this threat might allude to that law Deut. 22.6 Thou shalt not take the damme Heb. the mother with the young But I that am above law saith God will cut off dam and young together in the nest I will utterly cut off the whole nation This was fulfilled 2 King 17. and our Prophet lived to see it to his great heart-break Oh that we could be warned c. Let holy mother church of Rome as they call her look to it with her doctrine of Infallibility These Israelites gloried as much of their Mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 17. and thought as Dionysius did of his kingdome that the Church had been tied to their nation with chaines of Adamant but their mother is here threatned to be cut off and of the sea of Rome it is long since foretold Babylon is fallen is fallen c. It is a queston among Divines whether the Church can faile It is answered that the Catholike invisible Church cannot but any particular and visible Church may as this of Israel and that of Rome which hath long since cast off Christ and the publike exercise of true religion and is become ex aurea argentea ex argentea ferrea ex ferrea terrea superest jam ut in stercus abeat said one of her own sons an dugusline friar Anno. Ren. de vit Pontif. 1414. and many others of their own writers say the same necessariò potius quà m libenter as wrested from them by the truth rather then of any itching humour to disgrace their mother by uncovering her nakednesse Verse 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge my people ther 's the wonder of it of whom it was wont to be said by the heathen surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people and well it might for what nation ever had God so nigh unto them c. and statutes and judgments so righteous c. Deut. 4.6.7.8 what nation ever had Prophets and Priests as they had to teach Jacob his statutes and Israel his law Deut. 33.10 all meanes of knowledg they had that might be so that God might say to them as once Abijam did to Jeroboam and all Israel 2 Chron. 13.5 Hab. 2.14 Ought you not to have known this should ye not all know the Lord from the least to the greatest should not your land be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Doth not wisdome cry in your streets and knowledge in the abundance of meanes bow down to you as trees do that are laden with fruit so that a child may gather them How is it then that you my people are yet so hard and blockish as rude and ignorant of me and my will of your selves and your duties as the blinde Ethnickes For some of you have not the knowledg of God I speak this to your shame Yea who is blind but my servant or deaf as my messenger that I sent who is blinde as he that is perfect and blinde as the Lords servant Esay 42.19 I speak it with grief and stomack and therefore I so oft speak it Surely to whomsoever much is given much is required and to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more Luke 12.48 2 Cor. 6.1 It is a grievous thing to receive the grace of God in vain and when for the time men might have been Teachers to have need to be taught the very first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. For if God will pour out his wrath upon the heathen that know him not Ier. 10.25 Acts 14. who yet were left in the dark to grope after him as they could And if the poor Philosophers who had but the rush-candle of Natures dim light to work by were yet delivered up to a reprobate sense because they glorified God no better Rom. 1. Oh the bloody wails that he will make upon the backs of his non-proficients sots and dullards in his school Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia Are destroyed Or silenced as Matth. 22.12 The Chaldee rendreth it obbrutuerunt they are besotted and so fitted for destruction for Deus quem destruit dementat Ignorance is the mother not of devotion as Papists say but of destruction and ignorant persons shall be silent in darknesse as holy Hanna hath it they shall lie down in sorrow as the Prophet Esay And although they alwayes wander and erre in heart as not knowing Gods wayes Psal 95.10.11 yet they cannot go so far wide as to misse of hell where they are sure to suffer both pain of losse and pain of sense for they shall be punished with everlasting destruction in a flame of fire there 's pain of sense from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power there 's pain of losse 2 Thess 2.8 9. Lo here the portion of all ignorant persons and withall take notice of an usuall and equall proceeding of Gods impartiall justice in punishing such He delights to punish sin in kind to pay wicked persons in their own coyn to overshoot them in their own bowe to answer them in their own language as he once did those bold Babel-builders Gen. 11. Go to say they Go to saith He Let us build up to heaven say they Le ts go down and see that building saith He Let us make us a name say they Let us confound their language that they may not so much as know their own names saith He Lest we be scattered say they Let us scatter them abroad the world saith He. Thus God worded it with them and confuted their folly from point to point And the like he will do with ignorant people at that great day Depart from us say they now to God Iob 21.14 Depart from me ye cursed will He then say to them We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes say they ibid. therefore I have sworn in my wrath that you shall never enter into my rest saith He. Ye have loved darknesse better then light ye shall therefore have your belly-full of it in the bottom of hell God loves to retaliate as we may see here and go no further Because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee seeing thou hast forgot the Law of thy God I will also to cry quittance with thee forget thy children Thus by giving ignorant persons their own he will so silence them and even button up their mouthes that they shall stand speechlesse as being self-condemned For lack of knowledge Propter non scientiam for meer nescience for such an ignorance as is privative onely and of pure negation which doth somewhat excuse a tanto though not à toto as in that servant that knew not his masters will yet did commit things worthy of stripes and had a few Luke 12.48 But Israels ignorance was more then all this and a great deal worse For did not Israel know Rom. 10.19 and have they not heard yes verily verse 18.
gloriae animalia popularis aurae mancipia vilia ac Hierome cals Crates the Philosopher may it not fitly be said of them as Hos 9.7 The Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad and as Ezek. 13.3 Surely these are foolish prophets that follow their own spirit and have seen nothing O Israel they Prophets are like the foxes in the desert c. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests beare rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof Jer. 5.31 All will be naught no doubt There is not a more dangerous creature then a parasitical Prophet Ezekiel calleth them the devils dirt-dawbers chap. 13.10 his upholsters for they sowe pillowes c. And these are Prophets for this people fit lettice for such lips dignum patellâ operculum a singular plague of God upon the men of this world who deserve to be deceived for why they have desired it and it best pleaseth their vitiated palats Most people having first flattered themselves are well content to be soothed up by others and I cannot but accord him that saith If there were Judges ordained for flattery they would have no doings there being so very few that will complain that they are flattered Verse 12. I will surely assemble O Iacob all of thee An Evangelicall promise saith Diodate after Others of gathering together the Universall Church under the kingdom of Christ contrary to the precedent dispersion vers 10. Assembling I will assemble and gathering gather them sc into the bosom of the Church called therefore Ecclesia as culled and collected out of the world and Church or Kirk of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it belongs to the Lord Christ who gathereth his together as the hen doth her chickens and died not for that Nation of Jews onely but that also he might gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad Joh. 11.51 52. Here He is called the breaker up and his Apostles likewise those that have broken up and have passed thorough the gate c. doing great exploits and subduing souls to the ohedience of the faith as here in Britain where Cesar himself could not break thorow but Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis as Pompey in Lucan upbraids him Hence Tertullian saith Britannoruni inaccessa Romanis loca Christi patuerunt Christ brake into those places of Britanny that the Romans could never come at He is that King against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30.31 He is Jehovah on the head of his people or in the fore-front of them as their Captain Generall to lead them on and bring them off safely in all encounters Habent ista amplissimam promissionem saith Gualther here this is an excellent promise and carrieth in it a most sweet consolation Quasi Ante signanus Ductor Lapid But I rather think it to be a continuation of the former threatning I will surely assemble them sc to the slaughter I will gather them together sc that they may be broken in pieces I will put them or pen them up together as the sheep of Bozrah that are fat and fit and appointed for the slaughter See Esay 34.6 Esay 8.9 Bozrah was a rich pasture countrey in Edom from whence most fat sheep and meet for meat were sent to the shambles As the slock in the middest of their fold So will God first shut you up by strait sieges and then number you out to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter Esay 65.12 There is a memorable story of the suffering of certain good people in Calabria Anno 1560. by the hands of the bloody Papists there A great sort of them being thrust up in one house together as in a sheep-fold the executioner comes in and among them takes one and blindfoldeth him with a muffler about his eyes and so leadeth him forth to a larger place where he commandeth him to kneel down which being done he cutteth his throat and so leaving him half-dead and taking his butchers knife and muffler all of gore-blood Acts Moâ—â— fol. 859. cometh again to the rest and so leading them one after another he dispatched them all to the number of eighty eight In Ireland many like barbarous butcheries have been committed by those breathing devils the Romish Rebels those fat-wolves worrying Christs flock in the midst of the land But shall they thus escape by iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.29 No verily in thine anger cast down that people O God Psal 56.7 Give them blood again to drink for they are worthy A Lapide saith that Bozrah signifieth Rome and that Micah here after a sort foretelleth that the Church of Rome should bee the common sheep-fold of the sheep of Christ under one chief shepherd the Pope But this conceit is far fetcht and Rome the slaughter-house of the saints is no otherwise Bozâ—ah then that she is of Edom the Rabbins for Dumah Esay 21.11 Jegnalegâ—â— dam. read Roma and call the Court of Rome the wicked kingdome of Edom and that her brats as the Vultures young ones do glut-glut blood so the Hebrew soundeth Job 39.30 and where the slâ—â— aâ—e there is she They shall make a great noise Heb. a humming noise By reason of the multititude of men or rather wolves Lycanthropi wherewith they are invironed to their no small heart-break Verse 13. The breaker up is come up before them The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 breach-maker shall handle them hardly and cruelly as Gally-slaves or men condemned to the mine-pits Vna salus victis nullam sperare salutem They have broken up Made havock and laid heaps upon heaps And their king shall passe before them Not onely fex populi but Rex ipse shall bee carried captive as were Hoshea and Zedekiah the city being broken up Jer. 52.7 And the Lord on the head of them Jehovah that man of warre Exod. 15.3 going before them as Captain of the enemies forces to avenge the quarrell of his covenant Levit. 26.25 CHAP. III. Verse 1. AND I said viz. at another time and in a new discourse the heads whereof 〈…〉 we have here recorded A stinging Sermon it is preached to the Princes and Prophets those great Heteroclites in the house of Israel For as in a fish so in a Church and State corruption begins at the head and as â—heume falling from the head upon the lights breeds a consumption of the whole body so is it here To the chieftains therefore and Capitanei our Prophet applieth himself And as it is said of Suetonius that ealibertate scripsit Imperatorum vitas quà ipsi vixâ—runt that hee wrote the Emperours lives with as much liberty as they lived them so did Micah as boldly reprove the Princes sinnes as they committed them Such another Preacher amongst us was Latimer and after him Deâ—ring who in his Sermon
river of Gods pleasures Psal 26.8 which cast him into a sweet slâ—â—â— at which time one clad all in white seemed to stand before hâ—m and to say Samuel Samuel be of good cheer for after this day tho shâ—â—t never be hungry or thirsty more for soon after this he was buried and from that time till he should suffer he felt neither hunger nor thirst as himself declared though he were kept by the cruel B of Norwich with 2. or 3. morsels of bread every daâ— and thâ—ee spoonfuls onely of water Mercer expounds this text of spirituall thiâ—st the same that was foretold by Amos. Am. 8 Ideoque subdit vers 4. saith Oecolampadius and therefore God addeth in the next verse that he will not have mercy upon her childrer but will kill them with death huâ—â— them to hell as he threateneth to do Jesâ—bel's children Ren. 2.23 Oh when the poor soul shall be in a wildernesse in a dry and thirsty land scorched and parched with the sense of sin and feare of wrath when the terrours of God fall thick upon it even the invenomed arrowes of the Almighty Besides the bufferings of Satan that haile shot hell-shot of fiery darts Eph. 6. so called for the dolour and distemper they work in allusion to the poisoned darts used in war by the Scythyans and other nations the venemous heat whereof is like a fire in the flesh when conscience I say shall by this means lie burning and boyling what would it not gieve for a cup of consolation Phil. 2.1 Gen. 16.14 Judg. 15.19 yea for any consolation in Christ as the Apostle hath it for any Beer-lahai-roi to fill the bottle at yea for any En-haccore any cleft in a jaw-bone to revive a thirsty Sampson that must else be slaine with thirst David never so desired after the water of the well of Bethlehem as he did after God in a dry and thirsty land where no water was Psal 63.1 As the hunted Hart the Hind saith the Septuagint panteth after the water-brookes so panteth or brayeth my soul after thee My soul thirsteth for God c. Oh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 42 1.2.3 when shall I come and appear before God The tears have been my meat c. Hunters say the Hart sheds tears or somthing like when hotly pursued and cannot escape He is a beast thirsty by nature and whose thirst is much increased when he is hunted The female especially in whom the passions are stronger then in males Christ that Aicleth Shachar that is the morning-Hart or stagg as he seemeth to be stiled Psal 22.1 in the title felt his soul heavie to the death in his bitter agony and tasted so deep of that dreadfull cup that in a cold winter night he swat great clods of blood which through cloths and all fell down to the ground And when this lamb of God was even a roasting in the fire of his fathers wrath he cryed out I thirst At which time men gave him cold comfort even vineger to drink but God his Father most sweetly supported him so that he might better say then David In the multitude of my perplexed thoughts within me thy comforts have refreshed my soul But what shall those poore creatures do that are strangers to the promises and have no water of the well of life to relieve them when Gods wrath is as a fire in their bones and falleth upon their flesh like molten-lead or running-bell-mettle Then they that have suckt in sin as an Ox sucks in water shall suck the gall of aspâ— and venom of vipers and have none to pitty them Francis Spira fele this spirituall thirst c. Verse 4. And I will not have mercy upon her children Lo here another And to those foure afore and more dreadfull then the rest Like as that in the 16. of Jeremy vers 13. where I will not shew you favour was worse to them then their captivity in a strange countrey Say that God do cast off his people yet if he say Ezek. 7.5 they shall be as if I had not cast them off and will hear them Zech. 10.6 the affliction is nothing so great as when he sends an evill an onely evill without mixture of mercy as here Oh this pure wrath this judgment without mercy must needs be very heavy when it is once grown to hatred there is little hope Hos 9.15 All their wickednesse is in Gilgal for there I hated them God is not of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hater of mankind but the contrary Titus 3.4 But such is the venemous nature of sin and so contrary it is to Gods both holy nature and just law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he cannot but hate it in whomsoever he finds it yet with this difference that he pitties it rather in his Saints hates it in his enemies as we hate poyson in a toad but we pitty it in a man because in the one it is their nature in the other their disease And as revenge is the next effect of hatred wicked men may expect no better dealing from God then a man would afford to his stubborn enemy Pharoah had plague upon plague neither did the Lord leave him till he had dasht the breath out of his body so true is that of the Psalmist Psal 18. With the froward thou wilt wrestle and that of Solomon The back slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes He hath made a match with mischief he shall have his belly-full of it Prov. 14 He would needs have his own way and had it for I would have purged him but he would not be purged Now I will have my way another while for thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Ezek. 24.13 So our Saviour to those refractory Jewes in the Gospell I would have gathered thee as the hen gathereth her chickens I would but thou wouldst not therefore they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee And I will not have mercy upon her children Lo God is so incensed by a generall defection that he will make havock and destroy even the mother with the children which was Jacobs great fear Gen. 32.11 yea he will dash the mother in pieces upon the children as Shalman did at Betharbel Hos 10.14 he will put young and old into the same bag together as fowlers deal by birds which yet was forbidden by a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qualis mater talis filia Partus sequitur ventrem Deut. 22.6 his eyes shall not spare children as Isai 13.19 And why For they are the children of whoredoms They are maliex malis as Hierom interprets it they love and live in the adulteries of their mother they take after her as the birth usually followeth the belly and as in a Syllogisme the conclusion followes the weaker proposition Those Jewes in the Gospel boldly boasted
all those Abby-lubbers are good for nothing but to devour grain like vermine those wine-bibbers and flesh-mongers as Salmon calleth them are no better then the execrements of humane society gelulim belly-gods and fit servants of those dungy-gods as idols are called Hab. 2.18 with Ezek. 4.17 18. And a scavenger whose living is to empty privies is far to be preferred before such an one as looking to other gods and making his gut his god lives but to fill privies For a flagon of wine or a meals-meat any god may soon have the hearts and services of such as have Poliphemus-like no supream deity but their belly Verse 2. So I bought her to me God is to be obeyed though it go never so much against the heart Epictet and the hair with us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Follow God was a Heathen but an honest precept This he that would do must first deny himself and say with that Dutch Divine Veniat veniat verbum Dei c. Let a word of command come forth from God and we will submit thereto though we had six hundred lives to lose yea though we can see no reason for it Indeed in humane governments where reason is shut out there tyranny is thrust in But where God commandeth there to ask a reason is presumption to oppose reason is 〈◊〉 rebellion I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver That is fifteen shekels or shillings or thereabouts no great price it was that he gave for her whether for hire or dowry probably it was in order to marrying her and in reference to that law Deut. 21.11 Israel was once a precious people Gods peculiar treasure such as comprehended all his gettings The Jews have a saying that those seventy souls that went down with Jacob into Egypt were more worth then all the seventy Nations of the earth beside But now behold how cheap they are grown they are valued all of them at fifteen pieces of silver a goodly price Zach. 11.12 Matt. 27.9 If the tongue of the righteous be as choice silver yet the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10.20 There as in the Sea is that Leviathan the king of all the children of pride and there are creeping things innumerable crawling lusts and lawlesse passions but for any thing of worth it is not there to be had Hence as at the last destruction of Jerusalem thirty Jews were sold for one penny so here the whole body of the Nation are bought and sold for a small sum How weak is thine heart how light-cheap saith the Lord God to this light-huswife seeing thou dost all these things Ezek. 16.30 the work of an imperious whorish woman God and his people reckon of men by their righteousnesse He looked down from heaven to see who sought after God c. Psal 14.3 As for others he regards them no more then men do drosse draffe chaffe or such like refuse stuffe Psal 119.119 Psal 1.3 c. what ever great thoughts they take up of themselves and how ever the world rate them Antiochus Epiphanes that great king of Syria is called a vile person Dan. 11.21 And the adversary is this wicked Haman saith Esther that was his true title which he perhaps never heard till now And an homer of barley and an half homer of barley God buyes not this people though for never so little to starve them but alloweth them alimony though not so fine a food barley and not wheat See Revel 6.5 prisoners pittance course fare such as slaves and beasts are fed with as she had been like horse and mule Psal 32. and lest she should wax fat and kick she is held to strait allowance Whereby is signified the mean and low condition that the ten Tribes and afterwards all the Jews should be in till Christ came to marry them to himselfe First they should be valued but at half the price of a slave Secondly they should be coursly fed as beasts with barley or perhaps not so well as the Jews beasts for among them the mouth of the Ox treading out their corn might not be muzled But the Heathens were wont to put an Engin about their servants necks This engin was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it reached down to their hands that they might not so much as lick of the wheat-meal when they were siâ—ting it Now they were scattered among the Heathen and sold to the Nations for nought Psal 44.11 12. They that were wont to feed delicately were desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embraced dunghils Lam. 4.5 their flagons of wine were turned into tankards of water and their bellaria or junkets so the Septuagint render it and not flagons into brown-bread horse-bread that so those whom pride Ezek. 16.49 fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse had undone hardship and penury might reduce to duty God would seem for a time to have forgotten them that they might at length remember themselves he loves to chastise mens insolency with indigency as he did Hagars Gen. 21.15 and the Prodigals Luke 15. who for his swinish life was brought to swines-meat and thereby brought home to his father It is the way of God to humble those he intendeth good unto to prepare them for mercy by cutting them short of these outward comforts Though this be here a threatning yet there is a promise in it verse 3. that God will take off the smarting plaister so soon as it hath eaten out the proud flesh It is in very faithfulnesse that he afflicteth his people because he will be true to their souls and save them And hence it is that he so diets them and keeps them short that he may do them good in the latter end that he may change their bricks made in their bondage into Saphires and Agates See Exod. 24.10 with Isai 54 11. Verse 3. Thou shalt abide for me many dayes Even till the last dayes verse 5. or last year as Ezekiel hath it chap. 38.8 Thus they have abode or sat as a desolate widow so the Hebrew hath it 700. years before Christ and above 1600. years since in a most forlorn condition crying out in their daily prayers to God Veniat regnum trum bimherah bejamenu Let thy kingdom come speedily even in our dayes And again Aedificu templum tuum aedifica aedifica citò citò citò Lord build build build thy Temple quickly quickly quickly But Gods time is not yet come for they are not yet throughly humbled Were they but ripe he is ready when help is seasonable his fingers itch saith One to be doing as the mothers breast akes when it is time the childe had suck Exod. 12.40 41. At midnight were the first-born slain and Israel sent away because then exactly the 400. or 430. years of their captivity in Egypt were expired So Dan. 5.30 In that night was Belshazzar slain because then exactly the seventy years were ended God promiseth to take this
businesses and transactions in contracts and covenants he removeth bounds who cozeneth and circumventeth another in any matter 1 Thes 4.6 These must remember that God is the avenger of all such Heb. 10. and that it is a fearfull thing to fall into the punishing hands of the living God The Papists fall foul upon us as Innovatours and removers of the ancient bounds because we reject their Ecclesiastical traditions and unwritten verities as they call them commended unto us by the Ancients and embraced by whole nations for many ages To whom we answer that Multitude and Antiquity are but ciphers in Divinity they must at least have no more authoritie then what they can maintain Let them boast with the Gibeonites of their old shooes mouldy bread c. we hold us to the Scriptures for our limits and land-markes unmoveable and immutable And when they shall ask us as they oft do where was your Religion before Luther we answer as one once did In the Bible where yours never was Erasmus met with an adversary so silly as to charge him for a remover of the ancient bounds Erasm in Apolog. because he had anew Translated the New Testament a work of singular use to the Church of Christ in those dark times therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water which shall overflow the bankes to overwhelm those that remove the bounds Yea God will pour it upon them by whole pailefuls or spouts as they call them at sea Or if but by vials as Rev. 16.1 which are vessels of narrow mouthes and pour out slowly howbeit they drench deeply and distill effectually the wrath of God which wretched sinners shall never be able to avoid or abide Oh when God shall set himself to set open the cataracts of his wrath as once at Noahs flood and to come against a sinner with a deluge of destruction to pour out his indignation upon him as water hastily heavily irresistibly what will he do and where will he finde refuge This made David pray so hard Let not the waterfloods overflow me nor the deep swallow me up Psal 69.15 It is the privâ—ledge of every godly person that in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh to him Psal 32.6 Or if they come up to his neck yet they shall not take away his breath for his head is ever above water Washt he may be as Paul was in the shipwrack drowned he cannot be Sink he may seem to do once and again to the bottom but he shall up again with Jonas if out of the deep he call upon the Lord who will set him on a rock that is higher then he Verse 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement Calumniam passus est Ephraim so the vulgar hath it Ephraim was false accused and slandered he suffered much by Sycophants who depraved his good actions drew him before the judgement-seats and there oppressed him as Jam. 2.6 But the word here used signifieth all manner of injuries and oppressions whether by vexatious suits by fraud or by force virulent tongues or violent hands wrangling or otherwise wronging a man to his crushing and utter undoing many times For a poor man in his house is like a snaile in his shell crush that and you kill him Ephraim was crushed in judgement by his countrymen who would do him no right but much more by the cruell Assyrians who soon after this carried him captive and left him without all remedy of law without hope of a better condition or place for a worse And what wonder though men so set against him when God was pouring out his wrath upon him as water sith all creatures are up in arms against Gods rebels If the cause go against a man though he have never so much right on his side for oft-times cedit viribus aequum might overcomes right and he be broken in judgement Let him see whether things be right between God and himself and if broken in judgement let him be of a broken spirit and he shall be relieved because he willingly followed after the commandment He was too sequacious and obsequious to Jeroboam and his Princes commanding him to worship the golden calves Queniam voluit juit like a tame fool or at least as a foolish childe so this Prophet calleth him he was soon won over he came off with little ado Jeroboam did but hold up his finger and he had him straight A mere fatuellus carried away to those dumb idols even as he was led 1 Cor. 12.2 a Melchite such a generation of Heretickes there were in the Primitive Church Niceph. so called because they followed the examples and decrees of the Emperours resolving to be of the Kings Religion whatsoever it were right or wrong The Russians are such at this day God and their Emperour they say know best what 's truth or falshood and it is their part to obey not to enquire But all Christs sheep are rationall and will try before they trust look before they leap the spirituall man judgeth all things yet he himself is judged by no man 1 Cor. 2 15. Shew him a clear text of Scripture for what you would perswade him to and convince him thereby that it is the minde of God and you may have what you will of him Jam. 2.1 But for these masters of opinions such as are magistri nostri Parisienses that obtrude their own placits upon people and require to be beleeved upon their bare word without further proof he abhors them And for the decrees of Princes and Rulers if they crosse the Scriptures he will take leave to disobey them as the Apostles did Acts 4.19 as the three children in Daniel did and Daniel himself Chap. 6. and as all the holy confessours and Martyrs both ancient and modern did Act. and Mon. The Bishop of Norwich asked Roger Coo Martyr whether he would not obey the Kings Lawes he answered yes as far as they agree with the Law of God I will obey them Then said the Bishop whether they agree with the word or not we are bound to obey them if the King were an infidell Act. and Mon. fol. 1550. Coo answered If Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had done so Nabuchadnezzar had never confest the living God True it is that Magistrates must be obeyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil those that are good must be obeyed as God those that are bad for God but then it must be in licitis in things lawfull and warrantable by the word and herein we must not frame excuse The blessed Virgin though unweildy went four dayes journey so far it was from Nazareth to Bethlehem to obey Augustus his decree the charge was not so peremptory but the obedience was as exemplary Whoso keepeth the commandment sc of the King shall know no evil thing Eccles 8.4.5 And whereas some might reply why then let 's do all the King bids us without sciscitation without further delay
