes of Amber All this hee saw but you heare no mention of any voice Here was res sine verbo a deed but no voice 3 Both in word deed as when there is both a voice heard and also some semblāce obiected to the senses as happened vnto Adam presently after his fall He heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden Gen. 3.8 4 By shapes presented to the inward eies of our hearts So Iacob in his dreame saw a ladder reach frō earth to heaven Gen. 28.12 So Peter in a trance saw a vessell descende from heaven Act. 10.11 So Paule in a vision saw a man of Macedonia standing by him Act. 16.9 5 By shapes presented to our bodily eies So Abraham saw the three men that stoode by him in the plaine of Mamre Gen. 18.2 And Lot saw the two Angels that came to Sodome Gen. 19.1 6 By Celestiall substances So at Christes baptisme a ſ Mat. 3.17 voice was heard out of a clowd as also at his t Mat. 17.5 transfiguration vpon the mount This is my beloved sonne c. By Celestiall substances I do here vnderstand not only the Heauens with the works therin but also fire the highest of the elements and the Aire nexte vnto it togither with the Windes and Clowds 7 By Terrestiall substances So God to reproue the dulnesse of Balaam enabled Balaams owne Asse to speake Num. 22.28 8 Both by Celestiall and Terrestiall substances as whē God appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the middest of a bush Exod. 3.2 You see now how God of old at sundry times in diverse manners did speake to man either by himselfe or by his creatures by his creatures many waies sometimes in word sometimes in deed sometimes in both word and deed sometimes in sleepings sometimes in watchings sometimes by Celestiall substances sometimes by Terrestiall sometimes by both Celestiall and Terrestiall To make some vse of this doctrine let vs consider whether God doth not now speake vnto vs as of old hee did to our forefathers We shal finde that now also he speaketh vnto vs by himselfe whensoever by the inspiration of his holy Spirit he moveth our hearts to religious and pure thoughts and also by his creatures sometime by fire when he consumeth our dwelling houses sometime by thunder when hee throweth downe our strong holds sometime by heate sometime by drouth sometime by noysome wormes Locusts and Caterpillers when he takes from vs the staffe of bread sometime by plagues when in a few monthes he taketh from vs many thousands of our brethren sometime by enemies when he impoverisheth vs by warre All these and whatsoever other like these are Gods voices and do call vs to repentance But as when there came a voice from heaven to CHRIST Ioh. 12 2◠the people that stood by and heard would not bee perswaded that it was Gods voice some of thē saying that it thundred others that an Angell spake so we howsoever God layes his hand vpon vs by fire by thunder by famine by pestilence by warre or otherwise we will not be perswaded that God speakes vnto vs we wil rather attribute these things to nature to the heavens to starres and planets to the malice of enimies to chance and the like As perverse as we are there is a voice of God which we cannot but acknowledge to be his and at this time to bee directed vnto vs. Mention of it is made Heb. 1.2 In these last daies God hath spoken to vs by his sonne The gospell of Christ is the voice of God It is the voice of God the rule of all instruction the first stone to be laid in the whole building that clowd by day that pillar by night whereby all our actions are to be guided This gospell of CHRIST and voice of God
cals vs now to obedience O the crookednes of our vile natures Our stiffe neckes will not bend God speaketh vnto vs by his Ministers to walke in the old way the good way but we answere like them Ier. 6.16 We will not walke therein He speaketh to vs by his watchmen to take heed to the sound of the trumpet but wee answere like them Ier. 6.17 We will not take heed Turne vs good LORD vnto thee and we shall be turned Good LORD open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against vs in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy we may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknes of trouble of vexation of anguish thou LORD wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darkenesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexatioÌ„ shall be no more a place of endlesse vnspeakable ioies where anguish shal be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortalitie shall be swallowed vp of life Even so be it THE FOVRTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.2 And he said the LORD shall roare from SION and vtter his voice from IERVSALEM and the dwelling places of the shepheards shall perish and the top of CARMEL shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence he speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The LORD shall roare from Sion vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the top whereof was another mouÌ„taine e Drusius observ 14.21 Not. Iuniê° in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the LORD Before it was called the f 2. Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enimies Against these Iebusites King David came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of DAVID owne City as appeareth 2. Sam. 5.9 This is the city of David so much h 2. Sam. 5.7 1. King 8.1 1. Chron. 11 5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his own City mount Sion David accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2. Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the LORD with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harpes as is plaine by the storie 1. Chron. cap. 15. 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be observed in this city of David mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the LORD of hoasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description coÌ„mendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of David the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1. King 8.27 2. Chron. 6.18 Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken litterally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King over Sion the hill of his holynesse SioÌ„ there is not to bee vnderstood the terrestiall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it even the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniversall multitude of beleevers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obvious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149.2 Psalmes of David in n Cantic 3.11 Solomons song in the prophecies of o Esa 3.16.17 Esai 4.4 Esay and p Ioel 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heaven as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text observeth The like observation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the LORD is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ whereof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walles are salvation and gates praise or the Heaven of Heavens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyâ— in 2. Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iebus and SaleÌ„ supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distiche Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distiche 9 names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius Observat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diversly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of David the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of
I would it were within the compasse of my Rhetoricke Yet let me propound one question vnto you Hag. 1.4 Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seiled houses and this house to lye wast Consider your own waies in your own hearts and giue your answer vnto God A second note for your further instruction and meditation followeth It is true Are sinne and iniquitie means to lay wast make desolate all manner of buildings How then is it that our dwelling houses doe yet stand and flourish Our sinnes and iniquities are exceeding impudent and sawcie they are ascended into the presence of God and doe stand like Sathan among his children before his face Yet for all this impudencie and sawcinesse of our sinnes and iniquities God is pleased to suffer our dwelling houses to be in safetie The consideration of this point may stirre vs vp to a gratefull agnition and acknowledgment of Gods singular bountie and longanimitie It is out of the bountie of the LORD that the earth since the time it first was cursed for the fall of man doth to this day yeeld fruit in abundance for the vse of man That our possessions habitations dwelling houses and Churches are not laid wast and made desolate it is to be ascribed to Gods long sufferance and longanimitie Of which I shall God willing anon speake more fully whē I shal haue considered the words of the second sequel or consequent of Gods speech which are The top of Carmel shall wither The top of Carmel There were two hills of this name as St Hierome teacheth both in Iudea the one in the southerne climate of that country whereon Nabal the husband of Abigail did dwel 1. Sam. 25.2 the other neere vnto Ptolemais towards the sea coast vpon which Elias prayed for raine 1. Kings 18.42 St Hierome seemeth to doubt which of these two Carmels our Prophet here intendeth But Ribera resolveth for that Carmel which was neere vnto Ptolemais because it did appertaine to the lot of the ten tribes against whom Amos in this booke prophecieth This Carmel was a hill of much fatnesse and fertilitie whervpon it may as proverbially be taken for any such place St Hierome writing vpon Esay 16. saith it is the Scriptures idiome and proper forme of speech evermore to compare the rich hil Carmel to fertilitie and abundance One of the Hebrewe d R. David apud Drusiū Doctors saith that Carmel is a generall name for all fruitfull arable fields and vineyards A great e Pagnin Hebrician saith that because the hill Carmel had by it a valley of exceeding feracitie and fruitfulnesse therefore Carmel is appellatiuely taken for any place set with corne trees or vines and specially with standing corne with newe and fat wheat while it is in eare though another f Marinus in Arca Noe Hebrician of like note affirmeth that because Carmel collectiuely signifieth standing corne or new wheate yet in the eare therefore a certaine region in the province of Canaan of extraordinary fertilitie as also a hill and city there was called after this name Carmel Whatsoever Carmel bee in this place whether a proper name or an appellatiue out of doubt it betokeneth a place of much fruitfulnesse Following the streame of expositors I am of opinion that Carmel in my text is that same fruitfull mountaine of Iudea by Ptolemais The top of Carmel A place fit by reason of the woodes there to lurke and lie hid in as is plaine by Amos 9.3 Though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence The top of Carmel In the Hebrew it is the head of Carmel The head or top of Carmel is the Scripture phrase to expresse whatsoever is best in Carmel By the like phrase we say Caput vnguēti the head or the top of the ointment to signifie the best of the ointment The top of Carmel Pagnine thus translateth it vertex loci fertilis the top of the fruitfull place And Iunius thus praestantissimum aruorum the best of the fields Both Pagnine and Iunius doe take Carmel here for an appellatiue and not for a proper name The top of Carmel shall wither shall wax dry or be dried vp That is where most fruitfull fields and pastures are there shall be a defect and want of necessaries for mans life Thus haue you the exposition of this last clause Nowe bee patient I pray you while from hence I commend on lesson vnto you It is this For the sinnes of a people God will make the top of their Carmel to wither I speake it more plainely For the sinnes of a people God will make their best groundes to yeeld them little or no profit For proofe of this point you will be pleased to heare the evidence of the holy Spirit given in the word of life Deut. 28.20 Thus saith the LORD because of the wickednes of thy works whereby thou hast forsaken mee the LORD shall smite thee with blasting and with mildew the Heaven which is over thy head shal be brasse and the earth that is vnder thee shall be yron insteed of raine the LORD shall giue thee dust and ashes even from heaven shall it come downe vpon thee vntill thou be destroyed In the 2. Chapter of Hosea and the 5 verse because Israel had plaid the harlot and done shamefully departing from the LORD thus saith the LORD I will take away from Israel my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof wil recover my wooll my flax which I lent her to cover her shame Marke I beseech you the manner of the LORDS speech my corne my wine my woll my flax they are none of ours they are all the Lords The LORD hath lent thē vs to serue our turnes and necessities if we abuse them to idolatrie or prophanes he will take them from vs recover them againe vnto himselfe In the 4. Chapter of Hosea and the 3. verse because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but every one breaketh out by swearing by lying by killing by stealing by whoring and blood toucheth blood thus saith the LORD the land shall mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall be cut of with the beasts of the field and with the foules of heaven and also the fishes of the sea shal be taken away If so what good then comes to you from Carmel from your best most fruitfull grounds In the 8. chapter of Hosea and the 7. verse because Israel transgressing the covenant of the LORD and trespassing against his law had sowen the winde thus saith the LORD they shall reape the whirlewinde it hath no stalke the bud shall bring forth no meal if so be it bring forth the strangers shall devoure it If so what profit then can we matching Israel in their most grievous transgressions trespasses expect from Carmel our most fruitfull and pleasant fields The wisest King that ever sacred
ruinate nations to torment his owne bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh because of sinne he drowned the old world and because of sin ere long will burne this All this maketh for the truth of my propounded doctrine Three transgressions and fowre that is Many sinnes do pluck downe from heaven the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners A lesson dearely beloved able to make vs if grace be in vs to be wary and to take heed that we bee not overtaken with three transgressions with fowre It is a very dangerous thing to adde sinne to sinne This is done h Perkins Cas Consc three manner of waies 1 By committing one sinne in the necke of another 2 By falling often into the same sinne 3 By lying in sinne without repentance Here we must remember that we are not simply coÌ„demned for our particular sinnes but for our continuance residence in them Our sins committed do make vs worthy of damnation but our living and abiding in them without repentance is the thing that brings damnation Great is the i D. King B. of London in Ion. Lect. 31. strength that sin gathereth by growing and going forwards The growth of sin k In Amos 1.3 Albertus Magnus shaddoweth in marshaling the order of sinning first is peccatum cogitationis next loquutionis thirdly operis then desperationis The beginning of sinne is inward an evil thought it hasteth out into an evil word then followeth the wicked worke what is the end of all Desperation waited on by finall impenitencie This growth of sin S. Hierome plainely expresseth The first step is cogitare quae mala sunt a wicked thought the next cogitationibus adquiescere peruersis to like wel of wicked thoughts the third quod mente decreveris opere complere to put that in action which thou hast wickedly imagined What is the ende of all Non agere poenitentiam in suo sibi complacere delicto even impenitencie and a delight or pleasure to do naughtely Hugo the Cardinall in sins proceeding noteth 1 Suggestion 2 Consent 3 Action 4 Custome and pleasure therein Suggestion is from the Devill who casteth into our hearts impure and vngodly thoughts the rest are froÌ„ our selues such is the corruption of our nature we readily consent to the Devils motion what he moues vs to we act accordingly we take pleasure in it and make it our custome This Custome is not only a graue to bury our soules in but a great stone also rolled to the mouth of it to keepe them downe for ever I say no more to this point but beseech you for Gods sake to be wary and heedfull that you bee not overtaken with three transgressions and with fowre You haue now my propounded doctrine and the first vse to bee made of it My doctrine was Three transgressions and foure that is Many sinnes do pluck downe from heauen the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners The first vse is to make vs wary and heedfull that we be not overtaken with with three transgressions and with foure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious coÌ„templation of the wonderfull patience of Almightie God who did so graciously forbeare to punish those Syrians of Damascus till they had provoked him to displeasure by three transgressions and by foure God is mercifull and gracious long suffering of great goodnesse He cryeth vnto the fooles and are not wee such fooles Prou. 1.22 O yee foolish how long wil yee loue foolishnes He cryeth vnto the faithlesse and is our faith living Matth. 17.17 O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you He cryeth 〈◊〉 the Iewes and are not we as bad as the Iewes O 〈◊〉 Iâ—â—â—salem 〈◊〉 often Hee dressed his vineyard with the bâ—â—t and â—â—â—dliest husbandry that his heart could invent 〈…〉 he looked for fruit hee required it 〈…〉 first hâ—â—â—e but â—arrying the full time hee looked that it should being forth grapes in the autumne and time of vintage He wayteth for the fruite of his l Luk. 13.6 figgtree three yeares and is content to be entreated that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeare may be bestowed vpon it Thus we see Gods patience is wonderfull He is mercifull gracious long suffering and of great goodnes Yet may we not hereon presume Our safest way shall be to rise at the first call if we differre our obedience to the second call we may be prevented Then may God iustly say to vs as hee said vnto the Iewes Esai 65.12 I called and ye did not answere I spake and yee heard not And albeit some fal seaven times a day rise againe albeit to some sinners it pleaseth the Lord to iterate his sufferance yet may not we take encouragement thereby to iterate our misdoings Wee know that God punished his Angels in heaven for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the Embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the LORD and Ananias and Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost Is the Lords hand now shortned that he cannot be as speedy and quicke in avenging himselfe vpon vs for our offences Farre be it from vs so to thinke God is not slacke in comming as some count slacknes He maketh the clowds his Chariots he rideth vpon the Cherubins he flieth with the wings of the winde and so he commeth and commeth quickly and his reward is with him to giue to every one according as his workes shall be THE SEAVENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.3 Because they haue threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron THis is the third part of this Prophecie the description of that great sinne by which the Syrians so much offended Let vs first examine the words Gilead Gilead or Galaad or Galeed in holy Scripture is sometime a hill sometime a city and sometime a regioÌ„ or cuntry A hill Gen. 13. So named as appeareth vers the 47. of the heape of stones which was made thereon as a witnesse of the league betweene Iacob and Laban for Gilead is interpreted an a Acervus testimonii heape of witnesse This mountaine Gilead is the b Adrichom greatest of al beyond Iordan it is in length 50 miles and as it is continued and runneth a long it receiueth diverse names From Arnon to the city Cedar it is called Galaad theÌ„ to Bozra it is named Seir afterward Hermon and so reaching to Damascus it is ioined to Libanus and therefore as St. * Comment in hunc locuÌ„ Hierome saith in the 22. of Ierem. verse 6. Lebanon is called the head or beginning of Galeed Gilead or Galaad or Galeed is also a city built vpon mount Gilead as St Hierome witnesseth Here was borne and buried the valiant captaine and iudge of Israel Iephte when hee had iudged Israel six yeares as
