fornication and in the former not once to name it Thirdly it is malum lubricum a sinne full of great danger So meaneth Salomon Prou. 23.27 where he sayth A whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow d Prou. 22.14 pitt The comparison is plaine A Harlot to a deepe ditch and to a narrow pit The meaning of the holy Ghost is As a man that falleth into a deepe ditch or into a narrow pit breaketh either an arme or a legge and with much adoe getteth out againe so is it with them that are ouertaken with this vile sinne of fornication the woman e Eccles 26.7 whose heart is as snares and nets and her hands as bands will bee to them more bitter then death with much adoe shall they escape from her Fourthly it stoppeth the passage into Heauen S. Paul affirmeth it 1. Cor. 6.9 Fornicators shall not inherite the kingdome of God and againe Ephes 5.5 No whoremonger hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ S. Iohn Reuel 21.18 sayth as plainely Whoremongers shall haue their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Thus haue you of many foure reasons why wee may not commit fornication 1. It is vnlawfull by the law of Nature 2. It is forbidden by the law of God 3. It is full of great danger 4. It stoppeth the passage into Heauen Now see the validitie of my former inference We may not commit fornication for the reasons now specified much lesse may we commit adulterie much lesse incest much lesse other sinnes of vncleannesse sinnes against Nature monstrous and prodigious sinnes All these S. Paul 1. Cor. 6. hath euen chayned together to cast them into Hell And that you may take notice of it he hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for you vers 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not deceiued Neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate nor abusers of themselues with mankinde shall inherit the kingdome of God Thus farre hath the first vse of my doctrine led mee The second followeth My doctrine was Incestuous persons adulterers fornicators and other vncleane sinners are oftentimes the cause of profaning the holy name of God This in the second place serueth for the reproofe of such as suffer themselues to be kindled with the burning fire of luxuriousnes or carnall lusts And hereby are all incestuous marriages condemned f Caietan in Aquin 2. 2. qu. 154 Art 9. §. Respondeo Emanuell King of Portugall married his wiues sister g Caietan ibid. Ferdinand the younger King of Sicilie married his fathers h Joannam sister Philip the second King of Spaine married his sisters i Annam daughter Henry the eight King of England married his brothers k Catharinam wife All these were incestuous marriages and are by this doctrine condemned But some may say these marriages were not concluded but by the Popes dispensation Why then say I they are condemned I say so because they are precisely against the law of God written Levit. 18. But may not the Pope dispense against that law What! Dispense against the law of God! We are not ignorant that the chiefe patrons of the Pontificiall law howsoeuer they grant l In cap. MennaÌ„ 2. q. 5. Annotat. marg Papam quandoque nimiùm papaliter dispensare that the Pope sometimes dispenseth too much Pope-like doe notwithstanding expresly affirme m Gloss in Cap. Post translationem Extra de Renuntiatione 25. qu. 1. Cap. Sunt quidam Papam bene dispensare contra Apostolum that the Pope well dispenseth against the Apostle n Rainold Thes 5. pag. 141. Neither do they grant vnto the Pope this power of dispensing only in causes perteining to the positiue law of man with which colour they now paint ouer that same flagitious glosse of dispensing against the Apostle but also in matters ratified by the law of God I could here tell you of many wicked dispensations that haue bin granted by the Pope as that o Cap. ad Apostolicae in Sexto de Sentent re iudicat Bulla Pij 5. contra Reginam Angliae subiects may be discharged of their oath and fealtie and may be licenced to withdraw their allegiance from their Prince yea to take armes against him yea to lay violent hands on him that p Concil Constans Sess 19. Cap. Quòd non obstantibus Câ—luis conductibus promise may be broken with God and man that most horrible q Rainold Thes 5. § 41. pag. 188. abominations may be committed that all things diuine and humane may be peruerted right and wrong Heauen and earth lawfull and vnlawfull may be confounded togither But I may not so far digresse from my present purpose Let it suffice for this time that you see the impietie of the Popes dispensations or rather dissipations as r De Consid ad â—ugâ—n lib. 3. c. 4. S. Bernard calleth them in his allowing of incestuous mariages that a man may marry his wiues sister or his fathers sister or his sisters daughter or his brothers wife all precisely against the law of God Here might we stand amased and wonder that such irregular and shamelesse dispensations should passe with the approbation of the Pope who beares a face as if he were most holy yea Holinesse it selfe Speake we to him or write to him our compellation must be Pater Sanctissime most holy Father and Sanctitas Tua your Holinesse But knowing him to be that Å¿ 2. Thess 2 3. man of sinne that sonne of perdition that grand Antichrist who according to the prophecies of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures was to be reuealed in these latter times we need not wonder though he dispenseth with all the most horrible and abominable impieties that may be Can we t Matth. 7.16 gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Can we expect that the Pope who u 2. Thess 2.4 opposeth himselfe against God and exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God should either himselfe liue or cause others to liue according to the holy law of God For the Popes themselues would the time and your patience permit I could rip vp their liues and shew vnto you how they haue bin stained and defiled with all manner of fearefull notorious and abhominable sinnes But my text will not suffer me so farre â—o range The sinnes of vncleanenesse wherein those holy fathers haue to the astonishment of the world wallowed are the sinnes in my present text and doctrine smitten at What shall I tell â—ou of the incest committed by many of them by Iohn the 13. with Stephana his fathers concubine by Iohn the x Aliâs the 24. 23. with his brothers wife by Paul the 3. with two of his Nieces by Pius the 5. with his owne sister by y Joan. Iovian Pontan Alexander the 6. with his owne daughter I could make true report vnto you of many of
