they read the predictions of an Almanack for wind and weather which they think may come to passe and it may be not but be confident of this very thing that God who hath denounced it will surely do it and that he will execute the judgement written in this roll Psal 149.9 yea every sicknesse and every plague which is not written in the book of this Law them will the Lord cause to descend upon the disobedient untill they be destroyed Deut. 28.61 Verse 3. This is the curse Or oath with execration and cursing Num. 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Aâ— Graecè juramentum et execrationem significat Mercer Cursing men are cursed men and God hath sworn that swearers shall not enter into his rest that goeth forth yea flyeth verse 2. more swift then an eagle an arrow a flash of lightening Or if not yet Poena venit gravior quo magè sera venit over the face of the whole earth Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil but of the Jew sirst Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia who is therefore the worse because he ought 'to have been better and then Rom. 2.9 of the Gentile also Theodoret Lyra and Vatablus think that Iudaea is hinted in the measure of the book twenty cubites long and ten broad as being twice so long and somewhat more as it is broad witnesse Hierom in his Epistle to Dardanus Epist 129. But let the whole earth here be taken in its utmost latitude sith the Gentiles that sinne without the Law are yet liable to the punishments of the Law And some of them by the light of Nature saw the evil of swearing but all generally of stealing but especially of perjury and sacriledge here principally meant Confer Mal. 3.8 Neh. 13.10 for every one that stealeth shall be cut off By stealing understand all sins against the second Table as by swearing all against the first and so the sense is the same with that of the Apostle Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 Howbeit because these two sins were more frequently and more impudently committed in those dayes therefore are they by a specialty instanced The Jewes comming poor out of Babylon held it no great sin to steal for supply of their necessities and then to forswear themselves for the better hiding of their theft Give me not poverty said holy Agur lest being poore I steale and as one sin drawes on another I take the name of my God in vaine Prov. 30.9 See the Note there Hunger is an evill counsellour necessity an hard weapon a sore temptation when it comes to this Either I must steale or starve But then to this must be opposed that of the law Thou shalt in no case steals Thou must rather dye then do wickedly Aut faciendum aut patiendum Either obey the law or suffer the curse as on this side according to it i. e. According to the curse described in the rowle the thees shall be cut off as well as the swearer they shall speed alike The tares shall be bound up in bundles theeves with theeves and swearers with swearers and burnt in the fire Mat. 13.30 40. According to the prediction shall be the execution Whether on this side that is in Judea so some sense it or on that side in other parts of the world such persons appeare they shall have their payment and every one that sweareth Not only falsely as verse 4. but lightly vainely causelesly in jest and not in judgement whether by God or by creatures and qualities Judaeis Pharisaeis vulgare vitium saith Paraeus on Iam. 5.12 a common fault among the Jewes and Pharisees Mat. 5.34 35. and 23.16.18 See the Notes there Among the Christians in Chrysostomes time as appeares by his many sermons against it at Antioch And in these dayes if ever because of oaths the land mourneth God hath a controversie Hos 4.1 2. We have lived to see iniquity in the fulnesse of oaths and blasphemies unparaleled darted with hellish mouths against God and our Saviour so ordinarily and openly that some of them are become very interjections of speech to the vulgar and other some meer phrases of gallantry to the braver I knew a great swearer saith a great Divine who comming to his death-bed Satan so filled his heart with a madded and enraged greedinesse after that most gainelesse Bolâ—on and pleasurelesse sin that though himself swore as fast and as furiously as he could yet as though he had bin already among the bannings and blasphemies of hell he desperatly desired the standers by to help him with oaths and to swear for him Verse 4. I will bring it forth sc out of my treasuries or store-houses of plagues and punishments Deut. 32.34 Or That which thou hast seen in vision I will put in action I will produce it into the open light into the theatre of the world their faults shall be written in their foreheads their sins shall go before to judgement my visible vengeance shall overtake them and it shall enter into the house of the theef which he calleth his castle and where he thinks himself most secure as out of the reach of Gods rod as iâ— he could mot up himself against Gods fire But what faith Bildad His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle and it shall bring him to the king of terrours It shall dwell in his tabernacle because it is none of his brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation Iob 18.14 15. so that if the fire of Gods wrath do but touch it all 's on a light flame A. Gell. He will unkennel these foxes and drag acus out of his denn to his deserved punishment Dioclesian the Persecutour one of those Latrones publici Eusub de vit Const lib. 5. as Cato called them giving over his Empire after that he had sufficiently feathered his nest decreed to lead the rest of his life quietly But he escaped not so for after that his house was wholy consumed with lightening and a flame of fire that fell from heaven he hiding himself for fear of the lightening died within a while after and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name Hence Ribera gathereth that by the whole earth in the former verse is meant Judaea only because none but Jewes swore by the name of the true God who is indeed the proper object of an oath Esay 65.16 Ier. 12.6 Howbeit in lawfull contracts with an Infidel or Idolater oaths by false gods may be admitted and are binding As for perjury it is a provoking sin as containing three great evils 1. The uttering or upholding of a lie 2. The calling upon God to testifie and justifie a lie 3. The praying for a curse upon a mans self and beseeching God
Padres do their Novices And yet the most people are to this day wofully to seek for the warrant of their worships resting on that old Popish rule to follow the drove and beleeve as the Church beleeves Act. 19.32 As at Ephesus so in our Church-assemblies the more part knew not wherefore they were come together They will say in generall to serve God But who he is how to be served wherein and in whom to be served they know not There is in a printed sermon a memorable story of an old man above threescore who lived and died in a parish Mr. Pemble Serm. misch of lâ—â—â—r where there had been preaching almost all his time This man was a constant hearer as any might be and seemed forward in the love of the word On his death-bed being questioned by a minister touching his faith and hope in God he made these strange answers Being demanded what he thought of God he answered that he was a good old man And what of Christ that he was a towardly yong youth And of his soule that it was a great bone in his body And what should become of his soule after he was dead That if he had done well he should be put into a pleasant green meddow These answers astonished those that were present to think how it were possible for a man of good understanding and one that in his dayes had heard at the least two or three thousand sermons yet upon his death-bed in serious manner thus to deliver his opinion in such main points of Religion which infants and sucklings should not be ignorant of But we may be sure this man is not alone there be many hundreds whose gray haires shew they have had time enough to learn more wit who yet are in case to be set to their A. B. C. againe for their admirable simplicity in matters of religion Blind they are and blind sacrifices they offer never once opening their eyes till death if then as Pliny reporteth of the Mole but alwayes rooting and digging in the earth as if thorough the bowels of it they would dig themselves a new way to hell is it not evill Or as some read it It is not evill q. d. 't is good enough and may serve turn well enough Or thus It is not evill in your opinion who rather then you would lose any gaine say Melius est ill quà m Nil 't is Osianders rime better that which is ill and bad then nothing at all But they which count all good fish that comes to net will in the end catch the devill and all The sense is much clearer in the interrogative Is it not evill It is It is and therefore studiously to be declined and avoided as poyson in your meat or a serpent in your way 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evill saith that great Apostle how much more from all apparant evils such as stare you in the face and are so directly contrary to the plain word of God Such are sins with an accent wickednesse with a witnesse great transgressions Psal 19.13 and if ye offer the lame and languishing He offers the lame that brings his sacrifice with a wicked mind Pro. 21.27 as Balac and Balaam did Num. 21.1 2. that walks not evenly before the Lord and with an upright foot Gen. 17.1 that halts between two opinions as the people did 1 King 18.21 inter coelum terramque penduli hanging betwixt heaven and earth as Meteors uncertain whether to hang or fall Such were Ecebolus Baldwin Spalatensis Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyprian calleth such ancipites palpatores temporum in levitate tantum constantes doubtfull-minded men St. James calleth them double-minded men unstable in all their wayes Jam. 1.8 Bradsords letters Rev. 3.14 as he is that stands on one leg or as a howle upon a smooth table But what said that Martyr If God be God follow him if the Masse be God let him that will see it heare it and be present at it and go to the devill with it But let him do what he doth with all his heart God cannot abide these Neuter-passives I would thou wert either hot or cold He requires to be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving To halt between two opinions to hang in fuspence to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way ready to go which way soever the staff falleth how hatefull is it When some took Christ for Iohn Baptist some for Elias some for Jeremias But whom say you that I am said our Saviour to teach us that Christ hates to have men stand doubtful and adhere to nothing certainly to have them as mills fit to be driven about by the devil with every wind of doctrine or as hunting dogs betwixt two hares running assoon after this assoon after that and so losing both This for point of judgement And for matter of practise the soule is well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should not yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly A wise mans course is of one colour like it self he is homo quadratus a square stone fet into the spirituall building 1 Pet. 2.7 he is Semper idem as Joseph was no changling but one and the same in all places and estates of life his fcet stand in an even place as Davids did Psa 26.12 that is in an equall tenour Uniformity and ubiquity of obedience are sure signes of his sincerity when godlinesse runs thorough his whole life as the woof runs thorough the warp But the legs of the lame are not equall saith Solomon Pro. 26.7 The hypocrites life is a crooked life he turneth aside to his crooked wayes Psal 125.5 saith David as the crabfish goes backwards or as the Planets though hurried from East to West yet by a retrograde motion of their own steal their passage from West to East It 's a crooked life when all the parts of the line of a mans life be not straight before God when he lifteth not up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and maketh straight paths for his feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Heb. 12.12 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not rather healed and rectified or set to rights as the Apostles word signifieth That 's a sick soule that is not right set for heaven and that 's a gasping devotion a languishing sacrifice that leaneth not upon Christ and that is not quickened by his spirit fitly called by the Apostle a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 Surely as a rotten rag hath no strength so an unsound mind hath no power to do ought that may please God Frustra nititur qui Christo non innititur saith a Father He loseth his labour that leaneth not upon Christ who is the power of God and the wisdome of God that leaneth not wholy upon
falsely Ier. 6.13 every one of them Assuunt mendacium mendacio from the Prophet even to the Priest they work a deceitfull work Prov. 11.18 their bellies prepare deceit Iob 15.35 they have an art in lying in stitching one lie to another as the word signifieth Psal 119.69 Idolatry is a reall lie as she in the book of Martyrs answered the Doctour that asked her Dost thou beleeve that the body of Christ is in the Sacrament of the Altar really and substantially I beleeve said she that so to hold is a reall lie and a substantiall lie These Idolaters having plaied false with God and treacherously dealt with him what wonder though they lie deceive rob spoil both within doors and without in private negotiations and publike transactions but especially forge lies against those that withstood their superstitious vanities and prey upon their goods as Heb. 10.34 Sublata pietate tollitur fides is a truth irrefragable Take away piety and fidelity is gone as we see in that unrighteous Judge Luke 18.2 and as Abraham concluded of the men of Gerar Gen. 20.11 and lastly as Constantinus Chlorus the father of Constantine the Great experimented in his own Councellours and Courtiers whence that famous Maxime of his recorded by Eusebius He cannot be faithfull to me who is unfaithfull to God religion being the ground of all true fidelity and loyalty Verse 2. And they consider not in their hearts Heb. They say not in their hearts that is they set not down themselves with this consideration they commune not with their consciences upon this most needfull but much neglected matter A good mans work lieth much within doors he loves to be dealing with himself and working good and wholsome considerations upon his own affections He is never lesse alone then when hee is alone for still hee hath God and himself to talk to that I remember all their wickednesse i. e. Record and register them as in a book with a pen of iron and point of a Diamond Ier. 17.1 that I seal them up in a bag Job 14.17 as the Clark of Assizes seals up Inditements and at the Assizes brings his bag and produceth them Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed-up among my treasures Deut. 32.34 So little reason is there that wicked men should please themselves in hope of impunity And yet they do Psal 94.7 they strive to perswade themselves that the Lord doth not see neither doth the God of Jacob remember They hide God from themselves and then think they have hid themselves from Him Herein they are alike foolish as the Struthiocamelus Plin. lib. 10. cap. 1. a bird as big as a Camell and taller then a man When this Bustard would hide her selfe she thrusts her head into a thicket as conceiving that no body seeth her because she seeth no body and so becomes a prey to the hunter Caveatur carnalis securitas Let us walk evermore in the sense of Gods presence unlesse we had rather be carnally secured then soundly comforted now their own doings have beset them about Their studied wickednesse their contrived iniquities so Luther expounds the word doings Studia corum Tigurin for wicked men are great students and break many a nights sleep in pernicious ploddings Prov. 4.16 But as the Blackbird is taken by birdlime made of his own excrements so is the wicked beset by his own devices as by so many serjeants set on by God Some think and not without probable reason that the Prophet in this phrase of besetting them about alludeth to the future siege of Samaria wherein these sinners against their own souls were so straitly beset by the enemy that they could not flee or stir without danger And this he saith shall befall them Now that is shortly and sooner then they think for Indeed how should it be otherwise when as their doings are bâ—â—ore my face Eregione velut adversa ac detestata Over-anent and in full view as a continuall eye-sore to me Psal 57.5 90.8 so that though I could or would forget them yet they will not suffer me to do so such is their impudency and importunacy for vengeance Lyra makes it a metaphor from a thief taken in the act with his back burden of stollen goods and as it were beset with them and so brought before the Judge His own iniquities shall take the wicked saith Solomon Prov. 5.22 For how can he escape the multitude of his sins within him and the variety of Gods heavie judgements without him c Verse 3. They make the king glad with their wickednesse A sad syncratismus surely of king and people exhilarating themselves and each other in wickednesse Their kings were well apaid of the peoples compliances with their unlawfull Edicts and the people no lesse well-pleased to gratifie and flatter their kings as the Romans did Tiberius and other Tyrants who therefore said of them that they were servum pecus servile soules homines ad servitutem parati men made for slaves Tyrants care not how wicked their subjects are for then they know they will swallow down any command though never so impious without scrupling or conscience-making They like to have such about them as will down with any thing disgest iron for a need with the Estrich and say as that wretched man said when one complained he could not do such a thing for his conscience I am master of my conscience I can do any thing for all that Thus Balaam resolved to curse what ever came of it he went not aside as at other times neither built he any more altars but set his face toward the wildernesse as fully bent to do it and nothing should hinder him now Numb 24.1 2. confer Luke 9.51 He also gave wicked counsell to king Balak and so made him glad at parting though before he had angred him to lay a stumbling-block before the children of Israel viz. to set fair women to tempt them to corporall and spirituall fornication that God might see sin flagrant in Iacob some transgression in Israel and so fall foul upon them with his plagues Numb 23.21 Parasites propound to kings suavia potiùs quam sana consilia pleasing but pestilent counsell they also act for them and under them as Doeg did for Saul and so gratifie them Letiâ—ie them as here Rev. 2 make them glad but it proves to be no better then risus Sardonius such a mirth as brings bitterness in the end Wo to such mirth-mongers and mirth-makers for if they shall still do thus wickedly they shall be consumed both they and their king I Sam. 12.25 And the princes with their lies with calumnies and false accusations wherewith they load Gods innocent servants and that against their own consciences Thus Doeg dealt by David the Priests and Prophets by Ieremy the Persian courtiers by Daniel and his companions Amaziah by Amoz Haman by the whole nation of the Iewes Tertullus by Paul the Heathen Idolaters
for the recovery of his lost wits The Grand Sign Serag pag. 186. he stretcht out his hand with scorners He that is the king forgetting his kingly dignity authority and gravity for there is a decorum to be observed in every calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by great ones especially stretcht out his hand as a companion and copesmate as an hail-fellow-well-met as they say prostituting his regal authority to every scoundrel that would pledge him or at least giving them his hand to kisse which Job saith God will not do Chap. 8.20 with scorners Those worst of men Psal 1.1 those Pests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint here render it those incorrigible persons as they translate the word Prov. 20.1 where also it is fitly said that wine is a mocker because it maketh men mockers Hence that of David with hypocriticall mockers at feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth Psal 35.16 And that holy jealousie of Job for his children lest while they were feasting and merry-making they should curse God or mock at men Tarnou Tales enim evadunt qui strenuè helluantur It is ordinary with such as are full gorged with good chear and throughly heated with wine to set their mouths against heaven and to license their tongues to walk through the earth Psal 73.9 they have a flout to fling and a fooles bolt to shoot at their betters by many degrees yea though they be kings that do it as here if they stretch out their hands with scorners and jear at the power and profession of Godlinesse they are no better then base fellowes as great Antiochus is called Dan. 11.21 and as Kimchi upon this text noteth from his Father that those that at the beginning of the feast or compotation were here called Princes are afterwards when they fell to quaffing and flowting called in contempt scoffers scorners Polanus others by stretching out the hand understand ad aequales haustus potare c. a drinking share and share like with every base companion till drunk they became despicable Nempe vbi neque mens neque pes suumfacit officium The Greeks when they meet at feasts or banquets drink small draughts at first which by degrees they increase till they come to the height of intemperancy Hence Graecari and as merry as a Greek How much better those Spartans of whom the Poet Quinetiam Spartae mos est laudabilis ille Vt bibat arbitrio pocula quisque suo How much better the Persians in Esthers time Chap. 1.8 the drinking was according to the law none did compel c. And what a drunken beast was Domitius the father of Nero Sueton. who slew Liberius an honest Roman because he refused to take up his cups as he commanded him The Carthag inians made a law that none of their Magistrates during their office should drink any wine Romulus being invited to a feast would not drink much Gell. lib. 11. cap. 14. quia postridie negotium haberet because he had publike businesse to dispatch on the morrow Ahashuerosh drinking more freely on the first day of the feast Esth 1.5 10. became so frollick that in his mirth he forgat what was convenient and guided by his passions sent for Vasthi Vers 6. For they have made ready their hearts like an oven As an oven red hot is ready to bake whatsoever is cast into it so are wicked mens hearts heated from hell Ad male cogitandum Pagnin ad pessima facinora Tigur prepared for any evil purpose or practise that the devil shall suggest but especially to lie in wait for blood and to hunt every man his brother with a net Mic. 7.2 David complains of some that lay in wait for his soul Psal 59.3 that satanically hated him Psal 38.20 and 7.13 and 109.4 6 20 29. that sought his soul to destroy it not his life onely but his soul too as that monster of Millain did that made his adversary first forswear Christ in hope of life and then stabbing him to the heart said Bodin de Rep. Now go thy wayes soul and body to the devil and as the Papists dealt by John Husse and Hierome of Prague to whom they denied a confessour which he required after the manner of those times to fit him for heaven and for John Husse Act. Mon. after they had burnt him how despitefully did they beat his heart which was left untoucht by the fire with their staves Besides that the Bishops when they put the tripple crown of paper painted with ugly devils on it on his head they said Now we commit thy soul to the devil Did not these mens hearts burn like an oven with hellish rage and cruelty their baker sleepeth all the night Concoquens illa scilicet corda so Vatablus He that concocteth or worketh their hearts that is the devil as some interpret it or evil-concupiscence as others Tota nocte protrahitur furor eorum so the Chaldee their rage is deferred or drawn out to the length all night long till in the morning i. e. at a convenient season it break out and bestirs it self A metaphor from a baker who casting fire into the oven with good store of lasting fuel lets it burn all night and sleeps securely as knowing that he shall find it through hot in the morning Those scorners in the former verse by being over-familiar with their drunken king come not onely to slight him for his base behaviours but also to conspire against him and to plot his death wherein their heart is the oven ambition the fire treason the flame of that fire Satan that old manslayer the baker who though he make as if he slept all night yet by morning he hath set his agents the traitours awork either by secret treacheries or open seditions to do as in the next verse and as is to be seen 2 Kin. 15. Vers 7. Dedit hac contagio labem Et dabit in plures Juven Sat. 2. They are all hot as an oven That none might post it off to others all are accused of this mad desire to do mischief as all the Sodomites full and whole young and old came cluttering about Lots house Gen. 19.4 and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen c. Scil. being slain with the sword of those that succeeded them in the throne as may be read 2 Kin. 15.8 9 c. and as it was in the Roman State where all or most of the Cesars till Constantine died unnatural deaths Neither was it much better here in England during the difference between the two houses of York and Lancaster wherein were slain fourscore Princes of the blood-royal Dan. hist 249. This is the fruit of sin Prov. 28.2 For the transgression of a land many are the Princes thereof either many at once as once here in the heptarchy or many ejecting and succeeding one another to the great calamity and utter undoing of
