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 deuoure the palaces of Benhadad 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 procliuitie and propensnes vnto mercy We must breake out into the mention of his great goodnesse and sing a lowd of his mercies as Dauid doth Ps 145.7 The Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse he is louing and good to all his mercy is ouer all his works The Lord strong and mighty blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is louing and good vnto euery man Our sinnes haue prouoked 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 sun to rise on the euill 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 euil do flourish and are in great prosperitie Thus is Gods graciousnesse great bountie extended vnto euery man whether he be a blessed Abel or a cursed Cain a loued Iacob or a hated Esau an elected Dauid or a reiected Saul God is louing and good vnto euery man the Psalmist addeth and his mercies are ouer all his workes There is not any one of Gods workes but it sheweth vnto others and 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 ouer all his workes Dauid knew it well and sang accordingly Psal 145 8. The Lord is gracious and mercifull long suffering and 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 euill The Church knowes it well and praies accordingly O God whose nature and propertie is euer to haue mercy and to forgiue receiue our humble petitions Dauid 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 and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne In which place of Scripture although afâ—erward there followeth a little of his iustice which hee may not forget yet we see the maine streame runneth concerning mildnesse and kindnesse and compassion wherby wee may perceiue what it is wherein the Lord delighteth His delight is to be a sauiour 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 feet 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 Dauid ouercame the Philistines he shall be angry as once he was in the valley of Gibeon when Ioshua discomfited 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 and to forgiue or else strange and somewhat diuers from his nature as to be angry and to punish I know some doe expound these words otherwise vnderstanding by that strange worke and strange act of God there mentioned Opus aliquod insolens admirabile some such worke as God seldome worketh some great wonder Notwithstanding this naturall exposition of that place the former may well 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 ouerweigh He who is euer iust is mercifull more then euer if it may be possible He may forget our iniquities but his tender mercies he will neuer forgeâ— This our Lord good mercifull gracious and long suffering is here in my text the punisher and sendeth fire into the house of Hazael whereupon 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 S. Paul Rom. 12.19 It is written vengeance is mine I will repay 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 sweet singer Psal 94.1 O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger 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 deliuered by the wise sonne of Syrach chap. 39 where he saith Vers 28. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes in the time of destruction they shew forth their power accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine death Vers 29. all these are created for vengeance The teeth of wilde beasts Vers 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 and meale and wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape and oile and cloathing Vers 27. All those things though they be for good vnto the godly yet to the sinners they are turned vnto euill So 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 seruice against vs. The consideration hereof should moue our hearts
let flye his arrowes of pestilence and yet they flye abroad to the killing of many round about vs yet haue wee not returned vnto him Not returned vnto him What Can no medicine that God applyeth mollifie our hard hearts Can none of his corrections amend vs Will we needs try whether he will send a sword vpon vs He shaked his sword ouer vs many of vs may well remember it when the great Spanish Armada floated on our Seas but then as S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.13 Super exaltauit misericordia iudicio mercy exalted it selfe aboue iudgement and we were spared Were we spared What shall we render to the Lord for so great mercy We will with Dauid Ps 116.13 We will take the cup of saluation we wil call vpon the name of the Lord and will offer vnto him the sacrifice of prayse Which sacrifice of ours that it may be acceptable to the Lord let vs cast away from vs all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed and with a new heart and a new spirit returne we to the Lord our God But if we will persist with delight and goe on in our old wayes our crooked peruerse and froward wayes our wayes of wickednesse and will not bee turned out of them by any of God his milder chastisements and corrections what can we expect but the portion of these Moabites euen fire a sword from the Lord and with them to die with a tumult with a shouting and with the sound of a Trumpet Thus farre de modo poenae of the manner of this punishment to be inflicted vpon the Moabites The extent followeth I will cut the iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him I the Lord the Lord Iehovah yesterday and to day and the same for euer I am not changed all my words yea all the titles of all my words are Yea and Amen Exscindam I will cut off I will root out and destroy Iudicem the Iudge the chiefest gouernour and ruler in Moab the King Nam Reges quoque populum iudicabant For Kings also did iudge the people and it is euident by sundry places of holy Scripture that the state of the Moabites was swayed by Kings I will cut off root out and vtterly destroy the iudge the King out of the midst thereof Out of the midst of what Of Moab of Kerioth Both are mentioned vers 2. Dauid Camius and some other say of Kerioth which was Sedes Regum the cittie of the Kings habitation The meaning is there was no cittie in the Kingdome of Moab so strong but that from out the midst of it God would fetch the King and cut him off I will cut off roote out or destroy the iudge the King out of the middest of the strongest cittie of the Kingdome of Moab be it Moab Kerioth or any other I will slay all the Princes thereof with him together with the King I will root out all the Princes of the land None shall escape my iudgements neither Prince nor King You see the extent of this iudgement here denounced against Moab Not onely the meaner sort of people but the Princes also yea and King himselfe were to haue their portion in it and that as certainely as if they had alreadie had it For Iehovah the Lord hath spoken it For it s added for a conclusion to this Prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord. The Lord hath said it that neither Prince nor King shall be exempt from his iudgements but shall as well as the lowest of the people be cut off and come to nought The doctrine to be obserued from hence is this God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low and base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon princes and Kings This truth I haue heretofore confirmed vnto you in my 21. Lecture on the former Chapter handling those words Chap. 1. vers 15. Their King shall goe into captiuitie he and his Princes together I proued vnto you this doctrine When God punisheth a nation with captiuitie for their sinnes he spareth neither Priest nor Prince nor King My now-doctrine for substance is the same but more generall God exerciseth his iudgements not onely vpon men of low base estate but also vpon the great ones of this world vpon Princes Kings The vses One is to admonish the great and mightie ones of this world that they presume not to sinne against the Lord as if they were priuiledged by their greatnes and might There is no such priuiledge He that is Lord ouer all will spare no person Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A second vse is to minister comfort to such as are of low and base estate If the mightie by violence and oppression grind your faces and compasse you about yet be not yee discouraged God the iudge of all accepteth no persons He in his good time will auenge your causes be your oppressours neuer so mightie For Princes and Kings must feele the smart of his iudgements A third vse is a warning for our selues that we set not our hearts vpon the outward things of this world for as much as God the Creator of all will not respect vs for them Dost thou glory in this that thou art a mightie man or a rich man For both might and riches Princes and Kings are far beyond thee yet must Princes and Kings feele the smart of Gods iudgements Let vs make a fourth vse of this doctrine euen to poure out our soules in thankefulnesse before almightie God for his wonderfull patience towards vs. Our sinnes are as impudent as euer were the sinnes of the Moabites Our three and foure transgressions our many sinnes doe cry aloud to Heauen against vs as the sins of the Moabites cryed against them For their sinnes God sent a sword vpon them and did cut them off from being a nation Gods wrath against our sinnes hath not yet proceeded so farre We yet enioy our happie peace Euery man dwels vnder his owne vine and vnder his owne figtree and liues in the habitations of his forefathers in peace free from all feare of the enemies sword Such is our condition through the neuer-too-much admired patience of Almightie God O let vs not despise the riches of the bountifulnesse patience and long sufferance of our God St Paul tells vs. Rom. 2.4 That these doe lead vs to Repentance These doe lead vs shall we not follow Beloued while we haue time let vs betake our selues to Repentance It was good counsaile which Iudith gaue to Ozias Chabris and Charmis the ancients of the cittie Beâ—hulia Iudith 8.12 Quia patiens Dominus est in hoc ipso paeniteamus indulgentiam eius fusis lachrymis postulemus The counsaile is as good for vs. Beloued because the Lord is patient therefore let vs repent and with shedding of teares beg of him indulgence and pardon for our sinnes past It s no wisedome for vs any