carried captive two hundred thousand with much spoyle these were times of great mirth and Jollity 't is confessed But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God as the prophet Oded there bespeaks them and should not those sins be bewailed Besides are they not your brethren whom you have slaughtered and captivated and can you have any joy of such a conquest of civil wars that are nullos habitura triumphos that are such a misery as all words how wide soever want compasse to expresse Hear what the propheâ—t mos who was Hosea's contemporary saith to this Ye which rejoyce in a thing of nought so he calleth their victories present prosperity pomp and pride which say have we not taken to us horns by our own strength Behold I will raise up against you a nation O house of Israel that shall tame you and take you a link lower as they say so that your laughter shall be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse There is ever a snare or a cord in the sin of the wicked Jam. 4.9 viz. to strangle their joy with but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 For thou hast gone a whoring from thy God That 's a foul businesse and may well damp thy joy Sins are the snuffes that dimme our candlestick the leaven that sowreth our passe overs the Sanies of a plague-sore that threatneth our very life And whereas the sinnes of others are but rebellions against God the sins of his professed people are treacheries they go a whoring from their God desuper Deo suo velomisso Deo suo from under their God or laying aside their God casting him as it were into a by-corner Hence those pathetical compaints in Jeremy Chap. 18.13 Ask ye now among the heathen who hath heard such things the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing filthiness in a stewes is nothing so odious as filthiness in a Virgin And again Chap. 32.30 The children of Israel and the children of Judah have onely done evil from their youth God takes evil so hainously from them as if they had never done him any good service all their dayes or as if they were the onely sinners upon earth they were so much worse because they ought to have been better then other nations Now God expects our sorrows should be proportionable to our sins Rejoyce not therefore but by a Liptote weep and houl for the miseries that shall come upon you Thou hast loved a reward or a harlots hire upon every corn-floor i. e. Thou hast prostituted thy self to a loose Idolatry Mercedem meretriciam like to a common whore that goeth a whoring up and down the threshing floors Hence Boaz his fear lest it should be noised that Ruth had lain at his feet and that a woman came into the floor Ruth 3.14 Or else he meaneth saith Diodate some particular kind of idolatry used in the time of harvest and threshing as if they would have acknowledged their increase to come by their idols goodnesse Such was that of the Metapontines of whom Strabo storieth that when they had had a good harvest and were grown rich thereby they dedicated to Apollo at Delphos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an harvest of gold See more of this Chap. 2. with the Notes Verse 2. The floor and the winepresse shall not feed them Culpam poena premit comes Punishment attendeth sin at the heeles They had abused their plenty and ascribed it to their idols therefore shall they be cut short either in their store as Hag. 3.6.10 and 2.16 or in their strength as Hos 4.10 and 8.7 See Chap. 2.8.9 with the Notes One way or other their hopes shall be frustrated the creature shall lie to them and not answer their expectation The new wine shall fail in her Mustum mentietur ei see the like phrase Hab. 3.17 Es 58.11 Job 41.6 they shall come to the corn-floors and wine-presses as men come to a lottery with heads full of hopes but depart disappointed with their hearts full of blanks As they have lied to God idolatry is nothing else but a large lie and dealt deceitfully with him in the covenant so shall all things lie to them and not answer their hopes Look how a certain Prince paid a false traitour who for a summe of money had betrayed his countrey to him in false coyn so shall it fare with such as falsifie with God he will blast their hopes and curse their blessings cut them short in the height of their expectancies strike them in the things that their hearts are most set upon the new wine shall lie to them and so set them a howling Joel 1.5 Vers 3. They shall not dwell in the Lords land Because they would not live by the Lords lawes they shall therefore be turned out of his house so this land was called Chap. 9.3 as rebellious children that are a disturbance and a disgrace to their fathers family they shall hold no longer as tenants of him the chief Landlord because so backward to send a lamb as rent or an homage penny to the ruler of the land Esay 16.1 they were tenants at will and held upon condition of obedience Levit. 18.26 it was divided amongst them by lot Ioshua divided it amongst them and left none to himself The people gave him a portion and he was content with it though it were but a mean one in the barren mountains as Hierome noteth He had the promise that God would never leave him noâ— forsake him and he well knew that if he trusted in the Lord and did good he should dwell in the land and be verily fed Psal 37.3 He and Caleb were of another spirit and fulfilled after God therefore they onely of all that generation entred the promised land the Lords land which because Moses might not do it was a great grief to him These Idolaters here are threatened to be cashiered and cast out of this good land and to have their pleasant land laid desolate to be spewed out as the Canaanites had been before them Levit. 18.28 and so consequently to be deprived of Gods favour help and protection and altogether dispriviledged yea disinherited This was an heavy judgement to them and must be a warning to us that yet live in the bosome of the Church and under the joyful sound that we forfeit not our present enjoyments that we sinne not away our precious priviledges as the seven Churches and others have done Alterius perditio tua sit cautio We stand upon our good behaviour as they did See Deut. 30.19.20 But Ephraim shall return to Egypt which they ought to have been sensible of as a punishment long since threatned Deut. 28. ult see Hos 8.13 with the Note though now of their own accord they returned to it for fear of the Assyrian whom by their false-dealing they had justly incensed yet that should not shelter them but Gods hand would find them out and
to have a fool to their Master That 's a good saying of Solomon Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in matters of Gods worship especially for there Deus damnat quicquid arridet judicio hominum vel rationi Calv. in loc that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 all of it the work of the craftsmen And should men worship the work of their own hands what can be imagined more irrationall and sottish But it is a most righteous recompence of their errour See Esay 29.13 14. God doth blinde and blast such Rom. 1.27 causing their madnesse to appear to all and that they are men compact of meer incongruities solaecising in opinion speeches actions all nothing is more irrationall then irreligion they say of it Let the men that sacrifice kisse the calves They that is the king and his counsellours or the idolatrous priests by their appointment These were active to invite and incite men to partake of those idolatrons services Should we be lesse diligent in calling upon others to kisse the Son with a kisse of love and homage should we not be as serious and sedulous in building stair-cases for heaven as the wicked are in digging dâ—â—â—nts to hell kisse the calves That the custome of kissing in divine worship was used in all Nations is evident They kissed either the idols mouth or their own hand where the idoll stood on high so that they could not come at it in token of homage See 1 King 19.8 Job 31.27 Aderare est quasi applicare manum ad os So after the example of Dioclesian the Pope holds forth his foot to be kissed by the greatest Potentates whiles he sitteth as God in the Temple of God c. Verse 3. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud They shall vanish and come to nothing the morning cloud irradiated by the Sun seems very gay at first but is soon dispelled by it the dew lies very lovely upon the grasse and seems to impearl it but is soon dried up See chap. 6.4 The chaff lies hollow and high but is soon disperst before a whirl-wind See Psal 35.5 Dan. 2.35 Psal 1.5 The smoke rowls out of the chimney as if it were some solid substance and would muâ—â—e the whole heavens but is presently scattered Evaporat evanescit the higher it ascendeth the sooner it vanisheth See here how that is verified chap. 12.10 I have used similitudes by the ministery of my Prophets four in a breath wee have here and be hereby advertised 1. Of mans weaknesse 2. Of Gods power 3. Of the swiftnesse of Ephraims ensuing misery 4. The severity of Gods deaâ—ing with Idolaters he will leave no signe nor remaine of them he will utterly remove them as a man takes away dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till it be gone 1 King 14.19 Sic transit gloria mundi Life it self is but a shadow a dream yea a dream of a shadow Psal 144.4 profit an uncertainty 1 Tim. 6.17 pleasure a spirt honour a blast pomp a phancy Act. 25.23 the whole world a scheme or notion that hath nothing in it of any firmnesse or solid consistency Why then should wicked worldlings brag 1 Cor 7.31 and look so big Why should the Saints be affected either with it's allurements or affrightments and not cry out with that heroicall Luther Contemptus est a me Romanus favor furor I care neither for Romes favour nor fury I am neither fond of the one nor afraid of the other for all is but fumus aut funus vanity and vexation Verse 4. Yet I am the Lord thy God c. Yet for all the sorrow and though I thus threaten thee for since I spake against thee I do earnestly remember thee still c. Jer. 31.20 It is easie to observe all along this Chapter an interchange of menaces and mercies as in the preceding verse and this so verse 8. and 9. verse 13. and 14. verse 16. and chap. 14.1 to shew how soon the Lord repents him of the evil and how ready to shew mercy to the worst that return If men could but finde a penitent heart he would easily finde a pitying heart like as David would have been friends with Absalom after all the unkindnesse would he have been but better at last To reduce Ephraim it was that this Chapter like checquer-work is made up of promises and threatnings that the tartnesse of the one might make him the better to taste the sweetnesse of the other Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt See the Note on Chap. 12.9 He was their God before Gen. 17.7 but then he mainly manifested himself so to be when he brought them thence with a strong hand and so declared himself to be Jehovah Exod. 6.2 yea I am ready to shew thee the like mercy still for I remember saith he the kindnesse of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse in a land that was not sowen Ier. 2.2 and thou shalt know no God but me i. e. Effectually acknowledge worship serve love none save me Deut. 13.2 Gal. 4.9 Thou shalt experience none other it is a blessed thing to be ignorant of false-worship and not to be insighted into or versed in the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 Thou shalt not enquire how these Nations worshipped their gods Deut. 12.30 Ahaz got hurt by seeing the Altar at Damascus Many that will needs see the Popish-service are ensnared thereby for there is no Saviour beside me This is a Title that God much glorieth in See Esay 60.16 and 63.1 Act. 5.31 and we should go oft to him in this Name as Ier. 14.8 sith he is able to save them to the utmost that come unto him Heb. 7.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to save them perpetually and perfectly He is a sole Saviour a thorow Saviour a Saviour in solidum and doth not his work to the halves as Papists make it How blasphemous is that direction of theirs to dying men to say Joyn Lord mine obedience with those things which Christ suffered for me c. Verse 5. I knew thee in the wildernesse in a place of great drought In terra torridissima where I gave thee pluviam escatilem petram aquatilem as Tertullian phraseth it where I gave thee bread from heaven set the flint abroach Tert. de patientiae Psal 78.20 24 kept thy clothes whole and fit kept back thine enemies led thee by a pillar of cloud sent thee in flesh at Even and bread in the Morning served thee as never Prince was served in his greatest pomp And wilt thou yet kisse the calf qui te nec servat nec satiat ut ego who neither saveth thee nor satisfieth thee as I have done not suffering thee to lack any thing Deut. 2.7 but crowning thee with loving kindnesse
been so foolish as to think that dumb Idols that cannot help themselves should help us But now we are otherwise resolved experientiâ edocti poenitentiâ ducti we finde at length that which we should have beleeved sooner without trying conclusions that men of high degree are but a lie that horses are but a vanity that an Idol is nothing and can give nothing That power belongeth unto thee none else can do it that mercy belongeth unto thee none else will do it therefore since in thee onely the fatherlesse that is the friendlesse and shiftlesse finde mercy O be thou pleased to do us good For in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy The poor pupil the forlorne orphan that 's left to the wide world and lost in himself cries out Lord I am hell but thou art heaven Miseria res digna misericordiâ Ruperti Imp. symb c. I am an abject oh make me an object of thy pity Jer. 39.17 Because they call thee an outcast saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after therefore I will restore health unto thee c. The proud Assyrian and other enemies would be apt to insult over Israel as afterwards Cicero did The Jewish Nation saith he shew how God regards them that have been so oft overcome by Pompey Crassus c. But let Gods people be but fatherlesse enough let them withdraw their confidence from men and means and cast it wholly upon God making him their Tutour and Protectour and they shall be both preserved and provided for Deo confisi nunquam confusi I will not leave you orphans saith Christ Job 16. Hence the Church resteth on God in the fail of other comforts Psal 10.14 17 18. Psal 27.10 Hab. 3.17 Psal 102.13 The prayer of the destitute he regards The Hebrew word signifies a poor worthlesse shrub in the wildernesse trod upon by beasts unregarded Verse 4. I will heal their back-slidings Relapses we know are dangerous and Apostasie little lesse then incurable 2 Pet. 2.20 21. Heb. 6.6 Bishop Latimer in a sermon afore King Edw. 6. tells of one notorious back-slider that repented but beware of this sinne saith he for I have known no more but one that did so To fall forward is nothing so dangerous as to fall backward with old Eli. Hence Paul so thundreth against the Galathians and Peter against apostatizing Libertines 2 Epist 2.22 Omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus Isidor But if Jehovah the Physitian as he is called Exod. 15.26 undertake the cure and say I will heal their back-slidings what can hinder Christ in the Gospel cured the most desperate diseases such as all the Physicians in the countrey might have cast their caps at Matt. 4.23 24. and 8.16 He refused none that came to him Matt. 12.15 no not his enemies as Malchus Will he then reject his Ephraim a child bemoaning himself though not a pleasant childe a towardly sonne Jer. 31.18 20. a back-slider indeed but such an one as crieth now that God bindeth him Job 36.13 No sooner doth God cry Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings I will love you freely but Ephraim melted with such a love replieth Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Ier. 3.22 O most happy compliance See the like Zach. 13.9 with the Note there They shall return even to the Lord from whom they had deeply revolted and he shall be intreated of them and shall heal them Esay 19.22 They had beg'd of him to take away all iniquity verse 2. And He here in answer promiseth to heal their back-slidings that compound of all iniquities that falling-sicknesse that oft hales hell at the heels of it Heb. 10.38 I will love them freely Ephraim might remember and Satan would be sure to suggest that the Prophet had said before Ephraim is smitten or wounded My God will cast them away or hate them Mine anger is kindled against them Chap. 8.5 and 9.16 17. Here therefore upon their repentance all this is graciously taken off in one breath and Satan silenced Be it that they are back-sliden and sore wounded by their fall I will heal their back-slidings and make their broken bones to rejoyce Be it that there is nothing at all in them that is laudable or love-worthy yet I will love them freely ex mero motu of mine own free absolute and independent grace and favour out of pure and unexcited love without any the least respect to their merit which is nothing better then hell Be it that they have bitterly provoked me to anger and as angry people use to do I have both threatened them and punished them yet now mine anger is turned away from them I am fully reconciled unto them in Christ will clear up my countenance toward them and remove mine heavy judgements from them Gods favour is no empty favour It is not like the Winter-Sun that casts a goodly countenance when it shineth but gives little heat or comfort If he love a man freely and out of the good-pleasure of his will cum spontaneitate as he doth all His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.8 making them accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1.6 such a man may promise himself all the blessings of this and a better life Excellent is that of Bernard Qui misit vnigenitum immisit spiritum promisit vultum c. Bern. de Temp. Aug. Confes lib. 5. c. 8. Psal 20.4 He that sent his Son for thee poured his Spirit into thee promised to clear up his countenance upon thee quid tandem tibi negaturus est What can he deny thee He that inviteth thee to feed upon the fatted-calf will not onely take away all iniquity but give good That was the second Petition they preferred and they have it answered in the next verse ad cardinem desiderij God not onely grants their prayer but fulfills their counsell Verse 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel I will give good in abundance and and this is sweetly set forth in a seven-fold Metaphor all answering to the name of Ephraim which signifieth fruitfull and to the ancient promises made unto him and all again opposite to the many contrary curses threatned in the former parts of the Prophesie under Metaphors of a contrary importance as Pareus and out of him Tarnouius have well observed As First of solid and fruit-causing dew in opposition to that vanishing and barren dew chap. 6.4 and 13.3 Secondly of the flourishing lilly contrary to those nettles thorns and thistles chap. 9.16 and 10.8 Thirdly of the well-rooted and durable trees of Libanus contrary to dry-roots chap. 9.16 Fourthly of spreading and growing branches instead of branches consumed chap. 11.6 and 9.16 and 10.8 Fiftly of trees yeelding pleasant shade and repose contrary to chap. 9.3 6. Sixtly of corn to fatisfie hunger contrary to chap. 8.7 Lastly of a Vine bringing forth excellent wine Adricom Brocard Hierom. contrary to chap. 9.16 and 10.1 And
your corrections their instructions See 1 Cor. 10.5 to 12. Greg. Mor. Ruina majorum sit cautela minorum Hast thou marked the old-way saith Eliphas to Job Chap. 22.15 16. which wicked men have trodden which were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflowen with a flood Heb. a flood was poured upon their foundation which said unto God Depart from us c He speaketh of those Antediluvian Atheists buried in one universall grave of waters See Iosh 22.20 Neh. 13.26 Iude 5 6 7. and learn to keep a Catalogue of Gods great works whether of mercy or judgement yea to polish and garnish them for the use of posterity not with vain affectation of wit not with pedantick pomp of words but with sobriety and holy gravity as here such as may stick by our children and leave impression Verse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zachala 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eruca ab erodendo Isidor lib. 12. Orig c 5. Lecusta quaft locae ustulans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which the palmer-worm hath left hath the locust eaten The palmer-worm hath its name in Hebrew from shaving because it shaveth off the fruits of the earth In Chaldee from creeping In Greek from crookning In Latine from gnawing The Locust hath its name in Hebrew from multitudo wherewith the very Sun is darkened In Latine from burning places where it spoileth In Greek from cropping the tops of corne and plants which as they fled they fed upon The Canker-worm hath its name in Hebrew from licking In Chaldee from fleeing In Greek and Latine from feeding upon the flowers of apples and other fruits Comester some render it Flemings call it The preacher a bombo quem polando edit from the noise it maketh as it flies The Caterpiller hath its name Chasil from wasting because it utterly consumeth all not onely fruits and leaves but tender boughes and branches Vt ita crescat oratio sicut ipsum malum to shew that as their sinne increased so did their punishment The Lord of Hosts cannot possibly want a weapon wherewith to beat a rebel neither may wicked men expect that He should lay down the bucklers first To that bold question of Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey him God made a large reply by his armies of locusts lice slies c. till Pharaoh was forced to answer himself The Lord is righteous What spoil hath been made by these despicable creatures here mentioned in other countreys Pliny recordeth Pierius testifieth that the Egyptians made the Locust an Hieroglyphick of Famine Plin. l. 11. c. 29 And although we finde not expressely set down in the holy History when this particular plague was executed yet we need not doubt but it was done according to Deut. 28.38 39. See 1 King 8.37 Verse 5. Awake ye drunkards ye Ale-stakes and Suckers Heb. Shiccorim that pour in heady and intoxicating drinks such as soon lay you to sleep and besides take away your heart Hos 4.11 rob you of your selves and lay a beast in your room Portentosum sane potionis genus saith Pliny concerning ale Lib. 14. cap. ult that excessively drunk maketh men more sleepy then dormise besides that worse sleep of carnall security Eph. 5.14 Rom. 13.11 These therefore are here called upon to be sober and watch See 1 Thess 5.6 1 Pet. 5.8 1 Pet. 4.7 ye to weep and howl to turn their laughter into mourning and their joy into heavinesse And why For their sinne they should have done as that drunkard in the Ecclesiasticall History that toucht with a sense of his sin wept himself blind but here they are sarcastically called upon to weep for their great losse as they esteem it Vinum merum nondum dilutum Because of the new-wine for it is cut off from your mouth As many things fall out betwixt the chin and the challice the cup and the lip You made account to have mouthed it to have swilled your souls as they say and to have swallowed it down your wide gullets But behold it falls out somewhat otherwise the caterpiller hath been before you and left you nothing better then Adams-ale to tipple This is cold comfort to the drunkard whose Word is that of the Vine in Jothams parable Non possum relinquere vinum meum Take away my liquor Aug. de temp ser 131. you take away my life Austin brings him in saying Malle se vitam quà m vinum eripi He had rather lose his life then his wine And Ambrose tells of one Theotimus that being told by his Physicians that much quaffing would make him blinde Vale lumen amicum said he Farewell sweet eyes if ye will not bear wine ye are no eyes for me This drunkard would rather lose his sight then his sin his soul then his lust Such kinde of persons are like the Panther which is said to love the dung of man so much as if it be hang'd on high from it it will skip and leap up and never leave till it have burst it self in pieces to get it and this is the way they take that creature God will take these naturall brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed 2 Pet. 2.14 after another manner He will not onely cut them short enough here Grand sign Serag 186. but turn a cup of fire and brimstone down their throats Psal 11.6 which will be worse to them then that ladle full of boyling lead poured down the throat of a drunken Turk by the command of a Bashaw Verse 6. For a nation is come up upon my land A nation sc of vermine Sic columella de apibus Virgil. de piscib Hom. de muscis by swarmes as vers 9. called afterwards an army chap. 2.11 and a people chap. 2.2 See the like Prov. 30.25 26. Is come that is shortly shall come Vpon my land this glorious and goodly land as it is called Dan. 11.16 Tarnouius makes this by a mimésis to be the drunkards lamentation A nation is come up c. Strong and without number yea therefore strong because without number insuperable because innumerable Feeble they are and yet formidable because set on by God Almighty whose warriers they are as the Roman spoylers are called Matt. 22.7 And perhaps the Assyrians may here be hinted at I doubt not but the literall sence is chiefly intended Neither can I concur with Oecolampadius who holdeth it to be Propheta indignum unbeseeming the Prophet to preach thus concerning worms and locusts For concerning such poor creatures deal the Prophets by the instinct of the Holy Ghost in sundry other places Prov. 6.6 Am. 4.9 and 7.1 Nahum 3.15 Whose teeth are the teeth of a lion that is they devour all that is in their way as there is no standing before a lion no not before a moth that hath commission to crush a man Job 4.19 Verse 7. He hath laid my vine wast The Prophet proceeds in aggravating the the calamity that he