and lance themselves as Baals priests did as the Septuagint and the Heathens in great afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 14.1 But to howl for wheat for provender for provant Inops Senatus auxilij humani ad Deos populum vota convertit omnia delubra implent c. Liv. lib. 3. as now the Papists do in their sacra Ambarvalia and as of old the Pagans did in time of extream famine or other publike calamity But as the grashopper hops not much above the earth and as vapours exhaled and drawn up by the Sun do soon fall down again so do drossie and earthy hearts in prayers they seldom rise above corn and wine in their desires Si ventri bene si lateri as Epicurus in Horace If the belly may be filled the back fitted their own turns served it 's enough to them whose belly is their God and who mind earthly things onely Which when they have once got then they rebell against me they consume it upon their lust James 4.2 and so fight against God with his own weapons as Jehu did against Jehoram with his own men they abuse their store to his dishonour like corn-fed cattell they kick against their master or as the young Mulet that when shee hath suckt her fill kicks her damme or as the wild-asse that snuffes up the wind and cannot be taken Or secondly they rebell after they have assembled themselves and made a shew of no small devotion Jer. 2. when once the duty is over they go to their old courses again and undo all their prayers as Jerem. 5.3 as if now they had prayed they had purchased a license to live as they list Whereas duties should mightily ingage us against sin and deliverances command obedience Verse 15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms Quum ego erudivi So Pagnine Polanus and others when I taught them or chastened them as verse 12. and strengthened their arms there is no and in the Originall it is an Asyndeton to shew that God had done both for them together and at once he had acted the part both of an Instructour and of a Chirurgion like as Rev. 3.18 he takes upon him the person both of a rich merchant and a skilfull Physician he had done all that could be done to do them good teaching their hands to war and their fingers to fight Psal 144.1 binding up their broken armes See Ezek. 30.24 and strengthning their feeble sinewes their hands that hung down Heb. 12.12 After I have scourged them I have re-established them but what thanks for my labour what Minerval or pay for my pains The worlds wages Hoc ictu ceu didactro accepto Linus mortuus est Buchol such as Hercules paid the Schoolmaster Linus whom he knockt on the head or as Agricola's scholars in Germany killed their master with their pen-knives or as Physitians and Surgeons are many times paid by their penurious patients of whom the Poet wittily Tres medicus facies habet unam quando rogatur Angelicam mox est cum juvat ipse Deus Owen Epigr. Ast ubi curato poscit sua munera morbo Horridus apparet terribilisque Satan yet do they imagine mischief against me All goes against God See the note on vers 13. Here they imagine mischief against him as before they spake lies against him vers 13. and acted rebellion against him vers 14. Thus they spake and did evil things as they could Jer. 3.5 and the reason of all was they imagined mischief cogitabant quasi coagitabant they were men of wicked devices Prov. 12.2 wholly made up of sinful projects and purposes they plotted and plowed mischief and that against God himself which is horrible David thought much that his enemies should machinate mischief against him though but dust and ashes and threatneth them sore for so doing Psal 62.3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man Ye shall be slain all of you as a bowing wall shall ye be and as a tottering fence he meaneth ye shall be surely and suddenly ruined What then will become of those Zamzummims that imagine mischiefe against the Lord and such a Lord as hath bound and strengthened their armes that had been broken by the enemies and sought their good every way puniendo muniendo malis bonis afficiendo c. If they had slipt into some small offence against him of infirmity and at unawares it had been nothing so grievous but to busie their braines and bend their wits and studies scientes volentes deliberato consilio to plot and practise mischief 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Septuagint render it mischiefes against God for every transgression and disobedience is contrary to his most pure Nature and sacred Law and shall therefore receive a just recompence of reward Heb. 2.2 so gracious a God this is detestable ingratitude This is as if those in the Gospel should have railed against Christ for raising them from the dead it is like the matchlesse mischievousnesse of that monster Michael Balbus who that night that his Prince pardoned and released him Zonaras in Annal. gat out and slew him Omne peccatum est deicidium for although wicked men cannot reach God yet they reach at him shooting up their darts against heaven as the Thracians did once in a storm and saying in effect as Caligula did to his Jupiter Herodot Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either kill me or I will kill thee Vers 16. They return but not to the most High Gnal for Gnelion by contraction as Jah for Jehovah so afterwards Chap. 11.7 and 2 Sam. 23.1 Return they do or seem to do at least for it is their hypocrisie that is here described but not to the most High to whom then to idols or humane helps or any thing rather and sooner then to God Jehu went farre in the work of Reformation and made a great flaunt at first as if he would have done as much that way as ever Josiah did But he and his people came not up to the height turned not to the most High God honoured him not as a just and jealous God that can endure no corrivals They gave the half-turn but returned not with all their hearts Joel 2.12 they turned from west to north but not from west to east to the full counterpoint setting their faces toward God and having their backs towards their sins They had haply a kind of velleity some short-winded wishes and wamblings as I may so say but it boyled not up to the full height of a resolution for God they made beleeve they would cast away their transgressions but it was but as the mother makes her childe beleeve that she will cast him to the puttock or into the water when as she holds him fast enough and means him no hurt at all These faint essayes of returning are not worthy of the most High he delighteth not to be dallied with but requireth
of the earth as swift as the Eagle flieth to which Text the Prophet here seemeth to allude as indeed all the Prophets do but comment upon Moses and draw out that Arras which was folded together by him before against the house of the Lord that is the house of Israel called Gods house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.5 and Gods land Hos 9.3.15 and their Common-wealth is by Iosephus called a Theocratic And although they were now become Apostates yet they gloried no lesse then before to be of the stock of Abraham and of the family of faith like as the Turks call themselves at this day Musulmans that is the true and right beleevers especially after they are circumcised which is not done till they be past ten yeers of age following the example of Ismael Grand Signior Serag p. 191. whom they imitate and honour as their Progenitour alledging that Abraham loved him and not Isaac and that it was Ismael whom Abraham would have sacrificed because they have transgressed my Covenant and trespassed Sin is the mother of misery and the great Makebate betwixt God and his creature It moves him when we ask bread and fish to feed us as verse 2. to answer us with a stone to bruise us or a serpent to bite us The sin of this people was the more hainous because they were covenanters and confederate with God It was his covenant that was in their flesh Gen. 17.13 and he had betrothed them to himself and betrusted them with his Oracles but they like men transgressed the covenant and dealt treacherously against him Chap. 6.7 See the Note there they performed not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3.21 they trespassed against his law As if it had not been holy and just and good Rom. 7. precious perfect and profitable grounded upon so much good reason that if God had not commanded it yet it had been best for us to have practised it Esay 48.17 I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit c O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandements c. q. d. It is for thy profit and not for mine own that I have given thee a law to live by But they have trespassed or praevaricated and this out of pride and malice as the word signifieth and as before he had oft convinced them of many particulars and more will do therefore are they justly punished Verse 2. Israel shall crie unto me It is their course and custome to do so they will needs do it though I take no delight in it Hypocrisie is impudent as chap. 5.6 and Ier. 3.4 5. No nay but it will despite God with seeming honour and present him with a ludibrious devotion Israel though revolted and degenerated into Iezreel chap. 1. shall crie yea cry aloud vociferabuntur cry till they are hoarse as criers do and unto me but not with their heart chap. 7.14 It is but clamor sine side fatuus an empty ring that God regards not For not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord c Mat. 7.21 Many leane upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come unto us Mic. 3.11 who yet shall hear Discedite Avaunt ye workers of iniquity I know you not Wo then to all profligate professors carnall Gospellers their prayers shall not profit them neither shall they be a button the better for their loud cries to the most High Pro. 1.28 and odious fawnings My God we know thee When their hearts are far from him Of such pretenders to him and his truth it is that the Apostle speaketh Tit. 1.16 They professe that they know God which yet God denies Hos 4.1 5.4 but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate To come and call God Father the guide of our youth and then to fall to sinne this is to do as evil as we can We cannot easily do worse Jer. 3.4 5. To cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord and then to steal murther and commit adultery c. this is painted hypocrisie Ier. 7.4 9. when men shall take sanctuary and think to save themselves from danger by a form of godlinesse as the Jews fable that Og king of Bashan escaped in the flood by riding astride upon the Ark when they are perfect strangers to the power of it this is to hasten and heap up wrath Iob 36.13 Religion as it is the best armour so the worst cloak and will serve hypocrites as the disguise Ahab put on and perished Castalio maketh this last clause to be the speech of the blessed Trinity We know thee O Israel q. d. Though thou collogue and cry My God yet we know thine hypocrisie and the naughtinesse of thy heart But the former sence is better though the placing of the word Israel in the end of the verse seem to favour this for thus it runs in the Hebrew To me thy shall cry My God we know thee Israel Verse 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good Heb. The Good as first the good God who is good originall universall All-sufficient and satisfactory proportionable and fitting to our soul He both is good and doth good Psal 119.68 and that both naturally abundantly freely and constantly Good thou art O Lord and ready to forgive saith David Psal 86.5 And the Good Lord be mircifull 2 Chron. 30. c. saith Hezekiah in his prayer for the people To speak properly there is none good but God Ase elonganit ' â—ipulis saith our Saviour Matt. 19.17 but Israel cast him or rather kickt him off procul à se rejecit as the word signifieth So do all grosse hypocrites they are rank Atheists practicall Atheists though professionall Christians Secondly they reject Christ as a Soveraigne though they could be content to have him as a Saviour they send messages after him saying We will not have this man to rule over us they will not submit to the lawes of his kingdom nor receive him in all his offices and efficacies they are Christlesse creatures as without God so without Christ in the world Thirdly hypocrites reject the good Spirit of God as David calleth him Psal 143.10 the fruit whereof is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth Ephes 5.9 When God striveth with them by his good Spirit as Neh. 9.20 they by yeelding to Satans suggestions grieve that holy Spirit and by grieving resist him and by resisting quench him and by quenching maliciously oppose him and offer despite unto him and so cast themselves into the punishing hands of the living God Heb. 10.29 31. Lastly they cast off the good Word and true Worship of God those right judgements true lawes good statutes and Commandements Neh. 9.13 they put the promises from them and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13.46 they hate instruction and cast Gods words behind them Psal 50.17 In a word bee hath left off to
every small wind and as easily blown out again it no sooner appears but it disappeares Lo such are the greatest kings and kingdoms when God taketh them in their wickedness He cuts off the spirits of Princes Psal 76.12 he slips them off so the Hebrew is as one would slip off a flower between ones fingers or as one would slip off a bunch of grapes The kingdoms of the earth are like foam upon the waters 1. For their seeming brightnesse 2. For their great eminence 3. For their instability and inability to resist 4. For their sudden fall and disappearance The Turkish Empire which hath swallowed up so many glorious Empires and renowned kingdoms laboureth with nothing more then the weightinesse of it self and shall shortly be cut off as foam and live no otherwise then by fame as others now do though for the present it be no whit inferiour in greatnesse and strength to the greatest Monarchies that ever yet were upon the face of the earth the Roman Empire onely excepted Verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The high places also of Aven c. Sept. the Altars ab Alto dicta Of Aven for Beth-aven whereof before a place so hatefull now that God loathes at large to mention it he even cuts off the head of it as he had threatned to do by the Altars verse 2. So Jeconiah degenerating is Coniah c. the sinne of Israel that damning sinne of idolatry here committed that wickednesse with a witnesse which makes God abhorre places as well as persons and turns them into sin as it were What is the transgression of Jacob is it not Samaria and what are the high places of Judah are they not Jerusalem Mich. 1.5 shall be destroyed Thus mans sinne brings destruction upon the creatures It is as poyson in a glasse that causeth the glasse to be broken and cast upon the dunghill The vessels that held the sin-offering if made of earth they were to be broken if of brasse or other metalls to be purged with fire as one day the earth and visible heavens also shall be for the defilement that mans sinne hath set upon them The thorn and the thistle shall come upon their altars There shall be nil nisi solitudo in terris Tarnou aegritudo in animis c. See the Note on chap. 9. vers 6. they shall say to the mountains Cover us This they shall say out of the sense and terrour of Gods just judgements driving them to desperation tellus prius ima dehiscat c. Aristides commendeth Themistocles for this that he never was so perplexed by any evil occurrence as to wish that the earth would swallow him up quick or to pronounce the dead happy Rivet well observeth here that Iudaea as it was full of hills and rocks so they were wont to dig themselves therein caves and dennes wherein to hide in time of danger To these David oft repaired and so secured himself from Saul And to these he alludeth when he calleth God his Rock Psal 18.2 and the Rock of his refuge Psal 94.22 And of these places of security Iosephus writeth Antiq. l. 14. cap. 26. De bel Jud. â—ib 1. cap. 12. describing the forme of them Now when they were in those holes of the hills and were distressed by the enemy there what wonder though they said to the mountains fall upon us cover us bury us alive erush us to pieces grinde us to powder rather then that we fall into the bloody fingers of these mercilesse monsters who will put us haply to a lingring death kill us peecemeal as Tiberius did those he was angry with Sueton. and as the Canibals of America when they take a prisoner feed upon him alive and by degrees to the unutterable aggravation of his horrour and torment Our Saviour foretold his disciples that at the last destruction of Jerusalem men should crie out to the mountains on this manner And so shall the Antichristian rout also do one day Rev. 6.16 They that would not worship the Lamb shall finde him a Lion those that would not cast away their transgressions but faced the heavens shall run into the rocks to hide them those that would not aspire to eternity shall despair of mercy those that would not lift up their eyes to the everlasting mountains from whence comes help shall now in vain tire the deaf mountains with hide us help us Now what can the mountains do more then give an eccho to such help us for they need help also the wrath of God is upon the creature c. Verse 9. O Israel thou hast sinned from the dayes of Gibeah Or Prae diebus worse then in the dayes of Gibeah What those dayes were see chap. 9.9 and Judg. 19. when they were is not so certain but probably before the time of the Judges and soon after Joshuahs death for Jebus or Jerusalem was not yet taken Judg. 19. with chap. 1. and Phineas was yet alive and ministred before the Lord chap. 20.28 and was one of those Elders that out-lived Joshuah who had seen all the great works of the Lord which he did for Israel Judg. 2.7 so that these dayes of Gibeah were very ancient and Israels sinne the worse because from those dayes and yet more because above or beyond those dayes God made use of your forefathers to punish that great sin and yet you continue to be more vile and vitious then they were that were so punished by your forefathers Neither are ye at all warned by their harmes which is a just both presage and desert of your downfall Alterius perditie tua sit eautio Exemplo alterius qui sapit ille sapit there they stood Who stood either the men of Gibeah stood stoutly to it and slew in two severall battles fourty thousand Or there stood the men of Israel and their battle did not overtake the children of iniquity not so overtake them at first but that they were twice beaten by them All which notwithstanding they stood it out and prevailed at last but so shall not you sith it is in my desire and decree verse 10. to order it otherwise and utterly to destroy you at once Non surget bîc asslictio Verse 10. It is in my defire that I should chastise them That is Nahum 1.9 I am unchangeably resolved and fully bent upon 't to carry them captive and enslave them to their enemies wherein they shall finde that they have to do with God and not with man and that it is I that binde them though I make use of the Assyrians to that purpose Luther renders it Valde cupidè eos castigabo exceeding desirously will I chastise them O the venemous nature of sin that maketh the mercifull God to desire and to delight in mens miseries to take comfort in their punishments Ezck. 5.13 15. to laugh at their destruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13. Prov. 1. And although he bear
and scarce ever had a merry day after it Gen. 27.19 God followed him with one sorrow upon another to teach him and us what an evil and a bitter thing it is to cumulate lies as here and how it ensnares and ensnarles us And they do make a covenant with the Assyrian and oil is carried into Egypt that is all precious and pleasant substance was carried for a present to make roomth for them Oil is instanted as the chief staple commodity of the land see Ezek. 27.17 and in Egypt very scarce this sin of theirs in seeking to other nations and relying on the arme of flesh is oft reproved and threatned thorowout this Prophesie See chap. 5.13 7.11 9.8 10.4 11.5 To neach Gods Ministers to continue crying out against the prevailing sinnes of the people and never give over till they see a reformation wrought amongst them Tle 1.15 The Cretians are alwayes lyars c. Rebuke them sharpely saith the Apostle yea be instant and constant in season and out of season using the same liberty in beating down sin that men do to commit it Chrysâ—stom told his heaters at Antioch that till they left their swearing he would never leave preaching against it Verse 2. The Lord hath also a controversie with Judah Lest the Prophet should be thought partiall in the law Mal. 2.9 See the Note there and lest Ephraim should say of Judah as once Oded did of Israel Are there not with them even with them also sinnes against the Lord The Prophet answers by way of concession 2 Chro. 28.10 that there were so indeed and that therefore God had a controversie with them a litigation or disceptation he was expostulating with them by words and some lighter stroaks notwithstanding he had commended them before as ruling with God and retaining his pure worship God would take his time to deal with them too for their many impieties and especially for running to Egypt for help as they did in the dayes of Ahaz and Zedekiah see Esay 30.2 and 31.1 but because they were not yet so bad as the ten Tribes nor so desperately wicked See chap. 4.15 5.5 8 12 13 14. 6.11 therefore the Lord was yet but pleading with them he had not passed sentence he was not resolved upon their ruine and utter extirpation as he was for the ten Tribes those foul Apostates and shamelesse covenant-breakers concerning whom he saith and is set upon 't I will punish Jacob according to his wayes See the like words chap. 4. verse 9. with the Note He calls them Jacob because they gloried much in him their Progenitour as did likewise the Samaritans that succeeded them Iob. 4.12 So did the Jews in Micah chap. 2.7 But the Prophet Hosea answereth them in effect as there by proving a disparity O thâ—â— that art named the house of Iacob that wilt needs be named so and therein pridest thy self is the Spirit of the Lord â—raitned ye are not surely straitned in him but in your own bowels Odlosum impium dogâ—â—â— Anâ—â—aptistarum qui idea pueris baâ—tis mum negant quia sensu mente careant Luther in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that yee expresse Iacob no better that ye resemble him no more Are these his doings was Iacob a man of your practises No for he left no means unattempted that hee might attain the blessing he strove for it with his brother in the womb afterwards with the Angel against whom with much wrestling and raising of dust he prevailed as it followeth in the two next verses Verse 3. He took his brother by the heel in the womb to have hindred him if he could of the first-birth-right so desirous he shewed himself so soon of that desireable sireable priviledge and the proâ—â—ises annexed Whence we may learn saith One that God taketh care even of unborn babes that belong to him and worketh strangely in them sometimes as he did in the Baptist Luke 1.44 the child leaped in the womb by a supernaturall motion he leaped more like a suckling at the brest as the word signifieth then an unborn Embryo Mention had been made in the former verse of the name of Jacob here we have the etymon or reason of that name He took his brother by the heel or foot-sole as if he would have turned up his heels and got to the goal before him Hence his name was called Iacob Gen. 25.26 that is Calcanearius or Heel-catcher as if he would have pulled his brother back or presage of what he should afterwards do viz. supplant Esau and get the preheminence both of birth-right and blessing Gen. 27.36 and withall a fruit an instance of Gods free grace in preferring Jacob when he could not yet do any thing that was good before Esan though he were the elder stronger stouter a manly child a man already as his name importeth one that had every thing more like a man then a babe See Mal. 1.2 with the Note And observe that God here upbraideth Iacobs degenerate brood with his benefits toward him their forefather whereof they now walked so utterly unworthy And by his strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By his hard labour say the Seventyâ— but better by or in his strength that is by the supply of the Spirit of Iesus Christ Phil. 1.19 and by the power of the Almighty casting him down with the one hand and bearing him up with the other He had 〈◊〉 with God Heb. he played the Prince with God fortiter fideliter se gessit he bore himself bravely and had strength with God He doth not lie down sullen and discouraged but wrestleth with excellent wrestlings he held with his hands when his joynts were out of joynt He wrestled in the night and alone and when God was leaving him and upon one leg and prevailed as it is in the next verse This he did partly by his bodily strength elevated for he was a very strong man as appeareth Gen. 29.10 by his rouling the great stone from the Wels mouth but principally by the force of his faith put forth in prayer which can work wonders Ephes 3.16 Oh it s a sweet thing indeed to be strengthened with might by the spirit in the inner man Orquâ—â— hic home non est omnium This is the generation of them that seek him Psal 24.6 that seek thy face this is Iacob yea this is Israel for so God knighted him as it were in the field for his good service and new named him Gâ—â— 3â— 28 Neither were the faithfull ever since called Abrahamites or Isaakites but Israelites for honours sake Verse 4. Yea he had power over the Angel that Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 the Angel of the great Council as the Seventy render Esay 9.6 the Lord Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who redeemed Jacob from all evil Gen. 48.16 and is called Elohim in the former verseâ—â— Iacob is reproved for asking his name an argument of his