with any Nation Vpon this first part of my Text this Commemoration of Gods benefits bestowed vpon Israel I grounded my first obseruation It is this It is an excellent priuilege to bee knowne of God by the knowledge of his approbation to be chosen of him to be his people to be in his loue and fauour to be vnder his care and prouidence The excellency of this priuilege appeareth in this that the Lord here calls Israel to the remembrance of it saying You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth This excellent priuilege the true seruice of the liuing God thorow the free vse of his holy Word and Sacraments wheresoeuer it is found among any people is a sure pledge that the Lord knoweth that people with the knowledge of his approbation that he hath chosen them to be his peculiar people that they are in his loue and fauour and that he careth and prouideth for them How much then Beloued how much are we indebted to the Maiesty and bounty of Almighty God who hath graced vs with so excellent a blessing as is the Ministery of his holy Word His holy Word It is a Iewell than which nothing is more precious to which any thing compared is but drosse by which whatsoeuer is tried will bee found lighter than vanity The true estimate of this Iewell may be had out of the 19. Psalme At the 7. vers it is Perfect nothing may be added to it without marring of it it conuerteth the soule and turneth it from euill to good It is sure you may build vpon the truth of it as well for the promises of mercy as for the threatnings of iudgement It giueth wisdome the wisdome of the spirit euen vnto the simple to the humble and lowly of minde At the eighth verse It is right without any iniustice or corruption It reioyceth the heart with true and sound ioy It is pure pure in all points and giueth light to the eyes the eyes of the minde that we may securely trace the way to Heauen At the ninth verse It is cleane without spot or shew of euill and endureth for euer without alteration or change It is truth without falshood and is righteous all together there is no error in it Is your desire for profit or for pleasure This Iewell yeelds you both At the tenth verse for profit it is compared to Gold for pleasure to Honey For profit it is more to bee desired than gold yea than much fine gold for pleasure it is sweeter than honey or the hony combe Moreouer at the tenth verse It will make you circumspect it will shew you the danger of sinne and will teach you how to auoid it and may encourage you to obedience for as much as in the keeping of it there is great reward Great reward yet through Gods mercy and not of your merit Now dearely beloued is the holy Word of God a Iewell so precious of such an estimate Then giue eare to the exhortation of wisdome Prou. 23.23 Buy it and sell it not Buy it what ere it cost you seeke by all meanes to obtaine it and when you haue gotten it sell it not at any hand depart not from it for any price for any cause But let it according to the exhortation that Saint Paul made to the Colossians Chap. 3.16 Let it dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome It is as one wittily speaketh Gods best friend and the Kings best friend and the Courts best friend and the Cities best friend and the Countries best friend and euery mans best friend Giue it therefore entertainment not as to a forreiner or stranger but as to your familiar as to your best friend let it dwell in you And sith it comes not empty but brings with it as well pleasure as profit as you haue already heard Let it dwell in you plenteously Plenteously Yet in all wisdome Let vs heare it in all wisdome reade it in all wisdome meditate vpon it in all wisdome speake of it in all wisdome and preach it in all wisdome not only in wisdome but in all wisdome that the words of our mouthes and the meditations of our hearts may euer be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our strength and our Redeemer Thus farre of my first obseruation grounded vpon the Commemoration of Gods blessings vpon Israel You onely haue I knowne of all the families of the earth You only My second obseruation is that this great blâ—ssing of the true seruice of God and the free vse of his holy Word was in the daies before Christ appropriate to the people of the Iewes This appeareth by some of those places before alleaged Deut. 4.7 8. and Psal 147.19 20. for the further illustration of the point that of the 76. Psalme vers 1 2. may well serue In Iudah is God knowne his name is great in Israel in Salem is his tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion In which words the Psalmist giueth vnto the land of Iudah and Israel this prerogatiue aboue the rest of the Nations of the whole earth that there God was knowne and his name was great but especially in Salem that is in Hierusalem and in Mount Sion the place which he desired for his habitation Psal 132.13 There was God knowne his name was great there Elsewhere it was not so It was not so among the Nations For as Barnabas and Paul told the men of Lystra Acts 14.16 in times past God suffered all Nations to walke in their owne waies The way of God they then knew not The then state of the Nations Saint Paul Ephes 2.12 elegantly decyphereth in fiue circumstances Hee bids them remember what they were in time past as that first they were without Christ secondly they were aliens from the common weâ—lth of Israel thirdly they were strangers from the couenants of promise fourthly they were without hope fiftly they were without God in the world Enough is said for the confirmation of my second obseruation which was that in time of old in time past in the daies before Christ his comming in the flesh the true seruice of God and the exercise of his holy word was appropriate to the people of the Iewes to the children of Israel Now the reasons of this appropriation are two One is Gods vndeserued and speciall loue the other is the truth of his promise Both are expressed Deut. 7. At the seuenth verse the false cause is remoued at the eighth the true is put The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people for ye were the fewest of all people There the false cause is remoued The true cause is put in the words following But because the Lord loued you and because he would keepe the oath which hee swore vnto your fathers therefore hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh King of Aegypt and
I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create euill I the Lord doe all these things I create euill In this place by Euill we are not to vnderstand malum culpae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not robbery not couetousnesse nor any like wickednesse but malum poene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Chrysostome speaketh Homily 23. vpon Matthew the stripes or wounds that we receiue from aboue Gasper Sanchius doth here reckon vp whatsoeuer disturbeth our tranquillity or quiet whatsoeuer externall or domesticall vexation we haue whatsoeuer taketh from vs the faculty and opportunity of those things that are necessary for our life as warre and exile and depredation and seruitude and want and the like Of all these it may be truly affirmed that the Lord createth them the Lord doth them all Of such euils is that also to be vnderstood which our Prophet Amos hath in the sixt verse of this Chapter Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it The interrogation is vsed the more to vrge the point Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it There shall be none No euill of punishment no calamity no misery no crosse no affliction shall bee in any City or in any other place of the world but the Lord is the actor of it he doth it Hereof was holy Iob well aduised The checke hee giues his Wife shewes it She seeing him all smitten ouer with sore biles from the sole of his foot vnto the crowne of his head falls a tempting him Doest thou yet retaine thine integrity Curse God and die Iobs reply vnto her is Chap. 2.10 Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh What Shall wee receiue good at the hand of God and shall we not receiue Euill Shall we not receiue Euill By Euill hee meaneth the Euill not of sinne but of punishment as calamities miseries crosses afflictions and the like which he calleth euill not because they are so indeed but because many thinke them so to bee For things may be tearmed Euill in a two-fold vnderstanding Some are indeed Euill such are our sinnes and of them God is not the cause Some are not indeed Euill but onely in regard of vs in regard of our sense of our feeling of our apprehension of our estimation Such are the punishments the calamities the miseries the afflictions whereto we are in this life subiect and of these God is the cause This is it which Iob acknowledgeth in the reproofe of his wiues folly Shall we receiue good at the hand of God and shall wee not receiue Euill and it fitly serueth for the establishment of my doctrine Whatsoeuer punishment befalleth any one in this life it s from the Lord. The reason hereof is because the Lord is the principall doer of all things He is the primary agent the chiefest actor in all things and therefore in all the punishments which doe befall vs in this life The vses of this obseruation are two One is to reproue some Philosophers of old and some ignorant people now adaies for a vaine opinion of theirs whereby they attribute to accident chance and fortune all those their afflictions from the least to the greatest whereof they fee not any apparant cause The other is to admonish vs that when any affliction is vpon vs we take it patiently as comming from the Lord and repine not at the instruments by whom we are afflicted They without him could doe nothing against vs. Whatsoeuer they doe they doe it by his permission The hand of his particular prouidence is with them to appoint the beginning and end and measure and continuance of all our afflictions Wherefore in all our afflictions let our practise be as holy Dauids was Psal 39.9 euen to hold our peace and say nothing because the Lord hath done it From the Agent and his Action I passe to the Patient You. I will punish You. You mine owne possession You my peculiar treasure You my chosen people aboue all the Nations of the earth I will punish you My obseruation from hence is The Lord doth punish his seruants in this life aboue others This truth I further proue out of Saint Peter Epist 1. Chap. 4. Vers 17. He there saith The time is come that iudgement must beginne at the house of God At the house of God it must beginne His seruants therefore must haue the first taste of it and the time is come for them to haue it Is the time now come Was it not before Yes it was euer Nadab and Abihu two of Aarons sonnes they offer strange fire before the Lord and a fire comes out from the Lord and deuoures This is it that the Lord spake saying In propinquis meis sanctificabor Leuit. 