naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place VVe are naked that is saith Drusius non ita bene vestiti we are not very well clothed No more were that brother and sister of whom S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.15 They were naked Naked that is male vestiti or necessario vestitu destituti they were ill clothed or wanted necessarie apparell By the places now alleaged you see that he may be said to be naked that is not simply and altogither so So of the couragious man in my text it is said that he shall flee away naked Naked that is vnarmed without armour hauing cast away his weapons and all other instruments of militarie discipline content to escape with life if he may be so happy but shall not for there is no escaping as you well know by that you haue already heard But when shall this couragious man be in such a streight as that he shall be faine to flee away naked It shall bee saith my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baijom habu in that day In that day the day of Gods iudgement in that day when God will exercise his iudgment against the rebellious and refractarie This day may be called the day of the Lord whereof we read Esai 13.6 Howle yee for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty It is so called Ioel 1.15 Alas for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come This day the day of the Lord for the horror thereof is by our Prophet Amos called darknesse chap. 5.18 Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you The day of the Lord is darknes and not light A day and yet darknesse a day and no light in it It s euen so and is repeated by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light euen very darke and no brightnesse in it I cannot better set forth vnto you the state of this day then the Prophet Zephaniah doth chap. 1.15 Read him and you shall finde this day the day of the Lord to be a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thicke darknesse a day of the trumpet and alarme No maruaile then if our couragious man the couragious among the mighty shall endeauou or desire to flee away naked in that day But shall he endeauour or shall he desire to do it Yes He must be fame to doe it For it followeth by way of confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum Iehovah saith the Lord. Saith the Lord. THis is the conclusion and confirmation of all The Lord the a Deut. 32 4. God of truth who b Num. 2â— â—9 Tit. 1.2 Haâ— 6.18 lyeth not nor deceiueth whose words are c 2. Cor. 1.20 yea and amen who euer d Num 23.19 doth according to that he saith and accomplisheth what he speaketh he it is that here threatneth the couragious among the mighty that they shall flee away naked in the day of their visitation And so out of doubt it came to passe It came to passe in the dayes of Peka K. of Israel at what time Tiglath Pilesar K. of Assyria came vp against the Israelites tooke diuers of their Cities the whole Region that was beyond Iordan the possession of the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh yea all the land of Nephthali and carried some of their inhabitants captiue into Assyria 2. King 15.29 After that in the dayes of Hoseah sonne of Elah the last of the Kings of Israel this prediction was fulfilled at what time Salmanasser King of Assyria invaded Israel the Kingdome of the ten Tribes tooke Samaria and carried much people away into Assyria Of this we read 2. King 17.6 In that day that day when Tiglath Pilesar preuailed against Israel and that day wherein Salmanasser was conqueror he that was couragious among the mighty was faine no doubt to runne away and that naked according to this prediction He that is couragious among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day My obseruation from hence is this It is not a stout courage a valiant heart or a bold spirit that can steed a man in the day of Gods vengeance Beleeue it it is not For in that day the stoutest the most valiant and bold shall be striken with astonishment of heart Deut. 28.28.29 and shall grope at noone dayes as the blind man doth in darkenesse It shall then be with him as it was with Belshazzar the King Daniel 5.6 His countenance shall bee changed his thoughts shall trouble him the ioynes of his loynes shall be loosed and his knees shall smite one against the other Yea then for then will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth then shall he goe into the holes and clefts of the ragged rockes and into the caues of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Maiestie So saith Esay elegantly chap. 2.19 21. And say you now what can a stout courage a valiant heart a bold spirit steed a man in that day in the day of Gods vengeance You must needs confesse it can steed him nothing Nothing Let vs then for our good make some profitable vse hereof We shall the better make it if we will summe vp together those naturall abilities which our Prophet Amos hath here disabled from yeelding any helpe vnto vs in the day of God his reuengement If neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mightie man nor the bow-man nor the swift of foot nor the horseman shall in that day be able to deliuer or helpe himselfe if he that is couragious among the mightie shall be faine to runne away naked in