of actuall sinne Sometimes it s so Then it is so when a man for some particular offence is more and more blinded and depriued of the knowledge of God and his truth So God punished the Gentiles with ignorance Rom. 1.24 Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God therefore God gaue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselues So they became vaine in their imaginations and professing themselues wise they became fooles And so God punished the wicked among the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.10 Because they receiued not the truth that they might be saued therefore God did send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies Thus is ignorance the punishment also of actuall sin And now is the first branch of my position cleare Ignorance is a punishment of sinne euermore of Originall and sometimes of Actuall sinne The next branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is a cause of sinne Aquin. 1. 2. q. 76. art 1. Ignorance is a cause of sinne For whosoeuer knoweth not God he cannot worship God he cannot but serue strange Gods We see that in the Galatians chap. 4.8 who therefore did seruice to them who by nature were not Gods because they knew not the true God Rom. 3.11 The like collection is made from some words in the fourteenth Psalme that therefore men seeke not God because they know him not There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God In both places Saint Paul makes Ignorance to be the mother of superstition and idolatry Men know not God therefore they seeke not God â—quin 1. 2. qu. 84. art 1. 2. but serue strange Gods Thus is ignorance a cause of sinne I say a cause of sinne as one sinne may bee a cause of another And one sinne may be a cause of another diuers waies 1 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for a sinne committed the grace and presence of the Holy Spirit leaueth and forsaketh vs. It being departed we cannot but runne into foule and filthy sinnes If our stay by which alone we are supported in the way of godlinesse be taken from vs how shall we stand 2 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as God punisheth sinne with sinne as when God gaue vp the Gentiles to their owne hearts lusts to vncleannesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselues Rom. 1.24 as euen now you heard 3 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as by committing of any sinne we are drawne on againe to doe the like and to ingeminate and double action vpon action vntill at length we make the sinne habituall vnto vs. 4 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as it cannot be that a sinne should be committed without attendants In which sense the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that Couetousnesse or the loue of money is the root of all euill They that will be rich saith he fall into tentation and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which draw men into perdition and destruction for the loue of money is the root of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes 5 One sinne is the cause of another in as much as for one the other is committed Pilat for ambition condemned Christ Iudas for money betrayed his Master and Balaam for a like reward cursed Gods people So many waies may one sinne be said to be the cause of another Now our ignorance of God is a cause of sinne the fourth way namely as it is not without attendants You heard euen now that Paul makes it to be the mother of superstition and idolatry I may say it is the mother of all heresies and errors To this purpose Saint Hierome in a proeme of his to the Virgin Eustochium before his Commentaries vpon Esay saith that the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ If 1 Cor. 1.24 saith he according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the power of God and the wisdome of God and hee that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God nor his wisdome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi est the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ It is so worthy a saying that it is put into the body of the Canon Law Dist 38. C. Si iuxta Thus much for the second branch of my position wherein I affirmed that Ignorance is a cause of sinne The third branch is Our ignorance of God and his truth is in it selfe sinne Here the Schoolemen doe distinguish Aquin. 1. 2. qu. 76. Art 2. Lombard Sent. lib. 2. dist 22. c. est autem There is one kinde of ignorance in such men as may know and will not another in such as may know and care not a third in such as would know but cannot The first is an ignorance by wilfulnesse the second by negligence the third by necessity The first and second they hold for sinnes the third they excuse yea they deny it to be a sinne To their iudgement concerning the two former kinds we giue our assent It is a malicious sinne a sinne of commission a very heynous sinne when men may know and will not It is a negligent sinne a sinne of omission yet a grieuous sinne when men may know and care not But their opinion touching the third kinde we allow not What if a man would know and cannot is he therefore simply and absolutely excused No he is not It s a truth and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to preuaile against it whosoeuer knoweth not what he ought to know by the Law of God he is holden in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he transgresseth the Law of God And euery transgression of the Law of God is sinne This truth is sealed by the holy Spirit in the mouth of Saint Iohn 1 Epist chap. 3.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery transgression of the Law is sin The Text of Scripture which they alleage for their opinion is Ioh. 15.22 There saith Christ If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne My answer is These words make nothing for them For Christ by saying so doth not absolutely excuse the Iewes from sinne vpon the condition that they had not beene able to haue heard Christ The excuse which Christ fitteth to them serues onely to excuse them from the greatnesse and grieuousnesse of sinne as if he had thus said If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sin sin that is so grieuous sinne as now they haue since they haue heard me and yet doe continue in their obstinacy refusing to giue assent to the truth which I haue told them from my
