done and men thinke by them to doe God good service but when things commanded are done and they know not the command but for some other respects doe them for as good no commandement in respect of them as they not know it And if things done which he had commanded be rejected as will-worship Isaiah 1.12 because they were not done in that manner he had commanded though they knew his will More this for as they in Isaiah did their works not in conscience to God but for some other end so these can not because they know it not and so it cannot be acceptable He that doth a man a good turne and meant it not but aimed at himselfe profit or glory or whatsoever cannot look for any great thankes from him for whom it fell out so well Vse 1 This confuteth Papists as touching ignorance which they much advance and commend though they be ashamed of the old position that ignorance is the Mother of devotion yet they accuse knowledge for want of devotion they practise to keepe the people in ignorance and defend it still to be good For when we urge the necessity of knowledge for all our actions and that whether from the Word Fathers or reason they oppose themselves against all Besides their manifold reasons for which they have beaten their braines to prove the people ought not to have the Scriptures in a knowne tongue and so not knowledge when we object unto them Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures and justly complaine of their spirit contrary to Christs Dureus denies that this is spoken to all Christians for how should saith he the ignorant and unlearned search them We answer that if Christ had then spoken to the learned onely his exception had beene good but if he preached to the whole people as then he did if to all the Jewes why not to all Christians Let them shew a difference but if none but that both Jewes and Christians must by them have the knowledge of Christ and eternall life when these are common to all in the Church why not to other when we urge that Acts 17.11 The Bereans searched the Scriptures whether those things were so Bellarmine answereth that was because they doubted whether he was an Apostle or no. The matter is not why they examined but that they did and are commended for it by the holy Ghost that they compared his doctrine with the doctrine of the Prophets Then ought all Christians thus to doe to try the Spirits for now may doubt be made more then at that time 1 John 4.1 and no search can be but by the Scriptures and knowledge of them When we urge that Collo 3.16 then they exempt the ignorant and say it is not for all but commend unto us the decree of the Councell of Trent who have allowed such to read as have licence from their Ordinary upon testimony from their Curates that they are humble and devout persons Rhemist praefat that is none but their Pope-holy devout Catholiques and yet the Apostle speakes generally and if the People be rude and as they still object ignorant we answer that is no reason or of no force to prove they must be kept from the Scriptures this is the way to make them still rude this ought not to be so and that which is a fault in them can be no argument against this as if a man should be denied the benefit not of light but of salve because his eyes are sore When we object unto them the fathers as Chrysost upon the place of the Collossians and divers other places or that of him Hom. 2. in Math. aliis Heare I pray you O yee layty buy you Bibles the medicines of your soules if you will buy you nothing else get the new Testament the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles To this the Rhemists praefat sect 14. answer that he speakes this as a Pulpit man not as giving rules in the Schooles As if he would speake one thing in the Pulpit another thing out of it or made the Pulpit a place to utter lyes These who thus censure the fathers no marvell though they often be sawcy with Luther and Calvin But Bellarmine answereth de verbo Dei lib. 2. cap. 16. that he spoke that then because many men were given to be at theaters and stage playes and other vanities and never read the Scriptures no not such as had understanding and he exhorteth all not that he would have all to read them but that they should doe it which could doe it with profit for he knew he had to deale with those who need such amplifications marke that Chrysost is made an Orator no Preacher one that for advantage would speake more then he thought When upon Col. the 3.16 hee exhorts not only in generall tearmes but specially heare O you worldly men that have wives and children he commands you to read the Scripture and not lightly and slightly but diligently and painfully How can they restraine those with any conscience to some which is spoken generally to all And for this reason holds it not now have we not playes they and we theaters fuller then Churches to the corrupting of the minds and manners of our people finde we not many of good capacitie more affected with any thing then the scriptures Then as necessary it is they should be exhorted and read them and yet with them may a man read any thing but Scriptures by all which as they themselves make gaine of them so they make them and their sacrifices service and obedience whatsoever it is unacceptable unto God because they are blind sacrifices specially that when they teach them to pray in an unknown tongue where every word must needs be a blind service Vse 2 To reprove all such as keep themselves in ignorance and without knowledge being blind they will be blind still they need not that any law forbid them the reading of the Scriptures they can be a law unto themselves and what soever others can object that they have against themselves of the difficulty the hardnesse the obscurity and danger of reading them Or if not that yet that they must learne from their ministers that which Duraeus the Jesuite said impiously that Christ left Pastors to to the people not Bibles they so practise for they will not once almost look in them only they will heare from the Ministers and would to God they would heare constantly and carefully they might have more knowledge but while they onely heare they remaine still ignorant and hearing so carelesly by ignorance they doe the things that God hath commanded now and then but without all true knowledge and so make them unacceptable to God when they worke by imitation and often enquire of the lawfulnesse after the deed Vse 3 To perswade every man that hath any desire that his service may be acceptable to God whatsoever it be to labor for knowledge that it may bee a seeing sacrifice for that which
A LEARNED AND VERY USEFULL COMMENTARY UPON THE WHOLE PROPHESIE OF MALACHY BY That late Reverend Godly and Learned Divine Mr. RICHARD STOCK sometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadstreet London and now according to the Originall Copy left by him published for the common good Whereunto is added AN EXERCITATION upon the same Prophesie of MALACHY By SAMUEL TORSHELL LONDON Printed by T. H. and R. H. for Daniel Frere and William Wells and are to be sold at their shops in Little Britaine 1641. Reader if euer Fame did fill thy care withe name of Reuerent Stock behold him heere Not in this Shaddow onely but turne ore the Booke and verroe this Stockes improued store There shalt find mixt with Graue Diuinitie a Prophets depe mysterious Prophecy then thanke his care whose goodness doth unlocke and publish to the world me Rich a Stocke To The ancient Friends and Hearers of the Author especially to the Right Worshipfull EDWARD RUDGE Alderman To the Worshipfull Captaine JOHN VEN Mr. WILLIAM KENDALL Mr. RICHARD ELLIS with the rest of the Inhabitants of the parrish of Alhallowes Breadstreet LONDON MY owne occasions together with some other difficulties and impediments have hitherto hindred a purpose that I had from the very first time that the papers of this worthy man were intrusted to me to communicate them to the World and to you But I have now done it and I hope it is not too late either to revive his memorie or your remembrance of those things you have heard from him I will not beleeve that you have forgotten or can forget a Pastor whom you did so much love and reverence For he was a burning and shining light John 5.35 and yee rejoiced in his light I have taken this paines to peruse his notes that he againe though dead might still speake unto you Heb. 11.4 and I doe endeavour that now after his decease you may have these things alwaies in your remembrance 2 Pet. 1.15 God was pleased to send you a rich treasure by his Ministerie 2 Cor. 4.7 but this treasure was brought unto you in an Earthen vessell and least haplie when that earthen vessell was broke by sicknesse and death and the shards throwne into the Earth you saved not the treasure I have now gathered some of it and kowing to whom it did belong have brought it back to Restore it unto you Ephe. 4.21 Now what remains but that you enjoy it use it let that be your care to be answerable to the Doctrine you have received to walke so as yee have learned Christ If so bee that yee have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in JESUS This is the onely thing that I have to say unto you that your conversation may tell the world you doe remember him Let him live in your lives That so even they who never knew him nor ever heard him preach a Sermon may see by your practise what and how hee preached And as yee have made a Monument for him in your Church set up one also in everyone of your lives you shall thereby doe him a greater honor then that stone-work though otherwise a Commendable Testimonie of your love and respect can doe him Be yee your selves his Monument his Statue Phil. 4.1 his Trophee 1 Thes 2.19 and as the Philippians and Thessalonians were to St Paul 2 Cor. 3.2 his Crown of glorying Be yee his Epistle known and read of all men Let all men see what he writ in you What precepts of Holinesse of Righteousnesse of Temperance Psal 45.1 hee wrote downe in your hearts when his tongue was the pen of a readie writer so long among you He was a Father I suppose unto manie of you I have heard some of you professe it 1 Cor. 4.15 though yee have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have yee not many Fathers If in Jesus Christ hee hath begotten you through the Gospell bee followers of him imitate him so as that men may say of you when they see the grave and sober and godlie carriage of any of you he hath his fathers Counteinance he hath his fathers Gate He set a most faire Copy doe yee imitate the hand Iohn 10.3.4 1 Tim. 4.12 He did as his great Master he went before his flocke And was an example of beleivers in word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in faith in purity In all things he shewed himselfe a patterne a stampe Tit. 2.7 that is the Apostles word such a stampe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as makes an Image of it in Coine or such a stamp as Printers use which leaves an Impression on the Paper be yee his Impression be yee his printed worke be yee the Commentary your selves and then yee need not buy it at the shops He was Typus Gregis be yee Antitypon Pastoris Goe through the world like good and current Coine with the right stampe Mat 22.20 Shew whose Superscription and Image you beare on one side Gods on the other side Cesars and both stampt upon you by your Pastor who was wont to Preach unto you those two points Holinesse and Obedience Shew that you suffered him while you sate under his Pulpit to enter deep into your hearts A deep stamp is long before it is worne out let it appeare that these fifteene yeeres since he dyed you have not forgotten the word of his exhortation Luke 11.28 They heare best that practice best If any of you be prophane and unholy if deceitfull and dishonest in your dealings if intemperate voluptuous and wanton yee might happily bee his Hearers and in the throng but none of his Disciples but such as listned with the other eare to your lusts But I am perswaded better things of you Heb. 6.9 and things that accompany salvation though I thus speake for I know your husbandman was skilfull and the seed good Math. 13.3 1 Pet. 1.23 Beare not therefore thorns and briars for such ground is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned but rather shew your selves to be the earth that hath drunk in the raine that came oft upon you and bring forth fruit that so you may receive a further blessing from God Unto whose blessing and most gracious protection I commend you and remaine Your servant in the Lord SAM TORSHELL To the READER THE holy Scriptures that had so many praises given unto them by the Antients were by them much read and studied who used also many waies of interpreting them wee finde their Commentaries that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writings in which they set downe heads for remembrances Interpretations that is Enarrations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they called them or Examinations of the words Significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scholies that is Glosses which they writ at their leisures in their ordinary reading Metaphrases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delivering the text in other words
them in word deed and provoke them to unkindnesse distemper by strange cariage of theirs it may be sometimes taking Sarahs mayde as Abraham did though Sarah never give her him and so driving them into divers passions distractions making them forget both their sex their duty and hence comes oftentimes so many complaints of wives when the husband is the cause of it As if the head should lead the body through fire water through myre dirt through woods and thickets where it receives much hurt and then complaine of the hurt and paine that it suffereth so many by their strange behaviour draw themselves into contempt and make their wives undutifull and then exclaim against them when they should condemne themselves they have gone against the rule of God and so have brought the curse of God upon them Vse 2 To instruct every man to abstaine from vexing and grieving his wife either by his absence or presence but to dwell with her and delight in her company not withdrawing himselfe from her but upon a good calling and a good cause and then so as she may perceive he takes no delight nay that it is a griefe to him to be an occasion of her griefe and that yet he leaves his heart behinde with her When he is present he must live lovingly and amiably with her abstaining from all things that may grieve her so shall he give her an example to do so to him For they ought not to please themselves but one another The good things that are in her he must cherish for as in children or servants so in the wife nothing incourageth her more in any good thing then that her husband observeth and approveth those good things 〈◊〉 in her The evill things ordinary infirmities he must rather intreat God for them then reprove her but if either he must take his fittest time for it as with Physitians observe her nature as they their patients and do it in love not passion with a grave yet cheerfull countenance letting her see her fault out of the Word rather then from his will and dislike And though he be master Bee and have a sting yet must he seldome or never use it unlesse extremity drive him and that by her peevishnesse rather then his passion or folly in handling of the matter And so may he have comfort by her and fruit of her for shee is therefore compared to a vine which by the care and diligence of the Gardiner in carefull pruning and underpropping it and dressing of it brings forth fruit even grapes whence comes wine which rejoyceth the heart otherwise it will but wallow on the ground and remaine fruitlesse But to conclude provided alwayes that she be dutifull and kinde loving and obedient unto him or else she forfeits her right and then if he be bitter and unkinde to her I do not warrant him but I lesse blame him If she be to him not a turtle Dove but a chattering Pye full of brawlings and contentions because every thing must not be as she would have it I lesse blame him if he delight abroad seeing Salomon hath said Prov. 21.9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house Prov. 19.13 The contentions of a wife are as a continuall dropping If she be as one saith like a vine that were planted in the flowing sea which prospereth least when the water is lowest so his fellowship sweetest when he is furthest off If as many women who tell us they make themselves fine and trim to please their husbands and yet are least trim when they onely enjoy them but onely when they are to shew themselves abroad which in many is rather to please others then their husbands I censure not all so they have no cheerfulnesse and loving carriage in them when they and their husbands are alone never so merry as when he is absent never so solemne and drooping as with him as if his company were a burden and his presence a clog unto them who can to any body else put on cheerfull lookes have lively spirits and finde talke enough but with their husbands can finde none but sit heavie a whole dinner and supper while and not a word from her no token of her joying in his company And upon every discontent be strange a day two or three looking he should seeke to her I say by such dealings she hath forfeited her right and though it bee Summum jus and so summa iujuria to take it such a forfeiture or rather it is indeed injustice yet if hee do take it it is but just upon her and though he be not fit to do it yet she hath deserved to suffer it And covered the Altar of the Lord with teares The generall of these words we have heard the particulars we must examine These women though heavie in heart and full of grief yet would they not desist from praying to God and performing their service and offerings to him neither doth he for that reject them and their offerings though he be their husbands afterwards who were the cause of their griefe Doctrine Though men cannot performe the service and worship of God with that cheerfulnesse and perfection which he requireth who loves a cheerfull giver and so a cheerfull worshipper and being Perfection it selfe would have things in perfection yet must they performe them as they are able and he will accept them in their imperfection Manifest as here so by that reproofe of Moses to Aaron Levit. 