that day whence then shall we in that day looke for safetie It must not be from any ayde of man Now the Vse we are to make hereof is that we trust not in man or in any thing that is in or about man To this dutie we are aduised by the Prophet Esai chap. 2.22 Cease yee from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of If you will be safe and without danger in the day of trouble Cease from man See that yee haue no confidence no affiance in him as though against God or without God he were able to helpe you His breath is in his nostrils his soule his vitall spirit his life is but a blast and is gone with a puffe Then where is his helpe Weake fraile and brittle man wherein is he to be accounted of Is he to be accounted of for any thing that is in him for his actiuitie for his dexteritie for his valour for his wisedome or the like No for if he be gone all these
our heads to the trickling of Å¿ Psal 56.8 teares downe our cheekes Why then are wee troubled with the vaine conceits of lucke fortune or chance Why will any man say this fell vnto me by good lucke or by ill lucke by good fortune or by misfortune by good chance or by mischance We may and should know that in the course of Gods prouidence all things are determined and regular This is a sure ground we may build vpon it The fish that came to deuoure Ionas may seeme to haue arriued in that place by chance yet the scripture saith the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Ionas Ion. 1.17 The storme it selfe which droue the pilots to his streight may likewise seeme contingent to the glimse of carnall eyes yet the Prophet saith I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1.12 The fish which Peter tooke might seeme to haue come to the angle by chance yet he brought in his mouth the tribute which Peter paid for his Lord and for himselfe Mat. 17.27 By the diuersity of the opinions among the brethren touching the manner of dispatching Ioseph out of the way wee may gather that the selling of him into Egypt was but accidentall and only agreed vpon by reason of the fit ariuall of the merchants while they were disputing and debating what they were best to doe yet saith Ioseph vnto his brethren you sent me not hither but God Gen. 45.8 What may seeme more contingent in our eies than by the glancing of an arrow from the common marke to strike a traueller that passeth by the way yet God himselfe is said to haue deliuered the man into the hand of the shooter Exod. 21.13 Some may thinke it hard fortune that Achab was so strangely made away because a certaine man hauing bent his bow and let slip his arrow at hap hazard without aime at any certaine marke t 1 King 22 34. strooke the King but here we finde no lucke nor chance at all otherwise than in respect of vs for that the shootâ—â— did no more than was denounced to the King by Micheas froâ— Gods owne mouth before the battell was begun 1 King 22.17 What in the world can be more casuall than lottery lyet Salomon teacheth that when the lots are cast into the lap the prouidence of God disposeth them Prou. 16.33 See now and acknowledge with mee the large extent of Gods good prouidence Though his dwelling be on high yet abaseth he himselfe to behold vs below From his good prouidence it is that this day we are here met together I to preach the word of God you to heare it and some of vs to bee made partakers of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Let vs powre out our soules in thankfulnesse before God for his blessing You are now inuited to the marriage supper of the lambe euery one that will approach vnto it let him put on his wedding garment A garment nothing like the old ragges of the Gibeonites which deceiued Ioshua Ios 9.5 A garment nothing like the suit of apparrell which Micah gaue once a yeare to his Leuite Iud. 17.10 A garment nothing like the soft clothing worne in kings courts Mat. 11.8 But a garment something like the garment of the high priest which had all the names of the tribes of Israel written vpon his brest Exod. 28.21 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on in whose brest and booke of merits are written and registred all the names of the faithfull but a garment something like Elias Mantle which diuided the waters 2 King 2.8 For this your garment is nothing â—lse but Christ put on who diuideth your sinnes and punishments that so you may escape from your enemies sin and death but a garment something like the garments of the Israelites in the wildernesse which did not weare 40. yeares together they wandered in the desart and yet saith Moses neither their clothes nor their shooes waxed old Deut. 29.5 For this your garment is nothing else but Christ put on whose righteousnesse lasteth for euer and his mercies cannot be worne out Hauing put on this your wedding garment doubt not of your welcome to this great feast-maker If any that heareth me this day hath not yet put on his wedding garment but is desirous to learne how to doe it let him following S Paâ—â— his counsell Rom. 13.12 cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light let him walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and enuying let him take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it so shall he put on the Lord Iesus u Psal 24.7 Lift vp your