the daies of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeaâ—â— before the earthquake This first verse we may call the title of this booke or the preface vnto it It yeeldeth to our considerations sundry circumstances 1 The Prophets name Amos. 2 His former condition of life He was among the heardmeâ— 3 The place of his vsuall abode Tekoa 4 The matter or argument of his Prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel 5 The time of his Prophecie In the dayes of Vzziah King of Iuda and in the dayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel two yeares before the earthquake Amos Epiphanius in his booke of the liues and deaths of the Prophets holdeth this Amos to be Esayes father To which opinion a learned and late Diuine l Prolog in 12. Proph. min. Danaeus seemeth to giue his assent But S. Hierome is against it and so are most Interpreters so also is Drusius in his sacred obseruations lib. 4. cap. 21. And worthily For as much as the Hebrew writing of these two names m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of Esayes father and n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Againe Amos the father of Esay is by interpretation fortis o Hieronym Nic. de Lyra. robustus stout and valiant but Amos our Prophet is p Hieron ep ad Paulin. Onustus a man burdened and loaden or q Hier. Lyran. auulsus one that is separated from others These diuers interpretations of these two names the name of Esayes father and this our Prophets name is euidence and proofe sufficient that they were not one but two names and consequently not one but two men Besides Amos our Prophet is in the ancient monuments of the Hebrews surnamed r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est balbus a stutterâ—r stammerer or maffler as Drusius noteth vpon my Text. We finde not any such surname giuen Esayes father Therefore our Amos is not Amoâ— the father of Esay From our Prophets name let vs come tâ—â—s condition of life and vocation expressed by himselfe in these words Who was among the heardmen There are two sorts of heardmen the one is of such as doe vse the feat and trade of graziers or are sheep-masters such as haue vnder them in pay other heardmen and shepherds In this sense Mesa King of Moab 2 King 3.4 is called a heardman or shepherd and is registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The other sort of heardmen is of such as are hired to keepe cattle to see to their feeding and safetie such we properly call heardmen or shepherds and such a one was Amos our Prophet witnesse himselfe cap. 7.14 I was no Prophet neither was I a Prophets sonne but I was a heardman or shepherd You see now his former condition of life profession and vocation see also the place where he liued At Tekoa This towne Å¿ Lib. dâ—vit Prophet Epiphanius ascribeth to the land of Zabulon t Apud Mercerum R. Dauid to the inheritance of the sonnes of Aser but S. Hierome whom with the rest of the expositors of this booke I chuse to follow placeth it in the tribe of Iuda six miles southward from Bethlehem Adrichom in his description of the holy land saith it is two miles from Bethlehem More or lesse it s not much pertinent to my present occasion For the place it selfe Tekoa is 2 Chron. 11.6 rehearsed among all those strong Cities which Rehoboam built in Iuda Beyond the City Tekoa as Saint Hierome obserueth there was not any little village no not so much as a cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron. 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke Here Amos for a time led a shepherds life At length God separated him to carry his word against Israel Which is the fourth circumstance of this verse the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words of Amos which he saw vpon Israel The Hebrew manner is to call sermons words as Ierem. 1.1 The words of Ieremie And Eccles 1.1 The words of the Preacher And Haggei 1.12 The words of Haggei And Luk. 3.4 The words of Esay By these words we vnderstand sermons the sermons of Ieremy Ecclesiastes Haggei and Esay So here the words of Amos are the sermons of Amos. Which he saw this adiection sheweth that these words of Amos were committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is tearmed vision as Arias Montanus obserueth in his common disputes of the propheticall bookes Indeed vision is one of the kindes of prophecie In which regard as Sauls seruant beareth witnesse 1 Sam. 9.9 Prophets were in the old time called seers Well then doth Drusius expound this place The words which Amos saw that is the words which God did disclose or reueale vnto Amos in a vision These words which Amos saw this vision or prophecie was concerning Israel vpon or against Israel Vpon Israel Israel was a common name to the 12. tribes which issued out of Iacobs loynes and was so from the beginning of Sauls reigne to the end of Salomons After whose death a rent was made in the kingdome Ieroboam sonne of Nebat seduced 10. tribes Rehoboam Salomons sonne could keepe with him but two Thus of one kingdome Israel were made two Iuda and Israel A strange diuision Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten forsooke it and fell away The two tribes Iuda and Beniamin called but one tribe 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnesse and obedience to the seed of Dauid are in holy Scripture called sometimes u Amos 2.4 Iuda sometimes x Ierem. 6.1 Benjamin sometimes y Micah 1.1 Ierusalem sometimes z Amos 6.1 Sion sometimes * Zach. 12.7 the house of Dauid The other ten tribes which fell away from and forsooke their rightfull King and holy religion haue in like sort their diuers appellations a Hos 10.15 Bethel b Hos 10.5 Bethauen c Micah 1.1 Samaria d Hos 2.22 Iesreel e Amos 5.6 Ioseph f Hos 4.17 Ephraim g Hos 10.11 Iacob h Hos 10.1 Israel These are the names in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets appropriate to signifie the 10. reuolted tribes Israel you see is one of them and that is the Israel in my text Thus was Amos by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the kingdome of the 10.