Iudg. 9.5 in Ieremie twise evill entreated first beaten and put in the stocks by Pashare Ier. 20.2 and a second time beaten imprisoned by Zâ—dechias his nobles Ierem. 37.15 In the three children cast into the fiery fornace by Nabuchodonosor Dan. 5.21 Many more are the examples registred in the booke of God fit to proue this point which also may further appeare vnto you in those bloody persecutions after Christ his death by the Romane Emperours in those strange torments which they devised to keepe downe religion and religious professours men women they plucked of their skins quicke they boared out their eies with wimbles they broyled theÌ„ aliue on gredirons they scalded them in boiling liquors they enclosed theÌ„ in barrels and driving great nailes through tumbled them downe mountaines till their owne bloud so cruelly drawne out stiffled choaked them in the barrels womens breasts were scared of with burning yrons their bodies rent and their iointes racked Many more were the grievous torments endured by the faithfull in the time of the ten first persecutions in the primitiue Church All and every of which doe strongly proue my doctrine God often humbleth his servants vnder his foes and their adversaries The reason why God humbleth his servants vnder his and their enemies is their disobedience to his word This is plaine Deut. 28.36 37. If thou wilt not obey the voice of the LORD thy God to keepe and to do all his commandements his ordinances the LORD shall bring thee and thy king vnto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers haue knowne and there shalt thou serue other Gods wood stone And thou shalt be a wonder a proverb and a common talke among all the people whether the LORD shall carry thee Where you see captivity and banishment denounced to Gods owne people if they disobey his word You haue now my doctrine and the reason of it My doctrine God often humbleth his servants vnder his foes and their adversaries The reason is The disobedience of Gods servants to the word of God The vses of this doctrine 1 To shew vnto vs how great Gods anger is for sinne that doth punish it so severely even in his dearest children The coÌ„sideration hereof should worke in vs a loathing hatred detestatioÌ„ of sin Yet such is the perversity of our corrupt natures that we daily fleet from sin to sin like the fly that shifteth from sore to sore we tempt the LORD we murmur we lust we commit idolatrie we haue our eies full of adultery our hearts exercised with covetousnes our bodies weakned with druÌ„kennes by all meanes we serue the flesh sitting downe to eate rising to play Never more need then now to smite our brests pray with the Publicane Luk. 18.13 O God be mercifull vnto vs sinners 2 To teach vs not to measure the favour of God towards our selues or others by the blessings or adversities of this life seeing the wicked do often flourish wheÌ„ the godly are in great misery and on the other side the godly do prosper when the wicked are in distresse In my text we see the Gileadites a portion of ISRAEL threshed with instruâ—â—â—tâ— of 〈◊〉 by the â—ands of a wicked people and Gods enemies the Syrians of Damascus Behold the prosperity of the wicked In Exod. 14. we see the children of Israel passing through the red sea aâ— by dry land whereas the Egyptians assaying to do the like were drowned Behold the prosperity of the Godly Measure not therfore the favour of God by the blessings or adversities of this life Whatsoever our estate bee now or hereafter shall be let vs therewith be contented If God be pleased to blesse vs with peace plenty and prosperity blessed be his holy Name if he shall not like so to blesse vs but shall rather chastise vs with trouble want and adversity yet still blessed bee his holy Name and his will be done 3 To make vs power out our soules in thankfulnes before Almighty God for our present estate and condition We know that our sworne enemies the Popish crew and faction haue of long time envyed and malized our happy peace Had they had power according to their will how would they haue vsed vs Would they not haue threshed vs with threshing instrumentes of yron What mercy or pity could be expected from them who with so inhumane barbarous and cruel a plot their plot of gunpowder the like wherof was never before heard of would haue blowne vp and torne piecemeale the King Queene Prince Lords and Commons the fift of November i This SermoÌ„ was preached Sept. 21. 1606 last as you well know what shal we render vnto the LORD for this so great a deliverance Let vs render the calues of our lips applying Davids song of degrees Psalme 124. to our present purpose 1 If the Lord had not beene on our side may great Britaine now say 2 If the LORD had not beene on our side when the Popish sect rose vp against vs. 3 They had swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs. 4 Then had their k Seaven sparkes of the enkindled soule by R.B.P. Psal 2. pag. 33. fury flien forth as thunder the flame had burst out beyond the fornace 5 Then had we beene like l Ibid. stubble in their way 6 Praised be the LORD who hath not given vs a pray vnto their teeth 7 Our soule is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers the snare is broken and we are delivered 8 Our helpe is in the name of the LORD who hath made heaven and earth To this thankefulnes I purpose further to incite you if God giue life and leaue vpon the fift of November next the day appointed by act of parliament for your publique thanksgiving for that most happy deliverance My text shall bee the Psalme now applyed vnto vs the 124. Meane time let vs beseech Almighty God to giue his blessing to that which hath beene spoken that it may fructifie and bring forth fruit in vs in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold to the glory of Gods holy name and the salvation of our owne soules THE EIGHTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.4 Therefore will I send a fire into the house of HAZAEL and it shall devoure the palaces of BENHADAD c. THis is the fourth part of this prophecy against the Syrians wherein are set downe the punishments to be inflicted vpoÌ„ the Syrians for their sinnes as first I noted Generally verse the 4th Specially verse the 5th In the fourth verse wherein the punishments to be inflicted vpon the Syrians are generally set downe I note 1 Who punisheth 2 How he punisheth 3 Whom he punisheth The punisher is the LORD he punisheth by fire The punished are the Syrians to be vnderstood in the names of their Kings Hazael and Benhadad I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Benhadad
where the Prophet saith confractione confringetur terra the earth shall with breaking be broken the meaning is the earth shall certainely be wasted and spoiled So here I will breake the barre of Damascus that is I wil coÌ„sume and spoile all the munitioÌ„s all the fortificatioÌ„s all the fenced fortresses all the strength of Damascus This office of breaking barres God elsewhere assumeth to himselfe as Esai 45.2 where thus saith the LORD vnto Cyrus his anoynted I will breake the braeson doores barst the yron barres The Psalmist also ascribeth vnto the LORD this office of breaking barres Psal 107.16 where exhorting vs to confesse before the LORD his loving kindnes and to declare his wonderfull workes he bringeth this for a reason For he hath broken the gates of brasse and hath bursts the barre of yron asunder Now haue you the meaning of these wordes I will breake the barre of Damascus I the LORD will breake by my mightie power will lay wast and consume the barre barre for barres all the strength of Damascus of that part of Syria which bordereth vpon Damascus Now let vs see what lessons may bee taken from hence for our further instruction meditation You will remember my three propounded circumstances The punisher The punishemeÌ„t The punished The punisher is the LORD the punishment is breaking of barres the punished is the whole countrey of Damascus From the first circumstance of the punisher the LORD himselfe taking vengeance into his owne hand I gather this doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This doctrine was in my last Lecture commended vnto you and then at large confirmed I need not make any repetition of it The consideration of it day after day cannot be either vaine or vnfruitfull to vs. It may cause vs to be wary and heedfull that by our dayly sinning we make not our selues k Iohn 8.34 Rom. 6.20 servaÌ„ts vnto sinne and l 2. Pet. 2.19 corruption And whereas we cannot but sinne dayly for who can say I haue m Prou. 20.9 purged my heart I am cleane from my sinne it may draw vs to repentance and to a godly sorrowe for our sinnes whereby wee haue transgressed the law of God offended his Maiestie and provoked his wrath Wee must beleeue it though God be good gracious mercifull long suffering yet is he also a iust God God the avenger and punisher The consideration of this point may further admonish vs to be warie in any case that wee breath not after revengement To revenge our 〈◊〉 is Gods 〈◊〉 wee must not intrude our selues into â—â— we 〈…〉 â—surpe it Why will we herein be our owne câ—rvers The wise sonne of Sâ—rach chap. 28.1 speakes it confidently He that seeketh vengeance shal find vengeance of the LORD and he will surely keepe his sinnes Marke his exhortation following verse the 2. Forgiue thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done to thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also Wise Siracides saith no more then doth our Saviour Iesus Christ Matt. 6.14 15. If yee doe forgiue men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgiue you But if yee doe not forgiue meÌ„ their trespasses no more wil your father fâ—â—giue you your trespasses Dearely beloued is this so Will not God forgiue vs vnlesse we forgiue others Wee must needs grant it to be so praying dayly as we doe forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Much then beloved very much to blame are we who lead our liues as if Lex â—alionis that same old law of rendring like for like first recorded n And Levit. 24 20. Deut. 19.21 Matth. 5.38 Ezod 21.24 were this day in force Even this day we sticke not to bee of minde with the godlesse worldling Receiue I wrong I will repay it Eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe As good as hee bringeth I will giue him We are commanded Matth. 18.22 to forgiue one another even seaventie times seauen times How haue wee cast behind vs this holy commandement If thy neighbour sin against thee wilt thou not be meet with him seaven yeares after if possible Tell me if by order of friends or constraint thou be moued to forgiue thy neighbour wilt thou forgiue him Forgiue him Yea after a sort We wil forsooth forgiue the fault but not forget the matter nor affect the partie that wronged vs. Is this to loue our enimies Is this not to resist evill Nothing lesse Learne therefore of CHRIST what it is to loue your enimies Matth. 5.44 Blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that hurt you and persecute you And againe learne of Christ what it is not to resist evil Matth. 5.39 Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turne to him the other also and if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him haue thy cloak also whosoever will coÌ„pel thee to go with him one mile goe with him twaine This is it whereto St Peter exhorteth you 1 Epist chap. 3.8 Be yee all of one mind one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be curteous render not evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse if yee will be heires of blessing Let wise Solomons counsaile somewhat prevaile with you that counsaile which he giueth you Prov. 24.29 O say not I will doe to him as he hath done to me I will recompense every man according to his worke What shall I doe then when I haue receaued a wrong What else but followe the same wise mans counsaile giueÌ„ me Prov. 20.22 Expectabo Dominum liberabit me I will wait vpon the LORD he will deliver me I shut vp this meditation with St Paules exhortation Rom. 12.17 Recompense to no man evill for evill if it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all meÌ„ Dearely beloved avenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the LORD Hitherto beloved in the LORD I haue laboured to work in you a detestation of all private revengement The occasion of my discourse was from my propounded doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance proper to the LORD and therefore not any way to be medled in by vs. It is not for vs by our selues to avenge the wronges done vnto vs we must waite vpon the LORD who in his good time will right all our iniuries For he hath said vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense Let vs proceed and see what doctrine may bee gathered froÌ„ the two next circumstances the circumstance of the punishment and the circumstance of the punished The punishment I noted in the breaking of barres and the punished in the word Damascus You haue already heard the meaning of these words
with silence many places of holy Scripture in which God is tearmed a terrible God let vs confesse with the Psalmist Psalm 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to be feared who shall stand in thy sight wheÌ„ thou art angrie Here are they worthely to be taxed and censured who are so far from fearing Gods iudgements as that they plainly scoffe and iest at them Such a one was he of Cambridge shire who o This Sermon was preached Febr. 8. 1606. some 14. yeares since in the yeare 1592. made a mocke of the Lords glorious voice the THVNDER The story is delivered by Perkins in his p Printed at Cambridg in 4o. 1596. pag. 36. exposition of the Creed in these words One beeing with his companion in a house drinking on the Lordes day when he was ready to depart thence there was great lightning and thunder wherevpon his fellow requested him to stay but the man mocking and iesting at the thunder and lightning said as report was it was nothing but a knaue cooper knocking on his tubs come what would he would go and so went on his iourney but before he came halfe a mile froÌ„ the house the same haÌ„d of the LORD which before he had mocked in a cracke of thunder strooke him about the girdlesteed that he fell downe starke dead A memorable example brought home as it were to our doores to put vs in minde of Gods heavy wrath against those which scorne his iudgements Let vs beloved be wise vpon it and at every iudgement of God tremble and feare confesse as before out of Psal 76.7 Thou O God of Iacob thou art to bee feared who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry 3 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Here is matter enough to vphold and stablish our faith in Gods promises to the abolishing of all wavering and doubting touching our salvation Thus No thing nor creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose God is able to do whatsoever he wil do he wil do whatsoever hee hath promised to do he hath promised to giue eternall life to all that beleeue in Iesus Christ How then can I who do beleeue or any other who doth beleeue in Iesus Christ doubt of mine or their salvation Vpon this rocke of Gods omnipotency Abrahams faith stood vnshaken as appeareth Rom. 4. Abraham he doubted not of the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strengthned in the faith And how Because he was fully assured that the same God who had promised was able also to doe it This ablenes of God Abraham opposed to his owne weaknes And so aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spoken to him so shall thy seed be This promise Abraham laid hold of not considering his owne bodie eveÌ„ now dead being almost a hundred years old neither the deadnesse of Sarahs womb he laid hold of the promise How By faith Which was increased and confirmed to him by the consideration of the power of God And why is all this written of Abraham S. Paul saies why ver 23. Now it is not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnes but also for vs to whom it shall bee imputed for righteousnes if wee beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus our LORD from the dead who was delivered to death for our sins and is risen againe for our iustification Wherefore to all our sins infirmities and impotencies from whence may arise diffidence infidelity or vnbeliefe we must ever oppose Gods omnipotency and thereby support our faith in his promises I shut vp this point and my whole lecture with S. Austines discourse Serm. 123. de tempore Nemo dicat non potest mihi dimittere peccata Let no man say vnto me God cannot forgiue me my sinnes Quomodo non potest omnipotens How is it possible that the Almighty should not bee able to forgiue thee thy sinnes But thou wilt say I am a great sinner and I say Sed ille omnipotens est But God is Almighty Thou replyest and saiest My sinnes are such as from which I cannot be delivered and clensed and I answere Sed ille omnipotens est But God is Almightie Almightie able to doe all things greater or lesser celestiall or terrestiall immortall or mortall spirituall or corporall invisible or visible Magnus in magnis neque parvus in minimis great in great businesses and not litle in the least No thing or creature is able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose THE TENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.5 I will breake also the barre of Damascus and cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden and the people of Aram shall goe into captivity vnto Kir NOw proceed we to the other clauses of the last part of this prophecy against the Syrians The second clause is I will cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven The third is and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden the fourth is and the people of Aram c. In each of these I doe obserue as before I did three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD either immediatly by himselfe or mediatly by his instruments 2 The punishment to be vnderstood in those phrases of cutting of and going into captivity 3 The punished the Syrians noted in these names Bikeath-Aven Beth-eden Aram. Let vs examine the words of the text as they lie in order I will cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven I the LORD IEHOVAH a See Leâ—â— 9. who remoue mountaines and they feele not wheÌ„ I overthrow them who remoue the earth out of her place and make her pillars to shake who my selfe alone spread out the heavens and walke vpon the height of the sea I the LORD IEHOVAH who doth great things and vnsearchable marvailous things and without nuÌ„ber I the LORD IEHOVAH who haue resolued to send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall devoure the palaces of Benhadad haue resolued to breake the barres of Damascus I will also cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden c I will cut off To cut off is in sundry places of holy Scripture a Metaphore drawne ab excisione arborum from the cutting downe or rooting vp of trees and signifieth vtterly to consume to wast to dissipate to destroy to exstinguish So it 's vsed Ps 101.8 where David purposing not to be negligent or sloathfull in the execution of iustice against all malefactors in Ierusalem resolueth to cut of all the workers of iniquitie from the city of the LORD Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut of all the workers of iniquitie from the city of the LORD So it s vsed Psal 109.15 where Davids prayer against the wicked is that their iniquitie and sinne be alwaies before the