10.3 I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me If they that come nigh vnto me transgresse my lawes I will not spare them they euen they shall feele the heauinesse of my hand So saith the Lord Ierem. 25.29 Loe I beginne to bring euill on the City in which my name is called vpon And there you see It is not the seruice of God not the calling vpon his holy Name that can exempt a place from punishment if it be polluted with iniquity Beginne at my Sanctuary It is the Lords direction for the punishment of Ierusalem Ezech. 9.6 Goe thorow the City and smite Let not your eye spare neither haue yee pity Slay vtterly old and young yea maids and little children and women But come not neere any man vpon whom is the marke the rest slay vtterly old and young Spare not Pity not and beginne at my Sanctuary Now lay we all this together Beginne with them that are nigh vnto me beginne at my City at my house at my Sanctuary spare none pity none smite all You see my obseruation made good The Lord doth punish his seruants in this life aboue others I say in this life One reason hereof may bee because the Lord out of his loue to his seruants will not suffer them to goe on in sinne A second may be eternall punishments are prepared for the wicked hereafter and therefore here in this life are they the lesse punished And the vses may be two One to lessen vs that in the multitude and the greatnesse of our afflictions we acknowledge Gods great mercy and endeuour to beare them all with patience and contentment Whensoeuer Gods hand shall be vpon vs in iudgement for our sinnes let that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.32 be our comfort When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world A second vse may be to shew vnto vs how fearefull their case is who passe all their time here in this world without any touch of affliction Affliction it is the badge of euery sonne of God Whosoeuer hath no part herein he is a bastard he is no sonne So saith the Apostle Heb. 12.8 I haue done with
wrongs done vnto vs we must wait 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 be gathered from 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 I will breaks the barre of Damascus I the Lord will with my mighty power breake lay waste and consume the barre barre for barres euen all the munition and strength of Damascus of the chiefest city of Syria and the countrey adioyning Must Damascus the strongest Citie of all Syria haue her barres broken Must shee bee laid waste and spoyled Here fixing the eyes of our mindes vpon the power of the Lord learne we this lesson There is no thing nor creatuâ—e able to withstand Gods power or to let his purpose Nothing not gates of brasse nor barres of iron these hee breaketh asunder Psal 107.16 No creature What creature more mighty than a King Yet in the day of his wrath God woundeth Kings witnesse the Psalmist 110.5 Doth he wound Kings yea he slayeth mighty Kings Psal 135.10 and 136.18 My text auoweth the same in one of the next clauses where God threâ—â—heth to the mighty King of Syria a cutting off I cut off 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 whatsoeuer else is in the world it is weake and vnable to resist Of Gods omnipotency we make our daily profession in the first article of our beleefe professing him to be God the Father Almighty In which profession wee doe not exclude either the Sonne or Holy Ghost from omnipotency 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 Almighty Symbolo Atharas so the Sonne is Almighty and the Holy Ghost is Almighty too Now God is said to be omnipotent or Almighty in two respects First because he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Secondly because he is able to doe more than he will For the first that God is able to doe whatsoeuer he will who but the man possessed with the spirit of Atheisme and infidelity dares deny This truth being expresly deliuered twise in the booke of Psalmes First Psal 115.3 Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer he will againe Psal 135.6 Whatsoeuer pleaseth the Lord that doth he in heauen in earth in the sea in all the depths For the second that God is able to doe more than he will doe euery Christian acquainted with the Euangelicall story doth acknowledge it It is plaine by Iohn Baptists reproofe of the Pharisees and Sadduces 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 children vnto Abraham Able but will not So likewise when Christ was betrayed the story Matth. 26.53 is that God the Father could haue giuen him more than twelue legions of Angels to haue deliuered him He could but would not The like may bee 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 omnipotency that he is able to doe whatsoeuer he will doe yea that he is able to doe more than he will doe God only is omnipotent whatsoeuer else is in the world its weake and 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 doe stoope vnder Gods anger This is it which Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4.34 35. confesseth In comparison of the most high who liueth for euer whose power is an euerlasting power whose kingdome is from generation to generation all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing according to his will he worketh in the army of heauen 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 whereunto we are moued 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 from hence true humiliation that same Christian vertue to which S. Peter 1 epist 5.6 giues his exhortation Humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God What are we beloued but by nature in our selues most wretched conceiued and borne in sin hitherto running on in wickednesse and dayly rebelling against God against Almighty God against him who alone is able to doe whatsoeuer he will able to doe more than 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 humiliation This true humiliation standeth in our practice of three things Perkins Cas Coâ— â— lib. 1. ca. 5. §. 2. pag. 57. 1. The sorrow of our heart whereby we are displeased with our selues and ashamed in respect of our sins 2 Our confession to God in which we must also doe three things 1 Wee 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 sin The third thing in our humiliation is our supplication to bee made to God for mercy which must be with all possible earnestnesse 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 seruants and our supplications and cause thy face to shine vpon vs. O our God incline 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 tender mercies O Lord heare vs O Lord forgiue vs O Lord consider and doe it deferre not thy mercies for thine owne sake O our God Thus beloued if we humble our selues vnder the hand of Almighty God God will
snow the frost the whirlewind the raine all these God ruleth and gouerneth after his good pleasure And who I pray you ruleth man and mans affaires but the Lord O Lord saith Ierem. chap. 10.23 I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps King Salomon confesseth as much Prou. 20.24 The steps of man are ruled by the Lord. From this ruling prouidence of God King Dauid Psal 23.1 drew vnto himselfe a very comfortable argument The Lord feedeth me therefore I shall not want Let vs as comfortably reason with our selues The Lord feedeth vs therefore we shall not want It is spoken to our neuer ending comfort by our blessed Sauiour Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father Feare ye not therefore ye are of more value than 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 head and can we doubt of his perpetuall rule and gouernment in the world It must stand true Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis suae euen as he listeth The third degree by which we may discerne the act of diuine prouidence I called gradum ordinationis the degree of ordination or direction It implyeth thus much that God of his admirable wisdome ordaineth and setteth in order whatsoeuer things in the world seem to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end all must make for his glorie In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre Constitutio finis mediorum ad finem dispositio and Dispositorum directio First God appointeth an end to euery thing secondly he disposeth meanes vnto the end thirdly hee directeth the meanes so disposed To discourse of these particulars seuerally 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 whatsoeuer things in the world seeme to be most out of order he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end they all make for his glory Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inuiolable No calamitie or miserie be falleth any one of whatsoeuer estate or degree by chance or at aduenture For if it be true as true it is and the gates of Hell shall neur be able to preuaile against it that God by his wonderfull prouidence maintaineth and preserueth ruleth and gouerneth ordereth disposeth and directeth all things in this world euen to the very haires of our heads it cannot be that any calamity or misery should befall any one of vs by aduenture by hap-hazard by chance by fortune The Epicure in the booke of Iob 22.13 was in a foule errour to thinke that God walking in the circle of heauen cannot through the darke clouds see our misdoings and iudge vs for them Dearely beloued we may not thinke our God to be a m See Lect. 1. page 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 vallies a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments We may not thus thinke We haue liued long enough to haue learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem 23. Psal 139. that God is euery where present and that there is no euasion from him Serm 4. in Iames 4.10 infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. No corner in Hell no mansion in heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuitie no place of any secrecie any where is able to hide vs from the presence of God Wee haue learned Zach. 4.10 that God hath seuen eyes which goe thorow the whole world You may interpret them with me many millions of eyes He is * Hieronymus in illud Psal 94.9 Qui plantauit aurem non audiet aut qui finxit oculum non considerat Ego autem dico quod Deus totus Oculus est totus Manus est totus Pes est Totus Oculus est quia omnia videt Totus Manus est quia omnia operatur Totus Pes est quia vbique est totus OCVLVS altogether eye for he seeth all things We haue learned Esai 40.12 that God hath hands to measure the waters and to span the heauens You may interpret it with me that he hath many millions of hands He is totus Manus altogether hand for he worketh all things We haue learned Matth. 