turned Good Lord open thou our eares that if it be thy holy will either to Roare vnto vs or to speake with a milder voice either to come against in iudgement or to visit vs in mercy wee may readily heare thee and yeeld obedience and as obedient children receiue the promise of eternall inheritance So when the time of our separation shall be that we must leaue this world a place of darknesse of trouble of vexation of anguish thou Lord wilt translate vs to a better place a place of light where darknesse shall be no more a place of rest where trouble shall be no more a place of delight where vexation shall be no more a place of endlesse and vnspeakable ioyes where anguish shall be no more There this corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it THE Fourth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And hee said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my last exercise I entreated of the Speaker Now am I to entreat of the places from whence hee speaketh expressed in two names Sion and Ierusalem The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem c. Sion I read in holy Scripture of two Sions The one is Deut. 4.48 a hill of the Amorites the same with Hermon Moses there calleth it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion by the figure b Iunius in Deut. 3.9 Syncope the right name of it is c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirion and so recorded Deut. 3.9 The other d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sion is the Sion in my Text mount Sion in Iudah vpon the â—op whereof was another mountaine e Drusius obseru 14.21 Not. Iunius in Psal 48.3 Moria vpon which stood the Temple of the Lord. Before it was called the f 2 Sam. 5.7 Tower or Fort of Sion It was a fortresse a bulwarke a strong hold and place of defence for the Iebusites the inhabitants of the land against their enemies Against these Iebusites King Dauid came with a warlike power speedily surprised their fort built round about it dwelt in it and called it his g The City of Dauid owne City as appeareth 2 Sam. 5.9 This is the city of Dauid so much h 2 Sam 5.7 1 King 8.1 1 Chron. 11.5 2 Chron. 5.2 mentioned in the sacred bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles To this his owne City mount Sion Dauid accompanied with the Elders and Captaines of Israel i 2 Sam. 6.15 brought the Arke of the Lord with shouting with cornets with trumpets with cymbals with viols with harps as is plaine by the story 1 Chron. cap. 15. and 16. Now began the holy exercises of religion duly to be obserued in this city of Dauid mount Sion was now the place of the Name of the Lord of boasts Hitherto belongeth that same excellent description and commendation of mount Sion Psal 48.1 2 3. Mount Sion lying northward from Ierusalem is faire in situation It is the city of the great King the city of God Gods holy mountaine the ioy of the whole earth In the palaces thereof God is well knowne for a sure refuge In this city of Dauid the holy mount Sion the Lord of hoasts whom the k 1 Kâ—ng 8.27 2 Chron. 6.18 Heauens and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe is said to l Psal 74.2 dwell Psal 9.11 not that hee is tied to any place but because there were the most manifest and often testimonies of his residence Thus is Sion taken literally It is also taken spiritually by a Synecdoche for the Church Spouse and Kingdome of Christ as Psal 2.6 where God is said to haue annointed his King ouer Sion the hill of his holinesse Sion there is not to be vnderstood the terrestriall Sion by Ierusalem but another Sion elect and spirituall not of this world holy Sion so called for the grace of sanctification powred out vpon it euen the holy Church of Christ whereto doe appertaine the holy Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles the vniuersall multitude of beleeuers throughout not only Israel but the whole world Sion in this signification is obuious in holy Scripture To which sense by the daughters of Sion in the m Psal 149. â— Psalmes of Dauid in n Cantic 3.11 Salomons song in the prophecies of o Esay 3 16 17. Psaâ— 4.4 Esay and p Ioel. 2.23 Ioel you may vnderstand the faithfull members of the Church of Christ There is yet one other signification of Sion It s put for Heauen as learned Drusius in his notes vpon my text obserueth The like obseruation is made by Theophylact and Oecumenius commenting vpon Heb. 12.22 Now the Sion in my text from whence the Lord is said to roare to speake terribly and dreadfully is either the Temple vpon mount Sion by Ierusalem or the Church of Christ wherof Sion is a type Sion the holy one of Israel whose walls are saluation and gates praise or the Heauen of Heauens the most proper place of Gods residence Ierusalem Of old this city was called Salem as Gen. 14.18 when Melchisedeck King thereof brought forth bread and wine to refresh Abram and his followers Afterward it was possessed by the Iebusites and named Iebus Iudg. 19.10 Peter Martyr in 2 Sam. 5.6 from both these names Iâ—bus and Salem supposeth that by the change of a few letters Ierusalem hath had her name and not from the mountaines called Solymi as some doe coniecture but erre for that the mountaines Solymi were in Pisidia not in Iudea Many were the names of this city Some of them Benedictus in his marginall note vpon Iosua chap. 10. nameth in a distich Solyma Luza Bethel Ierosolyma Iebus Helia Vrbs sacra Ierusalem dicitur atque Salem In this distich 9. names of this one city are couched together Solyma Ierosolyma Ierusalem Iebus Salem Bethel Helia Luza the holy City Drusius obseruat sacr lib. 14. cap. 21. noteth that Ierusalem did consist of two parts the one was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lower city the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the higher city This higher city was Sion or mount Sion whereof you haue already heard and was diuersly tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the city of Dauid the fort the fort of Sion the tower of Sion But I come not to preach names vnto you Will you heare of the honour of this city they that were aliue when Ierusalem flourished to haue q Psal 48.12 numbred her towers to haue considered her wals to haue marked her bulwarks and to haue told their posterity of it might haue made a report scarcely to haue bin beleeued This we know by Ps 48.4 5. When the Kings of the earth were gathered together and saw it they maruelled they were astonied and suddenly driuen backe Thus is Ierusalem taken