heads you gates and be you lift vp ye euerlasting doores that a guest so richly apparelled may come in and sup with the King of glory And the King of glory vouchsafe so to clothe vs all that those gates and euerlasting doores may lie open to vs all So at our departure from this vally of mourning we shall haue free and easie passage into the citie of God where our corruptible shall put on incorruption and our mortality shall be swallowed vp of life Euen so be it blessed Father for thy welbeloued son Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee in the vnity of the holy spirit bee all praise and power might and Maiesty dignity and dominion for euermore Amen THE Second Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither IN my former Sermon vpon the first verse of this chapter beloued in the Lord I commended to your religious considerations fiue circumstances 1 Touching the Prophets name It was Amos not Amos Esaies father but another Amos. 2 Concerning his former condition of life He was among the heardmen that is he was a heardman or shepherd 3 Of the place of his vsuall abode At Tekoa a little village in the confines of the Kingdome of Iuda beyond which there was not so much as a little cottage onely there was a great wildernesse called 2 Chron 20.20 the wildernesse of Tekoa a fit place for a shepherds walke 4 About the matter or argument of this prophecie implied in these words The words which he saw vpon Israel Then you heard that Amos was by the holy spirit deputed and directed with his message peculiarly and properly to the 10. reuolted tribes the kingdome of Israel 5 Of the time of the prophecie which I told you was set downe in that verse generally and specially 1 Generally In the dayes of Vzziah king of Iuda and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash king of Israel 2 Specially Two yeares before the earthquakâ— After my exposition giuen vpon those fiue parts of that text I recald to
your remembrances that Amos of a heardman or shepherd became a blessed Prophet to carry a terrible word and fearfull message from the liuing God to the king nobles priests and people of Israel Thereupon I commended to you this doctrine God chooseth vile and despised persons to condemne the great and mighty That doctrine proued I recommended to you the vses of it The first was to lift vp your mindes to the contemplation of Gods good prouidence Poore shepherds and fishermen God exalteth and aduanceth into the highest places of dignity in church and common wealth This might perswade you that neither Empire nor kingdome nor place in them of dignitie priority or preeminence ecclesiasticall or politique is gotten by the industry wisdome wit or strength of man but that all are administred ruled and gouerned by the deputation and ordinance of the highest power God almighty The second was to stop blasphemous mouths such as are euermore open against the God of Heauen to affirme that all things below the moone are ruled by their blind goddesse fortune and by chance Here my desire was that your hearts might be ioined with mine in the consideration of Gods most sweet and neuer sleeping care ouer vs in this lower world that we would not suppose our God to be a God to halfes and in part only a God aboue and not beneath the Moone a God in the greater and not in the lesser employments To this holy meditation I exhorted you taught by the holy scriptures that our God examineth the least moments tittles in the world that you can imagine to a handfull of meale to a cruse of oile in a poore widowes house to the falling of the Sparrowes to the ground to the feeding of the birds of the aire to the caluing of Hindes to the clothing of the grasse of the field to the numbring of the haires of our heads to the trickling of teares downe our cheekes Thus farre as Gods holie spirit assisted me I led you the last time Now let it please you with patience and reuerence to giue eare to the word of God as it followeth vers 2. And he said The Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither In this verse I commend vnto you two generall parts 1 A preface to a prophecie And he said 2 The prophecie it selfe The Lord shall roare from Sion c. In the prophecie I must further commend vnto you 3. things 1 The Lord speaking Hee shall râ—are and vtter forth his voice 2 The place from whence hee speaketh from Sion and Ierusalem 3 The sequels of his speech They are two 1 Desolation to the dwelling places of the shepherds The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish 2 Sterility and barrennesse to their fruitfull grounds The top of Carmel shall wither The first generall part the preface to the prophecie I must first speake vnto And he said He that is Amos Amos the heardman or shepherd whose dwelling was at Tekoa He said what said he Euen the words which he saw vpon Israel that is he spake the words of God committed to him by that kinde of propheticall instinct and motion which is commonly tearmed vision the words of God which were disclosed or reuealed to him in a vision Amos spake but his words were Gods words Here dearely beloued we may learne whence the holy Scriptures haue their soueraigne authority Their authority is from aboue euen from the Lord whose name is Iehouah whose a Matth. 