5.35 that God hath feet to set vpon his foot-stoole You may interpret it with me that he hath many milions of feet He is totus Pes altogether foot for he is euery where We shall then be very iniurious to God if we deny him the ouersight of the smallest matters The holy Scriptures doe euidently shew that he examineth the least moments and tittles in the world that we can imagine n Supra 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 caluing of hindes to the numbring of the haires of our heads Wherefore dearely beloued in the Lord whatsoeuer calamity or misery hath already seized vpon vs or shall hereafter ouertake vs let vs not lay it vpon blinde Fortune but looke we to the hand that striketh vs. Hee who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen and him that holdeth the scepter out of Beth-eden euen He it is that for our sins bringeth vpon vs calamities and miseries The late fearefull floud raging vpon this land to the vtter destruction of great store of cattell and much people and the late rot of sheepe in this and other places of this land are Gods visitations vpon vs for our sinnes and admonishments for vs to amend our liues Shall there be euill in a city and the Lord hath not done it saith Amos chap. 3.6 It s out of question there is no euill 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 kindnesse and repenteth him of euill How know we whether he will returne and repent and leaue a blessing behinde him for vs Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need THE Eleuenth Lecture AMOS 1.5 The people of Aram shall goe into captiuity vnto Kir saith the Lord. WEe goe on with that which yet remaineth vnexpounded in this 5. verse
they did the bloud of Ahab 1. Kin. 22.38 or the fowles of heauen shall feed on their carkasses as they once did on the carkasses of those of Ahabs house that died in the field 1. King 21.24 Or the ground shall cleaue asunder and swallow them vp aliue as once it did Dathan and Abiram and the rest that perished in the Å¿ Iud. ver 11. gaine-saying of Corah Num. 16.32 But say they are visited t Num. 16.29 after the visitation of other men say they dye the common death of all men say they seeme to dye the u Num. 23.10 death of the righteous x Gen. 35.29 full of dayes and in peace to goe downe into their graues yet behold there is a day to come and come it shall vpon them y 2. Pet. 3.20 the day of the Lord that day wherein the heauens shall passe away with a great noyse and the elements shall melt with feruent heat the earth also the works that are therein shall be burnt vp At that day shall these men men of z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psâ—â— 5.7 blood bloud-thirstie and cruell men standing among the Goats before the tribunall of the great Iudge receiue that sentence of damnation Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels There is no evasion for them For if by that sentence they are damned who haue not done the works of Mercy Rainold vpon Obadiah p. 85. much more shall they be damned who haue acted the workes of Crueltie if by that sentence they are damned who haue not succoured and releiued the poore much more shall they be damned who haue oppressed and crushed the poore That sentence thus proceedeth a Mat. 25.41 Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels For I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meat I was thirstie and yee gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee not in naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not O then how fearefull how lamentable shall their case be against whom the Iudge may thus proceed in sentence Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels For I had meat and by force you tooke it from me I had drinke and you spoyled me of it I had a house and you thrust me out of it I had clothes and you pulled them from my backe I was in health and yee droue me into sicknesse I was at libertie and you imprisoned me O that we were wise to consider this while it is time b Mathes in Mat. 25.42 Nam si isti paenas luent qui proximo suppetias non tulerunt quid fiet de istis qui miserum insuper expiliârunt despoliârunt If they who helpe not their poore and needie neighbours shall eternally be burnt in Hell fire much more shall they be there burnt who robbe and spoyle their poore and needie neighbours who like the Israelites in my text doe sell the righteous for siluer and the poore for a paire of shoes and doe pant after the dust of the earah on the head of their poore brethren What shall I say more to such I can onely wish that some remorse and penitencie may bee wrought in their hearts through the remembrance of my present doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressours Is it so Then in the second place may this doctrine serue for the consolation or comfort of the poore and needie who now lie groaning vnder the tyrannie of the cruell and couetous oppressours of this age God c Prou. 22.23 pleads their cause God is their d Prou. 23.11 Redeemer God righteth their wrongs God spoyleth their spoylers God takes the care God takes the tuition of them May they not well be comforted Heare ye then yee that are poore and needie e â—sa 35.3 Let your weake hands be strengthened let your feeble knees be confirmed f Ver. 4. Be yee strong feare not Behold your God will come with vengeance your God will come with recompence hee will come in due time and will deliuer you from out the pawes of the bloud-thirstie and cruell man Though yee be scorned of the world and pointed at with the finger and triumphed ouer by such as tread you vnderfoot yet comfort your selues in this your affliction God pleads your cause I speake not this to giue encouragement or comfort to such of the poore as are prophane and wicked They can make no claime to Gods protection The stranger that behaueth himselfe more proudly then he would at home in his owne Country and among his friends he is out of Gods protection The widdow that plaieth as g Sâ—rm 73. vpon Deutron pag. 450. Calvin speaketh the she-Deuill that troubleth vexeth her neighbours with whom there is more to doe then with many a man shee is out of Gods protection The fatherlesse-childe that giues himselfe to naughtinesse shakes of the yoke of pietie becomes an vnthrift in spite of God and the world he is out of Gods protection The poore whosoeuer they be that h Psal 54.3 haue not the feare of God before their eyes that are giuen ouer to worke wickednesse and that greedilie that lie wallowing in sensualitie in wantonnesse in drunkennesse in any filthinesse they are all out of Gods protection I speake onely to comfort the stranger the widdow the fatherlesse child euery poore soule that is religious and godly such as i â—om 12.18 liue peaceably with all men such as are truely distâ—essed before the Lord such as k Iames 4.10 1. Pâ—t 5.6 humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God such as l 1 Pet. 5.7 cast all their cares and sowrowes vpon the Lord. Such are the poore that may receiue true comfort from my propounded doctrine God pleadeth the cause of the poore against the cruell the couetous and oppressours We haue not yet done with oppressours the holy Ghost will not so let them goe They are further described vnto vs in the next clause They turne aside the way of the meeke For the meeke the word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word Psal 10.17 is rendred in our new translation the humble So it is translated by the m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seauentie and the vulgar n Humilium Interpreter Some translate it the poore some the miserable some the afflicted The originall word well beareth euery of these significations the meeke the humble the poore the miserable the afflicted The way of these men may here be taken properly or figuratiuely If it be taken properly then we are here to vnderstand that the richer sort of the Israelites did make the poore to turne aside out of their way to give them place or did make the poore euen for feare of them
tongue in the Vniuersitie of Paris is of opinion that the Amorite here and else-where is aboue all and for all mentioned because he of all was the most terrible the most mighty and the strongest The like is affirmed by Arias Montanus that learned Spaniard Amorrhaeum potissimùm appellat The Amorite he especially nameth because that Nation multitudine copijs atque potentiâ in multitude in forces and in power excelled all the rest of the Nations that were cast out before Israell Here then where the Lord hath sayd Yet destroyed I the Amorite in the Amorite we are to vnderstand also the rest of those seauen Nations which the Lord draue out from before Israel the Hittites the Girgasites and the Canaanites and the Perezzites and the Hivites and the Iebusites Seauen they were in number greater and mightier then Israell was All seauen were cast out by the Lord from before Israel and so much are we to vnderstand by this that the Lord here sayth Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them Before them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Septuagint They well render the Hebrew which word for word is a faciè ipsorum from their face Mercerus sayth a conspectu eorum from their sight that is sayth he corum causâ ad eorum adventum for their sake or at their comming Albertus Magnus renders it à praesentia eorum from their presence Our English before them hits the sense The sense is God stroke such a terror into those seauen Nations the inhabitants of the land of Canaan that at the comming of the Israelites at the hearing of the name of Israel they vanished they fled away they forsooke their auncient habitations or else were suddenly slaine without much resistance Thus haue you the exposition of the first branch of this ninth verse which conteineth a generall touch of the ruine of the Amorites Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them The Israelites their vnthankefulnesse towards me is verie notorious yet haue I destroyed the Amorite before them Yet I the Lord their God who haue freed them from their bondage in Egypt and haue led them fortie yeares through the wildernesse I haue destroyed haue ouerthrowne haue driuen out haue brought to ruine The Amorite not onely the Amorites but also the rest of the Nations sixe other mightie Nations whose dwelling was in the land of Canaan all these haue I destroyed before them for their sake for Israels sake that Israel might without resistance take quiet possession of the land of Canaan the land that floweth with milke and honey The lesson which we may take from hence is this God is all in all either in the ouerthrow of his enemies or in the vpholding of his children For further proofe hereof we may haue recourse to the 15. chapter of the Booke of Exodus There Moses sings a song vnto the Lord a song of thankesgiuing wherein hee acknowledgeth the Lord to be all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Pharaoh and his host in the red Sea His acknowledgment is vers 6. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in peices the enemie In the greatnesse of thine excellencie thou hast ouerthrowne them thou sentest forth thy wrath which hath consumed them as stubble With the blast of thy nostrills the waters were gathered together the flouds stood vpright as an heape the depths were congealed in the heart of the Sea The enemie feared not to enter But thou Lord didst blow with thy wind the Sea couered them they sanke as lead in the mightie waters Who is like vnto thee O Lord Who is like thee God is all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies He is also all in all in the vpholding of his children Moses in the same song auoucheth it vers 13. Thou Lord in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed Thou hast guided them in thy strength vnto thine holy habitation It was not their q Psal 44.3 owne sword that deliuered them neither did their owne arme saue them But the Lord He and his mercie He and his strength deliuered them God is all in all in vpholding of his children Is it thus dearely beloued Is God all in all in the ouerthrow of his enemies Then for the ouerthrow of that great Nauie called the inuincible Nauie the great Armada of Spaine which * This Sermon was preached A gust 27. 1615. twentie seauen yeares r Au. Ch. 1588. since threatned desolation to the inhabitants of this I le let God haue the glorie It was the right hand of the Lord not our vertue not our merits not our armes not our men of might but the right hand of the Lord it was that brought that great worke to passe Their ſ Exod. 15.4.5 chosen Captaines were drowned in the Sea the depth couered them they sanke into the bottome as a stone Some of them that were taken from the furie of the waues and were brought prisoners to the honourablest cittie in this land in their anguish of mind spared not to say t Letter to Mendoza pa. 17. that in all those fights which at Sea they saw Christ shewed himselfe a Lutheran Sure I am that Christ shewed himselfe to be little Englands u Psal 18.1 rocke and fortresse and strength and deliuerer Quid retribuemus What shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song begin as the Psalme doth the 115. Psalme Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercie and for thy truths sake With like affection recount we the deliuerance of our King and State from that infernall and hellish exployt of the powder treason The contriuers thereof I now name not What could they expect but vpon the least discouerie of so execrable an action to incurre an vniuersall detestation to haue all the hatred of the earth poured vpon them and theirs to be the outcasts of the Common wealth and the Maranathaes of the Church they and their names for euer to be an abhorring to all flesh Yet they so farre proceeded in that their Diabolicall machination that they were at the poynt to haue giuen the blow that blow that should haue beene the common ruine of vs all But God our God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greekes describe him Psal 9.9 A helper at opportunities in the needfull times of trouble when we were thus x Ioh. 4.35 albi ad messem white for their haruest readie to be cut downe by them then euen then did our God deliuer vs. Quid retribuemus What what shall we render nay what can we render vnto the Lord for so great a deliuerance Let our song be as before Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy mercy and
bow HE that handleth the bow is in the language of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bowman the archer the shooter He shall not stand Hee shall not dare to abide his ground or if he abide it he shall not be able to bend his bow so through feare shall the f Dan. 5.6 ioynts of his loynes be loosed and his knees shall smite the one against the other This anguish or perplexitie shall betide him according to Ionathan in his Targum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bicrabha in time of skirmish and fight euen then when his bow should stand him most in steed By this bow I vnderstand not the bow alone and arrowes but euery other weapon and instrument of warre From hence ariseth this doctrine It s not the bow and arrowes or sword or any other instrument of warre that can any whit avayle vs when God will punish For proofe hereof I produce the iudgement of God vpon Gog the cheife Prince of Meshech and Tubal Ezech. 39.3 where thus saith the Lord Behold I am against thee O Gog and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand and will cause thine arrowes to fall out of thy right hand Bow and arrowes There is no helpe in them None at all nor in the sword nor in any other militarie engine Therefore doth the Psalmist Psal 44 6. renounce all trust in them His words are I doe not trust in my bow neither can my sword saue me His bow and sword he doth not much care for Wherein then is his trust It is in the might and strength of God Gods power was his buckler whereto he trusted for his owne defence and for the discomfiture of his enemies It is the Vse we are to make of the doctrine now propounded We must not repose our trust in any externall helpe the bow the sword or the like for this were indeed to rob God of his glory and to runne to the creature for helpe Our helpe is but one and that is the Lord of Hosts Dominus Deus auxiliator meus Esay proclaimeth it twise in one chapter chap. 50. First vers 7. The Lord God is my helper secondly vers 9. Behold the Lord God is my helper The Lord God is my helper behold he is my helper Surely Esay looked for no helpe but from the Lord his God Nor did Ieremie looke for any but from the same eternall fountaine of helpe and therefore chap. 20.11 he saith Dominus mecum est quasi bellator fortis the Lord is with me as a stout or mighty warriour Nor did Dauid looke for any but from the same He Psal 18.2 acknowledgeth the Lord and him onely to be his strength his succour his fortresse his deliuerer his God his rocke wherein he trusteth his buckler the horne of his saluation and his high tower The like he doth Psal 144.1 2. Where what is his strength but the Lord What his goodnesse his fortresse his high tower his deliuerer his shield but the Lord The Lord alone is he in whom Dauid trusteth The bow the sword the speare and euery other militarie weapon he knew to be meere vanitie without help◠from the Lord and therefore the Lord was to him in steed of all And let the Lord be to vs in steed of all in steed of bow of sword of speare of buckler of shield of fortresse of tower and of euery other militarie engine and vnder g Psal 36.7 the shadow and h Psal 61.4 couert of his wings we i Psa 119.117 shall be safe Must the Lord be vnto vs in steed of all In steed of bow of sword of speare and the rest Ergóne omnis armorum vsus abijciendus VVhat Shall we therefore condemne cast away or neglect the bow the sword the speare all kind of artillerie furniture or munition that men doe vse either for the priuate defence of themselues or for the publicke of the Country No in no wise This were too too Anabaptisticall And I am no Anabaptist that I should maintaine it to be vnlawfull for a Christian either to make weapons for the vse of man or to vse them being made They denie it to be lawfull to vse the sword I affirme it to be lawfull My assertion is All men into whose hands God putteth the sword may vse the sword euen to strike and kill if neede be Now God putteth the sword first and principally into the hand of the publicke Magistrate who when iust occasion serues may draw it out And sometime he putteth it into the hand of a priuate man A priuate man when he is assailed of his enemie may take the sword in way of his owne defence and may if there be no other helpe kill his enemie therewith so he doe it not vpon any malice but onely because he cannot otherwise escape and saue his owne life Now to the question My answer is Non reijcitur vsus sed fiducia The bow the sword the speare and other instruments of warre are not to be condemned not to be cast away not to be neglected but to be vsed Non reijcitur vsus sed fiducia their vse is not forbidden but our trust in them The vse of all kinde of weapons is common as well to the wicked as to the godly the difference is in the trust The wicked they vse them and trust in them the godly they vse them too but their trust mounts higher euen to the Lord of Hosts The distinction then here to be obserued is Vt vsus creaturis fiducia verò creatori deputetur Vse the bow the sword the speare and euery other martiall weapon when then shalt haue iust occasion but see that thy trust be euer in the Lord. S. Chrysostome vpon those words of the 44. Psalme I trust not in my bow neither shall my sword saue me saith Why then dost thou vse them Why art thou armed VVhy handlest thou the bow VVhy the sword The answer there is returned Because our God hath so commanded therefore I vse them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet I cast my whole care on him in him I doe wholy trust Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus fortified fensed with power from aboue we are to fight against our visible enemies and thus fortified and fensed with power from aboue we are to fight against our Spirituall enemies The chiefe of them is the Deuill Our fight against him is a daily fight For our direction in this fight we haue S. Chrysostomes direction VVhen thou art to combat with the Deuill say I trust not in my weapons I trust not in mine owne strength or mine owne righteousnesse but in the mercy of God say with Daniel chap. 9.18 O my God encline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolation we present our supplications before thee not for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great mercies Saue vs O Lord saue thy people from the power and furie of this immortall enemie Though as a roaring