dust of the earth in a measure weighes the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance God! incorporeall inuisible spirituall passing all measure there is nothing p Esai 46.9 like vnto him No thing And therefore O Idolaters not your old mans image For the truth of your antecedent we stand on your side It s very true the Scripture in expresse words attributeth vnto God many the members and offices of mans body It saith of him that he stands he sits he walkes it nameth his head his feet his armes it giues him a seat a throne a footstoole but all these and other like bodily offices parts and members being spoken of as belonging vnto God must be vnderstood figuratiuely It hath pleased the spirit of wisdome to deale with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fit the holy Scriptures to our weake capacities to vse knowne familiar and sensible tearmes thereby to raise vp our conceits to some knowledge of the euerliuing God In this regard by the wisdome of the same spirit among many other members Hâ—nds are also ascribed vnto God and that in many places yet not in euery place to one and the same sense and vnderstanding It s noted by the q Cont. 13. cap. 4. Magdeburgenses out of Innocentius that the hand of God doth beare diuers offices among vs officia creatoris largientis protegentis minantis the offices of a Creator liberall giuer protector and threatner Hands are ascribed vâ—â— God sometime to shew that he is the Creator of all things 〈◊〉 Psal 119.73 Thy hands haue made me and fashioned me sometime to shew his liberality to all liuing things as Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things liuing of thy good pleasure sometime to shew the care he hath to protect and defend the faithfull as Esai 49.2 Vnder the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and sometime to shew his readinesse to bee auenged vpon the wicked as Esai 10.4 His hand is stretched out still But these and all other the significations of the hand of God I reduce to two heads to the loue of God and his displeasure vnder them comprehending all their consequents and effects That the hand of God betokeneth sometime his loue and the benefits redounding thence to man mans being and his well-being may easily be proued In the second chapter of the book of Iudges ver 15. we read that the Lords hand was against the Israelites for euill the collection thence may be that the Lords hand is sometime toward some for good It is made plaine out of Neh. 2.8 where the Prophet to shew how ready Artaxerxes was to doe him pleasure saith The King gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me I might by many like instances out of holy Scripture giue strength to this position but it may seeme to be a needlesse labour Therefore I proceed Now that the hand of God should betoken his displeasure and the effects thereof may be proued as easily When the Israelites forsaking God betooke themselues to serue Baalim the hand of the Lord was sore against them Iudg. 2.15 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was sore vpon them the wrath of the Lord was hot against them he deliuered them into the hands of the spoilers they were spoiled sold to the enemies and sore punished When the Philistines had brought the arke of God into the house of Dagon the hand of the Lord was heauy vpon them 1 Sam. 5.6 the Lords hand that is his iudgement punishment and reuengement was heauy vpon them * Psal 78.64 â—â— The Lord awaked as one out of sleepe and like a Giant refreshed with wine hee smote his enemies with Emerods and put them to a perpetuall shame Of like signification is the phrase in my text I will turne my hand to Ekron my hand shall be sore against Ekron I will come against Ekron in iudgement I will punish Ekron I will take vengeance on Ekron I will turne my hand Sometime this phrase betokeneth the good grace and fauour of God as Zach. 13.7 I will turne my hand vpon my little ones My little ones when the shepherd shall be smitten and the sheepe scattered I will recouer with my hand and preserue them for euer I will gather them together I will comfort them I will defend them rursus ad pastorem praeceptorem suum reducam saith Ribera though they be scattered I will bring them backe againe to their owne shepherd and master There you see Gods turning of his hand vpon his little ones is for good Here it s otherwise God turneth his hand to Ekron for euill This is auerred and iustified by the infallible predictions of other Prophets Zachary chap. 9.5 foretelleth that much sorrow shall betide Ekron Zephany chap. 2.4 saith that Ekron shall be rooted vp Ieremy chap. 25.20 takes the cup of the wine of Gods indignation and giues it Ekron to drinke to make Ekron like her neighbour countries euen desolation and astonishment a hissing and a curse So great is Ekrons calamity threatned in these words of my text I will turne my hand to Ekron Ekron Will you know what this Ekron was You shall finde in the booke of Ioshua chap. 13.3 that it was a dukedome in the land of the Philistines and 1 Sam. 6.16 that there was in this dukedome a city of the same name no base city but a Princes seat able at one time to giue entertainment to fiue Princes Against both city and dukedome Gods hand was stretched out I wi l turne my hand to Ekron Will God smite Ekron both city and dukedome We may take from hence this lesson There is no safe being in city or country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish The reason is because there is no place to flie vnto from his presence None No corner in Hell no mansion in Heauen no caue in the top of Carmel no fishes belly in the bottome of the sea no darke dungeon in the land of captiuity no place of any secrecy any where can hide vs from the presence of God Witnesse two holy Prophets Dauid and Amos. The one Psal 139. the other chap. 9. You haue the reason of my Doctrine the vses follow Is it true Is there no safe being in City or Country from the hand of God when he is disposed to punish One vse hereof is to teach vs to take patiently whatsoeuer afflictions shall befall vs. Afflictions I call whatsoeuer is any way opposite to humane nature such as are the temptations of the flesh the world and the Deuill the diseases of the body an infortunate husband or wife rebellious children vnthankfull friends losse of goods reproaches slanders warre pestilence famine imprisonment death euery crosse and passion bodily or ghostly proper to our selues or appertaining to such as are of our bloud priuate or publike secret or manifest either by our owne deserts gotten or otherwise imposed