these all serve them as Absoloms mule did her master hanging betwixt heaven and earth but rejected of both Let a man be as swift as Asahel God can easily overtake him Life of Edw. 6. by St. Ioh. Heyw. his sin will find him out and he shall but in running from his deâ—â—â— run to it as the Historian speaketh of those Scots defeated by the English at Muscleburough fled that they so strained themselves in running for their lives that they fell down breathlesse and dead Surely as the coney that flies to the holes in the rocks doth easily avoyd the dogs that persue her when the hare that trusts in the swiftnesse of her legs is at length overtaken and torne in peeces So those that trust in God shall be secured whereas those that confide in themselves or the creature shall be surprized and come to an ill end David ran to God in distresse and was releeved Saul goes to the witch and from thence to the swords-point Judas to the Pharisees and thence to the halter the strong shall not strengthen his force but be made weake as water None of the men of might have found their hands Psal 76.5 their hands are palsied their sinews crackt and cripled It is God that both strengtheneth and weakneth the armes in the day of battle Ezek. 30.24 Verse 15. Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow Arcitenens though he can do it never so dexterously yet if he trust in his bow Psal 44 6. God will break it Ier. 49 35. Herodot Aug. de civ Dei l. 5. c. 26. or otherwise render it unusefull as it befell the army of Senacherib in Egypt of Maximus against Theodosius and the French in the battle between our Edward the third and their king Philip who being enraged with a defeat Daniels hist 237. resolved presently to revenge it being elevated with an assured hope of triumphant victory But it fell out otherwise for there fell at the instant of the battle a piercing showre of raine which dissolved their strings and made their bowes unusefull c. neither shall he that rideth the horse though it be as good an one as Cain is fained by Dubertas to have mannaged or as Alexanders Bucephalus or Julius Caesars great horse serviceable and full of terrour A horse is so swift that Iob saith he eateth up the ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pansan and the Persians dedicated him to their God the Sun as the swiftest creature to the swiftest power-divine But as the sun in heaven can neither be out-run nor stopt in his race so neither by men nor meanes can God be frustrated or his anger avoyded the Canaanites had both horses and charrets the Israelites had neither and yet they found an horse a vaine thing for victory c. Psal 33.17 and 147.10 Verse 16. And he that is couragious Heb. strong of his heart a Cucurdelion as one of our kings was called Egregie cordatus homo one of a Roman resolution to vanquish or die they were wont to say of cowards in Rome that there was nothing Romane in them But let a man be as bold as Brutus whom One pronounced Romanorum ultimum the last of the Romanes as if after Rome had brought forth no couragious man and worthy of her self Let him be couragious among the mighty such as were those Lion-like chieftaines among Davids worthies Scanderbeg Zisca Huniades who was in that unhappy battle at Varna by a just hand of God upon him for joyning with that perjured Popish king Ladisâ—aus beaten out of the field and forced to flee away naked in that day escaped narrowly with his life as he did also another time when after a slaughter of 34000. Turks he was compelled to save himself by flight and all alone by uncouth wayes to travell three dayes and nights without meat or drink and afterwards being on foot and disarmed which is here meant by naked confer Esay 20.3 Mich. 1.8 1 Sam. 19.14 Turk hist 310. Mr. Clarks Life of Hunniad pag. 98. he fell into the hands of two notable theeves who despoiled him of his apparrel c. and on the next day he light upon a shephard of whom he for Gods sake craved something to eat and obtained bread and water and a few onions as the Turkish history hath it CHAP. III. Verse 1. HEare this word that the Lord hath spoken c. Here beginneth the second sermon tending to confirme what had been affirmed in the former and evincing the equity of the judgements there threatened for their hatefull ingratitude and other horrible offences condemned and cryed out upon by the very Heathens heare this word Verbum hoc decretorium this notable word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Mat. 22.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are three articles in the Originall and there is not the least tittle in the text upon which there hangeth not a mountaine of sense say the Rabbies this neck-verse that the Lord hath spoken And shall he not do it who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered Ioh. 9.4 against you O children of Israel By his word Christ many times secretly smites the earth Es 11.4 that is the consciences of carnall men glued to the earth He sets a continuall edge upon the word and consumes them by his rebukes till he have wearied them with his secret buffets and terrours and then in the end casts them into a reprobate sense as he did the Pharisees who were toties puncti repuncti minime tamen ad resipiscentiam compuncti against the whole family The Dodecaphylon all the twelve tribes Malcolâ—n in Act. Apost the whole house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah Isay 48.1 God stands not upon multitudes Psal 9.17 nor matters whether it be against a nation that he speaketh and acteth or against a man only Iob 34.29 which I brought up from the land of Egypt This they oft heare of by way of exprobation as chap. 2.10 God seeming to repent him for their detestable unthankfulnesse as David did of the kindnesse he had shewed unworthy Nabal in safegarding his substance 1 Sam. 25. and to complaine as Frederick the third Emperour of Germany did that of those courtiers whom he had advanced Valer. Max. Christian Camd. Elis he found scarce any that proved faithfull to him but the worse for his courtesy or as Q. Elisabeth that in trust she had found treason Verse 2. You only have I known That is owned and honoured culled and called chosen and accepted to be my people when I had all the world afore me to chuse in Deut. 10.14 15. and nothing to move me thereto but mine own meer grace even the good pleasure of my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Not passing by the least without a sensible check the least I say that is allowed and wallowed in
Fiat without toole or toyle Esay 40.28 This the blind Heathens saw Plutarch de Iside Oâ—yr and thus hieroglyphically set forth In Thebe a town of Egypt they worshipped a God whom they acknowledged to be immortall And how painted they him In the likenesse of a man blowing an egge out of his mouth to signify that he made the round world by his word and createth the wind The worlds beesome as Rupertus calleth it wherewith God sweepeth his great house and whereby he setteth forth his inexpressible power See for this Psal 18.11 and 148.8 Iob. 28.25 Ier. 10.12 Senec lib. 5. Nat quaest cap. 18. And although we cannot tell whence it commeth or whither it goeth Iob. 3.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet can we with Cruciger contemplate the footsteps of God in this and other creatures saying with Paul that God is so neer unto us that he may be almost felt with our hands and declareth unto man what is his thought what language he hath in his heart quid sermocinetur quidve cogitet Drus what he talketh within himself as the rich fool did Luk. 12.17 Jesus knew the Pharisees thoughts yea thou understandest my thoughts afarr off saith David Psal 139.2 even before I conceive them Hierom and Theodotion referre the affix to God Eloquium suum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy reade thus Who declareth unto man his Christ sensu pio et egregio saith Mercer sed alieno for Ma-sicho they reade Meshichio perperam that maketh the morning darknesse As he did at Sodome whereon the Sun shon bright in the morning but ere night there was a dismall change So in Egypt Exod. 10.22 so in Jury at Christs death Mat. 27.45 Let this learne us to blesse God for the light both naturall Gen. 1.4 and supernaturall 2 Cor. 4.4.5 and to pray that our Gospell-sun may not set at noon-tide nor our light be put out in obscure darknesse but rather that he would make our darknesse morning for so the words may be read here by clearing up those truthes to us that yet lye in part undiscovered Oh cry after Christ as the poor man in the Gospell Lord that mine eyes might be opened Oh that thou wouldest give me sight and light Sun of righteousness shine upon my dark soule and treadeth upon the high places of the earth As being Higher then the highest Excelsus super Excelsos Eccles 5.8 terrible to all the kings of the 〈◊〉 those dread soveraignes Psal 76.12 the most high God Gen. 14.18 and 22. that hath heaven for his throne and earth for his foot-stoole yea those highest places of the earth the tops of mountains and rocks inaccessible But who is this King of glory The Lord the God of Hosts is his name Give therefore unto the Lord O yee mighty give unto the Lord Psal 29.1 glory and strength Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse c. Exalt yee the Lord our God Psal 99.5 and worship at his footstool for he is holy CHAP. V. Verse 1. HEar ye this word A new sermon as appeareth by this new Oyer not unlike that of S. Paul Act. 13.16 Men of Israel and ye that fear God give audience or rather that of Diogenes who cried out at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear O ye men And when as thereupon a great sort of people resorted to him expecting some great matter he looked about him and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I called men and not varlets They were no better surely that our Prophet had to deal with Isai 1.4 Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil-doers children that were corrupters they had forsaken the Lord provoked the Holy One of Israel they had increased revolt Hence this onerosa prophetia this word this weighty word this burdensome prophecy which I take up against you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onus Heb. lift up being scarce able to stand under the burden of it See the Note on Mal. 1.1 And it is against you not for you but that 's your own fault for do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Mic. 2.7 Excellently Austin Adversarius est nobis quandiu sumus ipsi nobis c. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are adversaries to themselves neither doth it condemne any but those that shall be assuredly condemned by the Lord except they repent But we have in a readinesse to revenge all disobedience saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.6 and if any man will hurt Gods faithfull witnesses for discharging their duties fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be killed Rev 11.5 for Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19.17 And when Elisha unsheatheth and brandisheth his sword it is a fair warning that the sword of Jehu and Hazael are at hand See Hos 6.5 Jer. 1.18 even a lamentation Heb. a very bitter lamentation Ezek. 19.14 like those of Jeremy for Judah or of the mourners in Jerusalem Ezech. 9.4 or of Christ weeping over that city Luke 19.41 42. Or of Paul bewailing his wretched countreymen Rom. 9.3 and 10.1 or of the two witnesses clothed in sackloth Rev. 11.3 the habit of mourners or of Athanasius who by his tears as by the bleeding of a chast vine sought to cure the leprosie and prevent the misery of that tainted age Heu heu Domine Deus was the cry of the ancient Christians Flete nefas magnum nam toto flebitis orbe Their books are like that in Ezekiel written on both sides Cardan and there was written therein lamentations and mourning and wo Ezek. 2.10 This of Amos was a sad song a dolefull ditty a lamentable prophesie of Israels utter destruction as it followeth in the second verse where Prophet-like hee speaketh of it as already done notwithstanding their present prosperity and tranquillity And have not Englands Turtles groaned out for a great while the sad and lamentable tunes of wo and misery to this sinfull nation and plainly foretold what we have felt already and have yet cause enough to fear Ah! great be the plagues that hang over England Act. Mon. 1667. said Mr. Philpot Martyr long since Happy shall that person be whom the Lord shall take out of this world not to see them c. And the like said Rogers our prâ—to-martyr Bradford Ridley Lever c. besides the concurrent predictions of Gods faithfull servants a-late whose hearts and tongues he hath so guided as that they all as one man have denounced heavie judgements and taken up loud lamentations against us Now as before great stormes cocks crow loud and thick so is it here and so it should be Exod. 32.31 32. Jer. 18.20 Ioel 2.17 else God will be displeased Ezech. 13.5
your God See Esay 21.9 understand Mereury Verse 17. Therefore will cause you Idolatry is a land-desolating sin beyond Damascus and not only so but also beyond Babylon Act. 7 by the way of Damascus by Tiglath Pileser sent for by Ahaz for that purpose Es 8.4 King 15.29 CHAP. VI. Verse 1. In utramv is aurem dorin WOe to them that are at ease in Zion that lye sleeping on both sides and slighting the former menaces as Leviathan doth the iron-weapons Iob. 41.27 that live as if ye were out of the reach of Gods rod and as for all your enemies ye puff at them saying We shall not be moved we shall never be in adversity Psal 10.5 6. To these sleepers in Zion God here sends forth his summons the word Hoi signifieth as well Heus as Vae Ho as Wo Esay 55.1 Zach. 2.6 Ho ho come forth that were quiet and still Zach. 1.11 lulled asleep by Satan or rather cast into a dead lethargy Sampson-like their enemies are upon them and they fast asleep the while Ishbosheth-like they stretch themselves upon their beds of ivory till they lose not their precious lives onely but their immortall souls Security ushereth in destruction those that are at ease in Zion shall be raised by a dreadfull Woe rung in their ears that shall make their hearts fall down and their hairs stand upright In the froth of carnall security and sensuall delights is bred that worm of conscience that never dieth Mar. 9. and here begins to grub and gnaw like as while the Crocodile sleepeth with open mouth the Ichneumon or Indian Rat shoots himself into his bowels after which he never is at ease as having his entrails daily devoured so that one while he will be in the water and anon after on the land till life fails him and trust in the mountain of Samaria Are carnally confident and secure as good David also was when gotten upon his strong mountain Psal 30.6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag but was soon confuted Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled The best are apt by rest to contract rust and being full-fed to wax wanton Deut. 32.15 To affect more mundi delicias quam Christi divitias as One saith the worlds dainties then Christs comforts to trust in uncertain riches then to rely upon the living God who giveth them all things richly to enjoy This must be lookt to 1 Tim. 6.17 for it hath a woe hanging at the heels of it Jer. 17.5 6. Psal 52.7 9. which are named chief of the Nations Heb. expressely named declared notified celebrated chief the head or first fruits the head and height Principium id est praecipuum gentium So Amalec is called the first of the Nations Numb 24.20 haply they held themselves so Justin lib. 2. as the Egyptians afterwards boasted much of their Antiquity and the Chinois at this day do of their excellency and perspicuity above other Nations Many wicked ones are of great renown in this world Psal 73.4 6. and stand much upon their titles and termes of honour who yet in the next generation shall be utterly forgotten Psal 109.13 for that their names are not written in heaven Rev. 17.8 and look how much they have glorified themselves and lived deliciously so much torment and ignominy shall be given them Rev. 18.7 To whom the house of Israel came The whole house of Israel viz. the two tribes to Zion the ten to Samaria Vel sacrorum causà vel judiciorum saith Drusius as to places of worship and besies courts of Justice Others sence it thus The house of Israel came unto them that is the Israelites invaded those nations that once held Zion and Samaria and succeeded them therein not by any strength of their own but by Gods mighty hand and out-stretched arm which they ungratefull wretches acknowledge not but came in for themselves so Ribera rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quasi sibi tantum nati se solos esse aliquid as if they were the onely proprietaries the sole owners of all and owed no service to any chief-Lord Such insolency grows from security See Job 21.23 Verse 2. Passe ye unto Calneh and see Take a voyage to and a view of those most famous bordering cities Calneh or Selencia in Mesopotamia on the East whereof see Gen. 10.10 the beginning of Nimrods Kingdom Hamath the great or Antiochia now Aleppo a famous Mart-town on the North. Then go down Southward to Gath of the Philistines which was of all the five satrapies potissima potentissima and is therefore called Metheg-Ammah 2 Sam. 8.1 with 1 Chron. 18.1 because being a town of great strength it was as it were the bridle whereby the whole countrey about was kept in awe It was afterwards known by the name of Diocaesarea Away to these neighbouring cities and see in them as in so many Optick-glasses how much more God hath done for you then for them in every respect the greater is your guilt and the deeper will be your judgement in the end for abuse of these rich mercies of a fertile soil a large Empire c. to security oppression and other detestable vices and villanies be they better then these kingdoms sc of Judah and Israel which were certainly multis nominibus laudatissima very fruitfull and pleasant countries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 8.7 8 9. Numb 14.7 8. whatsoever Strabo spitefully reporteth to the contrary Lib. 7. being therein worse then Rabshakeh Esay 36.17 Or their border greater then your border sc till the Babylonians Syrians and Assyrians took part of your countrey from you and cooped you up cut you short And now that you are so straitned for room doth not the Lord recompense you in multitudes of people Judea was not above 200. miles long and 50. miles broad say Geographers and yet what huge armies brought they into the field Observe then saith the Prophet the great things that God hath done for you above other Nations and walk accordingly or else take lessons out of their losses and damages and know that the case will be your own Aliorum perditio vestra sit cautio Learn by other mens harms to beware Verse 3. Ye that put farre away the evil day Wo to you that would do so if you could that fondly perswade your selves there is no such danger in evil-doing as the Prophets pretend but that all shall be hail and well with you though yee walk in the imagination of your hearts to adde drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 29.19 and to heap up sin as high as heaven Quae longinqua sunt non metuuntur Arist Rhet. l. 2. c. 5. Rev. 18.5 This cursed security and hope of impunity is the source of much wickednesse in the world See Prov. 7.19 20. Matth. 24.48 with the Notes It is a sad thing when men shall say as Ezek. 12.27 The vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he prophesieth of the times
6. and a like phrase to this Ezek 35.13 Verse 13. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate c. But have looked upon them as my people though under a cloud of calamity which will soon blow over To enter therefore into their gates for prey and spoil is to burden your selves with that burdensome stone that shall break you to drink of that poisonous cup that shall bane you to lay your hands upon that harth of fire that will burn you Zech. 12.2 3 6 Look to it hands off keep you farre from so evil a matter lest it prove as that gold of Tholouse a mischief to all that meddle with it Aurum Tholosanum thou shouldest not have looked See Verse 12. The repetition shews the hainousnesse of the sinne The Holy Ghost doth not open his mouth in vain whatever Iob did chap. 36.16 nor multiply words without reason In the day of their calamity This is thrice mentioned to shew how sensible God was of this savage dealing of theirs with his poor people who now lay under the strokes and stripes of a displeased mercy The Hebrew word here rendred calamitie signifieth a fog vapour or mistie cloud Gen. 2.6 Iob 36.27 and by a Metaphor it is put for affliction and misery as it is also in Latine Tempora si fuerint nubila solus eris Ovid. Athanas Nubecula est citò transibit said that Father Verse 14. Neither shouldest thou have stood in the cross-way To intercept those poore fugitives Who sought to save themselves by flight sith they could not by fight But alasse Vna salus victis Virg. nullam sperare salutem Seeking to shun the shelves they ran upon a rock Mischeivous Edomites way-laid them and either slew them or drew them back to prison as in the next words neither shouldest thou have delivered up Or shut up close prisoners the Residue Heb Serido the same almost with the English the letters only transposed those poore few that were yet undevoured by the sword This was greatest cruelty of all And see the Edomites progresse in it and what Proficients they prove Nemo repentè fit deterrimus Sin proceedes by degrees neither is any man at his worst at first First they looked at the churches calamity and then they laughed and then they insulted and spoke big words and then they plundered and lastly they butchered some and imprisoned other some Did not Gods enemies do all this amongst us in our late unnaturall commotions wherein besides the many massacres made every where it was a like difficult thing in those parts where they prevailed to find a wicked man in their prisons or a good man out of them Verse 15. For the day of the Lord is near c. The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth The Lord shal laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming Psa 37.12 13. the particular day of his sore punishment a type and pledge of the generall judgement that great day of the Lord as it is called Rev. 6.17 and 16.14 because the great God will on that day do great workes and determine great matters Jud. 19. But as some mens sins go before to judgement as it were by a speciall sessions preceding and anteverting the great Assises so should Edom and his neighbour Nations tast all of Nebuchadnezzars cup and whip Jer. 25. and this day is said to be neere upon them though it came not of above an hundred yeares after so is the comming of Christ to judgement neere though we presume not to set the time as some have done deceiving and being deceived as thou hast done it shall be done to thee God loves to retaliate and to oppose frowardnesse to frowardnesse Psal 18.26 contrariety to contrariety Levit. 26.18.21 severity to cruelty as he did to Adonibezek Agag Zeba and Zalmunna Jud. 8.19 and Edom here and Ezech. 35. And the heathens held this but meet as appeareth by their fables and stories of Phineus Quid fodis immeritis natis sua lumina Phineu Poena reversura est in caput ipsa tuum Ovid. So of Diomedes king of Thrace Justum est aiâ— Rhadamanthus quod quis injustè aljâ—s intulit idem subeat patiatur Arist Ethic. cast by Hercules to be devoured by his own dogs which he had so oft fed with mans flesh The like might be said of Perillus and his brazen bull whereof himself had the handsell Herein they said no other thing then what God had in the old law decreed Levit. 24.19 and Christ in the New hath confirmed Mat. 7.2 for a terrour to evill-doers who shall have like for like returned unto them and be filled with their own wayes Prov. 14.14 See Lam. 4.21 The Rabbbines conceive all this to be spoken of the Romanes whom they call Edomites Sure we are God will be even with that Romish Antichrist and render him his own in kind when he once takes him in hand as Rev. 18.6 c. Rev. 13 10. Verse 16. For as ye have drunk upon mine holy mountaine As you O Edomites have rejoyced and revelled in the ruines of Zion carousing and carolling in her calamity so shall many nations and you among yea above the rest for your excessive perfidy and cruelty drink deeply of the cup of Gods fury which hath eternity to the bottom and they shal be as though they had not been This clause makes against that other sense that some set upon the text viz. The Heathen shall drink feast and triumph over thee O Edom whom they have subdued yea they shall drink so stoutly that they shall swallow thee up and all thy substance leaving thee nothing Praeter coelum coenum as that Roman prodigall boasted he had done to himself Their exposition seemeth more probable who here begins the Consolatory part of the Prophesie and make this verse an Apostrophe to the afflicted Iews thus Aben-Ezra Tremell Mercer Levelyâ— Tarâ—â—â— Like as ye my people have drunk your part of the cup of affliction an ordinary Metaphor not in Scripture onely as Ezek. 23.32 Ier. 49.12 Mat. 20.22 but also in Heathen Writers in allusion perhaps to the cup of poyson given at Athens to Malefactours or as some think to the manner of their feasts whereat the Symposiarch or ruler of the feast Ioh. 2. gave order what and how much every one should drink so shall all the Heathen drink and that continually yea they shall not only sip of the top that which is sweetest and clearest but the dregs and sediment too they shall both drink and swallow down till such time as it hath wholly swallowed them up so that they shall be as though they had not been See for confirmation of this sence Ier. 25.25 and 49.12 And pray for the ruin of Rome so long since foretold by Sibylla Tota eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses The Prophesie is fulfilled already in Edom whose very name is lost more
