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
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
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
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
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
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