to come out of the filth of his sins or to be washed from his wickednesse Rather then be regenerated without which there is no heaven to be had Ioh. 3.5 or freedom from deadly dangers upon earth he will venture to stay a while at least as the Text here hath it in the mouth of the matrix though it cost him a choaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such Ephraims we have not a few that proceed no further then to conviction debarring themselves of the benefit of a thorow conversion These go as far as Kadesh-barnea they are nigh to Gods kingdom they are almost perswaded to be true Christians they are come as far as the place of the breaking forth of children but there they stick and are stifled they are never brought forth from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive remission of sinnes and inheritance among the saints and sonnes of God Acts 26.18 Oh make much of the least beginnings of grace saith a Reverend man even those called repressing since they prepare the heart for conversion There is a faith in the true convert of no better perfection then that in the Temporary though he stay not there as the other being an unwise sot doth c. And although we bring forth good things saith Another as Sarah's dead womb brought forth a child it was not a child of natures but of the meer promise yet it cannot be denied that a naturall man though he be Theologically dead yet he is Ethically alive being to be wrought upon by arguments and that grace doth for the most part prepare naturals before it bring in supernaturals and if we hide our talent we are not allowed to expect the spirit of Regeneration As if we die in the wildernesse of preparatory antecedaneous works we never get to Canaan Verse 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave c. Some read it thus Calvin Tigurin Isid Clar. Danaeus Drusius I would have ransomed them c. I would have redeemed them c. had they been wise or oughts as we say had not their incurable hardnesse and obstinacy hindered had they put forth into my hands as unto a midwife c. But alas it is no such matter therefore that that will die let it die repentance shall be hid from mine eyes I am unchangeably resolved to ruine them Or repentance should have been hid from mine eyes my goodnesse toward them should never have altered c. But let us rather look upon the words as a most sweet and comfortable promise of a mighty redemption and glorious resurrection to the Remnant according to the election of grace whom God would not have to want comfort I will ransom them Here therefore he telleth his Heirs of the promises that he will bring them back out of captivity wherein they â—ay for dead as it were and that this their deliverance should be an evident argument and sure pledge of their resurrection to life eternall To which purpose the Apostle doth aptly and properly alledge it 1 Cor. 15. and thereupon rings in Deaths ears out of this Text and Esay 25.8 the shrillest and sharpest Note the boldest and bravest challenge that ever was heard from the mouth of a mortall Death where is thy sting Hell where 's thy victory c Oh thanks be to God who hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and thereby hath made us more then conquerours that is Triumphers 2 Cor. 2.14 But to return to the Text. Be it saith the Prophet that the Common-wealth of Israel both mother and child must perish for want of wisdom as was threatned in the foregoing verse yet let not the penitent among them despair for I the Lord Christ will ransom them by laying down a valuable price so the word signifieth from the power Ephdem Heb. hand of the grave or of hell that though hell had laid hands on them yea closed her mouth upon them as once the Whale had upon Jonas yet I would open the doors of that Leviathan and fetch them thence with a strong hand I will redeem them from death by becoming their near kinsman according to the flesh whereby I shall have the next right of redemption But how shall all this be done After a wonderfull manner O death I will be thy plagues Not one but many plagues even so many as shall certainly do thee to death The Vulgar rendreth it Ero mors tua O mors morsus tuus O inferne The Apostle for plagues hath sting for the plague hath a deadly sting and so hath sinne much more the guilt thereof is by Solomon said to bite like a serpent and sting like a cockatrice Prov. 23.32 Now Christ by dying put sinne to death Rom. 1.25 Ephes 1.7 Heb. 2.14 We read of a certain Cappadocean Sphinx Phil. pag. 750. whom when a Viper had bitten and suckt his blood the Viper her self died by the venemous blood that she had suckt But Christ being life essential prevailed over death and swallowed it up in victory as Moses his serpent swallowed up the sorcerers serpents or as Fire swalloweth up the fuell that is cast upon it yea by death he destroyed him that had the power of death the devil whose practise it was to kill men with death Rev. 2.23 this is the second death O grave or O hell I will be thy destruction thy deadly stinging disease joyned with the pestilence Psal 91.6 Death to a beleever is neither totall nor perpetuall Rom. 8.10 11. Christ hath made it to him of a curse a blessing of an enemy a friend of a punishment an emolument of the gate of hell the portall of heaven a postern to let out temporall but a street-door to let in eternall life And to assure all this Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes i. e. there shall be no such thing as repentance in me for all things that are at all are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 The meaning is I will never change my minde for this matter my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Psal 89.34 Confer Psal 110.4 Rom. 11.29 Some render it but not so well Consolation is hid from mine eyes and so make them to be the words of the Church q. d. I see not this promise with mine eyes but I receive it and accept of it by my faith Verse 15. Though he be fruitfull among his brethren In allusion to his name Ephraim which signifieth fruitfull and flourishing Gen. 41.52 Confer Gen. 48.16 19 20 c. 49.22 See the like allusions Am. 5.5 Mic. 1.10 An East-winde shall come which is violent and hurtfull to the fruits of the earth the winde of the Lord a mighty strong winde meaning that most mercilesse and impetuous enemy the Assyrian sent by the Lord to avenge the quarrell of his
an old Canon Turk hist. fol. 777. that our fasts should continue usque dum stellae in coelo appareant till the starrs appear in the sky The very Turks in their solemn fasts eate nothing all the day till night yea so precise they are that upon their fasting dayes they will not so much as wash their mouths with water till the starrs appear whith maketh their fasts especially in the Summer when the dayes be long and hot to be unto them very tedious Christians hold and teach that nature is by fasting to be chastised and not disabled for service and that such as cannot fast so long but they shall either indanger health or be unfitted for the spiritual duties of the day may eat provided that they abuse not this liberty to the satisfying of the flesh Coloss 2.23 1 Tim. 5.23 call a solemn assembly See chap. 1.14 with the Note Verse 16. Gather the people Sanctifie the Congregation c. Let the Priests Gods ministers see to it that the people come together and for the better too as much as in them lies For they are to the people in place of watchmen of Centinels of Embassadors and in Christs own stead who seemes to say unto them as Psal 50.5 Gather my saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice that they may meet me with intreaties of peace disarme mine indignation conceived against them and quench the flame thereof with their tears not quench the spirit in their teachers by their crossenesse and backwardnesse to businesse of this nature assemble the Elders Whether for age as Iob. 15.10 or for place of authority as Iosh 7.6 1 Sam. 15.30 Ruth 4.4 These must be chief doers and most forward at fasts as was Joshuah Jehosapat the King of Niniveh Ezra c. For 1 they are most guilty in regard of their years and their office which either addeth two wings to their sins viz. Example and Scandal whereby facilè volant non facilè violant they sore much higher and fly much further 2 Their presence counsel and countenance may be a great furtherance to the work See Ezek. 46.10 The Prince in the middest of the people when they go in shall go in and when they goe forth shall go forth A Lapide saith A Lapide in locum that the Elder sort are to meet because they are least lustfull and more prayerfull It should be so I confesse but how many old goats are there abroad that even hang over hell which gapeth for them and as the canker soonest entreth into the white rose so doth corruption easily creep into the white head He was a rare old man of whom we read that being tempted to sin said Nay least he should stain his white head Gather the children and those that suck the brests For they are church-members and to them also pertain the publike dangers and calamities out of which times and cases children and Novices are not to be tied to these austerities of religion as our Saviour sheweth Mat. 9.17 as little as new wine is to be put into old vesels Add hereunto that the parents might by the sight of their poor children subject to Gods wrath by their default Eph. 2.3 Rom. 5.12 be brought to a further sense of their own sinfulnesse and moved by their cryes and laments ut ferventius orent plâ—rent to cry and pray more earnestly Let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber The new-married-man was by the law allowed to cheare up his wife Deut. 24.5 and therefore exempted from warfare and other publike imployments abroad Deut. 20.7 and the wedding-day is called the day of the rejoycing of a mans heart Cant. 3.11 They were wont to have a week of feasting at such times Gen. 29.27 Fulfill her week sc of banquet and bride-ale as they call it And it is noted as an absurd thing in Sampsons wife Judg. 14.17 that she wept all the seven dayes of such a feast when mirth was so much in season But is it a time for men to hang their hearts upon the merry pin when God calles them to hang up their Harps upon the Willow-trees when the sword is sharpened to make a sore slaughter when it is fourbished and glittereth and contemneth the rod i. e. lesser and lighter judgements that usually fore-run it should wee then make mirth Ezek. 21.10 Should men eat and drink and marry and be merry when to morrow they may look to die and are already stumbling in the valley of the shadow of death Such a thing the old world may do buried in security and to be shortly therefore buried in one universall grave of waters But holy Noah was vexed at it and Ambrose thinks not without reason that during the time of the deluge all the while that he was in the Ark hee came as little at his wife as Vriah did while the Ark and Judah and Israel abode in Tents and Joab and the Hoste encamped in the fields 2 Sam. 11.11 Nehemiah though a great Courtier Neh. 2.2 3. and the Kings Cup-bearer could not but be sad when it went ill with the Church all comforts then were but Ichabods to him hee had no joy of them Sorrow at such a time is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Eccles 7.3 The mad world is a perfect stranger to the truth of this sacred Position as having so far banished sadnesse that they are profest enemies to seriousnesse and stick not to light a candle at the devil as they say for sinfull lightsomnesse But wo be to such mad Mirth-mongers saith our Saviour Luke 6.25 and after him St. James chap. 5.1 5. and before them both the Prophet Esay chap. 22.12 13 14. and the Prophet Amos chap. 6.4 5 6. What so lawfull as the use of the marriage-bed Heb. 13.4 and for whom more lawfull then for the bride-groom and bride Yet in a common calamity and in a day of restraint as a fast-day is called Joel 2.15 married couples must abstain 1 Cor. 7.5 where the Apostle speaketh of a publike fast as Peter Martyr observeth Pet. Mar. in loc Hence Zech. 8.19 they separated themselves at such a time And it is spoken of as a foul sinne Esay 58.3 behold in the day of your fast ye finde pleasure All sensuall delights though never so lawfull at other times must bee then suspended and laid aside As musick mirth perfumes Dan. 6.18 brave apparrell Exod. 33.4 c. all ornaments of the body soft-lying 2 Sam 12.16 all cheerfulnesse and outward joy Iudg. 20.26 1 Sam. 7.8 The Roman Censor punished one that shewed himself out of a window Liv. with a garland upon his head in the time of the second Punick war Verse 17. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord Let not them be either dull Psal 103. Rev. 22. or dumb as Popish Masse-priests with their dumb-shews at divine Service but as
oft at this day The Preachers Travels 63. I have seen him saith a traveller many times to alight from his horse onely to do justice to a poor body The Grand Signior himself sits one day in the week to receive the poors petitions and punish the faulty Grandees about him For as he stiles himself Awlem Peâ—awh that is the worlds refuge so he would have the world to take notice that such as lament unto him The Grand Sign Serag pag. 148. shall be sure to have redresse and succour from him although his Ministers fail them or abuse them through their injustice Hence few Visiers die in their beds from the middest thereof i. e. of Kerioth the chief city where the Court was kept as Kimchâ— saith with a great deal of pomp and pride We have heard of the pride of Moab See Ier. 48.7 11 14 18. Zeph. 2.8 10. It was their nationall sin and fore-runner of their fall Verse 4. Ideò deteriores quia meliores esse debebant Zach. 1.19 For three transgressions of Judah who were therefore worse then the above-mentioned Nations because they ought to have been better Beset they were with enemies round about who dealt cruelly with them and this should have made them to cleave more close to God these hornes pushing and scattering them should have pushed them home to him but it proved otherwise For Judah also is found to to be incorrigibly flagitious guilty as the former of three transgressions and of four c. worse in them then in others because in Judah was God known and to them were committed the Oracles of God whom they might hear eftsoons screeking out unto them when they were putting forth their hands to wickednesse Oh do not this abominable thing But they tanquam monstra marina as One saith Jer. 44.4 like so many Sea-Monsters passed by Gods words with a deaf ear They despised the law of the Lord They would none of his counsell they liked well to live in Gods good land but not to live by Gods good lawes like those in the Gospel they rejected the counsel of God within themselves Luk. 7.30 and that with scorne and disdain as the word here used signifieth See the Note on Hos 6.6 and have not kept his commandements though holie just and good though such as if a man keep them be it but Evangelically si faciat etiaâ—si non perficiat he shall live in them by a life of grace as the flame lives in the oyle or the creature by his food Though in keeping thereof how much more for keeping thereof Liv. 18.5 there is great reward Psal 19.11 and their lies caused them that is their idols as the Vulgar well rendreth it and their will-worships their new inventions and good intentions thereby to serve and please God These are properly called lies because contrary to the law of truth whereto they are here opposed and to Davids practise who did the truth 1 Ioh. 1.6 and could safely say I hate and abhorre lying but thy law do I love Psal 119.163 and ver 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way after the which their fathers have walked So that they are a race of Rebels a seed of evil-doers and do fill up the measure of their fathers sins till wrath come upon them to the utmost This is no small aggravation Ezek. 20.30 Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers and commit ye whoredom after their abominations See Acts 7.51 Must I bee provoked by you from one generation to another Vers 5. But I will send a fire upon Judah They shall also bear the punishment of their iniquities yet is it not said as ver 2. that Judah shall die with tumult c. God will make a difference in his dealings with his own and others his sonnes and his slaves these shall totally and finally be consumed at once Nah. 1.9 not so the Saints The remnant of the Philistins shall perish Am. 1.8 But of Judah a remnant shall be still reserved for royall use Isai 11.11 16. Ver. 6. For three transgressions of Israel c The ten Tribes come in last lest they with whom his main businesse lay and to whom he will hence-forth apply himself should conceit themselves priviledged because for present prospered lest they should read or hear the menaces of Gods mouth as men do the old stories of forrein wars that nothing concern them because they sold the righteous for silver Even God 's own pasture-sheep that had golden-fleeces precious souls these they made sale of for a little money which ever was and still is a common medler and drives the bargain and businesse to an upshot Money saith One is the worlds great Monarch and bears most Mastery whence it is that the Hebrew word Adarcon used for money 1 Chron. 29.7 Esay 8.27 comes of Adar strong or mighty and Con to prepare to shew that a moneyed man is a mighty man as this world goes Unlesse we may say of money as one doth wittily of Sardanapalus the last of the Assyrian Monarchs Sardanapalus saith He had a terrible name Sar noteth a Prince Dan a Judge Niphal an overthrower or Conquerour no otherwise appliable to him but that his Luxury was the overthrow of both Soveraignty and Judgement So is money mighty and well prepared but it is to blind the eyes of the wise and to pervert the matters of the righteous Deut. 16.10 who because not so well underlaid as his adversary lies long languishing many times at Hopes hospital as that lame man did at the pool of Bethesda but might not be sped because for want belike of stirring Angels he could get none to put him into the Pool immediatly after the Angel had stirred it That was a sad complaint made by the Prophet Habakkuk chap. 1.4 Behold the law is slacked and judgement doth never go forth for the wicked doth circumvent the righteous viz. by his bribery and basenesse therefore wrong judgement proceedeth A Judge is to retain the decency and gravity of the Law yea of the Law-maker with whom their is none iniquity nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts 2 Chron. 19.7 Nec prece nec precio should be the Magistrates Motto he should be above all price or sale and the poor for a pair of shooes For a cup of wine Joel 3.3 for handfulls of barley or peeces of bread Ezek. 13.19 for a thing of nothing so base they were grown at length a very small deal of gain would win them over See chap. 8.6 At first a little matter would not hire them it must bee silver and a considerable summe too as an harlot that requires at first no small reward but afterwards prostituteth her self light-cheap to all commers Sinne seemeth modest and maidenly at first but meddle not for it sooneth woadeth an impudency in mens foreheads and debaucheth them Vers 7. That pant after the dust of the earth on the
against such and took the same liberty to rebuke them that they did to commit them these were hated cane pejus angue worse then any toad Thus Ahab hated Micaiah the Sodomites Lot the Jewes Jeremy their successors Christ the Baptist Steven Paul c. Melch. Adam thus those of Geneva hated Farellus their faithfull minister tryed him for his life banished him out of their territories Thus afterwards some of them hated Calvin calling him Cain yea calling their dogs Calvin in derision and detestation of him And thus Bishop Ridly lamenting the state of England even of thy greatest Magistrates saith He some the Kings highnesse excepted evermore unkindly and ungently against those that went about most busily and wholesomely to cure their sore backs spurned privily and would not spare to speak evill of them even to the Prince himself and yet would they toward the same preachers outwardly beare a jolly countenance and faire face As for Latimer Lever Bradford Knox their tongues were so sharp they ripped in so deep in their galled backs to have purged them no doubt of their filthy matter Act Man fol. 1616. that was festered in their hearts of insatiable covetousnesse of filthy carnallity and voluptuousnesse of intollerable ambition and pride of ungodly lothsomenesse to heare poore mens cases and to heare Gods word And these men of all others these Magistrates then could never abide c. Thus He and much more to the same purpose They were then sick of a Noli me tangere and so alasse they are still How few Vespasians to be found of whom Quintilian testifieth that he was patientissimus veri One that would patiently heare the naked truth of things not toothlesse truths onely but such as touched to the quick How few Davids that loved Nathan the better ever after for dealing so plainly and faithfull with him and made him of his cabbinet-councell How few Q. Elisabeths who called oft for her Deering by whom she was barely told of her faults though the Bishops those Court-parasites would never suffer him to preach more before her The Q. of Navarre would not harken to such ministers as disliked that fatall French match that gave opportunity afterwards to the Parisian Massacre in regard of the diversity of religions Epitom hist Gallic but inclined rather to those that smoothed her up and told her that it would lay the foundation of a lasting and most happy peace And generally of those French Reformed churches it was observed that for some yeares before that bloody massacre they affected a frothy flashy kind of Preaching and cared not for that that came home to the conscience See my common place of Admonition and they abhorr him that speaketh uprightly Auget orationem saith Drusius The Prophet groweth in his expression of their wickednesse for to abhorr is more then to hate See Prov. 6.16 Serpens si serpentem comederit fit draco Hatred as they say of the Crocodile groweth as long as it liveth Sin is of an encroaching nature If a Serpent devoure a Serpent saith the Proverbe he becommeth a Dragon Hatred of the truth as runner the elder it is the stronger the Pharisees for instance who did not onely inwardly swell and boil with hellish hatred of Christ his works and doctrine but also outwardly belched out against him the basest blasphemies and in their pertinacious working constantly persecuted him even to the most reproachfull death of the crosse This is merces mundi the worlds wages to Gods faithfull witnesses They make a man an offender for a word yea for speaking uprightly and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate and turn aside the just for a thing of nought Esay 29.21 An expectas ut Quintilianus ametur said He Dost thou think that plain-dealing Quintilian should be loved It is not likely To preach saith Luther the truth which is according to godlinesse is nothing else but to derive the rage of the whole world upon a mans self Verse 11. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor Panting after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor Chap. 2.7 See there and Psal 109.16 Some render Ye fire the poor others ye plunder them so the Chaldee and Hierom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy have it Ye smite them with fists But better Ye foot it upon them and make them sell their commodities under-foot as we phrase it to pay your heavy taxes and satisfie your greedy covetousnesse and ye take from him burdens of wheat Heb. the finest wheat and best winnowed these ye force him to make money of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your use glad to feed upon the offall-wheat himself Ye have built houses of hâ—wen stone squared and polished Domos rasiles politas Sept thinking to flourish and frollick but the screech-owls of wo crying aloud from the stones out of those walls shall marre your mirth Hab. 2.11 but ye shall not dwell in them For either ye shall be prevented by death and sent to dwell with devils or be carried away captive and a stranger possesse your new-buildings Deut. 28.30 Ye have planted pleasant vineyards As He in the History that having a cup of new-wine in his hand expressed out of the grapes of his new-planted vineyard was set upon and slaine by a wild-boar before he could drink it and gave occasion to that proverb Erasm Adag Multa cadunt inter caelicem supremaque labra Many things fall betwixt the cup and the lip betwixt the chin and the chalice Hereunto agreeth that story in Mr. Burroughs upon Hosea Burr on Hos 1. pag. 379. I had saith he certain information from a reverend Minister that in his own town there was a wretched worldling who had a great crop of corn A good honest neighbour of his walking by his field saith Neighbour you have a very fine crop of corn if God blesse it yea saith he I will have a good crop speaking contemptuously and before he could come to get it into the barn it was so blasted that the corn of the whole crop was not worth sixe pence God hath many wayes to defeat the wicked mans expectation and the hope of unjust men perisheth Prov. 11.7 Etiam spes valentissima perit so some render that text he shall die or miscarry in the very height of his hopes and expectations Verse 12. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sinnes I know them and can easily set them in an order before your eyes Psal 50.21 bring them out as they did the vessells of the Sanctuary by number and by weight Ezra 8.34 make you answer for all with flames about your ears lay open your many transgressions and mighty sinnes Fortia peccata The Hebrew hath it your bony or big-boned sinnes huge hainous and monstrous capable of all manner of aggravations All these I know saith God they are all in Print in heaven