the rebellious Iewes that God stileth them his people Doth he not elsewhere disclaim them and call them a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity the people of his wrath and of his curse May not all Formalists fear Jacobs fear Gen. 27.12 My father peradventure will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Our heavenly Father will surely feel us in our addresses and if he find us but complementing and contenting our selves to be called the house of Jacob he will confute our vain confidences and cut us out of the roll as he did Dan and Ephraim who were named the house of Jacob and yet for their wickednesse are passed by in the reckoning up of the twelve tribes Rev. 7. as if they were souldiers put out of pay and cashiered Is the spirit of the Lord straitned or shortned Is he a penny-father hath he but one blessing Mal. 2.15 Is there not with him the residue of the spirit plenteous redemption an exceeding abundant goodnesse even to a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.14 Where then is the fault that you are no more Jacob-like plain-hearted and perswasible that ye refuse to be reformed hate to be healed saying to me Depart and to my Prophets Drop not c. Neither curse ye nor blesse ye as he said to Balaam wherein if they should hearken to you and be ruled by you yea should you straitly threaten them with bonds to speak henceforth to no man in my name as Act. 4.17 yet my word is not bound 2 Thess 3.1 2 Tim. 2.9 but runs and is glorified my spirit is not straitned but is free and not fettered I tell you that if these Prophets should hold their peace Luk. 19.40 and not drop the stones would immediatly cry out which against change of weather do stand with great drops of water to confute your unyeeldingnesse Turn ye therefore now at my reproof behold I will turn out my spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Prov. 1.23 I will do it howsoever yea in despite of you I will do it as some sense the foregoing verse reading it thus and the original will bear it Drop ye not but they shall drop Are these his doings i.e. Such as God doth approve of or rather are these Jacobs doings tread you in the steps of your father Jacob did he ever silence the Prophets and withstand those that were sent unto him Did he not rather lie low put his mouth in the dust and crie out speak Lord for thy servant heareth Good is the word of the Lord which ye have spoken c. And whereas ye will be apt enough to replie that Iacob had no other cause for the Prophets never spake but good and comfortable things to him it is answered in the next words Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Heb. upright that pondereth his paths by the weights of my word and turneth not to the right hand nor to the left Pro. 4.26 27. but walketh exactly accurately and precisely Eph. 5.15 keeping within my precincts c. Do not my words do good to such and speak they not peace to him David felt it as sweet as honey Ps 119.103 But as honey causeth pain to exulcerate parts though of it self it be sweet and medicinal so doth the word of God to exulcerate consciences Children though they love to lick in honey 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al. Aphrod Probl. yet they will not endure to have it come neer their lips when they have sore mouths so is it here Excellently saith Saint Austin Adversarius est nobis quamdiu sumus ipsi nobis c. The word of God is adversary to none but such as are their own greatest adversaries c. It may well be compared to Moses rod which whiles he held it in his hand it flourished and brought forth almonds but being cast on the ground it turned into a serpent Did it not take hold of those refractaries Zech. 1.6 that would not take hold of Gods covenant and chuse the things that pleased him Esay 56.4 Doth it not still sting wicked people with unquestionable conviction and horrour when as great peace have they which love Gods law Psal 119.165 and nothing shall offend them Vers 8. Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy Heb. yesterday no longer ago to all their former flagitious practises they have now newly added this of execrable rapine and robbery which is still fresh and as it were flagrant in mine eyes Although the truth is that God looketh upon former sins as presently committed for as there is no beginning of eternity so neither is there any succession But let men take heed how they heap up sin lest they heap up wrath for although God may bear with people for one or two out-strayes yet when once it comes to three transgressions and to four he will not turn away the punishment Am. 1.2 and one new sin may set many old awork in the conscience making it like Ezekiels scroul Ezek. 2.12 wherein was written lamentations and mourning and woe Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons saith the Lord 2 Kin. 9.26 The word signifieth last night though it were done some while before See the word yesterday so used by the Apostle Hebraizing with his Hebrews Chap. 15.8 Some read the text thus He that was yesterday my people is risen up on the other side as against an enemy viz. raging against God and ranging against all men biting all they come aneer as mad dogs See Esay 9.21 1 Thess 2.15 they please not God but rise up in rebellion against him and are contrary to all men being rather Ismaelites then Israelites Gen. 16.12 and therefore not rightly named the house of Jacob that plain man Gen. 25.27 without welt or gard guile or gall nor could the word of the Lord do good unto them so long as their deeds were evil and they loved darknesse rather then light Joh. 3.19 Ye pull off the robe with the garment Robbing and pillaging passengers with greatest inhumanity not leaving them a rag to cover them or a crosse to blesse them with as the proverb is This was common in Scotland and Africa saith Daâ—â—â— here It was in England also till the dayes of king Alfred who first divided the land into shires and then the subjects into tenths or Tithings every of which severally should give bond for the good a bearing of each other c. Heyl. Geog. 474. By this course men were not careful onely of their own actions but had an eye to all the nine for which they stood bound as the nine had over each Insomuch that a poor girle might travel safely with a bag of gold in her hand and none durst meddle with her from men that passe by securely as
could not outlast the Temple as may be gathered from Mat. 24.3 But they some of them lived to see themselves confuted and our Saviours words verified There shal not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Vers 2. and the mountain of the house that famous house that was worthily reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world and stood upon mount Moriah As the high places of the forrest As wooddy and desert places fit onely for wild beasts Lege Luge saith one speaking of Jerusalems desolation CHAP. IV. Vers 1. BVt in the last dayes it shall come to passe God reserveth his best comforts till the last as that Ruler of the feast did his best wine Ioh. 2.10 and as the sweetest of the honey lieth at the bottome These last dayes are Gospel-dayes Heb. 1.2 times of Reformation Heb. 9.19 of Restitution Act. 3.21 called the World to come Heb. 2.5 that new heaven and earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3.13 that new Jerusalem that is all of gold Rev. 2.1 Ezekiels new Temple bigger then all the old Jerusalem and his new Ierusalem bigger then all the land of Canaan chap. 40.41.42 c. Let Popish buzzars blaspheme that description of the Temple and City Sanct. Argum. cap. 40. calling it as Sanctius doth once and again insulsam descriptionem a senselesse description so speaking evil of the things that they know not Jude 10. We beleeve and are sure Joh. 6.69 that God hath provided some better thing for us then for those under the law Heb. 11.40 viz. that great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 who should again restore the kingdom to Israel the spiritual kingdom to the Israel of God as is here foretold in the self-same words with those of Esay chap. 2.1 2. whence he is not ashamed to take it That the mountain of the house of the Lord The Church 1 Tim. 3.15 called elsewhere the mountain of the Lord and his holy hill Psal 15.1 and 24.3 and 48.2 Esay 30.17 both for its sublimity Gal. 4.26 and firmnesse Psal 46.3 and 125.1 winde and stormes move it not no more can all the power and policy of hell combin'd prevail against the Church Mat. 16.18 She is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kingdom that cannot be shaken and may better then the city of Venice take for her Posie Immota manet Shall be established in the top of the mountains Constituetur firmiter shall bee strongly set upon a sure bottom upon munitions of Rocks yea upon the Rock of Ages Mat. 16.18 Jer 31.35 Esay 33.20 Some by the house of the Lord here understand the Church and by the mountain of this house Christ whereon it is built and whom Daniel describeth by that great mountain that filled the whole earth Chap. 2.35 that stone cut out without hands that smot in pieces the four Monarchies ibid. And hence it is that this mountain of the Lords house is exalted above the hils the Church must needs be above all earthly eminencies whatsoever because founded upon Christ who therefore cannot be exalted but shee must be lifted up aloft together with him God who is rich in mercy saith that great Apostle hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.5 6. The Church is mysticall Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 she is his wife and wheresoever hee is Caius she is Caia she shineth with his beams and partaketh of his honours union being the ground of communion and people shall flow unto it As waters roul and run toward the Sea but that these waters should flow upward flow to the mountain as here is as wonderfull as that the Sun should send his beams downward to the earth when as it is the property of all fire to aspire and flie upwards This is the Lords own work and it is marvellous in our eyes Chrysost Hom 8. ad Hop Antioch The metaphor of flowing importeth the coming of people to Christ by the preaching of the Gospel 1. Freely Psal 110.3 2. Swiftly as the waters of the river Tigris swift as an arrow out of a bowe See Esay 60.8 3. Plentifully by whole Nations turned to the faith and giving up their names to Christ 4. Joyntly as verse 2. and Zach. 8.21 5. Zealously bearing down all obstacles that would damme up their way 6. Constantly and continually as rivers run perpetually by reason of the perennity of their fountains and are never dried up though sometimes fuller then some quin ut fluvij repentinis imbribus augentur saith Gualther as rivers swell oft with sudden showres and overflow the banks so beyond all expectation many times doth God take away tyrants and propagates his truth enlarging the bounds of his Church with new confluxes of Converts Verse 2. And many nations shall come and say The conversion of the Gentiles is here foretold a piece of that mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 The Jews usually call Christians in contempt Gozin the word here used and Mamzer Goi Bastard-Gentiles But either they must come under this name themselves or deny that they are the posterity of Abraham Gen. 12.2 Where God saith I will make of thee a great Nation Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord The wicked have their Come Prov. 1.11 and would not go to hell alone Should not the Saints have theirs should they not get what company they can toward heaven The Greeks call goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it doth as it were invite and call others to it and every man is willingly to run after it and to the house of the God of Jacob to the publike ordinances where wee may hear and beleeve and be sealed with that holy spirit of promise as those Ephesians were chap. 1.13 We read that Marcellinus Secundanus and some others were converted to Christianity by reading Sibylla's oracles of Christs birth and that by Chaucers Book some were brought to the knowledge of the truth But either this was not so or not ordinary for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word preached which therefore the people of God do so prize as Luther did who said Acts Mon. 767. He would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible and that without the preaching of the word he could not live comfortably in Paradise as with it hee could live and enjoy himself though it were in hell and he will teach us of his wayes Cathedram in coelis habet qui corda docet saith Austin All true Converts are taught of God Joh. 6. and then quà m citò discitur quod docetur saith the same Father how soon are men discipled how soon learn they the wayes of God whereby to serve him here and be saved by him hereafter For it
to rise from earthly things to heavenly from corporalls to spiritualls See Rom. 10.15 Esay 52.7 O Iudah keep thy solemn feasts c. which hitherto hindered by the enemy thou hast intermitted Perform thy vows made in the day of thy distresse bring presents to him that ought to be feared Psal 76.11 2 Chro. 32.23 for the wicked Heb. Belial that stigmaticall Belialist Sennacherib that lawlesse yokelesse masterlesse monster that merum scelus that is so portentously so peerlesly vitious He is utterly cut off His Army by the Angel himself by his sonnes his Monarchy by the Babylonians See Esay 27.1 2. CHAP. II. Verse 1. HE that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face Nebuchadnezzar the elder that maul of the whole earth Jer. 50.23 that brake and dispersed the Nations as a Maul or great Hammer doth the hardest stones See how like a right Pyrgopolynicis he vaunteth of his valour and victories Esay 10.8 9 10 11 c. So Demetrius was sirnamed Poliorcletes the Destroyer of cities Attilas called himself Orbis flagellum the scourge of the World Julius Caesar was Fulmen belli The thunderbolt of warre he had taken in his time a thousand Towns conquered three hundred Nations took prisoner one million of men and slain as many These were Dtssipatores indeed and dashers in pieces rods of Gods wrath and this they took to be a main piece of theit silly glory How much more honour was it to Augustine M. Cottons pref to Hilder on Joh. 4. to be stiled Haereticorum malleus the hammer of Heretikes and to Mr. Hildersam to bee Schismaticorum malleus the maul of Schismatikes and lastly to Luther that he could thus say of himself Pestis eram vivus moriens ero mors tua Papa I living stopt Romes breath And dead will be Romes death Is come up before thy face Nineveh lay high and those that went thither were said to go up Hos 8.9 Nebuchadnezzar is said here to be come up to it long before he did which sets forth Gods omniscience Known to him are all his works from the beginning of the world Act. 15.18 Psal 139.2 and present to him are all things both past and future and to come up before Nineveh's face who thought none durst have been so bold as to look her in the face But though she had been a terrour yet now shee is a scorn as was likewise Ephraim when he offended in Baal Hos 13.1 See the Note there Keep the munition watch the way c. Ironicè omnia q.d. Do all this if you think it will do any good But 't is all to no purpose you are an undone people your enemies are above fear and you below hope you have hitherto delighted in warre you shall now have enough of it you have troubled the world with your armes and Armies now you shall meet with your match a people terrible from the beginning Up therefore and do your utmost Neglect nothing that may serve for your necessary defence but it will not be for except the Lord keep the city the watch-man waketh but in vain Psal 127.1 Verse 2. For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel Both the ten tribes carried captive already and the other two vexed by Sennacheribs invasion have taken their turnes and have had their part of bitter affliction and shalt thou O Niniveh altogether escape unpunished Never think it Especially sith thou hast exceeded thy commission and exercised an unheard of cruelty upon Gods people for he was but a little displeased but ye have helped forward the affliction Zach. 1.15 See the Note there for the emptiers have emptied them out The Assyrians have spoyled and pillaged till they have left neither men nor meanes behind them such clean work they have made sweeping all before them like a sweeping raine that leaveth no sood Prov. 28.3 Omnia corradunt converrunt and marred their vine-branches that is their sons and their daughters saith Lyra their cities and villages say others like a malicious vinedresser that not only cuts off the luxurious or barren branches but pulls up the yong sprouts by the rootes and so marrs the vineyard The Assyrians endeavoured utterly to destroy the whole seed of Abraham without any mercy or compassion and this undid them The jealous and just God cannot beare with such boares out of the wood that wast his vines Psal 80.13 Ver. 3. The shield of his mighty men is made red Panoplia terrorens auget All was red a colour much affected by the Medes Persians and Caldees to shew that they were a sanguinary nation and not more gold thirsty Esai 13. Herodot Diod. Sic. Xenophon Curtius then blood-thirsty the valiant men are in scarlet A colour affected by martiall men that would seem to feare no colours The Lacedemonians used it much when they went to fight that if they should be wounded their blood might not appeare upon their apparrell for the discouragement of themselves and encouragement of the enemy by such a sight The Romish Cardinals are clothed in scarlet and are created by a red hat which the Pope giveth them in a token that they should be ready to shed their blood for the Catholike faith which if they should do as never any of them yet did they would be no better then the Devils Martyrs sith it is the cause and not the punishment that maketh a true martyr A Tiburn-tippet as plain Mr. Latimer was wont to speake would well become those scarlet-Fathers who like bels will be never well tuned till well hanged for their blood-guiltinesse and soule-murther especially In the kingdome of Naples there were two notable theeves the one named Pater-noster Reinold de idol Rom. prafet the other Ave-Maria who at severall times had murthered one hundred and sixteen men and were therefore deservedly put to a cruel death But nothing so cruel as the Pope and his Conclave deserve for their sending of so many soules daily to that great red dragon red with the blood of soules which he hath swallowed as St. Peter hath it 1 Pet. 5.8 Rev. 12.3 the charrets shall be with flaming torches Those currus falcati charrets armed with sithes and hookes with and in which they were wont to fight these shall be with flaming torches carried along in them either to light them fighting by night or else to fire the enemies houses and to terrify their hearts and the firr trees shall be terribly shaken with the rattling of the charrets and clattering of the armour In a bloody fight between Amurath the third king of Turks and Lazarus Despot of Servia the noise of warlike weapons the neighing of horses and outcries of men were so terrible and great that the wild beasts in the woods stood astonied therewith the trees seemed to be shaken and the Turkish histories to expresse the terrour of the day vainely say Turk Hist that the Angels in heaven amazed with that hideous
Iohn 10.30.38 and 14.23 2. As having the incommunicable names and attributes of God Iohn 8.58 and 20.28 Eternity Iohn 1.1 and 17.5 Infinitenesse Iohn 3.13 Omniscience Iohn 2.24 and 21.27 3. As doing the works of God such as are Creation Iohn 1.3 Conservation Iohn 5.17.3 miracles c. 4. As taking to himselfe divine Worship Iohn 9.38 and 20.28 and 14.1 This truth men must hold fast as their lives and be rooted in it getting strong reasons for what they beleeve The second ground wanted depth of earth The seed was good and the earth was good but there was not enough of it therefore the heat of the sun scorcht in up Christ is here called the Lord of Hosts and the Lord of glory Isay 6.1 with John 12.41 Jam. 2.1 Yet once it is a little while c. Adhuc unum pusillum This little little while this inch of time was the better part of five hundred years viz. Galatin lib. 4. cap 9 10. till Christ came in the flesh Heb. 12.26 the Jew-Doctours say no lesse A long time to us is but a little while to God A thousand years is but as one day to the Ancient of dayes His Prophets also being lifted up in spirit to the consideration of eternity count and call all times as indeed they are in comparison moments and points of time Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus could the Poet say D. Hall Peaâ—m What is that to the Infinite said a certain Noble-man of this Land to one discoursing of an incident matter very considerable but was taken off with this quick Interrogation So say we to our selves when under any affliction we begin to think long of Gods coming to deliver us What is this to Eternity of extremity which yet we have deserved Tantillum tantillum adhuc pusillum Yet a very little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry as in the Interim the just must live by faith Heb. 10.37 Gods help seems long because we are short We are short-breathed short-sighted apt to antedate the promises in regard of the accomplishment We also oft find it more easie to bear evil then to wait till the promised good be enjoyed Those beleeving Hebrews found by experience that the spoiling of their goods exercised their patience but staying Gods leysure for the good things he had promised them required more then ordinary patience or tarriance Heb. 10.36 Take we heed of prescribing to the Almighty of limiting the Holy One of Israel of setting him a time with those Bethulians and I will shake the heavens Not the earth onely as at the giving of the Law to purchase reverence to the Law-giver but the heavens also viz by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel whereby Satan was seen falling from heaven Luke 10.18 that is from mens hearts and the Saints set together in heavenly places or priviledges in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.6 For he that hath the Son hath life hee hath heaven aforehand 1. In pretio 2. In promisso 3. 1 Joh 5 1â— In primitiis Here then the Prophet encourageth these builders telling them that under this second Temple how mean soever it seemed he would first send Christ called the Desire of all Nations vers 7. and Peace vers 9. with Ephes 2.14 to grace it with his presence Secondly he would cause the Gospel to be preached in a pompous and powerfull manner I will shake c. Shake them to settle them not to ruine them but to refine them shake their hearts with sense of sin and fear of wrath that they may truly seek Christ For the Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 And the end of this universall shake was to shew saith Chrysostome Hom. 14. in Matth. that the old law was to be changed into the New Moses into Messias the Prophets into Evangelists Judaisme and Gentilisme into Christianisme When Christ was born we know how Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him Matt. 2.3 What a quire of Angels was heard in the air at Bethlehem and what wondering there was at those things which were told them by the shepherds Luke 2.18 Eusebius tells of three Suns seen in heaven not long before his birth Orosius tels of many more prodigies The Psalmist foretelling our Saviours coming in the flesh breaks out into this joyfull exclamation Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad let the sea roar and the fulnesse thereof Let the field be joyfull and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to judge the earth he shall judge the world with righteousnesse and the people with truth Psal 96.11 Lib. 18. de C. D. cap. 48. 12 13. and Psal 98.7 8 9. This I know is by some but not so properly understood of Christs second coming to judgement And both Augustin and Rupertus construe this text also the same way But the whole stream of Interpreters old and new carry it against them and some of them tell us of sundry strange and stupendious commotions that fell out even according to the letter in heaven earth and sea about the time of Christs birth death resurrection and soon after his Ascension when he rode about the world upon his white horse the Apostles and their successours with a crown on his head as King of his Church and a bowe in his hand the doctrine of the Gospel whereby the people fall under him Psal 45.4 and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 Vers 7. And I will shake all Nations First by the civil warres between the Triumviri not long before Christs Incarnation Secondly by the generall taxe Luke 2.3 when all went to be taxed every one into his own city Thirdly by the preaching and miracles of Christ and his Apostles whereby the Nations were shaken out of their sinfull condition and brought to the obedience of faith by effectuall conversion Thus a Lapide I will shake all Nations with wonder at so great a mystery with joy and with newnesse of life saith Sa. The Gospel saith Forbes on Revel 14. hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men First it falleth to mens ears as the sound of many waters a confused sound which commonly bringeth neither terrour nor joy but yet a wondering and acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power Mar. 1.22 23. Luke 4.32 Job 7.46 This may be in the reprobate Act. 13.41 The second effect is the voice of thunder which brings not onely wonder but fear This may also be in a reprobate as Felix The third effect proper to the Elect is the sound of harping while the Gospel not onely ravisheth with admiration and shaketh the conscience with terrour but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy Hitherto He. Certain it is that the Gospel maketh a stirre where it cometh and brings an earthquake
regno graviore regnum est See Eccles 5.7 with the Note there CHAP. II. Verse 1. I lift up mine eyes againe and looked i. e. I looked wishly not sluggishly as betwixt sleeping and waking as chap. 4. I saw further by the spirit then common sense could have carried me I beheld Ierusalem in her future glory I looked intently I took aime not by the things which are seen but by the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 Heb. 11.27 Gal. 4.26 and behold a man The Man Christ Jesus as his Mother is called a Virgin Isa 7.14 the Virgin that famous Virgin that conceived and bare a Son that gat a man from the Lord Gen. 4.1 This Man called before and after an Angel as appearing in humane shape is here seen and set forth as an Architect or Master-builder going to take the plot of his Church see Rev. 21.15 and observe by the way how in that book the holy Ghost borrows the allegories and elegancies of the Old Testament to set out the story of the New in succeeding ages Verse 2. Whither goest thou This was great boldnesse But the Prophet understood himself well enough and Christ approves and assents to it in a gracious answer here and especially verse 4. Great is the confidence of a good conscience toward God See Esay 63.16 17. Hab. 1.12 We may come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 1 Pet. 3.23 to measure Jerusalem This had been promised before Chap. 1.16 But for their further confirmation who saw a little likelyhood of such a reedifying and repeopling it is repeated Thus the Lord tendering our infirmity seals to us again and again in the holy Sacrament what he had said and sworn to us in his word Verse 3. And behold the Angel Zacharies Angel as One calleth him Went forth to take direction from Christ and to give the prophet further information See the Note on Chap. 1.9 and another Angel went out to meet him So ready is Christ to answer prayers and to satisfie his weak but willing people that draw near unto him with a true heart Heb. 10.22 If any such ask and misse it is because they ask amisse Jam. 4.3 Verse 4. Run speak to this young man Not go but Run yea fly swiftly with wearinesse of slight as Dan 9.21 Christ thinks it long ere his praying people hear from him Onely he will be enquired of by them Ezek. 36.37 Zachary seemes to have been a young Prophet and Christ remembred the kindnesse of his youth and became a wonderful counseller to him He gave to this young man or green-headed stripling knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 Epiphanius saith he was an old man and that he is called a young man because a client and disciple of the Angel that communed with him Where Angels are called men it was no dis paragement to Zachary to call himself a lad or servant considering his distance Thus Abrahams servant though old is called his boy Gen. 24.52 by a Catachresis That 's a good Note that One gives here That the Angel tells the prophet Mr. Pemble but the prophet must tell the people God using not the Ministery of Angels but men earthen vessels to bear his Name to his people Acts 8.26 and 9.6 and 16.9 Jerusalem shal be inhabited as towns without wals Or shall dwell in towns without walls viz. in the suburbs or villages there being not room enough within the walls to receive them This seemed an incredible thing to this poor remnant now returned from Babylon But it is the property and duty of beleevers to trust God upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things improbable for the multitude of men and cattel therein That is saith Augustine of spiritual and carnal persons in the Chuch Catholike Verse 5. For I saith the Lord Igneus qui cominus arceat eminus terreat Theodor. will be unto her a wall of fire The Church Christs garden may seem to lie open to all incursions and disadvantages but as it hath a well within it Cant 4. So it hath a wall without it yea round about it better and stronger then that about Babylon or Susa in Persia the stones whereof were joyned together with gold as Cassiodorus testifieth Lib. 7. Var. Epist The Lacedemonians were forbidden to wall in their city of Sparta as being sufficiently fortified by the valour of the inhabitants The Hollanders will not wall the Hague though it have 2000 housholds in it as desirous to have it counted rather the principal village of Europe then a lesser city China is said to be surrounded with a strong wall of stone and England with walls of wood sc A puissant Navy But what 's all this either for defence or offence to a wall of fire who dare venture to scale such a wall It is not valour but madnesse to fight with a flame Fire is terrible to the fiercest creatures as Lions Leopards c. Shepheards and travellers were used to guard themselves by making great fires round about their night-lodgings to keep of wild beasts Some think the prophet alludeth to that custome others to the Angel guarding of Paradise with a flaming sword Instit Lib. 2. Cap 13. that is saith Lactantius with a wall of fire The Church may sit and sing we have a strong city salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks Esay 26.1 Heb 1.7 Gen. 32.1 He maketh his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fire These met and ministred unto Jacob at Mahanaim making a lane for him These are the watchmen over the walls of the new Ieru salem and of the mountains about the same Isai 62. as the word importeth These fiery charets and horsmen appeared for Elisha by whole legions 2 Kin. 6.17 and do still pitch their camp round about the godly Psal 34.8 Who therefore cannot but be safe as being guarded by the peace of God within them and by the power of God without them through faith unto salvation and will be the glory in the midst of her God is the Churches both bulwark and beauty her muniment and ornament His presence his worship his Grace his protection is that tower in the midst of her Esay 5. that golden head of the picture that tower of the slock and strong hold of the daughter of Gods people Mic. 4.8 Hence the Ark is called the glory Rom. 9.4.5 and all comforts without it but Icabods 1 Sam. 4.20 Hence Judea is called the glorious land and Heathens are brought in saying Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people For what nation is there so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Deut. 4.5 6 7 And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and â—udgments so righteous as all this law c. Surely as Samsons strength and glory lay in