vnto themselues a wew King Ieroboam sonne of Nebat yet were these children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Iudah subiect to Rehoboam still Thus you see Israel diuided from Israel ten tribes from the other two Two tribes the tribes of Iudah and Beniamin continued in their obedience to the house of Dauid the other ten tribes forsooke it and fell away The ten reuolted tribes haue diuerse appellations in the sanctified writings of the holy Prophets Bethel Bethauen Samaria Iezreel Ioseph Ephraim Iacob Israel these names are appropriate to signifie the Kingdome of Israel The other two tribes Iudah and Beniamin called but one tribe in the 1 King 11.13 because of the mixture of their possessions these two tribes setled in their faithfulnes and obedience to the seede of Dauid haue likewise in the sacred Scriptures their diuers appellations Sometimes Iudah sometimes Beniamin sometimes Ierusalem sometimes Sion sometimes the house of Dauid are peculiarly designed to signifie the Kingdome of Iudah Iudah is one of these appellations and that is the Iudah in my text properly vers 5. I will send a fire vpon Iudah that is vpon the Kingdome of Iudah And by a figure in this first branch of this prophesie where Iudah is put for the inhabitants of the kingdom of Iudah Thus haue you the parties accused the inhabitants of the kingdom of Iudah But wherof are they accused Of sinning against the Lord. So goeth the letter of my text For three transgressions of Iudah for foure What are these three and foure transgressions Arias Montanus makes three of them to bee man-slaughter incest and idolatry The first is man-slaughter Esay poynts at it chap. 1.15 Your hands are full of bloud The second is incest Ieremie poynts at it chap. 23.10 The land is full of adulterers The third is idolatry Hoseah poynts at it chap. 1.2 The land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. The fourth which of all is the most flagicious and hainous is expressed in this text and it is their reiecting abolishing or disanulling of Gods lawes and commandements For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Albertus the Great B. of Ratisbon will haue three of these transgressions to be expressed in this text The first of them is Legis abiectio the abiection or contempt of Gods Law They haue despised the law of the Lord. The second is praeceptorum non obseruatio the not obseruing of Gods commandements They haue not kept his commandements The third is ad Idola conuersio their conuersion to Idols Their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers haue walked These three you see expressed in the text But what is the fourth It is Sacrati loci prophanatio the prophanation of the hallowed place For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure Paulus de Palatio doth otherwise descant vpon these three and foure transgressions The first he will haue to be committed by Iehoram son of Iehosaphat King of Iudah who to make himselfe strong in his Kingdome slue with the sword six of his brethren and some of the Princes of Israel 2 Chro. 21.4 The second by Ioash sonne of Ahaziah who allured by the flattery of some of his Princes slew Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada or Barachias betweene the temple and the altar 2 Chron. 24.21 Matth. 23.35 The third by King Amaziah who lifted vp with pride for his victory obtained against the Edomites did prouoke the King of Israel to fight 2 Chron. 25.17 Thus haue you three of these transgressions The fourth saith this Paulus de Palatio needes no enquiry And why so Amos in this text declares it The Kingdome of Iudah from Rehoboams time was most propense vnto idolatry from that time they cast away the law of the Lord they kept not his commandements they serued Idols after which their fathers walked For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure This phrase we met with fiue times in the former chapter and once in this The most naturall proper and significant exposition heeretofore commended vnto you is this to vnderstand by three and foure many A number finite and certaine is put for a number infinite and vncertaine For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure that is for many transgressions As oft as hee will God forgiueth though wee sinne many a time It is but the custome of the Scripture thus to speake God waiteth for vs twice and thrice that is a good while to haue vs returne from our euill wayes vnto repentance but the fourth time that is at length when he seeth vs persist in our impenitency hee protesteth against vs as heere against Iudah I will not turne to you I will not turne away your punishment I will not turne away the punishment thereof These words are diuersly rendered by Gualter non conuertam eum I will not turne Iudah I will not recall him into the right way he shall runne to his owne perdition By Mercer non parcam ei I will not spare Iudah according as his desert shall be so shall he haue In our English Geneua translation I will not turne to it In our late Church-Bible I will not spare him In our newest translation I will not turne away the punishment thereof So read Iunius and Tremellius according to the Hebrew Non auertam istud I will not turne away this punishment which I haue resolued to lay vpon Iudah The summe of both accusation and protestation is this If Iudah had sinned but once or a second time I would haue beene fauourable to them and would haue recalled him into the right way that so they might haue been conuerted and might haue escaped my punishments but now whereas they doe daily heape transgression vpon transgression and make no end of sinning I haue hardened my face against them I will not turne them vnto me I will not turne to them I will not spare them I will not turne away the punishment which I haue resolued to bring vpon them but indurate and obstinate as they are I will vtterly destroy them For three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof Thus haue you the exposition of the two first parts of this prophecie of the accusation of Iudah and the Lords protestation against them Now let vs see what doctrin may bee taken hence for our further instruction and the reformation of our liues Doth God resolue to punish Iudah for three foure trāsgressions The doctrin arising hence is this Three transgressions and foure that is many sinnes doe prouoke Almighty God to lay his punishments vpon vs. God is of pure eyes and beholdeth no iniquity Hee hath layd righteousnesse to the rule and weighed his iustice in a ballance His sentence is passed forth and stands like the law of the Medes and Persians irreuocable Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill The soule that sinneth it selfe must beare the punishment God makes it good with an oath Deut.