Jer. 5.22 saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waves thereof tosse themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar Lib. de mirabil yet can they not passe over it This Aristotle admires and David celebrates in his Physicks as One calleth that 104 Psalm verse 6.9 and all men should improve to affright their consciences from provoking to anger so great a God Verse 6. It is he that buildeth his stories or spheres in the heaven Surgit hic oratio The Prophet here riseth in his discourse and as Chrysostom said of St. Paul Tricubitalis est coelos transcendit Low though he were and little yet he gat up into the third heaven so may we of Amos though but a plain-spoken and illiterate heardsman yet in setting forth the power of God hee mounts from earth to heaven and shews himself to bee Virum bonum dicendi peritum an exquisite Oratour according to Quintilians character God this Great Architect and publike-workman as the Apostle after Plato whom he seemeth to have read calleth Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.10 hath without tool or toil Esay 40.28 builded his stories in the heaven which is three stories high 2 Cor. 12.2 wherein as in a theatre or molten looking-glasse Job 37.18 his Majesty most clearly shineth chap. 4.13 and 5.8 See Psal 104.3 every sphere and starre twinckling at us and as it were beekning to us to remember his omnipotency whereof that rare Fabrick is a notable work and witnesse and not to think to escape his judgements if we go on in sinne For although he be higher then the heavens Job 8.11 yet his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11.4 and verse 6. Upon the wicked He shall rain down snares fire and brimstone c. and hath founded his troop or bundle in the earth that is the other three elements say some the Sea which together with the earth maketh one Globe say others the Vniverse saith Mr. Diodate which is like the fabrick of a building of which the earth being the lower part and onely unmoveable hath some resemblance of a foundation He that calleth for the waters of the Sea and poureth them out c. See the Note on chap. 5.8 Verse 7. Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me The emphasis lieth in this last word Vnto me who am no respecter of persons but in every nation Act. 10.3.4 he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Unto your selves indeed you seem some great businesse because Israelites to whom pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and the covenants c. Rom 9.4 To others also you seem a great nation yea a wise and understanding people as having God so nigh unto you and so set for you Deut. 4.6 7. and 33.29 But tell me Quis te discrevit Who made you to differ and what have ye more then others that ye have not me to thank for You look upon the Ethiopians with scorn as an ignoble and servile people as likewise upon the uncircumcised Philistines and unhallowed Syrians But wherein are you beyond them if you look back to your Original and consider my dealings with them and you It is nothing else but self-love that maketh you thus insolent and teacheth you to turn the glasse to see your selves bigger Others lesser then they are You foolishly set up your Counter for a thousand pound and are in some sence like those Ethiopians or Negroes Heyl. Geogr. so much slighted by you of whom it is said that they paint the devill white as being a colour contrary to their own But much more to blame are you that being Gods peculiar people and partakers of so great priviledges you do no more change your evill manners then the Ethiopians do their black-hue Jer. 13.23 you are no where white but in your teeth as they good a little from the teeth outward I am neer in your mouthes but farr from your reines Jer. 12.2 Such an one was that stigmaticall Cush the son of Iemini mentioned in the title of the seventh Psalme perhaps Saul the son of Kish the Beniamite is intended non tam cute quà m corde Aethiopicus of black and ill conditions and therefore to God no better then an Ethiopian or any other Pagan people have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt q. d. I grant I have and you glory very much in it whereas you should rather glorify me much for it and walk worthy of such a deliverance for every blessing is a binder and every new deliverance a new tie to obedience But what singular thing have I herein done for you more then for Philistines and Syrians whom yet you look upon as dogs and out-casts have not I also brought up the Philistines from Caphtor i. e. from Cappadocia called an Island Ier. 47. because it bordered upon the sea or Turk hist 843. as some will have it from Cyprus a rich Island called therefore Macariah that is Blessed and the Syrians from Kir Syros è Kiro from Cyrene a countrey of Asia as Beroaldus thinketh It is mentioned Esa 22.6 Chron. lib. 4. cap. 6. as subject to the king of Assyria and thither the Syrians were translated by Tiglath-Pileser 2 King 16.9 but when either these or the Philistines were brought back againe to their own countreys we read not in scripture or elsewhere at this day 1 Chron 4.22 These are ancient things as it is said in another case and are here alledged as well known to the Israelites who are nipt on the crown as they say and pulled from that perilous pinacle of self-exaltation whereupon they had unhappily peirked themselves Verse 8. Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull kingdome Be it Ethiopia Palestina Syria or Israel but especially Israel Amos 3.2 not his eye only his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his jealous eye as ver 4. for evill and not for good but both his eyes yea his seven eyes for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All eye to look through and through the sinfull kingdome to judge and punish to inflict tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evill of the Jew first because of his priviledges and also of the Gentile Rom. 2.9 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron with the point of a diamond Jer. 17.1 and Israel is therefore worse then others because he ought to have been better His whole kingdome is a kingdome of sin a merum scelus a very Poneropolis as that place in Thracia was called Theopomp whither Philip had assembled all the infamous persons and men of evill demeanour What is the transgression of Jacob Is it not Samaria Mic. 1.5 their capitall sins were most in their capitall cities and thence overflowed the whole kingdome called
Chron. 36.16 Good therefore is the counsel of the Prophet Lam. 3.39 40. Why is living man sorrowful a man for the punishment of his sin Let us search and trie our wayes find out the sin that God strikes at and turn again to the Lord turn and live so they cast lots They should have also prayed as Act. 1. 6. saying as Saul 1 Sam. 14. Give a perfect lot wicked men also are bound to pray Psal 14.4 but although they do not God can get himself glory by their prophane lottery as he did by Nebuchadnezzars Ezek. 21.20 21. and the lot fell upon Jonah Secret sins will out at length and be brought into judgement Eccles 12.14 Saeculi laetitia est impunita nequitiae Aug. Surely the bitternesse of death is past said Agag but he found it otherwise 1 Sam. 15. Janah thought himself out of the reach of Gods rod c. Wicked mens faults shall be written in their foreheads and they forced to answer for all at last with flames about their ears Verse 8. Tell us we pray thee for whose cause c. He confessed not till urged and necessitated Sinne gagges people and prompts them to hide their faults as Adam or at least to mince extenuate shift them upon other persons and things as Eve Sinne and shifting came into the world together and Satan that old manslayer knowing that there is no way to purge the soul but upwards holds the lips close that the heart may not disburden it self God by this means is oft put to his proof and must bring the malefactour to trial who refusing ordinary trial must therefore be prest Jer. 2.35 what is thine occupation For that thou hast one we take it for granted At Athens every man was once a year at least to give account to the Judges by what art or trade he maintained himself By Mahomets law the Grand Signior himself must use some manual trade Solyman the Magnificent made arrow-heads Mahomet the great horn-rings for archers c. That which the mariners here enquire after is whether Jonas his occupation be honest and lawful whether he laboured the thing that was good Eph. 4.28 For if any man over-reach or oppresse his brother in any matter by the use of any ill arts he shall be sure to find that the Lord is the venger of al such 1 Thess 4.6 though haply they lie out of the walk of humane justice or comes not under mans cognizance and whence commest thou Art thou not of an accursed countrey and is not thy people a people of Gods wrath as England was in the time of the sweating-sicknesse Lifeoâ— Edw. 6. by S. J. H. pursuing the English where-ever they came which made them like tyrants both feared and avoyded of all nations How the Jewes are at this day hated and shunned as an execrable people is known to all what is thy countrey and of what people art thou Notanda brevitas saith Hierome here Note the brevity of theâ—e questions nothing short of those in Virgil so much admired juvenes quae causa subegit Ignotas tentare vias quò tenditis inquit Quod genus Vâ—rg Aene. â—â— unde domo pacemne huc fertis an arma Note also here how these Pagans proceed not to execution till they have fully inquired into the matter This was farre better then that ugly custome of some people in Europe mentioned by Eneas Sylvius that if any one amongst them be suspected of theft or the like crime he is presently taken and hanged up Then three dayes after they examine the businesse and 〈◊〉 the party be found guilty they suffer his body there to hang till it rot down or if otherwise they bury him in the Church-yard 〈◊〉 Syâ— Europ cap. 20. and keep a funeral-feast at the publike charge Vers 9. And he said unto them I am an Hebrew i. e. a true Beleever as was Heber the Patriarch Gen. 10.21 and after him Abram the Hebrew as he is called Gen. 14.13 This name of Hebrews as it was the first title given to Abraham and his seed so it indureth one of the last 2 Cor. 11.22 Philip. 3 5 Epistle to the Hebrews title and I fear the Lord God of heaven That 's mine occupation I serve God with my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne as Paul hath it Rom. 1.9 every faithful Minister is servant to the King of heaven Act. 27.23 this the devil could not deny Act. 16.16 17. neither is he of his meaner or inferiour servants of his Underling sbut of the noblest employment Ministers are his Stewards Embassadours Paranymphs or Spokesmen c. and this is their occupation or their work farre beyond that of Solomons servants which hath made the sea and the drie land This troublesome sea that now so threatneth you and that drie land which you would so fain recover These with all their contents are his creatures neither did he make them and then seave them to Fate or Fortune as a carpenter leaves the house he hath built to others or a ship-wright the ship but he ordereth and ruleth them at his pleasure and will unmake all again rather then his shall want help in one season Psal 124.8 and 134.3 This was part of Jonah's confession and but part of it for he told them no doubt how ill he had dealt with this great and good God running away by â—ealth from his masters service and detrecting his yoak and that therefore he was justly apprehended and adjudged to death To this purpose was Jonas his confession quae ei salutis fuit exordium saith Mercer which was the beginning of his safety and salvation Now his hard heart is broken and his dumb mouth opened not only to confesse his offence but to aggravate it in that being not only an Hebrew of the Hebrewes a member of the true Church but a Prophet a Doctour in Israel he should deal so perversely and perfidiously It is a sweet happinesse when sin swels as a toad in a mans eyes and he can freely confesse it in the particulars and with utmost aggravation laying open al his transgressions in all his sinnes as Moses phraseth it Lev. 16.21 Affliction sanctified will bring a soul to this as here it did the Prophet like herein to that helve Elisha cast into the water that fetcht up the iron that was in the bottom Verse 10. Then were the men exceedingly afraid Heb. with great fear when once they had heard the businesse and weighed the particulars of his message to Niniveh of his miscarriage and of his present misery together with the danger that themselves were in for his sake how much more for their own as being conscious to themselves of farre more and greater sinnes then Ionas had to answer for c. This put the Marriners into a great fright And as all fear hath torment they could not be at quiet till they had further questioned him saying Why hast thou done this Lo he that would
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
sciatse esse Theologum Luth. which who so can do let him thank God saith Luther and let him know that he is a Divine indeed and of might Or of manhood virtue prevalency against an adversary patience under whatsoever crosse occurrences for the truths sake and for my pâ—ain-dealing A minister had need be a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every inch of him and to play the man 1 Cor. 16.13 yea as the good souldier of Jesus Christ to suffer hardship being strong in the Lord and in the power of his might He must be like the diamond in the High-priests brestplate for hardnesse and hardinesse as of Athanasius Nazâ—aâ—zen testifieth that he was Magnes Adamas both a loadstone for his lovelinesse and humility and an Adamant for his resolute stoutnesse and magnanimity against those that were evil to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sinne to tell them of their wickednesse with the same liberty that they commit it See here the true picture of a Preacher both how he must be gifted and how deeded A thanklesse office it is with the world to be thus bold and busie and very many ministers affect to be counted no medlers they think it enough to preach toothlesse truths and not to incurre the displeasure of people by telling them of their transgressions and Gods judâ—gements But this is not the garb and guise of those that are sent and gifted by God see Ezek. 3. and 33. Vers 9. Hear this I pray you ye heads c. He had had a bout with them before but because little good was thereby done he is at them again according to that counsel of the wiseman In the morning sow thy seed Eccles 11. â—â— in the evening withhold not thy hand for thou knowest not c. Preach the word saith the Apostle be instant or stand over the work in season out of season c. 2 Tim. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome told his Antiochians that he would never give over preaching against that sinne of swearing till they gave over their swearing which because he could not get them to do he breaks out into these words It will be an hard speech unto you but I will speak it Though there be so many thousands of you yet there cannot be found an hundred that shall be saved and I tell you true I doubt of them too Ye heads of the house of Jacob and Princes of the house of Israel As bad as they were he gives them their titles The devil also is to have his due he is called by the holy Ghost Prince of the ayr and his Angels are stiled Principalities powers Rulers of the darknesse of this world Eph. 6.12 See the Note on vers 1. that abhorre judgement They were not onely ignorant of it vers 1. but abhorred it and therefore abhorred it because they knew it not Plato could say that if morall vertue could be beheld with mortal eyes it would attract all hearts to it self But these as natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed spake evil of those things that they understood not 2 Pet. 2.12 and what they knew naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupted themselves Jude 10. being carried away by their impetuous and imperious lusts they not onely did that which was evil but also hated the light of the law that reproved and sentenced them licensing others by their practise at least to do the like Such Centaures and Cyclopes were these princes of Israel grown such Heteroclites these heads of the house of Iacob The whole head was sick Isai 1.5 the Rulers were a scab Chap. 5.7 The Lord looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crie 〈◊〉 Caff They had made the age not unlike that under Nero wherein nothing almost was unlawful but villany was acted by authority and pervert all equity Heb. they pervert c. It is spoken to others in token of abomination See the like Gen. 49.4 with the Note Now equity or rectitude is perverted when the guilty are acquitted and the innocent condemned 2 Chron. 19.7 See Esay 5.20 23. when there is accepting of persons and receiving of gifts Vers 10. They build up Zion with blood Heb. bloods that is with goods gotten by rapine and robbery to the utter undoing of many poor oppressed whose livelihood is their life Mar. 12. ult Luk. 8.43 How much better Selymus the great Turk who being upon his death-bed moved by Pyrrhus the Bassa to bestow the great wealth taken by him from the Persian Merchants Turk hist â—â—â— upon some notable hospital for relief of the poor took order that those evil-gotten goods should be forthwith restored again to the right owners to the shame of many Christians who will not be drawn to do so Our Henry the seventh indeed in his last will and Testament devised and willed restitution should be made of all such moneys at had unjustly been levied by his officers But how few such princes are to be found Speed â—â—â—â— It is held a goodly thing to build Zion though it be with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity But God as he will not have ex rapina holocaustum so he infinitely abhorreth all those who under pretext of religion in building some poor hospital with the fragments of their accursed wealth seek to make him a party a partaker of their cruelty as those did Esa 66.3 4 Mar. 7.11 Mat. 23.14 Our Henry the third when he had after his many great exactions sent the Friar-Minors a load of freese to clothe them Dan. hist 168. had the same sent back again with this message That he ought not to give almes of what he had rent from the poor neither would they accept of that abominable gift Zion is not to be builded or beautified with bloods c. Vers 11. The heads thereof judge for reward Being so many locusts latrones cum privilegio as one saith Well might Saint Paul say that covetousnesse is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 It is here assigned as one cause and carnal security as another of that Regiment without righteousnesse here justly complained of And it was the worse because it had over-run all sorts of such as were in place of power whether Civil or Ecclesiastical The Princes and Judges took gifts which they should not only not have taken but have hated Prov. 15.27 they should have shaken their hands from holding of bribes Esay 33.15 sith there is a curse to such Magistrates with an Amen to it Deut. 27.25 and Psal 15.5 exclusion out of heaven Stapleton Olim didici quid sint munera said one once Raine is good said another and ground is good sed exeorum conjunctione fit lutum of the mixture of these two is made dirt So Giving is kind and taking is courteous yet the mixing of them maketh the smooth paths of Justice foule and uneven Nec prece nec