5.34 throne is the heauen of heauens and the b Habak 3.15 sea his floare to walke in the c Esai 66.1 earth his footstoole to tread vpon who hath a chaire in the conscience and sits in the d Psal 7.9 heart of man and possesseth his secret reines and diuides betwixt the flesh and the skinne and shaketh his inmost powers as the e Psal 29.8 thunder shaketh the wildernesse of Cades This powerfull and great Iehouah God almighty spake in old time to our fathers by the mouth of Moses Exod. 4.12 and in the mouthes of all his Prophets Heb. 1.1 Know this saith S. Peter in his second epistle 1 ch ver 20. That no Prophecie in the Scripture is of any priuate motion Marke his reason ver 21. for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost Hence sprang these vsuall and familiar speeches in the bookes of the Prophets The word of the Lord came vnto mee The Lord God hath spoken Thus saith the Lord and the like This Lord who thus spake in old time by his Prophets did in fulnesse of time when he sent his Son to consummate and perfect the worke of mans redemption speake by his blessed Euangelists and Apostles This appeareth by the faithfull promise made them Mat. 10.19 Take no thought how or what yee shall speake for it shall be giuen you what yee shall say It is not yee that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you It must stand for truth in despight of al the powers of darknesse which is recorded 2 Tim. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Scripture and euery parcell thereof is giuen by inspiration of God and hath inward witnesse from that Spirit which is the author of all truth Hence ariseth this true position Scriptura est authentica regula tum fidei tum vitae nostrae The word of God which by an excellencie we call the Scripture is an infallible rule both of our faith and also of our life And another posiâ—ion followeth herevpon The authority of holy Scripture is greater than the authority of the Church Our obseruation here may be Since such is the worth of holy Scripture by reason of the author of it as that it is the perfect rule for our faith and life and is of greater authority than the Church it must be our part to take heed vnto it to heare it and to reade it with reuerence obsequie and docility This worth dignity and excellency of holy Scripture which is Gods holy word now commended vnto you yeeldeth a very harsh and vnpleasant sound to euery Popishly affected eare and may serue to condemne the Romish Church of impiety and sinne for her neglect and contempt of so inestimable a treasure How little they esteeme of Gods wriâ—ten word the word of life and sole food of our soules the graue and learned f B. Iewel defence of the Apologie par 4. chap 19. 20. §. 1. Brentius in his preface vpon Iacobus Andreas against Hosius makes it plaine vnto vs while he tels of the crying out against the holy Scriptures as if they were blinde and doubtfull and a dumbe schoolemaster and a killing writ and a dead letter yea and if it may like those reuerend fathers no better than Aesops fables Now lest
the earth where by the fowlers art no ginne is set for him O quà m vilium similitudines rerum quam pretiosum praedicant sacramentum O saith Rupertus how vile are the things from which similitudes may be taken and how precious the mysteries that may thereby be published This our Prophet de pastoralibus assumptus once a shepherd now called to be a dispenser of the secrets of God is content to dispense them by drawing similitudes from such things as he was wont to obserue in his shepherds walke Such is that in the first Chapter vers 2. The Lord will roare from Zion and that in the same verse the habitations of the shepherds shall mourne and that in the verse before my text will a Lion roare in the forrest when he hath no prey and this in my text Can a bird fall in a snare vpon the ground where no ginne is for him All you see are pastorall Sufficiunt coelesti magisterio res non solùm piscatorum verùm etiam pastorum vt per eorum similitudines docti sint doceant conuenienter gloriam rerum caelestium Things that fall within the knowledge not only of fishers but also of shepherds are auaileable to diuine instruction that by the similitudes of both fishers and shepherds the glory of things celestiall may be manifested Such is this pastorall similitude this similitude of birds not falling into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse by the fowlers art some ginne be set for him It serueth for the adumbration of Gods wonderfull prouidence thus As snares wherewith birds are catched fall not on the ground at all aduentures and by chance but are laid by the skill industry and fore-sight of the fowler so the calamities and miseries of this life wherewith men are vsually taken and snared come not by chance but are sent among vs by the certaine counsell of God by his iust iudgement by his diuine prouidence I know that this similitude is by others otherwise applied Saint Hierome will haue it to belong to the punishment of such as liuâ— in discord and variance to this sence They who through charitie are as birds and doe fly aloft in the libertie of the holy Spirit through discord doe lose their wings fall downe vpon him earth and are a prey vnto the fowler Did they still soare aloft with the wings of loue they