LORD that he may out off their memorial from the earth So it 's vsed Ezech. 14.13 Sonne of man when a land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then will I stretch out mine hand vpō it and will breake the staffe of bread thereof and wil send famine vpon it and will cut off man and beast from it I will cut off that is I will destroy both man and beast from a sinfull land I omit many like places of holy writte and commend vnto you but one more parallell to this in my text It is in the 3. ver of the 2. chap. of this prophecie There thus saith the LORD I will cut of the iudge out of the midst of Moab as here in my text I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and verse the 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod I will cut off whether the iudge out of the middest of Moab or the inhabitant from Ashdod or the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven the meaning is one and the same I will cut off that is I will vtterly destroy or extinguish Which to bee the meaning of the word the author of the Vulgar Latin acknowledgeth translating the word in the originall not excindam as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but disperdā I will destroy So do the Seaventy Interpreters in their Greeke edition of the Bible here translating the Hebrew word not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as indeed it signifieth I will cut off but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will vtterly or altogether destroy overthrowe and extinguish I will cut off the inhabitant the inhabitant what but one yes all and every one of the inhabitants The Holy Spirit in the sacred Scripture vseth so to speake by a word of the singular nūber to vnderstand more then one yea all of that kinde which kind of speech is analogically reduced to the figure Synocdoche Let vs see the truth of this in a few instances In Exod. 8.6 it is said when Aarō stretched out his hand vpō the waters of Egypt that then the frogge came vp and covered the land The frogge It were senselesse to thinke that one frogge could cover the land of Egypt and therefore by the frogge we are to vnderstand many frogges In Num. 21.7 the Israelites desired Moses to pray to the LORD that he would take away from them the Serpent The serpent what but one It is out of doubt that the people meant all the fierie serpents sent among them by the LORD to sting them to death of which wee read verse the 6. Ieremie in chap. 8.7 saith that the storke the turtle the crane the swallow doe knowe obserue their appointed times The storke the turtle the crane the swallow We may not thinke the Prophet singleth out one storke one turtle one crane one swallow from the rest but his meaning is of all storkes turtles cranes swallowes that they knowe obserue their appointed times As in the now cited places so here in my text the holy Ghost vseth one number for another the singular for the plurall vnderstanding by one inhabitant all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Aven Of Bikeath-Aven the Greek Translators taking the words partly appellatiuely and partly properly doe render them the field of On. In like sort Gualter the valley of Aven The author of the Vulgar Latin vnderstanding them wholy appellatiuely rendreth them the field of the Idol and so they may signifie the plaine of Aven the plaine of griefe the plaine of sorrow as Calvin observeth Innius and Tremellius doe render it as before Gualter è convalle Avenis the valley of Aven vnderstanding thereby the whole coast of Chamatha which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Desert Calvin saith it is vncertain whether Bikeath-Aven be a proper name of a place or no yet saith he it is probable Drusius following the Hebrew Doctors affirmeth that it is the proper name of a city in Syria Mercer the learned professour of Paris ioineth with him And our English Geneva Translatiō draweth vs to be of the same mind that Bikeath-Aven is a proper name of a city in Syria The same opinion must we hold of Beth-Eden in the next clause that it is a proper name of a city in Syria of which opinion I find Mercer and Drusius and our English Translators at Geneva to haue beene And Calvin holds it to bee credible though he translates it the house of Eden so Gualter doth so doth Tremellius who by the house of Eden vnderstandeth the whole country of of Coelesyria wherein stood the city Eden The author of the Vulgar Latin takes Beth-Eden for an appellatiue and translates it the house of pleasure Such indeed is the significatiō of the word and it is by Arias Montanus Ribera applied to signifie the city of Damascus as if Damascus were there called not only Bikeath-Aven that is the field of the Idol because of the Idolatrie there vsed but also Beth-Eden that is the house of pleasure because of the pleasant situation thereof But I retaine the proper name Beth-Eden and take it for a city in Syria wherein the King of Syria had a palace and mansion house Which I take to be plaine in my text where the LORD threatneth to cut off him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter that is the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden For I see not any absurditie in it if I say that the King of Syria had a mansion house as well at Beth-Eden as at Damascus and that at this time the court lay at Beth-Eden Him that holdeth the scepter This is a periphrasis or circumlocution of a King A scepter is Regium gestamen and insigne potestatis Regiae a Kingly mace the proper ensigne or token of Kingly power Whence in the best of Greeke Poets Homer Kings are called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scepter-bearers Hereby wee vnderstand what we read in the storie of Hester chap. 8.4 King Assuerus hold out his golden scepter toward Hester And that Gen. 49.10 The scepter shall not depart from Iudah In the former place Assuerus maketh shew of his kingly favour vnto Hester by holding out his mace vnto her in the later Iacob prophecieth of the stabilitie and continuance of the Kingdome in the tribe of Iudah till the comming of the Messias Here then he that holdeth the scepter in Beth-Eden is the King abiding in Beth-Eden Hitherto beloved haue I laboured to vnfold the words of my text I will cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden I the LORD with my mighty power will cut off will vtterly consume and destroie the inhabitant not one only but every one that dwelleth in Bikeath-Aven the so named city of Syria There will I not staie my hand but I will also with my mighty power cut of vtterly consume and destroy him that holdeth the scepter not only the
LORDS annointed 2. Sam. 8.6 You may read of Aram of Damascus out of which part there went a great multitude to succour Hadadezer king of Soba against David Their successe is recorded in the same place David slew of the Aramites two and twentie thousand men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them al likewise perish who make heâ—d 〈◊〉 themseluâ—s togâ—ther against the LORDS annointed 1. Chron. 〈…〉 which is by in◠〈…〉 lying betweene the 〈…〉 commonly knowne by the name of b Bertram Comparat Gram. Hebr. Aram. in Praefat. Mesopotamia And these Syrians gaue aid vnto the Ammonites against David and were partakers in their overthrow Gen. 28.5 You may read of Padan Aram whither the Patriach Iacob was by his father Isaac sent to make choise of his wife of the daughters of Laban Tremellius and Iunius in their note vpon Gen. 25.20 do make this Padan-Aram to be a part of Mesopotamia that part which is called by Ptolemee Ancobaâ—â— Thus doth the holy Spirit in the sacred Scriptures describe vnto vs the couÌ„try of Aram in its parts Aram Soba Aram Rehâ—b Aram Ishâ—â—b Aram Maacah Aram of Damascuâ— Arâ—m Nâ—â—araiâ— and Padan Aram. Here Aram put without any adiuncâ— to 〈…〉 oâ—e region may 〈…〉 all Syria devided by our Prâ—phet Amos in this one verse into three parts vnder the three 〈◊〉 of Damascus â—ikâ—â—th 〈◊〉 and â—â—th 〈◊〉 as Tremellius and Iunius haue noted vnderstaÌ„ding by Damascâ—â— the couÌ„try adioining the whole coast of Dâ—â—â—polis by Râ—kâ—â—th-Aneâ— the couÌ„try called Châ—â—â—â—thâ— which way Syria bordereth vpon Arabia surnamed the Dâ—sâ—râ— by Beth-edâ—n the whole couÌ„try of Coelesyria wherein stood the citie Eden The people that is 〈◊〉 of all sorts not only the ruder multitude but the â—â—ble also 〈◊〉 word is generall and conteineth all Shall go into captivity They shal be carryed away from their natiue couÌ„try into a strange lâ—nd in slâ—very and bondage Vnto Kir not vnto Cyrâ—â—â— c Ribera a noble city in that part of Africa which is called Pâ—â—â—apoliâ— the â—â—tiue couÌ„try of d Arias Montanus Callimachus the poet and Eâ—â—â—â—st hâ—â—es the historian as e Apud Drusium Ionathan Syâ—â—â—châ—â— and S. Hierome do seeme to vnderstand and Eusebius and the author of the ordinary glosse and Winckleman do expresly affirme but vnto Kir a city in the seigniories or dominions of the king of Assyria as the Hebrewes best approued expositors doe avouch Tremellius Iunius vpon the 2. Kings 16.9 doe vnderstand by this Kir that part of Media which from this captivitie was called Syromedia it was named Kir that is by interpretation a wall because it was round about compassed with the hill Zagrus as with a wall This deportation and captivitie of the Syrians was foretold by our Prophet f Anno regni Oziae 23. almost fiftie yeares before it was fulfilled It was fulfilled in the dayes of Ahaz King of Iudah who sent messengers to Tiglath Pileser King of Assyria for helpe Tiglath Pileser consented vnto him went vp against Damascus tooke it slew Rezin King of Aram and carried a way captiue the people of Aram into Kir Thus is the story expresly delivered 2. King 16. Thus farre the exposition of the words The people not only the ruder multitude but the nobles also of Aram not of Damascus onely but of all Syria shall goe into captivitie shall bee carried away captiue by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria vnto Kir a part of Media This accordingly came to passe For it could no otherwise be the LORD true in all his promises and threatnings whose words are yea and Amen he hath said it The people of Aram shal goe into captivitie vnto Kir saith the LORD Now to the notes of instruction Here must I commend vnto you as I haue done out of the precedent clauses three circumstances the punisher the punished the punishment 1 The punisher the LORD by his instrument Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria 2 The punished the Aramites or Syrians of all sorts the ruder and the noble 3 The punishment a deportation or carrying into captivitie This third circumstance is amplified by the place Their captivitie bondage and slaverie was to be in an vnknown strange and farre countrey Kir in MEDIA From the first 〈…〉 of the punisher the LORD of hoasts imploying in his 〈◊〉 the King of Assyria for the carrying away of the Arâ—â—iâ—â—â— or Syriâ—â—s into captivitie wee are put in mind of a well knowne truth in divinitie Almighty God in his government of the world worketh ordinarily by mâ—anes or second causes I say ordinarily because extraordinarily hee worketh sometime without meanes sometime against meanes Ordinarily hee worketh by meanes And they are of two sorts Definite such as of their naturall and internall principles doe of necessitie produce some certaine effects So the fire burneth the water drowneth Indefinite such as are free and accidentall agents hauing in themselues freedome of will to doe or nor to doe In this rancke you may place Iosephs brethren at what time they sold him to the Israelites Gen. 37.28 they sold him not of necessitie they might haue done otherwise In this rancke you may place Shimei for his carriage towards King David 2. Sam. 16.6 His throwing of stones at the King and rayling vpon him was not of necessitie hee might haue done otherwise And the King of Assyria carried into captivitie this people of Aram not of necessitie hee might haue left vnto them their natiue countrie lands and possessions All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or second causes definite or indefinite necessarie or contingent are but instruments by which Almightie God in his governement of the world worketh ordinarily God laid wast Sodom Gomorah and their sisâ—er cities he did it by fire Gen. 19.24 God destroyed every thing that was vpoÌ„ the earth from man to beast to the creeping thing and to the foule of the heaven only was Noah saved and they that were with him in the Arke the rest he destroyed by water Gen. 7.23 God sent Ioseph into Egypt to preserue his fathers posteritie and to saue them aliue by a great deliverance as Ioseph himselfe confesseth Gen. 45.7 This was Gods doing but hee did it by Iosephs owne brethren who you knowe sold him to the Ismaelites God sent an affliction vpon David for his good by cursed speaking throwing of stones where in David acknowledgeth Gods speciall singer 2. Sam. 16.11 The thing was Gods doing He did it by Shimei the sonne of Iemini God spake the word concerning the people of Aram that they should goe into captivitie as appeareth in my text God spake the word it was done God therefore sent the people of Aram into captivitie but he did it by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria All these though I said it before I say it againe All these fire water Iosephs brethren rayling Shimei the King of Assyria and whatsoever else like these meanes or
God THese words do containe a burdensome prophecie against the Philistines I divide them into three parts 1 A preface to a prophecie ver 6. Thus saith the LORD 2 The prophecie ver 6 7 8. For three transgressions c. 3 The conclusion in the end of the 8. ver Saith the Lord God In the prophecie I obserue foure parts 1 An accusation of the Philistines ver the 6. For three transgressions of Azzah and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them ver the 6. I will not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grievous sin by which the Philistines so highly displeased God ver the 6. They carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut theÌ„ vp in Edom. 4 The description of the punishments to be inflicted vpon them in fiue branches One in the 7. ver and foure in the 8. ver The great cities Azzah Ashdod and Ashkelon and Ekron and all the rest of the Philistines are partners in this punishment This prophecie for the 〈◊〉 and current of the wordes is much like the former against the Syrians the expositioÌ„ whereof in sundry sermons heretofore delivered may serue for the exposition of this prophecie also The preface is first Thus saith the LORD Not Amos but in Amos the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH who made the heauens and spread them our like a curtaine to cloth himselfe with light as with a garment and can againe cloth the heaven with darknes and make a sacke their covering the LORD IEHOVAH who made the sea to lay the beames of his chamber therein placed the sands for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree never to bee passed over howsoever the waues thereof shal rage and roare and can with a word smite the pride thereof at his rebuke the floods shall be turned into a wildernesse the sea shall bee dried vp the fish shall rot for want of water and die for thirst 2. the LORD IEHOVAH who made the drie land and so see it vpon foundations that it should never moue and can cover â—er againe with the deepe as with a garment so â—â—cke her that shee shall reele to and â—ro and stacker like a dâ—â—â—ken man Thus saith the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his 〈◊〉 to walâ—e in the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man and possesseth his most secret reines devideth betwixt the flesh the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades Thus saith the LORD Hath he said it and shall he not do it hath he spoken it and shal he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Isael is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Al his words yea all the titles of his words are yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall perish before one â—â—t or any one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Out of doubt then must it come to passâ— Here see the authoritie of this prophecie and not of this only but also of all other the prophecies of holy Scripture that neither this not any other prophecie of old is destitute of divine authoritie This point of the authoritie of holy Scripture I deliuered vnto you in my second and sixt lectures vpon this prophecie and then noted vnto you the harmonie consent agreement of all the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles from the first vnto the last not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministeries the wordes which they spake were the words ofâ—â—n that sent them they spake not of themselues God spake in them Whensoever were the time whatsoever were the meanes whosoever were the man wheresoever were the place whatsoever were the people the wordes were the LORDS Thus saith the LORD Thâ—n must we giue care vnto him with reverence But what saith he Even the words of this prophecy For three transgressions of Azzah foure I will not turne it AZZAH Palestina the country of the Philistines was divided into fiue Provinces or dutchies mentioned Iosh 13.3 the Dutchies of Azzah of Ashdod of Askelon of Gath of Ekron These fiue chiefe and the most famous cities of Palestina are recorded also 1. Samuel 6.17 where the Philistines are said to haue giuen for a sinne offering to the LORD fiue golden Emerods one for Azzah one for Ashdod one for Askelon one for Gath and one for Ekron Against foure of these cities all saue Gath and against Gath too in the generall name of the Philistines this prophecie was giuen by the ministerie of Amos. In the offence or blame Azzah is alone nominated but in the punishment are Ashdod and Askelon and Ekron and the residue of the Philistines remembred as well as Azzah AZZAH It's first named Gen. 10.19 In the vulgar Latin in the Greeke it 's commonly called Gaza it hath no other name in the new Testament but Gaza It 's so called Act. 8.26 And you may call it by which name you wil AZZAH or GAZA it 's not materiall Now by this Azzah or Gaza you are to vnderstand the inhabitants of the city not them only but also the borderers all the inâ—◠〈…〉 to all which our Prophet here denounceth Gods iudgements for their sinnes For three 〈…〉 These words containing 〈…〉 for their sinnes and the 〈…〉 against theâ— for the same I hau◠〈…〉 occasioned thereon by the beginning of 〈◊〉 third verse and therefore I shall not 〈…〉 to make any long â—â—tration thereof Yet 〈…〉 you the 〈◊〉 subsâ—â—â—ce of them For three 〈…〉 It is as if the LORD had 〈…〉 had offended but once or a second time I should hauâ— been fâ—vourable vnto them should haue recalled them into the right way that so they might bee converted and 〈…〉 but now whereas they doe dayly 〈…〉 and findâ—â—p end of 〈◊〉 I hau◠〈…〉 my face against them and will not suffer 〈…〉 but indurate and obstinaâ—e as they are I will 〈…〉 For thâ—â—e transgressions of Azzah and for 〈◊〉 The doctrine iâ— Many 〈…〉 pluck◠〈◊〉 from heaâ—en the most certaine wrath 〈…〉 of God vpon the sinners God is of pure eyes beholdeth not iniquitie he hath laid righteousnes to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontrouleable even as long as sunne and moone Tribulation anguish vpon every soule that do the vill the soule that sinneth it shall be punished God â—â—kes it good by an â—â—th Deut. 32.41 That hee will what his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgment to execute vengâ—â—nce vpon sinners His soule harâ—th and abhorreth sinne his â—â—w câ—â—seth condemneth sinne his hand smiteth scourgeth sinne 〈◊〉 was his motiue to cast down Angels into Hell to thâ—ust Adam out of Paradise to turne cities into ashes to ruinate nations