if he restore the pledge and giue againe that he hath robbed and walke in the statutes of life without committing iniquitie he shall surely liue he shall not die Secondly the threatnings of God against sinners are for the most part conditionall because he is a God of mercies a gracious a Psal 86.15 Exod 34.6 Numb 14.18 Psal 103.8 Psal 145.8 God a God of long suffering and much patience a God of vnspeakable kindnesse euer ready to receiue vs to mercy as soone as we returne vnto him This is it that the Lord commandeth to be proclaimed by Ieremy chap. 3.12 Returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall vpon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not keepe mine anger for euer Thirdly the threatnings of God against sinners are euermore conditionall because in his threatnings God aimeth not at the destruction of them that are threatned but at their amendment Their amendment is the thing he aimeth at It s plaine by that Ezech. 18.23 Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should returne from his waies and liue This by way of question But it s out of question and confirmed by oath Ezech. 23.11 As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne ye turne ye from your euill waies for why will ye die O house of Israel Why will ye die Returne and liue I take no pleasure in your death Hitherto you haue heard of Gods threatnings that they are of punishments either corporall or spirituall either temporall or eternall and that they are either absolute or conditionall and if conditionall that then the condition is either expressed or only vnderstood Expressed or vnderstood and that for three reasons first because repentance washes away sinne the cause of punishment secondly because God is mercifull and will not keepe his wrath for euer thirdly because he aimeth especially at the amendment of the wicked It is now time that we make some profitable vse hereof Our first vse may be to consider that in the greatest and most fearefull threatnings of Gods heauy iudgements there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found life in death and health in sicknesse if we repent and amend Thus did the Princes of Iudah profit by the threatnings of Ieremy Ieremie chap. 26.6 comes vnto them with a threatning from the Lords owne mouth I will make this house like Shiloh and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth He threatned desolation to the Lords house and destruction to their city and therefore the Priests and the people would haue put him to death But the Princes of Iudah were better aduised they pleaded the practise and example of King Hezekiah for the comfort of himselfe and the people of his time and thereby stirred vp themselues to feare the Lord and to turne from their euill waies And thus did the same King Hezekiah profit at the threatning of Esay and the King of Nineueh at the threatning of Ionah as you haue already heard They repented of their euill waies and God repented of the euils which he threatned to bring vpon them and he brought them not vpon them Here we are to meet with an obiection The obiection is If God threaten one thing and doth another if he threaten to bring euill vpon any one and repents him of the euill it may seeme his will is changeable or he hath two wills For answer I say The will of God is euer one and the same as God is one but for our capacities and for the weaknesse of our vnderstandings who cannot conceiue how God doth after a diuers manner will and not will the same thing the will of God is called sometimes secret or hidden and sometimes reuealed as the Church is called sometimes visible and sometimes inuisible yet is but one Church Deut. 29.29 The secret will of God is of things hidden in himselfe and not manifested in his word the reuealed is of things made knowne in the Scriptures or by daily experience The secret will is without condition its absolute its peremptory it s alwaies fulfilled no man hindreth it Rom. 9.19 no man stoppeth it the very reprobate yea the Deuils themselues are subiect vnto it His reuealed will is with condition and therefore for the most part is ioyned with exhortation admonition instruction and reprehension Now to the obiection my answer is Though God threaten one thing and doth another though he threaten to bring euill vpon any one and repents him of the euill yet is not his will therefore changeable nor hath he two wils but his will is euer one and the same The same will is in diuers respects hidden and reuealed It s secret at first before it be reuealed but as it is made knowne to vs either by the written Word of God or by the continuall successe of things so it is called the reuealed will of God Our duty in regard of the will of God as it is secret or hidden is not curiously to pry into it but reuerently to adore it Whatsoeuer this secret this hidden will of God is concerning vs whether to liue or die to be rich or poore to be of high estimation or of meane account in this world it is our part to rest in the same and to be contented and giue leaue to him that made vs to doe with vs and dispose of vs at his pleasure and then aftewards when by the continuall successe of things it shall be reuealed vnto vs what our lot our portion our expectation here must bee much more are we to be therewith contented and to giue thankes to God howsoeuer it fareth with vs. The obiection thus answered our recourse should be to the profit that is yet further to be made by the threatnings of Gods iudgements You haue heard that in the greatest and most fearefull there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found health in sicknesse and life in death if we repent and amend I proceed to a second vse It concernes the duty of the Minister It s our duty to propound vnto you the threatnings of the Lord with condition Should we propound them without condition we should be as if we went about to bring you to despaire and to take from you all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse We therefore propound them with condition with condition of repentance and amendment of life and doe offer vnto you grace and mercy to as many of you as be humble and broken-hearted Thus we preach not onely the Law but also with the Law the Gospell thus we bind and loose Mat. 16.19 thus we reteine and forgiue sins We preach and by our preaching we shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen against the obstinate sinner but doe open the same
Nation or vpon any priuate person but he doth alwaies first fore-warne the same and foretelleth it The reasons hereof are two One is in regard of the godly the other in regard of the wicked The first is in regard of the godly God is vnwilling at any time to take them at vnawares He loueth them and would not haue any of them to perish but would haue them all come to repentance as Saint Peter witnesseth 2 Epist 3.9 God would haue them all come to repentance that so they might preuent his iudgements And therefore he neuer striketh but first he warneth The other reason is in regard of the wicked namely that the wicked might be without excuse their mouthes might be stopped and the iustice of God cleared they hauing nothing to answer for themselues or to accuse God of any vniust dealing If I had not come saith our Sauiour Christ Iesus Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sinne but now they haue no cloake nor excuse for their sinne Wherefore let these men wicked men learne as oft as the rod of God lieth heauie vpon them to accuse themselues because when God gaue them warning they would not be warned when God would haue healed them they would not be healed You haue the reasons The vses follow I can but point at them the time will not suffer any enlargement Is it so beloued Doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation or any priuate person but he alwayes first fore-warneth the same and fore-telleth it Here then acknowledge we Gods great mercie and his wonderfull patience Thus God needeth not to deale with vs. For vpon our owne perill we are bound to take heed of his iudgements before they come Yet so good is our God so louing so mercifull so patient that he is desirous wee should preuent his iudgements before they fall by sending our prayers vnto him as Embassadours to treat of conditions of Peace with him A subtill enemie would steale vpon vs at vnawares and take vs at the aduantage but God our good God euer fore-warneth before hee striketh Hee doth so saith Carthusian Vt emendemur ab imminentibus eripiamur tormentis hee euer fore-warneth vs that our liues may bee amended and wee deliuered from the torments that hang ouer vs readie to fall vpon vs. Againe doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation or any priuate person but he alwayes first fore-warneth the same and foretelleth it Let vs then whensoeuer wee see any ouertaken with any grieuous iudgement confesse with Saint Augustine de verâ falsâ poenitentiâ cap. 7. Qui verus est in promittendo verus etiam est in minando that God is true as in his promises so also in his threatnings If his desire were not that wee should preuent his iudgements doubtlesse he would neuer giue vs warning of them If hee had a will and purpose to destroy vs he would neuer tell before-hand how wee should auoid his iudgements Let no man say that the silence of God and the holding of his peace is a cause of his securitie No it cannot be so God neuer commeth with any iudgement but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before He sendeth vnto vs his seruants the Prophets Prophets we haue among vs and Apostles we haue among vs and God giueth vs his Ministers Pastors and Preachers as it were to put life againe into the dead Prophets and Apostles euen to open and declare vnto vs those things which they deliuered Wherefore when we shall be admonished by his Ministers that such and such iudgements shall come when they shall threaten plagues according to the generall directions which they haue in the word of God let vs not withstand the Spirit speaking in them It is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee vouchsafeth to send them vnto vs and to tell vs before of his iudgements THE Tenth Lecture AMOS 3.8 The Lion hath roared who will not feare the Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie IT was a thing too common with the Israelites if their Prophets or Preachers did at any time speake sharply against their euill courses euermore to finde fault and quarrell them What meane these men Why doe they so farre vrge vs Why doe they not suffer vs to be quiet Will they euer prouoke the wrath of God against vs Sic enim solent homines surely so worldlings vse to doe If Prophets if Preachers be austere in their reprehensions they will command them to hold their peace as you haue heard by occasion of the twelfth verse of the precedent Chapter If Amos foretell Ieroboam King of Israel Amos 7.9 that the high places of Isaack shall be desolate that the Sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste that Ieroboams house shall perish with the sword there will be an Amaziah to forbid him to prophesie any more in Bethel Amos 7.12 If Hanani the Seer reproue King Asa for not relying on the Lord his God Asa will be in a rage with him and will put him in a prison house 2 Chron. 