which there is no resistance For to say that the effectuall grace of God can be resisted is to deny it to be effectuall It implieth a contradiction and it is blasphemie to affirme that God with his effectuall grace is subiect to mans resistance That of Saint Paul Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted the will of God being an Interrogation of a denier implying that no man hath or can resist it is in very reason it selfe most certaine For the superiour cause can neuer suffer of the inferiour therefore if mans will should goe about to resist or frustrate the will of God it were euen against reason it selfe for then should Gods will suffer of mans will which is an impossibilitie Saint Augustine hath a fit saying for the establishing of this truth It is in his booke De corrept grat cap. 14. Deo volenti saluum facere nullum hominum resistit arbitrium If God be willing to saue a man no will of man can resist him Sic enim velle nolle in volentis aut nolentis est potestate vt diuinam voluntatem non impediat nec superet potestatem for to will or not to will is so in the power of him that willeth or willeth not that it neither hindreth the will of God nor ouer-commeth his power Thus much by occasion of Rupertus his exposition Let vs goe on Can a bird Dionysius the Carthusian will tell you that this fowler according to the Expositors is either the Deuill or man or God and that their snares are either Laquaei culpae or Laquaei poena either snares of sinne or snares of punishment That the Deuill is in holy Scripture compared vnto a fowler I deny not for I reade of his wiles Ephes 6.11 where we are aduised to put on the whole armour of God that wee may be able to stand against the wiles of the Deuill I reade likewise of the snares 1 Tim. 3.7 2 Tim. 2.26 His snares are the snares of sinne by which he entrappeth men and leads them captiue But that the Deuill is the fowler in my text I affirme not Nor may it be denied but that man also is in holy Scripture compared to a fowler To a fowler he is compared in a two-fold respect in respect of others and in respect of himselfe Man is a fowler in respect of others Hee hath snares and cords and nets and grinnes to catch others with Such fowlers were King Dauids enemies his proud enemies Saul and Doeg of whom Psal 140 5. he thus complaineth They haue hid a snare for me and cords they haue spread a net by the waies side they haue set ginnes for me And such are they those wicked men Ierem. 5.26 They lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a trap they catch men And such are they of whom the complaint of the faithfull is Lament 3.52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird without cause They chased me like a bird It is true then Men are fowlers in respect of others fowlers they are to catch others Yea and fowlers they are in respect of themselues euen to catch themselues Such a one is he Psal 7.15 He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the ditch which he made And he Psal 9.15 16. In the net which he hid is his owne foot taken he is snared in the work of his owne hands And he Prou. 5.22 His owne iniquities shall take himselfe and he shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes Not amisse then hath Carthusian affirmed that men sometimes doe fall in laqueum culpae into the snare of sinne by their owne inclination or naughtinesse For as Origen witnesseth Quamuis non essent Diaboli adhuc homines concupiscentijs pulsarentur though there were no Deuils at all yet should men be ensnared with their owne lusts Thus we see Man is a fowler a fowler to catch others and a fowler to catch himselfe and his snares are laquei culpae the snares of sinne Yet that man is the fowler in my text I affirme not It remaineth then that by this fowler God must be intended For God is a fowler too and he hath snares too but his snares are laquei poenae they are snares of punishment Of snares of this kinde hee hath no want He powres them forth like raine This is that we reade Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked shall the Lord raine snares fire and brimstone and a burning tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Behold a raine of snares vpon the wicked King Dauid deuoting his enemies to destruction Psal 69.22 Wisheth their table to become a snare vnto them and that which should be for their welfare to become a trap vnto them The place Saint Paul alleageth with some little difference Rom. 11.9 Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling blocke and a recompence vnto them And here behold a mans owne table and that which should yeeld him much comfort becomes a snare and a trap for God to entangle and catch the wicked with Remarkable is that of the Prophet Esay chap. 8.14 where it is said of the Lord of Hostes himselfe that to both the houses of Israel he shall be for a stone of stumbling and for a rocke of offences and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for a ginne and for a snare and that many of them shall stumble and fall and be broken and be snared and be taken And here againe behold The Lord of Hosts he that is euer to the faithfull a rocke of refuge and saluation he is to the wicked and the vnbeleeuing a ginne and snare to ensnare and take them with It is not to be denied but that God may very well be resembled to a fowler And him I take to be the fowler in my text Now the resemblance betweene God and a fowler stands thus As snares wherewith birds are catched fall not on the ground at all aduentures and by chance but are laid of purpose by the skill industrie and fore-sight of the fowler so the calamities and miseries of this life wherewith men are vsually taken and snared come not by chance but are sent among vs by the prouidence of God So this text is as before I intimated an adumbration of the prouidence of God by which he ruleth all things The point of doctrine which from hence I would commend vnto you is this Nihil accidere nisi à Deo prouisum that nothing falleth out in this life no calamitie no misery nothing good or euill but by Gods prouidence Aquinas 1. quaest 22. art 2. makes this demand Vtrum omnia sint subiecta diuinae prouidentiae whether all things are subiect to the prouidence of God For the resolution whereof his conclusion is Sith God is of all things the prime cause and knoweth all things in particular it is of necessitie that all things are subiect to his prouidence not tantùm in vniuersali sed etiam in singulari not only in genâ—rall but