should not need to feare the fowlers snares For as Salâ—mon saith Prou. 1.17 Surely in vaine the net is spread in the eyes of euery thing that hath a wing Keepe then thy selfe aboue in the aire as if thou hadest the wings of a doue and thou art from danger but if through variance through strife through hatred and other like impieties thou be ouer-burdened and pressed downe downe thou fallest to the ground and art by thine owne default ensnared Iusta enim est ruina peccatorum for iust is the fall of sinners Two Hebrew Rabbins Abraham and Dauid apply this similitude to the execution of the decree of God and his sentence thus If men whose dwellings are vpon the earth can by their cunning and industry cause the birds of the aire to descend vpon the earth and so fall into their snares from whence there is no euasion for them how much more shall I I the Lord who haue my habitation in the Heauen of Heauens bring men themselues within the snare of my decree and sentence that there shall be no escaping for them Some so apply this similitude that by this bird they vnderstand a sinner and by the snare his sinne Their explication is As a bird shall not fall into a snare vpon the earth vnlesse some ginne be laid for him so shall not sinners fall into punishment vnlesse they themselues make snares of their owne sinnes to catch themselues withall So may they quickly doe and so saith Salomon Pro. 5.22 The wickednesse of the vngodly shall catch himselfe and with the snares of his owne sinnes shall he be trapped What then Vis non capi laqueo wouldest thou not be taken with the snare rumpe ac frange laqueum the aduice is good teare and breake the snare But how Tolle peccatum fregisti laqueum take away the sinne and thou hast broken the snare Rupertus so vnderstands this similitude that he will haue the grace of God herein to be commended With him this fowler shall be God his snare the word of God the bird to be catched the soule of man His conceit runnes thus As that a bird falls into a snare vpon the earth it is to be attributed to the care and diligence of the fowler that laid the snare so that the soule of man commeth to be ensnared in the word of saluation which it neither can resist nor is willing so to doe it is wholly to be attributed to the grace of God For God alone so spreadeth the snare of his good word that this little bird this wandring and restlesse bird the soule of man is caught and brought into the hands of the Lord her God and so escapeth the iawes of the Deuill This his exposition well meeteth with the Arminians with those new Prophets who at this day pretending a more moderate diuinity then ours is as if they came out of Coelestius his Schoole haue with their sophismes and subtilties much disquieted the State of the Belgicke Churches chiefly for the point of diuine Predestination and the appendices thereof Their fourth Thesis is touching the operation of the grace of of God in Christ a Collat. Hug. Brand. pag. 216. whether it be resistable or not The grace of God say they is resistable Rupertus here saith it cannot be resisted He is in the right and with him we ioyne and thus we explaine our meaning Man is to be considered in a two-fold respect in respect of himselfe and in respect of God If he be considered in respect of himselfe as he is vnregenerate and according to his inbred prauitie so is grace by him too too resistable for as much as man of himselfe in his pure naturals gouerned only by nature reason and sense without grace without the Spirit of God cannot only resist but also cannot but resist the grace of God So saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned To the like purpose the same Apostle Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be It is true the Grace of God is resistable it is too easily resisted ex parte hominis by man in respect of himselfe But ex parte Dei it is otherwise In respect of God and his good pleasure it may well be said to be irresistible I speake of that grace of God which is his mouing and effectuall grace against
Nation or vpon any priuate person but he doth alwaies first fore-warne the same and foretelleth it The reasons hereof are two One is in regard of the godly the other in regard of the wicked The first is in regard of the godly God is vnwilling at any time to take them at vnawares He loueth them and would not haue any of them to perish but would haue them all come to repentance as Saint Peter witnesseth 2 Epist 3.9 God would haue them all come to repentance that so they might preuent his iudgements And therefore he neuer striketh but first he warneth The other reason is in regard of the wicked namely that the wicked might be without excuse their mouthes might be stopped and the iustice of God cleared they hauing nothing to answer for themselues or to accuse God of any vniust dealing If I had not come saith our Sauiour Christ Iesus Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sinne but now they haue no cloake nor excuse for their sinne Wherefore let these men wicked men learne as oft as the rod of God lieth heauie vpon them to accuse themselues because when God gaue them warning they would not be warned when God would haue healed them they would not be healed You haue the reasons The vses follow I can but point at them the