10.16 The practise of Nehemiah Nehem. 1.4 of David Psal 42.5.6 of Zacharie Luke 1.22 of Christ who might stand for all Matth. 26.38.39 Reason Because many so have obtained a blessing and God hath given it them as Psa 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy as the Goaler Acts 16.29 came trembling to Paul and Silas but departed with joy of heart vers 34. Vse 1 Not let our infirmities hinder us from prayer Vse 2 To come confidently to God And covered the Altar of the Lord. These did not seeke to revenge themselves they resisted not by giving injury for injury dealing with their husbands as they had dealt with them but patiently bore it and committed it to the Lord. Doctrine Men who are injured oppressed and hardly dealt withall by others ought to beare it patiently and not to revenge themselves and to resist by force and violence Vse To teach every man to beare patiently the injuries done unto him if he have received them do not requite them but rather with well-doing let him go to Gods Altar and with Hezekiah spread the letter of the King of Ashur before God with Ioseph carry the hard speeches of his brethren to his father If he have the same spirit he must have the same minde which was in the Lord Jesus and leave vengeance and recompence to him to whom it belongs Thou art injured deprived of thy goods beaten
with it as a faithfull dispenser giving to every one his portion where and to whom the Spirit of God hath set them downe to Priest and people to old and to young to married and unmarried to the good and prophane without feare and flattery or any other sinister affections remembring that this in the first is in the whole and to every verse it is the word of the Lord fearing to corrupt as well as to adde lest that I heare as 't is Prov. 30.6 Adde not to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyer remembring that of Luke 12.42 that I may be a faithfull and wise Steward that I may obtaine that Vers 43 44. which how soone it may be generall or to me in particular whether before I have gone through the whole or this Chapter or this verse I know not Vse 2 This teacheth all to whom I am to speake first they must heare for it is the word of the Lord and never withdraw themselves negligently or carelesly preferring vaine pleasure and profit of no value before it If any withdraw himselfe the soule of God shall have no pleasure in him to use the words rather than the full sence as Israel said to Sihon King of the Amorites Judg. 7.24 so wouldst not thou heare that thy Prince Father or Master saith unto thee nay will not Idolaters heare that which their gods say unto them how much more you that the Lord shall speake to This is the word that we shall speake is but the delivering of it in moe words which is here set downe in fewer pressing it at large which is here set downe more briefly this as a clew of thread wound up by us it is but drawn out at length yea and it must be heard as the word of God with all reverence received with humility believed by faith obeyed with care for the Lord having spoken it it was not for the time and persons present onely but for all successive ages and people As the Lawes of Princes and Decrees of Parliaments are not onely for them that live then but for whosoever shall afterwards be borne subjects to the same Soveraignes therefore not any sinne is here reproved but it is reproved in whomsoever it is found nor is there any judgment threatened but menaced against the men of our time that heare it not any duty commanded but it is appertaining to us as to them because it is the word of the Lord who is our Lord as well as theirs of the Gentiles as of the Jewes I cannot say as Daniel 4.19 fine so the Prophecy is for others and the interpretation of it is for others and judgments to your enemies but as Peter Act. 2.39 It is to you and to your children so these things here commanded and reproved are for you and your children But why should I speake thus sharpely unto you Verily because God will neverthelesse bring these if I should hold my peace and by speaking I may prevent he should not if so be my exhortations this day may finde place in your hearts and hereafter in your lives But shall I come unto you not with a rod but in love and the spirit of meeknesse 1 Cor. 4.21 then as Chrysostome ad pop Antioch Hom. 27. by our mutuall love yours and mine by all the travell I have felt for you till Christ be formed in you fully Gal. 4.19 give me that wherein I may glory before men and devils and in the presence of God And what is my glory but your progresse and increase in piety here and your salvation in the life to come Believe me beloved Si fieri potest me pro vobis certamen bene gerere ves autem bene gestae rei praemia ferre nunquam profectò vobis tantum turbationis ingererem sed non licet hoc nobis non licet inquam Chrysostom de virtut vitiis sermo If it were possible for me to undergoe the Combate and you to beare the Trophies of the victory I would not put you to so much trouble But this may not be this may not be for every one must live by his owne faith and passe to heaven by his owne piety and obedience It is neither bought nor borrowed oyle in our Lamps will serve to enter in with the Bridegroome To Israel The second person to whom as the Subject to Israel that is to the whole people who were lately delivered out of Captivity and now enjoyed their Land and the liberty of Religion and as men not sufficiently instructed under the rod and crosse or forgetting their former calamities returned to their former corruptions and sinnes whose sinnes were the worse by that they had received and made the more inexcusable when they should have beene bettered by his mercies they grew worse By Israel he understands the whole company both Priest and people calling it Israel which for distinction was before called Judah after the rent happened betwixt the ten and two Tribes Judah and Benjamin and some of Levi to the house of David and the rest to Jeroboam for the ten tribes by Salmanassor were so led into Captivity that they never returned he now called these two Tribes by the old and wonted name To Israel then his owne people chosen out of the world yea reserved to himselfe from those ten Tribes thus specially beloved he sends though with griefe thus threatning Doctrine God will punish his even his owne for their sinnes and offences how deare soever they be unto him it is indeed his love unto them that he will passe by many infirmities and weaknesse in them as Matth. 7.18 but yet sinnes of greater nature habit and custome he will not passe by unpunished 2 Sam. 7.14.18 not onely the threatnings but the execution of many afflictions and plagues recorded in the Word upon the whole Church of Israel upon particular persons on Moses Numb 20. on Miriam Numb 1. David often and other the good Kings who were punished proves this manifestly Reas 1 Because hee loves his owne therefore will hee correct and punish them for the sparing of the rod is hatred not love Nulla ira magna ira the fondnesse of affection not the favour of judgment Prov. 13.24 It is love because of that 1 Cor. 11.30 when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Reas 2 Because he would be justified not as wisdome of her children onely but even of wicked and enemies for if he should spare his owne then would they say God were wicked like them as the wicked when he spares themselves say Psal 50.21 hence was the death of Davids child denounced and performed to prevent or to stay the blasphemy of the wicked 2 Sam. 12.14 as he insinuates in his Psalme of Repentance Psalme 51.4 Reas 3 Because he may manifest his hatred of sinne when he punisheth it not in those that are wicked onely whose persons he may seeme to
be accounted a good pay master and yet such deale nothing so currantly with God neither when we looke for so much from God Man will not give God so much give him our selves and that we have received one will give him his heart another his body not his heart another will part both with him as if he created not both as one as if his title be not as great to one as to another or to the whole as to part He is the Father of our spirits and the Father of our bodies or if thou wilt give one and not the other thou condemnest thy selfe by the one for with-holding the other for his right is in this respect to both and must have both and be honoured in the whole But why pay they as much because they would receive more and have not yet enough So in this no man is perfect though he have received much And why hath not God made him perfect Verily it was as one said not because he was covetous and niggard but because he was loving and bountifull knowing that it was good for him to be such an one not that he should be poore but humble not as alwayes needy but as alwayes looking up to him and remembring to honour him with that he hath given him that he may receive that he wants and further perfection pay then thy debt and pay it to receive more that thou mayest be perfect and thinke he speakes to every one If I be thy Father honour me remember me thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and thy age even as one saith so often as thou breathest so often thou oughtest to remember God And seeing thy being is ever in one so thy thankfulnesse should be ever both for thy ever being And as Chrysostome thou wilt say Lord keepe me as the Apple of thine Eye he will answer thee againe Keepe my Commandements as the Apple of thine eye so thou wilt come to God and say Lord keepe me for thou hast made me I am thine and the workes of thy hands God will answer thee then Keepe the words of my mouth and so honour me for thou art the workes of my hands Doctr. The election of God by which he hath freely chosen men to be his sonnes and to be heires of eternall life binds them to obedience service and honouring of him so the Lord reasoneth here if I be a father if I have adopted and chosen you for sonnes where is my honour He challengeth but that he hath title To this purpose is that Ephe. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.17 Math. 5.16 Reas Because his choise and adoption is so free for it is without any merits or deserts of man of his owne free will and pleasure Ephe. 1.5 long before there was any merit of man for it was before he was it is ancienter then the world it is coeternall with God himselfe for as he is from all eternities so he hath loved his from all eternity then free and most franke is this choice of men to be sonnes Now benefits the more free undeserved the more they bind men to performe thankfulnesse for them So in this And this is that God would have for it Honour him Reas 2 Because it is so rare a benefit not all not many but few of many Math. 20.16 few chosen Benefits that are rare are pretious rara chara and so deserve and exact more when as then God amongst so many Nations of barbarous men and in such a multitude of condemned men hath called a man to so happy a condition that he should be in the number of those who are chosen his sons and to inherit eternall life the benefit being so much the greater as the number is smaller must needs binde to this duty Vse 1 This may serve to stop the mouth of desperate wretches that make the doctrine of Gods decree an occasion of carelesnesse and from it take liberty to dishonour God that reason if they be elected they are sure to be saved whether they live well or ill and so è contra whence they give all liberty to themselves and live licentiously and dishonour God of these I would demand whether they thinke the former testimonies and this particular preface was written by the spirit of Christ If they say no they shew themselves in the state of reprobation whatsoever God hath decreed of them If they say it is then let them compare the spirit they speake with and this spirit by which these are written and see themselves not to be led with the spirit of Christ which can not so contradict it selfe It requireth duty and reverence service and honour because thou art his thou wilt give none because if perhaps thou beest thou needest not if not it is bootlesse and doubtfull in this thou determinest not to honour God but to dishonour him Tell me this thou thou art a father and disposest of all thy goods in secret before ever thy sonne knows how or hath enquired and used means to know how if he should set light by thee and carry himself undutifully towards thee as if he would give thee an occasion to give all away from him if thou hast not done it already wouldest thou not thinke it a marvellous preposterous and impious course and yet this is that which thou wilt doe with God like a desperate miscreant not knowing whether God hath purposed thee salvation and heaven which he had disposed and made his will of in secret yea not taking so much paines to search and enquire by the booke of God and the notes in it whether thou be in the number but yer ever thou seeke after it to know whether thou be in his booke so wilfully behavest thy selfe as if thou meantst to make him alter his will if it were possible if he were purposed to deale well with thee before But know thou if he were purposed to disinherit thee yet thou oughtest to honor him because he is the father And this without all consideration of Heaven and Hell much more if he have elected thee and thou be his sonne this way too oughtst thou to honour him And know that if thou beest his no such thought can possesse thy heart long lesse allow thy mouth to speake it boastingly in a secure and carelesse course of life what may come from a man of a troubled minde and in a temptation that is not to this purpose but the other can never bee Nay know that God disposeth all things sweetly and orderly to bring a man to this end if he have once chosen him As a father that aymes at some state of life for his sonne as to make him a Lawyer or a Divine he traines him up so and brings him up in learning and studies and directions Vse 2 This should admonish every one who by a divine search findeth himselfe the son of God by adoption or election or thinks himselfe is one to remember what he is and what it requires of him