to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinfull flesh Because of sinne hee drowned the old world and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus doe many sinner plucke dâ—â—â—e froÌ„ heauen the more â—â—rtaine wrath and vengeanes of God vpon the sinners Oâ—â— vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfullnesse in all our waies that wee doe not by our many sinnes provoke Almightie God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplatioÌ„ of the wonderfull patience of Almightie God who did so graciously forbeare these Philistines of Azzah â—ll by three and foure transgressions by their many sinnes they had provoked him to indignation It 's true our God is a good God a gracious God a mercifull God a God of wonderfull patience yet may not wee thereby take encouragement to goe on in our evill doings The LORD who punished his Angels in heaven for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angrie word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the embassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsell of the LORD Ananias with his wife Sapphira for once lying to the holy Ghost out of doubt wil not spare vs if we shall persist to make a trade of sinning day after day heaping iniquitie vpon iniquitie to the fulfilling of our sinnes If so wee doe it shall bee with vs as the Apostle speaketh 1. Thes 2.16 The wrath of God must come on vs to the vtmost Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued let vs walke in loue even as Christ hath loued vs. As for the workes of the flesh cast we them farre from vs adulterie fornication vncleanenesse wantonnes hatred debate emulation wrath contentions envie drunkennesse gluttonie such like for which the wrath of God commeth vpoÌ„ the children of disobedience let them not once be named among vs as it becoÌ„meth Saints But the fruits of the Spirit let vs wholy delight in them hauing layd vp in the treasurie of our memories this lesson Three transgressions and foure Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heauen the most certaine wrath vengeance of God vpon the sinners It followeth Because they carried away prisoners the whole captivity to shut them vp in Edom These wordes are the third part of this prophecie doe 〈…〉 by which God was provoked 〈…〉 the men of Azzah 〈◊〉 the rest of the Philistiâ—â—◠〈…〉 the sinne of â—â—ailtie rigour vnmercifulnesse hardnesse of heart They carried away prisoners the whole captiviâ—â—â— to sâ—â—t 〈…〉 Here the abstract is put for the 〈…〉 or persons in captivitie aâ— Psal â—â— 1◠〈…〉 captiue The whole 〈◊〉 It 's well translated for the sense the word in the originall signifieth absolute perfect and compleat By this whole captivitie the holy Spirit meaneth an absolute perfect and compleat captivitie â—â—ram captivitatâ—â— apâ—rtam atque manifâ—â—â—â—â— saith Ariâ—â— Montaâ—â—â— a captivitie indeed open manifest such a captivitie faith Calâ—â—â—â— as wherein they spared not either â—â—men or children or the agâ—d they tooke no pitie no compassion vpon either sexe or age but all of al sorts male and female young and old they carried away prisoners What was their end and purpose in so doing Even to sâ—â—t theÌ„ vp in Edom that is to sell them for bondâ—â—â—ues vnto the Idameans In Edom Esau Iacobs brother and Isaackâ— son by his wife a Gen. 25.21 Rebekah for selling his birthright for a messe of b vers 30. red broath was surnamed Edom and of him lineally descended the Edomites or Idâ—means Gen. 36 4â— Of this posterity of Esau or Edom the land which they inhabited was called the land of EdoÌ„ or Idumaea and it was a southerne province of the land of promise devided as c Theatr. Terrae SaÌ„ctae Adricham and d Observat lib. 14 cap 13. Drusius haue observed out of Iosephus his â— book of the Iewish antiquities into two parts Idumaeam Superiorem and Inferior 〈◊〉 the higher and the lower Idumaea The higher wherein were two of the cities meÌ„tioned in my text Gaza and Askelon in the division of the land of Canaan fell to the lot of the tribe of Iudah The lower Idumaea coÌ„monly known by the name of Idumaea fel to the lot of the tribe of Simeon and this lower Idumaea I take to be the Idumaea in my text Esau pursued Iacob with a deadly hate so did the posteritie of Esau the posterity of Iacob the Edomites were evermore most maliciously beÌ„t against the Israelites Here then appeareth the heinousnes of that sin wherwith the Philistines are charged It was the sin of cruelty in a very high degree It is a cruell deed to carry away any one froÌ„ his natiue couÌ„try but him that is so carried away to sell to his mortall enemy this is a cruelty then which there cannot be a greater Such was the sin of those Philistines the inhabitants of Azzah They sold whether the Iewes or the Israelites the posterity of Iacob and servants of the living God to their professed enemies the Edomites with this policie that being carried far froÌ„ their own country they should liue in eternal slavery bondage without hope ever to returne home againe This very crime of cruelty is in the prophecie of Ioel also ch 3.6 laid to the charge of these Philistines The children of Iudah and the children of Ierusalem haue yee sold to the Grecians that yee might send them far from their border that is Gods inheritance his owne seed and servants the children of Iudah Ierusalem the cruell and hard hearted Philistines did mancipate and sell away for bondslaues to the Grecians dwelling farre of that with them they might liue in perpetuall servitude and slaverie without all hope of liberty or redemption Now in this that the LORD calleth the Philistines to a reckoning because they had solde away his people though they were their captiues vnto infidels we may learne this lesson It is not lawful to coÌ„mit the children of beleevers into the haÌ„ds of infidels The vnlawfulnesse hereof appeareth by the charge which Moses giveth the Israelites Deut. 7.3 His charge is coÌ„cerning the Hittites the Gergasites the Amorites the Canaanites the Perizzites the Hivits and the Iebusites that they should not at al make any covenant with them nor giue theÌ„ their children in marriage And why so Because by such covenants marriages they might be withdrawn from the true service of God to the prophane worship of Idols For so it 's saide verse the 4. They will cause thy sonne to turne away from me to serue other Gods The danger of such covenants and marriages S. Paule knew to be very great and therefore from such he dehorteth the Corinthians 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked with the infidels He vseth the similitude of Oxon coupled together The yoke holdeth them so together that looke which way the one draweth the other must
tyrannie if you deny your servants to go but one houres iourney to this place to serue their God Thinke it not enough that your selues come hither to performe some duty to Christ your LORD Master how cā you performe your duty to him if you deny him your servants You know what charge is given you in the fourth commandement not your selues only but also your sonnes and your daughters your servants men and maidens and the stranger that soiourneth with you are to hallow and Sanctifie the Sabbaoth day with the Lords service In this holy worke and service of God vpō the Sabbaoth day regarde not what the multitude and greater sort of men doe Suppose all the world besides your selues would be carelesse to performe this duty yet let your holy resolutiō be the same with Ioshua's chap. 24.15 I and my house wil serue the Lord. Thus far of my first doctrine groūded vpon God's dislike with the Philistines for selling away the Israelites his faithfull people into the hands of the Edomites an vnbeleeving nation To ground a second doctrine hereon wee are to note that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans at such time as they were their captiues so did adde affliction to the afflicted The doctrine is It is a very grievous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted Witnesse the complaint made by the captiue Iewes against the insolencie of the Chaldeans Psal 137.3 They that led vs away captiue required of vs songs and mirth in our heavinesse saying sing vs one of the songs of Sion They the Chaldeans the Babylonians and Assyrians in whose country we were prisoners required of vs scornefully and disdainefully thereby to adde to our griefes they required of vs songs such songs as wee were wont to sing in Sion Ierusalem and our owne country before the destruction of the Temple and our captivitie They required of vs not songs only but mirth also they scoffingly desired vs to be merry when they saw vs so heavy hearted as nothing could make vs glad They required of vs songs mirth in our heavinesse saying sing vs one of the songs of Sion sing for vs or in our hearing some one or other of those songs which you were wont to sing in Sion when you were at home in your owne country Intolerable is the hard heartednesse cruelty and scoffing nature of the wicked when they haue gotten Gods children into their nets God cannot away with such vnmercifulnesse and want of pity He reproueth it in the Babylonians Esai 47.6 where thus saith the LORD I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heavy yoke vpon the ancient therefore now heare destruction shall come vpon thee Magna abominatio coram Deo est afflicto addere afflictionem clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis The wordes are the observation of Oecolampadius vpō the now cited place of Esai It is a great abomination before God to adde affliction to the afflicted the voice of blood cryeth vp to heaven for vengeance Yea we are assured by Psalm 102.19 that the LORD looketh downe from the height of his sanctuarie and out of heaven beholdeth the earth that he may heare and so take pitie of the sighings groanings and lamentable cryes of such his people as are in affliction The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more texts of Scripture let the now alleaged be sufficient to cōfirme my propounded doctrine that it is a grievous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to reproue the Nimrods and tyrants of this world which haue no pitie no compassion vpon the poore and distressed Such in the end shall knowe by their owne lamentable experience that to bee true which Solomon hath vttered Prov. 21.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himselfe and not bee heard A second vse is to stirre vs vp to the performance of this our Christian dutie even to take pity vpon all that are in any kind of miserie if our neighbours be destitute of ayd and helpe wee may not like wild beasts lift vp our selues against them and so tread them vnder foot No. How dare wee molest and trouble them whom by Gods appointment we are to relieue and succour We are commanded Deut. 15.11 to open our hands to the needy and poore that are in our land to open our hands to them for their helpe and succour It is not enough for vs to absteine from all iniury harme-doing but withall must we endevour to relieue the oppressed This service of ours will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs for the time of our being here and when the day of our dissolution shall be that wee must leaue this earthly tabernacle then will the Sonne of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome vs with a venite benedicti Come yee blessed of my father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and yee gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked yee cloathed me I was sicke and yee visited me I was in prison and yee came vnto me in as much as you haue done these things to the needy and distressed yee haue done them vnto me Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world THE THIRTEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.7 8. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Azzah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof And I will cut of the inhabitant from Ashdod WEe are come to the last part of this prophecie the description of the punishmēts to be inflicted vpō the Philistines The seaventh verse doth not much differ frō the fourth The same punishment which is there threatned to the Syrians vnder the names of Hazael and Benhadad is in this seaventh verse denounced to the Philistines vnder the name of Azzah And therefore as there I did so must I here commend vnto you three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD I. 2 The punishment by fire I will send a fire 3 The punished the Azzites the inhabitāts of that city the Philistines vpon the wals palaces of Azzah The punisher is the LORD for thus saith the LORD I will send The note yeeldeth vs this doctrine It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins This doctrine I proved at large in my eighth lecture vpō this prophecie Yet for their sakes who then heard me not or haue forgotten what then they heard I will by a few texts of Scripture againe confirme it vnto you It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This office
spared he hath throwne downe in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Iudah hee hath cast thē downe to the ground The munitions of Iudah are vanished as smoake Let these few instances in the states of Edom Moab Israel Iudah serue for proofe of my doctrine No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroied You will remēber the reason of it because there is not strēgth but of God and from God The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs never to trust in anie worldly helpe but so to vse all good meanes of our defense that still we relie vpon the LORD for strength and successe thereby Beloved in the LORD we haue learned that a horse his helpe is vaine Psal 33.17 that mans helpe is vaine Psal 60.11 that the helpe of Princes is vaine Psalme 146.3 that much strength is vaine 2. Chron. 25.7 that much wealth is vaine Psal 49.6 that all worldly helps are vaine Esai 30.1 All vnder God is vanity Wherfore now and all other times let our trust be only in the name of the LORD who hath made heaven earth Thus much of my first doctrine grounded vpon the thirde circumstance of this 7. verse the circumstance of the punished No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed Againe this overthrow of the wals of Azzah in Gods anger teacheth vs thus much It is the good blessing of God vpō a kingdome to haue wals strong holds munitions fortresses and bulwarkes for a defense against enemies The reason is because these be the meanes which God vsually blesseth to procure outward safety The vse is to teach vs carefully to prepare such against time of trouble yet with this caution that we rest not in them but depend wholy vpon Gods blessing And here we are to poure out our soules in thankfulnes before Almighty God for blessing this our country with the strength of wals of wals by sea and wals by land by sea with ships at land with strong-holds castles and fortresses by sea land with men of wisdome and valour to bid battle to the proudest enemy that dare advance himselfe against vs. Confesse we with David Psal 18.2 The LORD is our rocke our fortresse he that delivereth vs our God our strength our shield the horne of our salvation and our refuge In him we trust and d Psal 56.11 feare not what man can do vnto vs. Yet further The fire in Gods anger devouring the palaces of Azzah teacheth vs that God depriveth vs of a great blessing when he taketh from vs our dwelling houses This doctrine I commended to you in my eighth lecture vpon this prophecie The truth is experimentally made good vnto vs by that great commodity or contentment that cōmeth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse of this doctrine is threefold It teacheth vs 1. to bee humbled before Almighty God whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from vs 2. since we peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherāce of Gods glory 3. to praise God continually for the comfortable vse wee haue of our dwelling houses Thus farre of the 7. verse The 8. followeth And I wil cut of the inhabitant from Ashdod him that holdeth the sccpter from Ashkelon Ashdod Ashkelon were two chiefe cities of Palaestina One of thē as here it appeareth was the place of residence for the chiefe ruler over that state To both Ashdod and Ashkelon to the inhabitants of Ashdod and the scepter-bearer in Ashkelon to king and subiect Gods sore iudgement even a cutting of is here threatned I will cut of the inhabitant of Ashdod Of the like iudgement in the same words you haue heard before in the 5. verse threatned to the Syrians I will cut of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden The words I then expounded at large the briefe or summe whereof is I the LORD IEHOVAH will cut of will vtterly destroy root out the inhabitant not one alone but all and every one of the inhabitants of Ashdod one of the fiue chiefe cities of the Philistines And I will vtterly destroy or root out him that holdeth the scepter the Philistines their chiefe ruler their King making his residence at Ashkelon an other of the fiue cities of Palaestina I will cut of the inhabitant of Ashdod and him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon In the words I obserue as before three circumstances 1 The punisher the LORD I. 2 The punishment a cutting of I will cut of 3 The punished the inhabitants of Ashdod and the scepter bearer of Ashkelon By the first circumstance the LORD himselfe taking vengeance into his owne hands you may bee remembred of a doctrine often commended to you in this and other lectures It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes From al three circumstances of the punisher the punishment and the punished iointly considered we may take a profitable lesson We see that the cutting off of the inhabitants of Ashdod and of him that holdeth the scepter from Ashkelon is the Lords proper worke The lesson which we learne from hence is No calamitie or misery befalleth any one of whatsoever estate or degree by chance or at adventure This doctrine I handled at large in my tenth Lecture The truth of it dependeth vpon this proposition The whole world with all things therein is wholy alone subiect to the soueraignty dominion and rule of almighty God by whose providence all things are preserued all things are ruled all things are ordered These were the three degrees by which I told you you might discerne and take notice of the act of divine providence The first was gradus conservationis the second gradus gubernationis the third was gradus ordinationis the first degree was the degree of maintenance or preservation the second degree was the degree of rule or gouernement the third degree was the degree of ordination or direction The first implieth thus much that All things in generall and every thing in particular are by Almightie God sustained ordinarily in the same state of nature and naturall proprieties wherein they were created The second thus much that Almightie God for his vnlimited power governeth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae even as he listeth The third thus much that God of his admirable wisedome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoever things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth all to his chiefly intended end all doe make for his glory In this divine ordination three things doe concurre constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to every thing Secondly hee disposeth the meanes vnto the end Thirdly he directeth the meanes so disposed From these points thus summarily rehearsed I inferre my propounded doctrine No calamity or miserie befalleth any one