their cruelty the valour of the patients the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and belief bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers These were those lion-like men of the tribe of Judah that took the kingdom by violence Judah which signifieth the Confessour had the kingdom as Levi had the Priest-hood both forfeited by Reuben who was weak as water Gen. 49. and I will save the house of Joseph that is Ephraim but for the ten tribes whom God here promiseth to save not to bring back saith the Geneva-Note on Ver. 9. But others there are that gather from these words and these that follow that God will not onely preserve them but reduce and resettle them in their own countrey yea and multiply them so abundantly as that their countrey shall not be able to hold them Verse 10. Whence cometh Ashurs and Egypts subjection to Christ that is all the tract of the East and of the South verse 1. and their perpetual establishment in the faith Verse 12 And I will bring them again to place them I will place them in their houses as Hos 11.11 The Sept. render it I will cause them to dwell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compos The Caldee I will gather together their captivity Some special mercy is assured them by this special word of a mixt conjugation for I have mercy upon I them Here 's a double cause alledged of these so great and gracious promises and both excluding works First Gods mere mercy Secondly his Election of grace for I am the Lord their God This latter is the cause of the former for God chose his people for his love and then loveth them for his choice The effects of which love are here set down 1. That he heareth their prayers I will hear them 2. That he reaccepteth and restoreth them in Christ as if they had never offenced against him They shall be as though I had not cast them off That was a cutting speech and far worse then their captivity Jer. 16.13 When God not onely threateneth to cast them out of their countrey into a strange land but that there he would slew them no favour Here he promiseth to pitty them and then they must needs think deliverance was at next door by and they shall be as though I had not cast them off And this the sooner and the rather because they called them out-casts saying This is Zion whom no man seeketh after Jer. 30.17 The Jewish Nation saith Tully shew how God regards them that have been so oft overcome viz. by Nehuchad-nezzar Pompey c. God therefore promiseth to provide for his own great name by being fully reconciled to his poor people whom the world looked upon abjects for I am the Lord their God And if I should not see to their safey Psal 119. it would much reflect upon me This David well knew and therefore prayes thu I am thine Lord save me and will hear them Or I will speak with them speak to their hearts It is no more saith One then if a man were in a fair dining-room with much good company and there is some speciall friend whom he loveth dearly that calleth him aside to speak in private of businesse that neerly concerneth him and though he go into a worse room yet he is well enough pleased So if God in losse of friends houses countrey comforts whatsoever will speak with us will answer us the losse will be easily made up Philip Lantgrave of Hesse being a long time prisoner under Charles 5. was demanded what upheld him all that time He answered that he had felt the favour of God and the Divine consolations of the Martyrs There be Divine comforts that are felt onely under the crosse I will bring her into the wildernesse and there speak to her heart Hos 2.13 Israel was never so royally provided for with Manna Quails and other cates as when they were in the wildernesse The crosse is anointed with comfort which makes it not onely light but sweet not onely not troublesome and importable but desirable and delightful saith Bernard Thy presence O Lord made the very gridiron sweet to Laurence saith another How easily can God make up our losse and breaches Verse 7. And they of Ephraim shall be as a mighty man The same again and in the same words for more assurance because the return of the ten Tribes might seem a thing more incredible Erant enim quasi putridum cadaver saith Calvin here they were as rotten carkasses and they had obiter onely heard of these promises as if some grain of feed should be dropt by the high-way-side for they were now as aliens from the Common-wealty of Israel and their hert shall rejoyce as throught wine Which naturally exhilarateth Psal 104.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is called by Plato one of the Mitigaters of humane misery See Prov. 31.6 with the Note Some nations use to drink wine freely before they enter the battel to make them undaunted Some think here may be an allusion to such a custom I should rather understand it of that generous wine of the spirit Eph. 5.18 yea their children shall see it Therefore they were not to antedate the promises but to wait the accomplishment which should certainly be if not them yet to theirs after them even a full restauration in due season Verse 8. I will hisse for them and gather them As a shepheard hisseth or whistleth for his flock See Judg. 5.16 where it should not be translated the bleatings of the flocks but the hissings or whistlings of the shepheards to their flocks when they would get them together God who hath all creatures at his beck and check can easily bring back his hanished gather together his dispersed with a turn of a hand Zech. 13.7 with a blast of his mouth as here as if any offer to oppose him herein he can blow them to destruction Iob. 4.9 He can frown them to death Psal 80.16 He can crush them between his fingers as men do a moth Psal 39.11 and crumble them to crattle Psal 146.4 Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Psal 49.14 For I have redeemed them I have in part and that 's a pledge of the whole my hands also shall finish it as Chap 4.9 God doth not his work to the halves neither must we but if he shall be All in All unto us we must be altogether His Cant. 2.16 His is a covenant of mercy ours of obedience which must be therefore full and finall as Christ hath obtained for us an entire and everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 and they shall increase as they have increased By verue of that promise to Abraham Gen. 13.16 I will multiply thy seed as the dust of the earth and Gen 15.5 as the stars of
and it soon repents him concerning his servants Prov. 12 10. but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel Those shepheards in the former verse were grievous wolves what wonder therefore that they spared not the flock Act. 20.29 But yet whiles God pittied them there was hope in Israel concerning this thing as He said Ezr. 10.2 whereas now that Gods soul is disjoynted from them and his bowels shut up desolation must needs be at â—ext door by Ier. 6.8 Jer. 17.17 Be not thou a terrour unto me O Lord said that Prophet and then I care not though all the world frown upon me and set against me But woe be to Lo-ruamah the people of Gods wrath and of his curse I have noted before out of Ier. 16.13 that Gods I will shew you no favour was worse then I will cast you out of this land I will deliver the men Heb. I will make them to be found pulling them out of their starting holes and lurking places Evil shall hunt the violent man to destroy him Psal 140.11 every one unto his neighbours hand As into the hang-mans hand this was fulfilled especially during the siege by the seditious within the walls of Jerusalem Josephâ—d bel Jâ—d l. 6. cap. 2. and 4. one man proving a wolf nay a devil to another and into the hand of his king The Roman Emperour who disclaimed indeed the name of a king to avoid the hatred of the people and yet exercised the full power of kings both at home and abroad These lews first subdued by the Romans and reduced into a province did afterwards rebel though they had once in opposition to Christ cryed out we have no king but Caesar and were therefore after five moneths siege utterly ruined For what with extremity of famine and what with the fury of the sword there perished in Jerusalem and in the province adjoyning Joseph vâ—i supra as Eusâ—buis affirms about 600000. able men to bear armes Or as Josephus holds who was an eye-witnesse and prelent in the war there died 1100000. besides others taken captive to the number of 97000. and I will smite the Land So that it hath lain as it were bed-ridden ever since Verse 7. And will I seed the flock of slaughter even you O poor of the flock Or as Mâ—ntanus readeth it for you for your sakes O poor of the flock i.e. O ye that are poor in spirit pure in heart my little little flock as our Saviours expression is in Luke Even for your sakes will I yet for a time spare the reprobate goates feeding them by my Prophets and provoking them to repentance The word and Sacraments and all Gods common temporal favours are in respect of external participation communicated to Reprobates by way of Concomitancy onely because they are intermixed with the Elect. Thus tares mingled among wheat partake of the fat of the land and moysture of the manure which was not intended for them and I took unto me two staves viz. That I might therewith do the office of a shepheard and yet in more then an ordinary manner For shepheards commonly carry but one staffe or crook or at most but a staffe on their shoulders and a rod in their hands as David shews in his Pastoral Psal 23.3 But here are two staves taken to shew saith Mr. Calvin that God would surpasse all the care and pains of men in governing that people the one I called Beauty and the other I called Bands What these two should mean much adoe is made among Interpreters Some are for the two Governants Others for the two Testaments Others for the order of Christs preaching sweet and mild at first terrible and full of threatnings at last as appeareth in Ma. 24.24 25. But what a wilde conceit was that of Anthâ—â—â— Arch-Bishop of Florence who understood the words of Dominick and his Order construing them thus I that is God took unto me two staves vir Beauty that is the Order of Preachers Hist Proph. 3 tit 23. and Bonds that is the Order of Minorites who are girt with a cord The sounder sort of lixpositours make it to be a figure of the two wayes which Christ useth at all times in feeding of his Church the one by love guiding them by his word and Spirit the other by severity punishing them by the cruel hand of their enemies See Esay 10.5 Thus Vaâ—ai lus Dâ—odue c. And that this is the true sense saith A Lapide it appeareth First because this oracle of the Prophet is of the time to come and not of the time past Secondly the event that best interpreter of prophecies maketh for it For first Gods government of the common-wealth of Israel was beautiful and gentle in the time of the Maccabees and of Christ and then terrible and destructory in the time of the Romans of Nero Vespasian Adrian c. Thirdly because that a little after the Prophet saith that he brake both the staves that is he utterly rejected the Jews and brought his wrath upon them to the utmost which cannot be meant of any other time then that of Christ and of Titus Especially since in the fourth place the Prophet declareth Verse 13. that the stâ—ff of Beauty was broken at the death of Christ for their unworthy selling and slaughtering of him as if he had been some slave or base person and I fed the slock q. d. I did my part by them Thy destruction therefore is of thy self O Israel England is a mighty Animal saith a Politician which can never die except it kill it self The same might be much more said of the Jesish Common-wealth which Iosephus truely and trimly calleth a Theocratia or a God-government for the form and first constitution of it and Moses in this respect magnifieth that nation above all other Deut. 4.6 7. Verse 8. Three shepheards also I cut off in one moneth That is in a short time I took away and displaced even by the heathen Princes many proud princes and Priests such as were Menelaus Jason the Aristobuli Hireani Annas Caiaphas and others Or I removed those three sorts of shepheards of the old Law viz. Princes Prophets and Priests Thus Theodoret and Vatablus Diodate understands the text of the three chief Empires that had tyrannized over the people ver 6 3 and 12,10 Namely the Caldean Persian and Grecian Empire which were destroyed by the Son of God Dan. 2.45 But they do best in mine opinion that by these three shepheards understand those three sects among the Jews at Christs coming in the flesh viz. Pharisees Sadduces and Essenes whereof though the Pharisees were the best and most exact for the outward observation of the Law yet are they in the Gospel for their putid hypocrisy first sharply taxed by our Saviour after the Baptist and then plainly rejected and even sent to hell by a chain-shot of eight links of woes Mat. 23. and my soul loathed them Or was taken off from them or
was straitned for them because I saw that they received my grace in vain and considered not of my care for their good Theodotion and Srmmackus render it Anima mea exanimata est I am dispirited as it were and even disheartened to do any more for them and their soul also abhorred me And so they became God-haters as Rom. 1.30 and therefore hateful to God Tit. 3.3 hateful as hell so the word imports yea more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and worse for hell is but an effect of Gods justice but wickednesse is a breach of his Law The Prophet here seemeth to allude to those murmurers in the wildernesse that disdainfully cryed out Our soul loatheth this light bread Num. 21.5 Let Gods servants take heed how they hang loose toward him and lest by disuse and discontinuance of a duty there grow upon them an alienation of affection a secret disrelishing and nauseating at that which we oughtmost deeply to affect and duely to perform Surely as loathing of meat and difficulty of breathing are two symptomes of a sick body so are carelesnesse of hearing and irksomness of praying two sure signes of a sick soul Verse 9. Then said I I will not feed you Now the wrath of the Lord arose against his people so that there was no remedy as 2 Chron. 36.16 Now his decree brought forth Zeph. 2.2 Now he growes implacable inexorable peremptory Wherein neverthelesse the Lord might very well break forth into that speech of the Heathen Emperour when he was to passe sentence upon a malefactour Non nisi coactus I would not do this if I could do otherwise Christ could not tell Ierusalem without tears that her day of grace was expired that her destruction was determined As a woman brings not forth without pain as a hee stings not till provoked so neither doth God proceed against a sinfull people or person till there be an absolute necessity lest his truth and justice should be questioned and slighted See Ezek. 12.22 23 24 25. Fury is not in God till our sins put thunderbolts into his hands and then who knoweth the power of his anger Psal 90.11 Es 33.14 who can abide with everlasting burnings If he but cast a man off as here and relinquish the care of him he is utterly undone Saul found it so and complaines dolefully but without pitty that God had forsaken him 1 Sam. 28.15 and the Philistines were upon him all miseries and mischief came rushing into him as by a sluce Let us so carry matters that God may not abandon us that he may not refuse to feed us and take the charge of us as a shepheard He yet offereth us this mercy as Alexande did those he warred against while the lamp burned that that dieth let it die viz. of the murraine or pestilence For man being in honour if God but blow upon him abideth not but is like the beasts that perish pecoribus morticinis saith Tremellius the beasts that die of the murrain Vatablus thinks pestilence sword and famine are here threatened under the names of death of cutting off and of devouring one another All which befell the refractary Jews in the last siege the history whereof will make any mans heart bleed within him that hath but the least spark of grace or good nature It went hard with them when the rest that the pestilence and sword had left fell to eating the flesh one of another when the mother killed and boyled the dead body of her harmlesse suckling and eating the one half reserved the other for another time Behold O Lord and consider to whom thou hast done this saith the Prophet Shall the women eat their fruit and children of a span long Lam. 2.20 Oh the misery or rather mock of mans life And oh the venemous nature of sinne that moves God who is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man-hater but delights in mercy to deal so severely with his poor creature Verse 10. And I took my staffe even Beauty and cut it asunder In token that he had cast off his office of shepherd he breaks his staffe the ensigne and instrument of his office and this in token that he had broke his covenant which hee had made with all the people ◠i. e. with all the tribes of Israel which were as so many severall peoples over whom God had reigned but now rejected and in whom He delighted more then in all the nations of the world besides The Saints are called All things Colos 1.20 because they are of more worth then a world of wicked men Heb. 11.38 And the Jews have a saying that those seventy souls that went with Iacob into Egypt were as much as all the seventy Nations in the world What great account God once made of them above others see Esay 43.3 4. Deut. 33.29 But now behold they are discarded and discovenanted I have broken my covenant and ver 11. it was broken in that day that is in the day that they put themselves out of my precincts I put them out of my protection That peace that I had granted to my people that they should bee no more molested by any strange Nation which was verified from the time of the Maccabees till a little before the coming of Christ shall now be forfeited The glory is departed the Beauty broken in pieces the golden head of the picture Religion defaced and good order banished all things out of order both in Church and State for so they were when Christ came to his own and his own received him not he found them in Dothan that is in Defection as Ioseph found his brethren therefore he now disowns and disavowes them as much as once he did when they had made a golden calf Thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves saith God to Moses upon whom he now fathereth them Exod. 32 7 as if he had never been in covenant with them Danaeus upon this Text concludeth that the Jews are now strangers from the covenant of God and that this is hereby confirmed for that they are without Baptisme the seal of the covenant Verse 11. And it was broken in that day When they filled up the measure of their fathers sinnes and added this to all their other evils that they crucified the Lord of glory the Mediatour of the new Covenant Heb. 12.24 Now they were by an irrevocable decree to bear their iniquities and to know Gods breach of promise as once was threatened to their faithlesse fathers Num. 14.24 and so the poor of the slock i. e. the lowly and meek Mat. 11.19 the Apostles and other of wisdomes children these all justified her and glorified God when they saw his severity against their refractary countreymen Euseb Hist lib. 3. cap. 5. and themselves sweetly secured and provided for at Pella See the Note on verse 7. that waited upon me Heb. that observed me by obeying my precepts Pagnine tendreth it
and at length return them up again to his heavenly Father without losse of any one He is also called the Man by an excellency that matchlesse man the chief of ten thousand as his mother is called hagnalma that famous Virgin whom all generations are bound to call blessed He is Man-God both in one and is therefore also called Gods-fellow or Mate as being Consubstantiall to the Father according to the Godhead and very neer akinne to him according to the Man-hood by reason of the hypostaticall union of both natures into one person the Man Christ Jesus Smite the shepheard that that blessed Fountcin of his Bloud mentioned verse 1. may be opened and the flock of God washed and healed and satiated as the people were when the Rock was smitten and so set abroach and as when God clave a hollow place in the jaw-bone of the Asse so that there came water thereout Sampson drank and was revived And as when the Alabaster-box of ointment was broke all the house was filled with a sweet savour Judg. 15.19 And the sheep shall be scattered scattered and scattered shifting for themselves and leaving Christ to the mercy of his enemies who seized upon him as so many Carrion Kites upon a silly Dove Thomas who once said come let us go dye with him disappeares and is lost Peter followes aloof off but better he had heen farther off John if at least it were he flies away stark naked for hast Iudas comes nearer to him but to betray him with a kisse But is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Christ had indented with the enemie aforehand for their securitie Joh. 18.8 so that they needed not have retreated so disorderly and scattered as they did But the fear of man bringeth a snare Prov. 29.25 Howbeit mans badnesse cannot break off the course of Christs goodnesse For though they thus unworthily forsake him and leave him at the worst as they say yet I will turn my hand saith he upon the little ones i.e. I will recollect my dispersed flock how little soever either for number or respect in the world and bring back my banished So soon doth it repent the good Lord concerning his servants Mich. 7.18 Psal 136 23. He remembreth not iniquity for ever saith the Prophet because mercy pleaseth him and again He remembreth us in our low estates for his mercy endureth for ever He looked back upon Peter when his mouth was now big swoln with oathes and execrations and set him a weeping bitterly He called for Thomas after his resurrection and confirmed his weak faith by a wonderfull condescention He sealed up his love to them all again restoring them to their ministeriall imployment and not so much as once upbraiding them with their base dereliction but only with their unbelief Lyra and others sence the Text thus I will turn my hand upon the little ones that is I will so smite the Shepheard Christ that not only the sheep shall be scattered but the little lambs also even the least and lowest Christians shall have their share of sufferings shall feel the weight of my hand shall pledge the Lord Christ in that cup of afflictions that I have put into his hand shall be conformed to the Image of Gods Son as his co-sufferers that he may be the first born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 And this was fulfilled in the persecutions that followed soon after our Saviours death Ecclesia haeres crucis saith Luther and Persecutio ect Evangelij genius saith Calvin Persecution is the black Angel that dogges the Church the red horse that â—ollows the white at the heels All the comfort is that Gods holy hand hath a speciall stroke in all those afflictions that are laid upon his faithfull people I will turn mine hand c. Verse 8. Two parts therein shall be cut off and die q.d. they shall they shall how strange or incredible soever this sad tidings seem to you it shall be even so take my word for it Behold the severity of God Rom. 11.22 In the Greek it is the Resection or Cutting off as a Chirurgion cutteth off proud and dead flesh The Just Lord is in the middest thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will not do iniquity c. Zeph. 3.5 Fiat justitia ruat coelum may seem to be his Motto In point of justice he stands not upon multitudes Psal 9.17 It is all one to him whether against a Nation or against a man only Job 34.29 National sins bring national plagues heinous sinnes heavy punishments In the universal deluge God swept away all as if he had blotted out that part of his title The Lord the Lord gracious merciful c. and had taken up that of Attilas Orbis flagellum The worlds scourge Sodoms sinnes were multiplyed above measure therefore God took them away as he saw good Ezek. 16.49 50 and hath thrown them out as St. Jude speaketh for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Herodotus a Heathen Historian saith the very same of the destruction of Troy viz. that the ruines and rubbish thereof are set forth for an example of that noted Rule that God greatly punisheth great offences and that hainous sinnes bring hideous plagues Here we have two parts of three cut off in the land of Judea as it fell out at the last destruction thereof by the Romans at which time more then a million of men perished see Matth. 24.21 with the Note And what think we shall become of Babylon the great Her sinnes reach up to heaven whereunto they are even glewed and fastened as the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 18.5 therefore she shall be brought down to hell with Capernaum for flagitium flagellum sicuâ— acus filum therefore shall her plagues come in one day to confute their fond conceit of an eternal Empire death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly overthrown with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her full able to effect it Rev. 18.18 seem it to Babels brats never so improbable or impossible It was never besieged since it became Papal but it was taken whereas before it was held invincible Sinne that lyeth at the bottom will easily undermine and overturn the walis though never so strong built as the voice from heaven told Phocas the Murtherer The bloud of that innocent Lamb of God lyes heavy upon the whole Nation of the Jews to this day Their last devastation and present dismal dispersion is such as that one of their own Rabines concludes from thence that their Mesliah must needs be come and they must needs suffer so much for killing him but the third shall be left therein A holy remnant kept for a reserve Good husbands cast not all their corn into the oven but keep some for seed Esa 6.13 But yet in it shall be a tenth saith another Prophet Es 17.6 there shall