infancy seeing her infirmities so have they dealt cunningly with his people he to hold them to himself they to draw them from the Gospell Because saith Chrys the people of Israel who were brought up in Aegypt had polluted themselves with Idolatry would have sacrifices ceremonies so that if they were not permitted unto them they were ready again to fall to Idolatry though God desired a people to worship him in spirit truth yet he granted them unto them dealing as a wise Physitian who having a patient sick of a feaver by reason of heat desiring earnestly cold water and unlesse it be given him he is ready to seek a halter to strangle himself or some waies to destroy himself there the Physitian compelled by necessity gives him a cup of water prepared by himselfe and commands him to drinke but forbids him to drinke of any other but that so God gave the Jewes goodly ceremonies but so as it was not lawfull for them to use any other And then were they grieved saith he when he shewed his wrath upon them for making a calfe of their ear-rings c. So in cunning and mischievous policy hath the Church of Rome when they saw how the nature of man was affected with holy things because of the outward meanes when simple and base because the Gospell is such they little regarded them but glorious things were those that affected them therefore have they fallen from the simplicity of the Gospell to that whorish Babylonish pride they are now in when it was with her as Boniface the Bishop and Martyr said to one that asked whether it was lawfull to administer the Sacrament in woodden cups he answered In times past they had golden Priests and woodden Chalices then would they bragge of nothing such a multitude as now when they have woodden Priests and golden Chalices since Pope Vrban hath made all the ministring attire golden and gay and so because they are led by their sences therefore they are violently carried after this superstition Vse 2 This teacheth us why in the Church the meanes of Gods worship his word and table are so little esteemed or regarded because men are so led by their sences and when the meanes are base and simple they thinke so of the worship it selfe as Hierome said putabant altari deesse religionis sanctimoniam quia deerat aedificationis ambitio they thought the Altar was not to be so religiously regarded because it was not richly bedecked and adorned such are they as give no respect to the word because the Minister is of no great respect but a meane plaine man who have not learned more to esteem the earthen vessels for the treasure but lesse to account of the treasure for the earthen vessels Hence many set light by the holy Table because they see nothing here but bare bread and wine very base and meane elements such as they use ordinarily to feed on else where and so as a foole or a naturall if he light on an obligation or a deed he maketh no more reckoning of it then of a piece of parchment a little wax because he understandeth not the contents and end of it So in these things not considering the end and use of them by whom they were appointed As there are some who overvalue these mysteries specially the Sacraments that tye the grace of God inseparably to them and make the opus operatum a matter of sufficient vertue that ascribe some divine power to the very outward elements and so bring a divine adoration of them that of holy mysteries make magicall miracles as the Church of Rome doth so againe are there many in the Church of England that undervalue them that make no other reckoning of them then as of ordinary elements and repaire unto them as to the bodily food because they are in nature and substance the same the Doctrine here being the ground of it they being so dull sighted they can look no further then that which is object to the sence of them they can see no end nor use of them more no secret grace nor vertue in them and that which is worse will not submit themselves to be taught or if taught not believe when oportet discentem credere Vse 3 To teach every one in these actions sursum corda habere and to lift the eyes of his minde upwards as with his bodily eyes he seeth the outward elements here so with the eye of faith to apprehend the matter of it that which these outward things represent to the minde The word of God for letters and syllables is but the same with other humane writings but it hath another manner of worke with it in regard of the spirit and grace of God accompanying it unto those that heare it with a sanctified eare As we see that ordinary water and aqua vitae in a viall or glasse look both alike but they differ much in work and effect because there is a kind of Spirit in the one which is not in the other so the Word and the Sacrament though the same in substance with ordinary Bread and Wine yet they have a farre divers worke and effect with them unto those who receive them with a holy heart and a faithfull in regard of Gods covenant whose seales they are in regard of the mercy of God of which they more assure us in regard of Christs Death that they represent unto us and put us in minde of and in regard of the grace of Gods Spirit that accompaineth them in those that so receive them for the effecting of these former matters VERSE VIII And if yee offer the blind for sacrifice it is not evill and if yee offer the lame and sicke it is not evill offer it now unto thy Prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hostes ANd if you offer the blinde for sacrifice The Lord proceedeth to prove that they despise him and his table shewing how they have erred both against his law and the rule of honesty and comelinesse Levit. 22.21 22. And if you offer the blinde for sacrifice it is not evill These words are read of some by way of interrogation When yee offer the blinde is it not evill Now a negative interrogation ever affirmeth strongly q.d. it is very evill and yet yee doe it Hierom Junius others read these words by way of affirmation God continuing to tax their thoughts you think it not evill you think it is good enough for God you make it no fault and this is the common reading which is more agreable to the context but the matter is not great how we take it both tend to one end and one effect both a disliking disallowing of such sacrifice For the sacrifice here spoken of some understand it only of the sacrifice the Priests offered for themselves Levit. 4.3 Heb. 5.3 Others for the sacrifice the people brought which when they were burnt offerings which were
that he sleepeth and must be awaked Eccles 11.9 Isaiah 44.12 13 c. 1 Kings 22.15 Now examples are warrants where precepts be not against them Reas Because this is a speciall meanes as to shew a mans detesting of such things so to draw them to the disliking of such things as they are affected with or dote upon such speeches often more prevaile then greater matters men being more impatient of a scoffe then many serious reproofes Vse 1 This refelleth their conceit who deny any use of these things Object they deny there are any such things in the Scripture they say they are lyes they say that the Apostle forbids them Ephe. 5.4 neither jesting Answ I answer that there is an use of them and that in the Scripture as the former examples prove Neither are they supposed unfitting the Majesty of the Scripture For though it be true that a man speakes one thing and thinkes another yet the manner of his words and speech doth bewray his minde and that indeed there is no contrariety for the hearer may easily discern his minde As in that of Michaiah 1 Kings 22.15 for verse 16. Ahab discerned well his meaning that he did but scoffe at him and his false Prophets so that he speakes as he thinkes not for the very words but for the matter of the words Neither makes the place in the Ephesians against this because it forbids scurrility when men scoffe and reproach others rashly when there can be no edifying of others or good to the party but their malice and disdaine shewed and as well the modest and temperate hearers as the sufferers are offended which is that which differeth farre from these things we can not bring these within compasse of a lye unlesse we make the Spirit of truth a lying Spirit And in these a man hath no intent to have his words otherwise taken then he meaneth them Vse 2 This warranteth the use of them as sometimes our men have done in deriding and scoffing at the folly of Papists at their Idols and Idolatrous service and foolish superstitions and ever are lawfull to be used when a man doth it not for revenge or to wreck his anger wrath upon some person that is his particular enemie but to reprove and condemn impious and idolatrous worship and such like Now for the matter and first for that which is generall here in the whole God will not accept their prayers that is the thing threatened Doctr. It is a heavy thing and fearefull judgement that men should pray and not be heard that they make long prayers to God but he will be as though he heard not but reject their supplications and they be as men beating the ayre It is threatned here So Isaiah 1.15 And when you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers I will not heare for your hand are full of blood Proverb 1.28 Then shall they call on me but I will not answer they shall seeke me earely but they shall not finde mee Hosea 8.13 The contrary is promised as a blessing and performed as a blessing and acknowledged as a blessing Isaiah 30.19 Surely a people shall dwell in Zion and in Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more he will certainly have mercy upon thee at the voyce of thy cry when hee speaketh he will answer thee 2 Chron 7.14 Psal 116.1 2. Reas 1 Because it is a manifest signe that the persons are out of favor and he is dispeased with them for the accepting of their prayer is a proofe of the acceptation of person because he first looks to the person In sacrificiis quae Abel Cain primi obtulerunt non munera eorum Deus sed corda intuebatur ut ille placeret in munere qui placebat in corde Cypr. de Orat Dom. 11. then the prayer as first Abel was accepted then his sacrifice And what can bee more fearefull though it is not alwaies felt then to live out of favor with God If in the displeasure of a Prince there be danger more of Gods to carry Gods marke about with him as Cain that he is out of favor Reas 2 Because this is the meanes by which all blessings are obtained the key that opens and shuts Heaven Oratio justi clavis est coeli ascendit precatio descendit Dei miseratio Aug. ut nihil sanctū nisi illo sanctificante nihil potens nisi illo roborante Prayer the wall of the City Ita nihil faelix nihil auspicatum nisi illo prosperante Cipr. as Elijah it opens the right hand of God for blessings shuts the left hand from cursings Now when a man can receive no blessing neither escape any curse hath no meanes for it because as good be without the meanes as when they are not regarded must it not be a heavy thing Many things befall many men without prayer if that be no prayer which is without understanding and affection yet are they but common blessings such as are common to them and other men yea creatures unreasonable and senselesse Reas 3 Because as one saith verè novit rectè vivere qui rectè novit orare so he can only live well who can pray well For as St. Augustine out of Saint Cyprian Quae implenda jubentur in lege in oratione poscenda sunt but if they can not or shall not be heard in praying where shall they have strength to performe Vse 1 This noteth the senselessenes of many men who though they pray often and prevaile seldome or never yet never mourne under it as under a judgement sorrow not much for it It may be they can mourne that they have not that they desire for want of the thing it self but not that their prayers are not heard It is that they grieve for because they receive not from God but never that their prayers are not received of God like him that puts up a Petition to the Prince and is little or not at all troubled that he reads it not but gives it over to another that will smother it but his griefe is that he relieves him not and this appeares because their hearts desire any meanes else though never so unlawfull to supply that they want and to give that which God will not grant and if the opportunity be offered they will not stick to use them as Saul did the witches things condemned by him before Secondly because if those meanes be of force and by them they prevaile their hearts are cheared up well enough little or not at all sorrowing that he heard them not not much caring though he did not Thirdly if they prevaile not by those meanes yet never will they returne again to God nor seeke from him if not the things yet patience and comfort in the want of them Vse 2 To teach the whole Church and particulars of it to groane under this as under a judgement of God that their prayers are not heard
why we may pray to Saints living but not to Saints departed For us He separates not himselfe from this Church for all the corruption of it in Priest and people hee forsakes not their assemblies but cōmunicates with them in their service sacrifices Doctrine Men ought not to separate themselves from a visible congregation or assembly a visible Church for the abuse of it and the corruption of it it being not in fundamentalls As here the Prophet did not neither read we of any Prophet who left the Church but in most corrupt ages remained there reproving and threatening them praying and mourning for them but not forsaking them It is that Ezek. 9.4 they are noted as St. Augustine observeth that mourne for the corruptions of the time not who separate themselves from the Church In the New Testament we find not Christ nor his Apostles to forsake the Church but remaine in it though marvellous corrupt teaching reproving correcting mourning for it So of the Pastors of the six Churches of Asia their corruptions noted and their Angels biding with them To this purpose is that Hebr. 10.24 25 38 39. Reas 1 Because no man ought to separate himselfe from the true Church of Christ Now such is an assembly professing the true faith notwithstanding other corruption for as holinesse if it might be supposed without true faith cānot make a true Church but false doctrine and errour in the foundation overthrows it for being a Church So è contrà corruptions in manners cannot make it no Church when true faith is taught and maintained Reas 2 Because separation and excommunication from a particular Church is the most heavy and greatest censure of the Church which as no man should incurre by his evill behaviour so no man ought to inflict upon himselfe for the corruptions of others who happily deserve to be separated themselves Vse 1 To condemne all those who withdraw themselves from our assemblies because of corruptions amongst us crying out of those who will remaine among them to the benefit of the good that is there to be had But to such an one I say as Augustine answered Petilian Non habes quod objicias frumentis Dominicis paleam usque ad ventilationem ultimam sustinentibus à quibus tu nunquam recessisses nisi levior palea vento tentationis ante adventum ventilatoris avolasses Aug. contr Petilian Cap. 1.18 That he did not well to leave Christs heape of Corne because the chaffe was in it till the great winnowing day and that he shewed himselfe to be lighter chaffe driven out by the wind of temptation that flew out before the comming of Christ the winnower What folly is it for a man to leave the Jewells and Plate in the Gold-finers shop because of the Iron tongs and black coals What warrant have they when as Noah left not the Arke for all the uncleane beasts Vse 2 To teach every man not to be so offended for the corruption of the times as to separate himselfe from the Church for them * Si amarent pacem non discinderet unitatem Aug. contr lit Petiliani lib. 24. If they had loved peace they had not broken unity saith August And in another place A vessell of honour ought to tolerate those things that are vile * Vas in honore sanctificatum debuit tolerare ea quae sunt in contumelia nec propter hoc relinquere domum claritatis Dei ne vel vas in contumeliam vel stercus projectum de domo sit Aug. contr epist Parm. lib. 3.5 and not therefore to forsake the house of God lest himselfe be cast out as a vessell of dishonour or as dung That certainly which is 1 Cor. 5.13 Put away from your selves the wicked person is to be understood of those who have authority which if they exercise not is their sinne not mine or thine Shall I forsake the good and the Church where I may be safe for their evill Nec quisquam sine consensu cordis sui ex ore vulneratur alieno Let no man then separate himselfe for why should a good pure and sound member separate it selfe from those that are corrupt and cut it selfe off both to make the whole worse and to lose to it selfe the good it might have by abiding For us The Prophet who had the least hand in the sinnes and was the least cause of the burden he feares and as it were mournes and seeketh how to avoid it when the Priests who were the cause of it are secure and carelesse Doctr. It often falls out that the faithfull mourne and feare the plagues they foresee when they who have deserved them sleep securely and rather provoke God still Mich. 1.8 Therefore will I mourne This hath beene by your meanes Here is the reason why God will not accept their prayers because they are authors and principall causes of the evill and sinnes amongst them Doctrine The prayers of hypocrites and wicked men whether Ministers or Magistrates or private men whether superiours or inferiours cannot be profitable to the Church nor others for whom they pray nor accepted of God This is manifest here as also by that where the prayers of the wicked are rejected with divers such places This the Lord taught when in his Law he commanded that the Priest should first offer for himselfe Levit. 4.3 and Heb. 5.3 Reas 1 Because they are not profitable for themselves neither shall be accepted much lesse for others Not for themselves Isaiah 1. and 66. Reas 2 Because they are in Gods sight abhominable Prov. 15.8 such cannot prevaile with him Object Balaam prayed for the people of God and was heard for them and yet he was a wicked man Numb 23.19 20. Answ A truth it is St. August so answereth Parmen contr Epist Parm. lib. 2. cap. 8. proving they ought not to separate themselves as they taught because men are polluted But for the example I think we may say Balaam was not heard saving his judgment because he certainly never prayed hee did prophesie indeed in a certaine forme of prayer therefore that speech of his is accounted a blessing because he did ominate and foretell happy things which would befall to the people of God But he never prayed indeed for his heart went against it it was utterly against his will who for the wages of Balac would rather have desired to curse onely hee was compelled to it by the Spirit of God Therefore he was not heard which prayed not but the Spirit of God which in the good worketh the affections and suggesteth words did onely put such words into his mouth for any good that should come by them to the people of God as for the terrour and destruction of Balac who had set himselfe against the people of God to shew him that not they before him but he should fall before them Vse 1 This sheweth the folly and the vanity of the reason of some Popish and Popishly affected who plead for lenity connivence