country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish A third vse of this doctrine is for the terrour of such as lie wallowing in the filthinesse of their sinnes Many there are wicked wretches who if God shall for a time deferre the punishments due vnto their sinnes are ready to thinke that God takes no notice of their sinnes These say in their heart there is no God Against these is made that challenge Psal 50.21 I held my tongue and thou thoughtest me like thy selfe I the LORD who see the secrets of all hearts I held my tongue I did not by my iudgements punish thee for the wickednesse of thy steps I held my tongue thou thoughtest me like thy selfe thou thoughtest I took pleasure in wickednes as thou doest but thou shalt find and feele the contrary Strange are the effects wrought in the wicked by the mercies and long suffering of God thereby they grow worse and worse obdurate and hardned in their sinnes Yet let them bee advised for the day will come and it comes apace wherein they shal feele the heavinesse of that hand which here was turned against Ekron I will turne my hand to Ekron It followeth And the 〈◊〉 of the Philistines shall perish The Philistines had their beginning froÌ„ Castuchim a grandchild of Châ—â—â— the accursed issue of Noah as appeareth Genes 10.14 They were seated in a part of the land of Canaan the west part that which bordereth vpon the great Sea the Sea coÌ„monly called the Mediterranean Their country was called by Ptolemee and others Palaestina and by the Greekes Phoenicia It was a part of that couÌ„try which once was called Terra promissionis the land of promise but now Terra sancta the Holy land The inhabitants in our Prophets time were professed enemies to Almightie God and his beloued Israel They thought themselues safe from ruine through the strength of their fiue dukedomes Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon Gath and Ekron But vaine and foolish are the thoughts which possesse the wicked When the God of all truth shall giue his word for a matter shal man presume to doubt of the event Here God sets his word vpon it that there shall be an vtter overthrowe not only of Azzah Ashdod Ashkelon and Ekron but of Gath also and all the villages belonging therevnto for the remnant of the Philistines shall perish saith the LORD God Ait Dominus Iehovah saith the LORD God This is the conclusion of this prophecie and it redoubleth its authoritie and credite Authoritie and credite sufficient it hath from its very front verse the 6. Thus saith the LORD it 's here redoubled saith the LORD God Saith the LORD God hath the LORD God said it and r Num. 23.19 shall he not doe it hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that hee should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea and Amen Å¿ Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iot or one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Dominus IEHOVIH the LORD hath said it that the remnant of the Philistines shall perish Out of doubt then must it come to passe And so is it The first blow which the Philistines receaued towards their overthrow after this prophecie was giuen them aboue three-score yeares after by Ezechias that good King of Iudah of whoÌ„ the Prophet Esai chap. 14.29 foretelleth the Philistines that he should be vnto them as a cockatrice and a fiery flying serpent This Ezechias smote the Philistines vnto Azzah and the coasts thereof from the watch tower vnto the defensed city This is plaine 2. King 18.8 A second blow was given by Tartan one of the captaines of Sennacherib or Sargon King of Assyria who came vp against Ashdod and tooke it This is plaine Esai 20.1 A third blow was giuen them by Pharaoh Neco he smote Azzah Ashkelon and other places This is it which the Prophet Ieremie saith chap. 47.5 Baldnesse is come vpon Azzah Ashkelon is cut vp with the rest of their valleys In a word God hath from time to time raised vp his men of warre in due time to extirpate and rase out the Philistines from the face of the earth that according to the tenour of this prophecie there might be no remnant of them The remnant of the Philistines shall perish Here may wee obserue a difference in Gods punishments he punisheth the reprobate and he punisheth his elect but differently the reprobate to their vtter excision extirpatioÌ„ not so the elect For of them there is vpon the earth evermore a remnant that shall be saved as it 's intimated by the Prophet Esai cha 1.9 Except the LORD of hoasts had reserved vnto vs even a small remnant wee shoulde haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorah You see a remnant reserved though a small one Yea sometimes there is a reservation of so small a remnant as is scarsly visible As in the daies of Eliah who knew of none but himselfe I only am left saith he 1. King 19.14 Yet God tels him in the 18. verse of seaven thousand in Israel which never bowed their knees to Baal Hitherto belongeth that Ioel. 2.32 In mount Sion in Ierusalem shall be deliverance as the LORD hath said and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call t Ierem. 25.34 Howle yee wicked and cry and wallow your selues in the ashes for your daies of dispersion and slaughter are accomplished and yee shall fall like the Philistines every mothers childe of you the u Ierem. 46.10 sword shal devoure you it shal be satiate made drunke with your bloud there shall not be a reÌ„nant of you left But you the elect and chosen children of God your Father take vnto you x Esai 61.3 beauty for ashes the oile of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heavines reioice yee bee glad together Let the prince of darknes and all the powers of hell assisted with the innumerable company of his wicked vassals vpon the earth ioine together to worke your overthrow they shall not effect it For God even your God will reserue vnto himselfe a remnant This remnaÌ„t is the chaste Spouse of Christ the holy Catholicke Church enriched from aboue with all manner of benedictions Extra cum nulla est salus whosoever hath not her for his Mother shall never haue God for his Father Of this remnant and Catholicke Church notwithstanding the challenge of Romish Idolaters we beloved are sound and liuely members Happie are the eies which see that we see and enioy the presence of him whom we adore happy are the eares that heare what wee heare and the hearts which are partakers of our instructions No nation vnder heaven hath a God so potent so loving so neere to them which worship him as we of this Iland haue The many
and bloudy practises of that great Antichrist of Rome so often set on foot against vs and still defeated are so many evidences that our soules are most precious in the sight of God He he alone hath delivered vs out of the Lyons iaw to be a holy remnant vnto himselfe Now what shall we render vnto the LORD for so great a blessing We wil take vp the cup of salvation and call vpon his name THE FIFTEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.9 10. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure I will not turne to it because they shut the whole captivity in Edom and haue not remembred the brotherly covenant Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof THis blessed Prophet Amos sent from God in embassage to the ten revolted tribes doth first thuÌ„der out Gods iudgments against neighbour countries the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites the Moabites Which he doth for certaine reasons given in my sixt lecture that he might be the more patiently heard of his country men the Israelites that they might haue no cause to thinke much if God should at any time lay his rod vpon them that they might the more stande in awe of the wordes of this prophecie When they should heare of such heavy iudgements to light vpon their neighbours they could not but enter into a consideration of their owne estate thus reason within theÌ„selues Is it true which this Amos saith Will the LORD bring such heavy iudgements vpon the Syrians Philistines Tyrians and other of our neighbours In what a fearefull estate are wee in then They seely people never knew the will of God and yet must they be so severely punished How then shall we escape who knowing God's holy will haue contemned it Of the 〈…〉 the Syrians and Philistines you haue 〈…〉 lectures Now in the third place do follâ—â— the Tyrians ver 9. and 10. For three transgressions of Tyrus c. These wordes containing a burden some prophecy against Tyrus I divide into two parts 1 A preface Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecy For three transgressions of Tyrus c. In the prophecie I obserue 4. parts 1 A generall accusation of the Tyrians For three traÌ„sgressions of Tyrus and for foure 2 The Lords protestation against them I wil not turne to it 3 The declaration of that grievous sin by which they so highly offended This sin was the sin of vnmercifulnes and cruelty expressed in two branches 1 They shut the whole captivity in Edom. 2 They remembred not the brotherly covenant 4 The description of the punishment to befall them for their sinne in the 10. verse Therefore will I sende a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof The preface giues credit vnto the prophecie and is a warraÌ„t for the truth of it Thus saith the LORD The LORD IEHOVAH whose throne is the heaven of heavens and the sea his floore to walke in and the earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sitteth in the heart of man possesseth his most secret reines and divideth betwixt the flesh and the skin and shaketh his inmost powers as the thunder shaketh the wildernes of Cades This LORD IEHOVAH so mighty so powerfull shall he say a thing and shal he not do it shall be speake it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as maÌ„ that he should lie nor as the son of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall perish before one iote or one title of his word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Out of doubt then must it come to passe And because it is the LORD that speaketh it is required of vs that we harken to him with revereÌ„ce Thus briefly of the Preface whereof I haue more largely spoken in two former lectures my sixth and twelfth lectures vpon the thirde and sixt verses of this chapter In which these very words are prefixed for a Preface to two prophecies the one against the Syrians the other against the Philistines I proceed to the present prophecie against the Tyrians It 's much like the two former both for words and matter In regard whereof I shal be short in many of my notes For three transgressions of Tyrus for foure Here is nothing new but the name of Tyrus This Tyrus is called in the Hebrew text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Tzor whence came the name Sar and Sarra in Ennius Poenos Sarrâ oriundos he notes the Carthaginians to haue their beginning from Sarra which is Tyrus Tyrus was a very ancient city it was saith Drusius Vetustissimarum vrbium parens as it were the mother of very old cities Plinie nat hist lib. 5. cap. 19. saith that out of Tyrus came the founders and first inhabiters not only of Carthage but also of Leptis Vtica and Gades the city well knowne to our moderne navigators by the name of Calis Malis and of late yeares conquered by some worthies of our English nation The ancient glorie of this citie Tyrus is blazed abroad to the whole world by Ezechiel chap. 27. Glorious was Tyrus 1. for her situation 2 for her riches 3. for the frame and beauty of her buildings 4. for her shipping 5. for her power in martiall affaires 6. for her marchandising 7. for her great esteeme and report with forraine nations The Prophet Esai in like sort blazeth out her glory chap. 23.7 8. Hee saith of her that her antiquitie is of ancient daies that she is the crowne of the Sea that her merchants are Princes and her chapmen the nobles of the world So glorious a city was this Tyrus Here shee is accused of disloyaltie to the God of heauen in the very same words wherein Damascus and Azzah are formerly accused Damascus vers 3. and Azzah vers the 6. For three transgressions of Tyrus and for foure And the Lords protestation vpon this accusation is the same I will not turne to it It is as if the LORD had thus said If the inhabitants of Tyrus had offended but once or a second time I should haue beene favourable to them and would haue recalled them into the right way that so they might be converted and escape my punishments but now for as much as they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to bee converted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them Albertus Magnus vnderstandeth by these three transgressions three sorts of sinnes peccatum in voluntate peccatum in consensu peccatum in opere sin in will sin in consent and sin in action and by the fourth transgression he vnderstandeth cordis indurationem induration and hardnes of heart
no fellowship with thē Must we reproue thē rather What saith old Adam What saith flesh and blood to this Our Gallants of this age can entertaine no such advise that it may be fulfilled which our Saviour Christ foretold of the ende of the world Luk. 21.10 16. Nation shall rise against nation kingdome against kingdome a father against his sonne a brother against his brother a kinsman against his kinsman and a friend against his friend A fitter remedie for this maladie I find none then to imitate blessed Abraham There grew a debate betweene his servants and the servants of Lot their heardmen could not agree What doth Abraham in this case As the manner of Masters is now adaies No he breaketh not out into choler he saith not my servants are abused my cosin LOT his servants doe seeke to crow over them and to rule the rost as they list This is an iniurie to mee their master and a shame to suffer it So a man may be made a foole indeed and counted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation Never will any man care to serue me if I sticke not better to my men then so Such language as the world now goeth is very rife among vs. But Abraham spake not so Grace was in his face mildnesse in his words For thus spake he vnto his nephew Lot Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there be no strife betweene thee and me neither hetweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethrē We are brethren I pray let there be no strife between vs. Let vs be mindfull of the covenant wherein nature hath vnited our affections we are brethren the bond of brotherhood and consanguinitie let it moderate our passions why shall we iarre and be at odds betweene our selues Are we not brethren An excellent patterne of imitation for all estates high and low rich poore one with another Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all whosoever may say they are brethren either in nature or in Christ and religion haue in Abraham a patterne for their imitation We must abstaine not only from raising strife and debate our selues but also from fostering and cherishing it in others Such was Abrahams choice Hee would not maintaine his servants against Lots servants hee tooke it to be farre more credit for him to haue vnitie and good loue then the bitter effects of the contrarie Among the beatitudes Matth. 5. the seaventh is Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who loue concord regard peace seeke it and insue after it Blessed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish maintaine peace and concord betweene others Blessed are they who doe their best to revnite in loue such as are fallen out to make an end of quarrels and dissentions Blessed are the peacemakers the reason is annexed for they shall be called the children of God that is they will by their loue of vnitie and concord make it appeare vnto the world that they are the sonnes of God From whence it followeth by an argument from the place of contraries Accursed are makebates for they shall be called the children of the Divell Cursed are they who are of themselues quarrelsome and contentious Cursed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish and maintaine strife debate in others Cursed are they who doe their best to set at variance such as haue long lived in peace and vnitie Cursed are makebates I annexe the reason for they shall be called the sonnes of the Devill that is They will by their loue of strife and debate make it appeare to the world that they are the sonnes of the Devill Now dearely beloued in the LORD I beseech you to remoue farre from you all cogitation and thought of strife variance and debate to remember your brotherly covenant Know yee that the bond of one body one spirit one hope one God one faith one baptisme is as farre aboue the bond of one father one mother one village one house and the like as the spirit is aboue the flesh spirituall things aboue carnall and God aboue man I will shut vp this point with the exhortation of S. Peter 1. ep chap. 3.8 Be yee all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous render not evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrarywise blesse yee blesse I say and knowe that you are therevnto called that yee should be heires of blessing Thus farre of the thirde part of this Prophecie Now followeth the fourth Vers 10. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof This is a particular denunciation of a conquest and desolation against the city Tyrus for her sins According to this prediction it came to passe saith Drusius either in the warre of Salmanassar against the Tyrians or in the warre of Nabuchodonosor Yet this he affirmeth not Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus three yeares and three moneths then tooke it so saith Winckleman out of Iosephus lib. 1. contra Appionem the Latine copies of Iosephus which I haue seene make mention of the continuance of this siege for thirteene yeares The Greeke copy hath nothing of the continuance of it For therein I read only that when Thobalus was king Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus This was about the yeare of the world 3345. Tyrus after this was reedified and did flourish But shee was in her pride againe besieged and taken by Alexander the great in the yeare of the world 3632. And lōg since A.C. 1290 she was sacked and levelled with the ground by Alphix then Sultan of Egypt Thus hath Gods hand beene strong prevailing against Tyrus according to the tenour of this prophecie The very words whereof you haue heard before expounded in the fourth and seaventh verses of this chapter Now I pray you only recount with me such heads of doctrine as heretofore haue beene observed out of these words Therefore will I send a fire c. Wherein three circumstances are to be observed 1. The punisher 2. The punishment 3. The punished The first circumstance is the punisher the LORD For thus saith the LORD I will send The doctrine is It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins The second circumstance is the punishment and that is by fire I will send a fire The doctrine is The fire and all other creatures are at the Lordes commaundement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked The third circumstance is the punished the wals and palaces of Tyrus I will send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof First must the glorious city Tyrus be destroied The doctrine is No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed Secondly must the Wals of Tyrus bee devoured with the fire of Gods displeasure The doctrine is It is the good blessing of God vpon a kingdome to haue wals strong holds munitions fortresses and bullwarkes for