is false that some contend for sc that every man may be saved in his own faith be it right or wrong For none can come to the Father but by the Son Joh. 14.6 Neither is there any other name but His under heaven whereby men must bee saved Acts 4.12 See Joh. 17.3 and 6.40 Heb. 11.6 whatsoever the Huberians affirme of Universall Election or the Puccians of a naturall faith and we will walk in his paths which are all paved with mercy and love so that the saints run therein and faint not walk and are not weary Esay 40.31 They are all Peripateticks ever in action Gen. 17.1 they are Currists not Quaerists Ambros saith Luther elegantly they do not reason but run the pathes of Gods precepts Nescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia For the law shall go forth of Zion The law or doctrine as Prov. 13.14 Understand here the Gospel that Law of God Psal 19.7 that Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 that perfect law of liberty Jam. 1.25 a counter-pane whereof God putteth into the hearts of his people Jer. 31. whereby they become as it was once said of the Thracians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a law to themselves Herod as being transformed into the same image with the Gospel like as the pearl by the often-beating of the Sun-beams upon it becommeth radiant as the Sun and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Not from Africa at first as the brethren of the rosy-crosse would have it though 't is thought the Gospel was received and the Christian faith professed even from the Apostles time in that large region of Nubia in Africk But repentance and remission of sinnes was preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.41 The Jews were Gods Library-keepers and the Apostles sent and went from Jerusalem to plant Churches abroad the world and to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed Ioh. 11.52 Verse 3. And he shall judge among many people We had before Christs Propheticall Office here we have his Princely and elsewhere his Priestly This seems to have been the effect of that old prophecy among the Easterlings that Judaea profecti rerum potirentur some that came out ofâ— Jury should conquer all Vide Sueto in Vespas Tacit. lib. 21. wherein both the former are founded for he is the true Trismegist and Melchisedech was a right type of him He is the onely judge and needs no Vicar upon earth such as the Pope claims to bee Esay 33.22 no such Officers to see his lawes executed as the Ephori were among the Greeks and the Censores among the Romans The Lord that sent the rod of his strength out of Zion as verse 2. doth also give him to rule in the middest of his enemies whiles his people are willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holinesse Psal 110.3 willing that Christ should send forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20 that is perfect his own work of grace begun in their hearts To which end as it here followeth He shall rebuke or convince strong nations Convince them I say by his Spirit of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement â—oh 16.8 Of the lothesomnesse of sin of the necessity of getting righteousnesse by Christ and repentance from dead works that men may serve the living God and as much as in them is Acts 17.30 live peaceably with all And they shall beat their swords into plowshares i. e. their fierce and fell natures shall be mansuefied as Esay 11.6 7 8 9. and if they wage warre it shall be non nisi coacti either for the just punishment of Delinquents whom they cannot otherwise come at or for their own necessary defence and that they may establish peace with truth But if men would live by the lawes of the Gospel they need not wage warre or want peace either of countrey or of conscience but they might take for their Motto that of David Ani shallom I am peace and have for their portion that peace peace Esay 26.3 even a perfect sheer pure-peace a multiplied peace with God with themselves and with others this is a main piece of Christs kingdom upon earth Florus who is the Prince of peace and came in a time of peace viz. in the raigne of Augustus when as there was Totius orbis aut pax aut pactio saith Florus a generall peace or truce thorowout the whole world neither shall they learn warre any more To make a trade or a gain of it and so to earn a curse Deut. 27.25 to delight in it Psal 68.30 and make a sport of it as Abner did 2 Sam. 2.14 and Pyrrhus king of Epirots to wage it without weighty reason rashly If we Princes said our Hen. 7. should take every occasion that 's offered the world should never be quiet but wearied by continuall warres We may also here take warring as St. Iames doth chap. 4.1 for jarring and jangling for private discords and dissentions Now these the people or God are so farre from learning that they utterly lay them aside and are kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake forgave them Ephes 4.32 Verse 4. But they shall sit every man under his vine seeding upon the fruit that shall even fall into his mouth saith à Lapide Sit they shall under Christ the true Vine saith Hugo and under the holy Ghost as a fig-tree whose fruit is farre sweeter then any honey But these are coynt interpretations saith Gualther I should rather expound this Text by that 91. Psalm wherein the safe and happy condition of the godly is at large described Vineyards and fig-yards were ordinary in those countreys and hence this proverbiall expression to set forth doubtlesse the spirituall security and that peace of conscience chiefly that is granted to Christs subjects a peace farre beyond that under Solomon which is here pointed at or that under our Queen Elizabeth not to be passed over without one touch at least upon that string which so many years together sounded so sweetly in the ears of our Fathers Then it was if ever that the mountains brought forth peace and the little hills righteousnesse Psal 72.5 The great ones defended their inferiours Westmer in Psal 72. and the inferiours blessed their superiours the Magistrate righted the subject and the subject reverenced the Magistrate and none shall make them afraid God they know will not hurt them man cannot he may take away their heads but not their crowns their lives but not their hopes for the righteous hath hope in his death his Posie is not onely Dumspiro spero but Dum expiro Let the wicked have a trembling heart and failing eyes while he lives Deut. 28.65 and when he dies crie out as a great man was heard to do Spes fortuna valete Farewell life and hope together The servant of Christ as he sits mediis tranquillus in undis all his life long
Is there yet unto every man an house of the wicked and treasures of wickednesse so some read it see chap. 2.2 with the Note The Vulgar reads it and Gualther disliketh it not Is there yet fire in the house of the wicked sc the fire of Gods wrath and treasures of wickednesse as fuell cast upon it to consume all See Jam. 5.1 2 3. Treasures of wickednesse profit not Prov. 10.2 sith to heap up sinne is to heap up wrath Rom. 2. and to rake together ill-gotten goods is to carry home a fardle of plaguy-clothes and death with them Ephraim said yet I am become rich I have found me out substance Hos 12.8 But in so doing Ephraim fed upon the wind ver 1. yea upon pestilentiall ayre he daily increased lies and desolation that is such lying vanities as bring desolation and not consolation Desolationem potius quam consolationem Aug. Epist 121. ad Probam as hale hell at the heeles of them as we see in the parable of that wretched rich man Luk. 16. Animam ipsam incendio gehennae mancipant the fire that is in them shall feed upon their soules and flesh thoroughout all eternity Out of dores therefore with these treasures of wickednesse by restoring them to the right owners as Zacheus did and as Justinian the Emperour who would not put the vessels of the Temple taken by Titus and recovered from Gensericus into the treasury but restored them and the scant measure that is abominable Heb the Ephah of leaxenesse so called Modius macilentus both because it wante of its due proportion and makes men leane full of wrath q. d. you scant it to those you trade with but God fills it up with his fierce wrath and indignation See Am. 8.5 with the Note Verse 11. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances Shall I cleare and acquit such I that am the righteous Judge of heaven and earth I abhorr all injustice Exod 34.7 Iob. 8. I that have named my self a God that will by no meanes cleare the guilty nor take the wicked by the hand Doe they think to draw me in as a party or that I will beare with their false and fraudulent dealings which I have so oftdeclared against and doomed both in the law and by my servants Solomon Amos and others No assure your selves your sins shall find you out and I will curse you smite you plague you and so set it on as no creature shall be able to take it off Let earthly Judges warp as they will and wink at sin I neither can nor will but as men have sowed so they shall reape as they have sowed in hardnesse of heart so they shall reape in horrour of conscience quorum eculos culpa clausit poena aperiet as they have lived unconscionably so they shall die uncomfortably at which times their treasures of wickednesse shall leave them in the lurch as the devill leaves witches when they come to prison Verse 12. For the rich men thereof are full of violence After that they have once enriched themselves by fraud and false-dealing they take the boldnesse openly to oppresse and to exercise regiment without righteousnesse which is no better then robbery with authority of which before chap. 2. and 3. Thus wicked men wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 till wrath come upon them to the utmost 2 Thess 2. and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies Not the rich men only are in fault but as the Cretians so these are alwayes liars loud and lewd liars their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth so that they no sooner open their mouthes but swarmes of lies issue out they are mendacierum loquacissimi they have taught their tongues to speak lies Ier. 9.5 they are now become artists at it Yea they take fast hold of deceit Ier. 8.5 so that they cannot be got off without striving This is lamentable and yet common especially in trading and traffiquing But oh when shall that golden age return that the argument may againe proceed Sacerdos est non fallet Christianus est non mentietur He is a minister and will not deceive you He is a Christian and will not lie See Esa 63.8 Verse 13. Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee This is one twig of that rod Vers 9. that now they shall heare and feel too that would not harken to Gods word Bernard telleth us concerning a brother of his that when he gave him many good instructions and he being a souldier minded them not he put his finger to his sides and said One day a speare shall make way to this heart of thine for instructions and admonitions to enter God can and where he intendeth mercy will make way for his his word by his rod and seale up instructions by chastening men with paine upon their beds and the multitude of their bones with strong paine Iob 33.16 19. He can fasten them to their beds as he did Abimelech David Hezekiah and thereby tame them and take them a link lower Iob 33.17 He can smite them with sicknesse and make them desolate as it is here with such sicknesse as shall make their best friends afraid of them and that none dare look at them but as through a grate and all this with a sting too in the taile of it Because of thy sins Fooles because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate so sick they are and stomackelesse that nothing will down with them and they draw neare to the gates of death Psal 107.17 18. This was the case of that rich and wretched Cardinall Henry Beauford Bish of Winchester and Chancellour of England Fox Martyr fol. 925. in the raigne of Henry 6. who tossing upon his sick-bed and perceiving he must die murmured at sicknesse and death that his riches could neither relieve him under the one nor reprieve him from the other This was also the case of that great Emperour Charles 5. of whom Du-plessy reporteth that when he was old and crazy he cursed his honours his victories trophies riches saying Abite hinc abite longe Away be gone miserable comforters are ye all Mention is made before of a great man that wrot this a little before his death Spes fortuna Valete And surely there are not a few rich Cormorants who may well say to their wealth when they are sick as Cornelius Agrippa did to his familiar spirit Abi perdita bestia quae me predididsti Be gone thou wicked beast that hast been mine undoing c. A promise contrary to this threatening in the text is that Esai 33.24 And the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Verse 14. Thou shalt eat but not be satisfied Either as not having enough to satisfy but prisoners pittance so much only as will keep life and soule together Or else troubled with a
conduct of Constantine carried it against them they shall lay their hand upon their mouth Be struck dumb as if they had seen Medusa's head they shall not be able to contradict the Gospell or to hinder the progresse of it Valens the Arrian Emperou comming upon Basil while he was in holy duties with an intent to do him hurt was not only silenced but so terrified that he reeled and had fallen Greg. orat de laud. Basil had he not been upheld by those that were with him their cares shall be deaf With the sudden bursting forth of Gods wonderfull and terrible works saith Mr. Diodate Verse 17. They shall lick the dust like a scrpent that is be reduced not only to extreme hunger and penury but to utmost vility and basenesse of condition so as to lick the very dust And whereas it is added like a sâ—â—pent he puts them in mind of that old malediction Gen. 3. and gives them to know that as like that old serpent they have lifted themselves up against God so will God cast them down again to the condition of serpents and abase them to the very dust See Psa 22.30 and 72.9 Es 49.23 they shall move out of their holes like wormes or creeping things of the earth They shall tumultuate and be all on an huddle as ants are when their molehill is thrown up with a spade The Hebrew word imports great commotion and bustle they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall feare because of thee O God or O Church terrible as an army with banners Impiety triumpheth in prosperity trembleth in adversity and contrarily saith holy Greenham Since the fall we tremble before God Angels and good men What have I to do with thee thou man of God said She Art thou come to call to mind my sin and to kill my son At the siege of Mountabove in France the people of God within the wals ever before a sally sang a Psalme with which holy practise of theirs the enemy comming acquainted when they heard them singing would so quake and tremble crying they come Spee belli sal 282. they come as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them Verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee No God surely whether so reputed or deputed whether heathen deities heavenly Angels or earthly Rulers can compare with our God or come neare him for pardoning of sin Indeed none can do it at all but He as the blind Pharisees saw and could say Men may pardon the trespasse but God alone the transgression But say they could do something that way yet nothing like our God who maketh his power appear to be great Num. 14.17 in pardoning such offences as no God or man besides would pardon See Jer. 3.1 Neh. 9.31 he forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 7. that is all sorts of sins to all sorts of sinners without excertion Mat. 12.31 This is the expresse letter of Gods covenant which we ought not either to obliterate or to interline but to beleeve it in the full latitude and extent We are apt to cast Gods pardoning-grace into a mould of our own and to measure it by our modell But against this we are cautioned Isai 55.8 God must be magnified in our thoughts his quarters there enlarged high and honourable conceptions are to be had of him or else we wrong him no lesse then we should do a King by respecting and receiving him no otherwise then we would do another ordinary man He is set forth here as a God imparallell and that not without an interrogation of admiration O! who is a God like unto thee Thy mercy is matchlesse thy grace aboundeth even to an overflow 1 Tim. 1.14 it is more then exceeding it hath a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle there Surely as the Sea swallowes up hugest rocks and as the Sun scattereth greatest mists so doth He pardon enormities as well as infirmities and blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 Jam. 2 His mercy rejoyceth against or glorieth over judgment and is ready to say of a great sinner indeed Jam dignus vindice nodus The more desperate the disease is the greater glory redoundeth to him that cureth it Our Saviour gat him a glorious name by curing incurable diseases and gained greatest love by franckly forgiving Mary Magdalens and others sins Luk. 7.42 47. which were many and mighty or bony as the Prophets word signifies Amos 5.12 Adams Apostacie Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest Davids blood-guiltinesse Manasseh his idolatry and witch-crast Peters thrice denying and abjuring his master Pauls blasphemy and persecution All these sins and blasphemies have been forgiven to the sons of men neither can they commit more then he both can and will remit to the penitent Note this against Novatus that proud heretick and strive against that naturall Novatianisme that is in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sins of Apostasie and falling after repentance and to say as those Unbeleevers of old Can the Lord prepare a table for us in the wildernesse So Can he forgive such and such iniquities so oft reiterated This is a question no question what cannot our God do in this kind who pardoneth sin naturally Exod. 34.6 and therefore freely as the Sun shineth or as the Fountaine casteth out waters who doth it also abundantly Isai 55.7 multiplying pardons as fast as we multiply sins and lastly Constantly Psal 130.4 Ioh. 1.27 Zach. 13.1 It is his perpetuall act and it should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts We should go on our way toward heaven as Sampson did toward his parents feeding on this hony-comb that pardoneth iniquity Heb that taketh away sheere away non ne sit sed ne obsit not sin it self but the guilt of it the damning and domineering power of it this David calleth the iniquity of his sin and saith that this God forgave him Psal 32.5 pronouncing himself and all such happy as are so dealt with verse 1.2 and passeth by the transgression Heb Passeth over it taketh no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of businesse seeth not things afore him his mind being upon another matter he neglects all else besides that As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lamenesse or any other defect or deformity so God beholding in his people the image of his son winks at all faults that he might soon find in them That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affirmed of God Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias He forgetteth nothing but the wrongs that are daily done him by his and as it is said of our Henry 6. that he was of that happy memory that he never forgat any thing but injury c. so here Daniel 198. of the remnant of his
usually a conflux of vices like as there is of waters into the Sea witnesse Tyre and Sydon Corinth Carthage Capernaum c. Hence that proverb maritimi mores and that censure of such people littorales duri horridi immanes latrociniis dedicit omnium denique pessimi Those that dwell by the Sea-side are usually ill-conditioned fierce cruell theevish and the worst of men These Philistines were no better and are therefore here put under a woe and threatened with utter destruction The nation of the Cherethites i. e. Destroyers so the Philistines had stiled themselves as glorying to have conquered and cut off many people The old Latine translation rendreth it Gens perditorum The nation of Destroyers so doth Aquila Theodotion and Symmachus Now it comes to their turn to be destroyed according to Esay 33.1 That these Cherethites were a sort of Philistines See 1 Sam. 30.14 16. Ezek. 25.16 That they were valiant men appears by that legion of them that guarded David 2 Sam. 9.4 and 15.18 and were highly esteemed by him because they stuck to him in his affliction at Gath and also when Absolom was up in arms 2 Sam. 15.18 the word of the Lord is against you And not onely against Israel This was spoken as for the terrour of those Philistines who thought themselves out of the reach of Gods rod and slighted his word so for the comfort of the people of God who thought much that themselves should be so severely dealt with and the uncircumcised Philistines scape scot-free O Canaan the land of the Philistines Indeed of the Israelites Josh 13.3 but held by force by the Philistienes who were of the stock of the Canaanites but not subdued and had detained part of the land from the right owners for 800. years and upwards and now they come to be reckoned with Subitò tollitur qui diu toleratur I will even destroy thee that there shall be no inhabitant No setled inhabitant that shall fix there as the word signifieth Thus Poena venit gravior quo mage sera venit the longer God stayes the heavier he strikes Verse 6. And the sea-coasts shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds It shall be wast and untilled and therefore unfrequented by any but shepherds who pitch their tents up and down where they may best feed their flocks in desert places and folds for flocks God may do thus in his just judgement upon his enemies that live in his good land and not by his good lawes but wo be to our Depopulatours that drive out men and put in cattle that betray townes as Rome did Carthage with a distinction We will save the city but destroy the towne How dangerous it is to prove Abaddons appeareth by Gods punishing hand upon William the Conquerours issue in New-forrest wherein 36. Parish Churches had been demolished by him with the removing of all the inhabitants to make room for beasts or dogs-game There his second sonne Richard was gored in hunting by a Deer Speed Rufus his other sonne mistaken for a Deer was by chance shot thorow with an arrow Henry likewise his Nephew whilest he hotly pursued the chase was struck by a bough into the jawes and as Absalom left hanging untill he died Verse 7. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Iudah Who had not onely their owne countrey kept empty for them all the 70. yeers of captivity and not any displaced to make room at their return see the Note on Zach. 7.14 but liberty to make use of the Philistines countrey which was also further subdued by the Maccabees but especially by the Apostles who preached the Gospel and planted Churches in those parts as we read in the Acts chap. 8.26 40. and chap. 9.32 35 36. they shall feed thereupon They shall go in and out and find pasture under the great Shepherd and Bishop of their souls who shall feed them daily Joh. 10. 1 Pet. 4. and daintily among the lillies by the powerfull preaching of the Gospel among them In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening Vbi temporis circumstantia securitatem notat saith Gualther The circumstance of time noteth their spirituall security evenings are oft dark and dangerous They shall lie down as cattle do that take no care they know whom they have trusted and are fearlesse for the Lord their God shall visit them Visit and redeem his people raising up an horn of salvation for them Luke 1.68 69. His visits are not empty visits Psal 8.5 his favours are not like the winter-Sun that lighteth but heateth not c. and turn away their captivity to their unexpressible comfort Psal 126.1 but especially when Christ ascending up on high leadeth captivity captive c. Col. 2.14 15. Ephes 4.8 Verse 8. I have heard the reproach of Moab How can he but hear who is all ear who is both above us and within us in whom we subsist Col. 1.17 And what will he sooner be sensible of then the reproachings of his people See Esay 37.23 and 57.3 4. But draw near hither ye sonnes of the sorceresse the seed of the adulterer and the whore See how he becalls them Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not children of transgression a seed of falshood The Moabites and Ammonites were great jearers of the Jews and revilers of their religion These reproaches leniter volant non leniter violant cruell mockings the Apostle calleth them Heb. 11.36 David felt them as a murthering weapon in his bones Psal 42.10 God will call such men to an heavie reckoning one day as deride the power of godlinesse and the professours thereof Bede saith that this was the great sinne of the ancient Britanes immediately before their destruction by the Saxons and it is at this day both a presage and desert of our ruine that as the Turks count all fools to be saints so men with us account all saints to be fools and the revilings of the children of Ammon How good they were at it we may see in those words of Sanballat and his copesmate Tobiah the Ammonite Neh. 4.2 3. words as full of pride and scorne as profane wit or rancoured malice could make them and they lay so heavy upon Nehemiahs spirit that hee could not ease himself but by breathing heavenward verse 4. Hear O our God for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own head and give them for a prey in the land of captivity c. Hear saith Nehemiah I have heard it saith God Thou hast seen it saith the Psalmist for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thine hand Psal 10.14 and magnified themselves by speaking big and blustring words bubbles of words great swelling words full of wind 2 Pet. 2.18 these shall finde that such words are not winde but will be required in fire Jude 15. God is an utter enemy to boasting and threatning