day of the mourning for the Gospell is not farre at least in Gods justice and his dealing with others because though corruption hath not seased upon his worship yet contempt of the word is every where Vse 3 The Church and the chiefe in it the Magistrates are here admonished if they desire that the Gospell and his worship should abide amongst us that they take heed it be not corrupted nor contemned which is the very life and breath of the Church the vitall spirits which being corrupted bring death to the whole they ought to make lawes against error and heresie superstition other corruptions and severely to execute them against whosoever dare privately or publiquely secretly or openly sowe any cockle with the pure wheat of Gods word and labor to keep it in as much sincerity and simplicity as may bee labouring to keep the fire upon the Lords Altar the Lampes burning in the Temple and the Levites unforsaken labouring for the mainteynance of the faith which was given unto the Saints Jude verse 3. correcting and punishing all contemners of it who or howsoever lest God doe remove it from us Vse 4 To teach every man as he desireth there should be peace and truth in his dayes so to repent of his corrupting polluting or contemning of this whether before or since his calling and now to labor for his part to keep it in integrity and purity to have it in all honor and high esteeme that if God for the generall doe remove it yet his sinne be not a provocation to it The removing of it will be griefe enough more when he shal be guilty himselfe as a procurer of it As sicknesse and trouble is heavy so more when a man is guilty by his own intemperancy or miscarrying of himselfe by surfetting and such like he hath brought it upon himself and pulled it with his own hands upon him so in this In that you say the table of the Lord is polluted This is the first particular their thoughts according to the phrase often used in this Chapter whence it is not only manifest that the Lord knowes the thoughts of Men and the things they doe in secret but he reveales them to others his liefetenants upon earth his Ministers and Magistrates to reprove or correct and punish Table polluted They contemned the Table because it was but rudely built and the offering because it was burnt to ashes Hierom. Doctr. The thing that makes men contemne holy duties and the worship of God is because they looke too much upon the basenesse of the meanes Vide vers 7. ut ante And the fruit thereof even his meate not to be regarded The Priests part they thought any thing would serve them contemning Gods worship they contemned the meanes of his worship Doctrine The contempt of Gods worship and the contempt of his Ministers goe together they are in one people one age one place the fruit of the Altar and the meate of it despised together So it is here so 1 Sam. 2.17 It is all one whether the cause be just and they justly despised or no. 2 Chron. 36.14 15 16. Nehem. 13.10 11. Reas 1 Because all the honour and account that the Ministers can have or looke for is for their worke for the worship and service of God they performe amongst them 1 Thes 5.12 13. Now if their worke once grow into contempt and disgrace they needs must which was the reason why Demetrius pleaded so hard for the honour of Diana for their owne gaine and honour knowing that they were honoured for her who if once dishonoured would make them to be dishonoured Acts 19.24 c. so in this of the true worship Reas 2 Because the corruption of man is such that when he should respect the Minister for his worke the chest for the treasure he respects the worke for the Minister the treasure for the chest Therefore if he once grow to dislike him he will dislike it Vse 1 This noteth the cause why the worship of God and his service is in these dayes in that contempt that we find it to be in all places it is amongst us still God hath not taken away the Arke of his presence but it is in small account little esteeme and reverence It is no marvell seeing the Lords Ministers are in such contempt as they are what difference or distinction soever men make of them yet herein they differ not but are all in contempt No sort nor condition of men no men of any profession in the Land are any thing like neere in the like generall contempt and disgrace that they are by Courtiers and Countreymen by Citizens and men abroad by rich and poore by old and young they are as 2 Chron. 36.16 marked despised misused Is it then any marvell if the worship of God be contemned when the Embassadour is contemned the embassage will and must be worse liked of when the Physitian the physick he brings Nothing that Micha can say or doe can be liked Ahab dislikes his person And againe è converso this layes out unto us why the Ministers are in such contempt the worship it selfe is in contempt They are deprived of their double honour in the most part because the most honour not the Word and worship of God When as the message of David sent by his servants is misconstrued by the Ammonites then are his messengers abused 2 Sam. 10. so when the worship of God then the Ministers These are two twinnes as it were the contempt of the one and the contempt of the other it is hard to tell which first comes forth happily some may thinke the one some the other as with the twinnes Gen. 38.28 c. Vse 2 This must instruct the Ministers of God if they have any desire that the worship of God should be had in account and reverence and not in contempt that they carry themselves wisely and discreetly sincerely and soberly both in the worke of their Ministery and in other carriage of their life that they give no just cause of contempt of the Word but that they may rather adorne it So Saint Paul perswades both Timothy and Titus and in them other Ministers for his charges were not personall nor temporary 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Tim. 4.5 Titus 2.7 8. for if all must so live and carry themselves that the Gospell of God may be well spoken of and his worship regarded if servants Titus 2.10 if women even young women verses 4 5. if all professors Titus 3.8 much more ought Preachers they ought so to handle those mysteries and worship of God that they may strike reverence and esteeme into the people so to carry themselves that they may get account and estimation to themselves and so to the worship of God for when the Ministers of God handle the Word simply and profitably and other parts of Gods worship with great reverence and when they practise it carefully then will it be better affected and reverenced of others
of the Tabernacle of Jaacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hostes 13 And this have ye done againe and covered the altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with mourning because the offering is no more regarded neither received acceptably at your hands 14 Yet yee say Wherein Because the Lord hath beene witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant 15 And did not he make one yet had he abundance of spirit and wherefore one because he sought a godly seede therefore keepe your selves in your spirit and let none trespasse against the wife of his youth 16 If thou hatest her put her away sayth the Lord God of Israel yet he covereth the injury under his garment sayth the Lord of hosts therefore keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not 17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him When ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them Or where is the God of judgement VERS I. And now O yee Priests this commandment is for you THE parts of this Chapter are Curses and Judgements threatned against 1. the Priests 2. the People In the first verse is noted the preface to the Priests He applieth his doctrine to the Priests Doctrine It is the dutie of the Minister not onely to teach generall doctrine but to deliver that which may concerne every man and every state and condition of men specially being his auditory charge to apply things to severall estates of men So is it here as Rom. 13.7 So reproofe to whom reproofe judgement mercie encouragement or terrour to whom it is due and belongs Ezech. 3.17.18.19.20 Reason 1 Because he is the Lords Steward of his houshold to dispose to all his servants their due portion 1 Cor. 4.1.2 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Moreover it is required in Stewards that a man be found faithfull Reason 2 Because if they deale thus faithfully their reward shall be great at the comming of their Lord and Master If otherwise their recompence shall be fearfull Luk. 12.42 to 47. Vse 1 To condemne those who teach onely generall things generall duties of Christianity or generall points and speake as it were in the clouds never applying the Doctrine to any particular to no men no conditions no state who deale so as civill honest men would be ashamed to do defraud men of their portion In the ages whersoever they lived they would be accounted the best Ministers and the onely men but being unfaithfull servants Luke 12.46 The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and at an houre when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers Vse 2 To stop their mouths who say The Minister is beside his text if he speake and apply any thing in particular to mens particular states and callings It is a strange thing men can endure that for the body they cannot for the soule nay that which for the body is complained of as dishonest and unfaithfull when it is not done they cry out of it if it be done to the soule In the body for the health of it men can endure not only prescription but application of Physicke yea of sharpe bitter and biting things If they send for a Physitian who feeles their pulse discerneth their urine and conceiveth of their disease and yet fall onely to discourse of the excellentnesse of Physicke and other diseases and never come any thing to theirs at all they would happily judge him a great Scholar but no wise man nor fit for a Physitian and happily call in question his fidelity But for the soule if the spirituall Physitian apply any thing if it have any sharpnesse in it if being with them and living among them and seeing their estate he touch them and apply it to them he is accounted no wise man hapily a busie and indiscreet fellow The Physitian takes not the way to save their bodies and he is cried out on the Minister takes the way to save their soules and he is cried out of The Physitian that will prescribe and see his patient take it and come to see how it workes with him is much commended for his honesty care and fidelity But if the Minister do the like he is busie and medling but he that will please men is not the servant of Christ and these must know when he deales with their particular sinnes out of a generall text he hath his warrant enough such as shall acquit him Vse 3 To teach the hearer to endevour to apply that he heareth delivered to himselfe and to learne what is for him and that to apply to himselfe for if the Minister 2. Tim. 2.15 must study to approve himselfe a workman that needeth not to be ashamed dividing the Word aright then shall the hearer approve himselfe a workman that needeth not to be ashamed receiving the Word aright They must therefore apply it to themselves The Ministers application may discharge himselfe but not profit them unlesse they will apply and keep it The Patient if he take not and endevour to keep the potion prescribed and brought by smelling of vinegar or the like labouring against the bad humours of the stomacke shall have little profit by the Physick but rather hurt So it is in this they must heare all and labour to retain all but learne that especially which concernes themselves places and conditions One man should not so greedily receive that which toucheth another man and let passe that which is to him or apply that to others which is to himselfe but every man that which is for himselfe He never proves a good Scholar which is busie to learne other of his fellowes lessons and neglecteth his owne nor he a good Christian that can take out other mens duties and not his owne not know what is for him O yee Priests It may seeme he goeth too farre in dealing with the Priests who were the greatest men the time had except their Ruler who then was no King and Malachy but a mean man as other the Prophets were and yet he dealeth with the Priests not excepting the high Priest himselfe Besides this corruption was the personall fault of the people and the Priests might excuse themselves as not to be reproved for other mens faults yet he deals with them This commandment is for you The reason why they are reproved because the charge hereof was by God laid on them God had commanded them to look to this he is thought by this to cut off every excuse which might be made against his reproof either why they have not done it or why hereafter they should not do it As for
ungodly Patrons to enrich themselves and better their state and portion thinke any body sufficient to discharge if he can change Peters voyce Acts 3.6 Silver and gold have I store or if he want that if he can part stakes and divide it take thirds or stand to his courtesie though he have not a whit of Elisha's spirit nor any knowledge in his lips such a one if they may be judges there is none to him as David said of Goliahs sword and more fit then one that hath Elisha's double spirit doubled upon him and will looke as he may to have that which God hath given him If we will make them judges either the Apostle Paul forgot himselfe or the Printer by negligence left out a word 2 Corinth 2.16 for it should be Who is not sufficient for these things But these Ieroboams which bring in Ministers of the lower sort of the people because they fill the hand shall have Ieroboams punishment 1 Kings 13.33.34 Qui potestatem facit volenti Ecclesiam corrumpere is certè author fuerit corū omnium quae perdita illius audacia turbaverit Chrysost de Sacerd. 3. Like to these are carnall parents who bring up their children onely so farre as they may be capable by the law of a living but care not for other sufficiencie onely perhaps for credit and complement sake that they be able now and then to make a Sermon in some place of honour and fame And they will provide and purchase livings and benefices for them and thrust them into them To these and their like I may apply that Dan. 1.10 And to these may I adjoyne those Ministers which themselves having knowledge yet I know not out of what corruption it commeth they thinke a few men of learning is enough If a few Parishes in a Citie or Countrey have learned men and preachers as if all Ministers should not be men of knowledge Vse 3 To reprove all Ministers who are ignorant whose lips have not knowledge who though they should be good Scribes yet are as ignorant of the word of God as Samuel was in his childhood of the voyce of God 1 Sam. 3.4 So unable are they for that place Like to Balaam Num. 22. that though God forbad him yet for gain he would needs go So these for the wages of iniquitie when as God by denying them gifts hath said Go not yet they will threap kindnesse of him and will go As Ahimaaz 2 Sam. 18.23 that would needs run to carry the King newes from the Campe but when he came he knew nothing So these needs must they be Ministers of the Gospel Messengers of glad tidings such as will carry newes from the King to the Campe but when they come to tell their message they know nothing no more or often not so much as many of their flockes as Hosea 4.4 Vse 4 To admonish every man how he takes this calling upon him that he finde in himselfe some competent sufficiencie for it not to be perswaded by friends drawn by others not thinking it is enough when he hath the calling of the Church for he must be a man of knowledge These things may increase other mens sinnes but not lessen his owne for he must be accepted by that is in him therfore must he be studious and of some competent parts before and still continue in reading and looke to learning as 1 Tim. 4.13.16 For he shall finde himselfe still bound to study and to have need of it daily for so great a worke to finde out knowledge for his people the Word being so deep as it is Bernard Object Whether if he have not gifts not knowledge is he a Minister or not Answer He is though not such as he should as he is a Minister which is corrupt and lewd though not as he should From these words some of our Papists do gather that the Priests could not erre and so by consequent not now the Bishops nor a Councel The reason is because this is a promise and God keeps his promises * The Councell of Chalcedon not denied to be a lawfull Councell equalled the Bishop of Constant with the Bishop of Rome in authoritie honour and other priviledges save onely in precedence which they say is an error The first Councell of Nice decreed That those hereticks who followed Paulus Samosatenus should againe be baptized as Cyprian and the Anabaptists The second of Nice decreed That Images should be worshipped and that Angels had bodies and that the soules of men were corporall Why else did Augustine appeale from the Councell of Africa where Cyprian was present to the Scriptures affirming we may not doubt of the Scriptures but of them it is lawfull lib. 2. de Baptist cont Donatist cap. 3. Concilia plenaria errare posse dicens If the Qu. be of the authoritie of the Pope whether greater then a Councell Hierom answeres Si authoritas quaeritur major orbis est urbe But aske the Councell of Constance which deposed Iohn 23. and chose Martin 5. Either the Councell erred or else Martin was no lawfull Pope Then all his successors were schismatickes no lawfull Popes To this I answer It is no promise but a commandment shewing what manner of man a Minister ought to bee The same which the next sentence is Againe I affirme that if it be a promise it is generall for the reason is generall to all yea and particular to every one But the Scripture is manifest that both particular Priests and generall Councels of Priests have erred In general are these Isaiah 59.10 Jerem. 