family of Egypt So called from one Aiguptos a King there In the Hebrew it is called mostly Mizraim from one of that name Gen. 10.6 sometimes for its power and pride it is called Rahab Psal 87.4 and 89.11 Esay 51.9 The family of Egypt is here put for the whole Nation see the like Amos 3.1 because after the confusion of tongues especially Nations took their originall and denomination from the head of some family as did the Egyptians from Mizraim Chams second sonne go not up and come not But they did receive the Christian religion with the first had Christian schools Doctours and Professours after that Saint Mark had there planted a Church at Alexandria now called Scanaeroon This was fore-prophecred Esay 19.21 The Lord shall be known to Egypt c And the Lord shall smite Egypt he shall smite and heal it c. he shall cause them to passe under the rod and to bâ—â—g them into the bond of the covenant as it is Ezek 20.37 thâ—â— have no rain Others read it thus It shall not rain upon them For they also needed rain in some measure as well as other nations See Psal 105.32 though not so much by reason of the overslowings of the river 〈◊〉 which if it arise to a just height 〈…〉 sc of fifteen or sixteen cubits as Pliny â—ells us it 〈◊〉 the land very fruitfull so that they do but throw in the seed and have â—our 〈◊〉 harvests in lesse then four moneths S. H. Blant◠〈◊〉 Indeed where the Nile arrives not 〈◊〉 nothing they say in Egypt but a whitish fand bearing no grasse but two â—tile weeds colled Suâ—it and Gazul which burnt to ashes and conveyed to Venice make the finest thrystall-glasses The Chalâ—ee â—enders it Non cresâ—et ejus Nâ—ns God loves to confute men in their confidences to dry up their Nilusses See Ezck. â—â—◠〈…〉 9. Isaâ— 19.5 6. as he did for two yeers together in the time of Cloopatra a little before Christs birth and once before for nine years space there shall be the plague q.d. If they escape the forethreatened evil a worse thing abides them their preservation from famine is but a reservation to those everlasting burnings Verse 12. And though here they abound even to satiety and surfet the Egyptians were wont to boast that they could feed all men and feast all the gods without any sensible diminution of their provision yet at the last day they shall be cut short enough eat fire drink brimstone God himself uttering those or the like words Esay 65 1â— Behold my servants shall cat but you shall â—e hurgry â—ehold myservants shall drink but you shâ—ill be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoice but none shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for â—exation of spirit Verse 19. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment Or sin Indeed the sin of sins to slight Gods Ordinances and offers of grace and to neglect so great salvation as is tendred in and by Christ This very sin is it own punishment This is condemnation or hell asorehand John 3.19 This brought Capernaum down from heaven to hell Mat. 11.23 Pagans that never heard of Christ shall havean easier judgement then such Mat. 10.23 for they shall have a double condemnation One from the law which they have broken wherein Christ found them another from the Gospel for rejecting Christ and the bath of his blood to the which even the Prinâ—es of Sodoâ— are invited Esai 1.10 See Iohn â—2 48 Mat. 21.44 It is with such as with a malefactour that being dead in law doth yet refuse a pardon Danaeus observeth here that mention is made of the feast of Tabernacles especially 1. Because this least was now most solemnly kept among the Jews Neh. 8. And secondly because it was a most evident testimony of the first gathering together of the people of Israel that is of a free ordained Church Therefore it was better liked of the people and a more evident sign of their uniting or knitting together within themselves as is unto us the holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ Verse 20. In that day shall there be upon the bels of the horses hang'd upon their heades or about their necks as Iudg. 8.26 the Midianitish camels â—ad rich collars and chains about their necks for ornament sake It was a witty conceit of a modern Divine D 〈…〉 that many deal with their Ministers as carriers do with their horses lay heavy burthens upon them and then hang bels about their necks they shall have harâ— work and great commendations but easy commons good words but slight wages This was better then that bald conceit of Theodoret 〈◊〉 others Lib. 1. hist cap. 18. Ruff. in lib. 1. c. 8. Socâ—at 1.1 that this Prophesie was then fulfilled when as Constantine the Great or hâ—â— mother 〈◊〉 for him caused the bits of his horse-bridle to be made of the nailes of the crosse of Christ I confesse the word is by some rendred bridles by others trappings Frontals collars 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read only here and hence this variety of interpretations Calvin renders it stables of horses which although they are but contemptible places and usually stink yet the Prophet saith they shall be â—â—ly to the Lord. Hereby the Prophet teacheth saith He that God shall so be king of the world as that all things shall be applied to his worship neither shall any thing be of so common and ordinary use that shall not change its nature and be sanctified to Gods service The comparison here is made betwixt things profane and the inscription on the high-Priests mitre which was Holinesse to the Lord. This is a manifest testimony of a godly mind when godlinesse runs thorough a mans whole life as the woose doth thorough the web whenordinary actions are done from a right principle and to a right purpose according to that old and good Rule Quicquid agas propter Deum agas Whether ye eate or drink or what soever ye do 1 Cor. 10.31 1 Tim. 4.14 Holinesse must be written upon our bridles when we warr upon our cupps when we drink Dr. Harris de all to the glory of God Receive every creature with thank sgiving in serving men serve the Lord Christ exercise your general calling in your particular do earthly businesse with heavenly minds Content not your self with a naturall use of the creature as bruit beasts do but tast the sweetnesse of God in all and in all thy wayes acknowledge Him depending upon him for direction and successe consulting with him and approving thine heart and life unto him This is to go the upper way Pro. 15.24 which indeed is both cleaner shorter and safer This is to be of that royall Priest-hood that hath for its posy Holinesse to the Lord. This is to be harmelesse and blamelesse the sons of God known by
Jews by the leave and help of Iulian to despite the Christians would reedifie their city and Temple Job de Columna in Marihistor but were hindred from heaven Otho the Emperour would make the city of Rome his Imperial seat which was long before pointed and painted out for the Nest of Antichrist but could not effect it The â—esuits would fain heal the Beasts wounded head and reestablish their kingdom of Idolatry But this they must never look for Christ shall raign and all his foes shall be his footstool The Romish Edomites shall come to rume thus saith the Lord They shall build but I will throw down Ruit alto à culmine Roma Babylon the great is fallen is fallen her downfal is sure sore and sudden Versa eris in cineres quasi nunquam Rema suisses said Sibylla of old And there was something surely in that which we have read that when the wars began in Germany Anno 1619. a great brasse image of the Apostle Peter that had Tu es Pet rus c. fairely imbossed upon it standing in Saint Peters Church at Rome there was a great and massie stone fell down upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claime was left whole so as to be read saving that one piece of that sentence Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was left fair and entire Surely when popish mountains and Monasteries shall be desolated and demolished when the Pope who was wont to say that he could never want mony as long as he was able to hold a pen in his hand shall be miserably impoverished Rev. 16.12 and his Euphrates of revenues dryed up the mountain of the Lords house shall be set above all the mountains Ezek. 21.29 and the Lord Christ alone shall reign in glory he shall overturn overturn overturn all Antichristian power and policy he will utterly destroy those crows-nests as Henry the eighth called the religious houses that he pulled down ne iterum ad cohabitandum convolent Sanderus lest those unclean birds should build again they shall build but I will destroy It is the Lord then that both plants and puls up kingdoms nations and peoples that makes and destroyes States publike or private at his pleasure they are all in his hand and done by him and fall not out by any fortune or fatal revolution and vicissitude Dan. 2.21 Luk. 1.52 And they shal call them the border of wickednesse Chiefly for their insulting over the people of God in their affliction Obad. 10. That wicked one the Pope is grossy guilty of this Edomitish inhumanity What feasting and sending of gifts was there when the two witnesses were slain What joy and jollity when the Waldenses those ancient Protestants were worsted in battel What processions and bone-fires at Rome upon the news of the Parisian massacre Thuanus tels us that the Pope caused it to be painted in his Palace and that the Cardinal of Lorrain gave him that brought the first tidings of it to Rome thirty thousand crowns for a reward I do the rather parallel the Edomites and Romists because the Rabbins usually by Edom understand Rome and the Thargum renders O daughter of Edom Lam. 4.21 thus Romi Reshignah O wicked Rome which is answerable to this in the Text The border of wickednesse that is the land of wickednesse haply called the border or limit as the Non ultra of impiety Philip of Macedony assembled all the infamous and wicked persons into a certain city of Thracia and then called it Poneropolis The Preachers travels 106. of imparallel impiety Or else because men shall onely come to the bounds and borders and standing there aloof off as abhorring to go further shall as it were point and say Ah wicked Ah wicked place Terra de diables as the Spaniards call one countrey in America or the Mouth of hel as another place is named Italy is at this day little better a second Sodom M. Ascham Queen Elizabeths Tutor was but seven dayes in Venice but he saw more wickednesse there then he had seen in seven years in London As for Rome that Radix omnium malorum that once faithful city is now become an harlot yea the great harlot Rev. 17. yea the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth verse 5. tota est jam Roma lupanar it is turned into a great brothelhouse the habitation of divels Petrarch and the hold of every foul spirit Rev. 18.2 Bethel is become Bethaven the house of God the border of wickednesse Har hamishcah is become Har-hamaschith the Mount of Unction the mount of Corruption 2 King 23.13 What is the transgression of Iacob Is it not Samaria And what are the high places of Iudah Are they not Ierusalem Micah 1.5 And the people amongst whom the Lord hath indignation The people of Gods wrath Isay 10.6 and of his curse so Idumea is called Isa 34.5 And such a people was Amalck with whom God laid his hand upon his throne and swore that he would have perpetual war for their ill usage of his Israel Exod. 17.16 He charged also his people never to forget them Deut. 25.19 Neither did they Saul was sent to make an utter end of them 1 Sam. 15. And wherein he failed of doing it God stirred up the Simeonites in Hezekiah's dayes to smite the rest of the Amalakites that were escaped 1 Chron. 4.42 43. The like judgement whereunto is befallen the Edomites long since their very name is extinct no memory of them being left in posterity The destiny of Doeg their countreyman is come upon them Psal 52.5 God hath beaten them down for ever he hath taken them away and pluckt them out of their dwelling place and rooted them out of the land of the living Selah It is ill angring the Ancient of dayes His wrath lasts longer then the coals of Juniper Psal 120.4 his judgements are severe and durable as we use to say of winter they never rot in the skie but shall fall if late yet surely yet seasonably He that saith Vengeance is mine I wil repay repayeth oft times when we have forgiven when we have forgotten and calls to reckoning after our discharges as he did Nabal It is dangerous offending any favorite of him who can have as here indignation for ever whose wrath and revenge is as that of the Athenians is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Everlasting whose destructions are perpetual Verse 5. And your eyes shal see The righteous shal see and fear and shall laugh at him and say Lo this is the man c. said David of Doeg the Edomite Psal 52. And the same is here promised by God to his people as a pledge of his love and a special priviledge Others should hisse at Edom and say by way of by-word This is the border of wickedness c. but the saints should make more of it a Bee
and make them know and rue his breach of promise Num. 14.34 Surely if Jacob was afraid when he went about to seek a blessing lest his blinde father should discern him and his deceit in dealing with him Gen. 27.12 and so he might get a curse instead of a blessing How ought men to take heed and fear to dissemble or deal deceitfully with the All-seeing God especially since he is so great a God see him set forth in his greatnesse Deut. 10.17 and therefore lesse patient of affronts and indignities he lookes to be served like himself and according to his excellent greatnesse for I am a great king saith the Lord of Hosts Yea a great King because Lord of Hosts See the Note on Chap. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is absolute Monarch of the whole world and by him it is that all other kings reign and Princes rule Prov. 8.15 All other Soveraignes are but his substitutes his Viceroyes he makes them and unmakes them at his pleasure as proud Nebuchadnezzar was forced to acknowledge Hence he is rightly stiled a great King a title anciently given to the kings of Persia Dan. 4 and now to the Grand Signior yea Joh. Manl. loc com he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in another sense then Maximilian the Emperour of Germany said that he was because the Princes and cities of the Empire were free states and yeelded him little obedience God hath all the Kings of the earth at his beck and check Constantine the great Valentinian and Theodosius three Emperours called themselves Vasallos Christs the vassals of Christ as Socrates reporteth And well they might inasmuch as all nations taken together are in comparison of him but as a drop of a bucket and as the dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing as one would take up a feather at his foot And if a sacrifice fitting for him should be prepared Lebanon would not be sufficient to burn nor all the beasts thereof for a burnt-offering All nations to him are as nothing c. Act. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esau 40.15 16. Simon Magus gave out that he was some great matter and the world hath been troubled with Alexander the Great and Pompey the Great c. But what 's now become of all these Grandees with their swelling titles and loud bragg's Hath not God long since cut off the spirits of these petty Princes and become terrible to the kings of the earth Psal 76.12 where the word rendered cut off signifieth that he slips them off as one would slip a flower betwixt ones fingers or a bunch of grapes off the vine The kings of Persia were wont to give laws to their people sitting in a chaire of State under a vine tree of gold that had as it were bunches of grapes made up of sinaragds or em'ralds and other stones of greatest price Athenâ—us lib. 12. The King of heaven sits upon a throne far more costly and stately as may be seen Ezek. 1. Esai 6. Dan. 7. Omnino igit ur â—portet nos orationis tempore curiam intrare coelestem in qua Rex Regum stellato sedet solio c. as Bernard excellently inferreth it behoveth us therefore at prayer-time to enter into the Court of heaven Bern de divers 25. where the King of Kings sits in his starrie and stately throne environed with an innumerable number of glorious Angels and crowned Saints with how great reverence therefore with how great fears with how great humility ought a poore base toad creeping and crawling out of his ditch to approach so dreadfull a presence and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen It was ever so from the very distinction of men into Hebrews and Heathens At the first before the covenant made with Abraham all Nations were alike before the Lord. But as soon as it was said I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee the Church was evidently divided from the world as light was from darknesse at the first creation The Heathens God suffered to walk in their own wayes Neverthelesse he left not himself without witnesse but his Name was ever terrible and tremend amongst them Act. 24.16 17. The Hittites honoured Abraham as a Prince of God Pharaoh was raised up on purpose that on him God might get him a name throughout all the earth Exod. 9.16 Jethro heard of his doings in Egypt and became a Proselyte The hearts of the Canaanits melted and they were made to say The Lord your God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath Josh 2.11 The Philistins were woe-begon when they beheld the Ark of the God of Israel brought into the field and were ready as worms to wriggle into their holes The king of Babylon sent Embassadours and a present to Hezechiah because he had heard that for his sake God had caused the Sun to go back Daniel records what a Name God had gotten him in his dayes all the world over And after the captivity neer Malachi's time the famous victories gotten by the Maccabees were far and neer discoursed of Judis M ccabaeus had his name from the capital letters of this motto written in his Ensigne Mi camocha Elohim Jehovah who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods But besides and above all this Gods name is dreadfull among the Heathen in a special manner now since the calling of the Gentiles and the conversion of so many nations to the faith of Jesus Christ Maugre the malice of earth and of hell This made Calocerius an Heathen say Verè magnus esâ— Deus Christ anorum the God of the Christians is a great God indeed And another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your God is a most Majestick God What a mouth of blasphemy then opened that desparate Papist John Hunt in his humble appeal to King James The God of the Protestants saith he whom he knowes to be the Father Son Chap. 6. of that Pamphlet and holy Ghost is the most uncivil evil-manner'd God of all those who have born the name of gods upon the earth yea worse then Pan God of the clowns which can endure no ceremonies nor good manners at all True it is that humane inventions in his service and Popish will-worships our God will not away with Such strange fire if any presume to bring before him they may look to speed as Nâ—dab and Abihu Core and his complices did but he expects and requires that all his worshippers should come before him with reverence and godly fear For even our God no lesse then the Jews God is a consuming fire He is terrible out of his holy places Psal 68.35 Heb. 12.28 And albeit he loves to be acquainted with his people in the walkes of their obedience yet as a great King he takes state upon him in his ordinances and wil be trembled at in his word and Sacraments Hence Chrysostome
calles the Lords table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dreadful table and other Ancients cal Sacraments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terrible mysteries He that comes to this table without his wedding garment may look to be taken from the table to the tormentor That 's a remarkable Text Exod. 34.10 11. upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand also they saw God and did eat and drink So dreadful is God and so infinite is the distance betwixt him and the greatest Noble that comes to his table that it is an honour they may be suffered to live in his sight how much more then to partake of his ordinances Kings and judges are instructed to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoyce before him with trembling Psal 2.10 11. This is horror saccr saith à Lapide upon this text descanting upon their vulgar interpreter who rendereth the word dreadful horrible Et nomen meum horribile But what an odde conceit was that of a certain Sophister at Paris L. Vives de caus corr art l. 3 who would needs be called the horrible Sophister non minerem eam appellationem ratus qâ—â—â— Africani aut Asiatici saith Vives Perhaps he had read this Text in the vulgar Translation Unlesse they had the same law at Paris that they had in Italy Espenc in Tit. 1 that none should read the Bible lest they should thereby be made heretikes but rather study Aristotle whom Peter Lombard had brought into more request then Saint Paul as the Sorbon at Paris complained or the Canon-Law whereof Carolostadius had been eight yeers Doctour ere he began to read the Scripture and yet at the taking of his degree had been pronounced Sussicientissimus CHAP. II. Verse 1. ANd now O ye priests c. Now that is Now again I must have the other bout with you besides what I had chap. 1.6 7 c. for as once from the Prophets so now from the Priests in Jerusalem profamesse is gone forth into all the land Jer. 23.15 Their white Ephods covered many foul sinnes and their evil example proved a publike mischief Hence the Prophet is so round with them for he knew that a wicked Priest is the worst creature upon earth Unsavory salt is fit for no place no not for the dunghill It is an old proverb that hell is paved with the shaven crowns of evil priests The word priest is never used by the Apostles for a Minister of the Gospel De culiu Sanct. l. 3. c. 4. Hem. 3. in Act. no not by the most ancient Fathers as Bellarmine himself confesseth Indeed in Chrysoscome I sinde this piercing passage Non arbitror inter sacerdotes multos esse qui salvi fiant I do not think saith He that among all our priests there be many that shall be saved Bernard comes after him and complains that in the court of Rome good men failed bad men grew amain Lib. 4. de Consid and that the Bishops of his time were not Doctours but seducers not Pastours but Impostours not Prelates but Pilates Yea Pope Pius the second hath left it in writing that no villanous act had been for a long time committed in the Catholike Church In hist Austr apud Callenat hist Neap. l. 4. the first beginning whereof proceeded not from the priests Cornelius à Lapide upon this chapter cries out of the ignorance and wickednesse of the Popish Clergy as the cause of the contempt cast by us upon them And I would we had not cause to say that many of our Ministers neither feed liberally by charity nor soundly by doctrine nor religiously by life which opened once the mouth of that dead dog Campian maliciously to bark out Ministris corum nihil vilius Their Ministers are most vile and vicious this commandement is for you i. e. that curse chap. 1.14 implying a commandement that if you desire to escape that heavy curse you forthwith obey this commandement Aut faciendum enim aut patiendum to procure the purity and integrity of my worships and to see that there be a present reformation of Religion Reformation is a work that hath ever gone heavily on and hath met with much opposition As that made by Elias by Iosiah by Nehemiah and by Hezekiah who found the Priests and Levites very backward which the good king perceiving began first himself and awaked those sluggards with these words Oh be not deceived my sonnes God hath chosen you for this service 2 Chron. 29.11 The like backwardnesse was found in the Popish Clergy to a generall Councell so much urged and called for by the Bohemians Germans and other Nations that groaned under the yoke of Papall tyranny Luther truly and trimly compared the Cardinals and Prelats that met at Rome about Reformation of the Church to foxes Sleidan Comment that came to sweep an house full of dust with their tails and insteed of sweeping it out swept it all about the house and made a great smoke for the while but when they were gone the dust fell all down again When nothing could be obtained of the Pope Luther began to reforme in Germany where he had a great door open but many adversaries and none more violent then the Pope whose tripple crowne and the Monks whose fat paunches he so nearly touched as Erasmus merrily told the Elector of Saxony Bucer and Melancthon framed a form of Reformation with approbation of the Peers and States But the Clergy of Collen rejected it with scorn and slander saying that they would rather submit to the government of the great Turk Melch. Ad. in vita Enc. then to a Magistrate that followed or furthered such a Reformation Here in England something began to be done in the time of Henry the 8. but it was so envied and opposed by the Church-men that little could be done to what was expected There are many said He sitting in Parliament that are too busie with their new Sumpsimus and others that dote too much upon their old Mumpsimus The new religion though true He and his Clergy envied the old though his own he despised Magistrates are to have the main stroke in Reformation of Religion though Papists would utterly exclude them for having to do in matters Ecclesiasticall but Ministers also must move in their own Orb and do their part too why else are the priests here commanded and menaced 1. By teaching 2. By exercising discipline And here Magistrates must hemme Ministers in with boards of Cedar Cant. 8.9 provide for their security whiles they do their duty that they may be without fear among them as Timothy 1 Cor. 16.10 Envied they must look to be and hated for their zeal to Gods house which they seek to purge But publike respects must like the rapt motion carry our hearts contrary to the wayes of our own private respects or concernments and consider that as it is not the tossing in a ship but the stomack that causeth
presently Hence he calleth things that yet are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 and this as in the works of Creation Renovation Resurrection so in the accomplishment of his promises which we must not antedate as we are apt to do but learn to live by faith Hab. 2.2 Possibly the Kalendar of heaven hath a post-date to ours Strive to be strong in faith and glorifie God my messenger Not Christ as Ensebius doated nor Meslias the sonne of Jâ—seph Lib. 5. de demon Evang. cap. 28. that is of the tribe of Joseph as Rabbi Abraham would have it For the Jews soolishly expect two Meslians's one the sonne of David and the other the sonne of Joseph Nor an Angel of heaven as Rabbi David interprets it according to Exod. 23.20 But John Baptist as our Saviour expounds himself Mat. 11.10 who is here called Christs Messenger or Angel by reason of his office one by whom he would manifest his mind to his people He was a burning and a shining light Joh. 5.35 or lamp and shone for a season till the Sun of righteousnesse came in place as lights and candles are of good use till the Sun riseth See 1 Sam. 3.3 and he shall prepare the way Expurgabit Everret emundâ—bit He shall clear the way sweep it accoutre or dresse it He shall remove all rubs and remora's out of the way he shall pare and pave a path for Christ into the soul open those everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in he shall make ready a people for the Lord. Luke 1.17 Mans heart is full of mountains and vallies Luke 3.5 These must be levelled ere Christ can be admitted and that 's not done but by repentance unto life As John Baptist was Christs fore-runner into the world so must repentance be his fore-runner into the heart for he that repenteth not the kingdom of heaven is far from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viam apertam oculis intuentium conspicuam faciet so he that cannot see it as the Hebrew word here used imports he must do for his lusts that hang in his light and the Lord whom ye seek Dominator that Lord Paramount of whom David speaketh Psal 110.1 and for whose sake Daniel desireth to be heard chap. 9.17 Messiah the Prince verse 25. the Prince and Saviour Act. 5.31 Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 the God of judgement whom they called for Mal. 2.17 and whom they are said to seek for As God he is not very sar from any one of us saith Paul Acts 17.27 not so far as the bark is from the tree for in him we all live and move and subsist And as God-Man he shall suddenly come to his Temple suddenly that is in the fulnesse of time which is but a short time in respect of the long expectation of the Patriarches and speedily after John Baptists birth suddenly also because unexpectedly to the most who stood amazed at his preaching and said Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works Is not this the carpenter c To his Temple he came when presented there to be circumcised Luke 2. when he put forth a beam of his Divinity there in his disputation with the Doctours verse 46. But especially when he purged the Temple 1. By his Doctrine Matt. 5. and 15. and 2. By his Discipline Joh 2.14 15 16. and 12.12 at which time Tell ye the daughter of Zion saith God Behold thy king cometh unto thee Mat. 21.5 meek and sitting upon an asse c. Not upon a stately palsrey as an earthly Potentate And that was the very cause that these in the text that are said to see him when they had him amongst them could by no means think well of him in respect of his mean and despicable condition They had a certain notion of the Messiah and were in expectation of him and of temporall deliverance and felicity by 〈◊〉 Of which when disappointed they were as blank as when they saw the hoped issue of their late Jewish Virgin turned to a daughter or as when they saw Mahomet eat of a camell whom till then when they saw him arising in such powetr D. Halfs Peacemaker hey were ready to cry up for their long looked-for Messiah even the messenger of the Covenant viz. of the covenant of grace for in Christ God reconciled the world to himself And of this covenant Christ is the Angel or Messenger because 1. He revealeth it and we must take heed how we slight it Heb. 2.3 shift it Heb. 12.25 2. He mediateth it 1 Tim. 2.5 and in and by him it hath accomplishment 2 Cor. 1.20 Hence Esay 9.6 he is called the Prince of peace and according to the Septuagint there the Angel of the great Counsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let all that would receive mercy from God get into Chrst and so into Covenant For as the Mercy-seat was no larger then the Ark so neither is the grace of God then the covenant of grace And as the Ark and Mercy-seat were never separated so neither are such from God as are found in Christ whom ye delight in They delighted in his day the better sort of them though afar off Joh. 8.56 they saluted him and were resaluted by him Heb. 11.13 They promised themselves through Christ malorum ademptionem bonorum adeptionem freedom from all evil and fruition of all good Hence he is called the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.8 The Church in the Canticles saith he is totus desiderabilis altogether desireable chap. 5.16 The Church in Esay desires him with her whole soul chap. 26.9 and chap. 64.1 as impatient of further delayes crieth out Oh that thou wouldest rent the heavens and come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour aown righteousnesse Let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation c. chap. 45.8 Lo what earnest pantings and inquietations were in those ancient beleevers after Christ what continuall fallies as it were and egressions of affection behold he shall come He shall he shall nay he is even come already for so the Hebrew hath it Hinneh ba behold he is come me-thinks I even see him A like text there is Habak 2.3 The duty required is Wait the promise is delivered doubled and trebled It shall speak it will come it will surely come Nay doubled again It shall not lie it will not tarry It is as if God had said Do but wait and you shall be delivered you shall be delivered you shall be delivered you shall you shall Oh the Rhetorike of God! oh the certainty of the promises A Lapide his Note is not here to be passed by This word Behold signifieth that this comming of Christ in the flesh should be 1. New admirable and stupendious 2. Sure and certain 3. Desireable and joyfull 4. Famous and renowned saith the Lord of Hosts And that 's assurance good enough