from God whereby it appeareth that sin is the greatest evill because it sets us furthest off from the greatest good and by repentance they return unto him Deut. 30.2 8 9 10. Mal. 3.7 Ier. 4.1 Hos 14.1 Act. 26.18 Hence Act 3.19 Repent and be converted Contrition is repentance for sin 2 Cor. 12.21 Rev. 9.20 Conversion is repentance from sin Act. 8.22 Heb. 6.1 Hereunto is required first a serious search of our wayes for it is a Metaphor taken from a traveller Let us search and try our wayes and turn againe to the Lord Lam. 3.39 I considered my wayes and then seeing my self farr wide I turned my feet to thy Testimonies Psal 119.59 Satius est recurrere quam malè currere said that Emperour in his symbol It is better to stop or step back then run on when out of the way for here he that hasteth with his feet sinneth Prov. 19.2 the faster he runs the farther he is out But as the deceived traveller when once he finds his errour in his judgement he dislikcth it in his will he turneth from it in his affections he grieveth at it and is angry with his false guides with his utmost endeavour he not only turns againe to the right way but makes the more hast that he be not benighted So is it here David not only turned his feet to Gods â—estimonies from which he had swarved but he thenceforth made hast and delayed not to keep his commandements Psal 119.59 60. For this true conversion we are speaking of this repentance never to be repented of is an upright earnest and constant endeavour of an entire change of the whole man from all that is evill to all which is good This is the doctrine of the Gospell Tit. 2.11 and this is all the fruit Isaey 27.9 To turn from one sin to another is but to be tossed from one hand of the devill to the other it is but with Benhadad to recover of one disease and dye of another it is but to take paines to go to hell See this in Saul Iohn Herod Agrippa and others who gave but the half turn turned not from East to West but from East to North onely their change was not essentiall but only graduall it is not a through change for subject and object but partiall and temporall as being but morall or formall or merely mentall It proceedes from conviction of judgement onely and not for aversion of will from horrour of punishment not from hatred of sin which they leave haply but loath not leave it I say for the inconveniences that follow it for the fire that is in it not for the filthinesse that is in it Now all these seeming Converts because they cast not away all their transgressions All is a little word but of large extent are therefore to be reckoned among those fooles of the people that passe on and are punished those enemies of God that instead of turning againe turning short againe upon themselves with the prodigall Prov. 22.3 and returning to the Lord with Ephraim go on still in their trespasses till their hairy scalp be wounded Psal 68.21 till evident and inevitable judgements be incurred till iniquity prove to be their utter ruine Ezek. 18.30 Wherefore now Turn ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts Add not to all your other sins that of Impenitency for which there remaines no more sacrifice as Herod added to all his former abominations the beheading of the Baptist but Turn you Turn you why will ye dye O house of Israel And for this consider these ensuing particulars 1. Who you are that are required to return weake and worthlesse creatures the slime of your fathers loynes dust and ashes altogether unable to avert or avoid Gods judgements beaten rebels you are and have therefore no help left but to fall down before God and implore his mercy Turn and live except ye repent ye shall all perish 2. Next see who it is to whom ye are required to return Not to some tyrant or implacable enemy that having gotten us into his hands will deale cruelly with us as the Duke of Alva rosted some to death starved others and that even after quarter but to the Lord your God Hist of Netherl who is gracious and mâ—rcifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and quickly repenteth him of the evill Ioel 2.13 He will surely both assist such as have but a mind to return why else doth he bid us turn which he knowes we cannot do without him and why doth he bid us pray to him to Turn us when we bid our children ask us for this or that it is because we meane to give it them He will also accept us with all sweetnesse as he did Ephraim Ier. 31.19 20. and the Prodigall Luk 15. The father met him ver 20. so he will doe us Isay 65.24 The Prodigall came the Father ran Tantum velis Basil Deus tibi praeoecurret he fell on his neck as Jacob did on his deare Josephs he kissed him when one would have thought he should have kicked him Ambros or killed him rather for his former riotousnesle He calleth for the best robe and for the gold-ring and for the fatted calf Filsus timet convitium Pater adornat convivium Psal 88.5 Let us eat and be merry saith He For this my son was dead given up for dead free among the dead free of that company and is alive againe He was lost and is found Of himself he lest his father and ran riot and yet he is called the lost son in the best sense Hunger drove the wolf out of the wood and yet he is accepted as if not necessitated 3. Thirdly take notice from what you are required to turn Turn ye turn ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye ye house of Israel Ezek. 33.11 It is your sin only that you are to part with and why should ye be so fond of it if you look upon it either in the Authour of it the devill Ioh. 8.44 Or in the Nature of it as it is an Offence against God your rightfull Lord your bountifull Benefactour and a breach of his Law which is holy and just and good Or in the horrid effects of it as upon other creatures for mans sake so especially upon man himself whom Sin hath excluded from the possession of the lower paradise and the possibility of the higher into an eternity of all extremities after many a little hell here afore-hand Or lastly in the ransome of it Christs blood and bitter sufferings that soule of sufferings which his soule then suffered when God made our sins to meet upon him Esay 53.6 Oh think on these things sadly seriously fixedly and copiously and you will soon see caule enough to turn to him from whom these children of Israel had deeply revolred Isay 31.6 and were therefore grievously plagued they and their fathers that they might return to him that smote them Which
children who commonly take after the mother as did most of those Idolatrous kings of Judah and follow the worser side though it be the weaker as the conclusion in a Syllogisme follows the weaker proposition The birth we say followeth the belly and most men we see do matrissare take after the mother in matters of religion Hereunto might be added that Gods service must by these unequal matches necessarily be hindered if not altogether omitted to gratifie a froward Zipporah or a mocking Michol and the better party forced to see and hear that that cannot but grieve the Spirit of God Besides danger of disloyalty and a cursed posterity as Edomites of the daughters of Heth. D. Hall Here then I could joyn with that Reverend Contemplatour in that holy wish of his that Manoah could speak so loud that all our Israelites might hear him Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all Gods people that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines If Religion be any other then a cypher how dare we not regard it in our most important choyces how dare we yoke our selves with any untamed heifer that beareth not Christs yoke what mad work made that noble pair of naughty-packs Iezabel and Athaliah in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah the later beginning her reigne in the same year that the former perished as Bucholcer observeth And who knoweth not what a deal of mischief was done to the poor people of God in France by Katherine de Medices Q. Mother with the advice and aslistance of the Cardinall of Lorrain Concerning which two it was said Non audet stygius Pluto tentare quod ander Effraenis Monachus plenaque frandis anus Verse 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this Though the Magistrate be carelesse and corrupt though he either cannot punish this evil it being growen so universall or will not and so impunity in the Magistrate maketh impenitency in the offendours God will take the sword in hand and cut off every mothers child that doth this Metaphora est à Medicis â—â—â—la Polan nisi currat poenitentia as a chirurgion cutteth off a rotten member so will God destroy such for ever he will take them away and pluck them out of their dwelling places and root them out of the land of the living Psal 52.5 Neither shall this be done to himself onely but to his wretched posterity such a legacy like Joabs leprosie leaves every gracelesse man to his children for so the Chaldee here rendreth and interpreteth that proverbiall expression in the text both the master and the scholler Sic R. Salom. filium filium filii his sonne and his sous sonne though he teach never so well by wholesome instruction and politicâ— advisement to prevent the mischief Agreeably hereunto for sence Piscator rendreth this text thus The Lord will cut off his children that doth thus the children that he begets of the daughter of a strange god An heavy curse surely and frequently inflicted as upon Ahab though he to avoid it so followed the work of generation that he lest seventy sonnes behind him which yet would not do and him that offereth an offering c. that is Although he be a Priest Or Although he seek to make peace with me by an offering as hoping thereby to stop my mouth or stay my hand to expiate his sin or to purchase a dispensation as those Mic. 6.6 7. and Esay 58.2 3. Thus Saul sacrificeth Ahab trembleth and humbleth Ieroboams wile goeth to the Prophet Ioab taketh hold of the horns of the Altar the king of Persia having lost some of his children by untimely death as Ciesias reporteth sends earnestly to the Jews for prayers for him and his Ezra 6.10 So did Maximinus in like case to the Christians Tully tells us that they which prayed whole dayes together and offered sacrifice 〈◊〉 Dâ—vr ut sâ—â— liberi superstites sibi essent that their children might out-live them these were 〈◊〉 called superstitiou persons afterwards the word was taken in a larger sense But devotion without holy conversation availes nothing to avert Gods judgements Isa 1.12.15 and â—6 3 He that killeth an Ox unlesse withall he kill his curruptions is as if he slew a man he that sacrisiccth a lamb unlesse by faith he ley hold upon the Lamb of God is as if he cut off a dogs nick he that effereth an oldâ—tion c. This men are hardly drawn to viz. to part with their sins to cail the traytours head over the wall to hang up the heads of the people before the Sun Sin harboured in the soule is like Achan in the army or Jonas in the ship much paines the marriners were at and much losle too to have saved Jonas from the sea they ventured their own casting away ere they would cast him over-board but there could be no calme till they had done it effectually So it is here Full fain men would keep their sins and yet lave their foules but that 's impossible God will not be bribed Psal 50. nor brought to suster sin unrepented to escape unpunished Poor soules when stung by the Friers sermons they set them penunces pilgrimages all sorts of good works which stilled them a while and for them they thought they should have pardon So many run now â—mongst us to holy duties but with the same opinion they did them a bribes for a pardon These dig for pearle in their own dunghils make the meanes their mediat urs 〈…〉 think to save themselves by riding on horses c. Verse 13. And this have ye done againe Or in the second place q. â— Nor content to have married strange wives yea have brought them in to your lowfull wives to their intolerable vexation so adding this sin to the former as a greater to the lesse This is still the guise of gracelesse men to add druakeâ—â—â—sse to thirst rebellion to sin to amasse and heape up one evill upon another till wrath come upon them to the ut mest For three transgressions and for soxr I will not turn away their punishment Am. 1. that is so long as the wicked commit one or two inâ—â—uities I forbear them but when it comes once to threes and fours how much more to so many scores hundreds thousands as one cipher added to a figure makes it so many tenns two so many hundreds three so many thousands c. God will bear with them no longer Of those old Israelites it is demanded not without great indignation on Gods part How oft did they provoke him in the wildernesse and grieve him in the desart Yea they turned baâ—â— and tempted God c. Psal 78.40 41. Good men if they fall once into foule practises they fall not often Of Judah it is expressely recorded that he knew Tamar no more Lot indeed committed incest two night together but the orifice of his lust was not yet stopped by repentance
out of the world ver 23. as â—acia in Seneca Fall not from 〈…〉 〈…〉 as leaves in Autumne as that saplesse fellow Nabal did and as 〈…〉 in Sr. Jude Without fruit twice 〈◊〉 pluckt uply the rootes God expects that 〈◊〉 first by him we should act as the inferiours do when 〈◊〉 by the Superiour that when he hath infused sap we should fructifie 〈◊〉 when he hath tuned uâ— and doth touch us we should make musick when he 〈…〉 willing he requires that we both will and work that which is 〈…〉 When we set victuals before an hungry man we expect he should 〈…〉 socking child to draw the brest when it is once put to the 〈…〉 as we use to say He that made us without us doth 〈…〉 2 〈…〉 but expects that our wills which at first conversion were 〈…〉 should be after ward 〈◊〉 in adding to 〈…〉 out our salvation with sear and trembling Thil. â— 12 Hereâ—◠〈…〉 us as our Saviouâ—â—d dâ—wâ— finish the work which 〈…〉 to do 〈◊〉 17.4 This work 〈…〉 him with our bodyes 〈…〉 it be 〈…〉 1.19 Ye to glorifie him 〈…〉 bodyes and nour 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 Cor. 16.2.20 God selis â—s 〈◊〉 of grace for sweat 〈◊〉 One. He gives it as 〈◊〉 gave Ruck corn chap. 2 1â— 16 17. He could have given her at 〈◊〉 Ephah of 〈◊〉 and it had been no more charge to him but he will have her gather it glean it beat it out use her endeavour and that should be the price she should pay for it So here Gods people healed must go forth or leep about use legs and have 〈◊〉 c. This I had because 〈…〉 119. â—6 What had he 〈◊〉 an ability to keep Gods law ver 55. he kept it because he kept it 〈◊〉 every new act of obedience fits the soule for a following act 〈…〉 And to you that hear shall be more given Mark. 4.24 and grow up as calveâ— of the stall ye shall battle and 〈◊〉 both in flesh and fat 〈…〉 1 2. Ioh. 15.2 as â—â— David expound it your 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 as waters of the sanctuary they shall use higher as threes plant 〈…〉 paradise they shal bring so thâ—nâ—w fruit every moneth acth 〈…〉 shall shine more and more unto the perfect day Pro. 4.18 2 Tim. 3.13 when the 〈…〉 growing worse and worse stumble in darknesse ver 19. so that they lie down in forâ—â—â— Isa 50.10 Thâ—â— blessing on man in the first creation was increase and multiply in the second Grow in grace Esay 61. â— 11. A Christian hath his degrees of growth and his severall ages of childhood youth oâ— will-grown age full-grown and old age 1 Ioh. 2. â—â— These things write I unto you that beleeve in the name of the Son of God that ye may beleeve in the name of the Son of God saith the same Apostle that is that ye â—â—aâ— grow in that 〈◊〉 as ye grow in dayes and 〈◊〉 proceeding from faith to faith as the Church in the Canticles hath her first light like the day dawning her second beauty like the Moon her third degree like the Sun Cdnt. 6.10 A Christian though in some sense perfect yet hath he still his Plus-ultra and may take for Motto Charles the fifth his Vlterius Further yet he must be still adding grace to grace that he may have on entiance further and further into Christs kingdome 2 Pet. 1.5 and 11. as by step and stain they went up to Solomons temple And the Apostle there gives us to understand that those that thus add not to their stock of grace shall have little comfort either from the time past for they shall forget that they were purged from their sins or from thoughts of the time to come for they shall not be able to see things farr off ver 9. because they delight not in high-flying as Eagles their wings as the Ostriches do little more then bear them above-ground Many care for no more grace then will keep life and fool together that is foul and hell asunder This is a low and unworthy strain and comes not near that of St. Paul who set up for his mark the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.10 that is that perfection of holinesse that accompanieth the refurrection To the attaining hereunto he followed harâ—on reaching forth and stretching out head hands and whole body to lay hold on the high prize proposed unto him ver 12 13 14. and would have all men to be thus minded Runners in a race look not how much they have run but how much remameth and although moderate in the beginning for hot at hand feldom holds out yet the nearer they grow to the goal the faster the speed their course that their last dayes may be their best dayes accounting that day lost wherein they have not some sensible commings in from Christ like as good husbands in dead times when stirrings fail are discontented when they have had no takings Verse 3. And ye shall tread down the wicked Christ the Champion of his Church hath already won the field and will shortly set his peoples feet upon the necks of all their enemies The broken horns of Satan himself shall be the trumpets of their triumph and the cornets of their joy Rom. 16.20 See what honour all the saints have in this respect Psal 149.7 8 9. See what comfort Ioh. 16.33 See what conquests Rom. 8.37 How much more at the last day when the thrones shall be set c. Mat. 19.28 Rabbi David Kimchi understands this text of temporall victories only And no wonder as being a Jew and minding earthly things he ascends no higher Such grashoppers if at any time they leap above the earth they soon fall down to it again and as they are of the earth so they speak of the earth and the earth heares them Ioh. 3.31 Petrus à Figuiero writing upon those words in the former chapter ver 12. For ye shall be a delightsome land Nota modum loquendi saith He Mark that expression He saith not your land shall be a delightsome land but ye shall be c. Fortè exim tacitè Judaeos percellit terrameos vocando It may be the Lord hereby closely meets with them for their earthly mindednesse as those that by promise of earthly blessings were soonest prevailed with to serve God when as these should have been but as steps or stirrops to mount their hearts up to a desire of the things above Victory in their sense is doubtlesse a speciall mercy and is so promised to the obedient Deut. 28.13 The Lord shall make thee the head only and not the taile and thou shalt be above only and not beneath c. Hence the Israelites delivered from the Egyptians at the red sea sang The Lord is a man of warr Exod. 15.3 the Chaldee there hath it The Lord and Victour of Warrs The Grecians delivered from the Persians vanquished and driven out by Themistocles called their Jupiter thereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
hearts nothing will work or take impression till out of the bottom of hell they roar and bewail their own madnesse with desperate and bootlesse teares SECT V. Use 2. admonition Let the wicked break off their sins that they lose not their services VVHich to prevent come we now to a second use of Exhortation Vse 2 And this we addresse unto two sorts of men 1. To all unregenerate and wicked people 2. To those truly religious that are thus highly accepted and favoured with Daniel c Dan. 9.23 in the court of heaven To the wicked first God saith what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth so long as thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee d Psal 50.16 17 even the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination saith Solomon how much more when he bringeth it with an evil heart e Prov. 21.27 As who should say though such a man have never so good a meaning to serve God in his sacrifice yet he doth worse then lose his labour when he doth his best for he committeth that which is abomination before the Lord and so in seeking to shun hell he doth but take pains to go to hell And to the same purpose another Prophet He that killeth an oxe saith he unlesse withall he kill his corruptions is as well-pleasing to God as if he slew a man He that sacrificeth a lamb unlesse he sacrifice his lusts too is as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation unlesse he present also his body a living oblation holy acceptable to God e Rom. 12.1 is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense if it stink of the hand that burneth it is as if he blessed an idol f Isai 66.3 Even your incense is abomination g Isai 1.13 saith the Lord to those sacrificing Sodomites h Isai 1.10 Lo there that precious perfume made up with so many sweet spices and fragrant odours stanck odiously in Gods nostrils he could not abide the scent of it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay not his smelling faculty onely is offended by the sinful mans services but the rest of his senses also For his taste their burnt-offerings of rams and fat of lambs he could not relish i ver 11. they delighted him not but were sowre to his palate For his feeling their new moons and appointed feasts were a burden to him he was weary to bear them And for his sight he tells them though they spread forth their hands he will hide his eyes And for his hearing when they make many prayers he will not hear 15.16.12 And for their whole service he demands who required this at your hands to tread in my courts As if he should say it were fitter a fair deal for you to be in your shops or in the alehouse or any where else then here unlesse ye were better This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it k Psal 118.20 As for others thus saith the Lord will ye steal and commit adultery and swear and then come and stand goodly before me in this house l Jer. 7.10.11 Do ye think to expiate your sins by your prayers and set off with God by your good deeds for your bad No that 's not the way to get in with God and to be enfeoffed into his favour But what is may some say Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together as friends when this is once well done to purpose saith the Lord. For then though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow m Isai 16 17 18. c. as till then it boots not to bow your selves before the most high with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl no not to offer your first born for your transgression the fruit of your bodies for the sins of your souls n Micah 6.7 Away therefore will the love and liking of every lust cast away all your transgressions throw all your sins out of service your beloved sin especially be it as an hand for ptofit off with it be it as an eye for pleasure out with it be it what it will and never so neer or natural to us if a sin say of it as Haman did of Mordecai what availeth me any thing if he yet live All that are Christs and none but such may appear before God in holy duties have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts o Gal. 5.24 David would not presume to compasse Gods altar till he had washed his hands in inocency p Psal 26.6 nor could he conclude that God would shew him mercy or receive his prayer till he had brought his heart to an utter disregard of whatsoever iniquity q Psal 66.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Achilis Homericus The lepers lips were to be covered according to the law and our Saviour would not admit of a fair word from a foul mouth r Mar. 1.25 The lip of excellency saith Solomon becometh not a fool ſ Prov. 17.7 and the best dish though never so well cookt is extreamly loathed if presented by a leper or brought to table by a nasty sloven so is any holy duty whether of piety or charity displeasing to the Almighty if performed by one that is yet in his pure naturals a stranger to the power of grace and unacquainted with the daily practise of mortification Hence that of Saint Iames Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you t Iam. 4.8.9 10. expounded ob Oh but we dare not come near the Lord neither can we serve him for he is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive our transgressions nor our sinnes u Josh 24.19 Sol. No be sure of that except ye confesse and forsake them x Prov. 28.13 Therefore wash your hands ye sinners saith the Apostle there neither so onely for Pilate washed his hands as if all the guilt had stuck in his fingers ends but cleanse your hearts ye double minded Yea Ob. but how must that be done for though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much sope yet thy iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God y Jer. 2.22 Sol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miseri estote Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pas Curaeleves c. Afflict your selves saith the Apostle or as the word there signifies be miserable you are so but see your selves such and be sensible even unto godly sorrow and the tears of true repentance weep saith he or if ye cannot do that as some constitutions are naturally dry and do not yeeld tears and some sorrow is bigger then tears and above them yet mourn at least and that ye may not