6.13 and 14.14 which places shew that the most of the Priests and Prophets were then corrupt Now if there should have been a Councell gathered of these what good might be hoped for from them by going to the Councell they might have changed their places but not their mindes they would have been the same in a Councell they were at home Besides is it not manifest that Councels have erred 1 Kings 22. But Bellarmine happily will answere they were a Councell of Prophets not Priests gathered by the King not the high Priest Then see a Councel of Priests gathered by the high Priest erring John 9.22 and 11.53 and Mark 14.64 But Bellarmine will say that a Councell of the Jewes lawfully called before Christ could not erre but he being come they might The ground must be because they are not Priests neither the high Priest but this is false for the Priestood of Aaron was not abolished till Christ became a Priest which was not till his sacrifice for if they had been then had he sinned in communicating with them And if this were so it were marvell how the Rhemists and the generall Popish argument will hold who by the example of Caiaphas Joh. 11.49 proves that the Pope cannot erre though he be wicked for if he were not a high Priest then holds not this argument but he was a high Priest and they all Priests and yet
giving Doctrine The people must not onely heare and receive the word of God at the mouth of the Ministers but they must seek it and require it seeke it with earnestnesse and fervent desire So here and to the same purpose is that when the Spirit speakes of buying the truth Prov. 23.23 and Isaiah 55.1 And hence are the comparisons when it made as milke and men as new borne Babes 1 Pet. 2. when it is compared to gold Rev. 2.18 to a treasure and men to purchasers Matth. 13.44 to pearles and men to Merchants vers 45.46 Reason 1 Because it is that which will make men rich spiritually with riches of faith and pietie and such like which had will enrich men will they seek very earnestly Reason 2 Because here Christ and with him eternall life and all happinesse is to be found and no where else Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me Rom. 10.6.7.8 Hence Joh. 6.67.68 Jesus said to the twelve Will ye also go away Peter answered Lord to whom shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Hence the Gospell is The grace of God bringing salvation Tit. 2.11 Reason 3 Because without this whatsoever a man hath else whatsoever state and condition he is in better or worse health or sicknesse c. he can use no state well for the blessings of God 1 Tim. 4.5 are sanctified by the Word Vse To convince of sinne all such as though they heare yet seeke not nor desire it have no fervent affection to it The Law That is the simple and plaine words of God not trifles and fables and other vanities of wit but the whole Law whatsoever he is bound to deliver Doctrine The people ought to heare and receive to seeke and desire the Law the pure Law and the whole Law from the Ministers As before the Minister ought to deliver all so here they must affect and receive all So is it here and to the same purpose is that Isai 1.3 For the whole Law is his way This is proved Deut. 5.27 Matth. 28.20 1 Thess 5.20.21 Heb. 6.1.2 This by the contrary Matth. 2.11 2. Tim. 3.4 Reason 1 Because they are his people servants children spouse all which requires they should heare and affect his words his lawes his will and his precepts and them all Reason 2 Because the whole is either concerning God or themselves God as it setteth forth his wisedome power justice mercie and so forth Themselves as it offers mercy or threatneth judgement as it reproveth evill or promiseth good Vse 1 This will serve to reprove many and to convince severall men of severall corruptions some in one sinne and some in another who will heare and seeme to desire the Law out of the Ministers mouth but not the whole There are some who thinke many things needlesse to be knowne and heard many things not fit to be taught as before v. 6. Besides that was then sayd I say let them see if this be not to check the wisedome of God who hath written both and preserved the whole to the Church and if pride did not transport them beyond themselves it could not be they should be so affected As wisedome would teach them that many things are necessary though not the present profit of them appeare For as in instruments onely the strings sound yet are there other things in the whole body as that whereunto they are tied the bridge the pinnes which help the musicke so in the Prophets though all be not prophesies yet they are things to which these are tied and illustrated Aug de Civ D. lib. 16.2 And sometimes for those things which signifie something are those things which signifie nothing added As the ground is onely plowed and rent up by the plow share yet that this may be other parts of the plow are necessary And humility if they had any would teach to suspect their owne wisedome in not seeing the use and end the profit and fitnesse of things rather then questioning and reasoning against God Others can be content to heare all pleasant things as the promises and mercies of God but judgements and reproofes threats and checks that they cannot brooke like unto those who in medicines affect onely the smell or trimnesse or gaynesse of them as pills rouled in gold but cannot away with the force of purging and preserving And see not that a great company more go to hell by presuming in their lives then by despairing at their deaths Some can willingly heare that which concernes other men and their sinnes their lives and manners but nothing touching themselves at all and their owne sinnes As men can willingly abide to heare of other mens deaths but cannot abide to heare of their owne Oftentimes they will make the Minister to beleeve as they did Jerem. 42.5.6.7 Then they said to Ieremiah The Lord be a witnesse of truth and faith between us if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or evill we will obey the voyce of the Lord God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voyce of the Lord our God But when he shall declare unto them the will of God that crosseth their affections they will entertaine him and answer as Chap. 43.2 Thou speakest falsly the Lord hath not sent thee to say thus These and such like are here reproved and convinced of the breach of this duty that they receive not nor desire the Law of God Vse 2 To admonish every one to labour for hearts willing and desirous to receive the whole law and word of God as he shall put it into the mouthes of the Ministers to dispose it unto them whatsoever it may be whether it be pleasant or crossing For if men deale so with their Physitians submit themselves to their prescripts though often they be unpleasant because they are perswaded of their wisedome and that they worke all by Art and yet may they sometimes erre how much more unto all that which God hath spoken and prescribed when they may well know they cannot erre judging of such thoughts as esteemeth any thing superflous or unfit any thing difficult or too deep for them to looke into as suggestions of Satan and their owne corruption and not rising from Gods Spirit condemning in themselves all such thoughts as gain-say the Word and any part of it delivered unto them as unloyall to their Prince and Master Father and Husband yea censuring all such affections as gain-say and repine at the Word which toucheth them to the quicke and their particular sinnes and corruptions as fearfull fore-runners of some dangerous fall and back-sliding specially when in former times they could endure as much as that and happily more to be spoken unto them or were such as condemned other men for spurning when they were
be one If he offend that puts away his wife for no just cause what is doth that cuts himself from her by such an impious course And the more when God gave her him to keep his body in holinesse and honour having no necessity to it For as he that casts away his ship in the haven is more inexcusable then he that doth it in the maine sea so he that doth cast away himselfe upon a harlot being in marriage estate Chrysostome making the comparison betwixt theft and adultery saith * Gravis quidem res fur sed non tam gravis quam adulter Ille enim etsi frigidam causam habet tamen ex pauperie necessitatem pretendere potest hic vero nulla ipsum cogente necessitate per dementia sola in peccati voragimen corruit Chrysost Hom. 10. ad pop Antioch It is an heynous thing to be a thiefe but not so heynous as to be an adulterer The thiefe though his excuse be but a sorry one yet may pretend he is forced by poverty but the adulterer having no necessity onely through his owne madnesse rusheth into the gulfe of sinne Yet had he abundance of spirit He could have made more women for one man for it had been as easie for him to have created more soules and breathed them into more bodyes as he did but one and gave her to Adam Insinuating that the spirit or soule of the woman as of the man was created immediately of nothing and not made of the substance of the man as her body was And from this I would gather this generall Doctrine The souls of men are not propagated with the seede and substance of the body from the souls of their parents as their bodies from their seede but they are created of God of nothing and joyned to the body So much this insinuates And that Gen. 2.23 he saith not soule of my soule but bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh apparantly that he knew it not if it were that her soule was propagated from his soule as the body was If it had beene so and he had knowne it certainely it had been more fit to have expressed the conjunction of marriage to have said this is now flesh of my flesh and soule of my soule then as he did To this we adde Eccles 12.7 Dust returnes to the earth as it was and the spirit returnes to God that gave it And Isaiah 42.5 and 57.16 The souls which I have made Zach. 12.1 The Lord formeth the spirit of man within him Heb. 12.9 God is the father of spirits Where the Apostle maketh the opposition not denying God to be the Author of our bodies as of the soules but that by the parents this immediately else should there be no opposition Reason 1 Because Adams soule was not made of the substance of his body or whereof his body was made but of nothing therefore Eves for though it is not said of her that he breathed into her the breath of life as of Adam Therefore saith Tertullian and some others she had both from him But August in 10. lib. sup Genes saith that this concludeth the contray for if God had created her soule after another manner then Adams the Scripture would not have been silent in it no more then it is in the new manner of the creation of her body Therefore that which was spoken of the man must be understood of the woman and if of her then of others for there is no new manner of creation of man Reason 2 Because if it were propagated it must either receive matter from the body or soule of the parents not from the body because they differ in nature that corporall this spirituall not from the soule for then should it be subject to mutation and change to augmentation and diminution and so to corruption but the soule is immortall and not subject to corruption as no spirit is Vse 1 This serves to confute their opinion who thinke that the soule is propagated and not created comes from God by the parents and not from the power of God immediately It would be too too tedious not so profitable to make answer to all the reasons they bring which are of a contrary opinion yet not to passe over some common ones which are tossed up and downe of the common sort of men who have entered into this question It is an usuall objection with them that which troubled St. August in lib. 10. sup Genes That if God doe now create soules how should that be true that in the seventh day he rested from all his workes i. the workes of creation as it is generally taken how then should he create souls To answer I demand whether that Christ his soule was propagated from his Mother or created If they say it was propagated they must needs say it was tainted with sinne originall If they say it was created which the learned affirme S. August and others because it could not be tainted with sinne then have they answered for us that soules are now created And the meaning of God ceasing from his worke is that which the learned give that after the sixt day he created no new kinde of creatures or things though he doe still make particulars of kindes Secondly they say man begets a man and the mother brings forth a man of body and soule like themselves But admit this they beget and bring forth onely one part and not the whole then they beget and bring forth not like themselves In answer and demand did not God make Eve of Adam It will not be denyed yet did he make but her body and created her soule And if that speech be true why not this though but the body onely is propagated Againe I demand brought not Mary forth our Saviour Christ a true and perfect man and like her It is granted yet was his soule created of God and not propagated confessed of all Then so in this And the reason is given because in the body which is traduced and propagated from the parents by vertue of the seed there are qualities and conditions found by which it is made capable of a reasonable soule and so because of that the soule it selfe is said to be propagated from the parents And thus the schoole probably disputeth Thirdly they say if God create all soules then his which is begotten by adultery and so is the author of sinne or else a co-worker or a worker with the adulterers I answer first a difference is to be put betwixt the action and the evill of it God who workes in the action is free from the evill as in the betraying of Christ and murdering all move in him and worke by him but the evill is of themselves Secondly it is answered by some that there must be put a difference betwixt the action of an adulterer and his will The action simply and of it selfe is not evill but of things indifferent or naturally good the will is