he rebuked the red-sea and it was dried up Psal 105. and as he rebuked the winds Mat. 8.26 the fever Luk. 4.39 the devil Mat. 7.18 he will say unto them Abite 〈◊〉 hine Get you hence and that 's enough for they are all his servants Psal 119.91 He is the great Centurion or rather Lord of Hosts that faith to this creature Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh c. if he do but say Who is on my side who all creatures look out at their windows as ready prest to do his pleasure neither is there any so mean amongst them or so despicable that cannot if set on by him make the proudest on earth stoop and say This is the singe of God But of this see more in the 1. Dost on vers 18. of this Chapter Let all that look for Gods blessing either upon their persons or possessions make their peace with God the genealogie of corn and wine is resolved into him Hos 2.22 and bring him all his tythes into the store-house c. les hee blast their fair hopes out off the meat from their mouthes take his own and bee gone take away his corn in the time thereof and his wine in the season thereof c. Hos 2.9 The Jews in our Saviours time suis malis edosthi were punctuail in paying their tythes even to a potherb Marth 23. And at this day though not in their own countrey nor have a beviticall Priesthood yet those of them that would bee reputed religious Godw. Heb. Antiq p. 277. do distribute in lieu of tythes the tenth of their increase unto the poor being perswaded that God doth blesse their increase the more For their usuall proverb is Dectma in dives fias â—ythe and be rich Of the young Lord Harrington the last of that name it is reported by Mr. Stock who preached his Funerall that he constantly gave the tenth of his yearly revenue to pious and charitable uses And of reverend Mr. Will Whately Minister of Banbary it is likewise recorded in his life that he set apart and expended for many years before he died for good uses the tenth part of his yearly comings in both out of his temporall and ecclesiasticall means of maintenance and that he never thrived in his outward estate till he took that course Besides the sweet comfort that the spirits of his wealth thus distilled as it were brought to his conscience both in life and at death and the blessing of a good name left behind him according to that which follows next in the text And all nations c. Verse 12. And all nations shall call you Hessed viz. for the abundance of outward comforts and commodities by the which the Nations measured mens happinesse saying Blessed is the people that is in such a ease Psal 144.15 Cyprus was for this cause anciently called Macaria that is the blessed countrey as having a sufficiency of all things within it self and England was called Regnum Dci the kingdome of God or the Fortunate Island and Englishmen Deires as those that were set safe de ira Dei from the wrath of God In the time of Pope lement the sixth as Robert of Avesbury testifieth when Lewis of Spain was chosen Prince of the Fortunate Islands and for the conquest thereof was to raise an Army in France and Italy the English Agent at Rome together with his company departed and gat home as conceiving that the Prince was bound for England then the which they thought there was not a more fortunate Island in the world Of the Island of Lycia Sol nus saith Lyciam Horatius claram dicit that all the day long the sky is never so cloudy but that the Sun may be seen there Semper in Sole siva est Rhodos The Rhodes is ever in the Sun-shine saith Aeneas Sylvius And of Alexandria in Egypt Ammianus Marcellizus observeth that once in the day the Sun hath been seen to shine over it I confesse the same cannot be said of England I remember also what I have read of a certain Frenchman who returning home out of England and being asked by a countreyman of his that was bound for England what service he would command him into this countrey Nothing but this said the other When you see the Sunne Per duos enim menses quibus ibi fui Solem mihi videre non licuit Garincieres de tabe Anglica p 84. Vt finem atque initium lucis exiguo discrimine in ternoscas Nomentque ex eo sortitam Polyh c. 17. have me commended to him for I have been there two moneths and could never see him in all that space Belike he was here in the deep of winter For at Summer Solistice Tacitus in the life of Agricola hath observed that the Sun shineth continually in Britanny and neither setteth nor riseth there but passeth so light by us by night that you can searce say we have any night at all But if we speak of the Sunshine of Gods grace and favour either for spirituals or temporals as Delos is said by Solinus to have been the first countrey that had the Sun shining upon it after the generall deluge and therehence to have had its name so was England one of the first Hands that both received Christ and that shook off Antichrist And for temporall blessings all nations call us blessed and count us a delightsome land indeed a land of desires such as all men would desire to dwell in for the exceeding fruitfulnesse and pleasantnesse of it it being the Court of Queen Ceres the granary of the Western world as forreigne Writers have termed it the paradise of pleasure and garden of God as our own Chronicler The truth is We may well say of England as the Italians do of Venice by way of proverb He that hath not seen it cannot beleeve what a dainty place it is and he that hath not lived there some good space cannot understand the worth of it Our Mr. Ascham Schoolmaster to Q. Eizabeth had lived there some time and had soon enough of it for though hee admired the place he utterly disliked the people for their loose living And the like alasse may be too truly affirmed of us We live in Gods good land but not by Gods good lawes we eat the fat and drink the sweet but we sanctifie not the Lord God in our hearts we live not as becometh Christians Our hearts like our Climate hath much more light then heat light of knowledge then heat of zeal our lukewarmnesse is like to be our bane our sinnes our snuffes that dimme our candlestick and threaten the removall of it O si siat id in nobis saith One quod in Sole videtur qui quibus affulserit ijs etiam calrem colorem impertire solet O that the Sun of righteousnesse would so shine upon us as to warm us and transforme us into the same image from glory to glory as by his Spirit O
14.26 as it did distressed David u Psal 119 38 and fainting Habakkuk w Hab. 3 16 17. who after he had poured forth his soul before God with reverence and godly fear rose up off his knees as confident as might be that Although the fig-tree shall not blossome nor fruit be found in the vines the labour of the olive should fail and the fields yeeld no meat the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord saith he I will joy in the God of my salvation The Lord God is my strength c. So true is that of Solomon In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his children have a place of refuge x Prov. 14.26 And this is that fear of God that speaks a man truly religious Apply your selves now every one to the rule and search and see in some of you an utter nullity in othersome a fearfull deficiency of this reverentiall fear of God SECT VI. Vse 3. Exhortation to get and grow in this holy Fear with six Motives Vse 3 and three Means tending thereto ANd for a third Use of the point learn we all first to get and then to grow in this grace Let the fear of the Lord be upon you and do it y 2 Chro. 19.6 Give all diligence to fashion your hearts to this reverent regard of God considering the terrour of the Almighty which we must needsly know either as slaves or sons but better as sons that in the day of distresse he may spare us as a man doth his own sonne that serveth him z Mal. 3.17 Motives to the fear of God If yet ye look for further Motives to this duty Consider that the fear of God is 1. But equall and reasonable 2. Gainfull and profitable 3. Needfull 4. Honourable 5. Acceptable 6. Comfortable 'T is equall first for it is our bounden duty sith he hath so often commanded and required it upon our allegeance a Psal 2.11 psal 33.8 prov 3.7 Esay 8.13 Heb. 12.28 besides that it of right appertaineth unto him as a due though he should never have called for it Bring presents unto him that ought to be feared b Psal 76.11 saith David and who would not fear thee ô king of nations for to thee doth it apprtain because there is none like to thee c Jer. 10.7 Eccles 12.13 It is then you see and act of justice to fear the Lord. And when we have done our utmost that way we have done no more then was our duty to do d Luke 17.10 Secondly 't is a practise no lesse gainfull then equall whatever those profane miscreants above the text blasphemed to the contrary Profitable it must needs bee for it hath the promises of both lives In the life present he that hath the fear of the Lord shall not be visited of evil e Prov. 19.23 in generall Not of the evil of sinne for te fear of the Lord is to hate that evil f Prov. 8.13 Nor of pain for the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to escape the snares of death g Prov. 14.27 Say hee meet with troubles without or terrours within yet he that feareth God shall come out of them all h Eccles 8.12 Thus for evil And for good both to us and ours after us By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life i Prov. 22.4 Esay 33.6 One would think that were enough yea but then here 's more then enough They that fear the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good k Psal 34 Ob. Sol. Ey but what shall their poor children do when they are gone Well enough for their seed shall be mighty upon earth and their generation blessed Psal 112. thoroughout Thus for temporalls they are provided for And for spirituall blessings in heavenly things l Ephes 1.3 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him m Psa 147.11 he will teach such a one in the way that he shall chuse n Psal 25 12 guide them he will with his counsell and afterwards receive them to his glory o Psal 73 24 Surely Gods salvation is nigh them that fear him p saith David and the covenant of life and of peace was with Levi because he feared God q Mal. 2.5 saith Malachy Lo thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord r Psal 128.4 Thirdly this holy fear is wondrous needfull for it inciteth and inableth to all Christian duties Whence it was that the Lord both delivered his Law at first in a fearfull manner ſ Exod 19. and afterward wished that the hearts of his people might bee season'd with his fear that they might keep his commandements alwayes t Deut. 5.29 Serve the Lord with fear saith David u Psal 2.11 yea he thou in the fear of the Lord all day long w Prov. 23.17 saith Solomon The primitive Christians walked in the fear of the Lord saith St. Luke x Acts 9 31 and it is a spot in your feasts to eat an drink without fear y Jude 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. Jude Fourthly 't is honourable for besides that God takes himself highly honoured by it and therefore calls for it in this Name If I be a father where is mine honour and if a Master wher 's my fear z Mal. 1.6 we our selves are not a little dignified hereby The woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised and though many daughters had done vertuously yet she excelled them all a Pr. 31.29 30 This grace winnes a man a wonderfull deal of respect both from God and men as it did Job of whom God himself boasted b Job 1.8 and Abraham who was a Prince of God to the Heathenish Hittites c Gen. 23 6 Fifthly 't is a grace very acceptable for it gives grace and vertue to all other graces and duties which else are unpleasing to the Almighty For to him will I look even to him that trembleth at my word d Esay 66.2 3 as to none else be his sacrifice never so specious or costly And to shew how highly God esteemeth this fear you shall find it not seldome set for the whole service of God in holy Scripture as was said before Lastly it is exceeding comfortable for it freeth the heart of all base fears which vanish out of sight before this as the lesser lights before the Sun and fills it with strong confidence and consolations making the man in whom it is to hold up his head in the greatest hurly-burlie and to walk about the world as a conquerour void of all fear what man or devil can do unto him e Psal 3 thoroughout You see that this holy fear comes commended unto you by many names what remains but that ye set your selves in all good earnest
can be Next below the Angels in Gods hosts are the Sunne Moon and Stars those Coelestial bodies 1 Cor. 15.40 the glorious furniture of the visible heavens The Queen of heaven Jre 44 17. called also the Host of heaven Deut. 4.19 Act 7.42 Zeph. 1.5 These fought in their courses against Sisera Gods enemy Judg. 5.20 And so they do still by their light Vidore licebat in eodem loco aquam ignemque simul de coelo cadere Ignis non attingebat Romanos neque imber juvabat barbaros sed eos non secus inflammabat ac oleum c. Dio Cass in vita M. Antonin Philos heat and influence causing stormy tempestuous and unseasonable weather to the annoyance of the Adversary as once of the Quades and Marcomans upon the prayers of the thundering Legion as they were afterwards called in the dayes of Marcus Antoninus the Phisosopher Emperour And as in the Battle between Edward the third of England and Philip of France who being enraged with a former defeat marched with fury into the field elevated with a false hope of triumphant victory there fell at the instant such a piercing shower of rain as dissolved their strings and mae their bowes unusefull And at the breaking up of the showre Daniels Hist of Eng. fol. 237. the Sunne shone full in the face of the French dazeling their sight c. and on the backs of the English as it all made for them Miliâ—es nobis qui aâ—â—ant retulerunt extorta sibi esse de manibus quaecunque jaculibantur cùm à Theodosij partibus in adversarios vehemens ventus iret qui ipsorum tela in eorum corpora retorqueret Aug. de civ dei lib. 5. cap. 26. Rupertus ventos nominat scopas mundi qued Deus illâ—s everrat expurget aeris corruptionem Job 38.23 Hence the superstitious Heathens and some degenerate Jews in seremies time worshiped this 〈◊〉 of heaven as they called it set up the constellations of heaven for gods â—â—oposition to which petty Gods he is called Lord of Hosts God of these gods maker and master of them all And these are his heavenly hosts his cavalry his high-land forces not to mention here the meteors whether fiery as thunder and lightning or aiery as winde and earthquakes or watery as rain hail c. All which God is said to keep by him in his treasury and to bring them fort in the day of battle Secondly Gods armies in the earth are al terrestiall bodies 1 Cor. 15.40 Rabbi Kimchi well obsâ—â—â—eth that God hath magnleh chelo b and matteh cheloth his upper â—nd lower troops as his horse and soot ready prest Mark 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xâ—noph Ejus conciliis militant etiam quâ— ejus conci his repugnant Greg Agunt quod vult Deus sed non volunt quod vuâ— Deus Bern The Turks bear no weapons but in travel then some of them seem like a wal king armory Blounts voyage p. 79. D Willet on Rom. Gorran in Rom. 9.29 1 Tim. 1 20. expounded both lifeless and living creatures All which continue and keep their station this day according to hiae ordinâ—nce saith David for they are all thy servants Psal 119.91 and at thy beck and check Esay 45.12 Plato was wont to say that the earth was a kinde of living creature having stones for bones rivers for veines trees for haire c. Put Philo better sayth that the world is after a sort a great man and a man little world In the Gospel man is called every creature Go forth into all the world saith our Saviour and preach the Gospel to every creature that is to man the Model of the whole creation the master-piece of Gods handy-work A wise Philosopher could say that man is the end of all things in a semicircle that is All things else were made for him and he imself is made for God His servant he is and sworn souldier as Nebuchadnezzar is called and Cyrus and Ashur the rod in his hand For even the wicked also do the will of God though unwittingly partly besides and partly against their own wils And in this sense one nation may be Gods host to punish another or to sheath their own swords in their own bowels as Midian But especially this holds true of the Church militant which is terrible as an army with banners and every member thereof is a spiritual warriour harnessed like a travelling Turk capapee with that heavenly Panophe Eph. 6.13 resisting the devil who fleeth from him Jâ—m 4.7 The Israelites marching out of Egypt are called the Lords hosts Exod. 12.41 In relation whereunto some have thought that God assumed to himself this title because the Ark that testimony of his special presence marched in good aray and all comly equipage in the midst of the camp But to speak forwards Thirdly under the earth besides those creatures that passe thorough the pathes of the sea Psal 8.8 Whales and whirl-pooles Dragons and Leviathans that serve to swallow up Gods Jonasses and afterwards to ship them to land again The very Devils also are at Gods command and appointment as is intimated according to some in that Angelical â—risagion Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts that is saith Gorran of Angels men and devils True it is he is called Prince of the air but that is by divine permission for a season And God of this world but no otherwise then Absalom was once called the king viz. by usurpation Take him in his greatest power what is the Devil else but Gods officer or executioner to blinde the reprobate and to teach others that belong to God not to blaspheme that is by afflicting their bodies and buffeting their consciences to warn them not to walk unchristianly to the scandal of the weak and the scorne of the wicked These then are Gods hosts Hosts they are called and so we descend to the second quaere 1. Reas 1 For the huge number and mighty multitude infinitely surpassing those numerous armies of Xerxes Tamerlane 2 Cor. 14.9 the Ethiopians in Asa's time that brought a thousand thousand into the field the biggest army that I remember to have read of in holy Writ but no way comparable unto the Lords hosts who besides all other creatures innumerable attendant hath thousand thousands of Angels ministring unto him Dan. 7.10 and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him as waiting an errand and that would be glad of an office He bringeth them out by number and calleth them all by their names Esay 40.20 which no earthly Generall can do Reas 2 2 They are called hosts for their Eutaxie quasi milites in statione â— collocati sunt Shindler Pentag Acceperunt pro tsebi jucundites decus ornamentum Ib. Reas 3. Math. 8. the comly and lovely order of them keeping their stations as it were in martial manner and battel-ray Whence the Septuagaint commonly render this word used for
shall stop him If Salomon delight to search out the secrets of wisdom what shall be hid from him If Somson delight in Daliance what will h not dare to do for it if Ahashueroh delight in Esther what may not she have of him If the Lord delight in us saith Caleb then be will bring us into this land of giants and give it us As if he hath no delight in me said David behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him But now the Lord doth delight in every David and will shew him yea seal up unto him the sure mercies of day He delights in mercy saith the Prophet yea such a mercy saith the Apostle he rejoyceth against judgement and glories over it as over his adversary whom he hath subdued Hence it was that he erected himself of old not a judgment-seat but a mercy-seat in the midst of his people as one that settled himself to shew them mercy When the Judge sate him down in the gates of Israel it was to do justice Psal 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. When the scorner sits him down in the chair of pestilence he will scoff to some purpose so now that God sits in his mercy-seat he will surely shew mercy with ease yea a multitude of mercies When a man hath setled himself in his seat it 's supposed he is at ease and a small matter shall not raise him God is never more at ease as I may say and better pleased then when he is in his mercy-seat in his throne of grace Hence he is said to rise out of his place Heb. 4.16 to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Esay 26.21 and to do his work his strange work when he is to do justice Esay 28.21 It is an act neither so proper to him for it is his strange work nor so pleasant to him for he riseth out of his place to do it which is a kinde of diseasement and a pain to him especially from whom mercie flows as freely and as naturally as light from the sun hony from the comb water from the well-spring He quits himself in it as well apaid thereof he rests in his love and will seek no farther Zeph. 3.17 This mercy-seat was the cover of the Ark where the two tables of the Law lay to note the blessednesse of those that receive mercy their iniquity is forgiven their sin is covered Again from this mercy-seate Psal 32.1 scituate not between the Seraphim those flaming executioners of justice Isa 6. but between the Cherubims as ministers of mercy the Lord shewed himself Act. 7. and gave forth the lively oracles as St. Steven stiles them Once he spake from the burning bush or smoaking mountain so terrible that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake This was mount Sina in Arabia But we are come to mount Sion c. Heb. 12.21.22 and upon all the glory now there is a covering or mercy-seat Isa 4.5 The tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev. 21.3 Jerusalem which is from above is now called the throne of the Lord and all nations flock unto it Jer. 3. God puts them among the children of his love and saith to each of his Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me Jer. 17.19 Therefore are they before the throne of God answerable to the ancient mercy-seat serving him day and night in his temple Rev. 7.15 Where the Angel of his presence Jesus Christ offers their services powring in of his incense with the prayer of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne Rev. 8.3 And hence it is that the good Lord pardoneth every one that prepareth his heart to seek God 2 Chr. 30.18 19. though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary that he winks at small-faults shall I say and spares them as a man spares his own son that serves him nay that he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression or treason he retaineth not his anger for ever seem he never so much displeased and all because mercy pleaseth him which puts the prophet to his patheticall exclamation by way of wonderment Who is a God like unto thee c. SECT III. ANd that is the rise of our second Reason from God Reas 2 who therefore spares his people as a father his childe that they may 1. praise him for present yea for ever Cretae Jovis est imago auribus carens ait Plutarchus Non enim convenit audiri ab eo quenquam qui omnium dominus sit princeps Plut. Mor. Lucianus fingit cancellos in coelo per quos Jupiter certo tempore homines respiciat quo solummodo tempore petentes exaudiantur Psal 48.10 Tollens iniquitatem peccatuÌ„ scelus sic enim exprimitur magnitudo clementiae quod non levibus tantum delictis det veniam sed graviss quibusque sceleribus Calvin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim 1.14 that he may fill their mouths with laughter and their tongues with triumph that they may say among the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them that they may say among the saints Their Rock is not as our Rock our enemies themselves being judges Oh who is God like unto thee â— The Gods of the Nations are idols And we know that an idol is nothing and that of nothing nothing comes of such dung-hill deities no mercy is to be expected they cannot work beyond the sphere of their activity But our God is in the heavens and as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him He is a great God and a great King above all Gods And as himself is great so is his mercy and so also is his glory For according to thy name O Lord so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth Now what is Gods name Heare it from his own mouth Iehovah Iehovah God mercifull and gracious c. forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is all sorts of sins though never so heavy never so heinous Naturall pollution actuall transgression stifneckt presumption all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men saith our Saviour how much more the involuntary slips of the saints their unavoidable infirmities their sins of daily incuâ—sion for which also there is provided a pardon of course it needs no more but suing out It is the glory of a man to pass by a transgression saith Solomon Prov. 19.11 And it makes no lesse for the glory of God that he pardons the iniquity of his people that he multiplyeth pardons as they multiply sins Esay 55.7 that where grace aboundeth then doth grace superabound or abounds to flowing over as the word there signifieth that they cannot commit more then he will remit Surely hereby the power of our Lord appears to be exceeding great and as true as he liveth