vttered by the Prophets is nothing else but the word of God conueyed vnto vs by ministery of his Prophets That so it is wee are assured by the Protestation that God himselfe maketh Hos 12.10 I that am the Lord thy God I haue spoken by the Prophets and I haue multiplied visions and vsed similitudes by hand or by the ministery of the Prophets The like phrase is vsed by Haggai Chap. 1.1 to shew that his prophecie was the very word of God In the second yeare of the reigne of King Darius came the Word of the Lord by the hand or by the ministery of Haggai the Prophet vnto Zerubbabel Haggai was but a conduit to conuey the Word the Word was the Lords This is that we reade Hebr. 1.1 that God at sundry times and in diuers manners spake in time past vnto the Fathers by the Prophets Hence appeareth the harmony consent and agreement of all the Prophets euen from the first vnto the last Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses Dauid Esay and the rest not one of them spake one word of a naturall man in all their ministery but only the words of him that sent them they spake not of themselues it was God that spake in them Whensoeuer was the time whosoeuer was the man wheresoeuer was the place whatsoeuer was the people the words were Gods God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets And for this cause when we preach vnto you we say not you are to beleeue vs in what wee say quia nos dicimus because we say it but quia dicit Dominus because the Lord saith it And if it be demanded whence it may be knowne that our sayings are the Lords sayings we answer it is knowne ex Scripturis by this or that place of Scripture To the Scriptures we are tyed as the Leuites were to the Law Deut. 17.11 From the Law they might not decline either to the right hand or to the left nor may wee from the Scriptures They were to teach according to the Law and we according to the Scriptures The voice of the Law was their rule the voice of the Scriptures must be ours The voice of the Scriptures must be our rule But saith the Romanizing Papist the Scripture hath no voice at all but is res muta Sleid. Com. l. 23. a dumbe thing The Bishop of Poitiers in the infamous conuenticle of Trent was of this minde Scripturam esse rem inanimem atque mutam that the Scripture is a dead and a dumbe thing Controu 3. de Eccles as are all other Politicke Lawes Albertus Pighius before that time had discouered his opinion of the point Esse Scripturas mutos iudices that the Scriptures are dumbe iudges and therefore vnfit to haue matters of controuersie put ouer to their iudgement Petrus à Soto saith as much in effect Schol. de Euchar. Defens 3. calling the Scripture Literam mutam non respondentem a dumb letter that giues no answer This is but one of the many blasphemies which Papists haue vttered to the disgrace of holy Scripture against whom to the honour thereof wee maintaine this assertion Scripturam non esse mutam ac vocis expertem the Scripture is not dumb and speechlesse but hath a voice a cleare voice easie to be heard except we be deafe For the confirmation of this our assertion I produce that of Saint Paul Rom. 3.19 Whatsoeuer things the Scripture saith it saith to them that are vnder the Law the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh to them that are vnder the Law It speaketh therefore it is not dumbe Moses ascribeth to the Law a mouth Deut. 17.11 and Pagnines translation there is ex ore Legis the Priests were to teach according to the mouth of the Law And why I pray you hath the Law a mouth if it cannot speake If exhortations of holy writ doe speake why may not precepts prohibitions expostulations and other passages speake as well There is an exhortation that speaketh vnto you as children Hebr. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it speaketh and thus it speaketh My sonne despise not thou the chastning of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Scripture euery where speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase often iterated in the New Testament is a sure euidence that the Scripture is not dumbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.3 What saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse That Scripture is Gen. 15 6. and therefore the Scripture in Genesis speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.17 The Scripture saith vnto Pharaoh What Euen for this same purpose haue I raised thee vp that I might shew my power in thee that Scripture is Exod. 9.16 and therefore the Scripture in Exodus speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10.11 The Scripture saith whosoeuer beleeueth in him in Iesus Christ shall not be ashamed that Scripture is Esay 28.16 and therefore the Scripture in Esay speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Scripture from this phrase so often reiterated in the New Couenant I may conclude for the whole Scripture that it hath a voice and speaketh and therefore that it is neither dead nor dumbe as the aboue alleaged Popish Authors haue imagined It hath a voice and speaketh This voice is the voice of God For God in the Scriptures speaketh with vs familiarly as a friend speaketh with a friend Quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad cor loquitur indoctorum atque doctorum Augustine to Volusian Epist 3. God in Scriptures daily speaketh to vs and hee speaketh plainly to the heart as well of the vnlearned as of the learned to the heart of euery one of vs. Now as God in the Scriptures speaketh to vs so we cannot but acknowledge that he speaketh vnlesse we be without his holy Spirit Sic enim loquitur nobiscum vt nos eius sermonem intelligamus Ambrose to Irenaeus Epist 5. So God speaketh with vs that we may vnderstand his speech And this that which aboue I vndertooke to proue that God now adayes speaketh that he may be heard of his Ministers And sith he so speaketh my doctrine will thereupon follow The Minister of the Gospell is to heare what God speaketh before he presume to deliuer his message to the people He is to heare what God speaketh before he make his contestation to the house of Iacob It is the order prescribed in my text Heare first then testifie Heare and testifie in the house of Iacob The vse of the point now deliuered is two-fold one concerneth the Preachers of the Gospell the other the Hearers The Preachers are to heare what God speaketh and then to testifie and beare witnesse thereof to the house of Iacob to the people of God They must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5.20 Ambassadors of God in Christs stead and that to them is committed the ministery of reconciliation and therefore they may