that displease them and so noting how greatly God was displeased with these sinnes how they offend him Doctrine The blasphemies and other sinnes of men doe marvelously offend and vehemently displease the Lord which as it is affirmed here and the like Isaiah 43.24 So as many threates and menaces so many judgements executed sometimes upon the whole world sometimes upon generall Cities sometimes upon particulars persons through the holy story doth manifest no lesse because when men doe lay about them and smite and punish Irae in deo non est affectio sed poena in nos ea vocabulo nomi natur Chrysost it argues they are offended and displeased hereto belongs these and the like Psal 106.29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their owne inventions and the plague brake in upon them Isaiah 63.10 but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he fought against them Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God Reason 1 Because it is the transgression of his law Joh. 3.4 Now he gave his law to have obedience which is delightfull unto him 1 Sam. 15.22 He takes pleasure in obedience then disobedience and transgression must needs displease him Reason 2 Because he is most holy just and good yea goodnesse justice and holinesse it selfe Now as every man is more good so is he least suspicious of evill in another but when it is apparent he is most displeased with it for as things rejoyce and delight in their like so are they distasted and displeased with their unlike and that which is so contrary to them The more righteous the Judge is the more he hates iniquity and sinne he is righteousnesse it selfe The sunne is the greatest enemy to darkenes because it hath light of it selfe and as it were is light it selfe Reason 3 Because it workes the destruction of the creature which he loves Jam. 1.15 Now then loving his creature he must needs dislike and hates this parents hate and dislike those creatures men or beasts who worke the ruine of their children the fruit of their bodies and generally whatsoever a man loves he hates that which worketh the ruine of it Vse 1 For sinnes past which a man hath commited he must be grieved and displeased with himselfe that ever he committed any such things by which he hath grieved and vexed so holy and righteous a God And this ought he to do if either he have love to God or to himselfe Semper in amore cautella est nemò melius diligit quam qui maxime veretur offendere Sal. Ep. To God because where men love they are loath to offend and grieved when they have displeased them so that it is a note of a gracelesse child one without any love to his father that is never grieved when he sees his father grieved and vexed with his leudnesse and evill carriage he may be a child but he is a prodigall sonne and shall never be accepted till he returne and shew himselfe grieved that he hath grieved him True love seekes to please the beloved rather then it selfe and is more grieved that it hath displeased such one As Salvia Qui satis diligunt non citò offendūtur sed si nō facilè offendunt then if it had offended it selfe And whereas men are more displeased of the losse of their owne pleasure then to the displeasure of God how can it be but that selfe love is above Gods love As Salvia saith whom a man is loathest to offend he most loves of himselfe or God but where Gods love raigneth as it ought there this dislike and griefe will be And if this should not make them dislike and grieve yet if any man indeed love himselfe he will dislike and grieve for them because if he doe it not voluntarily he shall doe it by force and constraint for if he judge not himselfe and so take revenge of himselfe for his offending of God the Lord will and make him grieve though oftentimes not as he ought As Chry. of man qui fuerit su◠vinculis bonus nunquā erit profectò bonu◠simulac enim vi nulla cogitur liber ipse ad ingentum subito conversus iterum descesset So I of this griefe because such griefe in judgements is not alwaies true griefe yet he shall grieve as he would not for God will bring upon him that which will make him grieve some judgement or other to shew that as he loves them who love him so will he grieve those who grieve him which if it be come upon them they shall finde that true that a disease is not so soone removed as it is easily prevented So here And that it will grieve them as in diseases not the disease but that they neglected the meanes by which they might have prevented it Vse 2 For the time to come men ought to put away their sinnes and keepe themselves from committing new sinnes or renewing the old for it is that which is a griefe unto the Lord and his Spirit and should not men avoid the grieving of God not words and workes which are against God and doe displease him If sinne were a thing which God regardeth not and he were no waies affected or moved with it to griefe or displeasure lesse matter were to be made of it it were no great matter though men satisfied themselves and pleased themselves but being as it is so displeasing to the Lord such a grief unto him It is not only to be sorrowed for cōmitted but carefully to be avoided If he be a foolish son that is an heavnesse to his mother Prov. 10.1 What is he that is a grief to God his father how foolish and wicked is he One asked this question to one about to sinne Tell me what thou thinkest will he pardon thee or no whatsoever thou answer it shall be against thy selfe Ablatus erat à peccatoribus timor nè posset esse cautela And tanta animorum vel potius peccatorum caecitas fuit ut cum absque dubio nullus perire vellet nullus tamen id ageret ne periret Salvia if thou thinke he will not pardon thee what folly and desperatenesse is that to offend a mighty Prince without hope of pardon if thou thinke he will what ingratitude and impiety is it to offend so gracious and good a God so when thou art about to commit any evill or dost omit some good formerly practised and as thou wouldest be thought to have done it of conscience and so it may be though now asleepe Tell me I say what thinkest thou dost thou grieve and displease God or is it liking to him Answer what thou wilt thou shalt not avoyde but be taken If thou say or thinke it doth not displease him thou thinkest wickedly and shalt know it Psal 50.21 but if thou thinke it displease him what a desperatenesse is this to provoke such a great God so mighty a Prince And
we spoken against thee 14 Ye have said It is in vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his commandement and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts 15 Therefore we count the proud blessed even they that worke wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God yea they are delivered 16 Then spake they that feared the Lord every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name 17 And they shall be to me saith the Lord of hosts in that day that I shall do this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him 18 Then shall you returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not VERSE 1. Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall speedily come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts IN this Chapter are two things laid down one an answer to the blasphemies reproved vers 17. of the former which is contained in the 6. first verses The other an expostulation or contestation with them of their prophanesse obstinacy and other impiety ad finem For the first The sum of it is thus Hitherto hath God so shewed himselfe a most equall and upright Judge that yet before he manifested himselfe a most mercifull father and never yet condemned and punished any people or any Nation with destruction banishment or other punishment but he first by his Prophets or by other means endeavoured to draw them to repentance and their duty from their madnesse and corruptions And so it comes to passe that either truly repenting and desiring the mercy of God they obtaine pardon or remaining obstinate and impenitent they are most justly punished Now this ancient manner of shewing his judgements either privately or publiquely God commands here to be expected for he saith he is about a most excellent worke whereby he will make manifest to godly and sound hearted men the greatnesse of his mercy and will give proofe of the severity of his judgements to the wicked and those who are obstinate in their sin The manner how this is expressed unto us is by a Prophesie of two persons to come the one of Iohn Baptist the forerunner calling men to repentance and shewing Gods purpose both touching the godly and the reprobate The other of the Ruler and Saviour of the world the Judge of quicke and dead whose admirable power is manifested both waies both in saving of the good and faithfull and in judgeing and punishing the wicked The Prophesie is then of two persons and of their duties The first is Iohn Baptist the son of Zâ—charias who was and did shew salvation a comming and teach men the meanes how they might obtaine it who for the similitude of his minde manners studies and whole life was called another Elias for to understand this as the Hebrewes did of an heavenly Angel is marvelously absurd seeing our Saviour Christ in the Gospel hath manifestly affirmed that it was Iohn Math. 11.10 who was sent not by the councell of man neither came by his owne ambition but by the authority of God he undertooke this duty Behold Signifieth a certaine and a most famous and publique thing And speaking of this he useth the present tense he noteth the certainty of it that is as sure as if it were already done and as sure as if it were beheld with their eies But there is in this thing a difference betwixt the Prophet and the Evangelist one giving it to Christ the other unto the Father divers reconcile them diversly but that which seemeth most plaine and true is this That some works are proper to the persons to every one in their essentiall proprieties as to beget be begotten and proceed and these are not communicable but some are externall and common and sometimes are given to one person sometimes to another to manifest the unity of essence in the trinity of persons As Isaiah 6.1 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne Some thinke St. Basil and others that it was the Father who appeared in that vision Yet John 12.41 It is given to the sonne And Acts 28.25 Saint Paul giveth it unto the spirit So that which is spoken of the holy Ghost 2. Pet. 7.21 is affirmed of the Father Heb. 1.1 now like to these is this The sending of Iohn being common to both is by the Prophet given to the Son and by the Evangelist to God or by Christ in the Evangelist to shew that he was one in nature with the Father and another in person Now Angel heere is a name noting an office or ministery and not an essence or nature Cyrillus He shall prepare the way before me The effect of his office and ministery to make ready for Christ that is by preaching saith and repentance he might fit men ready to receive Christ whom he preached not to come but declared and pointed at him being present and already come And so he differed from all the former Prophets In which state he denied himselfe to be a Prophet Iohn 1. And the Lord whom ye seek The next Prophesie is of Christ himselfe and the Lord whose comming and person is described in this verse his power verse the second and the effects of that power in respect of the godly and elect verses third and fourth and of the wicked and reprobate verses five and six First of the comming of Christ which is described to us first when he should come speedily or immediately that is when John had once entered his office and begun to preach Christ should come preaching also repentance and the Gospell and so he did Marke 1. Secondly the place where he should come that is the Temple By which what should be meant divers men have divers conceits Saint Cyril understands the wombe of the virgin Saint August and Theod. the humanity and flesh of Christ because of that destroy this Temple Iohn 2. but neither of these can be seeing John must first be sent to preach which was not till Christ was thirty yeares of age for his sending was not his birth but his office or for it So Christs sending was not his incarnation but his office for then is he said to come when he began to preach worke miracles and execute his function So John 1.26 27. and Math. 3.11 By Temple then we understand literally the Temple at Jerusalem and in it the Church for in it Christ ought to be to teach to do and execute his calling and function by the decree of God And there to build himselfe that spirituall Temple which is made of living stones And this some gather from the preposition El ad which signifies not
children but that which a father is not able to doe that to one as to another to the youngest as to the eldest to the children of the Church of the Gentiles as it were his second wife as of the Jewes his first wife Provided they have the same faith the same spirit the same mediator when they come unto him which others have had who have beene graciously accepted then shall they be certainely received If they object that they are not so worthy as others have not such strength of faith such greatnesse of grace and such like I answer first this smells of infirmity and pride that as they thought to be heard for their much babling so these for their great worthinesse And secondly that children who seeke any thing from their father and hope to receive as others have done doe not looke upon their worthinesse but the naturalnesse of their fathers love VERS V. And I will come neere to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the sooth-sayers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages and vex the Widow and the fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of hosts AND I will come neere unto you in judgement The Prophet having spoken of the effect of Christs power touching the godly and faithfull and in them he speakes now of it in respect of the wicked whom he would judge and condemne neither should there be any evasion from his judgements neither any way to escape them Seeing he will be both witnesse and judge from whose knowledge and power and uprightnesse they cannot exempt themselves And this is contained in the fifth and sixth verses and hath two generall parts the first is the judgement the second is the certainety of it from the immutability of God And I will come neere unto you in judgement i. You doe much detract from me and disgrace me as if I regarded not what things were done here below but onely beheld them a farre off and let things runne as they would but now I will come neere unto you and seeing you say where is the God of judgement I will come to you not as you would to revenge others for your sake but to exercise severe judgement against you And so he speakes here of a perfect and sensible judgement which they had thought and judged to be farre off And I will be a swift witnesse Another effect i. I who am the judge will also be a swift witnesse I will come speedily and speedily will I lay open all your sinnes for all your windings and turnings all your secret concealing of sins is known to me you think that I am slow in executing of judgement but I will come sooner then you thinke of or will be profitable for you for to your destruction I wil be swiftly present And all your hypocrisie shal not helpe you for I will finde out these sinnes which you cover by fraud and cunning and cloake under one thing or another and cover by some colours he noteth such sinnes as were wont to be done in secret and for which it was hard to finde witnesses to evict them and punish them There shall want no witnesses for these things to prove them though you doe it in great secret I wil be the witnesse of it and for these he numbers up certain particular sinnes such as were done in secret without witnesses The first he calleth sooth-sayers some thinke the word signifies such as we usually call Juglers such as make things seeme otherwise to the eye then they are And under this he comprehends all who use any inchantments or magicke and have society with divells the other particulars see in their places as they follow I will come neer to judgement They because of the long patience of God put farre from them both him and the day of his judgement and thought no evill should come unto them but he threatneth them for the abuse of his patience that he would certainely visite and judge them The Lord properly cannot be said to be farre of seeing ubique totum est and so neither to come neere properly but he is said to come cum manifestatur and to depart cum occultatur but ever present either hid or manifest August Now when he manifesteth himselfe either in mercy or judgement he is said to come neere as in this place Doctrine Howsoever the Lord spare long yet will he visite in the end those who abuse his patience Jer. 6.6 And I will be a swift witnesse against the soothsaiers Anoher effect as some would have it or the manner of his proceeding first swiftly then by way of witnesse and evict them before he condemne them His swiftnesse is not simply for he is slow to wrath but in respect of them who thought judgement farre of and promised themselves safety as before he would come upon them swiftly unlooked for Doctrine The judgements of God come upon the wicked when they least thinke of them and promise to themselves all security and thinke they are furthest by reason of Gods patience Then will he come to judgement sooner then they thought of Mich. 1.3 for behold the Lord commeth A witnesse If he will be a witnesse then a true witnesse and so knoweth all they doe their wickednesse else should he not be a true witnesse Doctrine The Lord he knowes all the waies of the wicked as an eye-witnesse of them all sees and beholds whatsoever they doe and wheresoever Mich. 1.3 Vse 1 To admonish men to take heede what they doe and to looke to their carriage Vse 2 To teach them when they have sinned that it is in vaine to goe about to cover it or to imagine they can by any meanes avoide punishment for it seeing he that is the judge knoweth it and a most righteous judge who as he will reward the godly for their good so will he recompence the wicked for their evill And as neither the malice of wicked men who disgrace their good things calling good evill nor their owne modesty ready to deny or lessen their good As Matth. 25. can hinder them from their reward or keepe good things from them either present or future and all because he knowes them and is mercifull and just so neither the corruptions of others like themselves approving and applauding their evill nor their owne cunning either in staying the passage of mans judgements against them or in smothering humane testimonies and evidences by which they should be cast shall defend them from their just recompence and keepe evill things from them both present and future and all because he knowes them and is most just In vaine is it then for them to take this course As it is a marveilous vaine and bootlesse thing for a malefactor to endeavour to get his examination taken by a Justice out of the Court from the Clearke of Assise or to bribe and stop