of them as Jacob did Laban of his sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 31.10.16 as the Israelites did the Egyptians of their Jewels the same word is used there as here and it is a wonderfull significant word saith Mercer S. Paul imitateth it when he saith the creature shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption This God doth when he snatcheth away kingdomes from tyrants wealth fron worldlings strength from roysters spirituall common gifts from the proud and secure Zech. 11.17 See the note there when men abuse mercies they forfeit their right in them wicked men have not onely a civill title but a right before God to the things that they possesse It is their portion Psal 17.14 And what Ananias had was his own whiles he had it Act. 5. And God gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar as pay for his pains in taking Tyre True it is all was forfeited in Adam but wicked men have yet a right to all they do enjoy in a lawfull way by divine donation till the day of execution As when a traitour hath his life given him for a time at least he hath meate and drink also given him to maintain his life for that time God dealeth not as that cruel Duke D'alva did who starved some prisoners after that he had given them quarter saying Though I promised you your lives Hist of Netherl I promised not to finde you meate That which wicked men are charged with and shall be accountable for is not their right to use the creatures but their not right using them This makes the creature cry in its kinde and long for liberty even as birds do that thrust a long neck out of a cage so much the Apostles word importeth Rom. 8.19 And God who heareth the cry of the widdow and fatherlesse and looseth his prisoners Psal 146.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heares and frees the poor creatures groaning under mans abuse c. Given to cover her nakednesse This is the end of garments so called quasi gardmentes they arme and fence our bodies against the injury of winde and weather against heate of summer cold of winter They also cover our nakednesse and deformity those parts especially that are by an Antiphrasis called verenda pudenda here principally perhaps intended because they ought never to be laid naked but kept covered pudoris gratia for common honesty sake that the shame of thy nakednesse do not appeare Rev. 3.18 Vatab. Nature teacheth to cover our nakednesse Therefore also when a man hath commttted a sin he blusheth the blood as it were would cover the sin But nothing will do that save onely the righteousnesse of Christ the fleece of that immaculate lamb of God whom therefore we must put on Rom. 13.14 in all his offices and efficacies Our first parents indeed were born with the royall robe of originall righteousnesse on their back but the devill soon stript them of it and therehence they became sore ashamed of their bodily nakednesse but chiefly of their spirituall which therefore they sought to hide as they could their privities especially Whence some are of opinion that to look upon the nakednesse of another is a sin against nature The Prophet Habakkuk taxeth it in the Chaldees Chap. 2.15 and the Hebrewes there say It was a filthy custome amongst them common at their feasts Cloathes are the ensignes of mans sin and the cover of our shame To be proud of them is as for a thief to be proud of his halter to brag of them is as for the Lazar to brag of a plaster laid to his filthy sore the finenesse of such is their filthinesse their neatnesse nastinesse as one speaketh Verse 10. And now will I discover her lewdnesse Or her filthinesse basenesse foolishnesse saplessnesse perhaps the same with her nakednesse verse 9. See the Note there How shamelesse the Heathen Idolaters were the worshippers of Priapus especially which Ierome and Isidore say was the same with Baal-peor and made Maacha the mother of Asa guilty of that villany with their infamous Nos pudore pulsa stamus sub Jove coleis apertis c. is notoriously known how they ran about naked in their Lupercalia Bacchanalia and other beastly solemnities God threatneth to make her naked here in another manner Chaldeus reddit ignominiam ut quam velatam desiderabant apertam contemnant Hieron to her utter disgrace and ignominy He had threatned her before with poverty now with scorn and contempt these go seldome asunder but when self-procured they are very grievous See Deut. 28. Fornicatours are fools Ier. 29.23 Gen. 34.7 Shechem committed folly in Israel and is therefore called a lad or a childe ver 19. Neque distulit puer for his witlessenesse as being carried not by right reason but blind affection So Amnon was for this as one of the fools in Israel 2 Sam. 13.12 a Nabal a Nebulo one that falls below the dignity of a man below the stirrup of reason flagitious and profligate Spirituall fornicatours are all this and more They hunt after lying vanities and so forsake their own mercies Jonas 2.8 being singularly foolish as the word here used importeth and miserable by their own election The indignity and iniquity of their practise see Ier. 2.9 10 11 12 13. Satan deals by them as he did by Adam when he gave him an apple for Paradise and set him to the tree of Knowledge that he might not taste the tree of life And like unto them saith a Lapide here is every wicked person who by Satans perswasion preferreth the creature before the Creatour earth before heaven the devil before God hell before heaven sin before sanctity evil before good These are lewd persons of sordid and servile dispositions homines ad servitutem parati as Tiberius said of the Romans men of an under-spirit as those 1 Chron. 4.23 Hedge rogues Mr. Dyke calleth them In the sight of her lovers That her whom they have so desired whiles she was veiled they may deride when laid open There can nothing befall a woman more grievous then to be stript naked but especially before her sweet-hearts Lam. 3.8 All that honoured her despise her because they have seen her nakednesse yea she sigheth and turneth backward It is the paint or the dresse many times that makes the lewd woman lovely Think the same of Idolatry how pompous is it and theatricall but God will detect it and make it ridiculous every day more and more Erasmus was very instrumentall this way and did prejudice Popery by his witty jearing as much as Luther did by his stomacking and inveying saith One. Though it cannot be denied Capito but that Pruriginosa istorum hominum scabies asperiori strigali fricanda fuerat Amama Anibarb Praefat. the scabby hides of those Popelings called for a sharper curry-comb as another Learned man phraseth it and none shall deliver her out of my hand Not her idols not her confederates An idol is nothing in the
world and all Nations set by God are as a drop of a bucker or dust of a ballance they can no more stand before him then a glasse-bottle can before a cannon-shot 1 Cor. 8.4 Isai 40.15 It was bootlesse therefore for this adulteresse to hope for help from her lovers when God once took her in hand He would give her her due Ipsis spectantibus stantibus instar stipitum whiles they look on and stood like so many stocks not daring to stir for her rescue and relief See for this Rev. 18.10 with the Note Verse 11. I will also cause her mirth to cease Idolaters are frollick and jovial the greatest mirth-mongers the merry Greeks of the world set altogether upon the merry pin Job 21.13 they spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly turn into hell Thus it was with these old idolaters See Amos 6.4 And thus it is with the Papists at this day They have a Proverb amongst them Spiritus Calvinianus est spiritus melancholicus A Calvinisticall spirit is a melancholy spirit Turn Protestant once and you must for ever bid adieu to mirth and jollity and lead a Monkish melancholy life In their supplication to King Iames for a Toleration they used this as an argument for their Religion above ours because more suitable and pleasing to mans nature Revel 13. It is indeed an alluring tempting bewitching religion Sir Walter Rawleigh knew what he said That were he to chuse a Religion for licentious liberty lasciviousnesse and merry-living he would be a Papist Hence the whole world is said to wonder after the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quâ—d omnium animalium amicus sit Isidor which is said to be like unto a Leopard or Panther Now the Panther is admired and followed by most other beasts of the field and thence hath his name either for the beauty of his hide or for the sweetnesse of his smell So is the Pope for those sensual delights and swinish pleasures he alloweth his followers Lupanar utriusque Veneris Roma condidiâ— saith Agrippa concerning Pope Sixtus Quintus But what should I rake in that dunghill Such sinfull mirth as it is base born so it is of short continuance God will make it to cease and to go soon out in a vexing snuffe For why There is a snare or cord in the sinne of the wicked sc to strangle their joy with but the righteous sing and are merry Prov. 29.6 yea they are merry or right set in their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Sept. here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word signifies Iames 5.13 and therefore they sing yea and shall sing for joy of heart when wicked men shall crie for sorrow of heart yea howle again for vexation of spirit Esay 65.14 Mean-while their mirth is but the hypocrisie of mirth It may wet the mouth but not warm the heart smooth the brow but not fill the breast It is like a little counterfeit complexion As they repent only in the face Mat. 6.16 so they rejoyce only in the face 2 Cor. 1.5.12 Indeed they revel rather then rejoyce the end of that mirth is heaviness Pro. 14.13 as lightening is attended with thunder as comets end in a pestilent vapour Let the Lord but turn his hand take away his corn c. destroy vine and fig-trees c. and this carnal mirth is at an end their light is put out in obscure darknesse they lye down in sorrow and are all Amort they are filled with unmedicinable perplexities and are ready to run mad Deut. 28.34 Whereas a godly man as he hath a constant spring of comfort within him and can be merry without musick so he can stand under the greatest weight of affliction without buckling as Paul he can be medjis tranquillus in undis as Noah he can confidently say wth Habakkuk Although the figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines c. Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Chap. 3.17 Her feast-dayes her new-moones Not the matter of their joy onely shall be abolished but the times too She shall neither have holy-dayes nor good dayes as they are called Esth 8.17 to keep and celebrate Here then the Lord shewes how he will uncover this harlots nakednesse Viz First he will strip her of her spirituals and next of her temporals Verse 12. Her feast-dayes new-moons sabbaths and solemn-feasts were but apish imitations of those commanded by God whose ape Satan will needs be Habent vespae favos simiae imitantur homines Waspes also have honey-combs as well as Bees and apes will be doing at mens actions Satans synagogue may seem a true Church The ten revolted Tribes kept also diverse solemne dayes partly commanded by the Law as new-moons and sabbaths and partly instituted by Ieroboam in honour of their idols as now among the Papists in pretended honour of the Saints with feasting dancing ringing roaring of organs c. These solemnities therefore the Lord here first utterly disowneth calling them her feast-dayes her sabbaths c. and none of his because they did lacte gypsum miscere mingle lime with milk as Irenaeus saith of Plato Non mea tua funt as Martial saith of his Epigrams ill read by another And secondly that he will take them away sc by carrying themselves away captive See Chap. 9.4 5. and so pull off their vizour wash off their varnish of rites and ceremonies and lay them open to all in their own colours Verse 12. And I will destroy her vines and her fig-trees Not her wine and her figs onely i. e. her delicious drinks and sweet-meats even all her plenty sed vineta ipsa ficeta as Rivet observeth which shews a great deal of anger for fruit-trees were not to be destroyed in an enemies countrey like as he discovered a great deal of fear of the Spanish Inquisitours Heyl. Geog. 52 c. that brought one of them his pears which he had sent for tree and all by the roots It is wisdome to meet God by repentance lest he stub up root and branch together lest he overturn overturn overturn so as it shall be no more Ezek. 21.27 lest he crie Cut it down Luke 13.7 why cumbreth it the ground sith it is not for fruit let it be for the fire whereof she hath said These are my rewards The wages of my wickednesse the hire of my Harlotry Deut. 23.18 Ezek. 16.34 pretium mâ—ritorium Adultery is costly Whores must have their rewards they lie in wait for a prey Prov. 23.20 and will soon bring a rich man to beggery Prov. 6.26 Solomon himself was so exhausted by such shee sinners so they call them Cruces et crumenio ulgas suck purses the Poet calleth them that he was forced to oppresse his Subjects to supâ—ly his coffers which occasioned the losse of ten Tribes Harlots know no other language but that of the
have been prevented Verse 4. In that day shall one take up a parable c. In that day that dolefull and dismal day of their calamity shall One Any one that is moved at your misery and would work you to a sense of your sin the mother of your misery shall take up a parable tristem querulam sad and sorrowfull and lament with a doleful lamentation Heb. with a lamentation of lamentations or with heigh-ho upon heigh-ho as the word seemes to signify we be uttterly spoiled Plundered to the life laid naked to the very foundation chap. 1.6 put into such a condition as that there is neither hope of better nor place of worse he hath changed the portion of my people that is God or the Assyrian by Gods appointment hath taken away our countrey and given it to strangers The Pope took upon him in Henry the 8. dayes to give England Primo occupaturo to him that could first win it This brutum fulmen came to nothing But when Gods people changed their glory for that which profited not Ier. 2 11. he soon changed their portion he caused that good land to spew them out he turned their weale into woe and brought wrath upon them to the utmost Neither profited it them any more to have been called Gods people then it did Dives in flames that Abraham called him Son or Judas that Christ called him Friend how hath he removed it from me Erah This is Lamentation-like indeed See Lam. 1.1 and 2.1 and 4.1 all beginning with the same word How The speech is concise and abrupt meet for mourners There is an elegancy in the original not to be Englished How uncertaine are all things here God sits upon the circle of the earth and shakes out the inhabitants qt pleasure as by a canvas Esa 40. Persons and things are said to be in heaven but on earth on the outside of it only where they have no firm footing Dionysius was driven out of his kingdome Aelian lib. 2. which yet he thought was tied to him with chaines of adamant saith the Historian turning away from us as a lothsome object being so incorrigibly flagitious he hath divided our fields sc to the enemy for a reward like as he gave Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar for his paines at Tyre Or thus Instead of restoring which now we are hopelesse of he hath divided our fields our fertile and fat countrey to those that will be sure to hold their own in it as the Gaules and Gothes did in Italy after they had once tasted the sweetnesse of it Vatablus rendreth the text thus How hath he taken from me those fields of ours which he seemed ready to restore he hath even divided them sc to others Verse 5. Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot Fields were divided with cords of old and inheritances also See Psal 16.5 and 105.11 and 78.55 2 Sam. 8.2 This hope is henceforth cut off from revolted Israel the ten tribes never returned the other two did and some few of the ten amongst them Whether upon their conversion to Christ they shall be restored to the promised land Time the mother of Truth will make manifest In the congregation of the Lord So you were once but now nothing lesse A Congregation ye are still but of malignants a rabble of rebels conspiring against heaven A name ye have to live but ye are dead ye cry out Templum Domini The Temple of the Lord are we but in truth ye are no better then those Egyptian temples beautifull without but within nothing to be seen but a cat rat or some such despicable creature Here they are called the Congregation of the Lord by an irony as the Cardinall of Ravenna is so called by way of derision Verse 6. Prophesie ye not say they to them that prophesie Prodigious impudency thus to silence the Prophets or else to prescribe to them according to the other reading of the text Prophesie not as they prophesie for they are too tart therefore Drop not ye who thus drop vineger and nitre who vex our galled consciences no lesse then the cruel Spaniards do the poor Indians naked bodies which Sr. Fr. Drake for a sport they do day by day drop with burning bacon But let these drop that can smooth us up that can utter toothlesse truths that will drop oyle into our eares byssina verba and give us silken words these be Prophets for our turns c. God cannot please some hearers unlesse he speak tinkling and tickling words Now these must get their eares healed as Demosthenes advised his countreymen of Greece ere they can be in case to hear with profit They must learn of Bees to paslâ— by roses and violets and sit upon Time to heed I meane sound rebukes rather then smooth supparasitations There are that note a jeare it the tearm Drop It is well known that the word Preached is oft compared to raine Deut. 32.2 Esay 55.10.11 The Prophets therefore are here in derision called Droppers or Distillers Luk. 16 1â— and forbidden to do their office or at least to drop in that sort Thu their successors in evill the Pharisees who were likewise coverous derided Christ And thus their predecessours also in Esay's time put a scost upon him and his preaching cap. 28.10 where the sound of the words in the Original carries a taunt as scornfull people by the tone of their voice and riming words gibe and jeare at those whom they vilify they shall not prophesie to them q. d. You shall have your wish my droppers shall give over dropping and be no further troublesome nor take shame any more by prophesying to such a perverse people so shamelesly so lawlesly wicked that they shall not take shame Or shall they not take shame q. d. though they will not heare of it that shame shall be their promotion and confusion their portion yea they shall surely feel and find it so Verse 7. O thou that art named the house of Jacob That hast a name to live but art dead Rev. 3.1 that art called a Jew and makest thy boast of God Rom. 2.17 that hast a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 and a form of godlinesse 2 Tim. 3.5 a semblance of sanctimony Luke 8.18 acting religion playing devotion as if it were a neme onely or as if it were enough to be named the house of Jacob or to have his voice though the hands are the hands of Esau the practise nothing suitable to the profession Thus many amongst us content themselves with the bare name of Christians as if many a ship hath not been called Safe-guard or Goodspeed which yet hath fallen into the hands of Pirates The devil will surely sweep and hell swallow all such Nominalists such shall find that an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at the last What was Dives the better for this that Abraham called him sonne or Iudas that Christ called him friend or
mean fear of punishment is a good legall preparative to filiall the spirit of bondage to the spirit of Adoption which it introduceth as the needle or bristle doth the threed that follows it Secondly as it cannot be utterly cast out whiles we are here so it is of singular use to a Christian in his way homeward for being paâ—tly flesh and partly spirit it is profitable for the unregenerate part which is a slave and not a sonne to be contain'd in duty and restrain'd from sinne by the fear of Gods justice power and punishments And hence it is saith One that the fear of God is so much urged in Scripture Cum audis quod Dominus tuus dulcis est attende quid disigas cum audis quod rectus attende quid timeaâ— ut amore timore Dei excnatus legem ejus custodias Cass super Psal 25. Dulcis rectus Dominus Si amor Deite tenere noâ— potest saltem teneat terreat amor judicis meius gehennae laqueâ—mâ—tis â—olorâ—s injer ni ignis urens vermis corrodens c. Hug. l. 3. de anima to shew a difference between mans first integrity wherein he needed no other motive to duty then love and the renovation of Gods image in us since the fall which being but imperfect and in part onely therefore hath God purposely fixed in us the affection of fear and sanctified it in his own to the restraining of them from sin and provoking them to duty How farre forth then may it be lawfull to stand in fear of Gods wrath and judgements Quest Divines determine it thus Answ we may not fear the punishment onely and not the offence The chief object of godly fear is evil of sin a just man is one that feareth an oath Eccl. 9.2 Gods offence rather then his own distresse which appears in that however God spare him yet he will not spare himself he is a law to himself nor yet the punishment chirefly and more then the offence but the punishment must be feared with the offence the offence being feared first and most And this is both commanded by the Lord Christ q Maâ— 10.28 29. and commended unto us in the examples of David r Psal 119.120 Jostah Å¿ 2 Chron. 34.27 Habakkuk t Hab. 3.16 and diverse other saints And the reason is ready rendred by Moses Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath u Psal 90.11 that is As any man fears thy displeasure more or lesse so shall he feel it as some understand that Text. SECT IIII. Use 1. Information They that scar not God are not his and who these are by their Character out of Psal 36.1 2 3 4 c. Vse 1. NOw for Use of this point Is it so that every faithfull servant of God feareth God hence then in the first place will follow as a consectary that all such as are destitute of this reverentiall fear of the Almighty are notwitstanding all their other commendable parts and properties to be esteemed no better then gracelesse and irreligious persons Hence it is so often made the brand of a sonne of Belial that there is no fear of God before his eyes and this is purposely reserved in Scripture after a large bedroll of other abominations found in mens hearts and lives to the last place of all w Rom. 3.18 Mal. 3 5. to intimate that the want of Gods fear is the ground of all the forementioned mischiefs the mother of all the misrule in the world As in that unjust Judge for instance who was therefore unjust because he fear'd not God nor regarded man x Luk. 18.2 And surely the fear of God is not in this place therefore they will slay me said Abraham of the men of Gerar y Gen. 20.11 Lo he could promise himself no good at all of that place and people Object Sol. where God was not feared God was not feared may some say what a reason 's that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timendus terribiliâ— per Metonyâ—â—aÌ„ Deus cui timor debetur Shindler there is no people so barbarous or person almost so bruitish that feareth not God For answer I confesse there is nothing more naturall then to stand in awe of a Deity Whence also it is that God in the Greek tongue hath his Name from fear as some derive it And the Chaldee Paraphrast sometimes useth the word Fear or Terrour for God because of the fear confessedly due to him Hence Jacob coming from Syria and being to swear to a Syrian sware by the fear of his father Isaac z Gen. 31.53 But that all fear not the true God or 2. that they do not truely fear him and so are none of his 't is more then evident First 't is certain that all men fear not the true God but some thing else which they set up in his room Who seeth not that some fear idols and devils a 1 Cor. 10.20 Lev. 17.7 Seghnirim of their horrour and terrour which they cause to men as Pagans some hee-saints and shee-saints as Papagans some the Queen of heaven b Jer. 44.17 as the superstitious person that consults his calendar and scars nothing more then to fall sick upon an evil day Some again fear diâ—grace as Saul c 1 Sam. 15.30 see Jer. 38.19 danger and displeasure of great Ones as Pilate who fear'd if he released Clirist according to his conscience Caesote * Caius Imperator should as indeed afterwards he did pull his purple over his ears and kick him off the bench * Contra propriae couscientiae testimoniuÌ„ ores sui enuntiatum he delivered up to death the Lord of life so not only drew upon Casar and his throne the guilt of innocent blood in which respect Christ is said to have been crucified at Rome Revel 11. but also ran himself at once vpon Gods and the Emperours heavy displea sure shortly after became his own deaths-man Eurrop 1.7 Eus b.l. 2 c. 7. some fear losse of goods as the rich young man that went away sorrowfull for nothing more then that Christ should require such conditions as he was not willing to yeeld to d Mat. 19 20 21 Some fear losse of liberty as those that forsook Paul the prisoner and were ashamed of his chaiâ— e 2 Tim. 4.16 some fear losse of life making much of a thing of nought f Psal 39.5 shrinking in the shoulder when called to carry the crosse of Christ or to suffer with him though it be to bee glorisied together g Rom. 8.17 Thus men can make a shift to fear any thing so what they should fear God I mean 〈◊〉 proper object of this and all other our affections whatsoever There is I confesie a â—nd of fear of God abusively * Timor Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic appellatus Polan Synt. so called a generall fear a
fear at large 〈◊〉 in the wicked such as were those mongrell Samaritans who feared the Lord and worshipped their own Gods after the manner of the nations h 2 Kin. 17.33 but this is rather a fright then a fear a spirit of restraint a pâ—nick terrour falling eftsoons upon the foulest hearts for the saâ—egard of the saints curbing even the rebellious from outrage that the Lord God may dwâ—ll upon earth i Psal 68.18 in his servants and subjects Which else these hard-hearted Labans and rough-handed Esatâ—'s would never suffer did not Fear of their father Isaac k Gen. 31.53 Lupus venit ad ovile quaerit invadere jugulare devorare Vigilant pastores latrant canes c. Lupus venit fremens redit tremens lupus tamen est fremens tremens Augâ—de verb. Apost serm 21. bridle them did he not put his hook into their noses and his bit into their jaws turning them back by the way they came out l Esay 37.28 This is thought to have been that hornel mentioned by Moses wherewith the Lord drave out the Hivite the Canaanite and the Hittite before the Israelite m Exod. 23.27 28 causing them by the furies of their own evil consciences wherewith they were haunted to fear their own shadows and to slre at a shaken leaf n Lev. 26.36 as a sparrow out of Egypt and as a dove out of the land of Ashur o Hos 11.11 Thus Zebul was terrified with the shadow of the mountains p Judg. 9.36 the Midianites with their own dreams and fancies q Judg. 7.13 the Syrians with an imaginary noise of charrets and horses r 2 King 7.6 French History History of the Councel of Trent Catilina non mediocriter solebat pertimescere si quid crepuisset the Burgundians about to give their enemies battle with the sight of long thistles which they thought to be launces Cardinall Crâ—sâ—â—ntius at his own conceits and phantasies For as he was writing to Rome from the Councel of Trent against the Protestants he thought verily he had seen the devil like a black dog walking in his chamber and at last couching under his table which cast the man into such a melancholy dump that he died of it This was a terrour from the Lord but this was not that fear of the Lord here mentioned in the seâ—t and wherewith few are acquainted For even of those that professe to fear the true God how very few are there found that do fear him in truth which is our second accusation and action laid against most men and comes now to be proved And first for the wicked of the earth it is most certain that they have greatest cause to fear of any men if they knew all for the direfull and dreadfull threats of Gods mouth are against them Sinne lies sculking at the door Å¿ Gen. 4.7 of their consciences like a ban-dog ready to worry them the devil stands watching to lay claim to them and to devour them t 1 Pet. 5 8 the rage of all the creatures though they little think of it is ever arm'd and addrest to seize upon them as traytours and rebels to the highest majesty and to drag them down into the bottome of hell In all which respects the sinners in Sion should be afraid fearefulnesse should surprize the Hypocrites Cause enough they have to run away with those desperate words in their mouthes who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who among vs shall dwell with everlasting burnings u Esay 33.14 Or rather which indeed were more to be wisht to grow to that conclusion of the Authour to the Hebrews Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear For our God is a consuming fire w Heb. 12.28.29 But how little alasse of this reverent fear and so consequently of any other saving grace whatsoever * Timor Dei est virtus viâ—tutu n custos Bucholcer Ps 36.1 2 3 4 expounded there is in the hearts of wâ—cked and unregenerate persons appears in their practise and that the Psalmist maketh good both in respect of evill to be avoyded and of good to be performed Psal 36 1 2 3 4. For evill first my minde gives me saith the Prophet and I am verily perswaded that there 's nofear of God in such a mans heart ver 1. But what 's the ground of this perswasion may it not be a rash and uncharitable censure you passe upon him Ob. No saith he for first for evill thoughts he makes no scruple no conscionce of them for he holds that thought 's free and therefore layes the raines in the neck Sol. and lets them rove any way yea even then when his reines should teach him better things in the night season x Psal 16.7 He deviseth mischief saith he upon his bed Psâ—l 36.4 Secondly for his words as to God they are stout y Malac 3.13 so to men they are slippery so that ye cannot tell where to have him neither how to beleeve almost any thing that he speaks the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit ver 3. Thirdly for matter of deeds he abhorrs not any evill ver 3. well he may leave some sin but he loaths it not forbear it he may for some politick respects as fear of the law shame of the world and speech of people but 't is sure he hates it not in his heart A man may withdraw himself from some particular sin give it over seeme to be divorc'd from it yet have a monthes minde to it still As Ahashuerosh when the heat of his passion was over remembred Vashti and what was decreed against her z Esth 21. and could have wishe it otherwise Or as the husband of Michal who when she was taken from him yet he came weeping after her afar off a 2 Sam. 3.16 And this way a man may be as wicked in his fearfull abstaining from sin as in his furious committing of it But usually this generation of men that have not the fear of God before their eyes are so wedded to their wicked courses that they will at no hand depart from iniquity b Prov. 3.7 Malach. 3.5 but are wise and cunning to palliate and plead for that they doe Yea against all the terrours of the Lord casting handfulls of hell-fire into their faces in the ministry of his word which should make them tremble and sin not c Psal 4.4 they contrarily sin and tremble not Yea which is worst of all and sets them farthest off from mercy they please and blesse themselves d Deut. 29.19 20. in that iniquity of theirs which God and good men descry to be hateful Psal 36.2 not only not standing in awe of his judgements as they ought while they hang in the threatenings but fleshing and slattering themselves as if the bitternesse of death were past e 1 Sa. 15.32 because sentence