gnash the whole countenance is by course stained sometimes with rednesse sometimes with palenes Basil in two sermons of his one preached before the Lacizians the other l De Ira homil 38. else where is plentifull in this point The man that is indeede and throughly angry differeth nothing either in the maner of his look or in the affectiō of his mind frō him that is possessed with Devils His bloud boileth about his heart the whole proportion of his visage is altred you wil not take it to be the same face his eies looke not as they were wont but are fiery and staring he whets grindes his teeth like the foaming boare his countenance is wan of colour blacke and blew stained and dyed as with bloud his body swels his veines waxe big his voice is vnpleasant his speach inarticulate you will haue much a doe to vnderstand him A servant of * Mich. de Montaigne Ess lib. 2. c. 31 ex A. Gellio Plutarches a lewde and vicious fellow for some faultes by him committed was stripped naked to be whipped Being vnder the whip he vpbraided his master and obiected to him how he had oftē heard him say that it was an vnseemely thing for a man to be angry and that thereof he had written a booke and that yet now contrary to his owne sayings and writings all plunged in rage and engulfed in choler hee caused him so cruelly to be beaten To whom Plutarch with an vnaltered and milde setled countenance said thus What Whereby dost thou iudge I am now angry Doth my countenance doth my voice doth my colour or doth my speech giue thee any testimony that I am either moved or cholericke Me thinkes mine eies are not staringly wilde nor my face troubled nor my voice frightfull or distempered Do I waxe red Do I foame at the mouth Doth any word escape me whereof I may repent hereafter Doe I startle and quake Doe I rage and ruffle with anger For to tell thee true these are the right signes of choler these are the tokens of anger You may say beloved that they are the effects of anger The forecited father Basil may be your warrant who further telleth you that vnbridled tongues vngarded mouthes vnstaied hands contumelies foule language rayling words vniust blowes and the like enormities are the sonnes are the fruits are the effects of evill anger And in this respect also every child of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger Now to make some vse of this doctrine Shall I say that this evill anger is a raigning evill among you Your consciences must needes beare me witnesse it is so Now may I charge some of you as Ezechiel charged the house of Israel chap. 11.6 Many haue you murthered in this place and you haue filled the streets with the slaine For as often as you haue beene angry vnadvisedly one with another so often haue yee murthered one another O! what an account are ye one day to make before Christs tribunall even for this one sinne vnlesse in this your day you wash it away with teares of penitencye Tremble therefore stand in awe and sinne no more so Examine your owne hearts not now only while you heare me but also when you are gone from hence even vpon your beds of rest Solomon exhorts you Eccl. 7.11 Be thou not of an hastie spirit to be angry His reason is For anger resteth in the bosome of fooles St Paule exhorts you Rom. 12.9 Dearly beloued avenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath His reason is For it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith the LORD St Iames exhorts you chap. 1.19 My deare brethren bee slow to wrath His reason is For the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God You know the Law and it s fulfilled in one word this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe This is taught you Gal. 5.14 Suffer your selues to bee exhorted in the words following vers 15. If yee bite and devoure one another take heed least yee be consumed one of another In the 20. verse wee read of hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions and are assured by the 21. verse that if wee doe such things wee shall not inherit the kingdome of God Wherefore to shut vp this point with St Paules words 1. Cor. 1.10 and 2. Cor. 13.11 I beseech you by the name of the LORD Iesus Christ that yee speake al one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the third branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded therevpon The doctrine was Every child of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger It was grounded vpon these words His anger spoyled him evermore And his wrath watched him alway This is the Geneva translation His furie watcheth him evermore so Tremellius The meaning is Edoms wrath or furie was so implacable so farre from being abated or assuaged as that it evermore watched Israel to doe him a mischiefe In the Church Bible you haue a different reading His indignation he kept alwaies and in Matthewes Bible he kept indignation alwaies by him The reading is agreeable with the vulgar Latin and is admitted by Oecolampadius by Calvin by Drusius By Brentius also but that for indignation he hath furie He kept his furie alwaies The meaning is the indignation or furie which Edom had conceiued against his brother was permanent it would not bee remitted there was no end of it The word in the Hebrew rendred by wrath or indignation or furie signifieth iram vehementiorem exaestuātem omnemque modum praetereuntem a very vehement a boyling anger exceeding all measure or according vnto others it signifieth furorem inflammantem pervadentem ignis more a rage like fire burning whatsoever it meeteth with We now see what it is for which the LORD in this last branch reproveth Edom or the Idumaeans It is their implacable vnmeasurable endlesse anger wherein they practised nothing but wiles how they might intrap and subvert the Israelites The lesson which from hence we are to take for our further instruction is this Whosoever once provoked vnto anger doth for ever hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approved by God I will not spend many words in the proofe of this proposition sith it standeth good by my former discourse You haue alrea-heard that every child of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger and that either in respect of its foule effects or in respect of Gods holy commandement against it Now is there any of you so devoid of Christian vnderstanding as to thinke or imagine that God will at any hand approue that against which he giveth his commandement I assure my selfe there is none Well then I thus inferre whosoever is spotted with evill anger he is not at any hand approued by God therfore whosoever
houses A truth experimentally made good vnto vs by the great coÌ„modity or contentment that commeth to every one of vs by our dwelling houses The vse is to teach vs. 1. To be humbled before Almighty God whensoever our dwelling houses are taken from vs. 2. Since wee peaceably enioy our dwelling houses to vse them for the furtherance of Gods glory 3. To praise God daie by day for the comfortable vse wee haue of our dwelling houses Thus is my exposition of the prophecie against Edom ended THE NINETEENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.13 14 15. Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it because they haue ript vp the women with childe of Gilead that they might enlarge their border Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battle and with a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde And their king shall goe into captivity he and his Princes togither saith the LORD THis blessed Prophet of Almighty God in this his prophecie against the Ammonites observeth the same order as he hath done in two precedent predictions the one against the Syrians verse the thirde fourth and fifth the other against the Philistines verse the sixth seventh and eighth As in those so in this are three parts 1 A preface Thus saith the LORD 2 A prophecie For three transgressions c. 3 A conclusion verse the fifteenth Saith the LORD The prophecie consisteth of foure parts 1 A generall accusation of the Ammonites who are here noted as reproueable for many sinnes For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure 2 God his protestation against them for their sinnes I will not turne to it 3 A particular declaration of one sinne which with others procured this prophecy This sinne was the sinne of cruelty expressed in these words Because they haue ript vp the vvomen vvith childe of Gilead amplified by the end of so foule a fact That they might enlarge their borders 4 A denuntiation of iudgement which was to come vpon them deservedly for their sinnes ver 14 and 15. This iudgement is set downe First in a generalitie verse 14. Therefore will I kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof Secondly with some circumstances as that it should be full of terrour and speedy Full of terrour in these words With shouting in the day of battle Speedy in the words following With a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde This iudgement is further amplified by the extent of it It was to fall vpon not only the meaner sort of the people but vpon the nobility also yea and vpon the King himselfe Which is plaine by the 15. verse Their King shall goe into captivity he and his princes together These are the branches and parts of this prophecy I returne to the Preface Thus saith the LORD IEHOVAH This great and most honourable name of God wee haue many times met with We haue heard what the Cabalistes and Rabbines out of their too much curiositie haue thought of it With them it is nomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name not to bee pronounced not to be taken within our polluted lips They call it Tetragrammaton a name in Hebrew of foure letters of foure letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellence because the name of God a Alsted Lex Theol. cap. 2. pag. 76. MiruÌ„ certè est quòd omnes gentes tacito consensu praecipuum Dei nomen quâ—tuor modò literis enuncient Fluxisse autem id existimatur è nomine IEHOVAH quod ipsum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini dicunt DEVS Graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Germani GOTT Aegyptii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magi ORSI Hebraei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arabes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galli DIEV Itali IDIO Hispani DIOS Dalmatis sive Illyricis est BOGI Boiemis BOHV Mahumetanis ABGD Gentibus in novo mundo repertis ZIMI Chaldaeis Siris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certè hoc sine singulari Dei O. M. provideÌ„tiâ factum non est Ego existimo illo significari nomen Dei in quatuor mundi plagis decantandum esse in all tongues and languages generally consisteth of foure letters More they speake of it You haue heard it before IEHOVAH b Deut. 10.17 God of Gods Lord of Lords a God c Eccles 43.29 most wonderfull very d Deut. 10.17 great mightie and terrible a God that e Eccles 43.31 caÌ„not either be conceived in thought or expressed by word f Aug. Soliloq cap. 34. of whom all the Angels in heaven doe stand in feare whom al dominations and g Revel 5.11 thrones doe adore at whose presence all powers doe shake A God in greatnes infinite in h August meditaâ—e 21. goodnesse soveraigne in wisdome wonderfull in power Almightie in counsailes terrible in iudgements righteous in cogitations secret in works holy in mercy rich in promise true alwaie the same eternall everlasting immortall vnchangeable Such is the LORD from whom our Prophet Amos here deriveth authoritie to his prophecie Thus saith the LORD Hath the LORD said and shall he not doe accordingly hath hee spoken it and shall he not accomplish it Balaam confesseth vnto Balak Num. 23.19 God is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should repent Indeed saith Sam. 1. Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel wil not lie nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of his words are Yea Amen Verily saith our Saviour Matth. 5.18 Heaven and earth shall perish before one iot or one title of Gods word shall escape vnfulfilled Thus saith the LORD Amos is here a patterne to vs that are preachers of the word of salvation We must ever come vnto you with Thus saith the LORD in our mouthes we may not speake either the imaginations of our owne braines or the vaine perswasions of our own hearts We must sincerely preach vnto you Gods gracious word without all corruption or depraving of the same This is it whereto S. Peter exhorteth vs 1. ep chap. 4 11. If any man speake let him speake as the word of God For if we yea if an Angell from heaven shall preach otherwise vnto you then from the LORD' 's owne mouth speaking in his holy word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be accursed let him bee had in â—â—â—â—ntion This note beloved dâ—th also concerne you that are the auditours hearers of Gods word For if we the preachers thereof must alwaies come vnto you with Thus saith the LORD theÌ„ are you to heare vs with reverence and attention And this for the authoritie of him that speaketh It is not you that speake saith our Saviour Iesus Christ to his blessed Apostles
Matt. 10.20 but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And againe Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me S. Paule coÌ„mendeth the Thessalonians 1. ep chap. 2.13 for that when they receaved of the Apostles of Christ the word of the preaching of God they receaved it not as the word of man but as it was indeed as the word of God Well therefore did S. Iames chap. 1.21 thus to exhort the Iewes Receiue with meeknes the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules God spake vnto Israel in a vision by night Genes 46.2 and said Iacob Iacob Iacob answered I am here Hee was prest and ready with all â—â—â—ient attentioÌ„ to heare what his God should say vnto him and to follow the same with all faithfull obedience Such readinesse well becommeth every child of God eveÌ„ at this day in the Church where God speaketh Thus must hee thinke within himselfe It is thine ordinance o LORD by thy word preached to instruct me concerning thy holy will I am here LORD in all humble feare to heare thy blessed pleasure what this day it shall please thee to put in the mouth of the preacher to deliver vnto me I am here speake on LORD thy servant heareth If a Prince or some great man of this world shall speake vnto you you will attend and giue eare vnto him with your best diligence how much more then ought yee so to doe when the King of Heaven and LORD of the earth calleth vpon you by his ministers Thus farre by occasion of the preface Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of the children of Ammon for foure Whether these children of Ammon wore distinguished from the Ammonites as Drusius would proue 2. Chron. 20.1 and as R. David avoweth filij Ammon nusquam vocantur Ammonitae the children of Ammon are no where named Ammonites I hold it needlesse to dispute in this place It is one of doubt that these children of Ammon or Ammonites did lineally descend from Ben-ammi who was Dots sonne begotten in meest vpon his yonger daughter Gen. 19.38 Lot was Abrahams brothers sonne Gen. 14.12 Whereby it is evident that the posteritie of them both the children of Israel and the children of Ammon the Israelites and the Ammonites were linked together by affinitie and alliance The more to blame were those Ammonites without all respect of kindred to exercise such crueltie as they did against the Israelites for which cause Almightie God here sent his blessed Prophet to thunder out his threates against them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon for foure In the front of this prophecie you haue the generall accusation of these children of Ammon For three transgressions and for foure Three of these transgressions if you will beleeue Albertus Magnus are Crueltie Avarice and persecution the fourth is an obstinate pertinacie a constant stubbornesse ever to dwell in those sinnes Againe three of these transgressions are a coveting of other mens goods an vnlawful seeking for those things that are not our owne and a hardnes of heart to retaine them so sought for the fourth is the vnsatiable desire of a covetous man Many are the expositions of the learned vpon these words three and foure transgressions The most naturall proper significant I take to bee if by three and foure a finite and certaine number you vnderstand a number infinite vncertaine God as often as he will forgiueth though wee sinne tenne thousand times It is but a custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twise and thrise that is a long time to see if wee will returne froÌ„ our evill waies vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impeniteÌ„cie he reproveth vs casteth vs away leaveth vs in our sinnes Thus haue you the generall accusation of the children of Ammon for their many sinnes for which the LORD'S protestatioÌ„ against them followeth I will not 〈…〉 Those 〈◊〉 are diversly rendred by expositors by the author of the vulgar Latin and by Gualtâ—r NoÌ„ convert 〈…〉 I will not turne the Ammonite that is I wil not recall the children of Ammon to the right way they shall run on to their owne perdition By Calvin Non â—rocipropitius I wil not be favourable to the Ammonites By Mercer Non parcam ei I will not spare the Ammonites According to their deserts so shall it be vnto them By Iunius Non avertam istud I wil not turne away the punishment wherewith I haue resolued to punish them I am the LORD I am not changed The summe is if the Ammonites had offended but once or a second time I would haue beene favourable to them would haue recald them into the right way that so they might be coÌ„verted and escape my punishments but now whereas they doe dayly heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardned my face against them and will not suffer them to be converted but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of the children of Ammon and for foure I will not turne to it Here are you to be remembred of a doctrine sundry times heretofore commended to your christian considerations Many sinnes doe plucke downe from heaven the most certaine wrath and vengeance of God vpon the sinners God is of pure eies and beholdeth not iniquity Hee hath laid righteousnes to the rule and weighed his iustice in a balance The sentence is passed forth and must stand vncontrouleable even as long as the sunne and moone Tribulation and anguish vpon every soule that doth evill The soule that sinneth it shall be punished God makes it good by an oath Deut. 32.41 That he will what his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement to execute vengeance for sinne His soule hateth abhorreth sinne his law curseth condemneth sinne his hand smiteth scourgeth sinne Sinne was his motiue to cast downe Angels into Hell to thrust Adam out of Paradise to turne cities into Ashes to ruinate nations to torment his own bowels in the similitude of sinnefull flesh Because of sinne he drowned the old worlde and because of sinne ere long will burne this Thus do many sinnes plucke c. One vse of this doctrine is to teach vs heedfulnesse in al our waies that we doe not by our many sinnes provoke Almightie God to high displeasure A second vse is to moue vs to a serious contemplation of the wonderfull patience of Almighty God who did soe graciously forbeare these children of AmmoÌ„ til by three foure transgressions by their many sinnes they provoked him to indignation These thinges I haue heretofore laboured to lay vnto your hearts Now therefore I proceede to the thirde part of this prophecie wherein you haue the declaration of that grievous sinne by which the children of Ammon so highly offended This their sinne was the sinne of cruelty