and opinion must needs condemne all the generation of Gods children who sometimes have had such abundance plenty and prosperous estate and that which hath beene may be for as there is no new thing under the sunne so nothing hath beene but it may be renued Vse 2 This will confute the doctrine of Popery making this a note of the Church for being but sometimes befalling it it cannot note the Church which is certainely knowne onely by such things as are inseparable which this is not being oftner under persecution then in prosperity and how otherwise seeing here it is but a stranger and sojourner compared to a Dove lodged in the rockes Cant. 2.14 to a ship shaken with the windes but not sunke to a house upon the rocke beaten with winde and weather but not cast downe Therefore is it but a weake argument which Bell. Sad. Stapl. and others use to prove the true Church and to deny ours to be and indeed no other then that which the Heathen and Pagans have used against Christians Symachus against whom Prudentius writ in an Epistle to Theodosius the Emperor which is in Ambros Epist 30. used this argument and almost no other to prove that the Emperor should still abide in the religion of the Romans because that Common-wealth was most flourishing and prosperous so long as they worshipped Iupiter Apollo and other Gods Also the old Tyrants Persecuters of the Church were wont to impute to chance the cause of all calamities and miseries for they used to say when calamities were upon them we are now lesse fortunate then in former times because we suffer the Christians and because we do not with that religion and devotion worship Iupiter and other of the Gods as we did before therefore are the Gods angry with us so the Papists from a temporal felicity measure piety and gather that God doth favour them because he gives them these outward things by it would condemne us and al other Churches But if the Heathen reasoned absurdly they conclude not well but very impudently but if the conclusion would follow it would be on our sides rather then theirs who have for these 48. yeares not been inferiour to any Kingdome in the world for peace plenty and prosperity and specially when we have beene most severe not in persecuting but correcting of their impieties Idolatries For pro justitiâ persequentes persecutores sunt propter flagitìum correctores August contra lit Petil. lib. 21. ca. 84. And for victory in warre which is the principallest they stand of we have given them more foiles then ever they us and have often carried the day and triumph both by sea and land blessed be our God for it Therefore must they let this argument this weapon goe or else we will sheath it in their owne sides Vse 3 If this be a blessing then have we cause to stirre up our selves and soules to God to give him thankes for that he hath performed to us which he promised to this land and people that we have had such peace plenty and prosperity as we have beene accounted of all blessed and happy and of our enemies mightily maligned and envied That we use that of August de Civit. D. l. 1. c. 7. Quisquis non videt caecus quisquis nec laudat ingratus quisquis laudanti reluctatis in sanus est And yet seeing it is no perpetuall blessing but such as the Church is often deprived of and hath beene let us see we walke worthy of it lest he pull us downe as low as he lifted us up high and make us as vile as he hath made us honourable As he did divers times with his people Deuter. 29.22.24.25 which was then and shall be when they are worse and walke unworthy of this and we be as Salvian ad Catholicum Ecclessiam lib. 1. * Ac sic nescio quomodo c. I know not how but thy felicity fights against thy selfe so much as thou art encreased in people thou art almost as much encreast in vices by how much thou hast more abounded thou hast lost in discipline and thy prosperity hath brought with it a great encrease of evills for the professors of the faith being multiplyed the faith it selfe is lessened and her children encreasing the mother is sicke and thou O Church of God! art made weaker by thy fruitfulnesse and the more children the lesse strength for thou hast spread through the whole world the professors of thy religious name but not having the power of religion as if thou wert rich in men poore in faith wealthy in multitude needy in devotion enlarged in body strengthned in spirit c. VERS XIII Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet yee say What have we spoken against thee YOur words have been stout against me Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord of Hosts The Prophet proceedeth to reprove this people of another sinne and to expostulate the thing with them The sinne of it is the denying of Gods providence both over the evill and good not punishing the one and not providing for the other This people afflicted of God with penury and want for other of their sinnes but especially for spoiling God his Levits and Church they thought and spoke blasphemously against God but accusing his providence as not regarding those who worship and professe him but such as dishonoured him and were wicked and never would they accuse themselves of their sinnes which is that he saith their words have been great against him they spoke hard and odious things of him as the words following shew that these were they Yet yee say What have we spoken against thee They answer for themselves not denying simply that they had spoken any such thing but putting God to his proofe as thinking that he did not know nor understand as those who had oftentimes said among themselves that God regarded not the things here below neither tooke notice of what men did Therefore this question of theirs tendeth not to any deniall of the deed but to the tempting of God For if hee could not or did not answer directly and shew them what they had said then would they conclude as before they had that he did not regard nor understand the things that were said and done by men which if he did then could he tell in particular what words they had spoken against him and not thus insist in the generall Doctrine Your words have been stout Observe God takes notice of the words of men as well as their actions and will reprove them for them and call them to an account and judge them Jam. 2.12 Your words have been stout against me They deny the providence of God and his wise disposing of things upon earth among men as the verses following shew and so are accused to have spoken against God himselfe though they have not denied him or blasphemed him Doctrine They who deny the providence of God and his
perceive that their masters overheare them talking of any thing or oversee them doing of any thing speake and doe well this is eye service or eare service yet God would be served with eye and eare service and he that seeth in secret will reward openly And the words are Attendit Iehovah auait He hearkened and heard he so heares that he also attends or regards it A man may overheare a thing and not regard it and so as good as he heard it not Eccles 7.22 But God as he heares so he regardeth Contrary to that the wicked say Psa 10. That God regardeth it not Zeph. 1.12 But God doth regard the words of the tongue because he hath made a law as wel for the words as deeds God made the tongue and therefore will have the fruit 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought for a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit for they are Gods so with tongue as well as hand and therefore we must looke to give account of words as well as of our actions Matth. 12.36 But I say unto you that of every iale word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement Jude verses 14.15 And Enoch also the seaventh from Adam prophesied of such saying behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints to give judgement against all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him Plumea verba plumbea pondera windy words if they be wicked words lye as a dead weight on thy soule Take heed of lifting up his name take heede of an oath for it bringeth an heavy burthen But it is our incouragement I say that God rewards us for good words as well as for our deeds though they seeme to be but little worth they are arguments of a sanctified heart and of the feare of God as it is Matth. 12.34.35 O generation of vipers how can you speake good things when ye are evill for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of an evill treasure bringeth forth evill things And a booke of remembrance was written before him That is he keepes the remembrance of the things he knowes Doctrine The Lord as he seeth and knoweth all things so he remembreth them as he hath knowledge without ignorance of any thing so he hath remembrance without oblivion of the same things good or evill Therefore is he here said to have a booke because things are more certainely and perpetually kept in it then left to remembrance of man Hence is that Amos 8.7 The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iaakob surely I will never forget any of their workes Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Psal 139.2 Jer. 44.21 Psal 56.8 Thou hast counted my wandrings put my teares into thy bottell are they not in thy register Dan. 7.10 Revel 20.12 A similitude taken from Kings who have things written for memory Ester 6.1 though God need not Reason 1 Because of his eternall and infinite apprehension being as able to apprehend things and keepe them done thousand yeares since as but yesterday as man is able to remember things done but yesterday as that Psal 90.4 2 Pet. 3.8 Reason 2 Because he is absolutely perfect without either sinne or imperfection therefore without oblivion that in many things is sinne and in any thing imperfection even as ignorance of things necessary to be knowne and which may be knowne is sinne of things not necessary is imperfection and infirmity though without sin Object Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Then God doth forget and there is oblivion in him Answer Gods forgetting of sinne is like his not seeing of sinne Num. 23.21 which is not that he seeth not the act and thing done but hee seeth it not to impute it to them in that respect hee is as though he saw it not So he forgetteth not the act and the thing done but not to impute it to him or to punish him for it which is in effect to forget it As his remembrance is taken for the effect of his remembrance As Isaiah 38.3.9 I pray thee let me have the effect and feeling of thy remembrance let me know by experience thou dost remember me So his forgetfulnesse or forgetting is taken for the effect and feeling of it They should finde he had as it were forgotten Vse 1 To let us see the folly of wicked men as in committing sinne in secret and darke thinking the Lord cannot or doth not see so in seeking to cover it committed and labour to bring an oblivion of it who though the corruption cleave to them as Jer. 17.1 The sinne of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond and graven upon the table of their heart and upon the hornes of your Altars Yet they by all meanes labour to forget it and if they have escaped and prospered with it for a month or two or a yeare or two c. they thinke also God hath forgotten it But doe they not deceive themselves when with God is no oblivion no forgetfulnesse What benefit can they then get by this even as a malefactor that hath committed some haynous offence whom the Magistrate lets alone to see what he will doe whether he will seeke his pardon or no and he goes about to corrupt or remove all that should give evidence against him when it is in the power of the Judge both to be witnesse and Judge and proceed of his owne knowledge and out of his owne memory of the act and who also cannot forget So here What got the sonnes of Iaakob by smothering their treachery to their father and brother It may terrifie the wicked that every evill word is registred Matth. 12. and though God should not the Divell would keepe them in mind to accuse them Rev. 12. yea and their owne consciences Gods register booke Vse 2 To instruct every man to keep his bookes of account well and to remember all his debts and his sinnes seeing they shall be remembred though he would forget them or could when as his remembrance of them to humble himselfe and to get his pardon makes God to forget them Saint Chrysostome would have a man not to forget his sinnnes after pardon * Non ut taeipsum c. Chryso ho. 12. ad popu Antioch Not to consume thy selfe with the thought of them but to teach thy soule not to grow wanton nor to fall into the same sinnes againe But most necessary before
feare God lift up your heads in peace and hope for to you shall arise The sunne of righteousnes Thus the Prophet calls Christ after the manner of the Prophets who in diverse places have given him this name Esa 60.1.2.19 Ioh. 8.12 Luc. 1.78 And he is sayd to arise unto them because he doth enlighten them by his word and spirit And he is called the Sun of righteousnes being so himselfe and making them so regenerating purging them from their corruptions renewing in them the image of God which things are more particularly expressed by that which follows With healing in his wings Keeping the same metaphor he calleth the sunne beames wings that as by the beames of the sun the aire is purged and health procured to men so Christ should by his grace and spirit purge them whom he enlightens And you shall goe forth That is be set at liberty from bondage and slavery from sin the divel and death And grow up as the calves of the stall That is you shall have an encrease and augmentation of grace and of the spirit more and more as fat calves an homely similitude to make it clearer Some reade you shall leape but this other the words will well beare and is as fit Doctrine 1 All men are in themselves darknesse and have no light that is the estate of every man by nature The point is only implied Doctrine 2 Christ is risen a sunne to as many as are truly called and they have light and not darknesse they have the knowledge of God and of his will necessary to salvation Doctrine 3 Christ is most holy and pure without spot and blemish of sin a Sun of Righteousnesse Doctrine 4 They who are Gods elected and called have health under the wings of Christ i. have their sinns purged their spirituall sores cured and they made holy and sanctified 1. Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.10 Gal. 5.24 Eph. 5.26.27 Reason 1 Because they are made one with Christ and joyned with him and so being in Christ are new creatures 2. Cor. 5.17 New in quality and condition being made partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 as iron put into the fire remains so in the substance but yet is pulled forth wholly burning like fire The same substance with the name remaineth the heat shining brightnesse other accidents are not the irons but the fires Reason 2 Because as a cause of this they being one with him must needs pertake of his spirit and have life from him as members and this life is holynesse They are sanctified wholly 1. Thes 5.23 The mind inlightned with the true knowledge of God Col. 1.9 The memory keeps and remembers that which is agreeable to Gods will wheras naturally it best remembreth lewdnesse and vanity Psal 119.11 The word is hid in the heart The will is sanctified so farre as it is freed from sin that it can will and chuse that which is good and acceptable to God and refuse that which is evill Phil. 2.13 The affections are sanctified and move to that which is good to embrace it and eschew evill Rom. 12.9 The body is sanctified when the members are instruments of righteousnesse Rom. 6.13 And all is from Christ in whom they are and to whom they are joyned In Christ they have a gracious health of mind and spirit and body who tooke whole man In Christo habent c. Aug. de civit Dei lib. 10. c. 27. that he might heale the whole man of all pestilentiall contagion as Saint Aug. speakes But none hath this holinesse in perfection but in part and to dreame of a perfection is a Pelagian fancy contrary to experience conscience our owne confessions to God and to the word of God that hath taught us that we have but here the first fruits Rom. 8.23 And the full measure not accomplisht till after death Col. 3.4 In the meane time he is in hand with the cure and healing of us So that the state of the best is cleane in part and yet in part to be made cleane and must hearken to the Apostle 2. Cor. 7.1 To cleanse themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit St. Bern. in Cant. serm 58. perfecting holinesse in the feare of God knowing they have still an army of vitious desires to fight against which are the Jebusites who dwel in our borders and may be subdued though they cannot be driven out Vse This will answer the Papists slander who affirme in their late pamphlets and by D. Bishop in his Epistle to the King that we say that to thinke of inherent righteousnesse and to stand just by it before God is to rase the foundation of religion and to make Christ a Pseudo-Christ If they understand it of being just imperfectly before God we none of us deny it but if as perfect righteousnesse in Gods sight we say it doth rase the foundation and justleth Christ out of his place and take away from him that honour which the Scripture hath given him to be called the Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 33.16 and to defeate the worke of God by whom he is made unto us righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 But this is injurious to the inestimable value of Christs blood God cloakes our sinne now and cures it too by degrees and afterward fully he cloaketh and covereth our iniquity with the righteousnesse of Christ which is not a short cloake that cannot cover two Bern. in Cant. 61. as Saint Bernard speakes but being a large and everlasting righteousnesse it will largely cover both thee and me They who are elected and called are redeemed that is are set at liberty and freed by Christ from sinne satan and death and shall goe forth as the words are here from sinne Rom. 7.5.6 Rom. 6.6.14 1 John 3.8 from Satan Joh. 12.31 Col. 1.13 from death heb 2.14 Reason 1 Because they are one with Christ and he having overcome those enemies and delivered himselfe they must needs bee freed Reason 2 Because being one with him they have his spirit Now where the spirit is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 Reason 3 Because they must and ought to serve him whose they are that is God which they cannot doe if still they be servants to sinne and Satan for if no man can serve two masters Mat. 6.24 who may in some case be subordinate to one another how may they serve such as are so farre opposite God and sinne Reason 4 Because God hath shewed mercy to pardon their sinne but to what end were that mercy if he should leave them in their former bondage as if one should pay the ransome of a captive and yet leave him still in thraldome Object We see many of them who are partakers of this redemption yet are still overcome of sin and are led captive to transgresse the commandement as Saint Paul was Rom. 7. Answer Falling into sinnne doth no way prove the dominion of sinne Sinne hath dominion when it raignes in a man and when man rebells not strives
Targum or Chalde paraphrase in what have we multiplyed speech against thee Vers 14 15. Secondly in particular verse 14 15. Yee have said It is vaine to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his ordinance and that wee have walked mournefully before the Lord of hosts And now wee call the proud happy yea they that worke wickednesse are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered This is the proofe of the accusation against them These were their stout words against God Yee have said It is vaine to serve God Vulg. He is vaine who serveth God There is nothing got by it A profane atheisticall conceit now adayes also entertained of many And what profit is it that wee have kept his ordinance or his observation sayth our margin The Geneva his Commandement The Hebr. is Shamarnu mishmartó That wee kept his custody or his ward that is the office imposed by him upon us So Esay 21.8 I am set Mishmarti in my ward whole nights 1 Chron. 9.23 They had oversight by ward◠Mishmaroth The priests were divided in 24 Mishmaroth Custodies or Wards which they entred upon by their turnes every Sabbath To which here seemes to bee an allusion And that we have walked mournfully or in blacke before the Lord Pagn and the Geneva that we have walked humbly The Lxx suppliant The Chald. With a spirit cast downe Piscat Mournfully before that is for feare of Iehova that we might reconcile him unto us The French that wee have walked in poore estate The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscurely in mourning or in black We have the word 1 Kings 18.45 The Heavens Hithkadderu were black with Clouds And Ps 35.14 Koder I bowed downe heavily as one that mourneth for his mother Black is the colour of mourning Our comment gives this sense What profit have we that we have walked humbly that is that wee have not resisted nor revenged our selves but referred all to God what have wee got by it Now then or Therefore we call the proud happy They who tread upon modest men and rayse themselves high and worke their own ends confidently and daringly they thrive and therefore them wee call that is count happy Hierom here calls them arrogant men Boyling raging men swelling and presumptuous Zedim comes of a roote that hath all these significations Yea they that worke wickednesse are set up or built up that is They have children houses lands and honors c. Chald. They are established The Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are reedified They prosper and have all things well about them As the word is Iob 22 23. If thou returne to the Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be built up that is Thou shalt prosper Yea they that Tempt God are even delivered The grudging and blasphemous speeches of these wicked men are still continued those that continue in sinning and ad sinne to sinne and as it were dare God to try what he will doe or how hee will deale yet they are delivered we see them to bee safe secure bold and prosperous See Ps 95.9 2. This blasphemy of theirs thus discovered is answered First by opposing the contrary discourse of the godly verse 16. Secondly by shewing Gods taking notice of both ver 16. latter part Thirdly by declaring gods gracious promise to deale well with the godly ver 17. Fourthly by warning the blasphemers that Gods dealings shall be manifest even in their eyes ver 18. Fifthly by a further amplification of that point of Gods manifest dealing chap. 4. ver 1. ad fin Vers 16 First their Atheisme and blasphemy is answered by opposing to these blasphemous conceits and words of wicked men the contrary opinion and discourse of the godly ver 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another In the greatest apparent Ataxy and disorder and in the time of the stoutest language and behaviour of ungodly men They that feared the Lord being acquainted with his wayes and manner of working spake often for their mutuall encouragement and otherwise to one another that there would come a day or that God is righteous or that he only deferres or such like things they spake whereby they defended the cause of God against wicked Atheists This I conceive to be the sense of these words but for the manner of the Prophets bringing them into his discourse interpreters have not satisfied me I conceive him in the midst of his discourse wherein in the person of God he bends and directs his speech all this while to them that were before him the wicked whom hee laboured to convince Now hee breakes off and turnes his speech to God or to his owne soule or to the godly yet with an intention in a fine and insinuating way to instruct the wicked blasphemers that heard him In this manner your words have bin stout yee have said t is in vaine to serve God That men thrive most by wicked courses but oh my God thou knowest or oh thou my soule thou knowest or oh yee that feare God yee know whatever these blind and profane men use to thinke and say yet then in the greatest seeming disorders yet then they that feared God have other conceits and encourage one another and speake otherwise and thou oh God takest notice of them or oh my soule thou knowest or oh yee that feare God yee know that the Lord hearkens and heares and sets downe all in his booke c. But this conceit upon the place I doe with all submission leave to the judgement of those that can more clearely and with more facility give satisfaction to themselves about the coherence of these words Secondly he answers their blasphemy by shewing Gods taking notice of the different speeches and cariages of men ver 16. The latter part of it Then the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought on his Name I take not these to be the words of the godly as Tremell Tarnovius and generally all understands them by supplying the text with the word Saying They that feared the Lord spake to each other Saying The Lord hearkned c. But I conceave as I said in the former member of the verse that they are the words of the Prophet who answers their blasphemy by telling them in that way of rhetorique that I have exprest above that God is not so regardlesse as they imagine and speake but hee heares both their Atheisme and likewise what defense the godly doe make and puts it downe as it were for a remembrance to reward it in them I herein follow S. Hierom and desire leave to depart from the reverend author of our commentary who interprets them as the speeches of the people according to the supply in the Tremellian Bible And a booke of remembrance was written before him for them c. It is a Metaphor from the use of Kings to set
preferring the handmaids which yet are beautiful and they blind that doe not confesse so before the Mistresse hath been much complained of by many pious and learned men Who can be large or full enough in the praise of the Booke of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soules food as Saint Athanasius calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Invariable rule of truth as Saint Iraeneus The Aphorismes of Christ The library of the Holy Ghost The circle of all divine arts The Divine Pandects The wisdome of the Crosse The cubit of the Sanctuary The touchstone of errour But I will take my selfe off lest it be said to me Who ever dispraised Hercules Only let me insert another instance for other kind of people for lay people for women Not the example of any of those glorious women found and mentioned in S. Hieroms Epistles famous and renowned for their piety this way but a moderne example of Maudlin the wife of D. Pareus of whom writing to Iohn Newerus Pastor of Saint Peters Church in Heidleburg to preach her funerall Sermon hee reports that after shee was married and more than forty yeares of age out of love to the holy Scriptures shee learnt to reade and tooke such delight in it and specially in the Psalmes that she got them almost all by heart So much for this point the necessity of which some think the Spirit of God would teach us by the great Zain in the word Zicru Recordamini in the Text in many Bibles See Iohn Buxtorf in Comment Masor cap. 14. 2. Hee takes occasion to prepare their expectation by prophecying againe of his forerunner the Baptist vers 5.6 we have 1. His comming vers 5. 2. His work or office vers 6. I. His comming vers 5. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the comming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. The interpretation of this place hath very much divided the Expositors Saint Hierom took it once for all the Prophets that should come but hee goes almost alone A farre greater party understand it of Eliah the Thisbite For so the Lxx. reade the very Text The Vatican and ordinary copies of the Lxx but not that which is in the King of Spaines Bible and so also the Arab. which usually followes the Lxx and some of the Fathers but not all whom Bellarmine alleageth for Origen Lactant. Hilary Hierom who are produced by him are examined by Dan. Chamier Panstrat Tom. 2. lib. 17. cap. 5. sect 17. 18. and found to bring him no proofes Saint Chrys Theod. Saint Aug. and haply others of the Ancients being misled by the corrupt reading of the Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I send unto you Eliah the Thisbit But this is not in the Hebr. Text which the learned Popish Expositors know and yet they follow that of the Lxx for another purpose than the Ancients were aware of as it is sufficiently knowne to Divines in the Question of Antichrist Benedict Pererius De Antichristo Disput 10. against Ioh. Annius makes it one of his demonstrations that Mahomet is not Antichrist and so doth Bellarmine that the Bishop of Rome is not because Enoch and Eliah are not yet come and are to come in his time Doctor Sharp a learned man of ours De Antichrist part 1. cap. 31. doth hereupon take occasion to compare Bellarmine to a frantick woman whom he saith he knew that pretended great acquaintance with the Angell Gabriel and tells us That surely Elias was the carrier Mee thinks too lightly I reade nothing with pleasure that puts off a learned adversary with a scoffe but not without offence him who through his weaknesse doth magnifie all Bellarmines Arguments as surely the Suffolk Author of the Five Discourses Ann. 1635. did who in his Treatise of Antichrist useth no other I will not take this Text as a sufficient occasion to enter into the Question who That Antichrist should be Let the characters used by Saint Iohn and Saint Paul be impartially applyed and without ends and I suppose there will bee lesse controversie especially that of Saint Paul 2 Thess 2. For light unto which I referre the Reader unto Quirinus Reuterus his Supply to Zanchy who here through age and dimnesse of sight broke off which Reuterus undertooke at the request of Zanchy's Executors and said much to this point and with much approbation But to passe by the question it selfe whether the Pope be Antichrist which the interpretation of this place however it bee doth not conclude The Cardinals arguments that the Thisbite is prophecied of are not unanswerable Object 1. This day before which this Eliah is to come is the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. Therefore the day of the second comming of Christ for his first comming was an acceptable time and a day of salvation Answ 1. The Hebr may be rendred Before the day of the great and dreadfull Lord come And so the Chald. reades it 2. But granting it as wee reade it yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not properly Terribile but Timendum to bee feared or dreaded Now feare is either from Terror or from Reverence so it is Gen. 28.17 How dreadfull is this place saith Iacob that is Reverend because of the signes of the Divine presence See also Ezek 1.22 Thus even the day of Christs first comming is to be entertained with an awfull dread and reverence 3. That day though a day of salvation to believers yet was to others terrible as it was described to be in the former Chapter verse 2. and is oft described so in the New Testament Luc. 2.34 Luc. 3.9.17 Luc. 19.44 Math. 21.44 See Casp Blockmond System Theol. vol. 2. artic 28. pag. 831. Object 2. It is added lest I come and smite the Earth with a curse But Christs first comming was not to judge but to bee judged Answ 1. It may be understood with Montan. and Winkleman of the destruction of Ierusalem and the calamity that came upon the Iewes upon Christs first comming 2. But I have all the way interpreted this Chapter comprehensive even of the day of judgement also and the sentence then to bee given by Christ Yet it followes not but the place may be meant of Iohn Baptists comming before Christ to prepare men to belive least hereafter for their infidelity they bee condemned It followes not that hee must come presently before that day Object 3. Christ speaking of Elias Math 11.14 Saith This is Elias qui venturus est which is for to come but Iohn was come already Answ The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Qui venturus eraet Which was for to come speaking of him whom from Malachy's prophecy they expected and so might well be said of one that was already come as we have the same phrase Math. 2.4 He demanded where Christ should be borne Yet was Christ borne already Object 4. Iohn was indeed allegorically Elias but not literally therefore Christ speaking in the