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
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
shall not want It is spoken to our never ending comfort by our blessed Saviour Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing one of them falleth not on the ground without your father Feare yee not therefore yee are of more value then many sparrowes In the same place he further assureth that all the haires of our head are numbred Doth Gods care reach to the falling of the haires of our hâ—â—d 〈◊〉 can we doubt of 〈…〉 rule and government in 〈…〉 â—â—mightie God for his vnlimited power 〈◊〉 all things in the world and ruleth them pro liberâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 sua even as he listeth The third degree by which wee may discerne the act of divine providence I called gradum ordinationis the degree of ordination or direction It implieth thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordeineth setteth in order whatsoever things in the world seeme to be most out of order hee bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end all must make for his glorie 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 meanes vnto the end thirdly hee directeth the meanes so disposed To discourse of these particulars severally would carry mee beyond my time and your patience I will but only touch the generall which was God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth or setteth in order whatsoever things in the world seem to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end they al make for his glorie Herevpon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inviolable No calamitie or miserie befalleth any one of whatsoever estate or degree by chance or at adventure For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shal never be able to prevaile against it that God by his wonderfull providence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth governeth ordereth disposeth and directeth al things in this world even to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamitie or misery should befall any one of vs by adventure by hap-hazzard by chance by fortune The Epicure in the booke of Iob 22.13 was in a fowle errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heaven cannot through the darke cloudes see our misdoings iudge vs for them Dearely beloued wee may not thinke our God to bee a m See Lect. 1. pag. 10. God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the moone a God vpon the mountaines and not in the valleys a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke Wee haue liued long enough to haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem. 23. Psal 139. that God is every where present and that there is no evasion from him No corner in Hell no mansion in heaven no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captivitie no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God We haue learned Zach. 4.10 that God hath seaven eies which goe through the whole world You may interpret them with me many millions of eyes Hee is * Hieroymus in illud Psal 94.9 Qui plantavit aurem non audiet aut qui finxit oculum noÌ„ coÌ„siderat Ego autem dico quod Deus totus OCVLVS est totus MANVS est totus PES est Totus OCVLVS est quia omnia videt Totus MANVS est quia omnia operatur Totus PES est quia ubique est totus OCVLVS altogether eye for he saith all things We haue learned Esai 40.12 that God hath hands to measure the waters and to span the heavens You may interpret it with me that he hath many millions of hands He is totus MANVS altogether hand for hee worketh all things We haue learned Matth. 5.35 that God hath feete to set vpon his footstoole You may interpret it with mee that hee hath many millions of feet Hee is totus PES altogether foote for he is every where We shall then be very iniurious to God if we deny him the oversight of the smallest matters The holy Scriptures doe evidently shew that he examineth the least moments and titles in the world that we can imagine n Suprà pag. 10. to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oyle in a poore widowes house to the falling of sparrowes to the ground to the clothing of the grasse in the field to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the calving of hindes to the numbring of the haires of our heads Wherefore dearely beloued in the LORD whatsoever calamitie or miserie hath already seised vpon vs or shall hereafter overtake vs let vs not lay it vpon blind Fortune but looke wee to the hand that striketh vs. Hee who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Aven him that holdeth the scepter out of 〈…〉 that for our 〈◊〉 bringeth vpon vs 〈…〉 The late 〈…〉 â—â—ging vpon this land to the vtter destruction of greâ—â— store of cattell and much people and the late rot of sheepe in this other places of this land are Gods visitations vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues Shall there be evill in a city and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos chap. 3.6 It 's out of question there is no evill in the city no not in the world but the LORDS finger is in it and that iustly for our sinnes sake What remaineth but that we rent our hearts and turne vnto the LORD our God He is gracious mercifull slow to anger of great kindnes and repenteth him of evill How knowe we whether hee will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him for vs Let vs therefore go boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE AMOS 1.5 The people of Aram shall goe into captivity vnto Kir saith the LORD WEe goe on with that which yet remaineth vnexpounded in this 5. verse The people of Aram Aram registred Gen. 10.22 to be one of the sonnes of Sem was the father author or founder of the Aramites or Syrians a Tremellius Willet in Genes 10.22 whereof it is that the Scythians after their return out of Asia and Syria were called Aramâ—â— Aramites Plin. lib. 6. cap. 17. This country of Aram or Syria was divided into sundry regions 2. Sam. 10.8 You may read of Aram Soba Aram Rehob Aram Ishtob and Arum Maacah from which provinces there went a multitude of Aramites to aid the Ammonites in their warre against King David The successe of their expedition is recorded ver the 18. David destroyed seaven hundred chariots of the Aramites and forty thousand horsemen So let them all perish who make head and band themselues together against the