16.10 If Micaiah foreshew vnto King Ahab the euill that shall befall him the King will hate him for it 1 King 22.8 Zedechiah will smite him on the cheeke vers 24. Amon the Gouernor will put him in prison and will feede him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vers 27. If Ieremiah foreshew vnto the Iewes their desolation for their sinnes some will deuise deuices against him and will smite him with the tongue Ieremy 18.18 Some will smite him with the fist and put him in the stocks chap. 20.2 Some will apprehend him threaten him with death and arraigne him chap. 26.8 Some will shut him vp in prison chap. 32.2 Some will let him downe with cords into a miry and dirty dungeon chap. 38.6 It is the lot of the Prophets of the Lord the portion of his Preachers Esay 30.10 Leuit. 19.17 if they speake not placentia pleasing and smooth words vnto the people but doe rebuke them and not suffer them to sinne it is their lot and portion neuer to haue want of enemies that shall make warre against them This ill custome in the people Amos here finds fault with and condemneth for vniust saying The Lion hath roared c. as if he had said You take me for your enemy because I foreshew vnto you the iudgements of God which shall light vpon you and therefore you contend you chide you quarrell with mee but all in vaine for I may not hold my peace If I should the voice of God will of it selfe be terrible enough vnto you The euill whereof I tell you proceedeth not so much from my mouth as from the Mandate of God Will I nill I I am constrained to obey my God God he hath chosen me to be his Prophet and hath put into my mouth what I speake vnto you The Lion hath roared
it is the first in order The words are An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land The old Interpreter translates it Tribulabitur circuietur terra the Land shall be troubled and compassed about Brentius Obsidebitur circumdabitur terra the Land shall be besieged and beset round about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsar in the originall is rendred Arctator by Montanus Tribulator by Oecolampadius Aduersarius by Caluin and Drusius Hostis by Tremelius Piscator and Gualter It is Tribulatio with Vatablus and Mercer but Angustiae with Ionathan Well be it either Arctatoâ— or Tribulator or an Aduersary or an Enemie or be it Tribulation or be it Anguish it is not in a little part or corner of the Land but in circuitu terra it is in the circuit of the Land it enuironeth the whole Land The Septuagint haue a reading by themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tyre shall be made desolate round about shall thy Land be wasted Saint Cyril will haue them thus to be vnderstood From Tyre and the Land thereabout the whole countrey shall by the incursions of robbers be brought to desolation Tyrus is in Hebrew Tzor so is it in the first Chapter of this prophecie vers 9 It seemes the S ptuagint did in this place reade Tzor Hieron as also Aquila once did reade But now the common reading of this place is Tzar and Tzar is an enemie or aduersary and hath other significations whereof euen now you heard Thus our English translation is cleared it is good An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land This aduersary is the Assyrian the King of Assyria Salmanassar He with his armies is to come against the Citie and Kingdome of Samaria he shall so beset and beleaguer the whole countrey round about that there shall be no escaping for any of the inhabitants According to this prediction it came to passe some sixty fiue yeares after Esâ—y 7.8 2 King 18.10 in the ninth yeare of the reigne of Hoshea son of Elah King of Israel as it is 2 King 17.6 An aduersary there shall be euen round about the Land Now from this circumstance of the Siege of Samaria so long before threatned ariseth this obseruation Gods threatning to punish long before he punisheth are inuitations to repentance Origen lib. 4. contra Celsum saith God punisheth no man but whom he doth first warne terrifie and aduertise of the perill And surely herein appeareth Gods mercy that he threatneth before hee punisheth that by his threatning men might learne to amend He threatneth saith S. Chrysostome Hom. 12. in Genes Vt nobis correctis minas ad opus minimè perducat that we being amended his menacing need not take effect If this were not the end of Gods threatnings why doth Zephaniah Chap. 2.1 2. thus exhort the Iewes Gather your selues together yea gather together O Nation not desired Before the decree bring forth before the day passe as the chaffe before the fierce anger of the Lord come vpon you before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you Seeke yee the Lord seeke righteousnesse seeke meekenesse it may be yee shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger He calleth vpon the Iewish Nation to returne from their euill waies by true repentance Where behold saith Saint Hierome the clemencie of God Quia non vult inferre supplicia sed tantum terrere passuros ipse ad poenitentiam prouocat ne faciat quod minatus est Because Gods will is rather to terrifie them than to lay punishments vpon them he incites them to repentance that he be not driuen to doe as he hath threatned This is that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the goodnesse the forbearance the long suffering of God whereof Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou O man the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance It leadeth to repentance It is vouchsafed vnto vs to the amendment of life And thus is my obseruation established Gods threatnings to punish long before he punisheth are inuitations to repentance One reason hereof is because if after threatning repentance follow it procureth the forgiuenesse of sinne and taketh away the cause of the punishment Sinne is the cause of Gods iudgements this wee heard euen now If the cause bee remoued the effect will cease For so saith the Lord Ezâ—ch 33.14 15. When I say vnto the wicked Thou shalt surely die if hee turne from his sinne and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall surely liue he shall not die A second reason I take from the end of Gods threatnings The end whereat he aimeth when he threatneth is not the destruction of them that are threatned but their amendment For thus saith the Lord Ezech. 18.23 Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die and not that he should returne from his wayes and liue This by way of interrogation But it is by way of assertion Ezech. 33.11 and is backed with an oath As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue As I liue it is so Here may wee say as Augustine some-where said of Christ Felices nos propter quos ipse Deus iurat Happie are we for whom God himselfe sweareth But infoelices si ne iuranti quidem credimus Wretched are we if wee beleeue him not vpon his oath I shall but point at the vses of this doctrine because I haue handled them at large in my fourth Sermon vpon this Chapter The first is to teach vs that in the greatest and most fearefull threatnings of Gods iudgements there is comfort remaining hope of grace and mercy to be found health in sicknesse and life in death The second is a warrant for vs of the Ministery to propound vnto you the threatnings of God with condition of repentance and thus we offer vnto you grace and mercy to as many of you as shall be of humble and contrite hearts The third is a warning vnto you to all that haue this grace and fauour with God to be hearers of his holy word It is your parts whensoeuer you shall heare of the threatnings of Gods iudgements against sinners to stirre vp your selues vnto repentance thereby to preuent the wrath of God and to stay his iudgements The fourth is to assure vs that if God threaten and no repentance follow then certainly the threatnings pronounced will come to passe God threatneth not in vaine nor doth he terrifie vs without cause If we preuent not his threatnings by true repentance his threatnings will preuent vs by iust execution And so much be spoken of the first doctrine arising from this circumstance of the siege of Samaria foretold so long before it tooke effect A second doctrine arising from the same is Hâ—stes diuinitùs à Deo excitari ad regum populorum peccata punienda
word of my gracious God My God openeth his mouth from Heauen aboue and speaketh to me that he might saue me He speaketh to me to keep me from errour to comfort me in the troubles and aduersities of this life and to guide me to the life eternall If you stand thus affected to the word of God if you desire the sincere milke thereof for your spirituall food as the little infant doth the mothers milke for its bodily food if you finde your selues truly to loue it carefully to desire to vnderstand it and to take comfort in the exercises of it thanke God for it it is a good signe and pray God to increase it But if this word of God be a burden to thee if like a potion it goe downe against thy stomack if thou carest not how little thou be acquainted with it if thou esteemest not the exercises of it take heed bewaile thine estate it is a fearefull token pray God if thou loue thine owne soule to remoue such thy dulnesse from thee And let this suffice to haue beene deliuered vpon my second obseruation which was The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people It was grounded vpon those words of the Mandate Audite contestamini Heare and testifie First heare what God speaketh and then make your contestation testifie and beare witnesse of that you haue heard Cry aloud spare not Esay 58.1 lift vp your voices like trumpets shew vnto the house of Iacob the calamities which I haue resolued to bring vpon them Heare yee and testifie in the house of Iacob Hereupon I ground my third obseruation it is this God euermore vseth to denounce grieuous calamities before they come to passe He fore-sheweth them before hand The vniuersall deluge was a very grieuous calamity God foreshewed it vnto Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse long before he brought in the Floud Gen. 6.13 The cry of Sodome and Gomorrah was great their sinne was very grieuous and therefore was God resolued to destroy them yet would he not doe it till he had told Abraham and Lot thereof the one Gen. 18.17 the other