heard in Rabbah the noise of warre shall bee heard there and I will make it a dwelling place for Camels a sheepecoate an heape of desolation Must Rabbah the chiefe city of the kingdome be measured with the line of desolation It yeelds vs this doctrine It is not the greatnes of a city that can be a safegard vnto it if God his vnappeaseable wrath breake out against it for its sinnes For confirmation of this doctrine I need not send you to the old world to behold the ruines of cities there There may you see the city which Caine built Gen. 4.17 and whatsoever other cities were erected betweene that time and the floud you may see them all swept away with the floud After the floud you may see Sodom and Gomorah with other cities of that plaine overthrowne with brimstone fire froÌ„ the LORD out of Heaven Gen. 19.24 I need not present you with other like desolations of cities townes or villages wrought by Almighty God in the daies of old This one chapter first chapter of this prophecy of Amos yeelds vnto vs plentifull proofe for this point Here haue we seene desolation vpon desolation not the shaking only but the overthrow of foure states namely of the Syrians of the Philistines of the Tyrians and of the Edomites In the state of the Syrians we haue seene the ruines of the house of Hazael and of the palaces of Ben-hadad and of Damascus and of Bikeath-Aven and of Beth-eden and of Aram vers 4.5 In the state of the Philistines we haue viewed the rubbish of Azzah and the palaces thereof of Ashdod also of Ashkelou and of Ekron vers 7.8 In the state of the Tyrians we haue beheld the wast done vpon the proud 〈…〉 vers 10. In the state of the Edomites we 〈◊〉 considered the destruction of Teman and Bozrah vers 〈…〉 which do evidently and strongly proclaime vnto vs the truth of my propounded doctrine namely that It is not the greatnesse of a city that can be a safegard vnto it if God his vnappeasable 〈◊〉 breake out against it for it's sinnes One vse of this doctrine is to lesson vs that wee put not any confidence in any worldly helpe but that so wee vse all good meanes of our defense that still wee rely vpon the LORD for strength and successe thereby A second vse is to put vs in mind of the feareful punishments which God layeth vpon 〈◊〉 for sinne He devoureth their cities throweth downe their strong holds and spares them not Hath God dealt thus with strong cities and shal poore villages escape If the secure worldling shall here obiect that our daies are the daies of peace that our King is a King of peace that peace is in all our ports in all our quarters in all our dwelling places and that therefore there is no need to feare the subversion either of our cities or of our villages to such I must answer in the Prophet Esaies wordes chap. 48.22 There is b Esai 57.21 no peace to the wicked saith the LORD No peace to the wicked For though God the c Rom. 15.33 God of peace which d Psal 46.9 maketh an end of warre in all the world and breaketh the bow and knappeth the speare asunder and burneth the chariots with fire doth now protect vs froÌ„ forraine invasion and hostilitie yet being e Amos 3.13 Deus exercituum a God of hosts he hath armies of another kinde at command to worke the suddaine subversion and overthrow of all our dwellings Hereof hath God made good proofe in these our daies To say nothing of his arrow of pestilence which is grandis terror mortalium the great terrour of men as being Deathes chiefe pursuivant and sumner who in Iob 18.14 is called Rex Terrorum the King of feares to say nothing of this arrow how it hath for these f This SermoÌ„ was preached A. D. 1610. Ian. 13. seaven yeares roved vp and downe to markes farre and neere from citie to village and from village to citie to the killing of many thousands of our brethren and sisters yet is not put vp into the quiver to say nothing now of this arrow because it strikes mens persons and spares their houses will you be pleased to looke back vpon those swellings of waters which of late g A. Ch. 1607. within these foure yeares brake out into the bosome of the firme land in diverse parts of this Realme Then must you acknowledge with me that God hath an army of waters whereby at his pleasure he can overthrow our dwelling houses Beloved I could here make report vnto you from beyond the seas out of Germanie of strange and marvailous inundations deluges and overflowings of waters how about h A. C. 1595. Ianson Gallobelg Tom. 3. lib. 12. p. 172 this time fifteene yeares in the plaines neere vnto Colen Mentz and Franckford by a suddaine floud non modò horrea stabula nullo firmo nixa fundamento sed firmissima etiam aedificia not only barnes and stables which had no firme foundation but the surest and strongest edifices and buildings were violently carried away I could tell you of much more harme of that yeares floud how in i Ianson ibid. pag. 180. Berenburg a towne vpon the river Sala in the principalitie of Anhalt k Ibid. p. 183. CentuÌ„ sexaginta aedes funditùs eversae fuerunt One hundred and threescore houses were vtterly overthrowne But what need wee goe so farre for examples of this kind whereof Almightie God hath sent home vnto vs such plentie Reflect we our eies vpon our owne harmes vpon the harmes done to many of our neighbours in the late fore-mentioned floud to the overthrowing breaking downe l See the Report of flouds in England An Ch 1607. of whole townes and villages yea of m See Wofull newes of flouds C. 1. a. 26. parishes in one n Mâ—nmouth shire Shire and wee cannot but grant it for a truth that God hath his armies of waters whereby at his pleasure he can overthrow our dwelling houses But what is this to some of vs who are seated vpon an hill farre enough from any dangers by invndations or overflowings of waters Beloved in the LORD of such minde were they of the old world who did eate drinke married wiues and gaue in marriage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke But what becâ—me of them Our Saviour Christ will tell you Luk. 17.27 The 〈…〉 and destroyed them But God hath made a covenant with man and will remember it That there shall bee no more waters of a flood to destroy all flesh Gen. 9.15 It is true there shall be no more waters of a flood to destroy all flesh that is there shall bee no more an vniversall flood to cover the face of the whole earth there shall bee no more generale diluviuÌ„ invnd tus obruens vniversam terram But here is no exemption for particular cities
belli against the day of battell So here the LORD threatneth against Rabbah a shouting in die belli in the day of battell This day of battell is that day of warre and time of trouble mentioned by Iob chap. 38.23 We see now the purpose of our Prophet in vsing these wordes With shouting in the day of battell It is to proclaime warre against Rabbah the chiefe city of the Ammonites and consequently against their whole kingdome This proclamation is more plainely delivered Ierem. 49.2 Behold the daies come saith the LORD that I will cause a noise of warre to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites and it shall be a desolate heape her daughters shall be burnt with fire FroÌ„ this proclamation of warre made by our prophet Amos as in the Lords owne words saying I wil kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah and it shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battell we may take this lesson God sendeth warre vpon a land for the sinnes of a people For proofe of this truth let vs looke into the word of truth In the 26. of Levitic ver 25. thus saith the LORD vnto Israel If ye walke stubbornly against me will not obey me then I will send a sword vpon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my couenant And Ierem. 5.15 vnto the house of Israel thus saith the LORD Lo I will bring a nation â—pon you from farre You heare the LORD speaking in his owne person I will send I wil bring as here I wil kindle Will you any other witnes Then heare what Moses telleth the Israelites Deut. 28.49 The LORD shall bring a nation vpon you from farre from the end of the world flying as an Eagle a nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand a nation of a fierce countenance which will not regarde the person of the old nor haue compassion on the yonge the same shall eate the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land vntil thou be destroied and he shal leaue thee neither wheat nor wine nor oile nor the increase of thy kine nor the flockes of thy sheepe vntill hee haue brought thee to nought By this speech of Moses we plainely see that warre and all the evils of warre are from the LORD that warre is r Cominaeus Hist lib. 1. cap. 3. one of the accomplishments of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts and that it is sent by God vpon a land for the sinnes of the people as my doctrine goeth Let vs now make some vse of it Is it true beloved Doth God send warre vpon a land for the sinnes of a people How then can we looke that the happy peace which we now enioy should be continued among vs sith by our dayly sinning wee provoke Almighty God vnto displeasure Let the consideration hereof lead vs to repentance Repentance the gift of God the ioy of Angels the salue of sinnes the haven of sinners let vs possesse it in our hearts The Angels of heaven need it not because they sinne not the Devils in Hell care not for it for their iudgement is sealed It only appertaineth to the sonnes of men therefore let vs the sonnes of meÌ„ possesse it in our hearts that is let vs truely vnfeinedly forsake our old sinnes and turne vnto the LORD our God so shall this blessed peace all other good things be continued among vs. But if we will persist in our evill waies not regarding what the LORD shall speake vnto vs either in his holy word or by his faithfull Ministers we may expect the portion of these Ammonites that God should kindle a fire in our Rabbahs our best fenced cities which shall devoure the palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battaile Thus much of the terrour of this iudgemeÌ„t Now followeth the speed in the next circumstance With a tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Suiting hereto is the reading of Mercer cum tempestate in die turbinis and that of Tremellius cum procella in die turbinis with a storme or tempest in the day of the whirlewinde Calvin hath in turbine in diâ— tempestatis in a whirlewinde in a day of tempest Brentius in turbine in die tempestatis in a whirlewinde and in a day of tempest Gualter cum turbine in die tempestatis with a whirlewinde in a day of tempest And this reading Drusius rather approveth then the former Take which you wil the meaning is one the same Namely that the warre here denounced to the Ammonites in the former clause should come vpon them tanquam turbo in die tempestatis like vnto a whirlewinde in a tempestuous and stormie day Turbine nihil celerius a whirlewinde comes suddainely and with speed so was this warre to come vpon the children of Ammon Thus haue we the meaning of our Prophet let vs nowe take a view of such doctrines as may from hence bee taken for our further instruction First whereas the punishment here threatned to the Ammonites is to come vpon them with a whirlewinde in a day of tempest in a tempestuous and stormy day we may learne that Stormes Tempests Whirlewindes and the like are the Lords creatures ready at his commande to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrell against sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the primary principal efficient cause of stormes tempests whirlewindes and the like is God God as he is the sole maker totius vniversitatis rerum of this world and all that is in it so is he also a most free and omnipotent ruler of the same He alone is able to raise tempests and at his pleasure to allay them againe Who raised the storme that endangered the ship wherein Ionah was was it not the LORD Yes For so it 's written Ion. 1.4 The LORD sent out a great winde into the sea and there was a mighty tempest in the sea so that the shippe was like to be broken Neither was this tempest caâ—â—â—ed till rebellious Ionah was cast out of the ship into the Sea 〈◊〉 it appeareth ver 15. Well therefore is it â—â—â—ll of the Psalmist Psal 148.8 of fire haile and snow and vapours stormie windes that they execute Gods word they are all ready at his commandement to execute what he wil haue them to do Windes and tempests they depend not vpon chance or blind fortune but on the soveraigne power of the Almighty Creatour So true is my doctrine Stormes Tempests Whirlewinds the like are the Lords creatures ready at his command to be employed by him in the avenging of his quarrell against sinners One vse of it is for our instruction Whosoeuer hee bee that walketh by land or passeth by sea if windes stormes or tempests doe hinder his purpose or disquiet him in his enterprise hee must assigne it to the providence of Almightie God A second vse serveth for reproofe of such as are of opinion that witches sorcerers coniurers and the Devill can Å¿ Grynaeus in
wont to begin his learning with God and S. Nicholas be my speed For such as neezed the prayer was God helpe and S. Iohn And for the stumbling horse God and S. Loy saue thee May not now a Godâ—y man iustly for zealous indignation cry out O heaven O 〈◊〉 O feaâ— what madnesse wickednesse against God were our forefathers fallen into They tooke delight in the service of stocks and stones the workes of their owne hands they worshipped and serued the creature aboue the Creator which is blessed for ever But what profit had they of such their worship Found they any helpe in the day of visitatioÌ„ No. Those Images themselues could not helpe themselues how then could they help their worshippers Themselues were broken downe and removed from out our churches their worshippers are removed with them In their steede the light of the glorious gospell of God now shineth in our churches now is superstition exiled the true service of God is come in place and Christ for his mercies sake touch vs and giue vs feeling and make vs thankful for this so great a blessing Thus haue you the first vse A second followeth It serveth for a reproofe to vs also For though wee haue cast of the yoke of Romish superstition and haue kept our selues vnspotted of the adoration and worship of Images yet are wee not free froÌ„ Idolatry but are many waies stained therewith Whatsoever this world hath visible or invisible outward or inward if it displace God of his right by carying our heart and hope after it it is our Idol Thus is gold siluer or our mony an Idol if we make it our hope or say to the wedge thou art my coÌ„fidence Iob. 31.24 In this sense S. Paule Coloss 3.5 calleth covetousnes Idolatry and Eph. 5.5 he calleth the covetous person an Idolater Thus is our substance an Idol if as Iob speaketh chap. 31.25 We reioice because it is great or because our hand hath gotten much Like those Habak 1.16 Who did sacrifice to their nets burne incense to their flues where all they are taxed for Idolaters who because their portion is encreased and their meale plenteous by such instruments and helps as they vse in their trades of life do forget the right authour of their wealth arrogate all to themselues and their serviceable meanes Thus is our wit and vnderstanding an Idol when we ascribe vnto theÌ„ our getting of riches of gold silver into our treasures like the prince of Tyrus Ezech. 28.2 who with this conceite exalted in heart brake out into that most blasphemous challenge I am a God and I sit in the seate of God in the middest of the sea Such is the Idol of the Polititians shall I call them or Atheists of this age who take themselues to be wiser then Daniel as the prince of Tyrus did and are perswaded that Moses and the Prophets are not so able to instruct them as they themselues Thus is our strength an Idol if we boast of it as Sennacherib did Esai 37.24 who bragged what great matters he had done by the multitude of his chariots but touching the true LORD of hoasts as if he were lesse then nothing he vauÌ„teth to Hezekiah king of Iudah vers 10. Let not thy God deceiue thee Thus is our belly our God when walking after the lusts of our flesh we serue not the LORD Iesus Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paule speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Philip. 3.19 Many do walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is daÌ„nation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloved you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabâ—s Paule to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the living God Thus farre of my second doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idol of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captivity much lesse can they saue the people that do trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my text Melchom shall go into captivity he and his princes together Nowe followeth the third generall part of this prophecie against the children of Ammon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the LORD This is the conclusion of this prophecie in redoubleth it's authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath froÌ„ it's very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the LORD It is here redoubled Saith the LORD Hath the LORD said it and shall he not do it Hath he spokeÌ„ it and shall he not accomplish it The LORD IEHOVAH the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the titles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heaven and earth shall passe before one iote or one title of Gods word shall scape vnfulfilled IEHOVAH the LORD saith whatsoever our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the LORD that saith it Amos is but the LORDS Minister the words are the LORDS Whence we may take this doctrine The author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angel nor any other creature how excellent soever but only the living and immortall God This truth may likewise be grouÌ„ded vpon the preface to the ensuing prophecy And therfore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention welnigh tired I put of the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath been delivered vnto you non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our LORD Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first chapter 1. Tim. 1.17 Vnto the king eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS
The punisher is the LORD for thus saith the LORD I will send The note yeeldeth vs this doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes In speaking of the vengeance of God our first care must bee not to derogate any thing from his proclivitie and propensnes vnto mercy We must breake out into the mention of his greate goodnesse and sing alowd of his mercies as David doth Ps 145.7 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse he is louing good to all his mercy is over all his works The Lord strong and mightie blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is louing and good vnto every man Our sinnes haue provoked his vengeance against vs yet he slow to anger and of great goodnes reserueth mercy for thousands for all the elect and forgiueth all their iniquities transgressions and sinnes His goodnesse here resteth not it reacheth also vnto the reprobate though they caÌ„not feele the sweet comfort of it For he maketh his a Matth. 5.45 sunne to rise on the evill the good and sendeth raine on the iust and vniust yea many times the sunne and raine and all outward and temporary blessings are wanting to the iust and good when the vniust and evill do flourish and are in great prosperitie Thus is Gods graciousnesse great bountie extended vnto every man whether he be a blessed Abel or a cursed Cain a loued Iacob or a hated Esau an elected David or a reiected Saul God is louing and good vnto every man the Psalmist addeth and his mercies are over all his workes There is not any one of Gods workes but it sheweth vnto others findeth in it selfe very large testimonies of Gods mercy and goodnes I except not the damnation of the wicked much lesse the chastisements of the Godly Gods mercies are over all his workes David knewe it well sang accordingly Psal 145.8 The Lord is gracious and mercifull long suffering of great goodnesse Ionah knew it well and confessed accordingly chap. 4.2 Thou art a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of evill The Church knowes it well and praies accordingly O God whose nature and propertie is ever to haue mercy and to forgiue receiue our humble petitions David Ionah and the Church all haue learned it at Gods owne mouth who hauing descended in a cloud to mount Sinai passed before the face of Moses and cryed as is recorded Exod. 34.6 The LORD the LORD strong mercifull graciâ—us â—â—ow to anger abundant in goodnesse and truth reserâ—â—ng mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne In which place of Scripture although afterward there followeth a little of his iustice which hee may not forget yet wee see the maine streame runneth concerning mildnesse and kindnesse and compassion whereby wee may perceaue what it is wherein the LORD delighteth His delight is to be a saviour a deliuerer a preseruer a redeemer and a pardoner As for the execution of his iudgements his vengeance and his furie he comes vnto it with heauy and leaden feâ—te To which purpose Zanchius alleageth that of the Prophet Esai chap. 28.21 The Lord shall stand as once he did in mount Perazim when David overcame the Philistines he shall be angry as once he was in the valley of Gibeon when Ioshua discoÌ„fited the fiue Kings of the Amorites he shall stand he shall be angry that he may doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act out of which words of the Prophet he notes that Gods workes are of two sorts either proper vnto himselfe and naturall as to haue mercy to forgiue or else strange and somewhat diverse from his nature as to be angry and to punish I knowe some doe expound these words otherwise vnderstanding by that strange worke and strange act of God there meÌ„tioned Opus aliquod insolens admirabile some such work as God seldome worketh some great wonder Notwithstanding this naturall exposition of that place the former may wel be admitted also For it is not altogether vnnaturall being grounded vpon such places of Scripture as doe make for the preeminence of mercy aboue iustice It 's true God hath one skale of iustice but the other proues the heauier mercy doth overweigh He who is ever iust is mercifull more then ever if it may be possible Hee may forget our iniquities but his tender mercies he will never forget This our LORD good mercifull gracious and long suffering is here in my text the punisher sendeth fire into the house of Hazael wherevpon I built this doctrine It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes This office of executing vengeance vpon the wicked for sinnes God arrogateth and assumeth to himselfe Deut. 32.35 where he saith vengeance and recompense are mine This due is ascribed vnto the LORD by St Paule Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repaie saith the LORD By the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 10.30 Vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD By the sweete singer Psal 94.1 O LORD God the avenger O God the avenger You see by these now-cited places that God alone is hee who executeth vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins This doctrine is faithfully delivered by the wise sonne of Sirach chap. 39. where he saith vers 28. There be spirits that are created for veÌ„geance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shew forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine death 29. al these are created for vengeance The teeth of wilde beasts 30. and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword execute vengeance for the destruction of the wicked Nay saith he vers 26. The principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt meale and wheate and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile and cloathing 27. All those things though they be for good vnto the godly yet to the sinners they are turned vnto evill Soe my doctrine standeth good It is proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes And you see he hath waies enough to do it All things that may be for our good are glad to do him service against vs. The consideration hereof should moue our hearts to wisdoÌ„e It shoulde mooue vs b Hereof I spake in a Sermon vpoÌ„ Hebr. 10.30 to beware of those crying sinnes vsually committed against the first table that wee provoke not Gods vengeance against vs by Idolatrie in worshiping the creature aboue the creator blessed for ever by tempting God in making triall whether his word be true or not by murmuring against God in laying
iniustice to his charge quod bonis male sit malis bene for afflicting the godly when the wicked liue at ease by rebellion and contumacie in taking counsell together against the LORD against his CHRIST by blasphemy in doing despite to the Spirit of grace It may moue vs also to beware of those other sins crying sins too vsually committed against the second table that we provoke not Gods vengeance against vs by dishonouring our parents and such as God hath put in place of government aboue vs by grieving our children and such as are by vs to be governed by oppressing the fatherlesse and the poore by giving our selues over vnto filthy lusts Beloved in the Lord let vs not forget this though God bee good gracious mercifull and long suffering yet is hee also a iust God God the avenger and punisher Here we see he resolueth to send a fire into the house of Hazael which is the second thing to be considered How God punisheth By fire I will send a fire c. Albeit sometime God himselfe doth by himselfe immediatly execute his vengeance vpon the wicked as when he smote all the first borne of Egypt Exod. 12.29 and Nabal 1. Sam. 25.38 and Vzzah 2. Sam. 6.7 yet many times he doth it by his instruments c Wigand Syntagm Vet. Test Instrumenta sunt tota creatura Dei All the creatures of God are ready at his commaund to be the executioners of his vengeance Among the rest and in the first rancke is fire God sent a fire to lay wast Sodom and Gomorah and their sister cities Gen. 19.24 to eate vp Nadab and Abihu Levit. 10.2 to cut of the two hundred and fiftie men that were in the rebellion of Korah Num. 16.35 to devoure two captaines twise fiftie men 2. King 1.10 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this poynt My text telleth you that fire Gods creature becommeth Gods instrument executioner of his vengeance I will send a fire into the house of Hazael and it shall devoure the palaces of Benhadad By fire in this place the learned d Lyranus Drusius Ar. MoÌ„tanus Mercer Calvin Gualter expositors doe vnderstand not only naturall fire but also the sword and pestilence and famine quodlibet genus consumptionis every kind of consumptioÌ„ every scourge wherewith God punisheth the wicked and disobedieÌ„t be it haile or thunder or sicknes or any other of Gods messengers So farre is the signification of fire though not in the naturall yet in the metaphoricall vnderstanding extended The doctrine which from hence I gather is As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the punishment of the wicked This truth well appeareth by that which I even now repeated out of Eccles 39. whence you heard that some spirits are created for vengeance as also are fire and haile and famine and death and the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions and the serpents and the sword yea that the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water and fire and yron and salt and meale wheate and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile cloathing are all for evill vnto the wicked If that proofe because the booke whence it is taken is Apocryphall like you not giue eare I pray you while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture The doctrine to be proued is Fire and all other creatures are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the punishment of the wicked I proue it by the service of Angels and other creatures 2. King 19.35 we read of an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand in the camp of Ashur slaine by an Angell of the LORD The thing is related also Esay 37.36 This ministerie of Gods Angels David acknowledgeth Psal 35.5 6. where his prayer against his enimies is that the Angel of the LORD might scatter and persecute them 1. Sam. 7.10 we read that the LORD did thunder a great thunder vpon the Philistines Ezech. 14. wee read how the LORD punisheth a sinful land with his foure e Ezech. 14.21 sore iudgements the sword pestilence famine and noysome beasts The story of Gods visitation vpon Pharaoh and the EgyptiaÌ„s in Exod. chap. 8 9 10. is fit for my purpose You shal there find that froggs lice flies grashoppers thunder haile lightning murraine botehâ—s and sores did instrumeÌ„tally avenge God vpon man and beast in Egypt Adde hereto what you read Psal 148.8 fire and haile and snow and vapours and stormie winds do execute Gods commaundement Thus is my doctrine proued As is the fire so are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be employed by him in the punishement of the wicked The vse of this doctrine is to teach vs how to behaue our selues at such times as God shall visit vs with his rodd of correction how to carry our selues in all our afflictions We must not so much looke to the instruments as to the Lord that smiteth by them Here set we before our eyes holy King Dauid His patience be it the patterne of our Christian imitation When Shimei a maÌ„ of the familie of the house of Saul came out against him cast stones at him railed vpon him calling him to his face a man of blood a man of Belial a murtherer a wicked man the good King did not as he was wished to doe he took not away the murtherers life but had respect to the primus motor even Almighty God the first mover of this his afflictie Shimei he knew was but the instrument And therefore thus sayth he to Abischai 2. Sam. 16.10 He curseth because the LORD had hidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so Suffer him to curse for the Lord hath bidden him Here also set we before our eies holy Iob. His patience bee it the patterne of our Christian imitation The losse of all his substance and his children by the Sabeans Chaldeans fire from heauen and a great wind from beyond the wildernesse could not turne away his eyes from the God of heauen to those second causes They he knew were but the instrumeÌ„ts And therefore possessing his soule in patience he said Iob 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe naked shall I returne thither the LORD hath given and the LORD hath taken blessed be the name of the LORD To these instances of David and Iob adde one more that of the blessed Apostles Peter Iohn the rest Act. 4.27 Though Herod Pontius Pilate the Gentiles and the people of Israel had crucified and done to death the Lord of life our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ Yet did not the Apostles therefore grow into a rage and bitter speeches against them In that great execution of the LORD Iesus they had regard vnto the hand of God Herod Pontius Pilat the Gentiles the Iews they knew were but
I will breake the barre of Damascus I the LORD will with my mightie power breake Lay wast coÌ„sume the barre barre for barres even all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiâ—â—â—st city of Syria the country adioyning Must Damascus the strongest city of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee be laid wast and spoiled Here fixing the eies of our minds vpon the power of the LORD learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of yron these he breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mightie then a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kingâ— witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mightie Kings Psal 135.10 136.18 My text avoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threatneth to the mightie King of Syria a cutting off I will cut of him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden These few now alleaged instances doe sufficiently though briefly confirme my propounded doctrine There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose The reason hereof is because God only is omnipotent and whatsoever else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotencie we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almightie In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotencie For God the Father who imparteth his Godhead vnto the Sonne and to the Holy Ghost doth communicate the proprieties of his Godhead to them also And therefore our beleefe is that as the Father is Almightie so the Sonne is Almightie and the Holy Ghost is Almightie too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almightie in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoever he will Secondly because hee is able to doe more then he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoever he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelitie dares deny This truth being expresly delivered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heaven doth whatsoever hee will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoever pleaseth the LORD that doth he in heaven in earth in the sea in all the depthes For the second that God is able to doe more then hee will doe every Christian acquainted with the Evangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadducees Matth. 3.9 Thinke not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our Father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp childreÌ„ vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giveÌ„ him more then twelue legions of Angels to haue delivered him Hee could but would not The like may be said of many other things The Father was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worlds Was able but would not You see for Gods omnipotencie that he is able to do whatsoever he will do yea that he is able to do more then he will do God only is omnipotent whatsoever els is in the world it 's weake vnable to resist which is the very summe of my doctrine already propounded and confirmed There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose For as Iob saith chap. 9.13 The most mighty helps do stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. coÌ„fesseth In comparison of the most high who liveth for ever whose power is an everlasting power whose kingdome is froÌ„ generatioÌ„ to generatioÌ„ all the inhabitaÌ„ts of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand nor say vnto him what doest thou This is it whereat S. Paul aimeth in his question demanded Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted the will of God And this is it which Iob intendeth chap. 9.4 demanding a like question who hath beene fierce against God and hath prospered I will not further amplifie this point it must stand good against all the might and strength of this world There is no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Now let vs consider some duties wherevnto we are moved by this doctrine of Gods omnipotencie 1 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we froÌ„ hence crue humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1. ep 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloved but by nature in our selues most wretched conceived and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednes dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to do whatsoever he will able to do more then he will able to cast both body and soule into hell fire Let the consideration of this our wretched estate worke in vs the fruits of true humiliatioÌ„ This true humiliation standeth in our practise of three things 1. The sorrow of our heart wherby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sinnes 2. Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1. We must acknowledge all our maine sins originall and actuall 2. We must acknowledge our guiltinesse before God 3. We must acknowledge our iust damnation for sinne The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnes as in a matter of life and death A patterne whereof I present vnto you Dan. 9.17 18 19. O our God heare the praiers of vs thy servants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God encline thine eare to vs and heare vs open thine eies and behold our miseries we do not present our supplications before thee for our own righteousnesse but for thy great teÌ„der mercies O LORD heare vs O LORD forgiue vs O LORD consider and do it differ not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloved if wee humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will lift vs vp 2 Is there no thing nor creature able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Learne we from hence to treÌ„ble at Gods iudgements to feare them to stand in awe of them to quake quiver at them For as God is so are his iudgements God is terrible and his iudgements are terrible God is terrible in the assembly of his Saints Psal 88.8 terrible in his workes Psal 66.3 terrible in his doings toward the sonnes of men Psal 66.5 terrible to the Kings of the earth Psalm 76.13 To passe over