time will not suffer any enlargement Is it so beloued Doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation or any priuate person but he alwayes first fore-warneth the same and fore-telleth it Here then acknowledge we Gods great mercie and his wonderfull patience Thus God needeth not to deale with vs. For vpon our owne perill we are bound to take heed of his iudgements before they come Yet so good is our God so louing so mercifull so patient that he is desirous wee should preuent his iudgements before they fall by sending our prayers vnto him as Embassadours to treat of conditions of Peace with him A subtill enemie would steale vpon vs at vnawares and take vs at the aduantage but God our good God euer fore-warneth before hee striketh Hee doth so saith Carthusian Vt emendemur ab imminentibus eripiamur tormentis hee euer fore-warneth vs that our liues may bee amended and wee deliuered from the torments that hang ouer vs readie to fall vpon vs. Againe doth God neuer bring any grieuous iudgement vpon any people or Nation or any priuate person but he alwayes first fore-warneth the same and foretelleth it Let vs then whensoeuer wee see any ouertaken with any grieuous iudgement confesse with Saint Augustine de verâ falsâ poenitentiâ cap. 7. Qui verus est in promittendo verus etiam est in minando that God is true as in his promises so also in his threatnings If his desire were not that wee should preuent his iudgements doubtlesse he would neuer giue vs warning of them If hee had a will and purpose to destroy vs he would neuer tell before-hand how wee should auoid his iudgements Let no man say that the silence of God and the holding of his peace is a cause of his securitie No it cannot be so God neuer commeth with any iudgement but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before He sendeth vnto vs his seruants the Prophets Prophets we haue among vs and Apostles we haue among vs and God giueth vs his Ministers Pastors and Preachers as it were to put life againe into the dead Prophets and Apostles euen to open and declare vnto vs those things which they deliuered Wherefore when we shall be admonished by his Ministers that such and such iudgements shall come when they shall threaten plagues according to the generall directions which they haue in the word of God let vs not withstand the Spirit speaking in them It is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee vouchsafeth to send them vnto vs and to tell vs before of his iudgements THE Tenth Lecture AMOS 3.8 The Lion hath roared who will not feare the Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie IT was a thing too common with the Israelites if their Prophets or Preachers did at any time speake sharply against their euill courses euermore to finde fault and quarrell them What meane these men Why doe they so farre vrge vs Why doe they not suffer vs to be quiet Will they euer prouoke the wrath of God against vs Sic enim solent homines surely so worldlings vse to doe If Prophets if Preachers be austere in their reprehensions they will command them to hold their peace as you haue heard by occasion of the twelfth verse of the precedent Chapter If Amos foretell Ieroboam King of Israel Amos 7.9 that the high places of Isaack shall be desolate that the Sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste that Ieroboams house shall perish with the sword there will be an Amaziah to forbid him to prophesie any more in Bethel Amos 7.12 If Hanani the Seer reproue King Asa for not relying on the Lord his God Asa will be in a rage with him and will put him in a prison house 2 Chron. 16.10 If Micaiah foreshew vnto King Ahab the euill that shall befall him the King will hate him for it 1 King 22.8 Zedechiah will smite him on the cheeke vers 24. Amon the Gouernor will put him in prison and will feede him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vers 27. If Ieremiah foreshew vnto the Iewes their desolation for their sinnes some will deuise deuices against him and will smite him with the tongue Ieremy 18.18 Some will smite him with the fist and put him in the stocks chap. 20.2 Some will apprehend him threaten him with death and arraigne him chap. 26.8 Some will shut him vp in prison chap. 32.2 Some will let him downe with cords into a miry and dirty dungeon chap. 38.6 It is the lot of the Prophets of the Lord the portion of his Preachers Esay 30.10 Leuit. 19.17 if they speake not placentia pleasing and smooth words vnto the people but doe rebuke them and not suffer them to sinne it is their lot and portion neuer to haue want of enemies that shall make warre against them This ill custome in the people Amos here finds fault with and condemneth for vniust saying The Lion hath roared c. as if he had said You take me for your enemy because I foreshew vnto you the iudgements of God which shall light vpon you and therefore you contend you chide you quarrell with mee but all in vaine for I may not hold my peace If I should the voice of God will of it selfe be terrible enough vnto you The euill whereof I tell you proceedeth not so much from my mouth as from the Mandate of God Will I nill I I am constrained to obey my God God he hath chosen me to be his Prophet and hath put into my mouth what I speake vnto you The Lion hath roared