Gen. 19.13 The seuen yeares of famine which were to consume the land of Aegypt God foretold to Ioseph seuen yeares before they came Gen. 41.25 A man of God is sent to Eli to foretell him of the euill that should befall his house 1 Sam. 2.27 The Prophet Ieremie is sent to the Iewes to foretell them of the seuenty yeares of their captiuitie in Babylon Ier. 25.12 And here in my text Priests and Prophets are called vpon to foretell to the house of Iacob the miseries that were readie to fall vpon them Thus stands the doctrine firme God euermore vseth to aduertise vs of miseries before they doe befall vs. Our Prophet expresly and confidently auoucheth it vers 7. of this Chapter Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret to his seruants the Prophets In my exposition of those words I gaue of the point in hand a larger prosecution than the remainder of this houre will affoord As now so then I proued from the euidence of the word that God neuer bringeth any grieuous calamitie vpon any people or nation or priuate person but he doth euermore first forewarne the same and foretelleth it And hereof I gaue two reasons one in respect of the godly the other in respect of the wicked For the Godly God is vnwilling at any time to take them at vnawares He loueth them he would not haue any of them perish but would they should all repent and so preuent his iudgements He is prone to doe good but slow to punish and therefore praedicit flagella vt peccantes resipiscant He fore-sheweth his iudgements to draw vs to the amendment of our liues Now for the wicked He fore-warneth them also of his future iudgements Rangol 1 King â— 27 ne dicere queant se illa euentura non audiuisse that they may not be able to say for themselues they had no fore-warning So are they left without excuse their mouthes are stopped and Gods iustice is cleared Wherefore beloued let vs acknowledge the great mercie and wonderfull patience of our good and gracious God in that he vouchsafeth so to deale with vs to retire vs from sinne He needs not nor is he bound to deale so kindly with vs. For it is our part vpon our owne perill to take heed of his iudgements that they ouertake vs not Yet so good is the Lord so louing so mercifull so patient so desirous is he we should escape the misery which we haue deserued that he sends vnto vs his letters of loue the holy Scriptures by his Ministers to fore-warne vs of the euill day A sly and subtill aduersary would steale vpon vs when we should least thinke of him and take vs at any aduantage but our louing God seekes not for aduantages against vs. He rather prouideth vs meanes for our safetie The meanes are the letters of his loue as euen now I called them the sacred Scriptures Them he conueyeth to vs by his seruants his Ministers by whom hee inuites vs to good and deters vs from euill propoundeth rewards for well doing and punishments for ill threatneth vnto vs the torments of Hell if we continue in sinne and so bridleth our wantonnesse promiseth the ioyes of Heauen if we turne vnto him by repentance and so spurres on our slothfulnesse So gracious a God fore-warneth euer before he striketh And now most gracious and louing Father we most humbly beseech thee not only to fore-warne vs before thou strike but also to giue vs grace to take heed by thy warnings that thou strike vs not So will we arise runne and open vnto thee arise by faith from the sepulcher of sinne runne with hope to the gates of thy mercies and open with loue our broken and contrite hearts that thou mayest come in and dwell with vs. Euen so be it most mercifull Father for thy sweet Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake Amen THE Sixteenth Lecture AMOS 3.14 15. That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. THis passage of holy Writ is a Prosopopaeia The Almighty is here brought in calling vpon his Priests and Prophets to giue care vnto him and to beare witnesse of the calamities which hee was resolued to lay vpon the house of Iacob His resolution was when he should punish the Israelites for their euill deeds then to visit their Temple and stateliest buildings with ruine and desolation The words I heretofore diuided into two generall parts One was A mandate for a Testification
The other The matter to be testified That was vers 13. this vers 14. and 15. For the first these particulars haue beene obserued 1 Who it is that giues the Mandate Euen the Lord the Lord God the God of hosts 2 To whom he giues it Sacerdotibus Prophetis to his Priests and Prophets For to them is this passage by an Apostrophe directed 3 How he giues it Audite contestamini Heare and testifie 4 The place where this testification was to be made in domo Iacob in the house of Iacob Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob saith the Lord God the God of Hosts vers 13. In the other part which concerneth the matter to be testified we may obserue 1 A resolution of God to punish Israel for sinne There shall be a day wherein the Lord will visit the transgression of Israel vpon him vers 14. 2 That this punishment so resolued vpon by the Lord shall reach vnto their holiest places to their houses of religion to their Altars in Bethel the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground vers 14. 3 That this punishment shall extend to the chiefest places of their habitation euen to the demolition and ruine of their dwelling houses The winter house shall be smitten so shall the summer house the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end vers 15. 4 The seale and assurance of all in the two last words of this Chapter Neum Iehouah saith the Lord. In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him I will also visit the Altars of Bethel and the hornes of the Altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of iuory shall perish and the great houses shall haue an end saith the Lord. Such are the parts of this Scripture Of the first generall which was the Mandate for the testification and of the particulars therein I discoursed in my last Sermon out of this place Now I am to descend to the second generall which is of the matter to be testified The first branch therein is of Gods resolution to punish Israel for sinne and that is in the beginning of the fourteenth verse In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel vpon him By the words its plaine that a day should come wherein God would punish Israel for his transgressions R. Dauid R. Abraham That day some ancient Rabbines referre to the earthquake that was in the daies of Vzziah King of Iudah whereof we finde mention made in the first Chapter of this Prophecie verse 1. and Zach. 14.5 Some referre it to the time of King Iosiahs reigne when he brake downe the Altar that was at Bethel and the high place there 2 King 23.15 Others hereby doe vnderstand that day wherein Samaria was captiuated by the Assyrian King Salmanassar 2 King 17.6 Whensoeuer that day fell out it was the day of the Lords visitation the day wherein the Lord visited Israel for his iniquities This word to visit signifieth a remembrance prouidence care and performance of a thing spoken be it good or euill and it belongeth vnto God to visit both waies either for good or for euill either in mercy or in iudgement It was for good that the Lord visited Sarah Gen. 21.1 The Lord visited Sarah Gen. 17.19 18.10 as he had said and the Lord did vnto Sarah as he had spoken For Sarah conceiued and bare Abraham a sonne in his old age at the set time of which God had spoken to him This was a visitation for good a visitation in mercy Such is that whereof dying Ioseph tells his brethren Gen. 50.24 I die and God visiting will visit you and will make you goe vp out of this land vnto the land which he sware to Abraham to Isaak and to Iacob God visiting will visit you He meaneth a visitation in mercy God will surely visit you in mercy And so he did when they had beene bond-slaues in Aegypt foure hundred and thirty yeeres Exod. 12.41 For at the end of those yeeres euen the selfe same day that those yeeres were ended it came to passe that all the Hosts of the Lord the Tribes of Israel went out from the land of Aegypt Out they went with an high hand in the sight of all the Aegyptians And so God visiting visited his people Israel Numb 33.3 according to his promise made by Moses Exod. 3.16 This was a visitation for good a gracious and mercifull visitation But gracious and mercifull aboue all was the visitation of our Lord Iesus Christ when with a true and euerlasting redemption he redeemed all true Israelites from sinne and death and Satan It is the visitation for which Zachary in his Canticle blesseth God Luk. 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel And why blessed for he hath visited and redeemed his people He hath visited his people visited in the better part visited in mercy in exceeding great mercy Beloued sith Christ hath visited vs in our persons Math. 25.40 Luk. 16.1 it is our parts to visit him in his members We are all his Stewards and the good things he hath lent vs are not our owne but his if the goods of the Church we may not appropriate them if of the Common-wealth we may not enclose them You know it is a vulgar saying He is the best subiect that is highest in the subsidie booke Let it passe for true But I am sure he is the best Christian that is most forward in Subsidiis in helping of his brethren with such good things as God hath bestowed vpon him Besides this visitation for good and in mercy there is also a visitation for euill and in iudgement Thus to visit is to visit in anger or displeasure And so by a Synecdoche of the Genus for Species to visit is to punish Thus is God said to visit when with some sudden and vnlooked scourge or calamity he taketh vengeance vpon men for their sinnes which for a long time he seemed to take no notice of So God visited the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children Exod. 20.5 He visiteth not onely by taking notice of and apprehending children in their fathers faults but also by punishing them for the same in as much as they are giuen ouer to commit the transgressions of their fathers Dauid in his deuotions calleth vpon the Lord to visit the Heathen Psal 59.5 O Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel awake thou to visit the Heathen Where to visit is to visit for euill to visit in iudgement in anger and displeasure it is to correct it is to punish To such as depart from the Law of the Lord and from that rule of righteousnesse which it prescribeth them to walke in the Lord himselfe threatneth that he will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89 32. And