with unbeleevers m Mat. 24.51 Luk. 12.46 What though they flourish awhile here and spread themselves like a gren bay tree n Psal 37.35 exorientur sed exurentur it is that they may be cut off for ever What is fairer then the corn-field a little before harvest then the vineyard a little before the vintage Thrust in thy siclke and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe and cast t into the great wine-presse of the wrath of God o Rev. 14.18 19. SECT V. Vse Let them therefore hasten out of the Devils danger and get into Gods service How that may be done KNowing therefore the terrour of the Lord Vse 3 we perswade men p 2 Cor. 5.11 And oh that we could perswade all unregenerate prsons first by this point to do as Saint Peter adviseth all in their case Repentye saith he and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord q Act. 3.19 Bloted out I say and first out of Gods book of remembrance where they stand written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond r Jer 17.1 Secondly out of the book of their own consciences where they stand recorded for future time as ye may see in Josephs brethren Their own hearts condemned them and called them miscreants twenty years after the fact committed ſ Gen. 42.21 their consciences also bearing witnesse as saith the Apostle and their thoughts between themselves accusing one another t Rom. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formavit pinaeit Where it is remarkable that the Syriack translatour useth a word for conscience that signifieth a written or painted thing For the conscience now is as a table wherein are many things painted which sort of writting is fitly compared to that we write with the juice of an onion or lemmon hold it to the fire and it is legible So when the conscience is once put to the fire of Gods wrath all will out and old sins come to a new reckoning The onely way to spunge out this writing is by weeping upon it repentant tears that God may wash us throughly with the blood of his Son For if we confesse our sins against our selves with David u he is faithful and just to sorgive us our sins x 1 Joh. 1.7 9 and to crosse out of his debt-book the black lines of our sins and arrerages with those red lines of his sons blood I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins y Esay 43.25 And again I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses and their sins will I remember no more z Heb. 8.12 Lo if we but remmber our misdoings he will forget them if we reveale them with shame and sorrow he will cover them a Psal 32.1 if we but see them to confession we shall never see them to our confusion if we but acknowledge the debt he will cancel the bond blot out the hand-writting that was against us b Col. 1.2 14 and cast all our sins behinde him c Micah 7.19 as off-cast eidences that are past date into the depth of the sea so that we shall never see them again otherwise then the Israelites saw their enemies the Egyptians dead upon the shoare 2 Next doth the Lord so remember to requite the services of his people is there such a lively remembrance and ample recompence preparing for them how should this fire up the affections of all unregenerate persons to hire themselves out to God for servants d Rom. 6.13 to swear with David e Psal 119.106 to vow with Ioshua f Josh 24.14 to serve Iehovah renouncing the devils drudgery to whom they have hithereo damned themselves voluntary slaves to their inestimable disadantage It is a point I wot well they will not hear of that the devil is their good Lord that he sets them awork and will pay them their wages You know how ill the Jews took it to be told as much by our Saviour Christ g Ioh. 8.44 But that it is no better with them the scripture is clear and the joynt testimony of all Gods redeemed ones concurrent for we our selves also even I Paul and thou Titus were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving diverse lusts and pleasures h Tit. 2.3 hampered and enwrapt in the invisible chaines of the kingdom of darknesse being taken alive captive by the devil at his pleasure i 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hurried about by him as Bajazei in his iron cage toiled out of all true comfort as Samson at his mill opprest with unreasonable tasks and insupportable burdens as hrael in the iron-furnace this is their work And for wages they are exposed to a world of plagues and curses armies and changes of sorrows and calamities here their whole life being but one continuate vexation k Eccles 2.17 besides the fear of death that upshot and center of evils to evil men making them subject to bondage all their life time l Heb. 2.15 And worthily for terrours take hold of them then as waters they make them afraid on every side m Job 27.20 18 19 Trouble and anguish make them afraid they shall prevail against them as a king ready to the battle n Iob. 15.23 24 Death seizeth upon them as a mercilesse officer o Psal 55.15 takes them by the throat as that cruel servant in the Gospel feedeth upon their flesh as a greedy lion p Psal 49.14 stings them to the soul as a fiery serpent q 1 Cor. 15.55 gripes them to the quick as a bear robbed of her whelps comes upon them with a firmae Ejectione as an inexorable Landlord carries them away as Gods executioner yea as the messenger and forrunner of the second death where the worm never dieth where the fire never goes out r Mar. 9.44 where they seek death but finde in no◠yea desire it but it fleeth from them ſ Rev. 9.6 It is reported of Roger somtimes Bishop of Sal shury the second man from king Steven that he was so tortured in prison with hunger and other calamities usually accompanying people in that case ut vivere noluerit mori nescierit live he would not die he could not How much more true think we is this of all those that are thrust into that outer-darknesse Nubrigensis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that darknesse beyond a darknesse as the word seems to import that utmost dungeon of the damned where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnaihing of teeth Weeping for extremity of heat and gnashing of teeth for extremity of cold Weeping is the expression of sorrow and sorrow cools the heart and cold makes the teeth to chatter Thus those miserable creatures do at some time freez and
about points of Religion then in controversy he though thirty miles distant at the very house wherein it was concluded that the reformation should be established came leaping out of his closet where he had been tugging with God by prayer with Vicimus Vicimus in his mouth we have overcome we have overcome Spec. belli sacri Dr. Powell in Cambr. histor Non disputationibus sed rogationibus saith Bodine The busines of religion is more dispatcht by prayers then disputes yea or then by force of armes A great Queen is reported to have said that she more feared the fasting prayers of John Knox and his disciples then an army of thirty thousand men Leoline Prince of Wales when by some about him he was moved to make war upon our third Henry I am more afraid sad he of his prayers and almes then of his preparations and armies Alius insaniat utibellum inferat ei qui câ—nsâ—â—itse deum defensorem habiturum Bucholc Index Chron. Idem in Cron. Cruciger Ber medi. devotis cap. 5. The like we read of a cor am Duke of Saxony that having raised forces to fight against the Bishop of Magdeburg and understanding by his Intelligencers that the Bishop made no kinde of Warlike provision but said that he would wholly commit his cause to God who would not faile to fight for him God blesse me said the Duke from waging war with him that trusts in God for defence and deliverance Numa a Heathen reposed so much confidence in his gods that when he heard the enemies were at hand he laughed and said At Ego rem divinam facio But I am about the service of the gods and so long I can not but be in safety Jacob wrestled with God by prayer and had the better of him Of Luther it is said that â—e could have what he would of God St. Bernard in his meditations giving diverse rules of strictnesse purity of heart humilitie and holinesse Et cum talis fueris saith he memento mei when thou art thus fitted for prayer thou maist have any thing pray for me God requires no more of us but to bring before him lawfull petitions and honest hearts and then doubt not but if the thing be feasable prayer can effect it Especially if in prayer we rest upon Gods infinit power ingaged for our reliefe and plead it he cannot say us nay It was a notable and an imitable piece of policy in the ancient church Psal 80. to found her prayers upon Gods Power Stir up thy strength and come and save us Verse 2. And in suing for her liberty to presse God with this prevayling argument Thou art the Lord of hosts yea by waving her wings often to gather that winde under them that might mount and beare her up to the presence of the Almighty with more facility and efficacy growing every time in fervency by her threefold iteration and repetition of the self same petition in prayer Turne us agine O God Cumin colloquium descendimus cum Dee replicemus licet duplicemus triplicemus et quadruplicemus Alsted in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tantus fulminator ad Jesabelis minas 〈◊〉 trepidat fachis seipso imbecillior Buch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognationem habet cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attendere intendere Novarin saith she ver 3. and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved This was a good prayer but somwhat flag therefore she stirres up her self againe and takes better hold of God by this title in my text Turne us againe O God of hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved ver 7. Here â—he is somwhat thriven in her devotion Before 't was O God onely without any further attribution Now t is O God of hosts Thou that hast all power in thine hands do it for us But lastly as if that were too little she trebbles her forces as Abraham did for Sodom and by a new addition Turne us again saith she O Lord God of bests cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved And having thus said she rests satisfied so dosing up her prayers as not doubting in Gods due time of a gratious answer The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man saith St. James availeth much or is greatly powerfull And this he exemolifies in Elias a man saith the Apostle as other men are and therefore had originall sin in him mixing with his prayers And a passionat man too subject to like passions as other men are for we read how on a time when he sate under the Juniper he would have died in a passion and yet he prayed and prayed that it might not raine and at his prayer it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths And he prayed againe and the heaven gave raine and the earth gave her fruits not without a miracle of Gods mercy For raine in an ordinary course had come too late to a land that had laine so long parcht and scorcht the very roots of herbes and trees being now decayd and dryed up and all in a manner past recovery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But faithfull and fervent prayer never comes too late and that because God never comes too late Prayer is a great wonder-work in heaven and earth No good thing can match it nor evill over-match it The flood could not drown the old world till praying Methuselah was laid up in peace The fire could not consume sinfull Sodom till praying Lot was provided for It is not in the power of Labans hand to hurt Iacob because Quasi manu facta Deum ambiunt orantes Tertull. Preces sunt bombardae instrumenta bellica christianoâ—um Luth. Ligatum habent Sancti Deum ut non puniat nisi permiserint ipsi Bern in Cant. serm 30. upon his yester-nights prayer God had rebuked him Nor could Esau touch him because Iacob had wrestled with God all night and would not away without a blessing of deliverance and a guard of Angels The plague cannot fasten upon the people for Moses will not yeeld to it nor Amalec prevail in the vale because he held up his hands on the hill If ever the enemy shall do good on 't and God have decreed it so he first takes order for the silencing of his prophets whose prayers would as it were tranfuse a dead palsy into his hands that he could not smite Ier. 7.16 pray not saith he for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not hear As if the Lord should have said thus Had there been any good to be done in this case prayer would have done it But I am fully bent and therefore though Moses and Samuel those men of prayer stood before me yet my minde could not-be toward this people I am inexorable Ier. 15.1 what then shall Gods servants lose their prayers No this they shall have
still the guise of godly persons Now should God in the mean-while be unrighteous to forget their work and labour of love that they have shewed toward his Name Heb. 6.10 which they have stoutly vindicated and toward his saints to whose souls they have ministred and do minister by wholsome admonition and Christian incouragement SECT VII When God will make up his Jewels BUt what is that time and when is that day Quest that the Lord mill make up his Jewels and shew himself propitious to his afflicted people 1. Generally and indefinitely at any time no one day excepted or exempted Answ God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7.11 Thus God judg'd David that is he justified him and avenged his quaâ—rell when he was angry with Nabal the churle Nabal pamphagus and after ten dayes sicknesse struck him with death Blessed be the Lord saith he upon the news thereof that hath judged the cause of my rebuke at the hand of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.39 and so hath cleered his own glory and mine integrity There is no time wherein the righteous may not rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance Psal 58.10 11 and wash his feet in the blood of the wicked So that he shall be able to say Verily there is a reward for the righteous Verily He is a Goâ— that judgeth in the earth Particularly and for instance there are three more speciall dayes of deliverance to the people of God First in an exigence and utmost distresse when they know not what to do with Jehosaphat nor whither to turn them with David Cùm duplicentur lateres Venit Moses Capino when they are at a dead list with Ionah and at their wits end with the children of Israel under the Egyptian bondage and at the red sea when the children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth as in Hezekiah's dayes Senacherib had already in his hopes and conceit swallowed up the city Omnibus Judaeis perâ—â—de ac si unum jugulum haberem extremum ictum intentabat Bucholc Statuae Senache ihi inscriptum refert Herodot lib 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sa 23 26 27 Esay 37.7 9 Canes lingunt ulcera Lezari Turca mitigat edictum Augustanum SculAnnal and was fetching his deadly blow at all the people of God as if they had all had but one neck when God put a hook into the nostrills of that great Leviathan and turned him back yea sent sorth an Angel that destroyed his army to the terrour of other nations God delights to bring his people to the mount with Abraham yea to the very brow of the hill as the Nazarenes brought our Saviour Luk. 4. till their feet slip and then delivers them In the Mount will the Lord be seen for the saving of his Isaacs from the fatall stroke of his Peters from the destroying sword of his Daniels from the lions gripe of his whole Church from Hamans plots and Papists conspiracies When Saul had hemmed David in on every side to take him there came a messenger in the nick to Saul saying Hast thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land When Senacherib had taken all the defenced cities of Judah and was advancing toward Jerusalem God sent a blast upon him and made him hear a rumour that Tirhakab King of Ethiopia was come forth to make warr with him When Charles the fifth was mustering his forces to root out the Lutheran heresy out of Germany he was called off by God to fight with the Turk who at that very time made an irruption into Hungary and the cosine countries Secondly in a common calamity in an overflowing scourge a sweeping showre that takes all afore it Such as was that horrible devastation and destruction of Jerusalem first by Nebuchadnezzar when God manifestly made up his Jewels graciously provided for his Ieremies Baruchs Ebedmelechs Gedaliahs whose father Ahikam had formerly freed the prophet Ieremy out of danger chap. 39.24 and 48.5 and 26.24 As for those faithfull ones that went into captivity God had for their sakes sent the good figs Daniel with his three fellowes and others before them in a former captivity under Jeconiah Jer. 2.4 as so many Josephs to provide for them in a farre-countrey Next when the City was razed and harased by the Romans which calamity seems to be here principally and particularly pointed at as appeareth by the first second and third verses of the fourth Chapter For behold the day cometh that shall burn like an oven Repetit eorum verba non sine spe ie ironicae Calvin and all the proud and all that do wickedly which those blasphemers above had pronounced happy and high above others shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burne them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch that is neither sonne nor nephew as the Chaldee Paraphrast and after him Kimchi expounds it This was literally and punctually fulfilled upon the unbeleeving Jews thirty eight yeers after our Saviours Resurrection 1 Thes 2.15 16 Quodvis verbum exaggerat crimen Rolloc in loc Joseph de bell Jud lib 6. c 4. l. 7. c. 18 Who forasmuch as they would not know at the least in that their day the things that belong'd to their peace but both kil led the Lord Jesus and their own Prophets and Apostles being displeasing to God and thwart to all men so filling up the measure of their sinnes therefore came wrath upon them to the utmost But what will God do for his Jewels in this common combustion in this utter desolation and dissolution of the Jewish Nation See what follows But unto you that fear my Name the proper badge and character of a true Christian shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings It is fair weather with Gods children mostly when it is foulest with the wicked At once the fire falls upon Sodom and the Sunne riseth upon Zoar Abraham stands upon the hill and sees the cities burning and ye shall go forth sc to Pella and other hiding places provided for you and there shall ye grow up as calves of the stall And ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes in reference to the burning oven above-mentioned under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this that is in the day when I thus make up my Jewels saith the Lord of Hosts Which second and third verses of the fourth Chapter for the first verse depends on Chap. 3.18 and explains it as they contain a just Comment upon my Text so do they acquaint us with diverse precious pledges and priviledges whereby God will seal up his dearest love to his most esteemed Jewels in most afflicted times of common calamitie These are â—1 Light that is joy by the arising of the Sunne of righteousnesse upon them See Esther 8.16 2. Health to
of Jerusalem the truely religious discetned her beauty in the dark night of her tribulation and confessed that she was fair and glorious Chap. 6.1 Christ also passing by her former remissenesse and unworthy usage of him professeth that she was as amiable in his eyes as ever her hair teeth temples all as fair and well featured yea that she was fair as the Moon cleer as the Sun that Sun of righteousnesse having blotted out all her sins as a cloud Isa 44.22 so that none of her transgressions could be found though lookt for Fer. 50.20 but every tongue that rose up against her should she condemn Isa 54.17 Further he hath provided that every body do love and honour his people he hath given a charge to that end in diverse scriptures Now what is wanting in men himself will make up honoring pleading for them in the hearts of their very enemies who cannot but be confounded many times and stand amazed at the height of spirit and resolution that possesseth their hearts and at the sober and undaunted majesty that shines in the faces of those that fear the Lord. Now if he say Grace Grace unto us it should suffice to encourage us in building the towre of godlinesse Yea it should make us hold out to lay the very last stone thereof with joy Zach. 4.7 being vexed at nothing more then at the vile dulnesse of our hearts that are no more affected with there indeleble ravishments SECT XIV Let the Saints see their duty and be carefull 2. Next 1 Pet. 2.9 Mat. 5.14 Qui in excelso aetatem agunt corum sacta cuncti mortales novere Salust ad Caesarem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess 3.2 compact of meer incongruities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian in Mat. 19 Ideò deteriores sumus quia meliores esse debemus 1 Sam. 6.3 In maxima libersate minimalicentia Salust Deus in circuitu sanctorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 5.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Posse nolle nobile est Benesicium postulat officium as Gods servants must see their dignity and take comfort in it so must they also look to their duty and take care about it And thisis to walk worthy of the high and heavenly vocation wherewith they are called remembring alwayes that they are a chosen generation a royall priesthood a peculiar people the light of the world the salt of the earth to season the rest a city seated on an hill conspicuous to all the countrey The Sunne may go assoon unseen as they unobserved there are that watch for their halting and snatch at any thing whereat they may snarl and cavil be it but an indiscreet speech that falls from such it 's enough to break down the banks of blasphemy Oh labour to silence these absurd men to stop an open mouth to cut off all occasion of obloquy Any spot is spied in white apparrell and the least stain doth evil upon a royall robe A small flaw in a jewel is a great blemish and so is a small defect in a Christian His heart is made pure by the blood of Christ and fine white linen is sooner and deeper stained then course rags Therefore are such worse saith Salvian though they be no worse then others because they ought to be better Adde hereunto that it is some singular thing that God requires of his servants He will take that from Philistines that he will not brook from Israelites who thought they might carry Gods Ark in a new-cart as those Pagans had done before them but they payed for their presumption Greatest States afford least liberty His Saints are round about him and like good Angels they stand always in the presence of their heavenly Father All holy circumspection therefore and exact walking is required of them even an excellency above ordinary Every Calling hath a comelinesse appertaining to it The Scholler behaves himself otherwise then the clown the Courtier then the carter the Prince then the pesant so should a Christian otherwise then an unbeleever then a profligate professour a carnall Gospeller He should walk nobly bravely gallantly worthy of God and as becometh a Saint considering that of Bernard in every enterprize of his an liceat an deceat an expediat whether the thing bee lawfull seemly suitable to his state Not stretching alway to the utmost of his chain lest he break a link but beating off a sollicitation to sinne as Nehemiah did to cowardize Shall such a man as I do it God forbid that I should part with my patrimony said Naboth that I should leave my fat and my sweet said the Vine in Jothams parable that I should look back with Lots wife having set my hand to Christs plow that I should flinch from my colours having taken his presse-money disgrace his house being received into his retinue Great things are bestowed upon me great things are expected from me Every mercy calls for duty every deliverance commands obedience God hath elected me for a vessel of honour shall I defile my self with the kitchin-stuffe of uncleannesse He hath bought me with a price shall not I yeeld my self up to his service He hath adopted me for his childe shall not I carry my self as a childe he hath sanctified me by his spirit shall I pollute his temple He hath inrighted me to a kingdom and keeps a crown for me shall I lay it to gage for ever trifle shall Isay with Esau what is this birth-right Oh let there be no root of bitternesse no profane person amongst you as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right and is therefore so often branded for it with this is Edom. CHAP. IIII. God is a Father to all his faithfull servants And I will spare them as a man sparethhis own son that feareth him VVHat gracious respects and high honours the God of heaven puts upon the persons of them that fear him Psal 115.13 both small and great hath been said already That which follows in the text concerneth their performances Psal 19.11 For every childe in Gods house know's his own work in doing whereof as there is great reward so there is no little favour shewed him in case it be not all out so well done For I will spare them saith the Lord of hosts as a man spareth his own son that serves him I will be no lesse propitious unto him then is the most indulgent parent to his most obedient childe Videmus ergo c. We see then saith judicious Calvin the Prophets purpose in this precious promise 1. That they shal serve God and serve him as sons do that is ingenuously and freely 2 That God will graciously accept the service of such taking in God part from them what they are able and pardoning the rest These are his notes upon the text and these shall be ours Doct 1. That God is a father to all his faithful servants Deus nobis est Pater nos sibi reconciliavit in
seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel See he doth 't is true for he is all eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 1.6 and all things are naked and open before him Yea he seeth enough in the best to provoke the eyes of his glory For though the crow think her owne bird whitest and some parents can see nothing amisse in their children as David in his Adonijah Jeb 4.18.21 25.5 6. yet he charged his Angels with felly and the starrs are not pure in his sight How much less man that is a worme c. He is neither so blinde as not to behold nor so fond as not to mislike the least fault in his best childe For he is of more pure eyes then to behold evil in whomsoever Habuc 1.13 with approbation he cannot look on iniquity and not shew his displeasure All which notwithstanding the truth of this point is irrefragable and the text alledged is no lesse firm then plain for us God seeth no sin in his children For besides that he will never throw them to hell which is the just hire of the least sin it 's often seen Rom. 6.23 that he never so much as corrects them no not with the rods of men for innumerable faylings and infirmities But winking at smal faults as we say nay passing by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage like as a father pittieth his children and pardoneth them their childishnesse so the doth lord pitty them that fear him Lo he pittieth them not punisheth them Psal 103.13 14. Or if he do proceed to correction as he must other whiles such is our frowardnesse yet amidst all he knoweth our frame he remembreth we are but dust Esay 2.22 a peace of earth neately made up that we carry our souls as a light in a paper-lanthorne that our breath in our nostrils is every moment ready to puffe out and that therefore if he should alwayes chide the spirit would fail before him we should soon faint and swoon under his hands wherefore he deals not with us after our sins nor rewards us according to our iniquities But as a man chasteneth his son saith Moses and he would have us wisely to consider of it too so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Deut. 8.5 Break their stomackes he will but not their bones their hearts but not their heads And albeit they such is their peevishnesse under the rod give up all for lost and make desperate conclusions upon their corrections Judg 6.13 2 Tim. 2. as Gideon did yet the foundation of God remaineth sure The Lord knoweth who are his he knows their souls in adversity I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight Here was a poor prayer And yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer poor though it were when I cryed unto thee Psal 31.22 So Zion when under the lash sud The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Esay 49.15.16 Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget and some Tigresses have done it yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands c. Look how a natural mother turns her childe out of doors for dabbling himself or some other shrewd turn and with a thump on the back bids it be gone a begging yet when the childe begins once to make a lip whimper and set up his lure Jer. 31.20 she takes him in again and puts him in her bosom the very like dealing we may read of in God with Ephraim his dear son his pleasant childe Hos 13.1 2 3. c. Ephraim of trembling and tender conscienced became a flagicious offendour a desperate idolater Ver. 1.2 And was not it high time then to take him in hand therefore they shall be as the morning cloud as the early dew as the chaffe before the whirl-winde as the smoke out of the chimney No lesse then utter desolation is threatened against them But the Lord soon repents him concerning his servants witnesse the words following Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt I am thy sole saviour Here 's now mercy in the midst of judgement Oh but they abuse mercy forget their God and sin again Ver. 6. Why therefore God threateneth them again with a more terrible judgement Vers 7 8. Behold I will be unto them as a Lion and a leopard as a bear bereft I will rent the kell of their hearts and devour them Oh fearful condition who would ever think of such but as of deplored and desperate yet see the sequel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Ver. 9. Thou hast done thy utmost utterly to undoe thy self but yet I have thought of a way for thy help I will be thy king where is any other that would save thee as I do in all thy cities And albeit thou art an unwise son yet I will binde up thine iniquity as a cancelled bond and hide thy sin Ver. 12. And although the travels of a sorrowful woman be upon thee such is thy dulnesse in not coming off roundly with God work with those lively Israelitish women Exod. 1.19 but staying too long in the birth which might justly be thy death as it was Racâ—els yet I will ransome thee from the power of the grave I will redeem thee from death Ver. 14. Ey but for how long might they say I shall be likely breaking out again and then thou wilt undoe me after thou hast done me good No saith God repentance shall be hid from mine eyes He will not cast away a perfect man saith Bildad Iob 8.20 The Lord will not cast off for ever saith Ieremy but though he cause grief Lam. 3.31 32. yet will he have compassion according to the multitude or the magnitude of his mercies And this was that miracle that amused so and amased the Prophet Micah chap. 7.18 who is a God saith he like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever And will ye know a reason That text supplies us with two for failing and both from God 1. He delights in mercy 2. He provides for his own glory as occasioning hereby his pardoned people to praise him for present saying as here who is a God like unto thee c. and to trust him for future He will turn again he will have compassion upon us c. Thou wilt perform thy truth to Iacob c. ver 19.20 SECT II. The reasons are of two sorts First respecting God Reas 1 FIrst God will father-like pitty and pardon his poor people Psal 19.4 Eccles 7.25 Numb 14.8 2 Sam. 15.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 2.13 because he delights in mercy Now delight will do any thing as we say If the sun delight to run his race who
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
all the earth is thereby filled with the glory of the Lord as it is Num. 14.17 19 21. He maketh his wonderfull works to be remembred saith the Psalmist and that in nothing more then this that the Lord is gracious and full of compassion Psal 111.4 This makes his people sing and shout Hallelujah O praise the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever SECT IIII. NExt Reas 3 as they praise him for the present so they trust him for the future which is the greatest honour they can do him as the thistle in Ionathans parable could tell Iudg. 9.15 sith every former mercy is a pledge of a future and every old mercy draws on a new as the links do one another in a chain if we break not off their course by our unbelief and diffidence Psal 36.10 O continue thy loving kindnesse saith David It is in the Hebrew O draw out thy loving kindnesse to the full length Gods mercies to his are a continued series there is a concatenation a connexion between them Eccles 1.8 As a spring runneth after it hath run so doth God spare his after he hath spared them The eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy Hence Gods servants have usually argued from what they have had to what they should have as David Paul and the church here in Micah She had praised God for his clemency in pardoning her sins and there hence confidently concludeth for power against sin If God will cover it certainly he will cure it The same mercy that moved him to pass by the transgression of his heritage will make him turne againe and have further compassion upon us say they in subduing our sins and casting them all as a stone into the mighty waters so that we shall see them no more any otherwise then the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore And all this he will do for his truth and mercies sake to Jacob and Abraham for his promise and covenants sake to our fathers of old Our father 's trusted in thee they hoped in thee and were not confounded Oh who is a God like unto thee c All nations will walk every one in the name of his God Mic. 4.5 we also will trust in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever And these are the reasons respecting God SECT V. 6. Reasons respecting the Saints themselves weo are 1. pure in heart 2. perfect in Christ A second rank of Reasons respect the Saints who are 1. Pure in heart 2. Perfect in Christ and therefore spared as a man spares his own son that serves him Reas 1 First Gods people are pure in heart they are washed they are justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Austin answered roundly when one upbraided him with the sins of his youth Quae tu reprehendis ego damnavi And when One twitted Beza with his youthly wanton poems he replied Hic homo invidet mihi gratiam Christi Iedidiah 2 Sam. 12.25 they are sanctified by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God Now Yet God is good to Israel to the pure in heart Psal 73.1 Yet for all the sorrow Yet for all their faults and frailties which forasmuch as they disallow and disclaim bewail and out-grow therefore they are not laid to their charge Iob was a patient man yea he is set forth as a pattern of patience notwithstanding all his frowardnesse notwithstanding he made so many knots and brake his thread so oft as he did God accounts of him as if he had spun an even thread of patience all the time of his temptation David had his faults as great as another and yet because he was upright in the main God testifieth of him that he had followed him with all his heart and done only that that was right in his sight 1 King 14.8 Solomon at Gibeon climbes those disallowed hills the high-places and yet loves the Lord and is loved of him God will not see weaknesses where he seeth truth so pleasing a thing to him is sincerity in his service With one breath doth God report both these The high-places were not removed that was a great fault no doubt neverthelesse Asa's heart was perfect all his dayes Such is the mercy of our Gd to the pure in heart to those that study purity that he will not suffer our well-meant weaknesses to bereave us of his favour he rather pittieth then plagueth his children for the infirmities of upright hearts 2 Chro. 15.17 A slender service a small chare though but bungled at by child is much set by of the father And a bridegroom thinks nothing the worse of his bride for a little dirt she hath got being about some foul chare it being such especially as she may wash off at pleasure Zach. 13.1 1 Ioh. 2.1 We have a fountain alwaies open where we may wash and be clean and a dayly propitiation for dayly transgression even Jesus Christ the Righteous in whom SECT VII The Saints are perfect in Christ SEcondly our wants are covered and our works perfected and refined from all the filth and flesh that cleaves unto them Reas 2 For although the Saints are not so pure in heart but that their sanctification is still spotted and imperfect yet their justification by Christs righteousnes imputed is absolute and without blemish According to that He hath made him to be sinne or sinne-offering for us who knew no sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Not that essentiall righteousnesse of God as Osiander vainly dreamt but that perfect obedience both active and passive of the Son of God performed unto his Father by whom he is made unto us wisdome 1 Cor. 1.30 Jer. 23.6 righteousnesse c. yea Jehovah our righteousnesse Which one Name of his would answer all our doubts and objections had we but skill to spell all the letters in it This righteousnesse of Christ made ours by imputation and acceptation is that white raiment Rev. 3.17 wherewith being clothed the shame of our nakednesse doth not appear for it is full broad large and wide enough to cover all our imperfections This is that broydered work and those bracelets wherewith the Church in Ezekiel being bedight and bedeckt became perfectly beautifull even to admiration These are those jewels of gold with studs of silver made us by the whole Trinity Cant. 6.9 that best robe of the prodigall that cloth of gold and needle-work-vesture of the royall daughter Psal 45.9 that fair mitre Zach. 3.4 5 and change of raiment of Jehoshuah the high-priest when the Lord took away his filthy garments and clothed him with better although Satan at the same time stood at his right hand had the upper hand of him because as some will have it his accusation was as true as vehement In short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these are the
righteousnesses of the Saints Revel 19.8 the pure Lamb of God having covered us with his own fleece and as it were exchanged suits with us clothing himself with our nature that he might again clothe us with the divine nature Daniels Hist of England so that Christ puts on us and we put on him as once Edmund Ironfide and Knute the Dane did by exchange of garments sealing up thereby a sure peace Christ becomes ours and we become Christs and both together make up but one mysticall Christ For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members being many are but one body so also is Christ that is mysticall Christ the Church 1 Cor. 12.12 Now to bring what hath been said home to the point in hand Look how that King could remember no hostility in Themistocles whiles he saw in his arms the smiling countenance of his own sonne and heir whom he had taken up And as David could discern no defect or deformity in lame Mephibosheth whiles he beholds in him the feature of his friend Jonathan so neither doth our heavenly Father regard our infirmities whiles he looks upon us in the face of Christ and finds us framed anew according to the image of Christ in whom he is abundantly well-pleased SECT VIII Let none suck poyson out of this sweet Point FOr Application Vse 1 Of this comfortable point we may well say as the Prophet doth in another case Esay 28.9 To whom shall we teach this Doctrine who is fit to hear and receive it This is meat for children not off all for dogs not draff for swine Let it therefore be limited to Gods children that fail of infirmity not laid hold on by his enemies that go on in iniquity And that they may not let us bound the point and mound it too that no beast break thorow to this mountain of mercy lest he be thrust thorow with a dart that no oxe nor asse fal into this pit by turning Gods grace into wantonnesse lest at length he fall into the bottomlesse pit that no spider suck poison out of this flower lest he burst and his bowels gush out with Judas Acts 1.18 and so he go to his place In a word that none stumble at this good word of God being disobedient thereunto 1 Pet. 2.8 lest he stumble and fall and never rise again Hos 14.9 Which to prevent two things would be considered First that though all men have their spots and therefore deserve not to be spared yet as wicked mens spots are not the spots of Gods children so neither is their speed For their spots first Hear what God saith of the one They have corrupted themselves their spots are not the spots of my children they are a perverse generation Deut. 32.5 Phil. 2.15 As of the other They are saith he blamelesse and harmlesse the sonnes of God unspotted in the midst of a wicked and wayward generation Where it is easie to observe a flat opposition a palable difference The naturall man is all overspread with the bright spot of sins-leprosie Spots they are and blemishes saith St. Peter in the abstract 2 Pet. 2.19 sporting themselves with their own deceivings having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease to sinne Such an habit and even necessity of sinne they have by long trading contracted that if the Ethiopian can change his skin or the leopard his spots then may they also do good that are inured to evil Jer. 13 23 Sinne is in such no otherwise then spots are in a leopard not by accident but by nature such as no Art can cure no water wash off For why they are not in the leopards skin but in the flesh and bones in the sinews and inwards And this to say truth is the case and condition of us all by nature Whence also it is that the just man slips seven times a day and Non datur malum punicum in quo nen inest granum putre dixit Crates 1 Joh. 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in many things we offend all saith St. James Apostles and all and that none can say his heart is clean Howbeit though a godly man sin yet he doth not commit sin he doth not sinne sinningly for his seed remaineth in him The oil of Gods Spirit wherewith such a one is anointed setteth the colours which are of his own tempering so sure on and maketh them cleave so fast together that it is impossible he should return to his own hue Christ also that offereth himself without spot to God his Father hath so purged their consciences from dead works that they thenceforth serve the living God acceptably lifting up their faces before him without spot yea they are stedfast and need not fear Job 11.5 Lo this is the comfortable condition of the children of God This is their spot on earth and this is their speed in heaven But now the ungodly are not so Neither their spot nor their speed is as that of the Saints For first the lepers lips should be covered according to the law their breath is infectious and offensive To the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes c. Psal 50.16 Quia non indigebat imn undorum laude Neque enim speciosa laus in ere peceatares Theophyl in Luc. 4. Psal 4.3 Psal â—6 â—6 In Graecorum sacris sacerdos exclamabat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis hic Respondebaut qui aderant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13.8 In fermento totajacet uxor Plaut Mic. 1.5 Tubulus quidam paulò supra Ciceronem praetor fuit homorâ—m projectè improbus ut ejuâ—â—omen non horrinis sed vitâ—â— esse videretur Lips antiq lect Our Saviour suffered not the devils to speak because he needed not the service of such high words befit not a fool saith Solomon Even David himself till thoroughly purged from his two more grievous sinnes was suspended from the comfort of the covenant and disabled for holy duties Psal 51.15 For know ye not saith He that the Lord hath set apart the godly man for himself And thence inferres the Lord will hear when as such a One I call unto him But if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me If I cast but a leering look toward some lust or have but a moneths mind to it If there be in me but an irresolution against any evil much more a deliberate purpose to run into it God that cannot see evil will not hear the prayers nor bear the manners of such a David How much lesse of gracelesse and profane persons whose whole lump is leavened whose whole hide is spotted whose whole frame is corrupted being evil onely evil and evill continually Who lastly are so transformed into sinne that it is even predicated of them according to that of the Prophet What is the transgression of Iacob is it not Samaria And what are the high-places of
the people by their new Lords new Lawes there is none among them that calleth unto me though in so great a confusion and under so heavy calamities a strange stupor that there should be none to set to his shoulder to shore up the falling State None there were to speak of in a considerable number of praying people to stand in the gap and to divert the divine displeasure Their sins cried loud for vengeance their blood-guiltinesse especially But had there been but a few voyces more of praying Saints their prayers had haply out-cried them A few birds of song are shriller then many crocitating birds of prey stirre up your selves therefore ye that are Gods remembrancers to take hold of him and give him no rest Lie night and day at the gate of his grace knocking thereat by the hand of faith and praying for the peace of our Jerusalem If Englands fears were greater thy prayers might preserve it Jer. 5.1 as if our hopes were greater thy sin and security might undo it Eccles 9.18 Vers 9. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people viz. In confederacies marriages manners superstitions They were conformed to those nations from whom God had separated them with a wonderful separation Exod. 33.16 and put them up by themselves from all the world in the promised land as it were in an Island Isay 20.6 And this they had done not once but often as the conjugation importeth and that wilfully without any necessity yea and that constantly and of custome or desperate obstinacy Heb. he will mingle himself so that there was little difference to be discerned betwixt Ephraim the professed people of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and profane heathens Hence that Amos. 9.7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me O children of Israel saith the Lord Hence Saul is called Cush or an Ethiopian for his black and ill conditions Psal 7. title as the Chaldee interpreteth it Cast we may be upon bad company but we must not mingle with them The rivers of Peru after they have run into the mam sea yea some write twenty or thirty miles they keep themselves unmixt with the salt water so that a very great way within the sea men may take up as fresh water as if they were neer the land At Belgradi in Hungary where the Danuby and Sava two great rivers meet Abbats Geog. 331. their waters mingle no more then water and oyl not that either flote above other but joyn unmixed so that neer the middle of the river I have gone in a boat Sir Henry Blounts voyage into Levant p. 10. saith mine Authour and tasted of the Danow as clear and pure as a well Then putting mine hand not an inch further I have taken of the Sava as troubled as a street-channel tasting the gravel in my teeth Thus they run sixty miles together and for a dayes journey I have been an eye-witnesse of it To come nearer home the river Dee in Merionith-shire running thorough Pimbli-meeri remaines intire Camden and mingleth not her streams with the water of the lake Let not Ephraim mix himself among the people but cry with David Gather not my soul with sinners Psal 26.9 and vers 5. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers and will not sit with the wicked Ephraim is a cake not turned And so but half-baked or dow-baked neque crudus neque coctus neither hot nor cold as Laodicea Rev. 3.15 halting between two as 1 Kin. 18.21 Mongrels as those 2 King 17.33 Zeph. 1.5 Barnacles that are neither fish nor flesh Amphibians that will conform to the world and yet seem to be for the Lord. But he likes no such retainers no such holy-day-servants he requireth to be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving he cannot away with dow-baked duties Men must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord they must be zealous of good works if they look to be accepted Rom. 12.11 Tit. 2. The effectual fervent prayer or the thorough-wrought prayer of a righteous man availeth much A cake that is half-baked half burnt pleaseth not the palate no more do customary formal bedulling performances please the Lord. It is Gualthers note upon this text Jam. 5.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a cake saith he that is raw on the one side and scorcht on the other is cast away so Hypocrites that are hot in their superstitions but cold in their devotions are rejected of God Introrsum turpes speciosi pelle decorâ I know the words are otherwise interpreted by Luther Mercer Polanus and others with reference to the following words thus that Ephraims adversaries even those strangers with whom he hath mixed himself shall be so greedy to devour him that they shall not stay till he be baked on both sides but shall eat him raw But I like the former better Vers 9. Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not Strange stupidity such as was that of Sampson who had lost his haire and therewith his strength and wist not of it These strangers were the Kings of Syria but especially of Assyria See 2 King 13.7 Chap. 14. with 15.19 30. 17.6 Salmanasar as a deep gulf swallowed them up whole Now that they should not know how these strangers had devoured their strength that is their wealth and warlike power this was very strange The Chaldee Paraphrast helps us to the meaning of it Non novit formidare à facie mea He knew it not that is He knew not how to fear before me to tremble at my judgements and to flee to my mercies this he knew not that is he cared not to do as the old world knew not till the flood came though fairly forewarned Matt. 24.39 and as the Greeks would not know that the Turks had invaded their Empire till they were got into the very bowels of it So was it with Ephraim A spirit of pride and of slumber had so surprized and seized him that he took no knowledge of the enemies and evils that were upon him Thus the spirituall sleeper stirs not with Saul though the water-pot and spear be taken from his bolster Like the foolish hen which loseth her chickens one by one by the devouring kite when one or two or three are snatcht away she still continues to pick up what lies before her It is our wisest way to observe and improve Gods dealings with us to be sensible of his stroaks and to return to him that smote us and can as soon heal us if we come to him for cure Lev. 26.40 yea gray-hairs are here and there upon him Heb. sprinkled sparsi non spissi He began but to decline and decay as a man doth when he grows toward fifty And as gray hairs come the sooner through cares and griefs Histories tell us of a young man who being for some capitall offence condemned to die grew gray in one nights-space and was therefore pitied and